tv Alex Witt Reports MSNBC December 27, 2023 9:00am-10:00am PST
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a very good day to all of you. i'm alex witt. our top stories this hour, israel says the war on hamas could last for many months as it carries out new deadly strikes in gaza, including on refugee camps. that's despite growing pressure from the biden administration to change course. michigan's supreme court rejects an attempt to remove donald trump from the 2024 primary ballot. the opposite of a ruling by colorado's supreme court. we will dig into what that means for the former president's campaign. top u.s. officials led by secretary of state blinken set to arrive in mexico to try to tackle the record number of migrants crossing into the u.s. 8,000 moving right now toward the southern border. new storm warnings on the east coast threaten holiday travel plans. a blizzard pounds colorado as
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more than 6,000 flights are delayed nationwide. we begin this hour with israel and the u.s. at odds over the war in gaza. a top advisor was at the white house to talk about what comes next. israel's military chief says there are no shortcuts or magic solutions to dismantling hamas. israel expands its offensive inside gaza. amid a mounting civilian death toll, 80 palestinians were laid to rest in a mass grave dug by volunteers tuesday. in northern gaza, nbc's josh lederman got a new look at what israel describes as the largest hamas tunnel discovered so far. take a look.
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>> this is the entrance. you can see how it goes from the surface of the earth diagonally into the ground. you could see how they fit a full-size vehicle down into this tunnel. >> josh is joining us from tel aviv. lots to talk about. first of all, update us about the latest on the ground there in gaza. we want to hear more about this tunnel and what you were able to see. >> reporter: what surprised me the most about this experience with the tunnel today was how close it is to israeli territory. we walked only ten minutes from the israeli border through the border crossing which was breached by hamas terrorists on october 7th to this tunnel that you see right here, which israel says goes 2 1/2 miles under the ground all the way to gaza city. they say that hamas was driving vehicles through it. you can see how it is reinforced with concrete, with plumbing, with electricity. it speaks to the level of
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advancement the tunnel systems have developed over the years. it comes as israel is facing increasing pressure from the u.s. as that netanyahu advisor is in washington to try to reduce the civilian casualties, which the u.s. said it wants to go down has not seen reduced to the level the u.s. wants to see. yasmin spoke with mark regev about the 20,000 plus casualties that they have reported. listen to what his answer was when he was asked about those civilian deaths. >> hamas says 20,000 people were killed. we presume the number is exaggerated. secondly, they are not all civilians. you have to presume israel hasn't hit a single hamas terrorist, which is ridiculous. hamas makes no distinction. they put out numbers, and it's
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as if they are all civilians. it's not true. >> reporter: israel and its closest ally america are trying to put on a united front. but the reality is, we are seeing growing international condemnation for the fact that israel says not only is it not scaling back this war, israel says it's intensifying its operations in southern gaza, where there have been massive air strikes for weeks now in khan yunis and rafah and refugee camps in central gaza. the french government says they are concerned. they call it a grave concern. we expect this to be a major topic of the ongoing negotiations and discussions that the u.s. and israel are having not only about what comes next in this war but also what comes the day after the war is finished. >> so much go through. let me ask you, since you got this extraordinary look inside the tunnel, were you able to see rooms off the tunnel, something
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where a hostage could be kept and/or supplies, artillery, weapons? was there lighting in the tunnel? what was this like? we heard from hostages how there were places that they obviously had all sorts of guns and fire power there, but also they were kept in the dark. i'm curious about this one. >> reporter: we didn't see guns in there today. certainly, a lot of these tunnels we have seen and other video, they are narrow caverns. this was not that. if you had told me that you could have fit a couple of hundred people in this tunnel, that would not be a surprising thing to say. in the ground, the bottom of this tunnel, there were these shafts that went vertically down. israel says that these were offshoots, from this main tunnel. there were other legs that would go out like a spiderweb, they
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assume to homes of officials. they say that while they feel and believe they have cleared hamas from this tunnel network, they can never be absolutely sure. at a certain point in this tunnel, we were not allowed to go further because there were two israeli special forces officers standing with guns drawn, pointed in the direction of the distance within the tunnel just in case any hamas terrorists were to emerge. >> what an experience. thank you for bringing it to us. joining me right is aaron david miller, a negotiator helping to formulate policy in the middle east, also mark polly maropolous. good to have you here. aaron, you first. are you seeing any signs of israel yielding to the pressure from the biden administration to somewhat change course in gaza? >> i think the israelis, by the end of january -- thanks for having me -- will probably transition to a lower intensity
