about what might happen, we might make news headlines outside the news. i don't know. >> fair. >> we are going to get there, though, i'm sure this year and we'll have a great time. >> i cannot wait. >> great show. i look forward to seeing you there tomorrow in new hampshire. to all of you a good day from msnbc headquarters here in new york. it's high noon in the east. welcome to weekends with alex witt. the trump purge, impeachment witnesses fired. we're asking if a congress can or should do anything to stop this. the looming 2020 question, which of these candidates can beat donald trump. a look at the ground game with three days to do until the primary. you can only do so much in a 14 by 14 area. >> we're going to go outside on our balcony if we need air. >> stranded on a ship while an american dies in china because

of the coronavirus. most democratic candidates are in new hampshire today. most were on the stage last night. the only candidate not in the state today is mugaichael bloomberg, he's in alabama. they have three days to make their case is in new hampshire. >> what bernie says, he says he wrote the damn thing, but he's unwilling to tell us what it's going to cost. >> if we do what joe wants, we'll be spending some $50 trillion on health care over the next ten years. that's the status quo. >> it's not who has the best health care plan, all the plans are better. the question is who can go toe-to-toe with mr. trump. >> three of us were jurors in that impeachment hearing you said it was exhausting to watch

and you wanted to turn the channel and watch cartoons. >> if you want to beat this president we have to be ready to move on from the playbook that we have relied on in the past and unify this country around a new and better vision. >> donald trump is not the cause of our problems. we're making a mistake when we act like he is. >> that's right. >> he is a symptom of a disease that has been building up. >> we bring our party together. it's an issue we can all agree on and fight to end the corruption. we're the democrats. we should be the party on the side of hardworking people. >> already today, several candidates speaking at a forum moderated by stephanie rhule that focussed on the future of the federal courts. >> we have seen a right wing radical unethical take over of our court system and we have to acknowledge that because that's where we are.

>> the roe versus wade framework has the support of most americans. we shouldn't be afraid to put federal legislation in place to establish that. >> i think being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a democrat. >> donald trump is now appointing judges that are unanimously declared unqualified by the american bar association. >> the fact we're appointing supreme court justices and people are looking at them, saying this person is going to be alive for a long time, that does not make any sense. >> all this as a new nbc news poll shows bernie sanders holds firmly hto his lead in new hampshire with 25% of the vote. joining me now is mike mem lee and shaq brewster. you have senator bernie sanders on the campaign trail after the debate, what is he saying? >> reporter: he's following the

debate performance by taking his message directly to supporters. he's going to be on stage for a couple minutes. i'm going to keep my voice down because the program is starting. he's going to be rallying his volunteers, they'll go out and knock on doors. he started the day with our stephanie rhule in manchester. listen to what he told her about the idea of court packing. >> i will not just be the commander in chief of the military. i will be the organizer in chief for the progressive movement in this country. i think what we need is a movement in this country led by a president, obviously, to go to states all over this country to rally the american people to stand up for their rights against a congress right now that is dominated by wealthy and powerful campaign contributors. >> reporter: and this campaign says they knock on doors, at an average of one door per second.

that's what these people behind me are going to be doing in a second. >> shaq thank you for that. mike we'll go to you in a moment but we're delighted to welcome to the broadcast senator amy klobuchar, presidential candidate and busy woman these days. thank you for joining us. >> thanks, alex. >> how did it go for you last night at the debate? what was your biggest take away from it? >> well, it went very well, if you talk to that group of undecided voters that msnbc put together. it went incredibly well. i need this surge right now. we are feeling that we're so strong. that debate gave me the opportunity to really define myself and as i said, if people are trying to decide between filling their prescription drugs or their refrigerator, i know you, and i will fight for you. if you're looking to pay for long term care for your parents or child care for your kids, i know you and i will fight for you. the argument here is i am the

one who has won -- the only one on that stage in a state like new hampshire, i'm the only one who won in red areas leading a ticket, brought people with me instead of shutting people out. it's exactly what we need right now. so i'm very excited about our efforts here in new hampshire and how well we are doing. >> i'm going to say that you always put in a strong debate performance. but how much do you expect that to translate to voters? >> how much do you need those independents and democrats behind you, because right now you may have heard the results from our latest poll, you rank at 8%? >> well, i think that was before the debate, is my guess, right. >> true. >> it didn't happen overnight. and i have a number of other polls been at 13 in the last few days. i think what you've seen is incredible volatility, you've seen a bunch of undecided new hampshire voters.

as i pointed out last night, read the "new york times" endor endor endorsement of me and elizabeth and the three solo endorsements i got from three papers in new hampshire. they get i'm the person that can unite our party and lead our country and that's what we need right now. >> you're fighting for the moderate vote there, you have put forth a moderate voice there, how much is the rise of pete buttigieg in the wake of iowa hindering your efforts? how much is it affecting your campaign? >> i just keep running my own way, so i'm going to be barnstorming this state going to five diners tomorrow morning, that's how i campaign. it was hard for me to do in iowa because i was performing my constitutional duty, which i thought was important for the impeachment hearings. as i said last night, when it comes to mayor pete i know he says things that are popular, but when he was in iowa, when we

were in the chamber as jurors with this incredible important moment of our time, with the courage we saw from people like doug jones who's facing a really hard race in alabama and mitt romney who's in tears explaining how he couldn't vote to not impeach this president and i heard one of my opponents, mayor pete, saying in a room, i'm sure it was popular, it's exhausting watching those senate proceedings, you want to switch the channel and watch cartoons. this isn't a moment for that kind of leadership. this is a moment for someone who does popular and unpopular thing and is willing to take on things consistently. you want a president that isn't afraid of making unpopular decisions. obamacare wasn't popular, social security wasn't popular at first, but we had people willing to fight for it. >> you saw fighting for the wrath of trump, there is a sense

that much of the sentiment of what people are looking for from this presidential campaign is a democrat and electability. someone who can beat president trump. are you that person, and why? >> i am. first of all, the midwest isn't flyover country to me. i live there and i can't wait to say that to him on the debate stage. while he is treating the farmers and workers with his trade wars and other things with poker chips in one of his bankrupt casinos, they are my friends and neighbors. i'm the one that can face him. i've done it time and time again. every republican i've ever run against, those guys have all left politics for good. i think that sounds good when it comes to president trump. i'm tough enough and nimble enough on the debate stage and i've done incredibly well in my own elections with rural, s

suburban, and male voters. i'm enjoying waiting to take him on. >> we love you here. love you in the matching blue. well court nated. joining me now, michael bennet. i know that you were not on the debate stage last night, which i'm sure is a disappointment to you. we'll get to the reasons for that, but i want to talk about the president's new firings. pretty outrageous acts in the minds of some, how about you? what went through your minds after the process of impeachment, then the acquittal. the president is firing people in the administration who cooperated with that investigation. >> what went through my mind, alex, is that he's shredding the rule of law. that's what the american people are watching before their eyes. it wasn't just when he got there, it was when mitch mcconnell said, i'm not going to

hold a hearing for merrick garland. you can draw a straight line from that lawlessness to the lawlessness we're seeing now with donald trump. that's what's at stake in the election. we have to save our democracy from these people. >> is there anything that anyone in congress or anyone can do to stop this from happening or does the president have free rein to in a sense retaliation. >> i hope he doesn't. we saw mitch mcconnell's willingness to cover up for donald trump's misdeeds. as i said during the trial, the documents and witnesses were pounding on the outside of the doors of the capitol, and the senate was either too lazy or too much in the maw of donald trump to do our constitutional duty and hear those witnesses and hear that testimony. there were only 100 americans, out of 330 who were responsible

for that, and the senate failed in its duty. i think the real check on this behavior is going to be the election in november. >> but as you think about these last several months of the impeachment process and the subsequent acquittal. how do democrats weigh that with how the president is reacting in this victory lap? was it worth it? >> well, i think it's all part of the same thing. nancy pelosi waited as long as she could on impeachment. there were a lot of people i saw coming on your network saying for months and months that he should be impeached. and nancy pelosi waited and waited and waited until she couldn't wait anymore because what the president admitted to was lawless. more than 50 senators said it was wrong for him to do it. the fact he was able to muscle an acquittal is unfortunate. i don't think it means we shouldn't have gone through this process. now it means we have to pick the

pieces up and run for the general election. and we have to expose the president's lies for what they are. the other night he gave a town hall -- i'm sorry, he gave the state of the union and claimed all of these victories on the economy. he is such an expert at landing on third base and claiming he hit a triple. we were creating more jobs when barack obama was president than we're creating now that he's there. we'd have a million more jobs if we were creating them at the same rate when barack obama was president. farm bankruptcy is up 20%, farm exports are down 6.4%, $4.6 billion. and donald trump has borrowed $28 billion from the chinese to cushion the blow. it's ridiculous. no other president could have gotten away with what he's done and i think we have a very strong chance of beating him in november, but we have to come together in november to do it.

