that is our show for today. "am joy" will be back tomorrow at 10:00 eastern. alex witt is next. >> aren't you back tomorrow? >> i am. >> i'm used to waking up early with you. lov love to see you here today, too. it's high noon in the east. pro-trump versus tlaib, versus israel. there is news that he may become involved now. the how and why of that is sparking controversy. the last days of jeffrey epstein. what went on when the millionaire found himself behind bars. what president obama reportedly told frontrunner joe biden and whether it appears he

is heeding that advice. punch, counterpunch. new battles between trump and scaramucci, next. but rolling across the country, gun control rallies. rallies are planned in every single state just two weeks after two mass shootings. that was two weeks ago today. activists looking to keep momentum for gun legislation in the national spotlight, hoping it won't fade as it has after other large-scale shootings. democrats now keeping pressure on congress and the president who, at the very least, expanded background checks for all gun sales. a new poll shows overwhelming support for that proposal. just last week the president was backing background checks, but this week during a rally, the president instead focused on linking gun violence to mental health. >> years ago many cities and states, i remember it so well, closed mental institutions for

budgetary reasons. they let those people out onto the street. we're going to have to give major consideration to building new facilities for those in need. it's not the gun that pulls the trigger, it's the person holding the gun. >> an nra talking line right there. more on the gun rallies in just a moment. but today's other big headline, a new and explosive report that house democrats are considering action against the u.s. and israeli ambassadors trying to ban two congresswomen from visiting the country's west bank. mike is across the river from where i am. miking what are ye in mike, what are you hearing about this? >> good morning, alex. those people he calls "the squad

squasquad ," the four left-leaning members is trying to draw a division between the caucus and the house of representatives, and really the democratic party nationwide to try to gain advantage as we get closer to the 2020 election. so far, at least according to the news today, it's not working. democrats are being unified after israel at the president's urging barred rashida tlaib and ilhan omar to leave, and in tlaib's case, from visiting her 90-year-old grandmother who is obviously elderly and living on the west bank of the jordan river. i am told by a top aide in the no that there are senior members of the democratic caucus who are considering some sort of action against the u.s. ambassador to israel. his name is david freedman, obviously a staunch trump supporter. they are considering their options to determine the role that he played in, quote, unquote, with the eight terms,

his fiasco that has unfolded over the last several days. similar action is being considered against ron dermer, he is israel's ambassador to the united states. perhaps some vote of no confidence on the floor of the house again. that is according to kolachi and nancy pelosi. they said trump and netanyahu have displayed weakness around this. alex? >> now let's go to 2020 contenders. democrats are out on the trail today, most of them campaigning in new hampshire and south caroli carolina. others across the country there. beto o'rourke already out in arkansas. cory booker is at his second event in ports of new hampshire. julian castro made his first appearance in the granite state, and right now let's head to atlanta, georgia. that's where the inaugural black church conversation series is

underway. we see elizabeth warren taking the stage right now. let's go to garrett haake. garrett, what's on tap for all this? >> i'm going to try to use my church whisper voice while she's on stage. if you cannot find your vote for the democratic primary and if these democratic primaries want to be president of the united states, they will need the black vote and they will need the black church, an enormous power in this community. that's why you've seen a half dozen of them or so here at this conference, talking about their platforms, introducing themselves to a voting block that is so important but difficult to turn out. joe biden has controlled a lion's share of the african-american vote up to this point. bernie sanders just completed his speech. i thought this was one of the better speeches i've seen,

particularly to people of color. young folks very receptive to his calls for kacancelling studt debt, and receptive to gun control and controlling gun violence. sanders calling for banning the sale of an assault rifle, which is a litmus test here within the democratic primary. i mentioned warren on stage behind me now. i've covered many of these forums over the last several months. she always performs well in these virmenvironments. she's just introducing herself now, but i suspect we'll get her series of plans in just a little bit. georgia is not an early primary state but is an important election state, and it's become a site where we see a lot of candidates come to raise money, to see stacey abrams who could be a queen maker in this case if she decides to endorse somebody, and again, to help

african-american voters should they decide to go with any of these candidates. >> she appropriately addresses the inaugural black church presidential candidates here. do you think the candidates will step up their wooing, if you will, fortunate blackof the bla? do you see evidence of that? >> absolutely. the black vote is so crucial in south carolina, the first primary state of any kind where black folks make up the majority of the electorate. and the southern states, all these southeastern conference state school areas have enormous african-american voting blocks. and again, right now that voting block is joe biden's to lose. you look at every poll of those states and you see a significant

pl plurality of the black vote. everybody else is fighting for scraps at this point. the ability to appeal to that voting block will be absolutely crucial if any one of those other 22 candidates want to make inroads in this race. >> thank you, garrett haake, in atlanta. we'll check in with you again. a couple topics to get to with your ladies, but seema, you first, because i know you're covering the black vote. is garrett's assessment right at this point that the black vote is joe biden's to lose? >> this is such a crucial electorate. if they had turned out in 2016 like their 2020 turnout, hillary clinton would be president. so many of the candidates spent so much time booing african-american voters. south carolina a obviously key,

other places as well. joe biden as a lot of support, not to mention he's president obama's vice president. there are questions whether other candidates can make inroads. elizabeth warren is making a pitch for african-american women, kamala harris is making another pitch, a number of these candidates. we still have so many months to go but we do need to see if joe biden can hold onto the support. >> and to your way of thinking, do you think joe biden has a lock on the african-american vote or are there those who can make inroads? >> i don't think he has a lock on it at all. we're still early enough in the process that those who have name recognition, have enough of a history for a why in the polls, right? but as more people start to pay attention, they learn about the debates, they start to warm to other people and start to learn about other people, it's not a lock and he has to make an

effort to hold onto these verots as they meet other candidates. >> we'll go back to the white house. the reaction on the tlaib-trump issue. what do you think about that, seema? >> i think it's interesting, because to the point people were making earlier, the president is perhaps trying to drive a wedge between democrats, but instead this has sort of brought democrats together. even those who don't agree with tlaib and omar on a rush in israel. i think it sort of had an opposite effect of what the president might have intended. >> interesting, pema, there is already talk of a toxic rift between democrats and israel. if they move forward on this, do they play to the president's hands? because he once accused israel

of being anti-jewish. >> i think that is something the president will continue to play up certainly not because of reelection prospects in places like florida, but i think part of the narrative right now is that his party and his administration is anti-minorities and stokes anti-semitism so i think this is very much a defensive tactic for the president as well. it's possible. i think that the democratic party on the one hand feels fairly together on this front because i think they have a feeling of autonomy in trump right now, but you have seen nancy pelosi downplay that this is a fight with israel, saying our country and israel have a very strong relationship. trump and netanyahu can't just destroy it, the two of them. it's sort of unfortunate these leaders in place, but their relationship will endure beyond that. i think even while they're considering these actions, pelosi is trying to pout out a

