federation is exclusively an issue for the russian people. the decisions vladimir putin has been taking has damaged russia economically, socially and in terms of its standing in the world. >> and democratic presidential candidate robert kennedy jr. fresh off controversial comments about covid-19 and others viewed as anti-semetic is testifying before republican-led committee on capitol hill about online censorship. good day to you. i'm peter alexander. andrea will join us later this hour from aspen. we begin monitoring the federal court house on constitution avenue right here in washington on the day that donald trump says is the deadline set by the special counsel, jack smith, for the former president to report to the grand jury, a step that he is unlikely to take. the grand jury that will decide

whether to indict mr. trump over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election is meeting today hearing testimony from a man by the name of william russell. he's a former white house aide working for mr. trump's presidential campaign. ryan riley is outside for the court for us as we speak. barbara mcquade joins us as well as andrew wiseman, the former lead prosecutor in robert muller's special counsel's investigation. ryan, let me get to you on the ground with a better sense of what you've seen so far and a better understanding of who william russell is and why what he has to say could be important. >> reporter: yeah. william russell, looking for him at the courthouse right now. we haven't laid eyes on him thus far. it's possible he could have gone in the garage. we think that his testimony is likely scheduled for the morning. his lawyer is due in the

courthouse this afternoon. we're still sort of staking out and i think that he's someone we did hear from through the january 6th committee. apparently there are indications he would not have any information to necessarily provide to the committee. we ended up hearing from a different witness who gave very dramatic testimony during the january 6th committee hearing. obviously it's sort of unclear what he could be telling to this grand jury, but him being called back multiple times indicates there's something very essential to this broader issue that they're deciding here or potentially checking his testimony and comparing it to new testimony that they've gotten since then. it does really appear they were getting to a real crossroads in this investigation, especially

given that target letter with today being the last day that donald trump could show up. barring something miraculous, i don't think we have any notion that donald trump is actually going to show up here today. >> andrew, to you as a former prosecutor, what do you think? why do you think federal investigators right now would want to bring russell back to testify again? what does that signal about where we are in this investigation? i ask that because the target letter's already been sent and yet they're still continuing the investigation revisiting with one of their prior witnesses. >> so to ryan's point, one reason he may not see witnesses is for the same reason when i work for special counsel muller, it was very common to have witnesses go through that garage entrance in a car so both their lawyers and the witness would not be seen coming in or going out. then there's sort of for the grand jury an entrance and exit that, again, are not in a public

arena so it would be very hard to see all of that. i think given a target letter was issued here with a very short deadline for donald trump to be given the opportunity to testify which, of course, as you note, is something he clearly isn't going to do for the same reason he didn't testify in the e. jean carroll case and he didn't come in to answer questions in the special counsel muller investigation, so he would be extremely unlikely to be testifying today. so i think this is all signs are that an indictment is going to issue. the one thing that we're waiting for is whether the defense is going to appeal to main justice any decision to go forward. finally, it's just not uncommon for witnesses to be recalled. this is something that jack smith may have additional

questions for him. learn, as ryan said, additional information. it's not unusual. it doesn't really mean that this witness is particularly important, it just could mean that there's certain amount of questions that they want to make sure he's locked in. that's just something that very good prosecutors do. >> barbara, let me ask you. there are reports that mr. trump has been adding to his legal team. so far it seems, i think, to most that the main focus of their strategy is to try to push everything off as long as they can to try to keep pressure on the justice department to push this back into an election year. what do you make of the sort of maneuvering we've seen among the legal team for the former president. >> well, that certainly has been the strategy so far. delay is the victory strategy here. if you could get the trial pushed past the november 24 election, then donald trump has a lot of options. he can appoint a new attorney general who can dismiss the case, for example. >> barbara, is that possible? is it conceivable that he could push all of these separate cases

past november 24th? we're talking months and be months away. >> i think that it probably is not going to happen in the new york case where a trial date has been set for march. seems like that is on course to go. i think that most judges would deny setting a trial date past november of 2024, but it can be done in an incremental fashion and it wouldn't surprise me to see lawyers try to do that. one would hope that a judge would have a firm handle on the trial schedule and would not permit that. i've seen cases take years to go to trial because of the filing of motions and then the appeal of those motions before you get into trial. so i think that's the game here and that's the strategy. it's possible, but a strong judge can rein that in. >> andrew, help me understand. we know the former president's not going to appear. we don't expect that to happen. we do expect his lawyers to meet with jack smith and his team again after receipt of that target letter. what the would those interactions, those conversations be like?

