i am sure it is coming. >> it is coming. is coming. five standing ovations later it's a huge, huge hit because e, remember, the brits did les miserables. this is a french production and it's a huge hit and there will be more life for that after it closes. >> and that's it for us this weekend. we're back tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. eastern for a brand new week of "morning joe." thanks for watching. good morning. it is sunday, december 22nd. i'm elise sa menendez with simone and michael. alet's left a mess for mike johnson, donald trump and elon

musk come 2025. plus, democrats will have a hfresh look in the 119th congress. congresswoman angie craig is here to tell us about her new role. trump's retribution tour has re begun. george ioconway and molly junge anare at the table. grab your eggnog, settle in, welcome to "the weekend." less than two weeks house speaker mike johnson sswill fac an uphill battle. i know what you're thinking, this is about holding on to the speaker's gavel. with a tiny house majority johnson can only lose one vote and the debacle to fund the government only worsened his prospects as he relied on democrats to pass a short-term spending bill. some republicans say that elon

musk -- that elon musk led fiasco skis straining their iconfidence in johnson's leadership. as "the washington post" puts th it, quote, this cycle of political face plants threatens to derail president-elect trump's agenda and johnson's hold p'on power. joining us is msnbc political analyst and former republican congressman from florida david jolly. david jolly. >> welcome. >> how are you this morning? >> david jolly saw the debacle trying to get the boot on. that's like mike johnson's prospects, real tight. >> i think you have those boots on easier than he will get his chairmanship back on. >> wait for america to see. >> merry christmas, everybody. that's how we do it. so i want to start with byron donalds because byron donalds is out here threatening people he's going to hold people accountable

for something. take a listen. >> now in washington, we have gtone simple job that we got too and we got to deliver the agenda that you worked hard for, that you gave up your time for, and i'm going to tell you this, we're togoing to accomplish tha agenda in washington, d.c., and if any of my colleagues decide to get in nythe way, you will hr it directly from me and they will be held accountable. >> what the hell he going to do? >> i lewas about to ask. >> what the hell you going to do? you don't represent the 720,000 people who live in the maryland fifth congressal district. i mean, what -- what are you going whto do? i mean this sort of, you know, y benall kind of threats and crazy talk, the reality of it is, you negotiated a bill to put the nation's fiscal house in order, budget, right, and along comes

elon musk who says, oh, no, o we're not doing that. i guess byron gets all on board with it. then what do they do? t they wind up with the same bi after all the drama, all the noise, all the threats. members of congress do their jobs because they represent people other sethan those who le in byron donald's districts. >> byron donalds is a member looking for his place in the world and r hasn't found it. he's run for speaker a couple times. he maybe runs for governor. he doesn't know. he hasn't landed anything in the trump orbit so when you can't find your place in politics you get angry. he's not going to do anything about it. n a what's fascinating as you said in nathe opener, what does mike johnson do? because look, i've worked within the appropriations world one way or another nssince 1994. i've been through every one of these dynamics. i truly don't know how mike johnson gets out of this. i thought on friday, perhaps he

has onto shut down the governme. mike johnson does. so that he can get reelected on january 3rd and pass the same package with hakeem jeffries. here's the problem, if you look back at the last two years, nobody could lead the republican caucus. that's how mike johnson ended up there. it was hakeem jaefryes who led the coalition. we had a shutdown, democrats provided the votes, debt ceiling increase, funding for ukraine, democrats provided the votes. nothing has changed. the math hasn't changed. what we have to be looking for do the folks like thomassy, marjorie taylor green and others say they're not voting for johnson. the way the rules work for the speakership, speaker johnson has been renominated by his caucus, 50 plus one hivote. you have to go to the floor to get to 218 or whatever the numbers will be. you have to get 50 plus one of the entire house.ge if all the democrats vote for

jeffries, and johnson loses a couple votes on his side -- it appears he will -- johnson isn't speaker. the only thing going for mike johnson is nobody else wants the job. nobody else wants the job. >> they have nobody else.jo who are they putting in there? >> we saw this during the mccarthy fiasco. they could delay organizing the congress, gavel in, not have a speaker and we watch it play out. >> and what all that means, david, for the republican party, what all of that means for the famerican people given what th are expected to do sort of the basic threshold of that job. this from our colleague, in addition to another government funding deadline, we all remember methat, a debt limit tt must be addressed by mid 2025 to avert a default, trump and republicans need to confirm his personnel through the senate and they want to pass major party line bills to beef up timmigration enforcement and extend his expiring 2017 tax