message of, no, we're still an ally and the message will endure. >> to pema's point, certainly uniformity in trying to condemn trump about it, but they're also partly urging israel to reverse that decision they initially made. what is the takeaway from their reaction? >> the democrats are in a response to change the course. they we they were going to let her see her elderly grandmother and then she decided not to go, so there was some back and forth there. jewish voters are a huge supporter of the democratic party, so i think this is a story that will continue to play out. >> sure. another story continuing to play out is guns, and it seems the president is somewhat in a reversal mode, no longer talking about background checks. instead he's trying to lock onto

mental institutions. do you think the gun lobby got to him again, pema? >> i don't know. i don't think they even need to get to him. i think it's pretty clear where they stand and it's always going to be there. i think what you're seeing is a pattern with trump where there is public pressure to say one thing, and so he sort of hints at it, and then he gets the good headlines saying, oh, maybe trump is considering this popular proposal, and then he goes to a rally and walks it back. this is something we see over and over and it's a way of him having it both ways. he's between a rock and a hard place, so to speak, because he has his rural base that is really pro-gun, and then you have the republican suburbs that are moving toward democrats who i think are really saying, you know, we need some commonsense gun legislation. we're tired of sending our kids off to school and worrying they're going to turn up dead. i think that's a rough place for him, and at this point he is a

politician who runs to his base. that is his strategy and always has been. so i don't think we'll see him turn away from that but it's going to be increasingly difficult for him to thread that needle. >> another big issue, this matter certainly inflaming the white house is the economy. the president is pretty worried about the economic downturn spilling into the 2020 cycle, thus damaging his reelection bid. seema, how real are those concerns? >> we're hearing growing chatter for people that study the economy better than i do that there is a clear concern about the economy. the market obviously had a couple rough days last week. so those are concerns, but even in employment lows, we have some great economic numbers right now. there are large groups of people in this country who are still working really hard, might be working two jobs, but they're not getting ahead compared to where they were 20 years ago. there is a growing economy,

staggering wages. even people who have 401(k)s might be doing well right now, their children necessarily won't be. i think it's valid across the country. >> seema meht aa sk arka and pe thank you. what action house democrats may take. i'm going to speak to congressman steve cohen about that next. to congressman steve cohen about that next. 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 ♪

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some new additions today over the decision to ban tlaib and omar from going to israel, trump's decision. ambassador freedman supported the decision saying that the movement is no less than economic warfare designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy the jewish state. let's get into this here, because given what the ambassador suggested, was the intent of your colleagues in the house to congressmembers omar and tlaib, do you think the ban was warranted given what you think their intent to visit may

have been? >> i'm not quite sure what their intent was. they were going to visit and occupy territories of romala, and i think hebron or maybe bethlehem and jerusalem, which is partially occupied. and they -- i think twoovit wou have been good for them to visit, and i think it would have been good for them to visit israel, israel proper. i don't know if they were going to or not. i think this has hurt the israeli government and it has really helped the efforts of omar and tlaib to show israel as being less than an open, democratic government that encourages and supports tolerance and free speech and free ideas. the only other countries that i know that have banned united states congresspeople have been

russia, saudi arabia tried to ban henry waxman but relented, and i don't think israel should be in a category with those countries. i think it was a mistake and it all relates to the election in september of netanyahu who was having problems getting reelected, and like trump, he'll do anything to promote his candidacy over the best interests of his country. and it's a shame that we have politicians now that are more interested in their own political future than their nation's best interests. israel needs the united states and it needs all of its allies, and it needs to have a strong face, and i understand -- i voted against the bds ban recently. most all congresspeople did, but this gives it legitimacy. >> in terms of your statement, i'm going to get back to the u.s. perspective, but your statement how this hurts is real. congresswoman tlaib wrote, if you truly believe in democracy,

then the close alignment of netanyahu with trump's hate agenda must prompt a re-evaluation of our unwavering support for the state of israel. do you believe congress will revisit current u.s. policy toward israel? >> no, i don't think we will, because both democrats and republicans in overwhelming numbers support israel. we do not support netanyahu. we have questions about the ambassador, mr. dermer, but those are individuals and their time will come and go, and israel needs to survive, and israel needs to stand as a nation forever. >> how about the report that says democrats and congress are seeking a replacement for dermer. if you haven't heard that, would you support any congressional action along those lines? >> i haven't heard anything about it. i'm not sure what their logic is, but we need to be strong because this is a wrong-minded action by israel. it was a wrong-minded action by

trump and/or ambassador freeman to engage in in it. i could see requesting a report on freedman's duties, because his job should be to facilitate all americans, but particularly congresspeople's travels to the nations they are the ambassador to. it looks like if he was involved he violated his duties, a in a that the state department does generally so well. but i don't think going to the floor is a good idea. i think it divides the congress, it divides the democrats, it heightens the issue, it gives trump something to work on. we need to be concerned about removing trump and the israelis need to be concerned about removing netanyahu. >> all right. happening today across this country, including in your own state there in tennessee, we are following the gun control rallies. the president has supported expanding background checks but then pivoting somewhat on thursday to turn the focus on

mental health. take a listen. >> we are working very hard to make sure we keep guns out of the hands of insane people and those who are mentally sick and shouldn't have guns. it's not the gun that pulls the trigger, it's the person holding the gun. >> as i said before, that last line is a classic nra talking point. but are you concerned the president moves away from supporting background checks? is this the end of the push for background checks now? >> you never know what trump will do. he changes from minute to minute, tweet to tweet. the fact is he is a prisoner of the nra lobby. he showed it when he met with the parkland high school parents and other survivors in the white house and said he was going to stand up, he wasn't afraid of the nra and he was going to stand up and do something strong. he didn't do anything.

