it hasn't happened in 100 years. babe ruth was the last person to do this, and ohtani who can hit it out of the park with average speed of 102 miles per hour, froze the ball from the mountain, might hit 100 miles per hour throwing the ball. incredible. >> all right. another night of joe screaming at the tv. yay. all right. that does it for us this morning. stephanie ruhle picks up coverage right now. >> that sounds terrible. hi there, i am stephanie ruhle. it is tuesday, july 13th. here is what's happening this morning. a brand new setback for johnson & johnson, the fda putting official warning label on its covid vaccine, but telling americans the benefits still outweigh the risks. cases and hospitalizations are rising in states with no surprise very low vaccination

rates. while at the same time, protests against the cuban government are reaching u.s. soil, as hundreds take to the streets in miami, many cut off from family members back home as cuba blocks phone and internet access. and we just got the latest inflation report for the month of june, with prices rising at the fastest pace in 13 years. consumers across the board are getting worried. we start this morning with this fight over voting rights, the focus of president biden's speech in philadelphia today, and the focus of a last ditch effort by texas democrats who officially fled their home state late yesterday to keep state republicans from having enough lawmakers to pass new voting rules. i have a great group to break it down. michael member lee in philadelphia, priscilla thompson, la tasha ground, from black voters matter, and assistant dean at the university

of texas. walk us through this. texas state democrats are now in d.c. what happens. does this change anything or delay the process? >> right. this is the texas democrats' first full day back on the ground in washington, d.c. we know at the top of the next hour they're kicking things off with a press conference where they're going to again call for federal legislation and action on voting. as for what happens here in texas, the texas house is going to convene the next few hours. we expect the speaker of the house will set wheels in motion, begin the process for giving law enforcement permission to track down texas lawmakers who have fled, but texas law enforcement will have no jurisdiction in washington, d.c. unless officials choose to give them permission to go in and get the lawmakers. texas governor greg abbott is thinking through what his next

steps are going to be to get his agenda passed. listen to what he said last night. >> i can and will continue to call special session after special session after special session up until election next year. these people want to be hanging out wherever they hang out on taxpayer paid junket, they have to be prepared to do it well over a year. as soon as they come back in state of texas, they will be arrested and cabined inside the texas capitol until they get the job done. >> reporter: he said that in a local interview in austin. until either of those things happen, another special session is called or texas democrats return during this session which they signaled they do not intend to do, the house is effectively at a standstill, not able to get any work done. steph? >> not able to get any work done. this is a taxpayer paid trip. you have the governor threatening their arrest. i know you support the move but

i want to get practical. if republicans walked out of the statehouse because they didn't want to pass a bill in a state democrats were in charge, would you feel the same? >> reporter: depends, if it was a bill on voting rights, absolutely. i think there are republicans that should have gone with the democrats. bottom line, i don't see voting rights as a partisan issue. i see this as a democracy issue. there's an existential crisis around democratic participation. we judged health of democracy based on access. this is a suppression session. let's be honest about what this is. this is political theater and platform for the governor running for office next year in a state that just in february had a major issue around the grid, people still in the state now do not have access to be able to use air conditioning. they're telling people to ration because they haven't fixed the

energy issue. they call a special session to leave because he lost and couldn't full the voter suppression people, yes, this is a session we have to get beyond the politics. this isn't just about partisanship, this is fundamentally about democracy. >> vicki. take me to texas. do texans think it is political theater on the part of the governor or democratic lawmakers in d.c.? i found it fascinating, the republicans keep saying this is very untexas move to run away from a fight. explain to me what's going on. >> a lot of it depends what letter you have by your name, how you look at this, whether it is good for democracy, whether they're running away. one thing that is important to contextualize, stephanie, in lead up to the special session, you knew we were having a special session dealing with voting rights, speaker of the house and other leadership made

gestures they would be more open to negotiation, they would be more conciliatory, backtracking on animosity we saw in regular session. we went into the weekend with hours and hours of testimony. there's this mini glimmer of hope there would be a democratic process where r&ds came back to hash out what's best for the state. what happened after hours of public testimony is committees went and voted, fast tracked bills and took them to the point they could be voted on this week. at that point, the democrats said wait a minute, where was the glimmer we're going to be able to negotiate, to offer amendments, to discuss what's going on, and that's where the democrats said we have no other option because the door to democratic process negotiation has been shut. that's important to contextualize. >> okay. you just loaded us up with all

