♪ welcome to "kasie d.c." i'm kasie hunt. tonight, breaking news. five-time world champion and basketball legend, kobe bryant, has died after a helicopter crash. we're live from california and i'm going to talk live. plus, a big scoop for "the "new york times."" am the president told john bolton he wanted to freeze aid. and i talked to all three of the women making history as they

present the case against the president. and just in, brand new reporting. lev parnas wants to go to the impeachment trial, whether he's a witness or not. we're going to start with the devastating breaking news out of california. kobe bryant, the long-time los angeles laker, five-time nba champion and one of the greatest players of all time by any measure died today in a fatal helicopter crash that killed eight others. among those, his 13-year-old daughter, gianna. they were on their way to a travel basketball game when the helicopter crashed. the teammate of gianna's and the team malt teammate's parents were on board. >> and lastly, our daughters, natalia, gianna and blanka, you guys know that if you work hard enough, dreams come true, you know that, we all know that, but

hopefully what you get from tonight is the understanding that those times when you get up early and you work hard, those times when you stay up late and you work hard, those times when you don't feel like working, you're too tired buttia do it anyway, that is actually the dream. that's the dream. it's not the destination, it's the journey. and if you guys can understand that, then what you'll see happen is that you won't accomplish your dreams. your dreams won't come true. something greater will. and if you guys can understand that, then i'm doing my job as a father. >> bryant was third on the nba's all-time scoring list until last night when lebron james passed him. right after that happened, bryant tweeted his congratulations. joining me now is national news correspondent.

>> reporter: there is great sadness and shock in los angeles and around the globe, for that matter as many are in disbelief over the news of kobe's death. authorities are off the crash site. for now they have no official word as to why the private helicopter went down. >> do you think your daughter might want to play in the wnba? >> she does for sure. this kid, man. dude, man -- >> wouldn't that be great? >> i'm telling you. the best thing that happens is when you go out and fans will come up to me and she'll be next to me and they're like you got to have a boy, somebody to carry on the tradition and the legacy. she's like i got this. you don't need no boy for that. like, that's right. yes, you do. you got this.

>> the fiery wreckage of the helicopter carrying kobe bryant and his daughter, gianna, was still smoldering when first responders arrived. when first responders arrived >> reporter: in the canyons of calabasas, they confirm the 41-year-old basketball superstar was with his 13-year-old girl and seven others including the pilot when the chopper went down, heading to a travel basketball game, flight radar shows the copter seen here had been flying since 9:00 a.m. it crossed over glendale, and then calabasas, making a sudden u-turn before descending into the hills. >> was low flying. >> reporter: witnesses said the

conditions were foggy when the crash was followed by an explosion. five-time champion and oscar winner had long commuted via his own private helicopter, dubbed kobe one. he recently spoke of air commuting on jimmy kimmel >> i barely trust myself behind the wheel of a car, let alone a helicopt rb. >> reporter: he paid tribute to lebron jam whose surpassed him as the number one all-time scorer in history. now outpouring from friends, politicians and fans. >> just disbelief. it's kobe. >> reporter: an nba icon and a family man, bryant shared his love for brbl with hasketball, daughter, gianna. kobe bryant, survived by his wife, vanessa and three daughters.

tonight the ntsb is in route from washington d.c. we're told investigators will be specifically looking at whether, as a possible factor in this crash, when that helicopter went down, it was incredibly dense fog in the area. officials say that will be one of many instances they look at when they review why the helicopter went down. >> thank you. joining me now is nbc news correspondent, patterson. tell us what you've learned and where you are. >> reporter: so, kasie, we're also at the scene. the wreckage still visible behind me in the hillside. just below, so many people have gathered. i can tell you it's one thing to gather at the staple center as a tribute to show your appreciation. it's one thing to drive there, to leave candles, it's anather to come to this scene, which has been cordoned off for at least a

mile. so, people are parking their cars, figuring out where this is, and walking all this way to pay tribute. a lot of them, i think, wanting to see this is actually real. this is a story that has been so unbelievable to many when the news broke out that many wanted to see what had happened and as they are, one of the big key factors i think investigators will focus on is up there with that scene and that was the way the sky looked. we're talking about significant layer of fog as we got here. that was hours after the original crash that happened. the ntsb saying that will be part of the folks of the investigation. we have seen investigators in the hillside. we have seen a hive of police activity as you pan down to the scene build b low. mostly for crowd control and for crews that need access to the investigative work they need do.

and meanwhile, we've seen this incredible crowd that has gathered, a lot of them wearing kobe bryant jerseys, lakers' paraphernalia. a lot of people wearing their tears. i've seen so many people spasming with sobs on the scene, so upset about what happened. in disbelief as they gaze up at the scene and wondering what's going to happen next. >> of course, kobe bryant, such a part of the fabric of los angeles. thank you very much, sir. joining me from wellington, florida is member of the national sports hall of fame and the host of "politics nation", reverend al sharpton, and nbc sports anchor. you are quite an esteemed group and i'm sorry we have had to bring all of you here to discuss

this. the nation mourning. can you put this into perspective for everyone. kobe bryant, where does he rank in the pantheon of all-time greats? >> it's hard to put him in a specific rank. but one word, kobe and you know who we're talking about. i think that may put it into perspective for those that don't cover basketball closely. his resume is complete as lebron james, passed him last night in philadelphia, the city where kobe went from high school star right to the nba. then, of course, you have the five nba titles, three in combination with shaquille o'neale, two after that, two olympic gold medals after the olympic basketball efforts weren't in the same place the dream team had left them. but if you need to know about kobe, you needed to watch his 20-year career on the hollywood stage.

he played with a passion a relentless pursuit of being the best. extraordinary work ethic and a one of a kind fire that he brought the game that stood out among others. if you're asking what stood out, you have a great bar conversation about that. if you're asking for a dozen or so all-time greats, kobe bryant belongs on every single person's list in that regard. >> and on the screen there is a live shaurt shot at the staples soenter where people gathered as the nation is starting to mourn this. and i know a lot of people come to watch our show because they're interested in politics and it gives you a sense of how much kobe bryant was part of our culture, that we can show you an interview he did on "meet the press" in 1998. >> what do you say to young

black men watching you today? >> look inside themselves and not look for other venues or negative paths to walk down because there's so many of them in today's society. i tell them to dig deep inside, be paschent and strong, hit the books and work hard and continue to dream. because ticket another thing i think is wrong with today's society. people try to shoot down our dreams. if you have a goal or something you want to accomplish, they put limits on it. er for i tell them to have faith in themselves. >> what's the reaction from what you heard there from kobe bryant and how he fits in our culture? >> i think what you saw there is why he had such a cultural impact. you have a lot of people that have been big athletes or been famous celebrities. but how many would give this kind of reaction? it went deeper than that, just his celebrities. he represented symbolically the

whole work ethic. he worked hard. the fact that he embraced voluntarily and impassionately his daughter becoming 24 the new kobe bryant, he didn't need a son to do that. i had one long conversation with him. the conversation i most remember is after i did the eulogy for michael jackson, i sat there and he said wow, it's something when somebody is bigger than just what they do and can make real impact; that we weren't planning on them leaving. that's who kobe is today. somebody who had impact beyond those who were basketball fans, beyond his race and beyond the philadelphia beginning that he had. he taught the world if you had a dream and believe it and would