led -- can they get out of their own way? >> i honestly don't know how hthey do the debt ceiling lift. we're back to the reality it takes democrats, and so who is the republican speaker willing to walk the plank and work with democrats? now the d interesting thing is,f it g is mike johnson or whoever comes out of the january 3rd speaker vote, they now have changed the rules. so we wouldn't see the matt gaetz situation presuming the rules package passes in the next congress where just one member wcan dethrone a speaker. the threshold is higher. but how do you have the votes to actually pass? it still requires a coalition with democrats something that is going to anger relationships. look, i think taxes and immigration, republicans will figure out how to get those across the finish line. winning is unifying. we know their view on taxes and immigration. they'll likely get there. on the harder questions of keeping the government open, raising the debt ceiling, i think we're in for two years that looked -- will look like the last two years. >> i don't think that's

reassuring for people, but it's honest, you know. >> here is what is reassuring. if you think the direction of trumpism and policies are bad for smthe country, a coalition with democrats and hakeem jeffries is good for the country, that's actually what we're about to get. >> well, see, look, a little hope. >> hope. ho>> cory mills, florida congressman had this to say about confidence and the lack thereof on friday. take a listen. >> i'll tell you i'm losing confidence with each day, and i think we have a lot of our colleagues losing confidence. we're esnot sticking to the principles and values we say we fight for. >> responding to a question, he said, the question what do you think he needs to do to retain his speakership and whether or not or earn your vote if he urdoesn't already have it? to me, look, i think members say a lot of things on the way out the door before a holiday break and it's one thing to have these conversations hinow, it's anoth thing about what happens on january 3rd.

you at one point were a member of the republican caucus in the house, not this one. this is a particular markup. but just talk about the dynamics within the house and what elon musk did earlier this week, this public erpressure campaign, and frankly not the first time, right, this is just now it's geared towards house members, he's been doing this and rallying, you know, pieces of the maga base against senators as gait relates to the potentia confirmation hearings of members of donald nftrump's cabinet. it's not going over well with members. i'm not just talking about moderate republicans. people are like looking, i'm l maga, hold up, don't tell me what to do. how is this going to play out in this next congress? is>> confidence and ignorance often intersect. i think we're seeing that. when i say ignorance, it is because donald trump, the fox news platform and right wing conservative media, have tried to convince the country this was a ncmandate. where they failed to convince the country they've convinced themselves. they're wrong.

in fact, the margin in the house would be thinner. this is not a mandate. it was basically an election that was 50-50.el that is the dynamic of what's going ion. bring in donald trump and the two d.o.g.e.s and you see elon musk begin to -- se>> i know. thank you. i'm like, yes. >> i mean, look, the truth is, you elect a clown you get a circus. he brings these two and politics enter e the big top. look, the outsized influence of money and politics is one thing. we've seen it before. it's wrong. it's an injury to the republic. the other is the ignorance with which elon musk, donald trump and vivek ramaswamy think they can influence the dynamics of the house. math is math. there are only so many votes there. if you don't onget them all you dcan't pass your agenda. they're using bullying and the influence of money to effect it. this is where i'm not sure -- look, there's not even a department, a d.o.g.e. department or whatever they call it, dethat's not a real thing.

>> it's not real. >> elon musk doesn't have a real job. >> he's going to bully people by tweet and on truth social.an the interesting thing in your question we saw play out is the moderate republicans will probably come e along, even on immigration and taxes i think they'll come along. the people that won't be bullied are the freedom caucus, hard right, marjorie taylor green, massie and joothers, and those e people with decades of not h coming along. relationships created this mess and they own it. it's theirs to figure out. >> what i find to be somewhat ironic and a lot delicious is that you now have individuals like representative ralph norman of south carolina saying, gee, if we only had a nancy pelosi on our side. if we only had a nancy pelosi for speaker. they don't want a nancy pelosi for speaker. >> they would nchave walked outn kecrutches on friday. >> all this would not be

happening. >> that's right. that's exactly right. >> part haof what we saw play o on wfriday, we'll see this a l, the internal dynamics of the house. they put mike johnson in a position where they said the deal that can pass you're not allowed to pass anymore. p so what they wanted was the republican clean bill lift the debt ceiling because trump wanted it all the way to '29 at one y point, 2029. part of what speaker johnson had to do was the put that on the floor and show it erwould fail. he has to publicly show his own members your ideas won't work and mine will. it's a little bit of humiliation that helps him stay in leadership because they realize you were right all along, but they also have to beat him up for tit. so that's the question.es look, do we have a couple stubborn republicans aon janua 3rd vote for elon musk for 3rspeaker of the house and not mike johnson. if so we could be in a state of suspended reality in the speakership for a few weeks. >> i will note january 3rd that is the vote, january 6th certification must happen. it's in the constitution.

