out of convenience, or necessity. we can explore uncharted waters, and not only make new discoveries, but get there faster, with better outcomes. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change-- meeting them where they are, and getting them where they want to be. faster. vmware. welcome change. hi there, everyone. it's 4:00 in the east in what democrats today are calling a crisis moment for the basic right to vote in the united states. texas governor greg abbott is setting the stage for another showdown for democrats in his state who nearly four weeks ago

left their jobs and families behind and fled to washington to keep a vote from going into law. which means all eyes are on those state representatives still camped out in washington. "new york times" reports, quote, abbott's announcement sent national attention swinging back to a hotel in downtown washington, where several dozen democrats from the texas house of representatives are grappling with a familiar question: stay or go back? but more progressive members are pushing to stay in washington and continue to call attention to voting rights, at least while congress is in session. >> i think there is a collective will of this caucus to do

everything we can to continue to defeat repression of voting in texas. that's what we did in may, we did that in july and we continue to do it going forward. >> it's not the federal legislation that texas democrats have been pressing for, but it might help. merrick garland weighed back in on the fight today in a new op-ed of the "washington post" marking the 60th anniversary. >> on this landmark of the voting rights act, we must not erect barriers that make it harder for millions of americans to vote. we need to protect that fundamental right. the reverend al sharpton is here, host of msnbc's "politics

nation." also joining us, erin haines, msnbc contributor, and jasmine crockett is back. all three of you are to be commended. you're all on the front lines of pushing for and/or covering this fight. i wonder if i can start with you, representative crockett. are you satisfied that whether you go back or not now that you have handed the baton to a democratic senate that understands the stakes? >> first of all, it's good to see you nicolle. i am satisfied that we have fought harder than anyone thought that we could fight, that we have accomplished more than anyone thought that we could accomplish. if you want to know if our job is done, i don't. i think we have to keep the pressure on. if you read that article and they were talking about progressive members, i'm sure you can guess what side i'm on.

i want to continue to push them. we know there will be a recess today. we know they won't be working over the weekend. we know they will potentially be working next week. as long as they are in session, i am here. i will not be in austin on saturday -- surprise, surprise -- i will be here fighting for what i said i came to get, which is to get voting rights for those not only in the state of texas but in this country. >> jasmine crockett, i usually put this question to the rev, so he'll breathe a sigh of relief that i'm giving it to you. why is it up to democrats to save this? this is existential as to whether or not democrats ever win again, which there is that, but whether or not people's votes are counted. that won't always be the state of the two parties. you start disenfranchising

voters and make it so whoever votes for who it doesn't count, that's the beginning of the end of our democracy. >> you're absolutely right. it's sad because they can't see the forest for the trees. i must give a shoutout to lyle larson. lyle larson is the only republican in texas who actually voted for us. lyle larson has been trying to convince members of his party that this is not only bad for democrats, this is bad for republicans, especially republicans in rural areas which, in the state of texas, the majority of our republicans are elected from rural areas. our urban centers tend to be more democratic. but they can't see that. they only see an opportunity at a power grab in some of our urban centers. that's what they're focused on. it shouldn't be our fight. but the reality is, it is our fight, and you're right, there is always this division because, sadly enough, we always want to be the good guys, right?

there are those who say, let's kum-ba-ya to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. i'm saying a kum-ba-ya for me is making sure people's rights are protected. that's what i want to do, is get on the right side of people because you're too afraid to take care of more than just the extreme right which tends to be a little bit of the white supremacy side. >> it does, indeed, tend to draw that these days. i want to ask you this question and then i want to bring the reverend in. when you said on this program that you don't need the legislation currently proposed, that you support it and that you like it, but what you need as long as texas is in this, do you believe they will give an inch?

>> i had a meeting with senator warnock on monday, and he told me, thank you. and he specifically said, because of the work you all have done, this has ended up on the forefront instead of the back burner. it has a direct implication on senator warnock. we know that georgia is upset about the two senators we were able to get out of there, and senator warnock is up for reelection and they want to disenfranchise so many people that most likely they will go vote for him. he said thank you, and he told me he is working on that legislation, that legislation that we anticipate is coming out hopefully sometime today. so i am satisfied that had with her told -- there are some that are optimistic and some not so

optimistic. but it's our understanding there will be a vote on re-legislation before they leave for the summer. >> reverend, you've been in this fight. what do you understand of the state of the voting rights today? >> it's my understanding that there is going to be some legislation. i bet with senator schumer and pelosi and others, they had just left eight senators, including warnock and others upon what they're trying to carve out. we will probably see that if not today, tomorrow. the problem is whatever they come with, it will probably be a partisan vote which would then mean it would be defeated if they do not give a carve-out

around the filibuster, or if they don't do anything at all with the filibuster, which means they will go down with a vote on partisan levels. which is why we must continue the direct action throughout the summer culminating with the big national august 28, because when they come back in september, if we have cooled off for the summer, this won't be on the front burner, and we do not yet have the john lewis bill complete until first of september, so we'll have to go through the house and we'll go through the senate. we're in the middle of the battle, which is the real heroes here like senator crockett and others who -- let's not forget

that we went to sign the bill. we went to selma of that generation because general lee jackson had been killed dealing with voting rights in marion, alabama. let us not forget it was a struggle and it was protesters, and people were beaten and tear gassed which led to this country being outraged. it will be the texas delegation, it will be those of us who have been marching and protesting, those of us who have met biden two or three. it always comes with the bottom line which means whatever the texas delegation has done, they have been on guard of this and,

in my opinion, why august 28 becomes even more important. >> erin, i want to bring you into this and i don't want to put the representative on the spot or rev al. i don't know how to say this politely, but a lot of people in the political arena in washington really sort of are animated by their own personal twitter feed. i think what makes the texas democrats is we've come to look at them as putting skin in the game. texas is a pretty republican state and there's some criticism for them. they're here, anyway. let me read you more of the personal skry fis. >> after we first arrived in

washington, d.c. i was called the n word repeatedly. one hoped my plane crashes. one threatened to come after me and lynch me. i'm very fearful that my 20-year-old son may get pulled over because police officers are looking for me. a routine stop in america is never routine when it comes to watching balanced men. be sure to lock your car when ensuring his safety. >> it's more than skin in the game in the same way thatly and during the self-rights

management toll ensure there is voting for black people across this country. they are alarming at this point, and that's something we have to worry. >> afs national outryan with people being blocked from the violence blocks with violence and other means of literacy, 20-hour voting pregs from getting to the ballot box. where is that aly multiracial coalition of people who were in the streets. for too many americans, 56 years

