the website and wrote to her and she wrote back and what began a lengthy email exchange and it culminated in a romance. >> do you find the story is resonating with people you perform in front of every night, people with similar stories? >> it has been overwhelmingly joyful and incredibly moving to see the audiences reaction. and when we go out of the stage sure we are probably talking to people for good morning. it is saturday, december 14th. the gang all here. today donald trump pressuring members of his own party to push through his controversial cabinet picks. plus, new overnight, trump

calling for the release of convicted january 6th rioters and debunked process. senator alex padilla tells us about the push to confirm judges. grab your coffee, settle in. welcome to "the weekend". donald trump wants a presidential cabinet full of loyalists that are going to push through his extreme agenda. frankly, many of them are just simply not qualified to lead government agencies. not everybody, but a lot of them. donald trump, he doesn't necessarily get the final word, though. our constitution says that the senate must advise and consent. that means that they'll look closely at donald trump's picks for key national security positions. so trump and his allies, they are ramping up a pressure

campaign to keep republican senators in line. "the washington post" reports, quote, on the hill this week some gop lawmakers faced blistering blow back for questioning the background or behavior of trump's cabinet picks and maga influencers dug up negative stories about naysayers, and not so subtly threatened primaries, and constituents are calling to voice their outrage. well, joining us now, somebody that had to get confirmed once time in their life. 2020 presidential candidate julian castro. and "boston globe" columnist kim better the gentleman kins store. she co-hosts the podcast, both are political analyst. >> welcome, everybody. kimberly, i want to play for you out of the gate the words of senator murkowski regarding this effort to primary republicans like herself who may be, how should we say, skeptical of the incompetencies of the individuals that about being

nominated by the president-elect. let's take a listen. >> the approach is going to be everybody toe the line, everybody line up. we got you here, and if you want to survive, you better be good. don't get on santa's naughty list here because we will primary you. we are seeing that play out in real time right now with the nominees. >> so what do you think they value, their primary potentially being primaried or actually their constitutional obligation to advise and consent on the qualifications of the individuals who are being asked to serve in some cases very sensitive positions in government? >> so i like the way that you frame that. it's not just an option. this is a constitutional duty that members of the senate have in the role of appointing members of the administration. they have a duty to vet these folks and make sure that they are qualified for the job. that's not being on a naughty

list, that's called doing your job. we have seen with the first trump term the way that republicans have traditionally fallen in line behind him, and when he wields a threat, they usually capitulate to it. i don't expect things to be any different. >> remind us, secretary castro, of what this looks like in a normal world. >> i know, alicia. it's getting harder and harder to remember the normal world here. in the normal world, you know, senators would actually do their homework and met with nominees and hold these nominees to a certain standard of experience, of character, background, and of course also this deference that does go into the fact that you have a president who is elected by the american people. but there's no question that in cycles past that people like

this, whether talking talking about matt gaetz, kash patel, pete hegseth, tulsi gabbard, they would have been rejected. the fealty to donald trump and the maga monument is off the charts -- movement is off the charts. politicians are first interested in preserving their job. that's not -- probably 99% of the time, if somebody in politics feels like they're going to lose their job by voting a certain way, they're not going to vote that way. that's even more true for these republicans. it's especially true for republicans and primary challenges. another rule of thumb is that democrats generally more concerned about general elections, and republicans are fearful of losing in a primary. and that's what you have going on here, that trump maga movement pushing the button of you're going to get challenged, you're going to lose your primary, you're going to be out of a job if you oppose these nominees. >> you know, it strikes me that in this iteration of what washington is shaking out to be

now that donald trump is coming back to power, it is going to be the legislative and the judicial branches that will help determine how far any politician or donald trump will be able to go. the judicial branch, hay weighed in early. they let us know that essentially, look, donald trump is basically a king with an asterisk. the legislative branch in large part has -- i mean, they were tested vigorously post january 6th. and now i think the test is again -- the question remains will the senate play ball. i just -- kimberly, i wonder what you think -- we were just talking about normal, and normal is subjective. you know, at one point it was normal for women not to be able to vote in this country. it was normal for black people to be enslaved because it benefited someone else economically. those things were normal, but the line has moved. we are going to collectively get to determine what this -- where the line is now. and i'm just wondering what that looks like. i honestly don't know where the

line is. >> i be the line moved a step too far after january 6th where initially there was condemn nation of donald trump and that quickly fizzled as soon as the impeachment trial for his actions on that day took place, and members of the senate stepped back and decided not to hold him accountable then. i don't expect them to hold his accountable for anything after that. so this is what we're seeing the beginnings of this. and keep in mind, this isn't just donald trump pushing because he thinks these are the best people for the job. the reporting is that he is pushing because he feels wounded after gaetz's nomination was so quickly shot down that now he does not want to give another inch. he's going to stand by every nominee, even those that -- none of them which were vetted beforehand. and as long as they have his imprematour they think the senate should do that no matter what.

