the first place and needing of an explanation. the only thing we need is to legislatively change what decisions and options and punishment is there for those that would step on the wrong side of the law and these situations but the law must be there. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next saturday. up next, "meet the press" with chuck todd. this sunday, president trump takes on his own government. the cia, dismissing its finding and siding with the saudi crown prince in the khashoggi murder. >> maybe he did, maybe he didn't. >> election integrity, questioning those results. >> all of a sudden, out of the wilderness they find a lot of votes. and the federal courts after a disappointing ruling.

>> this was an obama judge. it's a disgrace what happens. >> that prompted a back to you from john roberts who says we do not have obama judges or trump judges, bush judges or clinton judges. my guests this morning, republican mike lee of utah and democratic congressman elijah cummings of maryland. and they spent $1 million calling for the president's impeachment. >> he is a clear and present danger. he is mentally unstable and armed with nuclear weapons. >> he sounds is if he is running. is impeach. the way to energize voters? and a new report says the consequences of climate change include not just fire squads and droughts but a big loss to the economy. so why is the trump administration dismissing its own report? joining me this morning for insight and analysis are doris kearns goodwin, helene cooper, danielle pletka, and nbc news

political analyst elise jordan. welcome to sunday, it's "meet the press." good sunday morning. when president clinton lost control of both houses of congress in 1994, the day after the election, he accepted his share of responsibility. mr. clinton then worked with the new republican majority on issues like welfare reform and balancing the budgets. two years later, both were easily elected. when president obama lost the house in 2010, he called it a beating. and two years later he and that republican congress were easily re-elected. president trump's re-election chances are in big trouble. mr. clinton and mr. obama accepted the public's rebuke and pivoted to work with the new opposition in some way. so far president trump has done no such thing. he is sticking to the base only strategy, accelerate ago tacks on those hes can to be

opponents. since the election, he attacked the press again, attacked the judiciary again, attacked our election process again. are assaults helpful to the presidency? politically they may be but they're certainly unprecedented. >> we get a lot of bad court decisions from the ninth circuit which has become a big thorn in our side. >> president trump using a thanksgiving teleconference with troops deployed overseas to renew attacks on the u.s. courts and double down on criticism of chief justice john roberts. >> i like him and i respect him. but i think we have to use some common sense.

>> that's after roberts in an extraordinary step by a chief justice rebuked the sitting president for slamming a federal judge who ordered the administration to accept asylum claims for migrants no matter how they enter the united states. >> you go to the ninth circuit and it's a disgrace. i'm going to put in a major complaint. this was an obama judge. >> the judge john tiger does not actually sit on the ninth circuit. the ruling was handed down by a district court. roberts defended and independent judiciary to the associated press saying "we do not have obama judges or trump judges, bush judges or clinton judges. what we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them." mr. trump's renewed attacks on the courts are just his latest assault on american institutions. he's questioned u.s. elections claiming without evidence fraud and electoral corruption. >> there's a lot of bad stuff going on in this country. >> he's relentlessly attacked the media.

>> these are just dishonest, terrible people. >> and this week he again contradicted his own intelligence community. this time their assess. of the killing of jamal khashoggi appearing to take the word of the saudi crown prince instead. >> the crown prince hates it more than i do and they have vehemently denied it. the cia points at both ways. you know, as i said, maybe he did. maybe he didn't. >> house democrats are promising to examine the khashoggi murder and the president's financial ties to saudi arabia which mr. trump eluded to for years. >> i like the saudis. the they're very nice. i make a lot of money with them. they buy all sorts of my stuff. all kinds of toys from trump. >> the president is also disputing an urgent warning from his own administration on the issue of climate change. the report from 13 federal agencies was intentionally released on black friday in order to bury it in the news. the white house dismissed the findings as "largely based on

the most extreme scenario." the report warns that if significant steps aren't taking to reign in global warming, climate change could slash the u.s. economy by 10% by the end of the century. just this week the president tweeted about east coast cold weather. whatever happened to global warming? >> i don't know that it's man made. you have to show me the science. they have a very big political agenda. >> and joining me now is republican senator mike lee of utah. he is a member of the senate judiciary committee. senator lee, welcome back to "meet the press." i hope you enjoyed your holiday break. >> thank you. >> let me start with the president's back and forth with the chief justice. it was really the heads of two branches, i think, having a debate about -- about the constitution perhaps and i feel as if that's in your wheel house. so let me ask you, what was your reaction to the president's

