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hey, everybody. good morning. good to see you. 11:00 a.m. in the east. 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm yasmin vossoughian in for jose diaz-balart. coming up, we're going to talk with an american pediatrician who was able to get out yesterday after spending nearly a month trapped there. meanwhile, the white house clarifying what president biden meant when he called for a humanitarian pause in israel as strikes continue against hamas. in new york city, donald trump jr. back on the stand in the civil fraud trial against his father. we'll tell you about the other

trump expected to testify today. in acapulco, a desperate situation after hurricane otis hit the city. families wait outside the morgue as a funeral director says he cannot prepare bodies for burial until the electricity is turned back on. good to see everybody. we begin this busy hour with new comments from the white house on israel-hamas war. yesterday, a protester pushed president biden for a cease-fire. >> mr. president, do you care about jewish people. as a rabbi, i need for you to call for a cease-fire right now. >> the president responding that he supports a pause to, quote, get the prisoners out. the white house saying the president was emphasizing his belief that to help the release of additional hostages a temporary cease-fire is in fact needed. but clarifying this morning that the president was not necessarily making a new policy announcement with those comments. on the ground, with the egyptian

border now partially open, thousands of foreign nationals are expected to flee the conflict through the rafah crossing. among them, nearly 400 americans. all of this just one day before secretary of state tony blinken is set to visit israel and push officials to allow for more humanitarian aid to get into gaza. joining us now, nbc news foreign correspondent meagan fitzgerald live from cairo, egypt. and live from tel aviv, nbc news foreign correspondent josh lederman. meghan, you'll start things off for us. 400 or so americans need to get out with other dual nationals as well. and severely injured palestinians. do we know how exactly they're deciding who gets priority and then how they're organizing this with a lack of connectivity on the ground there? >> reporter: great question. you know, you look at that list and you can see that the americans are most certainly prioritized. it is a list of 600 and as you mentioned, some 400 are american

citizens. there are zero, certainly notable, zero united kingdom citizens on that list. we are told through the egyptian officials that this is a very organized and orderly process. we have been speaking with people on the ground to share with us that they were notified in the early morning hours that their name was going to be on this list. and to head to the border. and so what we know as far as this process is concerned is that they go in, obviously from the side of the rafah border crossing in gaza, processed where their passports are checked, documentation is done, they proceed on, according to the egyptian health minister, they also undergo a health check, where children are vaccinated before they pass through the rafah border crossing, and load buses, which then continue on to cairo, here, and then off to their final destination. but this is an agonizing decision for a lot of people to make. we're talking about them leaving family behind in many instances.

we talked to a woman today who has five children, her husband is not a united states citizen, so she is left with the decision does she leave, does she stay? she decided to leave and is hopeful that her husband will be able to join tomorrow if his name is on a list because he has united kingdom passport. so, these are the decisions that people are left to make. but we do know that the process is working, diplomatic efforts by the united states working. this is the second day in a row and according to the egyptian government we're looking at some 7,000 dual nationals that will be able to cross through the rafah border crossing into egypt over the next several days, but most certainly likely weeks to come. >> i mentioned, meagan, as well, the president calling for this pause in fighting to get more humanitarian aid into the region. what do we know about that? we know fuel is desperately needed, especially at hospitals in gaza now. water, food, as well. we saw some fuel trucks crossing the border yesterday. talk us through what we know

about that. >> reporter: look, we have been hearing from humanitarian aid officials who have been really just pounding the pavement to try and get more aid into the enclave at a faster rate. we're seeing that it certainly appears to be working. yesterday there were 55 trucks that made it into gaza, the day before that 66, today, around 100 trucks are supposed to enter gaza. if we see that completed today that would be the most amount of trucks that we have seen enter the enclave. but, humanitarian experts say, look, this is not enough. before the war began, gaza saw some 450 trucks of aid going in, daily, and now if we see this happen today, you're talking about 100 or less. so it is just not enough. more needs to be done. as you mentioned, there is the fuel. we are not seeing fuel as a part of the package that is heading into gaza. hospitals are faced with having to go dark. having to shut down.