>> let's get to the 2020 race then. the latest poll of voters, the nbc news poll says you have about 1% there. how hard is it going to be to overcome these numbers at a time when it seems the conversation has switched from talking about issues over all to just electability, someone who can beat donald trump? >> well, i think if it were on electability, i would win the nomination. i have won two very tough national elections in the state of colorado, which is a state that's a third democratic, a third republican, and a third independent. no other candidate has won a race in remotely as swing a state as that and we have to win the purple states if we're going to beat donald trump. i got bounced from the debate stage prematurely i think by the

dnc rules and it made it hard to race money. i'm doing town hall after town hall, doing my 50th today with james carville, who endorsed me, who the last time he was up here he was winning an election with bill clinton, the first president to knock off an incumbent republican in a long time. we'll run through the tape on tuesday and see what happens. >> i'm not trying to throw cold water on this, is there a point you decided you would suspend your campaign if the numbers don't improve? for instance, is new hampshire a make or break state for you? >> i think i have to come in the top three or four in new hampshire, if i don't we'll reassess. we're doing everything we can to get there, new hampshire has been known in the last few days to switch things around. we'll see what happens. >> we'll see what happens with you. very good to speak with you. >> thanks. let's go to mike, he's following former vice president

joe biden in manchester. how's the biden campaign responding to the latest new hampshire poll and debate reaction? in. >> reporter: well, alex, you heard from the former vice president last night, rather surprisingly saying yes, he took a hit in iowa and may well take a hit here in new hampshire but he's back on the campaign trail for the first time in a couple days, he took two days off the trail to get ready for last night's debate. the biden campaign feeling good about his performance, not just the performance but the response they've seen from the grass roots online fund-raising base. they said they had their best fund-raising night after any of the debates last night. we've seen them respond to the gut punch, as biden called it in two ways, he's been much more directive taking on the rivals as we saw bernie sanders last night. and joe biden campaign putting so out a snarky video of the vice

president's issues he's dealt with and the mundane issues pete buttigieg dealt with as mayor of south bend, indiana. i asked a senior adviser for the campaign a question about the hit they took in iowa. >> we have the resources we need to compete in this race, not just here in new hampshire but nevada and south carolina on through super tuesday. we have a number of new office openings in alabama, virginia, north carolina and california. we plan to compete. he's not out of this race and i think it would be a mistake for anyone to count joe biden out. count joe biden out at your own risk. >> the biden campaign saying he's the best retail politician in the state of new hampshire. he's doing an event behind me here, but expect a lot more mix

and mingle with voters here in new hampshire before tuesday's primary. >> anybody within the biden campaign sharing what they think is the biggest threat to him as they get into the vote on tuesday in new hampshire? >> you know that he's been focussed on bernie sanders for a few months but clearly the fact that pete buttigieg's surge in iowa cost him dearly there, that new video shows they're focussed on movable votes that they think buttigieg has right now that they think they can win back. be sure to catch our new hampshire primary coverage tuesday. it all begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern here on msnbc. a quarantined cruiseship is back at sea after more cases of the coronavirus are found on board. it was briefly docked today to remove passengers who tested positives for that virus.

this morning we spoke to a newly wed couple on the ship. >> the captain was saying the numbers were going up and more passengers are testing positive. so we were just in panic mode. >> the food situation hasn't really gotten much better. we're trapped here. >> yeah, we're trapped. >> everyone is saying if you can survive this -- >> you can survive anything. i guess this is our test for in sickness and in health. meanwhile, a u.s. citizen in china is the first american to die from the coronavirus. molly hunter has more on this from hong kong. molly? >> reporter: alex, that's right. big news out of with yuhan, thet american death happened in wuhan, the epicenter of this outbreak. we know he was a 60-year-old man, the embassy in beijing confirmed this to msnbc news. we know there's one other american in the hospital here. here in hong kong, increased

quarantine measures, any travel traveler, anyone coming from mainland china into hong kong will be kwarn teed for 14 days. we've been talking about these cruise ships, there's one behind me, it has 3,600 people on board. they're testing everyone. it's going to take at least four more days. we haven't heard of any confirmed coronavirus on that. but the princess off the coast of tokyo, we know there are 64 cases of confirmed coronavirus, 13 americans. we've spoken with passengers there, it runs the gamut, some are nervous they want to get off. some are rolling with it, they feel like they're being taken care of, they're taking their temperatures and they're waiting for this to ride out. we spoke with rebecca frazier, she's one of 13 americans. everyone diagnosed has left the boat. she's gone to a japanese hospital where she'll receive

three days of treatment. if she improves she'll go back on board the boat to continue her quarantine until february 19th. >> thank you so much molly hunter. a brand new poll shows which candidate is gaining ground in new hampshire. we'll have the numbers for you next. if you missed the democratic debate last night, there was one issue all democrats greed on, health care, no, experience, no, billionaires, no. for the answer we'll go back to new hampshire live. stay right there. o back to new hampshire live stay right there cover almost anything. even a "gold medal grizzly." (sports announcer) what an unlikely field in this final heat. (burke) not exactly a skinny dipper, but we covered it. at farmers, we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. so get a quote at farmers-dot-com. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

[ fast-paced drumming ]

at the end of the day, the way we defeat donald trump and everybody up here by the way is united, no matter who wins this damn thing we're all going to stand together for the people. >> the question is who can go toe-to-toe with mr. trump. who can take down mr. trump because he's the real threat to the country. >> he is the symptom of a disease that's been building up in our communities for years and decades. >> if we want to beat this president we have to be ready to move on from the playbook that we have relied on in the past and unify this country around a new and better vision. >> we have a newcomer in the white house, and look where it got us. >> a moment of solidarity on last night's debate stage. 2020 presidential candidates saving their harshest words for a president they hope to defeat. beth, ladies first, democrats

agree on taking out trump, but there's certainly a debate about who's best suited to beat him. is there consensus who that candidate may be following last night's debate? >> not yet, alex. but the candidates are talking about the issue of electability because they know that is paramount to voters not only in new hampshire but it was in iowa, it's going to be in the other states going forward. the differences on policy amongst the candidates are infinitesimal and not as big a concern for voters as the strength of the candidate to stand on the same debate stage with president trump and beat him in november. that's why this race has been so unsettled for such a long time and is continuing to be unsettled. we saw some clarity perhaps coming out of iowa with that surge from pete buttigieg and the drop by joe biden. but that was just one state. and new hampshire is not iowa. new hampshire doesn't always follow iowa's lead. new hampshire is also a state

that can give candidates second chances like back in 2008 when barack obama came out of iowa with a big head of steam only to lose in new hampshire to hillary clinton. so the field is still unsettled. that's why we saw so much contention on the debate stage last night. we have a ways to go before we know who the nominee is going to be. >> is there any idea of who bet erred his or her chances going into the debate on tuesday? >> i'm not predicting winners or losers. i think people are saying mayor pete now that he's in the hot seat was very much underscrutiny and held up well. amy klobuchar was feisty. you played a sound bite of her before really sort of taking down mayor buttigieg suggesting he maybe doesn't have what it takes to grab that moderate center that she's also competing for. it was a debate with a lot of hot moments, no question about it. people are feeling fired up

ahead of the primary. >> james i want to run by you new numbers just getting word from the cnn unh poll. bernie sanders is leading 28%, you have pete buttigieg at 21. joe biden at 11. elizabeth warren at 9. does that square with the sentiments that you are seeing there on the ground? >> yeah. the big question is, what is going on with first place, which is an amazing topic because for so many months it was assumed that bernie sanders, who has been winning -- not winning, but leading in the polls here for the last two months was definitely in first, clearly he won the state here four years ago by 22 points. and the question was who's in second. but now there's definitely a rise from pete buttigieg. there is a -- our poll the boston globe and suffolk university showing him taking

the lead but a tie with bernie sanders. other polls like this one from cnn, msnbc's shows bernie sanders with a little bit more of a comfortable lead. it is determined by what the voter turnout looks like. this is going to be a wild finish here in new hampshire, and these poll numbers all week are showing that. >> the poll numbers you guys have been providing are interesting because they've been doing almost a day by day, you have seven poll numbers out in the last week. so it's interesting the incremental approach we're getting from that poll. but specific to you james, you write about a key voting block in new hampshire, independent voters, why are they the group to watch? >> independent voters make up 42% of the state. while democrats make up 28. they are always the x factor in the elections. it's a misnomer, a lot of people who are independents generally vote one party or the other.

