families like the tuckers who have served in government d i've served in government over 50 years. looks like i'm 40 years old but i've been around the government for 50 years. but in that 50 years i've learned a lot. most importantly i've learned that history can be hidden. it cannot and should not be erased. it should be faced. it's our duty to face our history. the good, the bad, and the ugly, the whole truth. that's what great nations do. that's why i've chosen to speak here at the national flav slavery museum today just as i toured. that's why your president visited the national museum in washington, d.c., the second most visited museum in the state. he saw what i see, a stark contradiction between my

country's liberty, justice and equality and the way we treat people of angola throughout africa. i've often said, america is the only nation in the world founded on an idea. most countries are founded on religion, geography, some other attribute. but the united states founded on an idea, one embedded in our declaration of independence, all men and women are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. [ inaudible ] be clear today we have not lived up to that idea but never fully walked away either. that's due in no small part due to the determination and dreams of african americans, including angolen americans, proud descents who helped build my nation as they rebuilt their own families and sense of self. they were the forbearerses as well, resilient, faithful, even

hopeful that joy would come in the morning as it says in the bible, hopeful our paths would not be the story of our future and hopeful in time the united states would write a different story in partnership with the people brought here in chains to my nation from africa. the story of mutual respect and mutual progress. that's the history that brings me here. the first american president ever to visit angola. over time -- [ applause ] >> today the relationship is as strong as it's ever been. throughout my presidency, it's been my goal, goal of the united states, to build a strong partnership with peoples and nations across the continent of africa. true partnerships aimed at achieving shared goals bringing

to bare the dynamism to support [ inaudible ] expert leaders inside and outside of government. because we know the challenge to define our age demand african leadership. one out of four human beings on earth will live in africa by the year 2050. and the ingenuity and determination of young africans in particular like the leaders i met with here today will be undeniable forces in that human progress. that's why i'm so optimistic because of that generation and no small part, will be in their hands and hands of people across africa to expand access to clean energy, tackle threats of global health, grow global middle class and many ways, an average africa is and will be the world's success i said the united states

u.s. africa summit. the united states is all-in on africa's future. two years ago, i pledged to deliver $55 million dollars in new investments in africa and mobilize american business to close deals with african partners. two years ago, we are way ahead of schedule. more than 20 u.s. heads of government agencies and members of my cabinet have traveled to africa delivering over $40 billion in investments thus far. and we've announced nearly 1,200 new business deals between african and american companies totally worth $52 billion. including investments in solar energy, telecom, mobile finance, infrastructure, and partnerships with american airlines to expand opportunities for tourism. so you don't have to fly to paris to get here. although paris is pretty nice. here in angola alone the united

states has invested $3 billion during my short presidency. we see the bonds between our countries across sectors from clean energy to health care to sports. the american basketball association. national basketball association launched basketball africa league and angola is the reigning champion. [ applause ] we see the impact of american culture across african culture across the american culture from music to entertainment to fashion to art and so much more. student exchanges between our countries are essential and must increase. students in both countries can be better -- better understand if they know the country, visit the country, educated in the other country and increase connection between us makes a difference. in all in on africa means making sure african voices are heard at the tables that matter most.

under my leadership we brought in the african union as a member of the g-20 economies and insisted a more african representation among the leaders of the international monetary fund and world financial institutions. we pushed to ensure the developing nations do not have to choose between paying down debt and investing in their people. using our voice to increase africa's presence at the united nations. that should happen. you can clap for that. you should be in there. [ applause ] the united states continues to be the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid and development assistance and that's going to increase. that's the right thing for the wealthiest nation to do. i'm announcing over $1 billion

in support for africans displaced by droughts and food insecurity. you seek investment so the united states is expanding our relationship across africa from assistance to aid. investment to trade. moving from patrons to partners to bridge the infrastructure gap. . i was told i could never get an infrastructure bill passed because the last guy spent eight years saying next month. guess what, folks, we've done it. a trillion -- a trillion three hundred billion for infrastructure. to narrow the digital divide, drive economic growth. we're looking for partners who understand the right question in the year 2024 is not what can the united states do for the people of africa. it's what can we do together for the people of africa.