most important job, defense, the biggest agency in our government. the most important job in the administration. >> julio, how does this play out, though, to kimberly's point, about donald trump pressing because he -- you know, basically doesn't want to plant on his face regarding the other nominees? but you do have other problems as kimberly noted with -- in areas like defense and national security. "washington post" reporting with respect to tulsi gabbard who has largely sailed under the radar as pete hegseth, trump's defense secretary pick, battled numerous negative stories. but three senate aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions said they believe the former congresswoman will be closely scrutinized on the hill as some hawkish senators remain uncomfortable with their past positions as a liberal democrat and her past comments on russia and assad.

with syria being on the front page of international news, how does someone like tulsi gabbard fare, in your estimation, with senate -- senators generally, but senate republicans who tend to be a little more hawkish with respect to especially national security issues? >> yeah. i think -- i think that in a matter of days we're going to be talking about her nomination being on the cusp of failure, as well, michael. and she just hasn't had the same time in spotlight. but you pointed out one of the real factors here. you know, i think that she's out of step with where republicans have been on different matters of foreign policy. but then secondly she was a democrat, and she particular a whole bunch of positions that again a primary challenger could use against those -- those senators who vote for her in a couple of years. so that -- that's another wrinkle with a nominee like tulsi gabbard. and it will be fascinating to watch how they handle that.

i think as we watch what senators do, you have to keep in mind who's actually up in 2026 because those are the ones that are going to feel the most pressure. and then one last thing that's not as talked about, it was really fascinating when trump felt that hegseth's nomination might fail, and he suggested ron desantis as an alternate. i read that also as a veiled threat to the ambitious senators out there who are thinking themselves that as soon as the 2026 midterms are done, they're going to be running for president. and they don't want the elevation of a potential rival like desantis. so there are a lot of bits and pieces to this that i think are unfolding. some of them with a lot of attention and spotlight, and others without it. >> we've only got about 30 second left, but michael and symone, i don't know if you saw this poll that came out yesterday from the "associated press." the question was, you approve,

neither approve or disapprove of donald trump appointing pete hegseth in his administration? 37% of people saying they don't know enough to say. 36% saying they disapprove. 17% saying they approve. so this is not some populous push. it may be a maga push, but it's not that the american people are just absolutely clamoring for pete hegseth to lead dod. >> the american people, they've -- some of us been on vacation, some people were on thanksgiving enjoying turkeys. now they're trying to get their christmas shopping together, figure out what they got in the bank. this is why confirmation hearings i think are going to be so important. they will learn more through the confirmation hearing, and their public opinion will be shaped by that. >> i agree. julian, kim, are you sticking with us. we want to talk about the new generations of democrats challenging elder statesmen for top positions on house committees. next, start alex padilla. first, breaking news overnight from south korea where the national assembly voted to

impeach the president this morning. president yoon was suspended from office over his attempt to declare martial law earlier this month. thousands of protesters who gathered outside the national assembly cheered the news. this was the national assembly's second attempt to impeach yoon. last week an attempt failed after majority of his party boycotted the vote. he win sidelined to south korea's constitutional court, weighs whether to uphold his removal. is removal. —no peeking. —okay. okay. ♪♪ open. ♪♪ ♪♪ over 600,000 usps employees working in sync to ensure everything sent on its holiday ride ends with a moment of joy. ♪♪ the united states postal service. ♪ febreze! ♪ when it comes to my space... i've got to keep things fresh and tidy.