but what is true they are often less engaged and make up their minds late. so one thing that may be fuelling the rise of pete buttigieg is independence we're seeing that in our tracking poll, they're moving away from biden and onto buttigieg. but bernie sanders still does well among the group. one reason to watch the group in 2016, hillary clinton and bernie sanders were dead even among democrats but bernie sanders won independence by -- had 72% of support and that's how he won the primary. >> as we look at the numbers, what is it, a million registered voters in the state of new hampshire, 30 as democrats, 43% registered as undeclared. what, exactly, are they looking for? we've said this on the broadc t broadcast, i think there's been a cue from talking indepth about issues, grant it you have that on the debate stage but you find a lot voters saying who's going to beat donald trump? is electability the primary

focus right now? someone who can beat donald trump? james? >> it is. yes, it is. what's weird about this time is the electability is not a thing you can get your head around like traditional years. usually a person on the base, left, right, a person in the middle more electability. a lot of voters looking at 2016 saying hillary clinton lost by 77,000 votes if they just increased african-american turnout or jill stein hasn't received the votes maybe bernie would have won, for example. so you're having a different discussion about who is most electable but what electable means which clouds the whole picture of how the primary may play out. >> who risks having to drop out after new hampshire, whether it is from lack of votes, you know, standing in the polls or running out of money? >> well, we've got several

candidates that are going to move forward regardless. you have joe biden, of course who's looking forward to that south carolina and nevada, more diverse voter blocks that typically have supported him a bit more. bernie sanders, of course. elizabeth warren all have the money to keep moving on into the next couple of states. toward super tuesday. the question you asked is a good one, about who is going to see their money dry up if the they don't do well on tuesday. that's going to make it hard for anybody to run a meaningful, national campaign if they don't have the funding to go forward. so i would say you're going to see most of the top tier anyway advancing into the next couple of states. the question is going to be who can carry it on to the super tuesday states. >> thanks for the chat guys, appreciate it. the "new york times" described it as a friday night massacre but what it's like to be part of

donald trump's payback? two people weigh in next. paybak two people weigh in next currency to pay for bites of this... ...with this. when kids won't eat dinner, potato pay them to. ore-ida. win at mealtime. that's ensure max protein, with high protein and 1 gram sugar. it's a sit-up, banana! bend at the waist! i'm tryin'! keep it up. you'll get there. whoa-hoa-hoa! 30 grams of protein, and one gram of sugar. ensure max protein.

he's going to also talk about, you know, just how horribly he was treated and, you know, that maybe people should pay for that. >> white house press secretary stephanie grishham warning of pay back. now that warning is starting to take shape. two key witnesses in the impeachment hearing were ousted in the same day, lieutenant

colonel vindman was removed at his job from the white house and eu ambassador gordon sondland recalled from his position. joining me now, sam noneberg and ohm rosa newman. great to see you both. we should know you're author of the number one times best-seller "unhinged". sam, you first here, is trump right now kind of like a hurricane moving over warm waters? he's gaining strength, he's going to be a category 5 soon, he's going to exact pay back on others and soon? what are your expectations on that? who could be next to get that pay back? do you think the president was raging as he called for the these folks to be ousted? >> i think the president has the political wind at his back as you see with the poll numbers after the state of the union. he has a record high approval.

and le's been vindicated from the point of view of he had a majority vote on both articles of impeachment, getting acquitted. however he has ongoing investigations going on, jerry nadler, adam schiff said they're going to continue giving subpoenas and conducting hearings. this is the first time we know a president has been impeached in our history heading into a re-election. therefore, for him, he does not have -- besides the fact he went into it personally he doesn't have the political opening to apologize for something he feels is under his article 2 power. >> so your experience, did you experience backlash for speaking out against the president? and if so, what was that like? >> i did receive backlash. in fact, right now attorney general barr is suing me through the justice department, the trump campaign is suing me through an arbitration process. so donald trump likes to retaliate. he's not used to people fighting

back. but i'm a tough cookie and will fight back. i want to point out he can't lean on acquittal as a campaign talking strategy as a way to intice voters. oj simpson too was acquitted and where has that gotten him. that's a terrible line to take if he thinks he's going to lean on that as an advantage going into the fall. i think what you're seeing is more of the same. you've seen the disruptive behavior from him, he's going to continue to self-detrustruct because that's what donald trump does. >> can you share what he's suing you for? >> he's using the justice department going after me using some ethic form i filed. i can't go into all the details, but it is very trivial. it's very clear that it's retaliatory. no lawsuit has been filed in this country under the same act for 20 years and he only did it after, of course, my number one best selling book came out.

>> what was going through your mind as you were watching the president's east room speech on thursday? >> i was thinking it's really sad that he has no one around him to help advise him on what it means to be presidential. i was also sad for the country because the country deserves president than a president who uses profanity and uses the platform and the environment of the east room. that used to be a very dignified place. to try to even scores. i think as you watch him, you see that voters have already seen this one trick pony that is donald trump, the insulting, bullying, the disruptive behavior. he's totally unhinged. it's not going to help him going into the fall that he does not know how to lead this country. he only knows how to divide it. >> it was extraordinary actually because by all accounts it was the first time in a public setting in the east room the president of the united states used profanity like that.

in that speech tearing into mitt romney after he voted to convict him in the impeachment trial. let's listen to that, everyone. >> a failed presidential candidate so things can happen when you fail so badly running for president. the only one that voted against was a guy that can't stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency. >> i'm curious, sam, what do you think went through trump's mind when he found out that mitt romney was going to vote to convict him? >> he must have been outraged. i would be too because by romney's vote, he was unable to get a joe manchin to acquit him. once romney decided he was going to vote to find the president guilty on the first article, christopher stee chuck schumer was able to go to joe manchin saying you can't do that when mitt romney said the president should be impeached. they have a relationship that has gone back and forth. i worked for the president from

2011 to mid 2015. i was there when the president, so the audience understands, won the primary, or helped as romney's greatest surrogate, don't ask me, ask an romney. they didn't utilize him and then the president decided he was going to run the night that romney lost. this was something i worked for romney in 2008, and i feel that romney -- first of all it doesn't make sense what he did alex because on the one hand he said the president abused his power and then to chris wallace, he says i wanted the president to get me affidavits from the chief of staff and john bolton. then he voted that the president did not obstruct congress. so you can't have your cake and eat it too there. i think the president was foolhardy to endorse him. people warned him. i asked the president about that myself. i have think we saw it with mitt romney after he won the utah

primary, he gave an interview to kasie hunt and said, i didn't vote for donald trump. i don't necessarily think i'm going to vote for donald trump or endorse his candidacy for 2020. i think romney is someone who, as john mccain said, he feels strongly both ways about an issue. here he really did a disservice as well to his fellow republican senators up for re-election. >> so do you think mitt romney is one of those who sits in the, i guess, inenvie ebel position, of being a permanent punching bag for donald trump? think about hillary clinton, he's still taking jabs at her four years later. >> one thing that helped donald trump when he was running was during the exploratory period in 2015, romney decided to announce he was going to run again. i thought this helped distance ourselves because while the president was attacking jeb bush, he was distancing himself from the endorsement of mitt

romney. he was able to get the nomination because of the failed campaigns of mitt romney -- >> is he still going to keep punching at him? >> yes. >> 100% he will. i wouldn't be surprised. you saw don junior talk about yesterday if there's any way to the attorney general they can kick romney out of office. >> what about donald trump apologizing to his family for going through impeachment. hugging ivanka there. then he compared hunter biden to his kids. take a listen. >> they think that's okay. because if it is, is ivanka in the audience? my kids could make a fortune. they could make a fortune. it's corrupt. >> what do you make of trump's claims there. aren't his kids making money during his presidency? what's your interpretation of the relationship that trump has with his kids because you worked closely among them.

