tonight's lead. tomorrow will mark day 17 of the partial government shutdown and the full effects are starting to be felt. a second weekend meeting between vice president pence and congressional staffers ended just hours ago with no advances reported and the budget stalemate over president trump's border wall. this just after the president reaffirmed for the second time today that he is open to declaring a national emergency in going around congress to get it. >> we're looking at a national emergency, because we have a national emergency. just read the papers. we have a crisis at the border of drugs, of human beings being trafficked all over the world. they're coming through. it is national security. it's a national emergency. >> of course, what the president

neglected to mention is that the nation's courts and his welfare system are facing emergencies of their own. all as thousands of federal workers stare down in another week of uncertainty, some by filing for unemployment. joining me now, democratic strategist, danielle moody-mills. michelle goldberg of the "new york times" has a columnist at the "new york times" that i read, by the way. and an msnbc contributor. and, of course, my friend, michael steele, former chair of the republican national committee. and an msnbc political analyst. there was a time you would get in trouble from me calling you my friend. michelle, let me ask you. as we see this back and forth, 17 days tomorrow of a shutdown,

and the president in his own way that you do write about, not even being able to really show any kind of compromise and empathy, saying, well, you know, i can do an emergency act. like, well, then, why didn't you do that, rather than having 800,000 people impacted and 800,000 people that are now not only getting their check late, but can't buy gas. soon the gas money runs out. soon the grocery money comes out. you can't write a letter to the grocer or the gas station attendant saying they'll be paid sooner or later. you may, and that's in quotes, do what a landlord or a mortgage-holder. in the mill of this, trump just can't stop acting like trump. >> right. well, i think he's completely disinterested in the fate of all

of these people. and he's made reference in several cases to the fact that most of these people are probably democrats, right? so their suffering is not really an issue for him one way or the other. and i think for democrats who actually do care about what's going on and who want to put an end to this, it's really difficult to negotiate with somebody who negotiates in this bad faith, who is completely mercurial, who where it's not really clear what his end game is. today he's basically saying that he's, as a concession, going to go with steel beams -- or steel slats, instead of concrete, as if that were a sticking point. right? so he's making these sort of completely irrelevant offers. how do you -- how do you negotiate with someone who doesn't sort of live in the real world? >> and just for point, he was the one that made the concrete wall in the first place. so it's not like that was the debate we were talking about, the money and the need of a wall. but here's my colleague, kelly

o'donnell, asking about the concern for federal employees. >> can you relate to the pain of federal workers? >> i can relate. and i'm sure that the people that are -- on the receiving end will make adjustment. they always do. and they will make adjustments. people understand exactly what's going on. but many of those people that won't be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100% with what i'm doing. >> so he can relate, but they can make adjustments. i mean, that was the most empathy he could muster. and michael, he says that not only can they make adjustments, they are really in support of not getting their checks, and not getting the other things. they are with him for this wall. >> yeah. >> how he says that, i don't know. the polls say the complete opposite. and i might have missed it, but

i haven't seen him walking the streets of america, talking to the people. >> i live in a county -- prince gorges county, maryland, in which a significant number of our citizens are federal employees. they work in washington, d.c., they work at nasa, they work across the state in federal agencies and departments. this president is delusional when he's saying these workers want this. i was in a starbucks recently, and even another outlet this morning in which federal workers made it very clear to me they're not supporting this. so this idea, i think to your point about the president sort of throwing these new terms on like he's negotiating something that everybody's now going to come rallying around, because we're going to go to steel slats as opposed to concrete. still ignores the pain and the problem that a lot of people are

starting to have. real-time. he can't relate to that. he's never had to want for anything. except a better deal that he wants for himself. so the reality for a lot of these federal workers and their families is that you have someone in charge of their lifestyle, their families, their income, who is wholly disinterested in the end. that he solves this problem. because this can be solved. all he has to do is carve out the national security portion and take care of all those other agencies that deal with the social safety net, that deal with other aspects that federal workers have. that's very easy. in fact, the democrats and republicans have put those bills on the table before. >> the republicans and democrats in the senate even voted on a bill. >> exactly. >> but then you're talking as if we're talking about somebody that knows how to run government. what can the democrats do, trying reach an agreement with someone who seems beyond