you can't do that until you do the business of electing a speaker. >> little things. >> david jolly, thank you for coming by. happy holiday. >> alicia, great to be with you. up next congresswoman angie craig on ssher rule as the rankg member on the yalg culture committee. >> acting secretary julie tells us about president biden's legacy on workers' rights. press legacy on workers' rights. try cascade platinum plus. for sparkling clean dishes even on the toughest jobs. just scrape, load and you're done. switch to cascade platinum plus. 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. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti...

he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence, on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10. all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon. advil liqui-gels are faster and stronger than tylenol rapid release gels. ♪♪ also from advil, advil targeted relief, the only topical with 4 powerful pain fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to 8 hours. my daughter and i finally had that conversation. oh, no, not about that.

about what comes next in life. for her. i may not be in perfect health, but i want to stay in my home, where my family visits often and where my memories are. i can do it with help from a prep cook, wardrobe assistant and stylist, someone to help me live right at home. life's good. when you have a plan. ♪ ♪ your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestrydna, the simple test that shows your deep family roots, from your mom's side and your dad's side, with some serious detail, trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today, and see the traits they passed down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are for only $39.

made a couple big changes to the top committee memberships across their committees ushering in a new, younger generation of leaders. congresswoman jared huffman of california will be the new ranking member on the natural resources committee and congresswoman angie craig of minnesota will be the new agriculture committee ranking member. craig said that part of her

pitch to colleagues centered on needing to do a better job of winning the hearts and minds of rural communities telling punch bowl news, quote, you better bet i had a map in front of them as they took that vote showing them that there's not a single ranking member outside of the coast in this country and now there will be and democratic congresswoman angie craig of minnesota joins us now. >> i wish you would have brought your map with you, like a do it yourself graphic. i want to hear more about this pitch about doing a better job of winning the hearts and minds of rural communities. what is that going to take not just in terms of who is in leadership but the policy that is actually delivered? >> well, thank you for having me here, and look, we got to get back in rural communities across our country. we're not there right now. we're not listening to what's important in their lives. if we're back home and listening to folks in this last election we would have been talking about the fact that family farmers and

rural communities they care about economic security, they care about personal safety, and we would have been communicating that to them. look, we're going to have a lot of fights in this next congress. i'm a member of congress who is committed to working with anybody who's got a good idea for rural communities and family farmers. you better bet there will be a lot of fights like tariffs that will hurt family farmers because we will see the retaliatory tariffs right back at us. >> go ahead. >> i mean, this point about the tariffs and the farmers and who it hurts is really important because we've heard a lot of postmortems about what went wrong and what democrats didn't do, so on, i think there's differences between the top of the ticket and what happened in places and spaces across the country because democrats did remarkably well, i think, in the house. democrats did well in the state legislature. some of them. michigan, i would like to have a word. you yourself are frontline member of a district that is

quite purple, sometimes more red than purple on any given day and week. but you have held on and held close to your values. you talk about the values and then there's the issues that are close to people, and i think sometimes democrats have gotten caught up in this values conversation and we're having these lofty conversations that aren't necessarily connected to what people are dealing with everyday and the tariffs and the farmers and the aid and the help is real. >> it's absolutely real. my district is a tough district for a democrat. d plus one. >> plus one. >> one of the most evenly divided districts in america. i won it by almost 14% based on the out performance in the rural communities and my townships. why did i win it? >> because people know me there. they know us there. they know that i'm fighting for new markets for my corn growers, my soybean producers. they know that i'm fighting against consolidation in the ag sector. if we want to be the party that wins back the hearts and minds of rural communities, and family