>> i've known don junior and ivanka for a long time. we were on the shows together 15 years ago. i have to tell you, those comments were very bizarre because everyone knows that ivanka, particularly, is making millions and millions of dollars while she's in this office that jar ed continues to oversee his real estate entities, don junior who was supposed to be very separate from his father while he's going through the administration is not. so they are profiting, they're leveraging the presidency so they can get richer and richer. so those comments a little alarming. after he leaves office, these investigations will continue and he doesn't understand. and he and his children still have some criminal liabilities if if they continue to profit from the white house. >> so, look, the president moves forward and from feoffment and there are several republican senators who voted to akuwacquid

they said they learned his lesson. >> if a call like that gets you an impeachment i think you think twice before doing it again. >> i think he'll be more cautious in the future. >> i think he nows know if he's trying to do certain things whether it's ferruting out corruption there in afghanistan, wherever it is, he needs to go through the proper channels. >> sam did he learn his lesson? >> he learned his lesson he should not have rudy giuliani conducting foreign policy or in the white house, nor have a legal relationship with him. i don't think it was any coincidence that rudy was not there. if you talk to senators, you will hear that's the all the malt reason -- when you work for donald trump, you have two ways to go. you can be a yes man and appeal to his worst instincts or you can try to help him and tell him

that some of these things he wants to do are not going to be beneficial to him. now it is quite clear that rudy giuliani was self-dealing. it is quite clear that rudy was conducting his own policies contrary to the white house. and he played to the president's idea which could -- which the president has some realistic grievances with but he played to the president's idea that ukraine tried to undo his election and the russians weren't behind it. that is not serving the president or your client well and i think the president should formally no longer have a relationship with him. >> i'm going to let you have the last word on this, i think we all heard you chuckle as we went into that. >> i'm sorry. >> did he learn a lesson? >> he has not learned a lesson. he started this ukraine business the day after the mueller investigation wrapped up. that's pretty laughable. let's say this. donald trump will continue to go after his enemies, his political rivals and he is going to harm

himself and the country while he's doing that. and that's sad. >> thank you both so much. good to see you both. new clues today in the crash that killed kobe bryant, but are investigators any closer to finding the cause? uh uh, no way. ♪ come on. no. no. n... ni ni, no no! only discover has no annual fee on any card.

let's go now to the new developments in the horrific helicopter crash that killed

kobe bryant, his daughter and seven others. officials saying we may not know what exactly downed that chopper for up to a year. let's go to shaarah harmon. what are the investigators saying? >> reporter: a preliminary report found that engine failure was likely not a factor in this crash. this is a preliminary report and we are going to have to wait about a year for the full and final investigation to be complete. but this morning, attention and questions turning to the weather conditions and the visibility the morning of that fateful flight. >> today new clues about the fatal crash. investigators releasing previously unseen photos taken by people on the ground. the chopper disappearing into a fog bank. >> helicopter with you for the special vsr. >> reporter: in his final

transition, the pilot telling controllers he was climbing up to escape the clouds. moments later the chopper crashed into the hills near calabas calabasas. investigators found no evidence of a mechanical failure. the engines and row or the blades appear to have been working normally. all nine on board were headed to a youth basketball tournament. vanessa bryant announcing a celebration of life for her husband and daughter. the date 2/24, a tribute to gianna and kobe's jersey's numbers. the announcement comes as emotions continue to run high. friday here on "today" oprah winfrey said her best friend gayle king fears for her safety. >> she's feeling attacked. >> after cbs posted a clip online about king asking about the 2003 assault case against

him. >> it's been said his legacy is complicated. >> respect the family and back off before we get you. >> celebrities slamming king on social media. king said it was aired out of context. >> i am mortified, embarrassed and angry. >> cbs news says in a statement, an excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview. we're addressing the internal process that led to this. the controversy coming as the community now prepares for a final good-bye. >> we are expecting to see a massive turnout for the february 24th memorial. questions about how they're going to do the ticketing because the staple center only holds 20,000 people and it's likely quite a few more folks are going to want to pay their respects. >> absolutely. you can imagine there's going to be huge screens all around the property for sure. hidden charges, a new investigation showing how much

the president's company is charging the secret service while you, the taxpayers, are footing the bill. you, the taxpa footing the bill low sugar tastes great! high protein low sugar so good! high protein low sugar mmmm, birthday cake! and try pure protein delicious protein shakes othroughout the country for the past twelve years, mr. michael bloomberg is here. vo: leadership in action. mayor bloomberg and president obama worked together in the fight for gun safety laws, to improve education, and to develop innovative ways to help teens gain the skills needed to find good jobs. obama: at a time when washington is divided in old ideological battles he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. bloomberg: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message.

aaaah! nooooo... nooooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent.

bounty, the quicker picker upper. now to president trump and your money. tax pare money.

a new washington post report shows the secret service is charging to stay and protect his family, in some cases charging the highest possible luxury rates. david ferris is joining us now. good to have you. let's get into this. give me the essence of this story. explain what you found. >> we know when president trump goes to his properties and he's spent more than 340 days at his property the secret service goes with him. we didn't know what they were charged to go with trump. eric trump said it's the cost of housekeeping. we host them basically for free. what we've shown for the first time is that's not true at all. in many cases the trump organization charged the secret service, meaning us, taxpayers, luxury rates, $650 a night for hotel rooms at mar-a-lago or $1,700 a month at bed minister. twice the going rate.

so when they have the secret service, they charge them market or above market rates. >> you mentioned bed minister, i found those numbers, drilling into them, it was extraordinary, something comparable to a three bedroom cottage, that he's provided on that property, the average rate for a one month rental would be $3,400. the highest on zillow was $8,600, times that by two, that is what the president charged the secret service. $17,000 a month. some of which that time the cottage would sit empty when the president isn't at bed minister. the justification for that is what? >> we've been told from sources who know the decision making was well, the secret service brought equipment, they didn't want to move it back and forth every time they came. so that meant the trump organization couldn't rent that cottage so they charged it for

them every day. most of the summer trump wasn't there, he was only there a third of the time. so taxpayers paid him on days he wasn't there. 60 plus days that summer alone he wasn't there. >> i want to give a quote of what eric trump had to say about this. he's the vice president of the trump organization. he said we provide the rooms at cost and could make more money renting them to members and guests. look, it's true, right, that these rooms could be vacant were it not for the fact that the secret service was using them? >> that's right. i don't doubt they could possibly some nights make more money from renting it to other people but that's not what they said. they said, we could -- we're giving you a market rate or we could get a better rate but we're not going to do it. they said the government is going to get these rooms for free, almost free, just the cost of housekeeping. if their contention 506 $650 a night at mar-a-lago is housekeeping, it's incredible. we know they pay their

housekeepers $11.58 an hour. >> so that was a false statement given to you. it's more than the cost of housekeeping. i want to add the white house did not respond to the questions about the president's knowledge about the payments. but the secret service said this, it is spending balances operational security with judicious allocation of resources. what does that mean? >> well, i think what they're saying is, look, we have to be in these places to protect the president we need rooms near the president. so we're in a position we're captive. we have to pay whatever the room rate is to use the room. in the past, the two george bushes had the same problem, the secret service came to their vacation houses set up space in their private space. they gave them the space for free. nothing illegal about what trump is doing. i don't think there's anything illegal about what the secret service is doing spending the money. they can spend whatever it wants, whatever it needs.