not stop working, you can break through and he did and he also break into our hartsz. >> mike, i want to -- the reverend al mentioned his roots in philadelphia. he went to a high school a few down from the high school i attended. he seemed, from a young age too, be destined for sports greatness. >> yeah, kasie, i was thinking about this today when we first started getting this awful news and it got more awful as we heard about the death of a child, his daughter. when i saw he was only 41, it occurred to me that kobe was famous for more than half of his life. he's been fames for more than half of his life, the way lebron has. and there was this extraordinary legacy of great stars in basketball. michael was the guy that kobe looked up to, kobe was the guy that lebron looked up to and there been a handful of guys

ever who you knew by one name, michael, kobe, lebron, tiger. he was not just one of the great nba stars, he was one of the great sports stars playing out in real time on one of the great stages of american sports with the los angeles lakers. and when we heard about this today, all i koept thinking about was there have been other stories with athletes and retired athletes dying young. there's never been one quite like this that involved a child being with this great american celebrity. rocky marciano died in a plane crash when he was the retired unbeaten heavyweight champ when he was not much older than kobe is now. but people is more famous now, the way kobe was. people live these incredibly public lives at the most public time in the history of the planet.

and so, people watched this guy grow up and watched him write a pretty remarkable second act to his life. >> kasie if i can add more quickly. many of us who have been in the nba for a while, were at radio city music hall earlier this week and they held a memorial for the best sports commissioner the world had ever seen. he suffered a brain hemorrhage in december. the collection of basketball royalty in that room was michael jordage, kareem abdul-jabbar, oscar robertsson, pat riley andiand i'm skimming the surface. my point is the greats, many are still around in their 60s and 70s and the history of the league, as it's grown through the jordan era, "magic" johnson, larry bird and now lebron.

many have been around to see bill russell, perhaps the greatest champion of all time was in new york this past week. so, it's really stunning that someone so young who seemed to be just embarking on a second chapter, not just with his daughter in basketball but the oscar that he won, the media involvement he had. being a creator of content in a producer. to know his life was taken along with the other eight lives here is something hard to process and accept this short hour after it happened. >> we are certainly seeing so many americans grappling with just that. i'm glad you mentioned kareem abdul-jabbar, one of the greats. we have this video of him talking about kobe bryant's death. take a look. >> it's very difficult for me to put in words how i feel about the loss of kobe bryant. kobe was an incredible family

man. he loved his wife and daughters. he was an incredible athlete and a leader in a lot of ways. he inspired a whole generation of young athletes. i had the privilege of being there when he scored his 81-point game and something i will always remember as one of the highlights of the things i have learned and observed in sports. >> so, certainly some high praise and reverend, al, he talked a bit about his family and the reality is our hearts go out to his wife and the children he had left behand. he has a very young family still here. >> he has a very young family and the devastation that vanessa must be feeling tonight is indescribable. to lose a husband and a daughter and i think mike is right. i don't remember anywhere we've ever seen that happen.

it's a double painful experience for all of us and it has to be worse for her. i hope the nation prays for vanessa and the family left to go through such a double tragedy with a promising young lady as well as the living legend he was. >> i've been reading your column you wrote after learning of this. and you write that clearly, as we remember him, we are focusing on the qualities that he brought as a more mature man. but this wasn't somebody who necessari necessarily spent his entire life without having to grapple with controversy. >> i wrote a column about him today and he has a complicated legacy. and the legacy that we've talked about is a husband, father, basketball player is in the history backs forever.

there was a case where he was accused of sexual assault in ekal colorado. only 24 at the time. and we've had this conversation plenty of times dealing with rich, young american athletes. they're not defined by the worst moment of their lives. and the thing i respect about kobe bryant is that he wrote a quite remarkable second act to his career and to his life after that. his marriage did not end because of what he was accused of in colorado. his career did not end and kasie, i'll tell you this. patri patrick ewing is one of my favorite people in sports. he's a pretty tough guy. he was completely shattered by this. one of the reasons was he had just come from daughter's volleyball game. so imagine where his mind and heart were as he was responding

to what he found out happened in calabasas, california today. >> a quick last word from you. >> well, kasie, i think we look at our athletes sometimes on a very different platform and scale, much akin to the way we look at entertainers and we look at their high points, low points. they're magnified for all of us to see. and kobe bryant, after basketball, was embarking on a an interesting chapter of his life, in addition to all the basketball things we talked about. the mamba sports academy was being started out in california to get many athletes in many sports to use athloetices. and the passion for sports as a vesel for empowerment for a lot of young folks. and i hope that will continue to grow in kobe's legacy and needless to say every life is so important and it's a shame in

some ways we focus on the celebrity lives here of the nine lost and it does not minimize the impact to the other families at all. but a lot of folks who never met kobe bryant felt like they knew what he was about, felt like they enjoyed what he meant to them and what he gave in an honest day's work, which was complete effort, sacrifice to do the job better than any other and show incredible passion along the way. and those come to the roots of what a lot of america loves to be around. and that's why sports connects so well sometimes with cities and sometimes more than the political dis course we have. that's why i think, even for folks who didn't like the lakers, they're feeling a deep pain here tonight. >> something that is connected so many people. and here is hoping that the love pouring out for kobe and his family is lifting up and touching the families of all of

those killed in this crash. a very important point tonight. reverend al sharpton, thank you all so much for your insight and spending time with us tonight. we're going to talk to legendary sports journalist as we follow this breaking news, kobe bryant killed in a helicopter crash. when we continue "new york times" in what is in the public book? and debbie stabenow joins me to talk about him the impeachment trial. and some want witnesses and some want this trial done as earl ey as friday. next don't miss my sit dune. next don'tis ms my sit dune. ♪ limu emu & doug [ siren ] give me your hand! i can save you... lots of money with liberty mutual! we customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need!

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welcome back. we are following more breaking news tonight. "the new york times" revealing what's inside john bolton's new, yet unpublished book. quote, president trump told his national security advisor in august he wanted to continued freezing assistance to ukraine until officials helped with investigations into democrats, like the bidens. this is according to john r. bolton. the white house, of course, ordered bolton not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. we should say nbc news has not yet seen copy of the manuscript.

bolton said he would testify before the senate if they subpoenaed him. >> it's great to be on. let me start by sending also love and heartfelt condolences to kobe bryant's family and all the families involved. >> very important and we appreciate you coming in tonight amid all of this. let's start with the breaking news from "the new york times." john bolt an first-hand witness to what we know he says is a quid pro quo sn >> let me take a step back and say as somebody from michigan, we believe in commonsense and you can't look at all this and say is this how somebody would act if they were innocent? and all of this coming out over and over again. i'll never forget adam schiff on the floor saying to all of us nobody's saying, well, gosh, donald trump would never do that.

the truth is it's all about will he get away with it? j they going to be successful in hiding it and so on? so now we have this new revelation coming out and all it says to me is john bolton aught to be coming before the united states senate as a witness and if the president has nothing to hide, then he should not be objecting to his national security advisor coming forward and saying what he knows. and in fact, this is the trial. doesn't matter what happened in the house in terms of process. they can argue process, point fingers. this is it is the trial, the moment for him. and he has a very favorable senate leader and a majority of republicans, certainly a supreme court chief justish appointed by republican senate. couldn't have any more favorable circumstances to give his side of the story to prove his innocence. but that's not what they're doing because they can't dispute the facts.