farmers, what we've got to do is make that a priority that we want family farmers to be able to pass those farms down to the next generation. whatever policies come along with that, like stopping consolidation, you know, we want these farms to get passed down to the next generation, making it easier for young and beginning farmers to start a farm. we've got to be committed to that and we have to stand up to a lot of corporate interests these days. at the end of the day, people know that i'm fighting for their pocketbooks and that's what we got to get back to in this country as democrats. we are fighting for working people. i tell you that's no better example of working people in our country than family farmers. >> can i just say the fact that, you know, i'm from nebraska originally, and the fact that the congresswoman made the pitch and said she would be the only person not from the coast that is a ranking member is kind of crazy because the majority -- like there are people that don't live on the east or west coasts, the midwest is the -- does have

something to say, the south is here. okay. there's people in the middle of the country. >> yeah. i know. i think that's a big part of it because you do have sort of concentration of power and influence coming off the west coast, the east coast, and then various pockets whether you get to states like maybe a florida in the south, but the reality is very much in line with how you approached moving into a leadership position. but the reality is also one of a mixed effort on the part of democrats because not every new chairman is under 70 as they say. specifically aoc and her loss for the seat that she was -- the chairmanship she was or ranking membership she was trying to get was noted. msnbc hayes brown op-ed, when combined with her clear willingness to face president-elect donald trump's likely corruption head on,

alexandria ocasio-cortez is what democrats need to energize and demoralize. it's not an impossible role for her to play as a back bench member of the house democratic caucus. it is one that is much harder when so many in her party seem determined to pretend the next four years will be business as usual. and it is absolutely a waste of her considerable talents and energy to not have her front and center as one of the defining voices and the struggles that are yet to come. she, of course, responded on x dam, you know it's bad when donald trump -- when even donald trump is feeling bad for me and that's because he tweeted out really too bad that aoc lost the battle for the leadership seat in the democratic party. so you still have this space, congresswoman, in which the generation that your leadership is representing is not complete. how -- do you think that that

will create some drag within the party within the caucus itself, or is this just one of these moments this is the first step of many to come as the democrats are trying to find new footing, not just in how they address the country, but in how they address each other in leadership? >> well, i'm a 52-year-old grandmother of three. i got three little grandsons out there. so only in congress would that be considered generational change. let's just be clear about that. >> you don't look 52. i'm like i'm going to need to see i.d. >> she's pulling us on this sunday morning, right? >> well, look, at the end of the day, i've got a lot of talented colleagues who have something to say. there is a populace strand that's hit this country and those of us who are out performing out there like pat ryan, like me, there is a populace strand in this country we are speaking to. i think the democratic party, i

think, my colleagues look, my pitch to them was not i'm generational change. my pitch to my colleagues this weekend -- and it is unusual, right, for someone like me to come in and win the ranking member spot -- my pitch to my colleagues was, we got to change. we can't keep doing the things we've been doing and expect rural communities to come back to us. i think for working folks across this country, that is true. those members of our party who are speaking to them, who are winning trump voters as well as our own, we got to do two things in this session of congress. we've got to communicate why their policies are bad, like tariffs on my family farmers, and at the same time we have to win back their voters. i grew up in the south. i speak south. i live in minnesota. i'm going to be probably the only democrat at the pennsylvania farm show the day after i'm sworn in. we got to get back in the game and my committee, we're back in

the game. >> congresswoman angie craig of minnesota, thank you so much for being with us this morning. next, donald trump's daughter-in-law throws cold water on speculation that she'll be florida's next senator. you are watching "the weekend." you are watching "the weekend.

if you're living with hiv, imagine being good to go without daily hiv pills. ♪♪ good to go binge-watch. ♪♪ good to go out even later. ♪♪ with cabenuva, there's no pausing for daily hiv pills. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider, as few as 6 times a year.

don't take cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients, or taking certain medicines, that may interact. serious side effects include allergic reactions or rash, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if these occur, get medical help right away. tell your doctor about your medicines or supplements, medical conditions, liver or kidney problems, mental health, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. the most common side effect is injection site reaction ♪♪ with cabenuva, you're good to go. without daily hiv pills. talk to your doctor about switching. ♪♪ huh, noom has glp-1 meds now? yes, noom combines medications with healthy habits so you can lose the weight and keep it off. yeah, glp-1s starting at $149. that's noom smart. noom. the smart way to lose weight.

oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh!

