republicans so needful of getting those same day votes. democrats seemingly have banked a lot early. alexi mccammond, thank you very much for joining us this morning. and we of course all day on msnbc will have complete coverage of the georgia senate runoff. we appreciate you getting up "way too early" on this tuesday morning. jam packed "morning joe" starts right now. we got married. we're a little bit crazy, aren't we. >> well done, you grab yourself a -- you've got rebecca.

have a seat, get me a drink. >> sweetheart, i'll just be over here. >> okay, hubby, don't you stop loving me. >> i married a plumber. >> kirstie alley in her emmy winning role in the classic nbc sitcom "cheers." the actress being remembered this morning after passing away from cancer yesterday. we'll have more on her life and career. and it is decision day in georgia, again, incumbent senator rafael warnock will be on the ballot today for the fifth time in two years. this time facing republican challenger herschel walker. steve kornacki is standing by at the big board to set the stage for tonight's big night. plus, donald trump now claims he did not advocate for the termination of the constitution claiming fake news over his

direct written quote saying exactly that. we'll have the latest on his lame attempt at a walk back as more republicans speak out sort of. good morning, and welcome to "morning joe." it is tuesday, december 6th. with us we have the host of "way too early," white house bureau chief at "politico," jonathan lemire, former aide to the george w. bush white house and state department, elise jordan, an msnbc political analyst, and former secretary of homeland security under president obama jeh johnson. good to have you all along with willie and me. joe will be back tomorrow. great to have jeh johnson here, especially with what is going on in north carolina this morning gl yeah, it's amazing. we're going to get to georgia in a second, but you're right, tens of thousands of north carolina residents spent another night in the cold after officials say someone deliberately opened fire on two energy substations. joining us now from moor county, north carolina, nbc news

correspondent blayne alexander. what are we learning not only about the state of emergency that's been put in place there, but what exactly happened? >> reporter: willie, good morning to you. this morning there are still some 37,000 people in this area who don't have power, who don't have heat, and we're talking about temperatures in the low 40s. we know that crews are working around the clock to repair two very severely damaged substations, but they say it could be as late as thursday before the majority of people see their lights back on. meanwhile, investigators here are still looking into what they call a willful and malicious attack. as the sun sets on moore county, north carolina, tens of thousands of residents are left in the dark for a third straight night. how did you guys stay warm? >> a lot of blankets a lot of blankets. >> the work of at least one criminal vandal, officials say who intentionally targeted the county's electrical system. >> what happened here saturday

night was a criminal attack. >> reporter: the fbi says it's investigating willful damage after officials say at least one gunman broke through gates accessing two duke energy substations and started shooting. enough damage to knock out power to more than 45,000 customers, the majority of them, still in the dark. >> this was not a random act. this was something targeting the folks that done this is actually what they were doing, and that's scary. >> reporter: businesses rose, and busy intersections all in the dark. how dangerous is this situation? >> it's very dangerous. we have had several accidents already due to power outages. we had shots fired. we had robbery attempts. >> reporter: duke energy would not detail security measures around the substations but says they do meet industry requirements. . are these energy stations secure enough? >> you know, we have robust security measurements and requirements as an electric utility. we're regulated. we look for opportunities of how we can improve that process,

things that we can do, and we'll take learnings from this. >> reporter: as temperatures dip into the low 40s, for many, this grocery, one of the few with power is the only refuge. >> it's cold, and i come over here a couple of times a day to get some hot good. >> reporter: just to get warm. >> yeah. >> reporter: we have no heat, we have no cooking facilities. >> reporter: how are you getting by? >> barely. >> reporter: and willie, of course we're seeing different spots around the area, just like that grocery store that are running on generator power, people are flocking to those areas that are trying to charge their phones or get warm for a little bit. meanwhile, officials say as of this morning, there are no suspects and they don't yet have a motive, willie. >> no claims of responsibility, nothing like that in a rural area, less than 40,000 people hit by that. strange story, many more questions to be answered. nbc's blayne alexander.

thank you so much. mr. secretary. you are still there at homeland security, what kind of questions would you be asking this morning. >> first, i would want to know what the motive for the attack was. this is no doubt a woeful and malicious criminal act. i would want to know whether this is part of some larger criminal plot or plan for an attack on critical infrastructure, on power grids. >> like a tryout or something. >> this is yet another reminder of the importance of redundancy in critical infrastructure. if you can take out two substations with gunfire, which takes out power for 45,000 people in north carolina. >> right. that really does speak to the need for the ability to have redundancy, if there's a physical attack on a substation like this. dhs has been putting out bulletins lately. every six months warning about the heightened threat

environment. one of the things i noted from the latest bulletin is attackers can be inspired by prior attacks, and that's consistent with my own experience here. so this is a dangerous environment. my guess is that the fbi, local police are hot on the trail of these guys, whoever did this. i wouldn't be surprised if there was surveillance cameras at the substation, and my bet is that they're arrested before a week. >> really. okay. okay. we're going to be following this. especially given the implications that you alluded to there. we'll go to georgia where polls across georgia will open next hour for the state's highly anticipated senate runoff election between incumbent democrat senator rafael warnock and republican challenger, herschel walker before any ball --ots are cast today, as well as several recent polls showing

a 4 to 5 point edge. walker now has to rely on strong election day turnout to win the senate seat. word is it's raining there. both candidates spent the final day barn storming the state. making a final case to voters and pushing supporters to the ballot box. and i want to say this is about turnout. this is about turnout, and now we got to get in the game. and we can't sit on the sideline anymore because if we sit on the sideline, you'll see what we're going to get. we're going to get people that you can't trust anymore, get your friends to vote. call your friends to vote. this is so important, and i say this, if you don't have friends, what do you need to do, make some friends and get them out to vote. >> listen, the people of georgia are showing up. and i think it's because they understand how much is at stake. we've seen record voter turnout day after day after day.

but here's the thing, i want people to understand that although we're seeing record voter turnout during this early voting period that ended friday, we need people to show up again tomorrow. given my opponent, this race is not even about republican versus democrat, red versus blue. right versus left. it's right versus wrong. and i think people see that. >> both candidates speaking yesterday in georgia, let's go right over to the big board where nbc news national political correspondent steve kornacki is standing by. steve, we've got record early voting in this race, which has big implications for what happens today, and it looks like herschel walker is going to need to have a big day to make up for some of what we have seen in early voting. >> recent elections, we have seen plenty of examples here where one party, generally the democrat seems to have a strong advantage in the early vote, and we come into election day saying the republicans need to pull a rabbit out of the hat here, and

they do in terms of getting out the turnout they need. to give you a sense of what republicans need today, here is what the early and mail-in vote was in the general election in georgia, about 2 1/2 million in the general, and actually, it's going to fall short of 2 million here for the runoff. remember, this is a truncated period. they had nine weeks of early voting before the general election. a much shorter period than the condensed nature of the runoff. you're seeing extremely high single day totals for the early vote. that's been making the headlines. when you add it together. it's short of the 2022 general number. it still is nearly 2 million voters. that is a big number for a runoff. if you look at the composition here, this is the 2022 general election. this is the entire electorate, same day mail early, all combined together, and this is what runoff electorate so far has looked like, and i think one thing that stands out here is a higher share of the electorate, african-american in the run yauch. not just compared to the general election. but that would also be true if you compared it to the early

voting period ahead of the general election. i think when democrats say that they are excited about what they're seeing in the early voting numbers. that is specifically what they're talking about because if there was some weakness for them in that senate race in november, well, warnock did finish ahead of walker, black turnout was low in georgia relative to previous midterm elections. in the last runoff, after the 2020 presidential election when warnock first got elected, we saw democrats successfully increase black turnout between the general election and the runoff. that's something they're trying to pull off again today, and again, the early voting data suggests it's possible they have done that. if they have, what that means obviously is it just intensifies the need for walker, for republicans to really turn out the vote in some of their core areas here, and if you look, where do republicans get their most votes in georgia, their biggest margins, you look in sort of the fringes of the atlanta metro area. a place like forsyth county.

this is a core republican county, the second biggest republican plurality producing county in georgia, and just take a look here. you saw something in forsyth county in november that was true statewide. it was particularly true in core republican counties. here in the senate race, walker beat warnock by a two to one margin. healthy margin, 33,000 votes and change right there. compare that to how brian kemp did in the same county in the governor's race. he won it by 46 points. he got a margin of nearly 50,000 votes out of forsyth county. we saw this in county after county. the electorate that turned out in the november general election, statewide in georgia was actually a very republican friendly electorate. joe biden's approval rating with georgia voters was 41%. republicans won the other statewide contest. kemp won the governor's race fairly easily. on paper, it was the kind of electorate that you think would elect a republican senator. it clearly had reservations about herschel walker and you

saw this in county after county. forsyth was a good example. you could go next door to cherokee county. similar gap, kemp won by 50. walker under performing kemp, under performing the rest of the republicans running statewide in georgia. what the republicans will tell you, what's different in the runoff. it's that kemp has been actively involved in walker's campaign this time around. there was distance between them, clearly in the general election. they say kemp's on board now, and what that's going to mean is when you look at the forsyth county, a cherokee county. when you look at the fayette county, that's another one we're talking about, south of atlanta tonight. you're going to see walker numbers that get closer to, probably won't reach but get closer to the kemp level. if he can improve. if walker in a place like cherokee county is north of 70%. that could make all the difference. republicans need turnout here. they need voters who voted for kemp, but not for walker.

they need them to turn out, and cast ballots for walker to offset what the democrats have done. >> this has been a margin of error last month. the last couple of polls in the last few days show a little bit of a lead for warnock. how much stock do you put in the numbers. >> it would be consistent with what you have seen in early voting numbers in terms of democrats have a big advantage here. keep in mind, though, georgia just in terms of becoming a politically competitive state. joe biden did win in 2020. you're talking about a margin there of a little bit more than 10,000 votes. warnock did win that runoff. jon ossoff won that runoff. the last time a democrat won a senate race in georgia by more than two points, you got to go back to zelle miller, ended up endorsing george w. bush in 2000. and before that, you go back another ten years to sam nun in