>> sure. so the reason we should expect that is that's what we saw in the bragg case. that's what we saw before the documents case. it is just common practice and good practice for prosecutors to give defense counsel an opportunity to be heard, both on the law, on the facts, and any discretionary calls by the justice department. here it's important to remember that merrick garland has limited discretion under the special counsel rules. essentially what the defense has to argue is that jack smith's proposed charges are such an abuse of discretion that the attorney general under special counsel rules should say no. he clearly did not do that in the documents case. i think it's probably extremely unlikely that there's something that the doj is going to hear that they hadn't be already thought of, either factually or legally, but this is the

opportunity to be heard and certainly merrick garland will be listening for something they had not thought of. i just don't expect for the same reason that we saw the bragg case and the documents case go forward, that they're really going to have something surprising. they're really good at looking at all of these issues at the department so i just don't think that's going to be a terribly fruitful avenue, but it still is one defense counsel of course should take. that's their job is to make those arguments. >> barbara, i want to drill down on that target letter with you for a moment. one of the most intriguing criminal statutes noted there is the civil rights statute that dates back to the post civil war era. it makes it a crime for people to, this is a quote, conspire to injure, oppress, threaten or intimmy daze date any person in a free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege. so whose civil rights were violated here? how will prosecutors prove that?

>> well, it's not clear. we'll have to see the indictment before we can know that, but i think the most likely scenario is it's the voters' civil rights that were violated. if there was an effort are to subvert the election, throw out the electors they duly elected and replace them with electors for donald trump it's the voters themselves. there are cases that involve the courts of appeals and the supreme court that has found that stuffing a ballot box, for example, can be a violation of the people who duly cast their vote because you have the right to have your vote counted. >> yeah. effectively disenfranchising. barbara mcquade, andrew wiseman, great to have you all here. thank you so much. next here on msnbc, promises, promises. new reporting on the assurances that speaker kevin mccarthy gave to calm down an enraged donald trump and the problems his pledge might spawn with moderates in the house. that's next.

you're watching ""andrea mitchell reports."" we'll be back in 60 seconds here on msnbc. tide is busting laundry's biggest myth... that cold water can't clean. - food fight!! - food fight!! ♪♪ cold water, on those stains? welp, only one way to find out... tide cleans better in cold than the leading bargain detergent in warm. ♪♪ cold water can't clean tough stains? i'd say that myth is-

busted! i always wanted to say that! turn to cold, with tide. with donald trump dominant in the republican presidential race despite another potential indictment for trying to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, house speaker kevin mccarthy is again playing to the far right members of his caucus. the speaker reacting this morning to reporting from politico that nbc news has not confirmed that he promised donald trump a vote to expunge his impeachments before august. >> there's no deal. on the floor i voted against impeachments that put it in for purely political reasons. there's no deal out there. >> speaker mccarthy there with our colleague ryan nobles on the

hill. joining me now is garrett haake, jim massena and sam stein, the white house editor and our friend at politico. garrett, what are sources telling you right now about speaker mccarthy's alleged conversations about donald trump about this idea of expunging his impeachments? >> my sources have confirmed there have been conversations. it's note really a thing. you can't take this away. you can pass a resolution that does basically anything. you can call it an expungement, sure. my sources have pushed back on the idea there's any specific deal or any specific time line attached to this. that's what mccarthy and some of the allies have said. make no mistake, donald trump is very into this idea. it falls into the idea of public defense of him. it's a talking point. see, i told you from the beginning these impeachments were all about politics. >> are the votes there?