dismissiveness of the rebuke that chief justice roberts gave to him about how the judiciary works and how it should be represented by public officials? >> look, it's not entirely unprecedented for a president of the united states or another public official to criticize court rulings. in some cases supreme court rulings. as president trump criticized the ruling in the citizens united case. this isn't my style. >> he didn't call it bush justices though, did he? >> no. he didn't. but i serve with a number of colleagues in the senate including some on the judiciary committee who routinely accuse the current supreme court of being in the pocket of big business in the united states of america. this makes me feel uncomfortable too. i'm a lawyer by training. as a lawyer, i try to express disagreement with the courts without impugning the court's motives. >> this seems -- >> as president of the united states, he certainly has the right to express his opinion on these things. >> the problem is when he speaks he carries with him a big following that goes down the rabbit holes with him. he's gone after the judiciary,

the election systems, again contradicting his own cia, the justice department, free press. i can go on and on. you rebuke him rhetorically quite a bit when he does these things. but his behavior never changes. do you ask yourself what is the point in rebuking him? >> well, he has been elected president of the united states. we know that he has an unconventional style. he has had different approach than other people have taken to this job. but he is the president of the united states and some of the same styles that helped get him elected in the first place. and so what i can do for my part as a united states senator is to help sear him in a direction that i think is consistent with his policies and the best interests of the american people. i do think for -- >> do you have a breaking point? >> oh, sure. look, any time somebody violates the constitution, i'm going to call them out on it. i'm going to do what i can from

my position as a member of the senate to stop it. to the president's credit and the need to pivot after an election didn't go his way during the midterm, i think president trump is doing that. sometimes with this president you have to look not just at what he says but also at what he does. look at the fact that in the t election president trump come out aggressively for criminal justice reform. this is a big bipartisan opportunity. and i look forward to getting it done. >> i want to ask you something about what you said though recently. you said that you were so worried about political rhetoric and the ranker and that it reached such a fever pitch it's going to drive our politics towards violence. this will come down to federalism or violence. that's a pretty extreme diagnosis of the current problem. >> yeah, it's no the extreme. in fact, it's probably the least controversial speech i've given in a long time. according to a recent poll conducted by npr, 80% of

americans believe that our political divisiveness in this country at a national level is driving us to a point that could result in violence. this is a real legitimate concern. it's one of the reasons why the founding fathers were right in setting up a government that the national level would be in charge of only a few things that are unavoidable. and by designation of the constitution, mandated to be at the national level. reserving all other powers for states and localities. recognizing there is more agreement on a regional basis, state by state or community by community basis than there will ever be at the national level. i think that is the best way. it may be the only way to avoid some of this divisiveness. >> i want to speak to the issue with saudi arabia. here is the president pushing back on the cia assessment, not necessarily conclusion, but it's their best -- it's an assessment of high confidence that the

crown prince in saudi arabia ordered the murder of jamal khashoggi. here is the president responding to it. >> it's a very important ally. and if we go by a certain standard, we won't be able to have allies with almost any country. okay? >> who should be held accountable? >> maybe the world should be held accountable. the world is a vicious place. the world is a very, very vicious place. >> here's what fred ryan the publisher of "the washington post" wrote in response to the president's dismissal of the cia assessment. a clear and dangerous message has been sent to tyrants around the world, flash enough money in front of the president of the united states and you can literally get away with murder. is he right? >> i disagree with the president's assessment. it it's inconsistent with the intelligence i've seen. now, look, i don't have access to everything that the president sees. i'm not sure what he is relying on. the intelligence i've seen suggests that this was ordered by the crown prince.

and is yet another reason why i've been pushing and why i joined forces with bernie sanders in february to get us out of fighting saudi arabia's civil war effort in yemen. i think this is yet another indication that this unauthorized unconstitutional war from our standpoint is not something we ought to be fighting. this is not an ally that deserves this kind of military intervention especially because there's been no connection between the safety of the american people and our involvement in this war. it's one of the reasons we got to get out now and i believe this is an opportunity for the congress to weigh in and say let's halt our efforts in yemen. >> it is fair to ask the question what is the president's motives behind siding with the saudis and is it -- should congress look into see if he's got financial motivations into why he might be siding with the saudis over the cia? >> look, i don't know why he's siding with the saudis. but i think there are things question do to change our relationship with the saudis notwithstanding whatever his