after the passing of the voting rights act -- voting is a privilege and not a right. so i'm very strung by -- struck by this when others are facing possible threat. >> i agree with you. my sense as a former political person is that in some ways, and i think jasmine crockett described this perfectly. they just want to get all democrats on board for the same legislation. it's allowing republicans to take a pass. they're not at the table, they're not paying a political price when, frankly, election officials as probably democrats. that was an assault on the

country, an assault. i wonder, jasmine crockett, if you can make this not a democratic problem to solve but a country problem to solve approximately -- it should affect soly many ministers. there is this moral conversation that's being brought to the. when we fwauk pan anymorety and approximate. but i think by bringing the church into this conversation, faith leaders from different backgrounds, i i think part of that was like, hey, this is kag

care doing what's right versus what's wrong. sodly. they are going to say they are so extra-christian, can't find their what would -- their will to do what is morally right. >> i'll go even further, rev. there are a lot of republicans, especially in the senate, who claim to believe in democracy so much that after 9/11, they thought democracies would be the greatest way to sort of prevent another 9/11. i know that the foreign policies pursued by my old boss were extremely controversial and became unpopular. those republican senators, and they knew who i was talking to, they were there. they believed in democracy in that instance. they don't seem to believe it n

it as once at home, rev. >> in 2016 where donald trump lost the popular vote by 3 million votes and one electoral college vote, they believed in the election, they believed in the process. in 2020 when he lost both, all of a sudden there was something wrong with the process. this is nothing about the process. this is nothing about them protecting against fraud. there have been no place for him. this is about grabbing and holding onto power. the reason it's an existential threat that's why they the. we didn't wlik trump was about. we suffered through four years

of the most embarrassing, cat strof in. now when you lose both, all of a sudden you're going to come with new state lose. this has all to do with the takeover of government skpl refinishing. we've got to do everything we can to stop it. >> it's hard to finish this sentence, aaron haynes, and say the worst part about it is x, because it's all pretty bad. voter suppression, removing boxes are heinous. that's pointless. there are more than 40 dozen. he was asking to remove trump's brand in georgia. just see to it to find 11,170 votes.

if you had to consider the most alarming aspect of this, it is this willingness, i guess, or enthusiasm for abandoning the essential tenet of our democracy and lurching congressman clyburn on that point. >> these laws are being proposed in 48 of our 50 states. the question is, are we going to continue to be a democracily. >> erin, let me prlt. even republican lawmakers have said out loud that it's predicated on a lie. republicans are lejs lagt

disenfranchise. there wasn't any fraud, chris krebs, byron krebs, life long republicans. >> you know, nicolle, i've been thinking a lot today about the 60th anniversary of the voting rights act. it was literally created to have a right to the constitution. that was a right that was not protected by our government until a century. what is the worst about this? voting right 9 or voting right 2 with this.

they're making americans feel terrible about the future rights of this country, you know what i did today, nicolle? i read the entirety of the voting rights of 1965. this was not my idea, it was just a suggestion of the naacp legal defense fund who is someone i listen to a lot. on these issues, i think we would do well as a personal journal class and to get a handle on what this means. listen, i have no idea whether democrats or practicesly. when they are getting counted, they have to accept that.

those who block it can get up to five years in prison. they can oversee elections in places where disenfranchisement is. there are provisions in the voting rights act which can and should be addressed today and these voters could be disen franchised in the wake of the 2020 election. history shows that when federal legislation is passed, the electric tore ate ex -- i don't care what the party breakdown was around the ratification of the 19th amendment, what i care about is that amendment says i cannot be kept off the ballot on

the basis of my gender. >> aaron ames, reverend al sharpton, jasmine crockett. i'm so glad i got to speak to you three today. thank you for starting us off. when we come back, the republican leaders for florida and texas basically throwing in the towel at approximate point which when it comes to a -- plus how the economic recovery fats. we are climg -- climbing towards hypocrisy. we'll take a quick break. don't go anywhere.

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here in maryland, because we're so vaccinated, the virus isn't spread like the rest of the country. you were talking about florida who had 25,000 cases in a day. but we are strongly recommending and urging people who are unvaccinated to wear masks indoors and in settings where they can't distance. 100% of our hospitalizations and deaths at this point are people who have refused to take the vaccine. >> the governor of maryland, a republican, we should note, after urging people yesterday to just get the damn vaccine and announcing protocols for some state employees show proof of vaccination or face strict mask and testing rules. meanwhile, president biden is telling other republican governors to get out of the way of mask mandates, like ron

desantis of florida who has banned face masks in schools. dr. leana wen writes in her book, "lifelines," about why real leaders matter. quote, public health depends on public trust. for any response to be effective, people need to heed government orders, and to do that, they must have faith that their leaders know what they're talking about and have citizens' best interests at heart. a breakdown of that trust means that public health measures fall apart. joining us now, the author of that brand new book, an old friend, dr. leana wen, former baltimore health commissioner, now visiting professor at george washington school of public health. she joins us alongside two other old friends, deutsch and investigative reporter. dr. wen, it's so nice to see you. we watch you on the other network and i watch you on

twitter. this is the governor of one of the country's hot spots, florida. let's watch. >> reporter: mr. president, do you have a response to governor desantis who is using your words about don't be in the way, and he's saying, i am in the way to block too much interference from the federal government? your response, mr. president? >> i'm the governor who protects parents in their ability to make the right choices for their kids' education. i'm the governor who protects the jobs and education and businesses in florida by not letting the federal government lock us down. >> dr. wen, he's almost a living, breathe extension of president i don't want the cruise ships to dock because then my numbers will go up. he sort of picked up where that kind of leadership left off. but i wonder what your concerns are about the citizens of his state. >> nicolle, i'm really glad to join you again today, and it's

upsetting to watch this because we have seen during the covid-19 pandemic what happens when we don't have leadership. we've also seen what happens when public health officials are actively being undermined by political leaders. because we know that public health depends on public trust, and when you are pitting had you been -- pitting public health as some kind of enemy, that hurts at the end of the day and people are wondering what to do. in this case i find it hypocritical that those leaders are pro-entrepreneurial and are getting in the way of mask mandates or vaccinations. my child is four. i want him to be back in school,