that? because the bill that they put on the table was the same bill the senate had passed, the president was going to sign, until he started getting hit by far right pundits and rush limbaugh, and he pulled back what he agreed to, and that the republican senate had voted for. >> yes. the democrats right now are in a battle against trump's ego. that's who we're battling against right now. because the reality is, he was going to sign that piece of legislation. bipartisan piece of legislation. but once he heard ann coulter and rush limbaugh tell him no, you need to stand your ground on this, he decided to do what he normally does, which is pivot towards the last person speaking. and i think that the problem that we're having right now, what democrats need to continue to do is have a conversation with the american people about who is responsible for this government shutdown. and exactly what is at stake. to michael's point, i don't think trump has any idea. he doesn't know how government

works. he doesn't know what agencies are affected by this. for him to go on national television and say it's mostly democrats that are affected, i hate to break it to him, but he's president of the entire united states, not just the 30% of his base. and so he needs to act that way. and i think right now what democrats need to do is continue to have a messaging conversation with the american people about who is responsible and how they are bringing these very practical and thoughtful and strategy bills that the president won't sign. >> michael, you chaired the republican party. and you won elections for the republican party. though they don't mention it often lately. >> no. >> but how long can the republican party sit by and watch him continue to do things that will erode republican seats? the senate races next year are more for in states that hillary clinton won. and what point for the saving of

the party do they start having to do the michael jackson moon walk away from this guy? >> that's actually a very good question. because i think we already know the answer. as exhibited by corey booker -- cory gardner and -- from -- senator. >> mitt romney? >> no, the female -- >> susan collins. >> i just blanked on her name. susan collins. they have already started to indicate, we're ready to go forward with the bill that we've already signed off on. we're ready to go forward on legislation that doesn't have the wall. because they know, the further they go down this particular hole, the harder it's going to be to get out of it as they turn the corner into the summer and the fall when they get opponents, they get the opposition research coming out that this was their position, preventing good citizens in their state from having benefits, from getting their paychecks, et cetera.

>> michelle, what about this about a national emergency? one would be the base of it, and two, that is not as easily established as president trump is trying to act as though he can just in the middle of the night tweet a national emergency and there it is. >> to be honest, he does have terrifyingly broad powers to declare a national emergency. and i'm sure it would be challenged in court, and who knows if it would hold up. but there is actually -- there is actually a real danger there. i guess. and to some extent, that might be one out for him, that he declares a national emergency, he's no longer in this standoff with congress, that he can't win. and then maybe eventually the supreme court shuts it down. but he's, you know, gotten himself out of this momentary mess. to me, the terrifying thing -- >> what would be the emergency? because he says tariffs are coming across the border, and there's no record of any terrorist that has been tried as a terrorist.

and he's saying we have a drug emergency, but most -- we're facing a crisis and he's not coming through. so what would be the crisis? >> this is a question for a lawyer, whether or not his emergency power, he has to prove the emergency he declares is an actual thing. i'm not sure that it is. >> that is dangerous, danielle. so we're saying that we're not sure if the president of the united states, whomever it is, could hallucinate an emergency and therefore proclaim an emergency. >> just the thought of that has me absolutely terrified. because there is a crisis at the border. the crisis at the border is the fact that children are dying in u.s. custody, right? that's a crisis. the fact that we don't know how to reunite children separated from their families. that's a crisis. so there is, in fact, a crisis. there is, in fact, an emergency. that this administration and this president has created. right? and so the idea that he could potentially tweet and say that i've declared a national emergency and then that leaves congress and the supreme court

to figure out whether or not that is true, whether or not that is official, that's incredibly problematic. we -- >> we do have a lot of people in the courts that he appointed. we don't know where it's going. >> we know, yes. >> it's terrifying. >> and michael, forgive me. maybe i was speaking that day or something. but i thought donald trump said mexico was going to pay for this wall. i mean, why are we even putting people through this? he promised that mexico would pay -- >> send them the bill. no, this is a bill that's being paid for by american taxpayers. bottom line. >> right. >> and the president has always known that. he can blather on about mexico, you know, paying for this. what is still stunning to me is the number of people who really believe that's going to happen. and that, i think, is probably the most terrifying part of this narrative. because any effort to push back and to show the truth and

