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tv   The Reid Out  MSNBC  December 29, 2020 4:00pm-5:00pm PST

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>> let me ask you a question, how do millennials -- >> ask me anything you want. i'm your guest. go! >> birds of a feather flock together. >> yes. thank you. >> way too much handshaking. >> you're the justin bieber of new hampshire right now. >> this is going off the the rails. i blame both of you. >> you're welcome. >> there's too much handshaking. that was before we knew the to stop shaking hands. we'll see you back here tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. the "the reidout" starts now. good evening. i'm jason johnson in for joy reid. donald trumps operation warp
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speed was anything but. they received the first dose. that figure is nowhere close to the 20 million vaccinations the white house promised would be administered. >> if authorized tens of millions of vaccine doses will be available this month. >> we are on track to distribute tens of millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine. before the end of the month. >> we expect to have enough doses to vaccinate 20 million americans by the end of the year. >> the number of doses available to allocate ended up being lower. >> we are not at the numbers we wanted to be at the end of december. >> by the end of this week we will have distributed about 15.6 million doses to the state. by end of next week about 19.9 million distributed. >> how many doses you got? a lot. 19 million by the end of the week. that means doses distributed to
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the states not actually going into arms. this snail pace of a roll out is a mess. states didn't receive the number of promised doses. wooe approaches 340,000 deaths. the president golfed again today. the president-elect presented a remarkable game changing goal for his first 100 days. >> i have laid out three challenges in the first 100 days. one of them is ensuring 100 million shots have been administered by the end of the first hundred days. congress provides the fundsing, we would be able to meet this incredible goal. it would take ramping up five to six times the current pace to one million shots a day. >> joining me now. congresswoman from florida. who also served as secretary of health and human services in the clinton administration. dean of the brown university
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school of public health. and ceo of martin luther king, jr. community hospital in l.a. thank you for joining me. i have to ask you first, is this plan by joe biden feasible? with the resources and technology that we have available today. is the roll out possible or is he optimistic? >> he's being optimist k. i have great fate they are thinking through how to ramp up the number of vaccinations. in 194, new york city inoculated 6.3 million people in less than a month. it takes a different level of planning. you don't just send out the vaccinations. you have to have planning. the developing world knows more about mass vaccinations than the united states. we use an existing institution. we're going to have to go beyond existing institutions.
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i will feel better when walgreens and cvs and target and walmart and where ever you turn you can get a vaccination. and shouldn't be with holding these vaccinations for the second dose. they should get everything out they can possibly get out. they are just not organized and totally dependent on a public health system that is quite weak. in terms of the distribution. you cannot just depend on the hospitals. the public health people in new york in 1947, they didn't depend just on the healthcare institutions. they did a real ad hoc operation to get that many vaccinations done. >> with that in mind, there was a tweet today a great deal of detail about what the rate would have to be for vaccinations. in order for the united states to reach any short of herd
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immunity or under control. current rate it would take ten years in order to get this country over the hump with covid. how fast is it realistic for us to be in six months from now if thst no push back for the joe biden plan? >> i'm hoping that president-elect biden will be able to implement a plan fo get the vaccine out to our communities as quickly as possible. as a hospital, we are actively engaged right now in vaccinating our staff. so we have currently vaccinated over 1,000 members of the staff. i have had a vaccine myself. we are focussed on educating the community next. and making sure that people understand that the vaccine is safe and effective. and the way for us all to protect ourselves, our community. and to end the pandemic.
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>> dr. ja, we're beginning lt sort of slow process under this current administration of rolling oult the first dose of the vaccine. we have been struck by the first case of the new strain of coronavirus. found in colorado. the big question does this current vaccine can it stop this new strain of the virus and two, if it can't stop the new strain of the virus, what kinds of changes might we need to take the chemical level in order to be prepared for the changes? >> great question, thanks for having me on. here's the bottom line. this strain that uk strain we have been talking about, it was detected in colorado who has not been traveling. this person picked it up in colorado from somebody else. this strain is here. it's been in the u.s. probably for sometime. we're not monitoring for this. that's one of the reasons we haven't identified it until now.