just like mama taught me. so i'm always spraying febreze fabric spray... to freshen up and fight odors. smells like home. smells like flowers to me, man. thank you, zeke. ♪ lalalalala. ♪ take an ekg from anywhere, but with 6-times the data. can your smartwatch do that? introducing kardiamobile 6l, the fda-cleared ekg that provides six-times more heart data than any smartwatch. and it detects three of the most common arrhythmias in just 30 seconds, including atrial fibrillation, bradycardia and tachycardia. get kardiamobile 6l for just $109 this holiday season at kardia.com or amazon. (♪♪) no matter what kind of teeth you gotta brush, oral-b electric cleans better with one simple touch.

oral-b's dentist inspired round brush head hugs em, cleans em, and gets in between em, for 100% cleaner teeth. your perfect clean starts with oral-b. when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd... i noticed things changed. breztri gave me better breathing starting within 5 minutes. it also reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler... for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling ...problems urinating vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri.

a new generation of house democrats wants to hold the line against incoming trump administration. but change in washington, folks, just doesn't come without a fight. congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez and congressman gerry connolly are battling it out to serve as the top democrat on the oversight committee. that's a very important committee. "politico" reports they are both projecting confidence about their chances. aoc has the backing of the

progressive caucus, while former speaker nancy pelosi is reportedly behind the scenes yet again to boost connolly. raskin set to replace jerry nadler as the top democrat on the judiciary committee. back with us, julian castro and kimberly the gentleman -- kimberly atkins-store. >> i'm wondering, i think for a lot of people that read this news, i remember when congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez was first elected. and to see just the -- it's not -- i don't want to call it a shift, but i think to see the growth, frankly, in the democratic caucus and how young leaders are now -- you don't have to wait -- you don't have to be in congress 15, 20 years to serve in leadership, is -- or even have the potential, the ability to serve in leadership, i think is amazing.

what do you think about these developments? >> yeah. i mean, symone, this has been a long time in coming, right. for years the word out there about democrats in congress has been that the leadership while respected, fantastic, has helped make a lot of progress, also has been there a long time. and the question had been, of course, for speaker of when there might be new, young leadership, that was provided with hakeem jeffries, minority leader. hopefully one day the speaker. and now the question is everything underneath that, all of these committee chairs, and this the democratic party, in the democratic caucus, the -- basically people are able to sit there for a long time. so i think it's inevitable, though, after an election where you had voters send a strong message that democrats need to adjust their message and they need, i think, more of a fighting spirit and a focus like i think aoc and others have had. so i'm hopeful that you're going to see some turnover here.

as much respect as i have for congresswoman connolly and others, i think it's time in many instances to see that turnover. >> kim, i want to read analysis from our friend and colleagues, a piece that ran in nbc news. "a democrat working in the biden administration said the phenomenon is fueled by the biden debacle in the election which taught younger democrats that their leader won't willingly step aside and sometimes need to be elbowed out." i would layer on to that the fact that as we often talk about when you talk about democrats going up against maga republicans, it is an asymmetric playing field. yet one of the things we have seen on the republican side is a new wave of voices coming in, many of whom understand how to harness the power of new media platforms. they know how to get their message out to new messengers. i also think there is the added value in a best case scenario, you would have some of these younger members taking over under the tutelage of members

who have the experience and know what they are doing. i think part of it is maybe what we saw in this past election. but i think it's more complicated than that. >> i agree totally, alicia. i think in this case it's more of a generational shift. i think a lot of people cry agism and that this is somehow disrespectful to other members in the house. i don't see that at all. i think what congresswoman aoc has done and done really well is really grow as not only a politician but as a tactician. >> yes. >> in lawmaking. when she first was elected, i remember that, too, i talked to people on the democratic side who thought she's smart, she's fun, but she'll learn. she needs to know her place. she carved out her own place. she learned how to talk to and other members, how to galvanize support, how to reach across the aisle when it was strategic to do so, how to push back when it was strategic to do so, too.

