♪♪ welcome back, everybody. i'm yasmin vossoughian. as we begin 2022, it is still the most important issue the president needs to handle. the covid crisis and its impact on the health, the safety, and the prosperity of this country. the president kicking off the new year with an optimistic message. >> we've learned again this year what we've always known. there's no quit in america. no matter how tough the challenge, how high the obstacles, we always overcome. this virus has been tough, but we've been tougher. >> also this hour, we are looking ahead to the politics of 2022 with control of capitol hill up for grabs.

and a major focus on the events of january 6th and the former president's role in the violence on that day. >> we have to have peace. so, go home. we love you. you're very special. you've seen what happens. you see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. i know how you feel. but go home and go home in peace. we are also following the fallout from devastating colorado wildfires. i'll talk to the boulder mayor about the situation that had people running for their very lives. >> we stayed up all night long just hugging each other, just glad that we have each other and we have our kids. and we're going to take a look at the legacy of betty white and the impact that she had on generations of female comedians.

daily show cocreator lizz winstead will join me later on this hour. we want to start, though, this hour with the omicron surge that forced so many americans to change the way they rang in the new year. as the pandemic enters its third calendar year, the new variant has increased concerns about a post-holiday outbreak. just yesterday, more than 360,000 new cases were reported nationwide, and even that could be an undercount given the holiday weekend. this is coming as the fda is expected to sign off on pfizer booster shots for kids aged 12 to 15. the boosters could be crucial to helping teens at a time when more children are being admitted to the hospital, a 66% increase in just one week. all of this combined with the muddled efforts to increase testing, both in facilities and at home, creating a significant problem for the biden administration as they begin 2022. i want to bring in mike memoli,

in wilmington, delaware, following the president, to talk more about this. the president has a lot on his plate in the coming year, but we got to start with, of course, the surge of omicron. two major things here he's dealing with, high case loads across the country and you have a major testing problem. what are they planning to do to deal with this? >> yeah, yasmin, i think if you were to ask most top biden administration officials if there was a list of things from 2021 that they wish they could maybe do over or not do at all, i think just about all of them would point to that moment around the fourth of july when the president had a big celebration at the white house and said, the nation was on the cusp of declaring independence from the virus, because obviously, as we start now, 2022, we're seeing case counts at an all-time high. this is still at the top of the agenda for president biden, and so that's why the focus at this point on the part of the administration is on two things.

one is, you mentioned it, testing. the president obviously laying out a plan to get 500 million take-home tests to americans. we're going to see a website launched in the next few weeks as an effort to try to help with that. they've also launched these testing sites. we're going to see more of them over the next few weeks. the other issue that the white house is particularly focused on is trying to sort of avoid a further strain not just on our healthcare system but on american life in general. that was really the motivation behind some of those new cdc guidelines. you heard top health officials talk about that balancing test. they want to make sure people are doing the safe thing but also avoiding the kind of disruptions we've seen. the administration is really cognizant of the fatigue that many americans have of now dealing with this, as you say, in a third calendar year so last night, you heard that message of optimism but also praising those who have been on the front lines of this from the president as well as the first lady. let's take a listen to part of that message. >> this virus has been tough. but we've been tougher. >> we've seen that in the dedication shown by the doctors

and nurses, educators and parents, first responders and all frontline and essential workers. >> reporter: and so, yasmin, the last thing the president did before he left the white house before the holidays was to speak to the nation about covid. you can expect to see him do that when he returns to the white house again this week, and it's a focus because we can say it now, yasmin, it's an election year, and the administration's handling of this pandemic is likely to be one of the major factors that will determine whether democrats can keep i don't like control of congress this year. >> it is an election year. the truest thing. mike memoli, thank you, my friend, and happy new year to you. it's great to see you. meanwhile, as the administration is weighing its options, hospitals are confronting a surge in coronavirus cases as mike was just talking about, so severe they are already running out of beds. i spoke with dr. joseph about this crisis just yesterday. here's what he had to say. >> yeah, people around the

country take care of patients and that is a problem. the problem is that most parents don't know if they have dealt or omicron and they are flooding the emergency departments. this is just going to be collateral damage for those people who truly need to go to the e.r., heart attacks and strokes and things like that. >> it is a pain our next guests are all too familiar with. their father, dale, a retired iowa school superintendent, waited 15 days for a bed that his hospital could not spare because it was so overwhelmed with unvaccinated coronavirus patients. tragically, dale died in late november, nearly one month after he had been diagnosed with sepsis, an indirect victim, his family says, of the coronavirus pandemic. joining me now are two of dale's kids, anthony weeks and julia. welcome to you both. anthony and julia, i'm so incredibly sorry for your loss, the loss of your father. how are you guys doing? anthony, i'll start with you.

