good day, everyone, from msnbc world headquarters here in new york. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." it is a very busy sunday with a lot of developments. we're get to it and start with the milestone as today marks 100 days before what could be one of the most consequence shall presidential elections in generations. as we sit here today most polls have joe biden in front.

the clear politics average has him leading president trump by 9 points and in crucial battleground states it is biden leading by more than five points. some thoughts as the candidates mark the final 100 days. >> the health of our country, not just the physical health which is a problem, but the mental health of the country, the economics, it has to do with the criminal justice system. >> i think it is a lot of us have to come together and not just us as being common people as well as the politicians. >> we have a team of reporters fanned out across the country speaking with voters to find out what issues matter to them most. right now we'll bring in shaquille brewster and ali vitali and, shaq, first, wisconsin, a state that he won

in very narrow terms in 2016. what are voters saying about the upcoming election, shaq? >> reporter: well, alex, democratic voters are optimistic about vice president biden's campaign. and donald trump was the first to win here in 30 years an the margin of the victory was about 23,000 votes. he earned fewer votes than mitt romney did in 2012. where you saw the dropoff was among traditionally democratic voters. for example, in this democratic strong hold of milwaukee, voters, about 42,000 fewer voters came out in 2016 than in 2012. people feel like more energy is there and when you look at what president trump had to say in 2016 of what do african-americans have to lose, they believe that answer, that question has been answered.

listen to my conversation with one gentleman yesterday. >> the momentum from 2018 when they took the house back is only increased, it hasn't decreased. they said in 2016 what do you have to lose. everybody saw what they have to lose and that is why they took back the house in 2018. >> reporter: another voter said it is the righteous anger in the wake of george floyd that could overcome and it is more important than any excitement for one particular candidate. i spoke to the black chamber of commerce head, the person who runs the wisconsin black chamber of commerce and he said based on what he's hearing, he thinks the one thing joe biden could do to excite african-american voters here in milwaukee and across the state of wisconsin is choosing a black woman as his vice presidential nominee. and that could show that the democratic party is taking that important voting block very seriously.

alex. >> kynesha grant and tom steyer felt the same way in the last hour. so good to see you. turning now to harrisburg, pennsylvania, ali, you're following the progressive turnout project. they're knocking on doors. that is a little bit of a risk in this time of covid-19, so how is it all working out? >> reporter: well, alex, you know that door knocking is the br bread and butter of grassroots organizing and marking something like 100 days out from the election. but most of the groups in the democratic and republican spheres have opted instead to shift organizing online to try to train people in zoom conversations, or doing classic phone banking. trying to stay involved with voters while they're still at home. but the group that we are out with today are one of the ones trying to revamp this classic bread and butter organizing tool to stay safe during the pandemic. i asked a organizer how she

feels about that and how it is working out. listen. >> is there any part of you that is concerned about door knocking in a pandemic? >> no. i'm honestly -- no, i feel i'm equipped with everything that i need to do everything safely as long sas i do the correct procedures i'm okay. >> is there a energy around politics right now. >> you could feel electric. today we have 100 days until elect zoom and the conversations you heard people talking about and when you go door-to-door and you hear people stories and how they're affected it is a good reminder for what i'm doing and why i'm doing it. >> reporter: and as he were walking around this neighborhood here, you saw that this organizer kelsey would knock on the door, she would take six feet of distance back, if someone came out they would keep socially distanced the entire time after every door knock she would sanitize her hands so a lot of precautions being taken and the thinking from the

turnout project is they're looking to turn out democrats who have democrats but may not always vote. so trying to get voter participation up which is half of the battle. you're trying to get more democrats to out if your the democratic party and trying to highlight the fact that president trump, i campaigned and i was here as he was campaigning in pennsylvania in 2016, that message at the time was i'm not a politician, and a heavy focus on bringing back manufacturing in the state. now he's been president for four years. this is a referendum on the first four years of the presidency and so they're functioning on two prongs here. the political side which is the referendum and then the turnout side which is turning out voters who may not have come out in 2016. >> but that poll worker, the door-to-door canvasser, she was doing her job very capably. watched her every single time. she rings the door bell and comes back and washes her hands. good for her. thank you very much. now to mike memoli. mike has been covering joe biden for a long, long time.