and to do that safely, i know masks are the way to do that. so i really think it's time for our public officials to be held to account, and that's what i talk about a lot in "lifelines," about how leadership really matters in times of public health crises. >> we're going to get into more of what you write. it's so perfect for this moment that we're all trying to live through. you talked of hypocrisy. the hypocrisy of any republican who holds himself out as pro-life, at least in desantis' case, he's presiding at government levels, and many are going to defy him. the school systems in broward county, leon county, duval have said they are going to seek to impose mask mandates. in arizona, they also plan to defy that, the laws banning mask mandates. i wonder how much of this you chalk up to our political dysfunction in terms of our

cases. i'm also going to put up usa's front page today because it's powerful and it's upsetting and it's graphic where all the cases are with the simple headline that we're failing. >> right. in fact, we've seen this correlation now across the country that the places with the lowest vaccination rates are also the places seeing the massive surges right now. and i think the key is that we didn't have to be in this position. it's very different from where we were last summer or where we were last winter before widespread vaccine access. we could have prevented this delta surge from happening. and i think the most tragic part of it all is that we're failing our children. we failed our kids all along in this pandemic. we failed to open schools, we prioritized to opening bars. we did not invest in the infrastructure that we needed in order to get schools to be reopened safely in the first place, and now we're failing kids all over again because it's actually the duty of us as adults to get vaccinated so we

can protect our most vulnerable. who are we when we fail in that critical responsibility? >> you know, nick, i miss dr. wen because she's so blunt, but this does seem to be the diagnosis that the white house has made of this country as well, that they're not sacrificing another school year, that the communities where the adults have become vaccinated are directly correlated to the communities where the schools will be safest. >> look, the fact that, as we have seen reported, the biden administration is considering withholding funding, for example, from institutions that don't do a vaccine mandate just shows you what the stakes are here, right? vaccines and masks equal jobs and growth, that's it. and the biggest obstacle for the biden administration both substantively and politically are people who don't want to get the vaccine. it's going to kill the recovery.

we're still 5 million jobs south of where we were pre-covid, and then if that happens to the recovery, people are going to die and go jobless and not be in school, and that's going to be bad for everybody, but including all these governors and the president himself. it's a lose-lose. >> it's an amazing reveal of our politics. i want to show you what the "washington post" said. the biden administration is considering using federal regulatory powers and the threat of withholding federal funds from institutions to push more americans to get vaccinated. a huge potential shift in the fight against the virus and a far more muscular approach to getting shots into arms, according to four people familiar with the deliberations. the effort could apply to institutions as varied as long-term care facilities,

cruise ships and universities, potentially impacting millions of americans. i guess my insight here, donnie, the right is already painting the efforts as over the top -- people like marjorie teller green are not in reality, but even the left are depicting things in the way that is not accurate. they may as well protect themselves with the virus. they're not going to get credit for doing it with a soft touch, anyway. >> i want to go back to desantis for a second, because he's obviously the heir apparent to trump. st. petersburg in florida, he's trailing charlie crist in the

poll. you asked me many times on the show, nicolle, you said, what are the things we can do to convince people? can't we make it about the kids? wouldn't that get the people -- the answer is yes. it does stop with kids, and i think all of our differences come together 99% of the time when it comes to protecting children. so i can't see the logic in what he's doing. going back to the thing of biden withholding funds. look, take a leave from private industry, which is really starting to put the hammer down, and basically whether it's restaurants saying you can't come in unless you're vaccinated, airlines saying you can't work at our airlines. that's what's go to happen. the other that it's not working,

and for a mandate in this country, 28% of people who are unvaccinated favor a vaccine mandate. think about that. a quarter of a million people who aren't getting vaccinated, they're in favor of a vaccine mandate, they just need somebody to do it. why is it so hard to get the government involved here? >> i want to get your reaction to that, dr. wen. >> i'm not surprised. we keep talking about the unvaccinated in this one big category. but we actually know there is a group, of course, who are really seriously anti-vax. they think there is some kind of government control happening. they're the ones who are protesting. that's actually the minority. we have a huge middle group, if you will, that really need to be pushed over the edge. if they're told there is a vaccine requirement for their work, tail be able to goefrt --

and when they're told they have to get a vaccine, that pushes them over the edge. i think we as a society need to look at what are our values? maybe we should look at it as drunk driving. you have the option if you want to be in private and be intoxicated, but if you want to be out in public and engage with others, you don't have a right to endanger other people's health. i think it's time for us to say that vaccination, yes, is something that protects you, but it's not just an individual choice, because it's something that very much affects other people around you, including -- because we know about breakthrough infections. it very much impacts our health and well-being, too. >> that's fascinating.

the unvccinated as the new sort of people who drink and drive or don't practice safe sex. i'm going to give you the break to think about that, donny, and come back to you. donny, nick and dr. wen are all staying with us. how major businesses are now stepping up to make sure it holds. it holds.

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left to be done, both to beat the delta variant and to continue our advance of economic recovery. wear a mask where recommended. get vaccinated today. all that will save lives, and it means we're not going to have the same kind of economic damage you've seen when covid-19 began. >> president biden today with cautious optimism there on today's strong jobs report. the u.s. economy added 943,000 jobs in july, then the employment rate fell to 5.4%. but as the delta variant creates more uncertainty about hiring and reentering the work force, a growing number of employers are making a major business bet on vaccines, companies like netflix, facebook, twitter, google and the "new york times" over requiring employees to get vaccinated before returning to work. united articles today putting the pressure on other major airlines to recommend vaccines

for its entire work force. we're back with leana wen. at what point does this happen? i wouldn't go on an airplane without it being required. when did this assume all this sort of hand wringing? >> i learned from business that the customer is always right. the customer will start to dictate it and people with vaccines will be shamed. they'll be shamed at work. it's people's own lives, they'll want to protect their own lives, so i think companies are the first ones taking this step. i think it's ironic facebook making sure people have the vaccine, although i think they're one of the perpetrators

of the vaccine. no, i think as we go forward, the world knows we can't shut down again. we can, but it's really something we want to avoid, and they're going to start blaming others for it so that's the answer. i do think customers are going to fight back and insist on certain things with plates they frequent whether it's hotels or dining places, and i do think the customer will have the power here. i think that's very right on. >> nick, you work for one of the companies that are requiring vaccines. "washington post" has done the same thing, "new york times," i think just fired people who weren't vaccinated. does this land among your colleagues as the new normal? >> certainly i think we're headed to the point where if you want to work in the physical office with your colleagues, a vaccine is going to be a must. i'm vaccinated. i think probably almost all my colleagues are vaccinated at this point. it's amazing, nicolle, i think

about how a few months ago i was on a website scrambling to get a vaccine appointment for my parents, my neighbors, for myself. i was on these websites all night trying desperately to find a slot to get one. i got one, thank god. i didn't think at the time that we would be in a place where there would be all these people who don't want to get the vaccine. but what i think is really interesting is to think about the middle cohort there of people who are anti-vax or hesitant or resistant or confused or worried. as dr. wen was saying, people need some coaxing. i think of the people you might see in a survey in a campaign in october who say they're not sure of the candidates yet. and people like us who talk about politics all the time are saying, how can you not be sure? we've been talking about them for three years now. or they're a little confused or working on other things and busy with their jobs and kids.