>> it's been a hard time. i think that around the holidays, we acutely felt the absence of our father, and i think that we're lucky to have each other, and i think that we did get together for the holidays to support each other, but it's definitely been a hard time, and i think that when we think of what might have been, i think that that also makes it harder, because under any circumstances, it's hard to say good-bye to a loved one, but this has been especially hard. >> julia, how are you doing? >> i agree with anthony, and i guess what's frustrating is that iowa leadership continues not to do anything to try to mitigate the virus. our numbers are up in iowa. when you look at hospitalizations, 81% of those

are unvaccinated, and then moreover, the icu bed, which was the bed that my dad needed, 83% of those people are unvaccinated. so, getting vaccinated just seems to be common sense. my dad was a good neighbor. he would do anything for anyone, so it seems to me that people should just be good. be good to your neighbors. be kind. >> julia, did you guys hear this from hospital workers as well, as you were pleading for your dad to get a hospital bed, that it was because of these unvaccinated people that there was no room, no space for him? >> yes. after my dad had passed, we met with the -- we met with a couple different surgeons at iowa city, and one of the surgeons said, almost minutes after he passed, your dad needed specialized

care. and we were like, yeah, we know. we've been waiting to get in to get that specialized care. and then later, we talked to the second surgeon, and she said that typically, in the last -- they would have taken dad, but in the last 18 months, two years, it's made it more and more difficult because the covid people, primarily the unvaccinated, have been clogging up the system, and so they're unable to get people in. >> anthony, your dad did everything that he should be doing during this pandemic. he was vaccinated. he had just gotten boosted. in fact, when he came down with the symptoms that ended up being sepsis, he thought maybe it was symptoms of that booster shot, but it actually turned out to be sepsis. what does it feel like to know your dad did everything that he was supposed to and yet he wound

up in this situation in losing his life and all of you, his family, losing their father. >> it's difficult. it's difficult, because, i mean, certainly, we're living still in the midst of a pandemic, but it also seems like we are living in a pandemic that is a separate one, which is around lack of empathy, lack of compassion, lack of wanting to see oneself as part of the solution in public health, and so my father, yes, i think that he was vigilant about getting vaccinated. he was vigilant about getting boosted, and when he became ill, at first, it was more frustration. i think he just wanted to go home. he wanted to be in his own bed. my dad, despite being 78, was a busy person, but i think that frustration eventually became

desperation, because he knew he was sick. he knew that he was living with a life-threatening condition, and he wasn't able to get the care that he needed. >> julia, what was your dad like? >> my dad was the epitome of a good neighbor. he did things for people that, if you -- you just had to ask him to do something, and he would do it, kind of the classic story i have of him is when i was in grad school, i called home, and the line was busy for several hours, and once i finally got him on the phone, i said, you know, dad, who was on the phone so long? and he said, well, haven't you heard about that baby jessica? i've been on the phone with firemen in texas and we've been talking about how to get that little girl out of the well and get her some food while she's down there, and that's just who

he was. he reached out to help people. he was a good neighbor. he cared about people. yet, he was a very humble, humble man. >> anthony, julia, your dad sounds like an amazing, amazing man. i'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. we're thankful, though, that you're sharing your message with us and his story today. happy new year to you. thank you. >> thank you. coming up next, everybody, we are following a severe weather outbreak across the south. and water rescues in kentucky as well. also ahead, the mayor of boulder, colorado, joining me live to talk about the devastation from the wildfires hitting that state. devastation from the wildfires hitting that state one of the worst things about a cold sore is how it can make you feel. but, when used at the first sign, abreva can get you back to being you in just 2 and a half days. be kinder to yourself and tougher on your cold sores.

