♪♪ ♪♪ good afternoon, and thank you for joining us on this memorial day. i'm stephanie ruhle. president biden marked this day of remembrance by laying a wreath at the tomb of the up known soldier at arlington national cemetery. he began the day at delaware with a visit to the grave of his late son beau biden who died seven years ago of this very day been it has been a weekend of mourning for many, many families across the country. on saturday vice president harris was in buffalo, new york, for the funeral of ruth whitfield, one of the ten people killed in a mass shooting at a grocery store on may 14th. yesterday the president and first lady were down in uvalde, texas, where they met for hours

where they met with the families of the 19 children and two teachers in the school shooting which came ten days after buffalo. as biden left a church service in uvalde, he was met by a crowd of people chanting "do something." he responding by telling the crowd, we will. the president sounded a similar note in the commencement speech at the university of delaware, telling graduates that the country can and must do something. >> let's be clear. evil came to that elementary school in texas, to that grocery store in new york, far too many places where innocents have died. the face of such forces, we have to stand stronger. we must stand stronger, we cannot outlaw, tragedy, i know, but we can make america safer. >> but let's be honest, optimism

is in short supply on whether congress will do anything at all, even as protests raged throughout the weekend outside the nra conference that took place in houston, inside the event donald trump himself and other republican political leaders were refusing any and all calls for gun reform. much of the attention right now remains on the law enforcement response to the shooting at robb elementary in texas. the justice department announced it will conduct a review of the response after it became abundantly clear that officers waited for over an hour before they stormed the classroom where the gunman was. during that excruciating wait children inside the room called 911 repeatedly pleading for help as families wait for more clarity on what exactly happened and more importantly, what went wrong inside that school, the nation is waiting to see if lawmakers will manage any legislative response to the shooting. tomorrow, funerals will begin in that small texas town for the many victims. a funeral service will be held

tomorrow for 10-year-old maite rodriguez who was an honor student recognized for her achievements at a school ceremony, that very day, that morning before the shooting. on wednesday there will be a joint funeral for irma garcia, one of the two teachers killed in the massacre and for her husband joe -- it's hard to even think about it. he collapsed and died just two days later. many people said he died from the grief. they leave four children behind. nbc's sam brock is reporting for us in uvalde. he joins us now. sam, thank you for being there. i want to start by asking what has this been like for you? you've been in this town for days now? >> it feels like we're seeing this pain play out over and over again and it's the theoretical, stephanie. people talk about it is so horrible when it happens in denver, western new york, south

florida, you pick your location, southern california. it always seems like it's the other and not happening to us, but you talk to these family members here and they say our reality, the perception of what's possible has been shattered and that's certainly what it feels like for someone who is on the ground and talking to us, as well, because the pain itself is indescribable. you can see it on their faces. i'm watching families walking up to this plaza. there's a fountain with so many flowers and gifts stacked feet high because everyone here cares that much about troying to provide some level of consolation and just support to those experiencing such pain. by the same token, they just are confused. everyone here is confused as to the time line of events as to why a school resource officer wasn't on campus and a school door was opened. they had been doubled in previous years to shore up security issues. they had run through active training drills two months prior before this started.

as you talk to one of these families and i spoke to the grandfather of eliahna torres, someone who loved song and dance, someone who had a beautiful voice and loved softball. her grandfather bought her a glove as she was just named to the all-star team. this is a kid with all of the potential in the world and her life has been cut short. her grandfather wrote a letter to president biden who was in town yesterday and gave it to eliahna's mom, his daughter, to give it to president biden and here is what that letter said. >> well, i was, you know, like here and i say we are one nation under god, and really we ain't no more. we are under guns. >> he has power to change it, and he can do it. he can. and it needs to change because

how many more lives are going to be taken? and another family will lose their child or their niece, their cousins. >> two weeks ago we were playing here -- playing here. i bought her a new glove. she never had a chance to play in a game. >> stephanie, no one here doubts the fact that it was an 18-year-old who decided out of his own volition to go out and buy two ar-15-style rifles and to commit this act, but they also want some form of an explanation from law enforcement here and from the local police department and from the school district police department and pete arredondo who is chief and just elected to city council what his thought process and rationale was and he kept agents from going into the school for 45 minutes opinion there was a city council meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 6:00, that has been canceled. for day three or four, not a

