young, hip, social media ot more money ey, can you tweet all right, that wraps up this hour of msnbc live. "andrea mitchell reports" starts than anybody, what do i got to right now. >> and right now on "andrea do? i think part of this is about trying to get younger voters who mitchell reports," striking back, former chief of staff john we have not seen show up at his events but part of it is being a kelly, retired four-star general, lets loose on the little bit funny as well. president for ousting decorated >> josh lederman, have a great veteran lieutenant colonel trip. we envy you out there on the bus vindman for his testimony. tours. and another key witness ousted, michael steele and joel payne, thank you. coming up, southern charm, marie yovanovitch slamming mike could south carolina make or pompeo's state department. break joe biden's candidacy? >> right now, the state department is in trouble. senior leaders lack policy james clyburn, he knows the state better than anyone, he vision, moral clarity and joins me next. leadership skills. the policy process has been replaced by decisions emanating from the top with little discussion. >> jury duty, donald trump attacking the roger stone jurors and now the former u.s. attorney in charge of the stone case has

quit the administration after more attacks from the president. >> i want to thank the justice department for seeing this horrible thing. and i didn't speak to them, by the way. just so you understand, they saw the horribleness of a nine-year sentence for doing nothing. >> and twitter wars, the president picking a fight with mike bloomberg who wastes no time punching back. >> somebody said that he calls me little mike, and the answer is, donald, where i come from, we measure your height from your neck up. [ applause ] >> and good day. i'm andrea mitchell in washington where president trump is on the attack. in the last hour alone, slamming his former chief of staff, john kelly, more on that in a moment. first, the president's escalating criticism of the handling of the roger stone case.

first he went after the prosecutors who resigned from the case in an unprecedented act, now the president going after the jury, accusing the foreperson of having significant bias. it's all apparently too much for the highly regarded former u.s. attorney. she oversaw the stone prosecution. today jessie liu who had been in line for a top treasury job before the president with drew that nomination has quit the administration all together. prosecutors across the u.s. who spoke on the condition of anonymity said this week they had already been weary of working on any case that might catch mr. trump's attention and i use rakuten to get cash back in-store and online. the stone episode deepened their rakuten is free to sign up and it's in over 3,000 stores. concerned. they said they were worried that mr. barr might not support them i use it to buy makeup... travel... ...clothes, electronics. in politically charged cases. joining me now is peter to me, rakuten is a great way to get cash back on anything you buy. alexander, peter baker, barb sign up today and rack it up with rakuten.

mcquade and andrew weissman. peter, first to you, the president on a tirade, going after mike bloomberg. for the first time, john kelly speaking out against his former boss and the president wasted no time going after him. >> reporter: you're right on that. the president going after his former chief of staff, the retired marine general, the longest-serving chief of staff in the president's tenure. they did clash at times privately, but the president is lashing out today, frustrated by john kelly's latest statements, ones that he made last night at an event that took place on the west coast. kelly was critical of the president's policies on ukraine, on immigration, and he was particularly critical of the president's handling of lieutenant colonel alexander vindman who said -- who was on that call and said the president's call with the

ukrainian president was inappropriate. john kelly said that alexander vindman did exactly what you're supposed to do. he did his job. he did what we train them to do from cradle to grave. he said, we tell them to not follow what he described as an illegal order and if you receive one, to take it to the person who gave it to you, if they don't respond to that, take it to your boss. the president frustrated by all of this today saying that john kelly just can't keep his mouth shut, saying he actually has a military and legal obligation to do so. the president clearly very frustrated about this right now and it's notable that as he is kicking out john kelly, he's former vice president joe biden is counting on south praising some of the others on carolina to revive his his inner circle, william barr. presidential campaign after i was in the oval office coming in fifth in iowa and new yesterday after the tweet where hampshire. "politico" reports that if a he congratulated william barr phone call with supporters for his handling of the roger yesterday, he said, quote, i'll stone case. he lavished more praise on his be damned if we're going to lose this nomination. he just might if he doesn't do attorney general, andrea. >> and speaking of the attorney something very quickly. he's added as well that he's general, andrew weissman, i want confident he could win south

