i will be back tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern, and of course, velshi airs every saturday and a morning from 10:00 eastern. velshi is available as a podcast, and you can catch the velshi content on youtube. had to msnbc.com. our msnbc coverage continues in a moment. >> okay, here we go. we are now 100 days out from the election, and just about a week into a brand-new presidential race. kamala harris rides an incredible wave of momentum as donald trump reminds us once again what is at stake in november. pete buttigieg is often met mentioned as a possible running mate. he is standing by here in studio and he is coming up first. plus, senator lafond of butler has known the senator for decades, and senator butler is going to join us live in just a few minutes.

and later, jd vance's comments about childless cat ladies is just plain weird. and somehow, his attempt at a cleanup only made things weirder. well, it is officially 100 days until the election. so that means it is 100 days to make sure your polling place hasn't changed, 100 days if you want to make sure you figure out by mail or by person. there's a lot that will happen between now and then. but we already know the stakes in this election. and donald trump just reminded us that in 100 days, it is really not just a normal election. it's an election where we decide if we still want to hold elections again. >> and again, christians, get out and vote. just this time. you won't have to do it anymore. four more years, you know what?

it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful christians. in four years, we will have it fixed so quickly you are not going to have to vote. >> and four more years, you are not going to have to vote again. those are donald trump's words. so those are the stakes. it is frightening. it should be. the good news is that a lot of good things happened this week for the democratic ticket.'s campaign announced that since last sunday, they raised $200 million and recruited 170,000 new volunteers. after a week of endorsements from some of the biggest names in the party, came on endorsement from arguably the biggest names in the party. >> i can't have this phone call without saying to my girl,, i am proud of you. this is going to be historic. >> we called to say michelle and i couldn't be prouder to endorse you, to do everything we can to get you through this

election and into the oval office. >> the video was striking for me to watch, because 16 years ago, i had a front row seat on the obama campaign. 16 years ago, the question of whether the country was ready was also raised. but then, as we all know, barack obama wrote his own wave of optimism and momentum all the way into the white house. now they are different candidates. i'm not trying to make a direct comparison we are only a week into this new campaign. but my point is, what it all reminded me of was that once upon a time, obama was the right candidate at the right moment, and he was able to capture the imagination of the country in part because his campaign was focused on the future at a time when the country was desperate for change. back then, it was hope and change, and yes we can. this time, at a different moment, kamala harris is putting her own spin on that message in a way that is unique to this moment. she did it in her first rally

as a presumptive democratic nominee. she told the country, we are not going back. >> donald trump wants to take our country backward. he and his extreme project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle- class. we know we've got to take this seriously. america has tried these failed economic policies before, but we are not going back. we are not going back. not going back. we are not going back. we are not going back. and i will tell you why we are not going back. because ours is a fight for the future.

>> look. this campaign is going to be about a whole lot of things. yes, it's about the woman that wants to protect abortion rights against the man who took those rights away. yes, it's also by the prosecutor against the criminal. but maybe more than anything, as a big umbrella, it's about whether or not this country wants to go back. not just back to the chaos of the trump years that we remember so well and will talk about, but to even darker times in american history. luckily, as kamala harris pointed out, it is literally posted online. so here's just a little test of how far back that plan wants to back the country. for 2025 wants to use the comstock act to ban most abortions nationwide. that would take us back to 1873. roger 2025 wants to eliminate birthright citizenship, a key part of the 14th amendment was ratified in 1868.

