folks we have a lot more coming up you're watching msnbc, our second hour starts right now. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> hey, everybody. good to see you. i am yasmin vossoughian. if you are just joining us, welcome. it's good to see you. if you are sticking with us, we are thankful for that. iowa is the center of the political universe right now, with ron desantis and a host of gop presidential candidates looking for votes in the crucial stage. 2024 front-runner donald trump dealing with new questions from the special counsel, after his lawyers come up empty, finding a key document trump talked about in a bombshell tape released this week. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> it looks bad. but you have to really match it up with a lot more facts. the tape alone is not something sufficient. you have to match it up to an actual document. you know, what was he supposedly waving around? was there any document there at

all? was this all just bluff? >> when you say was it a bluff? just to be clear, you are saying your best defense would be that he was lying about the documents. >> possibly -- ♪ ♪ ♪ >> and president biden signing the debt ceiling deal into law, and inca drama that had the country on the brink of default. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> passing this budget agreement was critical. mistakes could not have been higher. if we failed to reach an agreement on the budget, there would've been extreme voices threatening to take america for the first time in over 247 year history, and default on our national debt. nothing, nothing would have been more irresponsible. >> later this hour, i'm gonna speak to congressman jimmy gomez who voted no on the debt ceiling bill. all of that, plus, let's put on a show. >> i want you all to know that i'm not a man anymore. are you saying you are a lady -- >> not a woman, either.

>> a group of teens who had a play with an lgbtq twist on the robinhood story, canceled by their school, refused to give up, raising thousands to put it on themselves. i'm gonna speak to one of the determined producers, coming up. we want to begin, though, in what seems to be the center of the election right now, the elections right now, the one for the white house, and the convergence of gop presidential hopefuls and iowa, a national poll showing trump still is a leading the presidential field amongst republican voters, and those who lean republican. that same poll showing trump building momentum since december, while desantis's numbers are spiralling. nbc's vaughn hillyard is in des moines at the roast and ride event hosted by iowa senator with more on this. von, good to talk to you again. so, we are looking at those numbers. it looks like all of trump's challengers need to get out and talk to voters.

>> reporter: and that's what they are doing. and donald trump is not. i mean, this is notable here. donald trump, much like the suggestion that he won't participate in the first republican debate in august, he said he doesn't want to legitimize at the rest of the republican field, this is the first major event here in iowa for the candidates. this is normal which candidates descend on iowa. they partake in an event like this. but donald trump made a calculated decision not to be here. that set, guys like ron desantis, or will be candidate mike pence, they are here. i want to let you listen to what both of these men said earlier. >> what do you say, why do you say trump is not happy to be here? >> i'm just happy to be here. i love the people here. i think this is a great event. there's a lot of friends that we developed, and we will get a lot more friends. >> and will you sign the -- [inaudible] >> it's great to be here at this event.

and people can expect we will be back in iowa on wednesday. >> and a few more times after that? >> it's a timely process. >> again, yasmin, we heard mike pence announcing his presidential bid on wednesday. but he is one candidate riding on a motorcycle alongside senator ernst during this event. there's a speech going on right now, there is the candidate speaking. they're going one-on-one, nikki haley, and tim stopper here as well, yasmin. >> you mentioned in the last hour, vaughn, we were talking with a conversation you had with nikki haley with regards to the comments former president made about kim jong-un. explain that more for us. >> reporter: this was a social media post for donald trump yesterday in which north korea, we should note, was headed to the executive board of the world health organization. [inaudible] trump posted congratulations to kim jong-un. this ignited quite a few

eyeballs. number one, georgia governor brian kemp put out a post directly responding to donald trump, you know, this is not the way to beat donald trump, nor be joe biden in 2024, that sort of statement. but nikki haley just had a chance, i asked her about the congratulations kim jong-un post from donald trump, take a listen to what she said. actually, i don't believe we have the sound, but when she told me, she said he's a thug, and essentially said that he is not the type of a man that should be getting congratulations from american leaders. >> vaughn hillyard, thank you for scrambling on that sometimes, there's audio issues as we all know. new developments, everybody, in the justice department's mar-a-lago documents case. the new york times now reporting that lawyers have been not able to locate a document to reference in an audio recording. the federal prosecutors have trump discussing a document he may have taken while leaving office. the times writing this, even if the government isn't ever able to find a document mr. trump