to ask you about jessie liu. carolina's primary. but that nevada's caucus next she had been nominated for a week, quote, was a little bit different. treasury department post. she was in charge of roger stone joining me now is james clyburn. and other cases. her resignation from the thank you very much. great to see you. >> thanks so much for having me. administration today after her >> well, what about joe biden in promotion had been withdrawn by the president is stunning. south carolina? >> well, this is really unheard he had such of in terms of how she was iowa and new hampshire. he has to get through nevada treated. she was unceremoniously kicked before he gets to south carolina. does he look too weak for all of to the door and told with no notice that she was no longer his long-held supporters there? the u.s. attorney and she could he had a very good base in your have a desk at the department of justice and instead a colleague state. >> well, i think he still has a of the attorney general is put good base in the state. in place and that was -- the i think that all of us are aware timing is incredibly suspicious that one of the reasons south because it's right at the time that the flynn sentencing memo carolina is where it is in this was changed to make it much more schedule is because many of us favorable to the white house, 20 years ago argued profusely same thing then happens with roger stone. for states like south carolina all of this is completely to be moved up in the calendar. unprecedented and the reason i think you have people like barb because what we were doing is

and me being outraged is we've getting iowa caucus, new been in the department for decades and it is heartbreaking hampshire's primary defining everybody and then we got to the to see the rule of law undermined so well. general elections and we found out that these candidates did >> and barb mcquade, you're watching this as u.s. attorneys not rate well with certain around the country and people in elements within our party. the justice department here in so what i think is going on now d.c. are increasingly concerned is the demographic of our -- and about william barr. the demographic of new hampshire >> yeah. all about the same. his job as the attorney general is to represent the people and only about 1% african-american. defend the constitution and again and again what we see william barr doing is acting as we're now going out to nevada president trump's personal attorney. this one, this incident and to south carolina and these regarding the roger stone candidates will have to recommendation is so updating to all of us because we hold dear demonstrate that they can speak to latinos in nevada and the independence of the justice department. we saw what that recommendation african-americans in south carolina and the candidates that was, a guideline sentence of seven to nine years and the next do well among these electorates, day, the u.s. attorney whose name was on that brief changed i think, will do themselves well it. the only thing that changed was

going into super tuesday. trump's tweet. >> and, peter baker, your reporting was part of that "new >> what about mike bloomberg? he's been gathering some pretty york times" piece about the concern nationwide by justice department prosecutors. big endorsements, is he going to >> well, that's right. be cutting into biden's support? exactly. i think for the last three years, the prosecutors in these 94 u.s. attorney's offices he's not on the ballot in south around the country have watched carolina. what's happened to other parts does it look like he's a resting of the justice department, seeing them shift dramatically place for people who were under this administration and felt like for the most part they concerned about biden's viability. >> i think so. had been immune from that. at least two of the people who they were putting bad guys in jail and it wasn't part of their world. endorsed him, both have new york now more and more, they're worried that some of their cases could get on the president's radar screen and they're trying to avoid cases that in fact connections. might attract his attention for lucy mcbath was very steep, still is, in the gun reform fear of some sort of an interference in headquarters and movement and of course, you i think that's a stark change in what we've seen. know, that was funded by the justice department has always been a political football to some extent, different mr. bloomberg and so they have presidents over the years sl these relationships and no one wanted to do this or that, but you've never seen a president asked people -- or we should not like this in the post watergate

era applying public pressure as guilty ask people to violate these personal relationships. they have them, they ought to well as whatever might be keep them. but i think by and large, people happening behind the scenes in favor of his personal friends. who feel that they want to get that's what's different of what we're seeing today. >> how weird is it for the the current occupant out of the president to be going after jurors in the stone case? white house will be doing what >> that is the most frivolous they think is necessary to get claim ever. that done irrespective of what if you look at the actual facts, anybody may say to the contrary. not just the adjectives that the >> what happens if joe biden president is using, but the does not win south carolina? facts, what happened here is you >> he will be in a very had somebody who worked in the civil division of the internal revenue service, disclosed all precarios situation. of that to the parties, later he needs to demonstrate that his philosophy about the campaign is correct. claimed this person shouldn't have been on the jury. >> and if he doesn't win south that's known as a frivolous motion and it was denied by the carolina, where might you and judge. there's absolutely no basis at others find your all, if you look at the facts, standard-bearer? >> well, i don't know where that and everyone in the public can look at the facts because the would be. i know all of these candidates. judge wrote them all up in a i know bloomberg.