so i know, mike, as i welcome you my friend, the campaign ramping up the strategy. what are they doing and do we know when the $64,000 question of the veep pick will be announced? >> reporter: that is the big question, alex. consider this it was over 100 days until election day and about 100 days ago that joe biden became the nominee after bernie sanders dropped out of the democratic primary. and the biden campaign has been hard at work over the past 100 days trying to unite the parties bring the sanders and the warren supporters of the other candidates behind joe biden so they could enter the fall united behind him. they've also been really restructuring their entire campaign to suit a digital era. you just heard from ali vitali about that. but a 10 hour drive from here joe biden is hard at work making the most consequenceal position in his life. and who he will choose as hi

running mate. and you hear people talk about it in terms of which states might help him win, which voting block might a particular candidate help him win but whenever i approach this discussion, i look at what joe biden has been saying and no vice president, no former vice president, no democratic nominee for president has ever said as much about what they're thinking in terms of the choice than joe biden. let's go back in time and listen to biden talk about what he would look for in a running mate. take a listen. >> the role of the vice president is to be the last guy in the room, and have the president's back. and to do that, you have to be in a circumstance where that president knows that you are intellectually and politically and ideologically simpatico. so whoever i pick is going to have to be supportive and come from the same, like barack and i did, the same political spectrum that i am. because otherwise, you can't do

what barack did with me. >> reporter: so, where does this search stand, alex? well we learned a lot about that from joe biden himself in a conversation with joy reid on monday. we know that his search committee is now in the process of sitting down with biden and working through the detailed vetting files that they've accumulated over the last six to eight weeks, going through the pros and cons and potential trip wires for each potential trip. biden wants to sit down with each potential choice that is in the field still at this point. we know how important those personal relationships are to joe biden and he's going to want to have that moment. he hopes to be able to name that woman after august 1st. that is just a week away. so we could be back here very soon on stakeout watch hoping to get some clues about who that is. >> august 1st is saturday. how about if he does it next weekend. that is great. we'd be covering that nonstop. that gives insight into what he's looking for. he's probably sticking right to

it. mike, thank you. with 100 days left until election day, we're look at arizona now in addition to the president. they'll be voting in a very key senate race between incumbent martha mcsally and challenger mark kelly. in a brand-new nbc mar is poll kelly is ahead by 12 points. the democrats are leading in the presidential rate there. joe biden holding a five-point lead at this point over president trump. let's go to steve patterson from phoenix with the very latest on the new poll and it comes out just a day after the state suffered the second largest covid 19 total in terms of deaths to date. steve, that is pretty rough. how are voters feeling in this battle ground state? >> reporter: you know, that is the issue that is top of the mind, when you look at all of the key issues that could be the headliner, whether it is immigration reform, whether it is jobs, the economy overall, race relations, all of that, if not overshadowed completely by

covid is colored by it. the state of arizona, over 160,000 cases and 3,000 deaths and yesterday, excuse me, the second highest death toll that the state has recorded so far. and while the numbers are starting to plateau, if not decline in some cases, remember that in the month of june this state led in infection rate across the country. that is factoring into the numbers in the new poll that we're seeing including biden versus trump in the gap in registered voters who are looking at support for who could do a better job in dealing with the coronavirus. biden is up now with an 11-point lead over donald trump there. that is trickled down as you mentioned into the heated senate race of kelly versus mcsally and astronomical amount of money has been raised there but you could see with the numbers that the democrats have really seized on the fact that coronavirus should be a key issue. that is what kelly really has made at the forefront of his

campaign,i campaign, pushing for support for minorities impacted an trying to push congress to get more federal aid to arizona. whereas the gop strategy really seems to be aligning with the pandemic politics of donald trump, trying to get jobs back and trying to open everything up as soon as humanly possible and pin the blame for the virus on china to target their base of support with then enthusiasm gap that we're seeing in the state. that is a dangerous proposition here in maricopa county. this is the largest percentage of voters, including phoenix, this core around metropolitan phoenix where you've had declining support for the white suburban women and declining from millennials and latino support solidified much more with the democrats. it is extremely hard to win in a statewide election if you do not carry this county and it is the most impacted by the coronavirus

so far. >> steve patterson, thank you very much from a very warm phoenix. appreciate that. new reaction from the trump administration on next relief package as millions risk losing boosted unemployment and facing revision. let's go to shannon pettypiece. a big welcome to you. what is the administration saying about this proposal and any potential timeline for resolution here? >> reporter: well, it looks like the standoff between republicans has been broken. you had one camp who wanted a greatly reduced supplemental unemployment benefit, that is that $600 a week unemployment benefit that people have been getting and another camp that is concerned about pulling back on that in an election year. they have reached a compromise, talking about now giving people up to 70% of what their income is while they're continued to be unemployed and it sounds like the white house is on board. at least at this time. here is what larry kudlow has to