>> you think republicans will vote for witnesses? >> i get more and more disheartened when by this and when we listen on the white house managers not contest yes, he made the call, yes, he held back the funds, he broke the law. yes, he was coersing a new ukrainian leader for his own political gain. i feel like they're using the mick mulvaney defense, which is yes, the president made the call, yes, he withheld the funds. the president can do anything he wants, so get over it. that's basically, in the end, what they're saying and i am concerned. i'm the eternal optimist but concerned folks may be more interested in being done with it, rather than facing the facts. folks are going to have to decide do they want to hear the trukt or hide the truth? >> do you think anything the house managers contributed to

the sense that witnesses are going to play out? there was coverage and focus on cbs reporting on having heads on a pike. do you think that's contributish or that's how it would have played out regardless? >> i think it would have played out this way regardless and unfortunately we're at a point where my friends are looking for any excuse. if someone's not perfect. if they can point to something and go ah-hah, i don't want to hear witnesses and the truth. so, i think folks are looking for a reason, which is unfortunate. i work with my republican colleagues every day. in fact, my senate colleagues that will be speaking to you next, he and i are working together on the climate crisis. i am very concerned about this time, this moment in history and

what this means, if we don't step up to say a president is not above the law. >> how do you think this process is playing back home in michigan? on one of those critical states coming up in the presidential election? you yourself facing a race there. do your constituents want this to be unfolding the way it is? >> as i hear from people and i go home every weekend. whether someone supports impeachment or doesn't support impeachment, they -- the majority, vast majority of people say, i want tafair trial. i want to believe the whole process was fair. and so everybody says to me i don't understand why people wouldn't support having the relevant witnesses, the folks in the room or the relevant documents. why f the president did a perfect call, is he fighting tooth and nail to make sure that the people that really know, his key people, the key documents,

are not shown to the senate or to the american people. >> senster debbie stabenow of michigan, appreciate that. thrjs tagline from senate republicans on i78 peachment. nothing to see here, folks. >> i didn't hear anything new at all. we were here all day for about 13 hours, no new material presented. >> just a few hourinize to their opening arguments. they're already repeating the same points they made for 13 hours yesterday. >> there's not one new piece of information that's come forward. it's repackaged, remarkted and you know what happens when you do that? that means rarltsz flimsey product in the first place. >> senate minority leader, chuck schumer, was not amused. >> the same republicans saying they heard nothing new just voted nine times on tuesday to

hear nothing new. if they want new stuff, there's plenty of it. >> and joining me now to talk more about the impeachment trial in which he is a juror, republican senator, mike braun of indiana. thank you for coming on the program tonight. >> before we start, i was watching the indiana university maryland ball game. huge basketball fan and when you get news like that, it's like getting punched in the gut. tragic and losing a daughter along with it, for the family, condolences for them. serious loss. >> we heard as well from your colleague about this as well. i think all of us reflelkting on how this has brought us together to the same point of grief. thank you very much for taking a moment to make that point. let's talk about this "new york times" story that just broke and received a statement from an aid

to this national security advisor who says several weeks ago the ambassador sent a manuscript for prepublication review. the ambassador has not passed the manuscript to anybody else for review. but they're not refuting the contents of the story, which is the president total bolton he wanted to freeze the aid until we get -- >> didn't know that until a little bit ago. i think that's a discussion we'll have have to contend with. when it comes to additional information, i think for many of us -- and i need to site this partnership where i'm from, as much as president infuriates maybe half the country t would be the opposite. and it is a tricky combination, like i told chuck todd this morning.

between using your conscience and having to decide what the people in your state are wanting. >> well, polls overwhelmingly show people want to hear from witnesses and have document said in the trial. the data we have shows while you're right people are split on whether to remove the president, witnesses and documents isn't a controversial question. >> i think it has to be the fact of how it originated and where i'm from, people are still riled up and it kind of came over in a purely partisan way and that you're this close to an election. i can tell you they are looking at things like that more than trying to keep track of pros and cons of the information we've been digesting over the last few days. and every state, every senator has got the kind of measure all of that and come up with a decision. when it comes to more information, i think leader mcconnell has been pretty

steadfast on that point. they controlled the dynamic in terms of the case. it was kind of sped through the process when the mueller report didn't work out. and here we are. >> sure. however, do you care that john bolton is saying that president had a quit pro quo for money that congress authorized for this purpess? >> he's out there saying that's going to be part of his book. when it comes to his saying that, then youdver to go through all the things you have to go through with any witness. the integrity of the witness. >> you question john bolton's integrity? >> no, but you'd go through that. >> he's been part of the national security establish frmt years. >> once that would come into the mix, then you have to take everything else that would come along with it, let a defense team pile through all of that and see what you come up with. my gut tell me and we're all dealing with what we think is

going to happen, that the case so far did not deliver the goods, the information to where anybody has changed their minds. it will be interest to see where this happens since this came fresh off the press a little bitd ago. >> i understand how we got here but john bolton is saying i will testify if you subpoena me. >> we knew that before. >> we weren't expecting this to be what john bolton has to say. how can you say sorry, i don't want to hear it? >> a snippet has been released and we'll have to size that up and see how it impacts our own decision. >> do you not have any -- do you have any questions or concerns about the president's conduct? >> so, i've been out there in the record early on that didn't think it was right. you got to be careful.

said that this morning. a highly charged plitdical atmosphere like this, anything you do, your behavior, it's hard when it seems to infuriate so many people on one side and it doesn't seem to make a difference. and it goes back the fact -- and i think this is why bernie is surging in iowa. and trump, by the way -- there was a "new york times" poll at the showed him beating every democrat. so, that means politically this is charging up something to where they don't like the process. >> but the senate's job is supposed to be to curb the lesser impulses of the mob. the saucer to the tea cup of the house. do you not have a higher responsibility? >> so that idea and the part that lost many republicans is when you're saying things like tyrant, monarch, boisterous, carnival barker.

schiff's comments about bringing up and none of us heard that in terms of if you buck the president, you'd have your head on a pike. ticket the kind of stuff that most people look at and, sadly, that kind of controls the dynamic. so, where we're going to go, i don't know. we're all go having to a tough decision to make and we're going to hear me. my gut tells me that, due the underpinings of this and the way it has arisen, how polarized we are across the country, most senators, including the ones that want to remove trump, have that opposite dynamic in play from the people that you need to listen to back at home. >> thank you very fluch sharing your perspective. it's nice to have you on the program. and back to california, and nba news legend killed in a helicopter crash today. joining me is nbc news correspondent, gadi schwartz. an incredible outpouring of support we're seebug hind you.