reality of this -- there is going to be a segment of our population that will rise up in defense of this president and give him good cord. >> he takes he's going to take it out of the new trade bill that he's -- trade agreement he's replaced nafta with. >> that hasn't even passed. >> not only has it not passed, it's like down the road many -- it's like when i used -- i said last night by closing the belmont market when i was growing up in brownsville, brooklyn, now we're going to get a lay away plan with mexico if the bill passed. our panel will join me later in the hour. our next guest says he has a, quote, strong vision for the country's future, and he's promising not to be a single-issue candidate. so will he make his presidential candidacy official right here on "politics nation?" you bet i'm going to ask him.

former hud secretary, julian castro, next. hey, batter, batter, batter, batter.

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my vision for the country's future is that we aim in the 21st century to be the smartest, the healthiest, the most fair and the most prosperous country. >> that was former secretary of housing and urban development, julian castro. the 44-year-old who served under president obama.

he's now exploring his own potential run for the white house. the former san antonio mayor is so far the only latino to announce he has launched an exploratory committee for the presidency. julian castro joins me now as he prepares for another trip to the key primary state of iowa. thank you for joining us, mr. secretary. >> good to be with you. >> let me say this. you and i have communicated over the last several years, you have spoken at conventions, we have been at meetings at the white house. do you want to announce something here tonight? i know you're going to iowa and you have a press conference saturday. but, you know, do you want to just tell me what you intend to announce? >> who, i would love to do it, reverend, al. i would just love to do it. but i'll tell you what. how about take your live truck on saturday at plaza in san

antonio, and i'll tell you and i'll tell the world what i'm going to do. i'm going to do -- i'm going to make an announcement on saturday in san antonio. >> all right. fair enough. you can't blame me for trying. let me ask you this, though. in all seriousness. with a government shutdown going into its 17th day tomorrow, and you having worked in government, a cabinet secretary, you ran the hud, what would you do if you were president to try and resolve this? what would you do if tomorrow morning, you were headed into the oval office? >> well, first of all, if i were president, we wouldn't have a government shutdown that was going on now more than two weeks. you know, there have been a number of government shutdowns, but this is one of the longest. i think now the second longest. and that's due to the mismanagement and the ego of donald trump. at the point, i believe what should be done is that the

president, as was suggested a little bit earlier, should basically make sure that the government is open by accepting the legislation that republicans and democrats unanimously passed in the senate and now that the new house has passed, to be able to keep the government open. the legislation is there. and it was voted on at different times by both the senate and the house. and the only reason that this is not getting done is because, you know, the president wants to score political points with his base. and when you're president, you have to be president for everybody. and there are 800,000 families right now that don't have a paycheck coming in, that don't know what they're going to do in terms of making the rent, putting food on the table, providing for their families. he has to be bigger than this. >> now, let me ask. you've been to the border several times just last year. more than once. and have you seen firsthand

anything like what this president has described to the american public? >> i haven't. it's a national shame, the policies that this administration has pursued. the fact that we have these children in cages, that we've had two deaths recently of migrant children. we hadn't seen a death, i think they said, in ten years. of children that were in custody. but we have had two within the span of just a few weeks. i believe that we need to end detention for families that are seeking asylum, or that come here as refugees. we, you know, know that we can do this in a better way, because during the obama administration, they actually toward the end of the obama administration, looked at better ways to ensure that we could both keep track of where folks are, that come seeking asylum, or that are undocumented, and also making sure that they report in when

they're supposed to. they used a ankle monitoring system, basically, to do that. and so we know that we don't have to do something like this. we know that we don't have to keep these kids in cages. but the trump administration has chosen cruelty over the direction that we should go. >> you have a crowded field of prospective candidates for the democratic nomination. you're the only one that is latino that has announced an exploratory committee. and you've made it very clear that you are going to be very, very much a candidate that if, in fact, you announce saturday, that is going to deal with multiple issues, you will not be a one-issue candidate. what will be the priorities of your campaign? in terms of issues and policies? >> yeah. as your viewers heard in that