we know thousands of people are in jeopardy of losing their lives because of this. water plants are not able to pump clean water because they also run on fuel. so, it continues to be a dire situation. the situation on the ground just continues to deteriorate in gaza as calls are continuing to grow louder for fuel and the basics that they need to be able to keep people alive. >> so, joshua, all this is happening mostly in the south, up in the north there is still fighting happening on the ground with idf soldiers there in northern gaza. and what they're encountering is this kind of web of tunnels, 300 miles or so of tunnels built by hamas. i believe it is dubbed the gaza metro by the idf. talk us through some of what we know about this. >> reporter: yeah, this isn't hypothetical anymore. we're seeing how this tunnel network is causing additional threats, not only for israel, but also for palestinian

civilians in the gaza strip. case in point, those air strikes that targeted the jabalia refugee camp caused all the deaths and casualties, israel says when it struck that site, there were underground hamas tunnels that collapsed and brought above ground buildings down with them. this is a huge problem. we have been taking a close look at just how advanced these hamas tunnels have become. here is a look at part of our report. israel says that tunnels have gotten more sophisticated, as deep as 230 feet, fortified by concrete, wired for electricity and ventilation, and booby trapped. and no one knows exactly where they all are. nobody but hamas. >> we have a good grasp of the network, but, of course, it is only part of the picture. >> reporter: destroying them won't be easy. israel says hamas has built tunnels under homes and mosques, risking civilian lives. and there are a few ways israel can try to destroy these tunnels. they can hit them with bunker

buster bombs, but that has the risk of severe civilian casualties and also some of the tunnels are far too deep to be reached by the bombs. they could flood them with sea water, but that has its own ecological problems. we learned the idf has something called sponge bombs, they can drop into these tunnels, some chemicals mixed together, they expand to create a foam that can seal the entrances to the tunnels, but that's just a temporary solution. there is really not one good solution to this problem that doesn't have additional risks for the civilians on the ground there in the gaza strip. >> while i have you, we also know secretary of state tony blinken will be visiting the region tomorrow. his second trip to israel since this war began. what are the expectations from his trip? >> reporter: well, i think we're going to hear from secretary blinken elaborating on the comments we heard. frankly from president biden in the last 24 hours, wanting to see pauses in the fighting to allow civilians to get out of the gaza strip, to get more humanitarian aid into the gaza

strip. that has been a message that the u.s. has been pushing privately with the israelis for some time. now pushing more publicly with the israelis. and as secretary blinken travels elsewhere in the region, we're likely to see him try to tamp down some of the concerns about spiraling conflict that could really start to involve other groups as well as we're starting to see the houthis in yemen launch missiles at israel, significant concerns about the northern border, the u.s. trying to see what they can do to try to contain this crisis. >> josh lederman, meagan fitzgerald, thank you, both. appreciate it. i want to bring in admiral james stavridis, msnbc chief international analyst, to talk more about this. it is great to talk to you. i want to pick up on where josh left off when talking about this intricate web of tunnels. we have spoken about this before, beneath gaza, 300 plus miles of tunnels that have been built over the last two plus decades or so. we also know one of the hostages

that was initially released talked about being kept in one of those tunnels, sleeping on a mattress inside one of those tunnels. if you're an idf soldier, the planning of this kind of ground mission, the second phase of this war, you're not only having to deal with the threats when it comes to hamas, who has some of their headquarters inside or beneath some of the tunnels, but also additional hostages being kept in the tunnels and how you navigate that, admiral. >> there is no good answer to this and frankly there is no real precedent. if you look at modern times, this idea of an entire city of a million people just completely riddled with tunnels that are designed for countering military operations, it is an extraordinarily difficult problem. three things i would think the israelis are very focused on. number one, commando style operations, special forces.

