phang show. i will be back next saturday and sunday, at 7 am eastern. you can catch original episodes, on the msnbc hub, on peacock. every thursday and friday. velshi, starts right now. >> good morning. it's sunday, july 17th. i'm in for my friend ali velshi. we are just days away from the final public hearing from the house select committee, investigating the january 6th attack on the u.s. capitol. primetime hearing is set to focus on what representative lives cheney calls, the 187 minutes that donald trump did nothing, while the attack was on going. essentially bringing together from the committee has laid out so far. it is unknown, if the recent

revelation, of the secret service will play a part in a hearing. although the select committee, has subpoenaed the agency, which says it is cooperating. thursday's hearing will take place just over a week after the last public hearing, which focused on how, far-right extremist groups participated in the insurrection. also, the direct and indirect coordination, between those groups, and several of the former presidents people. that hearing also featured testimony, from former white house counsel, pat cipollone. including his firsthand account, of a raucous december 18th, 2020 meeting in the oval office. that meeting involves some really strange figures. the former overstocked outcome guy, patrick byrne, the i'm sure the four seasons landscaping, is related to the hotel guy. rudy giuliani, but maybe venezuela interfered in our election, sydney powell. all reportedly pushing the former president, to overturn the election, seize voting machines, and even invoke martial law.

in the case of michael flynn, the former lieutenant general, who got up -- he was pushing simply to re-run the election, in specific places where trump lost. the former president's quest to control the election results, did not end there. you can now add another mysterious -- william j. olson, and attorney who now actually represents, the pillow guy, mike lindell, who also try to influence the former president to overturn the election and declare martial law. this is according to a new report in the new york times, which has not yet been independently verified by nbc news. the times reveals a christmas day 2020 phone call, between olson and trump, who is at his florida gulf resort at the time. according to the times, olson was quote, promoting several extreme ideas. which he later noted, quote, could be regarded as tantamount to declaring martial law, and another aspect quote, could

even be, have comparisons with watergate. olson's ideas, also included tampering with the justice department, and firing the acting attorney general, jeffrey rosen. the select committee is reportedly aware of all since conduct with trump. we also now have a name for the guy who handled the list of fake trump elector certificates for michigan and wisconsin, to several republicans on capitol hill. as part of that effort to overturn the election results. -- that is according to the report in politico. a lot to talk about, joining me now to discuss it all justice reporter for nbc news digital, ryan riley. former u.s. attorney and professor at the university of alabama school of law. joyce is also at an amazon bc contributor and columnist. thank you for joining me. joyce that site here. the president said in an interview last, week it's already made up his mind, it's

really just a matter of, before the midterms, or announced after the midterms? there is someone, else out there, that says, if he announces the run, it could actually help him, a little bit. maybe a good deal with the criminal defense strategy, essentially because you can politicize the investigations against him to muddy the waters. what is your take on? that do you think that is compelling? where these factoring into a decision he makes? >> so trump is going to turn this into a political witch hunt. if he becomes a target of a doj investigation. no matter what his status as a candidate is. he will simply use this to pour some fuel on the fire, when you suspect that what is lurking behind, this is that doj will have the most offense danced towards him, if he is unannounced candidate. that seems unlikely to be a big factor here. with doj typically does, is, it will go dark on investigations, that will directly influence elections, in a time period, 30,

60 days, before that election takes place. long term, that should not influenced trump's status here. >> interesting. you would think if he jumped in, doj might be a little bit more hesitant to do anything, because, it would seem as reactive. what do you think, they are on a glide path, no matter what? >> i think, there has been such a dance going on, doj has really delayed, i think delay is the wrong word, but they have worked so bottom up in these investigations, that now, as they are getting towards the top, and looking perhaps, we do not know for certain where the focus is. certainly, it may be closer to trump's inner circle. this issue of whether trump is going to announce -- is already baked in. >> let's dive into the investigation, into the insurrectionists. for the first time in the january 6th case, the government is seeking a domestic terrorism charges, against guy reffitt.