i think there is a little light for the biden administration to target those people and say, okay, it's time, let's move along now. >> dr. wen, to nick's point, i think the compassion for the chunk in the middle that's open to it, not the ones trading in what donny is talking about, just information on facebook. i think what people like myself didn't do a good job of talking about is how crummy you feel. i had the moderna. i missed my first day of work because i was sick when i had the second shot. i wonder if you can speak to where we go from here. you've been really, really sort of out front with mistakes that have been made. from where we are now, if you look at that as the starting gate, what's your advice for how to proceed? >> i definitely think vaccination is our best and only way out of this pandemic. anything we can do to increase vaccination rates at this point is so critical. you look at other countries. we need to achieve global

vaccine equity as well, because as has been said, if we don't share the vaccine with the world, the virus is going to share the world, so we do need to work on that. but you look at these countries where there are health care workers and vulnerable people who haven't received one drop of the vaccine. here we are in the u.s. -- this speaks to american exceptionalism. we are here begging people to take the vaccine and there are people elsewhere begging, and they know that some of them will lose their lives because they can't get access to something we have thrown away. so we have to work on that aspect. here in this country, i think we need to embrace our role. to those in our lives, we are the most trusted. let's try to engage a neighbor with compassion, not judgment, and see what we can do to sway them. i also think on a policy level there is something really important the biden administration can get behind. to be fair, they've done so much

work, and as nick mentioned maybe we couldn't imagine a month ago we would be in this position where we have so much supply. a vaccine verification is the one single thing the biden administration can do right now. >> dr. leana wen, it is so nice to see you again. thank you for spending some time with us. of course, dr. wen is here on the occasion of the publication of her new book. it's called "lifelines." as she goes i'm going to read one expense of it. we depended on medicaid and food stamps when i was a child. living from paycheck to paycheck, we went through times when we were homeless. my life is a testament to public health. the book is full of all sorts of wonky stuff and good personal stuff, and it's a pleasure to get to talk to you about it. nick compressore and donny deutsch, thank you for spending time with me today. the assault on the white

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and robert reader of maryland could be the first to face prison time after pleading guilty to the lower level misdemeanor of unlawful parading after spending two hours on the capitol grounds. let's bring in the best reporter on the story, scott macfarlane. take us through both men's cases and what they face in terms of prison time. >> reporter: the justice department is ending the week with a bang, two big plea deals. let me talk with scott fairlam first. he is accuses of assaulting d.c. police. body camera shown in his court case offers compelling images of the alleged assault. he is going to plead guilty to assault, being the first defendant to do so. he will face about four years federal prison time when he is sentenced next month, but it is really a test for the others accused of assault that day. did they see it as a good deal or a bad deal? do they jump to plea agreements as well or do they run away from

plea deals? we will find out. but robert reader is significant. he is pleading guilty to the misdemeanor we've seen so many others plea to so far, unlawful picketing and parading. before his case, everybody that pleaded guilty has avoided prison, but today the feds recommended two months prison time for him for a few reasons. they said he seemed proud of what he did january 6th even after the insurrection, and it seems like the feds have had enough, nicolle. they said in their sentencing memo there has to be a message of deterrence to prevent future mobs and future insurrections. >> you know, we've seen so much because of the testimony last week in front of the january 6th select committee of the brutality of the assault and attacks on the officers. i wonder if you could just spend a little more time on mr. fairlam's sentencing recommendation? it is four to five years i think. how many others could be charged with assaulting a police officer? >> reporter: so his sentencing guidelines, nicolle, are between

four or five years. we will see what the prosecutors recommend the judge do, go on the high side or the low side ahead of his september 27th sentencing. we know from our nbc news reporting there are roughly 160, 170 defendants accused of assaulting police that day. let me tell you what would defense attorney told me during last week's hearing. hearing those police testify about the horrors, nicolle, he said, can you imagine being a january 6th defendant and having to face a jury of d.c. citizens after watching that testimony? >> maybe they should have thought of that before they attended the insurrection. scott macfarlane, thank you so much for staying on this story and for spending time with us on it. we are really grateful. the next hour of "deadline: white house" starts after a quick break. don't go anywhere. we are just getting started. 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 ]

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without democracy nothing is possible. with it everything is. so, my fellow americans, we must all do our part to perfect -- perfect and to preserve our democracy. it requires people of good will and courage to stand up to the hate, the lies, the extremism that led to this vicious attack. it requires all of us working together, democrats, republicans, independents, on behalf of the common good to restore decency, honor and respect for our system of government. >> hi again, everyone. it is 5:00 in the east. an american president proclaiming his allegiance to democracy should not be noteworthy because the i deals

of a democracy should be more american than apple pie. but the right wing in this country has lurched away from that american tradition, lurched toward autocracy and placing one man and his dangerous whims above all else, making those standing up for democracy all the more striking. what we have seen from republican state and federal officials as well as the nightly rantings on right-wing media demonstrate what democracies are not. take what is happening in florida and texas as covid cases and hospitalizations rise due to the contagious delta variant, the governors of those states have only fuelled disinformation and taken steps to limit or ban public health measures like mask wearing or vaccine mandates. then more than 400 bills put forward by gop state lawmakers that undermine the heart of our democracy, ones that limit the ability of some americans to vote, make it easier to nullify votes. there's also prominent news anchor tucker carlson who this

week is broadcasting his show from hungary, a country whose prime minister is known the world over for his roll back of democratic practices. carlson's warm embrace of him described like this by anne applebaum in "the atlantic" today. quote, showing how much he despises the u.s., its constitution and its heritage, the fox news host is celebrating the achievements of a petty central european autocrat, viktor orban. he seems to believe that by paying homage to hungary's assault on democratic stroougss he will make people angry at home. the good thing he told a dinner party in budapest is that you are hated by all the right people. yes, all the right people includes everyone who still has some faith in the american dream. just yesterday we saw a hallmark of autocracy, the stifling of free speech on display ironically as house leader

