i ran into the great whites. >> no, no! >> we started -- we started with the little mermaid and we ended ♪ with the great white shark. that does it. hard sbaul up next. (burke) a "rock and wreck." seen it. covered it. at farmers insurance, we know a thing or two go on. let's play "hardball." because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ i went straight to ctca. after my mastectomy, i felt like part of my identity was being taken away. my team made me feel whole again. >> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. remember that republican congressman john ratcliffe, who cancer treatment centers of america. appointments available now. attacked robert mueller in those recent televised hearings? well, say goodbye. president trump's pick for chief of u.s. intel john ratcliffe is cancer treatment centers of america. that's why united rentals is combining equipment, kaput. he is out of the running after data, safety and expertise just five days of scrutiny. to help your worksite perform better. ratcliffe joins a long list of trump nominees forced to pull united rentals. their names after embarrassing revelations, and more of that coming up tonight on "hardball." and another republican heading

for the exit is texas congressman will hurd, the only african american in the house gop. he just pulled the plug on his reelection next year. we begin, however, with the country's top republican, most people think a button is just a button. president trump, who today kept up his demonization of american diversity. ♪ after spending a week attacking that a speaker is just a speaker. baltimore congressman elijah ♪ cummings and his city, the presen reports that or - that the journey can't be the destination. most people haven't driven a lincoln. cummings' baltimore home had discover the lincoln approach to craftsmanship been at the lincoln summer invitation. right now, get 0% apr on all 2019 lincoln vehicles twitter, really bad news, the baltimore house of elijah plus no payments for up to 90 days. cummings was robbed. too bad. only at your lincoln dealer. that got trump some unexpected plus no payments for umno kidding.rd. criticism. republican nikki haley, trump's but moving your internet and tv? that's easy. former u.n. ambassador tweeted easy?! easy? this is so unnecessary. easy. because now xfinity lets you transfer illinois republican congressman your service online in just about a minute adam kinzinger wrote this is so with a few simple steps. really? really. beneath the office you hold. that was easy. yup. it's childish, and it's getting plus, with two-hour appointment windows, really old. it's all on your schedule. awesome. >> this afternoon the president tried to back down that criticism. now all you have to do is move...that thing. >> the tweet itself was just [ sigh ]

introducing an easier way to move with xfinity. really a repeat of what i heard it's just another way we're working to make your life over the news. i know his house was robbed, and simple, easy, awesome. go to xfinity.com/moving to get started. i thought that was too bad. that was really just -- that was really not meant as a wiseguy. >> this comes after the president kept up his attacks on cities at a rally last night in cincinnati. >> it's been total one-party control of the inner cities. for 100 years, it's been one party control, and look at him. we can name one after another, but i won't do that. because i don't want to be controversial. >> well, president trump once again trashed baltimore and other major cities last night. >> look at los angeles with the welcome back to "hardball." tents and the horrible, horrible the president's attempt to install a partisan loyalist to disgusting conditions. look at san francisco. the top intelligence job in the look at some of your other country appears to have -- well, cities. it has, backfired. the homicide rate in baltimore today president trump announced

he dropped his plan to nominate is significantly higher than el republican congressman john ratcliffe for director of the salvador, honduras, guatemala. national intelligence. in doing so, the president blamed the media and its scrutiny, saying rather than i believe it's higher than -- going through months of slander give me a place that you think and libel, i explained to john is pretty bad. give me a place. how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with the guy says afghanistan. these people, that's us. i believe it's higher than afghanistan. here is trump late today. in our country, think of that. >> i could see that the press was treating him i thought very >> for more i'm joined by unfairly. yamiche alcindor, white house he is an outstanding man. correspondent for the pbs news and i asked him, do you want to hour, susan del percio, go through this for two or three months or would you want me to republican strategist, and maybe do something else? cornell belcher, democrat and he thought about it. strategist. if you really want to deal with i said it's going to be rough. i can see exactly where the the culture of this country, press is going. we hadn't started the process, it's endemic across the country, and i thought it's easier before we start. major cities, rural areas, too >> well, according to nbc news, many guns, too many killings. this comes after several that's a problem the president republicans expressed their should point out there. is a connection between all the concerns to the white house murders and all the guns. about ratcliffe's lack of just a thought there. let me go to yamiche, however. experience. for instance, "the washington post" reported that during his six months on the house he is trashing the ethnic intelligence committee, cities. ratcliffe was, quote, relatively he is trashing diversity. he is trashing black people. disengaged and he was a virtual that's what he is up to.