written decision. i know amy klobuchar. >> peter baker, let me ask you i know bernie sanders. i know elizabeth warren. about just this escalating i've done events with all of attack mode from the president. them. and so steyer i've gotten to now that he is acquitted on the meet steyer and his wife and impeachment, he seems to be striking out in every direction, buttigieg, as you know, my own he's going out politically after grandson is working in that mike bloomberg, attacking the campaign. so i know them all. democrats as well, sees i'll make up my mind what to do vulnerabilities there of course given some of the people who did not do well in the new hampshire after the primary in south or iowa results. carolina if biden is not successful because i think that but what are you sensing from inside the white house? most of the people in south is there anyone concerned about these behaviors? carolina are pretty much where >> well, of course there is. he is. people inside the white house, >> do you think mike bloomberg you know, they try to come up can beat donald trump? with plans for how to move forward all of which can be up >> i think so. if i go with all of the current ended with a single with a single interview. polling. in fact, the one that i saw this they would rather handle -- some morning indicated that he does of the aides would rather handle things in a calmer fashion only about the same against trump as to find things up ended without any notice. all the other leading for instance, lieutenant colonel candidates.

vindman, it might have been anll of them seem to be untenable for him to stay working for a white house given what had happened, but what the white house aides were thinking beating trump by nine or ten they would do is that he would leave along with a lot of others points. and i think that's pretty real. who are leaves the nsc as part of a broader restructuring. >> james clyburn, congressman, thank you very much for being it would provide a cover story. with us. >> thanks for having me. instead the president up ends coming up next, dishonorable the plans of his aides and says, mention, after receiving the no, he wants that to be nation's highest honor, rush single -- he wants colonel limbaugh goes low with a vindman to be singled out. it's not even just that he wants homophobic swipe at a presidential candidate. to clean out and get rid of the inside scoop is next. people he thinks he can't trust, stay with us on "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. he wants to make a statement. bring your vision to life all of these messages, all of these twitter posts, all of these comments he's making, they're of a president who feels and save in more ways than one. liberated after this acquittal to say what he really thinks and lash back at the people he thinks have been tormenting him unfairly. >> and of course one of the first victims last spring already, almost a year ago was for small prices, marie yovanovitch. you can build big dreams, spend less, she finally quit her post after a long career at the state get way more.

department. shop everything home at wayfair.com last night at georgetown, it was the first time she's spoken out and i wanted to play a little bit more of that. >> we need a vigorous department of state vacancies go unfilled and officers are wondering whether it is safe to express concerns about policy even behind closed doors. it's not news the state department is being hollowed out from within at a competitive and complex time on the world stage. this is no time to undercut our diplomats. >> and, you know, mike pompeo is on a plane now heading to the munich security conference. the rest of the world is watching all of this, peter alexander, and i was at the munich conference last year and there was stone silence when mike pence said i bring you greetings from the president of the united states, donald j. trump, and all the foreign leaders stone silence, nobody clapped. >> you're right. marie yovanovitch said it very

eloquently before that audience last evening. yesterday i was struck by the other top officials that shared the room as he was hosting the ecuadorian president. right there was mike pompeo, mick mulvaney as well who sat stone-faced and just nodded along with the president. but this goes to the point of whether the president has learned any lessons from his impeachment and effectively from the acquittal. now just eight days away and there's been no self-reflection from the president about any of it even as republican lawmakers said they hoped or were aspirational that the president might have learned some lessons. i asked him that very question and he said that the lesson he learned not about himself was about the democrats who he lashed out at, calling them crooked and repeated a false assertion saying that robert mueller had lied under oath which is white house hasn't been able to provide any evidence of, the president, again, throwing

out fake assertions and to those republicans who suggested they would see a change, it doesn't appear that there is one. >> will there be a change with hope hicks returning, this long-time aide who left the president's side after her testimony to the mueller team and all of that focus of that. what about hope hicks returning? >> yeah, it's very interesting, of course, she's going to come back and the title of counselor to the president. she's one of the people he really trusts the most, one of the people he relies on, whose judgment he tends to give a lot of weight to. she's seen around the building as a stabilizing force in an unstable environment. i think what you see is the president trying to put together some of the elements of the team that got him there in the first place, some of the people from 2016 who he, you know, remembers fondly and wants to bring back together, the band in effect. he's at his campaign headquarters right now. and you're going to see a lot more of a campaign trump going

