in other sectors but you're seeing all three down for the day. 100 points on the dow. that wraps up the hour for me. you can watch or listen to the show on tune in, sirius xm radio, msnbc.com/now and the msnbc app and apple tv. and find me on social media, facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram. "deadline: white house" with nicolle wallace starts right now. hi, everyone. it's 4:00 in new york and today it's official, his brand is racism. and all but four republicans signed on to the decision to align themselves with donald trump's hateful creeds with comments against four democrats to condemn their attacks on them. quote, with three days of attacks on four liberal minority

first-term congresswomen, president trump and the republicans have sent the biggest sign yet that 2020 will be a racially divisive reprise of the strategy that mr. trump narrowed captured the white house in 2016. he might be the only person in the political arena now and ever for whom a week-long race scandal that ends in a congressional rebuke is better than the other headlines out there about him. headlines like this one on his chummy relationship accused child sex trafficker jeffrey epstein. nbc enurged footage of donald trump welcoming epstein in his mar-a-lago estate in 1992. donald trump knew the cameras were there. in the video he makes a point to draw epstein's attention to them. the video captures donald trump and epstein chatting while watching a group of women at the party dance. it's not an image that matches trump's declaration that he was not a fan of epstein's.

the other potential dilemma from the president, news earlier today that the campaign finance investigation out of the southern district of new york, the one that helped send trump's one-time personal tore michael cohen to jail is done. you will recall cohen's sentencing documents from that investigation that described donald trump as, quote, individual one and implicated him as a co-conspirator in an illegal hush money operation. a judge in that case announcing today that critical evidence will be unsealed tomorrow. evidence related to the raid of cohen's home and offices last year that so infuriated trump, he would describe them as an attack on our country. it's evidence the government wanted kept under seal but denied it saying, quote, the weighty public ramifications of the conduct described warrant disclosure, adding, quote, the campaign finance violations

discussed in the materials are now a matter of national importance. it is time every american has an opportunity to scrutinize the materials. and that is where we start today with some of our favorite reporters and friends. jeremy bash is the former chief of staff at the cia and defense department. frank figliuzzi, former assistant director for counterintelligence at the fbi, plus former federal prosecutor glenn kirschner is here. "the washington post" national political reporter roftia costa is back be with us on set, the host of "saturday night politics" here on msnbc donny deutsche. frank figliuzzi, i have to start with you. we've all had countless conversations about this sdny case, what they might be doing, what they might be building. and when everyone came out and tried to assert there wasn't an underlying crime for robert mueller's investigation, you and jeremy and others pointed back to this investigation out of sdny where donald trump is named as an unindicted co-conspirator

in the cohen sentencing documents. talk about the significance of today's development. >> well, in case we wineeded mo dramia attached to this, we have a federal judge saying this is of national importance. let's look at specifically what he's talking about. the probable cause that went into the affidavit and search of cohen's home and offices. what does that mean? when you write that affidavit you're convincing a judge that location or those multiple locations are likely to contain evidence of the crime that you're investigating. so what can we find out when this material is released. we know there will be some redactions. usually that involves sources and methods. what i will be focusing in like a laser is the evidence of who, what, where, when and why. who was it directing these violations, directing hush money payments? how much did the president know and when? and really what are the origins of any money pa that came out of

this? what are conversations like if they're tape recorded? are there foreign connections to the hush money payments? the world is our oyster tomorrow and it's only a matter of time. >> let me just unpack some of the that, frank. there was so much good information there. and let's slow this down. the who is donald trump. who signed the what, which is the checks, from inside the oval office, right? we saw some of those checks reprinted in "the new york times." and they've been reported on by other news organizations. >> we saw at least one while he was in the oval office he signed. now we need to know about the others. but also as an investigator, i want to know did he fully direct, understand, concur with these payments each and every time? did he understand the level to which they might pose a violation of law? that is what is going to come out if i think this is where the

judge is going. when he says there's national importance to releasing this material, that we need to see it, we need to know, that's what i'm thinking we're going to see, connections to this president and possibly even from the money coming from some foreign entity that actually is supporting the president. >> glenn kirschner, your thoughts on these developments and what we might expect tomorrow. >> nicolle, i went back to the judge's orders of today to see precisely what it was the southern district of new york prosecutors represented to him on this issue of whether these materials should be unsealed or remain sealed. here's what he said that really caught my attention. he said, the government now represents that it has concluded the aspects of its investigation that justifies the continued sealing of the portions of the materials relateling to cohen's campaign finance violations. now, i think everybody reads

