that wraps up this hour of "msnbc live." my colleague chris jansing picks up our coverage from here. good to see you, happy holidays. >> did you have a nice christmas? you were working. >> i was here working. that was okay. i'm going to get a chance to see my family in just a couple of days. >> some new members of the family, congratulations on that. thank you, phillip, good day, i'm chris jansing at nbc headquarters here in new york. tracking the tweetstorm swirling around mar-a-lago. president trump following his christmas night attack on nancy pelosi's impeachment strategy with a string of tweets taking more political shots at the speaker. the president expressing frustration with pelosi's decision to hold the articles of impeachment in the house until she gets some concessions from

senate majority leader mitch mcconnell who seems willing to wait out pelosi. mcconnell has a more pressing problem with his own caucus where more independent members like alaska's lisa murkowski are less than enthusiastic about his comments about being in complete coordination with the white house for the impeachment trial. >> in fairness, when i heard that, i was disturbed. if we are tasked as the full senate to do impartial justice under the constitution and the law, to me it means that we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense. and so i heard what leader mcconnell had said. i happen to think that that has further confused the process. >> let's bring in our panel, nbc's hans nichols covering the

president in west palm beach. msnbc contributor jill wine-banks, former assistant watergate special prosecutor. msnbc little analyst glenn kirchner, a former federal prosecutor, and republican strategist sarah chamberlain. thanks for joining us, all of you, on the holiday season. the president's tweets, hans, none so far on lisa murkowski, he seems ready to let this all play out before considering attacking senators on his side of the aisle, preferring to stick with attacks on the democrats. >> i think that's right, chris. when you look at those on the president's side, it seems to be affecting him a little bit as he seems to be going after democrats for preventing him from doing his job as he sees fit. today, in a real clear ways, the president is talking about how the democratic impeachment is impeding his ability to interact

with foreign leaders and others. so you get the sense that it's bothering the president. what we haven't had, you're right, is a full scale attack on any republicans that could potentially defy him. however, in the past he's made it very clear that he will be willing to go after members of his own party. you remember mia love, any number republican congressmen or women who divide or challenged him and he really unloaded on them. on mitt romney, he's almost been willing to give him a little more space. we'll see whether he weighs in on lisa murkowski either on twitter or in person, chris. >> there's been so much talk about senator murkowski, mitt romney, even cory gardner, when we talk about who could side potentially with the democrats when seeking more witness testimony or even going against him at the end of the trial.

what about retiring senators like lamar alexander who have been supported by mcconnell through the decades but also have more freedom to vote their consciouses in this process? what are you watching among the republicans who would consider bailing on their party? >> i'm watching lisa murkowski very closely. she may be the first person kind of out there, testing the waters to see if there's room for other republicans to join her. i think we really need to look at that angle. and yes, i think there's a cory gardner, susan collins, i think thom tillis, all of those senators you've mentioned, there's a chance that they will. but they won't go against the president. i think what they will do is hope to bring in some people to testify. i think that's really the angle that we're going with. >> so they can make the argument this was indeed a fair process. jill, you've seen how impeachments have played out in recent history. by the same token, there are

moderate democrats, manchin, kyrsten sinema. what is the argument that could make them jump the democratic ship? both sinema and doug jones have law degrees, if that makes a difference. >> i don't think it makes a difference. this is a case where the facts are so overwhelming, if you're paying attention to the facts, you have to draw a conclusion. those are the facts without all the evidence. we've been barred, we, the american people, and the house, from getting all the facts. there have been no documents produced by the white house. key witnesses like mulvaney and pompeo and giuliani have not testified. with their additional testimony it would be even more overwhelming. while there was certainly enough for an impeachment, which is the

equivalent of indictment, it would be very helpful to have the additional testimony for a trial where you're at a different standard of proof. and i hope that americans will demand a fair trial. the president deserves a fair trial. but so do the american people. so let's get witnesses. >> glenn, what's your take on this? what do you think this trial will look like? what will you be watching for to see whether or not either side will see any defections? >> you know, chris, i'm with jill here. when we're picking juries in the setting of a criminal trial, and this is as close to a criminal trial as you can get, the jurors have to swear to set aside any preconceived notions, any biases, any prejudices they may have, and decide the case based only on the evidence they hear during the proceeding. so what i would suggest is that everyone is entitled to a fair senate trial.

