nation. that to me is the meaning of juneteenth. that's what it's about. so let's make this very juneteenth tomorrow the first that our nation will celebrate altogether as one nation. but juneteenth of action on many fronts. one of those is vaccinations. tomorrow the vice president will be in atlanta on a bus tour to spread the word like you have been doing on life saving vaccines and this weekend including washington people will be canvassing and going door to door to encourage vaccinations. we have built equity into the heart of the vaccination program but we still have more work to do to close the racial gap in vaccination rates. the more we can do that the more we can save lives. today also marks the sixth anniversary of the tragic deaths of mother emanuel church in

charleston, south carolina. killer intended to start a race war in south carolina. he joined the victims in a bible study class and then he took their lives in a house of worship. it's a reminder that our work to root out hate never ends because hate hides. it never fully goes away. it hides. when you breathe oxygen under that rock it comes out. that's what we must understand that juneteenth is the commemoration of slavery but the ongoing work that has to bring true equity and racial justice into america's society which we can do. in short, this day doesn't just celebrate the past. it calls for action today. i wish all americans a happy

juneteenth. and i'm certainly going to sign into law making it a federal holiday. and i have to say to you. i've only been president for several months but i think this will go down for me as one of the greatest honors i will have had as president not because i did it. you did it. democrats and republicans. but it's an enormous honor. thank you for what you've done. by the way, typical of most of us in congress and the senate, i went down the other end of the hall first to thank the staffs because i know who does the hard work. [ laughter ] [ applause ] they're at the other end but i thank them, as well. may god bless you all and may god protect our troops. thank you.

now -- [ applause ] i'd like toen vit up while i sign senator tina smith and senator ed markey, warnock, clyburn, representative lee, representative davis, chair beady, and sheila jackson lee. and miss opal. >> you should have my chair. all right.

[ applause ] >> there you go. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. president. >> thank you, senator.

>> thank you. three more. i got to make more to my name. i'm sorry. there it is. the last shall be first. did anybody else not -- >> oh yes. >> i'm sorry. man. >> congressman davis. >> thank you, man. all right. [ applause ]

>> is election day next, mr. president? is election day next? mr. president, is election day next? is the plan to sign election day a national holiday? >> thank you, everybody. [ applause ] , hi everyone. a little bit after 4:00 in new york. we witnessed president biden signing a bill making juneteenth a commemoration of the end of slavery in the united states a national holiday. it is the first new national holiday since 1983. the push to make it a holiday gained momentum amid the racial

reckoning after the murder of george floyd and culminated with support in the u.s. senate and the house. it was the president's first public event since return europe and returns with a win handed to him from an unlikely source. the conservative majority u.s. supreme court. yep. you heard that right. in a 7-2 decision the highest court upheld the affordable care act for a third time rules that republican attorneys general lack standing to sue to strike down the law and the biden administration, the court's ruling takes off the table the spector of millions of americans losing their insurance. what could have been a major set back to the biden agenda. a mid what looks like the tail end of a global pandemic and a very quickly recovering economy. you have to look hard for it but there is evidence that president biden's commitment to bipartisan governing is paying off in some

small ways for now and potentially some larger ones. you still have a creepy relationship between putin's disinformation and the american right. it's designed to harden the divisions and there is plenty of reason to despair about the voter suppression laws racing through the state legislatures in this country and also real live signs of progress and achievement including that event we watched of president biden signing legislation making juneteenth a u.s. holiday. president biden today also seeing progress on infrastructure with more republicans on board a plan and progress on bipartisan police reform legislation. some say a deal could be reached by the end of this week. even the bucket of voting restrictions predicated on the

big lie of fraud in the 2020 election, of course there was no fraud, that wave is seeing the first real threat. in the sign of a possible compromise on voting reform drafted by joe manchin, the lone democratic holdout on that sweeping voting rights legislation. that proposal is attracting the support of leading activist stacey abrams today. is it all taken together parade worthy? no. does it signal hope? no. but regardless of the grievance filled politics of the republicans the glimmer of hope is something and a product of a president who has stayed in the bipartisanship game in the face of very little from the gop. and it just might be about to pay off. bipartisan progress where we start this hour. joining me live on set, msnbc

political analyst, former senator claire mccaskill. >> how good it is to see you! >> i wanted a cake and reach out and hug you. >> i shower a cake here. >> should always have a cake here. harry lipman is also here. thank you so much. >> so great to be here. cake or no cake. >> jason, we wish you were here, too. politics and journalism professor at morgan state university. phil, putting you on the spot to come back to the table. "the washington post" senior washington correspondent. >> i want to be there. >> you can bring the dog. things will be different after the pandemic. bring the cake, the dog. sweatpants. phil rucker, of course, also a political analyst. jason, i have seen your tweets. good but not good enough.

take me into the views on juneteenth becoming a national holiday. >> look. it is a good idea for the united states to actually commemorate things that happen to black people and it is telling that the last two new holidays are mlk day and juneteenth. these things are nice and good but i have to say that the fact that it passed unanimously in the senate that supported white nationalists without an investigation into january 6 and half the senators won't do anything about voter reform says something about how much or what difference this holiday really makes. okay? josh hawley and mitch mcconnell are not voting for june teen frt to do healing for america but they know it won't do anything but while i respect the intentions of people that wanted this holiday. i think it's a good discussion and it's a pushback on the crazy

arguments of critical race theory. as an adult black person i didn't learn about juneteenth until college so bare minimum having this holiday requires kids to learn about history i hope it's followed up by policy and we don't think that the fact it could pass in the senate means they are interested in making the democracy that we actually want to see one day. >> on the sort of signs of life for the police reform les being hammered out between senator booker and senator scott, as well as the compromise voting reform that manchin floated, where are you on those? >> so as far as booker and tim scott, look, i don't have a lot of confidence of where police reform ends up. i think at best begin the resistance from the republicans a big old database of this is where people are killed.