project 2025 wants to fire tens of thousands of civil servants who are insufficiently loyal to trump and replace them with sycophants and loyalists. which would fly in the face of a law passed for good reason in 1883. so kamala harris in many ways might be the right candidate at the right time. the right candidate for this century, by the way. she might be the right candidate to tell the country, we don't have to go back. actually, that wasn't so great for lots of americans, and that we can go forward in bed. i'm not going to sit here and tell you this is going to be easy. it is not. donald trump and his weirdo running mate will regroup. it will throw everything. harris herself conceded yesterday that she is the underdog in this race, and that's how everyone should treat it. in the early days of this campaign, donald trump is kind of flailing. vice president harris seems very eager to make her case. >> i am ready to debate donald trump. i have agreed to the

previously agreed upon september 10th debate. he agreed to that previously, now it appears he has backed out. but i am ready. i think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on the debate stage, and so i am ready. let's go. >> there it is. she is ready. let's go. her words. or the question is, do we want to go back? this election is going to be about a lot of things. none of them are more important than that. pete buttigieg is appearing in his personal capacity and not in his official role, i'm awkwardly not going to call you mr. secretary or mayor. thank you so much for being here with me today. >> i played that clip of donald trump saying in four years, you won't have to vote again. he has made similar statements before. chris sununu was on after you, and he said it is classic trumpism. i think it's important to call

out. >> i don't completely understand what he means. i don't want to have to worry about what he means. that's yet another reason why you need to make sure he doesn't get re-elected. i remember a few years ago, there were some commentators who sounded clever by saying, you know, the problem with democrats is we were taking trump literally when we should've taken them seriously, and the smart people were taking them seriously instead of taking him literally. when he says something like that, or something like wanting a political opponent like liz cheney, a congresswoman who criticized him, to be tried in a televised military tribunal, i don't know whether to take that literally or seriously. either way, it's bad news. >> i want to eliminate a system similar history vote again, that's a huge problem. this is the awkward question you been answering 1 million times. i'm not going to ask you to tell me the process of the

vetting process, that i do want to know -- you run for president yourself. you know kamala harris, you know joe biden, you been around the system. what kind of qualities do you think would best complement her? >> it's her call and she knows what she is doing. there's an extraordinary bench of leaders in the democratic party, all of whom are doing everything we can to support the top of our ticket, and he knows what the exact flying formation is going to be like. however that shakes out, we're going to see a lot of people pulling in the same direction and a party that, let's face it, is not always known for being extremely quick to fall in line, as they say. that's what's been remarkable about the last week. i still can't believe that it's only been a week. it's how quickly she coalesced our favorites across all of its different corners to come together and rallied to the cause of making sure she is the next president. >> i also think this process of

having so many democrats out is joyful, which reminds people of how a lot of people get into politics for good reason. regardless of what happens, i know a lot of people who walked you on fox news this morning would love to see you on the debate stage with katie vance. you have watched him, you commented on him. what would you love to debate him about? what topics would you love to discuss with him? >> where do you start? you know, they selected somebody who is really reminded many americans of why they are off put by the turn that the republican party has taken in the last two years. it's not just that he said a lot of things that are weird, or insulting, the characterization of the democratic party as childish cat ladies. it's also that he seems to view everything in terms of the negative. and what i mean by that is, for example, this thing about

having children, i think a lot of us without kids would certainly say that that experience opens you to a new way of thinking about the world. but he doesn't talk about it in those terms. he talks about how anybody who doesn't have kids is less than, that their perspectives have less value, which is just a really strange take. it is not just a weird style that he brings. it is that this leads to weird policies, like his proposal that the number of votes you get in an election would be different depending on how many kids you have. i mean, i would think one person, one vote was a pretty basic, universally accepted principle in this country. there are so many strange policy commitments that he has. i guess what i would most want to see in this debate, whoever is at the table with him, is getting into that relationship between a strange worldview and a strange set of policies. let's also remember his

relationship to project 2025. it's kind of amazing they put all the stuff out there. i think it is also telling that this is the first time i can remember that a competency policy framework for a political party has been so profoundly unpopular that the president, the candidate of that party, has to pretend he's got nothing to do with it. it is definitely the road map for a future trump administration. jd vance, having him on the ticket basically certifies that fact. jd vance wrote the forward to the forthcoming book by the heritage foundation president. it's the institutional houma project 2025, which means it is basically project 2025, the book. it couldn't be more on the nose in terms of revealing where a trump presidency would take this country as kamala harris says so effectively. where would take us is backwards. >> he had a smile across his face when jd vance was named. let me ask you about messaging. you are a deeply substantive kind of guy. you are also good at speaking in accessible language. you just mentioned strange,