of the facts and context that matters, but unfortunately most people never get to see that. from the perspective of people from the state of texas, does the governor end up winning a pr war, even if he doesn't deserve it. people never hear about the glimmer of hope or bait and switch. >> i know. i was doing the boring nerdy professor on you, stephanie. this is what it boils down to. it boils down to short term versus long term. in the short term, the governor and republican party have the -- some sort of voting restriction will be passed. in the long term, seeing how democrats gained in numbers. ten years ago, steph, they didn't even have enough democrats to matter if they all walked out. republicans had a super majority. in the last decade, slowly but surely democrats gained enough seats to stage the fight. they might lose this battle

ultimately, but i think it is long term trend that's interesting, even though in short term, abbott and republicans will probably get what they want. >> i want to point out i love the nerdy professor content. mike, want to talk about the president's speech in philly. he is going to say we're getting started to pass the for the people act and john lewis voting rights act. what does it mean? it makes either of them feel a million miles away from getting through congress. >> reporter: steph, it is important for the president to come and use the opportunity to support two key pieces of legislation, working through congress now. but we know the math of the senate. you need 60 votes to get anything done. the democrats barely have 50 votes they need to get a simple majority. that's why some pressure that the white house is facing from progressive activists and some of the closest political allies is for him to take it a step further, support abolishing the filibuster, carving out

exception for important voting rights legislation. it is not clear the president is going that far today. but this is a speech that's not necessarily directed at the activists on both sides of the debate who have been very much engaged in the issue, it is at the majority of the country not focused on it. this is opportunity for the president to come to philadelphia, a city rich with historical significance, political significance to the president, shine a spotlight on the issue. he is not going to mince words. he will call the kinds of republican voting law changes undemocratic. he is going to link voter suppression efforts he sees to what we have seen through history, jim crow laws, intimidation by the kkk, powerful words. this is something that the white house sees a long game playing as well. this is an issue they think should be front and center in midterm elections. jim clyburn, less important ally of the white house than jim

clyburn, says pushing it to election issue means nothing if we lose a senate seat. he wants to see the president come out stronger and for abolishing the filibuster. steph. >> powerful words. let's talk about what's going to happen short term. barring something totally unforeseen. these laws in texas are going to pass. the federal voting rights bills are probably not going to, at least not in the short term. do these texas democrats need to get themselves back to texas, knock on every possible door to tell every texan this is what happened to voting rights, you better get out next election and vote? >> couple of strategies. the fact they're in d.c. helps. fundamentally this isn't an issue about texas, we're fighting it in georgia and all over the country. this is a national issue. while you see what's happening in texas, yes, there's election coming up next year, what we

know is we need to have people who have integrity, literally fight for the right to vote. it is a concentrated, concerted effort to be able to undermine votes around black voters. let's not forget, at one point, slavery was legal in this country. at one point, jim crow laws were legal. that didn't make it right. while they may be able to pass this, it doesn't mean they won't be held accountable. we will be resilient and resistant. to see this from the leadership to heighten and bring up how important this is at this moment of time will help all of us in the long term. >> all right. thank you all so much. we're going to leave it there. now we have to turn to the awful situation gripping almost the entire western united states. they're trapped under a so-called heat dome, keeping

temperatures way above normal, putting 13 million americans under excessive heat warning. today, it will be hotter in palm springs, california, than it is in cairo or sudan. if that wasn't bad enough, the heat is fueling massive wildfires in six states, causing widespread drought, pushing the power grid to the brink. jacob ward in tahoe city, california. jake, one thing to deal with heat if you can go inside and get relief in air conditioning. if you don't have power, people are going to die. >> reporter: that's absolutely right, stephanie. you know, i am standing in a beautiful scene, and today, the high is projected to top 88 degrees. that sounds like a pleasant temperature. trouble is, i am on lake tahoe. this is a place like so many where human beings go to get away from the heat. here in california, it seems we will not be escaping it today. power is the big danger.