and he does it now almost every unknown among the intelligence day. >> and it's hard to really community itself that he was imagine this president trashing tapped to lead. an all white city or a majority according to officials, one of the most common reactions across white city or making fun of the those agencies when ratcliffe's opioid crisis that is ravaging nomination was announced was places in ohio. who? ratcliffe also came under fire there is a place called macery, for distorting his record to pad ohio that is nicknamed misery. his resume. for instance, he says on his website that as a prosecutor, people there are struggle with he, quote, put terrorists in all sorts of but suicide or prison. however, nbc news found no evidence that he ever prosecuted self-destruction is not? a terrorism case at all. >> that's the case. i should also say i just came back from ohio. and a lot of the president's similar, ratcliffe says he arrested over 300 illegal supporter, they find this stuff exciting. immigrants in a single day, yet i think in washington sometimes we get the gop going through capitol hill with their heads "the washington post" knows that court documents show only 45 down, trying to avoid reporters because they're a little workers were charged by prosecutors in ratcliffe's embarrassed. office all together. but there is a large swath of his supporters who say this is what we want to hear people say. despite all of this, the i've been telling my neighbor to president has stood by him as go back to his country for three recently as yesterday. years, and now the president is >> are you concerned about your saying it, and i'm happy that he is voicing our concerns. nominee congressman ratcliffe -- >> where are you picking this up? >> this is in the dayton, ohio >> congressman ratcliffe is an area. so in green county, in outstanding man, and i'm sure montgomery county are the two that he'll be able to do very places that i was reporting in.

someone told me that. well. i think he's just outstanding. >> so ripping the scab off on highly respected by everybody that knows him. racial anger is okay for those >> i'm joined by malcolm nance people? >> they see the president's tweets as not racist, and they see it as him defending their and ken dilanian, national reporter for nbc news. free speech and the point of let's get a couple of things view they've had. straight. all that reporting about him their neighbor that's next door, having created all this bs about from india or russia or egypt, those people should go back to his record and getting their country if they don't like terrorists and all that, that the way that i'manywhere at han must have killed him. that tells him he is going to be the fact that nobody had any able to pick up more angry respect for him, he was a nobody. people on the racial front than what was it that broke the he is going to lose in terms of camel's back to get him out of bigger city turnout against him, there? >> you can't lie about having white women in the suburbs if prosecuted terrorists and become you will, to use a sort of the head of the intelligence classic example of people that world that goes after terrorists. that's one thing. are embarrassed by this kind of >> only this president gets away talk of his. >> no, chris, there is not. with that stuff. but there is also no evidence >> exactly, exactly. look, this is one of the least that he's going to -- you look experience picked for a major at all the polling right now job like this that i can ever against the democrats, i mean, remember seeing. he is garnering roughly 44% nobody knew this guy. senator burr, the chairman of against the field of democrats. the intelligence committee so there is very little evidence didn't know him and apparently that his tax cut or his economic warned trump even before the plan or his trade wars are going embellishment came. to get him back to 46%. >> he reminds me of steve carell. so he is desperate. he is just a character from tv, the only thing he has is racism isn't he? to try to help him get back to >> his main qualifications seem

to be that he was trashing the that 46%. mueller investigation, saying he's got to try to drive what donald trump wanted to hear, particularly on television tribalism to try to move as many in that mueller hearing. of that white vote as possible. that's what got trump's attention. >> that seems to be the entire >> how much is left? reality tv land we're in this cornell, you know this best. presidency, that is how you get how many white angry people that a job. get on television, talk the are really angry about blacks, talk, and you'll get to walk the about immigrants, the left wing. walk. you'll get to be the guy that >> there is enough, chris. you're talking to be like. that's how you do it. look at 2018. >> yep, sure. you have an audience of one. and ratcliffe played his role democrats warn places that you and i especially around perfectly. you know, when he was questioning mueller, i knew pennsylvania, democrats have been compete tlif for a long exactly where all of those time. and it doesn't because those voters fell in love with democrats and it wasn't sure as conspiracy theories came from. they came from greg gutfield's heck because they changed their mind about health care. health care was important, but book from fox news commentator more important for a lot of those moderate middle of the about the entire thing being road white voters where they were uncomfortable with donald this hillary clinton driven trump and they were dissatisfied conspiracy. and he sat there and gave those answer, and the president of the with where he is going and they united states heard that. broke democrat. it wasn't because they fell in realized, hey, this guy is on love with democrats. >> i want to push on this. when you go into this sort of the house intelligence committee. he is just the kind of guy i need as director of national unhooded, if you will, racism intelligence, a person who would take the intelligence apparatus where you don't cover it up by language like inner city and all and turn into it the president's the language people use today, own private toy. some of it in a nice way to that we really couldn't have.

