>> i'm not going to have the government tell me not to have a krispy kreme and a beer. i'll do as i damned well please. >> figure out how to get new social security numbers for a doughnut. >> an elaborate scheme for a free doughnut. >> welcome to "morning joe." it is five seconds before the top of the hour. three, two, one, good morning, everyone! along with joe, willie and me, we have professor at princeton university, eddie glaude jr., republican strategist and msnbc political analyst, susan del percio. and president of the council on foreign relations, richard haas, who i have heard, is he going to be accepted as our golf correspondent? >> i don't know. he was a little weak last time. >> okay. we got the british open coming up. you didn't control -- >> roger owns the weekend. he can make -- he can make a zero-zero draw sound like, you know -- >> but i didn't have --

>> but we had phil mickelson getting mugged walking down the 18th fairway. i didn't have to add to it. >> the story spoke for itself. >> joe, sometimes you have to go with the story. >> and sometimes you don't make the story about you, right? exactly. >> exactly. >> reporter: that will never get you anywhere on this show. he wants to be -- you heard this. he wants to be our golf correspondent. >> let's give him another shot with the u.s. open. >> u.s. open coming up in about -- >> audition. >> let's get to the news. >> hold on, i want to ask -- so, willie, this is the front page of the "new york post." is it really that bad out there? the graffiti? it's like 1977 again? >> no, it's just a lot of challenges. >> there's a lot more than there was a few years ago. but the most important is on the other side of that. the new york knicks' season ended last night. the hands of that young player, named trae young, a phenom, so fun to watch and living up to the moment, packed garden, he

was the villain, he bowed after he hit the three that was the dagger to end it. that guy, trae young, having his momentum. he's a superstar. >> i was born in atlanta and been suffering with the hawkes and the falcons for, you know, well, since the late 1960s. i think the last time i saw a hawkes game was dominique wilkins, but i started watching this guy is just incredible. the team's really good. it's solid. >> he's 22 years old, too. he has a big future ahead of him. he's been a little bit anonymous down in atlanta, but this year, this has been his coming out party. the garden full, booing him every time he got the ball and he was just drinking it in. he loved it. >> it was reggie miller. >> exactly. >> it felt the same way. >> so front page, the lead in "the times" is netanyahu may be replaced. stop me if you've heard this

story before. i've read this headline about six times. it seems like a fragile coalition. do you think it's going to hold up? >> we've got two hurdles. one is over the next 10, 12 days, between now and mid-june. can they get a vote of confidence in the israeli knesset, in the parliament. that means bibi doesn't pull away two or three people before that. if they get through that, then the hard part starts. they've got a government. and the only thing they can agree on is their opposition to bibi. this is an end zone coalition, not a unity coalition. so what they can actually do, whether they can hang together, odds are against it. >> there are a lot of people that are looking to say, we'll get bibi out. is it really going to change policy that much? >> no, because the new prime minister is at least as far to the right if not farther than bibi. they can probably agree on some domestic policy. this bridge or that. formally in the coalition, one

of the eight parties is an arab islamist party. and you'll remember a few weeks ago, you had the 2 million israeli arabs, you saw really fighting and friction between them. this is the first time. and their agenda is to basically, i won't use the expression, but their agenda is to provide money and resources for israeli's arab and islamic minority. it's an interesting moment in islamic policies. >> we had the mares debate. how were things breaking that way? >> a lot of people were yelling and screaming and trying to get attention. i don't think it worked. i actually think katherine garcia did well by not having -- looking for a lot of air time. and scott stringer, maya wiley, good friend of the show. they really tried to break out. but i still think it's -- it comes down to eric adams and andrew yang. >> and eddie -- >> andrew yang is going to be on

the show today. >> "washington post," in voting fights, all eyes on joe manchin. i'm trying to think of the last time a senator had as much power as joe manchin has right now and right now, all eyes remain on him, three months in. >> we have to get a sense of what are the actual motivations behind manchin's position. it could very well be a principled commitment to the filibuster, to the institution of the senate. but -- >> hold on a second. there are professors thinking about, what are the principles -- when a politician thinks this, how do i get his vote. and can they get his vote? >> but in this moment of crisis, it seems to me that that's important for a politician, but, you know, i think that the state of the country, right, is also important, right? the health of our democracy is so important. and so i think it's really clear, if the republicans continue to play the game that they've played, one has to ask the question, what is this commitment to bipartisanship

that joe manchin keeps talking about. when it doesn't evidence itself at every turn. >> and at the -- >> they need his vote. >> and the most important turns. >> yeah. the white house is calling for a quote summer of freedom as the president pushes to get as many americans as possible vaccinated by july 4th. >> it's not the summer of love. >> today we're announcing a month-long effort to pull out all the stops, all the stops to free ourselves from this virus and get to 70% of adult americans vaccinated. we're going to continue encouraging people to get vaccinated, with incentives and fun rewards. the nba, the nhl, nascar, nascar tracks, they're offering vaccines outside playoff games and at races. major league baseball will be offering free tickets to people who get vaccinated at the ballpark. and to top it off, anheuser-busch announced that beer is on them on july the 4th. that's right. get a shot and have a beer.

the vaccine is free. it's safe, and it's effective. getting the vaccine is not a partisan act. the science was done under democratic and republican administrations as a matter of fact, the first vaccines were authorized under a republican president. >> and right here, you could get a "morning joe" cookie made by t.j.'s wife if you get vaccinated. anyone here need one? you're all vaccinated, right? everybody in the room vaccinated? >> t.j. had a lot of time this year to start a business. so he started that. >> you do have to diversify. i love them, though. they're so pretty. love them. that's cool, have a beer, get a vax. >> on that speech, jon meacham's first draft said summer of love. so meacham, obviously, born late for 1967, but joe changed that to summer of freedom. and it certainly is if people choose it.

>> i've noticed soul of america has been popping up as a term in a lot of joe biden speeches later. i feel the hand of meacham in those words. the numbers -- we're going to cross 70% if things continue to trend in the direction that they're going 16 million additional adults will have to get their first shot by july 4th to hit that 70% threshold. but if you go back to listening to dr. fauci and others and that herd immunity number they talked about was always in the 70, 75% range. so the truth is, for all the consternation we've had, we're doing really well at this. and we can cross that threshold on july the 4th, with some of these incentives. >> it's an important national deadline, but richard haas, of course, the big issue is getting the world vaccinated or we could see a repeat or a resurgent or some strain coming back to haunt us. >> it will happen. let's be honest, you know, you've got 8 billion people out there. we're not even close, in many countries, not even the health care workers have been vaccinated. you have the variants appear in

places like india. nothing stays local. sooner or later, it circulates. there's only a couple of ways to do it. we have to produce and export much more from here. i think we're making a mistake by not doing it. or build capacity around the world so other countries can produce vaccines. >> it's a way we can, susan del percio, lead, and show america's strength and preeminence again, i think, by making sure that we're pushing it out there. >> and it also helps get rid of the past four years, where it was america first, america only. and now we can change that dynamic and our reputation around the world again, or restore it, so that we are leading, we are providing the vaccinations. we are a global leader. not that we weren't, but we certainly weren't acting like one. and i think that's what's so critical, especially when it comes to some of the supply chain issues and getting to continents like africa. it's going to be a huge undertaking. and there was a point where

russia and china were really trying to fill the void of the united states. >> we're still at that point. >> we're still at that point. and that's concerning, i think, internationally. so i hope very soon the astrazeneca vaccinations will be out there and we move forward in our position. >> and scott gottlieb was saying yesterday that we're going to have enough vaccines for the world, that we're producing them quickly. i also heard yesterday, joe biden say something that we've been talking about for a couple of weeks here, which is, hey, republicans, you have a reason to embrace this. it was a republican administration that made the right bets. did the things right that the eu did wrong. >> there's a place to go. >> there's a reason why. and so i think it's great that the white house is saying, your guy, donald trump, and the administration made some really smart bets. and they did. they did a lot of things wrong. yes, yes, yes, everybody take a deep breath, get a bag, breathe into it.

it's going to be okay. you're not going to pass out. you're not going to pass out, okay? it's going to be all right? he made some really good choices. the eu did not. and that's why joe biden was in a position and great with logistics to do something that donald trump didn't do. this is something we can celebrate. republicans have a reason to get a shot for their man, if that's how they think. i would personal do it for the health of my family. but if people are that screwed up that they have to identify with a politician for their health care choices -- >> i wouldn't even call him a politician. a cult leader. >> my god. >> okay. >> please. your honor. >> okay. >> alex? alex? can you please? >> we all know it's true. >> i want to be home. >> with me? 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

for the past year. >> you don't full the need to have this -- >> blurt. we've switched roles again. >> there's a reason that we can all be proud as americans and embrace this vaccine. >> there is, joe. and here's what i'm just so surprised about from the day joe biden was inaugurated going forward is how this didn't become a national patriot mission for our country. like, the fact to the republicans fought the covid relief package the way they did, besides being a terrible political mistake, it was just simply not patriotic. that's our duty to each other. i mean, we're sitting around this table because, in fact, of operation warp speed. and because the distribution happened. but why americans aren't willing to really embrace it and celebrate what we've done, even if you want to look at how poorly other nations did and say, we're number.

i don't know what it has to be to get that message out. but it should be something that is uniting us. >> the british do that. boris johnson said, do out and get that. you don't see the resistance from the far right in britain. >> yeah, there's a certain percentage in this country, eddie, that's just not going to get the shot. we know that, that i have told us that. but to put the frame a little bit differently on this, we're doing really well. we'll cross 70% by the fourth of july. that number will tick up as we go through the. and the truth of the matter is, it was a function built by operation warp speed, and pharmaceutical companies, doctors, scientists, the biden administration getting the distribution out there. it is something that -- it's okay to celebrate something once in a while. we view everything through this frame of cynicism and pessimism, but too many people died. that's true. a lot of people who shouldn't have died did die. but now we've come together as a country to vaccinate ourselves and get life ticked back to normal. >> it's okay to celebrate

something without having to read it through the lens of republicans and democrats, right? without having to overdetermine it by the hyperpartisanship that defines our country. without having to own the libs, without having to virtue signal. but rather, right, the fact that our mothers, our fathers, our aunts, our uncles, our cousins, our nephews, we're getting to a place where we can be safe. where we can imagine what normality might be as we try to figure out how to live with the reality of covid-19. >> and i saw a quote from donald trump somewhere a couple of days ago sag, i'm proud of the vaccine. people should be proud to go out and get the vaccine. >> we should be proud. and what they did with warp speed is quite risky, to accelerate, telescope the entire process, to make a bet on mass production of vaccines is a gutsy choice. one other thing we're seeing which to me is really interesting. a lot of the people in europe and asia that did really well early on including the australias and germanys and

despite everything they did, the masking, the social distancing, all the responsible vaccine, without vaccine, they're now seeing the virus really ramp up. so vaccines are an essential tool and we were ahead on that. brits have caught up because of vaccines. you can only go so far with all the other approaches. you need vaccines. >> we tried all the other approaches. and you saw some states doing very well early on. you saw, well, that's fantastic. and then you would see younger americans go out because there was less of a risk, and these states that were doing better three, four, five weeks later start to go down. you're going to have younger americans in this situation go out, pick up the virus, they're asymptomatic, they pass it to their families. perhaps it's a coincidence, but oil fields are blowing up in iran. ships are blowing up in iran.

and it appears that ran, who has been making the life of not just israel, but the united states difficult, it appears that somebody, and the presumption is always israel, but it appears that somebody is sending a message back to the iranians that this road goes both ways. >> we're seeing two things. on the nuclear side, we're seeing presumably the israelis do certain covert actions because the iranians continue to march towards a threshold of real nuclear capability, in terms of enriching uranium. and then you see this low-level war in the region including shipping in the persian gulf, the iranians have been doing certain things, now certain things are being done to them. the middle east was is, and for a time to come, will be the messiest part of the world. but you have a low-level informal -- "war" is too strong of a war, it's just not peace in

this region. >> what do you make of the iranian ships going, traveling down on the african coast and heading, we think, toward the atlantic. that seems like a very -- >> i don't know how to say venezuela in farsi, but i thin there is a -- look, cuba, iran, you have this -- my guess is there's help heading -- it could be there, from one of the triangle countries. look, you don't have to be a great power to be a global power. and iran is a pretty good example of that. >> all right. still ahead on "morning joe," dr. anthony fauci will be our guest this morning. plus, my exclusive sit-down interview with house speaker nancy pelosi. >> now, they asked me if i ruled the world, what one thing would i do? if i ruled the world, i would -- >> the answer to that question is just ahead on "morning joe," as she is on the "forbes" 50 over 50 list. we'll be right back. he "forbes"0

over 50 list we'll be right back. from prom dresses to workouts and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. i suffered with psoriasis for so long. i felt gross. people were afraid i was contagious. i was covered from head to toe. i was afraid to show my skin. after i started cosentyx i wasn't covered anymore. four years clear. five years now. i just look and feel better. see me. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx.