she's a very, very smart person. and so i think her leadership particularly on a committee like oversight which honestly has sort of lost some of its power, i think recently and doesn't have quite the push that it used to. but it's so important in a trump administration especially to have someone smart and fiery at the helm to do what is necessary to push back at overreach from the incoming administration. i think she would be a great job with absolutely no disrespect to congressman connolly. >> all of that is very good, but the brutal reality is that hakeem jeffries will be as old as nancy pelosi is before he becomes speaker, if they don't get their act together. >> i was like, what? >> so that -- that's just the truth of it, right? so how -- how is this generation going play the game, to alicia's very important point, that i don't think people should gloss over. you're playing against an asimet

cal point who doesn't give a damn about the rules, the process and doesn't give a damn about you. you are the obstacle in the game. so how does this generation -- i do see that fight in an aoc. i've seen that fight in other members in the house, younger members of the black caucus, for example. how do you assess that aspect of the game if hakeem jeffries will become speaker before he's 80? >> i hope it's not going to take that long. >> well, y'all don't seem to know how to play the game. y'all was supposed to win the house in the last election -- >> well, well -- >> you tell me, sir. >> yeah, so look, as was said, these are folks i think that can deliver the message, the democratic message more compellingly. they understand the platforms as alicia said, you know, the new media, the way that it works today. i think also that they've remained close to their

constituents. they still have their ear to the ground. you know how important that is in politics. what you hear people talking about, what resonates with people. and i think unfortunately -- i don't think this just goes for congress, this goes in politics in general. the longer that you stay in office and don't have to run, for instance, a real election campaign, the more you tend to get disconnected from that reality and those constituents and what they're talking about, and so forth. that doesn't happen with everybody, but that happens most of the time. i think these younger members, they can take the fight, they know the message, they're closer to the ground. they know the new media. that add up, i think, to being more effective and to goum against the jim jordan -- go up against the jim jordan or any number of folks on the maga side that are younger and be more successful. and one by one, when you get that and that's the image of the party and it resonates more, that's how you're going to have success. and hakeem jeffries will be the speaker well before he's 80

years old. >> michael trying to put that bad juju on the democratic leader. >> trying to acknowledge that the juju exists. >> well, and i mean, look, i think the reality is and we often talk about it, look, the implications of this last election -- i've been talking to dnc members as they gear up for the chair race. there are camps of people who think you got to throw out the playbook, everything's wrong. there's a lot of members i've spoken to that said, look, people need to go bask back -- go back to the bakes. there ain't no guard rails. the guard rails this did exist and could argue they still exist, they're not laws, they're norms we adhere to until some of the side don't want to adhere to anymore. it seems that this rise of not just congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez but frost, congressman out of florida, under the tutelage and the

leadership of democratic leader hakeem jeffries in the face oftentimes of some older members that don't -- i mean, speaker noepts nancy pelosi -- nancy pelosi is not supportive of alexandria ocasio-cortez. she was hospitalized during her congressional visit to germany this year. her staff -- this week. her staff said she's working from the hospital. two things can be true. i'm glad she's all right. but also she's not here for this generational shift. >> yeah. i think what is most important for democrats right now coming out of the 2024 election is learning how to message. whatever you can say about republicans, they are very good at messaging. and so i think democrats need to get their best and brightest messengers out first, out front. and i think that -- the congresswoman is a good example of somebody who is in that field. she's very good at messaging. she's very good at crystallizing

and making clear how what is happening affects americans, affects people on the ground, not just the lofty ideals that democrats tend to speak in. they tend to speak in broad terms that makes them seem elite and out of touch. she doesn't do that. i think democrats need more of that, and whoever can deliver that message put them out front, put them out front often, and give them a big platform. >> more democrats go to costco. that's all i have to say. >> ooh. >> who like dunkin' donuts? like the chairman, he brought us dunkin' donuts. thank you both very much. up next, folks, donald trump is already walking back a key campaign promise. what he is saying about the price of groceries. we'll be right back. price of grs we'll be right back. patients who have sensitive teeth but also want whiter teeth, they have to make a choice- one versus the other. new sensodyne clinical white, it provides 2 shades whiter teeth as well as providing 24/7 sensitivity protection. patients are going to love to see sensodyne on the shelf.

i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! —uh. —here i'll take that. [cheering] ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar and a protein blend to feed muscles up to 7 hours. ♪♪ singer: this is our night! shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects! only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix doesn't protect everyone and isn't for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. tell your healthcare provider if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can happen so take precautions. most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling where injected, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor about shingrix today.

still have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis... ...or crohn's disease symptoms after taking... ...a medication like humira or remicade? put them in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief with rinvoq. check. when flares tried to slow me down,... ...i got lasting remission with rinvoq. check. and many were in remission... ...even at nearly 2 years. and rinvoq... ...helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting remission. and visibly reduced damage. check. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal;... ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin;... ...serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death;... ...heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus...