clip, my vision for this country is that i believe in this 21st century that we have to be the smartest, the healthiest, the fairest and the most prosperous nation. and so basically, i'm going to talk about a 21st century blueprint for prosperity, and that includes some of the things i spoke about this morning. things like making sure that we have universal pre-k, so that every single child, no matter where they live, no matter the color of their skin, how much money their family has or doesn't have, gets a good, strong start in terms of their education. making sure that we have universal higher education. because today brain power is the new currency of success, and our folks need skills. so whether that's certification program or job training or community college or university, folks should be able to get that education. i also believe there's no reason that we shouldn't have universal health care in this country. you know, i grew up with a grandmother that had doeiabetes and i remember as her diabetes got worse and worse, she needed

more and more treatment. and it was a god send that she had medicare so that it could cover her treatment. i want us to have medicare for all. so that all americans can have that kind of care, and people don't have to worry about going broke, because they can't afford their doctors' bills. i also think that we need to be the fairest nation. i was pleased to see some of the criminal justice reforms that were made recently. but i still believe that there's a lot that we can do when it comes to police departments across the country, when it comes to our court system, to ensure that no matter your background, that you are treated fairly and equally under the law. >> now, let me -- >> again -- >> go ahead. >> yeah, well, and then, you know, i believe that when we talk about prosperity in this 21st century in this country, in the wealthiest country in the world, it has to mean prosperity for everybody. that means that it's almost been a decade since we raised the

minimum wage. we need to raise the minimum wage. and we need to get it on a path to get to $15 an hour. we need to also ensure that we do something about the fact that more and more families are spending more than 50% of their income on rent. there is a rental affordability crisis that is happening in this country that is manifesting itself and the fact that you see more people in big cities and in small towns sleeping under underpasses on the streets of communities across the country. we can do something about that. we know that we can do something about that, because during the obama administration, we saw a 47% reduction in veteran homelessness. because president obama made that a priority. i want to make sure that everybody has an affordable place to live in this country. >> i'm out of time, but we all know it's almost accepted universally. you did a job as mayor of san antonio, revitalizing that city

and bringing business and things back, which led to you being selected by president obama as hud secretary. you are running in texas, though, and there may be another texan, beto o'rourke, running. are you concerned with the notoriety that your fellow texan is getting, and that could also factor in the texas primary, which has also moved up in the calendar? >> i was proud to support beto when he ran for senate against ted cruz. i think so many of us, of course, were hoping he would bin. i think he's fantastic, very talented. the fact is that in this primary that's coming up in 2020, you're going to have a number of fantastic democrats. very talented. and that's going to be a good thing, i think, for the party. i've said before, i think that's actually going to be cathartic after what happened in 2016. and that the nominee in the fall of 2020 is going to be stronger because of that.

and both for beto, for elizabeth warren that i know announced an exploratory committee just this week, i think they're fantastic candidates. >> all right. thank you, secretary castro. before we go to break, we want to update you on a story we first told you about yesterday. an arrest has been made in the deadly shooting of a 7-year-old, jasmine barnes. police in houston have filed a capital murder charge against 20-year-old eric black jr., who has admitted to driving the vehicle from which those shots were fired, that injured jasmine's family and killed the child exactly one week ago. it's unclear from initial reports whether black pulled the trigger and the investigation is still ongoing. but our heart goes out to the family of jasmine barnes, who will be laid to rest this week. may she rest in power.

we'll be right back.

and now for this week's gotcha. earlier this week, former

massachusetts governor, mitt romney, became utah's incoming freshman senator. and he reintroduced himself to public service with a scathing "washington post" editorial titled, quote, the president shapes the public character of the nation. trump's character falls short. end of quote. that's sparking speculation that romney may very well go for another bid for the white house once president trump is out of it. the president's response was surprisingly presidential. >> i wish mitt could be more of a team player. i'm surprised he did it this quickly. i was expecting something, but i'm surprised he did it this quickly. and, you know, look, i endorsed him. he thanked me very profusely. it was very nice. but i am surprised, because we have done a lot. and he actually says it. i read his op-ed. he said it.