say about this. >> we are going to have on top of the cap of wages, 70%, which is quite generous by any standard, on top of that, we'll have a reemployment bonus and a retention tax credit bonus for going back to work. the trick here is going back to work. don't forget, there is a $1,200 check coming. that is going to be part of the new package. >> reporter: a big theme we've heard from republicans in the white house is they have this assumption that people are not going back to work because they could make more money on unemployment and believing that if they scale back those unemployment benefits more people will go back to work. that is their assumption. a few other things in here, mitch mcconnell sort of pet project or pet issue which is this liability protection for companies that open back up so they can't get sued if someone believes they get coronavirus in their establishment. but one thing that is not in there is this payroll tax cut,

which president trump has threatened to veto any bill that doesn't include a payroll tax cut and steve mnuchin is saying that is something that could be addressed later on down the road since republicans an democrats are opposed to it. but we have a long way to go. democrats have not been brought into the negotiations. you have a house bill that the democrats passed that is much different. including the price tag. it is about $2 trillion more than the democratic bill than what the senate is proposing. so we have to get those two to come together and meanwhile we're bumping up against the deadline of july, when supplemental employment insurance will run out and evictions and a moratorium has skier expired so a lot of people facing less money and the potential of losing their housing in the next few weeks or so. >> okay, shannon, thank you very much for outlining what people have to look forward to or not. it is a struggle.

thank you so much. let's go back now. there we go. to selma, alabama. that is where a very powerful tribute for john lewis took place this morning for the very last time, the caskest of the icon was carried across the edmund pettus bridge stopping in a solemn moment midway across the river. the same bridge that he and other advocates marched across on bloody sunday, 55 years ago back in 1965. nbc's press illa thompson is joining us once again from there. talk about your big takeaway from this moment. it was so point guard nan-- it . what was your big takeaway as you watched that. >> certainly emotional. and for me just to see the family atmosphere here. before the casket arrived, people had got together and

singing this little light of mine and almost a jovial moment and then as that casket rounded the corner and made its way on to the bridge, people were again singing but it was the spirituals from the civil rights movement. we shall overcome and songs like that. and it really felt, it harkened you back to that moment in 1965 when those demonstrators were here trying to cross that bridge, demanding the right to vote. and so many people that i spoken with here today and over the past couple of days have talked about the significance of this being an election year, 100 days out from the election and so to have this moment sort of culminate on that, something that john lewis fought so much for, so many people here feeling the importance of needing to vote this year. and then obviously his casket is now journeying on to montgomery, alabama, where he will lie in state there. it is going to take the same route that those marchers took in 1965. so it will pass the rosa parks

museum and the dexter avenue baptist church where king preached some very historically prominent places as it makes its way to the capitol and then a private receiving ceremony where we expect the governor kay ivey along with the alabama congressional delegation and members of the family to lay a wreath before that sort of space that is opened up to the public to view and for alabamans to pay respects before john lewis's casket and moves on to washington, d.c. tomorrow, alex. >> thank you so much for outlining what we have to look forward to on that. joining me now is erin hanes from the 19th editor at large. what web through your mind as you watched the poignancy of that hour at about 11:00 a.m. eastern? >> yeah, i mean, well as a native of atlanta and covered

congressman lewis and the legacy of the hard won gains of the civil rights movement that people like he and ref vand ct vivian and ambassador young, reverend lafayette and reverend jackson and that we've been hearing from with the passing of congressman lewis and vivian, it was really the symbolism of congressman lewis crossing the edmund pettus bridge for the final time. we know how many times we've seen congressman lewis come back over and over again to commemorate bloody sunday because he understood the importance of that symbolism and he understood that telling and retelling that story was an important reminder for folks. not just of those hard won gains that he and others fought for, but of the need to stay vigilant in the fight for democracy over racism. that that was something that was fragile and that had to be protected and defended year

after year, generation after generation. so congressman lewis was a visible and present reminder of what the stakes were in this country. we saw that symbolism on display not just today but in his final appearance at the bloody sunday commemoration back in march. people understood what the weight of that meant headed into a consequential election. and you didn't just see rose pedals, you saw people lining u.s. route 80 over the bridge and i think you'll see similar lines at least from the black voters that i talk to heading into election day because for them paying tribute to john lewis means voting in his name. and it is not just participating in his democracy, it is a way to say thank you to people of that generation for their service and for really helping to perfect the union. >> 100%. that is what he wants more than anythingch and you talk about the symbolism and you mentioned the rose pedals, it waepsn't lo

on me the red of the rose pedals that are beautiful and welcomed him in a gentle way as he crossed over the bridge for the last time, 55 years ago the red on that bridge was his blood that had been spilled by being beaten an the blood of many others. and it just -- there was something that struck me about that. but when i think about him, and the symbolism that he embodies as the conscience of congress, jason johnson i was talking with in the last hour and he doesn't know who step news his shoes. not that anybody could. because despite his smaller stature and height he has huge shoes to try to fill. is there someone who comes to mind that you think could pick up that very heavy mantle of his and carry it forward? >> well, you know, alex, i think that congressman lewis is a singular figure in our history and i don't know that it is fair to really ask anybody to step