at the last minute he crumbled or he lied to the parents from parkland high school. he's not going to do anything. we need to have the background checks and the loophole bills that mitch mcconnell aren't scheduling, they need to be heard. we have a hearing on september 4th to look at issues concerning further background checks, more extensive to look into a ban on high-capacity magazines -- >> aren't you coming back early for that particular hearing? you're coming back early from recess. >> we will be coming back early. it's particularly important in significance. people are dying. and trump can say that the guns don't pull the trigger, people pull the trigger, well, that's just using a line, and he shouldn't be using simple lines to -- he should be dealing with the issue. the man can't deal with real issues because it's just all

politics with himt. i traveled around the world. almost every country and every leader in the world is in favor of the iran nuclear agreement. they're in favor of the accords. they're concerned about the tariffs we had on china and all the countries in the indo-pacific all throughout southeast asia and everywhere else in the world. the only person who doesn't think this way is trump. he is out of line with everybody. we should be operating in concert with our allies to bring pressure on china, not acting unilaterally. we should be in the paris climate accord and be concerned about the terrific cost of climate change, and we ought to be concerned and still be involved with the iran nuclear agreement and not having the tensions that we're having right now with the threat of cutting off navigation rights to vessels, bringing oil out of it.

trump is just out of line, and he'll stay out of line because his politics come before the nation and before world security. we're in a precarious position, and we have a president and an administration that aren't capable of dealing with it. that 800-point drop in the dow, that was trump. that was trump. >> instability for sure. congressman steve cohen, good to see you. thank you so much. the days leading up to jeffrey epstein's death, and how epstein used his money to his advantage while he was behind bars. behind bars ok everyone!

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what are some of the key things you learned about epstein's final days? >> we learned that epstein really, really hated his jail cell so he tried to spend as much time outside of it as he could. that meant that he was meeting with his lawyers, sometimes 12 hours a day. he was trying to make his life as comfortable as he possibly could in those last days. they would often empty the vending machines, for example. and he was also, we learned, trying to put money in other inmates' comissary accounts. we're told that's a pretty usual way of trying to buy protection. >> cdanielle, a lot has been sad about him being taken off suicide watch. officials say that's not uncommon. how so? >> that's true, it's not uncommon for inmates to be taken off suicide watch very quickly. we've learned it can sometimes just be a couple of days. suicide watch, though, we're told is taken very seriously in prisons. prisons are also very

underresourced and suicide watch pulls a lot of resources because they have to have a staff member watching the inmate at all times. >> so this is more of a staffing issue than a concern for the inmate? >> there's serious staffing issues in those prisons. we did an investigation a year ago into staffing issues at federal prisons, and many of the issues that are coming up now in this case are issues that we uncovered in our investigation. >> interesting. so, sara, danielle's reporting also says that the view from the cell block allowed the inmates to access a view of the guards at their desk. and, quote, he might have been able to see if guards were asleep. why would this help the movement from epstein's legal team? >> the information we don't know. there is a lot of reporting that's out there but there's two things that could happen. one is his lawyers are doing their own investigation possibly to expose the jail to some legal liability that could hold up

some of the civil cases that other victims are pursuing because they want to go after his estate. so this could be a way of shifting the liability or at least holding it up as these cases go forward. >> okay. you also described, danielle, in your reporting a specific mural from epstein's new york mansion. talk about that, why he had that mural. >> he had a mural in his mansion that was like a photo-realistic rendering of himself in a federal prison. and he had said that he had it there to remind himself of how his life koocould have ended up and, in fact, he did end up in federal jail. >> he did spend time in jail. do we know if this mural was put up after the time he spent in jail, or before, or do we know? >> i do not know that. >> interesting. lawyers did tell you, danielle, that epstein, after being taken off suicide watch, that he sometimes slept on the floor, but this description, i mean,

the plumbing spills leaving all sorts of things on the floor there, why did he do that? >> we don't know why he did that. we've heard in his last days that he was very disheveled, that he wasn't showering regularly, that he was generally pretty unkempt. we don't know why that was. we don't know if that was because he was depressed or for some other reason, but we know in the last days that he was not taking care of himself the way that he used to. >> what's the most striking thing from your reporting, danielle? >> well, something that has come up a lot in conversation about this case is that the guards that were working that staff unit where epstein was being held had been working overtime, a lot of overtime. in federal prisons, the way it works is that guards work an eight-hour shift, and then quite

frequently what will happen is at the end of the shift, they'll be told that they must work another eight-hour shift, plans be damned. so in this case one of the correctional officers that was guarding the unit where epstein killed himself was actually forced to work another eight-hour shift. andn who was acting as a guard but was not actually a full-time guard, he had worked several overtime shifts that week. so these guards were not -- probably not getting a lot of sleep and had been working lots and lots of overtime, which is actually quite common in the federal system. >> there is another very interesting angle to all of this, sarah, and that is all that's relative to ghislaine maxwell. that was epstein's accomplice. might she face federal charges soon or down the line, even? is she in l.a. as is widely reported?

>> the short answer is we don't know. her attorneys will not respond to requests for comment about where she is, although they continue to be in touch with other victims' attorneys as they pursue these lawsuits. absolutely, we believe it is possible she will face criminal liability. it has been asked for participation from the fbi to go after epstein's co-conspirators and we believe ghislaine maxwell will be a focus. we also believe they will go after her in civil lawsuits which will leave opportunities for discovery, which could reveal more information which will then help the criminal case. there is still a lot to be learned. it's a mystery. but we don't know. the photograph that was released by the new york post has some very peculiar items to it.

nbc news' reporting suggests that the photograph was not taken on the day that it was purported to be taken, and you'll see that the new york post changed their language in subsequent editions. so it's very, very mysterious. >> very much so. sarah fitzpatrick, danielle ivory, ladies, thank you so much. it looks calm now, but portland, oregon is bracing for two rallies and wide police presence there. residents are worried about what might happen. might happen ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ what might seem like a small cough

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happening now in the city of portland, police are bracing for a far right rally labeled as an indo terrorism event. the president taking to twitter a few hours ago saying, he will be watching the scene, quote, and major consideration is being given to naming antifa an organization of terror. scott, let's get to this rally. what do you know? >> right now, alex, is sort of the morning transition between the morning joggers and the protesters who are starting to show up at the riverfront park here in portland. and that tweet by the president really plays directly into the theme of the organizers of this rally, including joe biggs,

former adviser of the pro-anti-fascist or antifa. the local group plans to be here as well. the tricky part about this rally is that no one has a permit in contrast to many of the past rallies in portland, so the police are preparing for every eve eventuality. there are concrete barriers set in the perimeter of the park, some roads are closed, some businesses closed swchas well. this is the hawthorne bridge that normally would be full of traffic on a saturday morning. it is closed since 4:00 this morning and will be closed until further notice. already police said they had to close a portion of the interstate highway to take down a banner that was hanging from the overpass, a suspicious package that turned out to be

nothing. all people from the police force and others are here in the hopes, they say, they will be able to allow people to exercise their first amendment rights but also keep things peaceful. basically, hoping for the best, preparing for it is worst, alex. >> but scott, if they don't have a permit for the rally, are police actually hoping they can stop it from happening at all? >> reporter: well, i think they're hoping that, but i think that is probably a lost cause, so what they're hoping to do is keep it under control. they've been trying to reach out directly to organizers of these protests. they say they've had some success with that. some of the groups have kind of toned down the rhetoric, at least saying stand your ground but don't break any laws. that's the quote from the folks on the right side, and the anti-fascists, we'll see. some of them are saying they'll come here in disguise as trump supporters. this has happened before in portland. the police are used to it to

some degree, but a lot of unpredictability right now. >> lots to keep an eye on for us. thank you so much, scott cohn, there in portland. a new battle between president trump and one-time ally anthony scaramucci, next. n. discover card.