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form of combat. largely because, keeping 360,000 reservists in play is having a very detrimental impact on the israeli economy. i also think the israelis are facing i think a critical realization that the current tactics they are deploying may not be as effective as they thought in achieving their goals. one final point, anybody who thinks there's a major crisis coming in israel/u.s. relationship, wait until it passes. i don't anticipate one. the clocks are ticking at different rates. no doubt about that. the administration wants this to conclude in weeks. the israelis are thinking months. i think by and large, biden has invested so much in this that to turn course now and not support israeli war objectives i think would be, frankly, worse than the current course he embarked
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on. >> you bring up a good point about the objectives. mark, how realistic is israel's objective of dismantling hamas, even if they get to the leadership deep in the tunnels we were seeing from josh? aren't there blanch branchs in bank and lebanon? is it possible to keep the ideology from spreading? >> i think we have to change the terminology here. when you hear israeli officials talk about eradicating hamas, that's not realistic. what israel's goal -- if you talk to israeli officials behind the scenes, they will admit this, is to degrade hamas to the point where it's no longer a threat. that does not mean killing every single hamas member. that's not possible. you do things such as conduct high value target strikes. try to take out leadership. you have the leaders inside probably in khan yunis. you have to kill as many of the foot soldiers as possible. you can't kill everybody.
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the israelis know that. terminology, degrade them so they can't do -- conduct another attack like october 7th. the notion of eradicating hamas, that's not feasible. >> politically speaking, aaron, what is prime minister netanyahu dealing with when it comes to the israeli public? you heard him being heckled this week. >> i think he is fighting for political survival. three counts of bribery for him. he will be asked to testify. his poll numbers are sagging. netanyahu needs a longer war and he needs a more comprehensive victory if he is going to save his political career. even if he produced one, a guy who presided over the worst terrorist attack in the state of israel, the single bloodiest since the end of the nazi holocaust, probably is not going
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to survive politically. >> is there any kind of a hail mary pass, mark, that he could throw? >> i think netanyahu certainly is hoping to -- that the israelis will kill the hamas leadership, the senior leadership. i think aaron is right. there's few people you talk to inside israel, from the right or the left, who believe netanyahu can survive. aaron made a good point in terms of daylight between the u.s. and israel now and there's no break in u.s./israeli relations. a key focus is going to be when this does wind down what happens after? that's where the difference is between the u.s. and the israeli sides will be acute. there's certainly hope in the biden administration that israeli politics will take care of themselves and at some point there will be elections and netanyahu will be voted out. >> mark, let me get your reaction to the u.s. forces having shot down a dozen drones and missiles over the red sea.
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this was in response to at least 100 attacks on u.s. forces in iraq and syria. how do you read it? >> this is getting out of hand now in the red sea. we need to follow a strategy of deterrence rather than defense. the idea of playing soccer goalie and shooting down, whether it's cruise or ballistic missiles or drones, at some point there's going to be american sailors injured or killed or an attack gets through. we have to start striking targets yemen. these are houthi targets. we know where they are. we have been flying reconnaissance missions over yemen for years. i think the administration will have to take the gloves off. central command wants to do this. at this point, this is getting out of control. someone will get hurt. economically speaking, this is 20% of global shipping through this area. situation is untenable.
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>> global supply change. gentlemen, thank you. court victory. former president trump bounces back from a ruling in colorado, staying on the ballot in a key swing state. that's next when we are back in 60 seconds. that's next when we are back in 60 seconds narrator: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. woman: cancer doesn't care how old you are, and it's devastatingly scary. if you're donating to st. jude, you're supporting finding a cure, because the fight never stops. narrator: every gift counts, and whatever you can give will make a difference for children like gideon. make your donation today to help st. jude save lives.
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a min f donald trump and his presidential campaign, securing his place on the michigan republican primary ballot, two months before voters go to vote. they rejected an attempt to remove him under the so-called insurrection clause. today's ruling in michigan is in contrast to the colorado supreme court decision which ruled mr. trump's involvement on and around january 6th disqualifies him. joining me now, nbc news legal analyst, paul butler. paul,et's get into this.