that goes for president trump, he's entitled to a fair trial, but as importantly, just as the people, when we're prosecuting cases, we as prosecutors represent the interests of the people. the people deserve a fair trial too. the americans, the american citizens deserve a fair trial. >> we've already heard mitch mcconnell say, look, i'm on the side of the president, they're coordinating with the white house, there are others senators who have made it very clear, they're not even going to read the evidence, they're not going to look at anything. so what does a fair trial look like in this context? >> you know, i'm going to borrow a phrase from john bolton. we don't quite know what drug deal is being cooked up by mitch mcconnell and lindsey graham to deprive of american people of a fair trial. i think, like jill says, the people have to demand a fair trial. for example, when i hear people complaining that, well, there shouldn't be any witnesses called because if they weren't called during the house hearing they shouldn't be called during the senate trial, that's not the

way any of this works. often when we investigate a case in the grand jury, we present some witnesses, but after an indictment is returned, just like after articles of impeachment are returned, you move on to the trial. and it is entirely usual to call additional witnesses to prove up what charges were brought. so, you know, no matter which way you turn, witnesses need to be part of any trial that's going to be fair. >> jill, there's another i'll call it a potential wild card here. i'm curious if you think it's a wild card, and i'm talking about chief justice john roberts who would preside. conventional wisdom is he will stay above the fray, he is not to come across as being nonpartsononpart s san. but do you see a potential for him to play a larger role? >> i do. i think it's important to look at past history. there's been recent writing on

this that suggests the word "preside" has a meaning, and it doesn't mean you sit there and accept everything. now, it is true that a majority of the senate can override any decision that he makes. so it is a tricky situation, but politically, if the house -- i'm sorry, if the senators override everything that chief justice roberts does, then it would look politically really bad. i want to add something to what glenn said which is in watergate, it was a pretrial subpoena. after the indictment, we issued a second subpoena for documents for 64 additional tapes. it was one of those that was a smoking gun that led to the resignation of richard nixon. that was something that we didn't have and that the house impeachment committee didn't have until long after. so it can change dramatically. you ask for additional information after an indictment. you build your case further.

all you need is probable cause to return an indictment, that there is a probable cause. but at a trial, you need beyond reasonable doubt, proof. so you need additional evidence. and that's how we got the extra tape. and i think that's something that america needs to consider. and you need those witnesses before you have your opening statements, because you don't know what you can promise if you haven't heard what those additional witnesses will say. >> and that's what nancy pelosi and chuck schumer are holding out for. >> yes. >> meantime, hans, there's an interesting mix of reporting on how the president is approving a processing all this. we hear internally he's fuming over the delay in impeachment, we don't hear this when he comes before the cameras, the white house is trying to project confidence about how this could rally their base, how this is actually good for them. i wonder, if the white house staff is feeling a little bit of political and emotional whiplash and having to deal with these

changing moods every day. >> potentially. they're compartmentalizing, like the president himself. you see the president acknowledge that he thinks impeachment is an ugly word, at the same time insisting it's to his benefit at the polls. not all public polls bear that out. the white house may have some private polls they're not sharing. they've shared some of them, but they haven't shared their methodology so you need to take them with a little bit of skepticism. the president has this unique approach that he hasn't been impeached just yet because the articles haven't been transmitted. so you see the president sort of in this nether zone. but at least politically there does seem to be consensus that this is working out for the white house. whether or not that's changed at all by comments by senator murkowski, we'll have to see. but at least as of a couple of days ago, the general consensus was impeachment is bad but there may be a silver lining and that