>> so much profound sadness out here. i'm going to show you. there's two different memorials that have popped up. this was right in front of the statue of kobe bryant and then there's another one over here and that one is a little bit larger. and as you can see both of them are underneath these huge marquees of kobe bryant's unmistakable smiling face. earlier today it was a moment that basically stopped los angeles in its tracks. we've been talking to a lat of people out here. he described what so many people experienced. he was at work. he couldn't believe it and it was so distracting that he had to go home. he put on his kobe bryant jersey. he came out here to validate whether this actually happened and he found so many other people that had done the exact same thing out here. you see a sea of kobe bryant

jerseys and another person said it could have been true because kobe bryant made them feel invincible. he gave them that sense of nothing could stop them and then today we learned nat kobe bryant passed away. this is lauchglish out here celebrating his life, trying to wrap their mind around the fact he is gone. but undisputedly one of the greatest athletes that ever lived. >> thank you so much, sir. when we return, legendary journalist on the death of kobe bryant. and i spoke excluszively with the three women making history as presidential impeachment managers. be sure you pay attention to what they have to say about future presidents. future presidents. it's either the assurance of a 165-point certification process. or it isn't. it's either testing an array of advanced safety systems.

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nba teams are, of course, playing on this sunday in amid the news of kobe bryant's death in a helicopter crash. >> and the toronto raptors going to dribble it up.

there's a 24-second shot clock. and of course, kobe bryant wore number 24. and i wonder if that is what is happening in honor of him. 24-second shot clock expires. >> and joining me by phone is espn's frank. it's great to have you on the program tonight. >> thank you, kasie. you tweeted the last time you spoke with kobe bryant, he was excited about the next chapter in his life. can you tell us more about it. >> it's interesting. kobe bryant, unlike a lot of athletes, especially athletes at that high of a level, it's not necessarily easy to segway into this next phase of your life. i think kobe bryant embraced that challenge.

he has four daughters, and gianna, who was a big-time basketball player and he was getting heavily involved with her. the brooklyn nets played the atlanta hawks and kobe sat there with his daughter, court side and there was a nice moment with him kind of talking to her about what was happening on the court. and really over the past couple of years, he became a big advocate for women's participation in sports, especially women's basketball. the wnba. this was going to be a big part of his life, doing what every parent should do, making it about their kids. he was optimistic, encouraged. he became addicted to women's basketball and that was going to be he and his daughter, gianna, who is so incredibly sad, perished in the crash today. >> it is so incredibly sad. you followed the knicks as a beat writer for much of your career. so i know you saw kobe play at madison square garden.

what do you remember about his perform n performances on the court? >> you got to remember when he came out of lower marion high school he was a prodigy. he got drafted by the lakers right out of high school. he scored his first pointsed a madison square garden. it's interesting because on super bowl sunday, it will be exactly 11 years ago to the day that kobe bryant came to madison square garden in 2009 and scored 61 points. still the most ever points by an opposing player. at the time it was the most points ever scored in an nba game by an nba player. carmelo anthony would go on to break it a couple of years later. every single night he took the court, he was always going to play his hardest and always put on a show, especially when it came to a place like madison square garden. those of us in new york are

thinking you're on the biggest stage. you need to entertain us and guess what? every time kobe bryant stepped on the court, that's what he did. he put on a show. >> frank, isola, thank you for spending time with us to remember kobe bryant. >> thank you. >> so, this week history was made by not one, not two but three women on capitol hill. representative zoe lofgren became the first female to argue on the senate floor. the same day, val demings and first african-american and latina impeachment managers to prosecute a case against the president. i talked to themg about how they see their moment in history and what's at stake. you're the first three women to serve as impeachment manners. >> it's interesting i didn't realize i was the first woman to

speak as a manager until the next day someone said you're the first woman to speak as a manager. so, i guess i've been so focussed on getting the job done. making sure our arguments were well-based on the facts and just being ready as a member of the house's lawyer to make our case. >> i didn't know any of the history until someone came to me right after i made my remarks that first night and came and said, you know, you're now the first hispanic that's ever made remarks on a case of impeachment for a president of the united states. >> congresswoman, you're the first african moern to have this role. what has it meant to you so far? >> it's been quite an honor really, particularly when you look at the history of this country, what it means to me as an african-american, and now to be on the senate floor fighting for that. and to be one of three women, i

love this group that we're with. it is just such an honor and i don't take it lightly. i take it very seriously. >> so this was a photo of the impeachment managers in the last case, and i know congresswoman lofgren, you were here for it. >> yep. >> what's your reaction to seeing just how different it looks? >> well, a whole room of old white guys who i served with, now four old white guys, my husband is one. but i do think it's nice that we have really a group that looks like america, that's over there standing up for our constitution. i'm so pleased to be serving with these two awesome women. and then talking about, how was it that each of us ended up, we're the first in our families to go to college? how did that happen when our families didn't have any money, the route that that took. and i have a strong sense that each of us is standing up for people like us against a

president who apparently thinks he's above the law unlike the families we grew up in. >> i'd been a judge, i was a judge for 12, 13 years. i've been a state senator. i've been in local government. i've taken many oaths of office, and this is what it's really about, that this president betrayed his oath of office. >> as we were ramping up to this process last year, adam schiff,schiff, the wlaed manager on the team said the most attractive thing is it's the strongest form of censure we have. even if he's acquitted it puts a stain on his name in history. the flip side is terribly tragically true, an acquittal will send a message to history. is that true now? the senate seems poised to acquit the president? >> it seems to me that if there's not a full, fair trial with witnesses, he may get an acquittal but not an exoneration. it's going to be seen for what

it is, just a rabber stamp to get him off the hook. that's yet an unknown, whether we'll have a full trial. >> he's been impeached. that is done. he can't erase that. he will always be an impeached president. if they don't convict, they don't decide to remove, then the public will see that it was rigged, and i think that will also last forever and it might hurt him in anything he does in the future. >> it's not just about hurting him. that's not the object. the object is to stop the misconduct and to make sure future presidents don't do this. it's not about donald trump as a guy. it's about our government. it's about our constitution. >> and if the senate acquits him over this, is that going to accepted a message that a future president can do this again -- >> whatever decision the senators make in this case with

evidence that is overwhelming about the president's wrongdoing, we are sending a message to every future president, both democrat and republican, that they're above the law, as a matter of fact they're more like a king, and they really can do whatever they want. and that's not the message that we certainly want to send. >> and we won't know what it will be about. this time it's ukraine and military aid. next time it could be him calling the governor of my state after a hurricane, calling and saying, hey, you know, i've got an owe poept down there from houston. if you want this hurricane money, i need you to call for an investigation of my opponent. you need to have a press conference, and you need to, you know, dig and dig. >> yeah. >> otherwise i'll hold your hurricane money. >> if you could call one witness in this trial who would it be? >> can we conference about that?