he was actually the first convicted at trial. explain to us what this means, and why it could affect future cases against those who did participate in the insurrection? >> yes. there is actually no such thing as domestic terrorism charge, so to say. there are specific actions that you can take, that are chargeable under -- no matter what your motivation. was involving a train, a plane. certain spelled out statutes along those lines. for the most, part when the government actually goes for it, and meets those designations, and this was an act of domestic terrorism, they should be punished as though it was an act of domestic terrorism, it has been a. fact it's after someone has already been convicted, before they will be sentenced. that's what happened in this case. guy reffitt, certainly is not the first defendant to be sentenced. we've had more than 100 of those now, 20 of those now.

he is the first defendant to actually, that the government wants to label as an act of domestic terrorism. and triggered this sentencing enhancement. which will actually, really bump up the number of years he will spend behind bars. it's a cudgel and a lot of the situations. it really brings up the number of months that you are exposed to, years that you're exposed to, when you actually come time for your sentencing. we'll find out on august 1st. >> there are still a hundreds of alleged insurrectionists at large, kevin downie junior, right wing comedian, who i believe appeared on america's got talent. what can you tell us about, i guess what we call, a man hunt for the insurrectionists? that are still -- >> this is an individual, i remember. he's one of the highest profile individuals, also pretty low level cases will get to eventually. the government the fbi has a

hundreds of these types of cases, where they have the name, they have identified the information about an individual. and frankly, doj is pretty overwhelmed. it is a really large investigation, the largest number of defendants that have ever been charged in connection with an investigation, and american history. it is really going to be, a really long battle for them. what is interesting about this individual is that, obviously, he is sort of a figure, of some, that is somewhat known. he appeared on america's got talent. as you mentioned. he talked a lot about this, he's actually written for the media, about january 6th. i don't know if the editorial standards of the media is up to par. but he has disclosed that he is inside the capitol. when he has written a lot of these posts, condemning the fbi investigation, and saying they were overreaching. that will certainly be a subject of relevance, when this case is eventually brought

forward. giving his name to the fbi, he got a very solid case filled against him. the fbi will be relying on these lists, for case after case after case. >> ryan hits on the real crime, which is the lack of journalistic transparency. thank you very much for that. switching to steve bannon's contempt trial, set to begin tomorrow, it does not look like he is going to get out of it. despite the last-ditch motion to dismiss the case. that was filed on friday. his own lawyer has admitted, he does not have much of a defense. i think he says there is no defense. what do you expect to happen when this trial gets underway tomorrow? and, will it move the needle essentially for others in trump's inner circle? who are currently defying subpoenas? >> there is always a last-minute dance in these cases. particularly in a case like this, where the governments evidence is compelling. would have a lot of motivation, working at typical defendant, to consider entering a plea of

guilt tomorrow morning. it seems unlikely, that we will see that from him, at least in some part. because the sentence that he faces, is not too long. it's not guy reffitt looking at 15 years, it's steve bannon looking at a mandatory minimum, 30 days. perhaps up to as much as a year. i would doubt, that we would see a sentence of that length. i think we will see a trial, in this case. the governments evidence is strong. you never want to predict in advance, because you have to have the consensus of a unanimous jury, to convict. if bannon is convicted, if nothing else, it will send a message to people, who are still in the process, of flouting subpoenas from the committee. that they have to at least make some show, some simmons of compliance, both for testimony, and for documents. and that could help the committee moving forward. because it is clear that although we are heading into the eighth hearing, their work is not done. >> fair enough, got you. thanks for leading off the show

this morning, really appreciate it. joining me now is joanna freeman. and professor of history in american studies, at the great yale university. let me play you a bit of sound from tuesday's hearing, it's jason van tatenhove. one of the extremist groups, at the center of the violence of january 6th. listen to the warning he had about that day i want to get your take on the other side. >> i think we need to quit mincing words, and talk about truths, and what it was going to be was, and armed revolution. people died that day. law enforcement officers died that day. there were gallows set up, in front of the capital. this could have been a spark that started a new civil war. and no one would have won their. that would have been good for no one. . >> joanne, that line, the word civil war, that really stood

out for me, and i'm assuming a lot of people. was it hyperbole or not? what actually does in your estimation, make a civil war? one of the sparks we should be looking out for? >> that's a really good question. i think in many cases, within the recent months, and even years of controversy, we tend to get stuck on words. civil war, is one of those phrases. that i think for people, has a very set, meaning besides x, versus side why, it will be very apparent. they will be a break. and there is something very definitive, and obvious about what people assume a civil war to be. i would prefer, not to use the phrase civil war. i would just say the question really to ask is, will there be civil violence? will there be violence between one side, and another? it is not a civil war. if you look back in time for example, and looked back to another moment, or in the mid