is that progress? yes. if it's not used to have change in behavior and eliminate the departments i don't know that that does any good. as far as manchin this is progress. this is absolutely progress! i am thrilled. because after all of this time now we actually know what he wants. we can negotiate. the problem that i always had with manchin and to a lesser extent sinema is complaining about what he doesn't like. i don't want italian, chinese, india. where do you want to go to dinner? now real negotiations can happen so i think manchin's -- this is a good step forward for everybody. >> it is a high bar for jason johnson to give a good review and i'm sort of in shock. are you okay? >> i know. i will check my head. am i all right? >> it is a breakthrough. manchin played the role of a spoiler around this and to

actually be someone putting something out there is a big step. >> yeah. i think what's important to remember here is how the internal workings of the senate are playing out. you know? i made the analogy what chuck schumer wants to do is get everybody together and he had done that and one guy on the other side of the room so that group on that one side of the room they are the ones that were putting pressure on manchin to come with something. he sent his proposals to the members. not to chuck schumer. not to activists or the civil rights groups but the fellow colleagues in the democratic caucus signaling to them, hey, i'm with you on early voting, with you on making the election day a holiday and this stuff. i just don't want public financing of campaigns and the other things in hr 1. jason's right. now the negotiations begin. and the question is, and this is

where manchin has a lot of pressure, can he bring any republicans? >> i think that what has become clear and it is taken all of us as a media and i think we have learned from the state media, the state reporters writing on the laws taken a long time to understand the most insidious aspects. one is disempowering election officials that walk the line. trump is cheering raffensberger. what does the manchin bill do to protect against those dismaptdling the kind of people that decide about elections? and then the actual bucket of the voter suppression and disenfranchisement? >> i think this is a mover forward. the important thing is federal law, trumps state law. the manchin bill says first

election day would be a federal holiday. everybody could vote. always a big problem. absentee ballots for 15 days. trying to do something with gerrymandering. tries to do something with motor voter in there. that's a lot and it could edge faushd and this from a guy that seemed to be staying on the sidelines and doing nothing. so i think it's a pretty big step forward and the main point is were it to pass anything in state laws that is inconsistent with it goes by the board so some of the nastiest stuff becomes null and void in a stroke. that's what matters the most. i think you have to keep the eye on combatting the movement in the states as much as passing a full bodied bill for voter rights. >> any federal voting rights legislation wipes out the state bills? >> preefforts it.

article 6. >> so nerdy. >> i love being here. you can't have federal law, state law that's inconsistent. if they say 15 days absentee and these guys say sorry, forget about it. so the provisions that it actually enacts as a matter of federal law it defeats and occupies the field in state law. that's i think the big ticket item. >> phil rucker, that changes the politics of this and exacerbating that manchin has the power but this is a million times over better than no federal legislation. >> that's right. this is a big step forward for the voting rights because it is several months now to have discussions on capitol hill about what to do here and manchin had not moved and the numbers with respect there to sup important the bill that had

passed the house long ago and things at a stalemate and what you had in president biden and his team at the white house were people willing to be patient. they waited week after week to try to see something come together, to try to bring manchin to the table to try to perhaps get support from across the aisle and now seeing the glimmers of hope that you described in the opening commentary. we'll see if this ends up passing and how quickly and what that actually looks like at the end but for manchin to putt the cards on the table is indeed a step forward from where the discussion had been just yesterday. >> i want to get you on the record with understanding why this overwhelmingly conservative supreme court ruled the way they did but the idea of the biden doctrine and my understanding of talking to the most senior ards and the strategy to stay out of the insurrection, the noise, the

bet is on output. the bet is that if we can get stuff done we'll take that to the voters. we'll hand it to the allies in congress in the midterms and take to the voters in four years. my friend jason johnson isn't a super fan and critics that think that the republicans are not negotiating in good faith and they're not. let me read this as a stealth straenl for getting big things done. biden is encouraging the second wave of infrastructure talks even though some democrats refuse to support them. they're quick to point out they do whatever they can unilaterally to clean up trump's messes inside federal agencies and abroad and distributing vaccines around the world and negotiating new global minimum tax rates.

water infrastructure, that just don't get top billing. those around biden the dream drumbeat is a skewed sense of normalcy. these things take time. >> they do take time and what you are seeing now and mitch mcconnell has to be getting worried. when you have as many republicans breaking publicly for the infrastructure bill, it's not clear that mcconnell signed off on it. to pass a major infrastructure bill without reconciliation. that's a big bleep deal as my friend niccole wallace would say. usually in my ear and not in person. it is a big bleep deal. what is going to happen here is these republicans that are joining this infrastructure bill, they're from states where democrats can also get elected. so you know, the shoe's on the other foot. we have been focused on the

manchin shoe and the sinema shoe and the mark kelly and the democrats in tough states for democrats. there's republicans in tough states so they want to be seen as working across the aisle and getting things done and patience may pay off here and they have a weapon of reconciliation in the pocket. they can get this deal done and work with manchin for 50 on another deal that might do some of the things on day care and elder care. >> the bolder things. >> a big deliverable for joe biden in the midterms. >> jason, where is your advice on this, on navigating the policy imperative and the politics to deliver? needles in arm. money so schools open safely. that gets more difficult with long wished for to-dos.

it is your read and advice for this white house? >> if we were like in a parliamentary system and biden called an election right now, just say did you get a check and a shot? going forward, this is key so people don't get too excited too quickly, you kabt look like you compromise or sacrifice the rights of the constituents the just get something done and get points on the board. there are well meaning forces within the voting rights movement who are not happy with what joe manchin suggested and federalizing the idea of additional i.d., motor voter and opt out. can states still continue to purge? there are some real questions here so the biden team has to be careful going forward to not say be quiet.

if i don't want -- this is the senate version. nobody wants to have a john lewis voting rights act pass that doesn't do anything for voting rights. that's like passing a george floyd blue lives matter bill. it does the opposite. so that's the political risk going forward. you can't get excited about getting something done if it doesn't provide to the constituents asking for it from the beginning. >> phil, if you look at who's in charge of threading that needle and that's what jason johnson just described, my sense is that it's the president himself, that it is his commitment to bipartisanship, his reverence for the traditions of senate to drive that. can you fill in that picture for us? is that right? he is keeping the big agenda items in sight and keeping bipartisanship alive? >> it certainly appears to be the case. keep in mind who joe biden is.

who president biden is. he was in the senate for so many years at a time when bipartisanship was the norm. in the senate. he was used to working across the aisle and developing the relationships and coming up with deals and consensus. he was never on the left in a senate. he was very much a man kind of in that middle working to build bridges and the way he campaigned to become president and important to him that his presidency is seen as bipartisan and keep in mind what he's with stood. there's been pressure on him for more progressives in the democratic party who wanted him to act quickly and use reconciliation to pass big ticket items with democratic votes to take advantage of the political momentum he has had this spring with his popularity and with popularity of his policy proposals and he's instead been patient and try to wait to negotiate with

republicans for weeks it was with senator capito of west virginia and now manchin with a different group of republican senators but it is important to biden that he at least do everything he can to have this be a bipartisan consensus before ramming anything through with democrats. >> it is a big gamble. you're betting that the public values bipartisanship more than they value big ticket transformational items. it is debatable. i'm sure hotly debated. how does this super majority conservative supreme court vote again to preserve obamacare? >> right. i do want to discuss the vote with what phil said. i believe the administration believe it is perfect is the enemy of the good. we are with respect to jason puts points on the board. speaking of the other side, the

super conservative supreme court. once again it comes june and everyone's hunkered down. and the sky doesn't fall. john roberts of all people i think able to usher a sort of medium path for -- in two cases. the first the aca. i think really now it's done. three strikes you're out. they tried once, twice urks three times and interesting because it was a conservative doctrine to carry the day and you can't come to court unless the court can do something for you. don't come because you don't like something. after the republicans had taken that tax that roberts had called a penalty and made it zero there's nothing for a court to do so you know all we can do is impose zero. nothing. can't help you. good-bye. clarence thomas says, i don't like the aca but we have to do