>> didn't eric trump say they legally had to charge for these rooms, so that's not true? >> eric trump has said that, we charge a minimal amount, just the cost of housekeeping because legally we have to charge for something. we've been trying to figure out what he's talking about, but the trump administration wouldn't answer the question, the secret service wouldn't answer the question. we looked up the ethic directives of the department of homeland security, those say you can accept gifts. i can't find any reason, maybe i haven't found it yet, that they have to charge something. >> you said both presidents bush charged nothing for the secret service on their properties. new comments from president trump on the white house firings and the question is, is there more to come? that's next. ere more to come that's next. if you've been dret tender wild-caught lobster, dig in to butter-poached, fire-roasted and shrimp & lobster linguini. see? dreams do come true.

or if you like a taste of new england without leaving home, try lobster, sautéed with crab, jumbo shrimp and more, or maybe you'd like to experience the ultimate surf and the ultimate turf... with so many lobster dishes, there's something for every lobster fan so hurry in and let's lobsterfest. or get pick up or delivery at redlobster.com

when the murray's head to work... ...their dog michelangelo gets to work, too. today's job? own. the. bed. stink-eee.

good thing they use new gain ultraflings with two times the oxi boost and febreze, for ultra-big, ultra-stinky loads. fresh again. gain. seriously good scent. and if you love gain flings, you've gotta try the dish soap. oh no, here comes gthe neighbor probably to brag about how amazing his xfinity customer service is. i'm mike, i'm so busy. good thing xfinity has two-hour appointment windows. they have night and weekend appointments too. he's here. bill? karolyn? nope! no, just a couple of rocks. download the my account app to manage your appointments making today's xfinity customer service simple, easy, awesome. i'll pass.

three days before the nation's first presidential primary and a new poll may give new clarity about who may win the battle for new hampshire. a good day to all of you from msnbc headquarters here in new york. we have a team of correspondents and analysts with the latest for the battle of new hampshire and the fallout from the so called presidential payback. three days from the presidential primary, all the candidates are on the state while michael

bloomberg is in alabama. the new poll shows bernie sanders topping there with 25%. >> i spent my life studying why families go broke and what i love about running for president is i get to talk about how we can fix it. there are so many things that we could do. that's why i have so many plans. >> we need to make this economy work for you and your families. right now too many people in new hampshire feel like they're being left behind with regard number of opioid abuse and overdoses. we have to make it work for kids and families. >> i'm not as well known from candidates, i got bounced from the debate stage prematurely, i think, by the dnc rules. but i'm here doing town awful hall after town hall. >> we're feeling we're so strong. that debate gave me the opportunity to really define myself. and as i said, if people are

trying to decide between filling their prescription drugs or their refrigerator, i know you and i will fight for you. >> a new cnn university of new hampshire poll shows senator bernie sanders in the lead there with 28%. mayor pete has 21%. and toward the lower end senator amy klobuchar is polling at 5%. let's go to ali have yvitali in hampshire. we had a chance to talk to amy klobuchar but i know you've been following her all day. what's her strategy? >> reporter: so alex, i'm going to do the thing i tend to do with you which is modulate my voice as we go because we're at a amy klobuchar event as we go, which is at capacity. you ask about her strategy, the debate last night had to help. just before we came on air, her

campaign confirmed they hit $2 million in donations since the debate last night. that's what they need if they want to keep going forward. you made a point her polling is low here. i think if anyone is going to get a bump out of that debate stage, it's probably going to be amy klobuchar but she needs to keep doing what she's doing. grounding it out and making her pitch to voters. you saw it on the stage last night, a two pronged approach. the national strategy, going after her opponents and making the contrast we've seen her make over the course of several debate stages but also a local approach. telling new hampshire voters she's here for them. she called out working with both of the female senators here, she made note of the opioid crisis that's hit this state hard. but she made a point about mitt romney, listen to what she said. >> meeting the moment, meeting the moment. we had a moment the last few weeks, mayor and that moment was

these impeachment hearings. there was a lot of courage that you saw from a few people. courage from doug jones, our friend of alabama who took the tough vote. >> reporter: so alex, talking about mitt romney, 2012 called it's kind of confused, that would be a selling point but if you look on the ground, mitt romney has a house here in new hampshire, a former governor of the neighboring state of new hampshire, and he had a big moment in washington this week. making that moment for the 42% of new hampshire voters who are not registered to a party. they can vote in this primary. when i talked to amy klobuchar the other day she said that factors in big because she wants to pull in people with the more moderate message. one last thing. i know we talk about the electability argument that looms over the entire primary, all of the candidates have been making that pitch but amy klobuchar

making it not subtly, she has it on her press credentials, saying amy will beat trump. i'm sure that's what we'll hear from amy klobuchar when she gets on stage behind me in a few minutes. >> that seems to be the number one concern for voters. thank you so much. moving now to the pete buttigieg campaign. he is blitzing around new hampshire today, hitting three different locations and it's just 1:00 in the afternoon. joining us from his latest stop, von hillyard. welcome to you. let's get to a discussion about the new joe biden ad that appears to take aim at pete buttigieg. how damaging do you think this might be to buttigieg? >> reporter: real fast, we actually left keane we're about an hour away to the next stop in lebanon. we're on the college campus of dartmouth. >> i can't keep up. that's what it is. the point is that.

>> reporter: but, you know, you watch that video while we were making that drive from keene here through hanover. this is a video the biden campaign went up with in the last hour which they compare they're calling the records of former vice president joe biden to the record of former south bend mayor pete buttigieg and it took quite a -- i'm trying to figure out a way to characterize the tone out of the biden campaign with this. suggesting the former vice president was negotiating iran nuclear deals, working to pass gun reform measures, that the buttigieg administration in south bend was more focussed on fixing sidewalks in the city of 100,000 in putting colored lights onto bridges. this has taken a turn in the campaign because you realize that joe biden's candidacy is really at a crucial moment here. losing by quite a bit to the

former south bend mayor in iowa. you just looked at the polling there, seeing it's bernie sanders and pete buttigieg at the top of polls here in new hampshire. it was a campaign aide to joe biden that actually tweeted just a few moments ago suggesting that that video they just posted has more views than the number of people in south bend. i want to play for you, though, just a little bit ago in keene at his campaign event, pete buttigieg. this is a message he's held onto that took him to victory in iowa that he's held onto here in new hampshire. take a listen. >> in a divided time in our country, i also don't think we can take the risk of excludeing anybody from this effort. of saying if you're not for a revolution or a status quo, then you don't fit. i think we are going to defeat this president by inviting everybody to be at our side and get this done together. >> reporter: you saw that same confidence in that debate last night, alex. this is somebody who effectively

convinced democratic voters in iowa that he could beat donald trump in november and he was worth giving a shot, he's trying to do the same thing here in new hampshire no matter what any other campaign video suggests. >> our dedicated nbc road warriors in new hampshire. thank you both so much. today several democratic presidential candidates are addressing the future of the federal courts the our rights our courts forum hosted by our own stephanie rhule. it wrapped up in concord, new hampshire ahead of tuesday's primary. joining us is our own stephanie rhule. great to see you. what issues did you tackle? what stands out most from what you heard from the candidates? >> the importance of the courts. because here's the thing, alex. i haven't heard much about it during the campaign season, have you? the person we hear about it the most from is the president.

last november president trump said when you're president the number one job is federal judges. he's delivered. two supreme court justices, 178 federal court judges and 50 circuit court judges. that's a dream for part of his base, specifically evangelical christians. and it's something we have not heard democrats talk about. they did start to have the conversation in last night's debate but today it was four hours, i sat one on one with eight candidates to speak about our judicial system and what lies ahead. take a look. >> what gives you hope literally that in the future things won't just be political? you can't change congress? >> sure we can. if we can't -- >> hold on, you being elected president of the united states is not going to change congress. >> if we can't change congress we're screwed. >> we should not have lifetime

appointments for supreme court justices. >> there's differences between secret dark money acting on behalf of corporations and open fights. they are taking us to the mat. they are kicking our ass, have you not noticed? >> the attitudes about guns in america has changed, and right now i know in my state of vermont, a rural state, people want strong gun safety legislation. >> we cannot allow the other side to caricature our support for women's reproductive rights as some extreme position. it's not. >> everyone should be able to see the supreme court when they make decisions about your rights. >> when you've got a tilted supreme court and a tilted court system, we got to start putting a lot more emphasis on what we can do through congress. >> what's been the most damaging ruling in your opinion since 2016? >> well, let's see, citizens united was before 2016 but the

voting rights decision. >> from overturning citizens united to packing the courts in their own way and learning from mitch mcconnell's game, those democrats had a lot to say. >> they absolutely did. i'm glad you put that compilation together. i had you in my office, i was watching but you gave the voters a good taste of each candidate brought. we'll have more analysis on the primary live from new hampshire all throughout this day today as well as tomorrow here on msnbc. here's another big headline today, president trump firing two of the most prominent impeachment witnesses in what the "new york times" is calling a post acquittal purge. ambassador to the eu gordon sondland and lieutenant colonel alex vindman ousted from their administration positions on friday. also the president is tweeting about his decision to fire vindman. let's go to hans nichols.