>> well said. it's like he was going to turn avoid being so racially the intel agencies into the confrontational, just the fact that he is going after an injustice department of william barr. impressive statesman like elijah and my question back to you, cummings, one of the best ken, it looked to you when he congress people, and making him was dropping all that stuff his enemy, making a city his about the horowitz, ig enemy, naming the major cities investigation he was going to in california, san francisco and spend whatever influence he had, was going back into the roots of l.a. huge metropolitan areas. he is taking on name brand the russian influence and trying to find hillary's role in this. >> that's a real nightmare for cities. how many whites can he sort of the intelligence agencies and also question what he was going get out from the hills to make up for that? to say about russian election how many can he get out the vote interference. donald trump doesn't believe the russians are interfering. doesn't want to hear about it. that hadn't voted before for him it's really frightening. >> let's hear about this guy's in '16? ability or not. >> he needs more people. this guy is not running an there is just not enough. executive search firm, this president. the president today defended the how many more rural surge can he white house's vetting process by get? they had a rural surge in the saying the press does it for last midterm, by the way, but him. the press he has been knocking they lost by nine million votes. two minutes ago does the job of i think it's a failed policy, but more important for cleaning up these people before republicans long-term, if you're they get finally nominated. a moderate middle of the road let's watch. republican long-term, he is >> what does that say about the destroying your party brand, absolutely destroying your party white house's -- >> if you take a look at it, the brand long-term, and he doesn't vetting process for the white

care. >> susan, let's talk about republicans and how this hits house is very good. but you're a part of the vetting them, because cornell mentioned process, you know? that, yamiche. here is the thing. i gave out a name to the press and they vet for me. he seems every once in a to be a little bit listening to we save a lot of money that way. footsteps. but in the case of john, i every once in a while youiseguy really believe that he was being was clearly talking treated very harshly and very sarcastically about this guy having a burglary at his house unfairly. >> did everybody listening right over the weekend, elijah now understand the absurdity of cummings, sort of making his point, it's a dangerous that statement? here is the president who calls the people in front of him the neighborhood. then he pulls back and says i'm fake news. here is the president who said not going a wiseguy. is he hearing footsteps that the fake news destroyed or was this may be going too far? destroying the reputation of his >> maybe, but i don't think he nominee for dni. and then he says without any cares. there is another thing in play blush, oh, by the way, thank you because setting up the us versus for finding out this guy is a them and the hatred divide and joke. ratcliffe joins a long list of the overt racism involved. trump's picks who dropped out i also think that donald trump from consideration after he put always likes to find excuses and their names forward. "the new york times" reports the likes to play the victim. and i think when those large long and growing list of cities come out in 2020 with reversals of nominations of people involved in the vetting record number of people voting process is a product of the for the democrat whoever that president's own desire to may be, he's going to go out announce names before they have there and say look, there is undergone even a preliminary vetting by the office of election fraud, just like he did presidential personnel. last time. what do you make of that? i think he is setting this up to >> i just want to say, chris,