standing first so there's a kind of irony the big conservative doctrine that keeps them out. more on fulton. >> go ahead. >> very quickly. that was the one i think everyone really waiting with baited breath because the new super majority on the court seems very receptive of free exercise rights. and it looked like it was going to be occasion for overruling an important principle which is if you act neutrally and not singling out religion you can do it and we thought that there were going to be people and there were of saying you should be overturned it but roberts cobbled together enough conservatives to say they did diskrim natd here because philadelphia is able to make exceptions so that means they can say, yes, no, maybe not. balls and strikes. telling the catholic organization we won't let you participate because you won't

allow same-sex parents they were in the court's analysis singling them out so they don't have to touch old doctrine. they can just say this is good old-fashioned discrimination and that falls without going any further in the law. >> really quick question. you mentioned roberts twice. hope is the gateway to despair. is it irrational to hope. you talked about him persuading. is he going to play that role and do you think he could persuade conservatives to side with the liberals? >> maybe. but everyone thought he had been sidelined and it's the role of the chief justice to sometimes be with the libs and the conservatives. a secondary story line is return of roberts from the dead where he was called irrelevant and i think a real sign that the roberts court is back in business. >> we'll keep watching. jason and phil, thank you. claire and harry aren't going

anywhere. >> it's nice here. >> will be here all day every day. much more on the progress of voting reform legislation. stacey abrams will be our guest later in the program. plus, outrage and a lack of basic humanity on capitol hill after a congressman refused to shake hands with a police officer that protected him on january 6. all of it to keep up with the whitewashing of an event that needs the examination and investigation. cher is helping vaccinate as many americans as possible. she is meeting them where they are to find hesitancy in some places and will join us live coming up. life... doesn't stop for diabetes. be ready for every moment, with glucerna.

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congressman clyde you right remember is the lawmaker that compared the january 6 insurrection to a quote normal tourist visit at the capitol. that's despite barricading the door to the house chamber from the normal tourists storming the building that day. now he's been accused of crossing another line with basic decency and humanity stuff. here's metropolitan police officer fanone describing the encounter with clyde yesterdays. >> i asked him if he was going to shake my hand and he said he didn't know who i was. i said that i was officer

fanone, a d.c. police officer. who fought on january 6 to defend the capitol. and as a result i suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as a heart attack after having been tased numerous times at the base of the skull and being severely beaten. the congressman at that point turned away, pulled out a cell phone, looked like he was attempting to pull up an audio recording app on the phone and again like never acknowledged me at any point. as soon as the elevator doors opened he ran as quickly as he could like a coward. i took that particular interaction like perm personally and a representation of him givering the middle finger to us that responded that day. >> not your mama's gop, folks. congressman clyde did not respond to requests for comment

from nbc news. joining the conversation at the table national security analyst clint watts. i have said it glibly and shouldn't have. the republican party has seen irts as the ally and the better ally than the democratic party to law enforcement in america. it is more than just a talking point but parent of the gop brand. the story that the officer is telling annihilates that for the next generation. >> they seem to think cops don't talk to each other and they always do. when a situation like this arises, january 6, you can see police officers wounded, beaten, some dying. you see post traumatic injuries. they go up to a congressman and he doesn't really acknowledge them? that gets around. so i don't understand strategically if you're just doing it for pure politics and

should never do but this doesn't add up over time. second is you can't be the rule of law party and then not insist that there be rule of law and where january 6 undermined what they are about, rule of law, process, the steps. that didn't happen january 6. it was a mob that attacked fellow law enforcement and their fellow congressmen. mike pence was a primary target and has support of law enforcement. at a certain point i think it starts to break down particularly watching how they treat former law enforcement and won't work over the long term. >> the response is reprehencible on the face and reprehencible in action. in the day-to-day impertive and they need to erase officer

fanone and can't exist in the version of what happened for republicans on that day because we heard it. they're not hiding. their own words the disinformation to tell and that putin is telling is that the patriots were the criminals. they have the world upside down. he can't exist in their world and a lifelong republican or independent can't. >> i don't know who this clyde guy is but the obvious fact that he is a jerk is someone that is putin's buddy. because what putin said on a world stage was that somehow him imprisoning people who are just trying to have their voices heard was the same as imprisoning people who were attacking police officers with flag poles and breaking windows

into the capitol and behaving in a way that's the definition of lawlessness. as biden said it is a ridiculous comparison but these guys are so in the bubble, so in this trump base bubble that they're afraid that if they even shake the hand of a police officer that was on the front line that somehow they'll be considered a traitor by trump. >> putting the picture back up. scared for his life on the day of the insurrection and having us erase -- republicans didn't run around bravely on that day and glad they didn't because they could have been husht but the idea that they're after the fact not grateful that they don't see that they owe their lives ab not mutilated or injured that day but the police that protected them were's it is ridiculous because these are the

only cops they can't avoid. they're there in the building. doesn't make any sense. you're going to run into them every day. we don't want a dynamic where let's say hypothetically a cop there getting ambushed, not respected by these gop congressmen and again a mob shows up or maybe a mob that is against the gop congressmen and now an officer there not only attacked on january 6 and disrespected and now protect this guy that january 6 happened or i suffered from this. it is a ridiculous dynamic. we saw them high tailing it out of the room and saw them calling for help and calling donald trump to get the mob off of us. it is untenable situation and the only cops that they need every single day to help protect

them. >> claire mentioned vladimir putin. i want to ask you. we talked so many weeks and months now about domestic violent extremism, the fbi and the community that it represents the gravest threat to the american homeland. what happens in that bubble when vladimir putin and tucker carlson peddle the same disinformation? >> the goal of active measures to identify people with outsized audience inside the target the united states who can then amplify the message. no one does that currently than tucker carlson for vladimir putin. talking about the fbi as stoked january 6 so january 6 the fbi didn't notify congress and behind it doesn't make sense.

if i were to rewind four years i would be talking about the russian system, putin, the kremlin and julian assange. that's that bridge that brings the messaging from moscow into america and why he would think that's a good idea to undermine a democracy that way, why he would want to undermine law enforcement and the federal government in that sort of a way because no doubt what will happen is if tlrn to be a threat against carlson or anybody at fox news they would want the fbi to be there to protect them. they rely on the government and we want to believe in elections next time because let me guess. the gop will win some elections and they don't want the reverse playbook played against them. >> i don't understand why he flatters putin. he said putin has a point. why take that subservient role