the facts that my name has been mentioned among many other very qualified, very highly regarded people, as a potential fit for this senate seat that will be vacant by marco rubio when he's confirmed as our next secretary of state, yes, it's very intriguing, and i'm seriously considering it. i have not been asked yet by ron desantis, but as you heard from donald trump there, it is up to him ulgts ultimately. >> there was a donald trump's daughter-in-law and former rnc coshare lara trump on monday. last night she struck a different tone quoting after an

incredible amount of thought, contemplation and encourage i decided to remove my name for consideration from the united states senate and hinted a so-called big announcement in january. her name was being floated to replace florida senator marco rubio, who trump tapped to be the next u.s. secretary of state. >> michael, what do you think happened? >> she wasn't qualified for the job. >> she's not the only con. tulsi gabbard, pete hegseth. >> who controls that? >> well -- >> and who controls the senate seat. donald trump doesn't control the senate seat. the governor of the state controls the senate seat and i would think the governor of the state said, this is not happening. it's just not happening. >> well, you know, politico, this article that gary fine wrote on saturday notes that politico previously reported several people could be in

contention for the spot including the current attorney general of florida and desantis' chief of staff, and former florida house speaker jose owe live ya. in recent weeks it looks like moody, the attorney general, has emerged as the top contender for the job. basically he could -- desantis could get a couple things accomplished, move the attorney general into a senate seat, his chief of staff into the attorney general seat and a new chief of staff lining up his own loyalists playing chess, not checkers. >> i think that makes a lot of sense. from the very beginning of this, this was not something donald trump was going to control, and it really speaks to just how powerful our governors are in this country, as the founders designed it. 50 independent states. these governors weald an awful lot of influence and even with the advent of allowing direct election of u.s. senators as

opposed to the way we used to have senators get there, that element of the governor still, when there's a vacancy, having control over that seat, is still a very powerful political tool in their toolbox and he's using it. >> i never make predictions, but i want to go on record i think the big january announcement is a new hit single. >> that's where i was going. >> i feel it. >> i -- no shade because i'm not a singer, even though i used to have a solo in the choir. >> a single. >> i just -- i -- i just -- i don't know. i don't know about all of this. i think it's one gift. all a big gift. >> that's a given. >> grift -- >> why she probably didn't want to be a senator in the first place, because it requires work and you to move to washington, d.c., be in a bubble. you're not popping out singles. you popping on to the senate floor and that's just a little different. >> so while she has removed

herself, lara trump, from the florida senate sweepstakes you have donald trump tapping the former producer of "the apprentice" mark burnet as special envoy to the uk. quote, with a distinguished career in television production and business, mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role. that was trump on truth social. >> that's a load of crock. one thing has nothing to do with the other. i mean, come on, let's be serious. you take a television producer -- what is diplomatic skill? negotiating a contract between an actor and the set? i mean what is he even talking about here? this is putting his boy in place and that's all it is. >> yes, because i mean, mark burnet literally made -- helped craft the image of donald trump we know today. "the apprentice," they believe donald trump is a good

businessman, it stems specifically from him being on television for all of those years as a ceo hiring and firing people. so to me -- >> which the script, by the way, people, in case you didn't know, said, okay, you're going to hire this person and fire that person. it's not like -- >> all i'm saying, michael, maybe the control room is thinking anybody here ever get elected again, they would hope that you would appoint one of them, if it can happen to mark burnet it can happen for kyle griffin and james and brittney too. >> they do a lot of diplomacy in fairness. >> this is diplomatic right here. >> kyle will be the ambassador to turks and caicos. >> i will visit. next up the acting lab secretary julie su is here and inducted president biden to the labor hall of honor. we'll talk about his legacy for america's workers after a short break. ort break. one fire extinguisher beats 10 buckets of water, and for zero heartburn 1 prilosec a day...

beats taking up to 10 antacids a day. it's that simple, for 24 hour heartburn relief... one beats ten. prilosec otc. you don't stop being you just because one beats ten. you turn 65. but, you do face more risk from flu and covid. last year alone, those viruses hospitalized nearly 1 million people 65 and older. 1 million. vaccines lower your risk of getting really sick, so you can keep doing you. (phone call text on screen) that particular morning, i went into my son's bedroom

and we were cuddling. and he said it looked like i was having some sort of a seizure. he called 911. they didn't think i was going to make it. they told my family to come in and say their goodbyes. they diagnosed me as non-compaction cardiomyopathy and decided that i needed a pacemaker defibrillator, and i haven't had an incident since. the pacemaker that gave me a second chance at life was developed through research funded by the american heart association®. call or go online to helpheart.org with your gift of only $19 a month, just $0.63 a day. your $19 monthly gift will help fund the next medical breakthrough. get the next hospital certified in high quality cardiovascular care, and get even more people trained in lifesaving cpr. when you join our community of monthly donors, you'll get this limited