>> there are a number we've mentioned them, about mr. bolton, what he would give and some of the other omb officers and the like. >> blair and duffy. >> blair and duffy. but we've had a very collaborative effort here among the managers. we're not -- nobody is a loan ranger here among the manage -- >> a poll released this week show that 59% of women show the president should be removed from office but just 42% of men say the same. what's with the difference? >> women are smarter than men. >> women are paying more attention. i think women have an exceptional ability. we multitask all the time. but every decision directly impacts women. we're still fighting o for equal pay for equal work. and it impacts our family. with all that women are doing, i think women are paying, really paying attention as well. >> not that men don't care, but

women are thinking about their children and their grandchildren and what kind of world are they going to have? now the fathers will ultimately pay attention too. >> the women will drag them ra loaning. >> women will drag them along. >> you've been involved in three impeachment proceedings. how is this one different or the same as the past ones? >> iechk been thinking a lot about the nixon impeachment. i was a law student, didn't have a central role. but there were some similarities between what nixon did and what this president has done. what this president did was actually even worse because it involved a foreign power. ultimately then, republicans looked at the evidence and said, we just -- this -- we can't let this go. that hasn't yet happened. >> what's different with the republicans today? >> well, i don't want to criticize anyone, but i think

they haven't really yet taken a serious look at the overwhelming evidence and said, we've got to act. and i'm hoping that that still happens, the country needs that. >> my thanks to zoe love grep, val demings and sylvia garcia. we have a lot more to come. michael smid joins me. carol lenning and carol rucker join me to talk about their smash new book, a very stable genius. and we will be covering the latest on the death of kobe bryant, the nba legend dead at the age of 41 after a helicopter crash. we're back after this. thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer,

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welcome back to kasie d.c. we're going to talk in-depth about the coming impeachment trial in just a moment, and this new report about john bolton's unpublished book. the big headline, president trump told his national security adviser in august that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into democrats, including the bide ends. phil rucker and carol lemming will join me live as we talk about their book, a very stable genius. but we'll start this hour with the breaking news out of california. kobe bryant, the longtime los angeles laker, five-time

championship, died today in a fatal helicopter crash that killed eight other people. among them, bryant's 13-year-old daughter, gianna. a call went out just after 10:00 local time. it sparked a five-acre brush fire. people biking reported the incident. joining me now is nbc news correspondent miguel almaguer. what's the latest? >> reporter: casie, the next couple of hours awaiting the arrival of the ntsb who is going to investigate the cause of the crash that killed kobe bryant and eight others. we know weather could have potentially been a big factor. when that helicopter went down, there were reports of dense fog in this area, although the investigation will look at several other things including the mechanical condition of the helicopter. we know the crash happened just before 10:00 a.m. this morning when the weather conditions were

not ideal. ko ko kobe bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and other passengers on that plane went downtown. according to investigators right now, this comes as many across los angeles and the world are saddened by the news of kobe ploint. he spent 20 years in the nba, was a fiveh time champion, was beloved all around the globe for what he was doing on the court. off the court he had won an oscar, heavily involved in his daughter's basketball team. there were reports they were headed to a girl's basketball game when it went down. as the sun sets, we know investigators have secured the scene and are awaiting the ntsb. >> miguel al gare, thank you very much. i really appreciate it. joining me now outside staples

center, gawdi schwartz. what did this man mean to the city of los angeles? >> reporter: it's so difficult for the fans out here, because this is the exact same spot where many of them would come watch kobe and be in complete awe of what he could do on the court, come out chanting his name. little kids, every time they sunk a basket they would cream kobe. today is such a difficult day for so many people here that are still struggling will this tragic loss. >> underneath the smiling face of kobe bryant at a memorial in los angeles, today unshakeable grief. >> he meant so much to the city of l.a. as a player, as a father, as a businessman and as a mentor, there will never be nobody else like kobe ever. >> for the fans gathered here at the staples center, the death of kobe bryant still seems impossible. >> just disbelief. i feel like i lost someone in my

family. >> there's probably nobody that has changed my life as much as kobe bryant. and, you know, i was hoping to see him, you know, see him do so many great things. >> and yet the flowers and tributes and tears are undenooibably really. and just as the sadness becomes unbearable, silent fans in los angeles begin to chant. >> thank you, kobe. thank you kobe. >> each filled with their own memories of the moments they witnessed kobe's awe-inspiring greatness. >> he was not just a person. he's a whole generation of all of us who were kids watching him. he's just -- he's irreplaceable, man. >> a man who made so many of us feel invincible when he took to the courts now gone far too soon, memorialized today as one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. and out here at the staples center, there are two different

mem oerlds now. this one is one of the memorials in front of the staples center. the other one is over there underneath the picture of kobe bryant smiling over everybody here. one of the other things we've seen out here is so many parents bringing their children to say goodbye to kobe bryant. he was an inspiration. he was somebody that so many people particularly young children idealized. so for a lot of these parents today is a difficult day. they are having to explain what happened to kobe bryant as well as what happened to his 13-year-old daughter. so many those parents how longing their kids a lot closer today. >> i was just thinking about that as you were outlining it. so tragic that one of his daughters, who he thought was going to carry on his legacy and he stood up for as carrying on his legacy has perished with him. thank you so much for your reporting. joining me now terrence moore,

columnist for the undefeated bill roadan and sports columnist, bob ryan. thank you all for being here. trance, let me start with you and just your reflections on hearing the news today? >> i've been thinking about this an awful lot. there's something about the death of a sports personality through aircraft that just really tugs at us. a few years ago roy hali day and the situation with payne stuart, back in the day thurman munson, but this was bigger than that. new rockny territory, the coach at notre dame in 1931 killed in a plane crash and they still talk about him because he was bigger than sports. kobe bryant was bigger than sports. this was more in the category of a jfk jr. dying. i know when i heard the news i

thought it was say a joke. you look at him being invincible. it still has not sunk in. i don't think it ever will. >> what do you think he meant, sir, to the culture more broadly and to basketball? >> well, quite a bit, because he's a guy that was more than just basketball. you know, stephanie ruhle was on your airs earlier today, and i was listening to her talking about the business aspect of kobe bryant. one of the things that nobody talks about, you look at these guys and some of the other guys on the shows will tell you the same thing, so many of these athletes you see them later, broke, destitute, all kinds of issues. three years before kobe bryant retired, he started getting involved in venture capitol-type business. as a matter of fact as recently as last fall he was managing $2 billion. he was more than just basketball.

as great as a basketball player he is, which he was, he always looked to being something beyond that once his retirement years were over as far as being a player. >> let me bring in bill here. i know you're on the foechb with us. i'd love to hear some of your reflections as well of kobe bryant and what he was like on the court as a player. >> well, yeah, clearly on the player, on the court, bob, we all have our lists. for me, it's kareem and then jordan and then kobe, in that order. i have said it before. just on the court, again, kobe was probably outside of michael, maybe the most focused athlete i've ever been around, to the point that a lot of his teammates, you know, really didn't, you know, didn't like him because he demanded so much. so on the court, he was just

phenomenal. but just to pick up this thing i think that tarrance was getting to and one of the things that i think is really, really unfoercht about this, tarrance mentioned roberto clemente, and i don't know how bob feels, but that was the most chilling thing i'd ever experienced in my life, an athlete who i really loved and admired i was a kid, and then the fact that he was killed, he died in the process of doing a humanitarian effort. and i think that's part of the reason why he's going to live forever. i think with kobe, you know, i just feel awful because of his -- the daughter. just, all those children. that's just a terrible thing. and to me the unfortunate thing was, he was in the process of beginning to build that kind of legacy that i think would have made him sort of live forever. so that's just the thing. and, you know, we all talk about

he's bigger than life. the reality is nobody is bigger than life. every time something like this happens, nobody is bigger than life. >> i know, it's a good point. i'm glad you talked about his daughter though. we have a little bit of an interview that kobe bryant did on the tonight show with jimmy fallon where he talked about this. >> i heard somewhere you heard your youngest daughter, you don't want them to know you as an nba legend or your basketball past. you think they're going to know you as something different? >> they'll never actually see me play. they'll be like, you played ball? what? because they'll -- what? whatever. i can out shoot you. that sort of stuff. bianka is two. >> they're going to know you as a writer, director and producer.

