reliable 5g, plus wifi speeds up to a gig where you need it most. xfinity mobile. now xfinity internet customers can buy one line of unlimited and get one free for a year. good to be with you. i'm katy tur in for andrea mitchell. more claims from former president trump's white house chief of staff, john kelly, on the absolute control he thinks donald trump would try to seize if he wins the white house. >> a new inflammatory attack on

kamala harris made without any evidence whatsoever. >> is she on drugs? i don't know. >> as donald trump refuses to say he would cede the election if he loses, vice president harris is ready to push back if the former president tried to claim he won before he votes are fully counted. >> we will deal with election night and the days after as they come. we have the resources and expertise and focus on that as well. >> you have teams ready to go? are you thinking about that as a possibility? >> of course. ♪♪ there are now 13 days before the election. as we said, there are more allegations about what donald trump believes he can and should be able to do with the military

in particular. also, how he admired hitler. john kelly, trump's longest serving white house chief of staff, a widely respected four star who arguably had some of the closest contact with donald trump during his time in office, is going on the record to warn voters that donald trump has bad intentions. here is part of general kelly's extensive interview with "the new york times," an investigative reporter.

>> kelly says he had to say something after donald trump repeated that he would use the military against americans if he felt he needed to. something kelly says trump was already dissuaded from doing while he was in office. >> the former chief of staff confirmed reports that donald trump would repeatedly bring up hitler, not as a warning, but as something of a model.

>> a separate piece in "the atlantic" quote two sources who heard trump say, i need the kind of generals that hitler had. people who were totally loyal to him. that follow orders. nbc news has not confirmed the reports. the trump campaign denied the allegations. let's begin with vaughn hillyard traveling in georgia. michael schmidt and brendan buck. michael, i'm going to start with you. what compelled general kelly to go on the record right now with his voice, too? >> i think that for kelly, the biggest issue was trump he's statements about using the military domestically. if you are a career uniform military officer like kelly, you

really appreciate the fact that the united states military is not supposed to be used domestically. you have studied history. you have gone all the way back to george washington to understand why george washington thought that the u.s. military should not be used against american citizens. that is sort of a sacred line of sorts in the way that you view the world. when trump was saying that so openly, in a way about what he was going to do when he came back to office, i think that kelly made a deal with limbself that he would speak out if trump said something wildly inaccurate that related to him or was just so potentially damaging to the country that he felt a need to correct it. because of that, i believe that kelly thought that someone needed to really come out and explain why this is so problematic. in doing that, he was saying basically to the american public, i am not endorsing a candidate, i'm not telling you how to vote, i'm not telling you who to vote for, but i'm telling

you that i believe that character and fitness are important and that perhaps even more important than an individual's policy stances. you need to consider that. you need to know a little bit about what i saw up close behind closed doors with donald trump. >> it's a similar thing i have heard from h.r. mcmaster, general milley about how they don't want to go out and publicly say to vote for any one person. it's against military tradition. they are laying out what they experienced with donald trump while he was in office. they are using that as -- i don't want to say cautionary tale, but giving americans the evidence they need to make the best decision. do you think general kelly, mike, feels like he is being heard, that people who are considered donald trump might want to hear what he has to say? >> i'm not sure that he is that calculating. i think that he basically doesn't want anything to do with partisan politics. this was not his first choice of something he wanted to do.

this is not something he has done before. he did put a statement out a year ago confirming a range of anecdotes about him and trump that was very powerful that was published by cnn. there have been a lot of reporting about his relationship with trump. i think that kelly is not someone you see on television a lot. he is not someone you will see on campaign trail. he is not someone that is looking for the cameras. i think he thought the idea of using the military domestically was just beyond the pale. it was something that he had to speak out about. in the course of that was willing to answer questions about what he saw in trump and thought that people should see that. i don't think that he is someone that is -- that is motivated any more than that. >> let me ask this, do you think it's fair to say that he is concerned if donald trump wins?