19th century, you had the confederates. unless you talk after the civil war, they attacked the government. the civil war was over. they were allowed back into the union, reconstruction began. yes. here we are, we have a reconciliation, everything is fine. what is important to note, what happened then, that is beginning to happen now, is on a local level. because what happened was, reconstruction on a national level, like we think civil war, on a national level, was operating on a local level, in the south. there was violence, there were attacks. they basically, the civil war became civil warfare in the south. what i would say, people need to think about today's, not to look for a civil war, which in a sense, they will never see. but really, think about what it is they are seeing, not just on the national level that is very important, but also, on a local level, what does it mean, and a

local level, what can we do about? it >> yeah. a lot to think about. especially with the post reconstruction period. somewhat different question. benny thompson, and the chair of the select committee says, they are still deciding whether to subpoena donald trump and mike pence, and still remains to be seen with the doj will take on that. you have been tweeting that quote, accountability matters, enormously. this is sort of a broad question. what does history tell us about what happens when we go through these episodes of civil strife, or civil war? and the people who are responsible for it, do not get held accountable? >> i have been tweeting about all the time, because it is at the heart of democratic governments. at its heart, what it really means is, the people who, we the american people give power to, are accountable to us, for their use of that power.

that is one of the things that the heart of democratic governments. it goes hand in hand with things like the rule of law. no one is above the law. and actually, with free and fair elections as well. those are three things that are all bound up in the working of democracy. if you stab at any of those things, that is a serious wound. i think one of the things that we are seeing, with the january 6th hearings, and why it is so important for us to be watching and thinking about them, is not necessarily because of what the outcome would be, but by having those hearings, by holding people at least accountable, visually, congressionally, showing, going through this, asking witnesses, preventing evidence, in and of itself, that is setting free and fair elections are important. that is saying people need to be held accountable. and that is saying that no one, is above the rule of law. that has to happen, and it is vitally important that it happens now. if it had not happened, we

would be in even deeper trouble. >> good case to make for the importance of this committee. john freeman, thank you so much for joining us this morning. we really appreciate it. we will have much more on the january 6th investigation, and thursdays upcoming part-time hearing, later in the show. plus, the latest on the fight for reproductive rights in america's post world president. including the chaos and confusion, that could be deadly. and last week, the father of one of the students killed in the parkland mass shooting, publicly confronted president biden, demanding he do more about the gun violence epidemic. he will join me next, right here, on velshi.

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school shooting, may get some long awaited answers today. later this afternoon, texas house investigative committee, is set to release its findings,

in the investigation into the police response, to the shooting at robb elementary school. that includes the full 77 minute surveillance video, from inside the school. they already got a dramatic video, followed by -- the officers waited around, in the hallway, to confront the government, who was actively opening fire inside a classroom. >> the recent string of mass shootings have reinvigorated the anger, my families touched by the losses. school buses formed a mile long procession, to ted cruz's house in houston texas. altogether there were 4000, 368 empty bus seats, to represent the number of children killed by gun violence, since 2020. it was organized by manuel and patricia oliver. a teen killed in the school shooting in parkland florida, over four years ago. the four bus that had arrived

at cruises, home carried items that belong to school shooting victims. including, a lebron james miami heat jersey, adored by their son hakeem. joining me now, is manuel oliver. father of the late joaquin oliver. the founder of change the ref, him and his wife organize that massive demonstration. thank you so much, for being here today. i really appreciate it. i want to say, you also hand-delivered a letter, to the officer of senator cruz. it was written by her son, before he passed. he was 12 years old when he wrote it. can you tell us a little bit about what was in that letter? >> sure, thank you for having me on the show. that was a letter that, patricia found in her teens room. probably a few weeks after hooking was shot, the letter was -- it was directed to gun owners