word, not just from the state, not a word from the city in the aftermath of this mass tragedy. steph? >> is there any reason why they would cancel that council meeting? i can't imagine a week, a meeting that's more important where people need answers. >> that's the problem is that we've seen what's happened when they've held press conferences that just spawns more questions and the criticisms heightens for public officials specifically how it comes down from a barricade situation because as you talk to experts in law enforcement, steph, they explain more mass shootings, the guidance has changed for what law enforcement officers are supposed to do when there is the threat of someone being killed. so they'll have to answer those questions and with each day that goes by, i can't tell you what's in their head in terms of accountability and explaining what transpired. another day goes by and another day when they are not standing in front of a microphone to try

tell all of the people who live this this community how it could have transpired the way that it did. i will state that a shooter decided to pick up a weapon and go and devastate families for the rest of their lives, but there also has to be some sort of explanation. some sort of at least review and there say federal review moving forward which is pretty rare, the department of justice has only happened in the last several years a couple of times. san bernardino and orlando are the most recent examples and they're looking at best practices because it was evident that they were not followed and the people who live in this community just want to know, why not? >> the most important in the federal government was in uvalde yesterday, the president. how has the community reacted? >> i think they were very glad to see him here. he spent hours meeting with families. there's images of president biden wiping tear away from his face and when you talk to the parents they want him to do something. the president can issue an executive order, but you will

not issue an executive order to take assault rifles off the streets. that takes an act of congress. there is only so much the president can do and we want to hear how he leans on fellow politicians to form some sort of a bipartisan package of gun reform if it's even possible. we've had the conversations after the worst chapters was murder in american history in schools and whether it was porkland or newtown and we know the end result and nothing got done. there is no other option because it will happen again in orth city if action isn't taken. >> sam brock, thank you so much for being there for reporting on this very important story. i appreciate it. i want to bring in the conversation, his district includes uvalde. senator, here we are again. you and i talking for the third time in the last few days. tell us what it's been like for you. day one was simply shock throughout the community.

here we are as the days are passing. what are people telling you they want and need the most? so we're day seven now, and at the end of the day this community needs therapy. they need love. they need attention and they need resources, so we can get therapists that are going to live here in uvalde. rural mental health is a challenge. constituents are talking about raising the school, and we'll work on a federal grant to raise the school. it's sad that one exists. there is up to $45 million grant to raze schools that have undergone this type of calamity, disturbing to say the least, but we are here to make sure that they know that we're not leefring. we will make sure that we get all of the resources to them as possible. >> mental health support should

be great and it should be helpful going forward. people are still stuck, rightfully so on the past. do you have more answers for us on what went wrong with law enforcement, the timing? because it's amazing to me that the conference that was supposed to be held tomorrow, the city council meeting has already been canceled. >> so i welcome further investigation by the dps. >> i welcome the federal investigation. i had a very long and heated conversation with colonel mcgraw on saturday morning. we were both in tears. i particularly find it disappointing that we're pointing the finger at one cop. i don't know this man, but the fact is every cop that was there violated the active shooter protocols. we want -- there is this narrative that the cop with the six officers below him was calling the shots. at what point does the next agency take over and the next agency with more fire power,

guns, ammunition and people take over? even the federal government when they arrived they didn't do a charging in. it took them a few minutes, and so there was a failure at every level here. that is why this federal investigation needs to happen. that is why these families want to know. i was going to tell you an incredibly sad story. one of the families that i've spoken to, most of these kids, unfortunately, they were riddled with -- they were devastatingly hurt. this child had only one bullet wound through the kidney area. she likely bled out according to the first responders. had we gotten there 20, 30 minutes before this child might be alive. we have to get answers here so that this never happens again. so we find the best practices so that no family has to go through the agony that these families went through as they waited outside for over an hour to let law enforcement figure out when and if they were going to go in. >> well, then let's make sure

you and i are not advancing any false narratives out there. by your estimation, everything you've learned over the last seven days. you're there on the ground, what do you think happened? >> i know that at 12:03, as you know, there were 19 officers in that hallway that apparently were repelled by some form of gun fire and decided not to go in. we were told wrongly that there was negotiations and the fact is that person never uttered a word to law enforcement. so that wasn't true. what i've asked mcgraw to give me is not just the ballistic report that he wants to give me about friendly fire. i don't care about that so much. i want to know how many officers were in that building and at what times were they in that building and when they were situated. i saw no officers as yet on the outside windows. they haven't told us anything about that. ever since friday's report, we haven't heard anything and four days have gone by since friday