>> yeah. he says basically he would rule as a dictator and he is an authoritarian and no appreciation for the constitution, no appreciation for history. he has an affinity for hitlhitl. owe has said -- called those who died in wars losers and suckers and didn't understand selflessness. those are kelly's own words. i would urge people to listen to it. that's the most important thing. we have put the audio out. you are not hearing it from me. you are not reading it in text. you can hear it from kelly's -- from kelly himself. that was most important part of this story was for people to hear it from kelly. >> you can get it from "the new york times." it's worth a listen to. we have confirmed from the white house that vice president harris will speak from her residence at 1:00. we don't know what she will talk about. this is in the news, the kelly

comments, this article from "the atlantic" about donald trump's treatment of the military, what he thinks he can do with the military. his attacks claims that she is a drunk and on drugs. so many of donald trump's formers -- high ranking formers have come out to say that they are not voting for him or he is not fit. he doesn't have the temperament. i can give you a list. all of these people have come out and said this guy is not right for the office. i have had conversations with some of the high ranking folks who said they are worried there will be violence on the street, that donald trump will go after americans. he won't have any qualms. not only that, he will have the people around him who won't try to push back the way they did during his first administration.

the campaign is flatly denying this. how can they flatly deny something that so many people are saying? >> reporter: it calls into question exactly who donald trump would surround himself by in a second administration. of course, the likes of john kelly and james madis and rex tillerson. this calls into question during the transition for donald trump is to what extent would he select people who he has any concerns or reservations about their potential political infidelity to him. when you are looking at the conversation michael had with general kelly, it's illuminating. two weeks before the election, you are hearing from his chief of staff, speaking out about this. this isn't in the form of a book. this isn't in the form of a background conversation with a reporter or hearsay between former cabinet officials.

this is john kelly in his own words before donald trump is on the cusp of winning the white house again. just days after when michael and you were talking about the use of the military. that's john kelly's chief concern about how donald trump could use his four years in the white house. it was a couple days ago that donald trump suggested the national guard may need to step in or election day. what does donald trump mean? does that mean he will urge members of the military, leaders in the military to act independent of the orders of president biden in the pentagon? it's not clear. i want to let you look at a statement from a spokesman for donald trump. this is not an effort to suggest that there's a misunderstanding between donald trump and his former chief of staff, but it's an effort to denigrate the reputation of john kelly.

you see this from the spokesman. he writes, quote, john kelly has beclowned himself. he failed to serve his president while working as chief of staff. he suffered from trump derangement syndrome. this has come up on the campaign trail minutes after michael published the stories talking about it on the campaign stage. >> let's listen. >> trump made it very clear that this is an election about donald trump taking full control of the military to use against his political enemies, taking full control of the department of justice to prosecute those who disagree with him, taking full control of the media on what is told and what is told to the american public. if there was ever a red line, he has stepped across it. >> reporter: of course, we didn't see vice president harris

on the campaign trail yesterday. governor tim walz with those remarks after the publication. >> go back to what you were talking about, the way that the trump team denigrates anybody who says, this is my experience with donald trump. they are angry about being fired. they want to curry favor. they beclown themselves. alyssa farah who used to work in the white house, she denied a story about jeffrey goldberg, that story from a few years ago when donald trump called the war dead, when he was visiting france, suckers and losers. didn't want to go to another cemetery. she said that was not true. didn't happen. she came out now in this new piece by jeffrey goldberg where he is talking about interactions that donald trump had with generals and about the military, and she said, you know, he said this to john kelly's face. i absolutely believe that john

kelly is an honorable man who served our country and who loves and respects our troops. after working for him in 2020, hearing his continuous attacks on service members since that time, including my former boss general mark milley, i unequivocally believe general kelly's account. the trump team is saying she's a scorned former employee. president trump would never insult our nation's heroes. it's the same practice. it's the same one-two punch the trump team puts out there after one of these people who worked closely with him came out and said, here is what my experience was. in the case of alyssa, who initially was doing the denials and then comes out and says, i do think is true, i think it's striking, brendan. i wonder, who is out there to hear this? is it possible to break through

the support for donald trump to say, this guy is saying bad things? here is all these people around him who are confirming that he is saying bad things. is it possible to reach those folks? >> ironically, the fact there are so many and we have been through this so many times, they are banking on the fact it will wash over people and his supporters will believe him. i find all of this a little bizarre. john kelly, i appreciate him saying what he said. at the same time, not being willing to say people shouldn't vote for donald trump or coming out and -- mike got an incredible interview. come out on camera. explain a little more. if you are in the room and you think that he is going to serve as a dictator and is a fascist, you don't present that as well, on one hand, on the other hand it's okay to vote for him. it's odd to me. i think they benefit from that. some of this threat to democracy

language that democrats use can feel abstract to voters. it can feel philosophical. most voters vote on tangible things. it's imperative the harris campaign not just allow it to be, did you hear this, but tie it back to his actions. tie it back to what happened on january 6. we saw what happens when he wants to use force his purses. there are consequences to this. it's important to not allow this to pass by. to not just leave it at that. for the harris campaign to make sure people understand that there are practical things that come from somebody that has a view like this. >> brendan buck, michael schmidt, vaughn hillyard, thank you very much. let's go to admiral james stavridis.