discussed, his statement on the recording could prove damaging to him, as mr. smith's team moves forward towards concluding its investigation and turns to the question of whether to file charges. joining me now is msnbc's legal block liner jordan rubin, to talk about this. jordan, thanks for joining us. how significant is this new trump audio and the doj's classified documents probe? >> it's quite significant. on at least a couple of levels. on a broader and narrower level. probably, it knocks out any sort of argument that trump might have had, and it wasn't a winning argument before, he classified things with his mind. it shows trump knows that there are rules around this. and then specifically, to the extent that this particular document can be connected with something that smith's team actually has, and that can lend itself to a specific charge related to mishandling evidence. so, there's a bunch of different things that could mean, and none of them are good for trump. >> what we're talking about

this, i also want to talk about georgia, we are keeping our eye on the investigation there, looking towards what seems to be this early august timeline, based on the reporting we've been seeing around that. and then, the significance that we are seeing now on the fact that the fulton county d.a., fani willis, it's kind of broadening her investigation to include other states beyond georgia. what is, what does this mean, how significant is that? >> so, that is significant for very simple but also very powerful reasons. and that's the simple fact that if you are looking to prove that someone did a specific criminal thing, if you can present a broader pattern of that to a jury, then that's all the more powerful. and so, by looking at this broader evidence of a nationwide conspiracy of election interference, fani willis can potentially strengthen her case against trump, whether that leads to a sprawling reindictment or not, it can show more evidence of a certain type of behavior, which

can be quite powerful in telling that story to a jury, if there is a trial in this case, if there are charges pressed, of course. >> and if you were jordan, expand on what i was talking about, leading into this, this is georgia timeline. from the reporting that you see, the possibility of this decision made on possible charges early august, or so, is that what you are still seeing? >> i think that's the latest. remember, there is a letter that came out earlier from fani willis to local law enforcement for security reasons, basically giving a heads up that she might be making, charging and ounce meant between july and september. and some other information that came out of the other office, suggesting that august might be the time that she is zeroing in on trump. basically, we are looking at the summer, possibly august. within that, we do have actual specific statements, looking like it should at least be between july and september for an announcement. >> jordan rubin, thank you. another story we are following, everybody, for you in the last

hour or so, the president signing into law a bill to raise the debt ceiling. it was the culmination of weeks of high stakes and high profile negotiations between the white house and house republicans led by speaker mccarthy. ahead, i'm gonna speak to progressive caucus deputy whip jimmy gomez about the, deal and why he chose to vote against it. the deal, of course, the bill, the president just signed. and coming up in just 60 seconds, the arrest of three organizers aiding protesters against atlanta's proposed 90 million dollar police center, just the latest in a number of controversial tactics used by the city. my next guest says if the effort dubbed, cop city reveals in atlanta, then your city could be next. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oves playing detective. but the real mystery was her irritated skin. so, we switched to tide pods free & gentle. it cleans better, and doesn't leave behind irritating residues. and it's gentle on her skin. case, closed! it's gotta be tide. >> welcome back.

right now in atlanta, a proposal to build a police training megaprojects at the heart of the city, and it has thousands of residents at odds with their local government. on wednesday, heavily armed

swat team arrested three organizers who have been aiding protesters against the city's plan for a massive 85-acre, 19 million dollar police training complex, being referred to as cop city. it is the latest incident in what's been an unprecedented crackdown on first amendment rights surrounding the controversial project, which will also require that destruction of hundreds of acres of urban forest, and majority black area of the city. joining us now to talk more about this, atlanta-based organizer and rider micah herskind. micah, thanks for joining us on this. i want to start with the three activists that were in fact arrested. they were charged with quote unquote, charity fraud, legal experts some of them saying this essentially seems made up. the judge even saying this quote, i don't find it very impressive. there's not a lot of meat on the bones. tell me about these three people, and why they are arrested? >> absolutely. so, these are, you know, long time, what respected event

organizers. they've done mutual aid work for a long time. they have been working for the solidarity conference in 2016, to bail people out of jail when arrested for exercising their first amendment right to protest. you know, this is a really critical infrastructure that supports those who exercise their rights. so, this swat team, this joint team of local and state partners to go after them is really dangerous escalation when it comes to targeting protesters and social movements. >> i want to talk about the massive investment as well, because this is not only an economic investment. it is a physical investment, as i mentioned a bit earlier, it's going to possibly affect the inner city forest in atlanta, which is in a black community, costing tax payers nearly $70 million. and you wrote this, and i quote, cop city would not only further strain police in urban warfare tactics by offering a mock city to train in, but the construction of a proposed 85-acre facility would help to destroy a precious forest of

