(ominous music) (bubbles rising) (diver exhaling) (music intensifies) (diver yells) (shark roars) - whoa. (driver gasps) (car tires screech) (pedestrian gasps) (both panting) (gentle breeze) - [announcer] eyes forward. don't drive distracted.

that does it from me and think for watching. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. eastern for another live hour of "politics nation." the saturday show with jonathan capehart starts right now. ♪ battle in the battleground states donald trump is set to hold a campaign event in pennsylvania right now as vice president kamala harris prepares to rally supporters this hour in georgia after a once again sounding the alarm on trump's mental stability. >> he is becoming increasingly unstable, and unhinged. i think the american people are seeing it in real time. >> the view from the voters. or than 12 million people have already cast their ballots for today early voting got underway in the key state of nevada. congressman robert garcia joins me live to talk about what he's

hearing from voters on the ground including their reactions to trump's bizarre appearance at a town hall with latino voters. and the showdown, i will ask lucas about the endorsement he picked up in his bid to unseat senator josh holly. a man the st. louis post job dubbed worst senator. i am jonathan capehart and this is " the saturday show." 17 days to go until election day, and in this hour vice president kamala harris and donald trump are scheduled for dual campaign rallies in two battleground states. the vice president will take the stage soon in atlanta,

georgia, where over 1 million early votes have already been cast. a record for early ballot cast in the peach state. to put that in perspective the total early vote in georgia in 2020 was a little more than 4 million. the campaign is also deploying some superstar surrogates, singer-songwriter usher is expected to be alongside the vice president tonight. earlier today harris was joined by lizzo for an event in detroit. the vice president's closing message was clear. >> we know what is at stake, and we know the power of the people. this is about the power of the people. it's about knowing each one of us as an individual and as a collective, as a community, as a coalition. we have the power to make the decisions about the direction

of our country. we are going to fight for this country we love. we are in this to win it-- >> as for her opponent, donald trump, he is said to take the stage in pennsylvania at any moment. joining me now from that rally in latrobe, pennsylvania, is nbc news correspondent dasha burns. thank you for being here. what can we expect to hear from donald trump tonight? >> reporter: look, jonathan, the campaign wants a closing message to be all about immigration and the economy. those are the two things the campaign wants the former president to focus on. we have seen it time and time again go off script and off message, but in pennsylvania in particular the economy as it pertains to energy, this is a state that relies heavily on the oil and gas industry. it is a message she has tried to deliver time and time again. and that's part of what we expect to hear from him tonight.

in pennsylvania, this is the state of trump and vice president kamala harris have visited more times than any other state since july. this could be the linchpin in the entire thing. you see the former president crisscrossing the state, he's in latrobe county outside pittsburgh today. he will be in the philly area, then lancaster. then he will be headed to the steelers game tomorrow night to bring in some star power with antonio brown and others with him in the box. these campaigns are laser focused. trump won the state in 2016, lost at neroli in 2020, and they desperately want to win it back this time around, jonathan. >> donald trump came off the plane while you were speaking. he is walking across the tarmac. you are looking at those live pictures now, so he's headed in your direction.

dasha burns, thank you very much for that live report. is the candidates crisscross the battleground states in the campaign's final weeks or than 12 million ballots have already been cast in dozens of states across the country, a majority of them by democrats that includes in the crucial battleground state of nevada, where early voting began today. later tonight former president barack obama will rally in las vegas to encourage voters to turn out and cast their vote for the harris-walz ticket. joining me from las vegas to california congressman robert garcia and national cochair of the harris-walz campaign. as always, thank you very much for coming on the saturday show. seems like every time i'm talking to you you are in nevada. what are you hearing from folks on the ground? >> this is a really exciting day for the nevada team. this is the first day of early voting in this critical state that is a must win for our

campaign. vice president harris, governor walz, the whole team is fired up we are seeing such energy on the ground. not just today but over the last few weeks, all focused on making sure kamala harris wins the state. what's critical about us here is it's important we are turning out the latino vote. meeting folks in taco shops, restaurants, their neighborhoods, all sorts of leases talking to the latino immunity in english, and spanish, turning out the vote. that's why i'm here, that's why many of us are here to this we can to make sure this early vote is coming in for kamala harris, and from what we are seeing at these early voting sites, i am really excited about what's going to happen on election day when they call the state. we are going to win nevada. >> let's talk more about latino voters, in particular that townhall that donald trump did with latino voters. here is this-- this was in

response to a question from a man who said to donald trump, that he wanted donald trump to earn his vote, because he was disturbed by a lot of things, including what happened on january 6th. watch this, and we'll talk about it on the other side. >> nothing done wrong at all nothing done wrong, and action was taken strong action ashley babbitt was killed nobody was killed there were no guns down there we didn't have guns the others had guns but we didn't have guns, and when i say these are people that walked down this was a tiny percentage of the overall which nobody sees and nobody shows. but, that was a day of love-- >> and, congressman, later reporting shows that gentlemen who asked the question said that donald trump did not earn his vote. what has been the reaction, if any, that you have heard