that and hears that because the investigation is concluded, there will never be future charges brought. i think we need to pull those two things apart. mind you, i'm not saying this is an indication that there will be charges brought but here's what i can tell you, nicolle, when prosecutors look at a case that potentially involves multiple conspirators, we have one overarching goal. we want to try to bring a case that charges all of those conspirators in one case to be tried in one trial. why? because you don't want to break it up, try two, three co-conspirators while the others wait in the wings and get a complete preview of your case and your evidence during the first trial. so what we know is that michael cohen is guilty of campaign finance violations. he did it at the urging and with the assistance and for the benefit of donald trump. we have some indication there

may be exposure by don jr. and allen wiesel berg on the money side and check-writing side. let me hypothetically compose if there's a conspiracy with all four of these people and we know the southern district cannot charge the president right now because the office of legal counsel memo says you can't indict a sitting president, then it could be the southern district of new york has an interest in bringing one unified conspiracy case against all four possible co-conspirators the day president trump leaves office. i'm not saying that's going to happen. i'm saying i don't think we can jump to the conclusion based on judge pauley's order today there will never be charges brought. >> jeremy bash, let me just play one of the people that has essentially pleaded guilty to his role in this conspiracy testifying to the role and participation of some of the other individuals just now named

by glenn kirschner. let's listen to michael cohen. >> this $35,000 check was one of 11 check i stallmennstallments throughout the year while he was president. other checks to reimburse me for the hush money payments were signed by donald trump jr. and allen weisselberg. see for that example 5b. the president of the united states thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. >> jeremy? >> nicolle, i think what's important here is that when the judge grants the authority sft prosecutors and federal investigators access to donald trump's personal attorney, they had to satisfy themselves that that material would not be protected by the attorney/client

privilege. they had to satisfy themselves that information that was in the custody of michael cohen, his place of residence, his office, was so important to get at the underlying criminal case and clearly the judge satisfied himself in that manner. and now what they are saying is that aspect, that justification is complete, and now the information can be revealed publicly. i expect what that likely means is that the initial information that federal investigators and prosecutors put forward was a clear tie between michael cohen and the president of the united states, and that bears on the preside president's illegal exposure. it bears on issues that congress might consider in analyzing high crimes and misdemeanors. it could also potentially mean aspects of whether or not the president could be charged in the future and whether or not the justice department relied on existing justice department policy. but i think it's a very significant stecp and tomorrow e will know a lot more. >> robert costa, people close to the president always describe the anxiety around sdny and

michael cohen and these raids as a far graver embarrassment to donald trump in terms of revealing some of his least elegant personal conduct if you will and far greater legal risk to the president in terms of his role here as unindicted co-conspirator in the hush money scheme. and if some sort of conspiracy is charged when he leaves the office. your thoughts on this today. >> it does loom over him in terms of something that can come down the horizon. but when you talk to white house officials and trump political advisers, they say this is perhaps 10 to 20 items on the list congress and house democrats are looking over in terms of the president's conduct that could be used to bring impeachment proceedings against him in the coming months. and they also believe a justice department, especially with attorney general bill barr at the helm, is not going to in any way go against the office of legal counsel guidelines. so they feel it is a threat

potentially but they are insulated politically. >> they're insulated legally likely as well, as robert costa is exactly right. but what so enraged the president, i remember whether the raids happened, he was at a national security meeting site. i believe there were generals in the roosevelt room or cabinet room and described it as an attack on our nation. we don't need to guess how the president feels about the cohen investigation, cohen prosecution and this evidence. >> let's wrap it up into something a little bigger and bring bill barr into this. right before he was appointed, the sdny was already looking into the trump organization. there were meetings about to be set up with the trump and suddenly the meetings never happened. once barr came in, nothing went forward. bill barr has to answer to that. >> to whom? >> the american public. >> he's about to be held in contempt of congress. he answers for a president. to whom? >> that's a great question.

but the reality is right now as long as bill bar is in that seat, it's limited what we can accomplish. my friend is sitting in jail for a crime he committed on the direction and benefit of the president and hopefully one day the president will have to answer for that. but right now we have a head of the doj, appointed by the president, his in-house attorney, who basically will continue to run interference for anything having to do with the trump organization. >> it's more than interference. he's investigating the cia. >> let me ask one more question, where is weisselberg? why is it he doesn't fall under executive privilege? why isn't weisselberg being called to congress to ask about other things? this can't stop here. >> you're all getting a doubleheader. i want all of your thoughts on barr and issues donny raises. but i want to put out these two other toxic narratives that could make a play on racism make sense for donald trump. jeffrey epstein seen rubbing

shoulders with donald trump while girls are dancing at mar-a-lago. our colleague mika brzezinski narrated some of that. i think we have that. let's watch. >> trump is surrounded by women as music burglaries in tlai mus background. then he meets guests, among them financier jeffrey epstein, more than a decade before the guilty plea. and then trump is talking to epstein and another man as women are dancing in front of him. trump goes between dancing and pointing to women and telling epstein about the cameras. though exactly what they say, it's difficult to understand as they discuss the women and their appearances. trump gestures to one and appears to say to epstein, look at her back there. she's hot.