...with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection,... ...hep b or c, smoked,... ...are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. put uc and crohn's in check... ...and keep them there. with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist... ...about rinvoq.

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 ♪ if you're frustrated with occasional bloating or gas, your body's giving you signs. it's time to try align. align probiotic was specifically designed by gastroenterologists to help relieve your occasional bloating and gas. when you feel the signs, it's time to try align. okay, friends, i know you both remember when trump made that campaign promise that he was going to lower the cost of groceries. for those who don't recall, a quick reminder. >> a vote for trump means your

groceries will be cheaper. so many people mention -- i go in, so many people mention groceries. beautiful but simple word groceries. sir, my groceries -- you don't think of it that way, but that's what they mention. i haven't seen cheerios in a long time. i'm going to take them back with me. bacon is through the roof. they're all through the roof. the milk, everything is bad. and we're going to straighten it out. we're doing going -- going to bring prices way down and get it done fast. >> grocery is such a simple and beautiful word. apparently he has learned math between the time he said that in his interview with "time" magazine last month where he said, look, they got them up. i'd like to bring them down. it's hard to bring things down once they're up. you know, it's very hard. >> yeah. >> so here -- i reflected back on the campaign, and the one thing in that moment, i'm surprised our press did not ask

the president, what is the average price of a gallon of milk? or the average price of a dozen eggs back then, that you're, you know, groceries -- such a precious word, what comprises the -- this is a man who has never shopped a day in his life, who couldn't tell you what a -- the price of anything is. and yet people sort of believe that, oh, when he becomes president the $3.75 a gallon you're paying for milk or the $4.50 you're paying for eggs is suddenly going to be $2 again or what? and so there is -- there's no accountability within the rhetoric for what he did. i remember when president bush 41 was asked, you know, what it cost for the average american to grocery shop when he was running for president because he was making that -- because he was a patrician from new england. and of course he was out of

touch. here you have a billionaire from, you know, new york, and no one seems to give a damn about the fact that the man has never stepped foot in a grocery store. yet they believe he knows as much about their cost as they do when, in fact, he doesn't because he couldn't tell you. i mean, groceries -- groceries is such a precious word. yeah. >> eggs i would note are about $6, that's at safeway, too. and the albertsons, folks back home in nebraska. that's expensive for, you know, 12 eggs. it is. it is very sensitive. look, i think the thing about the groceries, he did this interview last month, then he spoke to our colleague kristen welker last weekend. he was on the floor of the new york stock exchange earlier this week to celebrate his "time" article and ringing the bell. he was asked about the groceries then. it's the same thing. i think the realization of what is actually able to happen, he's able to do what's in his control

as president is setting in for him. and i hope that we, the media apparatus writ large, tons hold him accountable for this. because to say that, oh, now i don't know if i can bring the groceries down, this should be the headline for everybody for the next week or so. like why don't you -- why did you say you could and now you can't? what are you going do about it? something important to the american people. i thought the economy was the number-one thing. >> you're asking the press to ask that question? >> ikele, you're right. -- michael, you're right. i forgot where i was at. we have america -- >> you what got in here? yeah. ask the president? oh, you said x, did -- stop. >> we spent many a days on joe biden pardon hissing son because he -- his son because he realized the way of the world. come on, people. come on. >> symone, you held america's hand once, you need to hold them again on grocery prices. >> eggs is still $6. >> all right. we're going to turn a turn here from challenges at home to

challenges abroad. secretary blinken in the middle east this morning days after the fall of syria's government. former cia director john brennan joins the table after the break. you're watching "the weekend." a" d with powerful ingredients to visibly improve your skin? try olay super serum. for five powerful ingredients in one, it hydrates, improves texture and evenness, while also firming and smoothing. try olay super serum. ♪♪ when you're a small business owner, your to-do list can be...a lot. ♪♪ [ cellphone whooshes ] [ sighs ] that's why progressive makes it easy to save with a commercial auto quote online so you can take on all your others to-dos. already did. see if you could save at progressivecommercial.com. chase knows how to put the hart in your local community. evan! you're helping them with savings, right? (♪♪)