talking about what brendan was saying, it's one thing to say you don't believe he is going to do a good job, he is going to be a fascist, i'm worried about it, but not to take the step to say, you shouldn't vote for him. i understand there's military tradition. but if you believe a guy is going to rip up the constitution and will have the people around him who will enable him to do so, wouldn't military tradition say maybe you should try to stop it? >> i think all of the senior military officers you rattled off, both miitary and political appointees, these are intensely personal decisions for people to make. secondly, it's very real that retired senior military will typically not endorse candidates. occasionally, it happens. i, for one, have never endorsed a candidate. number three, when someone like john kelly speaks, regardless of

whether he, as he put it, takes the extra step to endorse the opposition candidate or not, when he speaks and lays out his intimate view of donald trump, i completely believe him. that's because i have known him for 40 years. he is the ultimate standup, authentic, genuine war hero, gold star father. when he says, trump says suckers and losers, i 100% believe him. when he says that trump is the definition of a fascist, i believe him. i think that that is a powerful and important voice and testimonial. i give john credit for going specifically -- you could hear the emotion in his voice. you can tell it's hard for him to do this. he is doing the right thing. we ought to commend him for it.

>> i hear you on that. i want to focus a bit more. you say you believe him, you know him. not a lot of americans know him. he is a big name, was chief of staff. that doesn't mean he has great name recognition around the country. it doesn't mean he has got great trust around the country. when you are talking to donald trump supporters, and maybe they aren't the ones you should try to convince, but they don't believe anybody but donald trump. i wonder if it's enough to talk to "the new york times" in an audio clip. i wonder if there's not another stuff that some of the folks can take to get out on the ground. maybe not associated with a political campaign, but to get out and talk to individual voters where they are face to face as opposed to the intermediary of a place like "the new york times." >> first, as mike just said, it's not just "the new york times." this is now a recorded conversation that people can go and listen to.

in terms of convincing trump supporters, people wearing maga hats, not going to happen. doesn't matter who comes out and speaks to them. my view is, john kelly has stepped up on this. i think others are doing a little bit less but still contributing. jim mattis knows him well and has been reticent. h.r. mcmaster has steered a middle course. it's up to the people that have been around him hour after hour, day after day, month after month, to come out and give the american people a portrait. i think they are doing that. i think they are in that sense doing their duty. i am proud of them. >> they are getting out there. i had a long conversation with h.h. mcmaster about donald trump. i want to ask you about one of the other things in the news.

this is north korea sending troops to russia to fight ukraine. how concerned are you about that? >> i'm very concerned. tactically, it's a real boost for the russians. i can assure you those will be well trained, capable north koreans. north korea is like sparta. it focuses on preparing to go to war. these will not be hapless drafties like the russians are throwing at the front lines. these are quality troops. there's a tactical implication. it means now kim jong-un has got a check due from vladimir putin. that will come back to north korea in advanced weapons, information about nuclear programs, satellite systems. all of that threatens our key ally south korea.

finally, strategically, it's part of the pattern that you and i have been talking about of the renegade nations, russia, venezuela, cuba, syria, iran, drawing closer together, creating a true axis of evil. this is a dramatic move. >> you have a new novel out "the restless wave." thank you. >> thanks. in 90 seconds, we have new reaction to hallie jackson's interview with kamala harris here for nbc news. what she says she's willing to do and what she's not willing to do around abortion. you are watching msnbc. ♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪♪

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call finance of america and get your free, info kit. call this number. more than 23 million americans have cast their vote, including tim walz who voted this morning in minnesota with his son gus, who is a first-time voter. last night, kamala harris sat down for an interview with hallie jackson where she dismissed talk of federal exemptions to deny abortions.