and then trump says something else into epstein's ear that makes him double over with laughter. >> robert costa, you were the one who stopped me in my tracks when you said on this show about a week ago that every journalist who covers this white house has to get to the bottom of what trump's knowledge was of the nature of epstein's conduct and when they became -- when he became aware of what is clearly now criminality and real sexual deviance. what do you think when you see that tape? do you think anyone at the white house is concerned about those images? >> they are concerned because it's a relationship the president does not want to talk about at all publicly or privately. whenever he's asked about it, in either circumstance, my sources say he dismisses it and says he had a falling out with epstein and leaves it at that. but the footage reveals did he have some kind of relationship within the culture of palm beach back in 1992 and throughout the mid-and early 1990s.

there are just so many questions that hang out there that why was he steep at mar-a-lago. what was the extent of the relationship? and as reporters always say, are there other documents? this video tells us a little bit. what was the extent of this financial relationship that fell apart about a decade ago according to the president? it was a big reporting target. everybody is working hard who's a nonpartisan reporter trying to find the facts. but a lot of facts still remain to be uncovered. >> and i think that pursuit of the truth, as bob's colleague bob woodward says, the truth will emerge about the nature of that relationship. >> i think bob and all of his colleagues every day from here to 2020, every presser, i don't care what it's about, it's not good enough when he says i broke off my relationship. by the way, this was a man who said i was friends with him for 15 years. >> let's put it up. quote, he's a lot of fun to be with. it's even said he likes beautiful women as much as i do. and many of them are on the

younger side. no doubt about it, jeffrey enjoys the social life. even that to bob costa's point, 2002, trump had knowledge that epstein liked women who were, quote, on the younger side. >> how many times did you see him? was it one? was it 100? was he at your house? make him lie. i can tell you one thing right now as we're sitting here, mr. epstein is in a little box somewhere sitting, and joyce vance tweeted about this, with the sdny and they are saying we want a complete operation agreement. anything you know did everything illegal. there are a lot of powerful men i think having sleepneless righ. but let him get angry and stomp out, whatever. keep putting him against the wall on this. based on that alone, we're not accusing mr. trump of everything but his answer of i broke off my friendship with him was not good enough. what was that friendship? >> frank figliuzzi, you agree with that?

>> oh, yeah. here's why people are sweating the electronic device forensics that are going on right now coming out of the most recent search of epstein's house in new york and palm beach are going to be scary. they're going to find evidence and it might be old, it might be more current. but they will find evidence others were involved and the fuller except to whi-- extent t which children are being exploited. i ask your viewers of any video you played and ask yourself s. with the understanding appearances count, is this the behavior of somebody on this video who is distant, barely knows this acquaintance, or is it someone who feels quite comfortable interacting with epstein, joking. when you're seeing video -- and i have seen this on surveillances, people joking together, laughing it up, those are people who know each other and know each other well. combine it with the quote you put up, yeah, he likes them on the young side, you have to ask

yourself, is this president knowledgeable about epstein's illegal behavior with children? >> i want to ask you a culture question. because i think the culture on donald trump's views on women. people say "access hollywood" happened before the election. people knew what they were getting. they knew they were getting someone who believed if you're famous, women can let you do everything. you can grab them in the bleep. now we know as recently as three weeks ago meghan tuli from "the new york times" sat on our set and described a credible rape accusation from e. jean carroll in a dressing room. this is a man accused of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and now rape by more than a dozen women and this is an association with an admitted self-ul predator and now someone who's accused of sex trafficking of minor girls. what does the culture look like? how do democrats begin to tell a political story about that?