just about an hour north of me currently rages bootleg fire which is at this point out of control, a fair phrase to use. as a result, one of the most important infrastructure pieces in california is under threat, and that is our electrical connection to oregon, what's called the coi, california oregon interchange. it is a spinal column of electrical supply that runs down through oregon, through california, providing power not just to where i am standing but down towards southern california. that unfortunately is under threat at a time as you mention it, we are going to need that power. that explains why governor gavin newsom signed an executive order that asks for more capacity. frees up capacity so we do not have blackouts in the state. at the same time, he is also urging people to absolutely make

sure they use as little power as possible, asking for voluntary 15% reduction in households. all of that is what we have to do here turns out to get through what turns out to be an absolutely record breaking summer already, and it is only early july. >> palm springs, hotter than cairo and the sudan. infrastructure under threat. jake, stay safe where you are. thank you for that report. the fda adding a new warning to the johnson & johnson vaccine. why some doctors think it could do more harm than good. the warning, not the vaccine. and protests in cuba grow, internet and phone services are shut off, sparking new fears and pleas from family members in the u.s. om family members in the u.s. it's a beautiful reflection of everything you've been through. that's why dove renews your skin's ceramides and strengthens it against dryness for softer, smoother skin you can lovingly embrace. renew the love for your skin with dove body wash.

♪♪ lisa here, has had many jobs. she's worked in retail during the holidays. as a barista during rush hour. and a nanny to a couple of rambunctious kids. now, all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home.

with home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults, with a career that makes a difference. ♪♪ apply today. ♪♪ 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 bit differently. wet teddy bears! wet teddy bears here! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

now to the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. the fda is out with a new warning about the johnson & johnson vaccine. the shot has been linked to a serious but very rare side effect where the immune system attacks the nerves. the cdc says about 100 reports of rare neurological disorder have been detected, while 13 million doses have been administered. fully vaccinated americans will not need a booster shot, at least not now, because the vaccines currently available offer a high degree of protection. the biden administration says it

is prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates they're needed. comments come after pfizer briefed u.s. health officials about the need for booster shot for the rapidly spreading delta variant. as of this morning, new covid cases on the rise in 41 states and d.c. this thing ain't over. nine states have seen cases double in the last two weeks, including seven states, no surprise, with extremely low vaccination rates. joining us to discuss, cdc adviser and professor at vanderbilt university medical center. start with your reaction to the fda warning about the j&j vaccine. do you think it is safe? >> it is obviously a caution, stephanie. i haven't seen the details yet, but this unusual neurological illness is increasingly associated with j&j vaccine, i

think it will make many people more cautious about using that vaccine down the road. >> the delta variant is spreading, but it is spreading amongst people who are choosing not to be vaccinated. is there any evidence it is making vaccinated people sick? >> absolutely not. as a matter of fact, the currently available vaccines provide wonderful protection against all the strains out there in the united states today, including the delta variant. you know, it is very unusual to have a vaccinated person be admitted to the hospital today for covid related illness. the serious diseases related to covid are occurring virtually exclusively in unvaccinated people and in a few people that have not yet completed their vaccination series, they're only partially vaccinated. this is a great testimony to the effectiveness of vaccines, and

also very sad because it makes you realize all of these admissions occurring today, they could have been prevented, stephanie, if those folks had gotten vaccinated. >> but everyone is getting back to normal, whether you're vaccinated or not. we heard all of this talk, if you're fully vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask. when's the last time you went anywhere and people are masked up. there are plenty of unvaccinated people out there. >> of course there are. and we urge them to come in today and get vaccinated. if they are out and about in enclosed spaces, stores and other gathering, they should be vaccinated in order to protect themselves and protect other people. so we have a mixed group out there, a lot of people vaccinated, but still a large

number of people unvaccinated, and the virus is spreading, honing in on unvaccinated people, we'll see cases occurring, cases arising as the show said, and you're going to be seeing this throughout the summer and into fall unfortunately unless people get a change of heart and get themselves vaccinated. >> if they do not want to get sick, there's a free vaccine waiting at a pharmacy nearby. i want to ask about confusing messaging around the booster. you work with the cdc on these issues. what do you think, do we need it? >> wonderful to have a booster on the shelf if we need it, we don't need it now. our protection continues, so we don't need to boost it to keep protection, and the vaccines protect against the variants. if a new variant shows up, that's different from the current one and evades

protection of the vaccine, we'll have to create a new vaccine against it. at the moment, we're in good shape, those of us vaccinated. the attention should be not on people that want a third dose but people that need a first dose, currently unvaccinated folks. >> all right. my take away, get vaccinated. for those that are, you don't need a booster yet. also new, senate democrats say they're close to revealing the second half of the infrastructure proposal. the democrats are taking two separate tracks to meet president biden's infrastructure goals. first, the bipartisan bill announced last month, and second, the democratic only bill that would be passed through reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority. but there are just a few enormous problems. still need to write the bills and all democrats would need to be on board. let's go to garrett haake. we talk about how republicans