mccarthy spoke about the need for freedom in cuba. the editor of "occupy democrats" grant stern tried to ask him a policy question. watch what happens. >> that's not american. that's not what we stand for and that's definitely not -- >> reporter: minority leader, you said that the 1960 revolution created tyranny on the island of cuba, and i am asking you a question. it is not a democratic or republican issue, so why do you oppose the january 6th commission, sir? why do you oppose the january 6th commission, sir? >> according to stern's tweet that accompanied the release of that video he was dragged out of the event by four cops ordered by congressional staffer. a spokesman for mccarthy responded by saying this, quote. congressional staff had nothing to do with his removal, end quote. what is clear is that we saw a man who doesn't want to hold the former guy accountable for inciting an insurrection, who doesn't have any interest in getting to the bottom of an attack on our democracy that

happened seven months ago. the right's willing march towards autocracy is where we start this hour. mark mckinnon is here, co-host of "the circus" and former adviser to george w. bush and john mccain. it is nominated for an emmy. also, alexie mckinnon, an msnbc contributor. michael shearer is here, "new york times", washington correspondent. it is nice to see all three of you. thank you for being here on the first friday of august. mark mckinnon, i want to start with you. you and i have a history of working for republicans who had critics really on both sides of the ideological spectrum, especially george w. bush, but who lived and breathed their faith in democracy like their own faith. they were both men of strong religious faith, but they -- their whole thing was about our democracy and they managed to bring along a lot of republicans

at the time. i find it unbearable to watch the likes of mitch mcconnell and rob portman and roy blunt and all of those guys, they're largely guys who were there, look the other way as republicans try to damage and roll back the central tenet of our democracy. >> well, hello, friend. yeah, you know, it is one thing for satan to do what he does. we've come to expect that. but who i really hold responsible over satean are enablers. boy, do i wish that john mccain had been around for this january 6th and to see what he would have done, how he would have responded and maybe rallied more of his republican colleagues given his coverage. i guess liz cheney has inherited that mantle on the house side anyway. but the hypocrisy and the irony of people like tucker carlson going to autocratic countries, the whole up is down, down is up element of all of this, which is republicans love to run around, particularly trump republicans,

saying, "i'm more patriotic than you are, you're not american," and yet these are the people overturning the constitution, creating an act of insurrection at the capitol, going and visit autocrats in autocrat countries. meanwhile, the republicans who demanded 33 hearings on benghazi don't want to have one hearing on a domestic event with more life loss when you include the suicides than benghazi. >> it is such an important point. michael shearer, i understand from some of my conversations that president biden is deeply pained by what he saw on january 6th and that it really just is his commitment to running a message-disciplined white house focused on the covid relief package, focused on infrastructure that keeps him from speaking out in such stark terms that we heard yesterday. what is your understanding of sort of the under-the-surface concerns about anti-democratic

movements from the other governing party? >> i mean, look, first of all, thank you for having me today. it is a central tenet of the biden presidency, it is part of the reason that he ran. it is part of the reason that he is in the white house in the first place, is that when he and the rest of us looked at trump's presidency, the great irony of the trump presidency was that he claimed, president trump claimed to be a sort of champion, a populous champion of the little guy, and yet at the same time embraced the worst autocratic leaders around the world. not only embraced them, this is kim jong-un, this is putin, these are leaders around the world for whom the little guy was the last concern of these leaders. not only did trump embrace them, but he legitimized them. he sort of echoed their view of governance and of domination of

their populations in a way that kind of gave them some cover. i think so when -- when joe biden comes into office and sees what has happened, sees the kind of, you know, people looking past the, you know, what is going on around the world, the tucker carlsons of the world, the mccarthys of the world, i think it really gets to biden. i think, you know, what he has said, what his people have told us is that that is at the heart of why he wants to do this job. but, as you said, he is disciplined and he knows that in terms of getting stuff done, in terms of making it for the american people, he has to focus on what is in front of him, and that's some of the domestic policies. >> and, i mean, alexi, the bet is born out in the data. i think the infrastructure package is the most popular policy he has backed so far, but behind it is a covid relief package which maintained high

levels of support from americans across the ideological spectrum and the president's approval rating is quite high, especially in these turbulent times. political violence is a reality that i'm surprised we have crossed the transom in accepting as a possible risk. i want to read new reporting in "politico." the january 6th attack on the capitol changed plenty about u.s. politics, but one smaller consequence was with the federal election commission ruled that members of congress could now spend campaign money on a new item. body guards. all told, security costs have already topped $1.6 million so far this year, according to "the daily beast" review of recent federal disclosures. the biggest spenders among democrats and republicans shared one attribute, they voted to impeach or convict former president donald trump. what an unbelievably sick sign of the ailing status of our democracy. >> yeah, and it is reminding me.

the other day i saw on twitter, i think it was the house gop account tweeting, criticizing cori bush, congresswoman cori bush for i think spending something like $70,000 on that, you know, body guard, secret security detail post, threats she has had from congresswoman marjorie taylor greene, post-january 6th. they're trying to make it political by saying, well, she wants to defund the police and yet here she is spending this money. i bring it up because it is a clear example of how republicans are really not just ignoring the facts that we are all trying to grapple with and, you know, learn more facts about what actually happened that day, but they're running away from them and turning it into this political talking point because they know that that's what is going to rile up their base voters the most. it is increasingly relying on these culture wars because, unlike the democrats, or at least this is how dems feel when i talk to them, republicans don't have this legislative agenda and results they can tout to voters in 2022 as a reason

why they should support them. so they're going to have to run against the democratic, increasingly populous agenda, and rely on this cultive personality culture wars. >> i mean, getting to alexi's point, the republicans are basically running on the insurrection. i mean the litmus test in republican party politics is where you stand on whether the 2020 result was, as kris krebs, a lifelong republican and bill barr, who looked but didn't find any voter fraud, the most secure election in our country's history, and not for nothing the largest defeat by anyone in terms of the popular vote, or whether you are still parroting the kinds of lies that have landed rudy giuliani and sidney powell in front of billion dollar defamation lawsuits from voting machine companies. i mean that -- that is the test in republican politics. i want to put up some polling that bears out why that is. this is how people describe what happened at the united states

capitol. among all voters, 67% saw it as an effort to overturn the election. 56% of all voters describe it as an insurrection. here they are. 31% say they were defending freedom. 29% describes it as patriotism. >> well, you have 55% of republicans saying it was defending freedom, and that's why i'm saying this has become the new litmus test in republican politics because of donald trump, is whether or not you are willing to defend the big lie. of course, he perpetuated the big lie before the election saying if we win, we win, if we don't it is fraud. the fact -- the notes that there's systemic election fraud or was systemic election fraud is the biggest fraud in american politics right now. republicans have spent millions of dollars, more than six months trying to prove it, and as yet they have zero, zip, nada in terms of any systemic voter fraud. in fact the texas attorney