weird. we have seen the vice president and others use weird. this is kind of an evolution a little bit in messaging over the past, which i think is good and effective. why do you think speaking about trump and vance and the threat in that language works? >> i think it demonstrates that this is not just a traditional democrats versus republicans debate or argument. we could go back and forth all day on a more progressive worldview versus the more conservative worldview. but the stuff that you are seeing out of trump and vance isn't just conservative. in fact, sometimes it is as offensive to conservative ideas as it is too liberal ideas. this talk of terminating the constitution, having somebody wants to be president of the united states rambling about electrocuting sharks and hannibal lector. i think it reminds us of the choice we face, not just in terms of policies and direction for the country, which is huge of course, but also a choice in

terms of what is when you feel like to live in this country. i don't want to worry about sharks. or think about hannibal lector. any of those kind of dark and twisted things that were kind of shoved in her face all of the time during the trump residence the and ever since by the trump campaign, and i think we have a chance to be a better, brighter future. that's what i love about this contrast. don't get me wrong. we all know what we are up against in the gravity of what would happen to our democracy as well as our economy if there is a chance for trump to return to power. this isn't just about what we are trying to block, it's about what we are trying to build. i think that energy is part of what has been so remarkable and no central. >> unquestionably. cost politics should be joyful. you've agreed to stick with me for a few more minutes, i hope that still works for your schedule. we will sneak in a quick break and be right back with pete buttigieg. buttigieg.

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>> we are back with pete buttigieg.

we were talking over the break about messaging. there's almost too much to the laughter trump and vance on, which is a high-class problem in waves. this argument about freedom, harris has quickly made her campaign about freedom. beyonce of all people told her she could use the song read him. that's a good get. i just wanted to ask you about how democrats could kind of reclaim this freedom and liberty. she is starting to. how could they reclaim the mantle from republicans? >> this is something i have believed in for a long time, going back to when i was running. i think it was important to talk more in terms of freedom. yes, it's important to make sure that people are free from overbearing government, which is the thing that conservatives have traditionally talked about the most. it also, government is not the only thing that can make you unfree. good government helps make sure you are free from other threats to your well-being. the affordable care act made people more free because you didn't have to be in fear of what would happen if you had a medical event.

it is important, i think, to keep people free from fear of gun violence, which is why we are the ones out there saying the most important thing we have to do to protect our kids isn't to ban a bunch of books, it is to make sure that assault weapons aren't finding their way into neighborhoods, or god forbid, schools. and there is a real opportunity now i think to embrace that even further because trump's republican party has walked away from freedom. again, if you're talking about military tribunals for military opponents, you have no business talking about freedom. you have no business letting a word like liberty escape your lips. and so i think this is a really smart thing to do. i think philosophically it makes sense. it's who we are and it's who she is. but also, it can appeal to something that i think a lot of independence, a lot of what i like to go future and former republicans, continue to sincerely care about. and are increasingly concerned that it is at risk. and of course, it is a women's

freedom to choose and access to abortion care. a freedom that donald trump withdrew when he destroyed the right to choose in this country. i think it is important that every election is about the future not just to remind everybody that that happened, but to talk about what happens next. when you have something like a trump/vance ticket and a republican party that does not support the freedom to grow your family through ivf. they do not support a lot of reproductive freedoms. access to contraception, they don't even support my freedom to marry, going by how most republicans voted when that was on the floor. i think it is a powerful framework. i think yes, it has worked for the campaign, but it is also just fitting. >> yeah. no question about it. you have to believe the framing with the other side. i know you've talked about this for a long time. a lot of people say -- you been asked 1000 times about whether you're going to be the vice presidential running mate, all those things.