before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine, or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. five years is just crazy. see me. learn more at cosentyx.com. not everybody wants the same thing. that's why i go with liberty mutual — they customize my car insurance so i only pay for what i need. 'cause i do things a little differently. hey, i'll take one, please! wait, this isn't a hot-dog stand? no, can't you see the sign? wet. teddy. bears. get ya' wet teddy bears! one-hundred percent wet, guaranteed! or the next one is on me! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ so you're finally supporting his rock star dream... because you know you have a plan to pay it off. buy now, pay later, with plan it.

one of the many things you can expect when you're with amex. brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™

it's the memorial day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it's the most comfortable, dually-adjustable, foot-warming, temperature-balancing... proven quality night sleep we've ever made.

and now, save $1,000 on the new sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, now $1,799. only for a limited time. this week in covid history. it's june 2020 and america declares victory. >> congratulations, america. the comeback begins. >> you heard it from the q-tip. even sin city is lighting back up. vegas, baby. and it was all thanks to donny "build the wall" berg's unprecedented covid contributions. like making sure everybody stayed safe inside their homes. >> get in your house now! let's go! >> protecting the white house with coronavirus-proof barricades. and showing us it's safe to once again worship. him. >> in that moment, holding the bible up is a very important

symbol. like churchill, we saw him inspecting the bombing damage, it sent a powerful mental of leadership. >> yes, and all winston's fried chicken had to do is shoot away some rabble-rousers. the protest was peaceful. it was a photo op. >> the protest was not peaceful. >> why did you go to st. john's the other day? what was the message you wanted to send to people? >> religious leaders thought it was great. they loved it. >> true, just ask any religious leader. >> the bible is not a problem. >> it makes a mockery of christianity. >> it was an act that mocked god. >> you just don't do that, mr. president! it isn't cool! >> and nobody knows cool like kid turtleneck. this just in, a fox news poll shows biden is up 14 points. but don't be bamboozled.

>> i know all of you are freaking about the polls. well, the experts say biden is way ahead. it's his election to lose. the so-called experts are just horribly wrong. >> yes, take it from her, she's horrible and wrong. this has been "this week in covid history." >> like churchill inspecting the bombing during the blitz. >> like churchill. >> my goodness. that was a line, clearing the park of peaceful protesters, so he could hold the bible the wrong way. >> upside down. >> pat robertson going, it's not cool! that was only one year ago. >> it speaks for itself. >> i remember a certain oklahoma senator saying, i've been to sunday school my entire life, i've never seen anybody hold a bible that way. >> or clear a square to get to church. former president donald trump has discontinued his blog after just 29 days. once touted by his advisers as a, quote, beacon of freedom, the

site suffered from low readership. on the last day it was live, the site received just 1,500 shares. that's not good. and comments. a stark contrast to the amount of a engagement the former president's tweets used to create. jason miller said the now-shuttered project was an auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on. let's bring in a reporter for "the washington post," eugene scott. eugene, good morning. this was build as the place where trump fans and supporters could go to get their daily dose of donald trump from the desk of the former president of the united states. what happened here. people just didn't go check it out? >> well, most people just were not interested and have moved on from wanting to hear from the former president on a daily basis. or multiple times a day, as we were used to hearing. and as you know, the technology behind this blog was not the most current and forward-thinking, and so it really exposed the former president to quite a bit of

mocking, making people feel like that he was not at the forefront of communication or technology or any of the things that he and his team constantly say that he's a leader on. and people just engage -- disengage, should i say? and many americans are really ready to move on. there's a new president, there's a new agenda, there's a new focus. and despite the popularity that donald trump is experiencing in the republican party, he remains a largely unpopular person with americans at large. >> eugene, susan del percio here. do you think we'll see that slowdown also within his rallies, or are we going to see a good turnout, or what he would deem a good turnout? if you're not getting paid attention to on a blog, what do you think the rally response will be? >> well, we know that trump is still popular with republicans. but what's really important to know is that the number of people who self-identify as republicans in 2021 is actually smaller than the number in 2016. so there should be a decrease in

attendance at these rallies, especially since what he will be saying, he cannot turn into policy or action in the same way he could when he actually occupied the white house. >> all right. "the washington post's" eugene scott, thank you so much. really appreciate that. >> one thing to say, there's a lot of snacker around the blog and nobody read it. it looks like something from 2002. donald trump still has his people. the blog didn't work out. he can get his message out other ways. but we've been talking about this for weeks. if you cast the vote again today, he might lose 100 or 200 of the people who voted for him. >> but he's still close to 75 million. >> the people who love him love him and will show up at his rallies. >> dealing with the after-effects of the january 6th riot and the debate over that, and that is all about him. >> but you would think the riot would have changed thing, you would think this would have changed things. it's not changing anything. my friends that voted for donald trump, they're still voting for donald trump. my family members voted --

they're still voting for him. >> the man who called you a murderer. >> 1/6, it was bad, but donald trump doing, it was bad, but. >> but they're really happy not talking about him. >> they don't want to talk about him. i will say this. so many don't want to talk about him. they're exhausted by him. like, they're exhausted defending him. you know, republicans on the hill, who was it that said that if they're -- barbara comstock said that if donald trump got lost and there were a search party, republicans on the hill would be like, let him go. but they'll vote for him again. they may not like him, they don't like him and they don't want to talk about him. but they'll vote for him. >> it's the idea of donald trump in some ways more than the day-to-day reality. >> it is just tribal. and if it's not about donald trump, it's about nancy pelosi

or aoc or bernie sanders or elizabeth warren. they're trying turn joe biden into godzilla. it's not really working when he goes out. >> come on, y'all, malarkey. have a beer. it's not working. biden's not working. it's really kind of entertaining watching them twist themselves up trying to figure out exactly how to justify the vote for trump. but make no mistake of it, eddie, they will justify the vote for trump. that score board right now still is at 75 million. >> so what what do you think the effects of the rallies will be? part of trump's presence, of course, and what he's been doing with the big lies has been in some ways playing in peril the legitimacy of our electoral process. so to have a former president, i think this is really unprecedented, a former president going out this early, having these sorts of rallies, saying what he probably will say, given his obsession

around -- >> you never know. kiss was big in 1975. by 11980, you know -- it's a great show, but i think i'm just going to stay at home and, you know, listen to -- >> donald trump is gene simmons, is that what you're suggesting? >> i'm just saying, it's a big show, like the first time kiss came around. everybody wanted to go see him in '75. but 1980, it was kind of like i think the clash is coming next week. let's wait for them. maybe trump, maybe kiss is just as big five years later, but summer is coming, people want to go outside. don't think it's going to be like 2015 and 2016. i don't know. am i wrong? >> i think this is a theory of history, the kiss theory of history. i think you should -- i think this is your next book. >> the kiss theory of history. >> i like it.

>> all right, coming up, a look at the new campaign calling out republicans for blocking a january 6th commission. >> boy, that will really, really concern them. that'll move them. >> "morning joe" is coming right back. them. >> "morning joe" is coming right back you're strong. you power through chronic migraine - 15 or more headache days a month, ...each lasting 4 hours or more. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. so, if you haven't tried botox® for your chronic migraine, ...check with your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if samples are available. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, ...speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness... ...can be signs of a life- threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions...

...neck and injection site pain... ...fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions... ...and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. most patients may pay as little as $0 for botox®. so, text to see how you can save. botox® has been preventing headaches and migraines before they even start for 10 years. so, ask your doctor about botox® today. ♪ i've lost count of how many asthma attacks i've had. so, ask your doctor abut my nunormalay. with nucala? fewer asthma attacks. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection-site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala. find your nunormal with nucala.

finding new routes to reach your customers, and new ways for them to reach you... is what business is all about. it's what the united states postal service has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting.

the key to go forward. another layer of investigation in my view doesn't add anything. we were all witnesses to it. i was there. we all know exactly what happened. i don't think we would learn anything further by having yet another level of investigation and that's why i oppose the january 6th commission. >> with regard to the future, we're going to arrest, hopefully

convict, everybody involved in the insurrection. >> okay. that's mitch mcconnell, at least making very clear that he was there, he saw what happened. not sure we agree with his vote, but he said that people will be arrested and convicted. worth noting, fair? >> well, they are, actually. they are, every day. fbi, i think, is doing a great job. i am a little curious about, richard, i look at some of the sentencing that some of these people are getting, that admit what they did was going on to the senate floor to stop a constitutional counting of votes and they're getting one to three years. when, if you read the statute, i mean, that's called sedition. where you act violently to stop

a constitutional action from taking place. and it's a 20-year term. up to 20 years. so why one to three years when the statute itself says -- and these judges are never going to have anybody, we hope, that will have acted in more of a direct way, for a conspiracy to act sedition than what happened on january the 6th. and yet they're giving one to three-year sentences for something that should be 20 years. >> one gets the sense that the legal process is looking at it as a disorderly crime situation, if you will. and that's why you need the commission. the commission provides the political context. this is not an apolitical event where people happened to gather place and things, quote, got out of hand. that's the way the legal system is approaching it. that's exactly the case for the commission. you need to weave together the political context. that's what this country needs in order to learn from it. and we would learn new things. that's where the former majority

leader is dead wrong. and worst comes to worst, we didn't learn a whole lot. i would be willing to pay that price as a taxpayer, but 9/11 commission, we learned a lot, not simply what happened, but you weave it together and tell a story. that's the important civics thing here. there has got to be an educational learning experience across the board. it's not a narrow, legal, law and order experience. >> conservative attorney george conway has a new piece in "the washington post" entitled "republican senators' failure to investigate january 6th is worse than their impeachment failure." he writes in part, "republican senators have managed to outdo themselves in cowardice, which is quite a feat. there is no excuse, none, for what they did last week. they quiver in fear of the man who cost them the presidency in both houses of congress. as they continue to quake, the big lie's cancer upon democracy grows, with spurious election audits in pursuit of fantasies

of fraud and some claiming, reportedly including trump himself, that he'll be reinstated in due course. four years of trump have led to the republican party becoming a threat to democracy, a declining sect dominated by crackpots, charlatans and cowards. of these, it's the cowards, including the senators who killed last week's legislation, who bear most of the blame." joining us now, political scientist and election analyst, rachael biddercoffer, and writer and journalist, matthew iglasius. i know there are many more reasons, because of the state of voters in america right now, but to get trump off their back with this commission. to really call out what happened every step of the way. drawing lines between important

factors that played a role in what continues to be an erosion to our democracy. >> you know, the 75 million people that i said would vote for donald trump tomorrow, day don't want donald trump off their back. and so these republican senators and congressmen and congresswomen don't want donald trump off their back. so rachel, what do you do about it? >> you've got to get conway's message to a broader public. even the way we talk about what mcconnell is doing is really not hammering home what's happening, right? they are blocking the commission, not for any reason other than they're afraid it goes up, right? we were talking about these disproportionate penalties or the light sentences, but the disproportion is going at those foot soldier levels. we really need a public inquiry that looks upwards, particularly to see, did roger stone have an involvement? right, we know he had connection

to some of the proud boys that were arrested. we need these answers and if we can't get them in a bipartisan commission, it doesn't much matter if we do a partisan commission. because if it were bipartisan, they would frame it as a witch hunt. it's very good to go aggressively. that's what strike pac is all about. i tell people, it's a were machine, and that's a tough pill to swallow for liberals in general. we're generally peace makers. but our campaign has left us in the position where we are watching democracy collapse. it is time. it's kind of like being attacked in pearl harbor. we had pearl harbor. we've been living through it. it's been a slow-running event, but with trump's comments about election integrity from the beginning, i mean, beginning of the presidential cycle, we now see about 35% of our fellow americans think that joe biden stole the presidency and they're

seeing that message reinforced all throughout their ecosystem. and many people who voted in what i call the against trump coalition, they've tuned back out. they are complacent. i showed you guys a survey in the spring that showed republicans are much more likely to say democracy is fragile. not democrats. and they're the ones that are dismantling it. so strike pac is about bringing a brand offensive against the whole of the republican party. it's not just about donald trump, but it definitely includes him. but it's all of them. they're either silent or active enablers of a domestic terror attack on our nation's capitol, with them sitting inside, and it's time for us to go heavy after the gop hammered their brand, make 2022 a referendum on them. >> so, matthew, what -- i read your newsletter. i think it's an important newsletter. what's the democrat -- what is the -- what's the democratic