question the election results in this nomination started to part. unravel when pete williams -- and to the other point, as far >> did he thank you for watching as where the party is going, this guy? this is a disaster for >> thank pete williams. republicans. pete williams decided to take a if donald trump becomes -- is look at this claim that he put terrorists in prison. reelected, the republican party he started looking at court will completely fracture. records in the eastern district i think it will become almost a of texas and saw no terrorism third party at some point. cases whatsoever, none. and the only thing that they're we couldn't find his name on any doing right now on trump's terrorism case. campaign is trying to register he worked on the holy land case more of those angry people. but investigated juror they're looking for every last misconduct. the whole thing unravel. person who's not registered to that started with journalism. vote who may be a trump i'm glad president trump is supporter. allowing us to vet his nominees, that's all they have. and we will continue to do that. >> well, susan, let me talk >> you wonder about opo. isn't one of the rules of about you know republican attitudes in the burbs is the politics do your own opo, check democrats have been stealing yourself out and check out the votes in the big cities for people you're relying on. years, starting with chicago, this guy doesn't do any opo on philly, all those places. they don't have a perfectly clean record of counting the his guy for director of national votes. we know that going back intelligence. he didn't have any intel. historically. maybe not recently. so they're going to play on that. but here's what's interesting. >> no. in politics on the hill, we used and went out the window when he to call it popping up. got elected president, despite when you're in trouble, your all the opposition research. enemies, the rivals you've got he doesn't care. out there waiting for you jump he doesn't care at all. up and they go here's my chance he does not seem to understand to jump up and beat this person. what the functions of the nikki haley, who everybody knows

is waiting to be president in director of national intelligence are. he thinks, and i think -- i the fairly near future, popped really hate to say this, but up today. she jumped out, and she said he's sort of following vladimir trump went too far. how is trump reading that? putin's playbook when he became is he reading this i knew she the president of russia. was waiting in the bushes. he consolidated national intelligence under him, put four she is just jumping. of his closest ex-kgb advisers >> i think they're very concerned about her having a voice out there. under him, and then used it as a if you notice the pushback from weapon to crush all enemies. kellyanne conway saying this is donald trump must think someone unnecessary and with the in his mind that this would be trump/pence 2020 hash tag there. the perfect weapon to have to find all of those people that >> explain what she is doing there. she is reacting to nikki. brought about the mueller investigation. there is just no other way to >> correct. see it. and she is basically saying >> you know, the real goal of you're not getting on the ticket, nikki haley, if you dni, as we all know, if we remember it well, we should all want. to but that's her way of pushing back without creating a real war is to oy void the fact that you have dni, the defense between nikki haley and the president. intelligence, all the different she is definitely sending out a message that we're behind pence services with their own intelligence, the fbi, the cia, and you're nowhere. and they're all stove topping, >> this is fascinating. they're all doing their own this is what i love about politics. thing. and the idea was to have there when clearly one person wants something someone else has. be one office that brought now pence has the vice together all that information so it wouldn't be lost, right? president. he has the succession maybe, >> that's right. >> that's what the dni's job. maybe. he is definitely in line to be not to be the president's flak. the next vp nominee. anyway, amid all this, the

and here is nikki, sitting there president may try to block the deputy director, sue gordon who in the on deck circle as we say is a civil servant from assuming in baseball, just waiting with her baseball bat ready to go. the top job in an acting and there she clobbers the president today. capacity once dan coats, the >> well, first, i was shouting incumbent leaves. that's according to nbc news, which reported trump had planned nikki haley's name at the president on the white house to appoint his own choice in the lawn. acting role, though there has he answered one question from been a bipartisan push in me, but he would not answer the support of gordon today. "the new york times" also nikki haley question. i'm not going to say he heard me reports a person familiar with and ignored me, but it felt that this matter, trump recently way. and second, the republican party blocked ms. gordon from wanted in 2024 to say you know delivering an intelligence briefing after she aprivarrived what? president trump was a complete anomaly. the white house. look how far we have come. ken, what's the point? wouldn't nikki haley be a great face or the that? the civil servants, they run wouldn't she be somebody that things like nasa. look, she is from south carolina, she had a deal with they run noaa, they run all the shooting, here is all the these great agencies that need things i had to deal with. to get stuff done. you could almost make the we wouldn't even get weather commercial for nikki haley and reports without them, and he that that was an aberration. mocks them. >> okay, you a person of indian apparently she came to the white house to do a briefing today and background, south asian he said i don't want to hear background. can he say he is actually going from you. 30 years veteran. to diversify the republican party this way? >> a 30 years cia veteran. cornell, does this get him off she was running science and the hook, i'm not racist. technology at the ciament and i've got a woman from a south our reporting and "the new york times" reporting is that trump just didn't like her there was asian background, nikki haley. no chemistry there. i put her on my ticket, i'm