edition t-shirt you can wear to show your helping save lives. heart disease is america's number one killer. that's why we urgently need your monthly support. i'm grateful that i got more time with my family, and the american heart association® has helped make that possible. you've saved lives more than you would ever know. one simple act can save your life or the life of someone you love. call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org now to become a monthly donor today. what causes a curve down there? who can treat this? stop typing, and start talking. it could be a medical condition called peyronie's disease, or pd. you're not alone, there is hope. find a specialized urologist who can diagnose and treat pd. visit makeapdplan.com today.

president biden entered the white house vowing to become the most pro union president in american history. and he worked to deliver on that economic vision. under his presidency americans seeking to join a union double. the united states created more than 16 million jobs the unemployment rate hit its lowest level in more than 50 years and secured the pensions for more than 1.2 million workers and retirees. last week acting secretary of labor julie su honored the president inducting him into the department's hall of honor and acting labor secretary julie su

joins us now. >> madam secretary, great to have you at the table again. good it see you. the legacy of this president, i think, has gotten clouded around a lot of silly conversation around age and elections and all of that stuff. at the end of the day, he has shown himself over his leadership, course of leadership, to be dedicated to some very important fundamentals which played out in your department getting people back to work, creating jobs across the country. i want to call your attention, for example, in the small business area, which is one area that's particularly important to me when i served in office and even since, 20 million new business applications, business ownership doubling among black households, business ownerships at 30-year high for hispanic households, new businesses created by asian americans hit a 30-year high. these story lines are not on the

front pages of politico and the hill and "the washington post." so your department taking the extraordinary step of inducting him into that hall of honor was a way of sort of enshrining, if you will, that legacy. speak to that a little bit for us. >> never before has a president wielded the power of his office so unapologetically on the side of working people. everything from the very outset, when he said to amazon warehouse workers from des best se mer, alabama, to staten island, new york, you have the right to organize, without interference, without coercion, and he made good on that throughout his presidency. you know, he has made very clear -- he was the first sitting president to walk a picket line, throwing the weight of the presidency behind labor's oldest and most fundamental exercise of power and resistance. he made very clear from the beginning we were going to enforce labor laws and as a result we put over a billion

dollars in the pockets of workers, money they earned. you mentioned pension, when workers worked their whole lives for retirement they should get to rely on that retirement. he also said very clearly when we put out federal dollars, they're not going to be blank checks. we're going to make sure we're not just repairing roads and replacing pipes and building factories but building lives ensuring the jobs create ready good jobs. presidents often measure their success by the number of jobs they create and on that measure president biden has been wildly successful, especially given what he inherited. but the idea that the jobs have to be good jobs, family sustaining jobs, union jobs, is something that he has shown is possible and i think that has just shifted the playbook fundamentally. he will be in the hall where his story will continue to be told alongside those very workers he has advocated for his entire career. >> madam secretary, this week we heard the president talking about the legacy you just detailed but also about what he

called the onslaught that is forthcoming. take a listen. >> we push for our right to a living wage and right to overtime pay. jobs and factories are coming back home to america because we invested in the american agenda. we're modernizing american infrastructure. so much is going on, but it's going to take a little bit of time. but we got to make sure to protect, protect the onslaught that's going to come. >> i wonder what protecting that onslaught looks like? i wonder how much of this legacy you feel is vulnerable to the republican administration and what workers all across this country should be preparing for in the next hundred days and six months? >> look, so part of the legacy is the president has said that he believes in collective bargaining, in the power of unions, and on his behalf i have been at the bargaining table more times than several of my predecessors combined. not just to try to resolve disputes, but to try to make

sure that contracts actually reflect the real value that workers bring. and those gains, those historic wage increases, the health benefits, the retirement security, are locked in. those are contracts, and it demonstrates why working people having the power to have a say in the conditions of their workplace are -- is so important, right. this is not just a role for government. put what president biden has done is rewritten the playbook for what government's role can and should be. and, you know, the job is going to be of all of us to hold that government accountable to it. he has attacked the notion of trickle down economics head on. the idea that working people are just supposed to wait patiently while ceos get rich. that's not the vision of the economy he's had. that's not the vision of the economy we've tried to build. that's not the vision of the economy when it just works for billionaires that's going to carry this country forward. and the work of building that