is usmca being passed, a budget deal, and some positive signs, at least they're seeing internally, in their own polls, chris. >> the raw politics of this, whatever happens, if this takes a couple of weeks, if it takes a couple of months, ultimately we have such short attention spans and so many things happen on a given day in the course of this administration, assuming the president isn't removed from office, does any of this play significantly into 2020? >> no. it really doesn't play at all into it. i'm down in charlotte, on holiday, and people aren't even focused now. that's why i wish the president would stop tweeting about this. nancy pelosi is obviously getting under his skin. he needs to put his phone down and then just let everything play out, because really, people aren't paying attention to what's happening in washington right now. they are paying attention to, they have more money in their pockets, mother money to spend at christmastime, and they have

jobs. that's why as republicans, that's what we need to be focusing on. >> thank you. glenn will stay with me. coming up, a, quote, climate of mistrust and threats. the revealing new look at the fallout over the impeachment battle and the toll it's taken within the government especially in foreign policy. nearly two dozen current and former officials are talking. plus while north korea's threat of a christmas surprise may not have surfaced, this morning the pentagon is taking no chances. why officials in the region remain on high alert. tton mouth? there's a therabreath for you. therabreath oral rinse and lozenges. help relieve dry mouth using natural enzymes to soothe and moisturize. so you can... breathe easy, there's therabreath at walmart.

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at this hour we still have a threat from north korean dictator kim jong-un hanging over us. he said, as you know, the u.s. is getting a christmas gift. molly hunter is with us now. christmas has come and gone, no gift yet. what can you tell us today? >> hey, chris, that's right. so we still wait. that kind of deadline that north korea set was the end of the year so there are still a to you more days left until the end of the year but nothing so far today. just a sign of how jumpy everyone is, a credible japanese news outlet came out with a tweet saying some kind of launch happened. they quickly deleted it. south korea reports four u.s. spy planes flew over the

peninsula, not once but twice this week, no one has commented. a defense spokesman held a press conference saying the u.s. and south korea are continuously monitoring and tracking all north korean movement. we know of course from u.s. military and intelligence, officials have been tracking north korea for the last couple of days. everybody is still postured, waiting, watching to see if anything happens in the coming days. >> and the question is, what is anything? the president was kind of dismissive of the threat, he said maybe i'm going to get a nice vase, maybe, some people were saying, he thought he was going to get another one of those adoring letters that he called beautiful letters. but in reality, what's the major concern out there, and from where in particular? i know that china, for example, has said the united states needs to come to some sort of an agreement with the north koreans and get denuclearization back on the table.

>> that's exactly right. so china and japan, south korea, all met earlier and put their heads together and said they agree they need to help get that dialogue going. the u.s. and north korea, the two sides, have not met since october. this has been one of the hallmark foreign policy achievements that president trump was hoping to accomplish. we've heard him be very flip earlier this week that the president might get a nice vase. u.s. military and intelligence officials certainly do not think it's going to be a vase, they think this christmas gift was absolutely a threat. they believe it may be in fact in the form of a nuclear test. there hasn't been one of this kind of scale, there have certainly been other smaller tests, like an engine test a couple of weeks ago, but there hasn't been one of these tests since 2017. there's been a lot of evidence suggesting north korea was gearing up for a test like that including satellite photos that nbc news obtained last weekend showing a factory associated

with the production of missiles and showing a separate, temporary structure that's been erected that could accommodate a launcher arm. temporary structures like that have been erected as previous sites associated with tests. intelligence officials say there's other evidence, there's activity at other sites, more capabilities, more systems, more buildings, all of this leading u.s. intelligence, military officials, to believe that a nuclear test may be coming, and certainly, chris, given that nuclear talks have been dead in the water since october, a test now would certainly make it very, very hard to get back on that diplomatic path. >> molly hunter following all this for us from london, thanks, molly. up next, a new report shedding light on a surprising group of voters who have their eye on joe biden. plus money talks, but will it say enough? the jaw-dropping sum the two billionaires running for the democratic presidential nomination have already spent without reaching the top five in the polls yet. there in time,