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i watched what happened when those kids from parkland came to see me when i was vice president. we have this notion that if you're poor, you can't do it. poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids, wealthy kids, black kids, asian kids. >> recently becoming a cause for concern from those around him. allies of the former vice president have now been floating the idea of altering his schedule in an effort to reduce his verbal flubs. joining me now, chris liu, former adviser to president obama, and political analyst rick tyler, republican strategist from the group media. kristin, to you first. are the president's vital missteps a real concern? how vital could they be if used against him in the race, or does it all depend on what he says

that's considered a gaffe? >> that's exactly right. let's put this in perspective. the president gave a speech this week and he made more outright statements and outright lies than joe biden has made during this entire campaign season. that being said, campaigns are long and grueling, and they're supposed to be that way, because at the end of the process, you want to make sure you have a tough battle-tested candidate for the general election. so this is a period of time for joe biden to figure out how he can best convey his message, how he can best make his case to the american people. that being said, he does need to actually improve, because his opponents in this race, particularly elizabeth warren and kamala harris, are getting much better. >> yeah, but just -- can i just ask you a question, chris? if his gaffes are kind of baked into the cake when you consider joe biden? it's not like this is unique to him, the last couple gaffes we're citing. >> this is who he is, and i

think people recognize he is a decent human being, the consummate servant, and if you talk to people on the campaign trail, you're likely to slip up now and then. >> it happens to talk show hosts, too. david axelrod wrote, this is bad advice. you can't cloister the candidate and win. he either can cut it or he can't, and the only way he can prove he can is to be an active and vigorous candidate. he's running for president of the united states, for god's sake. >> david axelrod was one of my leaders on the campaign for barack obama in 2008, but i do think as chris just mentioned, campaigns are grueling. it is a grueling pace. i think for all of the candidates, joe biden, including vice president joe biden, that it is incumbent upon their staff to protect their candidates to make sure they ever an adequate time to recharge, to refresh and

to carry their message directly to the voters. i don't think that the gaffes are going to be ultimately fatal to vice president biden, but i do agree that it's time to really shore up his performance and make sure that he is not seeding ground to the other candidates who are very strong contenders. we see the gap closing with elizabeth warren, we also see the gap closing with candidate kamala harris. >> uh-huh. we do. so, rick, you have some democrats concerned about biden, but on the other side, there are some republicans openly voicing concern over trump. in fact, take a listen to what former white house director anthony scaramucci told chris matthews just last night. >> we will not win the election if we steadily decline the economy from here and we have a mentally declining president of the united states. it's time to switch jockeys and

everyone knows it. >> switch jockeys, rick, is there a prospect of the gop not making trump the nominee? >> no. it's a rigged game. they are as distinguishable as the rnc. we all know donald trump's problems and the way he doesn't tell the truth and all the rest of it. i don't think that's actually in substantial decline. what is happening is donald trump, over the course of time because of the way his personality is, has decided that he can get away with more because people let him get away with more. the republican party lets him get away with it. no one calls him out. in the beginning he was a little bit more cautious, if you can believer it, now he just says what he says because there's been no cost to it. that's the difference. look, if general john kelly came out and said these things, that this president is in real mental decline, we should worry, i would pay attention. i think amarosa and anthony

scaramucci, i have to look at it with a grain of salt why they might be bringing it up. they might be right, but i would look at kelly rather than anthony scaramucci. >> you said yourself the that the president might drop out in 2020. if it becomes clear he most likely won't win, is this plausible? do you think that quote, a paraphrased it to some degree, but do you think trump is saying he's not going to run again, or is it just wishful thinking for his opponents? >> i think it's wishful thinking. i don't rule out anything involving donald trump, but his public rating is still around 90% right now. i think some of the more probable challengers, like john kasich who could have given him

a run for his money, think it's not a viable time to beat him at this point. and the truth of the matter is a lot of where president trump's votes are now is about 50-50 and it's hard to know what lies ahead. >> to rick's point, do you think he's basically trying to stay relevant in the conversation? >> i think scaramucci is just trying to stay relevant, because honestly, this is a little too late. he benefited by being near positions of power and influence and he didn't say these things at the time, so i think this is all very convenient. although to rick's point, he may be right, that trump is showing some mental decline himself. but the idea of trump not running for reelection is just completely farcical. we know him staying in office is his best bet for not being indicted. he is going to push stay in

office as long as he can. >> guys, i'm out of time. chris, alana, rick, thank you. protesters are hitting the streets to demand the president do something for gun control laws. and about the president again linking gun violence to mental illness, is he losing it is nerve to take any action on guns? action on guns any physical changes to this man's appearance are purely coincidental. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

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voting block that could tip the scales in 2020. back and forth. the fallout from israel denying entry it two u.s. house members. a new reaction from the president and congresswoman rashida tlaib. tackling gun violence. two weeks after mass shootings, demonstration s on a huge scale across this country today. will it work? ivanka for 2024. while she may prefer the oval office over her penthouse, talk about that this summer. good evening. welcome to alex witt. planned gun control rallies in every state this weekend, some in effect right now after two mass shootings in el paso and dayton. asking to keep gun legislation in the national spotlight hoping it won't fade as it has after other large-scale shootings. a new poll found a majority of

voters support background checks, red flag laws and a ban on assault weapons. just last week, the president was backing background checks, but this week during a rally, the president instead focused on linking gun violence to mental illness. >> years ago many cities and states, i remember it so well, closed mental institutions for budgetary reasons. they let those people out onto the street. we're going to have to give major consideration to building new facilities for those in need. it's not the gun that pulls the trigger, it's the person holding the gun. >> once again, the president parroting an nra talking point. right now the 2020 contenders and a big day in this country. most candidates are out on the trail. beto o'rourke is in arkansas,

cory booker is in new hampshire. let's go to garrett haake. he's in atlanta and that's where elizabeth warren and bernie sanders are reaching out to voters. you talked to them in the last hour. what's going on? >> reporter: alex, the candidates have wrapped up here in what is not normally a big stop, but an important one in the last two days. the young leaders conference in atlanta bringing together young african-american leaders in the church. it's important to note how important african-american voters are to the democratic nominee and how important it is to get these voters organized. that's why it was an important stop for these candidates.