381 acres in it majority black area of southeast atlanta. talk more about this. >> yes, this is really critical for atlanta. it's been identified as one of the building blocks of atlanta, so it's really crucial for being in the air, preserving the environment. we know that we are in a time of climate change and climate disaster. in atlanta, it has actually been losing tree canopy in recent decades. so the idea now of tearing down hundreds of acres of forest, to build this massive police training center, you know, it's really dangerous. and it's really scary. again, like i said, this is a majority black neighborhood, and what is really important to understand is that this area is city owned land. but it actually falls outside of city limits, which means that the people around this site don't actually have any formal input on our atlanta city council. they don't get to vote for our mayor. so, it's really anti-democratic projects where those who are gonna be most impacted by it don't even get to vote for those who are actually making

it happen. >> and wondering how it went this far because looking at the crackdown, right? and you write about it. i want folks to understand how they've been cracking down on these protests. georgia state troopers killed manuel tehran, one of the many activists who have been living in the forest defend it from this devastation. since december 2022, police and prosecutors have charged 42 protesters with domestic terrorism. others have been charged with felonies for simply handing out fliers. how did they get to this point? >> yes, this movement has been going on now for over two years, since the affiliate was first proposed. and they have continually ignored, they've showed up, giving countless hours a public comment to city council. they've written to lawmakers. and they've really been ignored. so, since then, the movement has continued. but as the movement has grown, we've seen this really extreme and intense crackdown by the police. and what i wanna be really

clear about is that this is a bipartisan crackdown. this is atlanta democratic mayor andré dickens, working with republican governor brian kemp, to send the police forces after people who disagree with the government, you know, tear people out of their homes, arresting them for providing bail support. 42 people have been arrested on domestic terrorism charges, many of whom were just actually standing at a festival in that forest, a music festival. so, you know, it's sets really dangerous precedent, things about the rights to protest, ability to descend to atlanta in america. >> the title of your piece says it all, of those supporting cops to prevail in atlanta, your city could be next. you talk about proposals for calk cities across the country, hawaii, texas, michigan, new jersey, pennsylvania as well. what could what's happening in atlanta mean for these other cities? >> yes, the thing to understand is that, you know, cities replicate and expand each other's tactics when it comes to policing. so, cop city in atlanta

actually followed the approval of what organizers in chicago call cop academy. and in the wake of cop city, you see this proposal popping up all over the country. those cities are looking to each other and saying, oh, atlanta is doing this, we're gonna do this too. and it's not just when it comes to cop city. it's also when it comes to these charges. folks in atlanta have been charged with domestic terrorism. now you have people who are protesting the murder of jordan neely in new york, also being charged with domestic terrorism. so, these tactics are spreading across state lines. and, you know, across that municipalities just as, you know, the actual proposal -- >> micah herskind, thank you for your reporting on this and sharing it with us. still ahead, everybody, and iowa inside look on the gop presidential field. i'm gonna talk to a local reporter about his interview with former president trump. how iowans are feeling about ron desantis and much, much more. plus, democratic congressman jimmy gomez joins me to talk about why he voted no on the debt ceiling deal. but first, the historic rise of natural disasters in california

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six days after a story building partially collapsed in the heart of downtown davenport, iowa, a community remains shaken and searching for answers. concerns about the safety and structural integrity of the building had been known by officials for months. but residents were not advised to vacate. and then, the hours that followed the disasters, officials called of rescue

efforts before realizing that five people were still potentially trapped under that rubble. search and rescue efforts were called off on friday. as of now, three people remain unaccounted for. extreme weather is getting too extreme for some, inshore is home and other property buyers in california trying to get insurance, instead getting turned down by two industry joy. and is the correspondent marissa parra shows us the latest coupling that's no longer willing to take the risk. marissa? >> reporter: it's no secret. buying a home in california is expensive, but watchdogs fear, especially with climate change, buying a new home and protecting it from damage is about to get harder not just in california, this could spell trouble for other states, too. >> reporter: the state that seeing some of the country's most extreme weather is taking another hit. now, all state -- it is leading a new california home buyers and other hands, causing new home and property