party's best move? rachel says that democrats really don't know how to fight like republicans. i tend to think that is extraordinarily true. it's just a completely different mind-set when you approach an election. but what's the democrats' best move right now? >> you know, i mean, i agree, it's good to move forward with an inquiry. it's good to hit them. trump is super popular among republicans. you were talking about kiss before. but i do think he's a little bit of an embarrassing, unpopular figure with the broader public. it's good to remind people of that. but i also think that this substance of politics matters, right? i mean, a lot of people vote for the republican party because they see it as a check on democratic party policy aspirations that alarm them. it's not a coincidence that joe

biden did very well. democrats did really well if georgia, with jon ossoff, raphael warnock, running on the idea of giving money to people. a simple lunch bucket kind of message. and democrats need to think about still, voters who voted for barack obama and defected to donald trump, i think because democrats shifted their position on immigration and some other cultural issues further to the left. and that's probably a course correction democrats want to make. they want to go back to some of those rural white, probably less religious, lower-income voters, who have voted for democrats in the past and can vote for democrats again, but clearly aren't persuaded, just by the critique of donald trump. >> so, matthew, i was going to let willie ask the next question, but i have two people at the desk, shaking their heads furiously, saying, go back to the center. no! no! again, i say, no! you brought up a great point. barack obama was in ezra klein's

podcast the other day and barack obama said, well, you know, the reason -- because ezra ask, why did you get all of these votes from these white working class dudes. well, you know, even though my views were very progressive on lbgtq issues and da da da, you point out the fact, it's a nice thing to say in 2021, but they weren't. ten years ago, barack obama was saying that as a christian, he believed that marriage was between a man and a woman. when joe biden came out and blurted out that he thought that -- >> went rogue! >> went rogue and said, no, it's not that limited. joe biden was put in the corner for months. and so there is some revisionism. i'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade. i'm just saying, democrats don't need to fool themselves into believing what barack obama

stood for and what he didn't stand for. and you talked about this yesterday. explain >> yeah, i mean, look, obama is a really smart politician. east an incredibly charismatic speaker and an appealing guy on a lot of levels, but he played hardball politics. when marriage equality was unpopular, he was against it. the polling shifted. some biden gifts helped shift things. but he delivered especially on immigration. he tried to portray himself. he wanted a path to citizenship for people. he did daca to try to help young people who hadn't done anything wrong. but he always positioned himself in favor of border security. he positioned the idea of a sort of amnesty as a way to target law enforcement resources at dangerous criminals, right? not as a kind of broad opposition to immigration enforcement. now, on some of these issues, democrats have moved left, because the country has moved left, right? to run on obama's position on marriage from 2008 in 2024,

would be crazy. and nobody would do it. but obama as a practical politician, he paid close attention to what people thought. he paid close attention to the electoral map. and he imposed a lot of message discipline on his campaign. you know, you talk to people who worked as surrogates during the re-election campaign. and they'll tell you, it's like, somebody would come burn your house down if you went offscript. they really thought they knew what the voters in the pivotal states wanted to hear and they stuck to that. >> and on immigration, matt brings up a great point, too. barack obama was constantly getting hammered by pro-immigrant groups. and the preposterousness of donald trump talking about building the wall and the southern border being porous, barack obama drove illegal border crossings to a 50-year low.

that was recognized by a lot of people who voted for him twice. it's why he was the first democratic president since fdr to win a majority vote two times. he was a tough politician. and he knew where the center of american politics was. >> nicknamed the deporter in chief, as a matter of fact,. >> that's what they called him. >> that's what they called him. so we've got the professor, i'll give you your turn. rachael, let's start with you. as you were listening to that case for where democrats should be going right now, obviously, a lot of concerns coming up in 2022. if the house flips back, there's already a minor margin. obviously, the senate is tied 50/50. what does that mean for the country, even with a democratic president? you're august to democrats running in 2022, telling them what? >> and i deal with data, i deal in data. and you know, one of the things that people need to understand is that, yeah, they did have a lot of message discipline during the obama era and they got hammered in 2010 and 2014, right? and there's more than one way to skin a cat, willie.

let me tell you. rather than rebut the other guest's assumption of how to solve the problem of this deassignment, democrats have a realignment of their own to exploit. college-educated voters of all races, but particularly whites who had been voting for the gop and are now looking at it and are thinking, i'm not really liking this hot mess, right? if you go hard after their brand, and do that lots of ways. this ad that we've cut out goes after the gop in a positive, campy way, but it's about taking their ownership of the economy away. it's about showing, hey, americans, all the stuff that you like right now, guess who it came from? the democrats, right? you want to keep these benefits that are going to start rolling into your bank accounts, families with parents. you want to make sure you show up and keep control of congress. you have to make, as joe said, and this is what strike pac does, because i made studying

the election and engineering a message in my career, you have to give what the gop is giving. pure, emotive, adrenaline rush, stakes framing, somebody i think, bill was talking about policy as being a motivator, but they be he cited that the democrats don't do any policy, they run against the democratic brand. that is their strategy. >> let's take a look at the ad you're talking about. >> all right. it's time for a head-to-head. who's really winning on the economy? is it democrats or republicans? stat number one. overall, economic growth. that's an early win for dems with nearly double the score! and who's created more jobs? whoa! slam dunk, democrats. millions more in the past decades. it's starting to feel like a blowout. but what about the stock market? dems hit it out of the park. it's a triple crown win, win,

win for the dems. so what do republicans bring? oh, 10 out of the last 11 recessions. >> i'm expecting to see big wheels trucks crashing over, whatever, republicans. >> eddie, you reality related t. >> aesthetically, it looked like an ad i would see on fox news. it had all of those elements of stuff that i would see coming from your former side of the aisle, right? >> this is the only one that could pass the, hey, we don't have a ratings system for political ads yet, so nc-17. so they couldn't even show the whole ad. >> oh, wow! >> like, we're bringing the hammer. >> so matthew, i'm just curious about what your thoughts have been about where we are in 2021. i go back to 2009, 2010, that

seems to be what republicans are following up on. the going back to the anti-obama playbook. and i remember '08, '09, '010, the numbers for obamacare were always, always tough it was always a pitched battle. do you think mitch mcconnell may be playing from that old playbook one time too many. you look at the numbers on policy, biden's own numbers. it's far different today than it was in '09 and '10. what do you think? >> i think the biggest difference is the economic situation. obama's first year in office, the economy was still declining. things were getting worse and worse and worse. so you could obstruct him from doing anything, you could say,

oh, your life is getting worse. the best hope for biden is people are getting vaccinated, the economy is growing. that was his basic promise to us. i liked that ad that rachael showed. it's trying to say, look, your life will get better with democrats. that wasn't really happening in 2009/2010, right? i think obama can say it happened later in his administration, but it wasn't happening at the time of those midterms. and that's, i think, the number one priority for democrats, is to make sure people's lives are getting better in concrete ways and talk to the public about what it is they are doing to make that happen. so, you know, for now, biden's numbers are good. the midterms are always difficult. it's not unusual for the incumbent party's numbers to collapse later in the cycle. but for now, you know, democrats are in pretty good shape. and i think should follow the current course of what they're doing. but they've got to hope we get good jobs numbers tomorrow. >> at the end of the day, joe, i just want the democratic party to know that it will not be successful if it things it can

be republican lite. >> i've never heard that before. >> it cannot be successful in this moment. i want to just suggest that i think -- and maybe i'm wrong here, i think there's a political realignment in terms of the ideological spectrum in the united states, right? the age of reagan, to my mind, its fundamentals have collapsed and interesting, if you agree with that claim, the democratic party that was constituted to respond to it has collapsed. >> there are two things that are going on, though. i think, richard, we're moving past -- we have moved past the age of reagan, when you look at the numbers that are attached to these bills that make your heart and my hard palpitate, because the numbers are so high and the deficits are like even -- going to be higher than trump's deficits and the national debt is going to be even higher and we have that nagging inflationary concern. that said, the spending is overwhelmingly popular. it never would have been during

the age of reagan. we have moved beyond the age of reagan. that's one thing that's happening. another thing that's happening, though, there are a lot of people like you and me that live in suburbs, that voted republican their entire life, that are not going to be voting for donald trump or trumpists. and that, i think, over time will expand the democratic party. and forgive me for saying this, make the republican -- make the democratic party more moderate, more conservative in places. and more of a sort of fdr-type coalition as far as a wider -- so two things are going on at the same time right now. it's going to require democrats to be a bit agile. >> it is. i think one of the questions is if you want to attract people who are former republicans, who are offended by lots of aspects of trumpism, i think there are questions of the role of government in the society and also this issue of transfer of wealth. and one of the things that's going to come up in the debate

is obviously, i think we still have to watch levels of government spending. we have to look at, what's the safety net. what's the relationship between the government and the economy, the government and the society, and what transfer of wealth is going to be required to pay for it. because one possibility is you have no transfer of wealth, you just run up debt. the other possibility, you have massive transfer of wealth through taxation. and taxation may be a problem if you want to attract republicans who are already alienated from the republican party, former republicans to the democratic party. they may stay homeless for a long time. they may be comfortable in neither. >> matthew and rachael, you're amazing. thank you so much. >> matthew, you're amazing. still ahead, chris matthews joins the conversation just ahead. >> hah! >> also, dr. anthony fauci. plus, my conversation with house speaker nancy pelosi who's featured on know your value and

"forbes" newly revealed 50 over 50 list. "morning joe" is back in a moment. what's the word that comes to mind when i say "retirement"? >> what's that? >> exactly. breyers is always so delicious... i can tell that they used your milk, matilda. great job! moo you're welcome. breyers natural vanilla is made with 100% grade a milk and cream and only sustainably farmed vanilla. better starts with breyers. discover card i just got my cashback match is this for real? yup! we match all the cash back new card members earn at the end of their first year automatically woo! i got my mo-ney! it's hard to contain yourself isn't it? uh- huh! well let it go! woooo! get a dollar for dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover. advanced non-small cell lung cancer can change everything.

but your first treatment could be a chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works differently. it could mean a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1 and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. opdivo plus yervoy is the only fda-approved combination of two immunotherapies opdivo plus yervoy equals... a chance for more starry nights. more sparkly days. more big notes. more small treasures. more family dinners. more private desserts. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have a cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; diarrhea; constipation; severe stomach pain, nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; eye problems; extreme tiredness; changes in appetite, thirst or urine; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems;

muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; or fever. these are not all the possible side effects. problems can occur together and more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. tell your doctor about all medical conditions including immune or nervous system problems, if you've had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, or received chest radiation. here's to a chance for more horizons. a chance to live longer. ask your doctor about chemo-free opdivo plus yervoy. thank you to all involved in our clinical trials.

a beautiful shot of new york city. welcome back to "morning joe." it's thursday, june 3rd. princeton's eddie glaude jr. and political strategist, susan del percio still with us. and joining the conversation, we have msnbc contributor, mike barnicle. good to have you onboard this hour, mike.

the white house is calling for a, quote, summer of freedom. a little different than summer of love, but a little free from everybody, as the president pushes to get as many americans as possible vaccinated by july 4th. >> today we're announcing a month-long effort to pull all the stops, all the stops to free ourselves from this virus and get to 70% of adult americans vaccinated. we'll continue encouraging people to get vaccinated with incentives and fun rewards. the nba, the nhl, nascar, nascar tracks, they're offering vaccines outside playoff games and races. major league baseball will be offering free tickets to people who get vaccinated at the ballpark. and to top it off, anheuser-busch announced that beer is on them on july the 4th. that's right. get a shot and have a beer. >> so fun! in order to reach the 70% goal and additional 16 million adults

will need to get vaccinated in the next 30 days. right now, about 63% of american adults have had at least one shot. that's pretty good, but we need more. >> meanwhile, the white house is not ruling out retaliation in response to another russian-linked cyber attack. president biden told reporters the administration is looking into the recent wave of ransomware attacks, including one against the country's largest meat producer just this week. press secretary jen psaki confirmed the issue will be brought up when president biden sits down with vladimir putin in two weeks. >> we do expect this to be one of the issues that the president will discuss with president putin at the summit. we will certainly be a topic of discussion that harboring criminal entities that are intending to do harm, that are doing harm to the critical infrastructure in the united states is not acceptable. we're not going to stand by that. we will erase that and we are not going to take options off

the table. >> mr. president, will you retaliate against russia for this latest ransomware attack. >> we're looking closely at that. >> do you think putin is testing you? . >> no. >> and israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu's days in office could be numbered with his opponents announcing they've reached a deal to form a new coalition. the agreement came shortly before midnight, the deadline, in israel, which would have sent the country into its fifth election in just over two years. the coalition features leader from eight different political parties, spanning both ends of the political spectrum. one interest they do share is a desire to see netanyahu out of power. if the agreement is approved by the israeli parliament next week, it would see the end of the prime minister's 12-year rule. >> all right! guess what?