in general. the letter was asking a simple question, dear gun owners why are you not okay with a background check? with a couple of other lines including words like killing machine, stricter gun laws, he was only 12 years old, and he was asking for the same things that we asked for today. it was really impactful to find out that hakeem was an activist, before we became activists, >> out of curiosity, how did you discover that letter? was it always in your possession? where did you find it after the fact? >> after the fact, my wife was cleaning his room. trying to keep it clean, and nice. and we still have it, and his room has been untouched, so

yes. she found a fool -- few school projects. kept the letter for her, she did not tell me anything, until a few days later, then she told me, she kept it. we only show it to a few people, and this was the opportunity to bring it out, and show it to everyone. >> amazing. since your son's death, you have channeled this pain into activism. it is hard. you are not afraid to voice your opinion. on monday, you interrupted president joe biden during a rose garden speech. let's play a bit of the interaction, i will talk to you on the other side of it. >> we can match meaningful -- meaningful progress, on dealing with gun violence. because make no mistake, sit-down, you'll hear what i have to say.

let him talk. okay? because make no mistake. >> so, manuel, it is hard to hear what you were saying. what was the message you are trying to convey to the president? also, i want to know. did you get in touch with the president, or anyone who worked with him, after the fact? >> no. let me start by saying that, a lot of the reasons i did that is, when i met the president, a couple of years ago, he was running for president. , he told me that, you need to find a purpose in life, to fight against anything. i thought, that was great advice. we both know what's losing a loved one means, and how that impacts your life. so, he gave me that advice, to just move on. don't let anybody stop you. what i did that day in the white house was, asked him for

more. very specific by the way, i was asking the president, to open in office, state office in the white house, that will be 24/7 dedicated to prioritizing gun violence. a person that you can go to, and find solutions. he knows, it's not the first time that i try to communicate with the president. i have done it before. this time, it was really a response that he has very lucky -- little reasons to celebrate, something that took 30 years to pass. and also, during those 30 years, my son was shot. >> obviously, no one should have to go through, what you went through. i'm curious, at an emotional level. i've talked with a friend about this too. another victim of a shooting in parkland. about the ways that the grief

lingers with you. and the ways that the grief of that day, changes you. i'm curious for you, how has that grief lingered? how has it changed you as a person? >> patricia and myself, we work on these, every single day. yes we were in the white house. with more than 2000 others. reality is, i have not stopped working against gun violence, since february 14th, 2018. we decided to go in that direction, we decided to refresh our memory, every single day. with what happened. and trying financers to it. we learned a lot during the process, and once you decide that direction, you have to be able to handle, emotional situations. i think i am, what i did on saturday, way different than what i did a few months ago when i climbed that crane in

front of the white house, or what we do every day. i do not have a problem remembering what happened, i don't want to forget what happened. i don't want to pass the chapter, and continue with my life. the way it was because that is impossible. once you decide to do this, to take this path, you have to be strong enough, or understand, that you will need to go through this. >> manuel, thank you so much. i am so sorry what happened, i appreciate you coming on and talking about it here with us. thank you. a quick programming note, tonight you can tune in, for a special edition of weekend nightly news. it will be focused on gun violence, when i end america, four separate teams have been embedded in cities, across the country, overnight, to witness firsthand the effects of gun violence. crime and consequences, one night in america, airs tonight, at 6:30 pm eastern only, on nbc news. up next, the life and death

chaos of america's post -- doctors in several states are not forced to walk very dangerous lines, between what is legal, and what is medically needed. >> to help prevent prevent (vo) right now america deserves the network more people rely on. introducing welcome unlimited from verizon. at our best price ever. just $30 per line. (joe) wait, did he just say $30 dollars? (vo) yep. $30 dollars a line for the whole family. 5g network. you can even keep your phone. (ned) easy peasy. (vo) and we'll help you cover the cost to switch. (ted) definitely switching. (ned) totally. (vo) everybody is, like literally everybody! the network you want, the price you love. only from verizon. kids don't always take the best care of school supplies. so save money shopping back to school on amazon.