>> i think it's connected in important ways to the two other big headlines of the day, nicolle. the southern district of new york prosecution of michael cohen and individual one was fundamentally about hush money payments to women, to pornography stars, to adult film actresses, to cover up the relationship them had with donald trump because he feared it would hurt his election chances and those were election law violations. and second, of course, the way he treats women, members of congress, elected officials, the way he singles them out or criticism for racist tweets for his own brand of white nationalism. here we have a man across the board who is not only a womanizer, not only a serial abuser of women, he's accused credibly of assault, rape, criminality involving himself with sex trafficking. what more do we need to understand the nature of this man's character? >> glenn kirschner, i will give

you the last word. >> so here's the great unknown when it comes to how the epstein matter will play out. it's bill barr. epstein has already been the downfall of secretary of labor acosta when it was exposed that when he was u.s. attorney, he cut this ugly, unprecedented non-prosecution agreement on behalf of epstein. it looked like it was drafted by an epstein public relations flak, to goodness sake. so in the normal prosecutorial world, we would now be looking at the epstein prosecution being run out of the southern district of new york and think okay, they've got the goods. they're going to detain him. they're going to go at him hard. maybe consider bringing him on as a cooperator so he can expose everybody else who was involved in his ugly, unseemly sex ring. but bill barr is over the top of and has command and control over

the southern district of new york, and that injects so much uncertainty and so much potentially nefarious conduct that the whole thing becomes sort of a great unknown. >> glenn kirisher in, thank you for spending time with us. the president defiant over his racist attack of minority congresswomen. how low will he go? how do democrats win on the high road? also ahead for the first time kamala harris pulls ahead of joe biden in a brand-new poll. we will bring it to you. and not waiting for mueller, some democrats file ahead with impeachment.

if your adventure... keeps turning into unexpected bathroom trips. you may have overactive bladder, or oab. not again! we're seeing a doctor when we get home. myrbetriq treats oab symptoms of urgency, frequency, and leakage. it's the first and only oab treatment in its class. myrbetriq may increase blood pressure. tell your doctor right away if you have trouble emptying your bladder or have a weak urine stream. myrbetriq may cause serious allergic reactions, like swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, or trouble breathing. if experienced, stop taking and tell your doctor right away. myrbetriq may interact with other medicines. tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. common side effects include increased blood pressure, common cold or flu symptoms, sinus irritation, dry mouth, urinary tract infection, bladder inflammation, back or joint pain, constipation, dizziness, and headache.

looking for a destination that isn't always the bathroom? ask your doctor if myrbetriq is right for you. and visit myrbetriq.com. i swibecause they let metual, customize my insurance. and as a fitness junkie, i customize everything, like my bike, and my calves. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ that's it. i'm calling kohler about their walk-in bath. [ sigh ] not gonna happen. my name is ken. how may i help you? hi, i'm calling about kohler's walk-in bath. excellent! happy to help. huh? hold one moment please... [ finger snaps ] hmm. the kohler walk-in bath features an extra-wide opening and a low step-in at three inches,

which is 25 to 60% lower than some leading competitors. the bath fills and drains quickly, while the heated seat soothes your back, neck and shoulders. kohler is an expert in bathing, so you can count on a deep soaking experience. are you seeing this? the kohler walk-in bath comes with fully adjustable hydrotherapy jets and our exclusive bubblemassage. everything is installed in as little as a day by a kohler-certified installe. and it's made by kohler- america's leading plumbing brand. we need this bath. yes. yes you do. a kohler walk-in bath provides independence with peace of min.

yesterday the top of this hour we looked out at the 197 house republicans and asked a question that at another time seemed simple -- how many would vote yes on a resolution condemning president trump's racist comments about four sitting congresswomen? now we have our answer, four. four of the 197 house republicans, just four willing to sign on to last night's historic rebuke of a president. the rest have now officially co-signed the president's toxic brand of racial strife. we should all expect more in a brand-new interview with "the daily mail." trump sounds pleased at the result of the week of racial strife and how it played out. from the interview, asked if he planned the sigh consequence eq and the one that followed, trump paused, let's put it this way,

i'm not unhappy and at a campaign rally we might see more attacks and divisiveness front and center. "the washington post" reports the president posts all of his rallies he won last year including pennsylvania. he has shown no interest in toning down the incendiary rhetoric that made him unpopular with black, female and hispanic voters. joining us former white house director from president obama, and "l.a. times" reporter. >> where to start. i'm not sure he planned it out this way but he points out he did and he's happy with it, which means there's no bottom for appalling behavior. i do think this is among the things he wants to make his campaign about. you talked before can democrats, how can they imagine this? could they take the high road,

and is it politically damaging for them? i don't think we have much choice. you have to call it out. you have to call it racist and defend the people being attacked. if you're not willing to do that, why bother having an open sis? why bother trying to protect the public for that matter? i think at the same time you have to give an argument for why the democratic nominee or others would be bet are for the people that have been left behind because you will have to do both things. and he gets to wage his campaign. it will be ugly every day between now and november of 2020 but you can't ease off and think there's some way around this for democrats. they have to toe the line. >> i hope there's more than an anti-trump message at this point. congresswoman bash was on