get on board, democrats aren't fully on board. bernie sanders is still not a guaranteed vote on the bipartisan bill. he met with the president yesterday. what happened? >> reporter: well, bernie sanders left that meeting with the president saying that he and the president are on the same page. he went into a meeting last night with budget committee democrats and he and others came out saying they're actually close to unveiling at least the top line spending numbers for the reconciliation package, democrat only effort on this. remember, they don't have to write that bill until later in the summer. it is a long process by design. they first have to say here's what we want every committee to spend and kick it to committees. those numbers could come as early as today. the challenge is that that piece and the bipartisan piece have to keep moving at roughly similar paces along the way or you could lose republicans that say reconciliation piece is too big, too expensive, too liberal, they pull support from the bipartisan

piece. or lose democrats that say if the bipartisan piece goes farther, reconciliation piece is in trouble, there are not enough priorities there. yesterday rob portman, republican senator, the single most involved republican on the bipartisan piece said they're about halfway there. we'll be all over this today. as you point out, both things have to get turned into legislation in the not too distant future. >> we're still a long way from this getting done. garrett haake, thank you. for you at home, not going to say you may have noticed higher price, i am going to say you definitely noticed higher prices, grocery store, gas pump, the mall. inflation numbers are out, we'll share what the latest numbers tell us how much more prices could spike, or maybe we get back to normal hopefully soon. t back to normal hopefully soon. o, 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. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein.

♪ ♪ 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. ♪

welcome back. markets are just one minute away from opening after the consumer price index, inflation number, soared 5.4% compared to this time last year. it is the largest one month and year to year increase since the great recession, with inflation higher than expected, up slightly from 5% spike you saw last month. cnbc steve liesman joins us. prices were way down last year

because last july we were home doing nothing, prices tanked. now they're obviously going up from there, but beyond the base effect, numbers are up a lot. most we have seen in 13 years. >> the base effects are one piece of it that you had big declines of when we were shuttering in during the pandemic, now that we're coming back out, you have a huge surge in demand. frankly, businesses weren't ready for surge in demand. workers weren't in place, supply chains weren't in place. i look at three things. one is huge demand from reopening going on, the other is supply bottlenecks, chip shortages made car production lower than it ought to be, and massive stimulus from federal reserve and fiscal side giving people a lot of money, means they can go out and spend, but price for goods is going up because goods aren't there on the shelves now. >> the argument has been, though, this will be short term,

transitory, once things normalize, prices go down. do you see that happening? with demand up as much as it is, why would any restaurant or retailer lower prices if they don't have to. people are willing to pay the prices. >> if you don't mind, stephanie, a lesson inflation. prices may not go back down, but the idea they're looking for is that they won't continue to go up at the same pace. that's the inflation that federal reserve and other economic policy makers worry about. you may get up to the level, breakfast sandwich now costs 5 bucks, but doesn't have to go to 6 or 7. that's the concern there. you may get to a point you have equalibrium, demand and supply are equal, and you don't have huge increases in prices. things like the huge increase we had in used car prices. thought to be transitory. may go away. airline prices won't keep going up, they'll bring the airplanes back from the desert, get them

flying. should equalize prices. people back to work, in the fall when schools reopen, when that happens, we'll look at inflation and figure out how much is permanent and temporary as we try to get the economy back on even footing coming back from the pandemic. >> steve, we don't need to wait until fall to go back to school. every time you join us, you make us smarter and better in the world of economics. thank you. prices aren't just increasing in the u.s., it is happening around the world, specifically in cuba, where prices are going up, shortages in full effect, lack of medicine leading to growing crisis, especially around covid and cuba. thousands of protesters are taking to the streets in havana, with the government blocking phone and internet service. calls are growing for the u.s. to take action. i want to go to sam brock in little havana. what's the latest? >> reporter: there's no reason

to believe we will not see repeat of hundreds of people here later today. 6:00 last night, flooding the parking lot over my shoulder, spilling into the streets from little havana to hialeah. you mention a second ago, the government censoring what information comes out as family members in miami have no idea now how their loved ones are doing. they say that can't continue. in cuba, days of dissent, a chance of liberty and freedom sweeping through havana and other cities. stones thrown at police, dumpsters overturned, the rarity of this type of protest in the communist country still sinking in. in miami, families protesting again overnight, fearful how the cuban military may respond to loved ones back home. >> the situation is dire in cuba. literally, the government is trying to cut off communication from the outside world so people don't see the brutality of the situation. >> reporter: a generational