into his shoes. >> true. >> and his is not a legacy that could be necessarily filled in that way. only carried out. i think a lot of people are seeing this moment with congressman lewis, reverend vivian and lowry passing back in march and passing of a torch to a generation. i think the continuum of the idea of black lives matter which was really what people like congressman lewis were asserting 60 years ago, it is on full display in our national reckoning on race in this moment. so i think that the keepers of that legacy are alive and well. maybe not as -- as some of the people that we now consider giants but let's remember they were not considered giants in their time either. and so just remembering that this is not about one moment or

even one era in our country but this is just a continuum of the vigilant defense of democracy in the face of racism that continues to this day. >> perfectly put erin hanes. i'm sure this is a tough day for you. it is a great loss for you and for this country. thank you so much, erin. a new night of protests in portland, thousands sending a message about the presence of federal agents in their city. n y ♪we ain't stoppin' believe me♪ ♪go straight till the morning look like we♪ ♪won't wait♪ ♪we're taking everything we wanted♪ ♪we can do it ♪all strength, no sweat >> techand your car., we're committed to taking care of you >> tech: we'll fix it right with no-contact service you can trust. >> tech: so if you have auto glass damage, stay safe with safelite. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

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protesters and federal agents clashed in portland once again overnight leading to the local police declaring a riot, they toppled a fence around the federal courthouse. mara barrett is in portland and spoke with protesters. how would you describe what happened last night and the aftermath today? >> reporter: alex, last night was different than what we saw over the past week. the protests began in three

separate locations an converged here outside of the federal courthouse. you could see workers working to repair the fence that was toppled over in sections last night. the protesters tried for several nights to pull it down and other damage on the building as well, some black charring from where fireworks were set off, throwing them over the fencing as federal agents were standing outside. and the federal agents standing along the fencing for about 45 minutes and the tear gas that they were deploying wasn't working last night as the wind picked the tear gas up and seemed to lift away and so thousands of people stayed around the courthouse late into the night before any violence occurred. but they were definitely throwing items and objects and fireworks at the federal agents because they came out in the street past the fence to disperse the crowd. take a listen to one of the moms, kathy martin, to get a take of the situation.

take a listen. >> it is unconscionable to think that we as citizens in the united states have our federal government and the military attacking us. everyone in this country should be in fear right now. what you're seeing now is everybody is realizing what is going on and what has been fermenting for decades so this is now finally everybody saying this is too much. this is enough. and it's time. and what we really need to do is get done from demonstrating and making things happen that are going to have a lasting change. this is the beginning. but this is also the end and nothing will change. >> reporter: now, the u.s. attorney's office of oregon hold a call with local reporters yesterday saying that federal agents will remain in place in portland until the protests are entirely peaceful and after what we saw last flight, as both federal agents and portland police for the first time since federal agents have arrived came out to the streets to help disperse and that is going to

cause a lot of anger because what we've been hearing from protests in the week that we've been here is that the portland police prior to the federal agency arrival had teargassed the crowds and not supported the community in order to quell the violence that has been going on here in the city. so it doesn't seem like these protests will calm down any time soon. alex. >> more out there in portland, a hotbed of activity now. thank you. joining me now michael steel, former rnc chairman and msnbc analyst and john meacham and historian. both are my friends. good to see you. thank you so much. michael, you first here. take a look at what the president's chief of staff mark meadows said on the topic this morning. here it is. >> in portland, we have federal agents there that are protecting a courthouse that actually has not only been vandalized but they're trying to burn it down, george. we can't have this in american cities. so as we look as that, you have

people in fencing there but they're throwing molotov cocktails and doing all kinds of rioting there in portland around a courthouse that they desire to burn down. that is very different than what we're doing in chicago and new mexico and in kansas and other areas because what we're trying to do there is come in and help with gang violence and making sure that we make arrests. >> so michael, as you listen to them, is this all part of the president's law and order messaging? >> oh, very much so. absolutely. and the genesis and the impetuous for it in the case of portland is the federal courthouse. that gives them the nexus, the ability to push those federal agents and troops into that space. if they were, for example, protesting at the mayor's office or some other municipal center

for a public park that was not federally owned, it would then create a much more difficult nexus for the president to send federal troops in to deal with what is exclusively a city or state issue related around city or state property. but because it is federal property, absolutely this fits into that mean of law and order. even when you pull it out to chicago and milwaukee and other places, the reality of it is the president is always looking for that nexus. now he needs the invitation in chicago, he can't just show up there because that is putting the military in a police action which i have a problem with and i'm surprised that mayor of chicago signed off on that. are you that desperate to bring in the federal troops to deal with what the police are dealing with. but that is the kind of space we're in right now. >> so you're shocked by that. you heard that woman, michael, in the sound bite that said she was shocked that federal agents