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one of the things we have to do is monitor for these things. it's stunning other countries are monitoring more than we are. i think this current vaccine is likely to work. not 100% sure. none of us are. the studies are being done right now. imagine that terrible out come where a variant becomes resistant to the vaccine. it's not likely. but look, this is not -- unlikely stuff happened in this pandemic. six weeks before a new vaccine could be generated. that would allow us to target this new variant. i don't know whether it has to go through the test ng the same way. there's a lot of unanswered questions. in the short run i'm confident that the vaccine will do well by us. >> what we're hearing now is as the vaccines are rolled out is that hill staffers will be getting vaccinated. those people working close to members of congress. which seems like a good idea.
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what we don't know is whether or not they will be providing vaccinations for security, for the maintenance crew rk the other people in and out of the building, the white house. does every single person should be covered with the government agencies if so is there a priority on security over staffers or everybody first come first serve? >> absolutely there has to be a priority on them. the same in hospitals. the people that clean hospitals are as important as the first responders that we have been talking about. everyone that has any kind of contact or who is work has contact with the patient ought to be immunized. but look, we have lots of vaccine. it ought not to be sitting. in refrigerators. we have to get it out. we have to get it out quickly. and we have to use new distribution methods to get it
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out. if new york city can get that many people immunized in a short period of time, we certainly can get big numbers in this country. a million a day would be lovely. a million a month would be lovely. look, we can do better. we can to better. and the rest of the world has all these immunizations days. in which they inoculate hundreds of thousands of people. i was in india when they did that. and it takes an extraordinary organization effort. we need to get that done as opposed to doing what this administration continued to do. just delegate it to the states and will the them figure it out. that's not good enough. you have to get millions of people immunized as quickly as possible. >> it's worse when you have members of congress who maybe getting vaccinations but want to
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walk around maskless. that's a part of the issue as well. you talk about taking first doses and connecting people. one of the things we had trouble with in america is track and trace. people don't want to answer surveys that come through e-mail. hay don't go along with track and trace. what needs to be implemented on the ground it make sure people come back for a second dose. one of the things that has been a concern is somebody will come in and get dose number one and they're too busy and don't come back. how do we make sure the follow up process works? >> when we give the vaccine, we ask a number of questions about the patient and potential risk. we give them a card. that shows that they have had the vaccine. when they're due for the second dose. and we enter the name into a public health data base. so that we can remind them to get the second dose. that's part of the process that we are using to vaccinate folks.
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i also want to comment on your previous question about who we vaccinate and give priority to. we know that healthcare workers are in the first group that is getting priority for the vaccine. our hospital that means everyone who works with patients. was given the same access and the same priority to the vaccine. from the people who transport patients and clean rooms to the doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. we're proud that all of the staff are stepping up and taking advantage of the opportunity to get the vaccine. as we heard, the vaccine isn't going to help us unless people take it. it's not vaccines that end pandemics. it's vaccinations. >> it's people. >> with that in mind, what happens if you -- i don't assume this will happen in many healthcare centers. let's imagine a government agency.