but there is some hope there. she has a lot of support on the clean. your thoughts? you're already laughing. hill. richard burr came out and supported her. >> i think what are we, go to rod rosenstein today tweeted in favor of her. and then trump, when he was delete all the tape we have of talking to reporters was asked about her, and he said oh, i him already? i'd be shocked if she wanted to like sue gordon. be on the ticket with him. i'm considering her to be acting i think she has a really bright which is a complete 180 from future ahead post trump when the what we had been told. republicans try to put together it's a good harbinger to who he back their party. i think she has a bright future. picks to be the dni if he i would not want dirty myself. listens to people like richard burr. they're not going to tolerate a >> when she brought that john ratcliffe, devin nunes, some of these other people. confederate flag in south carolina, she put her flag up. they want a experienced hand. the law says the dni has to have >> that's why 2024 is when to significant intelligence experience. watch her. >> i'm a romantic about >> she also went after -- not politics. i'm not a cynic. went after trump, but she spoke i do believe in it and have i out against what trump said in dreams it's going to get better again. and i see a guy like richard charlottesville. so even when she was working for burr, the ranking republican donald trump, she wasn't afraid chair of the house senate to stand up for herself and go against the president, rarely, intelligence committee there's a good guy. i think he has been showing his but still, she did it. influence, guys. i think he has a big hand in >> i think katty kay would say we're looking at green sprouts letting this thing die, this terrible appointment. >> he is retiring. >> you're killing. from the post trump era. >> sorry, chris. >> i've got to have heroes,

green sprouts. malcolm. i need them. i think it's a british term. thank you, malcolm, you're thank you, yamiche alcindor, great. thank you, susan del percio. thank you, malcolm nance, ken. a really interesting trio, you guys. which democratic candidate you've got a lot of bases covered here. thank you, cornell. scares trump the most? that's a question i don't know coming up, president trump again is looking for someone to the answer to. is he afraid of elizabeth warren lead the u.s. intelligence because she is so tough? committee because this guy does he think biden is too washed out.irst choice today. comfortable for people? he might be afraid of him? that's interesting in five days. is it the centrist candidate, well, stay away from the biden, or progressive candidate platform today. stay away from all of the building up grassroots support excitement. you don't want to be out there who's got the zeal? plus, a brand-new poll out today today. can the president get it right gives the first glimpse of where this time? has he got anybody in mind? the race stands after the second plus, he is called the future of debate this week. the republican party now is how they're stacking up in terms heard, the guy from texas. of the voters. he is quitting politics. "hardball" back after this. is there any room left in the you got to stick around for the numbers. fascinating. republican party for people who fascinating. don't really talk about your insurance unless you're complaining about it. refuse to hitch their wagons to mr. trump? you go on about how... my thoughts on the three witness ...it's so confusing it hurts my brain. by the way the impeachment ya i hear ya... or say you can't believe... process has reached i believe ...how much of a hassle it is! here we are august 2 a dead-end, and tell anyone who'll listen... (garbled)....it's so expensive! and what democrats should do she said it's so expensive. next to hold trump accountable. much more ahead. tell me about it. stick with us. s. [farmers bell] yes.. well i'm telling the people at home. that's why esurance is making the whole experience surprisingly painless. so, you never have to talk about it,

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was watching the so-called debate last night, and i also watched the night before. that was long, long television. and the democrats spent more time attacking barack obama than they did attacking me practically. and this morning that's all the fake news was talking about. that wasn't pretty. >> that's where trump is smart and dangerous for his opponents. welcome back to "hardball" that was president trump last night in cincinnati. he warned his base any vote for

a democratic candidate would be a vote for a socialist. not true. let's watch. >> no matter what label they use, tha vote for any democrat 2020 is the vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of our great, our beautiful, our wonderful american dream. we're not going to let our country ever go down the route of socialism. >> well, that's painting everybody with the same brush, of course, but he chose to go after candidates in particular, elizabeth warren for washington and joe biden, the former vice president. let's watch. >> the great pocahantas, who is now lying and cheating her way to the presidency if possible. she is trying to win. remember? she defrauded people with her credentials. a guy like a sleepy joe biden is going to come in and say i can

do better. i can do better. he wants to go back to sleep. >> well, a new morning console poll taken after the debate shows the races largely in the same place as it was before the debates with vice president biden still in the lead, even picked up a point, 32 points, a point from last week. kamala harris had the most significant drop, but only three points. the margin of error. while elizabeth warren's numbers went up by two. that's in contrast to the polls taken at the first debate that we at nbc held in june. much more significant developments in the first. i'm joined by a political expert margaret carlson, columnist for the daily beast, and jon ralston, editor of the nevada, not nevada, the nevada independent who is moderating an american federation in vegas tomorrow where 19 candidates for president will compete for the union's endorsement. how are you going to do 19? we've been struggling at nbc at ten a night. you're taking on one gulp of 19?