you know, he agrees and i don't think he would be -- i don't think anybody would have been able to do the tax cuts like i did. i just hope he's going to be a team player. if he's a team player, that will be great. >> a team player? any other time senator romney would have been all kinds of haters and losers. so i guess there's some respect there. but senator romney, seriously. while it's admirable that you have taken the high road in a publication as conspicuous as the "washington post," playing the role of the conflicted legislator while voting for everything this president wants is a card we've already seen played by folks like recently retired arizona senator, jeff flake. and if it's the coarseness of the language and not the cruelty of the policy that most offendeoffends you, then your criticisms of donald trump are only surface

deep and lack the compassion and empathy necessary to make you a leader who, as you say in your op-ed, reflects and respects the dignity of every child of god. i am in partial agreement with your niece, rona romney mcdaniel, who chastised you this week for already going after the president, calling it, quote, unproductive. me? i just make it plain. make your point with policy, mr. senator. and leave the click bait to the president. but either way, i gotcha. er waya save up to 10% when you bundle with esurance. including me, esurance spokesperson dennis quaid. he's a pretty good spokesperson. ehhh. so when i say, "drivers who switched from geico to esurance saved an average of $412," you probably won't believe me. hey, actor lady whose scene was cut. hi.

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msnbc contributor. and michael steele, former chair of the republican national committee. and an msnbc political analyst. michelle, president trump announced an immediate withdrawal of american troops, 2,000 from syria. it led to defense secretary mattis resigning and saying that that was part of the reason, a central reason, that triggered it. but today john bolton, in israel, says that there will not be a withdrawal until there's an agreement with turkey, that they won't come in. which is 180-degree turn from what president trump said. now, if that was a position, mattis did not have to resign or at least not as immediate as he did, what's going on with this

policy about syrian withdrawal, and do you predict by the time i get off the air trump will be tweeting that bolton is wrong? >> i think it's unclear. trump has already started to back away from it and say, well, i never said it would be an immediate withdrawal, which we all know that he did. he's, you know, tweeted it and said it live multiple times. but i think -- >> mattis resigned around it. i mean, this -- >> right. but, i mean, trump won't even admit -- and so my sense is that -- well, first of all, this is in some ways part of the same difficulty that you have negotiating to the shutdown, even though it's a totally different realm. who speaks for this administration? is it the president? is it his cabinet? is it the vice president? nobody really knows. so nobody really -- but i do think that there was such widespread opposition to this precipitous withdrawal from turkey. even really from erdogan who asked to do it, but didn't mean, like, right now. and so i think that eventually,

you know, you often see when the president tries to do something really irrational or, you know, that has sort of no constituency at all, just kind of nobody moves on it, you know. nobody -- nobody really enacts it. and so eventually it just sort of fades away unless he keeps throwing a tantrum about it. which in this case i think he doesn't really want to, you know, get behind his original whim. >> michael. >> this is real quick. i think the other thing -- note the important moment here. bolton in israel. the israelis have had some concerns about this from the beginning. >> right. >> because an enhanced and empowered iran is not good for anybody. especially israel. so this idea of the u.s. precipitously withdrawing from syria exposes israel and a lot of other other middle eastern

partners. >> and that was part of the criticism. >> exactly. and so i think you see the fingerprints of the israelis and the others, especially the israelis, in this recent statement. >> but that leads to -- and you travel a lot, as i do. that leads to the question of is the president just doing it as he goes with no understanding of foreign policy? >> yeah. >> for that matter, domestic policy. i mean, he's the only one other than putin that thinks that the invasion that russia did was based on terrorists. i mean, he just -- with afghanistan. he just -- says things that are patently untrue. >> you put your finger on it. the central actor here is not the president, it is putin. >> putin. >> the president, again, playing out real-time his conversations, back channel on that unsecure phone more than likely. with the president of russia. and, again, who stood to benefit by this withdrawal? not the israelis, not any of our

allies in the middle east, but certainly russia. perhaps china. but particularly russia and syria. and so -- >> and this line about afghanistan was a line -- >> that's right. >> straight out of putin. >> exactly right. >> danielle, can the democrats come up with a candidate, assuming that president trump runs for re-election, that can really put all of this together to the american people that would unseat him and chip away at any of what he has left in his 33% base? or will the democrats in the primary season go at each other so they will blow their opportunity because as one who has been a registered democrat, if anybody can blow it, it's the democrats. >> oh, yes. i -- a couple of things. i think that, first, the democrats, they need to come to a consensus. the field is huge, right,