i know from working with a lot of politicians, you talk about those things with your family and you consider a lot of things. you have a lot of kids, you have a happy marriage. you are young, eula policy, you love politics. you guys talk about that and what you want in the future? >> any decision about what to do next is a family decision. i got into politics as a young, single mayor. >> it's different now. >> it really is. i saw people say that on tv who had families, but i didn't really understand it. now i do. the contributions and the sacrifices that my husband makes, that our children make, even though they are about to be 3. they may not know it, but they are helping to make it possible for me to serve. and that is a really big deal, and a heavy thing, and not something to be done lightly. and of course, it works both ways. anytime you consider a

demanding job, certainly a demanding role in politics, you think twice about it, because you know there's a cost. on the other hand, having kids and having a family has helped me to better appreciate what is at stake in this election. i think about, again, the simple fact that our marriage and family, this most important thing in my life, exists due to a single vote on the supreme court. our kids come i hope and expect, will be around for the 22nd century. and so if i'm trying to make sure that we make good decisions and elect good leaders and reinforce what is best about this country going into the balance of the century so that it goes well all the way into the next, you know, they are going to be holding us accountable for that. they are not quite 3. i'm already at the stage of why? i got four or five lies before i'm out of answers. the most basic question, why? soon, those questions will evolve into deeper questions about what we, who are in

positions of responsibility right now, have done to make sure that we are safer from gun violence, to make sure that they grow into an economy that is fair and to make sure that they grow up into a climate that supports and sustains their well-being. to me now, we talk about good climate choices. it's not about saving some abstract thing called the planet. it's about them making sure that they are personally and materially better off. i think that just opens up in a better way and propels me to do this. even though it has also reminded me just how much more there is to life than just work. >> a healthy thing. and also part of their story is your journey fighting for all these issues, too. thank you so much. secretary, mayor pete buttigieg in his personal capacity. i appreciate you being here. coming up, jd vance's vice

presidential role has been a catastrophe. we will take a deep dive into vance's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week when we come back. come back. rk solutions from t-mobile for business. from coaches using ai analytics to players using ar data to find the best path to the cup. t-mobile helps pga of america reliably connect with 5g. from the course to the clubhouse, experience game-changing innovation with t-mobile for business.

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it's smarter, healthier pet food. >> so it has become abundantly clear that jd vance has a problem with women. and when more women find out what he really thinks of them, my bet is they may have a problem with him, too. especially when they hear things he has said, like this. >> we are effectively ruining this country via our corporate oligarchs and buy a bunch of childless cat ladies were miserable at their own lives and the choices they have made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. you look at kamala harris, pete buttigieg, aoc, the entire future of the democrats is controlled by people without children. how does it make any sense that we have turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it?

>> even tucker carlson looks little confused there. first of all, jd vance has no right to question why anybody doesn't have kids. it's none of his business whether a woman is childless by choice or an adopted mother, or a stepmother like kamala harris. his comments are also insulting to the millions of women who have ever struggled with fertility issues, which earned him a rare rebuke from actress jennifer aniston. she wrote on instagram, i truly can't believe this is coming from a potential vice president of the united states. all i can say is, mr. vance, i pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. now, jennifer aniston has 45 million followers on instagram. people seem to really like her out there, by the way. just saying. but on a weirder level, vance's comment also revealed his bizarre habit of accusing people he doesn't like of being cat ladies. and his use of that term is a slur against women and is now seeing some major backlash,

including from fans of taylor swift, who are quick to point out that the taylor swift popstar is also a childless cat lady and has yet to endorse a candidate in 2024. of course, as bad as all that is, both prevents politically and women in general, it gets even worse. because prior to his cat lady remarks, vance said if you don't have kids, your vote shouldn't count as much of the ballot box. apparently, he wants to deny equal voting rights to childless women. >> when you go to the polls in this country as a parent, you should have more power. you should have more of an ability to speak your voice in our democratic republic the people who don't have kids. that's face the consequences of a reality. if you don't have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn't get nearly the same voice. doesn't this mean that parents get a bigger say in how our democracy functions? yes. >> so not only should they be