general's office spent 22,000 man hours trying to detect any examples of fraud and they came up with 12 bad addresses and i think may be prosecuting one case. that's 1,300 man hours per bad address. >> mark mckinnon, i should have pulled it, i didn't, but i have played it on this program in recent weeks. you did an interview in texas around access to, i think it was drop boxes or absentee voters. can you reprise that? that ran before the election and that to me was the canary in the coal mine where the gop was heading. >> it was dan patrick, the republican lieutenant governor of texas and it was a few weeks before the election. we were talking about the environment at that time where houston, largely because of the pandemic, had drive-through voting and they had drop boxes. dan patrick just thought that was outlandish, and i kept asking him about examples of any

fraud that he wanted to suggest. he just said, i don't need evidence, i just know the democrats cheat and that's all i need to know. by the way, nicolle, after the election patrick put up a million dollar reward for any examples of voter fraud that anybody could find. he has yet to pay out a nickel. by the way, the one person who responded was lieutenant governor fetterman from pennsylvania who said, i found one, he voted for trump and it was a fraudulent vote, so pay up, buddy. >> that's where most of them are. michael shear, i want to ask you how the white house that is so clearly and so earnestly working to reassure our allies, it was on display on the european trip, but it is obviously something that goes on day after day, how do they manage so many -- we should give credit where credit is due. tucker carlson has the highest rate ed program on fox news and he is over there with his arms and legs wrapped around someone, i love the description, a petty

european dictator. how do they navigate governing a country that is drawn to that? >> well, look, i think -- and i was on that trip in europe with the president when he went a couple of months ago, and i think they are relying on a kind of sense of normalcy that they think is sort of the world is snapping back to. that's not to say that they, you know, misunderstand or play down the disinformation that's out there. they certainly understand the power of fox news and they understand that, you know, donald trump has followers in the united states and there are equally, you know, equal numbers of like minded people around the world. but i think, you know, they have a kind of central optimism, operating principle, optimism that the country kind of is beginning -- or the world, frankly, is looking beyond that and that, you know, the president always says those

central thing that he needs to do, that this government needs to do is to demonstrate that democracy can work. i think that's the mission that he's on, that ron klain, his chief of staff, is on. let's not talk about this in high-minded ways. let's do things. let's fix the pandemic. let's fix the economy. let's, you know, build back better is their -- is their mantra. i think they believe if they do those things that people will see democracy works, that they will see that it works better than these autocratic governments and that that will ultimately break through. >> yeah. i mean that, alexi, is the midterm strategy that shots in the arms, checks in the mail, bridges that don't crumble on top of the roads underneath them are a better bet than engaging in where some of the heat is. that said, there is an opportunity to point out only in a democracy could tucker carlson even do and say the things he is doing, that he is benefitting from the democracy in some ways

more than the rest of us. i want to read some of what i mentioned already, anne applebaum's piece. she writes this. the irony, of course, is under orban it is impossible for a hinge airan equivalent of carlson, a loud television pundit critic of the government watched by millions of people to exist. in the hungary, the party doesn't influence the bulk of the press, it owns the bulk of the press, and not metaphorically. at some point you have to wonder if they walk around the halls and issue an irony alert at fox news. >> yes, right. right. and this is at the same time that other hosts on their network are now pivoting, encouraging folks to get vaccinated, after they helped spread disinformation around voefd and the vaccination process for several months. i think there's an identity crisis going on because 2024, of course, is looming over the heads of certain republicans, ron desantis, governor abbott, perhaps tucker carlson.

trying to keep their finger on the pulse of what is animating voters in the void without former president trump. that's why you see him out on the campaign trail, pulling republicans, you know, out of line to talk about all of these things that maybe they don't want to talk about but maybe they do because, as i mentioned before, they don't have these populous policies or ideas to run on or even run against. they haven't figured out how to run against democrat's economic agenda, especially infrastructure. i think they're having a hard time punching what democrats are doing, focusing on the things they're trying to deliver rumts on. i think that that's why they're reaching and grasping for that kind of tribal mindset that really animated voters in '16, '18, '20. i think they hope '22 and '24. >> reaching all the way to budapest. alexi and mark are sticking around. michael shear, thank you for starting us off this hour. >> sure. >> it is great to call on your expertise. when we come back, on the anniversary of the signing of the voting rights act, a big

push from the biden administration and attorney general merrick garland to protect the right to vote in america, under siege by republicans from coast to coast. our good friend john meacham will join us on where the fight goes next. plus, joe biden was elected because he promised to make things work again, as we've been discussing, and there are new signs this week that that approach is actually getting results. as the tokyo olympics draw to a close, we will look at the enduring memories and changes these games made on all of us. "deadline: white house" continues after a quick break. don't go anywhere. break. don't go anywhere. out of convenience, or necessity. we can explore uncharted waters, and not only make new discoveries, but get there faster, with better outcomes. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change-- meeting them where they are, and getting them where they want to be. faster. vmware. welcome change.

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lyndon johnson signed the voting rights act of 1965 into law. it enforced the 14th and 15th amendments and prohibited the voting discrimination that had taken over, that was so prevalent in many southern states in the wake of the civil war. as we mark the bill's anniversary today we stand at a crossroads in this country's fight for equality as the gop continues and ramps up it's salt on voting rights in this country. according to the brendan center for justice, 18 states enacted 30 laws that will make it harder for americans to vote this year, and the pressure is building on democrats to stop it by passing federal voting rights legislation. as congress heads towards the summer break next week, several senators are working on negotiations to bring new voting rights legislation to a vote. the stakes for democrats in the country, higher than ever, especially as the 2022 midterm elections loom. joining us, our good friend john meacham, presidential historian, the american presidency at vanderbilt june and the author

of "his truth is marching on, john lewis and the power of hope." jon meacham, it is wonderful to see you. i think about you often, and the president is pretty restrained in terms of not revealing his despair at the state of our democracy, but yesterday in the rose garden at a ceremony honoring the police officers who protected the capitol, we got a glimpse into his commitment, i guess, to making sure that the truth is known. i wonder if you can tie all of these threads together for us that we've been talking about? >> sure. as you know, i informally talked to the president about this sort of thing, and i think he believes fundamentally in the democratic experiment. he's given his life to it. i mean he's 78 years old. he has been in the senate since 1972. he has practiced the art of the possible and the art of compromise for a biblical --