>> is a question of pragmatism, what concessions are on the table? religious concessions? >> i don't think we should make concessions. we need to put back in the protections of roe v. wade. >> my palms are sweaty, knees weak. i'm nervous. i'm calm and ready. >> joining me now yamiche alcindor in delaware county, pennsylvania, jeff bennett and "new york times" reporter jeff -- jeremy peters. he needs more in the timing of that.

yamiche, tell me about the harris team, how effective obama was. give me everything. >> reporter: they have in their campaign surrogate former president obama, someone who will really try to gin up a crowd and lighten the mood, remind them of the times, the years where he was winning and winning states that now democrats are chasing to win this year, including north carolina. he is really wanting to get people tuned into this election. we have, of course, vice president harris crisscrossing the country. she will be in pennsylvania in delaware county where voters here during the republican primary, a number voted for nikki haley, even after she dropped out. a lot of stuff going on there. she talked about the interview. she made headlines. the first as you pointed out, the fact that abortion rights are non-negotiable.

she didn't want to get into a rabbit hole when it came to saying what she could do to give republicans -- so they restore some of the rights that have been lost when roe v. wade was overturned. she talked about the cost of living. she said that she really wanted to be focused on making sure that per campaign and her administration, if she were to be elected, would help people. she talked about the fact that she's a history making candidate, something she has not talked about a lot. she thinks the country is ready for a woman of color. then she talked about former president trump and took a question about pardons. listen to that moment. >> would you consider, if you win and he is convicted, a pardon for former president trump. >> i'm not going to get into those hypotheticals. i'm focussed on the next 14 days. >> do you believe -- is there any part of you that subscribes to the argument that has been made that a pardon could unify

the country and help us move on? >> i get elected president of the united states, that will help us move on. >> reporter: we have got our hands -- nbc obtained a memo. the harris campaign is getting ready for election security. in doing that, they are a assen -- they assembling lawyers. democrats will look at how they are assembling this for a fight as former president trump is sowing doubts about whether it's an election that can be trusted. >> they opened their eyes to what can happen. jeff bennett, let's talk about

theobamas. michelle will get out there as well. how effective are they at communicating with that sliver of voters who are unsure? >> the obamas are unmatched when it comes to the retail politicking when it comes to making things plain for folks. that's one of the reasons why now as part of the harris campaign closing argument, they are rolling out barack bama. to remind people of the stakes and to help people remember what for many democrats was -- when obama was in power. obama has a way of conveying what he sees as the potential -- what will happen if you have an unchained donald trump in the white house, particularly with the conservative majority on the supreme court giving him immunity for anything he would

decide to do in office. that's in many ways how the campaign sees barack. when michelle hits the trail in atlanta, she will be an effective messenger. >> has she been an effective messenger? has it been the right move? we will find out whether it was right move. do they feel confident that going out with liz cheney and making so many appearances with such a conservative republican in these battleground communities looking for suburban women, is that the best use of her time? how do they feel? >> on the one hand, i feel like watching her campaign with liz cheney and invoking john mccain and going for the suburban former republican bush-romney vote reminds me of a democrat's idea of what they think republicans want, kind of an old person's idea of what they think young people like.

on the other hand, this election is going to be decided on the margins with so, so -- within inches. reaching those people, however few of them there are, is also really important. when you are looking at the upscale suburbs in places like michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin, arizona, the romney-bush republican voter is what swung it for biden last time. it could do it for harris this time. i think she's got to do the job of selling why she would be president not why electing trump would be such a disaster. >> did you get any of that why she wants to be president, what she would do from the interview last night with halle jackson? >> i think this election has been so much about trump. understandably so. we are talking for his supports and for his -- >> it's a guy who tried to overturn democracy, an election. it's hard to talk about -- it's

difficult to talk about her policy and what she plans on doing as if it's the same leave well a guy who tried to end our constitution as we know it by saying he won when he did not win. >> that's exactly right. i think people have kind of a limited attention span for an affirmative message from her. some will say in these interviews, we want to hear more about her policy. at the end of the day, do they really? it's more about a feeling i think for those few who can be persuaded one way or the other. >> whatever they are having fed on social media. good to have you. jeff bennett, nice to see you. yamiche, appreciate it. next, a live report from israel as setting of state antony blinken is in the middle east pushing for a cease-fire deal to free hostages held for more than a year by hamas. pressing officials to increase aid to gaza. how far is he getting with his diplomacy. you are watching msnbc.