somebody just got their first debit card! ice cream on you? your money is a part of your community, so your bank should be too. like, chase! it's time. yes, the time has come for a fresh approach to dog food. everyday, more dog people are deciding it's time to quit the kibble and feed their dogs fresh food from the farmer's dog. made by vets and delivered right to your door precisely portioned for your dog's needs. it's an idea whose time has come. ♪♪

you've got a pepto predicament, ace. you overdid it on the loaded fries. undo it with pepto fast melts. ♪ when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, ♪ ♪ upset stomach, diarrhea. ♪ when you overdo it... ...undo it with pepto bismol. say christmas. christmas! for holiday traditions old

and new. when you want gifts to express a lifetime of love, we've spent a lifetime crafting them. harry & david, 90 years and still sharing. i look forward to this opportunity to compare notes with the envoy and to again think through how we can support the syrian people in this time of both opportunity, but also

real challenge. >> new this morning, secretary of state antony blinken is in jordan, part of his trip to the middle east. blinken is meeting with the u.n. envoy to syria and showing optimism about the country's future. earlier this week, rebel groups removed syrian president, now former president, bashar al assad, ending the country's 13-year-long civil war. after assad's ouster, missing american traveler travis timmerman was found outside of damascus. timmerman had been in prisoned by the assad regime for months. joining us former director of the central intelligence agency john brennan, an msnbc national security analyst. >> director brennan, good morning to you. can you give us a sense of what it is that secretary blinken is looking to accomplish on this trip? >> well, i think secretary blinken is trying to have a dialogue with the foreign ministers of the regional states because his great concern about what's happening inside of syria. and basically the takeover of the government and the country by this islamist coalition, hts

group. i think there are concerns about the reverberations that this upheaval in syria can have in the region overall. so i think tony blinken is trying to make sure that we have this dialogue with these -- arab foreign ministers, to understand what they're doing to try to contain the violence inside of syria and to do what they can to help rebuild the country want the country after 14 years or so of civil war has been really, you know, destroyed, much of the infrastructure, the roads, the educational system. and also the economy is in shambles. so the syrian people and the new syrian government is going to need outside assistance, and that's where i think the united states really can play a role. >> so director, while that's going on, sort of the forward-facing efforts by the secretary of state and our allies in the region, the back story is the drama around the release or the finding of

americans who have been held by assad. you have blinken speaking on american journalist austin tyce. take a listen here to that. >> no update except to say that every single day we are working to find him and to bring him home, making sure that the word is out to everyone that this is a operator for the united states. >> mr. tyce was an american journalist who's been missing for 12 years inside assad's regime. how does that storyline impact what the secretary talks about in those meetings? how is that integrated into the conversation as the new leadership is standing up for whomever that may be, the efforts maybe by others in the region who can help and finding mr. tyce and any americans there? >> the aside regime for many years has been well known to be

involved in torture and investorsration and killing of its citizens -- incarceration and killing of its citizens. i'm sure some of those regional countries are interested in trying to make sure that their citizens are going to be secure and safe during this period of great change and even chaos. i'm hoping that austin tyce is still alive. i met with his parents when i was in the government. had an unending search for him. but we really don't know whether or not he is still alive. he was detained so many years ago, and sort of the -- the trail went cold. but i think what secretary blinken is going to try to do is to not only help in terms of any type of u.s. citizens that may be in syria and have been either detained, incarcerated, or are just trying to find their way home, but also talking to these ministers about what we can collectively do to try to tamp down the violence, the bloodshed, the upheaval that's been going on in syria for so many years.

>> you know, director brennan, as you say this i'm struck by the fact that secretary blinken is meeting with -- essentially trying to ensure a united front with our arab and turkish allies. at the same time, jake sullivan, national security adviser, has been dispatched to israel. some folks might say why is he going to israel. the israeli government has the defense minister -- according to -- we've got many reports that the defense minister in israel has ordered the military to establish what he called a sterile defense zone in southern syria. and that israel's navy has destroyed syria's military fleet. this -- many things are happening at the same time, and i'm just wondering about this one-two punch essentially with secretary blinken, you know, getting -- trying to establish this united front with our arab allies and turkish allies. and then, you know, jake sul began going to israel -- sullivan going to israel to talk to his counterparts, presumably