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politics is on the table. the trump campaign gives people talking points for liberals among their relatives, or as they call them, snowflakes. and "the new york times" has a report about republicans who may vote for joe biden. joining me now, joel payne, former director of payne media, and nbc news political reporter shaquille brewster. joel, no one is suggesting if trump supporters come armed with talking points suddenly they'll win over liberals or even necessarily their moderate friends or relatives. but is it smart on the part of the trump campaign to give them talking points to make them feel empowered but also reinforcing what they already believe? >> it's the existence of being a donald trump supporter that you need talking points to defend your lot in life, the fact that -- >> but that doesn't answer my

question whether it's a smart move on their part. >> i mean, sure, it's a good way to engage your supporters. again, i don't need somebody to tell me why you should believe in the things i believe in as a democrat. i think what donald trump and republicans are going to have to deal with is that their base, their hard-core supporters, do have to defend being trump supporters. they do have to defend this president and all of his actions, not just the good stuff but the stuff that troubles people. >> this is the argument everybody is making, right, shaq, you know this as well as anybody, you've been out there so much, politico saying for example the sanders campaign is making this strong argument, we too can win over those voters. what do you hear on the ground? >> you know, it all goes back to what we've been hearing from voters since the beginning of this campaign, which is their top priority is beating donald trump. and choosing the candidate that will take on president trump. >> even if it isn't their first choice, second choice, or third choice? >> and even if they have

significant policy differences with that candidate. that's what the "new york times" article speaks to. that's the tone you're hearing from voters. my uncle is okay with joe biden, at least at this point. but you hear other candidates leaning into that argument. mayor pete, for example, used to say on the trail, no matter what policy you choose, donald trump will call you a socialist if you're a democratic candidate so you have to be ready for that. senator sanders says president trump took on his populism, calling it a phony populism. they know the voters' main concern is who is going to beat donald trump. >> or of electability that joe biden seems to have, joel. it's absolutely real, i hear it all the time when i'm out there, shaq, i'm sure you do too. but after a strong debate last week senator amy klobuchar seems to be on a roll. she brought in a million bucks in a couple of days afterwards. she's been like in iowa, i forget how many counties she did

in just two days. >> a whole bus tour. >> here is what politico writes. klobuchar is the one candidate widely viewed in iowa by local party officials, campaign operatives, and her competitors as having the last, best chance to disrupt the caucus field. for those who aren't comfortable with biden as the nominee, whether they think he's too old, they're worried about his previous debates which they think weren't that great, does klobuchar have a real shot here? >> oh, sure. look, this race is very static, there's a lot up in the air. klobuchar, what's interesting is she's peaking at the right time. the warren campaign, you could argue, peaked early. >> and were is beto o'rourke? >> beto o'rourke started a whole new career after running for president. but the klobuchar campaign is peaking at the right time. you talked about how she's born storming iowa. and the fact that she really does kind of satiate the concern of a lot of moderate democrats who want an alternative to joe biden. there are going to be a couple

of tickets punched out of iowa. she's hoping to have one of them. i always like to say iowa brings an unexpected guest to dinner in terms of our presidential politics. she's hoping that iowa picks her this time. >> here is an argument i hear from a lot of democrats on the ground, shaq, i'm curious about the people you're talking to. look, they want the president impeached, the want the president reviewed from office, progressives i talk to. but, but, they also feel like people's opinions are baked in and they want to make sure the democrats have a clear, concise, focused message coming out of impeachment that is not just going to win the presidency but they hope win the senate and win the house. we keep hearing over and over again that number one issue is health care. politico reports democrats are using the anti-obamacare ruling by the court last week to target republicans ahead of 2020, running ads reminding voters of republican repeal efforts. as democrats try to find that post-impeachment message, is health care it from what you're

hearing? >> i think so. and you remember, democrats felt like they had some success with making health care the center of the debate. and the tension back in 2018 with the midterms and the pickups and gains they made in 2018. if you look at the debates, each debate, that central divide is always about medicare for all, and whether the candidate supports medicare for all, that comes with the abolition of private insurance or whether you go the whole bernie sanders route that reforms the entire system. there's a concern that they want to go beyond obamacare and improve the health care system but they don't want to alienate people. that's why many people are concerned about medicare for all. >> health care has always been on the agenda for democrats. as shaq points out, it's been at the center of every debate. it's frankly been what's di distinguishing these candidates from each other, if you look at bernie sanders, elizabeth