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secretary of state antony blinken is in saudi arabia right now where he met with the crown prince and the prime minister. blinken is travels through the middle east trying to revise the cease-fire talks and get hostages released from hamas. yesterday, in israel, he met with prime minister netanyahu, urging him to increase aid to

gaza. andrea mitchell is traveling with the secretary. >> you said there's been progress. what evidence do you have of that? what more needs to be done? >> this is why we are intensely focused on this issue. it's why secretary austin and i wrote to our countcounterparts israel. it's why we insisted they take action to improve the situation, to enable food not only to get to gaza -- there are trucks getting to gaza. a challenge is once they are there is moving them within gaza. >> pushing for more and faster aid. joining me is raf sanchez. the israelis have taken out a lot of their -- a lot of the top leaders of the top organizations. yet, this war is still raging. how far is the secretary getting in diplomacy to get this thing ended? what are you hearing in israel about whether this war will ever come to a close?

>> reporter: there's no signs of it any time soon. i can tell you, secretary blinken's parting words to the israeli government as he boarded his plane to fly to saudi arabia today were that he understands israel is going to retaliate for that october 1st iranian ballistic missile attack. but he says the united states sees it as absolutely critical that israel not retaliate in a way that sets off a new spiral of escalation. the u.s. wants to see a goldilocks strike. big enough it sends a message, small enough it doesn't spark a regional war. that's a difficult calculation to make. the israelis are signaling, they are going to retaliate. the defense minister was at an air base earlier today. he was speaking to the pilots who would carry out that complicated long-range strike on iran, telling them that when that attack happens, the world will understand israel's strength. the israelis are signaling that it's not just the ballistic

missile attack they are planning to retaliate for. it's the hezbollah drone strike saturday which damaged the private residence of netanyahu. that was something that had been under military censorship in this country, because it was such a sensitive issue. imagine if we learned that a militant group had been able to fly a drone and actually cause damage to president biden's private residence in delaware. it's a massive security failure. it's one that is prompting a lot of questions. you asked, is this war going to end any time soon? i will give you one grim data point. the u.n. had coordinated with israel about mounting a polio vaccination campaign for children inside gaza. kids who have done nothing in this war to deserve what is going on there. today, the u.n. announced they

are having to call off that polio vaccination campaign in the north of gaza because israeli forces bombardment is so intense and because the siege that's going on at the refugee camp means there's no way for the vaccination campaign to go ahead. >> that's pretty awful and grim. the hostages that hamas still has, are they a priority for israel right now? does the public believe they are a priority? >> reporter: yeah, i think that's an important distinction. you ask the israeli government, they tell you they have three war ames. destroying hamas. degrading hezbollah. getting the hostages back. for people in israel, it feels like a distant third priority. you can tell all the diplomatic emphasis, all of the focus of the government right now is on this campaign in lebanon. while there's talk from the u.s.

government, from the israeli government that maybe the killing of yahya sinwar opens some kind of window to restart talks, we are seeing very little progress on that front. an israeli official does tell nbc news israel is considering a proposal put forward by the egyptians for a two-week pause in the fighting in exchange for the release of six hostages to try to build momentum towards a bigger deal. the question at this point is, with sinwar dead, is there anybody in charge of hamas? is there anybody that can sit down and make a deal? it doesn't feel at this point like the war in gaza is coming to an end any time soon. like those hostages, are going to be reunited with their families any time soon. >> what are israelis saying about the war in gaza? i was talking to someone the other day. when the jordanian foreign minister said, we can protect you, we can protect israel, the nations surrounding israel can

make sure you are safe, it was not seen by israelis. it was kept out of view. are they seeing what's happening on the ground? >> reporter: you watch israeli tv here, you see very little of what's going on in gaza. the same way you watch al jazeera, you see little about the hosthostages. i will say, israelis are deeply skeptical about promises from the world that international agreement will keep you safe. i will give you one example. the last war with hezbollah ended in 2006 with a u.n. security resolution that was supposed to mean hezbollah stayed far away from the israeli border. those u.n. peacekeepers were supposed to monitor that, make sure that happened. of course, in front of the eyes of the u.n. and the rest of the word, hezbollah went into souther lebanon, rebuild their military capabilities and have been shooting into northern israel for a year. israelis are skeptical that anyone except the israeli

military will keep them safe. >> that's important. they launch missiles into israel. raf sanchez, thank you very much. why the battle for control of the house is going through new york. the blue state of new york. we will look at two of the most competitive, yes competitive races coming up next. you are watching msnbc. i didn't. but here i am... being me. keep being you... and ask your healthcare provider about the number one prescribed h-i-v treatment, biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in many people whether you're 18 or 80. with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to undetectable—and stay there whether you're just starting or replacing your current treatment. research shows that taking h-i-v treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems.