and we've gotten another report from dps as to where the officers were that were working in the other agencies. the agencies that had greater manpower and greater fire power, greater ammunition. more people. we need to ascertain these important facts. these families deserve it. >> 19 officers were in the building at 12:03. they left and what do we know the outcome was? 19 children and two teachers were killed. i know that your republican governor greg abbot was giving a news conference on friday and you personally interrupted him. you asked him to call a special session of the legislature to do something about guns. have you gotten any response? >> i got no response from greg abbot. he's holed up in his office. some people think maybe i shouldn't have done that and it wasn't the right time. >> let's be really clear.

we've had six or seven of these in texas. after each and every one of them we do the thoughts and prayers thing and yet nothing, nothing, nothing gets done. he's very proud of his school hardening of 2019. we can see what happened there. we cannot allow greg abbot or any republican in office that is bought and paid for by the nra to escape this moment. i am asking this governor to bring us back. i want to tell you another number. today is day 77 we're 77 days away from the first school start in texas. this isn't a challenge. i'm not playing a game here. we need to get back into the capitol to have four things done. we need wait periods. we need red flag laws. we need to have magazine capacities more importantly, we need to raise this age limit. how an 18-year-old was able to access these kinds of weapons of mass destruction is beyond me. it's harder to get baby formula in texas than it is to buy an ar-15.

>> sir, something has happened after all these shootings over the last few years. gun laws have gotten more lax in the state of texas. do you believe that this particular horrific events is not going to necessarily change the way abbott sees thing, but is it going to change the minds of texan voters? >> i've already heard from third parties that some of my colleagues in the republican-controlled senate are suggesting we need to make these schools more secure. my god, didn't we do that? didn't we do that in 2019? i've heard about mental illness and let's fund that properly because for sure that's a component and this is an access to militarized weaponry that should be, and i have republican constituents that are saying let's raise the age limit and i have no problem with the waiting period and no problems with red flags and the only constituents that greg abbot is listening to is the nra. he's a coward.

let's be real clear. this man has made it easier and easier for people to access this type of weaponry. last session during the open -- the open carry bill that they passed, i was one of the last speakers to speak and the last ten seconds of what i said, i said because of this bill more kids will die. i never, never, ever thought that that hyperbole would be realized in my own community. i feel like i'm living in a horror film. >> senator, i'm sorry to hear you say that, and i'm sorry for what you're going through right now. thank you for joining us today. texas state senator roland gutierrez. i appreciate it. we will have much more on this throughout the hour. the frustration felt by democrats and some republicans and more importantly, a whole lot of americans about the lack of action after recent mass shootings. the big question, could this time be different? we'll have the latest on the war in ukraine where president

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this memorial day, ukrainian soldiers continue to defend their country, more than three months into russia's unprovoked war. over the weekend, ukrainian president zelenskyy took his first official trip outside kyiv since the invasion began. he was visiting the front line region of kharkiv. he handed out commendations to the soldiers telling them, quote, you risked your lives for us and for all in our country. this comes as russia has been bearing down on eastern ukraine shelling the last two major cities in the region under ukraine's control. the attacks have been relentless with more than 90% of the buildings destroyed and one of

those strong holds targeted by russians and tragically a 32-year-old french journalist was killed in the region today on your screen right now caught by scrap shrapnel while following a humanitarian convoy. in his statement his outlet said this, share the pain of his family and loved ones. this tragic event reminds us of the dangers faced by all journalists who have been reporting this conflict at the rick of their lives for more than three months now. meanwhile, the west is still debating how to continue to support ukraine. the eu is working toward a russian oil embargo and it is currently held up by hungarian prime minister victor orbon who is heavily dependence on russian oil. the new u.s. ambassador to ukraine has arrived in kyiv. it is a very important, symbolic move as she fills a position that has now been vacant for