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growing up in a little red house, on the edge of a forest in norway, there were three things my family encouraged: kindness, honesty and hard work. over time, i've come to add a fourth: be curious.

be curious about the world around us, and then go. go with an open heart, and you will find inspiration anew. viking. exploring the world in comfort. when you have xfinity, you have entertainment built in. which is kind of nice. ah, what is happening. binge-watching is in the bag, when you find all your apps, all in one place. find live sports faster just by using your voice...

sports on now. touchdown irish! [cheering] that was awesome. and, the hits won't quit, with peacock premium included at no additional cost. all that entertainment built in. xfinity. a way better way to watch. breaking news out of kentucky this hour, a powerful storm system that is moving across the country has dumped several inches of rain on the state, causing this flooding in the middle of the state near the town of versailles, kentucky, which is typically one of the states with the fewest natural disasters, is still recovering from the record-breaking tornados that swept through a couple weeks ago. this same system, it's causing major snow and flight cancellations in other parts of the midwest as well. in colorado, thousands could be without homes after a devastating wildfire ripped through boulder county.

the fire which is uncharacteristic for this time of year was fueled by strong winds and dry conditions from months-long drought, not to mention warm temperatures. thousands forced to evacuate the area. nbc's steve patterson has one family's shocking story of how the fire hit while they were with their kids at a chuck e. cheese. >> reporter: out the window, the smoke was thickening. >> this is crazy. this is chuck e. cheese. >> reporter: as jason fletcher, in colorado for the holidays, shot this video, he was at a chuck e. cheese with his wife and family. >> i saw flames and that's when i yelled, flames. i see fire. >> reporter: but the fire approaching dangerously close to the restaurant, parents gathered children and scrambled to the exit. winds so strong. >> i can't get this door open. >> i guess we're locked in. >> reporter: for a moment, they struggled to get out.

>> we finally get outside and the wind was moving so fast. >> i felt the wind hitting. that's when the danger really set in, like fire and wind of that magnitude is very dangerous. >> go, go, go, go. run. >> reporter: after a rush through the parking lot, gridlock as hundreds tried to flee the crowded shopping center. >> i looked back at my son, and he was trying to hold back tears, and i just told him, we're going to be okay. we're going to be okay. we said a little prayer. >> reporter: though shaken by the experience. >> that was the scarest part for me because i said those words that we were going to be okay, but i was just saying it until i could believe it. >> reporter: the fletcher family, glad to be alive. >> unbelievable! >> our thanks to steve patterson for that stunning report. we want to bring in the mayor of boulder, colorado, aaron brockett. we appreciate it. taking a listen to that report from our own steve patterson, it kind of shows how quickly these

winds and this fire started and how little time people had to seek safety. how are folks doing there today? what's the situation as you've been seeing, surveying the damage? >> it was terrifying, of course. i mean, we've never seen anything like that around here, so today, people are in shock, but they're looking forward to how they can recover and we're just standing by to do whatever we can to help folks. >> have people, mayor, been able to get back to their homes or to what was their homes to survey the damage, to see if anything is left? >> unfortunately, most folks haven't been able to get back yet. the situation isn't stable or safe, so the emergency crews have generally been keeping folks out while they're making sure that the neighborhoods are safe before people can go back and see exactly the state of their homes. >> when do you expect that to be, mayor?

>> i don't think we're sure exactly. i think they're hoping to let folks back in tomorrow, but it's really an hour-by-hour thing, seeing how safe things are and when people can come back in. >> and where are folks staying right now? what type of facilities do you have for people that have had to evacuate their homes? do you have enough supplies, food, water, are you getting help from the federal government at this point in the recovery? >> yes, we have had an incredible outpouring of support. we're just incredibly grateful. the red cross has set up multiple evacuation centers, and so those have been fully staffed and folks have been staying there. but really, most folks have been able to find friends and family. people are opening their homes. they're donating materials. so far, people have what they need. we're giving out -- excel energy is giving out free space heaters for those people who are still without natural gas heat so there's been an incredible outpouring of support and i think generally folks are able to get out of the cold and find

a safe place to stay. >> i know it's a little preemptive to have this conversation, mayor, but i just quickly want to ask you, cu boulder professor keith musselman saying anywhere out west with vegetation is a fire risk and we should consider that when rebuilding. this could happen anywhere. as he puts it. what do you make of that dire warning as people begin to look to rebuild from this devastation, and what may be in the pipeline because of climate change? >> yeah, we're going to have to reassess wildfire risk after this incredibly tragic event. these were neighborhoods that no one expected to burn in a wildfire. they're not right on the edge of the mountains. they're not in the forest. these are urban, suburban communities that everyone assumed were safe. so, we're going to have to look at this event very carefully, and think about how we plan things differently going forward, because clearly, the new normal is a very dangerous one.