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the michigan supreme court rejects the case on procedural grounds writing, we are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court. in fact, they never got to the question of whether former president trump actually engaged in the insurrection. apparently, one of the dissenting justices is leave the door open to take this up again. is this the end of the case in michigan? >> absolutely not. the michigan case was decided on procedural grounds. michigan's state law does not allow election officials to decide who is eligible to run in primary elections. in colorado, by contrast, anybody who is seeking the office of president has to attest to their legal qualifications to hold that office. michigan doesn't have a requirement like that. it's really about the difference between primary and general elections.
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the minnesota supreme court actually ruled the same way that the michigan court did. remember, in colorado, there was a trial. the court determined that january 6th was an insurrection and that donald trump was part of that insurrection. in michigan, there was no trial. no determination of whether january 6th was an insurrection. both michigan and minnesota have left the door open to considering those issues if trump is on the general election ballot. >> can i ask you the read the legal tea leaves and answer if you think this is what the supreme court did on friday when denying jack smith's appeal to expedite the ruling on the issue of trump's claims of presidential immunity? scotus did not offer any attribution as to who voted which way. they said, we're passing ton. was it processing? they thought, we have to have it
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go through the court of appeals first. >> it's kicking the can exactly. courts don't like to decide things like this until they have to. they like the benefit of decisions below from courts of appeals and trial judges. the fact that state courts are coming out all over the place on this issue does make it more likely that the supreme court will take these cases. they will be the most important election law cases since bush versus gore. >> how long though until scotus could take this up? they are running out of time to print the primary ballots. >> in bush versus gore, the court expedited the process. it released the decision on the same day it heard oral argument. the colorado case and now the michigan case, they are way more important than bush versus gore because bush versus gore was
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just about florida. these cases would impact all 50 states. if the court follows the same procedural precedent for the colorado case, it could ultimately expedite a decision and decide this issue long before colorado's super tuesday primary. >> let's follow the bouncing back. back to jack smith. the special counsel has filed a motion today to block mr. trump from citing conspiracy theories in his election interference case. the court should not permit the defendant to turn it into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant information and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this. we're not going to see a decision on this motion before the court rules on donald trump's immunity appeal. do you see this motion standing? >> you know, it's really just a motion about what's relevant at
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trial. i think jack smith paid close attention to donald trump's defense in the new york fraud case where his lawyers and ultimately trump, when he got on the stand, basically put out an infomercial about how great trump is as a business person. nothing to do with the case. the judge in new york tolerated it, but jack smith is worried about a jury. that's the way the case will be tried in the district of columbia. he wants to make sure that that jury is focused only on the evidence and the relevant evidence that's presented in court. i don't expect that judge chutkan will get to this issue until shortly before the trial. >> paul butler, thank you for your time. diplomatic mission. thousands of migrants move north toward the border, the secretary of state heads south for talks about the humanitarian crisis. you are watching msnbc.
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president biden sent his top diplomat to mexico to address the humanitarian crisis. secretary of state antony blinken is set to arrive in mexico where he is scheduled to meet with the president of mexico later today. they are expected to discuss new agreements concerning a record surge of central american migrants. it comes as up to 8,000 migrants
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are right now walking north through mexico. morgan chesky is reporting for us in eagle pass, texas. welcome to you. what are the challenges facing the border ahead of this key meeting? how overwhelming are the numbers you are seeing? >> reporter: alex, we were here a week ago at eagle pass when the record -- all-time record was broken with more than 12,000 migrants illegally crossing the border. keep in mind, that's the entire border. here in eagle pass, this is part of what's known as the del rio sector. this is one of the most active sectors. if you take two portions of the long border shared with mexico, that's where we see the surge really show itself, particularly over the last several months, when the numbers just keep getting larger and larger. as for the caravan, they were
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seen in mexico, 1,000 miles south of where we are here in eagle pass. those numbers absolutely eye opening here, considering the fact that the organizers of the group say they added 2,000 people to the ranks over the course of 24 hours. the majority of that group from central american countries, men, women, and so many children trying to make this arduous journey north, because they feel as dangerous as that trek is, it's much better than the alternative of staying wherever their home is or was and facing the dangers there. >> it's just extraordinary. thank you for watching it for us, morgan, along the border. joining me now is john sandweg. big welcome to you. i'm just curious, when you look at all this, the meeting that stands ahead today between the
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biden administration and mexico, what kind of an agreement do they need to make to make that could make a difference? >> u.s. border security begins in mexico. i think what secretaries blinken and mayorkas will push for is enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. do more to secure the southern border, to stop caravans like the one we are seeing, to enter. seize control of the lines the smugglers use to transport. move people out of the north where they stage before they cross the border. do more to restrict visa access and flows into the airports, because this crisis has spread beyond central america. we see migrants from all over the world enter mexico and then the united states. do more to stop the flow of people into the united states. >> when you are talking about enforcement, look at the record number of these migrant crossings. it's straining overwhelmed resources. as you want more enforcement,
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what are the challenges in trying to make that happen at the border? >> you are right. these are stunning numbers, absolutely stunning. it's far -- it has overwhelmed the u.s. enforcement apparatus. mexico doesn't have the same border security apparatus that we have. we have invested billions of dollars to the point where we have drones and airplanes, helicopters, over 20,000 border control agents, 20,000 customers officers at the land ports. we have over 20,000 i.c.e. agents. we have a massive border security apparatus. mexico lacks that. the question is their political will. the migrants are transiting through mexico and coming to the united states. mexico doesn't have the same incentive that we have. it's a question of political will in mexico, but also capacity. you are right, unless we can stop this flow through mexico, our resources are overwhelmed. even after we spend billions on border security.