personal motivations might be. i'm also certain that in the next congress people will look into that. but again, i think congress has to take some ownership of u.s. foreign policy. especially as it relates to our intervention in this war. our unconstitutional fighting of a civil war in yemen that has never been declared by the u.s. congress is a problem. and that's on us. >> final question. i'm curious your reaction to the climate report. this is from the federal government, congress, you guys ordered the federal government to do this. let me give you one of the conclusions. with continued growth and emissions at historic rates, annual losses and economic sectors projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century. more than current gross domestic product product of manufacture the united states. this is not painting a picture of an environmental catastrophe coming but an economic catastrophe. what are you going to do about it in the u.s. congress, senator? >> well, first of all, i look

forward to digging into the report and listening to what other experts on the outside have to say about it. i think it's important any time we take a report like that to examine what public policies they might have in mind. what public policies that could be brought forward that would address the problem they're addressing without simultaneously devastating the u.s. economy. there is no question that for a variety of reasons and regardless of where one stands on the issue of climate change that the burning of fossil fuels does emit into the environment a number of things that aren't the healthiest. >> should we put a price on a carbon tax? are you open to a carbon tax? >> no. i'm not. all the proposals i've seen so far that would address any of these issues would devastate the u.s. economy and have little or no benefit that is demonstrable from our standpoint. and so i have yet to see a

proposal that would bring this about. i think if we're going to move away from fossil fuels, that has to be done through innovation and it can be choked out through excessive government regulation. >> a busy morning. we got a lot today. i really appreciate your time. thanks for coming on. i hope you enjoyed your weekend. >> thank you. >> all right. joining me now from the other side of the aisle is democratic congressman elijah cummings who will join the house oversight committee. welcome. >> good to be with you. >> let many he start with the saudi issue first and foremost. because i know you've been on this issue as well. you have the president disagreeing with his cia. what responsibility and oversight -- you see -- do you look to see if he has financial motivation for making the decision? is this something congress needs to look into? >> i think it's definitely something that we need to look into. and we probably will. keep in mind, chuck, one thing that we're concerned about in oversight is the monument clause and wondering whether the

president is acting in his best interest or those of the american people. i think this is appropriate and there are other committees that will be looking at this too. >> you have so many subpoena requests. you have members that have all of the investigations they want to start. your job is to prioritize this. explaining your priorities, how are you going to make the decisions? what is worthy of the committee's time and what will it look like sort of crass partisan politics? >> there are a number of things that we have requested, some 64. these are things we would have normally done under republican or democratic administration. let's be clear. the american people said to us through this election we want accountability. we want to check on this president of the united states. but they also said something else. they said we want you to solve

our problems. and so a lot of our emphasis is going to be on and laser focus on things like the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, health care, dealing with things like issues like opioids and one that is near and dear to me, voting rights. we are going to look at all of that. now as far as president trump and his administration, the american people said they want robust and transparent investigations with integrity. i haven't figured out exactly what order they're in. they're all important. but i guarantee you we'll look at them quite a bit. >> i want to play for you -- put up a quote from jason chavitz. you were the ranking member when he was chair on the republican side of the aisle. he says, first of all, he makes the claim, i sent letters and subpoenas to the trump administration and got no response. i was stymied every step of the way. what makes you think that elijah cummings will get a response? was he stymied? >> no doubt about it. i think the remembers were aiders and abetters with regard to helping president trump do some of the unfortunate things

he's done. president trump knew there was not going to be any push back. now he knows there is going to be push back. it is going to be serious push back. that's what the american people want. i don't know what will happen. we're going to be very careful with issuing subpoenas. i don't want people to think the first day i walk in there we're going have 30 subpoenas going out the door. not going to do. that we're going to do it very carefully and make sure that it's done with integrity. >> you did not have your own subpoena power when ranking remember. >> that's right. for a long time. >> the first time that had ever happened compared to previous congresses, correct? >> right. >> do you plan on granting your ranking member own the republican side subpoena authority? >> no. >> so your not? explain why you wouldn't. if you believe this is something that should have been granted to you when you were in the minority.