warren, versus joe biden, pete buttigieg. it's one of the reasons kamala harris is no longer in the race, because of health care. it's been a central issue in this primary season and it will continue to be. >> shaq, finally, as you see sort of the lay of the land out there, and we hear, we look at the polls and we say, as joel just pointed out, there's a lot of potential movement, is there? >> yes, without a doubt. and the one thing, i'll tell a quick story, i was in iowa, and we talked to a family who saw elizabeth warren, and they had tears in their eyes, which you forget, we see these events all the time and at the end of this town hall they were touched by what elizabeth warren had to say. it was three people. the daughter said she brought her family there and she was with elizabeth warren. the parents were not but they also had these tears. i spoke to them and asked, well, are you committed to elizabeth warren now, will you caucus for her? and they said, no, we're still considering, we still have an open mind, we're still going to look at the next candidate that comes to town i think that is the sense that you see. you see that in polling, where you have about two-thirds of

voters in iowa still saying they're open to changing their pick for president. i think that's a unique thing to the iowa caucus. >> i think that suggests some dissatisfaction with the field. i think because this field is so robust and there are a lot of different alternatives, if you're a progressive, a moderate, or somewhere in the middle, you have a lot of different options. i don't think it's dissatisfaction. i think it's the fact that democrats have an abundance of choices and a lot of democrats, frankly, are splitting hairs between, well, bernie or elizabeth, buttigieg or biden, klobuchar or 3w50id biden, et c et cetera. >> i think there is a lot of angst that brings us back to the electability issue, who can beat donald trump, that's what they're hyperfocused on. joel, happy holidays you to, you're back to iowa and new hampshire. shaq, you have those frequent flier miles, just think about the vacation you'll be able to go on in a year. "the washington post" is reporting a growing climate of

mistrust and threats in the aftermath of the ukraine crisis. they talked to officials who believe it's putting our national security in a tenuous position. "the post" reports, quote, the new russia adviser in the white house, the third in just six months, has no meaningful background on the subject. the only expert on ukraine has never spoken with president trump, only been mocked by him publicly. and over in ukraine, quote, the u.s. embassy in kyiv will soon be without its highest ranking diplomat for the second time in a year as another ambassador departs after being undermined by the u.s. president and his personal attorney. glenn kirchner, former federal prosecutor and msnbc contributor, glenn, the concern among democrats as they've pursued impeachment has been that the president's actions related to national security are indeed of paramount concern. we now see a new russia adviser with no background, basically, in these affairs. the u.s. embassy in kyiv will

soon be going without its highest ranking diplomat. yet again, this national security situation circles back to russia, glenn. >> it does seem to be an ongoing issue with respect to the president's national security priorities. if we look at three important data points, and see what they tell us about how president trump is conducting our national security business, you know, the one is now an infamous example, after being briefed by the national security community of the united states, president trump chose to disregard all of that in favor of saying, look, vladimir putin denied interfering in our elections and i don't see why it would be russia that interfered. that's data point number one. data point number two is the more recent reporting from senior administration officials where president trump is actually saying that putin told him ukraine didn't interfere -- that ukraine, i'm sorry, did

interfere in our elections. and he's taking vladimir putin's word for that. the third data point, chris, that's troubling but that we tend to forget because it unfolded some time ago, when andrew mccabe said he and other intelligence officials were in the oval office briefing president trump about the north korean ballistic missiles threat to our country, and the president said, no, no, putin told me something different about the threat that may or may not be posed by north korea, and i believe putin. i mean, really, the picture that comes into focus is of a president who seems entirely willing to outsource our national security interests, policy, and data, to vladimir putin. and i don't think there is anybody who can say that's not extremely troubling and even dangerous to the security of our country. >> so how does that argument get framed? is it just what you said? because i have to say, when i go out, even more people who believe that the president