look, the most precision-guided weapon on a battlefield is not a bomb, it is not a missile, it is a soldier. so, using those special forces and the israelis trained to do this, they knew this day was going to come. number two, the kind of technology solutions that josh spoke about a moment ago, the sponge bomb, seal them off. i wouldn't completely dismiss flooding as an option here. but first you got to get the hostages out. you can't put yourself in that situation. so technology can help. and number three, using some combination of those two, and very intricately taking out specific parts of the tunnels without endangering the hostages. all that is easy for me to say in a hotel room, but, boy, is it a significant military challenge. >> so, one of the things that we talked about earlier on in this conflict was as we got further

and further away from october 7th, and the casualty numbers rose more and more, especially in gaza, that the picture would not be as good for israel as it was early on in this conflict. and we are seeing these images coming out of gaza now with women and children being killed on a daily basis in the thousands at this point. how does that factor in to the decision-making at the very top, when you are the defense minister, when you're the prime minister and the watch is watching, seeing the protests pop up and you have idf soldiers on the ground in northern gaza? >> this is exactly what secretary blinken is going to be emphasizing to the israelis when he travels there shortly. and the way to think about this is it is not an on and off switch be where in one position

israel gets to do whatever it wants, just completely bomb everything and kill everybody or the other side of it, that, no, we're going to declare an immediate cease-fire and stop all this. you got to think of this like the dimmer on the wall in the dining room, it is being dialed and dialing away from if you will unrestricted combat operations and dialing very much toward appropriately toward the humanitarian crisis that is springing up here. so i think the message from the administration is going to be to the israelis. not only is it the right thing to do, it is the pragmatic smart thing do because world opinion is moving with that dial at the same time. i think secretary blinken will deliver that message off camera, off stage, but very strongly. >> and we'll have to see, of course, how the prime minister, the defense minister will respond to that messaging.

admiral, thank you. still ahead, a american doctor trapped in gaza for a month now finally out. we're going to talk to dr. barbara zin about how she described what she described as the apocalypse. back here at home, donald trump jr. is back on the stand with his brother set to testify later in the day. the latest on the trump civil fraud case when we're back in 60 seconds. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." we'll be right back. watching " diaz-balart reports. we'll be right back. so researchers can help life underwater flourish. ♪ right now get a free footlong at subway. like the new deli heroes. buy one footlong in the app, get one free. it's a pretty big deal. kinda like me. order in the subway app today. take a moment to pause and ask, why did you get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia? i help others. but i need to help protect myself. honestly? i couldn't afford to get sick. i want to be there for this one. i can't if i'm sick.

pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease. you may be at risk if you're 19 to 64 with certain chronic conditions. or if you're 65 or older. don't pause a moment longer. ask your doctor or pharmacist about getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia today. 15 past the hour. this morning, donald trump jr. back on the stand for a second day in the $250 million fraud trial against members of the trump family and their company. on wednesday, donald trump jr. testifying he was never involved in preparing the financial statements for the family's company, saying he relied on their former accountant or accountants. when don jr. finishes, his younger brother eric is expected to take the stand. want to bring in lisa rubin who has been inside the courtroom all morning, barbara mcquaid,

msnbc legal analyst as well joining us. lisa, take us inside. you're on a quick break. thank you for jumping in front of the camera for us. what has been going on inside the courtroom so far this morning. >> reporter: this morning we have been talking a lot about donald trump jr.'s role as a trustee after his father took office. and for don trump jr., the years that are important are 2017 to 2021, when he was effectively the head of the trump organization by being a co-trustee. the words that our viewers should remember are ref letter. that's a letter he signed in those years, telling their accountants that the data that they were presenting to them for the statements of financial condition was true and accurate, that no material information was withheld. donald trump jr. signed that letter four different times, but on the stand confirmed he really didn't do anything independently to assure himself that those representations were true and accurate, other than relying on

the accountants who was making that representation. you can't tell an accountant you can certify that information as fair and accurate and at the same time claim you were relying on the person that you need to assure. so the testimony is -- it is easy, it is pleasant, going fast, but our viewers should not be diluted that what is happening inside the courtroom as boring as it might seen because we're going after financial statements, it is incredibly important for the attorney general's case in showing that donald trump jr. had intent to participate in this fraud and if he didn't, he was at least reckless which as barb can tell you satisfies a definition of intent and many courts for many crimes. >> so, want to get this straight, essentially donald trump jr. saying we signed this letter, but i didn't actually look at the information, documentation that we were giving over to our accountants at the time.