chris matthews is here. >> hi, chris! >> he's the author of the new book, "this country: my life in politics and history." chris, it's so interesting -- >> it's great to see you! >> great to see you. people always come up, say, how's chris doing? they talk about chris. i had a guy come up and talk about you and he said, chris matthews always told me something that always stuck in my head. he was a capitol hill cop and he learned that, you know, the average american, the little guy, as you said, like, people that, you know, working class neighborhoods, philly, pensacola, you name it, they love america, because it's the one thing you got. and i was thinking about that myself last summer. we were in maine and went out to an island that was pretty far out and there was a house that was pretty ramshackle, there

were a lot of things in the hard. they had a huge american flag perfectly pressed. and i said, chris is right. that's what they got. that's what we all got. >> you remember it right. that was officer leroy taylor of west virginia. called me aside, the college kid, to tell me what the whole fight was about, the culture war. it's about the little guy, little woman, who doesn't have much. they don't have a glamorous life, but they do have their flag and their country and they feel it. and they feel it strongly. you know, joe, i've had this amazing life. i wrote about it. i had two years to write about it. that helped me. but i started in africa for all of those years and i was in the air force one flying around with jimmy carter, fighting for his re-election. i was with tip o'neil in the back rooms of power. i was at the berlin wall when it was coming down talking to regular germans about why it was all happening. and one of the young kids -- i said to the kid, what does freedom mean to you?

and the kid say, talking to you. the big changes in our life, whether it's the end of apartheid. i was there with archbishop tutu when he got the vote for the first time at age of 62. i was in northern ireland when the irish and catholics got together for good friday. i've had these amazing experiences and i wanted to share them. because the most exciting parts of our life don't happen on television. they usually happen in real i've. and they're really big stories that people like to hear about. it's behind the scenes. what was it like to be there when history was being made. and joe, you were in the house all of those years. and mika, i remember with your dad, working at the white house, one of the thrills of being at the white house as a speechwriter to president carter was being in black tie one evening and going in to see the big brzezinski, trying to get him to approve his speech for blasting the russians. i was like, i'm just like the big brzezinski. and he said, i'm not going to

approve barberous behavior by the russians in a split second. bring me back to that tomorrow morning. that was my meeting with your dad. >> that sounds just about right. my dad can be tough. mike barnicle? >> chris, one element of your life and life span and all the people you've met and encountered. talk to us a bit about the most uniquely of american politician you worked for, tip o'neil. i have met a more american politician in my life. >> there we were walking over. i think we were giving an award to jack lemon for the arts caucus. every morning, here's this big guy, overweight, didn't think he was that great looking. i thought he was an amazing-looking person. and he would -- there he is with kathleen, my wife. he would get up every morning

knowing that reagan was this incredibly charismatic figure, punching him every day, and went up and went to work every morning. i thought that was the real courage of tip o'neill, sticking to his guns and his beliefs, even though he knew they were a bit out of date. but courage is getting up every day and going to work for a lot of people. it's not just about courage on the battlefield. a split second of grace under pressure, but just going to work when you know you're not popular every day. i thought that was tip o'neil's great strength. >> chris, it's willie. it's great to see you. glad to have you back. congratulations. >> by the way, you're on the cover of the bethesda magazine, you and your dad. every time i go to the drugstore -- come on, you must know. you're right on the cover, willie. >> i don't -- >> he's on so many covers -- >> so many cover shoots, they

all blend together. >> who, me? >> chris, among the many times we've missed your voice on television was on january 6th, as you watched what happened in the building where you worked. the building where you're talking about working for tip o'neil. what went through your mind and your heart and your gut as you watched that. and the events that have followed? the one willingness of republicans to take that look back at the january 6th commission? >> willie, that got to my heart. i felt violated. i felt like this cathedral of democracy. this place where all the big battles over slavery and everything and jim crow and how we passed the civil rights bill with a huge majority in the senate in both parties, this is where the best of america has come together. a congress coming together? it's our democracy. i worked with a cop when i was a capitol policeman who said, i would die for this building. and he meant it. and i thought about those people. what were they doing? and sometimes what we see, you think it's at its worst, like,

watergate. no, if it had really gotten to its worst, they would have won. they would have found a member of congress, pelosi, the speaker, or maybe mike pence, the vp, or mitt romney, they were chasing after him and that african-american police officer led them in the other direction, which was so courageous and so quit-witted to pull that off, to get them away from the target they were after. we had no idea how bad that could have got. suppose they did get ahold of one of these members of congress that had been elected by the people. god knows. these people were on a tear and they were led by the president. and the fact that the republicans don't want to investigate this is maddening. why not get it over with, find out who did it, find out the organizations involved. find out their motive. what was their ultimate goal that day? one goal, the immediate goal was to stop the election of a president by the electoral college. they could have done -- they wanted to stop it. they stopped it for a couple of

hours. and that was an insurrection. i used to walk those halls. i was a cop that walked those halls. you didn't go walking into the speaker's office, you wouldn't go walking on the floor of the senate. you wouldn't be doing that stuff. it was just, it was wrong. and the american people should have really rebelled against that, stronger than they have. >> i wonder what we make of that, because what's next, chris. especially talking to you, someone who has such a love, a deep love for politics, from being on the inside and looking at it from the outside and having such a spirit in your reporting politics, what is the challenge that we confront with republicans who wouldn't even vote for this commission. how do we do that? i'm honestly saying i'm having a hard time with it.

these are people that you worked with. these are people that you loved covering the frictions of politics, left and right, democrat, republican, you know, trying to like -- the battle was part of the journey in this country and you've been on that journey for so many years. what's the challenge now covering republicans who don't want to confront this? >> it's a real problem. you think of the frog in the boiling water. the water keeps getting hotter and hotter and they don't even though they're dying. one of the thing i miss about not getting up and reporting the day's events. i could read the paper occasional and catch up, but you're getting the points on the map and look at the direction we're going in the last few months. first of all, back in -- when trump was running for president, he accused the current president

of being an illegal immigrant. snuck in the country from kenya. what a joke, what a joke. and a lot of the people who follow him, oh, yeah, he said so, so it must be true. and the current president is elected by the electoral college, obviously, enough majorities to avoid any concern about illegality, and he says he's not president. and you see in a poll in the quinnipiac poll last week, a good poll, two-thirds of republicans agree with him. this president is not legitimate. so it's really scary. so you have a general that's taken an oath to the constitution, which is the first oath you take anywhere in the military, and he's talking about should have a military coup. seven days of may and this guy is talking about this. and the scariest thing is that that didn't shock people. it seemed part of the continuum. the deconstitutionalization of america. oh, yeah, let's have a military coup. well, the military is not behind this guy, this nut, michael flynn, talking about -- and the crowd cheering him, scary

business. because when you say the past is prelude, which we all believe, it's on the national archives building, what is this a prelude to? what we're watching now, this continuum of opposition to clear-cut democracy. you know, first of all, they were proud about winning the election, even though they lost the popular vote by 4 million. what are you proud about that for? all we ever said was, let's get out and vote. get your people out. get your voters to the poll. your people. now, it's keep their people from going to the polls. >> yeah. >> it's totally -- and make sure their government doesn't get anything done. you know what mip is up to? i swear what he's up to. make sure the biden administration gets nothing done, so next november, they campaign on crime, high prices, inflation, and the border. the good old big three of negative politics. find three issues, make them

about your opponent, make them all negative, and make it a negative election in 2022. i think that's the mitch mcconnell strategy and mccarthy, for what he's worth, is going along with it. don't let them do anything positive so they can have a record to run on. >> let's remind viewers how quickly this has changed. a lot of people say, it's been bad forever. but you wrote a book about tip o'neil and ronald reagan. they figured out to be extraordinarily disagreeable and stild bill a relationship where they put the country first. you can talk about bill clinton, a republican congress that impeached him. neither side liked each other. i always said, you could impeach bill clinton on tuesday, he would invite you to golf on wednesday, because he had a bill he needed your vote on on thursday. that's how he thought and that's why he was successful legislatively. and i remember tom daschle and

trent lott would go on air and rip each other to friends and get off air and be friends. they understand that they were americans and they were fighting toward the common goal of making america better from two dramatically different places. why can't we get back to that place? >> first of all, joe, as you know better than win politics, when it's played right is fun, it's a great way to live. franklin roosevelt said, there's nothing more than i like better than a good fight. when we were fight about infrastructure back in '82 before that midterm election, and the republican leader, bob michael, was making fun of the

democrats. another leaf-raking, make work jobs bill, what a joke. so i called up the chief engineer of peoria, illinois, his town, and asked him for a list of all the bridges in his town that were below safety code. and the speaker went on the floor of the house and read all the bridges in bob michael's district that were scary and below safety code and school buses would be going over them and they would be dangerous. bob michael went red faced, found his press secretary, and went out and tried to save himself that day. that's great politics. take the fight to the enemy. don't talk in theater. all politics is local. go to the opponent and say, oh, yeah, you don't think we need infrastructure, mr. mccarthy, how come this bridge is falling down in your district? what's the kentucky problem with these bridges and tunnels and roads that are in lousy repair. take the pictures of them and show them, this guy doesn't want to fix stuff in our hometown

here. i think politics can be really fun. if you take it to the enemy and you're aggressive about it, you have a great night. what did i do today? i showed the opponents they were wrong and we're right. that's fun. >> as much as i talk about when i run for office, i don't run, you know, i didn't run to win, i run to wipe the other side out. i didn't want it to be close. and if 25% of the people voted for the other person, i took that as a personal affront. i will say, mike, when i was actually in congress and working, you know, you put that behind you and what made me feel the best was reconciliation. finding a democrat, sitting down working through it. i did it with elijah cummings and we had to work for a year or two. the reward of working with

somebody who may not agree with you on everything and reconciling and getting to that police station where you're doing something to help people, i feel so sad for the people in congress now, because they're gesturing most of the time and they don't get to experience that. it's one of the great rewards of being in congress. >> joe, you served at a time that was a snap of a finger, but it might as well be centuries ago. we are now part of a process, a political system where members of congress, members of the united states senate, some of them, are more afraid of twitter than their own constituents than they are of any great issue that they'll have to resolve. tip o'neill, one of his best friends in the house of representatives was gerry ford. and that does not happen today. you don't see friendships like that today in politics.

i think a large part of it, you might disagree with me or agree with me, has to do with the concept of fund-raising required now by people running for public office. they don't live in the district. >> so much of it also, willie, has to do with social media. you go out to dinner, i heard this last time i was in d.c. and it was so depressing. a lot of republican and democratic senators are afraid to be seen in public together because somebody will tweet about it, clis so sad and politics. >> getting the politics to own the libs rather than to go out and make people better's lives better. it's interesting to watch president biden, because he crosses these generations that mike is talking about. he grew up in the united states senate at a time when all of this is happening. everything chris is saying, working across the aisle, getting things done, finding joy in politics. and now he still has that idea of partisanship in his political brain, but he's finding he'll

working with a party that will come sit in the oval office and then tweet about him saying he's a radical leftist the minute they walk out the door. >> what's striking about the situation, it predisposes a set of background commitments that we both share. that we have a commitment to the future, the flourishing of america. well, you can't assume that you have the same commitments anymore. the disagreements are so much deeper. >> on that note, chris matthews, how do we get back or get part of that back as we move into the future? we're so far from where politics was fun and people were working with the same set of facts? >> leadership. mitch mcconnell has decided to

do this sort of mad dog politics. you know, here's joe biden, a moderate democrat. he's not traditionally seen as a progressive or anybody on the left. he's had to put together a program that appeals to the progressive side of his party and the moderate party. he absolutely needs 50 votes to do anything. even to get through another reconciliation bill, he's got to get manchin. if the republican voters out there, the more centrist republicans, if they want to have a moderate democratic administration, it's easy. make an offer! an offer or a real deal. a real deal on infrastructure. offer something on the border. offer something on police. offer something on guns. make offers that move biden to the more moderate side. but you have to be at the table. you can't say, look at those

lefty. all they have to do is say, okay, you want 2 or 3 trillion on infrastructure? how about a trillion and a half. biden will go for it. you have to put something on the table. what does mitch mcconnell and mccarthy want to do? they want to screw them and undercut them. when the democrats got a little corrupt, they would bring in the republicans to come in. then the democrats would get back in. the parties would keep each other honest. they screw each other to make sure nobody gets anything good done. mitch mcconnell's biggest fear is that biden will succeed with the economy. that he'll be able to develop an expanded economy with more people working, higher salaries and not have the too much inflation. what he really hopes for is that he fails completely and get nothing done. and unfortunately, that's what politics is. screw the other guy, don't let anything get done, when it

should be, keep the other guy honest. and that's what it was. and i spent a good part of my life about the people in the world that want what we have. they treasure democracy piches in south africa with bishop tutu when he voted for the first time and he was 62 years old. and he yelleded yippee in the voting booth. south africa didn't solve its problem of white supremacy by war, they solved it at the ballot box. mandela said, it's going to be a good country without racism. the germans wanted to bring that wall down so the people could decide between socialism and capitalism. and we have to understand how valuable the vote is. the vote is everything for us. we have to keep the democracy that we inherited and god help us from the people like michael flynn and donald trump help us from them >> damned right.