tell us what the president is saying. >> reporter: he's doing a couple things. number one he's claiming he doesn't know vindman, he didn't have a relationship with him. at the same time he is accusing him of being insubordinate. very insubordinate. and the tweet the president put out this morning. and he's repeating the claim that vindman had a bad review and he stated vindman had problems with judgment, adhering to the chain of command and leaking for information. in other words, out. it's the last part where the president appears to be owning the dismissal of alex vindman from the national security council. he will go back to the pentagon. he has a job in the airplarmy. he was supposed to stay at the nsc through july so this is premature. also his brother has been reassigned to the army. so both vindman brothers who the president has criticized are no

longer at the security council. and gordon sondland, the big trump donor, donated to the inaugural committee, he is being recalled and he's no longer ambassador to the european union. the question becomes anyone else still in the administration or on the nsc that testified against the president, what is their status? do they need to be worried about their job security? >> hans, can i ask you, have you been able to ask a question of the white house and find an answer? is there any sort of vailing, masking the reasons for these ousters or are they saying this is definitely retribution? >>. >> reporter: they're not owning to retribution, in general when you ask about personnel questions you get a standard response, that is we don't answer personnel questions. so they hide behind that, not necessarily on this issue but a host of issues. this administration isn't necessarily different than others in that. no one likes to talk about

personnel. clearly they're confirming the two vindman brothers are out, mr. sondland put out his statement talking about how he has been recalled. sondland went out of his way to praise and thank the president. we'll hear about any of these people who have been reassigned, whether or not they decide to go public. vindman only went public one time, when he was subpoenaed and decided to testify publicly to the best of his ability. >> something his attorney put out. let's bring in mike quigley, democrat from illinois. always good to see you, sir, thank you for joining me. your reaction to the president's firings, is there anything but any chance it's vindication for the performances during the impeachment trial in the house? >> given the timintiming, no. past behavior, no. of major concern is not just that these people were

dishonored by this treatment but it's a chilling effect on those still in the administration, throughout the administration that you can't decent with this president. you can't tell him that he's ever wrong. lincoln had his team of rivals, this apparently is a team of sycophants, and that's not good for the country. it's not good for the administration. but particularly hard to watch after watching colonel vindman testify before our committee twice. he spoke of his duty to do so, to talk about the truth. and that he said, he knew it was okay to do this because in the united states, the truth must come out. i guess the president taught him a lesson. it's hard to see this as anything other than as an act of cowardice against someone willing to tell the truth in his administration. >> are there any ramifications for doing so for this president? if the people that he's firing are not officially classified as

whistle-blowers, it clearly appears to be retribution, so does congress have any recourse to address this? should congress be addressing this? >> i'd like to think it could, but under the circumstances we've seen the last week, probably not. i think it reinforcement of a need to continue to investigate this president, that he did not learn from this action. in fact, those who said he did should understand what they've done is emboldened him and how he is going full forth in a vindictive thrust and we'll continue to see that through the end of this administration. >> here's what's concerning. given you're on the intelligence committee, i'll pose it to you. what kind of effect might this have on the national security apparatus? >> it's very important in a democracy, in an open government, that we have whistle-blowers. i speak of this not just about colonel vindman but the whistle-blower that began this investigation. but the intelligence community

out of necessity usually operates in secrecy to protect sources, to protect secrets and how we move forward so that we are safer. that ability to have whistle-blowers operate is even more important. it is essential in the intelligence community. basically what he's saying, the president, to the intel community, to the department of defense, that ability is not nearly as important as blind obedience to a president who neither respects the intelligence community, its operations or its independence. and the final analysis we are less safe because of that act. you were in chambers there for the state of the union. you would have seen the president's victory lap certainly at the national prayer breakfast and the east room of the white house. what went through your mind as the president held up those newspaper headlines? >> i think the reality is, it's not an acquittal when there's

not a fair trial. it was more of a cover up. and i'd like to think the american people can see through this. i practice criminal defense for ten years. i know what the public views as a fair trial. there's actually evidence presented, witnesses are brought forth and allowed to speak. so he can call it anything he wants. i'd like to think those beyond his base see it for what it really is. it wasn't a fair trial and therefore there's no acquittal. >> in terms of the president's hit list, if you will, he's not just going after impeachment witnesses, he's on the offensive against democrats, targeting speaker nancy pelosi, manager adam schiff. yesterday he was singling out senator joe manchin. are democrats concerned this could hurt them in places like west virginia and throw in alabama too because you have senator doug jones there. >> of course, i guess my first concern is personal safety. i think the president goes beyond criticism.

i think he puts some of my colleagues in danger. what were the words he used? he said, this is treasonous. so i think he equates himself as being the country. if you disagree with him somehow it's treasonous. and i think his words were you know what we used to do with those people, those who committed treason. we see real live threats coming into my colleagues. the president must recognize that, i hope the american people see him for what it is, a bully that puts lives at risk. >> congressman mike quigley always good to speak with you. the coronavirus claims its first american victim. first american victim.

breaking news at 22 past. an american in china is the first u.s. citizen to die from the coronavirus. a 60-year-old man was diagnosed on wednesday and passed away just 48 hours later. the global death toll now sits at 724. deadly cases of the virus, they are on the rise. there are now more than 34,000 confirmed cases across the globe. that includes 12 people across six u.s. states, california, arizona, wisconsin, illinois, massachusetts and washington state. joining me to discuss the outbreak is the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases.

doctor, welcome to you. this is a great concern. i have to say i have a family member going to disneyland the other day and was worried about being in a large space and worried about being able to contract that virus. is this a seasonal thing? is this like the flu? give me any comparisons or definitions of what this is about. >> i think speaking of the person that you mentioned, that can really get confusing for the american person. there is no real risk, if it is it's extraordinarily low in this country, as you mentioned. so people should not be afraid of going about their daily normal life in the united states. that's very, very different from what's going on in china. there have only been 12 people, 12 people is -- you don't want any people but 12 people who have been infected in this country, 10 of them have come from wuhan in china and are travel related cases. the other two are people very close contacts, the spouses of

the people who came here from travel from wuhan. so the idea of people being afraid in the united states, the risk still is low in the eyunit states. that might change and that's the reason why we're staying on top of this and take it very, very seriously because it is a major problem in china for sure. >> for sure. >> you mentioned the american who died in wuhan. that's very tragic and our feelings and empathy go out to the family. but there are a lot of americans in china and a lot of americans were in wuhan. and several of them have gotten ill. as tragic as it is, it's not surprising with a disease as serious as this sooner or later one would expire, and tragically that's what happened. >> you're taking it as a good sign that of the 12 in the united states, 10 travelled into wuhan, two are spouses, and it's been a while now. we've been watching this virus for the better part of a month plus now. are you thinking that the u.s.

has a good handle on things? are you confident? >> right now we do. but, one in the same breath that i say that, i can say things could change. as far as our response, we've responded appropriately. and it's worked. we've done the identification, the isolation, and the contact tracing. and there has been no sustained transmission in this country. which is good news. we want to keep it that way. that's the point we want to keep it that way. >> doctor, here is one scenario that i think can be alarming. i want you to explain it with the dozens of americans quarantined on cruise ships in hong kong and japan. is it a good idea to keep healthy people confined with people who have contracted the virus such as we are seeing on the ships? >> the decision was made by health authorities in japan that although there were infections on that ship, the best thing you

can do logistically is to quarantine them in a place they can be safe and separated from the people who are infected. the people infected were taken off the cruise ship and given the appropriate medical care outside of the cruise ship. so keeping people on in a safe, well structured, quarantined environment is actually the prow dent thing to do. >> doctor, last question to you. do you envision the ability for something like this to happen here in the united states as it has happened in china? we have coronavirus. i know you're familiar with sars epidemic 17 years ago. those originated in china. could that happen here in the united states? >> of course the answer has to be yes. but without frightening people. if you deny the possibility of there being a pandemic you're not really dealing with reality. but you have to balance that with the fact that we do have a good structured preparation. will there be more cases in the

united states? there very well might be and i would not be surprised. but you really cannot deny reality that there could be a pandemic and it could involve the entire world. but we shouldn't be frightened of that now, we should continue to be as vigilant as we are and do the things we're doing. >> we appreciate your sage voice in this reality. let's go back to politics. the president coming off a senate acquittal, feeling emboldened, firing two of the witnesses who testified against him in his impeachment hearings. the president hinting at it just hours before the decision came out. >> mr. president would you like to see alex vindman out of your white house? >> i'm not happy with him. do you think i'm supposed to be happy with him. >> is he going to leave? >> they'll make that decision. >> joining me now peter baker, white house correspondent at the