yesterday saying she was afraid someone would get hurt and frank figliuzzi had the same concerns. how is it everybody but the self-avowed racists that stand with an attack like this? >> i think that's the heart of the question. at this point trying to stop donald trump from saying what he wants to say is futile. i think the really important part is to call upon other members of society. where are the faith leaders right now? where are the business leaders? where are the republicans? where are the members of the public in prominent positions who know better? i guess that is my great disappointment. donald trump is a white supremacist but he's only one person so he can't do this by himself. to me that suggests we're not just in a political crisis but moral crisis. donald trump is an expert at exploiting a very, very old, thin inheritance we have of racism in this country. and i think it's very difficult

because he knows how to do that but the rest of us don't know how to have a productive conversation and move beyond that hate. i also think it's important to note those tweets that the president wrote, referring to those four members of congress, those congresswomen, as a journalist, as an observer of politics, as an american and as a black woman, i view those as indirect threats. and whether he met them that way or not, they put targets on those members of congress. and these are extremely dangerous. and i think those of us who are members of minority groups that have experienced historical -- historically experienced discrimination can recognize that. the question is whether other americans are going to stand up for us and one another. >> and after charlottesville, did you sort of see that. you saw civic leaders, business leaders, come out and feel the

need to speak out, even if -- >> all of the trump employed businesses. >> right. >> but this is the second person two days this a row that made this point about violence and about threats, and frank figliuzzi, i just want to get your take on all of that from a law enforcement perspective. >> make no mistake, a strategy based on hatred, based on calling and painting an entire group of people and specific individuals by name as evil or bad is going to get somebody hurt. what's happening with the president right now is an essential form of online radicalization. you see it in the national security context in terms of terrorism. we see the time to radicalization in the extremist islamist world as ramping up faster and faster. and rest assured there are unstable people in this country who will feel no pushback now from what trump has done, republican party not pushing back hard.

we see a white nationalist group endorsing the president's sentiments and with that people will begin to feel empowered and emboldened to think like the president. the other thing we need to understand is, the president has taken a page right out of the strategy book of the russian intelligence services. what did robert mueller tell us in his report about russian attempts to divide us along racial lines? what has the director of national intelligence said about increasing attempts by the russians to divide us along ethnic and racial lines? richard engel of nbc news a couple of months ago did a great report on russia strategizing to revive the united states along race lines. we have a president who's doing it all by himself. >> robert costa, your body of reporting on the president's political birth really being tied to all of the racist underton

undertones -- it's not even underbelly anymore, the overt racism in the republican party, is in a league of its own. i saw you last night on "the 11th hour" talking about some of it. just tie what's happening today in this story to everything you have known and reported about donald trump in this category since you have been covering him. >> on capitol hill and here in washington and on the campaign trail, i'm constantly encountering president trump's critics who say how can this be happening? where are the republicans? i just answer to them repeatedly, if you look at the recent history, the answers are all there. the republican party when president trump was a businessman and questioning president obama's love of country, his credentials, his birthing in the united states, they saw his endorsement, mitt romney running for president accepted president trump's endorsement at that time in 2012. had you a republican party who then went into the throes of a 2013 immigration fight a year later, threw out the playbook of reince priebus and others at the

rnc and they enabled president trump as an outsider businessman to rise. and they see him as the key to keeping power. romney, they saw in 2012 could not win in many of these midwestern states. they thought they would be out of power for a generation, especially with president obama's rise. so they are explaining him away at every turn not just now but over the past decade because they see celebrity populism and use of racist tweets as something that's part of the package if they want to keep power. >> enough is enough. i want to talk to the white people out there, okay. i want to talk to wealthy white people because i've had it. i've had discussion when i talk to friends, people i know, it's good for the economy. it's good for the economy. they're all jerks anyway. no, no. it's time. by the way, if you're somebody who's poor and you believe donald trump is going to get you a job, maybe you don't have the luxury of a moral imperative, but everybody else, shame on you

at this point, enough. this is where you stand up. you own it. you're no different than if you were on a subway train and you saw four white nationalists screaming at an african-american woman, go home, go where you came from, if you vote for trump it's like you're going like this and own it. no more he's good for the economy. they're all jerks. he just says these things. we're headed to such a dangerous place. guess what, look at history. it can happen here. maybe it's the jews. i forgot, his daughter is married to a view. who says? i come from a group of people where it happened to, 6 million of them. i'm not saying trump is that person, but every playbook that's happening, every single playbook, creating the other, getting rich people to look the other way, getting prem to not trust the press, getting a judicial system in your pocket, getting an entire branch of