chris matthews, thank you very much. come back. the book is, "this country: my life in politics and history." and still ahead on "morning joe," is america on track for a so-called summer of freedom? we'll ask dr. anthony fauci when he joins us next on "morning joe." y fauci when he joins us next on "morning joe. psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen, painful. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options.

my nunormal? fewer asthma attacks with nucala. a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. nucala reduces eosinophils, a key cause of severe asthma. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala. find your nunormal with nucala. ask your doctor about nucala. there's interest you accrue, and interests you pursue. plans for the long term, and plans for a long weekend.

assets you allocate, and ones you hold tight. at thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. and with the right guidance, you can get the financial clarity you need, and live a life rich in meaning, and gratitude. to learn more, text thrive to 444555, or visit thrivent.com. another day, another chance. it could be the day you break the sales record, or the day there's appointments nonstop. with comcast business, you get the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses, and you can get the advanced cybersecurity solutions you need with comcast business securityedge. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. get started with a great offer, and ask how you can add comcast business securityedge. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today.

welcome back to "morning joe." joining us now, chief medical adviser to the president, dr. anthony fauci. dr. fauci, good morning. it's good to see you. we want to talk about the state of coronavirus, but as you may have heard, many of your e-mails were made public in a foia request from buzzfeed and "the washington post." let me ask you a couple of questions about that. first of all, in april of 2020, the lab leak theory from the wuhan lab was discussed in some of your e-mails.

dr. collins, the head of the nih seemed to think it was a conspiracy. did you agree at that time, in april of 2020 that the lab leak theory was a conspiracy theory? >> no, not necessarily at all. the situation was we didn't know and we still don't know what the origin is. that if you look historically and the way things rolled out, we all felt and still do, actually, willie that it is more likely to be a natural jumping of species from an animal reservoir to a human. however, since we don't know that for sure, that you've got to keep an open mind. you can say you think one thing is more likely than the other, but the fact that it could have been something else clearly was there. it was low on the list of what we thought the likelihood was. but, in fact, that's the reason why we all are now saying there's a considerable amount,

appropriately, of interest in trying to find out what the origin is. and that's why we're all in favor of a fair, open investigation to see if we can actually find out the origin. because we want to make sure this doesn't happen again. >> since those e-mails in april of 2020, dr. fauci, have you come around more to the possibility of a lab leak theory? do you think it's more credible today than it was then? >> you know, i'm not so sure. i think one of the things that has stimulated interest, which i think is important to investigate, is the idea, and we need to find out if it's true or not, of the fact that there were some people who worked at the lab who got ill. we need to find out, "a," is that true? and "b," what was the nature of their illness? and those are things we just need to find out. if that's something that turns out to be an important feature,

then you can say, hmm, that may lean a little bit more towards one. but i think what people might be getting confused, is there more interest in it or really more evidence? the evidence is very sparse. and that's the reason why we want to keep looking. the evidence for one of the other. if you look historically, the way things have rolled out, the original sars/cov1, mers, ebola, the diseases that emerge from a reservoir and an animal, it happens all the time. and that's the reason why we feel that's the most likely. but since we haven't proven that, you've got to keep an open mind, and an open mind means you continue to look. as an open mind. not in a pejorative way of thinking that they did something me various or what happened. just keep an open mind and take a look.

and that's what everyone wants right now. >> the conventional wisdom for so long, as you know, that it was zu zoonotic, that there were types of a bat in the wet market, there were talk of penguins in the wet market. is there more evidence for that theory than there is the lab leak? in other words, aren't they both equally possible? >> obviously, when you say "possible," anything is possible. and that's the reason why i say you need to keep an open mind. one of the things that people need to understand is that you need to keep looking for that link of the jump naturally from an animal to a human. i think one of the things that happened early on is that the scientists, you know, some people don't want to admit it, but the scientists in china, many of them are really very good scientists. i think epidemiology, one of the things that they did wrong is that they cleaned out the market as soon as there was this outrage for fear that it would

spread even more. that could have been an epidemiological mistake, because they may have wiped out evidence of the jumping of species. but you still have to keep looking. and that's what everyone is doing, to continue to look. i have to keep emphasizing that, because people who are pejorative about it and conflate different things keep saying, well, you think this, you think this. an open mind is the clear thing we need to do. >> a question you probably hear a lot, i hear a lot is from people out on the street and people who are on our show. why is this so hard? why is it so hard to find the source of this outbreak that's killed more than 3 million people around the world, 600,000 people here in the united states, has upended our lives and our economy? is it because china is so opaque. is it because w.h.o is not sharing information? why is this so difficult? >> there are several reasons, willie, why it's difficult. i think one of the things is that we need better access to all the information.

i mean, it's obviously in china's interests to find out exactly what it is. and the "is" of the natural theory would be to find that link. so you have to keep looking for it. i mean, obviously, you want openness and cooperation. one of the ways you can get it is don't be accusatory. try to get both a forensic, a scientific, and an investigational approach. i think the accusatory part about it is only going to get them to pull back even more. we've got to do it in a combination of diplomacy, scientific forensic investigation, and do it in a way of the people of good faith, not who want to do blame, but people who in good faith are really trying to find out what the orange is. and we're seeing a lot of, you know -- i don't even want to describe it. a lot of pointing of fingers and things like that. keep an open mind and go after

the truth. >> you say it's in china's interests. though, would you agree, dr. fauci, it's in their interests to hide it, if there was a lab leak or worse, if they were designing something in their lab, that the world that america didn't know, that it came out of their own lab, wouldn't they want to conceal that? willie, i don't want to be speculating on that. every time i say something like that, you know it as well as i, it will get completely taken out of context and go into the twitter world like crazy. so, i'm going to leave that to other people and not surmise and guess who's interests it's in. it's not helpful. everything you say gets completely taken out of context. >> and it's really, it would be like me, talking about what it's like to be an nba player. i wouldn't know -- i'm terrible at basketball. you're about medicine. you're about health. you're about studying that. these questions about china, i mean, that's up to the

politicians to sort through. that's up to the politicians to figure out. it may not be in the best interest of china's leaders for this to come out. it certainly, though, it is certainly in the best interests of the chinese people and also, i'm sure a lot of medical doctors over there want that to happen as well. i just want to -- let's just be very clear about this, because people love writing stories about how this has changed and they go from last summer, a lot of people on main street media went after tom cotton for suggesting that it could have come from a lab to this summer. now people are going after you, acting as if we all know for certain it came out of a lab. the truth is, we are still looking through a glass darkly, because we just don't have the data. we just don't have the information. and until we have that, doctor, we're not going to know, are we? >> joe, that's just what i finished talking to willie about. >> i'm sorry, i was actually,

practicing my jump shot. >> he was on twitter. so go ahead. no, i was trying to just kind of clarify it for some of our viewers. sometimes i repeat myself. >> joe, i'm sorry, i wasn't trying to be facetious, but that's what i was saying, that's what people need to do is keep an open mind. when people say, it likely is a jump of species, because historically that happens all the time. do we know, absolutely certain? until you nail it down of showing a link, and because you haven't found it doesn't mean it's not there. you need to keep looking for the link and you need to keep looking for evidence that it's something else like a lab leak. those are open possibilities. we may not ever find out what that is. but what is not helpful is that very accusatory, pejorative nature of it, as opposed to

keeping truly an open mind. >> right. >> so let's talk about this summer. we had joe biden talking about the summer to have freedom. what's the summer looking like for you? what's the fall looking like? how is the united states doing? >> we're doing well. if you look at the numbers, joe, that you look at what's called the weekly average on a daily basis, we've gone from several weeks, months ago to 60,000 a day, 50, 40, 30, and now we're below 20. is it's going in the right direction. if we reach the goal of 70% and even more, hopefully, of individuals who are adults to get at least one dose by the fourth of july, that would be very good. the one thing that i am concerned about is because things look good and you look at that chart of the cases coming down, that people will pull back

on getting vaccinated and even though we're doing very well with vaccines, we don't want to declare victory prematurely. we really want to nail this, joe. we don't want to say, well, the cases are coming down, we don't need to get vaccinated. you need to vaccinate as many people as you possibly if you really want to crush this. >> around the world. dr. anthony fauci, thank you very much for coming on the show. >> thanks so much, dr. fauci. coming up, my exclusive sit-down interview with the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, one of the remarkable women on the inaugural "forbes" 50 over 50 list. "morning joe" is back in a moment. "morning joe" is back in a moment

wait, this isn't your bed... how'd you get here? ah yes... groceries. earn points now to use on travel later. one of the many things you could expect when you're with amex. before nexium 24hr, anna could only imagine a comfortable night's sleep without frequent heartburn waking her up. now, that dream... . ...is her reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts, for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? not everybody wants the same thing. that's why i go with all-liberty mutualon. — they customize my car insurance so i only pay for what i need. 'cause i do things a bit differently. wet teddy bears! wet teddy bears here! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ centrum multigummies aren't just great tasting...

they're power-packed vitamins... that help unleash your energy. loaded with b vitamins... ...and other key essential nutrients... ...it's a tasty way to conquer your day. try centrum multi gummies. now with a new look. ♪ every bubble ♪ ♪ every scrub ♪ ♪ every spray ♪ ♪ every day ♪ ♪ dove and degree fund local youth programs. ♪ every day u does good ♪ unilever ♪ sometimes you wanna go ♪ ♪ where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪♪ ♪ and they're always glad you came ♪ ♪ you wanna be where you can see(ah-ah) ♪ ♪ our troubles are all the same (ah-ah) ♪ ♪ you wanna be where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ you wanna go where people know ♪ welcome back, america. it sure is good to see you. ♪ na na na na

♪ na na na na... ♪ hey hey hey. ♪ goodbye. ♪ na na na na... ♪ hey hey hey. ♪ goodbye. ♪ na na na na ♪ na na na na... the world's first six-function multipro tailgate. available on the gmc sierra. with voltaren arthritis pain gel, the world's first six-function my husband's got his moves back. an alternative to pills, voltaren is the first full prescription strength gel, for powerful arthritis pain relief. voltaren. the joy of movement.

is there an app that you can't live without? and that is our answer.

>> do you use emojis? >> i use hearts. a lot to do with food. >> what is the first place you went to when you were vaccinated? >> oh, i haven't been any place. >> i say something and you think of one word that comes to mind. millennials. >> joy to the world. >> you like being called grandma? >> mimi is my name. >> retirement? >> what's that? >> exactly! some rapidfire questions i did with nancy pelosi at the end of our interview. she was so much fun. she was so genuine. i spoke with the house speaker ahead of her selection to be part of the inaugural 50 over 50 -- >> by the way, let's talk about, i arranged those flowers. it was kind of hard. >> those are california wildfires. she loved them! they were -- i mean, this was like a work of art. we had an all-female photography team at "forbes," headed up by robin selman and artists were involved and this was a big deal. and it was beautiful.