"new york times" and sonham chef. big welcome to you both. peter give me a sense of the mood in the white house in this post acquittal purge, as you write in your piece. >> i think there's a mood of, you know, pay back. we heard the white house press secretary say it on tv that the people who hurt the president and the country should have to pay for that. that's what you're seeing right now. alexander vindman was one of the impeachment witnesses who most aggravated the president with his testimony. they thought him wearing his uniform at the hearing and some of the statements he made were, in their view, over the top. alexander vindman's lawyer pointed out he testified because he was subpoenaed. he didn't step forward of his own volition. he responded to the legal demands he was required to respond to. there's been a back and forth today the president on twitter attacking colonel vindman again. his lawyer putting out a

statement a few moments ago decrying the most powerful man in the world taking vengeance in his view. so you have an ugly period three days after the senate acquittal. not a moment of reconciliation of healing but a moment of retribution. >> when you think of the timing, how quickly it happened and the public manner in which alexander vindman was escorted out of the white house, what is the president signaling to anyone out there? >> they're not trying to pretend this is anything other than preprizele. they're not putting out anything we're reinstructing. they meant for it to happen just after the acquittal. it was meant to send a signal to anyone else disloyal to the president. donald trump jr. put on twitter he's grateful to adam schiff for his investigation of the president because it showed who they should be firing, alex vindman and his brother who wasn't part of the impeachment hearings are obviously two of

those people they thick should be -- those people they think should be fired. >> so do you think more firings are coming? >> i don't know. it's hard, none of the other people are civil servants that it would be hard to fire them. gordon sondland was a political appointee so the president could fire him for any reason. alex vindman and his brother go back to the pentagon, it's not like they lost their military service, just their national security jobs. but a number of other witnesses left on their own. bill taylor has come back from ukraine. marie yovanovitch retired. so you're already seeing these witnesses move on, most of them quietly. some are still in their positions we'll see what happens. >> given your reporting on this, tell me when you were made aware that these firings were potentially going to be happening and was there any pushback from anybody around the

president on this? >> it's really interesting, we were talking about the white house's reaction to all of this, i think we need to remember the white house consists of two separate factions. one of them is the political apparatus, which is the people actually around the president. all those people, as peter mentioned, are in a mood of venn venan vengeance so they've been working at it for a long time. but the people on the national security council, the defense department and intelligence community, they're shaken by what's happened especially when you look at alex vindman and his brother. because as his lawyer specified he went through the proper chain of command, he reported his concerns according to federal law, he did not leak to people outside the white house and he was still, quote, purged from his job and escorted out in a really -- like you said, in a public and frankly humiliating

fashion. >> the shock waves you say are reverberating through washington why? is there fear other heads will roll or a tenor now that should this president be reelected that he goes without any reigns to do whatever he wants in washington? >> there's a couple reasons. one is the witnesses who testified in the impeachment inquiry are still working in the government, people like laura cooper, david holmes, george kent, they still have their jobs. so there is a concern that people like them could also be pushed out. but if you look at it from a broader sense, it sends threatening messages to potential whistle-blowers in the future. even if you follow the law, even if you go according to what u.s. federal statute says even if you think your status as a whistle-blower is protected, there's no guarantee. because frankly there are no checks on this president because of the republican-controlled

senate. if the democratic house were to impeach him again, there's no guarantee he would face consequences for his actions. that's why people are appalled with the brazenness he's gone about this. president trump's outreach to black voters, how is it being interpreted? that's next. is it being interpreted? that's next. ♪ it's the easiest because it's the cheesiest. kraft. for the win win. these days we're (horn honking) i hear you, sister. that's why i'm partnering with cigna to remind you to go in for your annual check-up. and be open with your doctor about anything you feel. physically, and emotionally. body and mind.

african-american youth unemployment has reached its

lowest level ever recorded. african-american poverty has plummeted to the lowest rate ever recorded. the best numbers we've ever had. remember i used to say what do you have to lose? >> president trump on friday ramping up outreach to black voters just the latest attempt by the president to appeal to that key voting block ahead of the 2020 election. trump starting the week with the super bowl ad toting his justice reform starring alice jones. as well as support for hbcu and school choice. welcome guys.

good to see you. you first, here. we have 8% of african-americans who voted for donald trump back in 2016. there's a recent washington post poll that found that 83% of black americans say they believe donald trump is a racist. do you think the president's efforts to court black voters will work? >> i think the president wants to get that 8% again or maybe increase those margins by 1 or 2%. i think that's possibly if he focuses on black men as i think there's a subset of black men who may be open to the president's messaging on economics and justice reform. however if i can add, black turnout was down in 2016 in comparison to 2012. in battleground states, black turnout was down at a sharper rate, 5.83% i think. if i'm democrats and i'm looking

at the pool of candidates i want a candidate that resonates strongly with african-americans because if not they're going to be struggling in november. >> what was going through your mind danielle as you were watching the state of the union? >> i can't say that on national television, alex. i wasn't thrilled. i will say that. i think trump is doing what he does, which is lie as much as he possibly can in order to get appeal from his base to, you know -- i think this appeal to the african-american community is one that is just absolutely hollow. all you have to do is listen to the words that come out of donald trump's mouth and then follow that by looking at the actions that he has taken. donald trump is a racist. 83% of african-americans who have eyeballs are aware of that fact. so anybody who would decide after they have seen this over the past three and a half years, the actions that he has taken and want to vote for him?

i don't know what to do with those people. but to michael's point, yeah, if democrats want to win and want to beat donald trump, they are going to have to do a much better ground game with the black community than they have been doing. and that, to me, is something they need to focus on, instead of continuing to focus on places like iowa and new hampshire. >> two points that jump to mind are the fact that donald trump was the or ridge nater of the birtherism problem. that and he's consistently insulted the first black president. is this something that the black community in general can get past? >> no. he just gave the congressional pea dal of freedom to a man who's a total and complete racist and said some of the most vile things about the first african-american family. so i don't think these are things they can look and get past and say his policies work

for me because they do not. there is nothing donald trump has done specifically for the black community. he has talked about reputable members of congress, attacked black reporters. he is a terrible human being in general but specifically for african-americans the question is what have you done for me lately or ever. except birtherism, attacked the central park five. the list goes on and on. not allow black people to rent in your buildings in the 1970s and had to be taken to court for that. the list goes on and on for offenses that donald trump has had against the black community and black people in general. >> there are some saying black voters aren't the only ones trying to be reached with this. the target audience was white republican moderates and independents but the address

included a set of claims that a slice of black americans disenchanted with the democratic field could position trump as a singular figure willing and able to deliver big things and remains an approach far more likely to compel white voters to the polls than black. does the message work for the white moderate voter? >> maybe. i'm a strategist, i go by data not whims of opinions or emotions. if you look at 2018 exit results that was not the case. republicans and the president did attempt to message to those white voters and i want to reiterate this again, there's a 5.3% dip in 2016 with black voters in key battleground states. if you see a repeat, i guarantee donald trump will be reelected. it's as simple as that. it's basic math.

>> i know you mentioned rush limbaugh. expand more on that and what went through your mind when you saw it. >> i have to say that it was -- it cheapens what the congressional medal of freedom means. there's nothing that rush limbaugh has done over his career other than preach hate and division and do so using the most homophobic, racist language possible. to award that man, especially in a room with tuskegee airmen, to award that man of all people the congressional medal of freedom was an insult to anyone that has ever received it, anyone that has ever worked on behalf of trying to get more people free. it was so insulting and just a really sad, sad day. >> same question to you, how did you feel about that? >> alex, personally i don't feel one way or the other. but i do think from a messaging and marketing and engagement perspective, i think there is an

opportunity for democrats or democratic leaning organizations to take that moment and then show various moments over the past several years of rush limbaugh making controversial and racial and sexist statements in key places to turn out not only african-americans and other minority groups but also engage the white sur buburban women yo mentioned. >> i have a feeling danielle was taking notes. >> that's a podcast. >> good to see you both. thank you so much. we'll have more analysis on the primary live from new hampshire both today and tomorrow here on msnbc. two reporters who covered the west wing the last three years are going to talk about what the president is like behind the scenes and who could be the next person out of a job at the white house. person out of a job at the white house.

if you're 55 and up, t-mobile has a plan designed just for you. and, for a limited time only, now you can get two lines for just $55, including unlimited talk, text and data. plus no annual service contracts. only at t-mobile. with our moving and storage solutions. pack what you want, we store it for as long as you want. then, we deliver it where you want, so whether you need to move or store your things, pods is here to help you with flexible moving and storage solutions.