less entitled to an equal vote, according to vance, he also wants to tax them at a higher rate than those who do have kids. that was even too much for the editorial board of the wall street journal, which is white quite concerning. they slammed him for wanting to use the tax code as a weapon against people who don't share his values. they point out the obvious, that, quote, raising taxes on the childless is in a winning campaign slogan. all this is consistent with vance's radical stance on abortion, which is keeping in trump's view that women must be punished. he wants to force the victims of incest to bear the children of his attackers. something he dismissed as a mere inconvenience. he said the federal intervention might be necessary to see women crossing state lines for reproductive care. to sum this all up, he wants all women to have children, and for those who don't have kids, he thinks their vote should

count less. and he has a special kind of hatred for those childless women who happen have cats. the truth is, jd vance is passing a whole lot of judgment on millions of people in this country, but he has also been doing it for a long time. >> so i would say that we should care about declining fertility. not just because it's bad for our economy, but because we think babies are good. and we think babies are good because we are not sociopaths. >> of course babies are good. i love babies. people can still like babies and not have any of their own, and you are certainly not a sociopath just because you don't have children. fortunately, vance's weird views are not even winning praise about his current party. here's how one conservative member judge to this week. >> if you call suburban women childless cat ladies, you are not going to convince them to go over to your side. i think it is funny as a

republican, but i don't think a lot of suburban women that are on the fence are going to find it funny. >> it's not really funny. vance is clearly finding a way to make a lot of people mad. when given the opportunity to clean things up, and you know, maybe even apologize for those offensive words, this is what he said. >> obviously was a sarcastic comment. i have nothing against cats, nothing about dogs. look, people are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what i actually said, and the substance of what that, sorry, it is true. >> noticed a vance bid and say i'm sorry if anyone was hurt by my comments or all women should have equal voting rights. he kind of double down on his weird ideas. his only apology i heard there was to cats. last i checked, they are not voting in this upcoming election. our friends ken mccaskill and jen palmieri are standing by

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>> suggested in the past few days, democrats have kind of organically settled on a new attack line against donald trump and jd vance. basically, these guys are just plain weird. >> you know there is something wrong with people when they talk about freedom, freedom to be in your bedroom, freedom to be in your exam room, freedom to tell your kids what they can

read -- that stuff is weird. they seem obsessed with this. >> we are using this fake living room to talk to you about a super weird idea from jd vance. >> it is quite weird. >> what was quite weird with him joking about racism today and then talking about diet mountain dew. who drinks diet mounted you? >> they are just weird. >> is just plain weird. >> joining me now are two were not at all weird. the cohost of abc's how to win 2024, and former white house communications director for president obama, jennifer palmieri. both of the people that i've talked to in green rooms, texted about everything happening over the last week, and i want to talk about all of that. i just want to start with kind of this shift in messaging. i think it is very good, but i want to know what you all think.

let me start with you. what do you make of this view it's work, it's strange language, we are seeing from a lot of democrats out there. >> i think we need to credit governor walz with it. he's an important guide. not to get too wrapped up in what is actually happening and how you feel, which is just sort of odd. you talk about organic stuff then. the other organic thing is that we are not going to go back, right? that was the message that came from vice president harris, but the family picked up on it. and you know, the winning campaigns are the ones when people start to breakthrough organically. you would have weird on the defensive side, and then on the offensive side, you have her saying, we are not going back on that, and that really catching up with the public,

too. >> i totally agree. claire, you have run and won some very tough campaigns. you also interviewed governor walz this week. what do you make of what is i think a very constructive, accessible shift in messaging over the last week or so. >> i think democrats always have a problem trying to get into the weeds of, oh, why their policies are bad, and why our policies are good. what i really like about the harris for president campaign is that they are sticking with very relatable, very accessible, and frankly very uplifting tones. they are not saying the other side is extreme, they are just saying, they are just weird. and that's how people talk. and i think people relate to that. and they are also talking about freedom in the future. and by the way, we are proud of our laughter and joy. we are not talking about darkness and grievance. we are talking about light. we are talking about opportunity.