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it's a public school system. what happens when you start running into people who say i don't want to take it. whether they claim religion or think they are about to be micro chipped. what needs to be a public health and possibly the government response to people who say they don't want to take the covid vaccine. >> i think this will be a real issue. there are two or three things that need happen. first of all there are concerns because we have built this the vaccine fast. and they want to know it's safe. you engage with them and communicate and understand concerns and address them. and you do it using community leaders and religious leaders and local public health leaders. you need a strategy. there are a small portion of people who are hard core antivaccine. that we may not be able to get everybody. we don't need everybody. i don't see any major role for government mandates. what i think is going to drive high levels of adoption is they
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watch people get vaccinated and do well and be protected. and i think a lot of private companies are going to require it for employees. i can imagine airlines requiring it if you want to get on a long haul airplane. people have to make choices. you want to get vaccinated and fly or not? of course this is america. if you choose not to it's okay. a vast majority of americans will want to get vaccinated. especially how safe and effective they are. >> i want to close with this. it comes to safety. this always occurs to me. it spins out of security. what happens if there's resistance? arm resistance to say a mobile truck coming into vaccinate people. we have seen antimaskers. and people who attempt to kidnap governors and break into government buildings because they don't like being told about a mask. how will these elements respond
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to white trucks sp vans coming into communities saying get a vaccination. what will make this roll out safe for those delivering? >> first of all the local police departments are thinking this through. so i have confidence in local law enforcement. let me say to the previous questions too, going back for a second shot is not new in this country. we do if for kids all the time. we have tracking systems. if you have a baby you know that you have to bring them back three or four times to get all of the shots. there's nothing new about this. second, i believe economic incentives will drive the acceptance of vaccines. business leaders are going to say to employees we can't open unless you are vaccinated. we need everybody to vaccinate. we can't open schools until everyone is vaccinated. i'm a great believer not necessarily that we have to do
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mandates but that employers in the country and school leaders have to say you want to reopen the economy, then we have to get vaccinated. that's a different kind of argument added to the scientific. >> i hope. i hope. you are giving optimism. i hope the market and schools are enough to make people move. up next on the "the reidout," republican leaders do not want struggling americans to get $2,000 relief checks. democrats are for it. trump is for it. mitch mcconnell is doing everything he can to stop it. the impact that fight is have on the georgia senate run off one week away. stacey abrams will join me. when congress counts the votes next week, will pence side with trump or the constitution? back with more of the "the reidout." . i need indeed. indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates
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senate majority leader
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mcconnell slammed the door shut on americans desperate for real help. bucking democrats he refused to hold a clean vote on $2,000 stimulus checks because it puts his party in a jam. >> will senate republicans stand against the house of representatives. the democratic majority in the senate. and the president of their own party to prevent these $2,000 checks from going out the door? we're about to get the answers to these questions. >> is there objection to the modification? >> i object. >> objection is heard. >> republicans who said nothing when trump tax cuts and ca corporations have a problem with sending money to struggling americans. >> there are things that we need to do with the debt. if we keep the senate which i think we will and i become budget chairman, i'd like to
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create a dialogue about how to finally begin to address the debt. >> let's weigh this very carefully. because the future of the country in terms of amount of debt we are adding up is a matter of genuine concern. >> congress is going to have to give really heavy lifting to try to stabilize our fiscal picture. >> now you care about the debt. now unwilling to pass a clean bill, mcconnell announced the vote on additional aid would take place only if it was lumped together with two completely unrelated issues. investigating 2020 election. and stripping liability protections for social media companies. two issues he knows are political to democrats and some republicans. in a procedural moves senator sanders of vermont and massachusetts plan on objecting to the passage of a major defense bill until and unless mcconnell allows a clean vote on the additional $2,000. joining me now.
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senator of massachusetts. thank you so much for speaking to me this evening. i have to start this off by asking up front how long can you delay a potential vote on the defense bill in order to push mitch mcconnell into a clean vote on the covid relief? >> we can push it at least until new years day. we're going to continue to use every procedural tactic. in order to ensure that the republicans are under the maximum pressure to give help to ordinary american families. they are the only obstacle. trump supports it. it passed the house. it's mitch mcconnell and republican leadership holding up a vote. to deal with the crisis. that they and families are living through. >> when you speak to colleagues privately, this is the thing that all americans are wondering
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about. you said it's republican leadership. it's mitch mcconnell that is blocking this vote. for a mere $2,000. are republicans who your friends saying we really wish mitch would move does get out of the way we want to vote. or lining up with him? >> we already know as i said donald trump does in fact want to give a $2,000 check. we know rubio does. and josh holly. and the two republicans in georgia do. i believe that if we had this vote out on the floor of the united states senate, that we would have more than enough votes in order to pass it. and to give real help to every american family. it's a procedural trick that mitch mcconnell and the republican leader are using because if they got out of the way, then i think the support of donald trump would absolutely ensure we would have the votes to provide this help.
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people are in a crisis. it's unemployment crisis. a healthcare crisis. there's an addiction crisis. a food crisis. there's a crisis of faith. in the american government right now. and we have a moral responsibility to move. and i think if we have the vote, it would be reflected in the number of republican votes we were able to garner. same thing on the house floor just yesterday. >> that brings to mind this idea. you have 44 republicans in the house vote in favor of the bill. including two republican members of congress. from kentucky. who serve with mitch mcconnell. what do you think it is about senate culture? that allows this to happen. that's a large chunk of republicans in the house willing to vote in favor of a bill that trump has given them a free run way to support. >> the rules of the senate give a will the of power to the senate republican leader. that's the bottom line.