how much time are each getting? just kidding, but how is it going to work? >> well, we're just going to do a better jonathan you guys, chris. it's as simple as that we're doing them one at a time. with the forum, you can't have them all at the same time. so we're going to have about 15, 20 minutes each candidate. so hopefully we're going have a real conversation. it's me and amanda turkel, the washington bureau chief of "the huffington post." a great reporter. and we're going have some audience questions as well. hopefully we'll get more out of them. >> who has bombed in the first couple of debates and who has starred? do you see anybody who has truly distinguished their roles, either up or down? >> well, i thought that biden was terrible in the first debate, and i thought he did much better. it was low bar. considering the guy was taking fire from everywhere, sure, there was a couple of fumbles, chris. but as the polls show, and i'm not sure how much they mean in august of 2019, but i thought

biden did much better in that second debate, and i thought warren did very well on theyou, thought harris, after having that viral momentsend debate. >> yeah, i thought kamala, who i think has been impressive, is better at punching than taking the punch. >> right. she had the kick me sign on her this time. and i agree with john. she lost the most in that debate. she had senior moments when she seemed to be stunned by what was happening to her. >> if biden was surprised by being hit by her, she was surprised by being hit by tulsi gabbard, of all people. >> i know. >> from hawaii. she starts blasting into her from nowhere. >> it was a -- she was ganged up on. i wanted to -- biden came out better in part because he wasn't tainted by the comparisons with obama. he was enhanced by it. and he wasn't muellered. he came off just fine. he did not -- he did not have a senior moment at all.

and the thing about the texting, all the numbers we have to remember in life, i don't think him not remembering. i think he came out of it just fine. >> jon, i got a theory about this. it's only what politics. the people on the hard left who want real revolutionary change, starting with of course bernie sanders, they want big change. they want a big national health program, a lot of things different, student loans, public colleges basically being free. big they have to make a really drastic case of how bad things are now. so part of that it seems to me is collateral damage, obama. they go after everything that's wrong, including the aca, the american affordable care act. they're trashing all existing american programs to justify a dramatic revolutionary change. and i think that's what's caused them to go head to head now with i think most democrats are proud of, which is barack obama. >> yeah, and i think what your

illusion earlier about what trump was doing by saying that they were attacking obama that is the evil genius part of trump, right? >> yes. >> because that's just a terrible thing for the democrats to do. you know what obama's numbers are, chris, and obamacare has good numbers too. and for them to be -- >> yes. they're in the positive. >> right. for them to be saying they want to tear that all apart, i think you're right that there could be some collateral damage. and there is also a case to be made, and we've seen this in polling that the democratic electorate is not as left as bernie might think it is. and so i'm not sure that that's how that's going to work out. but, again, chris, you know this better than i do. again, it's august of 2019. the way that we do this is so crazy. what happens in iowa is going to affect what happens in new hampshire. and then they come to the most important state, nevada. and things could be completely different. >> yeah, i think people like

nice. and kamala came on, every time she was on the last two big appearances, including with me, and i think she is great in terms of her intellect and everything, very prosecutorial. i wonder if that is johnny one-note you. can't always be prosecuting. >> and you can't be scolding all the time. one-on-one she seems fine, but in a group she didn't seem so fine. and on this obama business, he is the most admired man in the world. >> yes. >> and more important, he has 66% of all americans. you can barely get 50% for apple pie and motherhood. >> he is going to be richard the lion hearted come next november. two days before the election he is going to come out before whoever the nominee is they're going to want him. and so is michelle. thank you, jon ralston. thank you, margaret. good luck tomorrow as you ring lead all the democrats. he was once called the future of the gop. now the entire african american republican in the entire house of representatives is quitting.

what does the future look like for a party whose leader is bent on alienating american minorities, including their own members? you're watching "hardball." "har. but allstate actually helps you drive safely... with drivewise. it lets you know when you go too fast... ...and brake too hard. with feedback to help you drive safer. giving you the power to actually lower your cost. unfortunately, it can't do anything about that. now that you know the truth... are you in good hands? i felt i couldn't be at my best for my family. in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured and left those doubts behind. i faced reminders of my hep c every day. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured. even hanging with friends i worried about my hep c. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret, i was cured. mavyret is the only 8-week cure