more than 40 years. i think what you see in him is a man who feels very deeply that the experiment to which he has given his life and which he understands so many others have given their lives, whether it is the soldiers who fought, the civil rights activists who marched, the women who marched for the right to vote and equal rights, all of the issues of identity and equality and access, that have shaped this journey toward a more perfect union. that experiment is in fundamental danger, and it is not hyperbole. i sound like the president, it is not a joke. it is real. it is real. you know, nicolle, you know this. i have been fairly optimistic for five years because i believed that the forces that brought donald trump to power were perennial american forces, nativism, extremism, xenophobia,

racism, but these forces ebbed and flowed. but that only works if there's a system in which things can ebb and flow. what happened on january 6th was an attempt, the most decisive and direct attempt since fort sumter to end the constitutional experiment in liberty. i know the constitution is not perfect. i get it. it is a flawed document because, guess what? we're flawed people. if you look like me and you are a boring white southern male protestant, things tend to work out for you in this country. the point of america is that we need to do everything we can to make sure everybody has a chance for it to work out. i think that joe biden believes that to the depths of his soul. >> so when i worked in the white house we had a drill called the rude q & a, and it was to prepare people like condi rice

and others for a rude question from someone like tim russert or someone that was going to probe them. let me ask you the rude q & a, jon meacham. >> sure. >> i accept all of that as true. it is also true through no fault of his own joe biden has now presided on the biggest roll back of access to the right to vote in modern american history. why isn't -- or if his hair is on fire, why don't we see it? >> well, it seems to me that to say he has presided over it is a little rough. >> he's been president. he didn't do it. he has been president while this country has seen the largest rollback in access to the polls in modern history, in this generation. >> right. so you have to -- so as we're celebrating the anniversary today, what you have to do is find the right role for the federal government to step into this constitutional question, which is that the states have the autonomy on this.

you know, going all the way back. the point of the voting rights act was that those states were practicing totalitarian systems of voter suppression, and so i think the justice department is working on it. i'm not entirely up on the policy, but i do think his hair is on fire about it. i think the thing that sort of goes beyond any legislative or even regulatory fix today, and this is a stress test for all of us, is this anxiety that a state legislature is going to decide in 2024 that they don't like the way their state voted and they're not going to certify it. we genuinely haven't had that. so i think there's a -- fix the climate of opinion, and i hope the president, i hope the administration does everything within the power of the federal government to try to stop this attempt to -- and, tragically,

it is probably going to be fairly successful, this attempt to turn back what makes the country special. what makes the special country special is that if you obey the rules and you pay your dues, you get an equal voice. that's what democracy is supposed to be. >> you know, alexi, it is the right correction, president biden has not presided over this. he has happened to be president while it has happened, and the real threat is what jon just described. i have asked, i pushed the white house on this. i said if the georgia law had been in place do you think that biden would have won. they think probably, but possibly not senators warnock and ossoff. the laws are on the books. they have changed the rules of the game already. i wonder what your reporting suggests the prospects are for federal voting rights legislation?

>> yeah. i mean, look, there's maybe like one real chance i think for democrats to get a comprehensive voting rights package passed through congress before the next mid-term elections, and that would have to be through the spending bill. so that's obviously going to take a lot of time, and the senate measure to increase election funding, led by senator klobuchar and others, that is moving through the senate right now or expected to be moving through the senate soon is not an alternative to that but it is something they're trying to fast track to chip away, to your point, all of the damage republicans are doing to restrict voting rights access and education. i mean one big thing i was struck by yesterday, i was having a conversation with the executive director of black pac, which focuses on senate and gubernatorial races and organizing black voters in crucial battleground state. she was saying while door knocking recently in north

carolina, so many folks she talked to, one, simply don't know what a mid-term election is. the term mid-terms doesn't mean much to the average voter still. the other thing she said and picked up on was that a lot of folks in north carolina, nicolle, would be like, oh, do you see the crazy voting restrictions happening in georgia? not even paying attention to what is going on in their own state. there's this weirdness happening where it is like, look over there what is happening with voting restrictions, not happening in my state, but it is happening, as you know, all across the country. i think there's a greater educational effort that needs to be happening from the white house in addition to the local organizers. >> it is so nice to have you back at the -- i guess it is not a table anymore, but back in our virtual table, alexie. i'm so happy to see you, my friend. thank you for spend intime with us. jon meacham is not going anywhere just yet. president biden making good on one of the key rationals for his

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what is indisputeable now is this. the biden plan is working. the biden plan produces results, and the biden plan is moving the country forward. we just have to remember who we are. you have heard me say it before, we're the united states of america. there's not a single thing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. >> president biden reminding americans just how far we have

come moving forward with our economy, making our way out of the pandemic, and, most notably, away from the country led by arguably the most divisive president in our country's history. ending today's speech, touting a line prevalent through his campaign, we do it together. in president biden's inaugural address he made it clear it was his mission. to do this, to restore the soul and secure the future of america, it requires so much more than words. it requires the post elusive of all things in a democracy, unity. "the new york times'" david brooksries in a new op-ed, biden's plan which seemed improbable and unworkable last year is working. he said, quote, if joe biden stands for one idea, it is that our system can work. we live in a big, diverse country, but good leaders can bring people together across differences to do good things. in essence biden is defending liberal democracy and the notion that you can't govern a nation based on the premise that the other half of the country is

irredeemably awful. after biden was elected, the two-track pattern was still going strong. the circus realm gave us the horror of january 6th, but the governing part of america carried on. the biden administration has moved to separate government from the culture wars. it shifted power away from the green new deal and freedom caucus show horses and lodged it with the congressional workhorses, people like republican rob portman and democrat mark warner, who are in no danger of becoming social media stars. american politics is in god-awful shape, but we're seeing a reasonably successful attempt to build it back better. we're back with jon meacham. we should mention, as he mentioned, occasionally advises president biden. mark mckinnon is here as well. jon meacham, david brooks arrives at almost the exact conclusion that you sort of displayed for us about what he was trying to do. how do you sustain that? >> it is the great question

facing the republic, and, again, it is not a joke. that's it. i mean the biden view, as david put it there, is that perpetual warfare is not a sustainable governing strategy. and i understand why a lot of people find that to be a vision that is incommensurate with the reality on the republican side. one of the problems we have in this country, and it could possibly be a fatal one, is that we don't have two functioning parties. this is not the both sidisms, one of our besetting sins. it is not true. i get in arguments with conservative friends a lot when they say, well, yeah, the capitol, but what about portland, you know, or what about, what about, what about. well, one party sustained -- created and sustained a lie that led to the most direct violent