so, in fact, either he was reckless because he didn't look into as you said the information they were handing over to their accountant or he knew exactly what he was doing. that's what you're saying? >> reporter: that's exactly right. and in addition to the rep letters, he signed guarantees to financial institutions as well, making some of the same representations in connections with loans his father had taken for various trump properties. >> how does that add up to you and this argument in his testimony that donald trump jr. is making and essentially saying, listen, this is what we pay accountants for, this is why i handed over to the cpa and this is why it is really on them as he's saying essentially on the stand versus on him and his family. >> yeah, one thing that is important to remember is that the judge has already found fraud. this trial is all about how much of the profits should be disgorged. testifying about this kind of recklessness i think doesn't help the cause whatsoever and so

as the judge looks at the amounts and thinks about that $250 million amount that the attorney general is seeking, i think these answers may be motivated by some sort of self-protection but are probably being very helpful to the attorney general's case. >> talk to me about the demeanor you saw from donald trump jr. throughout his testimony so far and expectations for eric trump's testimony as well. i know he's set to testify after his older brother if that's expected to happen today. >> donald trump jr. is known as the more voluble, excitable trump brother. i have to say, he's been nothing but polite to the representative of the attorney general's office who is examining him. he occasionally laughs and jokes. but for the most part he's answered her questions clearly and cooperatively and actually things are going very fast in some respects because of that. because he's not making her go through each successive years of the various representations.

he's saying this is what i did first year. she's asking him would you have done anything differently, did you do anything differently in the following years and he's saying no. it is an easy back and forth between the two of them. but that doesn't mean it is any less important in terms of building the attorney general's case on intent and then getting to the remedies barbara is speaking about. >> i know there was a motion at hearing yesterday in the can classified documents case as well, down in florida, george aileen cannon overseeing that, considering a delay to the trial that is set for may after arguments made by the former president's attorneys. what are your expectations on what is going to come out of that? >> i think a delay is possible here. the discovery hit a snag. one defense attorney has not yet received his security clearance. i don't know if that's on him or the government, but it doesn't matter. it is a delay. and they have also had trouble building out a skif that can accommodate the documents here.

if there is a delay at this stage, it builds a foundation for delay later. the judge hasn't said it should happen, but she said she might need to adjust the schedule somewhat to accommodate these things. the other thing she's looking at is we have now seen wedged in there in march the trial in the federal election interference case. and the idea of going back-to-back with this one in march is likely to take a couple of months and then the documents case right on the back of that in may, the trump attorneys are saying that's too much, too fast. so it does give the judge an opening to extend the dates. it wouldn't surprise me to see an extension in that may trial date. >> barbara, thank you. lisa, thank you as well. still ahead, everybody, an nbc news exclusive. why several florida republicans who have been supporting ron desantis for president could soon turn on him. plus, senate republicans blast one of their own, what they're saying about fellow republican tommy tuberville who is blocking high level military promotions for months.

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welcome back, everybody. the president is going to travel to lewiston, maine, tomorrow, to hono victims of the mass shooting. the october 25th attack was the deadliest in the state's history. leaving 18 people dead and 13 injured. the white house saying biden and the first lady will meet with families and first responders

from the lewiston community. biden launched the first ever federal office of gun violence prevention just over a month ago. and the officer's deputy director has been working in maine ahead of the president's visit. i want to turn to capitol hill, the house is set to vote on aid to israel later on today. they held a procedural vote on the republican measure just moments ago. the full vote is around 4:30 p.m. or expected to be around 4:30 p.m. eastern time. speaker mike johnson led his first press conference, saying the republican caucus is, quote, not only unified, but energized. >> there is absolutely no equivocation here. we have to stand with israel. even our most hard-line fiscal conservatives and those who oppose the idea of foreign aid in principle, they understand the necessity of this and what it means. and so i'm optimistic. >> he's optimistic. though it is really kind of his first day.

sahil kapur joins us with more on this. give us the word on the hill right now. the procedural vote happening moments ago. the full vote expected at 4:30 eastern time. what are expectations when it comes to getting this israel aid across the finish line with nothing else attached? >> well, it is still a little bit of a mystery where this goes in the house. yes, the chamber is headed toward a vote on this israel bill later this afternoon. we know of at least one or two republican opponents on giving that narrow majority if that number grows by even a little bit more, then democrats will have to rescue it in order for it to pass the house. and they're reluctant to do that because speaker johnson added cuts to the irs that were passed with the inflation reduction act last year. cuts that the congressional budget office, the nonpartisan score keeper says will increase the deficit on net by reducing the collection of tax revenues. regardless, if it does pass the house, which it might, it is dead on arrival in the senate according to the majority leader chuck schumer. let's play what he had to say.