40-some-odd people will run for this office. i think that they need to understand, we need the best candidate to be put forward that can beat trump. i do not want to go through the last cycle like we did with the primary between hillary and bernie sanders. i do not want to relive that. the american people do not want to relive that. we still have fatigue and ptsd from that time. and i think that what democrats need to do now is focus on who are the top five? right? who are the top five we think can hold up to a debate? i constantly, when i think about everybody that announces, i think about that debate stage when trump was stalking hillary clinton around the stage. and i think to myself, who can stand up to that? who can deliver a message to the american people? that's what they need to be having a conversation about. i don't want to see the inner bickering. if you don't have the numbers, step out. if you don't have the numbers, step aside. and understand that what is at stake right now is america. our democracy. our freedom. that's what's at stake.

it's not just a power grab of democrats taking back the house. it's taking back this country. and so they have to have a very clear understanding of what is going to matter, and it's not going to be this, you know, series of debate -- inner debates with each other. >> you remind me, because i ran in 2004, and never regretted a day after that i didn't run again until i saw that debate that night he was stalking hillary. that's the only time i wish i was back. and just for that debate. because if he had stalked me like that, we would have had another kind of night. but michael, will we see the president get a primary? i just did a thing on mitt romney that i would love to see him deal with policy, not just character. we know jeff flake and a few others have said things. but we have not seen a real surge of opposition inside the party. you chaired the party. are you at all inclined to believe that he may get

primaried by somebody serious in the republican party? >> i am inclined to believe that. number one. for reasons that go to activity around that idea. two, let's look at the romney piece. and it's interesting that a lot of people got excited about what romney said. but they didn't hear what romney said. what he said was, yeah, the character piece. but what he then went on to talk about was his alignment with the president on a lot of policies. >> right. >> and, in fact, in an interview on another cable station, he indicated that he would sign off on the wall. that -- always supported this idea of a wall. okay? >> tax cuts, everything. >> everything. so i think, you know -- a lot of people looking that romney is going to be the white knight in shining armor to come in there and sort of slay the trumpian dragon, i wouldn't think that the case, which is why you see

still conversations going on around town about others who may be getting and as we were talking, john kasich is looking from the outside. not as a republican, but as an independent. so there may be different avenues and approaches, but i think you're going to have a lively time on the republican side in late 2019, 2020, as you do on the democratic side. >> all right. i'm going to have to leave it there. thank you, danielle moody-mills, michelle goldberg and michael steele. much more after the break. you're watching "politics nation." on."wrinkles. and i don't add up the years. but what i do count on... is staying happy and healthy. so, i add protein, vitamins and minerals to my diet with boost®. new boost® high protein nutritional drink now has 33% more high-quality protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. all with guaranteed great taste. the upside- i'm just getting started. boost® high protein be up for life look for savings on boost® in your sunday paper.

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he won successive terms as mayor of new orleans and with eloquent reasoning he's the man who also removed confederate statues from the crescent city. now his name is mentioned often as a possible presidential candidate. joining me now, mitch landrieu. he's the author of "in the shadow of statutes, a white southerner confronts history." good to have you was us, mr. mayor. >> how are you doing, reverend? >> good. let me ask you your view on the

shutdown as one who's managed one of america's major cities. how do you view this and what does it mean on the ground? >> well, that's great question because it matters tremendously on the ground. this is something that boggles somebody's mind that served as a mayor. this is not even a possibility. you cannot shut the government down. somebody has to pick up the garbage, the sewer systems have to work. the red lights have to work. mayors wouldn't even fathom doing this. they wouldn't last a day. so this is just another indication of course about how broke washington is. and i think that most of the american people would sit there and say no matter what the issues that they're fighting about, nothing is worth shutting down the government. that's when you know that washington is broken and people should be frustrated and angry about it. >> now -- >> especially over a wall. >> absolutely. your name has been touted a lot in presidential discussions and a lot of people know you nationally because of your work as mayor and as i announced your