>> i didn't say that. you know, they who have power in washington have all power. >> right. >> and i think the american people have said they want checks and balances. the subpoenas that i want to issue would be much different than ones that what i have seen. i want to issue them that go to the very heart of our democracy and protecting that democracy and subpoenas by the way that may involve, say, private industry like the pharmaceutical companies with these skyrocketing drug prices. i just don't -- it's our opportunity. i will consult with them. i will work with them. unlike they did with me. but, no. >> this is one of those what's good for the goose is -- i guess the point is when do you stop? >> chuck, let me be clear. i'm hoping that we will return to a level of civility now. that's what i'm hoping for. i hope we can have leadership that just doesn't move to common

ground but move to higher ground. and i plan to lead that way. one other thing, we've got -- our democratic party, we -- although we may not have been elected by all the people, we have to govern as if we were. >> what does that mean? you have to work with this president. >> oh, yeah. i will love to work with president trump. i want to hold him accountable not only to the american people but i want to hold him accountable to himself. keep in mind, he is the one who said recently that he's for prescription drugs going down. he's the same one who said that he wants -- he complained during the election about the infrastructure and how our airports are so poor and our roads. and now is the time. chuck, we only have two years. that's nothing. and so we've got to get it done. we do not have to -- we don't have hit the ground as democrats running. we have to hit the ground flying. >> let me ask you about the president's potential deal with the incoming government of mexico. its no the clear yet if they

totally signed off on this but the idea that any asylum seekers that come through mexico seeking asylum would stay in mexico until the court date in the united states. if the president cuts a deal with mexico, are you supportive of that? >> no. >> why? >> because that's not the law. they should be allowed to come in, seek asylum. that's the law. and we don't -- >> would you support change in the law? >> no. i think we have a system that has worked for a long time. the president wants to change it. that's up to him. now the congress has to stand up. >> do you think what he's doing is constitutional? >> i don't know. i don't think so but we'll see. you know, the court -- a lot of people don't realize that president trump is now -- he's basically controlled the legislature because they have been aiding and abetting him and defending him. he controls the executive branch. and now he controls pretty much or trying to control judiciary. so he's basically had all three branches with no check. now he has a check.

and, again, chuck, let's not be confused. we have to address the things that the american people want us to address. they're tired of this. they're tired of hearing the lies. they're hearing people say that lies are truth, truth is lies. they're tired of it. and what they're saying is help me get my prescription drugs. help me get health care. help get my roads fixed. >> if you're worried about tax returns that, isn't what you want the focus to be. >> my focus is on -- my zero focus is on the day to day lives of the american people. but i'm also -- by the way, we can do more than one thing at a time. i'm also focused on making sure that after the storm is over, i do consider this is a storm that we're going through, the trump storm. after that storm is over, what will we have? will we have our democracy? and as i said, i said to the president, when i spoke to him in his office, mr. president, look, i said i'm 67, you're 70. the greatest gift we can leave to our children is a democracy intact.

an opportunity. and with the voting rights. and that's so important to me. >> elijah cummings from baltimore, maryland, thank you for coming down and being here. i hope you enjoyed your weekend. >> i enjoyed it. when we come back, president trump takes on the courts, the intelligence community, the press, our elections, the judiciary. we'll discuss. the panel is next. hot water hea, she was pregnant, in-laws were coming, a little bit of water, it really- it rocked our world. i had no idea the amount of damage that water could do. we called usaa. and they greeted me as they always do. sergeant baker, how are you? they were on it. it was unbelievable. having insurance is something everyone needs, but having usaa- now that's a privilege. we're the baker's and we're usaa members for life. usaa. get your insurance quote today. with tough food, your dentures may slip and fall. new fixodent ultra-max hold gives you the strongest hold ever to lock your dentures. so now you can eat tough food without worry.

fixodent and forget it. ♪ ♪ (vo) you do more than grant wishes when you share the love. you give hope. get a new subaru, like the all new forester, and charities like make-a-wish can receive two hundred and fifty dollars from subaru. (vo) get zero percent during the subaru share the love event.

[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. panelist here. danielle pleka, helene cooper, doris kearns goodwin and elise jordan. i'm going to start with the president when he was asked what he is thankful for. because it sort of allows us to kick off all of this conversation. take a listen. >> what are you most thankful for, mr. president? >> for having a great family and for having made a tremendous difference in this country. i made a tremendous difference

in the country. this country is so much stronger now than it was when i took office that you wouldn't believe it. >> and then here's what kathleen parker wrote. when reality is ignored or recharacterized in ways that defy national rebuttal, then new normal becomes drip by drip just another category of current events. this bizarre thing happened and the president said this looney off the wall obscene thing. wash, rinse, repeat, danny. >> first thing i thought when i saw him say that, we were all talking about turkey before is, you know, everybody at thanksgiving is thankful for turkey and i guess president trump is thankful for a turkey as well. i did not think of that beforehand. look, this is this -- this tells us everything that we already know about donald trump which is that his entire point of reference, everything that he thinks about is about himself. and that is going to be the answer to every question you ask today whether it is about saudi arabia or climate change or about anything else. donald trump is number one about