pretty stunning breaking news to share out of thailand where soldier is hold up in a mall after killing at least 20 people. it's unclear if he has any hostages. we know 100 people have been evacuated after being trapped inside the mall for hours. reports show his rampage started at a military base and then went to that mall. it's a frightening time right now. we know four people are undergoing surgery, six are in the icu, we'll give you more

information as we get it on this attack. back now with the president's firing of two key impeachment witnesses. colonel vindman's lawyer pushing back on the president's tweets this morning. saying they conflict with his personnel record. here's what congressman mike giggly told me moments ago. >> a major concern is not just that people were dishonored by the treatment but it's a chilling affect on the administration that you can't dissent with the president, you can't tell him he's wrong. >> joining me now phillip rucker and carol ann, coauthors of a book "a very stable genius". they're both with the washington post and msnbc contributors. phillip, i know you being the

white house bureau chief for the post, does this square with what you're hearing from your sources today? how is d.c. taking these firings? >> you know, alex, in a way they could have been expected because they fit a pattern and it's something that the president signalled in that more than hour-long rant from the east room of the white house. he made clear he thinks the people who he feels wronged him in this impeachment proceeding would have a price to pay and he's been on a path for retributi retribution. seeking retaliation not with just democrats in congress, attacking nancy pelosi, but also the witnesses. it was a startling moment yesterday when both of the vindman brothers were marched off the white house grounds by security. and when ambassador sondland was removed from his post but it fits a pattern from this president. >> carol, the white house hinted a few days ago at a pay back. are insiders seeing it as a

venting or are they concerned about where the president's anger might take him? >> i think they're extremely concerned, alex and that pattern we talk about in the book it's this trajectory of the president becoming more and more emboldened. it is within the president's right to remove a political appointee like sondland, although we all know why he did it, and he did it despite sondland pleading with him to not do it. but it goes into the bowls of the white house, to a nonpartisan body, the national security council where the vindman brothers serve. it's a fact finding group that helps the country make good decisions about keeping us safe at night, keeping this country safe from terrorist attack, other dangers. if you can't be factual and serve the president with facts and you give him facts he doesn't like, then that is a really worrisome decision on the part of the president.

it is creating a lot of anxiety inside the white house but also out the white house. >> how about the president's mood right now, how would you sum that up? >> he's vengeful. he has raw emotions and grievances he's been nursing for months, since the impeachment inquiry got under way back in september. he's finally been acquitted and he feels like he has a get out of jail free card so he's launching on the campaign trail now, he feels unburdened, he feels unshackled. he is unshackled. there are not necessarily adults in the room steering his impulses. that's why we saw him lash out publicly at the prayer breakfast and the east room. and why he ordered the dismissals yesterday from his administration. >> we saw the obvious ones, those that were done publically and those that left the white house quietly.

are there others you believe could be on a hit list and is anyone likely to fight back, can they fight back with this president? >> it's a great question, alex. there are a list of people we at the post are considering as potentially on the chopping block. for example, the whistle-blower who went to his boss and also went to eventually to congress and the house to try to unearth and reveal what had happened in this call between the president, asking the ukrainian president for a favor. there are a lot of worries about those people. as to your question about can he be stopped? is so far no one is standing up to tell the president, this is a red line you're crossing, attacking public servants,ville fieing them and making things up on twitter about them. the president's tweet this morning had a lot of factual inaccuracies about the reviews that lieutenant colonel vindman

had, for example. but nobody is really getting in his way. and as we reported, the guardrails are down in this presidency. they were there in 2017 and a little bit in 2018, but the people who told the president no were driven out of the room, people who view their mission as saying yes. >> so as we get to the book, which by the way is so good, i'm literally going to be responsible for at least ten purchases and sending it out to family members and friends, honestly, you guys, i think every democrat will enjoy reading this, and i think every republican should also read this too. if you really want to get to the heart of what is going on behind the scenes and try to make sense of some days which are absolutely difficult to make sense of, but you explained in this book, phillip, that several people spoke only if you protected their identity. they're afraid of retaliation. what is the most alarming aspect of all of this that you cite, and what's the most inflammatory accusation that you heard

against donald trump? >> well, alex, there's a lot of new accusations and episodes that we learned about through these interviews with, by the way, more than 200 senior administration officials and other advisers to the president. but the most alarming pattern that emerged is the president's rejection of information, rejection of wise counsel from the people in the government who are there as experts in their areas to inform the president and help the president make reasoned and deliberate decisions. we heard time and time again him rejecting their advice, and he entered office, donald trump did, without a base of knowledge. and we reported for the first time in this book when he paid a visit to pearl harbor in his first year as president he had to ask his chief of staff what is this all about? he had heard of pearl harbor but didn't know the historic significance of that battle. >> literally my jaw dropped when

he heard that. >> i know that you wrote about an account that the president personally and directly leaked a story to "axios" and then told chris christie about it who by the why did try to offer him realistic advice. he's always complaining about liars and leakers. what does this type of revelation say about how the president does business? >> this president is a showman, alex. his number one sort of motive every morning when he wakes up is how can i win the day? how can i burnish my own self-image and perpetuate any own power. all politicians want to stay in power, the president has proven himself actually quite a genius at marketing himself. that's also a revelation, too. he complains about leakers. but he's using these tools that we don't think the deep state is using buring but he's using thes

to his own advantage. he wanted to quote, unquote, leak out a good story, and he's had his own aides leak out good stories to different people and news organizations. the mastery of this presidency is his ability to focus on how do i look better. how do i win this moment. the worrisome thing, as phil said, of the many, many, many people that we interviewed who served at the president's side day in and day out, they're really distraught about how often he's putting his own self-image and his personal victory above national security, above the things that are best for the country. >> yeah. all right, you guys, it's a page turner. i'm going to use the word mastery, borrow it from you, and apply it to the book. "a very stable genius." good luck, you guys. >> more from new hampshire after the break.

motor? nope.

not motor? it's pronounced "motaur." for those who were born to ride, there's progressive. new today presidential candidate andrew yang responding to ali velshi about a "new york times" article which cites former employees who say he lacked attention to certain issues around female employees. >> i haven't seen the article, but certainly i've been fortunate to work with incredible leaders, particularly women who have elevated every organization i've been a part of, and that's where we have to leave the entire country because the 21st century economy has to be around making us stronger, healthier, and that's where women naturally lead. right now we're not recognizing the work that women do in our

communities, in our companies to the proper degree, and if we change that, then we'd be much better off, much stronger. >> and joining me now is nbc campaign julia jester, she's following andrew yang in new hampshire today. welcome to you. how have these allegations in the "new york times" affected andrew yang there in new hampshire at all? >> reporter: with just a few days left until the primary, andrew yang is still introducing himself to voters here mainly with his argument of universal basic income, and that really has been his response to some of these allegations. he says that the marketplace is anti-women, and anti-people of color, and therefore to address those issues broadly, that we need to regulate through the economy, and he kind of made -- he told me earlier today it's not enough to just tell guys to treat women better. he made a similar argument with

the elizabeth warren saying you can't regulate away racism. you need to tackle the problems of the economy that put people of color and women at a disadvantage. so he's kind of using his typical stump speech on the trail to address that more broadly and connect with voters. >> okay. julia jester, thanks for the wrap there on andrew yang for this day. appreciate it. president trump's hit list, is there any common thread through all of the previous firings? ous firings? what's going on? it's the 3pm slump. should have had a p3. oh yeah. should have had a p3. need energy? get p3. with a mix of meat, cheese and nuts. i've always loved and i'm still going for my best, even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin, i'll go for that. eliquis. eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis is fda-approved and has both.

what's next? sharing my roots. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis, the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor if eliquis is what's next for you. [thunder] (mom) were you planning on mowing the lawn today? (son) no. (burke) seen it. covered it. at farmers insurance, we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. so get a quote at farmers-dot-com. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

we're past the top of the hour, which means i'm late, right to you richard lui. you take it away. >> good to see you alex, good afternoon to all of you. i'm richard lui at msnbc headquarters. we're going to have the latest from the campaign trail in new hampshire. that in just a moment. we're going to start this hour with breaking news coming out of afghanistan where u.s. and afghan forces were engaged by direct fire, that happening earlier today. this while conducting an operation in the nangahar province.