that's what we can do. nowhere in africa is the answer more exciting than here in angola. it starts with our government whose partnership are stronger, deeper, more effective than any point in history testament to your president who had the vision to carry out this relationship, carry this relationship forward, and it's a testament to angolen citizens across the civil society who have forged strong bonds with your american counterparts and together we're engaged in a major joint project to close the infrastructure gap. for the benefit of angolans, africans across the world will all benefit as you benefit. you can produce much more agriculture, for example, to states that can't. you're going to increase their longevity and your impact and profit. it's called the corridor, building railroad lines to

zambia and the drc. and ultimately all the way to the atlantic from the atlantic ocean to the indian ocean. the first transcontinental railroad in africa and biggest american rail investment outside of america. i must tell you with the american press here i'm probably the most pro rail guy in america. i've ridden over a million on a daily basis to my work, 220 miles a day for the last 50 years. i didn't do it as president. i stayed in the white house a lot. but all kidding aside, folks, we can do this. we can do this. it's in our power. not only generate significant employment, it will allow individual countries to maximize their domestic resources for the benefit of their people and critical minerals that power the world's energy transformation and our fight against climate change. transport them at a fraction of the time and lower cost.

a ship that used to take over 45 days will now take 45 hours. that's a game changer. that increases profit, increases opportunity. represents the right way to invest and full partnership with a country, and its people as part of this project, we will install enough clean energy power to power hundreds of thousands of homes, expand high-speed internet across for millions of angolans, as consequential today as electricity was two generations ago. we're investing in agriculture and food security, filling the needs of countries without agriculture capacity and expanding opportunities for countries growing the crops, connecting farmers along the corridor to new markets, expanding opportunity and prosperity, you doing that, having the means to do it. the united states understand how we invest in africa is as

important as how much we invest. too many places ten years after the so-called investment was made, still coming home on a dirt road without electricity, a village without a school, city without a hospital, or country under crushing debt. we seek a better way. transparent, high standard, open access investments. that protect workers and the rule of law and the environment. it can be done and will be done. folks, a partnership between angola and the united states also extends to supporting peace and security in this region and beyond. but -- president lorenzo -- i want to thank him for his leadership in mediation in regional conflict and thank him for angola speaking out against russia's unprovoked war against ukraine. it matters. it matters when leaders speak out.

ladies and gentlemen, as you know, i'm in the final weeks of my presidency. you don't have to clap for that. you can if you want. but i wanted to come to angola, although i've been chairman of the subcommittee but never made it to angola. i don't know what the future will hold i know the future runs angola, through africa. i mean it sincerely. i'm not kidding. i know any nation that wants to thrive in the next century must work as partners with workers, entrepreneur, and businesses here in africa. i know that the connection between our communities, our universities, sports, civil societies, our families, our people, will only grow deeper. you have to stay focused. the story of angola and the united states holds a lesson for the world. two nations with a shared history, an evil of human bonding, two nations, opposite sides of the cold war defiant

[ inaudible ] late part of the 20th century and now two nations standing shoulder to shoulder working together every day for the mutual benefit of our people. it's a reminder that no nation need be permanently -- the adversary of another. a testament to the human capacity for reconciliation and proof that from every -- from the horrors of slavery and war, there is a way forward. i stand here today i mean this sincerely, deeply optimistic when i by the way 20 years ago when i was a senator i had a cranial aneurysm, got me to the hospital in time asking the doctor what are my chances? your chances are good about 30%. that night i was all over. he was deciding whether or not it was congenital or environmental. i said i don't give a dam. i'm here. your problem is you're a

congenital optimist. i am. about the possibilities and progress that lie just beyond the horizon, together we can and will chart a future worthy of great nations, of the highest aspirations of our people. we have to remember who we are. we're angol lanes and americans. i say to the american people there's nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we work together and today i say to the people of angola and all of the people of africa nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. thank you and god bless you and keep you all safe. thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you for waiting. thanks, everybody. i really mean it. >> good day. i'm andrea mitchell in new york. watching president biden making history as the first u.s. president to visit angola. the trip is a symbolic gesture to acknowledge as he did the horrific history of the slave trade from angola to the united states during the portuguese