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that's why we put a hold on the defense bill. sanders and i know that it's something the republicans care a lot about. because many republicans care more about the defense bill than they do about funding for defenseless americans. that's why we're linking the two together. it's a blow to the defense budget. we don't hear republicans complaining about that. unneeded nuclear weapons funding inside of that legislation. all of the other programs that just are no longer needed in the 21st century. when it comes to helping poor people and helping a family desperate out there to make sure they can pay rent and pay the mortgage and pay for food, pay for any of the medical services which they need. all of a sudden they become born again deficit hawks. it doesn't translate to the defense budget. that's the culture we're dealing with and we're we'll hold on all week to put a spotlight on who
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it is holding up this much needed relief for ordinary american families. >> it's amazing. they are comfortable pushing through a bill that can pay $600 for hammer for a fighter jet. but not $2,000 to a family that might be right down the street in their home state starving. i want to close with this. the big change you can hold out until end of year. another big change is you might have two new colleagues after next tuesday. if georgia ends up flipping if your colleagues loeffler and perdue are removed from office and replaced by jon ossoff and warnock, do you think that will change the negotiations in a significant way? or will mcconnell still stand in the way of a clean vote for increased funding to support people surviving out there during a pandemic? >> we'll be in a new era. all we're looking for is a yes or no vote. up or down on the $2,000. it could have an impact on the
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georgia run offs if the republicans block a vote on helping ordinary families. if we win those two seats and their action might be helping us the republican leadership, then joe biden is sworn in we have a majority in the senate. with kamala harris as the new vice president breaking the tie on any vote that need to have a tie breaker. and we're in business. we're ready to go. we have to think big. it will be very helpful to have the majority because we have to think big and act big. that's what joe biden wants to do. that election next week is critical. because we can see this week what republican leaders are doing. that is really harming the well being, the help that ordinary families desperately need right now. >> senator, thank you so much for your patriotism and standing
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up for regular people. up next, stacey abrams is here with the latest on her efforts to turn out the vote and the republican efforts to suppress the vote in georgia upcoming all important senate run offs. stay with us. new projects means new project managers. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our resume database. claim your seventy five dollar credit,
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we're in the home stretch in the georgia senate run off with one week to go. georgia set a new state record for voter turn out and a run off of more than 2.3 million votes already cast. about one-third of registered voters. civil rights groups are raising alarm about polling site closures in zerl counties making it hard for voters to cast ballots. at the same time republicans and conservative groups continue to push lawsuits to suppress the vote ahead of the election. last week a judge dismissed a
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republican lawsuit that tried to limit absentee ballot drop box hours. yesterday a federal judge ordered two counties to reverse a decision removing more than 4,000 voters from the rolls from a mostly pro-biden county ore unverified change of address data. joining me now stacey abrams. founder of fair fight. also the sister of the federal judge. good to speak to you this evening. >> you as well. >> i have to start with this. how on earth -- this is the number that is shocking. how on earth do you get 79 almost 80,000 people who didn't vote in the 2020 election to come out and vote in a run off? that's like somebody skipping the movie and showing up for the post credit scene. how do you manage to get that enthusiasm on the ground? >> we have been investing in organizations across the state that believe that cultural comp
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si works and we have been in every part of the state. we have been talking to young voters and voters of color. voters who didn't think the election mattered. what is helpful is winning in november. for voters who thought there was no point in participating, november demonstrated democratic values the progressive values can win in the state. they want to be part of the actually getting that $2,000 check that can help them save their home. resources that will come with new jobs and know obstructionism will stop relief from happening and block joe biden from doing good work. we need jon ossoff and warnock. >> in other words winning begets more winning. this is important. $2,000 is really important in large part to georgia. it may not make your whole life move. it can get new shoes. it matters. listen to this sound from senators perdue and loeffler and the different positions they have taken on covid relief and
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we'll talk about it. >> i'm delighted to support the president in 2,000. it's a $1,400 increment over what we have done. >> the president wants to cut payroll taxes. are you in favor? >> i think in sending people right now through payroll is one way to do it. i support that. i support that better than giving a direct payment like we did in the first round. i oppose that. >> i have stood by the president 100% of the time. i'm proud to do it. i have said we need to get relief to americans now. i will support that. >> republicans considering that extra $600 in unemployment insurance maybe $400. have you taken a position on this yet? where you would be comfortable? >> we don't need incentives not to work. we need to get back to work. i'm not seeing a big need to extend the federal unemployment
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insurance. >> so, do they not know the position they took? or have no position? what's going on with the two current represents in the senate from georgia? >> they are hypocrites who rather win the election than help georgia. and do their jobs. they are people who have stood by, used the pandemic to profit. used the pandemic as excuse for inaction. assailed core issues that people need. you need unemployment insurance because your job is no longer there. your mortgage is owed even though you can't work. what they have done is signal clearly to americans they have no position. they are spineless. and they are people who kowtow to mcconnell. and trump. which means they will not serve the people of georgia. >> i want to highlight something you have talked about ntd past. it's not just a matter of them standing in the way of relief.