government to march with you, act above the law, to say you're putting your adversaries in jail. and now, hey you dark person, if you don't like it here, go back from where you came. boy, it's time for us and time for white people who maybe it's not so great for your pocketbook, go in and look at your children and decide who you are. >> let me bring this back to some reporting. we had tim alberta on earlier this week, who has a great book out. he quotes kellyanne conway of saying something pretty astute. she was a pollster before she had her current role. she said people vote based on what affects them, not offends him. do you have any sense in your reporting that calculation is tipping in washington? >> that calculation is not tipping, at least in the white house's view. they believe as donny was saying, people are going to vote on their financial status and they believe the tax cuts and the economy and stock market being up is enough. the moral questions have faded

in many american voters' minds. you have a litany of issues president trump raised about his conduct, about his finances, about his personal history, about his business that are all out there, have all been deeply reported. still trying to find out other things about epstein and other fronts. a lot is out there. the moral case against president trump, most republicans believe it will be ineffective as democrats put it front and center in 2020. >> bob costa, thank you for spending time with us. you did depress me just a lot. after the break, senator kamala harris pulled ahead of joe biden in one at least one poll and she has strong words for the president's attacks on minority lawmakers. we'll bring them to you next. int i can't believe it. that karl brought his karaoke machine? ♪ ain't nothing but a heartache... ♪ no, i can't believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars on my car insurance with geico. ♪ i never wanna hear you say... ♪

no, kevin... no, kevin! believe it! geico could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

it's un-american, un-american. it is unbecoming of the president of the united states. i think it defiles the office of the president of the united

states. it is irresponsible. it is hateful. it is hurtful, and he has taken the presidency to a new low. it's one thing to hear it in a school yard or on the street. it's another to hear that from the president of the united states. >> that was senator kamala harris following yesterday's historic house vote condemning donald trump's racist tweets. this morning she woke up to this, brand-new quinnipiac poll showing the senator pulling ahead of joe biden in her home state of california. she comes in at 23%, former vice president at 21%, followed by sanders, warren, buttigieg and yang. jeremy and the table are back. jeremy? >> nicolle, when you think about statements by a president or presidential candidate is this person is commander in chief and people who want to be president are auditioning to be commander in chief. i sometimes put myself in position of thinking what would

happen if a secretary of state or cia director or battalion commander said we don't want you here, go back to where you came from. we only want people of a certain ethnicity, a certain race in our agency and our organization, how self-defeating would that be because in order to know and understand the world, the same people abroad actually collecting information, conducting operations, we have to have people who understand cultures, speak languages, can blend in. it's completely not only demoral but self-defeating on a national security perspective. something the president doesn't seem to understand but kamala harris and joe biden get it and they will push this issue. >> that's such a good point. i was thinking about the tape that surfaced of secretary mattis, general mattis talking to the troops saying we're going through really hard times back at home. it was in the first year of his tenure as donald trump's secretary of defense. but the military and certainly any defense intelligence operation, any cia agency,

relies upon our allies and people of color. the idea that an american -- and we spend a lot of time on it and i leave here at 5:00 thinking i didn't spend enough time on it, the idea the american president is telling americans to go back home is so galling and so dangerous. >> and jeremy's right. a higher proportion of population in the military is diverse. a lot of african-americans, asian-americans, hispanic americans. it's one of the most diverse institutions in america. it's the means by way immigration happened a long time ago. we do see that. when jeremy and i both worked for leon panetta, when he was sengd, something prevalent in your mind about secretary mattis. i also saw other things that were powerful because she didn't just say this is vile as we heard in that interview. she said, i have had that said

about me. and she looked at the rest of the room and said how many of you have heard that said about you? there were a lot of hands raised. she's like i see even more hands in the back. it makes you feel that's the value of her experience to show not just you can call it out but also have people in the country -- that's a teachable moment, having people in the country understand what that feels like for a fellow american feel obviously what the president is doing bring it's to a new low. >> i think the key here is three out of the four members of congress were born in the united states. what that tells us what donald trump was saying goes to the core of what is at the heart of white supremacy, which is the idea that nonwhite people, and specifically black people, cannot be american citizens. that is as old as this country, if not older. it's extremely painful, and i think it's really important

americans of goodwill understand the history of that. i have to say it's a personally painful thing that my family has been here in the country since the very beginning, since literally it was before a country. so has fought in every war. and contributed in all kinds of ways. so to hear the american president say that ayanna pressley or anyone isn't an american, coming from someone like the president, who denigrates this country and those who serve it, and those who live in it at every turn, is especially appalling. frankly, it shouldn't matter whether your family got here two seconds ago or 200 years ago, that is the whole idea. it's offensive to the american idea. i think everyone should be offended, no matter what their color. >> americans, don't be fooled.