over three years. president biden threw cold water on reporting that the administration was planning to provide ukraine with long-range rocket systems that could target russia. >> are you going to send long-range rocket systems to ukraine? >> we're not going to send to ukraine rocket systems that can strike into russia. >> so that's off the table. the big question is what is? what other measures are still being considered in terms of helping ukraine win this war? so let's discuss. i am joined now by washington state democratic congressman adam smith. he is the chairman of the house arms services committee. thank you for joining me on this very important day. >> want to start with the president's most recent remarks saying we will not send ukraine systems that will hit russia. >> i think it is an off-hand remark. we certainly do not support ukraine targeting russia, but

when you're talking about artillery shells or missiles and any artillery shell that we send them could target russia and ones of longer range can target it from further away, but the importance of the longer-range missiles is not to attack russia and the russians are attacking as you know, all across ukraine and certainly the fighting is focused in the east and to some degree in the south. they've laurined attacks as far away as lviv and certainly kyiv and elsewhere and they can better defend against those attacks and we'll have to see what the policy is. i'm not sure about the president's specific remark with that story. it's a more complicated question than that question implied. >> is there anything that the u.s. could be doing that we're not? that you think we should be? >> well, i mean, to answer that question, you have to understand the basic principle that president biden laid out from the start and that is we'll do

everything possible to help ukraine and the one thing we won't do is start a war with russia. we'll be spending troops to ukraine and specific u.s. forces and equipment. we're not going to do that, so i think within the parameters of we're not going to directly fight russia, i believe right now we are doing everything we can, and that's where we're scrambling to find the systems that can help ukraine and they're among the many allies and we can provide weaponry and crucially and the president and his team, secretary of defense, secretary of state have built a coalition that is also providing a large amount of equipment and humanitarian assistance. so i think the president's done an excellent job to date of organizing that effort and of helping ukraine in this fight. >> obviously, our federal government is super focused on this, but there you are in washington state. you're not in d.c. right now. you're dealing with your voters, your constituents every day.

do you believe the american people are still invested in this war? right now i think they are, but that's a very legitimate question, but for how long? will putin wait, and hungary is standing in the way of an oil embargo. turkey is raising questions about finland and sweden coming into nato. so it's going to take a lot of work to hold this coalition together, but the good news is the ukrainians are putting up an incredible fight and they're actually pushing russia back. we saw that in kyiv. we saw that in kharkiv as was reported yesterday, there is a new offensive being launched againsters cannon in the south which the russians have held and the coalition can hold together, but this isn't easy. there are different interests across the country and across the world and we need to remind

people that if we let this act of aggression work, the message is sent to countries like rausch and china that you can take territory by brute force, then that creates dangers all across the world that impacts all of us. this isn't just ukraine being impacted by this as much as they need our help and deserve our help. >> put the nato coalition aside and let's just talk about the u.s., for example, because the midterms are around the corner, and i want to share some information we got from gallup. when asked what people think the most important problem facing our country is, 20% said the government and poor leadership. 17% mentioned the high cost of living, inflation and only 5% said they were concerned about the war with russia. given that, how challenging is this for you to put ukraine as a priority knowing what voters care about in the short term? >> yeah, no, it's a direct challenge. look, i've been campaigning since the mid-80s and for myself

since 1990, knocking on doors and talking to voters, and i can tell you, of all of the doors i've knocked on and foreign policy is not the first issue that comes to mind and the things that directly impact them right now and in the moment and if you're running for reelection to congress or for congress in general in 2022, the foreign policy issues do impact us and the question is do they turn against those issues? are they saying that we don't support the effort to protect ukraine or are they saying, we are more focused on other issues. right now i think that's the case, and i think there's a lot of people we should abandon ukraine and not help them. we have to be able to do both and to be a politician and leader, you have to provide for the domestic needs of your people and keep the piece, and

it's a challenge, but i don't think the people have abandoned ukraine at this point. >> scores of people agree on, but doesn't end up being a top issue for voters is gun safety. when you think about what happened last week in uvalde, the week before in buffalo, do you believe that there is anything that's going to happen? is there any hope that this time is different? >> i think we can absolutely change this and we have to change and focus our approach. in terms of the issues that people focus on, when it comes to guns, the pro-gun forces have typically had greater intensity. they don't have the numbers and that elector which is pro gun which means we have to organize on the other side, and i said this before, and i want to give a shout out to my former colleague gabby giffords. they don't just show up and introduce a piece of legislation and go to members of congress

and say you have to vote for this. they organize across the country. they try to get people to support the ideas behind gun safety so the candidates can run on gun safety issues and win and not just in districts like mine that are 70% democratic. i've got a chunk in seattle, very much in favor of gun control measures, but across the country, you have to educate and build that support and the biggest thing i want to keep harping on, i have to counter this narrative and you heard it from ted cruz, the more guns we have, the safer we are. that is categorically untrue and the facts show that and we have to go out there and make that case to the american people and show them the more guns you have, the more tragedies happen. let's ban assault weapons and let's put in place meaningful background checks and red flag laws so people that are dangerous in our community cannot possess guns and let's understand the risk that those guns bring.