economic crisis, coupled with record covid numbers and lack of vaccine fueled demands for ending the 60 year dictatorship. the country claims to have multiple vaccines but won't share its research. cuban american leaders pleading for american intervention. >> please, do not abandon the cuban people. support them decisively. president biden can fix what kennedy broke. >> reporter: president biden's response, one of solidarity, though he steered clear of requests to intervene. >> tell them to refrain from violence, attempts to silence the voice of people of cuba. >> reporter: the leader blames the embargo for the country's ills. >> they simply are not hearing the voices and will of the cuban people. >> reporter: she fled at age 13, said the time for change has arrived. >> i don't care if you have been here five years or 60 years, you

should care your brethren in cuba are suffering now, and we need to help them. that i think has been their cry, it is a cry for help. >> reporter: and president biden is facing pressure from within his own party this morning, steph. continuing tougher policies that were enacted during the trump administration against cuba. stephanie? >> sam, thank you. joining us to dig in further, ian bremer, president of the group. these are the biggest protests in cuba in decades. is this a tipping point we need to pay attention to? >> it is important. let's be clear, this is also the biggest economic crisis cuba has seen in decades. stephanie, there's a reason we see demonstrations in countries all over the world that have been mismanaging their economy. some democracies and authoritarian regimes, in peru, colombia, you've seen them in

places like belarus in south africa, you're seeing them in cuba. in the case of cuba, this is not only do you have a poorly managed economy, not only do you not have vaccines available for a population that's dealing with covid like everybody else, but you also have a dictatorship that doesn't allow basic personal liberties. you put all of that on top of these people and what you're seeing are thousands of people on the streets facing jail and violence at the hands of the regime because they're not willing to take it any more. i will say the ability of the cuban government to repress what we are seeing now in the short term is actually very high. >> this is a terrible problem there. should the united states have a role? we have a history of u.s. intervention in cuba that hasn't gone very well.

>> yeah. president biden has certainly made stronger statements against the cuban regime than the obama administration had. having said that, they will be seen as being softer than the trump administration in terms of sanctions and in terms of soft calls for regime change. i think it is important to understand first of all in the region, you're going to see very different responses to the demonstrations. you've got countries like mexico, argentina, like peru that will be supporting the regime and opposing the demonstrators. you have others like the united states, like colombia, brazil, saying the regime has to go. i think what you'll see from the united states is offers of humanitarian support. i think we would be well served to offer vaccine diplomacy, we are in position to do so. that will buy goodwill directly from the cuban citizens. that will help to undermine the

regime further, but there's no sense the regime would welcome them. when obama tried to liberalize economic trade, investment, tourism, the cuban government dragged its feet heavily. wouldn't allow a lot of the opening because they understood given how huge the american economy is that they get overwhelmed quickly, have a hard time staying in power. it is not as if the united states holds all the cards here, short of overt military regime change which really no one is talking about right now. >> let me ask you about haiti. haiti is requesting military troops following the president's assassination. haiti as a country has been in despair for years and years. what should the united states do? >> the good thing about haiti as opposed to cuba is that pretty much every country in the region wants to provide stability. they don't want to see a refugee crisis out of haiti. they understand there's no

governance whatsoever. this is criminality, not left versus right, it is gang violence, incompetence, corruption. also the poorest country in the western hemisphere. if the united states were to say we would be prepared to take a leadership role and offer some peace keepers, we could get many other countries in the region to be part of a multi lateral presence. i could see brazil and colombia doing that. this could be one of the issues, venezuela being another, you remember when trump was tough on venezuela, and stepped up sanctions, almost every country supported the united states. on haiti you would see that as well. there's a level of leadership of the united states on haiti would be kind of a no lose in terms of foreign policy for the biden administration. >> haiti needs help. ian, thank you so much. you make us smarter. appreciate you joining us this

morning. coming up, a brand new book reveals shocking details about president trump's last year in office. despite all of that, he remains the most powerful person in the party, and many experts say we could see a red wave in 2022. but it doesn't have to be. the person that predicted the 2018 results is here on how to stop it. s ihere on how to stop it. okay, we're not gonna ar discounts on floor models, demos or displays. shopping malls can be a big trigger for young homeowners turning into their parents. you ever think about the storage operation a place like this must rely on? -no. they just sell candles, and they're making overhead? you know what kind of fish those are? -no. -eh, don't be coy. [ laughs ] [ sniffs, clears throat ] koi fish. it can be overwhelming. think a second. have we seen this shirt before? progressive can't save you from becoming your parents. but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. but you know what? i'm still gonna get it. the instant air purifier removes 99.9% of the virus that causes covid-19 from treated air. so you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection.