'treen to flatter vladimir putin? >> it comes down to does he believe what he's saying or not? does he believe it or just doing it to play to the message of president trump's base. very consistent. the america first strain that came in is a white nationalist message from europe back to 2014. so does carlson do it to create churn in the audience or because he believes it? the more i watch the show i don't think it's for the audience but what he actually believes which is fascist in its outlook. i don't understand particularly in this case of blaming the fbi for january 6. no. he knows that. you can read the charging documents. unindicted coconspirator working with law enforcement to bring justice which is a system that's fundamental to the united states

being a law and order country as he would argue he wanting to be the law and order guy on that network. >> undermines it all. eerie to hear the most prominent with unbelievable ratings host on fox news say the same thing as the chief adversary. unbelievable. thank you. our first day back. harry, thank you. we'll save for after hours about what we talked about the first time wearing shoes. up next, the one and only cher. we'll get to talk to her live about vaccine hesitancy and much more. more

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(doorbell rings) thank you. can we be besties, simone biles? i guess? yessss! should we dismount now? ♪♪ do you believe in life after we're all vaccinated? cher the one and only cher and our friend and regular dr. redletter says yes and with superstar power aiding in the fight to get the vaccinations through the response fund they help underserved communities with minimal access to protection and care. today they are in harlem where they launched a cher cares bus. joining us now grammy, emmy and agrammy award winning star and singer cher and dr. redletter of

columbia. claire is still here. cher, thank you so much for doing this. >> i'm so excited, you guys. so excited to see you and claire and i wish i was there. >> i wish you were there, too! >> me too! >> hi, claire. >> hi, hi, cher. >> i want to talk about everything you are doing but how is your life? is life back the normal for you? >> well, you know, i still feel like i need to wear a mask when i go outside. i just have that feeling and now with the -- >> me too. >> yeah. i just feel, you know, been vaccinated and all that but how's that just -- i don't know. wearing a mask is so cool for me to go anywhere and nobody knows who i am. >> also, you know, covers up the -- 15 mortgages without hair and makeup. i want to ask about taking --

from the very beginning and before we knew we would have a vaccine, the need to go into communities, how're filling that hole. how did that come to be? >> it was irwin. we have been working together but i trusted him because i believe he's a really good person and of course knows everything and i wanted to work with him so the money would go into places that it would make the most good. you know? >> you have been invoked, doctor. >> i'm blushing. >> you are. >> he is. >> he is blushing. >> hide behind claire here. >> how did you guys sort of collaborate on the idea of the cher cares van? >> cher reached out to me and said she wanted to do something. we had no vaccine at that point but people suffering and

fatalities and said she wanted to donate like a million dollars which was -- would i help her? she specifically wanted to help underserved communities. so we ended up to help underserved communities, five clinics in central california, rural clinics in arkansas and mississippi, keeping day care programs open with boys and girls clubs in various parts of the country, and now this mobile unit that's going to be vaccinating people. it's been a remarkable example of what somebody can do if they have resources and really want to help. this has been absolutely remarkable. cher is a hero to the states and i think an example of, yes, it's a problem, but we all have a role to play. cher certainly has played her role incredibly well. >> cher, there's a lot of optimism in the choice you made. i think a lot of doctors have been careful to try to help us

understand that there's a real difference between hard core anti-vaxers and people who are scared, people that don't know where to go get it, can't take off work to go get it. this van seems to be addressing the needs of that group. >> you know what? i was afraid, too. i was a late vacciner. i was just like, oh, do i want to do this? then i thought, well, you're just so stupid. you have to do this. i just stook everybody that i knew and forced them. >> there's this comfort in numbers. i know you're a big political junkie. i know you know and follow all the debates going on. i wanted to ask you if you're sleeping better at night with president biden in office? >> i am. i love him. i've known him since, what, 2006. i just love him. i have to tell you something. this is going to sound weird

maybe, but i have -- i get really sick to my stomach, i have a real problem when i feel things are -- every time trump does something -- sometimes i just have to stop watching the news because i just get overwhelmed and i get angry and i get sick. >> i have to say, i hear that from a lot of my friends, the people that say, i'm sorry, i can't watch all of it. i wonder if that's because in some ways we thought it was all trump, but it's depressing to see that millions of people and just about everyone in congress except for a couple people, maybe liz cheney and adam kinzinger see the world the way he did. >> i had a friend -- she wasn't a close friend, an acquaintance. she worked for the fbi and she infiltrated these groups, and that was like five years ago when i talked to her.

she said, you know, the one thing that's good is that they all hate each other. if someone could join them together, it would be terrible. that's all i kept thinking. >> when you see the insurrection and you see the justice department charging these groups, it certainly looks like they all came together that day. >> yeah, and everybody knew. the republicans knew. you just have to keep going, and you have to do what you can do. you just have to -- you can't give up. i know about not giving up. i just am a person who has been through the most unbelievable downtimes in my life. people don't really realize that. but one thing i know, i'm a bumper car. if i hit a wall, i come back up and i go another direction. >> so important, so invaluable. i want to bring my friend claire into the conversation. claire has a question for you. >> hello, claire. i'm so happy to see you. >> listen, i'm a little

tongue-tied in your presence, starstruck. i'm definitely starstruck. there seems to be a pattern of strong, smart women who have entertained us with glorious talent over the years stepping up in this crisis. i look at you and i look at dolly parton and others. what can you say to your fellow talented artists out there? i think some of them are so afraid about sticking their neck out, that it will get bitten off. what can you say to them about how you take up the reins and make something happen like you have? >> if i wasn't on tv, i would say this differently. you just have to do it. you have to man up or girl up or whatever. what are you going to use your celebrity for? it's not just all about makeup and being naked and wearing a few beads.

you've just got to do it. you owe it. we get -- i have had a charmed life, you know? i'm really this many years old. if you don't do it, what's the good. what have you been killing yourself for? you have to do these things. you have to help people. my mother taught me when i was young -- because we were poor, but once i was complaining that my shoes were all discussed up and i had worn to the bottom. my mother said, yes, but did you hear about the man that complained about his shoes until he saw the man with no feet. >> i wonder if you can talk about your hopes for all of us on the other side of the pandemic. >> well, i just think this little bit of being able to go

out, just hearing, i'm going to meet my friends and we weren't going to be able to go until we just found out. my one friend has a boat. so we go with her on a vacation. i missed the last two. the freedom of it and being able to get in countries. to be able to go into countries where -- countries you know, countries you've been in, countries i've lived in and not be allowed. also, you know, in some instances we're not going to be able to give shows because we need to get insurance. so there's really no way to do it. we're trying to figure out how that's going to come together. >> well, we would love to keep this conversation going. we'll highlight all of your incredible works. i want to see what's happening in the central valley of california. that's so important. cher, it's such an honor, i'm such a fan. a privilege and an honor

forgetting to talk to you. thank you for spending time with us. >> i have to say hi to my mom. >> of course. >> hi mom. >> hi mom. thank you so much for spending time with us and to your wingman -- >> great to see all of you guys. i see you on tv. it's nice to see you. >> you're welcome, any time. when you're back in new york at the table, you're welcome any time. to you, dr. red lenner in, you were one of our last guests when we were in studio, and that you're the first person on our first day back is wonderful. >> i'm thrilled. >> claire is sticking hour. the next hour of "deadline white house" coming up in the next hour. don't go anywhere.