colonial history of our country and trying to blunt china's growing influence throughout africa and in angola specifically. speaking at angola's national slavery museum, the president acknowledged the horrifying legacy that forced the ancestors of millions of african americans into bondage. he also highlighted the current cooperation between the two nations. the u.s. has now been investing billions in the oil and mineral rich nation including funding a major railway project, a direct route to export critical minerals used in lec ron nick -- electronics and evs. part of washington's efforts to counter china's efforts in subsaharan africa. one question reporters keep asking mr. biden on this trip, and he continues to ig for it. >> why did you pardon your son? >> why did you pardon your son? >> mr. president, care to

comment on your son? >> yes, the president's controversial pardon of his son is overshadowing the trip and broadly overshadowing the president's legacy. critics from insides his own party say the president's explain nation amplifies president-elect trump's claims of a weaponized justice department undercutting arguments trump threatens the rule of law and gives his administration political cover. we again with nbc news white house correspondent erin gilchrist, washington post columnist eugene robin sopin'son, former u.s. attorney joyce vance and republican national committee chairman and co-host of the weekend michael steele. so aaron, in addition to highlighting the bond between the u.s. and angola a major goal of the trip is to counter china's influence there. talk about that. because there's a lot of money

being invested and it's critical minerals and energy supply clean energy technology that we need here as well. >> yeah. you're right, andrea. there was one estimate from two years ago that said that china owned about 72% of the copper and cobalt mines in theic republic of congo next to angola here and that is a reality that western nations have had to deal with as it relates to china, the fact that chinese investment here has been robust for a decade or so. you heard president biden briefly reference that in the remarks he gave here today and said ten years after some investments here there are people in angola and other parts of africa still going home on dirt roads and going home to no electricity. the biden administration has tried to say that their effort is not to sort of quash the chinese application operations

that happen here but present an alternative, one that includes inclusive economic development, protects against child labor and creates economic situations for african nations that are beneficial to them not just to the countries that come in and try to generate revenue profits by being here. so we really i think heard president biden weave this story talking about the history of the united states and angola by way of the slave trade that came through here, the building you may be able to see over my shoulder was a chapel in the 1600s, slave traders brought africans for baptism before they were put on ships stolen from their native land and families sent to slave life in the new world. you heard the president reference that reality but talk about the future built with angola and administrations prior to the biden administration, but

robustly we've seen trade between angola and the united states reach almost $2 billion. we've seen a $3 billion investment in angola in the project you referenced so this is something that president biden wanted to come here to celebrate, something the president wants to see continue even in a new administration and there have been members of the biden administration who have said they've seen indications that there are republicans in washington who would like to see relationships like the one in angola continue and grow. >> thank you so much for all of that. eugene, back at home, it's a shame that this really important message -- and i was in a year ago with ambassador linda thomas-greenfield, slave traders stopped, a church were baptizing these slaves into a religion not their own, as the whole horror of the slave trade in the 1600s to the u.s. took place right

there often overlooked with so much focus on ghana and other posts. but at the same time the reporters are questioning him about the pardon once he was airborne, nbc broke it, announced about an hour or so later. >> you're right. first of all you're right this is an important trip. for the reasons the president laid out. china has been expanding its influence across africa especially subsaharan africa and china has basically insatiable demand for minerals and other resources and also is seeking strategic advantages for its military frankly and -- and the united states has not been in

this game sufficiently. to counter that, and it -- so it is highly significant, but -- that president biden is making this trip, highlighting these investments and trying to get us -- make us a player again in subsaharan africa. people are asking about the pardon. it was unexpected at least if you sort of -- if you followed what certainly what the president said during the campaign. but, you know, if you also watched ome of the appointments in the administration, particularly kash patel in the fbi and all indications of how

the new president trump in a second term intends to use the justice department, then maybe it wasn't so much of a surprise. maybe -- and maybe when you think about joe biden and his -- and what he thinks and feels about family, and the fact that hunter biden was charged and prosecuted in a way that people who chit those offenses are not charged and prosecuted, but was indeed singled outed because he's joe biden's son, that must have weighed on the president, plus the possibility that there could be further [ inaudible ] of hunter biden in the next administration. [ inaudible ] to pardon him and give him this sort of sweeping 11 year, 10 year pardon that would be a further [ inaudible ]