should have been impeached, people who believe he should be removed from office, when you ask them why, national security isn't the most top of mind thing that happens. but there is, we've seen it, a very real impact out in the field. >> yeah, i'm not sure if you can win the hearts and minds of people who are not open to rational discussion. i don't happen to think anybody is deplorable, i think we need to continue to engage people who have radically different views of this president and this presidency. and we all hear that pocketbook issues are front and center, but i think we need to talk rationally and civilly about all the issues, the integrity of the president, his willingness to obstruct ongoing congressional investigations, his national security decisions, and how dangerous they really are to the country. i think we need to continue to frame all of these issues in a way that are civil and that

hopefully will resonate with people and make them take a second look at whether or not an ongoing trump presidency is something that's good for all of the country. >> glenn kirchner, always good to see you, thank you, my friend. up next, it has been a nonstop year at the white house. we're going to break down a busy year at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. but first, as this decade comes to a close, we want to know what you think the biggest story was. head to msnbc.com/decadestories. give us your choice.

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it has been, to say the least, a jam-packed year at the white house. it began with a standoff to reopen the federal government, took us on an unprecedented trip to korea's demilitarized zone, and brought us the third impeachment of a u.s. president in history. and that's just what we remember. hallie jackson has what you may have missed and what could come next. >> reporter: 2019 started with fireworks over the longest government shutdown in history. are you still proud to own this shutdown? >> i'm very proud of doing what i'm doing. i don't call it a shutdown. >> reporter: after 35 days of fighting over funding for the border wall, a presidential retreat that reopened the federal government, and a state of the union delayed but delivered. >> it's called the state of the union. it's in the constitution. >> reporter: a week later.

>> i just want to get it done faster, that's all. >> reporter: a declaration of a national emergency at the border, infuriating democrats and instantly setting off a court fight that continues even today. overseas, a spring summit suddenly scrapped early, with president trump leaving vietnam and his meeting with north korea's kim jong-un without a deal on denuclearization. that relationship repaired enough by the summer when donald trump stepped where no president has before. back home, the investigation that loomed over the white house for two years coming to a close. robert mueller concluding russia did interfere with the 2016 election but the special counsel did not find sufficient evidence the trump campaign coordinated or conspired with the kremlin. in his 448-page report, mueller describes instances in which the president could have obstructed justice without explicitly exonerating him.

the president insistent. >> we went through the greatest witch hunt in political history. >> reporter: airing his grievances as he kicked off his 2020 reelection campaign. but it was a different rally where this chant erupted. >> send her back! >> reporter: send her back after the president's racist tweet slamming the so-called squad, freshman lawmakers, all women of color and u.s. citizens. >> again, i'm not going to negotiate up here. >> reporter: the summer saw the west wing's revolving door swing yet again with sarah sanders stepping down and stephanie grisham stepping in. in august -- >> looks like nine or ten shot. >> reporter: -- two devastating shootings stunned the country. >> we're waking up again this morning to a pair of tragedies in america brought on by men with guns. >> reporter: and sparked galls for changes in gun control laws. despite the talk, little action. >> if you look at background checks, it wouldn't have stopped any of the last few years' worth of these mass shootings.

>> reporter: in the fall, foreign policy in focus as president trump announced he was pulling u.s. troops from syria. >> i'm not going to get involved in a war between turkey and syria. >> reporter: that same month, another announcement. one of the most significant in the trump era. the president in extraordinary detail describing the death of the would's most of the wanted terrorist, abu bakr al baghdadi. >> we understand the president himself personally approved this operation. >> he died like a dog. he died like a coward. >> reporter: later on the south lawn, a photo op with the hero canine. then, impeachment. the democrats accused the president of abusing his power by threatening ukraine into investigating his political rival, joe biden. the white house choosing not to cooperate with the house proceedings. and on december 18th, donald

trump became only the third ever impeached president of the united states. >> with today's illegal, inconstitutional, and partisan impeachment. >> reporter: his white house choosing to focus on several political wins like agreement on the first phase of a trade deal with china, to ramp down the trade war that roiled markets this year, and the passage of a funding bill that includes the space force the president wants and approval of the usmca, a revised version of nafta. still, impeachment looms over 2020 with a trial on the way and donald trump hoping to make history again by becoming the first impeached president ever reelected. >> hallie jackson, thank you for that. still ahead, the stunning amount of money both michael bloomberg and tom steyer have spent in the democratic primary race. will dollars translate into votes? ranslate into votes?