prime minister netanyahu to say hey -- these folks are on the way out. donald trump is coming in and said let -- let syria work out itself. that's what he said essentially, we don't need to get involved. >> it's important during this period of transition in the united states from one president to the next that there's only to be continued engagement by the outgoing administration because the situation in the middle east obviously is quite dynamic, and it has potential to really explode even more than it has. syria's military for many years has been a real concern to the israelis which is why the israelis have carried out a number of strikes against syrian targets, the navy. but there is chemical weapons stockpiles still inside of syria that they're trying to identify and destroy. so there's just a lot of concern in the area. syria plays a major role in lebanon, plays a major role as far as support to the palestinian cause. so again, this is just a lot of different, complex issues and challenges, but i think all the players right now are trying to

understand better and see if they can get a handle on. >> in a contained -- >> exactly. >> that's the complexity of the middle east. we also have the complexity of what is unfolding in ukraine. we had some reporting this friday that the trump team is in talks with president biden and ukrainian officials about ending the war with russia. let me read some of that. despite trump's propises to end the war quickly it remains unclear whether he can persuade russian president vladimir putin to halt the fighting as moscow's forces gain ground in eastern ukraine. it's not clear if trump's team has communicated with putin's government about ukraine, and if so what has been conveyed by either side. your thoughts, sir? >> well, it's clear that the trump administration i think is going to take a different policy tack than the biden administration has. and donald trump clearly has indicated that he wants to pull back from the amount of support the u.s. military and economic and financial support to ukraine. he has made these claims that he can end the war in one day. well, that is ludicrous.

that's not going to happen. i'm pretty sure that the members of the inin -- ininning trump administration are engaged with talks with the russians and others. i'm hoping we're still going to provide support to ukraine. we can't allow putin to prevail inside of ukraine because it's going to send ominous signals to europe and to the rest of the world that the united states is pulling back from its responsibilities to prevent these types of continued encroachment by russia into ukraine and potentially other areas of europe. >> staying on that point, how do you see -- because trump believes in his head because that's where a lot of this takes place because it's not based in reality -- that they want to leverage, you know, conflict with iran, the tensions with iran, against the next steps that need to be taken in ukraine? can something like that happen? you know, trump, you know, says with -- regarding possible war

with iran, anything can happen. what the hell that means. there's got to be some fundamental policy that drives how this country, our country, approaches both of these very, very dangerous situation. >> yeah. and where is ukraine in the conversation? >> yeah, yeah. >> how in the world is the united states out here trying to negotiate away on behalf of ukraine without the ukrainians at the -- >> right. well, i think it's critically important that ukrainians be at the table. you recall what happened in afghanistan is that the previous trump administration negotiated a withdrawal without the afghan officials actually participating in those talks inside of doha. so there's a lot of connectedness between what's going on in the middle east as well as what's going on in ukraine. we have russia and iran that have really improved their relationship. iran is providing drone support to the russians. and so also we see the north koreans working with the

russians on ukraine. so there's just a lot of intricacies here in this international environment that the trump administration needs to have a better handle on and understand exactly how you can in fact engage in these areas in a productive, constructive way. >> they could probably get that handled if donald trump wasn't the one making the decision here or the call. director john brennan, thank you so much. appreciate you coming in. next, the tech billionaires selling out and shelling out for donald trump's inauguration. you're watching "the weekend." you're watching "the weekend." whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the right toothpaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest. eggs make all our family moments better. especially when they're eggland's best. taste so fresh and amazing. deliciously superior nutrition, too. for us, it's eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best. as americans,

there's one thing we can all agree on. the promise of our constitution and the hope that liberty and justice is for all people. but here's the truth. attacks on our constitutional rights, yours and mine are greater than they've ever been. the right for all to vote. reproductive rights. the rights of immigrant families. the right to equal justice for black, brown and lgbtq+ folks. the time to act to protect our rights is now. that's why i'm hoping you'll join me today in supporting the american civil liberties union. it's easy to make a difference. just call or go online now and become an aclu guardian of liberty. all it takes is just $19 a month. only $0.63 a day. your monthly support will make you part of the movement to protect the rights of all people, including the fundamental right to vote. states are passing laws that would suppress the right to vote. we are going backwards.