it was interesting to watch elizabeth warren and bernie sanders speak here today. these are two candidates who don't often bring up their own personal faith, but they used the language of faith today to appeal to their audience. listen to how that took place. >> there is god in every single one of us. every single one of us has the lord within us. and that's what that passage means. and secondly that the lord does not call on us to sit back. the lord does not call on us just to have a good heart. the lord calls us to act. >> you know better than i that maybe the most important language in the bible is to do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. to treat other people with the dignity and respect and justice that you would like to be treated with.

that is what our campaign is about. >> both cory booker and pete buttigieg at this same conference yesterday, two candidates who are a little more comfortable to talk about their personal faith, use their personal faith stories more on the campaign trail. but i have to tell you the one that generated the most applause had nothing to do with any biblical passage i'm aware of. it was about cancelling college debt, but i can tell you very popular among a younger crowd. alex, all of this is academic when you're talking about black folks more generally who by and large continue to support joe biden, a plurality of the american voters, allegedly in south carolina still back the vice president. until these other candidates are able to make more inroads, joe biden has a lot to lose. that's why you'll see him off

the primary states to speak to this audience yesterday and today. >> i almost gig gsgled at your e of the bible and dismissing college debts. who do you think drew the biggest applause of the substance addressing this particular group? >> reporter: that's always a dangerous game to play, alex, comparing these crowds, particularly across two days of events. i will say as i've often seen at these multi-candidate forums, elizabeth warren comes to play, she comes prepared. she knows the audience and how to tell her personal story in a pretty tight way, and she has the policy plans in her metaphorical back pocket. that said, i've seen bernie sanders in these forums, too, particularly with largely

african-american or minority audiences. this is probably the best welcome, the best reception i've seen him get from a minority majority crowd. younger voters here today really dialed in and interested in what these candidates had to say. >> a very diplomatic answer for which i thank you. garrett haake from atlanta. another headline we're following, a new and explosive report that house democrats are considering action against u.s. and israeli ambassadors for the decision to ban two congresswomen from the west bank. mike, this seems to be topic a in some minds. what are you hearing on this? >> reporter: that's right, alex. let's get to the latest on congresswoman rashida tlaib. first her trip was on, then it was off, then it was off to reject israel's offer to allow her to visit her 90-year-old grandmother in the west bank. she won't be visiting anyone

after this disagreement. we saw the congresswoman last night in the aftermath of all this controversy over the last several days. she spoke to her constituents in the detroit area. let's listen. >> i should be on a plane to see her, but you all gave me even more love today, as much as trying to replace as much of what i would have been able to get when i got there, but thank you. >> reporter: so a very emotional appearance there from congresswoman tlaib. meanwhi meanwhile, nbc news has been to the west bank and interviewed her grandmother. the grandmother had some very unkind things to say after knowing she was unable to see her granddaughter. she said, may god ruin trump. that's a direct quote that we have. and she didn't want her granddaughter to come back to the west bank and virtually be caged up by the rules that would be imposed on her by israel. rashida has been critical of

israel, an advocate for the boycott that many have advocated more. israel said, you can come but you can't talk about any of that, and after a while, she said, i'm not going to go, it would break my grandmother's heart. you mentioned congress now, a movement in the house of representatives to somehow admonish two of the ambassadors involved here. i talked to a top aide and said this fiasco on the part of david freedman, he is u.s. ambassador to israel, they want an inspector general from the state department to look into his role, saying there is a similar inquiry about ambassador dermer, israeli ambassador to the united states. steve cohen, a member of the democratic house of representatives, spoke to cdc in just the last hour. >> i could see requesting a

report on him because his job is to encourage all americans to travel to the nations they are ambassador to. if he was involved, he violated his duties that the job at the state department generates so well. but i don't think going to the floor is a good idea. i think it divides the congress, it divides the democrats, it heightens the issue. >> reporter: president trump for his part taunting rashida tlaib on twitter late into the evening last night, saying her grandmother got lucky. she doesn't have to see the congresswoman. the president clearly thinks he can drive a wedge between democrats over israeli policy. many house democrats have been long-time staunch allies and advocates for israel within the united states. from what we're seeing in congress thus far, however, it's not having that intended effect. alex? >> charming comment from the president attacking those two women and that family.

okay. thank you very much, mike viquera. josh, your reaction to this latest development in the tlaib/trump/israel story and how that might complicate matters between these two allies, the u.s. and israel? >> i think there are two ways to look at the story. one, the president clearly sees some value in his base being in conflict with this muslim congresswoman, with perhaps congresswomen of color who wants to prolong this fight and drag it out and thinks it's helpful in terms of activating his base, it resonates with them. in terms of standing by israel, i find it a rather baffling move on that front, because what you've done is caused many democrats to rally to rashida tlaib's side even though they had not been on her side previously, and now you have such a level of distrust among

democrats for the ambassador of israel to the united states. that's what we were just hearing from mike viquera, that i don't see how in any way israel comes out in a better position here than they would have been if she had been allowed to visit in the first place. >> well, to your point in the fallout of this decision, we ever the "washington post" headline which reads a toxic rift opens between democrats and israel. so, emily, if democrats move forward with all this, do they risk playing right into the president's hands? we must remember the president accused the democratic party of being anti-israel but also anti-jewish. >> the president paints the republican party as pro-israel and it's anti-productive. we see nancy pelosi in an interview with the associated press saying israeli-u.s. relations are deep, they have old ties and it goes deeper than

the trump administration and the netanyahu administration, and that their bond will be strong and stay strong beyond these two leaders. so the unintended from donald trump says it has been unified, and i don't think that's what he wanted, ultimately. >> there are concerns not being the economy right now because there are reports the president is worried about an economic downturn, that it would spill into the 2020 campaign cycle, thus damaging his reelection bid. josh, how real are these concerns? >> i think they're very real within the white house. we've seen the volatility within the stock market, we've seen the china tariffs the president first implemented and then he took off, worried about the christmas season. we're seeing a degree of hesitation on the president's part that maybe we haven't seen before that he has some real worry about the economy, and don't forget about the way that

nearly on a daily basis he's attacking the federal reserve, saying they're messing uch the economy. i thought it was a real worry on his part, but i think his language where he talks about, love me or hate me, you'll have to vote for me either way, it does seem all his chips on this are stacked within the economy. >> the report is that trump is fretting from a possible downturn. any idea what that looks like inside the white house and how aides would handle? >> it's aides coming to the president and trying to warn him that his rhetoric and his language on the economy needs to be parsed and that he needs to capitalize -- they've actually pointed out that his failure to capitalize on the good economy in the midterm elections and help boost the republicans in that race will hurt him, ultimately. the economy is headed for perhaps a downturn.