75%, 80% make that case and they have their following. it's not just money. it is a political policy argument that they make relentlessly. we have to counter that and organizations like the one that gabby formed are a huge step in doing that. we have to fight this, continually and make the argument because we know how important it is. it's been devastating. public health and public safety shouldn't be things that should be political. they you should be important for all. congressman adam smith, chairman of the arms services committee. coming up next, will there be political will on capitol hill? we just talked about it and in state houses to make it harder to get guns after this tragedy? adam smith says americans need to organize, organize and then

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since the horrific massacre in uvalde, texas, which killed 19 young children midwestly aged 10 and two of their brave teachers. in the wake of that tragedy, americans are asking a question we have heard over and over, will congress finally do something about gun violence? will this time be different? that is still very much an open question at this point. republican opposition to broadly popular gun safety rules remains a huge obstacle to change in washington, but we are starting to see potentially some cracks in that dam. over the weekend, two republican members of congress with a history of opposing gun safety both indicated they are now open to banning or restricting weapons of war like the ones used in uvalde. >> in an assault weapons bill came that bans an ar-15 i would vote for it. >> i have opposed a ban fairly

recently. i think i'm open to a ban now. for those that support the second amendment like me, we have to be coming to the table with ways to mitigate 18-year-olds and buying these. my side's not doing that. >> chris murphy whose district includes newtown, connecticut, where the sandy hook massacre happened has been leading the push to find some way forward on sensible gun safety legislation. this is what he said about the bipartisan negotiations over the weekend. >> my hope is that this time it's different. i get it. every single time after one of these mass shootings there's talks in washington and they never succeed, but there are more republicans interested in talking about finding a path forward this time than i have ever seen since sandy hook. in the end, i may end being heart broken. i am at the table and in a more significant way than republicans

and democrats and certainly many more republicans are willing to talk right now than were willing to talk after sandy hook. >> are things really changing after what happened in texas? and if so, is it enough to get something done? >> adrian elrod. congressman, i want to start with the clip i just played from chris murphy, a republican saying he would support an assault weapons ban. he has never said this before. he represents a very pro-gun district and he's got an approval from the nra. do you think this is a big shift or is this just talk? >> i am very hopeful because not only do you hear these house members starting to make these. stay if there will anything meaningful to come out it will be out of the senate and mitch mcconnell publicly encouraged

john cornyn who has worked on this issue in the past to work to find a solution. i think we will see something on raising the age limit on gun purchases, universal background checks and red flag lues and there seems to be a package together, republicans don't move in congress without mitch mcconnell, and all of the attention is on donald trump and it's mitch mcconnell who determines what to do in the u.s. congress. >> hold on. talk is cheap. mitch mcconnell didn't give any specifics whatsoever, but by mitch mcconnell saying, hold on, i'm going to encourage jon cornyn to talk and i'm optimistic, maybe something can happen that. by that happening? you know what that did to chuck shumer? chuck schumer didn't take anything to a vote and more time passed and those republicans can hope and pray that the news cycle moves on and we'll stop demanding action.