insurance and stayed altogether. the company cited wildfires, higher costs for repairing homes, and hire reassurance premiums for the decision they made last year. and just last week, state farm announced at the same move in california for similar reasons. >> for those with dreams of buying a home in california, should they be worried? >> it absolutely is a reason to be concerned right now. >> reporter: this year, california has seen all types of extreme weather, from severe drought, to catastrophic flooding, sometimes at the same time. and out of california's top 20 largest wildfires in history, 13 of them happened in the last ten years. >> when you combine all of those, it makes it very difficult to do business, in particular under write an insurance policy. >> now, with two of the states top five insurance property companies scaling back coverage, brokers on the other side of the table say it's changing the way they do business, asking buyers now to call insurance companies upfront. >> typically, most buyers don't

really reach out for home insurance until, you know, a couple of days before they close a deal -- >> and it's not just affecting residents in the golden state. future homeowners in places like florida, texas, louisiana, all battered by hurricanes in recent years, now in the path of a looming insurance crisis. >> these are all very disaster natural catastrophe prone areas. we've seen some changing in the cycles. >> reporter: severe weather season just heating up, and the financial hit unlikely to cool down anytime soon. >> now, these sorts of restrictions are not new. in fact, even before hurricane ian's devastation last year, florida saw an exodus of insurance companies. and listen, when we talk about severe weather season, it's worth noting hurricane season started just a few days ago. >> thank you to marissa parra for that. coming up, how the debt ceiling deal makes crucial food benefits harder to get? democratic congressman jimmy gomez joins me next on why he voted no on the bill.

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the president taking a victory lap today, after officially signing his debt limit agreement with speaker mccarthy into law. here is what the president had to say on twitter, quote, i just signed into law a bipartisan budget agreement that prevents a first-ever default while reducing this deficit, safeguarding social security, medicare, and medicaid, and fulfilling our sacred obligations to our veterans. now, we continue the work of building the strongest economy in the world. but as for how lawmakers view this agreement, it depends on who you ask. i want to turn to nbc's julie tsirkin on capitol hill for us with more on that. what are you hearing, julie, up on the hill? and how are the different factions in congress reacting to this deal? >> reporter: yasmin, what is so interesting, for the first time for a long time, at least in this congress, leadership in both parties, republicans and democrats, actually relied on the center of their respective

parties to be able to get this piece of legislation across the finish line. and that's exactly what happened in this debt limit will. we saw this week in the senate and the house 300 plus on the house, that rarely ever happens, in a congress divided this closely. and in the senate, over 60 votes supporting this bill. now, why do moderates, why have moderates had such a great tremendous showing in this bill, as compared to, let's say, the far-right and the far-left of both parties? well, that's because they wanted to avert the default crisis entirely. i talked to senator mark kelly, for example, moderate democrat from arizona, who told me the other day he wished more, he wished everyone would have supported this bill, just for that in the fact. of course, as i mentioned earlier, some on the left and the right did not love what's in this bill, did not appreciate what was negotiated by president biden and by speaker mccarthy. here's the president speaking to that point last night. >> no one got everything they wanted, but the american people got what they needed. i want to commend senator, a

speaker mccarthy. he and i and our teams, we were able to get along, get things done. >> the final vote of both chambers was overwhelming, far more bipartisan. >> you heard the president say no one got everything they wanted, so let's talk about what some of those things are that people who didn't vote for this bill wanted, right? you have conservative republicans who actually said the spending cuts in this bill, the 1.5 trillion dollars or so, did not go far enough. you remember, the republican passed bill at 4.5 trillion dollars, nearly five spending cuts over the next years. you look at the left side, progressives, democrats who did not vote for this bill, and it's largely because of work requirements. although president biden was able to hold the line on medicaid, for example, this does make it harder for americans without dependents to access food stamps, that age rises from 49 to 54. they will have to work and qualify for that benefit. that's one of the things that progressives imposed in this bill. they also said it doesn't do