>> [ applause ] >> amazing. >> i'm pretty sure they'll know you as a baskt ball player too. >> bob ryan, what's your reaction to that? >> to that of course is the father myself, i have a daughter as well as a son, i can relate to that. and i'm admire him for that perspective. the thing that always distinguished me about for him for me was that he was unlike every other peer, every other american-born peer in his time. in that he had grown up a portion of his youth in italy because hi father joe was playing there. and he spoke italian and he even did early commercial exploiting this ability to speak italian. he was sophisticated in a way, way above so many of his peers, teammates. and i think there were times when his awareness of his sophistication and his awareness about things in the world

outside the u.s. transcended all the knowledge of his teammates that almost i don't want to say ostracized but marginalized, they didn't get him and he didn't get him at times. i'm not talking about basketball. i'm talking about personal relationships. he was always different than any other american-born player in this time. and he at times avoided that and at times he exploited that. i always thought that was fascinating about that. >> it's a great point. >> can i answer that? >> yes, please, jump in. >> what bob mentioned just triggered something to me and also bill probably can relate to this also. one of the things we see so often as professional sports journalists, when you talk to these guys, the big-time guys, they have a tendency to look past you or not even at you and just kind of go into this automatic pilot type of thing. he was never on automatic pilot. the one thick, i just wrote

about this today for forbes.com. one thing about kobe, when you talked to him, he looked you straight in the eye. you talk about his focus. the same focus he had on the court is the same focus he had when he was talking to you one on one. it didn't matter who you were. he talked to you, looked you straight in the eye, answered your questions. i can remember one time here in atlanta i was late to a shootaround, before a lakers game against the hawks during the afternoon. i'm walking, seeing kobe walking down the hallway, debated whether or not to say anything or not. i said kobe. he turned around, sees me, stops. i go up to him. he just answered as many questions as i wanted to ask him, looking me straight in the eye, not fidgeting, not like i gotta go, gotta go. that's highly unusual. that's something that i think should not be understated, the professionalism of this guy. >> that's certainly something that stands out.

bill, were you trying to jump in? >> one thing. everybody's got, you know, trillions of memories of athletes. this was at the time when everybody was talking about, you know, kobe versus lebron, who is better? i was in south africa for the world cup. the celtics -- the lakers had just beaten the celtics. kobe had flown into joe hansburg because he was going to do something for nike. we found ourselves in the same place. he motioned me in. we talked. he said, have you ever been on a safari? i said no. he said you gotta go on an f-ing sa fari. we were from right here to over there. and there was this pack of high europeanas and they had focused on their prey and they didn't

pay attention to us. they didn't notice we were like two feet away. what got me about that, i said that's the difference. what excited kobe about that whole scene that the hiena's were so focused they had blocked out everything else, that's the difference between kobe and lebron. kobe is so focused on the winning, that's all that mattered. he blocked everything else out. and i always think in a conversation because it crystalized sort of the difference of what set him aside, set him apart. >> bill roaden, tarrance moore, bob ryan, thank you all for your time tonight. i'm going to talk to former player jay williams who knew kobe. and when we come back we have the reporter who broke that big scoop in the "new york times," what's in john bolton's -- he wanted to continue freezing

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"the new york times" is out tonight with new reporting about what's in former national security adviser john bolton's unpublished book. according to the paper it will

detail the potential testimony from bolton if he is called as a witness in president trump's impeachment trial. quote, over dozens of pages, mr. bolton described how the ukraine affair unfolded over several months until he departed the white house in september. he described not only the president's private dispagerment of ukraine but new details about senior officials who have tried to sidestep involvement. the white house ordered bolton not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry in the house. tonight an aide to john bolton puts out a statement that reads, several weeks ago the ambassador sent a hard copy of his draft manuscript to the white house for prepublication review by the national security council. the ambassador has not passed that manuscript to anyone else for review, period. joining me now by phone one of the report who are broke this story "new york times" washington correspondent michael

schmid approximately it's great -- it's great to have you on. walk us through how this fits on. this reporting comes at a critical juncture in this impeachment trial. >> as we've known for some time, john bolton wants to testify, and he came out earlier in january and said he was willing to if he was subpoenaed at a senate trial. the problem was that we didn't know what bolton would say. what was it that he had that bo add to the larger body of information on the president's dealings with ukraine? and that's what we have learned about, the writings in his book, a manuscript of which was submitted to the white house, and gave them the submission happened several weekends ago. but it gave the white house some idea of where bolton was at on where he would testify and we were able to learn some of those details. >> just walk us through. because the statement from bolton's team sort of talks about where this information

might have come from. and i realize you have to protect your sources. but to the extent that you're able to describe for our viewers how the information came to the new york city times and also based on your reporting, how long has the white house and how has the white house been able to use this information in preparations for the trial? >> bolton's lawyer, chuck cooper, put out a statement tonight that included a letter that he sent to the white house on december 30th with the book. and he said in the statement that it is clear regrettably to "the new york times" article published today that the prepublication review process has been corrupted and information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manu script, placing the blame on the white house for the story. we can't get into the details of how this came about. but we get into the stuff on how bolton had this conversation in

august of last year, in which trump said he was going to continue to freeze the aid or he wanted to continue to freeze the aid until he got more information from the ukrainians on the investigations he wanted them to conduct. >> so the bottom line here, mike, is that this is a firsthand witness to the quid pro quo that currently republicans are saying only is circumstantial, is that right? >> well, it takes on the central argument made by the trump administration, the president's lawyers, that there was no link between the military aid and the investigations. it is certainly the strongest evidence that we've seen to date that pokes holes in that argument. and whether that changes anyone's mind about anything, about witnesses or about voting, obviously we don't know.

but it probably goes as far as anyone has gone on that issue. >> all right, michael schmid, thank you so much for take the time to call us and talk to us about your reporting. joining me now white house chief for "the post" philip rucker, and carol lenning. philip and carol co-authored the new book, a very stable genius, which is a great nuanced detailed account of behind the scenes of the trump administration. we'll talk about that later on this hour. first, thank you both for being here. and let's talk a little bit, and carol i'll start with you, about the reporting "the times" tonight. we obviously spent the last week, i spent the last week talking to sources, wondering, speculating about what john bolton would have to say and just how much republicans come to regret voting against witnesses if information came out after the fact after they had decided not to do it. what's your take on how this

impacts the process? >> i think it's an incredibly timed scoop by mike schmid and his colleagues. because literally you heard yesterday the white house and the president's legal team arguing the only reason the president was concerned about this aid to ukraine was because of burden sharing. that word can put a lot of people to sleep. it's the idea that the president really cares that the u.s. is doing all this spending to help countries and others aren't. europe isn't putting in its fair share. >> it's a classic thing we hear from this president? >> exactly. and we heard it from mick mulvaney. but this puts knife in the steak. but weeks before and after the house investigation, we were hearing bolton has the president's voice. bolton is the person who knows what the president said about these things. and there's a lot more to unfold. well, this is one indication per the december 30th letter that

bolton sent to the white house saying, i'd like you to review my manuscript before we publish in the spring. >> phil, "the times" reporting suggests the white house has had this information for some time and have been able to use it in preparing their defense. adam schiff and his cohort would not have based on what bolton have had, access to this information. what is your sense of how this may have fit into their strategy? >> well, clearly given what we now know in this "new york times" reporting, the white house defense has been not fully honest in defending the president in this impeachment trial. they have been adamant that the president considered delaying the military aid to ukraine as a separate consideration from his desire to have an investigation into corruption involving the bidens. bolton firsthand witness saying that's not true. >> that's not the case. >> that the president has said so much. and to speak about this politically for a minute, this puts extraordinary pressure on a number of those senate republicans that you cover every

day, kasie. so far we've just leader from mitt romney indicating he wants wittetsnessed and wants to hear bolt op testify. knowing what we know now that he's a firsthand witness that could incriminate the president and bring new evidence, you've got to think a number of those other republican senators are going to feel pressure to vote for witnesses. >> it seemed at the end of the week that the winds were blowing in the opposite direction. republicans saying we don't think we can vote for witnesses. i think you're right. this is going to be the question of the day tomorrow when we're all up in the halls of capitol hill. kobe bryant's helicopter crashed killing him and eight other people including his daughter. i'm going to talk to former nba player jay williams who knew kobe bryant, the player and the man.