>> not right now. i think it's pretty clear they're not there. we would see an aggressive push on this. the there's two members who currently still in the house, republican members, who voted for that second impeachment. it's hard to see them changing their votes now. hosts of more moderate members who probably don't want to spend their time in washington relitigating the impeachments. >> i'm not sure that's a high priority back in most of america. it's not clear this would happen. >> to relit at this gate that. prior to that.

the mccarthy. it's an interesting relationship. that's why you see these types of nebulous. >> it's trying to expunge the pictures.

>> this is the attack where he said donald trump needs to take the information. watch these back to back. >> i don't see how he could be found criminally responsible. what criminally -- activity did he do? he told people to be peaceful? >> the president bears responsibility for wednesday's attack on congress by mob rioters. he should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. accept his share of responsibility. quell the brewing unrest. >> that's why archives are such a problem. >> something about that. >> first of all, you have jack smith, you've heard this letter is not accusing former president trump of inciting violence. for kevin mccarthy to say he's calling for it to be peaceful. the issue is the conspiracy, fake electors, meetings that took place behind closed doors,

standing there on election night claiming it was stolen when there was no evidence to demonstrate as much right now. this really does sort of come back to haunt kevin mccarthy in ways, doesn't it? >> it absolutely does. if you say he can't be held legally accountable but he needs to be held accountable. by whom? what measure? yeah, i mean, this is a problem for mccarthy. he remains in line with where most house republicans are on this, that january 6th they believe has been overplayed. we're all making too big a deal and the country ought to move on. >> jim, to you, more americans talk about donald trump, is that more good news for democrats right now and for this administration? >> oh, absolutely. look, we just had an election where the determinant factor on how people voted was their view of donald trump. so donald trump is putting himself right back in the spotlight here. this, peter, shows you the weakness of kevin mccarthy. the moment donald trump raises this he should have said, no, that's a bad idea.

let's stay focused on other things. first of all, garrett's right. he'd lose this vote in all likelihood. second of all, why do you want to be talking about january 6th in the middle of the summer and putting donald trump back in the spotlight? this is just a terrible political idea and a very weak speaker that doesn't control his own caucus should have killed. >> they hit president biden on investigation into his son, hunter biden. we heard from a pair of irs whistle-blowers who claimed the doj, justice department, had medaled in that. here's part of their testimony. >> it appeared to me based on what i experienced that the u.s. attorney in delaware in our investigation was constantly ham strung, limited and marginalized by doj officials as well as other u.s. attorneys. >> at every stage decisions were made that benefitted the subject of this investigation. >> so, jim, understanding that legally this has been resolved,

is it still a political liability for joe biden heading into 2024, the situation surrounding his son? >> i don't think so. the reason i don't think so, american presidential elections are always about the economic future of the country and these issues are a distraction. they aren't moving the republicans towards what they need to do which is have an economic narrative against joe biden. the biden campaign is doing what they should do. the president is on a 30 city tour talking about the economy, staying focused on his record, trying to sell that. i think the hunter biden stuff is a distraction for the republicans. >> jim, what's the number one challenge facing the biden administration now, facing the president as he looks ahead to 2024? you go across america to someone who sees the president on a regular basis? he'll ask about his age. he'll be asked if he has the vigor to keep doing this. ment what is the real challenge joe biden faces going forward? >> selling his economic

accomplishments. this guy's gotten so many -- >> so people can see where that money is going and what's being accomplished? yeah? >> absolutely. people need to understand what's in it for them. what do they see that makes their life better. that's job one for any administration but especially this one. >> jim massena, thank you for being with us. garrett haake, thank you. collision course. two indictments already. maybe more to come. what all the court cases swirling around donald trump might mean for his legal and political future. that's next. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. zevo tt to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. this is american infrastructure, a prime target for cyberattacks. but the same ai-powered security