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they haven't done much in the state when it comes to rural hospitals. even if i get a relief check, if there's no hospital in central georgia to go to get help, i'm in a bind. is that something they fail at? >> it's not just they failed. it's mostly kemp and republicans in the legislature. they have agitated against support. they tried to dismantle the affordable care act. for millions is only access to health insurance. we don't have medicaid expansion. under their leadership we have lost two hospitals in the middle of a pandemic. georgia is a fourth of the population of california. yet while california has 2 million infected and 24,000 perished. georgia has 611,000 people with the infection and 10,000 people who died from it. we are too small to have numbers that are approaching the numbers of california. and that is a no small part because donald trump supported
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by loeffler and perdue and mcconnell have done nothing. worked against the healthcare and the needs of georgia people. that is why we need jon ossoff and warnock. they have spent their lifetimes their work helps actually georgiaens, understanding lives and doing the work necessary to get them to the relief they need. >> while kemp hasn't done much more rural hospitals and covid relief and anything for people losing their jobs, one thing he's dedicated to is voter suppression. what kinds of challenges are republicans throwing up to prevent people from expressing voices in the run off. changing poll sites and times to early vote. what challenges are you and other organizations facing when it comes to voter suppression? >> we have been successful in helping expand access to early voting locations. i was in cob county one of the counties that shut down several of the locations that were
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active during the general election. i was at the community center and the line was out the door. and down the street. it was moving quickly. we also know that true the vote, texas based conservative organization that prides itself on voter intimidation sued -- challenging voter across the state in all 159 counties challenged at least 364,000 voters. to date 45 counties have rejected their bid. knowing that it's based on specious information and poorly reasoned argument. we know in one of the challenges is they are calling out voters in the military service who have to forward mail. they are using bad information to intimidate voters by taking them off the rolls and the goal is scare voters out of coming. they don't want to be challenged and don't understand the law. they can't afford attorneys. they want leaders who will do the work of getting them recovery money and relief and
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building a future they can depend on. that's why we need loeffler and perdue to come home permanently and send jon ossoff and warnock to d.c. to do the work of the state of georgia. >> i can't let you go without asking a year and a half ago this time you were going to run for senate. what is your political future? are you going to continue your focus in georgia or thinking of moving nationally? >> my focus in georgia and on d.c. is making certain we send jon ossoff and warnock from georgia to d.c. to serve fwa and serve america. >> always the best answer. thank you so much. still ahead. will trumps delusional refusal to accept the results of the election every end? or challenge the official certification of biden's win. [♪]
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georgia january 5 senate run off elections loom large on horizon. there's one final hurdle to cross in the 2020 presidential election. a january 6. congress meets to officially count the electoral votes and confirm the clear cut election victory. another hail mary legal attempt to over turn the election. to review a wisconsin ruling upholding states result. when trump and his congress think thas can mount a last ditch effort to stage a coup of sorts. trump has been agitating on twitter for prompts promising a wild protest in washington. and alabama senator elect left open the possibility of joining fellow congressman brooks in challenging electoral votes. typically the certification of elections is a formality. in this role as president of the senate, pence is already in the
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hot seat. at least with trumps super-fans. yesterday, texas republican congressman and several trumps would be electors from arizona filed a lawsuit. arguing pence should simply ignore president-elect joe biden electors and count trumps losing slates instead. tonight, pence declined to sign onto the plan. according to lawyers. pence is pressured from others as well. conservative polling firm suggested pence could take his queues from this is the truth, soviet dictator stalen. in a tweet sunday, saying quote those who cast the votes decide nothing. those who count the votes decide everything. cancel him now. pence upcoming role reportedly dominated trumps mind. it might be the first time pence dominated his mind. trump would view pence performing his constitutional duty and validating the election result as the ultimate betrayal.