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we are continuing to follow the breaking news out of california. nba legend kobe bryant and his 13-year-old daughter were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash earlier today. you are looking at video of a visibly emotional lebron james after getting off the lakers

team plane early year today after learning the news. joining me now, steve patterson. tell us what you've been hearing? what's the latest at the scene of the crash? >> reporter: to the scene to determine how in the world this happened, while we still have light, and it's fading quickly. first of all, look at the vktivity here, police have had a lock on this scene all day. up into the hillside, you can still see the crash site. in fact we've seen activity there. we're not sure if they're with the investigation team that is a part of this. we've seen a small tight-knit group of people up there pretty much consistently all the day. witnesses reported hearing an explosion, a loud boom, and seeing a fireball when this happened. in fact when investigators got to the scene, officials and firefighters got there, the effort was a firefighting effort because of how much of the

hillside had ignited. and then we started getting the confirmation, first it was fine dead then boosted to nine dead, including kobe bryant, his daughter, the pilot. investigators aren't saying much about the cause because they don't know much at this time. what they are saying is part of this investigation will certainly be focused on the weather conditions. that's the only thing they can express about a possible cause, is it was extremely foggy. it was when we first got here. you could barrel see up in the tips of the mountain tops. that may have been worse when the helicopter crashed. kobe bryant's legacy speaks for itself. it speaks to the fact that people really having nothing to do with the firefighting effort, the media, on scene. a lot of them we were seeing today had tears in their eyes, wearing kobe bryant jerseys. it was an emotional, surreal

scene to see that happening bolo and see that crash scene up top. investigators are going to have to do the work, hopefully quickly and get answers as we're starting to learn more about who was onboard that helicopter. back to you. >> steve patterson, thank you very much for your reporting. joining me now by phone is former chicago bulls player jay williams who knew kobe bryant. thanks for calling in. >> thanks for having me. so sir, we've heard quite a bit about kobe bryant the basketball player tonight. tell us a little bit about kobe bryant, the person that you knew. >> oh, today has been a really rough day. you know, the aco laits are incredible. they're one of one. he's a unique entity. he's an outlier. but the man he was was even more incredible.

you know, kobe bryant retired at 37 years old, being a -- basketball in the nba world. and i can tell you this personally, as -- when you ought to be -- so fixated -- and that takes all your time. and kobe was a relentless worker. he was always in pursuit of excellence. and after retiring at 37, i just felt like we were seeing next incredible version of kobe bryant, as a husband, kobe bryant as a father, the visions of him sitting courtside at the lakers game with his daughter gigi, teaching games -- basketball, standing up for wnba players and speaking on women's rights, the charity work he was doing in l.a., becoming an ambassador, a genuine good person perspective overall.

he -- you know, we talk a lot about greatness, and you can't put his greatness into words. it was something that he just felt being around him. because every time you were around him, you wanted to be better at what you were doing. he inspired people to that degree. >> so you yourself, for those of our viewers who don't know, were in a motorcycle crash back in 2003 that ended your own career. how did going through that change your outlook on life and were you reflecting on that today? >> oh, because when i woke up the next day i was lucky to have an outlook on life, i was still here. today is another example of that. this pursuit of excellence is something, i had a moment with him, playing against the lakers, rookie, my one year in the league, at the gym, and -- work

out and -- for the game, and wasn't prepared for playing against kobe and shaq. i walk in the gym and -- into the court. i put -- >> i think we're losing mr. williams there. so sorry about that. it was -- we were just reflecting, he knew kobe bryant personally and was sharing his thoughts. we thank him so much for your insights. more on the breaking news on kobe bryant and the breaking news with john bolton and the 2020 elebs when we continue. which includes preservision... because he said a multi- vitamin alone may not be enough. and it's my vision, my morning walk, my sunday drive, my grandson's beautiful face. only preservision areds2 contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the national eye institute to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. it's how i see my life. because it's my vision... preservision.

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welcome back. i can't believe we have just over one week until the iowa caucuses. and candidates topping polling are tauting, electability. >> i'm on team pete because he has the greatest chance of defeating donald trump in the upcoming presidential election. >> a new iowa poll to "the new york times" in sienna college shows pete buttigieg trailing bernie sanders. pete buttigieg's campaign sent out two emails targeting sanders, one showing he performs better than sanders in head-to-head polling against zroim. also claims it puts his ability

to win in general election at risk. senator sanders is back in eyeway after being tied up as a senator in washington. let's bring in shaquille brewster and ali have i tali who has been following elizabeth warren. elizabeth warren on the receiving end of that des moines register endorsement but stuck here in d.c. in these final days. a lot of questions about where her standing in iowa is going to take her campaign going forward. what's the latest on the ground? >> reporter: well, look, kasie, the des moines register endorsement a big deal. she hasn't been touting it but the campaign has come out with a billboard touting that. we know historically it's given past people who have been endorsed a little bit of a bump. when you look at the polling just a few points could end up making all the difference here. elizabeth warren buoyed boy it.

i think when we saw her yesterday in iowa, saturday fresh off the plane, didn't quite have the pep in her step. after getting that endorsement we saw her do that dance. we've seen her with more energy. there's an interesting thing she's doing in terms of closing pitch. she's leaning in on gender. she's not bogged down in any arguments with the other candidates in this race. she's able to message her closing pitch without interference from the other candidates. it's simple. women win, period. i asked her if that was why she was making that the closing pitch. she said this is a question that has to be answered. it's something that voters are talking about. obviously it's one of the closing issues that we had on the debate stage a few weekends ago. the interesting thing, even though it's a question about gender it doesn't break down along gendered lines. women are just as skeptical as men if not more so. i asked her what she thinks about that in this political

moment. listen. >> you know, i think it's the reminder, everyone is worried, because they really, really, really want to beat donald trump. i understand that. i really, really, really want to beat donald trump. but i'm just talking about the facts here, right. and i'm also talking about i'm the only person in this campaign who's beaten any type of republican in the last 30 years. we got to have a fighter in this race. we got to have somebody who fights from the heart. and that's why i'm here. and that's how these crowds are in this. that's how we're going to make real change in this country. >> and kacey, she's here today, she's going back to d.c. and i've met a lot of undecided voters at these events cho who say they're coming down to the decision. that's going to be tough for someone like elizabeth warren heading into this home stretch. >> an unexpected wrinkle. shaquille brewster, you are