he won't be able to energize his base the way he might have in the past. conventional political wisdom says the voters won't turn out to reelect a president in a good economy, but they might vote out a president if the economy is bad. >> new polls this week show that most of the leading democratic candidates beat the president. are democrats still wary of being overconfident? it is early, after all, and we all remember the level of confidence that went into november 2016. >> yeah. i think one thing you have to look at when you take a view of these current polls, they do seem to be good news for democrats. but we actually haven't seen that much combat between the democrats. we haven't seen that much negative campaigning. they have not, in sort of a street term, been dirtied up the way they would be in a general lek election campaign. i do think if you have negative tv ads running about the

democratic candidates on a daily basis in many of these states, as we maiy have as we get close to caucuses from the candidates and from outside groups, you will see the democrats' numbers start to come down. the president is in constant discussion, people are always on tv saying something critical about him. it's a little more subtle rk, t criticism of the democratic candidates. i think when it becomes less subtle, the polls will start to take a hit. >> emily? >> when we look at those hypotheticals, we see they're all under 40%. they've been at that figure for quite some time. it says he's not growing his base. his tactic unintentionally might be to drive a wedge between voters and sort of have a lot of people stay home because the infighting is so bad and the fighting between parties is so bad and they're disgusted by the whole spectacle. his base might be deepening but

it's not widening. >> emily ngo and gosh ger stest nice to talk to you both. this indication was made by the president's director. y the president's director ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ i come face-to-face with a lot of behinds. so i know there's a big need for new gas-x maximum strength. it relieves pressure, bloating and discomfort fast. so no one needs to know you've got gas. gas-x. so no one needs to know you've got gas. ♪ ♪ award winning interface. ♪ ♪ award winning design. ♪ ♪ award winning engine. ♪ ♪ the volvo xc90. our most awarded luxury suv.

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back more with more on the back and forth between two women of israel, president trump bashing tlaib saying she won't

be going to the west bank after she was granted able to visit her grandmother. this comes after he banned ilhan omar from going to the country. an official who worked in the middle east under both presidents bush and obama. welcome to you. donald trump said on twitter, israel was very respectful and nice to representative rashida tlaib, allowing her permission to visit her grandmother. as soon as she was granted permission, she grandstanded and loudly proclaimed she would not sict appropriately. what is behind tweets like this? >> the conflict is not at all indicative of where the democratic party is, but what the president is trying to do is

paint the entire democratic party as having those kinds of positions and trying to force that kind of characterization on the entire party. >> yeah. the president conveniently forgot to add the restrictions that israel placed on rashida tlaib when they did give her permission to visit her grandmother there in the palestinian territories. they said she could not address certain issues. it has been reported by nbc news after going to speak to the grandmother, the grandmother said, you know what, do not come. do not come and visit me and compromise your integrity for not being able to discuss issues you want to. does anything like this come to mind like this before in your experience? >> i can't think of anything quite like it, to be honest. the reality that we're still talking about this issue days after the incident occurred shows just what kind of blunder this is for the israelis. they initially rejected the

representatives' entry into israel because they didn't want them to bring too much attention to the issue, but what they've done is just that. so it's really pretty remarkable that this is how the events have turned out. >> picking up on that, netanyahu, we know, is facing a very competitive reelection in september. do you think this is some kind of political ploy by him, a power play, to appear aligned with president trump? does that give him a lot of power? >> i don't think so. i think, if anything, this could be used by his opposition. you know, he is neck and neck with a party in the center left of israeli politics right now, and if they can show what a blunder this is for the reasons i just stated, that if anything, it has highlighted the bds movement, then perhaps they can get a few more seats and be the ones to form government. last month in july, the house passed overwhelmingly, i think, 398 to 17 a resolution condemning bds and the

positions, basically, of the two representatives. but now what b.b. has done with the move to block their entry is unify the democrats behind the two representatives and, frankly, shape the future minds of younger democrats that will be coming up in the future. if anything, i think this could hurt prime minister netanyahu in the election. >> what do you think of the democrats uniting to take some form of action against israel? >> you know, i think they have to stand their ground, frankly. i think it's pretty inappropriate to refuse entry to members of the u.s. congress. and while they certainly don't agree with their positions, i think the very fact of the refusal of allowing these two representatives to go into israel is something they can unite behind. >> alon sachar, we'll see you again. thank you very much.

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see, the bottom line is, i know you like me and this room is a love fest, i know that.

but you have no choice but to vote for me because your 401(k)s down the tubes, everything is going to be down the tubes. so whether you love me or hate me, you got to vote for me. >> huh. well, the president publicly suggesting that voting for him in 2020 will save the economy. but in private a much different story as new reports now reveal he's not as confident in the state of the economy after all, according to the "washington post." mounting signs of global economic distress this week have alarmed president trump, who is worried that a downturn could imperil his reelection. joining me now, peter, and reena shaw. welcome, peter. the president really doubling down now on the economy as it goes from possibly a strength to now a vulnerability.

do you think he believes a recession could drive him out of office? >> some democrats think that is a possibility. democrats i spoke to this week, however, realize we're in a very different time than we were in the clinton years when the clinton campaign manager said famously, it's the economy stupid. it plays a role. unfortunately, not a major role. he's lost two of the major and significant tools an executive has to try and stop a recession, particularly the tax cut that could often be used to stimulate, so i think he is in a difficult position, probably more so emotionally than politically. >> yeah, we felt the effects of that. it doesn't seem to be benefiting the economy at this point now. courtney, the same "washington post" piece, officials at the white house treasury department and throughout the administration are planning no new steps to attempt to stave off a recession. noelle, what do you think a recession would do to this

presidency in a reelection campaign? >> one of the most flattering issues to the republican party's platform is the economy. that's the one thing we brag about, that's the one thing we tout, and that's the one thing we get a lot of people, let's just say, they're moderates, but fiscally conservative. i think if we ever a spiraling downturn with the economy, the question of it is, is trump going to stand behind that? no, he's not. i'll tell you what he's going to do. he's going to issue some tweets, pointing a finger at the fed, pointing a finger at china, pointing the finger at anyone else but himself, because it's an election year, and it's all about that base. and he knows that a base is like family. they're going to show up, rain or shine. they're going to vote for him, and he is going to wipe it off and say, it's someone else's fault. so while the economy is a favorite main course at the gop dining table, if it goes south,

i see donald trump blaming someone else and not himself. but if it's continuing to go up and it stays okay, he will take credit for this. >> right. >> this is what i've been figuring out of his personality and kind of what he's doing. >> yeah. and to that point, noelle's point there, a recent poll is showing that 53% of voters a proo -- approve of the president's handling of the economy. just as an economy can make a president, it can break one, too. how do you think he might handle the potential fall? >> i think a recession would certainly imperil this presidency for sure, and i don't disagree with anything noelle said. the president loves to point the finger. and while he enjoyed two years of really great figures, the economic growth, that 3% he promised on the campaign trail, when you look at 2018 as a whole, he got that.