were being put up against american citizens. i mean, it is not only you that is shocked, it is clearly many in the american population so how will that work out for this president, ultimately? >> well this is one more thing that the american public is going to take into the ballot box, into the voting booth with them or the kitchen table as they sit down with their mail-in ballot beginning in a few weeks along with covid-19, the civil unrest, the state of the economy, all of these things now are part of the political pot that they're going to assess the qualities, capabilities and strength and weaknesses of this administration and how they've handled these type of events and what the polling is showing us is that is not going over very well with the public. there is not a lot of love for what they see happening and that is one more thing that they're going to weigh probably against the president. >> as guy to my historian, trump

calling these protests anarchy and against black lives matter protesters is this reminiscent of richard nixon, the law and order message. is it the same or different, what is your interpretation? >> sure. there is something poetic about the fact that we're memorializing congressman lewis today. because american politics, as michael knows and as you know, alex, bounces back and forth really rapidly. so 1965 when john lewis went across that bridge that first time, that seemed to be kind of a high water mark of post-war american liberalism. the voting rights act passes in august. the great society going lyndon johnson was just coming off a 60% plus victory in 1964. "the new york times" wrote that conservatism was dead for a generation on the day after barry goldwater lost to lyndon

johnson in 1964. in 1966, richard nixon, the former vice president, spent a lot of time on the midterm circuit. the republicans had a huge year. ronald reagan became governor of california. and you were setting up a kind of backlash. lyndon johnson had about as much time as president kennedy had entirely in office to deal and execute the mandate he received in '64. so american politics is a pendulum. anyone who thinks this presidential election is over is crazy. absolutely. it is 100 days and what we're seeing, i think, to go to what michael was saying, is a conscience effort to show and to sow certain kind of chaos in the country so that trump can appear to be the fortten brass like

hamilton and the figure we need to think about and the country will have him on its mind for about 24 hours or so, is not richard nixon, but george wallace who was the governor of alabama, who was the last person, i believe, to lie in state at alabama capitol where congressman lewis is headed on highway 80 and wallace said in 1961 he was going to be the governor who defended segregation today and tomorrow and segregation forever. in 1964 he ran for president and he did very well outside the american south. people who think this is entirely a southern problem are wrong. he did well in indiana, he did well in wisconsin. and on election day 1968, more than 55% of the country, think about that for a second. more than 55% of the country voted for either richard nixon or george wallace. and if you go back and look, at what wallace and nixon were saying, it is what trump is

saying. it's that your neighborhoods are in danger, chaos is in the streets, and i, dare i say it, as trump would say, i alone could fix it. this is a perennial american meme and it is something that is going to require immense vigilance on the part of the democratic party and people who do not want this election to turn out the way 1968 did in order to prevent that eventuality. >> but hasn't the demographics of this country changed, john? >> donald trump is president. you tell me. >> right. >> seriously. right. yes, of course they have. because of the voting rights act and because of the immigration act in 1965. two big things happened that year that created what we have now. the voting rights act which gave some enforcement to the 15th amendment and the immigration act which lifted the quotas that have been in place since the

white backlash against immigration in the 1920s. the country is radically different. but trump put together the right coalition of those who want to react against that demo graphic reality. so all i'm saying is, and i think congressman lewis would echo it in that wonderful voice where he always spoke with a biblical shout. he was a little guy but his voice was so strong. if you want to end this reign of terror, this reign of error in terms of covid, you have to vote. because you think one things that trump is an idiot or he's a racist or whatever you might think, one might think, it's not going to matter if what happened in 2016 happens again. >> yeah. and i just want to make the point that this president won the presidency in terms of

electoral college but he did not get the popular vote. so that is a point to be made. and also, john, when you said that we're crazy if we think that this is the end of this election, we're looking at polls today. let me show you something i saw on axios today. it is a tweet. now may be a good time to remember that a gallup poll released july 26, 1988, gave michael due caucus a 17 point lead over bush in november and bush won 426 electoral votes and carried 40 states. so 100 days is an awful long time to go. and michael, i'll give you the last word here to button this up and what we have to look forward to in the next days. >> one, if you're not listen to what john meachham just said you're going to miss this election and the next 100 days. how he just framed this moment