and she loved it. she kept telling us amazing stories. it was an incredible day. and the list spotlights the diverse voices and work of female entrepreneurs and leaders who are well over the age of 50. here's my conversation with speaker pelosi, who became america's first female speaker of the house at the age of 66. >> i'm wondering if you could dig deep and think about yourself -- and i know you got into politics at maybe 47. >> i came to congress -- i ran when i was 46. >> so even before that, and you had five children. when you were a younger woman, did you -- did you have an imagination? did you imagine your career after 50? >> no. i didn't. i certainly did not -- i had no interest or idea that i would run for public office. i was doing what i loved to do

being a mom. i just loved that. and so that was coming to its, shall we say, they were going away to college and the rest. i was interested in doing something. i had a lot of energy. i don't know whether i attribute it being italian american, the family i was from -- >> or just a woman. >> just a mom who has had so much, shall we say, multi-tasking to do, but i knew that i would be doing something, because i just had all of this energy. and motivation. my motivation, my why to do anything sprang from being a mom. i had five children. my husband and i, paul and i, one of five children in america lives in poverty and goes to sleep hungry at night. that was really sort of my motivation. >> so maybe nancy pelosi at 25, what did you picture yourself to

be doing in your 50s and how does that picture compare with the reality, where you are now, well after 50? >> you know, i didn't even really look that far forward. >> i didn't either. i think that's half the reason why we're having these conversations. because a lot of women, young women don't think about their careers after 50, 60, or 70. and perhaps they should! >> i think the world has changed in terms of possibility for young women, with you as an example and a motivator in so many ways, but i remember thinking when i was young that my mother should have been in my time. because she would do so many things, but she was so curtailed by her generation, by my father,

really, even, and of course, that went by the by, and families now, people recognize that their daughters, their sisters, their moms, their wives can do whatever they want. >> i know that your greatest accomplishment is your five incredible kids. putting them aside just for a moment, what would you consider your greatest accomplishment over the age of 50. >> well, i don't think anything compares with the affordable care act. that was because it enabled millions of people to have access to quality affordable care. and again, for families and for the children. and not only 20 million more, but families to have better benefits at lower costs, more accessible, more affordable. so nothing compared to that. i consider it a pillar, social security, medicare, medicaid, the affordable care act. >> so you've spent some time in the past few years standing up

to power, especially to a president. and i'm wondering, are there ways in which you feel more empowered at this stage of your life? >> how can i say this? first of all, i'm excited to have this conversation with you, because what it means to other women and to younger women. because you don't know what's coming next. and i always say to young women, be ready. just be ready. take inventory of what you have done. give yourself a good star for being the unique person that you are. and so when the challenge is there, you'll be ready. and, of course, little did we know that the challenge would be such a horrible devastation to our country, but nonetheless, i was ready. >> you were ready. and you stepped right up, and

that's a great message for young women who kind of feel like, what am i doing, i feel like hi career is stalling or i'm not doing enough. every day of your life, you're practicing for that moment, where you may need to be ready. >> it's true. and i always saytrue. and i always say to people, know your why. know why you're following the career that you are or the pursuit that you may have in the community. whether it's education, saving the planet, social and economic justice and -- whatever it happened to be. know your why, know your what, know about it so that people will ask your opinion and respect your just because you know about it and then show people how you get get things done. your why, your what, your how. and when happens, your genuine commitment will attract people. you'll be a leader. but, again, don't underestimate. just, you know, you say it so

beautifully, know your value. that says it all. >> i think women, that's the one key that kind of gives them that -- >> it does. and the words i would say if i could give every woman something, it would be confidence. just be confident in who you are, authentically you. >> so i'm wondering if there was a moment in your career after it started, the political career, where you might have given up or almost gave up and what that was. >> no. i i didn't have a moment of giving up because i -- my expectations were not -- whatever i was doing at the time was what i was there to do. >> it was valuable. >> it was straubl. so that does -- i won't that doesn't sound overconfident about things. but, no, it was like, this is what this is. lessons learned. when i -- i lost a race for --

you may not know this because i don't know if you were born yet, but i lost a race for a national chairman. and it was the best thing that ever happened to me because i learned so much from what the possibilities are to young women. you don't know what's around the corner, so just be confident in who you are. know your subject so that people respect your judgment. and that you have a plan. you have a vision, and you have a plan. you will succeed. >>. what is your message for women in their 20s and their 30s who feel that they're in a rush, they need to have kits, they need to keep their career on track. what do you say to those women who feel so rushed? >> well, my first message to them is always be yourself. just be yourself. take stock of who you are and then understand this. you're going to do the best you

can. it's not always the best you know how because you won't control all the factors of it. but don't make any judgment about yours because you didn't do the best you knew how. but what about to the women starting out in their 20s and 30s who feel like they have to get everything accomplished now? >> the timing of -- life's timing is a gift that we all receive. women just have to make their decisions. decisions are the most liberating acts you can make. you decide. sdiets i'm going to starred my family or decide i'm going to go start my career and come back to that. it's hard to do both at once, but it's very possible. i have four daughters who are professionals. they had their families and their careers at the same time. but that was their decision. and don't worry, here is i guess my simpler message would be your

path is your path. don't worry about following somebody else's path. it will have its own natural tempo. and it's challenging. it is challenging to multi task all the time with family and the rest. people tell me that's the hardest thing for them is how do they allocate their time. >> i love the fact that this list tells young women that there is a long runway for you and life can interrupt your career and your career can interrupt your life and it's okay. >> it's okay. and all of these introductions are enhancements. so see it as an opportunity and as a plus. they ask me if i ruled the world, what one thing would i do. if i ruled the world, i would educate girls and women in the whole world. because nothing is more

important than the full involvement of women in decision making in our society, whether it's a governmental, education, military, corporate america or the world. than to have women involved. so my message to young women would be know your power. be confident. and understand that nothing is more important than you fulfilling your role, whatever that may be. and nothing -- and from politics, nothing is more wholesome than the increased participation and leadership of women in government and in politics. so when you're thinking about whether you should do this or not, know that it is necessary that you do it. >> speaker nancy pelosi. and i just have to say, that was the most inspirational interview i've ever done. she was amazing. and the story does not end here. tomorrow, we're going to tell you what is next for 50 over 50

along with forbes. coming up this morning, one of the top candidates for mayor of new york city, andrew yang, will be our guest. "morning joe" is coming right back. guest. "morning joe" is coming right back your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain,

stiffness, swelling. and for some, rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections... and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. take on ra. talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. finding new routes to reach your customers, and new ways for them to reach you... is what business is all about. it's what the united states postal service has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it.

with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting. did you know you can go to libertymutual.com to customizes yourew world car insurancehere. so you only pay for what you need? really? i didn't-- aah! ok. i'm on vibrate. aaah! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ discover card i just got my cashback match is this for real? yup! we match all the cash back new card members earn at the end of their first year automatically woo! i got my mo-ney! it's hard to contain yourself isn't it? uh- huh! well let it go! woooo! get a dollar for dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover. from prom dresses to workouts get a dollar for dollar match at the end of your first year. and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b.

although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination.

anheuser busch has announced the beer is on them on june 4th. that's right. get a shot and have a beer. get a shot and have a beer. free beers for everyone 21 and over. >> i see krispy kreme has done this. i would not recommend krispy kreme with a beer, but i'll leave that to everyone to decide. >> now i have to tell mike barnacle, he can't get another shot. >> good morning. >> we talked about this yesterday. like we're -- between krispy kreme and beer.

>> lottery particulars. >> i'm not going to have the government tell me i have to have a krispy kreme with my beer. >> figure out how to get new social security necessaries. >> welcome back to "morning joe" along with joe, willie and me, we have professor at princeton university eddie claude jr., republican strategist and msnbc political analyst susan del percio and president of the council on foreign relations, richard haas who i've heard, is he going to be accepted as our golf course partner? >> i don't know. he was a little weak last night. we've got the british open coming. if you didn't control, roger owns the weekend. he can make a 0-0 draw sound like, you know, the battle of

gettysburg. >> we had phil mickelson getting mugged walking down the 18th fairway. i didn't have to adds to it. joe, sometimes you have to go with the story. >> and sometimes you don't make the story about you, right? exactly. >> exactly. >> he wants to -- he wants to be our golf correspondent. like rogers. >> another shot at the u.s. open. >> u.s. open coming up in about -- audition. >> yeah. >> let's get to the news. >> hold on. i want to ask garrett. willie, this is the front page of the new york post. is it really that bad out there, the graffiti? 1977 again? >> it's just a lot of challenges. >> there's a lot, more than there was a few years ago. the most important story is on the other side of that which is the new york knicks season ended last night. the hands of that young player named trey young. >> amazing. >> so fun to watch. and living up to the moment.

packed garden. he bowed after he hit the 3. so knicks, on the upswing. it was a good season, but it's over now. trey young, he's a superstar. >> so i was born in atlanta and been suffering with the hawks and the falcons for did she well, since the late 1960s. i think the last time i saw a hawks game was dominique wilkins. but i started watching, this guy is incredible. >> yeah. he's 22 years old, too. he has a big future ahead of him. he's been anonymous in atlanta, but this year, this has been his coming out party, the garden full, booing him every time he got the ball and he was drinking it in. >> reggie miller felt the same way. >> exactly. >> so front page, the lead in the times is netanyahu may be replaced. stop me if you've heard this story before.

i have read this headline about six times. it seems like a fragile coalition. do you think it's going to hold up? >> we have two hurdles. one is between now and mid-june, can they get a vote of confidence in the israeli parliament? that means bebe doesn't pull away one or two people before that. if they get past that, then they have to govern. the only thing i can tell that they agree on is their opposition to bebe. so what they can actually do, whether they can hang together, odds are against them. >> there are a lot of people looking. is it really going to change policy that much? >> no, because the new prime minister is at least as far to the right if not farther than bebe. so the answer is no, they can probably agree on some limited policy. formally in the coalition, one

of the parties is an air ran islamic party. you have the 2 million israeli arabs, and their agenda is to basically -- i won't use the expression, but their agenda is to provide money and resources for israel's arab and slaentic moments. >> and suzanne, how are things breaking that way? >> a lot of people were yelling and screaming trying to get attention. i don't think it worked. i think garcia did well by not looking for a lot of airtime and scott stringer, mya wiley, a good friend on the show, they tried to break out, but i still think it comes down to eric adams and andrew yang. >> and eddie --

>> andrew yang is going to be on the show today. >> washington post, invoting all eyes on joe manchin. i'm trying to think of the last time a senator had as much power as joe manchin has right now. all eyes remain on him three months in. >> we have to get a sense of what are the actual motivations behind manchin's position. it could be a commitment to the filibuster, so the institute of the senator. >> professor saking -- what are the principles? when a politician thinks is how do i get his vote? and can they get his vote? >> but in this moment of crisis, it seems to me that that's important for a politician. but i think the state of the country is also important. it's really clear, if the republicans continue to play the game that they've played, one has to ask the question, what is this commitment to

bipartisanship that joe manchin keeps talking about when it doesn't evidence itself at every turn? is and what does it take to get as many americans vaccinateded before july 4th. >> we're pulling all the stops to free ourselves from this virus and get to 70% of adult americans vaccinated. we're going to continue to encourage people to get vaccinated with incentives and fun rewards. the nba, nhl, nascar, they're offering vaccines outside playoff games and at races. major league baseball will be offering free tickets to people who get vaccinated at the ballpark. and to top it off, anheuser-busch announced beer is on them until july 4th. that's right.

get a shot and have a beer. the vaccine is free. it's safe and it's effective. getting the vaccine is not a partisan act. the science was done under democratic and republican administrations. >> and right here, you can get a "morning joe" cookie made by tj's wife if you get vaccinated. you're all vaccinated, right? everybody in the room vaccinated? >> tj had a lot of time this year to start a new business. >> so he started that. >> you do have to diversify. i love them, though. they're so pretty. thank you, monica. >> that's right beautiful. >> that is cool. have a beer, get a vax. >> the story line there, jon meacham's first draft is the summer of love. so, you know, meachum thought he was obviously born late for 1967, but joe changed that to summer of freedom and it certainly is if people choose

it. >> i've noticed the soul of america has been popping up as a term in a lot of joe biden's speeches lately. i feel the hand of joe meachum in those words. the numbers, we're going to cross 70% if things continue to trend in the direction they're going. 16 million adults will have to get their first shot by july 4th to hit that. the herd immunity number was always in the 70s, 75% range. so the truth is, for all the consternation we've had, we're doing well at this and we can cross that threshold. >> it's an important national deadline, but richard haas, of course, the big issue is getting the world vaccinated or we could see a repeat or resurgence or some strain coming back to haunt us. it will happen. let's be honest. 8 billion people out there. we're not even close and in many countries not even the health care workers have been vaccinated. you have the variants appearing

in places like india. nothing stays local. sooner or later, it circulates. we either have to produce and export much more here. or we have to build capacity around the world. so other countries can produce vaccines. >> it's a way we can show america's strength and preimminence i think by making sure that we're pushing it out there. >> and it helps get rid of the past four years where it was america first, america only, and now we can change that dynamic and our reputation around the world again or restore it, i should say, to that we are leading, we are providing the vaccinations, we are a global leader, not that we weren't, but we certainly weren't acting like one. and i think that's what's so critical. especially when it comes to some of the supply chain issues and getting to continent is like africa. it will be a huge undertaking and there was a point where

russia and china were trying to fill the void of the united states. >> we're still at that point. >> and that's concerning i think internationally. so i hope very soon those astrazeneca vaccinations will be out there and we move forward in our position. still ahead, last year around this time, donald trump was clearing peaceful protesters for his photo-op. a flashback to that event, next on "morning joe." that event, n on "morning joe. how great is it that we get to tell everybody how liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? i mean it... uh-oh, sorry... oh... what? i'm an emu! no, buddy! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ from prom dresses to workouts and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated

against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen, painful. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. hey lily, i need a new wireless plan for my business, but all my employees need something different. oh, we can help with that. okay, imagine this... your mover, rob, he's on the scene

and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. we cut to downtown, your sales rep lisa has to send some files, asap! so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee... yeah i should've just led with that... with at&t business... you can pick the best plan for each employee and only pay for the features they need.

vo: the world is racing to create the clean energy jobs that will solve the climate crisis. president biden has a plan to make sure america wins that race. biden: doing nothing is not an option. the world is not waiting. if we act to save the planet, we can create millions of good paying jobs. and i want to put the world on notice, america is back. the competition of the 21st century, the future, will be built right here in america. doing nothing is not an option.

this week in covid history, it's june 2020 and america declares victory. >> congratulations, america. the comeback begins. >> you heard it from the cupid. even sin city is lighting back up. vegas, baby.

and it was all thanks to donnie build the wahlberg's kons bugzs, like making sure everyone stayed safe inside their homes. >> in your hotel, let's go. >> providing the white house with coronavirus. proof barricades and showing us it's safe to once again worship him. >> in that moment holding the bible up is a very important symbol, like churchill, we saw him inspecting the bombing damage, it sent a powerful message of leadership. >> yes. and all winston church's fried chick had to do was issue away some rabble rousers. some yahoos argue the protesters were peaceful, teargas was used and it was a photo-op. >> the protesters were peaceful, no teargas was used and it wasn't a photo-op. >> but one respected journalist still demands answers.