donald trump. >> so how do you conduct a policy? how do you conduct the basics of governing under this? >> you know, i was just thinking about what i'm thankful for is for me. this is great. i'm thankful for me. >> i'm thankful for you. and you and you and you. >> it's always been me, me, me. so it is sort of that's what we have come to expect. i think what's been really interesting in the past week just watching president trump is starting to -- you really are starting to see made clear just how little he both understands about sort of the institutions of the united states and what make this country the country that we all love. and the things that he does understand is sort of like, you know, how little he cares when he go from the i tacks on the judiciary to sending american troops to the border, to attacking the military for not

catching osama bin laden fast enough when it was actually the cia that was responsible for the hunt for osama bin laden to look at his what i found to be a rather refreshing statement on the announce sort of laid out the honest terms the american relationship with saudi arabia which has always been pretty transactional. he just came out and said it. >> he said what it is. i'm going to put up -- he also used eight exclamation points. i highlighted six of them. this was not from the president. it was a statement of the united states. america first. the world is a very dangerous place. i won't read them all here. maybe he did, maybe he didn't. doris questioning. i mean, can you imagine fdr, teddy roosevelt, no you can't, i know the answer to that already. but the exclamation points. and, yet, helene is right. the most honest statement that a president ever said about our relationship with saudi arabia. >> the asides is what he is thinking about. i love the one when he was asked in the fox interview, you know, how do you rank yourself with lincoln and fdr and ronald

reagan and he said a plus. you can't go any higher. so i kept thinking that buchanan was lowest in the polls. recently they did one that put trump at the bottom so the buchanan family was celebrating. they were no longer at the bottom. the thing that worries me is the attacks on the institutions, you're attacking the rule of law. the worry is do the people themselves understand how troubling this is? we're in a rip tide that could really throw us over. i saw in a recent study in the "new york times" they said one out of three people couldn't name a branch of the government. one out of ten people thought judge judy was on the supreme court. it's funny but not. where is that civics. when i was an old girl, a young little girl, we studied. i think i want to go back to middle school now and start teaching middle cool kids and teaching them how to go active in city council and the state legislature. >> we're seeing this transactional foreign policy

play out in such a devastating way through the destruction of institutions by denigrating the rule of law and justice as a great american import, as part and parcel of our foreign policy. and during the 2016 campaign, i think that trump, his message of a different less intervention, more common sense foreign policy resonated with the american public. he was very outspoken about saudi arabia and their role in funneling terrorism around the world. where is that donald trump today? he is back in transactional purely for donald trump mode. and that's why it's key what representative just said about looking into donald trump's personal ties with saudi arabia. >> just teed up something here. here is thomas friedman. what is the worst thing about president trump's approach to foreign policy? the combination is terrible. he sells out american values enough but then gets nothing of value in return. a little harsh? >> well, it's tom friedman.

let's take it where it's coming from is important. i don't think that -- i don't think that calling the president a chump is helpful. i don't think that calling him immoral although it may be cathartic is especially helpful either. our relationship with saudi arabia has always been transactional. our relationship about saudi arabia is always about our larger goals not for saudi arabia's rule of law or anything else. so my view of this is informed by the problem that we have and we've talked about many times. the politicalization of absolutely everything. look, if people cared as much about jamal khashoggi as they did about half a million people in syria, as they cared about the 85,000 kids in yemen, about what is happening about the murder frankly clearly by the way ordered by putin of

dissidents in the uk. if everybody cared about those the same way, i would credit the objections to his statements on saudi arabia a lot more. >> but he was elected to up end the status quo when it came to foreign policy. that's not what he's doing. he's reinforcing the very worst elements of a policy that quite frankly just isn't working when i would argue that saudi arabia has done more to further terror than iran. that's a debate we can have. but you look at what he's doing. it's not what he was elected in his supporters wanted when they took donald trump to office. >> that's not quite factual, i'm afraid. i think iran is the larger supporter of terrorism. saudi arabia has done more to turn itself around in terms of financial support for terrorism, in terms of support for individuals and in terms of private support for terrorism than almost any country. iran remains the supporter of hezbollah, probably the most powerful terrorist group in the country. iran is responsible for what is happening in syria. iran is responsible for what is happening in bahrain.