forward. >> indeed. we already are, i think. peter alexander, peter baker, barb mcquade, thanks to all of you. a big apple battle on twitter as mike bloomberg hits president trump where it hurts. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. reports" on m. the newday va streamline refi is the reason why. it lets you shortcut the loan process and refinance with no income verification, no appraisal, and no out of pocket costs. one call can save you $2000 every year. call my team at newday usa right now. that's why it's important to be prepared for anything life brings. america's highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of at fidelity, we'll help you build a clear plan for retirement. freedom last week, right wing one that covers health care costs, taxes, talk show host rush limbaugh is and any other uncertainties

while still giving you the flexibility to make changes to your plan as often as you need. going low with a stunning homophobic attack delivered because when you're with fidelity, yesterday. >> looking at mayor pete. a partner who makes sure every step is clear, there's nothing to stop you from moving forward. 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of south bend. ♪ here's wishing you the bluest sky ♪ loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage and they're saying, okay, how is this going -- 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to mr. man, donald trump. despite all the great ground that's been covered, america still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president. >> joining us now with the inside scoop, susan page, washington bureau chief for usa today and eugene scott. you tweeted this out, your reactions to this? we know who rush is, but now he has to be viewed in the context of someone who's been presented the presidential medal of

freedom. >> this is why so many americans on the right and left were really upset with him being the recipient of an honor because he has a history of making racist comments, sexist comments. but what's also true, he was speaking to his base, the people that support donald trump. and many of them do not have room in their construct of what it means to be presidential for someone who is in a committed relationship with another man. i think the surprising thing about that is, they do seem to have room in their construct for someone like rush limbaugh or donald trump who have been in more marriages than i can count right now. when we're talking about 2020, we're talking about policy and i think that's what voters are talking about most and focus on most, not what they're doing in their personal lives. >> how does this play, politically, if at all? >> it's been interesting.

i think, of course, pete buttigieg is a ground-breaking candidate, first openly gay candidate who is a credible person for the nomination, and it's been surprising that that has not been his biggest problem so far. his bigger problem has been his youth. he's 38, not 37, and his highest elected office has been as the mayor of south bend, indiana, and those are the issues that voters are more likely to raise. >> joe biden was on "the view" today and defending buttigieg. >> you see it's happening already. now pete has some traction, they're going to go after whomever it is the same way. >> they play dirty. >> people know me. they know who i am. they know that i have never been accused of doing anything that was indecent. i've not lied. i've been straight up. the bad news from me is i'm

authentic. i say what i mean, i mean sometimes and sometimes i say all that i mean. >> susan that is the joe biden we've come to know, isn't it? >> yeah. that's right. and that's the joe biden that people like very much, respect for his service, but wonder if he is the right candidate for this year. and you heard on your show, we're running a campaign for james clyburn saying if he does change and a campaign for sanity not win the south carolina primary, he will be in a tough and a campaign for honesty and situation. i think that expresses the inclusion and compassion and a reality that joe biden's test in south carolina, that's where he campaign for human decency. needs to show some strength if he's going to rescue his campaign. >> and then you've got mike you've heard the slogan, mike will get it done. >> michael bloomberg bloomberg, you jeacollecting barnstorming through super tuesday states right now getting powerfulful african-american a fresh look from moderate members of congress, people you democrats also who are concerned about joe biden's ability to go normally would have expected to go to joe biden. >> absolutely. and that's in part because he the distance after biden's has some relationships, long dismal showing in new hampshire

and iowa. he's clearly on the president's standing, with these politicians. and i think voters need to ask radar, bloomberg is. themselves, why are these people the president launching a fresh endorsing michael bloomberg and ask these lawmakers who are twitter attack against him today. serving as surrogates for the bloomberg striking back. >> the president attacked me candidate what is his response beginning this morning on twitter. to stop-and-frisk, response to thank you very much, donald. he sees our poll numbers and i other issues that have think it's fair to say he's historically been issues and concern for his constituents in scared because he knows i have new york that if you're not out -- if you're not in new the record and resources to york, you may not be that aware defeat him. >> joining me now, josh lederman of. >> susan, the debates really covering the bloomberg campaign matter and joe biden opening in north carolina, michael that debate in new hampshire with a low balling kind of steele, and joel payne, former trying to lower the estimates of director of paid media for how he would do and saying, well, i'm not going to do very hillary clinton's 2016 campaign. what is the vibe out there? well here, that made a lot of mike bloomberg is not used to people, voters in north carolina taking a bus across north carolina in retail campaigning. say why -- in new hampshire, i mean, why should i vote for you >> reporter: he's not, but he's when you don't even expect to quickly learning that that is going to be his life for as long win? and that opened a door for a as he is in the race. very strong performance by amy klobuchar. and just today, andrea, as you >> it was a preemptive concession speech on the friday were saying, this twitter feud before the election. between him and the president