it was tremendous what we saw last year. the trump economy was not only thriving, it was doing what people did not expect. consumer confidence was at some highs. but here's the reality here, alex. our american electorate wrongly completes the presidential actions, the president who was in the oval office today with our economy. frankly these are obama-led policies that allowed trump to have two years dairk it was a gift, it really was. he'll be unconventional next year. watch it. he'll blame the media and he'll blame democrats. he's already started with the fed right now but he's going to start talking about socialism more, because this is right out of the playbook of the democratic national committee. they want to stoke fear about socialism ask thatnd that's exa what will happen next year. watch it. >> but if trump continues, he's going to have to own the economy. he may have gotten a bump from obama policies, that's fine, and written that wave as noelle was saying, to a very high point in

the last couple years. but somewhere it is about trump and how he's hand lidge the economy. which is why we are now. let's look at the feud of anthony scaramucci that's been ramping up. the president will, quote, likely drop out of by march of 2020. it's going to become very clear that it will be impossible for him to win, and is he the kind of guy that wants to be that humiliated and lose as a sitting president? i don't know, mike, can this happen, or is it really what people are talking about? >> scaramucci knows no bounds whatsoever. the whole issue of this man even being quoted in any sort of way given what his performance was when he was at the white house, what he's been since, the absolute bankruptcy of his moral, ethical values that somehow he thinks he's going to reclaim some public persona that

he should have long ago walked away in shame baffles me. no, there is no possibility of that. the possibility is more likely that donald trump could lose by a small margin and then refuse to vacate the oval office. >> how do you really feel, peter? wow. >> i think your comparison of anthony scaramucci made him sound like michael cohen. michael cohen was morally bankrupt. that guy would do anything for trump. what i saw with scaramucci -- >> he did do anything for trump. he lied, he cheated and he stole. >> i wouldn't go so far. i think he went in there and did the job. i think he wanted to communicate what the white house wanted to communicate. i don't think he was as bad as michael cohen. i was one of the blanket people scaramucci reached out to. there were worse actors, is what i'm trying to say. i'm trying to say there are far

worse people. >> mitt romney is in the administration so i'm not going to try to parse it. >> i'm going to give you the final word here, because it was interesting that scaramucci said to vanity fair, i don't deranget i have is trump fatigue syndrome. what do you think of that? >> that sounds very accurate. they are in the trump news 24/7, so i think a lot of people are tired of the trump show a lot of the time. that statement, i think, was true. as far as the scaramucci and the trump, a big whatever. i think that people are tired of the circus on both these guys. i know scaramucci, he's a nice cat, he's a pretty good guy, but i think as far as seeing all of this play out in the media, i agree with emerson. i mean, geez, i think people are

just a big whatever. >> listen, that's a wrap for this segment. whatever, it was all good and i'll see you three again. thank you so much. marching for gun control. rallies are happening around the country today. a closer look at the change that's in the works and how it can become reality, next. can become reality, next

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this is my office. (vo) and now with more plans, everyone gets what they need without paying for things they don't. new plans start at just $35. the plan is so reasonable, they could stay on for the rest of their lives. aww, did you get that on camera? thanks, dad! (vo) the network more people rely on gives you more. i hope that members of congress and particularly the leadership in congress realize that open hearings before the cameras are really, really important for the country in terms of dealing with even the most controversial issues, in terms of airing outcome pl comp stuff that we're fighting about as citizens and voters, airing it out enables us all to be better citizens. happening now, gun control activists holding rallies across the country. demonstrations like the one you're seeing here in salt lake

city two weeks after two mass shootings in el paso and dayton. activists are looking to keep momentum for gun legislation in the national spotlight, and nbc news correspondent simone boyce is joining us in atlanta, awaiting one of those rallies. simone, welcome to you. what are we expecting to see? is this supposed to be big? >> reporter: so, alex, in just about a couple of hours, we're going to see about a hundred gun control activists, mostly students, filling in this area outside of city hall in downtown los angeles. they're here with a group students demand action, and they want congress to pass stronger background checks as well as this thing called red flag laws. now, red flag laws would mean that law enforcement or family members would be able to temporary remove someone's guns if they believe that person is posing a threat or a danger to the people around them. and we've seen, in the wake of these mass shootings in the past few weeks, that red flag laws have actually garnered

significant bipartisan support. but in addition to the rally that we're seeing here in los angeles today, there are rallies taking place across the country in el paso, a city that was just devastated by that mass shootings just a couple weeks ago. we're seeing rallies in south florida as well. and we might see some of these demonstrators taking their message to the district offices of certain senators while they're away on august recess. now, alex, i was just in el paso a couple weeks ago covering the shooting, and i saw people coming up to me with tears in their eyes, you could hear the hurt in their voices, but the reality is there's so much talk about action after these shootings, and the question we don't really see much of that action. so as you mentioned, the activists here today are hoping that they can reenergize the conversation around gun violence in this country. >> tell me about it. i've been sitting here in an anchor chair for 20 years, and

after every one of these things, it passes in the conversation. it defies logic. the president seems to be shifting his focus to better background checks to supporting gun violence. >> i do want people to remember the words mental illness. these people are mentally ill. if you look at the '60s and '70s, some of these mental institutions were closed and people were just allowed to go on the streets. we have to open up institutions. we can't let these people be on the streets. >> but an fbi report found that 63 active shooters between 2013, only 22% had been diagnosed with mental illness. and of the 226 men who tried to commit mass killings, 22% could be considered mentally ill. let's discuss this with chris brown, the president of brady, a gun control advocacy group. chris, welcome back to the broadcast. i'm always glad to talk to you. i want to talk about the