economy, no matter who is in office, is all of our responsibility. >> you know, president's economic message is more of a populace message than we actually i think that have been written about and talked about and the way you are talking about it now, the way that you sit here and talk about it when i worked for him in 2020, it sounded just like that. some people can listen and say that sounds a little bernie sanders, like a touch of bernie, but it is -- it is quintessential joe biden. i was struck by you said this about the president that history will record joe biden as the most pro worker, pro union president this nation has had. what happens in the election and goes forward over the next two and four years, a focus on working people or the lack thereof the democrats had and you just laid out the president has had a laser focus on working people. not talked about as much is how

there is this dichotomy between unions and workers and what you all have said you don't have to choose. you support unions and support working people. all working people are not members of unions. when people talk about seeing themselves and what government is doing, i also think it's about the language that is being used and how people are being approached. whether you're a union, working person, this labor department says you have a place here. >> that's right. it's also one thing to talk about those things. it's a very different thing to deliver on them. i think it's right. workers having a seat at the table is really important, but for the vast majority of workers in this country they don't, right. they work in vulnerable circumstances. i sat down with workers who are dying because of heat, something that is totally preventable, you know, cause of workplace hazard and we have now put in place a proposed standard to protect workers from the hazards of heat. the question whether the next administration finishes that work. and we've also said -- we walked into many, many rooms and sat down with working people to say

that where you don't feel like you have power, you should feel like your government is on your side. when your rights are being violated, when you're experiencing wage theft, when you are not able to go home healthy and safe there are laws that pretext you. it is the department of labor's job to make sure we breathe life into those laws and that's something we have done over and over again because the president has said that we want to see, hear and fight for workers across this country. >> before we let you scoot out of here to begin to enjoy your holiday, what's next for you? what's your legacy look like, the imprint you've left on this department of labor? >> if i could say something about this department that i care so deeply about and so proud to lead, it is a department with about 15,000 career civil servants who come to work every day knowing working people depend on the department to be strong, that depend on the department to take serious the job of stopping

child labor in its tracks, making sure all workers who should be protected are protected. i said from the time i got here that i hope that the department would unleash its full power to do right by working people, and i think once that power is unleashed it's hard to put it back. we'll continue to support the important work that they will continue to do. >> all right. >> secretary julie su, thank you so much for being with us. coming up, congresswoman elect laura gillen of new york. we will get her reaction to the messy week on capitol hill. follow our show on social media our handle everywhere is at the weekend msnbc. tide pods ultra oxi one ups the cleaning power of liquid. can it one up whatever they're doing? for sure. seriously? one up the power of liquid, one up the toughest stains. any further questions? uh uh! one up the power of liquid with tide pods ultra oxi.

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. ♪♪ wait. noom has glp-1 meds now? noom, the psychology based weight loss company? yes, noom combines medication and behavior change so you can lose the weight and keep it off. and it starts at just $149. noom. the smart way to lose weight. the promise of america is freedom, equality, but right now,

those pillars of our democracy are fragile and our rights are under attack. reproductive rights, voting rights, the right to make your own choices and to have your voice heard. we must act now to restore and protect these freedoms for us and for the future, and we can't do it without you. we are the american civil liberties union. will you join us? call or go online to my aclu.org to become a guardian of liberty today. your gift of just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day, will help ensure that together we can continue to fight for free speech, liberty and justice. your support is more urgently needed than ever. reproductive rights are on the line and we are looking at going backwards. we have got to be here.

we've got to be strong to protect those rights. so please join the aclu now. call or go to my aclu.org and become an aclu guardian of liberty for just $19 a month. when you use your credit card, you'll receive this special we the people t-shirt member card magazine and more to show you're part of a movement to protect the rights of all people. for over 100 years, the aclu has fought for everyone to have a voice and equal justice. and we will never stop because we the people, means all of us. so please call or go online to my aclu.org to become a guardian of liberty today. what causes a curve down there? can it be treated? stop typing, and start talking. it could be a medical condition called peyronie's disease, or pd.

and it could be treated without surgery. find a specialized urologist who can diagnose pd and build a treatment plan with you. visit makeapdplan.com today. i'm so thankful to my dear friend lorne michaels for asking me to host tonight. [ applause ] >> thank you. you know, lorne, and i are close

friends kind of like trump and elon musk without the sexual tension, you know. >> i have to be honest with you, that was good. but the two d.o.g.e.s. >> the two d.o.g.e.s. >> i love david jolly. >> was good. i mean, the jokes about elon musk and donald trump, they literally do write themselves, and i -- elon musk is paying attention to it. i think he wants to stay in donald trump's good graces why he is on his little social media site trying to bat down the things and saying that's not true. this is happening. that's a voice i think elon musk has on twitter because, you know -- >> high points. >> yeah. you know i think it is -- >> you know. can i just say, though, that -- >> my name is elon. >> can i say -- >> i just want to be loved. >> i want to -- i am hopeful, i'm hopeful. >> tell me, please.