>> saudi 9/11. >> yes. i think that -- we all remember 9/11. thank you. >> all right. i'll pause the conversation there. is campaigning for president's trump impeachment a successful strategy to win the nomination in 2020? tom steyer joins me next. ♪ -morning. -morning. -what do we got? -keep an eye on that branch. might get windy. have a good shift. fire pit. last use -- 0600. i'd stay close. morning. ♪ get ready to switch. protected by flo. should say, "protected by alan and jamie." -right? -should it? when you bundle home and auto... run, alan! ...you get more than just savings. you get 'round-the-clock protection. it's a revolution in sleep. the new sleep number 360 smart beds are on sale now during ultimate sleep number week.

it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. it can even warm your feet to help you fall asleep faster. so you wake up ready to spin into the holiday season. don't miss ultimate sleep number week. it's the last chance to save 50% on the new sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. ends cyber monday. sleep number. proven, quality sleep.

when 18 candidates ran for the presidential nomination in 2016, it seemed like a lot. we're likely to see more democrats taking the plunge in 2020 from working class liberals to those calling for the impeachment of trump. tom steyer's face is a regular presence on cable television. >> today, people in congress and his own administration know that this president is a clear and present danger.

he is mentally unstable and armed with nuclear weapons. >> steyer is holding town halls and just announced five mores, four in early primary in caucus states, the four you're familiar with plus california which is trying to become an early primary player with moving up its primary as well. tom steyer joins me now. welcome. >> thank you. all right, as i noted there, there are 30 potential democratic candidates that could run. why you? and why you more so than any of the other 30? >> let me stop you and say that i haven't decided to run for president. >> fair enough. okay. >> what i did in 2018 was basically two things. our organization nexgen america he mobilized the largest youth voter action in the country. we gathered almost 6.5 million signatures of american citizens calling for the president's impeachment and removal for

office. so basically during 2018 i was full time working on grassroots organizing americans to get their voices heard in the country. what i'm doing right now is putting out an agenda, a framework for a social contract for the 21st century which i call the five rights which are the rights that americans need to be free to pursue their own life and their own destiny. >> i read it. sound like a presidential platform. >> what it is, is a framework for thinking about how we can have a positive agenda in the 21st century. i'm putting it out there for all of the people who are running for president to look at and get behind. because what's missing in american politics is a positive vision of what this country stands for and what the social contract is with the american citizens so they can be protected in the world and have the freedom to go forward and live out the lives they want to live. >> get you to respond to something that a progressive columnist wrote about you. fairly flattering portrayal. he wrote this. i will admit i start with a bias against billionaires who think they should be president. the super rich live in a bubble that everyone is telling them how brilliant they are which makes them think they can

succeed in every area. explain. >> i have spent the last six years traveling around the united states talking to average citizens. going to red states and blue states to really understand what americans are going through. and what i can tell you, chuck, is it is really close to the bone. at one of my town halls in newark about six weeks ago, two different people stood up and said if they had repealed the affordable care act, i wouldn't be here because i'd be dead. one of our five rights is the right to health. we need universal health care as a right. i was down in greensboro, north carolina, probably the week before the election. i was talking to a bunch of college students. one of the people at lunch with me was a young man named chavez who is 18 years old who got a

4.1 in high school who had absolutely dedicated himself, got into college, couldn't afford to go. one of the rights is the right to learn. free education pre-k through college. we can afford this. what you see when you go around the united states is how close to the bone average americans are. that's the news. >> why you and not elizabeth warren or bernie sanders? they have similar experiences. they have similar points of view. what do you think you bring to the table that is different than he's other elected officials? >> i'm one of the luckiest people in the united states. there is no question about it. i had a family that really took care of me. they made sure i got a fantastic education. i never had to wonder whether i was going to have a hot meal at night. i knew for sure i was getting a hot meal. i feel as if i've been enormously privileged both by my family taking care of me and by the -- what people have built in the united states over hundreds of years. but what i've seen when i was

investing money for schools and foundations and people was that this system has been rigged for big corporations and people like me. and unrigging this system, its not about me, chuck. it's about getting the needs of the people of the united states put first and foremost. which they are not right now in our political system. and which they all know that they're not first and foremost. >> where would you prioritize impeachment now for the new democratic house? you think it's front and center, don't you? >> i think it's an absolute first step to getting towards a positive vision for the country. and let me say this -- >> you would start with impeachment? if you were elijah cummings, you would start drawing up the articles? >> i think there is no question that president met the grounds for impeachment and that it's urgent to get him out of office. and i was just listening to the last segment. is there anybody in the united states that tells you the president is acting on saudi arabia not because they're paying him money? >> let me ask you. what is your line on foreign policy? there is some allies that are sort of necessary evils. it's american foreign policy