>> the senate will not take up the house's gop deeply flawed proposal and instead will work on our own bipartisan emergency aid package that includes aid to israel, ukraine, competition with the chinese government, and humanitarian aid for gaza. it still mystifies me at a moment when the world is in crisis, as a time when we need to help israel respond to hamas, the house gop thought it was a good idea to tie israel aid to a hard right proposal that will raise the deficit and is totally, totally partisan. >> reporter: and this also comes ahead of that big november 17th deadline to keep the government funded or face a shutdown. that's also likely to get entwined with the supplemental national security requests from the administration which as you heard there, democrats wanted to do altogether. >> staying with israel, you got two wars happening overseas, israel, hamas, ukraine, russia

as well. senator tommy tuberville holding this up. they found a work around? >> there is a new resolution led by democratic senator jack reed to try to get around by the hold by tommy tuberville. he's blocking various promotions and anger is growing not just on the democratic side, but among his fellow republicans, several of them took to the floor yesterday to confront him, demanded votes on various military officers. tuberville denied each of them. he's protesting the abortion travel policy by the pentagon, some republicans like lindsey graham said the military officers that tuberville is blocking have nothing do with this and he should not be using them as pawns in this quest. so the resolution that democrats are putting forward, with senator schumer, he intends to put to the floor, will require at least nine republican votes and democrats and two independents stick together.

not exactly clear that will happen, but it is very clear that patience is wearing thin with senator tuberville on both parties and this seems to be their effort to get around this hold. they would vote on all the hundreds of officers at once rather than individually which would take hours and hours, days, weeks and months. >> thank you so much. appreciate it. coming up next, she went to gaza to save the lives of children. but the day after, dr. barbara zin arrived war broke out and she had to go into survival mode after almost a month trapped inside gaza. she just got out. we're going to talk to her when we come right back. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." we'll be right back. watching " diaz-balart reports. we'll be right back. i see myself more and i definitely see those deeper lines. i'm still kim and i got botox® cosmetic. i wanted to keep the expressions that i would normally have, you know, you're on camera and the only person they can look at is you. i was really happy with the results. i look like me just with fewer lines.

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all right, welcome back. right now thousands of people including americans, they're waiting to leave gaza after the egyptian border. and among those who have already escaped, dr. barbara zin, a pediatrician who travelled to gaza. she was trapped in gaza for nearly four weeks before crossing through the rafah border yesterday when it first opened and she is joining us now from cairo, egypt. thank you for joining us. it is so good to see you alive and well. outside of gaza now. how are you doing and did you think this day would come? >> we really didn't expect it. the night before we got the message we were going to leave, we were planning on buying winter clothing and that it

might last a while. we were pleased to be able to leave yesterday morning. and now i'm energized and relaxed. it is great. >> i'm sure ready to get home to your family as well. what did you see in gaza? what was it like to be there? >> well, yeah, i mean, it started out with unexpected missiles and bombing and almost consistent when we were in gaza city and so that was, you know, the room was shaking, glass was shaking, so that was all, you know, pretty upsetting and pretty scary. we have then went to three u.n. centers. last one we were at for about two weeks, we -- it was -- there were 50 of us with different nongovernmental organizations, different humanitarian organizations, all living together. we were fortunate.

we had food, most of the time. we had water, but there were a growing number of internally displaced gazans outside our center when they were asked to leave the north of gaza, the centers, the schools where people usually start refuge were already full. they went to the u.n. places that were not camps, they were, you know, either vocational school or one we had was more of a facility to hold on to things. and even in south gaza, we were bombing all the time, we saw missiles from hamas going overhead. it was not a safe refuge for people coming from the no north. >> when you were there, when you were in the u.n. centers, did you feel as if your life was at risk? >> i wasn't living in terror, but, right, yeah, we were right next to hamas center in one of the u.n. sites. and so there was some bombs

dropped not too far away. so, and you always worry about collateral damage. we had drivers that were driving around looking for food for our group and sometimes had to drive to north gaza and we know that roads are targeted many times. so, we, you know, it was scary, yeah. >> i know that you knew somewhat of the lack of structure that gaza was facing before this war began and as you were arriving there as a visiting pediatrician to help palestinian children. what is it like now for them? i know you weren't able to help in this last month or so because you were just trying to keep safe. but from what you understand and what you saw and what you talked to with other people, what is it like now for them, especially in these hospitals? >> yeah. i mean, i haven't been to the hospitals, but i have talked to some families that i know, families that are usually employees of pcrf.