that protects all of google also defends these services for everyone who lives here. ♪ somedays, i cover up because of my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now i feel free to bare my skin, thanks to skyrizi. ♪(uplifting music)♪ ♪nothing is everything♪ i'm celebrating my clearer skin... my way. 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 5 years. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. 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. thanks to clearer skin with skyrizi - this is my moment. there's nothing on my skin and that means everything! ♪nothing is everything♪

now's the time. ask your doctor about skyrizi, the #1 dermatologist-prescribed biologic in psoriasis. learn how abbvie could help you save. you didn't live this strong, this long to get put on the shelf like a porcelain doll. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, you can build new bone with evenity®. ask your doctor if you can do more than just slowing down bone loss with evenity®. want stronger bones? then build new bone; evenity® can help in just 12 months. evenity® is proven to reduce spine fracture risk by 73%. evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular problem. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium, or are allergic to it. serious allergic reactions and low blood calcium have occurred. tell your doctor about jaw bone problems, as they have been reported with evenity®. or about pain in your hip, groin, or thigh,

as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. don't let a break put you on a shelf. talk to your doctor about building new bone with evenity®! i'm saving with liberty mutual, mom. they customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. you could save $700 dollars just by switching. ooooh, let me put a reminder on my phone. on the top of the pile! oh. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ is it possible to protect my business from cyber threats? only pay for what you need. it is, with comcast business. helping every connected device stay protected. yours. your employees'. even... susan? hers, too. safe. secure. and powered by the next generation 10g network. with comcast business, advanced security isn't just possible.

it's happening. get started wih fast spees and advanced security for $49.99a month for 12 monts plus ask how to get up to a $750 prepaid card with qualifying internet. 3... 2... 1...

right now president biden is in philadelphia where he's going to focus on the economy. mike memoli is on the ground for us right now. mem, the president trying to demonstrate the love for labor and he does it against the backdrop about the strikes out west, frankly, and concerns about the auto industry and others that could go on strike. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, peter. i'm talking to you from inside a hanger at the philadelphia shipyard. i see to my right a lot of union workers wearing their hard hats ready to get to work. this has been so crucial to the political persona. he describes you as belt buckle

to shoe sole. remember, just a few weeks ago the president also came here to philadelphia for what was essentially the first rally of the re-election campaign. one that was hosted by some of the biggest labor unions that were quick to endorse his re-election candidacy. there are some storm clouds ahead. we know now that hollywood is essentially on strike. we know that at the end of this had month we could see a very potentially disruptive strike when ups workers potentially walk out as they're trying to reach a contract with their employers and then in the fall the auto industry, another sort of crucial biden sector throughout his career, also could see a labor stoppage as the auto workers are still trying to make an agreement with the big three. all of that is coming as president biden is increasingly trying to paint a very positive sunny economic picture. looking at some positive economic trends especially as inflation is coming down, employment is at historic highs to really try to build up his

re-election campaign. the white house is really treading carefully and not wanting to abandon their friends in organized labor and wanting to make it clear they stand with them for better wages and working conditions. white house officials also doing their best to stay informed about these talks and to make sure there aren't these kinds of snags that could be disruptive to the president's case. as you were reporting, the president yesterday is summoning in the head of the auto workers talking to other senior aides to get a fresh status report on those talks. it's part of the president's message here that his economic agenda is creating more union jobs and he wants to see that continue. >> what he calls biden om mix as they wait for the presidential seal and his arrival. that's supposed to happen at 1:00. mike memoli, thank you very much. back toot other story this hour, the target letter from jack smith to donald trump sets up the possibility of adding a