enough to protect the environment. it does more to give head out to corporates. so, this is just some of the reasons why we saw the opposing votes on the right and left sides. all in all, historic numbers for this agreement. >> julie tsirkin for us, thank you. as we just heard, members of the progressive caucus, they are not happy with this deal. here's how their deputy whip congressman jimmy gomez sums it up in this tweet. it cuts programs that help working people, titans on weighty burdensome requirements for snap, demolishes environmental safeguards, and shovels more money into inflated defense budgets. and it makes it easier for major corporations and the ultra wealthy to not pay their fair share in taxes. and he joins me now, congressman jimmy gomez, democrat of florida. congressman, thanks for joining us on this. if you would expand on your displeasure of this bill that was signed now by the president, just about an hour or so ago, and why you chose not to vote for it? >> i want to be very clear for

the american people. progressives believe in the rule of government, and helping people, especially the ones that need the most help, the ones that don't have enough food, don't have health care, don't have a place to live, or need help with paying. republicans on the other hand believe that the rule role of the federal government should only be when it comes to national defense, and it should be so small that it can be fit in the bathtub and sunk. so, they have a very different role. so, they wanted to default. that's why they held the american people hostage when it came to the debt ceiling. and when that republicans failed to bring enough votes, democrats stood up. so, if necessary, progressives would have put up votes if needed. but we didn't because we knew that it was gonna pass. and we also had a call out that

it was unacceptable, number one, calling the american people, the good faith and the credit of the american people and the u.s. government hostage. and pass reforms for working class folks, snap benefits, extra work requirements, when it comes to pushing in the pipeline that will hurt the environment, reinstating the student, reinstating people need to pay their student loans. there is a lot of things in it that we didn't like. i have bills that will remove work requirements for college students, mainly snap benefits. this is something that has been a deep concern, so we will put a vote, if we thought that was a bad deal. but we also, we're gonna let the federal government default. so, people should not think that in their minds. democrats will hopefully do the right thing, and i think that's what mccarthy will light on, that democrats will step up and

bail him out, when he couldn't get the 99% of his caucus to step in. and yes -- >> i was gonna say, it's important to point that out, right? that distinction, in fact of the votes were needed, you would have stepped up, despite the fact that you would not necessarily agree with the body of the bill as it was. you understood the importance of getting this thing across the finish line. but as you look at, and what the president has spoken about what this would do, how devastating this would have been for the economy, had they not been able to strike a deal, do you blame the president for negotiating the way that he did? >> no, i think that he was put in a terrible situation by kevin mccarthy who needed to show that he wasn't a speaker in name only. and biden negotiated the best deal possible. but at the same time, we gotta

acknowledge that certain provisions will hurt working people, especially those snap provisions. people are still suffering. food costs are increasing. how are we supposed to get by? we wanted to point that out. at the same time, we need to continue to pull the president in a more progressive direction. we helped him when it came to build back better. we helped him when it came to the inflation reduction act. and we know that he has the american people in mind when he makes decisions. we don't always agree 100%, although i know that in the end, we're gonna do better together on that part. >> i want to talk quickly, if we can, about tax increases as well, and then i want you to weigh in, if you will, on this happening at the southern border. we've seen no tax increases on corporations or the billionaire class, with republicans essentially refusing, it seems right to go there. i know that you and senator sanders both proposed, or introduced i should say, 99.5% act, which would essentially do

just that. if you had your way, what would you have changed here? >> first, we want to make sure that irs is completely funded. we know that the irs audits people who are using, or earn income tax credit, and child tax credit, more than they do ultra wealthy individuals. that is a problem because people feel that the irs isn't really looking out at who's leading the system, but going after the people who don't have the resources. so, going after people who don't pay any taxes on the accumulation of their wealth during their lifetime. you have to tap down on the state tax. that's a big issue. remember, when the republicans had a chance to pass tax reform, 60% of all the benefits of that tax reform went to the 1% in this country. that's who benefited.

so, when they're trying to get that irs, that tells you everything you need to know of who they value. they value the ultra wealthy and the ultra rich, and not the working class. >> i want to quickly ask about immigration, if we can, right? since the lifting of title 42, there was this whole idea that there was gonna be a surge at the southern border. and that in fact hasn't happened. and we are at the lowest, i believe, at the lowest point of folks crossing that border since the beginning of the biden administration. just over 3000 migrants stopped by border patrol each day. what do you make of how the president has handled immigration policy so far, and especially the lifting of title 42? >> one of the things that i believe is that people have a right to seek asylum and present themselves at the border. a few years ago in 2018, maria mesa, the woman that was tear gassed in tijuana and san diego, i camped out with her on the