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>> let me make the point that the secretary of state, he has landed in mexico. that meeting should get underway soon, perhaps in theext hour or so, unless he was delayed. a good chance it might be delayed as well. that having been said, the u.s. wants more help frommexico. the ap has pointed out in de, t government halted a program to repatriate and transfer migrants inside mexico due to a lack of funds. so far this year, mexico has detected more than 680,000 migrants living illegally in the country, which begs this question, how much can mexico help the u.s.? >> that's the million dollar question. first of all, the political will. mexico has been an incredible partner of the united states. the trump administration and the biden administration relied on programs that took migrants apprehended in the u.s. and deported them to mexico, whether it was title 42 or the remain in mexico program. the senate is involved in
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negotiations that look like they will return to some of the policies where people will be deported to wait in mexico. none of that is possible unless mexico is willing to take the people. they have been willing to take them. i don't think you can look at the cooperation mexico has provided thus far and say it's lacking. that's the big question. do they have the resources? these numbers are overwhelming us. mexico doesn't have the border patrol, the large immigration enforcement apparatus we have. do they have the resources? how much more can they do? i think mexico will look to the u.s. and say, what more assistance can you provide us so we are capable of doing more? >> it's going to be an interesting and critical conversation. thank you so much. appreciate your time. travel tips. a check on the situation at the nation's airports today and how to make your trip smoother this week and into 2024. you are watching msnbc. you are c (mom) that's a bit dramatic... a better plan is verizon. it starts at 25 dollars a line.
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there is a lot of information out there. hamas slaughtered more than 1200 innocent people, holds innocent hostages, and raped countless innocent women. and now hamas is trying to hide sexual violence against women. they don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them stand with palestinians and israelis for basic human rights. stand for all women.
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drizly. nighttime travel conditions today -- rather, nightmare travel conditions today as winter weather inundates parts of the country. that's resulting in scenes like this in oakland, california. service lines snaking from southwest airline gates to the baggage claim. warnings to stay off the roads in six states with 600,000 people under a blizzard watch. in colorado, one instagram user posted a video of
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bumper-to-bumper travel on a snow-covered highway. roads weren't usable in this nebraska neighborhood where snowfall buried some cars right up to the windows. i'm joined by brian kelly. adrian, how are things there? >> busy and steady. an indication of what's to come. the tsa predicts this upcoming friday and monday, new year's day, will be the busiest travel days. here in chicago, if you take chicago's chicago, we met up with a family. they received two messages saying their flight was delayed before they could even drop or check their luggage here at the
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bag drop. they were able to get on the flight and take off later in the evening. she did tell us, the mom, says the flight was delayed because of a late aircraft. the weather has delayed some of the flights. we have seen that here in chicago with the fog over the weekend. even out west in colorado, with that blizzard you just referenced. >> it has been a mess there. we have been covering the problems in chicago for a while. i'm glad you are on that. brian, how did this week's travel conditions square with the meltdown last year? that was epic. >> all things considered, it's smooth sailing considering just how much weather there is across the country. there are some delays in florida due to air traffic control. overall, it's pretty smooth sailing. certainly compared to last year with southwest's epic meltdown and earlier united with the meltdown. it does appear the airlines have gotten their staffing and technology up to speed for the most part.