they're living without electricity, without water. the children that i saw would barely get medications like insulin that they needed for diabetes before this war. there was such a shortage. there was such a -- there was a siege before the war. now it was more of a siege. but i know that in the -- in the local gazans that were living adjacent to where we were, they weren't getting water. we were limited on water. we would run out of water for hygiene and flush, the toilet and they ran out long before we did and they were running out of drinking water. so, it is down to the basics of food and drinking water. they were allocated only a minimal amount of food that the u.n. could do at the center we were. other u.n. centers with even more people had -- had more problems. and then, of course, the hospital, the hospitals that were hit, they were really running out or ran out of medications and with the fuel, there was problems with

ambulances getting fuel. problems keeping generators going. and just really the hospitals were running with the bare minimum. >> how do you reconcile, dr. zind, now that you're outside of gaza but knowing all the millions of palestinians that will not be able to leave, that are still facing this persistent bombing? >> right. you feel bad. you know, kind of. but there is nothing i was doing that was helping. i feel like talking with you, the more people that are aware of the conditions in gaza, the conditions that led to the frustrations and hopelessness, but then lead to violent outbreaks afterwards. gazans, you know, are very gentle people, very generous, and gentle people, just trying to survive. and the conditions that they're living in now, you know, even before the war are so difficult for them, just, you know, just working, just trying to sell products, just trying to make a living and survive with their

families has been so difficult. they were only getting before the war they were only getting four hours a day of electricity. and so they had constant rolling blackouts. they had a shortage of fuel to begin with. and then to totally cut off their fuel, cut it off for the sanitation plant, cut it off for the desalination plant, cut it off for the basic food and necessities that they needed. >> one of the things that we're trying to figure out, i think you can brobly help us with this, is how people are actually finding out they're able to cross into egypt. how they're getting word, especially with the connectivity issues in gaza now and how people are being prioritized. you're one of the few that were able to get out yesterday. how did you learn you were able to cross into egypt finally, how did you get word of that and make your way to the crossing?

>> that's a good question because today i got an email that on november 2nd, i should show up at the crossing at 7:00 a.m. but really i was on the list for yesterday. so, sometimes these decisions happen rapidly. not everybody knows. but i was with a group that had gotten calls to go and the list was publicized, so i knew that we could go. but there is a lot of word of mouth, there is a lot of communication within the community of gazans, but, you know, people have been waiting outside, some people camping outside the rafah border for weeks now just not sure if they're going to hear the news or not. >> and how long were you -- how far away were you from the rafah border crossing when you got word you were able to cross? >> we were only a few minutes. people got calls in the middle of the night and we were ready to go. we were there by 7:00. the whole process of arriving at

the rafah border and leaving on the egyptian side, walking to the taxi was about 12 hours. >> unbelievable. dr. barbara zind, we're thankful you're on the other side, you're safe. i'm sure your family is incredibly excited to be reunited with you when you make your way back to the united states. thank you so much for joining us and taking the time. >> okay. thank you for having me. up next, everybody. the desperate situation in acapulco one woke after hurricane otis devastated the city there. many residents needing water and food. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." we'll be right back. watching " diaz-balart reports. we'll be right back. probably shouldn't. but we did get you a few more gifts. honey. oh, there's more. chewy's prices were so great. you don't need to explain yourself, linda. keep on saving. pets aren't just pets. they're more. well, i hope i got a leaf blower this year. you got a turtleneck. unwrap the excitement with a free, $30 egift card at chewy. right now get a free footlong at subway.