charges of the administration try to charge him. >> and you point out the human aspects of this as well as the political fallout now. joyce vance, special counsel to david weiss, when the president had held over as the u.s. attorney in delaware he was a trump appointee, just to show that he was then the u.s. attorney not the special counsel, but merrick garland made him the special counsel on the hunter case, leaning overboard, the biden white house said at the time to make sure they had no fingerprints on this and were not trying to, you know, weigh it in any way or influence it in any way. that's one of the reasons why the pardon doesn't sit well even with some democrats, congressman goldman, a former prosecutor in new york and others. andrew weissmann was saying the activity of this indictment not

how it evolved but the indictment itself, it's a case he had never seen -- the kind of case, the firearms case in particular, that he had never seen criminally prosecuted and wouldn't have happened if his name were not biden. >> i think andrew's assessment is the correct one. if this had been john smith he would not have been charged with being someone addicted to illegal drugs and possession of a firearm. it's easy for people to understand that although this is technically a crime in the united states criminal code, it's not one that prosecutors bring almost 10% of americans acknowledge being addicted to drugs or struggled with drug addiction, many own firearms. if the justice department used all of its resources to prosecute these cases there wouldn't be time left for more serious crimes that impact safety in our communities. you can understand why prosecutors like andrew and myself would have this reaction to this case. the tax charges as well.

although that's a closer call. this is the sort of situation where someone pays back what they owe, plus penalties, plus fines, where usually the civil remedies are deemed to be enough. it's tough to believe again that john smith would have been indicted on these charges like hunter biden was. we saw a little bit much that reflected in the plea deal that david weiss' office in delaware was initially willing to offer hunter biden. that deal feel apart because of some irregularities which is how president biden ended up in this dilemma he had to choose between pardoning his son, something he promised he wouldn't do, and perhaps seeing him incarcerated during the trump administration under trump's control. >> and michael steele, i want to share what senator manchin told nbc about the party. >> do you know of any fathers that wouldn't have done the

same. that's all. basically i went one step further. i thought it would have been a little better move if he'd have pardoned trump too, you follow me? bygones be gone and put the past behind us and move foorpds. >> what do you think about that? >> before i talk on that, can i just real quick on flik and emphasize how important it is for the president to be there. i've been working on the continent since 1999, and i cannot emphasize enough how poorly america has engaged on the african continent when the africans across the board want to do business with us. this is a big step for the administration to move the economic needle forward between the u.s. and africa. george bush did it on the health care front with the aids crisis in the early 2000s. and now the economic piece because china is just ripping

the country off of its resources, throwing cash out there in ways that the u.s. needs to respond. now, having said that, is joe manchin high? i don't understand what his point is. why would he pardon donald trump? the supreme court has said that he is untouchable. pardon him for what? he can declare everything official act an move forward. the cases have been thrown out. pardon him for what? second thing, democrats need to get their heads together here and understand the politics here. joe biden basically told everybody to kiss his behind. all right. he is going to take -- made it clear, i am a father and a president. and to think that somehow donald trump, who already has pardoned criminals right and now appointing them to his

administration, i don't get the drama here. go joe biden go. >> eugene robinson and joyce vance, thanks to you. michael steele stay with us. breaking news now out of south korea where the country's president has declared martial law vowing to, quote, eliminate anti-state forces as he fights with the opposition party that rols the south korean parliament accusing them of sympathizing with communist north korea. moments ago south korea's national assembly passed a resolution demanding martial law be lifted. joining us is janis mackey frayer, what sparked this move by the south korean president? >> andrea this is an extraordinary political move by south korean president yoon suk yeol. he said he had no choice but to resort to martial law to safeguard free and constitutional order but this is basically a move against the government citing what he called despicable pro north korean anti-state forces.

he's been in a bitter standoff with opposition members since he was elected in 2022, most recently on a budget that was not passed. south korea's main opposition party has condemned this move an call it unconstitutional and with this vote to lift martial law, the president, by law, must homeowner the resolution without delay. and to this point he hasn't done that. so the pressure will be on security forces. there are large crowds that are gathering outside the national assembly building in seoul, people inside the building, police are around it. there is for the moment a lot of confusion about where things stand and what martial law means because under the order, political activities are banned, protests are prohibited, media is censored. the biden administration is in contact with the south korean government and say they're monitoring the situation closely, but president biden has yet to comment on this declaration of martial law. south korea as we know is a