1990. georgia has been changing demographically, becoming more competitive. democrats have more opportunity to win. so much has to do with the core atlanta metro area. when they have been winning, they have been winning squeakers. some of these polls, if warnock were to win by the margin you're seeing in some of these polls, that wouldn't be a win for democrats. that would be a breakthrough in georgia. >> margin of error race in a margin of error state. steve kornacki, a long day and night ahead of you. we'll see you tomorrow. also interesting to note, donald trump has not been in the state rallying for herschel walker, despite the fact that's his hand picked candidate. republicans stay away. get a phone call last night there was a small event, no press, nothing. not a rally. >> republicans asking donald trump to stay away. what is it -- how do they do it, elise? and also for georgia voters, i mean, i wonder, especially given the aggressive ad campaign by

rafael warnock, letting herschel walker's words speak for themselves, and now knowing this isn't about the balance of power. this is about getting one more, which is especially important for democrats. but it isn't as make or break after nevada. i wonder if the mindset in the voting booths is different after listening to him speak over and over again, thanks to aggressive ad buys by the warnock campaign. >> mika, i think you nailed it. the voters can actually make it to the voting booth. if they weren't that excited first go around in turning out, they voted for brian kemp and didn't vote for walker, are they really going to come back and vote for herschel walker today. >> and they might. >> if i had to bet, i would say no. it's not looking good for herschel walker right now. i mean, who knows. but the early voting number that stuck out for me with turnout. women voted 56% to men voting

early, 43%. women are really out pacing men voting in this runoff election. >> the implications are significant. you're right, control for the senate is no longer in the balance. but if democrats were to get the 51st vote, not only does it break the deadlocks in the committees, mr. secretary, also, of course, it de-emphasized the influence that senator manchin, and senator sinema who have been holdouts. now they can afford to lose one or two of those. >> i'm a graduate of moor house college in atlanta, georgia. this could be reduced to a simple equation. herschel walker was an iconic football player but not qualified to be u.s. senator. i this was a cynical attempt by

republicans to simply put a celebrity out there with the expectation that voters in georgia, particularly black voters in georgia were going to vote for him, and all the stories i have been reading is that walker is polling, you know, very low even among black voters in georgia. >> i think, you know, i was talking to reverend al yesterday, and it's like, a lot of black voters are thinking are you serious. i mean, come on, this is insulting. sorry, he's not qualified. we can say it over and over again, and this is not a matter of left or right. this is a matter of can he speak to the issues, does he have a grasp on the issues, would he be able to perform the job as senator of the state of georgia. are you kidding me? >> this all leads back to donald trump. this is his guy, a party that's scared of donald trump. he said this is the candidate, and they said yes, sir, so now

they have been for the last several months having to make the best of what they can with the order they got from donald trump. and to your point mr. secretary, it's to listen publicly and privately, incredibly patronizing to herschel walker, he's a republican, effectively he's going to do what we tell him to do. he's going to be a vote for what we want. he'll be a rubber stamp. we get it. we don't put him in public. he embarrasses himself. >> ted cruz and lindsey graham sandwiching him on fox news, wherever he would go where they would not ask him hard questions, and he wouldn't have to answer them necessarily. >> lindsey graham would say this is a vote for republicans. we get it. he's a terrible candidate, donald trump handed us this, but he's a vote for us. >> we're going to get to a lot more on donald trump's statement about terminating the constitution, which he put in

writing, and now trying to walk back, and also some republicans somewhat having a response to it that's a little bit different than before. we'll have that in just a moment. arizona has certified its 2022 midterm results following pushback from election deniers. at an event in phoenix yesterday, secretary of state and governor elect katie hobbs along with governor doug ducey and arizona's attorney general signed documents to certify results from the state's 15 counties. it's a routine step in arizona's election process that was delayed after some republicans claimed without evidence that there were problems with the vote count. at yesterday's ceremony, hobbs spoke about the importance of protecting democracy. >> as we've learned these past few years, protecting our democracy requires everyone's participation to help discern truth from fiction. arizona had a successful

election but too often throughout the process, powerful voices proliferated misinformation that threatened to disenfranchise voters. democracy prevailed but it's not out of the woods. 2024 will bring a host of challenges from the election denial community that we must prepare for. >> meanwhile, republican kari lake who lost the race for governor has suggested in recently days that she will file a lawsuit rejecting arizona's election results. sometimes it's easy to cast this off as a comedy side show by some political actress who used to be a tv show news anchor and obama supporter and sort of laugh at the hypocrisy of the whole thing. there's a string of danger we have seen. the midterms were really really resounding in terms of voters stepping up for the united states of america, and for

democracy. but there were a lot of candidates who made it to -- past the primaries who were election deniers, and who took on the trump game like kari lake. can you talk a little bit about why this is important in terms of our homeland security. >> to put it simply, kari lake, candidates like kari lake are playing with fire. people do listen to their leaders. people do listen to those with a microphone. a very large percentage of republicans, a very large percentage of americans today believe that it's appropriate to resort to violence to restore donald trump to office. calls like suspending the constitution, for example, is an implicit call to take matters into your own hands. and so candidates who do not know how to lose gracefully, and

deny the result are really playing fire and tempting violence. >> and also in terms of -- >> and we have to call that out. >> we do have to call it out. at the same time, there's so many problems within this country caused by those who don't want to observe the values and the tenet of our constitution, and want to terminate it, or dip in and say let's terminate it and sayi didn't say that. that's trump. believe him, he wants to term nate the constitution. end of story. our allies are our enemies, this is dangerous on a geopolitical level as well, is it not? >> of course. do we even need to speculate that a lot of this is broadcast across television in china, for example. let's be plain here. denying constitutional norms, calling into question a vote count makes unacceptable

behavior acceptable. and for the deranged among us, violence, inevitable. let's be plain about that. >> not to take a rosy view of this, because there isn't one. the good news is the overwhelming majority of candidates who ran on that platform lost in these midterm elections. some made it through, kari lake being the most prom negligent, -- prominent. she's howling into the wind. the state has moved on. it has a new governor and the new governor was sitting next to a republican governor who oversaw that. >> exactly right. and that's part of this here is just, it shouldn't be, but it was reassuring to see the bipartisan simple ceremony. republican governor handing over power as part of the process, handing over power to an incoming democratic governor, and that's how it should look. kari lake has not conceded. she's threatening legal challenges. to your larger point, we hear from president biden all the time. he sat down in the first overseas trip, the g7 and said that other leaders there, these

democracies said it's so good that america is back in the wake of the president trump's time in office, but then there would be the but for how long, and so much of this is fragile, and he makes the point that the election denial is at the heart of their worry. it is reassuring to see the ceremony yesterday. it is reassuring, the most high profile election deniers lost. and we'll have a majority there soon. it is working the fragile, democracy just holding. >> yes. >> mr. secretary, i want to get your take on this story as well. two senators working to strike a last minute deal on immigration reform before the end of the year. a bipartisan effort, democratic senator kyrsten sinema of arizona, and republican thom tillis of north carolina have drafted a potential immigration proposal that would provide a path to legalization for 2 million dreamers in exchange for at least $25 billion and increased funding for border patrol and border security. the framework reportedly calls for extending title 43, until at

least a year, new regional processing centers can be built. title 42 is a trump era covid policy that allowed authorities to restrict asylum seekers from crossing the border into the united states. most reasonable people admit, mr. secretary, that there is a crisis at the border. there's arrests and everything else that's happening down there. does this sound like a reasonable proposal for you. whether or not it can pass is a different matter. is this a reasonable proposal? >> everything in this package is reasonable. this is congress doing 80% of its homework at one minute to midnight in the lame duck session. whether title 42 remains in place or not, dhs does need the ability to send people back quickly. they sent back repatriated, returned 1.4 million people last year. if title 42 goes away, there needs to be some ability to do

that quickly. we need to speed up our asylum process. the average wait time on an asylum decision is six years. last but not least, we need to codify into law the dhaka -- daca program for young children who have been in the country since they were children. there are yale graduates who are daca recipients. an associate in my law firm is a daca recipientment she asked me, what is my future. i can't tell her. this ought to be a no brain tore codify this into law. >> it's interesting that there is a bipartisan effort here. we should tread cautiously. jake sherman, our friend from punch bowl news who was just on "way too early," there's no time on the calendar. republicans day control of the house. that will make it a harder climb come january, but there seems to be at least some bipartisan interest in the issue. former homeland security secretary jeh johnson, great to have you.

thank you very much for coming on this morning. and still ahead on "morning joe," moscow is blaming ukraine for new attacks on military bases deep inside russia. we'll look at where the fighting stands amid this new escalation. former president donald trump tries to walk back the comments he made in writing about terminating the constitution but he's facing growing backlash from republicans. we'll play the new comments for you. plus a look at the morning papers, including one state's strict abortion ban. that's just been blocked for a second time. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. ching "morn" we'll be right back. research shows people remember commercials with nostalgia. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's one that'll really take you back. wow! what'd you get, ryan? it's customized home insurance

from liberty mutual!!! what does it do, bud? it customizes our home insurance so we only pay for what we need! and what did you get, mike? i got a bike. ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪things are getting clearer♪ ♪i feel free to bare my skin♪ ♪yeah, that's all me♪ ♪nothing and me go hand in hand♪ ♪nothing on my skin♪ ♪that's my new plan♪ ♪nothing is everything♪ achieve clearer skin with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. in another study, most people had 90% clearer skin, even at 4 years. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪it's my moment, so i just gotta say♪ ♪nothing is everything♪

serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections, or a lower ability to fight them, may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. ♪nothing is everything♪ now's the time to ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one dermatologist prescribed biologic. learn how abbvie could help you save. in 3 seconds, 15 couples will share a perfect moment. oh, wow. but we got to sell our houses. well, almost perfect. my place is too small, your place is too far. selling them means repairs, listings, cleanings. what's the market even like? this could take like... forever. or, more like days. skip the hassles and sell directly to opendoor. done. yes. oh, yes.

get your free offer at opendoor.com age comes with wisdom. and wisdom comes with benefits. dryer's broken okay... you want a socket.... that's especially true when it comes to medicare. so make the wise call and learn more about cigna medicare plans in your area. their tools and resources make it simple and easy. bears can smell wifi. visit cignawisecall.com today. you want to flip it. get refunds.com powered by innovation refunds can help your business get a payroll tax refund, even if you got ppp and it only takes eight minutes to qualify. i went on their website, uploaded everything, and i was blown away by what they could do. getrefunds.com has helped businesses get over a billion dollars and we can help your business too. qualify your business for a big refund in eight minutes. go to getrefunds.com to get started.

powered by innovation refunds. i've never been healthier. go to getrefunds.com to get started. shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. . beautiful shot. look at that, it's the christmas

tree. isn't that pretty? jonathan lemire, don't you like it. elise jordan. >> i love the outside of sachs this morning, too. >> everyone bring the kids to see the christmas tree and spend lots of money because i guess that's the point of it. the connecticut post reports that a state resident has filed a federal lawsuit against the u.s. department of veterans affairs alleging it wrongfully denied disability compensation for black veterans at a higher rate than white veterans. the agency's own data reveals that for nearly two decades leading up to 2020, black veterans were denied disability claims at a rate of nearly 40%, while while veterans were denied 24% of the time. >> from indiana, the evansville courier press, a marion county judge issued an injunction

against the abortion ban. claiming it violates religious premium protections. it's the second time it has been blocked. the canton repository leads with a reminder about the dangers of porch pirates this holiday season. really bad. new data shows more than 49 million americans have had a package stolen in the past year. lemire. >> yeah, i've had packages taken from my building. >> oh, my gosh. >> that amounts to nearly 2 1/2 billion dollars in losses nationwide. and florida today reports nasa's orion spacecraft has begun its trip back to earth. it's expected to splash down in the pacific ocean next week. during that mission, orion flew nearly 270,000 miles from earth. that is a new record for a spacecraft designed to carry humans in the program aimed to send americans back to the moon. and news breaking this morning. actress kirstie alley has passed

away after a private battle with cancer. according to a statement from her children, alley's cancer was recently discovered. he rose to fame, we all know, after her breakout role as rebecca howe in the nbc comedy cheers, which earned her an emmy award and a golden globe. she also starred in the popular '90s film franchise "look who's talking" with john travolta and bruce willis. she spent the past two decades starring and competing in several reality tv shows, to "kirstie alley's big life" to "dancing with the stars." she was 71 years old. >> for a lot of us, "cheers" stood out. she did a lot in her career. >> for my money, "cheers" is the greatest sitcom we have ever had.