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all right, welcome back. this morning residents in acapulco, mexico, they're picking up the pieces after hurricane otis slammed the city. a powerful and surprising category 5, it has been more than a week since otis made landfall and some are saying they have not received any help yet. officials say more than 100 people are dead or missing. and valerie castro has more. >> reporter: a humanitarian crisis exploding in acapulco, mexico. after hurricane otis ripped through the beach resort town a week ago, destroying infrastructure and flooding streets and homes, up and down the coastline, the horrifying evidence of otis' wrath. boats thrown like toys along the shore. many residents feeling as though they have been left to fend for themselves.

>> reporter: clean drinking water becoming scarce. authorities say 35% of water service has been restored. line of desperate residents snaking through the streets, people waiting to collect it by the jug full, but the wait itself is dangerous. >> looting in the days after the storm, stripped stores shelves bare. food now coming from a government-backed community kitchen. ngos like world central kitchen stepping up to meet the demand. >> we're output more and more. >> reporter: otis' rapid escalation from a tropical storm to a monster hurricane in just 12 hours, leaving residents like this woman with little time to prepare. she thought the rising floodwaters would be the death

of her. her husband keeping her calm through the worst of it. her husband is struggling but surviving. mexico deemployed troops and government workers to deal with the aftermath. experts estimate the cost of the damage could be as high as $15 billion. the human cost of the storm continues to climb. at least 45 people killed, including one american. loved ones of those lost seen waiting outside the morgue. this funeral homeowner says he cannot prepare bodies for burial until the home is restored. >> thank you to valerie castro for that reporting. up next, everybody, the latest on the 2024 race. we're going to talk about what it says about the state of the gop. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. alka-seltzx gels cold & flu relief with more concentrated power because the only thing dripping should be your style.

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welcome back. we're less than a week to go for the next republican debate. this morning, governor ron desantis, calling out the former president, on "morning joe" for his decision not to appear in any debates. >> trump is spending massive amounts of money attacking me in iowa. he's had to campaign in iowa. if he is saying he doesn't need to debate, that's belied by their activity on the ground there. an nbc news exclusive, we learn that trumps allies are working to clip support from republican lawmakers in florida, that backed desantis. this as we learned rick scott is endorsing former president trump. coming out with this endorsement for the former president instead of his governor.

>> yes. i'm sure it's not a big blow to governor desantis' aspirations. rick scott and ron have had no relationship whatsoever. in the context of this republican primary, this is a setback for desantis and shows more momentum for trump and the calls for desantis to leave this race, to give another candidate to go one-on-one against trump, once the primary season kicks off. those calls are going to grow louder and louder. >> i wan to bring up polling that we have out, an iowa/gop poll. me of the other polls he's polling 15%. in this poll, ron desantis and nikki haley in a dead-heat. nikki haley one of the only candidates to show some gain in this primary race. they're at 15%. do you think either of them at

this point of the race, have any chance of gaining more on the former president? >> it depends on what orr candidates do. in candidates drop out and give one candidate the opportunity to go one-on-one against trump, you could see a path for that candidate to beat trump in some of the states. in iowa, trump supporters under 50. someone else could be competitive. could compete for the 57% of the electorate. and nikki haley has that momentum. there's growing consensus that nikki haley could be the best candidate, growing up against donald trump. she would be the strongest candidate against joe biden in a general election match-up. >> would this also position her

as a vice presidential pick for the former president? or do you think there's been too much lost between the two? >> some of the candidates appear they want to be the vice president nominee for trump. nikki haley has not been shy about confronting or criticizing the former president. maybe if trump would choose her anyway. but she's running to win this race. >> i want to talk quickly, the state of the republican party, amidst all of the chaos when it came to the speaker bid. you have buck and granger saying they won't run for re-election. they were disapointed by the party and disillusioned by political gridlock in clock. what do you think their decision says about the standing of the

republican party and the disarray we're seeing at the capital? >> this isn't new. we've seen a lot of veteran lawmakers retiring. they feel like it's a place where they can work within their party, achieve their goals. the house has been so chaos the lack of ability. >> i think we lost him. >> this has been a long time coming. >> former congressman, we had connectivity issues there in the end of sorry about that. live tv. that's what happens. that wraps up for me, everybody. you can watch me weekends, at 2:00 p.m. eastern. andrea mitchellks