>> mayor aaron brokett, our thoughts are with your community on in new years day. the battle over the build back better bill is not over yet. congresswoman gwen moore is going to respond next. congresswoman gwen moore is going to respond next. how bout sushi? i just had sushi for lunch yesterday. indian? ehh, maybe... how bout seafood? you know i don't like seafood. [collision beeping warning] [silence] how bout tacos? tacos. automatic emergency braking — one of six advanced safety features standard on every 2022 chevy equinox. find new technology. find new roads. chevrolet.

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passed. he says, quote, in early 2010, as washington was hanging crepe paper on the white house, mr. obama was inside regrouping. two months later, the bill passed and became law thanks to intense behind-the-scenes wrangling. i want to bring in a staunch supporter of build back better, democrat representative gwen moore of wisconsin. congresswoman moore, thanks for joining us. i appreciate it. happy new year to you. thank you for joining us on this holiday weekend. talk to me. >> happy new year to you too. >> thank you. talk to me about build back better. does it still stand a chance? >> build back better is alive and well. trust me. you know, i've listened very carefully to joe manchin's criticism of this initiative, and it's not that he doesn't share the values of the american people that a basic child credit

is due hardworking families. he's been more concerned about funding it for a mere year and not really digesting and being, you know, just reflecting the true cost of the program, knowing that this is something that legislators of congress on both sides of the aisle would be reluctant to discontinue. already, we have seen the impact of this legislation as it's reduced poverty among kids by 40% and even those parents who haven't been living on the edge have felt a really welcoming -- seen the welcoming impact of this legislation as they're able to pay for school fees, you know, kids bursting out of their clothes, and out of their shoes. our feedback and research has demonstrated that they have been using it on a better quality of food, transportation for -- and really uplifting the wellbeing

of kids, and joe manchin is well aware of this impact. the build back better initiative is alive and well. >> so, legislatively, congresswoman, what do you think has to stay, and what could feasibly go? because we know at this point even this $1.75 trillion price tag may not get over the finish line, considering where senator manchin currently is and the stalemate now that the white house is at with the legislation they want to get across the finish line along with so many democrats in washington. so, what are the priorities here to stay in this bill if this thing has to get reduced? >> well, you know, that's very difficult to give me this sort of faustian choices because the thing that has been most transformational so far, i think, has been the child tax credit. but on the other hand, it gives me shivers to think back on the

many times that my children and grandchildren and other people i have known have been at risk, because they haven't had adequate -- affordable child care. the numbers of women who can't participate in the workforce, and certainly we don't want to become a third class country, not providing pre-k as some of the other initiatives that are in the build back better bill. like i said, you know, joe manchin needs to be reminded of his values. why he is a democrat. and you know, there's nobody who's going to benefit more than the poor families in west virginia from the build back better initiative. and so i do think that president biden is not ready to just throw anybody under the bus, but i do think that the american people can rise up at this point and weigh in and let the president know what their priorities are. i know that the -- that there's

so many things that matter to people. >> so, i -- yeah. so, i know that you're speaking also from a point of personal experience, considering what you have been through yourself, and i want to play some sound that has gotten a lot of traction, especially from conservatives. talking about the so-called, as you put it, as is put, the dignity of work. let's take a listen to what you had to say, and then we'll talk on the other side. >> i just want to close before my time is up to talk about the so-called dignity of work. that's like hearing a fingernail on the chalkboard. that's the same kind of rhetoric they've always used to describe the situation of welfare recipients. i mean, you're supposed to just go to work, take any old kind of job, even if you have no child care, you don't have a livable wage, you can't afford

transportation to the school, and no family leave. no time off. >> so, because of this, you've got betsy mccaw he's, a former new york lieutenant governor using that statement to call welfare recipients moochers. i want to give you an opportunity to talk to me and talk to our viewers about what you meant there, about your own experiences, what contributed to you wanting to make clear that statement. >> well, let me start out by complimenting myself on that statement. i meant every single word of it. you know, of course there's a dignity in work. i'm sure you feel very dignified in your job. i feel dignified in my job. and people who, you know, clean people's behind in the nursing home, clean up their vomit, feel dignity too, and they ought to