♪ ♪ this past year has felt like a long, long norwegian winter. knowing that you and your family have added protection. but eventually, with spring comes rebirth. everything begins anew. and many of us realize a fundamental human need to connect with other like-minded people. welcome back to the world. viking. exploring the world in comfort... once again. - [announcer] when you earn a degree from southern new hampshire university, it's worth getting loud... - woo! i did it! (people cheering) - [announcer] ...and emotional. - [woman]woo hoo! - cool! - [man] we're proud of you, right, trav? - yeah! - [announcer] snhu graduates recognize what they can accomplish with a supportive university by their side. - i did it... you can too!

- [announcer] start your celebration at snhu.edu at philadelphia, we know what makes the perfect schmear of cream cheese. you need only the freshest milk and cream. that one! and the world's best, and possibly only, schmelier. philadelphia. schmear perfection. we are more than a year out

from midterms, but democrats are already facing an uphill climb. president biden met with eric adams, the democratic nominee for mayor, after he ran a tough on crime campaign. it comes as cities across the country are grappling with a serious surge in violent crime. now republicans like former president trump are seizing on that, trying to tie democrats and defund the police messaging to heading into next year, claiming that messaging is the reason for the spike in crime. very bad news for democrats with razor thin house majority and tie in the senate. and picking up congressional seats after the census. my next guest predicted the wave in 2018 and now sounding the alarm. and michael benlder, author of the book out today, "frankly, we

did win this election." the inside story how trump lost. rachel, democrats want to rewrite the rules here. republicans are already bending them. if democrats do not fight back, what are the odds of a red wave? >> they're excellent. as a trained political scientist, one of the most enduring trends of political science literature is the midterm effect, more than 40 years of that president's party losing seats in that subsequent midterm election. so we call those fundamentals. because of that trend, it has only been broken twice, '98 and 2001, it does suggest that republicans will be in good position. my own research which is unorthodox approach to understanding how americans behave in a polarized environment argues look, if these days there's not a lot of

swing vote in the electorate, there's some and it is important but not a lot of it, what really matters is the coalition turnout of each party, which includes the base and left or right leaning independents. that's where that strategy and messaging really comes in. as you were leading into the show, talking about defund the police, if you have republicans tying every single democrat, very few of whom supported defunding the police to that position, and democrats are not effectively countering that message, i don't know by explaining they don't want to defund police, by launching their own counter offense and really making the gop pay the price for bringing up the topic of crime in the city which is determined largely by poverty and access to firearms, then yeah, they're going to be in a competitive disadvantage. the republican party, they --

>> let's talk about the republicans' shrewdness. the problem with defund the police, while it may do the best work, while it may not remove law and order and instead improve it, i want to show you what half our country sees. take a look at this. >> the rise in crime and left's push to defund police. >> they want to get rid of the police, not using the word defund because it is so radioactive, they think the police are the problem. >> still no plans to push back on far left policies or defund the police movement. >> republicans are really, really good at branding irrelevant of what the truth is and they've got media networks that prop it up, media networks considered news. how do you fight this? >> you have to be able to see the solution. >> that's not happening. >> it is happening here. has been happening on my twitter

thread for the entire trying four, five-year period. i clearly articulate to democrats this is what you do. the midterm effect is about being a referendum. if you go and design campaign strategy and utilize your own media networks in a strategic way, can't just blunder through it, you have to design it, you can make 2022 a referendum on the republican party's performance during the pandemic, during the economic collapse that came after, and of course what's going on now, you have a party so radical, it removed liz cheney from her leadership position because she would not tow the line on the big lie. you're absolutely right, this is not something the democratic party has any propensity to do with the organization, has to do with private, like outside group. i say that it is the spacex of