regarding the townhall? >> i talked to thought it was completely bizarre. a lot of folks saw that, and his answers were completely unacceptable to the community, and certainly to somehow defend what happened on january 6th and the person who asked the question, we all heard his reaction like you mentioned, afterwards-- there is no connection with the latino community and donald trump. this is the same person that calls our community criminals, that we are somehow poisoning the blood of this country. he is no friend of us. he will do mass deportations and bring horrible policies against migrants against our community. so that will take us all backwards. we are talking to latino voters about the future. kamala harris knows this community. she has great plans for homeowners, small businesses, those working in trades. i was with about 25 undecided latino voters, construction workers. i went to speak to them,

because they weren't sure they were going. we left the gathering with all of them fired up to vote for kamala harris, because they learned her plans, they understand what she's doing, and we are talking to every single voter one-on-one and making sure they cast their ballots for kamala harris. >> is there one particular issue that gets voters fired up, or is it a basket of issues that gets them fired up mark what are the issues voters are saying that is important to them driving to say that they are going to cast a vote for the vice president? >> i think there's all voters, especially latino voters in places like nevada and arizona, are really talking about ensuring that working-class people have access to good jobs. they want to make sure whether they are in construction or the trades that there is going to be good work for them to do, that their work will be respected, that they have a right to be part of their union.

they understand donald trump is a danger to all of that read that project 2025 is a danger to all of that. get a piece we are hearing about is folks are saying look, my mom is still undocumented, my sister is still trying to get access to have her pathway to citizenship one day. they understand kamala harris has a fair approach cannot just in securing the border and making sure we have a safe border, but to making sure people here have the dignity in earning citizenship and earning the program. kamala harris understands those two things, and that's what i'm hearing most from voters on ground particularly the latino community here in nevada. >> one of those things with project 2025 is the plank for mass deportation. it is something trump regularly talks about from his campaign rallies. it is something that his supporters say they support,

and there's pulling out there that shows actually there are a lot of people who actually kind of don't think there's a problem with that. how concerned are the voters you are talking to about the promise of mass deportations on day one if donald trump wins in november? >> i think there's a lot of misinformation in the media, and it's shameful to see so many folks buying into that, but when you talk to average working-class folks, the latino community, they are completely against that, and they understand donald trump and the extreme maga right wants to hurt our community, wants to separate families, wants to deport the community. that is resonating with folks here in nevada, arizona, folks in the southwest, and we will continue to push that message. when kamala harris is from my home state she understands the latino community. she understands the west.

i've honestly been heartened to see this early vote and to see how fired up people are. there's not much of a trump operation out here. the campaign has 14 offices across the state. i think the trump campaign might have two. there are thousands upon thousands of volunteers. 100-150 staffers. there is an operation that is turning out the vote and early vote is how we win here in pennsylvania, in georgia, in north carolina, and so if you have a ballot to vote. cast your votes, let's get them in. >> really fast, so, what you said about the trump operation such as it is are you seeking any signs of folks knocking on doors, lawn signs, anything like that on behalf of donald trump in nevada since you have been out there? >> you do see there are some

signs, there are folks obviously supporting donald trump, there's no question, but from a grass roots perspective from a volunteer perspective and there's no comparison between the two operations. the democrats and certainly the harris campaign, they have a real nevada operation, and that's being multiplied across the country. of course what donald trump has is he has his leaner friends, he has the conservative media that at this point is essentially lying and giving mistruths and disinformation. we are focused on the truth and mobilizing folks. they are trying to use lies and quite frankly fear interning at their operation. that's why i'm so hopeful about november. i think this country does want to move forward, and like the vice president always says, we are not going back. >> california congressman garcia from nevada joining us, thank

you. vice president harris is set to speak at a rally in georgia. i have a panel to discuss her campaign and election just 17 days away. plus the fallout in the middle east following the death of the leader of hamas. don't go anywhere, we have a jampacked our of the saturday show on msnbc. your memory is an amazing thing, but sometimes it can start to slow down. but did you know prevagen can help keep your memory sharp? the secret is the powerful ingredient, apoaequorin,

originally discovered in jellyfish and found only in prevagen. in a clinical study, prevagen was shown to improve memory in subgroups of individuals who were cognitively normal or mildly impaired. stay sharp and improve your memory with prevagen. prevagen. in stores everywhere without a prescription. liberty mutual customized my car insurance so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. oh! right in the temporal lobe! beat it, punks! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ meet the traveling trio. each helping to protect their money with chase. wooo! tools that help protect. alerts that help check. one bank that puts you in control. chase. make more of what's yours.