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>> you know, you mentioned southwest. that's the place right now where we see these crazy long lines. it's southwest again, the pr they don't need. is this exclusive to southwest what's happening right now during this holiday season or not? >> no. southwest got hit with the fog. they were the carrier that operates the most. they got dinged with that. what we didn't see happen was them having an operation meltdown across the airline, which happened last year. they did avoid a nationwide meltdown. what i will say to those people in the lines, don't just sit and wait in a line. you can often rebook yourself online. get on the phone and call the airline. if there are long wait times on phones, call the international line. you can get through in a fraction of the time as the u.s. call center. it can pay to call the international numbers. >> that's good. a work around when everybody
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else is calling the national lines. let me ask you about what the obligations are for the airlines when there are these delays or cancellations. how much can people expect? >> in the u.s., we don't have a passenger bill of rights. if you fly to or within europe, there are regulations that state you get compensation. most of this is weather. do not expect the airlines -- when it's weather delay or cancellation, they don't have to give you hotel -- look at the credit card you use. if it's delayed six or more hours, most travel credit cards will reimburse for hotels and meals. the airlines are stingy. don't overlook your credit card company. >> can i ask advice? when an airline says, your flight has been delayed, and you might get that before you leave the home, but they say still come to the airport because we hope to make up this time
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difference and get you out on time, should people pay attention to that? or it's like, this is delayed three or four hours, chill out at home? >> it's tricky. it depends where your aircraft is coming from. i recommend everyone, don't just track your flight in the app. i use flight aware. it will tell you where your plane is coming from. sometimes if you are in a hub, sometimes they can undelay your flight. they will pull an aircraft from another flight. i recommend getting to the airport early. when you get that email that delay, delay, delay, i would look at other options. does the airline have earlier flights? if you can get to the airport you can ask to switch. if you need to get to where you are going this is the pro tip, use your frequent flyer miles to book at another airline. you have a backup. if you don't need that, if your
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flight does go out, cancel up to departure free of charge. it's a great insurance policy. it's not for everyone. it does take management. always cancel before departure. these days, having an insurance policy is necessary. >> the points guy, brian kelly, excellent advice. appreciate you both. a closer look at how the gop plans to retake the white house and capitol hill as well in 2024. you are watching msnbc. are watcc for softness and resilience, without the price tag. if you know... you know it's pantene. the subway series? it's the perfect menu lineup. just give us a number, we got the rest. number three? the monster. six? the boss. fifteen? titan turkey. number one? the philly. oh, yeah, you probably don't want that one. look, i'm not in charge of naming the subs.
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the new year is just five days away. from the very start, republicans will need to grapple with a daunting set of challenges, including a still crowded presidential field whose leading candidate is on trial, a swiftly approaching government funding deadline, and a tighter house majority. garrett haake has more. >> reporter: the strength of donald trump's hold on the
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republican party is one of the first questions 2024 may answer. the gop presidential field, which peaked with more than a dozen active candidates in 2023, ends the year with just five credible campaigns remaining. polling shows the republican race is donald trump's to lose. >> we are leading with 51%. ron desantis is at less than 19% and haley is at 16%. what happened to the haley surge? >> reporter: the early stages likely to winnow the field further before what could be a decisive super tuesday on march 5th. trump's biggest roadblock on path to the convention and nomination in july may not be another candidate at all but his legal challenges, including 91 criminal charges, spread across four cases. a civil fraud trial set to conclude in january, which has already bogged him down in new york. he denied all charges. >> i should be in iowa and new
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hampshire, south carolina. i shouldn't be sitting in a courthouse. >> reporter: january could be a pivotal month on capitol hill, with two government funding deadlines which could lead to a partial shutdown as negotiators resume work on a bill to send aid to israel and ukraine and overall immigration policy. >> negotiations will continue until we get there. >> reporter: all while house republicans' impeachment inquiry aims to pick up steam. >> we will depose the president's son and have a public hearing with him. >> reporter: the house will face those challenges with a majority slimmer than the one they began with in 2023, when they struggled for days to elect kevin mccarthy as speaker in an historic 15 ballots. >> he won't have votes. >> reporter: with mckashccarthy made history when he was ousted in october, retiring from congress in december. >> i would do it all again.
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>> reporter: new york's george santos, who practically rewrote the definition of congressional scandal -- >> if i leave, they win. >> reporter: expelled in disgrace and facing federal prosecution. while new house speaker mike johnson continues to learn on the job, top senate republican mitch mcconnell will likely remain the subject of speculation over how long he will hold on to his leadership post. >> we will need a minute. >> reporter: whoever is in charge, the key issues in 2024 seem set. addressing border security and the economy uniting them. >> we need to prove in 2024 that we have the policies and the will and the ability to make those differences. >> reporter: and finding consensus on abortion and trump, among the issues that divide the party's old guard from the new. >> the focus has to be just completely right now on making sure we don't return donald trump to the white house. >> what did we learn about republicans in 2024?