is exactly what we're in. this is -- this is the culmination of '64 and '68 manifest in 2020. number two, yes, demographics change but attitudes don't. they are nurtured and formed and inculcated in future voters. so while the numbers say biden is up by 7, 11, up by 20 and down by 400 electoral college votes come november. so there is a lot of work that people have to do, democrats have to get their head out of the sand about this election and listen to what meacham just said and figure out how you're going into this november to get this vote turned out so the electoral college numbers along with the popular vote align in such a way that your candidate wins. >> the best. both of you. thank you so much, guys. awfully good to see you on a

sunday. let's go to the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. and a milestone in florida. there are now more confirmed covid-19 cases in florida than there are in new york state which of course was once the national epicenter of this pandemic. and this news comes as florida reports more than 9,000 new cases in a single day. also 77 deaths. florida is now in the nation for total covid-19 cases right behind california. of course california was one of the very first states to shut down the economy and in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. that happened in mid-march. but now the nation's most populated state is facing an escalating crisis battling this pandemic and now that california has nearly 450,000 positive cases, local and county officials are forced to put reopening plans on hold or amend them big time. joining us now with the latest, scott cohen from santa cruz, california, 70 miles south of san francisco. good to talk with you again. we see the beach behind you and we know the beaches and

businesses and many are still open. what is at risk of closing and what is the reaction from business leaders there? >> reporter: alex, the decision has been made now based on the rules in the state, just like in most of the states, santa cruz county which is heavily dependent on tourism has seen what officials are calling a exponential rise in cases and in this county that is 900 cases which is a lot for a countriy. they've been on the watch list for three days and as of tomorrow they are closing indoor operations for all but essential businesses. which is a pretty big deal. we've all gotten fairly used to kind of counting backwards on the calendar so you'll note as this spike happened, it is in the last three weeks since the fourth of july but the chief health officer said you shouldn't tie that rise to one single event. >> the reopening happened very

quickly. too quickly. and that people got the message that this was all over and it was a free for all, the weather got sunny and beautiful, it was mother's day and then memorial day and graduations, fourth of july, father's day, one big event after another. and they felt like they could get out and gather with friends and family and that's where we've seen most of our cases. >> reporter: behind me is the iconic santa cruz beach boardwalk and this gives you a sense of the economic effect happening. the owner of the boardwalk announcing just in the last day that they'll be laying off one-third of the full-time employees. they had partially reopened the boardwalk. a lot of that is likely to change. and so the effects of this are very, very real. as they try to get this curve back under control. alex. >> scott cohen, thank you very much from santa cruz,

california. and everyone i want to give you a look right now at where the casket of john lewis is. it has arrived in montgomery, alabama. of course, he being a native son of alabama. going to montgomery is a place where those could pay respects later so we're keeping a eye on that from high above and bring you more close-ups of his casket arriving in montgomery. now back to the election. the president behind in a brand-new polls in key battleground states that he won in 2016. according to a new mar is poll, he trails by 5 points and in a new cnn poll by about four points and in that same poll biden leads trump in florida 51% to 46% and then going on to double-digit leading in michigan. 52% to 40%. biden also leading trump in michigan by six points in a new

krs u gov poll and in ohio where donald trump is up by a point. joining me now is stacy washington, a advisory board member and a decorated air force veteran. big welcome to you. as you heard me reading, in those numbers, trump is either losing or statistically tied in poll after poll and by somewhat widening margins as of late, both nationally and in these key swing states that we're just talking about, what is not working at the moment? >> well, first of all, you're talking about polls that severely undercount republicans. the cnn from 2016 and 2018 show 33% grp but this poll only has 26%. so unless 21% of all of the republicans in america have evaporated in two years, the poll is actually method logically miscued. i think the democrats are in trouble because they don't have a candidate that they could get behind. there is almost zero enthusiasm

for him. then enthusiasm gap between trump and at over 90% for the last few years is actually stunning compared toten thuz -- then enthusiasm or lack there of for joe biden. and americans are becoming aware that black lives matter and antifa are holding cities hostage in order to influence the vote in november. mixing coronavirus and the fact that americans want to see their kids go back to school and the nea and the democrats oppose that and i think everything is up for game -- for grabs and the president is doing fine. >> okay. and listen, we'll grant that sometimes polls don't reflect the whole story and they are snapshots but another poll the president is down among suburban women and that is a fox news poll where it is 55% to 32%. and a nbc poll that has a 60% to 35% among women.

and the president was tweeting this out on wednesday. the suburban housewives of america must read this article. i will preserve the american dream and make it even better. so that particular voting block, that direct overt outreach to them, do you get any sense it is working with them. again, you see the poll numbers and one of them was a fox news poll so they probably have a fair number of republicans in that poll. >> well, okay, first all, alex i've never been on your show before and i love that that you covered the tweet from the president just now because it is exactly where i am and i know so many women here in st. louis regardless of political party, we love where we live. and we love local control. and so the president supports that. he's a big supporter of federalism. where joe biden, he believes in command and control structures that emanate from washington, d.c. he would actually implement a rule from the obama administration that would make it impossible for you to live and control how your neighborhoods look in a suburbs.