you can disagree with all four of those woman. i heard things that omar offended me and aoc but i will fight to the death for them. when we lose that, it's over. don't fall for that cheap shell trick, oh, that's the democratic party. it's a small part of the party and you're not voting for democrats necessarily if you are against this. >> and the difference, i'm looking strategically, the difference between the democrats and republicans is our biggest lunatic is the in the oval office. >> not ours. >> the republicans and four people, i'm not calling any of them out, they may be farther to the left than some other members of the caucus. >> but they're not -- all four are not exactly aligned either. >> but they each represent their districts perfectly. that's the entire point. >> that's the way we do it. >> they've been selected by their constituents. they match the policies and priorities and people they serve. i don't think people can say

that about donald trump. >> yes. don't fall for oh, that's who you're voting for. those are four people who representative districts of a huge party h other thing message to kamala harris and joe biden, i will puke if i hear any of those democrats talking about race towards each other, talking about 50 years, what's going on, with what the enemy is. please come up for the next debates and present yourself and say here is why i'm going to slay that beast and take him out of the office. we will look like the biggest bunch of idiots, because what he did with race today versus if kamala was too rough on african-americans as a prosecutor or joe biden voted for bussing, we are so past that. and if any democrat at the end of july puts a pistol towards the other one by any nuance of race, we are fools. there's one race fight and it's on the other side. we're on the same side. >> the message i think from democrats has to be voters, don't be bamboozled. president trump has nothing to offer you but division.

>> isn't the other message too though don't let him demonize -- these are members of congress selected in their districts to represent their constituents. let's move on to the fight in the center ring, which is what is going to represent the whole country. i think when democrats take the bait and let him sort of shape the contours of it, one, defending all four of those women should be easy. and the fact that only four republicans did that, it's another searing day in the life of a former republican. >> i'm surprised there were four of them. i really were. i thought nobody would vote for that thing. i really did. i thought it was even worse, they would say something but nobody would vote for it. >> low bar. >> we're going to come back after the break and talk about kamala harris being ahead in a poll because nobody got to. it's one of those days. after the break, senator kamala harris being at the top of a poll. ll

with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's, your plans can change in minutes. your head wants to do one thing, but your gut says, "not today."

if your current treatment isn't working, ask your doctor about entyvio. entyvio acts specifically in the gi tract to prevent an excess of white blood cells from entering and causing damaging inflammation. entyvio has helped many patients achieve long-term relief and remission. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. pml, a rare, serious, potentially fatal brain infection caused by a virus may be possible. tell your doctor if you have an infection, experience frequent infections or have flu-like symptoms or sores. liver problems can occur with entyvio. ask your doctor about the only gi-focused biologic just for ulcerative colitis and crohn's. entyvio. relief and remission within reach. hi, i'm joan lunden. when my mother began forgetting things, we didn't know where to turn for more information. that's why i recommend a free service called a place for mom. we have local senior living advisors

who can answer your questions about dementia or memory care and, if necessary, help you find the right place for your mom or dad. we all want what's best for our parents, so call today.

senator kamala harris at the top of the poll. joe biden 21. bernie sanders 18. elizabeth warren, 16 or 18. i don't have my glasses. and buttigieg and yang down at 3 and 2. >> see, what's a big deal to her home state, it's california and it's a very competitive place. so i think before she was 3 to number one and is topping biden, you know, biden's inevitablility is being chipped away at. later in the summer you'll see lead changes in some of the other primary states as well. >> and it's not just a story of biden falling. it's a story of harris rising. >> but warren rising, the women are -- i think it takes voters longer to get to know them, but they are rising. the debates really helped them both. >> okay. we are going to make a turn here to capitol hill and robert

mueller. later today the house is expected to vote on an impeachment resolution. but democratic leadership is also looking ahead to next week where robert mueller will testify. and jeremy and frank are back. i saw nancy pelosi earlier today sort of downplaying the impeachment vote. obviously, she's spent a lot of time and energy. that's just what we've seen in public but also in private trying to keep her caucus together around the question of impeachment. what are the stakes next week for the mueller testimony? >> she's been very clear she thinks this vote is way premature and sends the wrong wreckage and substantively is not correct. i do think the mueller testimony going to be important. number one, just to hear it in his own voice in a very just the facts kind of presentation that marine, that nonpartisan, nonpolitical official i think will be very powerful. and then i think there's a lot of new information about the way the attorney general presented the information. and also about what really motivated bob mueller's ultimate