staunch ally of the u.s. there are some 30,000 american troops stationed in the country to guard against north korea, which over the past year has become increasingly hostile towards the south. kim jong-un cut off engagement with seoul, declared it an enemy and ordered roads at the border to be blown up as north korea has struck the close partnership with russia. the last time we saw martial law declared in south korea was in 1979 and that was after the assassination of the then dictator. people protested then too and we're seeing the crowds grow at 2:30 local time in the morning in seoul. it's unclear where things stand with political situation that's tenuous and people in south korea are quite stunned by what's unfolding. andrea? >> it is stunning indeed. janis mackey frayer, thank you. and next, the latest from mar-a-lago and capitol hill as

the president-elect stands behind his controversial choices for key positions in the incoming administration. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. rea mitchell reports" on msnbc. so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! at harbor freight, we do business differently from the other guys. we design and test our own tools. and sell them directly to you. no middleman. just quality tools you can trust at prices you'll love. ♪♪

pete hegseth, president-elect trump's pick for secretary of defense, is under increasing scrutiny as he meets with lawmakers on capitol hill today. "the new yorker" reports that former employees of the veterans group hegseth used to run

alleged in a 2015 whistleblower report he was intoxicated to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization's events. there's a lot more in the exclusive reporting there. on capitol hill last hour hegseth questioned about women in the military they should not serve in combat. >> how do you feel about women in combat? >> amazing women serve in the military. >> do you think they should be in combat? >> i think they're already in combat. >> mr. hegseth -- >> address the questions about your character that have been made? >> we're going downstairs. >> joining us is correspondent vaughn hillyard in west palm beach, capitol hill correspondent ali vitali, "washington post" political correspondent ashley parker and michael steele still with us, former republican chairman and co-host of the weekend here on msnbc. ali, hegseth didn't say women

should remain in combat roles, he's come out against it recently, women comprise 20% of our active duty forces right now and are critical members of their teams, according to all of their commanders including the current chairman of the joint chief, so what -- what role are lawmakers, you know, expected to play? what are they reacting to? is it the alcohol allegations which are piling up on the nominee? he's not a nominee yet, but the choice to be nominated? >> certainly those alcohol related allegations are in the conversation here. the sexual misconduct allegations are definitely things that reporters are asking about. but i would say, andrea, by and large the questions seem to just be coming from reporters from a public posture here on capitol hill. we are not in those meetings that the would be defense nominee is in with these senators. that being said, we have heard

republican senators specifically being very willing to explain away these allegations of misconduct, whatever their nature might be. some of them saying that they don't believe the sexual misconduct alleges or pointing to the fact that charges were never filed despite a lengthy police report or as senator loomis said yesterday, she basically gave a boys will be boys defense of it. >> our soldiers sometimes wild childs? yeah, that can happen. but it is very clear that this guy is the guy who, at a time when americans are losing confidence in their own military, in our ability to project strength around the world, that pete hegseth is the answer to that concern. >> certainly saying their wild child misses the central piece of what these allegations are and the misconduct that hegseth is alleged to have done is.

that being said it does seem like republican senators are showing an initial willingness to overlook that, at least now and vote for him. >> and vaughn, hegseth has denied the accusations against him. team trump have defended him. in mar-a-lago are they having second thoughts as they did on matt gaetz? >> there hasn't been much of a defense. kind of as ali is outlining on capitol hill from republican senators it's not like the transition team or donald trump himself on the social media platforms are running to tout pete hegseth and saying he will be confirmed or else. it is very much a pete hegseth is out there and doing these one-on-one meetings and for the most part outside of jason miller, the trump adviser going on the tv airwaves this morning saying they have no concerns and believe he will be confirmed stark contrast to other efforts we have seen when donald trump

and his allies want to ensure that somebody takes place, there are some threats that are levied from either palm beach or the white house in the case of the first administration. we're not seeing that from donald trump at this point. there's still a month and a half until the confirmation protest would take place, and these are just from initial reporting efforts, these initial stories and allegations that have come to light about pete hegseth, and this is not because of fbi background checks or any classified information or any intelligence that's been offered directly to the republican senators. so i think that is where you have seen some individuals like susan collins, roger wicker suggest they want the fbi background checks to ensure these individuals like pete hegseth are qualified for these positions and there's not anything that would be of surprise once they're in the positions like the pentagon chief role. for the trump team here, there's also an acknowledgement if you picked somebody like a ni