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discomfort and swelling. you've come this far... coolsculpting takes you further. visit coolsculpting.com over the past week, the case of a ten year old rape victim, traveled across state lines when abortion gave a high-profile example, of a post world america. tenure lives in ohio. a six-week abortion, bans shortly after the supreme court overturned roe v. wade. because she was past that six week mark, a house law does not include exceptions for victims of rape and incest. she had to get an abortion, in indiana. a state that is likely to enact its own ban soon. the case itself shows how abortion bans are creating new hardships. even for young victims of sexual abuse. also highlights the complicated situation, the overturning of

roe has created for many medical professionals. the doctor who provided abortion care for the girl, in indiana, has now herself become the target of threats, and smears, including from people a -- indiana's republican attorney general, has gone as far as saying that he will be investigating dr. bernard, for her past conduct, and her current conduct. there is real concern among medical professionals, that their work could now open them up to new legal risks. which has resulted in disruptions of tear. according to the washington post, and one recent case, and wisconsin, a woman bled for more than ten days, ten days. from an incomplete miscarriage, after emergency room staff, we're not removing the fetal tissue, and made a confusing legal landscape, that has upset -- back with me to discuss this, is former u.s. attorney and professor the --

professor at the university of alabama school of law. joyce, thanks for sticking with us. doctors are now having to dread, tread a very fine line between medical practice, and adhering to these new anti abortion laws. all without really understanding what those laws mean. what are the legal risks, of medical professionals, what they are exposed to, and what is, how confusing is the landscape right now? >> sam, your question identifies the issues, perfectly. this is all about confusion. and that is a feature, not above the post-roe world from the conservative perspective. the impact, the confusion about what the law means, will have on the provision of abortion care, it is a really negative one. because of you pointed out, doctors are concerned about what they can do, whilst ailing -- staying within the parameters of the law. that lack of specificity about

where the line, is between permissible care and in permissible care, is what will keep women and perhaps more tragic cases like the ten year old girl, it will keep them from obtaining necessary medical services, and these are medical services. we are talking about women who are bleeding for ten days, following miscarriages, and other medical issues. >> this is what the biden administration, did not try to address this. last monday, the issue, they had a guidance that let doctors know, under federal law, they can perform an abortion, in an emergency, and case in emergency, even in states that have abortion mandates. let's be upfront with what happened. texas sued, to push back against the law. but even then, from a legal standpoint, it is very difficult to figure out, what is in emergency? what is the legal definition of an emergency? >> for doctors, if they get that call wrong, they face not only civil suits, not just

termination of the medical licenses, but this risk of criminal prosecution. we are putting our medical professionals, in an untenable position here. >> from the perspective of a woman, these laws tend to target abortion providers for punishment. many women have in the past, when roe's legal, been arrested for abortion related acts. if you are a pregnant woman, do you look at this and say, i could be in legal jeopardy? if i pursue an abortion? or if i cross the state line? or if i ask for medical care during a miscarriage? >> not only are women having to face situations, involving, a very personal decision, that they are making. often women are making, and we do not need to rehash it, but they are making abortion decisions, and medical circumstances, or personal circumstances. now they have to be concerned about whether or not, they may

exposed loved ones, that are helping them to either civil lawsuits, or again to the risk of criminal prosecution. essentially, what we are doing is, we've reduced women to second class citizenship status, as they are forced to make these very personal decisions about health care. and the context of concern, that what they're doing, is committing a criminal act, simply because they are obtaining care. >> quickly, is there anything from political or legal perspectives, that the biden administration, could simply provide more legal clarity, around what is going on? >> it's hard, because all of these laws are a matter of state law. but the biden task force, the work being done a doj, led by the associate attorney general, i think, will serve to clarify, and will make some clear paths forward for medical professionals. here is the problem. with all of this risk associated with providing this care, some folks may just

choose the safer course, and that means women -- >> well, joyce vance, the multi dimensional multi faceted commentator, joyce, thank you very much for joining me to discuss this. and other issues, i really appreciate it. all right, the january 6th attack on the capitol forever, changed america. we know, that for one group of lawmakers, the insurrection was personal. the call on the infamous, day several of those who were in the house gallery, the night the it unfolded. that's next on velshi. >> unfolded. that's next on velshi.