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the problem is that pence doesn't actually have the constitutional authority to just not accept the result. will he do the right thing? more on that after the break. indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our resume database. claim your seventy five dollar credit, when you post your first job at indeed.com/home. want to eliminate odors without heavy, overwhelming scents? we get it. introducing febreze light.
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as congress prepares to formalize joe biden's victory next week donald trump and his most extreme allies are still hoping the vice president mike pence will attempt to invalidate the will of the people when he oversees the official electoral vote count next week. it's an effort that former acting solicitor general neal katyal is, quote, doomed to fail, calling it, quote, profoundly anti-democratic and unconstitutional. in a "the new york times" op-ped, he warns pence to, quote, count the votes as they've been certified and do everything they can to oppose those who would do otherwise. this is no time for anyone to be a bystander. a republic is on the line." former solicitor general neal katya l, joins me now along with charlie sykes, editor at large
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of "the bulwark. "i've seen battles. empire strikes back. i've seen losing battles before. what on earth are republicans thinking they can do in this instance? because this seems like a losing battle that doesn't make any sense, wheth sense. what do they think mike pence is going to be able to do? >> first of all, jason, it's a delight to see you in this chair and i'm so privileged to be here with you. >> thank you. >> there's nothing on earth, nothing on earth that they can do. i mean, eight weeks ago tonight we had an election. eight weeks ago. this is insane that this is going on in trump's mind. it's not going on anywhere else. he's just a sore loser. so, remember, 59 different courts have rejected h iz claims across the country. the fbi has rejected it. bill barr has rejected it. as attorney general. mitch mcconnell has rejected it. but trump is still living in this fantasy world. and the claim now is that somehow pence on january 6th could just throw out the
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election and pick the new vice president, himself and the new president? president trump? i mean, give me a break. i mean, that is literally what we fought a war about. the idea that we don't have a perpetual monarchy. the idea that, you know, pence can just open up the ballots and decide who becomes the winner is absurd. i mean, it's like the guy at the oscars who opens the envelope. i don't think that person gets to decide the winner. sorry, law of land. here, we're not talking about movies. we're talking about democracy. the most fundamental thing. the idea that the vice president gets to pick the next vice president and not you and me, there's nothing more profoundly un-american about this. i mean, you know, it's not even something putin would come up with. you have to go back to the origin original stalin for that. >> i wouldn't be surprised if mike pence liked "lala land" way more than "moonlight." with all that in mind, i want to go to you, charlie sykes. this is the thing that confuses me about a lot of republicans in
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this situation. we have seen vice presidents step up before and have to oversee the counting of electoral vote when they were on the losing side. sometimes they liked it, sometimes they didn't. i want to play this sound from richard nixon then i want to get your thoughts on the other side. >> this is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the presidency announced the results of an election in which he was defeated and announced the victory of his opponent. i do not think that we could have a more striking and eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system. >> and charlie, you know, that's nixon who, you know, was vilified as one of the most terrible presidents that we've had because he cheated, but we also saw the same thing with al gore. al gore had real disputes. so what is it that republicans
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are hoping to get out of mike pence, do they want him to buck this system that we've seen from other vice presidents in the past, do they just want him to be a sacrificial lamb in their blood feud with democracy or do they actually think this is something that's in his soul that he's really that down with the trump and maga cause? >> well, it's hard to tell where the delusion ends and the completely deranged begins here, but it fell like a little bit of the triumph of hope over experience to think that mike pence will do the right thing, but i have to hope that when it comes down to it, following the law and doing your duty will come first, that he will choose country over -- over donald trump, but as neal has said so very, very clearly, if he doesn't, this will secure him a place of genuine infamy in american history and, you know, i mean, mike pence has been willing to be a sycophant for the last four years, but is he willing to completely destroy