she was really funny. wonderful show. and a very funny actress. >> i remember watching it when i was a kid, and it was one of those shows that your parents didn't mind having on because it wasn't inappropriate, the jokes kind of went over the head. but then we rewatched it during the pandemic, and it's so good. her character is not only funny, but vulnerable, real. she was so good at rebecca. and it's such sad news. again, 71 years old, kirstie alley passing away from cancer. coming up, president biden travels to phoenix today to celebrate the recollection -- construction of a semiconductor facility in arizona. steve rattner is here with how it might affect u.s. dependency on foreign made tech. plus, the director of the national economic council, brian deese is standing by. he joins us live from the white house straight ahead on "morning joe." from the white house straight ahead on "morning

joe. after more than a year of record inflation, prices are starting to go down. [ applause ] so take that annoying people who finished all of their christmas shopping in november. of their christmas shopping in november you spend the holidays making everyone else smile, but what about your smile? it needs care too, and when it does, aspen dental is here for you. this season, and every season, we offer the custom dental treatments you need, all under one roof, right nearby. so, we can bring more life to your smile, and more smile to your life, affordably. new patients without insurance can get a free complete exam and x-rays, and 20% off treatment plans.

with my hectic life you'd think retirement would be the last thing on my mind. thankfully, voya provides comprehensive solutions and shows me how to get the most out of my workplace benefits. voya helps me feel like i've got it all under control. voya. well planned. well invested. well protected. seatgeek presents voya. well planned. boomstick lady. seatgeek helps her find the perfect seat, so she can sit where her boomsticks make the biggest boom. oh, okay! seatgeek handles the tickets, so fans can fan. you've put your dreams on hold. remember this?

but i spoke to our advisor, and our vanguard investments are on track. “we got this, babe.” so go do what you love. thanks for being our superhero. only at vanguard, you're more than just an investor—you're an owner. giving you flexibility to follow your dreams. that's the value of ownership. psoriasis really messes with you. try. hope. fail. no one should suffer like that. i started cosentyx®. five years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infection, some serious and a lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reaction may occur. best move i've ever made. ask your dermatologist about cosentyx®.

40 past the hour, look at that beautiful shot of the white house, all ready for christmas. sun has yet to come up in washington. time to go to work, everybody. in just a few hours, president biden will head to arizona for a major milestone in the construction of a new $12 billion semiconductor facility in phoenix. the president will be in town as the taiwanese company tsmc holds a first tool in ceremony at its

facility today. signifying the building is ready for the first of the manufacturing equipment to be moved inside. tsmc is the world's largest contract chip maker. joining us now, the director of the white house national economic council brian deese. so brian, if you can talk about why the president is putting a frame around this plant in arizona, not just for what it can do, but our dependence on items from abroad, from overseas, geopolitically, the importance. >> well, yeah, we're looking forward to get on the plane and heading out to phoenix in a couple of hours to mark a really significant milestone. not only is tsmc starting production in that facility that you mentioned but today they will announce that they are going to build an additional fab, semiconductor factory to build the most leading edge chips, and we have been talking about semiconductors for some time. they have affected all of our

lives during the pandemic. the shortage has driven up prices, made things harder to get. particularly the leading edge centimeters, the smallest chips, those power the most advanced computing systems. today the united states makes none of those. they are completely dependent on foreign supply chains. today, with this milestone, that is going to start to change. tsmc's committing to build those in house. it's an economic security issue, and an economic issue, the greater phoenix area, this is going to mean thousands of jobs in construction in engineering and in running this facility once it's up and running. and creating a larger ecosystem in the greater phoenix area, and we're seeing this happen all around the country from new york to ohio to now arizona, and we hope to see it in other places in the country as well. >> hey, good morning, jonathan lemire. you just sort of hinted at it. this is the idea of not having to rely on foreign sources for these chips, which became so --

an issue during the pandemic. if you could put into broader context about what this means about the economic rivalry with china, which we hear from president biden frequently. >> look, we are in an economic competition with china. you have heard it from the president, and you know that that's the case. we also, if you think on a broader global level, one of the things we learned from the pandemic is the dependency we have when our supply chains are not secure. and the semiconductor is a classic example of this. we used to produce 40% of semiconductors, that's fallen to 12. in the leading edge chips, we produce 0%. we're very dependent on foreign supply chains, and principally dependent on chips produced in taiwan. that creates a geopolitical vulnerability and an economic vulnerability as well. it's one of the big motivators behind the bipartisan c.h.i.p.s act that we passed to encourage more production in the united

states, and now only a couple of months after the legislation, we're seeing this in practice. we're seeing it play out with tsmc, the taiwanese chip factor saying we're going to build this capability in the united states. and just down the road, intel has announced $20 billion to build a fab itself, so we're seeing across the united states the building of this resiliency, big geopolitical issue. big economic issue. >> director of the white house national economic council brian deese. thank you very much. that tees up perfect, the counsel on foreign relations, richard haass, and "morning joe" economic analyst, steve rattner, and you have charts on this, steve. why don't we start with that. >> i've got charts. a lot of people don't know what a chip is or what it looks like. so the first thing is on the left is chip built in 1956, when

richard and i were born. you're a year older. and you can see it's about an inch by 3/4 of an inch wide. the chip on the right is the current cutting edge chip, and roughly the same size. here's my "morning joe" quiz of the day. >> please. >> how many of the things on the left are in the thing on the right? >> a thousand. >> how many things on the left are in the thing on the right. >> a million. >> 10 million. >> the answer is 57 billion with a b. >> i was the closest. >> wait, in just one. >> in just one. >> i have a headache. >> it's like the price is right. >> i'll give you another small factoid. >> no more quizzes, please. we failed. >> in 1971, intel built the first micro processer, strung all together, it had 2,000 too

transistors in it that had been shrunk. if you wanted to use that today using that 1971 micro processer, how much space would you need? >> an inch. >> 3,300 square feet, 50% larger than the average house. >> you lost that one. >> can we go back to the first picture. >> i didn't mean to make that a quiz. so there are -- how big is the latest version? >> they're roughly the same size. >> and what size? >> an inch high, 3/4 of an inch wide. the size of your thumb, roughly. >> which gets to the point, we are carrying super computers in our pockets. >> and literally everybody in the world is listening to all of your conversations, everybody. >> and to the point that brian deese was making, every single one of those phones requires a chip of that kind of sophistication. none of which are made here. if you look at the next chart,

you see what happens to chip making. we were the leading chip maker in the world. in 1980. we had 60%. we're now the light blue on the right sitting at 13%. japan overtook in 1986 and the upper left is taiwan. and here's the real problem, we make a lot of chips. what we don't make if you look at the chart on the right are the most sophisticated chips. the first bar on the left are the chips on an iphone. 92% are made in taiwan by tsmc, and 8% are made in south korea by samsung. and then as you go to the right, you have less sophisticated chips, and we start to make them. not only do we not have iphones, more importantly we don't have a lot of military equipment. those chips are f 35 fighters. if you saw that strike against russia by ukraine, 250 chips in a javelin missile. these are things of critical

importance to our national security. and as brian said, we don't make any of them here. >> and taiwan, steve, has been hesitant, has it not to make any of these chips outside of its country, that's why it's so significant today. >> that's a big deal. that relates obviously to what richard has to talk about. they have basically not wanted that. brian is right, they are going to make the so called three nanometer chips, which are so tiny, a nanometer is 1250000000th of an inch or something like that. by the time they make a three , they have been reluctant to let the technology out of taiwan for self-protective regions. if you look at the last chart, you can see part of why they're making those chips here. the most sophisticated ones, because apple, which you see as the red in the left, which is their biggest customer has put the arm on then.

can't depend on taiwan as the supply chain. we have to make chips here. the subsidies on the right, the red bars are the 52 billion we have allocated for chip making. according to a study, it would allow us to make enough of the highly sophisticated chips to power our critical needs. it wouldn't make enough to power all of our iphone and the stuff that is less critical. that would require $400 billion on the right. that's not happening anytime soon. but we will at least get in the game a bit, and you have to give a shout out to mark warner and john cornyn, the two senators who led the charge on this. they did a great job, as did others. >> and it was bipartisan, richard, passed in august. $52 billion in the chips act. republicans and democrats getting together. a little bit late to the realization from the united states that, hey, maybe we shouldn't allow all of these chips to power everything we do to be made exclusively in taiwan. here we are having some of them produced on the soil. >> a step in the right

direction. let's not exaggerate them. by the time we do produce them, they won't be the cutting edge chips. i was at tsmc meeting with the founder. they're already having trouble here. why, it goes back it your previous conversation. they can't get the skilled labor force they need. our graduates from engineering schools don't have the skills we need. we no longer have the level of high end immigration we need. we do not yet have the ecosystem in place. so we shouldn't kid ourselves. this is not going to materially affect the dependency, the united states and indeed the entire world has on taiwan. its security will continue to be paramount, and that's why this conversation about what we're prepared to do to help taiwan, it's not just about geopolitics. >> it's about chips. >> it's about the economy. a country, 23, 24 million people living in a democracy. again, this is good. what we're doing is a step in the right direction. >> we can't do it ourselves. >> it's a baby step.

and so my question is then, you've touched on it a little bit, the importance of taiwan's security. describe the relationship right now between the u.s. and china as it pertains to taiwan, and some. -- some of the challenges and perils there. >> this has been the biggest fly in the ointment, since we established our modern relationship, and we had to agree to disagree. we could not agree on the final status of taiwan, and this has been continuing now for more than four decades. china has announced its goal to bring taiwan in. we have said we cannot allow things to happen coercively. this has got to be voluntary. what we have been doing is providing taiwan with arms for all of these decades. the real question is as china builds up, as it begins to get patient, as its economy slows down and this becomes increasingly perhaps xi jinping's legacy, rejuvenating

china as he describes it, what are we prepared to do to help taiwan. are the united states and japan, above all, are we going to be willing and able to effectively come to taiwan's defense. we have a few years to answer that question, to put the capabilities in place. right now, as focused as we all are on ukraine, this could, before this decade is out, this could become the biggest international question. >> let's talk about ukraine before we let you go, richard, and the two drone strikes according to the russian defense ministry launched by ukraine, one landed an air base near moscow. what does this tell you about the war and ukrainian capability. >> ukraine has been incredibly adaptive, and this is what they're doing. i expect we are not happy with this. we do not want to see this kind of war widening. there's another story out today, how we have not provided weapons systems. there's been a clear understanding. we will support ukraine to fight the war, to liberate ukraine on

ukrainian territory. we have not been on ukraine's side to fight the war, bring the war to russia. my guess is every other time this has happened over the last ten months or nine months, we have pushed back against ukraine. i expect the same thing is going to happen today. this is a stretch or relationship, as supportive as we have been, as appreciative as ukraine is, we're not exactly on the same page. it's almost another case study, we have alliances, with israel at times in our history. now we're having it with ukraine. ukraine wants to do more and be more aggressive. the united states is worried about a bigger and wider war. we're pulling back, and my guess is there's going to be some very interesting conversations over the next 48 hours. >> richard haass, thank you very much, and steve rattner, bringing pictures and quizzes. can you do that again. i like that. >> can i just quickly recommend to you, if you want to know about chips, this book is the book to read. >> "chip war." >> it reads like a novel, all the history in chips.

>> wonderful. okay. and quizzes. pictures, book recommendations. >> everything. >> who needs oprah. >> the personal injury firm of rattner and haass. >> i thought it was haass and rattner. >> so we actually had the author of that book on the show as well. you can look up that "chip war" recommended by steve rattner. still ahead, a viral trifecta is pushing hospitals to a breaking point from covid to rsv to the worst flu outbreak in more than a decade. everybody at the table, have you had your flu shots. >> yes. >> everybody in the room, raise your hand, i'm taking you guys to cvs or wherever if you haven't. flu shot. i'm sorry, a mom here. and also donald trump now claims he didn't call for the termination of the u.s. constitution even though, you know, he put it in writing, the

post in which he did just that is still up on his social media page. "morning joe" is coming right back. page "morning joe" is coming right back power e*trade's easy-to-use tools like dynamic charting and risk-reward analysis help make trading feel effortless and its customizable scans with social sentiment help you find and unlock opportunities in the market with powerful, easy-to-use tools power e*trade makes complex trading easier react to fast-moving markets with dynamic charting and a futures ladder that lets you place, flatten, or reverse orders so you won't miss an opportunity

when moderate to severe ulcerative colitis persists... put it in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when uc got unpredictable,... i got rapid symptom relief with rinvoq. check. when uc held me back... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check. and when uc got the upper hand... rinvoq helped visibly repair the colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting, steroid-free remission. and a chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections,

including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older... with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq... as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc in check and keep it there, with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. and learn how abbvie could help you save. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. i d d so my y quesonons eouout hicacase.y y son, cacalledhehe bars s fi ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. i d d soit was the best call eouout hii could've made. call the barnes firm ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. and find out what your case all could be worth.uld've made. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪

ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. and find out what your case all when a truck hit my car,ade. ♪the insurance companyed, wasn't fair. eight million ♪

i didid't t kn whahatmy c caswa, so i called the barnes firm. i'm rich barnes. it's hard for people to k how much their accident case is worth.h barnes. t ouour juryry aorneneys hehelpou dear lord, save us from the irks -- iq stupid people. they may be smart, but they don't have any sense. these woke, high iq stupid people, they're easy to recognize. they hate george washington. they hate thomas jefferson. they hate dr. seuss, and they hate mr. potato head. they walk around with ziploced

bags of kale that they can eat to give them energy. i don't eat kale, you know why, because kale tastes to me like i'd rather be fat. herschel walker, mr. walker is very plain spoken. what you see is what you get. mr. walker understands that republicans may not be perfect but the other side is crazy, folks, they are. >> whoa. republican senator john kennedy arguing it's the other side who's crazy. >> who's dr. zeuss, by the way. who is that? >> i've got my eye on you, eddie glaude. you're not leaving the building

without a flu shot. we're going up to the nbc doctor up stairs, 9:00 a.m. show is on until 10:00. we're going to see you get that shot. anybody else in the room need a flu shot? >> i'm covered. >> guys, i see you smile behind camera -- max. >> dr. brzezinski. >> she'll do it too. she's not bluffing. >> i will leave this set and bring you up there. welcome back to "morning joe," it's tuesday, november 6th. elise jordan is still with us, and joining the conversation, cohost of show time's "the circus" and his name is john heilemann, and eddie glaude jr. who's in big trouble today, and pulitzer prize winning columnist at "the washington post," eugene robinson. eugene, have you gotten your flu shot. >> yes, indeed, i have had my flu shot. >> i got my flu shot and booster on the same day, one in each

arm, and i feel fine. >> me too. >> we have confusion about third or fourth booster, we'll be asking a doctor about that. we've got a lot of work to do this morning. >> i thought you were a doctor, mika. i want to start with georgia today. big night tonight. john heilemann, what are your thoughts, how it looks, early voting, day of voting, it's raining in georgia. does herschel walker have a chance of pulling this off? >> in the last few years, one is not in the position of giving definitive judgments. the walker campaign should be nervous and on the base of what we know, the warnock campaign should be cautiously optimistic. the rain is always a, you know, every time you have an election, it's raining somewhere and somehow the rain is going to affect things. both sides, the key element race to state the obvious in a runoff election is always going to be how do you get your side

motivated to come out, especially in this race, we were talking about yesterday on the show, the stakes have been reduced, or both sides by the fact that the senate's control has been determined. so, you know, you've seen this kind of interesting, very sharp strategic shift on the part of the warnock campaign. the stakes aren't in control of the senate. the stakes are we going to allow a person who's unqualified to be a senator to occupy the seat and the walker campaign has not had much to say about that, and if senator kennedy is an indication of the way republicans are trying to cast the stakes, then apparently, you know, if we elect, if the georgians reelect senator warnock, we're going to be stuck in a world where pronouns are discussed and dr. zeuss and we all eat kale. that doesn't seem like the most powerful closing arguments in the world, and it's not coming out of the candidate's mouth. we saw what happened in the gubernatorial race in this

state. georgia is still basically a republican state. a normal republican like brian kemp, what's considered a normal republican today, running against stacey abrams, did not have problems beating her. the state is not a blue state. it's barely a purple state. but herschel walker is a very very bad candidate with a very very bad campaign behind him, and so, you know, rain or shine today, senator warnock's got to be the favorite here. but you don't know. >> and eddie, just so you know, my friend at comcast set you an appointment, east clinic, at 9:00 a.m., next to the commissary, and there's a red cross on the door, you need to go up there at 9:00 a.m. >> they do a great job up there. it's where i got my shots. >> perfect. i'm looking at the doppler. it looks like rain right now but it's passing through. people are going to get out and rote. >> are the polls open yet? no. >> walker has a lot of ground to make up just because of the early voting, and steve kornacki, the brain of numbers was just on and said that if

black voters stay above 30%, which is projected to do, that warnock is in pretty good shape. i do think, though, that the georgia electorate, talking to a republican strategist yesterday who made a good point that it's a little bit more sophisticated than a lot of republican electorates around the country, and you look at the balancing act that brian kemp managed to pull off. he wouldn't go along with the stolen election, although he would go along with a lot of trump's nonsense, and he managed to resounding victory and election, along with the secretary of state who wouldn't take any of trump's nonsense also. >> curious what you see here. we have been talking about the patronizing campaign that the republicans have run, putting a man up there because donald trump told him to saying we know he's not perfect. senator kennedy said it right there. we're not perfect, he's going to be a vote for us, regardless of who he is. he'll rubber stamp, basically do what we tell him to do.

no one would count him out. georgia elected by an overwhelming margin of republican governor. it's a purple state that trends republican in in ways. what do you see playing out. >> cautiously optimistic for the warnock campaign, i think it's important for us to understand that people are voting not necessarily on the basis of issues but identifying with a party, a party so critical to how they understand themselves. so this existential issue. we see kemp, i thought i saw nikki haley behind herschel walker a few segments ago. there's lindsey graham, ted cruz. the republican party has been down there. kemp has been campaigning and you hear that language from senator kennedy, you know, it's almost like he's reprising the egghead kind of -- >> honestly, until he said the word woke, i thought he was talking to his own party. >> the numbers look good for warnock, but we have to be careful. >> absolutely. gene robinson, you wrote a

column, republicans you can do better than herschel walker. the big question today, maybe not to you, but we'll find out the answer to, is if rafael warnock's campaign has done enough to make that argument themselves? because i think the difference between the two candidates and really getting herschel walker in front of voters, i think actually black voters even more who might be really insulted by the concept of voting for someone who's being propped up by the republican party who is completely unfit for the job, have they had the time and the ability to make that case? >> yeah, it doesn't take long to make that case. i mean, reverend warnock, in his last tv ad, basically just let herschel walker talk, and that makes the case. hearing his words, his ridiculous nonsensical, almost

dada words. this guy is in no way, shape or form qualified to be a u.s. senator full stop, and so this is a really interesting experiment that we're going to get to see today. you know, mistakes are not what they might have been, control of the senate is not up for grabs. and donald trump stayed away. somehow they convinced him to stay out of the state. it comes down to whether the republican party has gone totally, completely, so far ints willing to elect a manifestly unqualified person as senator, as opposed to an obviously qualified and effective senator, and quite eloquent senator, like senator warnock, and, you know, you saw people didn't vote for

walker in the numbers that they voted for kemp in the november 8th voting. but we will see. if it comes down to which tribe do you belong to, republicans still going to stay home or not vote, as the lieutenant governor, a conservative republican, by the way, said, he went to cast his ballot, but he could not bring himself to vote for herschel walker who he called, you know, obviously one of the worst republican candidates in history. >> i think i'm on team dada. >> what's that? >> i don't know. he made a reference to da da-ism, hello motha. >> i'm referring to the dada art in the previous century. >> too early in the morning for dada reference. >> who's your dada.

>> let's move on to donald trump, who's now denying, puts something out there, tried to walk it back but he said it. and every time he says it, guess what we have found in the past six years, you can believe him, so even though he is denying that he called for the termination of the constitution over his false claims of election fraud, he posted this on his social media site yesterday. the fake news is trying to convince the american people that i said i wanted to terminate the constitutionment this is simply more disinformation and lies. pull up the post from saturday where trump did indeed write in his own words, massive fraud allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the constitution. so we heard reaction from more republican lawmakers yesterday. all of them defended the

constitution, but only a handful were willing to speak forcefully against trump. but they did. so listen. >> the republican party has long been the party of the constitution and so when president trump says he wants to suspend the constitution, he goes from being maga to being rhino. we're the constitution party. >> well, obviously nobody is terminating the constitution. what's going on here is a clown is trying to sell tickets to his circus. as a conservative, i think i want three things. i want to defend the constitution. i'd like republicans to win elections again. unlike this guy has made sure my party can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in 2018, 2020 and again in 2022. i think people are going to have to choose if they're for the circus clown or the constitution. >> the constitution is enduring

and it will be for millennia to come. >> was he wrong? >> was it a disqualifying statement for him to say? >> thanks, senator. >> certainly not the next president. that's irresponsible. >> does it disqualify him? is it disqualifying? >> it's not clear who's going to run, but i think certainly it's irresponsible. >> he's running. >> i mean, i guess he is until he isn't. >> the voters will determine who's going to be the nominee for the republican party, and who will be the president. i know you don't want him to be in the mix, but he'll be in the mix. what he said was wrong, but there's a never unending desire to bend the rules to get trump, and there's a lot of frustration on our side, and we'll see how

this plays out. >> well, i think you take an oath to the constitution. you don't take it provisionally. and i can't imagine that a former president would make that statement. >> a lot of people see a statement like that and say, you know, what's it going to take for other republicans to say like enough is enough with this guy? >> well, i think i've said all i have to say. >> more reaction, republican senator mike rounds tweeted as an elected officials we take an oath to support and defend the constitution. we should never dishonor that oath. no one is above the constitution. anyone who desires to lead our country must commit to protecting the constitution. they should not threaten to terminate it. and republican senator lisa murkowski of alaska configure quote suggesting the termination of the constitution is not only a betrayal of our oath of office, it is an affront to our republic. mitch mcconnell said he plans to

offer remarks on the issue today. >> this is good. they're saying somethingment you -- something. you got to be graceful. >> mitt romney said, this is the party that likes to call it the party of the constitution. they wave it when it's convenient for them. kevin mccarthy who may well be the speaker of the house when they come in in early january has promised his first act in the first session is to stop and read aloud in its entirety the constitution because we've gotten away from that. so how in good faith can they stand behind a man who clearly explicitly said we have to terminate the parts of the constitution that don't benefit me personally. >> the operative phrase in that question, willie is good faith. it's self-interest. they're worried about the 30% of the base of the republican party who will ensure their political well being, their livelihood, and so it seems to me at the heart of the matter is that

we're constantly longing for the republican party to be consistent and reasonable. and over the last six years or so. it has proven over and over again that it's not. and i'm wondering what is it about, not so much about them because they proved over and over again that they're cowardly, hypocritical, that they are power lusting and we can go on and on. what is wrong with us in our constant longing for them to behave in a rational, reasonable and morally consistent way. i think it's something about our desire to see a functioning of a party, it seems to me. >> absolutely. and for the republicans who did speak out in a robust way, you saw some of them there. >> who's robust. >> the one who's leaving. >> ben sasse. >> ben sasse, sorry. of course he's leaving so it's easier for him, and mitt romney has always been pretty consistent and the rest were -- it was a step in the right

direction, and some of them were cowardly, let me now go there. republicans, as you know, donald trump, and as we've discussed this week, has put you in a corner. and you have to step out of it, because he's talked about terminating the constitution. you can't be a republican. you can't be a conservative. quite frankly, you can't be an american patriot, if you support a man who has said that. and you can believe him. you have learned yourself that you can believe what donald trump has to say. john heilemann, this is a man, republicans, you're supporting a man. you're afraid to say bad things. you're afraid to repel or to say donald trump should not be a presidential candidate. you're afraid to say that about a man who let's just, i don't know, let's just throw at the dart board a few things. he said he would sell dirt -- he would work with a foreign government to get dirt on a

political rival. he stole documents from the united states government, classified documents and, he's in the middle of a huge legal problem with the doj because of that. he had kanye west over at mar-a-lago a few weeks ago, along with nick fuentes. >> he led an attempted coup of the united states government. >> the january 6th attack. >> that's my number one. >> that's the bullet for me. >> and then he talks about terminating the constitution. i want to go back down memory lane here for a second. do you guys remember reverend wright. >> of course. >> when reverend wright, it merged that there was a connection with the obamas and he had said from the pulpit things about america that were less than appropriate. do you remember how republicans responded? they, i'm pretty sure, went nuts. what's going on here? the hypocrisy is deep and our country is paying the price.

john heilemann. >> yeah. i mean, yes, you can play that game all day long. the republican party is without -- i think they're very consistent, to your point. they're very consistent over the last six years. they have, you know -- there was nothing donald trump could do that would cause them to abandon him, and the only thing i thought is they would start to play a political price. and they still won't abandon him. mika, i will never disagree with you about almost anything. especially with the relationship to flu shots, health. >> 9:00 a.m. eastern. >> disposition of eddie's -- he has an appointment. i didn't see any courage in most of those statements. mitt romney has been where mitt romney is. they all never see the word donald trump. i can't imagine a president would do this. you don't have to imagine it. let me do a printout. >> why are they afraid to say his name. >> they are afraid of the base. they are afraid of the

republican voters. not afraid of trump. they are afraid of the voters who worship trump. they're not wrong to be afraid of the voters in the sense if they turn against trump, they believe those voters will turn against them. a position of courage, no, is it a position they should take, no. that's what they have shown for six years. they are afraid that donald trump will turn to his voters and say primary that man, end his political career, and apparently that means more to them than the constitution, the sacrosanct nature of the u.s. capitol, anything that you can lay out, principles, governance, violence, all goes to the side. they're afraid if they say something bad about donald trump, they'll get primaried. i think that's pathetic. it's a sad state of affairs that you're worried so much about what is basically a crappy job anyway. mostly people, you can find 50 things to do that would make you more money. have more influence in the world. the job is horrible.

>> the constitution. >> they don't care about that. >> didn't you see a slight move in the right direction. >> no, i saw all of them avoiding ever saying donald trump's name. putting out statements. no one should terminate the constitution. the constitution will never be terminated as ted cruz put it. it will endure for millennia. how that represents a tiny step toward having courage, i don't know. he could look at that in front of donald trump and say what did i say, i didn't say a word about you, sir. the constitution is enduring and will endure for millennia. they're just as pathetic as they ever were. mitt romney is where he's always been, and ben sasse found his courage on his way out the door. the rest aren't mentioning donald trump's name. until someone has the courage to mention his name. >> mitch mcconnell. >> announcing the termination of

the constitution. >> this was dumb of donald trump and he knows it. he's trying to backtrack, even when donald trump tries to back tack, he knows that he has stepped on the wrong side of his political base. it was a tiny bit of condemnation for republicans. the bar is so low. they had more to say about this than the kanye dinner i would think because they know republican voters like the constitution. donald trump knows that. he has had unforced errors in the past two weeks. is he going to do this over and over again. he's chipping away at his own base. >> his track record of losing election after election after election, would at some point set and will say, it's okay for me to step out and criticize him once in a while but they don't. there he goes again about donald trump but we have to stop and acknowledge and focus on the fact that the man who was president, and wants to be

president again said explicitly that the massive fraud, the court decisions, et cetera, allows for the termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even though found in the constitution. he wants to put a red line through the parts of the constitution that do not benefit him. >> right. he brought it down. he announced it. it's so clear, and, you know, i always thought as others did that the sort of iron rule was that when parties lose elections, and lose elections badly enough, they change. and they reform, and they do something different. because they don't like losing. but, you know, they've lost three elections now. >> they like it. >> with trump. >> and that's -- it's still not enough. it's not enough that in a republican year they can't, you know, three or four senate seats

and take back the senate, it's not enough that they get this tiny, itsy bitsy majority that won't be a majority in the house. that's not enough. so what do you have to do? what sort of -- what is the scale of the loss that the republican party needs to suffer in order to rethink this allegiance to trump and for these politicians to not just fear their base but to talk to them, and to convince their base that this is madness that they have gone down this wrong path that leads nowhere, and who knows, i don't know where it ends. i don't know where it ends. >> i like your theory. this is the theory, you see, you know, children, when they touch the hot stove, they pull their hand away. the third rail, you pull your leg away. they step on the third rail, they got the jolt, and now they

got the bit between their teeth, wrapped around the third rail. they're getting a jolt. >> there's the desire to hold the reins of power, and the sense of an existential threat to the country that isn't reducible to elections. there are folks running to office, and folks thinking that the country is fundamentally changing, it's no longer ours, and we would do anything to save it. nick fuentes said we need a dictatorship. donald trump turns around in his typical way, and codes that. by terminating the constitution. so there's this existential dimension tied to the political reality that gene and john had been talking about. >> i would love to believe he's just stupid. eugene robinson, thank you very much. a live report from atlanta as polls are open now in today's high stakes senate runoff.

plus, in arizona, the 2022 midterm results have been certified, making katie hobbs' win over kari lake official. we'll talk about those results and what it means for democracy with arizona's newly elected secretary of state. also ahead, a new study connects eating a specific type of food with increased risk of dementia. we'll tell you which foods those are. and with cases of coronavirus and the flu and rsv all on the rise, the cdc is encouraging americans once again to wear masks over the holidays. we'll talk to an infectious disease expert about what hospitals are seeing right now. 9:00 a.m. and check out this flashback from 2013 when i got a flu shot right on the set. >> 2013? >> what are we doing? >> guys, i'm so old, and yeah, this show has been on, 2013, what is that. >> already a decade old at that point. >> oh, my god, now you just got

me really tired. what am i doing here? >> four hours a day. >> what is wrong with you? >> what is this? you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. i've never been healthier. shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today.

♪ ♪ this... is a glimpse into the no-too-distant future of lincoln. ♪ ♪ it's what sanctuary could look like... feel like... sound like... even smell like. more on that soon. ♪ ♪ the best part?

the prequel is pretty sweet too. ♪ ♪ a beautiful shot of rainy atlanta this morning, but it's going to clear up today. that's important. >> that's what my weather app tells me. >> runoff election in georgia today, a lot of eyes on it this morning. new research indicates ultra processed foods can raise your risk of cognitive decline. in a study published in the journal of jama neurology. researchers looked at more than 10,000 individuals over eight years. they concluded that people whose daily calorie intake is less

than 20% from ultra processed foods had a 25% faster decline in executive functions and a 28% faster rate of overall cognitive impairment. researchers did note that if a person's overall diet quality was high, the effect of ultra processed foods was less, meaning, i guess if they eat the lo of really healthy food along with some of the processed food, might be better off. >> junk food, like chips and candy, all that. >> high end salt, high end sugar. >> oh, boy. >> salt, sugar, fat. >> i'm doomed. >> me too. >> we're going to get to him. meanwhile, public health fishes say they are seeing signs of an early and severe flu season. according to the cdc, the u.s. has experienced the highest levels of hospitalizations from influenza in a decade this time of year. nearly every u.s. state is battling high levels of flu like

illness. dr. rochelle walensky is urging americans to get the flu shot and updated covid-19 vaccine boosters. early data suggests this year's flu shot formula appears to be well matched against the circulating strains. dr. peter hotez, at texas children's hospital and dean of the national school of tropical medicine at baylor college of medicine. he's also the author of the book, preventing the next pandemic. vaccine diplomacy in a time of anti-science. >> great to see you, i think for the first time in person. >> it's great to see all of you in person. we have talked about so many sad things the last three years. it's very emotional to actually see you. >> it's great to see you in person. we have gotten to know you in that room. it's good to know you exist outside of that room. let's take a snapshot if we can, dr. hotez, deep in the holiday season where we are with covid-19, you can put it in with

the flu and rrsv, what people should be thinking about as they go into the holidays. >> with covid-19, the numbers are starting to trend up again, so the hospitalizations are up about 25%. the positivity is up around 25%. there's heterogeneity across the country. the most important message is get your new bivalent booster. and the reason you have to get it is two reasons. once you're four or five months out of your previous booster, your risk of hospitalization goes up. there's this buzz out there that says, oh you don't really need to get the booster because it's only -- we're not stopping infection anyway, no, the booster is keeping people ouch the hospital. more than four or five months, you need to get a booster anyway. you need to get the bivalent booster. >> i don't think you have that one. >> the dominant circulating

variants are the new what i call scrabble variants because they use high value scrabble letters bike x, v and q, it's a b q1, and b q1.5. it has a component that cross contracts against the scrabble variants. >> willie and elise were saying they got their booster, and i need to get mine. and they're talking about the third shot. and is that the bivalent or is it the fourth booster, or does it matter. help me understand. >> elise was asking me that question. don't worry about the number of boosters. worry about when you got your last booster because we are seeing declining protection versus hospitalization. so, up to, you know, 80% versus hospitalization, down to 40 or 50% in some cases. >> but you say get the bivalent booster, if you go for a booster is that going to be it or do you have to ask for it?

>> that should be the one that the pharmacists are getting one right now. >> i had my last booster in september so i should go in for my fourth booster. >> october, november, that's a little tight. >> september they may have been giving the old boosters, you may want to find out. you may want to get it. the first formulation, developed in the original lineage out of central china is not holding up well against the scrabble variants but the bivalent one is doing a better job. >> there's a sense out there, and i know you know this, that we have moved on, and there's talk about they want people to wear masks again. people aren't going to put the masks on. they've moved past that. i have done everything i had to do, stayed inside for a year. i got all the boosters that i need. on with my life. what do you say to that generally speaking. here we are sitting together. we're not wearing masks, we're coming into work, most of us. what do you say to that sort of sense that this is over? >> you have to have situational awareness of what's happening right now. because not only is covid-19

going up, but there are about six or seven other respiratory pathogens are going up. respiratory viruses are up. our old friend influenza. 4,500 americans have already died in this flu season so far. you need to get your flu vaccine, and on top of that, you have m rhino virus and pneumococcal, people call it a tridemic but there's about seven pathogens out there. on the airplane, the flight attendant hands you the wipes, and i use them because they're really good at getting rid of some of those other pathogens like rsv, and influenza and i'm wearing a mask as much for the influenza and the rsv as anything else. >> can we talk about the flu shot, please? >> you're in trouble. i don't mean to bully, but i've

got someone here who's going to get one. >> is it okay for you to get one? >> to be bullied. >> are you comfortable getting one. >> my wife is like, it's good for you. >> thank you. >> but this is vital, especially this year. can you talk about how the flu is doing? >> remember, you want to take as many pathogens off the table as you can. unfortunately we don't have the rsv vaccine available for this season. i think by next year there's at least two or three rsv vaccines coming online for older americans because people forget it's not only babies. there is thousands and thousands of seniors die from rsv as well, so those vaccines will be coming online for pregnant women to prevent neonatal infection, especially high risk infants. for now, we don't have it. we have the bivalent booster for covid. >> the flu shot. we have to stop and applaud you. a lot of msnbc viewers whoch

who have watched you constantly, and come to trust you, i don't know if they fully appreciate what you and your research partner have done together, to develop your own vaccine that's being used in india. something like 70 million people have been vaccinated. you two were nominated for the nobel peace prize because of the award. can you talk about the impact that that vaccine has had? because you saw a need outside the united states. >> well, remember, delta rose out of an unvaccinated population, out of india. under vaccinated population, out of africa. we knew that was going to happen, so we make vaccines that are specific for global health. i like to say, we make the vaccines at texas children's hospital and baylor college of medicine that the big pharma companies won't make. we make vaccines for parasitic infections, and we also started making coronavirus vaccines ten years ago because nobody cared about coronavirus vaccines ten years ago. we started making sars and meers vaccines. we use a technology directly

compatible with vaccine producers in low and middle income countries. when we had the sequence, my science partner, we have worked together for 22 years, and made that vaccine, transferred it with no patent to a vaccine producer in india, biological e and they have administered about 85 million doses including the major pediatric vaccine used in india, and indonesia, because it's a vegan technology, figured they can work as the clergy. >> you're amazing. >> something i wouldn't have expected as well. >> dr. peter hotez, thank you for saving the world and being here this morning. it's great to see you. >> really nice to see you. >> thank for the advice. jurors will resume deliberations in the new york city tax trial involving the trump organization. we'll have the latest on the criminal case, including why it could lead to a federal investigation.

plus, forbes magazine has just released its annual rankings of the world's most powerful women. we'll break down the list with the editor of forbes women. "morning joe" will be right back. of forbes women "morning joe" will be right back i was always the competitive one in our family... 'til my sister signed up for united healthcare medicare advantage. ♪wow, uh-huh♪ now she's got a whole team to help her get the most out of her plan. ♪wow, uh-huh♪ with coverage that's better than ever for dental... ...vision... ...prescription drugs and more. advantage: me! can't wait 'til i turn 65! aarp medicare advantage plans, only from unitedhealthcare. take advantage now at uhc.com/medicare

it's third down. underneath, and touchdown rashad white. >> with three seconds left in the game, tom brady does it again, connecting with rookie rashad white for the go ahead score with just three seconds left in the game. bringing tampa back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the saints last night. on the verge of being held without a touchdown pass at home by the saints for the third straight season, brady threw two of them over the final three minutes of the game. capping scoring drives of 91 and 63 yards on the way to a 17-16

victory. the bucs are now .500. that's good enough to keep them on top of the nfc south. garbage division, but brady does it again. 16-3. couldn't get anything going, and he decided it was time to win. >> there's tom brady and everybody else. it was 16-3, they were lifeless. five minutes to go, they get a touchdown, 16-10. defense gets a stop, they get the ball back, a touchdown with 16 seconds to go that was called back because of penalty, so he had to do it again, and he did, with three seconds left, and they win. >> they're still on top of the division. with big news in new york and across the world, of baseball, here are your tabloids, plan v and cys matters, cys, the cy young winner, justin verlander, finding a high profile replacement for jacob degrom who left to go to the rangers.

justin verlander signed a contract. the american league cy young award winner, leaving the world series champs in houston to step in for degrom in new york where he will reunite with max scherzer after they played together four seasons in detroit. that was not the only nl east block buster, the phillies national league champs have signed trea turner to an 11-year $300 million contractor. verlander in new york, they lose degrom and get somebody maybe as good, maybe a little bit better. >> verlander older, but in some ways maybe less of an injury risk. he's 39. he just had a tommy johns surgery a couple of years ago. jacob degrom has had a lot of injuries in recent years. a lot of mets fans sorry to go -- to see him go. reports were he didn't want to be in new york. he went to texas with a lot of risk there.

mets strike fast, they get verlander, two pitchers this their late 30s but pedigree with second to none. that will be a lot of fun. they play in a great division, and the phillies get the best shortstop in baseball, trea turner. >> now it's time for the yankees to sign their guy. world cup, we were watching yesterday, the round of 16 concludes today in qatar. morocco and spain, portugal and switzerland this afternoon. brazil now into the next round, they will meet croatia in the quarter finals after eliminating south korea with four first half goals yesterday, just beauties, too, including one scored by neymar, in the return from injury. croatia advanced by defeating japan, in 3-1 shootouts after going to penalty kicks. we are casual soccer fans, but boy, when you watch brazil play, the quick touches for goals, you

see what it's like to play at a high level. >> i have no idea how soccer functions or football functions, this is like warriors basketball. it was just back and forth, and then the beauty and skill. it was just amazing to watch. up next, jury deliberations resume this morning in the tax fraud trial against the trump organization. we'll explain what's at stake. straight ahead on "morning joe." . straight ahead on "morning joe." hi, i'm debra. i'm from colorado. i've been married to my high school sweetheart for 35 years. i'm a mother of four-- always busy. i was starting to feel a little foggy. just didn't feel like things were as sharp as i knew they once were. i heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. i feel like it's kept me on my game. i'm able to remember things. i'd say give it a try. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. ♪3, 4♪

i'd say gi♪e it a try. ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪

♪ ♪ ♪♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪♪ postmenopausal women with hr+ her2- metastatic breast cancer are living longer with kisqali. so, long live family time. long live dreams. and long live you. kisqali is a pill proven to help women live longer when taken with an aromatase inhibitor. and kisqali helps preserve quality of life. so you're not just living, you're living well. kisqali can cause lung problems or an abnormal heartbeat which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections.

avoid grapefruit during treatment. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills, or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. long live hugs and kisses. ask about kisqali. and long live life.

52 past the hour. look at that beautiful shot of new york city. that's where we are this morning. jury deliberations are is it to resume in a few hours in the trump organization tax fraud trial in new york city. the 12-person jury deliberated more than four hours yesterday before breaking for the day. the 15-count indictment charges the company and long time cfo

was sellburg with tax evasion and agreed to testify in exchange for a five-month jail sentence why former president trump has not been indicted in the case. joining us now state attorney for palm beach county, florida. what do you make of the jury deliberations, what's at stake? and also, does trump get touched by this? >> he did yesterday. the prosecution mentioned trump saying he approved the scheme. the worse to happen for the company is a $1.6 million fine and small potatoes. but it was a big moment when the prosecution pointed the finger at trump. trump said this is about alan wasselburg. who's paying his legal fees?

the trump organization and still on payroll making a $645,000 salary as a special adviser to the company. it is hard to say he is a rogue employee. >> whoa. >> not bad if you can get it. we were talking about that mar-a-lago document case as you sat down. let's have that conversation again. what sort of timeline do you anticipate there, the charges? you had an interesting theory where that trial could be heard. >> i think charges are forthcoming. garland is deliberative. there is a direct tie between trump and the documents. this is not the january 6 case. this is more direct. question for me is will the venue be in south florida or in d.c. where republicans hate to be on trial there. they think the juries are antifa

but the one hook that trump has is if the feds charge obstruction that allows trump to move the case to south florida. >> in california michael avenatti is sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing millions from from four former clients. he pleaded guilty to four counts of way fraud and one count of obstructing the irs and paying restitution. he rose to fame representing adult film actress stormy daniels. remember her? against former president trump. his sentence in southern california will be served after finishing a five-term in new york including stealing from $300,000 from stormy daniels.

what? what happened to this man? >> he was flying too close to the sun. heft running for president. i know he didn't announce it but he went to iowa and new hampshire. put a platform on the twitter page. throwing stones make sure you don't live in a glass house. he was stealing from his poor clients to pay for jets and boats and cars so he didn't deserve sympathy and not scheduled to get out until he's 70. >> will stormy get any money back? >> she got some justice in a prison term for him and supposed to make restitution. it's hard to get blood from a stone. >> whatever happened to the concept or the case against

donald trump using campaign finance money to pay through michael cohen? >> cohen got in trouble for writing the check. >> the key witness was alan. trump never got charged because he was the president at the time and the statute of limitations expired. >> state attorney for palm beach county thank you very much. still ahead live reporting from georgia as voters decide between warnock and walker. in today's senate runoff. arizona has finally certified the election results. we'll be joined by the incoming secretary of state. "morning joe" will be right

become. >> everyone talking about former president trump called for the 2020 election to be overturned by terminating the constitution. and trump can do it because he has the real constitution hanging in the bathroom at mar-a-lago. er this? but i spoke to our advisor, and our vanguard investments are on track. “we got this, babe.” so go do what you love. thanks for being our superhero. only at vanguard, you're more than just an investor—you're an owner. giving you flexibility to follow your dreams. that's the value of ownership. these are the faces of listerine. the face of millions of germs zapped in seconds. the face of clean. the face of whoa. some are of intensity, others, joy. all are of - ahhhh. listerine. feel the whoa! >> tech: when you get a chip in your windshield... trust safelite. all are of - ahhhh.

this couple was headed to the farmers market... when they got a chip. they drove to safelite for a same-day repair. and with their insurance, it was no cost to them. >> woman: really? >> tech: that's service the way you need it. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

herschel walker has always let georgians know where he stands on taxes and jobs and vampires. >> cool people. are they not? something i found out a werewolf can kill a vampire. do you know that? >> where does warnock stand on vampires? he's never told us. >> got to have a stake and a thing to kill them in the heart. a necklace of garlic. i don't know what it does but it work. got to have a cross. >> solutions for georgia. solutions for vampires. >> i don't want to be a vampire anymore. i wanted to be a werewolf.

>> it is the top of the hour. 8:00 on the east coast on this election day in georgia where the polls are open. it is a big day with a runoff election. welcome back to "morning joe." tuesday, december 6. one hour and counting for the flu shot. joining the table we have the host of "on brand." like little kids. have you got b your flu shot? >> i was watching this morning. i don't want to rain on eddie's parade. he has an appointment with the doctor. >> i will go this afternoon. i promise, mom. i promise. also going to get the second booster. fourth. >> i need a picture. will you post it? >> i will post it. >> remember the role playing,

john? >> those words. >> i sa you that. >> you are filthy. >> all donny. >> seriously. immediately. it goes to the toilet. john heilemann was channelling how republicans might dodge questions about donald trump's calls to rip up the constitution. guess what. >> yes. >> they were taking notes. look. >> your guy is talking about terminating the constitution. can you denounce it? they can't? >> private citizen. he says a lot of things. >> really? >> that's what they are going to say. >> can you support him as a presidential candidate. >> he won't be a candidate. >> it is not clear who is going to run. i think certainly irresponsible. >> he is running. >> i guess he is until the end. >> there's going to be a political process. see what the voters have to say. >> the voters will determine who will be the nominee and the

president. >> i'll leigh to the voters to decide. i think it's disqualifying for joe biden to say there's a list of people to be banned from social media. >> i think the voters can decide. >> all right. well done, heilemann. >> it is not that hard. i'm paying attention for six years. >> the reporters didn't sound like me going really? really? >> january 6? the incredulousness was not carried over. you -- yes. that's where they go. they kind of don't say his name. >> don't say his name. >> but they do sort of renounce sort of. >> they put out statements that you -- >> tip pi toes. >> and they put out statements that are basically things to have -- implausible deniability

with trump himself. oh, donald, mr. president, not referring to you. asked about the constitution. ted cruz says the constitution is enduring. if trump -- cruz, why did you say that thing? your name is not near my statement. i was speaking about the constitution. pathetic. >> it is. donny deutsch, you have been in the branding business for decades and probably helped republicans. >> yes. ceos. >> i want to put that out there. so if you were advising the republicans right now on their brand would there be value in saying i reject donald trump as a candidate and this is the line to draw. my answer is no to this.

>> you know, john talked in the last hour. from a branding point of view, yes. can you imagine ron desantis if he ever said, look, it is a new moment in time? by the way, i'm not passing judgment on donald trump but we can't say things like this and time to move on. i think for him it would be brill i can't want because there's a way to do it. having said that we can talk ad nauseam and they want to keep the jobs and no more analysis than that. not about bravery or right and wrong for the brands. individuals, 215 in congress. 48 in the senate. whatever the numbers are. want to keep the jobs. no other analysis. they understand that the base is what votes in a primary. donald trump will basically unleash the base saying don't vote for that. no more analysis.

we could go on for days and weeks and months. >> dangerous. >> if somebody who has the muscle like -- i'm sure there's discussions of a desantis to say draw the line. follow me. it is time. you do get a sense it is time. >> isn't it? come on. >> this is a serious thing. a difference between the partys. the republican party has a problem captive to the base that's extreme. donald trump or anyone paying homage to donald trump can't win a national election. support nationally going down. he is not able to -- i would say donald trump can't run the table through the path of the electoral college. he is that toxic. in a smaller electorate by republicans that base has outsized power.

the difference between the parties is people say the democratic party with the left wing. >> not controlling it. >> this is the difference, right? you can't win a republican nomination without appealing to donald trump's base voters. you can be joe biden and say as he did in 2020 i won't compete with bernie sanders on the left. he won the democratic nomination without embraces medicare for all. it's just that the left has a big voice in the democratic party but not a barrier as biden proved why the base in the republican party made it impossible to get over the base. it is almost impossible to elect

somebody that's able to clear the bar. >> this is a practical question. was president saying to get rid of parts of the constitution. he said, just denied -- this is the definition of gaslighting. he said this. >> word of the year. >> massive fraud. allows for the termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those in the constitution and then yesterday said i never said the thing i wrote. but that is still up there. it is not some theoretical question. he showed us by trying to achieve a coup. this is what he wants. the president he wants to be. >> it is an existential question. the worry about the concern over our democracy.

this figure still sits at the center of destabilizing the very foundations of the republic. >> does he? here's my question. feels like a moment in time. is it time for us -- we have to report the news obviously but is it time for us to do it in a less consequential way? he's really at this point feels so -- at this point. we allow him to have the fangs. >> we do? >> except for the fact that if you're a republican running for the senate you had to say you wouldn't -- be an election denier to be the nominee in a lot of cases. >> what's the moment? is it until he dies? i don't wish that -- >> if desantis is the republican nominee in 2024 you could say you're past the trump era.

>> he'll run as a third party. >> he is an avatar for a set of political currents and not going away. ron desantis is trying to be his version of donald trump. glen youngkin trying to appeal to them. >> herschel walker is chosen by trump. trump he is a kind of portal to something much more sinister in the country. until we get at that honestly we chase -- >> circling the drain. if he were the host of "the apprentice" he could ignore her. polls are now open across georgia where voters will divide

between incumbent warnock and challenger walker. nbc news chief white house correspondent peter alexander has the latest. >> reporter: next day in georgia again. >> i'm ready to keep on pushing. keep pushing for democracy. >> it is time for us to stand up but stand together. >> reporter: both warnock who won a runoff in 2021 and walker campaigning. in a race that will determine whether democrats build on the razor thin senate majority. >> the democrats have already secured a majority in the senate. why is a 51st seat matter here? >> this is about who will represent 1 1 million people for 6 years. >> reporter: while warnock slammed walker for lacking competence and character to serve walker hit warnock for

voting with biden arguing every seat matters. >> we can still keep joe biden in check. >> reporter: already one of the most expensive senate races of all time with $400 million spent warnock and democrats have bombarded walker outspending him and the allies by a more than 2 to 1 margin as walker faced scandals including accusations that he urged two former girlfriends to have abortions and a new domestic abuse allegation from 2005. we met republican judy sardin who said she is voting for walker. >> i think people need to take the emotion out of it. how will herschel vote? i think that we can count on him

to vote conservative. >> reporter: warnock is hoping for strong turnout from young voters. >> what is at stake in the election? >> women's rights are definitely at stake. health care at stake. immigration laws. human rights. >> peter alexander reporting from georgia for us there. joining us is washington correspondent tia mitchell on the campaign trail with senator warnock yesterday and following walker today. we heard from that voter right there an argument and other people on the campaign trail that he may not be perfect but we can count on the vote as conservatives in the senate. what do you expect today? >> out on the campaign trail that's what we are hearing from walker supporters in two camps. there's the camp of supporter all in for him.

been all in for when gym he's a football hero. they think the controversies are drummed up by the media and the opposition. there's another camp of voters saying i have concerned. did not like everything i heard about him but want a republican in that seat and limit president biden's proposals and i'll stay with walker. are there enough of those people? we heard from lieutenant governor jeff duncan who's a conservative republican saying he couldn't make himself vote for walker and left the ballot blank. >> we saw record early voting in georgia. pushing up almost to 2 million early votes. based on what we know about the votes and the people that did

vote early who needs to do better? >> early voting did set single day record. overall down a little bit but limited in the short runoff window but the early voting seemed to benefit warnock likely so walker needs a strong turnout today on election day. the weather is misty in metro atlanta. there's rain expected in other parts of georgia and looking at turnout. sterling the voting system manager said that already 100,000 people have voted this morning so it's looking like there could be good turnout today. walker needs a strong day to overcome what we think are democratic advantages from early voting. >> washington correspondent, an

excellent break down, thank you. >> thank you. thank you, john heilemann. tomorrow you are coming back. donny, thank you. will you come back? >> i think. brand up, brand down. >> after the flu shot. perfect. >> maybe i'll go there. >> do it together. >> it is set up for you guys. want you healthy. the latest from north carolina where thousands of people are still without electricity after a deliberate attack on two power substations. plus force is out with the annual ranking of the world's 100 most powerful women. we're taking a look. i'm not on the list. it is a good list. i like it. we'll take a look at some of the notable women on the lois, the contributions. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back.

tens of thousands of north carolina residents spent another night in the cold after officials say someone deliberately opened fire on two power substations. joining us is blayne alexander. good morning. what more are we learning about the state of emergency put in place but what happened? >> reporter: priority number one is getting the power and lights back on. some 37,000 people in the area don't have power and heat and low 40s for the temperatures. crews are working to try to repair the substations but they say it could still be as late as thursday before the majority of people see the lights back on.

investigators are still looking into what they call a willful and malicious attack. as the sunl sets on moore county, north carolina, residents are left in the dark for a third straight night. >> how did you stay warm? >> blankets. >> reporter: the work of at least one criminal vandal officials say who targeted the electrical system. >> what happened here saturday night was a criminal attack. >> reporter: the fbi said it is investigating willful damage after at least one gunman broke through gates and started to shoot. knocking out power to 45,000 customers. the majority still in the dark. >> this is not random. it was targeted. they knew what they were doing and that's scary. >> reporter: businesses, roads and busy intersections in the

dark. how dangerous is this? >> very. we have had several accidents. we had shots fired. robbery attempts. >> reporter: duke energy would not detail the security measures but said they meet industry requirements. are they secure enough? >> we have robust requirements. we are regulated. we look to m prove. >> reporter: as temperatures dip into the low 40s for many this grocery store one of the few with power is the only refuge. >> it is cold and i come over here a couple times a day to get hot food. >> reporter: just to get warm? >> yeah. >> no heat. no cooking facilities. none of that. >> reporter: how are you getting by? >> barely. >> reporter: of course we are seeing different spots in the

area reasoning on generators. meanwhile officials say there are no suspects and no motive. >> no claims of responsibility in a rural area. less than 40,000 people there hit by that. you would think charlotte two hours to the west. strange story. nbc's blayne alr, thank you so much. mr. secretary, if you were still there at homeland security what kind of questions would you be asking this morning? >> i would want to know the motive. this is a willful and ma loishs act. i would want to know if it's part of a larger plot or plan for attack on critical infrastructure and power grids. >> like a cryout? >> this is another reminder of redundancy in critical

infrastructure. if you can take out two substations with gun fire which then takes out the power for 45,000 people in north carolina that does speak to the need for the ability to have redundancy if there's a physical kinetic attack on a substation like this. dhs is putting out bulletin warning about the heightened threat environment. a thing that i noted from the latest bulletin is that attackers can be inspired by prior attacks and that's consistent with my own experience here. this is a dangerous environment. my guess is that the fbi, local police are hot on the trail and my bet is arrested before a week. >> really? okay. coming up a live report from georgia where election day

voting is underway in the runoff race for u.s. senate. we'll have the latest when "morning joe" comes right back. avoiding triggers but can't keep migraines away? qulipta® can help prevent migraines. you can't always prevent what's going on outside... that's why qulipta® helps what's going on inside. qulipta® gets right to work. in a 3-month study, qulipta® significantly reduced monthly migraine days and the majority of people reduced them by 50 to 100%. qulipta® blocks cgrp a protein believed to be a cause of migraines. qulipta® is a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and tiredness. learn how abbvie could help you save on qulipta®.

research shows people remember commercials nausea, constipation, and tiredness. with nostalgia. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's one that'll really take you back. wow! what'd you get, ryan? it's customized home insurance from liberty mutual!!! what does it do, bud? it customizes our home insurance so we only pay for what we need! and what did you get, mike? i got a bike. ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ okay season 6!

aw... this'll take forev—or not. do i just focus on when things don't work, and not appreciate when they do? i love it when work actually works! i just booked this parking spot... this desk... and this conference room! i am filing status reports on an app that i made! i'm not even a coder! and it works!... i like your bag! when your digital solutions work, the world works. that's why the world works with servicenow.

i want to say this is about turnout. this is about turnout. now that mean that we got to get in the game. we can't sit on the sideline anymore because if we sit on the sideline you see what we'll get. we'll get people that's -- you can't trust anymore. get the friends to call. call the friends to vote. this is so important and i say this. if you don't have friends, what do you need to do?

make some friends and get them out to vote. >> listen. the people of georgia are showing up and i think it's because they understand how much is at stake. we have seen record voter turnout but i want people to understand that although we see record voter turnout in the early voting period we need people to show up again tomorrow. given my opponent this race is about republican versus democrat, red versus blue, right versus left. it is right versus wrong. i think people see that. >> let's go right over to the big board where steve kor knackty is standing by. we have record early voting in this case with big implications for what happens today. looks like walker needs to have

a big day. >> i should say recent elections we have seen examples where the democrats seem to have a strong advantage in the early vote and say the republicans need to pull a rabbit out of the hat and they do. republicans need today, here's the early and mail vote in georgia. falls short of 2 million in the runoff. a much shorter period. when you add it altogether it is short of the 2022 general number. it is still nearly 2 million voters. looking at the composition this is the 2022 election.

same day mail. early. combined together. this is the runoff that looked like. one thing that stands out is a higher share of the african american in the runoff. that would be true compared to the early voting period ahead of the general election. if there was some weakness for them in that senate race in november, warnock did finish ahead of walker black turnout low in georgia. in the last runoff after the 2020 presidential election we saw democrats successfully increase black turnout. that's something they try to pull off again today. the early voting data suggests it is possible they have turn that. if they have it intensifies the need for walker and republicans

to turn out the vote in the core areas here. where do republicans get the votes in georgia, look in the fringes. forsyth county. take a look. you saw something in forsyth county in november true statewide and particularly true in the core republican counties. walker beat warnock here by a 2 to 1 margin. compared to brian kemp won it by 46 points. so we saw this in county after county. the electorate that turned out in the november statewide election is republican friendly.

joe biden's approval rating 41%. kemp won the governor's race fairly easily. on paper you would think it would elect a republican senator. you saw this county after county. you could go next door to cherokee county. kemp won it by 50. walker underperforming kemp and the republicans statewide in georgia. what the republicans will tell you is what's different here is that kemp has been involved in walker's campaign. kemp is on board now and looking at a forsyth and cherokee county and fayette county south of atlanta tonight see walker

numbers closer to the kemp level. if walker in cherokee county is north of up 70% that could make all the difference. they need them to turn out and then to actually cast ballots for walker this time. >> as you know this is a margin of error race for a month. the last couple of polls show a lead for warnock. how much stock do you put in the numbers? >> it would be consistent with the early voting numbers. keep in mind though georgia is in terms of becoming a politically competitive state. joe biden did win the in 2020. a margin of a little bit more than 10,000 votes. the last time a democrat won a

senate race in georgia by more than two points you got to go back to zell miller a conservative democrat and endorsed george w. bush. before that go back another ten years to sam nun in 1990. democrats have had more opportunities to win. so much to do with the core atlanta metro area but winning they have been winning squeakers. if warnock were to win by the margin in the polls that would be a breakthrough for them in georgia. >> thank you so much. a long day and night ahead of you. see you tomorrow. donald trump has not been in the state for walker despite that is his hand picked candidate. did a phone call last night. a small event.

not a rally. >> i wonder what that is like. republicans asking donald trump to stay away. how do they do it? also for georgia voters. especially given the aggressive ad campaign. now knowing that this isn't about the balance of power but getting one more, especially important to democrats but it isn't as make or break after nevada. i wonder if the mindset is different thanks to aggressive ad buys. >> i think you nailed it. the voters make it to the voting booth. if not that excited in turning out they voted for brian kemp and not walker will they come back and vote for walker today?

>> they might. >> if i had to bet i would say no. the early voting number that stuck out for me women voted 56% to men voting early. women are outpacing men voting in this runoff election. coming up on "morning joe" -- >> we waited patiently for the democratic process to play out. now the votes have been tabulated in all 15 counties have certified the results. >> with that arizona's republican governor signed off on the results of the midterm elections. the deniers refuse to concede. lye to phoenix next on "morning joe."

♪♪ energy demands are rising. and the effects are being felt everywhere. that's why at chevron, we're increasing production in the permian basin by 15%. and we're projected to reach 1 million barrels of oil per day by 2025. all while staying on track to reduce our carbon emissions intensity in the area. because it's only human to tackle the challenges of today to help ensure a brighter tomorrow. you want to see something cool? xfinity rewards is how we go beyond saying thanks. so we're going to spread the joy this holiday season, the xfinity way. take your trusty sidekick to see puss in boots: the last wish

what's a puss in boots? he is me. with buy-1-get-1 movie tickets, on us. in theaters christmas. join for free on the xfinity app. xfinity rewards. our thanks. your rewards. as we approach the holidays there is growing concern about the mental health of americaning

battling feelings of isolation from the pandemic. nbc news senior national correspondent kate snow has details of one possible solution to the loneliness epidemic. >> reporter: it is the midday rush at gather55. >> this place is important for the community. >> reporter: a restaurant in hartford, connecticut, where it's pay what you can for a quality meal. those who can't are not turned away but can volunteer the time. it is run by hands on hartford, a nonprofit that focuses on housing, health and depends on outside volunteers like linda mason. >> the customer that is come in are the most lovely people. >> reporter: she was a special education teacher for 33 years. she struggled with feelings of isolation in the pandemic. >> i was extremely lonely. i managed it.

i was aware of it. >> reporter: retiring she knew she had to find something to be part of. what is the emotion that you feel coming here? >> i feel purpose. when i leave here i feel happiness. i helped in a small way. that's an important human thing for us to be trying. >> reporter: the loss of human connection due to the pandemic is felt far and wide. a survey found 36% of americans frequently felt lonely. >> good morning. >> reporter: the cure could be as simple as helping others. research shows volunteering can ease feelings of loneliness and a positive impact on mental and physical health reducing mortality and lowering feelings of depression. >> i was isolated. >> reporter: in springfield, missouri, 41-year-old atia williams volunteers with americorp. when the license expired in the

pandemic she became a stay at home mom and fell into what she calls a sngen place. she says helping others helped her. >> doing my part. i feel like i'm giving back. >> reporter: experts say search for opportunities with meaning to you including in your community. >> give it a try because it might really pull you out of that place that you've been stuck in. >> reporter: for linda mason giving back is a two-way street. what are you billing? >> i am building the human connections. >> reporter: connections that pay it forward and back. >> it's not filling time. it's filling like space within me. it is filling my heart space. giving me a purpose bigger than myself. from political leaders to philanthropists to pop stars

women made the mark in all fields but who made the biggest impact this year? force women set out to determine that with the analyst of the world's 100 most powerful women. the list is out this morning and here to break the news and break it down is editor of force women and the driving force behind the lists that have gone global maggie mcgraff. there are a number of crossovers on this list. >> so many. i think that's in part because of the thesis. we look for women stepping into the power over 50. doing the 50 over 50 europe last years the president of the european union fit the thesis. >> and tops this list. >> now she shapes policy for 450

million people. she was number eight last year but we like her with the response to covid. passed mega aid packages and been a leader in standing up to russia on the invasion of ukraine. >> who's the youngest woman on the list? >> what is the range? >> 32 to 82. taylor swift is 32 years old for another week. and 82-year-old nancy pelosi is -- >> that's an awesome 50-year spread of achievement and accomplishment. >> it's an incredible spread. for as many 50 over 50 members on the list vik vice president kamala harris, jenny johnson we also have the prime minister of finland. she broke the record as being the youngest female prime minister. >> we talk about the long runway

and like ursula, nancy pelosi started the political career i think at 47 and look at her now so it's incredible what the women have been able to accomplish. i'm curious in what feels we're seeing growth and more women break through. >> we see a lot in politics. we did see weakness in the tech sector this year and what happened with the marks so allowed the women in politics and policy to rise through the ranks for fighting inflation and leadership and guidance in the critical moment and more women than ever leading in finance. >> interesting. that's a women leading companies and not just companies, leading stock exchanges. on this list is lynn martin, she leads the new york stock exchange, we have adina freeman the head of the nasdaq. >> janet yellen. >> and also the woman who leads

the hong kong stock he can changes. >> you have jenny johnson on the list as well. >> she is 58 years old, she leads franklin templetones is a $1.5 trillion asset under management firm. like the other testimony on this list she cares about closing the gender equity and wealth gaps. >> there is an honoree who is receiving her honor posthumously, can you talk about her? >> that's a first time for this list, right? >> that is the first time for this list. every year we use the number 100 spot as way of acknowledging women who aren't traditionally powerful. this year we decided to acknowledge gina mahsa amini. she was killed in september and her death at the hands allegedly of iranian's morality police have sparked protests unlike any that we have ever seen. they are going on 80 days straight now and my sources say it's the first women-led revolutionary moment the world has seen. it is not the first time iranian women have protested for their

rights. by law they are treated as second class citizens and they marched for their rights in 1979, in the '80s, '90s, in 2006, there was a signature campaign to get more rights, but the abuse, the pictures that emerged from also two female journalists who are now in jail, that made this news story go global. so mahsa stands as representative, i want to be very clear, as a representative for all the women who are in the streets and marching for their rights. >> we are going to -- this is amazing, again, the 100 most powerful women forbes list and i want to just take a moment because maggie and i have a lot of work to do this week, this thursday we have a luncheon for our 50 over 50 list honorees, the vice chair uma abedin will be there and hoda kotb will do a fireside chat. and our luncheon last year

kicked off the first 50 over 50 list before it went global, the first u.s. 50 over 50 list, we had dr. jill biden and the mood in the room was to amaamazing, there were so many women, you really got to see what the 50 over 50 list means, it's not just women in their 50s, they are in their 60s, they are in their 70s, they are in their 80s, they are in their 90s. i'm at the mall and they were having the most impact, you know, later in life and the runway didn't end for them and doesn't end. >> and they were enjoying connecting with each other. >> yeah. >> i mean, i saw dr. stanford talking to the grandmother of juneteenth and other women in their 80s and 90s, it was incredible to see the energy in the room and i'm excited to see it again this week. >> we're going to honor hoda at this thursday's lunch. stay tuned for details about our 30/50 summit as well taking place in abu dhabi which is march 7th through 10th, right around and on international women's day. we are going to be joined by the world's most powerful women including many of our list makers from around the world.

so head to forbes.com or knowyourvalue.com for more information on that as well. you will be hearing much more about this on thursday. we are going to have some big news, some 30/50 news to break as well. editor of forbes women maggie mist grath thank you so much. great job. still ahead on "morning joe," live reporting from atlanta as georgia voters cast their ballots in today's crucial senate runoff. plus, what do pepsi, lindsay lohan and mayo inspired egg nog -- ew, that's gross. apparently they are all on brand up, brand down, donny's list. i'm assuming that that third thing i said is brand down. donny will return with his latest installment. you're watching "morning joe." we will be right back. nt you're watching "morning joe." we will be right back.

my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala.

♪♪ over the last 100 years, lincoln's witnessed a good bit of history. even made some themselves. makes you wonder... what will they do for an encore? ♪♪

really sad news from the entertainment world that crossed last namectress kirstie alley hd away after a battle with cancer. we take a look back on the emmy award winner's career. >> reporter: this is how most of america knew kirstie alley's name, as a member of "cheers." >> i will show you how a gracious winner behaves. read them and weep, farm boy. >> reporter: her portrayal of rebecca howl would earn her the first of two emmys and a place in the cultural landscape. this morning ted danson remembering this episode. >> rebecca, will you marry me?

>> never. i don't know what's happening. >> reporter: he said he watched it yesterday before hearing the news writing, she made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene and she made me laugh today just as hard. i am so sad and so grateful for all the time she made me laf. alley parlayed that talent into the look who is talking films with john travolta. travolta writing a tribute last time, kirstie was one of the most special relationships i have ever had. i know we will see each other again. in a prolific career that spanned 30 years alley played a vulcan, savic on "star trek." >> i'm aware of my responsibilities. >> reporter: to a romance expert in veronica's closet. >> i just hate watching myself on tv. >> no, you don't. >> yeah, i know. >> reporter: in recent years she kept fans on their toes with appearances on dancing with the stars and the masked singer and even earned a star on the hollywood