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history, has there ever been anything like this. >> millions of americans recall where they were, and what they were doing as rioters attacked the u.s. capitol on january 6th. but one specific group of members member that they all too well. members of congress, trapped in the house gallery, as the attack unfolded. nbc's -- was on capitol hill, with more, on the so-called gallery group. >> sam, whenever i walk into the january 6th hearings room, the first people that i look for, are usually sitting at the back of the chamber, there are lawmakers who did not take an oath to defend democracy, but who are at the very center of what happened here on january 6th. >> the pounding, that just made my own heart race. >> at the back of every january 6th, hearing is a group of people who uniquely know, the searing sounds and scenes of

the insurrection. because they are barely survived it. >> i thought that we all could have died that day. >> dozens of lawmakers trapped in the gallery of the house chamber, now refer to themselves, as the gallery group their colleagues on the house floor, already escaping, when rioters breached the building. these lawmakers, and reporters among, them were forced to shelter, and wait. as long as an extra 20 minutes. now committed to attending, as many hearings as possible. >> i have felt so compelled. >> silent witnesses. >> some of us were witnesses, but the victim was the country. our democracy, our republic. it is like having to be there as a way to try to seek justice. >> not that it has been easy. >> it's a very traumatic. it's triggering. >> when a colleague is not within arms reach, a yearlong group text between members, has been a critical support structure. because that day, they all imagined the worse. >> i thought we were going to be gunned out. >> veronica was wearing a beautiful white jacket, she was

standing up. i'm hollering, because i'm picturing with you picture, the possibility of an assault rifle just spraying across, like we were a peanut gallery, or shooting gallery at a carnival. i remember hollowing, very annika, get down. she was such a target. >> on thursday, these members will be both viewers, and part of the story. >> what we think will be shown to the american people, is that we ducked into the elevator, and it's 30 seconds until these rioters are in that hallway. >> committee's final hearing, is set to spotlight the minute by minute accounting of the six, juxtaposed with former president donald trump's hours of an action to stop it. that is likely there has -- last hearing. they will not say for certain, with the investigation still active. >> for those who experienced the sixth, conversation often centers on the violence of that day, and the loss. on a personal level, yes. but also for the country. >> and its ability to trust its foundational democratic principles, like a peaceful transfer of power, being upheld, these hearings now provided the

possibility of, reclaiming some of that. >> we are getting something back. which is something we have been clamoring for, for the last six years. which is the truth. >> it has made me far more determined to fight for democracy. in a way, like never before. >> when that fight gets too much to bear alone -- >> i don't know what i would do without my colleagues, who lived through it. >> we are lucky. >> it's much easier to do together. >> because, if you suffered that trauma alone, you do not know how to share it. and for us to be able to share, we are forever bonded. no matter where our paths take us, we will be forever bonded by that difficult day, and the good people that were here. >> sam, for them, they are preparing to be potential people that they see, on the screen, during the january six committees upcoming hearing next week. but, they also say that this interview, and watching these hearings unfold live, have all played vital parts in their

healing, from that day to. sam? >> nbc's ali vitale. thank you so much for that, appreciate it. ahead of november's midterms, election officials across the country are sounding the alarm, on a new threat to the integrity and trustworthiness of america's elections. this time, threat comes from within the system itself. that is next, on velshi.

, with midterms fast approaching, election officials across the country, are warning of a growing threat to this year's race. this threat coming from inside the election system itself. national association of secretaries of state, kicked off its annual summer conference last week, over a dozen attendees said they received quote, a growing number of insider threats. leading to attempted or successful election security breaches. aided by local officials. aided by local officials.

most prominent security center breach, the colorado, clark was indicted on charges of tampering with election equipment. after she allegedly aided and breach of her own counties voting machines, -- that the 2020 results were manipulated. there is another kind of insider threat to elections, beyond those coming from inside. this one is spreading across the country to, that is the trump undermining the elections by way of lies. conspiracy theories. we recently saw this method of work in new mexico. we're a board of commission -- commissioners, in a dominant republican county, refused to certify an election last month, citing debunked conspiracy theories, regarding voting machines. they backed the supreme court, to certify the election, or face potential criminal