be able to be paid a decent wage for this dignified work and not be told that they should just take any old kind of job, not enough money to be able, as reverend jackson would say, to afford healthcare for themselves if they were to get sick. not be able to feed their children. you know, it costs money to go to work. you have to have your hair done. you have to have a shave and a haircut. you know, it costs $2 to get a starbucks on your way to work. and to say that the dignity of work is simply by being able to say, oh, i've got a job and not considering any kinds of work supports or decent salary is an insult. it's a way of maintaining and keeping, especially, women and single women at the bottom of the economic barrel. you know, the saying, you ought to just be glad to have any old kind of job, be glad if you're paying you $2.18 to be a

waitress and then supplementing it with tips. you should just be glad to have a job. now, the rest of us feel very dignified, because we're making six figures, but you, you go do the dirty work in society and just shut up and be glad, and dare you make one dime above $13 an hour and we're going to take away your child care. we're going to take away food stamps. we're going to take away your healthcare. yeah, there's no dignity in being a slave. >> yeah, and if you talk about the cost of child care in this country, you're making barely minimum wage, maybe you have two kids at home, how does that add up? how are you making enough money even to take care of those kids while you're at work? >> exactly. >> representative gwen moore, thank you for that impassioned moment with us. we appreciate it on this new's day. thank you. >> got to go see about my black eyed peas now.

>> thank you. great to see you. the passing of a trail blazer and legend, remembering betty white's life, legacy, and inspiration. bering betty white's life, legacy, and inspiration. >> we'll be right back after this commercial message. >> all clear. >> all right, who the hell is responsible? lear >> all right, who the hell is responsible? your doctor gives you a prescription. “let's get you on some antibiotics right away.” we could bring it right to your door. with 1 to 2 day delivery from your local cvs. or same day if you need it sooner. but aren't you glad you can also just swing by to pick it up, and get your questions answered? because peace of mind is something you just can't get in a cardboard box. that's how healthier happens together with cvs.

i'm not new to live tv. in 1952, i starred in a -- my first live sitcom, which was "life of elizabeth." and of course, back then, we didn't want to do it live. we just didn't know how to tape things. so, i don't know what this show's excuse is. >> 2021 ended with the passing of a hollywood icon, and a national treasure. betty white died yesterday at the age of 99 just weeks shy of her 100th birthday, a fixture on

american television for more than 70 years, white's legendary career included iconic roles in "the mary tyler moore show" and "golden girls" and consisted of 21 primetime emmy nominations with 5 wins. as you saw in that clip we just played, she also bagged the title of oldest "saturday night live" host in 2010 at the age of 88. joining me now to talk more about betty's amazing life and her impact on a generation of female comedians is lizz winstead, co-creator of ""the daily show."" what an incredible loss yesterday when we heard of betty white's passing. i don't think anybody expected it, in spite of the fact that she was 99 years old because you really thought betty white would live forever. she had so many iterations, so many rebirths, i should say, of her career. what was her influence on you? >> i mean, for me, there was so

much. i mean, am born and raised in minnesota, first off, and so to have her character, sue ann nivens, be part of a news room that was set in minneapolis and then her "golden girls" character, rose, was from st. olaf, minnesota. the thing about betty white is all the characters she played were these really powerful single women who had a lot of ownership, and i think a lot of people don't think of it that way and when you look at sue ann nivens, and i encourage everyone to rewatch "the mary tyler moore show" because when we talk about "the daily show" or satirizing news, her saccharin character of, i'm sue ann nivens, and then who the hell did this when she was off camera, those moments inspired so much satire and parody and i just love the fact that it is so rare in the history of show biz that there is a single human who has

embraced cross generationally, cross culturally. she could do everything, and her confidence made her a person that everyone loved. and you know, i was talking to your colleague, katy tur yesterday, and i was like, she is a lesson in how to be a human. be like betty, hashtag, just do it. >> so, what can we take from that? what lessons can we glean from betty white? we need those lessons as we head into 2022. >> i think the lessons that we can take from betty white is, constantly explore who you are. figure out what brings you joy and how you can bring others joy, and dive into those things and do them. because the more that you do that, the more that you're going to open yourself up to people, you know, i often say, in this time that we're living in, that