border while she presented herself. i recognized what they go through. and what they are trying to do is find a place that they can give their kids a better future, fleeing violence, fleeing poverty. they are afraid for their lives. we need to recognize that those conditions still exist. we also understand what is causing people to move at different times. just because of migrants have come down to a trickle in the last sort of months across the border, it doesn't mean that that's gonna continue. and we have to address those challenges, those pauses, causes that caused people to leave those countries, poverty, violence, instability, people that are threatened by gangs and cartels. and when we do that, that's when you're gonna have a real decrease in the number of individuals that are coming here. but we also recognize that this is a country of immigrants, and we need them to come in order to keep the bar competitive,

and to live up to the values as the united states. >> congressman jimmy gomez of california, thank you. after the break, everybody, how iowans are keeping an eye on a very big political event going on right now and attracting a good number of gop presidential hopefuls? you can see nikki haley there on the stage. i'm gonna get some local expertise up next, joined by iowa political reporter erin murphy on the ground in des moines we're gonna talk about today's event, plus what former president trump told him about drama's role in the race, and that new viral moment from ron desantis, next. >> governor, are you not taking questions from us -- >> what are you talking about? i am not here -- are you lying? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ weeks. uh... here i'll take that. -everyone: woo hoo! ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein, one gram of sugar. enter the nourishing moments giveaway for a chance to win $10,000.

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you've evolved. you've changed. so have we. that's why new dove body wash now has 24-hour renewing micro moisture for continuous care. new dove body wash. change is beautiful. >> welcome back. as we have been reporting, many of the republican presidential hopefuls are gathering in iowa today. they just exited the stage there. we will keep an eye on this next. the notable exception, donald trump, who spent two days in the state earlier this week. during his visit, trump defended a drama that often surrounds, and even if it worries iowa voters, he told the erin murphy of the gazette newspaper in cedar rapids, without the drama, we wouldn't get elected. and without the drama i would not make it as successful. erin murphy joining me now from today's event in des moines. erin, i know there's lots of

things going on behind you, so we will bear with you throughout that, with all of the audio issues that come with something like that. i know that you have been at that event all throughout the day. as you've been talking to crowds there, where have they been leaning? what have you been hearing from folks? >> well, i think that a lot of people here are excited to have a chance to see so many gop hopefuls in one spot. there will you want to get to know these candidates. they want to see them two, three, four times before they make a decision. so, what i'm hearing is that people have their favorites. they love donald trump, and they are desantis fans. but they are also interested in the other gop hopefuls as well. >> now that it desantis is an official candidate, i'm hearing is gonna be taking the stage next behind you. how is he faring so far in iowa? how are folks they are reacting to him? >> there is a lot of answers.

he made his first visit as an official candidate -- you can hear him come into the stage behind me right now. there is a lot of interest in iowa for desantis. he's gonna get a chance. every time i talked to a republican here, his name comes up. he hasn't locked in the levels we've seen with trump, but he's gonna get his chance here in iowa without a doubt. >> we see him there on the stage alongside his wife, casey desantis as well. as we're watching ron desantis, and erin, we've been seeing a lot of back and forth between the governor, along with the former president, this past week they've been holding in on what other attacks on one other is going to look like. you talked to the former president, and he talked to you about the importance of drama, and how that really benefits him. but when you're looking at the numbers, especially in iowa, right? republicans who say they would

definitely vote for him has gone down 12 points over the last two years. do you feel as if iowa voters are kind of done with that drama? >> i wouldn't say they are done with it, but there's definitely concerns, and i've heard that throughout these last few weeks and months. i've heard it again today talking to people here that so often, and this is why i put this question to the former president earlier this week, when i interviewed him, so often, i like what president trump did while he was in office, but i don't like the bank and the drama that comes with that. and because of that, and because of the concerns they have about his electability in the next election, they are very much considering some of these other candidates, including governor desantis, who they say is someone who has had a similar track record of success, albeit at the state level. but they see him as someone who maybe can accomplish the same things as trump did, but