>> why did you go to st. john's the other day? what was the message you wanted to send to people? >> religious leaders loved it. >> true. >> the bible is not a prop. >> it makes a mockery of christianity. >> it was an act that mocked god. >> you just don't do that, mr. president. it isn't cool. >> and nothing is cool like kid turtleneck. this just in, a fox news poll shows biden is up 14 points. >> i know all of you are freaking about the polls. the experts say biden is way ahead. it's his election to lose. the so-called experts are just horribly wrong. >> yes. take it from her. she's horrible and wrong. this has been this week in covid history. >> like churchill, inspect the bomb -- >> wow. >> my goodness. that was the line. clearing the park, peaceful protesters so you could hold the bible the wrong way. >> pat robertson going, it's not

cool. >> that was only one year ago. >> it speaks for itself. it speaks for itself. >> i remember a certain oklahoma senator saying i've been to sunday school my entire life. i've never seen anyone hold a bible that way. >> on clear a square to get to church. >> president donald trump has discontinued his blog after 29 days. once toutd as his advisers by a beacon of freedom, the site suffered from low readership. the site received just 1500 shares. that's not good. in comments, a stark contrast to the amount of engagement. the trump spokesman said it is an auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on. let's bring in eugene scott. good morning. so this was billed as the place where trump fans, trump supporters could go to get their

daily dose of donald trump from the desk of the former president of the united states. what happened here, people just didn't go check it out? >> well, most people just were not interested and have moved on from wanting to hear from the former president on a daily basis or multiple times a day as we were used to hearing. and as you know, the technology behind this blog was not the most current and forward thinking. and so it really exposed the former president to quite a bit of mocking, making feel feel like that he was not at the forefront of communication or technology or any of the things that he and his team constantly say that he's a leader on. and people disengaged. and many americans are really ready to move on. there's a new president, there's a new agenda, there's a new focus and despite the popularity that donald trump is experiencing in the republican party, he remains a largely unpopular person with americans at large.

>> eugene, susan del percio here. do you think we'll see that slowdown also within his rallies or are we going to see a good attorneyout? because if you're not getting paid attention to on a blog, what do you think the rally response will be? >> well, we know that trump still is popular with republicans. but what is important to know is that the number of people who self-identify as republicans in 2021 is actually smaller than the number in 2016. so there should be a decrease in attendance at these rallies, especially since what he will be saying he cannot turn into policy or action the same way he could when he actually occupied the white house. >> "the washington post" eugene scott, thank you very much. and coming up, crack pots, charlottans and cowards. a new op-ed is not mincing words when it comes to what's left of the republican party. that discussion is next on "morning joe." that discussion is next on "morning joe." boss baby is back.

we're going to have to face creepy babies. don't look at me. jail yard babies. i like glue. and ninja babies! oh my gosh. oh my gosh! ♪ na na na na ♪ na na na na... ♪ hey hey hey. ♪ goodbye. ♪ na na na na... ♪ hey hey hey. ♪ goodbye. ♪ na na na na ♪ na na na na... the world's first six-function multipro tailgate. available on the gmc sierra. i suffered with psoriasis for so long.

i felt gross. people were afraid i was contagious. i was covered from head to toe. i was afraid to show my skin. after i started cosentyx i wasn't covered anymore. four years clear. five years now. i just look and feel better. see me. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine, or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. five years is just crazy. see me. learn more at cosentyx.com. some say this is my greatest challenge. governments in record debt; inflation rising, currencies falling. but i've seen centuries of this. with one companion that hedges the risks you choose and those that choose you. the physical seam of a digital world, traded with a touch.

my strongest and closest asset. the gold standard, so to speak ;) people call my future uncertain. but there's one thing i am sure of... hearing is important to living life to the fullest. that's why inside every miracle-ear store, you'll find better laughs at family barbecues. you'll find a better life is in store at miracle-ear, when you experience the exclusive miracle-ear advantage. including innovative technology, like the new miracle-earmini. so powerful, yet it's nearly invisible. we're so confident we can improve your life, we're offering a 30-day risk-free trial. call 1-800-miracle today and experience the miracle-ear advantage.

the key to going forward, another layer of investigation in my view doesn't add anything. we were all witnesses to it. i was there. we all know exactly what

happened. i don't think we would learn anything further by having yet another level of investigation. and that's why i opposed the january 6th commission. with regard to the future, we're going to arrest, hopefully convict everybody involved in the insurrection. >> okay. that's mitch mcconnell at least making very clear that he was there, he saw what happened. i'm not sure i agree with his vote, but he said people will be worth arrested and convicted. worth note, fair? >> well, they are. the fbi is doing a great job. i am curious about, richard, i look at some of the sentencing that some of these people are getting that admit they -- what they did was going on to the

senate floor to stop a constitutional counting of votes. and they're getting 1 to 3 years when if you read the statute, i mean, that's called sedition where you act violently to stop a constitutional action from taking place and it's a 20-year term. up to 20 years. so why 1 to 3 users when the statute itself says -- and these judges are never going to have anybody, we hope, that will have acted in more of a direct way for a conspiracy to act sedition than what happened on january 6th, yet they're giving 1 to 3 years for something that should be 20 years. >> the judges look at at as a context of -- this is not an apolitical event where people

gathered and things got out of hand. that's the way the legal system is largely approaching it. that's exactly the case for the commission. you need to weave together the political context. that's what this country needs in order to learn from it and we would learn new things. that's where the former majority is dead wrong. and worse comes to worse, we didn't learn a whole lot. i'd be willing to pay that price as a tax pacer. not simply what happened, but you weave it together. that's the important civics theme here. this has to be an educational learning experience across the board. conservative attorney george conway has a new piece in "the washington post" entitled republican senators' failure to investigate january 6th is worse than than impeachment performance. and he writes in part, quote, republican senators have managed to outdo themselves in cowardis, which is quite a feat. there was no excuse, none, for what they did last week. they quiver in fear of the man

who cost them the presidency and both houses of congress. as they continue to quake, the big lie is cancer upon democracy grows with spearus election audises in fantasies of fraud and with some insanely claiming, reportedly even trump himself, that he will be reinstated in due course. four years of trump have led to the republican party become ago threat to democracy, a declining sect dominated by crack pots, charlatans and cowards. of these, it's the cowards including the senators who killed last week's legislation who bear most the blame. joining us now, rachel bitticoffer who has formed a new super pac, called strike pac. i think george conway makes a point. there is an opportunity in so many ways to sort of -- and i know there are many more reasons because of the state of voters in america right now, but to get trump off their back with this

commission, to really call out what happened every step of the way. drawing lines between important factors that played a role and what continues on be an erosion to our democracy. >> yeah. you know, the 75 million people that i said would vote for donald trump tomorrow, they don't want donald trump off their back. so these republican senators and congressmen and congress women don't want donald trump off their back. so, rachel, what do you do about it? >> yeah. you have to get conway's message to a broader public, right? so even the way we talk about what mcconnell is doing is not hammering home what's happening, right? they are blocking the commission not for any reason other than they're afraid it goes up, right? so we were talking about these disproportionate penalties or the light sentences, but the fact is the disproportionate enforcement is happening at the foot soldier level, right? they're not going after those big fish, at least in public. we really need a public inquiry

that looks upwards, particularly to see did roger stone have an involvement, right? we know he had connection to some of the proud boys that were arrested. we need these answers and if we can't get them in a bipartisan commission, it doesn't much matter if we do a partisan commission. they would frame it as a witch hunt. so it's very good to go aggressively. that's what strike pack is all about. i tell people it's a were machine and that's a tough pill to swallow for liberals, in general. we're generally peacemakers, right? but that's our problem. our campaign and election hearing has left us in the position where we are watching democracy collapse. so, you know, it is time. it's kind of like being attacked in pearl harbor. we had pearl harbor, right? we've been living through it. it's been a slow running event, but, you know, with trump's comments about election integrity from the beginning, i mean, beginning of the

presidential cycle, he now see about 35% of our fellow americans think that joe biden has stole the presidency and they're seeing that message reinforced all through their ecosystem, right? and what our side is seeing is not that stuff, right? many people who voted in the -- like what i call the trump against trump coalition, they've tuned back out. they are complacent. i showed you guys a survey in the spring that showed republicans are much more likely to say democracy is fragile, okay? not democrats. and they're the ones that are dismantling it. so strike pac is about bringing a brand offensive against the whole of the republican party. it's not just about donald trump, but it definitely includes here. but it's all of them. they're all either silent or active enablers of a domestic terror attack on our nation's capital and it's time for us to go heavy after the gop, hammer their brand, make 2022 a referendum on them. >> rachel, thank you so much.

coming up, candidate for mayor of new york city, andrew yang is standing by. he joins the conversation next on "morning joe." you're strong. you power through chronic migraine - 15 or more headache days a month, ...each lasting 4 hours or more. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. so, if you haven't tried botox® for your chronic migraine, ...check with your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if samples are available.

effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, ...speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness... ...can be signs of a life- threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions... ...neck and injection site pain... ...fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions... ...and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. most patients may pay as little as $0 for botox®. so, text to see how you can save. botox® has been preventing headaches and migraines before they even start for 10 years. so, ask your doctor about botox® today. ♪ my nunormal? fewer asthma attacks with nucala. a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. nucala reduces eosinophils, a key cause of severe asthma. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred.

don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala. find your nunormal with nucala. ♪ ♪ we made usaa insurance for veterans like martin. when a hailstorm hit, he needed his insurance to get it done right, right away. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa more protection, more sun, more joy. beach defense® from neutrogena® the suncare brand used most by dermatologists and their families, neutrogena® for people with skin. finding new routes to reach your customers, and new ways for them to reach you... is what business is all about. it's what the united states postal service has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now.

next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting. wanna help kids get their homework done? itwell, an internetrld connection's a good start. but kids also need computers. and sometimes the hardest thing about homework is finding a place to do it. so why not hook community centers up with wifi? for kids like us, and all the amazing things we're gonna learn. over the next 10 years, comcast is committing $1 billion to reach 50 million low-income americans with the tools and resources they need to be ready for anything. i hope you're ready. 'cause we are.

they admit you're an empty vessel and i actually don't think you're an empty vessel. i think you're a republican. >> you left a city during a very difficult time. you can't run from the city, andrew. if you want to run the city. >> eric, we all know that you've been investigated for corruption everywhere you've gone. city, state, even barack obama's department of justice investigated you. you've achieved the rare trifecta of corruption investigations. that's why so many people on this stage don't want you to be mayor. >> so many people on the stage? i guess they want you to be mayor? what am i missing here? >> i think you're both right. you both shouldn't be mayor. >> wow. >> wow.