book, you have taken down the confederate statues. but i also walked the streets of new orleans with you as mayor. >> that was fun. >> you have fought crime and guns -- illegal guns. you have been a guy that has shown more than most mayors probably any that i have known in the last few years that you can get all the way down with people and deal with real issues on the ground. what do the democrats need to do to energize on the ground like you did as mayor of new orleans? >> well, reverend, thank you for that. that was very nice of you to remember. i enjoyed my time on the streets of the city. i'm sitting in a studio in new orleans and before i walked in the studio on the corner, there were two young men, two young boys that were standing out on the corner. i said what are you doing? we just came from the rec center that you guys opened a couple of weeks ago. we're really glad that you did because we needed a place to actually go play. we needed a place to study.

their life is where their feet are which is on the ground and politics is not about what happens in washington, it's not about what happens in the halls of wall street. it's about how all of those things translate to the ground. and in the last couple of years americans of all races, creeds and colors have felt alienated. i don't need to preach to you because you do this better than anybody in the country but you know that a house divided against itself cannot stand. and as much as president trump troubles our brain every day because he's just so bad, one of the things we have to focus on going forward is electing somebody that's going to be president for all of the people in the country. not just the leader of the democratic party, the republican party. remember that we're not hiring a pope, we're hiring a politician. nobody is going to be perfect. we have to have somebody that really talks about what the idea of america is because to me, as an american citizen, now a private citizen, because i'm not in office anymore, the next election needs to be not about president trump but who we are

as a country and how we am lowed what has happened to happen and what we'll do to get out of it. i'm hopeful that in the next couple of months when the democrats start to campaign they start to say things that matter to the people on the ground like the two young men i talked to today. infrastructure is a big problem. you walk around the streets of the city with me. we have crumbling streets and crumbling drainage systems and airports that don't work. everyone can benefit from having better water systems for flint, michigan. dealing with prescription drugs, getting a handle on the opioid crisis, doubling down on criminal justice reform. i know they just passed a wonderful package in washington, but that's for federal. the state, the governors and the mayors can think about what that looks like on the ground for real citizens every day. i think that's going to resonate with the american people. >> i have to leave it there, we're out of time. as always, great to talk to you. thank you, mayor landrieu. >> come back and see me. >> i will. up next, my final thoughts. up next, my final thoughts i am a family man.

i am a techie dad.

i believe the best technology should feel effortless. like magic. at comcast, it's my job to develop, apps and tools that simplify your experience. my name is mike, i'm in product development at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome. in november of last year one of the significant victories for civil and voting rights was that amendment for one in the state of florida. it restored the right of exfelons to vote. i went down several times to florida at the behest of my younger brother reverend kenny

glax go. i joined that tallahassee mayor gillum and reverend holmes and others in rallies trying to say that people had paid their debt to society and had been convicted of a nonviolent crime and had paid that debt off deserved the right to their dignity and citizenship restored. well, tuesday that becomes law in the state of florida. now, the work is to identify those people, register them and get them back out to the polls. we need a nation that you not only are subject to the law if you do wrong, if you correct it and do what is right and want to restore yourself, your right to vote ought to be restored with it. if you are subject to the law, then you also should have a voice in the lawmakers who decide those laws. florida, have those 1.4 million people exercise their dignity

and their voting rights and let's do that in states all over the country. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next saturday and to keep the conversation going, like us on facebook.com/politicsnation and follow us on twitter. up next, "meet the press" with chuck todd. ♪ this sunday, shutdown politics. president trump insists no wall, no deal. >> you can't really do the kind of job we have to do unless you have a major powerful barrier. and that's what we're going to have to have. >> but now he faces a new democratic house -- >> to the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, i extend to you this gavel. >> and a new speaker. >> we're not building a wall. does anybody have any doubt that we're not doing a wall? >> the president is talking tough. >> he said he'd keep the government closed for a very long period of time, month