so i think all of these broad strokes that are simple and straightforward are really going to serve the harris campaign well. i just pray we don't get into the weeds about, oh, we got to get into the policy differentials on environmental or offshore drilling. we got to stay with these really uplifting, positive, and by the way -- they are weird. >> yeah. no question about it. i love you said about this is how people talk. you are trying to talk like how people talk to connect with people out there. so paul mary, you are in an op- ed today, which had a lot of good lines and language today. it was so perfect for this moment, because right now -- last week even surprised me. i think people who been doing this for a long time about how unifying, how energizing it really was. you have a line in here where

you say, you could be both enthusiastic about the republican ticket and clear eyed about the changes the vice president and her running mate will face. what do you mean by that for people out there who are wringing their hands or who are like, it's over, and we won the race. >> three weeks ago, we were all worried too much. maybe we should stop working about this and get to work. what i actually think is happening, particularly with women who have been so just weird in a couple of weeks ago, we feel like we have a chance now. and we want to do everything we can to prevent a trumpet three, and we feel like we have a fighting shot, and we are ready to go at it. we need to fully embrace that, because the vice president is going to need -- i work for hillary clinton. and by the way, you see on the trump site? they've started putting on a number of videos trying to resident.

my recommendation is we don't get too distracted by that. i think on the messaging side, i would pick up the fact that trump set a couple of days ago to christians, these are not your normal -- i'm going to get everything done for you. that is not just a phrase and project 2025. some of the most extreme agenda you can imagine. and then give your supporters, all of these people who are newly energized, they should they have something to do. daughters and dads for kamala harris to get young women and make sure that their fathers are going to vote, and midwestern states are going to vote for the vp. but i think there is something really at the core of this that is important, which is people

feeling like, i have a chance to fight back. what can i do to help? and making and embracing that energy, because it is going to take that kind of group effort to get this done. >> no question about it. i could talk to you guys for hours. we only have about a minute left. one of the big moments that's coming up is the vp pick. you're welcome to tell us who you like and who sticks out, but were going to ask, did you know president harris well? what are the factors that you think they are looking at, that they would look like -- it's not just who is going to be a running mate for three months, is for who is going to be her partner for years after that. >> all of them that are being vetted are really qualified. i don't think she can go wrong. number one, she feels that she has a good working relationships with. and they can take a punch. and jen is right here.

they are really going to come after her, and the only thing so far they really try to come out so far is that she is supposedly not for law enforcement. we have jb vance saying i hate the police and donald trump thing is going to pardon people who assaulted police officers and are in prison right now. i think there's a lot of pivot and punch they could go on for the good vice presidential candidate getting out there on the trail. i think all his considering would be terrific. >> claire mccaskill, thank you so much. i appreciate your time this afternoon. >> coming up, california senator butler knows kamala harris better than the most anyone in washington. senator butler is standing by, and she joins me next. next. to leave every room smelling fresh and clean. with that done, it's time to get to work. ♪ la la la la la here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday.

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>> i want to show you a picture. this is vice president kamala harris at the swearing-in seven four butler last year. only three black women has served to senators throughout american history, and in this one image, there are two. it's a reminder that for every first, there can be seconds and there can be third and hopefully way more than that. it is a reminder that, yes, progress is possible, and those are good things to keep in mind is this presidential campaign unfolds. joining me now is senator butler of california. senator, it's great to see you. i am so thrilled to talk to you for so many reasons. you know the vice president really. friendship, people are just starting to know her.