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we see this assault from restrictive laws, threats of intimidation, voter purges and more, an assault that offends our very democracy. we can't rest until the promise of equality is fulfilled for every one of us in every corner of this nation. that to me is the meaning of juneteenth. that's what it's about. >> hi again. it's 5:00 in new york. when signing into law legislation to establish juneteenth as a federal holiday. as we celebrate the new holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the u.s., we must also acknowledge that at the very same time, nearly 400 legislative measures across 48 states are under consideration that would make it harder to vote, a move largely seen as having a disproportionate impact on black americans.

those bills all predicated on the disgraced ex-president's big lie, one he reiterated again today, shouting about fraud, as only he can, via carrier pigeon, in georgia's election which we know was non-existent in georgia. there was no fraud. the former president revealed in new reporting, frantic and desperate to hang on to power up until his final moments in office, detailing just how far the disgraced ex-president's frenzy to steal the election went, how he pressured the justice department to investigate his conspiracies and overturn the election result. quote, in the last weeks of 2020 and the first of 2021, the demands from trump and his allies pushed the department to the brink of crisis. most scoffed at the desperate claims, one relatively high ranking justice department lawyer seemed to entertain trump's request, pushing internally to have the department assert that fraud in georgia was the cause for the state's lawmakers to disregard

it's lex results and appoint new electors. trump contemplated installing him as a.g. as other justice department leaders considered resigning en masse. while trump's justice department fortunately did not cave to the ex-president's demands and publicly back his false claims, that big lie still remains a very real threat to our democracy today. it's seen in those 389 restrictive voting bills across the country. the we the people act saw a glimmer of hope when senator joe manchin, the only democrat who has not signed on released a list of priorities he could support, making election day a public holiday, mandating at least 15 consecutive days of early voting for federal elections. democrats have opposed requiring

voter id before, but manchin's proposal got a huge and important endorsement this morning from stacey abrams. she says he's putting forward building blocks we need to ensure democracy is available to everyone. she said she's not opposed to all voter id requirements, just the ones designed to prevent people from voting. although manchin's proposal was welcomed by democrats and voting rights activists without eliminating the filibuster, the for the people act would need the support of ten. minority leader mcconnell made his position clear. he said this compromise has the same rotten core -- he called the right to vote a rotten core -- and declared no republicans will vote for it. we'll see. the ongoing fight to protect voting rights in america is where we start. we begin the hour with stacey

abrams, georgia's 2018 democratic candidate for governor and author of the book "our time is now," out in a beach friendly paperback version. stacey abrams, thank you for spending time with us today. i was surprised to hear you come out and endorse senator manchin's legislation. tell me about that. >> i am endorsing the fact that we now have a list of priorities and that joe manchin is at the table and he's part of the conversation. it's an important step forward as we try to protect the freedom to vote and protect access to the vote, that all 50 democratic senators are part of the conversation. i think he makes common sense opportunities available for compromise. while there's going to continue to be negotiations led by leader schumer and other senators, it is a critical step forward and one we should celebrate. this time last week there was a sense of doom and impending failure. what we have now is a renewed sense of progress and momentum

towards ensuring that the big lie and the insurrection do not continue to erode our access to democracy in this country. >> and your blessing of it is such a big deal, i wonder if it was something that was just a no-brainer for you, that federal legislation is the only shot at undoing this close to 400 bills sweeping through state legislatures, or if it was close enough to what you'd like in an ideal world. >> in an ideal world we'd have a constitutional amendment that guaranties the right to vote. that would solve so many problems. in lieu thereof, we have to meet our country where it is, and weave got to continue to make it live up to its promise. what i talk about in "our time is now" and what i talked about this morning and over and over again, is that we have to negate the attacks that are anti-voter, that are anti-election worker and anti-democratic.

it's only going to be through federal legislation that we can negate or mitigate the harms being created at the state level. that means we need congress, especially the u.s. senate, to step up and take action. >> stacey, i'm from california, so i'm going to use a wildfire analogy. these bills, which seemingly were crafted in part at the conservative think tank heritage, they were introduced before folks got home from president biden's inauguration. i mean, they were ready to go. and i wonder if you've seen anything else push through with such force and furor. the republican lieutenant governor from your state has agreed they're all predicated on a lie. >> this is premised on two things. one is the insurrection which tried to say that the elections were unsound, not because of who won or lost, but because of who showed up. every single bill we're seeing

move through the states either attempts to block those voters from coming back, try to is thwart those election workers that ensure the integrity of our elections or failing to overturn and overthrow the election process. that should be untenable to any american. what we hear from mitch mcconnell and republicans who are refusing to speak up in defense of our democracy is they're putting partisanship above citizenship. i cannot understand how anyone would say that it is an okay thing to require every single person to show up on a tuesday in november rather than taking advantage of the common sense legislation that has been a part of many states which says early voting happens. it's about making sure that, yes, you can demonstrate who you are, but that the restrictions placed on how you do so should not be untenable. you should not be allowed to use your gun license in texas, but not your student id. across this country we're seeing a clamor for people to say they want democracy to work for everyone, there should be minimum standards that do not

change based on your race or your geography. >> were you surprised that the republicans are so sure that it's a good bet to disenfranchise young voters and voters of color? >> i think they are misreading the moment, just as they misread 2020 and as they misread 2018. voter suppression works best when people aren't paying attention. every time voter suppression has been met by voter engagement, by voter response, we have seen change happen. whether we're talking about the march across the edmund pettus bridge or the turnout in 2020. when people attack our democracy, those who are victims usually rise up and demand their access be restored. unfortunately for republicans, they're betting on a quiet summer where no one cares. that's why we're pushing for hot call summer where every single day, young people in particular will be reaching out across the country, calling their u.s. senators to action, calling them

to do what must be done and protect our democracy. >> what do you sort of envision for addressing the parts of the state laws that disempower democratic or republican election officials who sort of walk that line, who resisted pressure from the disgraced ex-president and his allies to change the will of the voters in their states and counties? >> that's why i think the compromise that is beginning to happen in negotiating this bill is so important. for so much of this debate we've been focused on the known at tax on voters themselves. those are whether you can register and stay on the rolls, if you can cast a ballot or have your ballot counted. those have been the bulk of the bills and the bulk of the attention. at the same time we're watching states as diverse as texas, iowa, florida and georgia also making it easier to intimidate voters and election workers. iowa to criminalize their behavior. a technical mistake can land you in jail. why would you do a public