so it would mandate low income housing go into suburban area and mixed use dwellings where you have retail on the main level and living areas above and that is mixed into one third of an acre, one acre and multi-acre lots, destroying the peace and tranquillity of the suburbs. so if there is one thing to get the attention of women who work part-time or job sharing or full time working moms it is the idea that someone in washington, d.c. could tell them how to live in their suburb. >> do you have any concern that these are scare tactics that might turn off some suburban women. i live in the suburbs here of new york city so i understand where you live there in st. louis and you understand the certain quality of life that the suburbans could present. do you think these squa-- these scare tactics will turn some people off. >> i don't know. is it a scare tactic if it is a policy that the obama administration implemented and

it was actually underway when president trump was inaugurated and secretary of housing and urban development ben carson, dr. ben carson pully put the brakes on it. it is not a scare tactic to share the truth. and so college educated women and women of the suburbs, moms, we're information gatherers and sharers and like you said, this is across all party lines. you live in the suburbs and i live in the suburbs. if we had coffee together we would find tons of things that we agree on and that is what the president is banking on. speaking directly to people and informed them and then giving them a choice in november. and i think that choice is four more years of president trump. >> okay. stacy washington, it is very good to meet you on the air and you come my way and i would love to have coffee with you. i think that is what people need to do. have those conversations. so i'll see you again. thank you, stacy. let's go now to the biden campaign. joining me now is julie chavez rodriguez, a senior viz for the

2020 campaign. julie, you have the advantage of going second so i'm going to ask for your reaction to what you just heard from the trump surrogate there tracy washington. >> thank you so much for having me today. and i think the reality is what is on the mind of most voters is addressing the crises that our country is facing. first started with public health crisis, covid-19 that is impacting so many people's dafly lives. we talk about the issue of reopening schools an i know that parents and teachers and administrators are really looking for some kind of vision for a plan for leadership and we continue to see failed leadership from trump and this administration on the coronavirus. the second thing that is on voters minds is the economy. and th and the ensuing economic crisis and so they trust that joe biden will be able to lead us into really building back our economy better and that is a really core message that joe biden has been

sharing with voters and with the american public over the course of the last several weeks. >> certainly that is a lot of what has gone into his build back better campaign. let me ask you this, 100 days until the election, we see president trump on almost daily basis. we've not seen a lot of joe biden, so how much do you think is the fact that president trump seems to be in some cases at times his own worst enemy, how does that play into vice president biden's strategy to keep a low profile? is that even a fair assessment? >> we think that joe has been out there. this past week we had an opportunity to unveil our latest plank of our build back better agenda which was really focusing on the care giving economy and understanding that there is a tremendous need when it comes to childcare, when it comes to elder care in our country. and we need to do our part to ensure that we are investing in the kind of work force and infrastructure that we need to address these critical issues. again, childcare and elder care

are many things that as your previous speaker stacy mentioned, that women voters care deeply about and they want to see a plan for moving forward. he also was with the home health care worker in sciu and again, really talking about the important investments in not just the caregiving economy but insuring that they're good jobs, insuring that they are jobs that have a decent pay, that have real dignity, respect, and the kind of protections that we need in this time of covid. we have seen, again, the failed leadership on the part of this administration to meet even the basic needs of our frontline workers, and that's something that is really top of mind of voters and something that we're going to continue to make sure that we show that joe has a real plan and a real opportunity to lead in this time of crisis. >> julie, again, it's been the big speculation, $64,000 question, do you know where joe biden is in terms of making his selection for veep?

how long it is until we'll know? >> well, you know, that process continues. we have tremendous selection committee that's really been leading the charge. he's being very intentional and deliberate about this decision, and has said time and again that he wants someone who will be a partner in progress and to be able to lead this country forward. he wants someone who is simpatico and someone he can connect with. and we do have some amazing candidates, as you know, that he has the opportunity to really be able to choose from. so we're excited to make the announcement, and we'll be sure to let you know when we're ready. >> i gotta tell you, a good problem to have to have so many qualified candidates. every single one of them you look at and think that would be good. anyway, all right, thank you so much. i look forward to speaking with you again from the joe biden campaign. well, here's a headline from "the washington post" that was prompted by this remark by president trump. >> in general, not talking about