this is been quite a week we've been talking about on the show. how has it been for you? >> jen, thank you so much for having me. it is always great to talk with you. this has been elation for me, for my family. i daughters about to turn 10. she's known vice president harris her entire life. as i was talking with her last sunday about what was happening, and president widens incredible leadership in this moment, the first thing she said to me was, can you ask ms. harris if i can be her vice president? that's what we want. that's what we want for our children, right? we want a leader that our children can aspire to, who is honest and pursues justice and is open to everyone. and so it has been a moment of great pride for me. i am really ecstatic for my friend, and i

am happy for the country. we have the opportunity to do something great, and it is right in front of us. we've got a lot of work to do. >> you been reminding people that elation is great. and also that this is not her first rodeo. and she's definitely not new. unfortunately, the gross, sexist, racist attacks against her will continue to be launched. it also feels to me like sometimes part of the goal is to make people feel it is not possible, which is why i want to keep talking about this. what you say to people who say that to you, or you here saying that out there? >> you know, look. it is not the vice presidents first rodeo. the truth of the matter is, it not the first time she has been lead, it's not the first time she has been called names. every occasion that she has had to lead on behalf of the american people or the people of california, she has leaned right into it. and so in her words, to those

that are name-calling already, who were making dismissive, sexist, racist statements, bring it on. the people of this country are tired that mediocrity being their only option. we have in this moment the opportunity to do something great to show women and girls, young men, the next level of excellence for this country. and what i say to them is, bring it. because we are not new to this. we are true to this. >> i wanted to ask you, just because i can't get over his comments about women, and there's so many we haven't even talked about. i have a daughter that is little bit younger than your daughter, as you know. we hear the way he talks about women in the way he talks about families. he clearly doesn't understand the diversity, but what is your reaction to all of that?

>> look, i think jd vance has got to speak to his comments himself. i find his comments derogatory and dismissive. i find his comments to be representative of, frankly, the extreme right wing of his party exclusionary and yet another category of people who simply don't belong in the american electorate and in the fabric of our country. and so if they are going to continue to tell groups that they don't belong, women who don't have children, lgbtq communities, that they don't belong, that electorate is going to get smaller and smaller. and what we got to be able to do is throw the doors of this democracy wide open and create a space for everyone. and i believe that that vice president harris embodies that kind of vision for the country. >> before you are a senator, you've done a lot of things in

your career, i think it's safe to say. and we know back in 2016, part of hillary clinton's loss was contributed to her lack of support among women. white women specifically. massive organizing calls out there of white women. there's a white needs for harris. but what do you want to see out there to be encouraged that what happened in 2016 won't happen again? >> you know, that's a great question. i have had a circuitous career working for the men and women of labor, being supportive of the vice president, having the privilege of leading the oldest , most renowned organization for pro-choice women in politics. what i look forward to is the telling of the story of california that truly does encompass the totality of america. in order to be a successful elected official in california,

you have got to be able to bring people together. it is a diverse state that is not just los angeles and san francisco, is 58 counties. it is beaches, it is counties, it is mountain, it is rural. and what california has taught vice president harris is that everybody has to have a seat at the table for it to be meaningful for us to truly be a part of this representative democracy. and again, take the nation to its next level of excellence. and so i am excited about the opportunity for the vice president to put those full scales on display for women who are uniting and answering the call, uniting for the vice president. black women, latina women, api women. i was on the lgbt community call. black men, white dudes. it's incredible the kind of coalition that is coming

together to reject the vision of hate that is being put forth, to reject the vision of division. and coming forward to bring a new story, a true story to what this campaign is and what the future of our country can be. >> senator laphonza butler. thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. we have one more thing to tell you about. we are back after a really quick break. quick break. so, i breathe better. and we both sleep better. and stay married. subway is offering 20% off any sub, any size whooo! 20% off subs is fun to say 20% off subs are fun to eat you'll love 20% off subs the point is, any sub any size. 20% off at subway announcer what if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? now you can with smileactives, the teeth whitening breakthrough that safely gets your teeth white and keeps them white every day

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>> that does it for me