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welcome back to "hardball." after president trump fired off racist tweets at five democratic house members of color, the only african american republican in the house, will hurd of texas, announced his retirement. congressman hurd was once heralded as the future of the party. hurd, a moderating force in the republican party who won hiss district by roughly 900 votes was one of only four republican house members who condemned the president's racist tweets. congressman hurd joined seven other republican house members now who are calling it quits. his departure represents a larger more fundamental problem for the party under president trump because in addition to hurd, two of the other 13 republican women in the house have announced their retirements there they are.

the caucus already overwhelmingly white and male could become even more disproportionate come the next congress. republicans on capitol hill tell the associated press now the retirements show a frustration within the party that they won't win back the majority in 2020 which would mean two more years of legislative futility and exasperation over trump's outbursts, including his racist tweets taunting those four democratic women. as republicans like hurd make their exits, some hard-core trump sycophants may be getting ready to infiltrate congress, and that's next. you're watching "hardball." wat customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wow. thanks, zoltar. how can i ever repay you? maybe you could free zoltar? thanks, lady. taxi! only pay for what you need.

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a better worksite is here. welcome back to "hardball." according to nbc news, congressman will hurd's retirement announced today signals bad news for the republican party because it could reduce the number of moderate or none trump republicans who would eagerly go to the polls for those representatives, those incumbents to bring in the voters. while trump's imprint gets stronger, the republican party is getting smaller and smaller. and that isn't good news for any incumbent president, republican president. and another sign of president trump's tightening grip on the party, however, corey lewandowski, there he is, the president's former campaign manager might challenge jeanne shaheen for her seat next year. he said he is going to look at it very seriously. we'll see. for more i'm joined by beginner

gibson and matt gorman, former nrcc communications director. i used to have a job like that on the other side. >> yeah? >> what's going on with these republicans going for the exits? >> this should be taken as a warning sign that there are demographic problems in the republican party, including among their electorate. will hurd, as you said, the only african american republican in that is overwhelmingly hispanic. and if you look at how the president's approval numbers among hispanics have done, they have gotten worse at a faster rate than the country. you check out polling and you'll see that in some polls where the president's approval numbers and disapproval numbers have stayed ni his disapproval numbers have gone up between 15 and 20 republicans. >> no, it's not. >> george w. was really good. george w. bush was very good at getting the hispanic vote, the latino vote. >> he was. >> this guy seems to be running against latinos. >> no, look, we're absolutely

not going get anywhere near george w. bush numbers in the hispanic vote any time soon. certainly african americans, same. but look, the biggest problem in 2018 was women. that is where we cannot lose big, especially if he is going to win reelection in 2020 or we're going get the house back as well. >> you think suburban white women like to be known as supporters of a racist? >> i don't think we're going win them back right now. at least the way things are. thing about will hurd was he could win a tough seat. he would go around to dairy queens in a district bigger than georgia. he is a model for how you win a tough toss-up seat. >> i'm big on dqs. >> me too. >> hosting a meeting in north . about congressman hurd's reacted to the . news. >> i am ecstatic and happy that will hurd will no longer be seeking reelection for his congressional district. he is not of republican values

and stature. he has consistently voted with the democrats. he has consistently supported beto in his senate race. he's not -- he is a rino. texas needs to start standing with true conservatives. republicans do not run on identity politics. so the assumption that will hurd, the only black congressman is not running for reelection is that the reputation of the republican party that stands on individualism? or ask that tis that the media and trying to put the republican party into the position of being involved in identity politics as well? >> pretty strong trump bite there, trumpy. >> that was an interesting take. i would say that the republican party doesn't want to lose any of its incumbents as it tries to maybe gain some seats back in the house. >> are they purging rinos again? >> i haven't heard that term in so long. >> it's an oldie.