assault on democracy since the civil war, and that was not the democratic party. the democratic party could go crazy, but it is going to have to be tonight, because what is going on with the left part of the conversation is that senator sanders and senator warren and whoever you want to mention are having a coherent conversation about american life and policy. it may be farther to the left and to the progressive side. it may overemphasize the role of the state in the marketplace than people like, but that's a coherent point of view. anarchy is not a coherent governing strategy. weaponizing narcissim for a demagogue in florida or new jersey or wherever he is, is not a sustainable governing strategy. the president -- the incumbent president is making a bet that he can take that 81 million

people who voted for him, grow that number by governing in as sensible a way as possible. will it work? i don't know, but i pray it does. >> we all should, honestly. you know, mark mckinnon, jon meacham said a lot of important things there, but i think as someone who tries to navigate this every day aggressively, there are not two sides in american politics, as he said. there are not two parties, both working with different ideas for how to do it but toward the strengthening of our democracy. one is literally in terms of its numbers, as we've been discussing, one of the largest anti-democratic movements in the world. i wonder what you think in terms of how they're covered? i mean david brooks makes this great point about workhorses, and he put some workhorses in the column because they're working on the biden agenda. but people like rob portman were some of the most disappointing people. i mentioned him before. he knew better in terms of what was going on, so the fact that

there is no republican party in terms of idea or agenda or even valuing the democracy is of their own making. what do you think they do over the biden presidency? >> we have to watch, you know. the party has clawed its way to the bottom and i feel like i'm out on an island. to sort of go back on your points and brooks's points as well, i mean it is just so comforting and reassuring and lucky for the country that joe biden was elected. first of all, i'm not sure any other nominee would have given the outcome, but also just the tone and the kind of just temperament of the administration in biden is just what we need right now. he is more like a doctor than a president. it is like he is putting a thermometer in our mouth and saying, let's just lower the temperature here. my dad hated people who bragged and danced around to tout their victories, and he had a saying which was, you know, if you score a touchdown don't dance in the end zone, act like you've been there before, which is kind

of what biden has been doing which is a contrast to donald trump who would dance in the end zone on every play whether he scored or not. so i just think this tone is just what america needs right now. by the way, it is the key that i think biden is doing and also discovering too is that you just cat over promise and you have to be prepared for one step forward, two steps back. this is not going to happen quickly or overnight. it is going to be a long slog, but i think we have the right guy at the tiller. >> it is amazing that he constantly treats the other party with generosity, singles out mitch mcconnell for praise for advocating the vaccine. he's more open and certainly up to this job in a way that probably both of the two of you knew. jon meacham, mark mckinnon, thank you for spending time with us. >> good to see you. the olympic games are

winding down but they showed enduring lessons about who we are and what we should be. that's next. that's next. [relaxed summer themed music playing] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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emotional baggage and anxiety that comes with all of that. but these games also will be defined not by who won the most medals but for what the athletes who competed in tokyo said and did. sports columnist for "the washington post" put it, that these games would be the mental health olympics was telegraphed long before the call drop was lit. once here, the athletes screamed it in words and actions. our understanding of and empathy for athletes never will be the same. joining us, bill rhoden. author of "the million dollar slave." i want to hear what your reaction is what the olympics were for. >> as the post put it, it was really eloquent. i wish i had written it. you know, we talked a few -- i feel exhausted, emotionally

exhausted like i was running. i'm like, god, can we just get these over. i mean just forget the politics and all of that. i do have so much respect for all of the athletes who did go, all of the work they put in, the way they competed, the sportsmanship that we saw. you know, the fighting hard, hugging each other, the way the gymnastics, the u.s. gymnastics team stepped in. i mean i can't say enough about the athletes. i think we -- you know, we kind of have to separate the athletes from the politics of the athletes, you know, which is a whole other thing. i just have so much respect for those who competed. they worked hard. i can't say enough. i still think we're nuts for being there, but -- >> yeah. >> -- that's another issue, you know. >> they were so eloquent in their humanity about the moment.

you know, they didn't deny it. they were away from their families. it felt like watching tragedy porn to watch the athletes come out of the pool or off the beam and then face time or skype back to their families at home. just that ripping from their support networks to be able to compete and stay safe and keep their teammates safe and all of the other athletes safe felt like an extra sacrifice that they made. i know you get it, you know, we shouldn't have been there in your view, but what did you make of how they all rose above that? it was one more thing to overcome it seemed? >> yes, and that's one of the things. you know, i have been, you know, in this business for like more than 40 years or so and, you know, i think that, again, the respect i've got for the athletes, allyson felix, 35 years old, bringing her daughter there, winning bronze, becoming one of the most decorated united

states woman athlete ever. i remember being there i think in sydney, i believe, when she won her first. so, again, i can't say enough about the athletes. all of the athletes, because we see how hard they work, how much they sacrifice. i think that's just really tremendous. i wish we could bottle that up, you know, bottle that up and try to spread arena. i think sports is such a great metaphor for fair play and there is no alternate realities in sports. you do it or you don't. that's what i love about this business. i don't like the politics but i love the purity of the athletes who just compete for the sake of competing. >> i want to read some of what you wrote. "we live in a nation where the aggressive pursuit excess runs

in our blood and is part of our national character, last week biles hit the pause button. she stepped away from competition and media because they could, her and osaka. >> i monitor all media and i saw one of the most prominent figures on fox news defending these two women. i wonder if they done more sort of make a point but they changed the game for other male and female athletes. >> we'll see. i was talking about that with somebody. we'll see. we are not here -- it is nfl season, you know? that's the big internet -- i still can't imagine any athletes in the nfl saying i got to step

back, i got to take a mental health day. i think that it will be great. i think simone put out the possibility of that. she made, quote on quote, "mental health real." she put a fine point for it. it is all great and wonderful and her olympic career is over. we'll spread into the united states where money raised for these professional sports, i hope so but i am not sure, you know, we are still in the media regard guys -- i think there is still a lot of us who will look at scans and people say, listen, i got to step back -- i don't know, i hope so but i don't know. >> give us something to talk

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thank you so much for letting us into your home during these extraordinary times. "the beat" with ari melber starts right now. happy friday. >> happy friday, nicole. >> i am ari melber on "the beat." new jobs number report are out today. it brings unemployment down. president biden taking a victory lap today while stressing there are more work to do. >> the bottom line is this, what we are doing is