realism. where do you draw the line on human rights versus america's national interests? >> i think the idea that america is not value driven is a break with hundreds of years of what america stands for. are we interested in our -- how we do personally? >> what about the human rights policy? >> absolutely not. but would i also cut off all values in order to get along for a short term bump in some trade situation? also not. the united states has done best around the world when we've done right. because then people understand who we are and the idea of cooperating with people who are fair trade partners who have a broader vision who understand that when you cooperate, everybody does better. in fact, a fistfight is not where you create the most value, chuck. did you learn that when you were

in fourth grade? >> final question is this. if you just -- what do you -- what is the biggest impediment to running for you? >> as far as i'm concerned, the biggest hole in american policy -- >> this is for you. >> i understand. i'm answering your question. what is missing in america is a positive vision. what i'm looking for, is someone going to take something similar to the five rights i put forward to protect the american people and really run with it so that we have a vision of what we're trying to do? >> if another candidate grabs your five rights, you would step aside? >> this is about the people of the united states. if there is a movement to get something in place we desperately need which we always need which is a vision of what the country stands for and how the american people come first, i'll be part of that movement, absolutely 100%. one way or the other. >> whether you're a candidate or a supporter? >> absolutely. tom steyer, thank you. much appreciated. when we come back, democrats

picked up as many as 40 house seats in the mid terms. but some are still not calling it a wave. why? i'll explain next. are still no are still no ♪ she's doing it again no cover up spray here... cheaper aerosols can cover up odors, burying them in a flowery fog. switch to febreze air effects! febreze eliminates even the toughest odors from the air. freshen up, don't cover up. febreze.

74% italian. and i found out that i'm from the big toe of that sexy italian boot! so this holiday season it's ancestrydna per tutti! order your kit now at ancestry.com

welcome back. chances are this thanksgiving you found yourself gathered around the family table arguing about politics. one of those arguments, probably went a little something like this.

it was a blue wave. no, it wasn't. at least at my house. what is the deal? democrats are going to net at least 38 seats in the house. and with two gop held seats, it's possible the democrats could get up to 40. historically, that's big. last time democrats gained this many seats in a midterm was 1974. the post watergate election. one point for team wave. democrats also won the national house popular vote by a whopping 8.9 million votes, 53-45. eight points. the gop's last two wave elections, republicans won the popular vote by a smaller margin. so that's another point for team wave. but was it a wave? maybe not. republicans knocked off democratic senators in north dakota, missouri, florida and indiana. while losing only in arizona and nevada. as of now, they're plus two in the upper chamber. a real wave should have saved

two or three vulnerable incumbent democrats and two of them lost by six points each. point for team no wave. there were also some high profile losses for the democrats. nail biters in georgia's governor race, florida's governor and senate races all went to the republicans. plus in ohio, democrats lost every big race except for hanging on to the brown seat. all points for no wave. look, there are strong points for both sides of the argument. and the strongest point for the pro wave side. but this election is a realignment not only because of the results in missouri, ohio, indiana, florida, and georgia but because of the strong turnout for both parties and a wave election, one side usually stays home, demoralized. that didn't happen in 2018. could democrats pull off a big surprise in tuesday's runoff senate election in mississippi?

♪ when you have nausea, ♪ heartburn, ♪ indigestion, ♪ upset stomach, ♪ diarrhea... girl, pepto ultra coating will treat your stomach right. ♪nausea, heartburn, ♪ indigestion, upset stomach,

♪ diarrhea... try pepto with ultra coating. with my bladder leakage, the products i've tried just didn't fit right. they were too loose. it's getting in the way of our camping trips. but with a range of sizes, depend fit-flex is made for me. with a range of sizes for all body types, depend fit-flex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit.

back now with "end game." i'll get to the climate report first. the national climate report was released on friday. some of the projected impacts include according to the report, three to 12 degrees of additional warming by 2100. 0.5 on 1.2 feet of sea level rise by 2050. and lightning ignited wildfires by 2060. this report was put out on black friday. it's congressionally mandated.