ernst tom cotton took himself out of the running, there are options that would pass by the senate confirmation process without much of a blink of an eye. >> a problem with alcohol, excessive drinking, was enough to tank the john tower nomination that i covered back in 1979. rather 1989. john tower the first cab nelgts -- cabinet nominee in that case to be taken down because the chairman of the armed services committee sam nun said you could not have an alcohol problem and be trusted with the nation's defense, nuclear weapons and all the other issues involved. we're in two wars right now, for instance. ashley, the cumulative effect of trump's controversial picks like hegseth, kash patel, tulsi gabbard, they may not get the

full scrutiny because the republican senators at least seem to be, you know, rushing to their defense and there are no background checks, no fbi screening checks that would have captured a lot of this before they were named. >> well, there's that challenge. there's also the challenge of senate relationships are not going to want to block all of -- they frankly don't want to have to vote against any of trump's nominees and certainly not all of them. on the one hand, i want to be clear trump did not nominate this group of fairly controversial picks in some form of three dimensional chess, but it does in certain ways have that end effect where if they're not going to [ inaudible ] the top four of his picks they may have to choose one or two. don't want to -- some cases they don't want to vote for these people and in some cases they

don't want to vote against these people. it's a tough choice. no one is going say they approve the trump pick until they have to do that in a vote scenario. the people to keep an eye on are not the ones rushing to their defense -- we have seen that in a couple cases -- but the ones asking for more information because they might be the ones who end up quietly signaling to the president-elect they will vote against the nominee. >> like joanie ni ernst and som the women senators. michael steele, kash patel is controversial for trump's fbi director, profoundly unqualified yesterday, so could kash patel and pete hegseth survive this nomination process and get to a vote? >> yeah they will to the extent that republican senators want them to. look, they are the third branch of government, the legislative

branch. they have a constitutional commitment and obligation to uphold their end of the deal, advise and consent. if they want to bend over and give that to trump by, you know, just avoiding the obvious, and hoping it all goes away and they don't have to cast those votes and they want to sit quietly in the corner and let trump stomp all over their constitutional authority that's what's going to happen. look, if they don't -- the -- kash patel, hegseth, tulsi gabbard, are woefully unqualified for the positions that they've been put up for pr they should not be within ten miles of washington, d.c. running anything. and the senators can assert that authority by saying, mr. president, with all due respect, we appreciate the desire to giving the choices you want but these people are to the

qualified. send us someone who is and we will agree to that nomination. but that's not where we are. so, you know, this idea that, you know, there's sort of, you know, sitting there in the corner, takes hold, and trump keeps sending up bad nominees knowing they're not going to do anything about it. they're all not going to go away like when saw with the congressman from florida. so that's not going to happen here. those folks are in the game and they have the control here. >> vaughn hillyard aislely vitally, ashley parker, michael steele, thank you. joining me chris coons much delaware. member of the foreign relations committee and the judiciary committee. senator, you're close with the biden family. talk to us first about what you tink was persuading the president after the election to

pardon his son. we know how he feels about hunter and how important family is. why didn't he say so before the election is one of the questions being asked by some of his democratic allies? >> there's a lot going on in the world. i hope we'll get to today in south korea and angola, but to your question, what the panel was just discussing with you, the nomination of folks like kash patel to be director of the fbi, matt gaetz to be attorney general, weighed heavily on the president and despite repeatedly saying he would not pardon his son, he looked at these two and said, trump's campaign rhetoric that he would use the levers of power of the federal government to go after his political opponents and enemies he concluded that was certain to happen. he wasn't hearing strong opposition from members of the senate to the nomination of kash

patel, for example, someone who in a book he published included a list of enemies an the idea that his son who is now several years sober has repaid all of the taxes that he failed to pay with fines and fees, and was on the verge of pleading guilty in an arrangement in front of a judge in dlar just a few mons ago, he might be sent to plin weighed heavily on the president. as a father i can understand his reasoning given the change in circumstances. i am concerned about what's going to happen to the scope of the pardon power going forward. given what's happening right now today in south korea we as a senate need to look hard at our constitutional role as the advise and consent body. folks have been proposed for nomination to key posts by president-elect trump. as you were discussing pete hegseth is making his way around the capital to meet with

republicans to support him. his conduct and leadership of a veterans organization, his having been driven out of that role and questions about the ape -- appropriateness of him being in charge of the most powerful and lethal military in the world will simply continue. president trump, president-elect trump, forgive me, has proposed he will nominate marco rubio, a seasoned and capable senator to be secretary of state. he's got an alternative in joni ernst he could put forward to be secretary of defense. in the previous trump administration i will remind you his nominee for secretary of defense was jim mattis a four-star general with decades of experience leading troops in combat, managing large parts of the defense the marines corp and got 98 votes for confirmation.