charges. it does not mean the threat is over, one of the most disturbing warnings, is that these efforts are a multi-year, nationally coordinated effort. to join us is janet griswold, colorado secretary of state, she's also chair of the democratic association of secretaries of state. thank, you how worried are you and your colleagues, worried about insider threats, especially being 100 days or so away from the midterms? >> good morning sam. i appreciate you having me on. we are incredibly concerned, about the massive attack on democracy, we are seeing across this nation. i address the nation's first insider threats in mason county, when that county clerk actually compromised her voting equipment, trying to prove the big lie. i ended up decertifying the voting equipment, a judge removed her from oversight of the election. i asked my 2018 republican opponent to step in. but it is part of the larger attack on democracy, from the

voter suppression, the threats to election administrators, the insider threats, we are seeing a code red for american democracy. >> colorado requires surveillance of voting systems. increases penalties for tampering. giving unauthorized access to those systems. how confident are you, in a bill like that, essentially preventing election interference? >> as secretary of state, i will always be totally focused on making sure that every eligible republican democrat and unaffiliated, can have their voice heard. as part of that, recognizing the new threat, i actually lead that piece of legislation. what it does is, it makes it a felony to compromise a voting equipment. increased security, requiring 20 47 cameras, and protect whistleblowers. i have confidence that our elections are safe and secure, but i do really encourage the

rest of the nation, to prepare for these insider threats. because we are seeing local election officials, and i want to underline, a minority of local election officials, become security risks through the belief of the big lie. >> i guess the question is to rephrase the last one, can you ever put in place a legal regime, a legislative -- that makes elections, foolproof, for people who want to menace them? >> yes. you can put redundancy, upon redundancy, in place. that is what colorado has. even though, and mesa county, the actual election was not at risk. because we test all the voting equipment, ahead of the election, by bipartisan teams of election judges. the voting equipment is not connected to the internet. we do bipartisan risk limiting audits. i think, any good election system, has to have a lot of redundancies. as secretary of state, i am dedicated to making sure that colorado maintains its gold

standard, in election security. >> you talked about, turning to your 2019 republican opponent, to step in and essentially help out. it leads me to wonder, you said, it is just a minority of people, who are trying to interfere in the elections, from the inside. when you talk to you republican colleagues, what are they saying about these threats? do you wish that they would speak out more publicly? to essentially protect the future integrity of the elections? >> absolutely. i wish republican secretaries across this nation, would really lean in, and verbalized where we are at. we are at a point where, the right to vote in democracy, could be lost. >> do they privately acknowledge it? or do they not privately acknowledge? it >> i think some of them do. we are seeing republican secretary of states, and the majority, not every single one,

an extremist candidates -- election deniers are running across this country, donald trump and his extremist loyalists, have a firm grip on national republican politics. so, american democracy, is at peril. we saw donald trump tried to steal the presidency in 2020, and his efforts are now focused on 2022, and 2024. that is why american voters have such a big role, this upcoming election. to reject these election deniers, who are trying to oversee the nation's election infrastructure, and make sure that we save american democracy, at the ballot box, in 2022. >> all right. janet griswold, thank you so much for joining us this morning, we really appreciate it. don't go anywhere, straight ahead, the consequences from the fall of roe. plus the latest on president biden's trip abroad. january six investigation, and much more. another hour, of velshi, starts

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17th. it's 9 am in the east, 6 am in the west. i'm sam stein, filling in as best i can. it's not even been a month since roe v. wade was overturned, but we'll already hearing plenty of stories about

the drastic, potentially deadly consequences of the supreme court's decision. since the court handed down insulin on june 24th, we've seen access to abortion shrink across the country. these are the states that have already, or likely will soon, ban abortion, the nine states you see there in the dark, that's what's already been done. abortion care is no longer provided at all. legal abortion is nearly nonexistent in most of the south. additionally, there are now six states, with new restrictions that have gone into effect since roe is overturned. six-week abortion bans are not alone for those states including ohio, with the case of the ten year old rape victim, has drawn national attention. a six-week ban is a near total ban, many people would not even know they're pregnant at that stage. ohio's near total abortion ban does not include exceptions for victims of rape or incest, which meant that the ten-year-old girl had to travel to indiana for an abortion. since speaking out about