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new york state is blue, blue, blue. but in the fight for control of the house, there are some very purple districts. places that gave republicans the gavel in 2022. ali vitali went to new york's 17th and 18th districts to get a sense of which party has the edge and with it the speakership. >> i feel like i'm at a pre-mission brief back in my army days. >> reporter: this is a different kind of mission for freshman congressman and iraq war veteran pat ryan. >> we won by 1.3%. >> reporter: the new york democrat relying on a reproductive freedom focused message. >> it's literally an existential, personal issue of freedom. if you want to piss off the american people, take their freedom away. >> reporter: his opponent, allison esposito, a former cop hoping to overtake him. >> it's crime, public safety, law and order, the economy, the

border crisis, the attack on our kids' education. as far as abortion, my opponent wants to make this entire election about abortion. it's not even a factor in this race. what would you like to see fixed? >> i would like to see a time line on abortion. >> reporter: we were saying it doesn't come up. he cares. new york's 18th congressional district is one of seven seats that could decide who controls congress. in 2022, democrats lost five competitive house races in this blue state, helping republicans win the majority. including the 17th district, where republican mike lawler bested the head of the democratic campaign arm and is hoping to keep the seat red. do you still deserve it? >> yeah. i think -- >> reporter: it's been chaotic. >> sure. name me one thing chuck schumer and senate democrats have accomplished. not much. >> reporter: a former

congressman disagrees. what's your unfinished business in congress in. >> i'm proud of the work that i started last time as part of a congress that was pro-choice. pro-democracy. >> reporter: in these hudson valley races, local issues, housing, affordability and cleaning up the hudson river, mixed with immigration, abortion rights and the economy. a controversial new yorker on the ballot and a blue state plagued by bad press for big new york democratic names, only adds to the complex landscape. the democratic brand is pretty toxic. is trump's brand better? >> it's not a function of whose brand is better. frankly, you look at kathy hochul and eric adams, they are a train wreck. >> i was among the first to call for him to resign. unlike mike lawler who never

stands up to anybody. >> reporter: $42 million spent in these two seats. both trying to tune out the partisan noise and focus on middle. >> there's a reason joe biden and donald trump have praised me. it's because i'm willing to work across the aisle. >> reporter: what coalition are trying to build when you talk about a bipartisan bill? >> i'm trying to get [ bleep ] done. seriously. >> reporter: seriously close races, hinging house control on new york voters' state of mind. >> a lot of bad language on our shows the past few days. joining me now is joe crowley. not to sound like i'm a pearl clutcher. >> don't worry. it's okay. >> tell me, what is your sense of where things stand in new york? i think it's surprising for people to hear new york could be a difference maker. it's generally speaking so, so blue. >> yeah. i think with all the focus on those seven battleground states,

we hear so often about pennsylvania, wisconsin, et cetera, that new york can make a difference. california can answer that as well. two states that are blue for the presidency and for just about anything else. in new york there are six seats that can make a difference here. you just talked about -- actually seven seats. you talked about two. go to new york 4, gilham is up. look at new york 1, john allen is ahead slightly of the incumbent there, who is a freshman. look at new york 22, double-digit lead for mannion over williams. we can go on and on. i think there are ripe opportunities for new yorkers. who would have thought new york might be the state that would bring hakeem jeffries the speakership and the majority in the house? >> a brooklyn congressman right

there. what about eric adams? you heard ali vitali talk about him a little. when i was covering the hudson valley two years ago, i heard a lot from folks who ended up voting for mike lawler that they thought new york was a mess, it was lawless. they thought the leadership was bad. with this news that eric adams is under indictment and a lot of his staff are as well, does that help things or hurt things? does it matter, the allegations against eric adams? >> you know, you know those folks on long island and the upper hudson valley, even pennsylvania and new jersey read the "new york post." that has some impact. i think that the impact. but i think the voters of new york are very sophisticated. as you saw one of those clips, you know, abortion is a primary issue for many new yorkers. it's they fear for the country