do you think carlos is right or are republicans just playing the game they always have? >> look, steph, i really hope carlos is right, and you know, i am very optimistic than i ever have been that something can happen, but you're exactly right. the longer we go from the uvalde driving the headlines the less the chances that something will happen. we have to strike while the iron is hot. the iron is hot right now. so that means when they come back the week of june 6th is the week that we're looking for, that's the week that something has to get done and there's a compromise before that week. we've got to make sure that this happens now, but look, here's the bottom line, and i've never seen jon cornyn come to the table this way. adam kin zinger and not going to be in congress after this cycle

and that's a slightly different situation. i do hope it's changing, and including a lot of republicans support, thooiz are positive support is there, and we are there with support from the congress to make lawmakers act. >> carlos, why on earth would you believe mitch mcconnell's talk? come on. >> well, steph, mitch mcconnell cares about one thing above all and that is winning elections and he perceives a real threat for the republicans. >> most republicans know that is on the base voters of each of the two parties. when it comes to the gun issue, you hear a lot of republicans especially the swing voters in the suburbs that took republicans out of control in 2018 seem to be swinging back to republicans in poll after poll. those voters do care about this issue. this is a broader issue. this is an issue that

republicans aren't going to be able to contain the way they might be able to contain the abortion issue, so i do think they see a real electoral threat here. they know they're not in step with the american people on this issue and they want to protect the leads that they're seeing in so many polls ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. >> i want to dig into how all of this impacts the midterms. if you two stick around, carlos and adrian, i want to cover this on the other side of the break. stay with us.

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they're pushing wildly unpopular policy on guns yet they are targeting to crush it on the midterms. can you explain that to me, adrien? >> any time the president has control of the white house, senate and the congress that president biden does from this party, the opposite party tends to do better in the midterms. they already have a leg up. to your point, upwards of 80% to 90% of the american people is support and they maintain stronger gun safety measures. so when you have those two issues that are overwhelmingly in favor and that are supported by the democratic party, democrats should do a lot better in the midterms and if we can't overcome some of the issues in the ballot and up for grabs, we've got some real soul searching to do as democrats. >> carlos, what do you think? >> steph, i think the two big,

broad issues that most voters will be thinking about going into these elections and things can change, looking from this point over to november is number one, inflation and the economy and we know that democrats are on defense when it comes to inflation and the economy and maybe things get better from here to then and democrats will start to recover some of the ground they've lost in that sense, and then the other issue now is this gun safety issue and that really does threaten some of these big leads that republicans have in these polls because those swing district voters, those suburban moms that people love to talk about, they really do care about this issue and while many of them perhaps were ready to vote republican because they might be frustrated about inflation because of all of the challenges that that brings to daily life, now they're looking at this tragedy and they're looking at their own children and grandchildren saying we really need to do something and if republicans

again are obstructionist on this issue it is going to cost them in november. they might still win majorities in the house and maybe in the senate, but that intensity and that margin of victory will be lower. >> well, we'll soon find out. the midterms are not far thank you both for joining us today. former florida republican congressman carlos and democratic strategist adrian. we are not done with our broadcast, not today on this memorial day. the nation and its leaders are pausing to pay tribute to service members. those who have given their lives for our country. we'll be covering that and much more ahead. today is a day to honor them. a more ahead today is a day to honor them a monster was attacking but the team remained calm. because with miro, they could problem solve together, and find the answer that was right under their nose. or... his nose.

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as we gather with friends and family this memorial day, it is important to take a step back and remember why we celebrate today. and that is to honor the ultimate sacrifice of those who have died fighting for our country. all across the u.s., americans are paying tribute to our fallen

servicemen and women. in boston, massachusetts, 37,000 flags were planted to honor those from that state who have died in every conflict from the revolutionary war to today. ceremonies and parades took place across the country from new york to colorado to california and texas, and in washington, d.c., the national memorial day parade returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. the grand marshal was none other than first lieutenant james h. harvey iii, a 98-year-old veteran and famed tuskegee airman. president biden along with vice president harris, defense secretary austin, and other top officials also continued the solemn tradition of visiting arlington national cemetery in virginia where approximately 400,000 veterans are buried. after laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier, the president paid tribute to our service members, including his own son, beau biden, who passed away from a brain tumor seven

years ago today. in an address earlier, the president made a point to underscore how today is a day where pain and pride are mixed together. watch this. >> today, as a nation, we undertake a sacred ritual to reflect and remember. because if we forget, the lives of each of those silent markers represent, mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses, children, if we forget what they sacrificed, what they made so that our nation might endure strong, free, and united, then we forget who we are, who we are. >> an important reminder as we honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country. there's much more to come on this memorial day broadcast on msnbc. stay with us.

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welcome back to msnbc on this memorial day. i'm stephanie ruhle. thank you for being here. president biden, the first lady, vice president harris, and the second gentleman all observed the holiday this afternoon with a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown