agents on the tarmac, and this really allows them to protect people that are already here and try not to attract more people to make the journey to the united states. >> thank you so much for that update. really appreciate it. that wraps up the hour for me. i am josé diaz-balart. you can reach me on twitter or instagram @jdbalart. also, watch msnbc tonight starting at 7:00 eastern, 4:00 pacific, for live coverage of the georgia senate runoff as results start coming in. thank you for the privilege of your time. yasmin vossoughian picks up with more news right now. everybody, good tuesday morning to you. i am yasmin vossoughian here at msnbc headquarters in new york city. we are juggling a lot at this hour. any minute now, capitol hill

leaders will bea stow the congressional honor for the capitol police's actions for protecting the capitol on january 6th. we will bring that to you live as soon as that begins. also this morning, it's election day in georgia again. right now voters braving the gloomy weather to cast their ballots for raphael warnock or his republican challenger, herschel walker. both making the stakes abundantly clear in this election. >> if you don't vote, you are going to get chuck schumer and also president biden. >> it is an election cycle that shattered early voting records and costs hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign spending and the outcome could make all the difference in the u.s.

senate. let's get into it to start off. patricia murphy, and dave wasserman, welcome and thank you for joining us on this gloomy day. as i mentioned, voting day today in the runoff election, and i know you have been speaking to voters there since early this morning, and what are they telling you? >> reporter: voters have come out, and it's kind of overcast and a drizzly day, and voting is across the street, and organizers are doing everything they can to get folks excited to come out, despite the early voting records, and folks are still out here to make sure people come out. voters i talked to say the stakes in this election are especially high, but they are not tired, they are ready to go. take a listen. >> fatigue at all? >> no, not -- no. >> why not? >> because you have to get out and vote, and that's the way

your voice is heard, so tired or not, it's a rainy day and freezing, but i am here. if i can do it, everybody else can do it. >> reporter: as excited as folks are to come out to vote, as folks are breaking through that fatigue, we talk to a number of voters that showed up at this polling place in southwest atlanta and said they voted in the november election here in the polling place, and they went in today and were told they had the wrong location, and folks are getting frustrated with all the obstacles. >> you have seen raphael warnock hitting the trail in the leadup to this election, and herschel walker, not so much, and i believe he had one rally over the weekend and staying pretty low key throughout this time period. what has been the strategy in this leadup for both candidates? >> well, you really incapsulated the entire runoff strategy in

just this single weekend. raphael warnock had six public rallies and preached at the pulpit on sunday morning, and herschel walker signed autographs and posed for pictures and then had a single rally on top of that. unlike the general election, when we did see herschel walker out a ton, he's really kept a lower profile. when he has gone out and done stump speeches, he have made really big gaffes like the werewolf question he asked, and that blew up. do you just go low key and try and get your voters out to the polls anyway? that's a risky strategy, because they need the gop voters that didn't vote for herschel walker but did vote for kemp, they have to give them a reason to go back out to the polls. and what we heard from some of the republican voters, that is

dampening some of their enthusiasm. >> there's an astounding 77,000 number, right, of voters that did not vote in the mid-term elections but are now voting in the runoff. who do you think that is benefiting? >> well, it's not hard to guess, and walker has more room to grow, because black turnout was relatively weak compared to 2018 and 2020, and raphael warnock did better with white voters in georgia than past democrats have done which is why he was able to over perform stacy abrams and herschel walker under performed brian kemp.

and herschel walker has room to grow with the black turnout, and we are seeing that with the 77,000 that did not show up but are now, and democrats have been able to crack the code in georgia and have not in a place like south carolina, if you add up charlotte and the triangle, that's 41% of the state's vote. >> patricia, could you react for me about what tremaine said earlier about the confusion people are seeing at the polling places, coming to a place where they voted for the mid-term elections and returning today to vote in the runoff and being told this is not your location? >> yeah, we are hearing that about a couple precincts around atlanta, and then also in savannah, we are hearing about reports of voters going to the

precincts where they were supposed to be, and there were late changes announced at 7:00 this morning, and we will try and find out if it's widespread, and are they making it easy for voters where to go if not to that location? are they going to make changes to when those polls close at the end of the day to give them more time. we are hearing spotty reports of that happening around the state. >> talk to me about the fatigue, patricia, if you will. tremaine talked to the voters, and georgia has been front and center for four election cycles, i believe, and axios headline saying this, georgia voters are tired, and it goes on to say voters interviewed by axios were tired by the ads and campaign texts, but were not too tired to vote again. talk about this moment for georgia voters. >> oh, i will tell you, i have been covering georgia politics since september of 2020, and it does not feel like that election

cycle ever ended here in the state, because we had the fights about the 2020, and then the 2021 runoffs and then a big fight over voting in georgia, and how and when to vote and the legislature changed the rules, and then the huge senate election now again and the governor's race as well, so we have had high-profile and high-intensity campaigns. this particular senate race has been the highest spending campaign of any in the country. raphael warnock raised more than $50 million in three weeks. he's out spending herschel walker two to one. people are tired of the ads but they are voting. i waited in line with lots of people this morning to vote. nobody was going anywhere. they were there to vote. they just want to get it over with but they are going to be part of getting it over with as well and casting votes. >> if herschel walker wants to win here he has to win big, and it's coming down to today. as you are watching the polls

close later this evening, what are you going to be watching for? >> we are going to be watching to see how the votes stack up to the first round and what is the turnout like in some of the republican hotbeds in georgia where republicans need to win 80% of the vote in order to win, and what is that turnout like relative to the 2021 runoff. if walker is not hitting trump-like numbers in those places, then he's going to have a very hard time winning. >> patricia, is there a trump factor? we know in the leadup to this, everything pointed to trump staying away from herschel walker, and i believe he held a virtual rally over the weekend but nothing in person, and how much is the former president on minds of voters going to the polls today? >> not a lot, and herschel walker is donald trump's candidate, and that was the original problem for republicans from the very beginning of this senate race, so there's no way

to decouple herschel walker from donald trump because they are close friends. the only reason herschel walker got into this, is because donald trump suggested from a rally stage he should in texas at the time. this is not a trump state anymore, and governor brian kemp had that huge feud and won by more than 50 points in his own gop primary, and he has been put off to the side. and the herschel walker race is the last donald trump's chance to post a win here. >> how much did obama pull for voters in this election? >> yeah, he had a huge monster rally in downtown atlanta last week, and we have not seen that kind of turnout for a rally at any point in this senate campaign, and that's really when raphael warnock needed that, and he needed that extra burst of

energy. you feel like the raphael warnock campaign is finishing with the huge rallies, and a lot of people coming in and barack obama energizing that crowd and telling them to go out to the polls and you could not find a parking spot and there was tons of parking. herschel walker's events, plenty of parking and lots of room -- >> i have to jump in here, because we are watching the event play out at the capitol and we want to go to that now. thanks, guys. we appreciate it. let's go to the capitol with pelosi. >> the united states capitol police, and the metropolitan police and every hero of january 6th from every agent that responded that day, may this medal, the highest honor that congress can bestow, and you

bring luster to this ward just as you bring luster to the congress and the constitution of the united states. will our leaders please join in this present >> we're watching the congressional gold medal ceremony take place now on

december 6th, almost two years after what took place at the capitol. there is a presentation of four gold medals to law enforcement officers that defended the u.s. capitol on january 6th, 2021. you see speaker nancy pelosi with senate majority leader, chuck schumer as well, and republican leader kevin mccarthy and mitch mcconnell as well for this ceremony. four separate medals will be presented to u.s. capitol police officers and metropolitan police officers as well. it's the highest honor that congress can, in fact, bestow. let's take a listen. [ applause ]

ladies and gentlemen, chief mayor of the united states capitol police.

>> good morning, chief con tea, distinguished guests and all of my capitol police officers and civilian employees, and all of my law enforcement colleagues, many of whom were here on january 6th. we welcome you here again today. i am honored to accept the congressional gold medal on behalf of the men and women of the united states capitol police who bravely sacrificed their own safety in order to protect the capitol building. the members of congress and our countries legislative processes on january 6th, 2021. i also want to thank our law enforcement partners, especially the metropolitan police department who came to our aid that day. words cannot adequately express our gratitude for what you did to help our officers by joining in the fight that was taking place.

it was a day like [ applause ] it was a day unlike any other in our nation's history, and for us it was a day defined by chaos, courage, tragic loss, and resolve. i especially want to recognize our officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. officer brian sicknick. officer howard leavengood, and billy evans who was lost in the line of duty when he was attacked outside the capitol by a lone assailant. i cannot thank our officers enough for their courage and resolve in order to protect the capitol and congress from such a

horrific attack. on the very next day, these officers went back to work and continued to carry out our mission. i know congress appreciates that you all continue to do your job with dedication each and every day. today's ceremony means a great deal to the entire capitol police department, and i appreciate the fact that congress is acknowledging the courage of each capitol state police and sworn civilian. we are equally as grateful to our law enforcement partners that fought shoulder to shoulder with us until peace was restored in our capitol. thank you.

>> ladies and gentlemen, chief conti iii of the capitol police department. >> good morning, madam speaker, and mayor bowser and to my many law enforcement colleagues, both those in attendance and those who are unable to join us in person. my name is robert j. contee iii, and on behalf of both the men and women, past and present of the pd. this medal is symbolic of our members contributions, not just to the district of columbia, but

to the entire country on january 6th, 2021. today -- [ applause ] today marks a significant moment in the history of the metropolitan police department. our profession is rooted in a culture of guardianship, and there has been no better representation of this than what the world witnessed from our police officers on january 6th. i thank all that voted in favor of this recognition, but i must also thank our law enforcement community for their extraordinary response. to our heroes, for many of the officers with us, today's ceremony is the first time they have returned to the capitol complex. many of us still carry the

physical, mental and emotional scars after that mob of thousands launched a violent assault in an attempt to halt the counting of electoral ballots. the sound of metal poles and other objects striking the bodies, helmets and shields may still ring loudly, the air still think with bear spray and other chemicals making it difficult for our officers to see and breathe. the calls for your fellow officer to be harmed just as loud as the day this occurred. but there's hope because through adversity comes growth, and we continue to grow together and deliver excellence to our community. perspective, the kind that really matters comes through

risk and courage, and you delivered. the urgent requests for the metropolitan police department to assist in defending the u.s. capitol is something that you will carry with you for the rest of your careers and lives, regardless of your political affiliation, you responded like you do each and every day, without hesitation, with courage and an unwavering duty to uphold your oath. you were confronted by individuals engaged in heinous behavior with the intent of causing you harm and destroying our democratic process. you did not give up, and you did not give in, and, yes, you were vastly out numbered but you were determined. exhausted and injured, it was your blood, your sweat and your tears that marked these grounds

where we stand today. you endured this without reluctance. this commitment to our nation is a reflection of your spirit and serves an enduring reminder that adversity is also an opportunity and one of the greatest strengths is our ability to overcome insurmountable obstacles. that day you showed the world who we are. i am proud of how you restored order to our democratic process. your actions were powerful and mpd's legacy strengthened. an unprecedented crisis that called for unprecedented action. so on behalf of the 4,000 members of the metropolitan police department, i am humbled and privileged to accept the

highest honor bestowed upon us by members of congress. god bless everyone. to our police officers, you are an inspiration to all americans. thank you. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the united states army marching zone army corps.

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪

♪ america america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable kevin mccarthy, republican leader of the united states house of representatives.

i appreciate the house and senate for agreeing to use the rotunda to honor the capitol police and d.c. police. today we pay tribute to their service and sacrifice on january 6th. these brave men and women in uniform stood strong in the line of duty for our country and we are forever grateful for that. this congressional gold medal commemorates their courage, professionalism and patriotism. there's no more fitting place to show our gratitude than the rotunda of the capitol, the room that is a symbol of a sacred building and a symbol of a great nation and a symbol of freedom and self government here and around the world. the capitol police and d.c. police are valued members of this community, but they are also members of another community, the community of law enforcement, the brotherhood of law enforcement.

by awarding them the congressional gold medal for not only honoring them for protecting our nation and community on january 6th, but we are honoring them for the essential brotherhood as well. to all the law enforcement officers who keep this country safe, thank you. putting on the badge means putting yourself in harm's way to protect others, to keep the country safe. these brave men and women are heroes, heroes who protected so many from harm on that day. heroes who live out the code to protect and serve, heroes who do the noble work. too many people take that for granted. but days like today force us to realize how much we owe that thin blue line. we're forever indebted to them for their heroism. today we take an important step towards repaying the debt by presenting them a congressional

gold medal. it's congress' highest honor, and this award says the service and sacrifice of these officers will not be forgotten. i hope every american will see this award and feel the gratitude for every law enforcement officer that answers the call of duty every day, and especially capitol police and d.c. officers on january 6th, because that's what great and grateful nations do. thank you and god bless. [ applause ] . >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable mitch mcconnell, the republican leader of the united states senate. >> it doesn't take long before anybody working in the capitol

complex comes to see our policemen and police women as familiar colleagues. they are the first faces we see on our way in each morning, and our last senate good-byes every night. it's like members, just like staff, uscp are part of the ordinary bedrock of daily life. but some days, the worst days, the hardest days, we are starkly reminded these brave men and women in and out of uniform are not an ordinary part of the fabric. they are not colleagues just like any other. when the rest of us move away from danger, they move toward it.

when circumstances make everyone else think of safety first, they put theirs last. and when an unhinged mob tried to come between the congress and our constitutional duty, the capitol police fought to defend not just this institution but our system of self government. on duty officers held the line. off duty officers left their families and raced back here. local officers from surrounding areas and federal personnel from multiple agencies rushed to the scene and joined forces to help clear the capitol and restore law and order. because of your bravery, and professionalism, congress finished our job that very night

because you honored your oaths to support and defend the constitution, and we were able to honor ours. that is a reality that was made especially clear 23 months ago, but it is true every single day. thank you for having our backs. thank you for saving our country. thank you for being not just our friends, but our heroes. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable charles e. schumer, the democratic leader of the united states senate. >> madam speaker, leader

mcconnell, leader mccarthy, chief contee, and the clergy, colleagues and friends and family. january 6th was a day of violence and a day of darkness, but today under this hallowed capitol dome we come to sank tau tpaoeu it as a day of heroes. on the day democracy faced maximum danger, these public servants responded with maximum valor. whether it was holding the line on the lower west terrace, or leading insurrectionists away

from the senate chamber, or acting quickly to protect members and staff, history will forever note that on january 6th, democracy lived on because of them. today we are here to say thank you, thank god for you. a year can pass, two years can pass, a decade can pass, but january 6th will always seem like yesterday to me. i can remember sitting on the floor of the senate that day when my detail suddenly came up and said, senator, we have to get you out of here. you're in danger, and he grabbed me by the jacket as we ran out of the chamber. at one point i was within 30 feet of the rioters before my brave detail pulled me away to safety. their quick thinking, their

valor, their ability to stay calm in the face of violence undoubtedly saved lives that day, and again, our thanks will forever remain immeasurable. so will our gratitude for everybody who stepped up that day, from the national guard to the staff that restored these halls after the violence. we acknowledge that no honor, no recognition can bring back the officers we lost to the attack. we mourn their loss. we pray for their families. we honor their limitless heroism in the face of the unthinkable. to every member of the capitol police and metropolitan police who still bear the scars from that attack, we are here for you always.

it cannot be any other way. on that terrible day in january, you stared directly into the heart of darkness, and though outnumbered you held the line, the line of democracy. you bravely held it and democracy endured. in return, those of us in elected office must always strive to care for you and support your physical safety and mental health, to give you the tools necessary to do your jobs to the best of your ability. to my personal detail, mike, kevin, joe, to juan and kris as well as antonia, larry, christian, daren, richardson and alex, thank you. thank you for what you do every day to keep me, my family and my staff safe.

you are the best of the best and you made your department proud. finally, let me say this. the dome of this capitol is kept lit by day and night as enduring symbol of our precious democracy. it's a message to the entire world that here self rule must forever serve as our bedrock. on january 6th, that light flickered for a brief harrowing moment, but it was rekindled aknew thanks to the bravery of the capitol police and the d.c. metropolitan police and all our servants who dedicate themselves to keeping this capitol. because of them the vision of our founders remains alive in our time. so thank you, god bless you and god bless our democracy.

ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> it is an emotional day for all of us that you can just imagine what it is for our capitol police or metropolitan police, the families who are here listening to the music of the army band, the u.s. army band, and it was so beautiful. let us salute them again for the beautiful -- [ applause ] >> it's a all lovely, but i am so glad you mentioned the fourth verse, the patriot's dream, and

that has been my favorite line because it's who we are as a country. may we always be patriots who see beyond the years. thank you for being so beautiful in your presentation. here we are again under this beautiful dome, as has been referenced by our colleagues and leadership. this beautiful dome, magnificent dome of the united states capitol that, let us recall, was built during the civil war. at the time the iron and steel used for the construction was said by some to be needed for the war effort, but president lincoln said to halt the work on the dome would be -- wouldn't be right, and he said no. so in the face of brutal violence at the time, the work went on. the work went on, because

lincoln knew we needed a national symbol, a beacon of patriotism, determination and resilience. isn't it magnificent? we're not worthy to work under it. [ applause ] more than a century and a half once again on display right here on this sacred ground beneath the dome. on january 6th, we all witnessed the desecration of our temple of democracy and a violent insurrection against our republic. our congressional community knows the profound terror of that day firsthand, and members fled for their lives, and staff barricaded themselves behind doors, and hid under furniture, and the smell of gas and smoke

and the screams all remain raw. yet that day, the capitol police and metropolitan police and other agencies bravely through themselves between us and violence. may i thank the national guard for continuing that protection, ending the day and continuing that protection. with great patriotism -- [ applause ] again, harkening back with lincoln with great patriotism and great resilience, they answered the call to serve and putting their lives on the line to protect the capitol, the congress and the constitution. your valor on that dark day is the stuff of legend, and like the dome, they fought to defend a source of strength and hope,

and we thank you for that. united in grief and gratitude, today we award them the congressional gold medal forever etching their heroism into our history. in doing so we thank those heroes for their service and sacrifice, especially more than 140 members of our protection left with lasting scars and many more suffering from indelible trauma. may we always remember the fallen, the marters, the martyrs for democracy. officer sicknick, and officer liven good, and metropolitan police officer jeffrey smith, and u.s. capitol police officer, billy evans killed in the line of duty later on good friday.

let us acknowledge and thank them. [ applause ] [ applause ] i also want to acknowledge those members of the police force in the district of columbia as well as the capitol police who had the courage to tell in testimony what they witnessed that day. and may i acknowledge the mayor of washington. thank you, mayor, for being with us and with the metropolitan police. in his gettysburg address, which was in november, november 18th,

lincoln stood on the ground con by the blood of patriots that defended democracy. let us recall his world. we are here highly resolved these dead did not die in vain, and this nation will have a birth of freedom and the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not parish from the earth. shall not parish from the earth. no matter what the assault, as we saw on january 6th. thank you to our heroes for being with us today, and thank you for joining us as we canonize these patriots. may god bless them and their

families. god bless you and your families. may god bless the united states of america. thank you all for being with us today. thank you. [ applause ] honoring the capitol police and metropolitan police that led the response in defending the capitol. the major along with chief contee accepting the gold medals, and the chief said january 6th was a day unlike any other in our nation's history, and chief contee saying today's ceremony is the first time many

metropolitan police officers returned to the capitolplex and still carry the scars of that day. these four gold medals will be placed in four locations, metropolitan police department, and the capitol, and the smithsonian and the capitol police department. i want to bring in garrett haake. a former republican congressman, carlos, from florida, and also is a msnbc correspondent as well. we are getting breaking news in from the chair of the january 6th committee, and if you could walk us through that as well, we would appreciate it. >> absolutely. on the ceremony itself, this was a ceremony set in motion back in june of last year when congress

voted to award the gold medals, the highest honor they can give to the departments that saved their lives in many cases on january 6th. the delay in the process is logistical as it takes a while. now we are near the end of the democratic control in the house in particular, it felt like the time was now to get this done. on the senate side, the gold medal was approved unanimously, but there were 21 republicans that voted against the gold medals for various reasons, and it was a democratic move towards the medals, and there were two republicans speaking on behalf of all republicans in gratitude to the officers. as the ceremony is going on,

there's still news developing on the news front, and thompson on his way into the ceremony where all the january 6th committee members sat together and told reporters that the committee made a decision on the question as to whether they would make criminal referrals, and thompson was given several opportunities to clarify others, and the committee has decided they will issue at least one referral. he's not specific to whom or how many referrals could be released here. in reporting on this committee, since its inception, i feel like i should share sometimes thompson gets a little ahead of the committee, and the committee is still in the active discussions about the question about whether or not they would refer individuals and if so how many, and they are to continue those discussions today, and so whether thompson is ahead of the committee and perhaps the committee made a decision and it has not been filtered all the way through, or perhaps he's

putting his finger on the scale of the decision to be made here, not entirely clear. but the chairman of the committee said that criminal charge may be made against one individual. >> garrett, you don't think from what i am hearing from you, considering how he has talked about these things before, that this was necessarily purposeful, or coordinated in his release of the information leading into this, of course, ceremony? >> no, i think that purposeful or coordinated, no, i think not. he was pressed by a gaggle of reporters just before going in about this question. and he had every opportunity to clarify his answer and say maybe we are still discussing this, and maybe it's not quite clear, but he said this is a decision that has been made. i don't know that it was news he wanted to make leading into this

ceremony, but the news is out there, and the committee -- particularly when it comes to legal decisions they make, whether it be issuing legal subpoenas, and probably the most notable example, and they tend to be careful in dotting the is. >> as we were watching this ceremony play out, talk to me about the importance of a ceremony like this to honor the capitol police officers, the men and women that responded to the january 6th >> i'm a little biased. i was actually getting emotional. i served with, alongside and with the metropolitan police officers. i know many of them. what the chief said is true,

many haven't been back to the capitol. i think a ceremony like this is important for two reasons. one, having put that uniform on, men and women who put that uniform on don't do it for medals. they do it to serve the community and protect the constitution, in this particular case. i think it draws attention to the fact that many of the men and women are still suffering emotional and physical scars today. it also fights back a count er narrative on the far right that those who showed up at the capitol that day were patriots and that it was not a violent insurrection. so to enshrine this in the history books, to have this in the smithsonian is important. this is not given out lightly. the metropolitan police, as well as the capitol police, can add their names to the list.

>> then there's the poll politi surrounding it all. there's news from bennie thompson. there is kevin mccarthy vying for speakership in the house, does not yet have the votes there, who has said we will be investigating the investigators. in his speech here, he said, we honor the officers that served on january 6. but we honor all officers across the country. i couldn't help but wonder if he was doing that to make sure the folks that he was vying for those votes from heard him, considering their opinions such as marjorie taylor greene, on january 6. >> that's right. kevin mccarthy is tiptoeing a lot these days. he does not want to anger hard-core trump supporting conservatives in the house republican conference. at the same time, he has to be careful. there are a decent number of new centrist numbers in the house republican conference.

if he goes too far to the right, he could lose some of them. this is a very careful balancing act for him. some might say an impossible balancing act. we will see in a few weeks. two different speeches from kevin mccarthy and mitch mcconnell. mcconnell heavy on the constitution. perhaps emphasizing it in the wake of the former president's remarks. then, of course, we have this wonderful ceremony, which we all celebrate. i know a lot of the capitol police officers. whatunderlies? a reminder who caused this national tragedy. it was donald trump who inspired it. >> garrett, a couple things. you are used to it by now. we got news in, kevin mccarthy hasn't had the votes. he had 188 to get house speakership. we are learning there is a challenge. what do you know? that's right. this is a sequel.

andy biggs challenged him in the closed door vote. he lost that vote. mccarthy won it 188-31. biggs said he will challenge him on the floor. it's clear that mccarthy does not have the votes. biggs doesn't either. he is a far-right conservative and a member of the freedom caucus. i think it's reasonable to view his putting himself forward as a way for the rogue republicans who don't support mccarthy to have a candidate in this race, to kind of prove that mccarthy won't have the votes. biggs was able to get 31 in the closed door vote. he could get some of those on the floor. the mccarthy foes have struggled to provide an alternative. they have struggled to provide any answer to the question of, if not mccarthy, who? with biggs out there, they can at least offer him as a possible

alternative. he certainly doesn't have the votes. he wasn't even close behind closed doors. the end game here for mccarthy's foes is just as much of a question as before this announcement. >> right. at this point it seems answering that question of if not mccarthy then who, because for some time there has never really been an answer to who. now we have it. garrett haake, thank you. done ell harvin, thank you. tens of thousands of people are facing their third day without power after what authorities say was a targeted attack on two electric substations. police are still searching for whoever used a gun to disable the sub stations five miles apart from each other. there's no clear motive. the president was asked about the investigation. here is part of that exchange.

antonia hylton is joining us from north carolina. the big question is when they are going to get their power back. dire situation there right now. what do we know and about the investigation, who did it? >> reporter: in terms of the time line for getting this community back on their feet and the power back, it's looking like the vast majority won't get power until thursday. this is the third consecutive day people have been waking up not just without heat, in many cases without water. they are going days without being able to take a shower. it's been hard to find places to buy food. the gas stations have been closed down. this attack has plunged this community into a bit of a chaotic situation. a crisis, really. there are elderly people for whom being at home in the cold in winter poses a serious

threat. there's two tracks to this story here. first, the resources that authorities are trying to make sure people here are aware of. for example, a shelter that people can come to to get warm, to get supplies if they need them. of course, answering tough questions about the investigation. right now, there is no motive. there are no suspects. they have a tip line. they are asking residents to reach out to the sheriff's department if they know anything about who might have been behind this. the reality is, they haven't been able to give residents or reporters on the ground that many answers. with those two sides of the story here, as you can understand, residents are frustrated. listen to some of the conversation that our colleague blayne alexander had with folks here. >> it's cold. i come over here a couple times a day to get some hot food. >> reporter: to get warm? >> yeah. >> reporter: how are you getting by? >> barely. i have friends that have generators at homes that we can sneak in and grab something to eat from them.

sleeping is a lot of blankets. it's a thing that i'm sure we will get over in a couple of days and forget about it next week. >> reporter: what we do know right now is authorities believe that this was an intentional attack, that this had criminal intent. whoever did this knew their way around a substation. they knew what they were doing. the fbi is here, the state bureau of investigation. they are not treating this as, for example, a group of teenagers pulling a prank. they are looking at this as a serious criminal matter. >> thursday, two days away from thousand. thank you. that does it for me in this busy hour. you can catch me on weekends right here on msnbc. "andrea mitchell reports" starts next. "andrea mitchell reports" s next 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

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