but the aclu can't do this important work without the support of people like you. you can help ensure liberty and justice for all and make sure that every vote is counted. so please call the aclu now or go to my aclu.org and join us. when you use your credit card, you'll receive this special we the people t-shirt and much more. to show you're a part of the movement to protect the rights guaranteed to all of us by the us constitution. we protect everyone's rights, the freedom of religion, the freedom of expression, racial justice, lgbtq rights, the rights of the disabled. we are here for everyone. it is more important than ever to take a stand. so please join us today. because we the people means all the people, including you. so call now or go online to my aclu.org to become a guardian of liberty.

donald trump not even president yet, giant tech giants bending the knee. reports that amazon and meta are donating $1 million to trump's election fund. the "wall street journal" writing the donation from zuckerberg departs from past involvement with meta and that he would throw trump in jail if he tried to influence the election against him. >> i guess that's -- here's a

million dollars so i don't get thrown in jail. i -- you know. i mean, i'm sorry, i connect dots. i live in the world of connectedness. and nothing stands outside by itself. everything has a reaction and an action connected to it. and so donald trump has successfully bullied these people into the position they now find themselves. yes, look, inaugurations regardless democrat, republican, companies, billionaires write checks. they do, that's their -- their entree into the game. but these guys -- i've said this before, what i find intriguing is that these individuals are the ones who are writing the gain. they're the forefront of a.i., crypto, tech.

all of that. so they don't -- donald trump is a player who needs to come to them, you would think. but the script has flipped, and donald trump is really good at flipping the scripts. and they feel somehow beholden after he threatens them and bullies them because all he wants is their cash. so what is jeff bezos and all these guys do when donald trump slaps them upside the head and threatens them after they've written their checks? >> that's the thing, we don't know actually. >> i don't know. >> i think it is going to potentially happen. i would just say this, and i do not call myself as a deferred of billionaires in america at any given time. but i will say i remember when -- when elon musk bought twitter, the site formerly known as twitter. everybody's like this is what they should be doing, a public good, and da, da, and elon musk is going to ruin it. those foreshadowings came to be true. at the end of the day twitter is

a company, and the company and people who own the company -- privately owned now at this point, and you talk about jeff bezos and all these other ceos, the ceos are doing not what's best for the americans, but they are set out to do what's best for their companies. and that is the job of the ceo. and i think that in this public square conversations that we have -- that we have been having for such a long time, people have hoisted some of these ceos up on pedestals, and we've wanted them to act in the best interests of americans writ large. but their charge is to act in the best interests of their company. >> yeah, but the problem then becomes, alicia, when we've seen companies behave or misbehave in a way that the american public doesn't like, their interests may still be aligned with their company. but when people start pulling back on their support of their products or services, they quickly come around. so you know, this idea that they're there for their -- for

their shareholders absolutely true. but we also know that there is now in this particular environment some leverage that voters, american has, with these companies. what is the reaction of the american people who watched companies sort of do the heisman to trump and trumpism because it's bad branding, it's not good politics, now suddenly coming around and stroking the check? >> it remind me of the conversation we were having when we were missing you so much, symone, last weekend, about the fact that fundamentally yes elon musk has, you know, what we see as a tech company that he also wants to be offering financial services. and so part of the decisions that he is making around regulation is around not just the -- the entities he has as they are now, but as he wants to grow them in the future. and that is critical to us understanding exactly what it is that they're doing.

>> yeah. i mean, look, my question is when y'all -- when y'all giving your -- canceled your amazon subscriptions, come see by me, okay. until y'all give your teslas back and cancel the subscription -- >> you said teslas -- >> teslas, i refilled the mug. >> you left me with him by myself, symone. >> teslas. until i've given your teslas back, cancel the amazon subscription, you can't -- >> i'm -- i just want to be clear what we're talking about. >> refill the mug. get a little extra for michael steele. more coming up. mark eli as joining us, senator alex padilla. follow our handle everywhere at the weekend msnbc. re at the weekend msnbc. patrick! patrick! people was tripping. where are you going!? he was actually saying goodbye to his old phone. i'm switching to the amazing new iphone 16 pro at t-mobile!

it's the first iphone built for apple intelligence. that's like peanut butter on jelly...on gold. get four iphone 16 pro on us, plus four lines for $25 bucks. and save on every plan versus the other big guys. what a deal. that's a lot if you ask me. ya'll giving away too fast t-mobile, slow down. lainey wilson: in this family, we ask for help when we need it so we can help more children who really need it. families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food. but we can't help these kids without you. this holiday season, join our st. jude family. we need you. please donate now. [music playing]