if president-elect trump puts foorpds qualified capable leaders for the important pieces of our national security he would get bipartisan support. what's happening right now feels like a casting call for a reality tv show than proposing serious folks to lead in this critical moment in our world. >> you've alluded to what's happening in south korea. obviously, the middle east is a tinderbox. the president-elect has threatened hamas with, you know, very tough action if they don't release hostages, so he seems to be taking the world stage. he's going to paris this weekend. meeting with other leaders there. he seems to be overshadowing president biden even as president biden is on this very important trip to angola. >> president biden -- >> are you concerned with -- republican majority, that pete hegseth, who is very controversial, kash patel, tulsi

gabbard, they will be confirmed, the democrats don't have a political clout and the pardon might take some of the attention away from the points they're trying to make? >> look, at the end of the day the confirmation hearings will happen in made to late january and february and between now and then my hope is that my republican colleagues will reflect on the critical role they play in the senate. our framers in the constitution gave senators the power of advice and consent over judges, over ambassadors, over members of the cabinet, and senior government officials for a reason. to make sure that presidential overreach such as may be happening in south korea right now, has a legislative check and balance. and simply asking fair and reasonable questions about their policy views, qualificationings, what they would do with these agencies is an important part of any confirmation hearing. democrats and republicans in the senate should be willing to meet

with all nominees to conduct themselves in swift and responsible confirmation hearings, but to be clear about who should and shouldn't be leading these important agencies. andrea, if we can't get four republicans to be willing to do that job, i'm very concerned about the path forward, and what might happen to our nation in the year happened. >> chris coons, thank you very much, senator. >> thank you. next, president-elect trump delivering that message to hamas demanding they release the hostages now. you're watching msnbc. you're watching msnbc. ♪far-xi-ga♪ ♪far-xi-ga♪ ask your doctor about farxiga. oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow!

sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh!

when i hear cancer, i hear death sentence. every 15 seconds someone will hear the words, “you have cancer.” at the american cancer society, this is why we're here... to help people through their entire journey. i was ready to battle... to be there for my family. and today, we're asking for your support. call, go online or scan the qr code now. your gift helps fund research that saves lives... and provides support, like free rides to treatment, and lodging in our hope lodge communities, where patients stay for free. i want to thank you guys... for your donations that make my stay here possible. your donation will help support our efforts to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. i owe it all to the american cancer society. call now or go to give.cancer.org

to donate today. turning to the middle east, renewed fighting between israel and hezbollah is threatening that fragile cease-fire in lebanon. israel launched its largest wave of air strikes across lebron since last week's truce killing at least 11 people. following a volley of rockets fired by hezbollah into disputed territory. this as a memorial service was held this morning here in the u.s. to honor omer neutra, an american man who had joined the israeli military whose parents thought he had been taken hostage as did the u.s. government and israel. tragically the idf announced he was actually killed defending civilians on october 7th. >> how do you speak about your son you've been fighting for for 14 months hoping, praying he survives the most horrible

conditions on earth and yet you will get to see him? and then one moment, one knock on the door and it's all over. >> the heartbreak of that family. it comes after president-elect trump has posted today on truth social if the hostages are not released prior to january 20th, 2025, the date i proudly assume office as president of united states there will be all hell to pay in the middle east. joining me from beirut is correspondent matt bradley. matt, we're not clear on what the president-elect means by that. and what role he's playing. >> yeah. it's very -- >> although we're being told by jake sullivan and others in the administration they've been communicating with the incoming team, but, you know, who is working on a cease-fire deal and a hostage release and what does the threat mean? >> yeah. i don't really know and actually the president didn't specify.