without that quote unquote drama. >> as we listen to governor desantis behind, you and we are talking about him, i want to play for folks that moment that he had, that once pretty viral, when he was asked by a reporter why he wasn't taking formal questions, as you just kind of exit to the stage, and how he reacted. and then, we will talk on the other sign. >> governor, how can you not taking questions from voters? >> what are you talking about, i'm not here to talk to people -- do you mind? are you lying. people are coming up to, me talking to me whenever they want to talk to me about. >> that was the new hampshire, right? he did change his approach, i believe that's one question yesterday. but listen, when you go to places like new hampshire, iowa, you need to work for that vote. you've got to work for that support. this is all about retail politics. if you're not on board with, that you're gonna have an uphill battle in a place like iowa. >> yes, absolutely. like i said, most voters here

expect to see these candidates. they expect to see them multiple times, up close, shake their hands, and ask them questions. the one thing i'll say an interaction like that with the media versus with republicans here, but he will have to do that. he will have to take questions from iowans here. and he will have to meet them face to face and shake their hands, and understand what iowa republicans want from him. that's something they have come to expect here in this state. for so many years. >> right, going after the media that way is not necessarily gonna hurt him as it would if he were not to be shaking the hands of potential voters. well erin murphy, thank you for your reporting. still ahead, everybody, the inspiring story behind a group of indiana students who said the show must go on after the school canceled their lgbtq themed play. one of the producers is joining me next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ connect your business,

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so some of the trees had to go. i might've taken it a step too far. (chainsaw revs) (tree crashes) (chainsaw continues) (daughter screams) let's pretend for a second that you didn't let down your entire family. what would that reality look like? well i guess i would've gotten us xfinity... and we'd have a better view. do you need mulch? >> all right, the students of what, we have a ton of mulch.

carroll high school in fort wayne, indiana had just wrapped up auditions for their spring play, when they received shocking news. their principal had decided to cancel the show, a gender bent lgbtq retelling of the classic robinhood story due to parent complaints. this happened despite the principle already approving the script. until students spoke up at the student board meeting and gathered in nearly 6000 signatures on a petition, but

the school would not budge. a former teacher stepped in, arranging a and security, and set up a gofundme to ways that $50,000 needed to put on the play. the cast had just over two weeks to rehearse. the show went off without a hitch, with more than 1400 people packing the outdoor theater. i am joined now by one of the student producers, stella brewer. it's, telephones for joining us on this. we appreciate it. why was it so important for you to be a part of this thing? >> well, i think there is a saying that whenever you can't help, you should, and i think when i saw this, even though i am not queer myself, nor am i particularly involved in theater, i saw what i felt was an opportunity to help other students and to help our community. and i think everyone who joined in on this production really wanted to do that, too. >> what did you say when you

went to the school board meeting? i believe you spoke there as well. and what was the message that you wanted to get across at that point when the plate had initially been canceled? >> yes, so when the play had initially been canceled, our original goal, we always wanted to get the decision reversed. so, at the time, we were basically saying that we felt the administration was making a mistake. we felt they were kind of bending to the will of some police, they were engaging in censorship. and we want to really encourage them to reverse that decision. unfortunately, they did not. the show, as you said, went on. and we had an amazing opportunity to show off the talent of our students and our cast. >> tell me how you got in contact with his former teacher, nathan gauche, and how he helped you make this all reality? >> initially during those first

few stages when we were trying to get that decision reversed, i actually said setup to social media accounts, one on twitter, and one on instagram, advertising the campaign, and to get the decision reversed. a friend of nathan got actually emailed me and direct message me, and from there, we arranged a few calls, we arranged a few zoom meetings, and it was crucial in the process. all of the stuff that young students and teenagers like myself that don't have experience with booking a venue, securing copyright, he was instrumental in getting that done, as was many other amazing adults in our local community. >> so here's the amazing thing, the gofundme which helped put this whole thing on, right? raising $84, 000, the access go into the cast and crew, as scholarships. and now, the profits from the show are going towards others schools put on lgbtq events like this one.

how important is it to show events like this, to show plays like this, to local communities? >> i think it's very important. i think that when it is showed successfully for everyone else, i think that galvanizes -- sometimes, all it takes is just a few people standing up and saying this is not right, and we're not going to let it happen. for so many amazing things to happen. i like to think that's what happened with us. we were met with a small minority of people who did not want to play to go on. but there is a large majority that did want to go on, so we did put the show on. and i think everyone, audience and cast included, had a good time. >> stella brewer vartanian, have a very big future ahead of you. thank you for spending a little bit of your time with us. that wraps it up for me everybody. i am yasmin vossoughian. i'll be back on the chair tomorrow, two pm eastern. symone starts right now. o pm eastern sy