>> but i think this is -- >> it's 89% for trump must not have that many rinos in it. >> matt talked about the votes that bush got. and thing is a clear sign that the republican party is not trying to rebuild the bush coalition. this is a sign that they want the trump coalition, and the trump coalition wasn't concerned about winning hispanic or black voters in the way that bush was. >> this is a question, i don't know, throw this out. i've been asking this question. before the election of 2016, i would have thought trump was going to win. i didn't know. and i kept asking people. all these angry white people. and people said don't worry about them, there are too many sophisticated liberals in the suburbs, women especially who are very concerned about choice and all. and there are too many big city people, african americans who are going to vote against this guy. it turned out he had more probl running against hillary clinton this time. he made into it a choice in 2016 and that's how he won. >> can he make elizabeth warren into hillary clinton? >> time will tell. maybe. maybe elizabeth warren, yes.

some other people, probably not. i don't think he can make joe biden into hillary clinton, at least not with the time he has. >> how about kamala? >> i think kamala is not as well defined as joe biden, but kamala stepped in it a bunch with her position on health care and bussing and border crossing. she is not helping herself right now. >> i think it's important, you look at that clip from him in cincinnati last night where he says any democrat is a socialist. >> that's not true. joe biden has been around for 40 or 50 years. we know his voting record. he is not a socialist. >> 36 years in the junes senate. it's very clear what the president's strategy. try to convince the people that aren't with him that the other guy is so bad that. >> should stay home. >> who are you afraid of? i hate to interrupt. we're late. is he afraid of biden by calling him a socialist? >> i think he is afraid of biden you. can't help look at the polls and see biden winning michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania. those three states flip and the president is in a lot of trouble because he's got to find somewhere else to get electoral college votes. >> i think the republican party is not going to be able to

redefine trump. he is there. we all know. they can redefine whoever the democrats like they did in '88. they turned him into a foreigner. >> and he flipped it on them. you're absolutely right. this is a good choice. >> they turned 25 points around in '88. they took a guy 17 point ahead in august and turned him into an eight-point loser. you turn to nasty and negative, you can do it. >> barack obama turned the '12 election into a referendum on romney instead of himself. part of the reason he was table do that is he started running ads out ahead. >> romney said i don't care about the 47%. anyway, thank you, beginner gibson and matt gorman. up next, in the democrats want to get trump out of the white house, they've got to do something other than impeachment. i have a statement to make when we come back. it's about how to get rid of trump. you're wchdbl." ing "hardball. man: i've been diagnosed with

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so come ask, shop, discover at your xfinity store today. for democrats wanting to end the trump era, impeachment no longer appears a live option. there is only a limited number of house democrats calling for impeachment right now, even for the process to begin. even now just roughly over half the entire caucus. then there is the calendar, which makes it unlikely that the house and senate could finish an impeachment effort, even if it started now before the company is immersed in the 2020 election campaign. and finally, there is the lack of a stark leader.

richard nixon, the one president forced from office by impeachment knew the decisiveness of facing such a leader. he knew he was in trouble that tip o'neill was the person pushing hard for his removal. o'neill nixon later admitted pushing hard from the white house on to that departing helicopter. nancy pelosi, a superior parliamentarian leader does not believe in impeachment cutes the right current course. these three factors, a lot of overwhelming support in the democratic caucus, the for that approach of a presidential election year and the absence of a strong pro impeachment champion makes the prospect of impeachment this august 2019 not only unlikely, but dead. there will still be more investigation, of course, more calls for tax returns, more rebukes of the administration for obstruction even now, but their value now would be as ammunition to be employed by the

candidates seeking to replace donald trump in next year's elections. this must now be the opposition party's prime objective, beating him at the polls. to continue to focus on impeachment going into the fall would be giving the numbers the calendar, and again, the lack of a committed leader will now cute not only a distraction, but even worse, a delusion. i remember when the great walter cronkite told you and me in 1968 that the war in vietnam wasn't winnable. on a different plane, this is something like that. if you want to remove donald trump from office, it will not be through a majority vote in the house, much less a 2/3 vote in the republican-controlled senate. it will be through the same constitutional body that allowed his election in the first place, the electoral college. it's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in" -- >> i'm not losing texas to anybody. we have a tremendous lead in texas.

>> a political earthquake in trump country. >> texas congressman will hurd, the only black republican in the house, announcing he will not seek reelection next year. >> tonight, the latest evidence that the bigotry of trumpism is helping democrats and hurting trump. plus, an ugly ending to another trump nomination fiasco. >> when i give a name, i give it out to the press, and you vet for me. >> ta-nehisi coats on the president's latest sinister attack on elijah cummings in the city of baltimore. plus -- >> where we go one, we go all. >> a slogan at the trump rally on the day the