campaigns. going to space but doing it a different way than i think is much more effective in terms of winning elections. >> michael, your book is extraordinary. you have bomb shells all over the place, specifically about trump's last year in office. according to your book, he thought showing empathy for george floyd would make him look weak, wanted the military to crack skulls during protests, and reportedly said that hitler did a lot of good things. on some level, you say how do you come back from that, does he have to come back from it, given how strongest now, how much support he has, what does that tell you about many, many of the american people being cool with all that. >> he did win 75 million votes at the end of 2020, and remains strong with that base. the question for trump moving forward is whether he is going to run again. that's still very much an open

question. i don't think he decided that. i think first, for 2022, republicans have a choice. they can choose to redefine the party post trump or not. i don't know how they're going to choose. what i know is that this book adds to the conversation, adds to data points, to make clear exactly who the president is, how he governed, what his political styling is. at the end of the day, for republicans -- sorry. >> let's be honest. people that have that choice, they're not reading this book. they know who the president is, the former president, excuse me, and despite the fact that he lost the presidency and the house and senate, he remains their candidate of choice. has he an enormous amount of power. while they have this choice to rebrand themselves, they're not

doing it. you spoke to him, he knows that. >> yeah. exactly. which is why he is attacking my book. he knows how much i have spoken to people close to him. there's a lot of information that adds to the picture of donald trump. a few examples. one, we know the story of chaos in the administration. that's well documented across mediums for years. what this book shows for the first time is how dangerous the people around him thought he was for the country and what this book does, too, is three things that i don't think any trump books have done so far. goes the scenes inside the oval office, inside the campaign headquarters, they spent $2 billion and still chasing biden in the final days and also i think frankly most importantly here is i was embedded for two years with the hard core cross-section of the trump base and i tell their stories and why

they show up to rally after rally after rally which starts to get to your question of why did trump supporters continue to stick with him and after january 6th, why they continue to show up for rallies? there was thousands of people in cleveland, thousands of people in sarasota just last month. >> but of course, trump's base isn't enough to win, so the broader question is, why people who know what he is, who know what he's done still stand with him. rachael, michael, thank you both so much. coming up, hunter biden, businessman, author, now he's an artist, why the president's son's new venture is raising eyebrows and ire and a whole lot of ethics questions, again.

now to a new nbc news investigation into a secret art sale by president biden's son

hunter, taken up painting and plans to start selling his artwork. the asking price up to half a million bucks per painting. here's stephanie gosk with more. >> reporter: powerful and impactful work, according to the gallery owner who will sell hunter biden's art this fall. art critics aren't so sure. >> well, it's not as bad as i might have thought. >> reporter: others tougher, one calling it hotel art but the gallery values some of the paintings up to a half a million dollars. >> you could get a work by matisse or degalles for a similar amount of money. >> reporter: how much of that is the same? >> almost all of it. >> reporter: triggering criticism of the white house that touts itself as the most ethical administration in history. >> i think the right thing to do for white house ethics officials to try to talk the president into begging his son not to go through with this sale. >> reporter: walter shab was

director of ethics under president obama an don't the children of presidents have the right to. you are sue a career in >> the children of presidents have the right to pursue a career but as citizens of this country they have a moral and ethical duty not to trade on their parents' public service. >> reporter: there is concern someone might try to gain influence with the president by buying his son's art. >> i could tell you after careful consideration a system has been established that allows for hunter biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards. >> reporter: first reported by "the washington post," the administration has made an agreement with the gallery not to reveal buyers' names to anyone, including hunter biden, or the white house. >> this is an amateur mistake, because there's no way to control what the purchasers do. they can go out and tell the world that they bought this art. >> reporter: hunter biden has previously come under fire including taking a board position while his father was vp

and not alone. president presidents children including the trumps raised ethics concerns. in this case, experts say more transparency would help. >> the american people deserve the opportunity to be able to track whether or not these purchasers are getting preferential access to government. >> reporter: not saying who is buying the art is the problem. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. . >> a lot more questions raised about this issue and before we go, you know there's always good news somewhere. this show certainly good news "ruhles" it's personal news, our producer liz brown-kaiser is getting worried. her fiance cameron kenworthy popped the question and good news, she said yes. congratulations. cameron called me last week so

see if she could have off today, of course the answer is yes. congratulations. that wraps up this hour. i'm stephanie ruehl. hallie jackson picks up breaking news coverage next. ses covid-19 from treated air. so you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection. ♪ ♪ ing

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. as we come on the air, texas democrats about to speak at the u.s. capitol with the voting rights push coming to a head in washington right now. those lawmakers in d.c.ft