itself and the direction of the country. republicans have a lot to explain in terms of their top of the ticket. you know, someone who his former chief of staff is calling outright a fascist. he certainly says fascist things. it's very difficult for them to defend that, especially in new york 1, especially in new york 4. you know, look at 17, 19, 22, 18. all those districts are up for grabs. and i think that's really, really difficult for republicans to do in a state like new york. >> former new york congressman joe crowley. thank you very much, sir. appreciate it. coming up next, we're going to take you inside the numbers, as early voting ramps up across the country. what the trends are telling us. we've got a breakdown of which party is voting. and just a few minutes we're expecting comments from vice president kamala harris from washington before she leaves for battleground pennsylvania. what does she want to talk about? you're watching msnbc. o talk about? you're watching msnbc.

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there and address reporters. we don't know what she's going to say. but in the news today, talk about donald trump's words on veterans, on the military, what he might want to do while he's in office, this warning from his former chief of staff, john kelly, saying that he believes donald trump has fascist tendencies. donald trump himself has said he wants to be a dictator on day one. and others, like jeffrey goldberg in "the atlantic" documenting what donald trump would say about hitler and how he praised his generals and how hitler did some good things. john kelly confirming that and confirming conversations that he said he had to have with donald trump about how hitler did not do any good things, and there is no praise to be had for that terribly evil man. while we wait for her, we're going to watch that podium. we have 13 days to vote, but for millions, the waiting is over. 23 million people have already cast their ballot, choosing to get it out of the way.

so, what can experts glean from that early turnout about who could be ahead? joining me now, tom -- from target smart. who's voting? what does it mean? >> yeah. well, so early voting analysis -- and i'm saying this as someone who is a big fan of early voting analysis -- it's tough. so, we can only learn so much. but as you said, we've got a lot of people who have voted already. so, there's a pretty big data set. the interesting thing to me is when we compare to four years ago, two-thirds of americans cast a ballot before election day in the 2020 election for obvious reasons. but we know it's also, sort of, like a low water mark for republicans. donald trump convinced his supporters that mail voting was fraudulent. so, they basically just abandoned what was once a big advantage for them. and meanwhile democrats were much more covid-conscious four years ago. so, they were really flocking to the early vote. this time around, it's, sort of,

reversed. a lot of democrats are expected to go back to election day voting, especially younger democrats, whereas many more republicans -- we've actually seen donald trump surprisingly on message, or at least to the extent that he can ever be on message, where he's encouraging his supporters to vote by mail. so, we're expecting to see a big shift. right now we're seeing more of a small shift. if you look at the national numbers from a partisan perspective, they're very close to where they were at this point in 2020. >> tom, i'm sorry to interrupt you. i'm sorry to cut you off so soon. we've got to take a quick break because we don't want to miss kamala harris. i'll be back at 3:00. chris jansing reports starts after a very short break. chris jansing reports starts after a very short break e products is a hassle. with magic eraser... i use it on everyday messes. i even use it on things that i think are impossible to clean. you need mr. clean magic eraser in your life.

>> let's listen. >> he said he wanted generals like adolf hitler had. donald trump said that because he does not want a military that is loyal to the united states constitution. he wants a military that is loyal to him. he wants a military who will be loyal to him personally, one that will obey his orders, even when he tells them to break the law or abandon their oath to the constitution of the united states. in just the past week, donald trump has repeatedly called his fellow americans the enemy from

within. and even said that he would use the united states military to go after american citizens. and let's be clear about who he considers to be the enemy from within. anyone who refuses to bend a knee or dares to criticize him would qualify, in his mind, as the enemy within, like judges, like journalists, like non-partisan election officials. it is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that donald trump would invoke adolf hitler, the man who's responsible for the deaths of six million jews and hundreds of thousands of americans. all of this is further evidence for the american people of who donald trump really is. this is a window into who donald trump really is from the people

who know him best, from the people who worked with him side by side in the oval office and in the situation room. and it is clear from john kelly's words that donald trump is someone who, i quote, certainly falls into the general definition of fascist. who, in fact, vowed to be a dictator on day one and vowed to use the military as his personal militia to carry out his personal and political vendettas. donald trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable. and in a second term, people like john kelly would not be there to be the guardrails against his propensities and his actions. those who once tried to stop him from pursuing his worst impulses would no longer be there and no longer be there