service if doing your job could land you in jail or cost you money? we know attempting to subvert the election by overturning the election is a new salvo. we know that the for the people act has to also include protections for our democracy itself and our election workers. >> stacey, i'm going to bring in our mutual friend claire mccaskill. >> hi, stacey. >> hello. >> i think nicolle hit on a really important point, there's two prongs, one making sure everyone can cast their vote and one issic maing sure their vote is counted. i wanted to talk to you about the john lewis alktd and how we can web together what joe manchin said he was for, along with the federal supervision that has been, in fact, foundational to voters' rights in this country for decades until 2013 when the supreme court stloou that case out where the federal government had that authority. what progress are you making on getting the formulas ready that

would allow a piece of that john lewis act to be wedded with some of the proposals that joe manchin says he supports to try to get a package that is more complete in terms of federal oversight? >> i want to add one piece before i answer that bart of the question. i want us to not ignore the fact that while they're attacking voters and attacking our democracy, they're also attacking the workers that make it happen. it's important to keep it in mind. it's about voters, the workers and subverting the process itself. when it comes to the voting rights advancement act, i think the formula is under consideration. they're doing the work necessary to build the iron-clad response to the roberts' courts demand for a new formula. wet can't wait on the for the people act while we work on the voting rights advancement act because these are two separate pieces. as my friend rafael warnock has said, the advancement act is about building the firehouse. but the for the people act, to

nicolle's analogy, is about making sure we put out the fires. joe manchin sig nalgd an interest in both moving forward. for right now, we have to keep our eyes on what's before the u.s. senate. that's to make sure the for the people act, we achieve a compromise to set minimum standards to protect our democracy and our freedom to vote. >> stacey, i want to read you something that senator rory blunt said. i don't do that very often. to me it's a sign of how spooked -- you are deep inside the ex-president's head. i'm sure that's not where you want to be. he said, quote, when stacey abrams immediately endorsed manchin's proposal, it became the stacey abrams substitute, not the joe manchin substitute. why are they so freaked out by your track record and what you're doing? is it because trump lost

georgia? is it because they lost two seats and power of the senate? what is that about? >> i first think it's deeply disrespectful to his fellow senator joe manchin. joe manchin has demonstrated a remarkable autonomy. the fact that i agree with this offer of compromise and to negotiate, should be seen as a sign of him being a statesman, someone willing to work towards the betterment of our nation, to make sure no matter what your party, your citizenship is protected. that said, i think the challenge we're facing on the republican side is when my name is attached, they have visions of georgia and the change in election outcomes. the reality is we're not guaranteed victory every cycle, but we should all be guaranteed access and guaranteed opportunity. that should not be something that they find so terrifying. in fact, if i were in sthar shoes, i would find my best way to mute me. solve the problem so i have less

to talk about. >> i don't think that's going to happen. that's too smart. i want to ask you one last question. the book is so special because it's really specific. it's also about a bigger idea. i think the reality, when you hear the most prominent voices on the right, echoing the world's most notorious autocrat, the idea that democrats is an american value is no longer true. you have in numbers one of the largest anti democratic movements, my own party, the republican party. >> part of the challenge is that right now the targets of this autocracy seem to be those who are inconvenient for a part of this country. they don't mind what's happening because it's not affecting them. when you break democracy, you break it for everyone. when you require that, if you live in the state and have to have a notary public sign your absentee ballot and there aren't enough of them, you may not care

about it in the macro sense, but wait until your mother is the person who cannot get to that notary public and, therefore, is denied her right to vote. we have to pay attention, not only to what happens to us, but what happens to our country. as these bills start to have a broader effect on everyday americans who do not see themselves as the targets, but recognize that they will be the victims, i think we'll see more and more people return to our fundamental notions of what it means to be an american and celebrate our citizenship through participation in our democracy. >> stacey abrams, a privilege to talk with you. thank you for spending time with us. stacey's book "our time is now" is now available in paperback. when we come back, we'll talk about the fight for voting rights. plus, republicans are blocking legislation into january 6th, refusing to shake the hand of a d.c. police officer who protected them.

all of that makes democrats hopeful they can very successfully and easily paint the gop as a party that no longer wishes to support police. juneteenth is now a national holiday in the u.s. could explaining it to kids put teachers at odds with a rash of gop laws limiting what can be taught about race in this country. we'll be back after a quick break. don't go anywhere. when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ it's a thirteen-hour flight, that's not a weekend trip. to deliver our technology fifteen minutes until we board. oh yeah, we gotta take off. you downloaded the td ameritrade mobile app so you can quickly check the markets? yeah, actually i'm taking one last look at my dashboard

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we're back with our panel and reaction to what we just heard from stacey abrams, who is hoping to add momentum to the fight for voting rights under assault in 48 states. joining us is eddie glaude chair

of african-american studies from princeton university. here in studio -- i love saying that -- msnbc political analyst and former senator claire mccaskill is here. also with us, nick confessore. and donny deutsch. i'll start with you on stacey abrams. >> first of all, so great to be back here, so great to be wearing pants again. >> is it? >> i had a very anxious zipping experience. whew. >> stacey abrams is such a class act when you asked why is roy blunt trying to assign the voting rights act to her instead

of joe manchin. because she's a black woman. behind the racist undertone, it's the stupidity. there's a difference somebody coming forward, endorsing a person -- shame on you roy blunt. >> you had thoughts about it, too. >> first of all, let me say roy blunt is a friend. >> that's okay. >> i don't think he was saying this because he was a black woman. >> black progressive woman. >> i think the reason roy blunt is saying this is because he is -- they are desperate to get this stuff done because it helps their party and he is a huge believer that the federal government has no business in elections, period, that the federal government should leave all elections to the states. >> that's a great argument. but what does it have with bringing stacey abrams into it? >> because what he is trying to say is stacey abrams and therefore, now, joe manchin

is -- i'm not here to defend roy blunt. i have to say something because if the roles were reversed, he would say something. let's be clear about this. the republican party thinks it's a winning strategy to keep people from voting, young people and people that are black and brown. it's not a winning strategy. you're the branding expert. you are somebody who sees politics day in and day out. long term this is not a winning strategy. stacey abrams mentioned this and i said it many times before. you probably get sick of me saying that. telling people, we're going to keep you from voting, it makes them want to vote. it makes them want to vote. they are creating, i believe, a tsunami of emotion around voting for the midterms next year. i think in the long run it's going to make sure that mitch mcconnell doesn't take over the senate again. >> eddie glaude, i'm going to pull you in because this is a

rare instance that i disagree with my friend claire mccaskill. it's like saying for democrats to win, you have to back on a backpack of 10,000 pounds of rocks. claire's point is voters will do that. they do it and win fair and square. what these laws do is change the outcome. they nullify that voter's vote who had to strap on a backpack. that person isn't usually a white man. it's usually a woman or person of color. they vote and then after they go through it, republicans want to throw it out by taking republican, lifelong trump supporters like brad raffensperger out and putting in their cronies. that's how far gone the gop is. democrats will vote anyway because they care that much about the country. they don't just want to suppress the vote. they want to then nullify the vote. >> i think you're absolutely right, nicolle. let me say this.