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not only his political standing but also his place in history, not to mention violate the spirit and letter of the constitution? a lot of what's going to happen on january 6th is going to come down to mitch mcconnell. we've been talking about him all night, but it really depends on whether or not mitch mcconnell will drop the hammer and tell his fellow republicans in the senate, do not file an objection, don't put pence in this position, we don't want to go through this circus. and you wonder how far he's willing to go with people like senator tuberville, you know, to say, look, if you do this, you're going to get the lousiest committee assignments, your bills are never going to see the light of day because this will be a disaster, number one for the country, obviously, for the constitution, but also for the republican party if they go through this ridiculous and absurd effort to disenfranchise tens of millions of americans and overturn an election in a cause that is, as you pointed
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out, is doomed to absolute ignominious defeat. >> quickly, charlie, do you think that mike pence has inc t incentive to go along with this ha harebrain scheme? do you think that will be on his mind? >> yes. he will be vilified. on january 7th he'll be the number-one villain of the magaverse. the question is, is he willing to put up with that? it's interesting he's got a very extensive travel plan for the day after the january 6th vote. this is one of those moments where you honestly have to weigh who you are, this is the test that everybody wonders what will you do when you have to choose country over party and in his case, country and constitution over donald trump who's about to leave office as a disgraced defeated one-term president. >> yeah, this might be one of those instances where he's left at the gym and doesn't get to take the team bus home. neal, just very quickly also, when we're thinking about donald trump's future, you've been
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tweeting today about the fact that new york administrators, new york legal teams have started to put together forensic and whole squads in order to examine the finances of donald trump. tell us a little bit about that and what you think that speaks to for what donald trump's going to face the moment he leaves office later on in january. >> well, i think new york is doing the right thing in investigating the president. it should have happened for years and the justice department under bill barr shut down the federal side of that. but the beauty of our founders is they recognized that we have a dual system with states as well. and the president can't shut that down. the federal justice department can't shut that down. even president trump's pardons which he loves to abuse that power, that can't shut it down. so there's very serious accusations against the president, all sorts of financial improprieties and that's what's being looked at. and i suspect new york will do the absolute right thing and take the facts where they are and if he did commit the crimes has to face the consequences.
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>> i can't help but think about this and i know i'm asking you guys to prognosticate in a way, but, you know, i've got you on the spot, i've got you here. if ossoff and warnock end up winning next tuesday, do you think that has any impact on the circus we might see on the 6th? might republicans sort of lay down their arms if they see that they just lost two more senators from a formerly southern state like georgia? quickly, charlie, then to you, neal. >> yes, absolutely yes. think about what a shock it will be if they convene on january 6th realizing that they just suffered this double defeat in georgia. it will very much be on the minds of the senators. strength in mitch mcconnell's hand. >> neal? >> i'd like to think that that's rite but right but i think pence so far has given no signs anywhere of doing the right thing. this is a guy who still hasn't congratulated our first female african-american vice president in our history.
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it's a spineless individual. it's worth remember whatever he's doing january 6th senator chamber is going to be sitting in that chamber with him whether the georgia race goes one way or the other. >> right. >> after the way the debate went, do you think vice president pence is going to do anything with kamala harris in the room? >> she will reclaim her time. i have to reclaim mine. thank you so much, neal katyal and charlie sykes. that's tonight's "reidout." "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. tonight on "all in," the grim reaper rides again. >> for the first time in my memory i agree with nancy pelosi. i am, indeed, the grim reaper. >> how republican millionaires just blocked $2,000 checks for americans on bread lines. then, the president-elect raises the alarm. >> trump administration's plan to distribute vaccines is falling behind, far behind. >> tonight, the federal failure on

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