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>> we will win. it will be tumultuous. >> reporter: garrett haake, nbc news, washington. >> there's a lot to discuss with david drucke and carlos cabello. david, the first challenge the gop faces is donald trump's dominance in a still somewhat crowded field for 2024. are we seeing any signs of real vulnerability we seeing any rea vulnerability for him? >> it's unclear, alex. we're seeing signs in new hampshire only right now, where nikki haley, incredible polls with good sample sizes, solid margins of error, has separated herself from the remaining candidates vying to become the consensus alternative to donald
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trump. of course, new hampshire will vote second on january 23rd. iowa comes first january 15th. trump looks to be in a command been position there. primarying are all about momentum. if he can emerge with a big victory, he could roll into new hampshire with a sense of inevitability that i think makes it more difficult for nikki haley to capitalize on her recent surge, which i do think is real in that state. on the other hand, if the former president's victory in iowa is not as bit as anticipated based on polling we have seen, or she finishes second behind him, she could also roll into new hampshire with additional energy, and you might see what is a de facto one on one race between them, even though chris christie is sticking around,
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saying he has no intention of getting out of the primary until after new hampshire votes. >> as we look at what will happen in four weeks, carlos, voters in these two states will have made their decision. will you see a winnowing down? or do you think that polls will prove to be true that trump will be a runaway in the primary. >> reporter: i agree, new mexico will determine a lot of nikki haley has a narrow path. she could get into a one-on-one situation with donald trump, and she's showing great strength in new hampshire, but they she's a strong showing in iowa to push ron desantis out of the race, and then she has a shot especially since she got governor sununu's endorsement. republicans might be able to avoid nominating donald trump
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for a third time, if nikki haley can get on the narrow path, defeat him or come close to him in new hampshire, and then she would be going to her home state of south carolina, where, with some momentum, she could deliver a big surprise there. if that doesn't happen, alex, i mean, the safe bet right now is that donald trump will again be the republican nominee for president. >> can i just asking quickly, carlos, you're looking at her wanting to get money into her coffers, so she can campaign competitive. the fact that vivek ramaswamy is pulling out of ads, he says they're ineffective, but is that more of a reflection of money woes for him? >> vivek ramaswamy has lost all momentum. he was interesting candidate earlier. i think he hurt himself during the debates. he was so aggressive and so negative, in some cases
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insulting, he kind of disqualified himself. in ramaswamy's case, him staying in is probably good, because his voters are trump voters. the longer he stays in, the better it is for some of the candidates trying to catch up to donald trump. you can expect donald trump to push vivek out of race as soon as possible. with the departure of george santos and kevin mccarthy, the republican majority will be down to just two votes. what kind of a challenge does that pose for michael johnson and the gop overall? >> it was hard enough with four votes, and it won't get easier. the republican party in the house of representatives has to decide whether they want to leverage the majority they have, for achievable gains, or whether they want to engage in a grand catharsis to fight the man and complain about all the things that nobody else will allow them to do. as we learned last year, when
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mccarthy, deese spite all his issues, was able to engineer at victory in debt ceiling negotiations with president joe biden, even though up a democratic white house and a democratic senate, when you can unify, there's a lot you can do. you can't do everything. there's a lot you can't get, but you can get something. so i think they'll have to decide who they want to be and what they want to be as they deal with not just one disline for government funding to run out, but two, they did that staggered legislation where we're going to get some funding run out in january, i believe, and then another tranche in february, february/march. >> yeah. >> but they have a lot of issues. you have the military supplemental, the president and a lot of senate republicans want funding for israel, ukraine, and for taiwan. all of that has gotten wrapped up into disagreements with taiwan. but speaker johnson's decision
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to tie israel aid to slashing fund for the internal revenue service, so there's a lot to get through there. it's who do they want to be? do they want to achieve what's possible? or do they have to fight over everything a two-seat majority will never get you when the opposite party controls the senate and the white house? we will see. he gentlemen, thank you. secretary blinken preparing for a critical meeting with mexico's president in the next hour, which could have ripple effects. you're watching msnbc. d have ri effects. you're watching msnbc.
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