it's important for us to talk about votes -- how votes are being counted or whether or not they're going to be counted or what you just insisted upon. let's stipulate to claire's description. literacy laws -- literacy tests were in place, people still wanted to vote. but the restriction kept them from voting. so we can still say that people are motivated to get to the polls or even more motivated to get to the polls. if the restrictions are in place such that you will be disqualified, you'll be disqualified. on top of that, nicole, they're not going to count the vote? as i was listening to stacey abrams who i love, i kept asking the question -- because i'm not a politician -- why are we doing that if manchin hasn't agreed to support the filibuster carveout? if he doesn't support it, what the hell are we doing? we can concede all of this. we can concede taking out the

provisions that might undermine or undo citizens united. we can agree with national id laws. if he doesn't support a filibuster carveout, what are we doing this? for the theater of the democratic party vis-a-vis the recalcitrants of the republican party? >> i think i can answer it. i think part of what manchin is doing here is trying to box in, actually, republicans. he's trying to dangle in front of them something that they have no really good reason to oppose. it includes the voter id piece which is really interesting to me. that's incredibly popular around the country as an idea, which is voter id. it's all in the details. you can imagine stacey abrams saying, i'll support that as long as it includes a provision that says, if you have to have ids, it should be easier to get them. everything else on that bullet

list would be huge. things they've been pushing for years, election day as a holiday, the anti gerrymandering. if he can't get any takers, i think eddie is right. let's see what happens. >> i think nick is right. eddie, you're right. here is the thing. they are going to have to fashion a bill that makes it more and more uncomfortable for republicans to be who they want to be on this. >> you really think that's possible? they're not uncomfortable with being anti-democratic putin stooges. >> they may not, but the point is that's what manchin is trying to do, trying to box in republicans to get more of them. eventually he's going to box himself in for being for filibuster reform. he's going to paint himself into a corner. >> by the way, some other things in manchin' bills, we've never

had in our state. in my state, i won a lot of elections, and you could not vote unless you swore under penalty of being prosecuted that you weren't going to be in town the day of the election. we never had no-excuse absentee voting. we never had automatic voter registration. i'm from a state that has been very restrictive, and i love the idea that we would have a federal law that would open up the gates in a way that had never been open in many states in this country. so joe manchin did make a step. obviously, he hasn't gone far enough because he hasn't said i'm willing to reform the filibuster in order to get there. at least we're traveling down the right road, whereas a week ago or a month ago everyone was throwing up their hands in despair, that there was nowhere to go. >> eddie and then donny. >> look, the particulars of the proposal i find fascinating and

interesting. i'm very much open to this clip. but the question that i think needs to be asked prior to, would you be willing, senator manchin, if we concede to this, for the filibuster carveout? if he says no, what's the point? that's the point i'm making. part of what i'm saying is we see already with infrastructure that they're trying to separate climate change. we've already seen -- talking from the progressive side of the aisle, as if there's an aisle. we've already seen this with infrastructure. we've seen it with the living wage. we see it now with voting rights. we hear it with regards to the george floyd policing act. this is going to have impact for the midterms. i don't know what this theater is all about. that's what i'm worried about. >> to eddie's point, there's no time. there's no time for mark gal lie

yas to solve all this. there's no time. >> nicolle, back to your question, the fact of stealing the election versus suppressing the election. at the end of the day raffensperger, two or other three people in arizona and pennsylvania. >> michigan. >> michigan. we have a stolen election. neither bill, the lewis bill or this bill, addresses that. a state legislature run by crooked people could literally overturn an election. we were three human beings away from having that happen. i don't want to be a party pooper. we're stepping in the right direction. the big scary thing in the room is still not being dealt with. >> to come back to where we all started, the federal legislation is like the vaccine. it undermines all the state laws, that it trumps all these state laws. the fact that that's in the state laws, the federal legislation, in whatever form can be passed -- i agree with

eddie. this is where having been -- this is existential to them. they don't give a bleep about a bridge. they don't care if you get your vaccine. cvs will have it. they don't care about anything except rigging the electorate so they can win elections. eddie, claire, nick -- and donny. >> you can take my seat. i'm not going. >> no one is going anywhere. when we return a brandt new interview with the partner of fallen capitol police officer brian sicknick. she said she was snubbed by republicans -- just the latest blow to the image of the republicans. you used to think they stood up for law enforcement. that story is next.

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it's disturbing. it's upsetting, especially given that brian was a capitol police officer and he protected them. he protected them that day. every day that he went into work, and he's gone and we're trying so hard to fight to get to the bottom of what happened, and they have zero interest. it's disgusting. it's disturbing. it's repulsive. i just don't -- i don't think those people deserve to be where

they are. i think they've forgotten that it's a privilege to be in office. >> that was longtime partner of fallen capitol police officer brian sicknick who lost his life. she's speaking out today on the republicans who snubbed her and officer sicknick's mother gladys when they went to capitol hill to lobby for an investigation into the capitol insurrection. her devastating account of being ignored by members of the republican party comes on the news that republican congressman andrew clyde refused to stick out his hand and shake hands with officer michael fanone. they choose to support trumpism

and disinformation. according to politico, quote, in the aftermath of the deadly january 6th capitol attack, the gop's love for law enforcement, a longtime hallmark of the party, is being called into question as some members continue to whitewash the insurrection. they even foist blame on police officers who protected lawmakers that day. members are not only painting their colleagues across the aisle as disrespectful of law enforcement, but that their loyalty to trump compromised core values. joining me is washington investigative reporter scott mcfarland. this was an incredible interview. i know you have more of it for us. tell us about how she's doing. >> reporter: it's sandra garza. she says she's gotten a frosty reaction from people here at capitol hill. getting turned away, brushed off or rushed out of the office. in one case she describes meeting with a senator who shook her hand and used the handshake to usher her out of the office.