>> i'm hopeful. >> we're moving on. i'm just hopeful that in this first quarter that's coming up, this next quarter, the first couple months of the new administration, that -- that -- that people like get a grip on reality and that -- yeah. >> who are you talking about? >> i'm talking about members of congress. >> i think she's on to something. >> people are like it's just -- it's going to get better and i don't know if better is the word, but it is going to get manageable or it might all go to h.e. double hockey sticks. you have to come back with this resolve that we're going to live life do what we need to do and call the things out and we're going -- we're not going to be hampered by the craziness and chaos. that's what streets want. >> i thought it was interesting, michael, you can feel free to bat me down, but for one of the first times we have seen some republicans in the house stand up to donald trump when it came to this latest deal.

i thought it was interesting something melanie said to us yesterday, part of the fear had been he could put someone in and primary them so people who have survived that experience once, now have the muscle memory and are less afraid which i add not as like a banner of hope, but an additional variable this time around. >> it is. what i think we saw play out this week plays to something that i have been saying for a number of years now and certainly in a number of closed quarters around town, is that there is strength in numbers. >> yes. >> there just is. you can't just have one member standing out there, you know, with the knives and daggers coming at them and everybody is looking to get all chewed up and cut up and say i don't want to do that. when you hold together as a unit as a cohesive unit around -- i use the term loosely principled

point, then you find the strength from each other. because there are only so many of us you're going to hit. you got 170 people you're going to now primary, elon? 170 races you're going to dip your toe into? i don't think so. the reality becomes starker not for the members, but for the republican team writ large and for trump that they have to trade very carefully. >> walk a tight rope. >> walk a tight rope and you create that tightrope for them to walk, that's the power of your numbers. >> well -- >> that's why i look at the senate when it comes to, you know, kash patel and tulsi gabbard, et cetera, you don't have tooz crazy. you have the strength in your numbers because you know these people not just ill-fitted for the job, they're unequipped to do the job and the work that you're going to have to do as a u.s. senator on the back end of their leadership of those departments and agencies, oh,

hell no. you don't want a piece of that. so save yourself the grift and the crazy up front. just lock arms and say, no, mr. president, send us someone better. you can do it. it's christmas. i wore this sweater for you. you can do it. >> i'm not going to hold my breath for that one. we shall see in a confirmation hearing. refill the mug, there's more in the next hour. that's why i'm not singing. i can't. george conway, molly jong-fast and congresswoman elect laura gillen coming up on "the weekend." on "the weekend. it's on them. families save 20% every month. what a deal! new and existing customers, trade in your busted old phone, and we'll give you a new iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence on us. if you're living with dry amd, you may be at risk for developing geographic atrophy, or ga. ga can be unpredictable—and progress rapidly—leading to irreversible vision loss. now there's something you can do to... ♪ ( slow. it. down.) ♪

♪ ( get it goin' slower.)♪ ask your doctor about izervay. ♪ (i. zer. vay.) ♪ ♪ ( gets ga goin' slower.) ♪ izervay is an eye injection. don't take it if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye. izervay can cause eye infection, retinal detachment, or increased risk of wet amd. izervay may temporarily increase eye pressure. do not drive or use machinery until vision has recovered after an eye injection or exam. izervay is proven to slow ga progression, which may help preserve vision longer. ♪ ( i. zer. vay.) ♪ thanks! and get going. don't delay. ask your doctor about izervay. ♪♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors.

leo! he's there when we wake up, he's there when we leave, he's there whenever we come back home from school, he's just there always. mash it up doofus. ever since we introduced him to the farmer's dog, his quality of life has been forever changed. he prefers real, human-grade food. it's... ...like real food! it is! he's a happy dog now. he's a happy, happy dog. he's a happy, happy, happy dog!