is just rife with hatred and animosity, the thing about betty white is that if you can make someone laugh, that means they have a visceral reaction to you that's positive. and it's very hard to dislike someone who brought you unbridled joy. and so, i often say, if you're laughing, you still have hope. and i think that going back and watching all the work of betty white, and also, for real, celebrating the women who have -- she's inspired, and celebrating women who have longevity in their careers. like, i'm grateful that you had me on. i'm 60. i'm not 30. you know? i'm somebody who's living my truth and my humor as well, and celebrating the relevance of women who are bringing, like, incredible experience and humor and keep doing it. i mean, those are things that are important. let's not just celebrate betty white, but let's celebrate the women who keep going and who keep reinventing themselves, and

let them be an example that we all need to just take it in and roll with it. >> i am obsessed with what you just said. i love that. celebrating truth and women and what they stand for and humor. i mean, it really does encapsulate who betty white was and we do not discriminate here, lizz winstead, of course we would have you on and will have you on over and over and over again. we're so appreciative. >> and i love it. and also, yasmin, i have to say i'm so excited to be on your show too, because i watch you every weekend, and my heart broke for you when you told the story of your pup passing and i'm a big dog person too, and betty white was a massive dog person, and so, i love being able to talk with women working in news about betty white just because of the mary tyler moore thing and because my work, satirizing news and being part of news, these are really good conversations to have with each other. >> i couldn't agree more. >> it's like we're just having

conversations in front of the world. >> i know. i know. if only we had a cocktail to go along with it. lizz winstead. >> ma'am, i have been drinking mimosas for betty white. thank you so much. >> thank you, lizz. we'll be right back, everybody. we'll be right back, everybody such tree-mendous views. i'm at a moss for words. when a cough tries to steal dad's punchlines, he takes robitussin naturals powered by 100% drug-free ingredients. are you gonna leaf me hanging? soothe your cough naturally. are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, gas or abdominal discomfort? taking align can help. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up and learn what millions of align users already know. how great a healthy gut can feel.

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all right, my head scratcher of the week for most of us, this is a time for wishing for peace on earth, goodwill towards others, you know, all that good holiday stuff. not for republican congresswoman marjorie taylor greene. greene going ballistic in response to a benign bit of outreach by college republicans, a simple, though misspelled message, wishing people a happy kwanzaa. greene's unhinged response, stop. it's a fake religion. people are tired of pandering and b.s. as many on twitter pointed out in a futile effort to educate greene, not a religion, it's a seven-day holiday festival established in 1966 as a way for black people to honor their shared african roots. so far, college republicans have not responded to greene directly on twitter. instead, retweeting kwanzaa messages from a number of other republicans, including one that former president donald trump sent during his time in office. my high five of the week goes to amy snider, the

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welcome back. every time we enter a new year, the hope is for a fresh start, but when it comes to politics, 2022 could shape up to be even more unpleasant than before. the "daily beast" court reported a look ahead to politics in 2022, saying, quote, the crazy isn't over yet. so what are the top issues our political climate faces this year? the first is the omicron surge, or as the "daily beast" puts it, a fresh episode of pandemic hell. it is still the biden administration's top challenge as they race to meet testing needs and combat misinformation over the vaccine. the second is the economy and concerns over inflation. economists say this could be a year of growth, but the rising gas prices and supply chain issues are currently halting democrats' efforts to pass the bbb act. third, as we head into the midterms, control in washington. being decided and defined by politically divided issues like

abortion rights, voting rights, and redistricting, leaving large uncertainties ahead. fourth, one of the most unpredictable figures, former president donald trump, will he run again? what will his influence be in congressional races? we know the gop is still trump's party right now, but could the tides turn? and lastly, possible concrete answers to the january 6th insurrection spur bid the former president. a clear focus could put trump and his allies in legal danger and show exactly how close they were to subverting democracy. i want to bring in my panel, david jolly, former member of congress, national chair of the serve america movement and an msnbc political contributor. and donna edwards, former democratic congresswoman from maryland, contributing columnist at the "washington post," also an msnbc analyst. welcome to you both, guys. and happy new year to the both of you. i appreciate you joining me on this holiday weekend. david, let me start with you on this one, and talk to us first about the results from the january 6th investigation, the