she's former military. officer sicknick is former military. she says it's particularly troubling to see and hear of military and police amid the mob. >> i think that's the biggest part that hurts me the most and why i was so devastated about all of this, and nowing what he experienced prior to his death because he was such a good person, but i wish he could have had a much more peaceful last moments on this earth. it hurts me a lot that he didn't get that, that he had to deal with -- not only with what he had to deal with but seeing his colleagues deal with such brutality. and knowing that, my gosh, his own fellow americans were doing this. that's the worst part about it all, too. >> reporter: nicolle, and senator mccaskill, she wants

speaker pelosi to initiate a committee to get some answers. >> that's barbara comstock from virginia. there's a bipartisan sort of cry now for subpoenas to start flying, for records preservation requests to start, for the investigation to commence. do you think that's overdue? >> there needs to be a bipartisan group. i know discussions are on going about that. i think something will be forthcoming. my question in all of this is where is the fop? where are the police unions? why aren't they speaking out at this moment? where is the president of the fop condemning congressman clyde for refusing to shake that officer's hand, for condemning the republican office holders refusing to meet with this fallen officer's partner? this is typically what they do,

they join together in defense of their fellow police officers. all of a sudden it's crickets from the police unions, which is not helping them as they try to beat back some of the important police reforms being considered right now by congress. >> scott, do you have any reporting on that? >> i was speaking with the union chairman throughout the last five months. he's expressed concern about some of the treatment, but saying they're understaffed, retirement isn't good, 300 officers down, losing officers every day. his concerns and his practice kind of matches capitol police. they don't speak publicly. they don't speak to the press. there's no transparency in capitol police. that's why you don't see the face or hear the voice of the union chairman either. >> eddie, i keep thinking that this is sort of a how bad are they. today's gop is so bad that it sells to snub a cop who paid with his life ultimately to

protect you. >> yeah. i think they're making distinctions, nicolle. cops who aren't supportive of the tribe can be snubbed, they're not real cops. we're making distinctions over and over again along the lines of who identifies with the anti-democratic ideology that currently animates the republican party and those fighting against what they're trying to do. if you're a police officer who holds true to your oath, to the badge, to the idea of the rule of law and it leads you to run up against what they're trying to do, then you're not a loyal cop. you are on the other side. so i think what we're seeing in interesting sorts of ways to one of the consequences of the line being drawn, where are you on the side of this ideological battle for the soul of america, as it were? >> this isn't even about republicans suddenly being not for legislation that's good for cops. this is about personally acting

in a hostile manner face to face. >> this is a tremendous opportunity for the democrats. we want to protect the infrastructure, education. now we're the protection party when it even comes to police. you've owned this. you run the footage of january 6th with cops being attacked and said republicans would not even investigate this. you go to clyde and you can really own the last one they have and attach it to a bigger place, that we're here to protect you. if i was getting involved with anybody, i would just take that thing away from them right now. it's a very gut, visceral thing. >> nbc's scott mcfarland who is all over the story. if you don't follow him on twitter, you should. thank you, my friend. up next, juneteenth is now a national holiday. teaching kids about everything

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we covered at the top of the program president biden signing into law a bill making juneteenth a federal holiday. it marks an important moment for the true end of slavery in this country to be recognized. now it's one of the 11 holidays recognized by the federal government. it's also important to consider the broader context of the

moment. there are voter restriction bills that disproportionately impact black and brown voters being considered in statehouses across the counted while conservative take culture wars to the classroom, trying to blunt away elements of america's racist past being taught in schools. we're back with eddie, claire, nick and donny. it's important, nick, to point out that this is the other side of the coin of what they're doing. they're actually legislating in statehouses most aggressively about voter repression and around culture issues like this one. >> there's a great and terrible symmetry between these two parallel efforts. one is an effort to make it harder for black people to vote, and the other is an effort to erase from our schools teaching discrimination against black people and others through our history. they are a twin. they are part of an effort to essentially shrink the body politics. a lot of talk about critical

race theory which is an ab st. andrews academic theory. it doesn't matter if you believe in it. if you want to teach about discrimination in the history of our country. >> eddie, i want to bring you in on this. this is not a thoughtful and cerebral exercise on the right. this is a sledgehammer used to be a culture war issue. it's not a victimless crime. it doesn't just harm our ability to understand our own history. it harms future generations' ability to change it. >> right. we need to ask ourselves not whether or not they understand critical race theory, nicolle. we need to ask why are they invoking it now. it has everything to do with arresting this possibility, this opportunity we have for reimagining ourselves as a country, from grappling with what we've done with our history honestly, and in some ways reimagining how we'll move

forward. what's interesting is at the moment in which we see these culture wars being executed, we hear president biden narrating in realtime the details of the tulsa massacre. it's a counterargument. in realtime we see the efforts to dismiss the 1619 project. now there's a federal law celebrating juneteenth, a counterargument. we're in the midst of trying to figure out who we're going to be and the battle has been engaged. now we have to choose sides. >> go ahead, nick. >> there's so much talk about cancel culture, especially on the right and in the center. every time someone's book is unpublished or someone's book deal is canceled, you hear about cancel culture. they're literally banning books and banning classes with these efforts. there are teachers who are afraid to start their classes that they're going to teach in the fall because of these bills that have either passed or are

about to pass. for my money, state-sponsored cancellation is a bigger issue for us to talk about than someone's book deal being canceled. winded up tweeting ab it. yeah. i agree completely that there is something really insidiously evil about these legislative efforts to make this the culture war. the irony is i don't know how many americans really understand what the juneteenth holiday is. >> no doubt. >> getting signed into law, getting passed into the senate, which it is amazing to me that josh hawley wasn't objecting, it will provide an opportunity for teachers to teach exactly what the republicans are saying they should not be teaching. how dare they cancel our history

of discrimination against black people in this country. >> yeah. >> it is really dumb, and it is not going to serve our country well in terms of going forward. i hope this is a blip and not a trend, but it's a bad, evil trend. >> unfortunately that's what the republicans are doing. i feel like they're bigger than a blip. we have to sneak in a quick break. we will all be right back. when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage.

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making this possible. all of us together again around the table in pants and shoes. second, good news for all of you. tomorrow i will not be sitting here, but someone else here will be. claire mccaskill will be in the chair at 4:00 for us. >> yeah. so be kind to me, everybody. yeah. i mean, i've -- i haven't felt nervous in a long, long time. i'm a little nervous about tomorrow. i know i'll be okay, but it is hard to do this, especially following you up, my friend. >> i'll tell you, the first time i did it, i filled in for brian williams. it is very hard to fill in for brian williams and ali velshi sat there. i fought the teleprompter and the teleprompter won. you i know will not have that outcome. you will be great. thank you so much for giving me a day off. >> thank you so much. my pleasure. >> my advice to you, just

pretend the audience is in their underwear and you're fine. >> where we have all been for the last year. >> so you guys are all dressed up. i have heard so many stories about people feeling weird in pants and shoes. >> it is so great to be back. the head of morgan stanley just came out and said, guess what, bankers, if you go to a restaurant, you're coming back home. i'm bullish on that. i think sometimes we empower people too much. it's time for everybody to go back to work. if you feel okay to go to a restaurant, you can go to work. >> there is a dynamic of being around other people in the workplace, obviously doing this that makes things better. and i'm not saying you shouldn't ever work at home, but i think it's great -- >> for the young people to learn. >> i think of all the mentor ship that has been missed. i think it is a good thing. >> let me defend those young people. my team specifically has

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thank you so much for being with us today. we are grateful. "the beat" with ari melber starts right now. >> thank you so much. welcome to "the beat." we have a big show including how a law used to bring down the mob may be turned against donald trump's company. that supreme court ruling. congress declaring this new federal holiday for the first time in decades. our top story is president biden returning home from his first overseas trip where he swupg foreign policy away from the putin years. and pushing that global tax flow which