traveling with the man who seems to be an undisputed front-runner according to the most recent polls. what is the sense as you are talking to sanders' aides in the campaign itself? does it feel as though they are expecting to win here? or are there still some serious nerves? >> they say they're feeling good. they like the position they're in. but they're not setting those expectations of first place right now. that was a question i kept kwg senator sand's, do you believe you're a front-runner? you are seeing him try to take advantage of the window in between the impeachment trial. he is about to have his seventh event in 29 hours. he came straight here, squeezed in events. he appeared at an event with aoc and michael moore who's on stage right now. they've been filling in the gap for senator sanders. but the fact that you've been seeing senator sanders out at jam-packed events, that's what

they're pointing to, highlighting the crowd size. that is matched what you're seeing in polling, he's increasing, topping many of those polls in iowa and new hampshire. i asked him about that earlier today. listen to what he told us. >> polls are polls. what matters is the kind of grassroots actions that we have. we got people knocking on doors all over the state, people making telephone calls. that's how i think you win e elections. >> and then the increase in polling is coming with an increase in tension and scrutiny from the other candidates. mayor pete buttigieg going after sanders. earlier today michael bloomberg said the other jewish candidate wants to turn the candidate -- you see them attacking by name but the one thing you're noticing, the sanders are trying to keep their fire on joe biden. that's who they think is their

biggest rival. >> i wonder if some of these candidates are going to regret not doing it sooner. thank you for your reporting. good luck on the trail. stay safe. we've been talking about the unpublished book of john bolton claiming the president discussed withholding aid to ukraine until they found out more abouted biedsens. we have heard republicans argue that the president's actions with regard to ukraine were about investigating corruption. but a very stable genius, the new book from phil rucker and carol lenning, seems -- in the spring of 2017 as aides gathered to belief trump, they made a passing reference to some foreign government officials under skrooutny for taking bribes. time perked up and got rather a agitated. he told rex tillerson he wanted

him to help get rid of the foreign corruption practices act. it's so unfair that american companies aren't allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas. trump told the group, we're going to change that. looking at tillerson he said you need to get rid of that. surprised at trump's request, tillerson paused and found his words. mr. president, i'm not the guy to do that. they're back with us. phil, let me talk to you about that moment. it does seem to play right into what we're talking about this week with the new times reporting. >> the president's lawyers have been defending his conduct with ukraine by saying he wanted to get rid of corruption in ukraine, he cared deeply about eliminating corruption overseas. but what carol and i found in our reporting, by the way for this book we interviewed more than 200 senior officials and advisers to the president, and found the president was not looking to get rid of

corruption, he wanted to get rid of barriers to corruption to make it easier for american companies to act in a corrupt manner overseas. >> there's another portion in the book that hasn't been hasn' been highlighted. i want to highlight this one. you mite about, and carol, that he has this consciousness of his own guilt, this idea that he knows he's guilty. you say trump wasn't entirely sure he needed a criminal defense lawyer. after all, the president believed he hadn't committed any crimes. what did you make of this? and who is he speaking to on the phone? >> this is an interesting moment. it's when robert mueller has been appointed the special counsel. this president knows he has somebody serious breathing down his neck about possible obstruction and also about his campaign's ties to russian nationals who were part of an

effort to interfere in the election. he's interviewing lawyers, which turns out to be difficult challenge for donald trump to get another lawyer. but in this part of the book, phil and i reveal that one of the lawyers he was interviewing later it comes out after this interview the president says, you know, reid, a significant white collar defense lawyer who did not want this job, he says, if i smell the jail cell, i'll give you a call. it was almost like a joking moment according to people who learned about it, but it wasn't really a joke either in their view. the president was basically saying, maybe i'll be in trouble. then i'll give you a ring. >> big picture, phil, as you were reporting the 200 plus sources, this detail you all have pulled together. one thing that strikes me repeatedly and it came up this week with the new information from lev parnas, there are a

remarkable amount of people getting close enough to this president, close enough that there was an audio and video recording made. how do you find this happens? that people like this are able to get so close to the president of the united states. >> it is incredible. the president seems to have no filter for who he considers a confida confidant. he's up late at night taking the advice from talk show hosts on fox business channel. but he's also down at mar-a-lago just taking policy advice from all kinds of guests from his club who come up to him with the ability to gain access to him. a lot of people that have jobs in his administration and are in more formal jobs in his orbit. any other president would consider shady characters. this is like the cabinet for trump. but it speaks to the lacks of vetting. we saw that from the beginning in his transition where he was

awarding people jobs based on a 20 minute interview and a handshake without doing any sort of a thorough vet. this is one of the reasons why michael flynn ended up as the national security adviser and created so much trouble for this presidency from day one. >> carol, how does this all fit with the impeachment inquiry that we're seeing now? what did you learn about the president's actions about this phone call and how it came together? >> i feel like it's like the central question. i mean, of course, phil and i had no idea we would be publishing a book on the start of an impeachment trial. we had no clue that was going to be where we're landing. however, all of our reporting together foreshadowed where we are now. it is a presidency of one. it starts out in those respects with a few good guys and gurus and those guard rails are down because the president drove those people out of the room. what we learned was his abuse of management style basically wore down all of those people who were giving him caution, giving

him advice. hey, maybe you don't want to use a cell phone to call somebody when you are in china. not a good idea. or you might not want to take a bottle from, you know, a stranger. we need to check your food and water. and now we're at a place where he's enabled. and what does he do after he finds out bob mueller is done with his investigation? he gets on the phone with the president and says, hey, we need a favor from you. that's something those grown-ups must have steered him away from. >> phil, final thoughts as i know people have had some trouble getting ahold of the book. >> it's printing as fast as humanly possible to restock barnes & nobles and everywhere else. >> what should readers take away from what you have learned? >> we have all lived this dizzying news cycle. and this was hitting the pause button to look back at what has happened and understand why trump has done the things he has

done, to peer behind the curtain a little bit and paint a history of these three years and assess the consequences for the country. we hope people find it instructive. >> carol, last word? >> i really enjoyed this process, and i am excited about it. i want everyone to know that it's not a snarky book. it's a serious book. yet, we're still sort of absolutely stunned, phil and i, by the degree to which people who work with the president view him as a danger and fear how we will manage a real crisis. >> great point and a very foreboding situation here. the book is "a very stable genius." it is available now wherever books are sold. my thanks to you. i know it's been a long couple of weeks on the road, so we appreciate you stopping by. this look outside the staples center. more coming up in just a moment. .

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that does it for us tonight here on kasie d.c. i will see you on capitol hill all week. coming up next, chris hayes on what to expect in the week ahead and continuing coverage of the death of kobe bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash. chris hayes, extended coverage starts right now. >> thank you so much. good evening from new york. i'm chris hayes. i'm here tonight for what was going to be an hour long

impeachment special. in fact, there is major breaking news on the impeachment front. "the new york times" tonight reporting that in john bolton's book that donald trump's former national security adviser outlines precisely the quid pro quo charged in article one of president trump's impeachment now being tried in the senate. the times reports that trump told bolton he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into the bidens. we will talk much more about that bombshell, the reporter that broke that. we begin of course tonight with the just awful, awful news out of california, kobe bryant's sudden death. the helicopter crashed near