the trump administration had to do this. their response to their own report was, this was worst case scenario. we'll have a different assessment down the road. what do you make of it? >> i make of it there's an absolute lack of leadership on the corporate level, national level, even on the state levels of what we have to do. whether or not this is man-made, whether or not -- and it clearly is man-made, or whether something is made from somethin. we're seeing the fires, the droughts and now this may happen by 2050. maybe that makes us think our children will be alive in 2050. every important act that's been taken is because people in the government begin to feel, i care what's going to happen to my kids and grandkids. why did we do civil rights? we went through a tough period and now we're coming up with a better south. there is no leadership on this issue. >> elise, talked about an economic impact which i think for politicians might wake them up more than an environmental

impact. >> you hope it would start to open up republicans. i'm very concerned about the short termerism within congress. there's no political will to put down and think intensively, make tough political choices and think about the future when there isn't an immediate political payoff. so i do think it has to be more of a corporate interest for corporate interest to come together and try to deal with this and even if it isn't worst case scenario, even 1/20 of this is a big problem. >> the problem again is that i think there's a perception among those for whom donald trump speaks and let's admit that donald trump does actually speak for some people. >> 46% is a number that seems to be the number for people wondering. >> and that's a substantial bunch of people. the problem for many is that they perceive this as an agenda that is much more about corporate and much more about law and much more about the kind of governance that america has

and much less about climate. so from the standpoint of those that have doubts about this, and i don't think we can have any doubts that there is climate change, whether it is antrhopogenic. i don't know. i'm not a scientists. i look at this as a citizen. we need to recognize we had two of the coldest years, biggest drop in global temperatures that we have had since the 1980s, the biggest in the last 100 years. we don't talk about that. its not part of the agenda. the united states has been dropping in co2 emissions since we pull out of paris. there are actually good things that are happening. we are not using dirty coal anymore. it's the europeans who are using dirty coal. there is corporate leadership on. this yes, we need to deal with the problems. yes, we need to mitigate the things with he see. but with we shouldn't be hysterical. >> it seems like there is more corporate interest in doing something than government interest. >> yeah, just the problem is not

the corporations that are polluting the most. and i actually think we should be hysterical. i'm going to disagree with you on this. i think anybody that has children or anybody that can imagine having children and grandchildren, how can you look at them and think this is the kind of world that through our own inaction and inability to do something that we're going to leave them. i'm glad you're having us talk about this on this show because i think it was the height of cynicism to release this report on black friday by the trump administration. i just think that at some point we are going to need not just the political leadership but also the corporate leadership to actually sit down and do something about this. >> it does seem we're afraid of buying this insurance policy. why are we afraid? why is the republican party in particular afraid of buying this insurance policy? >> i think it goes back to a deeply entrenched corporate interests in the republican party. i think this is a very defined policy platform that you can see how republicans have been historically very influenced by their donors on this plank. >> you mean it's distrust that

the environmental left will use it to go after other interests rather than -- >> philosophically the anti-regulation bent is there. i think that if you look at donors, there is a direct correlation there. >> this is why education of the citizenry is essential and the end of citizenry has the power and it's like a movement. an environmental movement but it has to be upped now. every young person has to realize that they're fighting. old people are fighting for the young people now too. i care about them. we care about the kids. you're so right. we have a responsibility. better civics and better movements. i'll be with you on the ground. >> we need that too. before we go, if you would like to help the victims of the california wildfires, we picked out a few organization that's we have found that we think you should reach out to. if you don't have a pen handy, don't worry. we have the organizations listed on our "meet the press" social media accounts. that's all for today. thank you for watching. i hope you enjoyed your thanksgiving break. we'll be back next sunday because if it's sunday, it's "meet the press."

since my dvt blood clot i was thinking... could there be another around the corner? or could it turn out differently? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot... almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another.

...and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be surprising. ask your doctor about eliquis. unwanted odors lingering too long in your car? try febreze car vent clips! just snap the clip and insert in the vent to eliminate lingering odors for up to 30 days. try febreze car vent clips, available in a range of light to bold scents. you're in the business of helping people. we're in the business of helping you.

business loans for eligible card members up to fifty thousand dollars, decided in as little as 60 seconds. the powerful backing of american express. don't do business without it. ♪ welcome to "kasie dc." i'm kasie hunt. we're live every sunday from washington from 7:00 to 9:00. breaking news at the border. a port of entry near san diego is shut down as demonstrations break out and hundreds of migrants try to cross into the united states. plus, thank you, president t. his words, not mine. president trump uses the holiday break to give thanks for himself. and to attack his own government in unprecedented ways. and roger stone is just one of several former trump confidantes