has been escalating as we were i thought that was surprising. he also left the state before driving through the state of north carolina, one of those key the voting was over that day. super tuesday states. it started with president trump i think that struck people as a who seemed to have mike bloomberg on his mind, tweeting sign he wasn't fully invested in today about the president -- new hampshire. and it was in that debate that amy klobuchar made her move. mike bloomberg's height she came across as authentic, inaccurately, suggesting he was short and he was afraid to she had a message that she's not debate with the other democrats for revolution or for the status on the debate stage. mike bloomberg quickly shot back quo. that's also pete buttigieg's with his own tweets saying, we message. and it helped propel her to that know many of the same people in new york. behind your back, they laugh at surprising third place finish. >> thanks so very much. you and call you a carnival coming up, damage control, we'll talk to a member of the bipartisan delegation revisiting barking clown. ukraine's president whose call and, andrea, this is all part of with president trump was the bloomberg's strategy to show cornerstone of impeachment. that even more than the other senator chris murphy joins us democrats in the race, that he ahead. stay with us on "andrea mitchell is impervious to trump's reports" on msnbc. colonial penn can help. trolling, he knows how to stand up to a fellow new yorker. >> and, michael steele, is this going to work? >> i think it is. look, it's -- it's a different dynamic than we've seen thus

far. i think what mike bloomberg is doing is what a lot of people expected joe biden to do. joe biden sat flat when the assault against him and his son began by trump. irrespective of the doings and hi, i'm jonathan, a manager here goings on with respect to at colonial penn life insurance company. impeachment and whatever and with coverage options starting at just $9.95 a month, investigations with burisma, man up. i think a lot of democrats you can get a whole life insurance plan thought that there would be some to help close that gap fight that donald trump -- that with a benefit check paid directly to your beneficiary. joe biden would bring to that it's cash they can use right away, engagement with trump and he and generally, it's free from federal income tax. didn't. and bloomberg has shown just in if you're between age 50 and 85, a quick turn around, you want to go? look, we know the same people. coverage options start at just $9.95 a month. you want to have a conversation? and the rate is locked in, let's talk about what they say about you. so it can never go up. and that is something i think there are no medical questions. you cannot be turned down for any health reason. that trump has got in his head is going to be mindful of going and it comes with two lifetime guarantees. forward. >> joel, there's some one, your coverage can never be cancelled, endorsements and he had a number of african-american mayors and and two, your rate can never go up. congress members endorsing him, this is our #1 most popular whole life insurance plan. take the first step now. major players including greg call for free information and you'll also get

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at newday there's no income verification, and yet in this climate, it becomes a problem on the no appraisal, and no out of pocket costs. campaign trail. activate your va streamline benefit now. >> and i think -- i'm a firm believer in time, place, circumstances, and so, you know, looking back five years ago, looking back on the heels of the housing crash, you know, a lot of our politicians, if you go back and pull what they were saying then, today in hindsight would seem a little bit off message or tone deaf. and so i think to your point, joel, he's going to have to come with clarity in his answers and a higher level of conviction in his apologies, if that's what ukraine's president zelensky he's giving, or his is waiting for the in havevitato explanations. and i think with mike right now, it's a lot -- it's been a lot of frontal stuff, i'm putting out the oval office. he will host ron johnson and an ad at the super bowl, an ad chris murphy that met him on in response to trump and i'm september 5th, just as questions going to tweet against him. were raised by the senators and but it's what he has on the others why president trump was ground face to face with voters with holding critical aid to the