and you are looking at live pictures from atlanta, georgia, where right there at the podium is a sure usher. we are waiting for vice president harris, but this is not the only place where there is action. tonight former president barack obama is in nevada for his part you are

looking at live pictures, i'm going to show those live pictures of donald trump's rally at an airport at unity township in pennsylvania, but this might be all the energy the 78-year-old former president can muster. a political reports trump has been turning down events due to being exhausted, but that could change according to two people familiar with the conversations. earlier today in detroit in response to a reporter's question vice president harris talked about why she is now responding directly to donald trump. >> you have been doing more trump rapid response responding to him in near real time, it feels like something slightly different from the way you were

handling him before, and i am wondering why that shift? >> he's becoming increasingly unstable and unhinged, and it requires that response. >> joining me now, msnbc political analyst basil's michael junior, columbia university. basil is the one on the right. and jennifer rubin, opinion writer for the washington post, msnbc political analyst and author of resistance how women saved democracy from donald trump. thank you both very much for being here. i'm going to start with you, jen . you say the final and most effective critique against the oldest residential nominee of a major party is being delivered by vice president harris. talk about that. >> he is actually running clips the reality of donald trump is very disturbing, and

unfortunately he has been sanitized, he's been sane washed, which is now a term. how insane, how tired he is, and she's willing to take time out of her own rally to make this an issue. i think it's breaking through in mainstream media, because it is unavoidable. >> what jennifer just said i think it is a really amazing breakthrough in the strategy to say number one, donald trump is unhinged, and being able to say that in real time and to do that side-by-side in the rallies with video of him, it's actually quite remarkable. and i like to also mention the fact that the rapid response that was referred to in the question is in part because all of the money she has been able to raise. she's been able to get ads on

the air. the social media game has always been strong, but i want to caution one thing, even though we can talk about donald trump not doing a lot of events and not having many offices, congressman garcia talked about that earlier, his campaign right now is not about persuasion, he has reached his ceiling, the campaign right now is about making sure kamala harris' base doesn't come out. so all that stuff related to it and targeted toward a lot of african american voters, latino voters as well, it's about keeping them from coming out, not about persuasion and joining his campaign. so both things can't be true. >> i want to play something that lizzo had to say . she is from detroit and did not take kindly to the man on this screen left, dissing her hometown.

>> i am so proud to be from this city. you know, they say if kamala wins then the whole country will be like detroit. okay? proud like detroit. resilience like detroit. we are talking about the same detroit that innovated the auto industry and the music industry, so put some respect on detroit's name! >> now, watch, yesterday donald trump had a rally in detroit, and just watch what happened last night. >> it's not love, it's not respect-- [ inaudible ] >> [ crowd chanting ]

>> so jennifer and basil, i show that, because michael steele on the weekend made an excellent point. detroit could have taken its revenge on donald trump last night how is it his his microphones worked perfectly except detroit for 20 minutes? >> you are such a suspicious guy, michael steele and you [ laughter ] listen i think it's element of a campaign, they have no ground game, their ground game is elon musk, the large rallies, so when it comes to really turning out people, when it comes to doorknocking that last week or so of

persuasion she has a campaign operation. he does not. and i think that is worth several points when you finally tally up the votes. >> basil, what you make of that? i hear he has no ground game, but i mean is it possible no ground game could actually equal losing at the ballot box? >> the get out the vote operation is crucial to any political campaign, so yeah, if you don't have the money or the ground game to get your voters out that's very crucial. all the money that kamala harris has raised the fact that trump has likely reached a ceiling in terms of his support so his only go to is keeping kamala harris' supporters from coming out, and all the fervor by the way that you see on the trump side, he's counting on that, he's counting on that religious fervor we talked about, the doubling down on january 6th, the doubling down on the election to nihilism, which is a key campaign

strategy, he's campaigning on the fact people are ready to support him. campaigns do take structure and operation to be successful, and that's what we've seen with the harris campaign. a very successful structure of a campaign that has become adept at rapid response and has clearly developed enthusiasm toward election day. >> as you see on the left part of your screen the harris rally, the music must be really good, you can see people dancing there in atlanta, georgia. the seal of the vice president of the united states is on the podium, which is a signal she will be out soon. basil smikle jr. , jennifer, thank you both for coming to the saturday show. israel kills the leader of hamas and minister netanyahu promises revenge against a run following a drone strike near his home today.

jean arm and chair of commission on the national defense strategy will join me to talk about what all this means for the middle east. eas. complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max! jordan's sore nose let out a fiery sneeze, so dad grabbed puffs plus lotion to soothe her with ease. puffs plus lotion is gentle on sensitive skin and locks in moisture to provide soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. one thing we know is true: no matter race, gender, ethnicity... the need to screen when due... for colon cancer's a priority. indeed! everyone 45+ at average risk should screen for colon cancer. these folks are getting it done at home with me, cologuard. cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard.

i did it my way. our right to reproductive health care is being stolen from us. i can't believe this is the world we live in, where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. we need your support now more than ever. go online, call, or scan this code, with your $19 monthly gift. and we'll send you this "care. no matter what" t-shirt. it is your right to have safe health care. that's it.

go online, call, or scan right now. life has twists and curls. but you define them and make them bounce. tresemme flawless curls defining mousse. 24 hour. hydrating curl definition. style your life the way you want. ♪♪ tresemme, style your way.