november, are you a good loser? >> i'm not a good loser. i don't like to lose. i don't lose too often. i don't like to lose. >> but are you gracious? >> you don't know until you see. it depends. i think mail-in voting is going to rig the election. i really do. >> are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election? >> i have to see. >> here to explore the possible answer is one of the writers of the article, robert costa, msnbc analyst, and jeff mason, white house correspondent with reuters. that's a lot to get into. let's do it with you first, robert. what if this president loses and refuses to accept the results? run through the scenarios here. >> working with my colleague at the post, we talked to constitutional scholars. we talked to republicans and democrats trying to understand the impact of president trump's remarks in that interview with chris wallace. was something flippant or is he

actually preparing to te the bounds of american democracy. at this point, based on our reporting, it's a little bit unclear. the president is someone who is often been known to spite his perceived enemies. so it could end being he just doesn't show up at the inauguration for vice president biden should the former vice president win the election. or it could be a long extended court fight where he questions the legitimacy of the result, and that would really test the peaceful transition of power in this country. >> absolutely. jeff, what about the transition integrity project? that's those democrats and republicans who came together to game these possibilities, and here's the quote they put out there. all of our scenarios ended in both street level violence and political impasse, the law is essentially its almost helpless against a president who's willing to ignore it. that's very concerning. how do you interpret this?

>> i think the first thing to say in terms of how to interpret that is it shows how seriously people are taking it. and recalls what the president did, what then candidate did in 2016 by calling into question whether he would accept the results if he lost. of course, he won in 2016, and now he's doing it again with regard to 2020. people are taking it seriously. you heard vice president biden say it's a concern about this election. you heard him say that he thinks soldiers in the military could potentially have to escort this president out of the white house on inauguration day, and the fact that there's a group like the one you just mentioned looking into scenarios shows that people believe that the president's rhetoric is something they have to take seriously. >> robert, what jeff is talking about there with joe biden saying military leaders would have to escort this president from the white house potentially on the 20th of january, and this is something he said, i think he referred to the president would

then be considered a trespasser, the military has the great ability to do that. what are the odds it could come to this? >> well, i'm not an odds' maker, but i would say you think back to president nixon when he resi resigned, that famous image of the president getting on marine one, heading to california, first andrews air force base and then to california. the transition of power has always been a peaceful one, even iimmense chaos, but newt gingrich and other republicans are telling me this president is ready to question the validity of the result and mail-in balloting amid a pandemic. >> that could take weeks, right? that complicates everything, the mail-in ballot situation. >> we have seen in 2000 there's been extended court fights before over an election result. but the mail-in ballot with the pandemic is something that's unprecedented. >> so jeff, there are those republicans who suggest all this

is just rhetoric. it's just the president speaking without necessarily thinking. is that plausible? >> it's plausible. i mean, the president throws things out on lots of different topics all the time. and on this particular topic has said in a different interview if he lost, he would move on and do other things. then he contradicts that with what he said in the chris wallace interview, and again, his history. and the fact that he has been, as robert rightly said, raising questions about the integrity of mail-in voting, which in a year like this, is going to be a critical part of the election. yes, he throws things out on lots of different issues. he sometimes likes to see what kind of an uproar he'll create. sometimes it impacts his own policy decisions to see the kind of reaction that he gets from members of his own party and the opposition party. so it's not implausible to say that's what he's doing here, but it's also not implausible to say or analyst it. >> robert, last question to you.

that is, are there powers a president can exercise to delay an inauguration if it comes to that? >> the election is immovable. in almost every legal and political sense. even with a pandemic, this is something that's not going to be moved. i have talked to republicans and democrats who both say that elections have been held during world wars, they have been held during civil war. and they will be held again. >> how about january 20th, though? how about an inauguration? >> we have seen socially distanced events for these conventions. with minimal crowds, that could be the case. everything is being re-evaluated. but the idea of power being transferred is in the constitution and that's irrespective of what's on the health front or violent abroad. >> good to see you both. thank you guys. have a good sunday.

that's going to do it for me, everyone. i'm see you at noon next sunday. lindsey reiser is coming up next. she'll talk to joe gibbs. in a highly capable lexus suv. at the golden opportunity sales event. get zero percent financing on all 2020 lexus models. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. on all 2020 lexus models. >> techand your car., we're committed to taking care of you >> tech: we'll fix it right with no-contact service you can trust. >> tech: so if you have auto glass damage, stay safe with safelite. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

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good afternoon. i'm lindsey reiser. 100 days from election day. and five months into a pandemic that has claimed nearly 150,000 american lives. the trump administration today offered little hope that anything would change soon, with this jarring pronouncement from the president's chief of staff. >> so we're not going to have a solution to this. it's not masks. it's not shutting down the economy. hopefully it is american ingenuity that will allow for therapies and vaccines to ultimately conquer this. >> president trump's advisers did promise to unveil a bill soon that would extend enh