it was taken here in the middle east and by principally by benjamin netanyahu the prime minister of israel he praised the statement and said that it was a strong statement and decisive one, that lays blame on one party. he said blaming hamas. we heard this across the spectrum, benny gantz, one of the many opposition figures against netanyahu praised the statement. fentanyl and benny gantz are essentially have had arrest warrants issued by the icc and if you look at incoming president trump's statement, he doesn't actually identify hamas. either unequivocally or quivically. he doesn't identify gaza or israel. he mentions all of those hostages in the middle east, and he calls out those responsible for crimes against humanity. when talking about arrest warrants that have been issued against benjamin netanyahu and benny gantz, in additioning to

mohammad deif from hamas, it looks as though blame for crimes against humanity could be spread across all these groups and doesn't identify necessarily it is hamas to blame. as you mentioned, andrea, he doesn't say what he is going to do. all hell to pay could mean just about anything. the one way in which the hostages have been pursued has been through military pressure and benjamin netanyahu has not relaxed on that and continued to insist that car in gaza continue, and he says that is being done in the service of finding those hostages. but there's also been a parallel diplomatic track going on for a year that has been frustrated and benjamin netanyahu as well as hamas share blame for not having come to some sort of accord that would bring a measure of peace to the gaza strip and free the remaining hostages as the incoming president trump has insisted and threatened. >> i think on that, matt, thank you. i think there was a slip of the

tongue. i think you meant yoav gallant, the other former defense minister mentioned by the icc, fired trying to bring an end to the war in gaza. >> yes. >> he said back in july. >> yes. >> that should end. we know benny gantz was the other defense minister in opposition. want to bring in matt crawly from "the new york times" -- michael crawly, chief diplomatic correspondent. damp did not explain what all hell to pay but seems to be echos what he said in mar-a-lago last july when netanyahu was visiting him saying do what you have to do, go in hard, finish it off in gaza and it seems to be without specifics here. >> very lacking in specifics, andrea, and, you know, it's really not clear how president trump is going to handle israel and these conflicts had the middle east. he makes these very bellicose

statements on the one hand. on the other hand he talks about trying to wrap up the fighting very quickly, getting it over with, getting it settled. seemingly very contradictory. you know, when he talks about, you know, these consequences and all hell breaking loose you have to ask yourself even if he was going to follow through in some few and different way that was more aggressive, what would that really look like? the biden administration has tried to put some restraint on israel an its conduct of the war in gaza but really have not been very successful. israel has largely done what it wanted to. it's virtually impossible for me to imagine that president trump would order u.s. military action in this case. i mean, for all his bluster he is quite averse to getting entangled in conflicts and complained a lot about american involvement in middle east wars prior to his first term as president. so i don't think we know what he

means or what he's going to do. >> and we are told by jake sullivan, by emows hoch stein they are communicating on the cease-fire talks, any hope for cease-fire talks in gaza that they are coordinating with the incoming national security adviser an others in mar-a-lago. so -- and this is what the hostage families want. some of the hostage families are welcoming the hardline that donald trump is taking and very frustrated with the negotiations that have, you know, been blown up almost every time they turn around either hamas or netanyahu takes a step. >> that's right. so on the first point, i think just from a most national security professionals would say it's good news there has been this coordination. you don't want to fumble the handoff. there's a lot for the incoming team to understand and start to prepare.

i think it's an objectively good thing this communication is happening, and i also think the trump administration would be happy not to have to worry about that northern front in lebanon and focus on the southern front, on gaza, which is where hostages are. there are no israeli or american hostages in lebanon right now and then to the question of, you know, the hostage families, yes, again, we don't know what trump means, but some people want more pressure on hamas, some people think that the way you're going to get the hostages out is by hitting hamas even harder than the israeli have been doing. hard to imagine what that looks like, but that is one theory of the case. you have to squeeze prime minister netanyahu a little more and you have to say you got to be more flexible and you have to exceed to some of the hamas demands. it's just impossible to know right now what president trump is going to do. the whole world is waiting. >> indeed. michael crawly, so sad, especially for the neutra

family. our hearts are with them for what they have gone through and the memorial service today and the other hoge families. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." follow the show on social media @mitchell reports and rewatch the best of our show on youtube, go to msnbc.com/andrea. chris jansing reports starts right now. reports starts right now. good day, i'm chris jansing live at msnbc headquarters. how much is too much? will senate republicans balk at the latest batch of bad news surrounding president-elect donald trump's picked to leave the defense department, pete hegseth and did trump hobble house republicans goal for majority rule?