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combined $200 million plus on teach and digital ads and of course not a single vote has been cast yet. bloomberg alone spent $120 million of that as he looks to skip the early primary states. million by steyer. will all of those dollars make a difference? joying me now is eugene scott. joel payne, is your head exploding? these numbers are crazy. >> they are something else. what i will say is bloomberg is also spending on voter registration and things like that. bloomberg is betting that he can skip the early states. that is a bet that has never

worked out before. and it is the kind of money, not with this kind of money, but i think what bloomberg is counting on also is the 24 primary states. and i think he is expecting to enter the democratic national convention with 5% or 10% of the vote. that is the strategy. >> let's put these numbers in per spective. bloomberg hasz doubled the combined spending. >> so far it appears that what it can't buy is significant support. he has convinced voters on the

left that he is the best person. >> his staff sighs it is early but it is late in the grand scheme of things. many voters already know who they want to back moving forward, and anything -- even some of those who don't know, know they do not want to back michael bloomberg. so steyer and bloomberg are in two very different positions. sto steyer is struggling in name recognition. that is working against him in ways that could continue to prevent him from making the increases up the ranks and the polls that he needs to be competitive. >> a lot is made of comparisons earlier.

cash on hand, this is not raised, but they raised and it is more than seven times the dnc numbers and we know trump is a fundraising machine. >> i think there is context to add to that. you expect the opponent, to raise a lot of money, barack obama did the same thing, other incumbents have done the same thing. i think what they may be concerned about is that the field is still so large and you have not looking for a three to five candidates. you have a good field, you have a field that will naturally whittle itself down and candidates that all poll well against donald trump. i don't think cash on hand is

what is determining this race. if you like donald trump, you liked him since day one and you like him now. if you believe in a progressive vision, nothing he says will influence you no matter how much they put behind a digital or tv ad. >> there are certainly people who are saying he is trying to buy this election, but i heard that out there, then you have a real moment of the last debate, the purity test, and if you hold the fundraiser in a wine cave, if that is a negative with democratic voters how do you look at the beauty tests, the whole idea of fundraising and especially now when democrats want so much just to beat trump. is that really part of the i

kwags this time around? >> i do believe it remains part of the equation. how promprominent, how prevalen. probably it is not that large because ultimately most voters on the left is cited wanting to bet donald trump as their number one goal for 2020. so they will continue to look at 2020 issues. they will see who comes up with whied as enputs themselves in the best position to be competitive in november. i think if that means someone has a lot of money, they will support that person, but there is no indication there will be significant movement in that ranking any time soon. i just don't think that it is consuming the thoughts of most voters. >> great to see both of you

guys, thank you so much. we're following breaking news in switzerland. people may be buried after an avalanche swept down a ski slope. no reports of the missing persons. we will have the latest on the search ahead in the next hour. e search ahead in the next hour. can my side be firm? and mine super soft? yes. with the sleep number 360 smart bed, on sale now, you can both... adjust your comfort with your sleep number setting. so, can it help us fall asleep faster? yes, by gently warming your feet. but can it help keep me asleep? absolutely, it intelligently senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. so, you can really promise better sleep? not promise... prove. and now, during our new year's special, queen sleep number c4 smart bed is only $1299, save $400, plus 0% interest for 24 months on all beds. ends new year's day.

and that will wrap up this hour of msnbc live.

ali velshi is here now. >> i will be back at 2:00 and 5:00. it is thursday december 26th, search and rescues under way after an avalanche at a swiss ski resort. some officials might still be trapped. plus why are the holidays so tough for gig workers this year. changes in pay that have many people struggling to pay their bills and the biggest roll backs of the year, we're going to explain moves that could have the most devastating effects on the climate. two people have been injured at least following an avalanche. four others were rescued or freed themselves. there are no