>> welcome to new york. okay. >> i thought that democratic presidential debates were tough. >> that was like -- >> new york, rev, it's tough. >> new york politics is back. you could see that last night. it was a knockout. at the end of the day, though, they have to be careful because they have to see who can bring new york in this post pandemic era back to some level of where we can get to what was called normalcy. and i think they did an old fashioned debate last night, but we're in a different time. people want to hear who can really bring us back. >> new york city mayoral candidate andrew yang, fended off attacks from his opponents in last night's democratic primary debate. one recent poll shows the race has tightened significantly ahead of the june 22nd election. and andrew yang joins us now. as you see, rev rental sharpton,

susan del percio and mike barnacle all back at the table, as well. >> and by the way, you look at those numbers, andrew, you look at the numbers from the wbix poll and other polls, great. they're a great indicator of what the first choice is but, man, it's ranked voting this year. how are you -- how were you strategizing for this very new approach to electing a mayor of new york? >>el with, i agree with the rev rent. we have to bring people together. rank choice voting, rewards candidates who have brought appeal. a lot of people have second or third choices and our numbers show that we have a ton of momentum going into the home stretch. early voting starts on june 12th. so we feel very, very confident going into this home stretch. >> so the knock last night was you're not ready to be mayor of new york city. what do your opponents have wrong? >> he all live in new york city

and you know that we need change. wherever i go in new york, people say it's not been working. we've been run into the ground progressively over this last number of years. and a lot of the candidates on the stage last night have been part of a city government that has failed far too many new yorkers for far too long. so this is what i hear everywhere i go. we need to turn the page. we need a fresh start. we knew new leadership, we need new ideas. >> andrew, it's willie geist. thanks for coming on the show. you had a big lead, you were up 30% in this this wpix poll. that's been cut in half as we go into may. what is your campaign's s assessment as to why that erosion has taken place? >> our numbers show something different, willie. the only pop anyone should care about is the early vote on june 12th, june 13th, june 14th, and the primary vote on june 22nd. that where our attention is. and we feel positive and confident about people coming

out and voting in droves because they know it has not been working and we need a different form of leadership than we've been getting over the last number of years. >> crime and quality of life are the number one issue for most voters. if you look at polling, you said last night during the debate, we need to staff up. you're suggesting we need more cops, not fewer cops. could you lay out that idea because that will be controversial in some ways. >> the conversation around this has to become more nuanced and detailed. the problem is we don't have enough detectives following up on shooting which is one reason why the solve rates are so low. another one happens two days after that and the first shooting never gets solved. so we need to increase the number of detectives, both in the precincts and in the gun violence suppression division and we need to go on a recruitment drive because the reality is thousands of police officers have filed their

retirement papers. and so we should be trying to recruit the 21st century police force that reflects the incredible diversity of our city. and so if you're a new yorker watching this and you want to help make your community safer, apply to the nypd because we need you. but we're going to need people actually solving the problems on the ground. it is unacceptable that three out of four shootings in brooklyn have gone unsolved for the lax number of months. >> and you look at the wpix poll, crime is at the top of the list of what voters are most concerned about, housing second. police reform down at 10%. but crime is on everybody's mind in new york city. and, again, this is a democratic primary. >> right. and a lot of the candidates have multi faceted approaches to crime. susan del percio, i know you have a question for the candidate, but first, explain the rank system for those who don't understand how it works. >> so this is the first time we're going to see a mayoral

city primary rank choice voting. which basically gives you five choices. you rank the people in order. then they drop out the people who didn't make the top five. and they reapportion their votes into one, two, three and four and five. and it's -- >> what a nightmare. >> and by the way, because a lot of what happened with the last presidential, they're not using computers. the algorithms are not being used. so this is all going on be done with ballots literally being put in baskets in a warehouse. and you know the first count isn't going to cut it. so they'll have to do a recount. >> that's a nightmare. >> it is a nightmare. some people are big fans of rank choice voting because it gives people a chance. the number two can be actually a very important number for people if one gets bounced out. it's an interesting way of going. but, andrew, i come from a background of six years in new york city government basically

in finance, economic development, and i did budget for city agency. i was really happy to hear you talk about the budget deficit for 2023. that is huge. we have one -- a lot of one shots in this year's budget. so my question to you is -- and please be specific -- how are you going to address a $5 billion budget when we know you're so limited in what resources you have? so you're either going to have to raise property taxes, find people more, or cut staff. and negotiate with unions to get those reductions in pay. so of those options, which most appeals to you as a way of governance to show where you're headed? >> i am so glad that you are calling attention to this, as well. because i think it's irresponsible what bill de blasio is doing with our budget. he's setting us up to fail. as you said, a $5.3 billion

deficit, any common sense manager would look at this situation and say we should be trying to smooth that out and reduce that deficit in 2023. and if you've been part of city government, you know that they're habitually asked to find cost efficiencies and savings. where you say, hey, try and find me 2% to 3% of savings per year and you can do that without reducing head count. but bill de blasio hasn't even done the basics. so you know as soon as you get there, you're going to find insane levels of waste and inefficiency everywhere from procurement to the fact that our payroll has grown by about 30,000 employees over the last number of years, even as organizations in other parts of the city have tightened their belts. so i'm so glad that you heard last night that we should be raising the alarm. who the heck wants to inherit a $5.3 billion deficit 2 1/2 years

from now and i am blown away other candidates on the stage are not raising a stink about this, unless they either don't expect to be mayor, don't understand the numbers or owe bill de blasio so much in the way of favors that they can't say an ill word about him. >> but what are you going to do? we're looking at closer to 6%, 7% deficit. in the budget. how do you think the best way to meet that challenge is specifically? how do you get there? >> is it cuts? are you talking about cuts? >> well, that's 3%. how are you going to make up the rest? it only comes to head count and taxes. >> cut 6%, cut 7%? >> it would be 3% if you have done it habitually over the last number of years. but at this point, you actually can find, i believe, more than 3% because bill de blasio, again, has let agencies just run amuck. so you start there and then if you have to examine head count

in the way that the resources of the city are being spent, then you have to dig in. you know, the reality is that we're going to have to do more with the resources we have. we can't just rely on business as usual. so if you have to evaluate certain agencies and say, look, you have this many people doing this, like can we make a different allocation, you're going to have to find the fat first and there's a lot of fat in our government. and you want to try and avoid the muscle and the bone. but it's going to involve some difficult choices ahead. >> andrew, al sharpton. you and i have talked and you've been up in -- you brought your wife. you're the change candidate, as you said this morning. but the knock against you is you have never been in government and that you didn't even vote in the last few new york elections. how can you change something that you don't know? how can you change government if you don't know how government works? how can you change politics if

you've not been involved in new york politics? you even got where one of the trains don't run the same way. so how do you convince people in new york that you're the change agent if you're going to govern something that you are not familiar with and, therefore, wouldn't know how to change? >> rev, everywhere i go, new yorkers talk to me about the same issues. public safety, jobs, homelessness, housing, trash, schools, these are the issues that we all share. and you all live in new york. you know that it's not working. and if you've been entrenched in our bureaucracies for the last number of years, do you know what you've learned a lot of? what can't happen. we're all tired 069 of the excuses. so bringing in somebody like me,

i have more individual grassroots donors here in in, new york city. >> i understand that. but if i want a guy that fix my car, i want a guy that knows how the car runs. he can't just stand outside the car and say it's not working, you need change. you've got to have a guy that knows the difference between the tires and the steering wheel. >> so that's a great metaphor. so what you want is you want someone who knows where the car needs to go and gets in there and builds a team of people who have a combination of different experience, including some very, very experienced government hands. because clearly, if you want to build a team around me, you would start with people who know what the levers are, who know how to pure bureaucracies in a particular direction. but the car is never going to get where it needs to go if someone is in that driver's seat saying we're just going to keep on going the same way we've gone or don't have a sense of the real problems on the ground. which is what so many new yorkers feel right now.

>> so, andrew, a couple of minutes ago you said we need in new york city a 21st century police department. given me the first couple of questions you would ask a potential new police commissioner. i would ask them how they propose to get the gun violence down. and to get the mentally ill people on their streets and some are attacking new yorkers. and the homelessness overlaps with the subway safety, which is very much tied into the safety

of the city. that is a starting point but we need someone who can advance and evolve and build trust with different recruitment. i have been talking to people who are candidates for it and some are tremendous. >> i want to learn more about you as a leader. i think the rev asked a great question, if you have not fixed cars before, how do you know how to fix cars? and i remember asking donald trump early on, so you have never done this government thing before? who do you talk to when you need an answer? >> remember that? >> he said, you're not going to like this, joe, but i talk to myself. you're right, i don't like that. contrast that with harry truman who went in and many people thought he was the most ill-equipped person to the president of the united states

in the 20th century. he surrounded himself with the best and brightest minds and diplomats and greatest america probably had in the 20th century and he was not afraid to listen to experts. how do you guarantee new york voters you're going to be more like harry truman, bringing in the very best people around you and deferring to those people who know new york top to bottom versus donald trump, who never wanted to listen to anybody who want telling him how great he was? >> i love this question. and if there's a template in my mind, it's mike bloomberg. he became an expert in health, transportation, and on and on and that's exactly what i plan to do. i have demonstrated that's my approach in my career where i ran a private company that became number one in the country, and you can't do that if it's me, me, me all the time. it was all about trying to find

the right people, putting them in position to do their best work, build a positive culture, take accountability when things go wrong because the buck stops with you but bring in folks who just want to perform and deliver for in this case the people of new york city. i don't like talking to myself. certainly not the type who's going to look around and be like oh, what do i think about this? i love being around smart people who are dedicated to actually getting results, are free of ideology, free of politics and that's actually also consistent with the way small businesses are run, it's because if you get into a guts of a small business, they only care about what works. that what new yorkers have been waiting for, for years is just to get our city working again. this is the kind of leadership so many people want. it's why we're going to win this race june 22. >> andrew yang, thank you very much for being our guest this morning. and tomorrow the man whose job these candidates are fighting for, mayor bill de blasio will join us here on set.

up next -- how a law student nearly missed out on graduation after making fun of a conservative organization. keep it right here on "morning joe." more protection, more sun, more joy. beach defense® from neutrogena® the suncare brand used most by dermatologists and their families, neutrogena® for people with skin. limu emu... and doug. neutrogena® so then i said to him, you oughta customize your car insurance with liberty mutual, so you only pay for what you need. oh um, doug can we talk about something other than work, it's the weekend. yeah, yeah. [ squawk ] hot dog or... chicken? [ squawk ] only pay for what you need.

♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ sometimes you wanna go ♪ ♪ where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪♪ ♪ and they're always glad you came ♪

♪ you wanna be where you can see(ah-ah) ♪ ♪ our troubles are all the same (ah-ah) ♪ ♪ you wanna be where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ you wanna go where people know ♪ welcome back, america. it sure is good to see you.

for people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. a triple-lift serum with pure collagen. 92% saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. neutrogena® for people with skin. from prom dresses to workouts and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. welcome back. nice shot of san francisco this

morning. stanford university is releasing a hold to put on a law student's diploma. >> how nice of them! unbelievable. >> because of a student creating a big flyer making fun of the conservative federalist society. the flyer in question was for a fictional event called the original case for inciting insurrection, set to be put on the school's chapter of the federalist society. the violent insurrection, also known as doing a coup, is a classical example of installing a government. the school cited flyer defamation. the school said normal procedures were followed while placing a hold on the student's diploma while investigations were ongoing. >> can you believe that? let's just stop. it is protected speech, and, yes, even though they're a

private institution, you kind of would like law students not to have a hold put on their diploma and not be able to study for exams because of a parody, snowflakes here. by the way, willie, when conservative lawyers started going on twitter yesterday afternoon saying to stanford, come on guys, get a grip, you really wonder, where are the grown-ups? we snow there are snowflakes on the left, there are snowflakes on the right. i'm just wondering, when are the grown-ups going to turn back to universities? >> they gave almost every time. >> it's unbelievable! i don't want condi rice speaking -- too bad! you don't have to go. condi is going to speak here. >> so the bottom line on this, for people who don't know the story, is a law student made a parody flyer, right, conservative group -- >> a joke.

>> -- and they put a hold on his diploma because of that? that's it? >> yes. they're investigating it because there was a flight from the federal society -- >> a mean joke? >> they were joking! it was a parody. >> oh, my god. >> i wonder if any of these law students -- these are all students from the best law schools in america. why is it we keep getting law students from theest universities in america like leading insurrections and saying genuinely stupid things? susan, why is it? i would do a southern state law school, and even i -- even i know that clinical speech and parody are protected speech! >> and people are too afraid to just stand up for simple things anymore and that's what it comes down to. they're too afraid of the backlash. frankly, it's what we see what's

happening in washington. you can't even agree or joke anymore. you can't convert. >> and law students don't want to go to the senate and investigate an insurrection. you don't hold somebody's degree for them saying something and you want to investigate that but people stormed the capitol, threatened the vice president and tried to stop the elections -- >> by the way, josh hawley graduated from stanford law school. a guy that you hear talking about basically the government banning what private corporations do. i don't like facebook but i'm a conservative. you don't want conservatives, the government going in and saying what facebook can and can't do. now break them up into little pieces? >> more tomorrow. >> more tomorrow morning. >> stephanie ruhle picks up the coverage right now.