and with the press that's with him that he's going to have to country. senator murphy joins me now. address first. >> the best news for mike what will your message be to bloomberg is that donald trump and he have spent the entire day president zelensky who has been watching the impeachment and in an air war on twitter, that watching the acquittal and i'm elevates him and that's sure wondering where his ultimately what mike bloomberg wants. >> josh lederman, what about the strength can come against fact that they've also bought into this company that is vladimir putin. >> i think we're going to have creating these fake social media two simple messages, at least i accounts to try to make him will have two simple messages. appear cooler? the first, bipartisan support >> reporter: yeah, and it's interesting, andrea, because remains for ukraine. that's why senator johnson and i mike bloomberg is kind of poking a little bit of fun t these will be there together. we have very different feelings on the president, but we understand ukraine sovereignty and their security is tied to the security of the united states, and we have work to do. we've got to get a new ambassador, a new special envoy for the peace process, we need to get that meeting set up here in washington. and i think we need to increase security and economic aid. i will come with a second message which is that rudy giuliani is still around the

ukraine. he was there in the middle of the impeachment trial. i think zelensky's instincts are to stay out of politics, but i want to reiterate how to stay away from efforts of people around donald trump to drag them back into the election mess. >> if you are sitting there, have vladimir putin right there, occupying part of your country, you watch president trump overruling, pressuring the justice department to change the sentencing of one political ally, you see him interfering, chastising jurors in the roger stone case, doing whatever he wants in terms of not showing up, his cabinet officials not showing up for hearings they're supposed to be testifying to. what impression does he have about what back stop there is against president trump's hostility to his interests? >> i think in general right now

whether it be ukraine or any other country around the world, there's a message sent from the united states to stay away from this. we're kind of toxic, allergic right now. you're either going to get double crossed like trump did to the kurds or dragged into american domestic politics like trump did to the ukranians, so i think everybody is just looking for other friends right now. and of course, for a long time the united states created a model based upon self determination, democratic vote, rule of law, that attracted nations to us. now that our country is looking more like the tin pot dictator ships we used to fight, it gives nations less reason to attach themselves to us. i think zelensky is going to be looking for other friends. johnson and i are going to be going there to let him know at

the least there remains support for ukraine in congress if not in the white house. >> you have a war powers vote, you have eight republican senators voting with you, democrats, you don't have 60 votes yet. >> we don't have enough to override the veto. it only takes 50 votes for this measure to pass the senate because it is a privilege resolution. it is kind of alarming to me we only have eight republican votes. this war powers resolution is a restatement of existing law. what it says is that the president can't take military action against iran unless he is defending against imminent attack without coming to congress first. i don't know why that wouldn't get 100 votes, but as usual anything that hints at criticism of the white house will get reaction from a big portion of the republican caucus that wants to know first and foremost what trump thinks, not necessarily what is law, what the

constitution says, what their constituents think. >> have you been briefed at all on what might be happening with the taliban? there are reports of possible peace deal and possible draw down or withdrawal from afghanistan coming very soon. >> i haven't gotten any briefings yet. i will be at the munich security conference this weekend with the folks at the state department, department of defense, and could potentially fill in details. i am supportive of a deal. makes sense to talk to the taliban upon conditions in which we could bring our troops home. i don't know after almost two decades trying to bring political reconciliation to afghanistan we're going to have any luck for the next 20 years, we need to protect immediate security interests, preventing al qaeda in afghanistan. so if we can get that deal,

something i can support, but we have that deal or a version of it a few months ago, and the president shut it down just because he wasn't getting the photo op he wanted at camp david. i'll believe it when i see it when it comes to an eventual good deal with the united states with the taliban. >> senator chris murphy, safe travels. thank you very much. we'll be right back. travels. thank you very much. we'll be right back.

and get your popcorn ready.

in just a week, february 19th, nbc news and msnbc host the next debate from las vegas. they'll be putting the remaining candidates to the test just three days ahead of the crucial nevada caucus. watch it live wednesday, february 19th, 9:00 p.m. eastern, here on msnbc. it could be if he qualifies michael bloomberg's first presidential debate. that does it for this edition of andrea mitchell reports. follow us online and on twitter. here is chris jansing in new york. >> i'm with you. watching to see if mike is in the debate. today, a bit of a bombshell announcement from the white house. hope hicks, closer than almost anyone to president trump during the 2016 campaign, then at the white house as communications

director, is coming back, nearly two years after she resigned. her new title, counselor to the president. but it is likely her old priority will be the same, be near the president as someonee trusts implicitly, again, help him win the election. her work will include the re-election campaign, reporting to jared kushner. she returns