president linking gun violence to mental illness. >> you know, it's a red herring, and i think you're appropriately showing why that's the case. the united states does not have any more mental illness than any other industrialized country anywhere in the world. we have a lot more gun violence. if we want to solve this problem, we know what the solutions are. we need to expand background checks, we need extreme risk laws, sometimes called red flag laws, and we need a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. in state after state after state, which have adopted those laws, weaver seen a reduction in gun violence that's substantial. let's focus on the problem and let's see if he's brave enough to stand up to the nra. >> might this be the time to stand up to the nra because politico is reporting there is inner turmoil at the nra. i know that four board members have resigned in the last two or three weeks, and it's preventing the organization from

aggressively fighting to push for gun control. is that what you're seeing as well? are the nra's lobbying efforts, are they precarious or is that an underestimation of the nra? >> it's not an underestimation. if you look at 2018 and see that we delivered a gun violence prevention majority in the house of representatives in 2018 for the first time in the generation, that didn't happen by accident. gun violence prevention groups outspent the nra by 5-1. they're very distracted with beverly hills boutique expenses, a $5 billion home that scaramucscare much -- they were arranging for the nra and by the new york attorney general and now the d.c. attorney general. i think we'll see that nra deserves nonprofit status like nothing. those should be taken away, and

those are responsible gun owners who, in every poll, wants the kind of changes brady has long advocated. >> there is a new poll which finds that 90% of registered voters support expanding background checks, 81% support the red flag laws. for those who don't know what that is, they allow courts to take away guns from potentially dangerous people. listen to what lindsey graham said he told the president. >> we talked today about the red flag laws and the background checks. and i said, the time has come to do more than pray. we'll find hopefully some bipartisan space here. my view is that there are some people out there that need this done. i'm tired of trying to explain ta to parents who come to washington that we need to do something. >> what do you do that has an

ear like lindsey graham? >> we had the brady law that just celebrated the 25th anniversary because we reached across both sides of the aisle. that bill was passed and signed into law by unanimous consent in the senate. this can happen. there is precedent for it, but absolutely. we need more republicans like lindsey graham to look at what the solutions are, to recognize these are changes that we desperately need, that the american people want, and that will save lives. i think lindsey graham has been moved by hearings that he's held where witnesses have come forward who have lost loved ones to say, i deserve better. we want to live in an america where i can walk down the street, drop off my kid at school, go to walmart without the fear of being shot. and if we want to talk about mental health, we ever an entire nation that is suffering from basically a form of ptsd because

gun violence is not addressed. and i think politicians on both sides of the aisle recognize that. >> chris brown, keep up the fight there for the brady campaign. thank you so much. >> thank you. the mystery of ghislaine maxwell, jeffrey epstein's co-conspirator. we're going to talk to the writer of a new "vanity fair" article, next. article, next. where are we going? (mom vo) it's a big, beautiful world out there. (little sister) woah... (big sister) wow. see that? (mom vo) sometimes you just need a little help seeing it. (avo) the three-row subaru ascent. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. get zero percent during the subaru a lot to love event. and i don't add trup the years.s. but what i do count on... is boost® delicious boost® high protein nutritional drink has 20 grams of protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals. boost® high protein. be up for life.

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she was definitely trying to get to know me. where i was from, who i grew up with. >> the first time she brought up jeffrey epstein, how did she describe him to you? >> he's a great guy. he's helped me, i've struggled. >> did she say he could help you with your career? >> that was a big part of it. >> when you refer to her now, you refer to her as the recruiter. >> in that interview, she did not identify who the she was, she said jeffrey epstein sexually assaulted her when she was 14 years old, and this week she sued his estate and accomplices. joining me now, writer for vanity fair and new york magazine.

the article focuses around a paramore for epstein. >> we want to remind viewers -- before we go any further. what can you tell us about your sources on this story and how you would characterize them. >> jennifer is one of many different women who say they are abused as girls. some of them link maxwell, some of them don't. they all came to jeffrey's home in different ways. new york society and what do they know about gillane, they know quite a bit. everybody has a story about her.

much more than jeffrey who was in a way agore phobic, he didn't like to leave his house, go to astronauts, he didn't like to eat other people's food, he wanted to keep himself trim because he thought that was good for his brain. this guy was kind of this weird jay gatsby figure and she was the front woman. >> how are they thinking maxwell would be helpful. >> she would be abe will to talk about the different men that might have been ensnared in the layers. i mean, the plans that jeffrey had for her. one of my sources told me that she had said she got her helicopter license expressly so she could fly people to his island without anybody knowing

who they were. she wanted to be able to helicopter them there. i think she could tell them quite a bit, she could be the subject of a probe. i mean, we assume she is cooperating. we don't know there was a conspiracy charge. certainly she would be somebody that people would look at. this whole thing has been shocking. suddenly she's in california at an in & out burger, this woman has never been to a fast food place. that's not where she eats. that's the biggest setup in my life. i'm flux axed. >> you've been talking about a lot of different things. i want to get to another one here today. your new pod cast, it's called the making of ivanka trump.

what may be next on her agenda. we'll listen to that. >> i have a coffee cup that says ivanka 2024 somewhere here. >> i bet they do think she'll be the first female president. but my instinct would be that they end up in jail. >> do these folks have any insight? >> definitely that's a joke, it's meant to be a joke. it may be a bad joke. the people that i talk to by and large are people who knew her growing up. what they have to say is that yes, she's hugely ambitious. yes, she wants power even more than money. when she was growing up, she was completely -- almost abandoned by her dad. the idea that the two of them were so close, that is a complete and total myth. he was an absent father. he very proudly says i didn't change the diapers, but it went way further than that.

and until she was in high school, like he didn't really care that much. suddenly she blossoms into this beautiful girl and now he's much more interested. so the main thing they talk about is how -- while they may want money and power, what she really wants is her father's approval. that is more important than anything else in the entire world to her. i think once you understand that about her, really everything starts to fall into place, all these puzzle pieces everyone's been so confused by. >> vanessa, i promise we're going to have you back to talk about ivanka and other stories you're reporting on. thank you for your time today. have a good saturday. >> thank you. she's the new number two, what's behind the climb of senator elizabeth warren coming up in our next hour. performance. now at the lexus golden opportunity sales event.

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xfinity x1. simple. easy. awesome. xfinity. the future of awesome. we are right at the top of the hour, so i'm out of time, i'm alex witt, thanks for joining me. up next, kendis gibson. >> thank you. have a great day and vacation. >> demand for action, happening right now, and throughout the weekend for that matter. >> more than 100 rallies. we're live on the scene as these rallies are underway. she has a plan