committee now moving into its public phase this year, likely hearing testimony that we were not able to hear before. what are you expecting to gain from this public phase and learn as to what happened in the lead-up to january 6th? >> i think what the january 6th committee will demonstrate very publicly, which is different than the department of justice investigation, is that there was a conspiracy of actors between the white house, the congress, sitting legislators and donald trump's political arm to finance and orchestrate the events of january 6th, and i think the question for the country, then, yasmin, and you can draw a thread all the way then to the midterm elections, is do voters care that our democracy was almost cut off at the knees? that our republic was almost toppled? is that an issue that is strong enough to inform voters in the midterms? i don't know. i think that's an open question for us in 2022. >> donna edwards, do you think they care?

>> well, i'm not sure. i mean, i think that it's really important to get through to the -- through the investigation and through these public hearings, because whether the public cares or not today, history will care tomorrow, and i think that that is really an important marker. you know, i got a lot of emojis, yasmin, with 2021 in the dumpster heap, but i think 2022 is going to be a doozy, starting with the public hearings but moving on to possibly passing build back better, and i think it will, and then on to the midterms. this is really going to be quite an emotional year from start to finish. >> so, let's talk about getting build back better passed. i was actually just speaking about this, obviously, a little bit earlier. but this is a major thing, david jolly, for the biden administration. they're banking on this. they have been banking on this type of legislation to get it across the finish line not only for the american people, as they put it, but also because of the

midterms, which at this point are inside the same year. you've got that. you've got the results of the january 6th investigation and so much more. do you expect biden to be able to get this over the finish line? >> not as we know it, no, but i think there's an opportunity. so many provisions in that bill are highly popular that you could actually pull them out and perhaps even message more successfully politically as democrats. take, for instance, universal pre-k. if you were to pass that and message that, then voters know that about democrats and that draws the contrast from one party that cares for working families to the other that doesn't. and i think there's plenty within the bill democrats can still pass that i think bbb is probably dead. >> so, do you see this, donna edwards, as being the strategy going forward? have you been talking to any of your former colleagues about this when it comes to build back better, to pass this thing in piecemeal, as david jolly is suggesting? >> well, i do think it's actually possible.

you have a more unified group of democrats around a narrowly focused piece of legislation. but whether they pass it separately or in a package, democrats are going to have to take elements of it and run on those elements across the country in every single congressional district and state. and i don't think that's going to be a problem. but they do have to get it done early in order to be able to use it as the galvanizing mechanism that i think that they have going into the midterm elections. voters feel really strongly about each of the elements as david pointed out, and so it really doesn't matter whether it's together or separate for democrats to get it over the finish line. >> i want to get two more questions in before we have to wrap up here. donna edwards, a lot of folks i have been speaking to feel all but assured that the republicans are going to gain back control of congress. where do you sit on this? >> i don't agree with that. i think one, there's still a lot of time in the calendar, as we

talked about, if democrats are able to get some of these key initiatives, including voting rights, across the finish line, that gives them a lot of motivation for their base. and frankly, republicans, if they spend their time nominating people who are on the way extreme, there's not a likelihood that they're going to win in those seats. >> david jolly, i want to end on this, and that is the trump factor, right, this question of whether or not donald trump is going to be running for re-election in 2024. do you think he's going to be using endorsements, getting out on the road for the midterms as a way to judge as to whether or not he still has voting power? >> oh, i think so. and i think that's being affirmed. i also think he's putting people in place in state capitals around the country should he run again and need republican states to help hand him the electoral college. the other question, though, yasmin, is, what about the also runs? what about desantis and nome and

nikki haley? because somebody's got to say, i'm running whether trump is in or not. i think 2022 will shine some light on that. >> former members of congress david jolly, donna edwards, thank you to you both and happy new year again. i'm yasmin vossoughian. i'll be back here tomorrow, 3:00 p.m. eastern. our coverage continues right now. . eastern. our coverage continues right w. hello, and thanks for joining us this hour, nice to have you here. so, one thing it has going for it is it has a nice view of the kremlin. this is the bolshoi bridge in central moscow. and location, location, location. it sits right up against red square across from the kremlin, just a few hundred yards to the east. has a great view. and in the end, the bridge is where they got him. boris was the leading opposition leader in russia in 2015. he had been deputy prime