new indictment to the laundry list. from state and federal investigations. it can be hard to keep up with all of the developments. even more difficult for the lawyers right now trying to juggle their defense of mr. trump. nbc news senior legal correspondent laura jarrett is joining me now to help sort through all of this. laura, you can excuse folks trying to keep track of all of this. let's start with that potential indictment in washington. you have the pre-trial hearings in florida. you have the hush money case in new york. the repeated losses in the e. jean carroll civil proceedings, how challenging is this, this undertaking that the legal team for the former president faces now? >> it's massive, peter. that's why we're trying to figure out who, if anyone, the former president is going to add to his legal team. obviously he'll need legal fire power. people with experience in these types of cases as possible. we know he has at least one former federal prosecutor, todd

blanch. someone very well respected. chris keyes. other than that, peter, he does not have that many other people working on his case. you'll remember he lost two lawyers sort of at the 11th hour right before he was indicted by the special counsel and so it's sort of an open question. then as you mention, he's got all of these cases in multiple jurisdictions, yet the only one that has a trial date is that hush money case here in manhattan but you can imagine the lawyers are going to be arguing as you and i have discussed many times, they're going to be arguing, look, judge, we have to delay because we have all of these other cases. you wonder how many other judges are going to go for that. >> let's look at the most recent case we're watching. what do prosecutors need to prove if they charge mr. trump with trying to steal the 2020 election? >> one of the interesting things i'm looking at, we haven't seen the actual target letter yet which makes it difficult. if it's what we think it is, this idea of obstructing official proceeding. they're going to have to show that the former president had

some sort of corrupt intent. in other words, not that he knew that he was breaking the law but that he was put on notice that he had lost the election and that he was trying to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election anyway. we know he was advised by many be advisers on more than one occasion that he had lost and there was no widespread voter fraud. prosecutors are going to want to bring in all of that evidence. they don't have to prove that he knew he had lost. people i talked to, former federal prosecutors said, hey, look, if they have that evidence, if they have that testimony secured by the grand jury, you can bet they're going to want to use it. >> fundamentally, one of the challenges is intent. demonstrating intent. you can talk to those people and get a sense of what he knew. >> that's exactly what they're going to be trying to get at in the grand jury, to lock down as much of that as possible. so they know what those witnesses would say at trial. >> laura jarrett, our friend. we appreciate your reporting. thank you very much. >> sure. >> good to have you with us right now.

>> of course. next on msnbc. what is the deal? the u.k.'s top spy said putin was able to defend the rebellion by negotiating with his top main. we get more on that. you're watching ""andrea mitchell reports"" here on msnbc. ing photos that are analyzed by ai. so researchers can help life underwater flourish. ♪ trelegy for copd. ♪birds flyin' high, you know how i feel.♪ ♪breeze driftin' on by...♪ ♪...you know how i feel.♪ you don't have to take... [coughing] ...copd sitting down. ♪it's a new dawn,...♪ ♪...it's a new day,♪ it's time to make a stand. ♪and i'm feelin' good.♪ start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd... ...medicine has the power to treat copd... ...in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler,...

...trelegy makes breathing easier for a full 24 hours, improves lung function, and helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler... ...for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,... ...vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand, and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy... ...and save at trelegy.com.

when migraine strikes, you're faced with a choice. ride it out with the tradeoffs of treating? or push through the pain and symptoms? with ubrelvy, there's another option. one dose works fast to eliminate migraine pain.

treat it anytime, anywhere without worrying where you are or if it's too late. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. allergic reactions to ubrelvy can happen. most common side effects were nausea and sleepiness. migraine pain relief starts with u. ask about ubrelvy. learn how abbvie could help you save. age is just a number, and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv

we're back now on msnbc. weeks of a a fatal coup attempt

on vladimir putin, we're hearing from britain's intelligence chief. they're saying the russian president cut a deal to quell the rebellion. speaking in m prague sir richard moore, the head of the mi 6 intelligence, their cia, he talked about the short-lived revolt by prigozhian. when he made his move and approaching moscow, it was extraordinary. if you look at putin's behaviors on that day, prigozhian he was a traitor, he was pardoned by supper and a few days later he was invited to tea. >> a video shows him meeting with fighters in belarus.