decision not to charge the president. i think that's going to make for a very compelling hearing, and it's going to really define the contours of the way forward on impeachment and other matters. >> your take for next week's mueller testimony? >> so, look, we do need to hear it from his voice. we need to literally just recite passages from the report. but there's another thing that i'm looking for, and it's unfortunately it's on the negative side of things, which is how low will the gop members of this committee go a weak from today in attacking an american hero, a combat decorated marine veteran, someone who has served this nation and represented justice his entire career. how low will they go on attacks on him, his motivation, and his agenda? that's what i'll be looking for. >> well, frank, let me follow up then because it seems like there is a real access there of coordination on the low road. you've got the sitting attorney

general barr investigating the intelligence agencies on the original intelligence about russia. you've got those members of congress feeling emboldened by barr's posture. and you've got robert mueller who was a reluctant witness. >> well, what you just described, nicole, sounds a whole lot to me like a deep state it. >> sounds like a coordinated effort with operatives planted in various branches and locations all working toward one goal. that's of course what we've just been hearing for the last two years. and we're about to see it play out on the other side. >> last word to you, jeremy. >> well, that's of course coocoo for cocoa puffs. [ laughter ] >> let me -- go ahead. keep going. >> now, bob mueller is the ultimate professional. and i think he's going to weather those baseless attacks very well. >> i don't want to lose the thread though because i think, frank, you're right to make the

point. in the same way that donald trump is normalized so much, it would not be normal for the same -- i mean, bob mueller used to go up to capitol hill and reassure and have a lot of very functional relationships with republicans when he was the post 9/11 fbi director. and that's your prediction, frank? >> yeah. i think he's been painted as public enemy number one, two, three, or five depending on the day. and i think the trump supporters in congress will come out strongly against him and try to counter everything. and they'll throw up all kinds of distractions. you'll be hearing more about the origins of the special counsel case and where it came from and the christopher steele dossier, all of which is a distraction from the facts and findings of the report. >> jeremy bash and frank, it's always a privilege to hear from you. we are going to sneak in our last break. we'll be right back. but it can o find a balanced solution. try great-tasting boost glucose control.

the patented blend of protein, fat, and carbs is part of a balanced formula that's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels. in fact, it provides 60% more protein than the leading diabetes nutrition shake and contains only 1 carb choice. enjoy the balanced nutrition of boost glucose control as part of a healthy diet. we carry flowers that signifyn why we want to end the disease. and we walk so that one day, there will be a white flower for alzheimer's first survivor. join the fight at alz.org/walk.

woman: (on phone) discover. hi. do you have a travel card? yep. our miles card. earn unlimited 1.5 miles and we'll match it at the end of your first year. nice! i'm thinking about a scuba diving trip. woman: ooh! (gasp) or not. you okay? yeah, no, i'm good. earn miles. we'll match 'em at the end of your first year. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, yeahmm. exactly.od. so you only pay for what you need. nice. but, uh... what's up with your... partner? not again. limu that's your reflection. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ hi. maria ramirez! mom! maria! maria ramirez... mcdonald's is committing 150 million dollars in tuition assistance, education, and career advising programs... prof: maria ramirez mom and dad: maria ramirez!!!

to help more employees achieve their dreams. who used expedia to book the vacation rental which led to the discovery that sometimes a little down time can lift you right up. expedia. everything you need to go. you get more than yourfree shipping.ir, you get everything you need for your home at a great price, the way it works best for you, i'll take that. wait honey, no. when you want it. you get a delivery experience you can always count on. you get your perfect find at a price to match, on your own schedule. you get fast and free shipping on the things that make your home feel like you. that's what you get when you've got wayfair. so shop now! i could listen to these friends for another hour, but we're out of time. my thanks to donny, jen, and

mara, and most of all to you for watching. that does it for our hour. i'm nicole. "mtp daily" with steve kornacki in for chuck starts right now. ♪ if it's wednesday, it's "meet the press daily." good evening. i'm steve kornacki in for chuck todd. and buckle up because we have a wild hour ahead of us. democrats in washington raging against president trump and his administration. we are witnessing what could be a major moment specifically for democrats in the house. we are chekting a series of votes in that chamber very soon that will include this house's first vote on impeachment. the house is also going to vote to hold two top administration officials including the attorney general of the united states in criminal contempt of congress. so let's set the stage