we can't confirm it was him and when and where it was filmed. joining me is the host of this program, andrea mitchell. she remains at the aspen security forum. andrea, you spoke with the u.k.'s foreign secretary yesterday. what did he tell you? >> reporter: peter, this is all amazing. good day to you. foreign secretary james cleverly said the failed coup shows real cracks in the russian system. that one of putin's proteges turned on him and be denounced the rationale for the war. >> it cannot be good news for putin which for me reinforces what i've long felt and what the u.k. has long proposed, is that we stay focused on our support for ukraine. we keep giving them the tools to get the job done and we make sure that they're able to get their country back. >> reporter: u.k. has been out front among other nato allies, out front in providing the tanks, the f-16s, the long-range

missiles. u.s. grudgingly eventually follows suit. why can't the u.s. speed it up, get those attack 'ems to them? >> the nature of our system means sometimes we can make decisions very quickly and the political environment in the u.k. means that we have right across the aisle widespread support for our work in helping the ukraiukrainians, and that m we have been able to make decisions about artillery systems, about provision of tanks, training of jet pilots. the u.s. has done a huge amount. i'm always very pleased to say we are proud to work alongside the u.s. in our support for ukraine? >> are you concerned? i've heard that that support is cracking politically in the

u.s., especially among republicans, and that it could crack further after the next election. >> i have the same message for people on the democrat side and the republican side is that if we drop the ball, if we don't stick with it, if we don't show resilience and grit and determination, whatever happens next will be worse. >> donald trump says he could solve it in one day. >> but he finished that bit of quotation, that bit of interview by saying if putin was not willing to do a deal and end the war, that he would give the ukrainians more than they had had up until this point, and i -- i think that's a very interesting position and i have no doubt the american government under whatever leadership will continue to do the right thing. >> reporter: the british are

leading the united nation's security council this month. they've called a meeting for tomorrow to put more pressure on russia for its recent decision to block all of ukraine's grain from getting past russian warships in the black sea and feeding the world, which is going to cause a world food crisis to rise, famine around the world. as tensions mount between russia and the nato allies. russia has a veto but they're trying to put attention on this, peter. >> andrea, let me ask you about another issue here. the u.s. suffering another setback on combatting climate change. you know well the former secretary of state john kerry failed to get china to reduce emissions. what is the larger significance of that? >> reporter: he finally got to beijing this week. it was rescheduled. everything was canceled after the spy balloon was shot down. finally he gets there and china's missions are more than all of the other developed

nations combined in the world and with this failure to get a real commitment with them, it makes it impossible to achieve the goals for the next climate summit which is this fall. secretary kennedy was not given an audience with president xi. xi gave his own competing speech while kerry was there saying they would not reduce emissions, they would do it on their own calendar while he was in beijing. it's a continuing sign between the frosty relationship between china and the u.s. xi did meet with henry kissinger in beijing. he's 100 years old. kissinger holds a special relationship with the chinese, has for decades, ever since he opened the u.s. grand opening to china back in 197 p 2 under richard nixon. so there you have it. >> andrea mitchell on the ground for us on the security forum in aspen. for that, coming up here, excuse me, conspiracy contagion.

why a house committee is letting rfk jr. testify about allegations of censorship on social media. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. that's why subway's proffered by this champ. and this future champ. and if we proffer it, we know you'll proffer it too. he's cocky for a nineteen year old.

my husband and i have never been more active. shingles doesn't care. i go to spin classes with my coworkers. good for you, shingles doesn't care. because no matter how healthy you feel, your risk of shingles sharply increases after age 50. 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. shingles doesn't care but, shingrix protects. shingrix is now zero dollars for almost everyone. ask your doctor about shingrix today. i was told my small business wouldn't qualify for an erc tax refund. you should get a second opinion from innovation refunds at no upfront cost. sometimes you need a second opinion. [coughs] good to go. yeah, i think i'll get a second opinion. all these walls gotta go! ah ah ah! i'd love a second opinion.

no. i'm going to get a second opinion. with innovation refunds, there's no upfront cost to find out. so why not check like i did for my small business? take the first step to see if your small business qualifies for the erc. are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? take the first step to see if your small business downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh waaaay longer than detergent alone. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks, make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. age is just a number, and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv mr. senna's into nature.

professor kot's into science. but together, we work! like our senokot laxatives. to relieve occasional constipation, senokot's made from the senna plant. refined by science to be reliable. perfect match! just like us! hmph! senokot. this it self is evidence of the problem the hearing was addressed.

this is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing. >> house republicans are giving the floor to one of president biden's long shot rivals for the democratic nomination. you just heard him there, robert f. kennedy jr. despite objections from his own party, kennedy is testifying before what's called the weaponization of the federal government subcommittee. he's focused on alleged social media censorship. speaker mccarthy and jim jordan both refused to pull kennedy's testimony despite his long history of pushing controversial conspiracy theories including covid was engineered, he suggested, to spare jewish and chinese people and, quote, ethnically targeted, he said, to attack white and black people. kennedy said his comments were taken out of context. nbc news capitol hill ryan nobles has been be monitoring the story. and we have the deputy washington bureau chief for "the

boston globe." ryan, they're trying to turn this hearing to their advantage. how? >> reporter: well, they're trying not to make it about the point of the hearing or at least the alleged point of the hearing by the senate -- or the house subcommittee on weaponization which is about censorship and instead trying to show and demonstrate the long history of controversial and conspiratorial claims that robert f kennedy jr. has made over the course of his life. robert f kennedy, jr., pushed back. by suggesting that by any of these democrats questioning some of these questionable statements that he had made were, in effect, just censoring him. you know, this gets back to the republican feeling as though republican viewpoints, conservative viewpoints have been sentences -- sentences --

censored or suppressed. they did rule that they could not have interaction with social media companies. that particular ruling an appeals court has put on hold, but it gets back to this broader conversation that republicans are having in many ways, peter, it's a perfect example of how republicans and democrats are talking past each other. republicans believe there is a real problem with censorship and democrats believe there is a problem with giving robert f. kennedy a platform. those two things collided and probably not too many minds were changed as a result. >> the added bonus for the republicans is putting up a challenger to president biden to try to amplify that message as well. i want to ask you about this. kennedy is running on his family's name. the members of the family right now are expressing their concerns, their reservation, even their outrage with some of the comments he has made, not in

recent weeks but ones he's made in recent years. this really is about the kennedy dynasty and the divisions with rfk alone in this situation. >> that's right. sort of strangely the only kennedy is louisiana senator kennedy who has no relation. the kennedy family has receded from political view, in part because the member of the family that looked the most promising, joe kennedy iii waged a failed senate bid to unseat ed markey, rather embarrassing defeat. you have that as the context. out of almost nowhere comes rfk jr. running this presidential campaign in the primary against joe biden which is giving a platform to all of these views. the kennedy family, i'm told by those who know them, that this is vexing them. they are not going there on the candidacy yet but you see them sort of choosing these moments to very clearly repudiate what

rfk jr. is saying. you saw it this week with the anti-semetic remarks including two of his siblings who have very significantly said this is not our father's legacy. this is not the father rfk has been named after. they have been distancing themselves and that legacy. >> what's striking are the numbers we've seen in early polling for rfk jr. some numbers had him at 20%. it's unlikely he defeats joe biden here. it's less about rfk jr. this is an avitar for those who may not be satisfied in the democratic party about joe biden. >> sure. about asking every individual who said they are for him, why, the name has a lasting effect. certainly for americans of a certain generation or a certain sort of political awareness. >> is it about that or is it about, hey, joe biden, maybe we

need a fresh idea and this is the best option they feel they have because nobody is offering to challenge him? >> sure. it could be that. he's 80 years old and running for re-election. the funny thing is, rfk jr. is getting a lot of support to the right. they were giving him the chance to espouse his views. >> being able to sort out who's paying his bills. >> vaccine donors, but the funny thing is if you can possibly put aside his more controversial decisions. it's not traction that's been for joe biden. >> the democrats feel like it even by amplifying some of this. they also are calling out the

conspiratorial thoughts. >> yeah. i think they wanted to make it clear exactly who robert f. kennedy jr. is and what he has espoused over the course of his life. and with a specific aim towards those democratic primary voters who may have a bit of skepticism when it comes to the current president. >> ryan nobles on the house floor. tal, i say thanks. next, key we kick off the 2023 women's world cup is underway in new zealand. what to expect. where team u.s.a. stands. it's all ahead next here on "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. the google cybersecurity certificate was made to fill that gap and help grow the workforce that's keeping us all safe. islean energy

production in america. it's creating good jobs that can't be outsourced and will lower energy costs. $1800. that's how much a new report says the inflation reduction act could save just the average american family on energy costs. [narrator] learn how the inflation reduction act will save you money. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. more shopping? you should watch your spending honey. i'm saving with liberty mutual, mom. they customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. check it out, you could save $700 dollars just by switching. ooooh, i'll look into that. let me put a reminder on my phone. save $700 dollars. pick up dad from airport?

ohhhhhh. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ age is just a number, and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv

this is american infrastructure, a prime target for cyberattacks. but the same ai-powered security that protects all of google also defends these services for everyone who lives here. ♪

. all right. now the good stuff, world cup frenzy is underway down under, the matchups four years in the making, the number one ranked american women's national team takes the pitch tomorrow night on a quest to secure an unprecedented third consecutive victory. nbc's molly hunter is in auckland, new zealand, one of the key host cities teaming with excitement. molly. >> reporter: that's right, the city of auckland is excited tonight, their team winning 1-0 over norway. that is their first ever world cup win. all eyes on the number one ranked u.s. team, and we sat down with captain alex morgan take a look. >> it's the biggest women's sporting event in the world. new zealand beauty and culture on full display.

welcoming 32 nations to both new zealand and australia for the women's 2023, fifa world cup. here in auckland, the fanfare interrupted by a rare and deadly shooting incident, locking down parts of the city and closing the fan zone on opening day. but the first match is kicking off as planned. new zealand beating norway here at home at eden park in auckland, along with sydney, australia, auckland, new zealand is the main city. also the home for the u.s. women's national team over the next couple of weeks as they fight through the group round. >> the americans are looking for a record setting threepeat, set by alex morgan. >> we do set expectations for ourselves, we want to be hoisting the trophy at the end. to get there is a long way. >> reporter: the 23-person roster, which of course includes veteran megan rapinoe who

announced her retirement following the tournament, but also 14 players who have never been to a world cup, including star forward, sophia smith. >> we are obviously honoring what this team has done in the past, while at the same time, recognizing this is a new team, this is the first world cup that this team will win. >> reporter: and cheering them on here is second gentleman, doug emhoff. >> i talked to the vice president this morning, she's like, say hi to everyone. >> reporter: presented emhoff with a jersey of his own, and despite all the pressure, morgan says they're laser focused on their first game. >> all of our attention is on vietnam right now, and how we can work together as a team to succeed in that. >> reporter: we spent time with a couple of players, and we talked about that generational divide. this is a young team, full of newcomers, they talk about the age gap from 18 to pino, megan rapinoe, the oldest player on the team. who got to choose the music on

the bus, without a doubt, it's megan's choice. >> not a bad assignment this month. we'll be cheering for team usa, 9:00 p.m. tomorrow night on peacock and telemundo, the spanish language broadcast. that's going to do it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports" follow me @peter alexander. "chris jansing reports" begins right now. good afternoon, i'm chris jansing here at msnbc headquarters in new york city. special counsel jack smith today bringing a member of donald trump's inner circle back before the grand jury, looking at efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. what does will russell know that warrants another appearance, and why, given the chance to appear before the grand jury himself is trump apparently staying home? and any minute now, president biden with what a new poll suggests is a riskyat