carter was telling me, the empathy and love that he hopes his father is remembered for. >> that is a beautiful sentiment. thank you for sharing that. thank you to all of you so much. i appreciate all of you being here ray, jonathan, peter and of course richard in the studio. as we leave you watching the carter center employees coming by and paying their final respects to former president jimmy carter as he lies in repose. i will see you all tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. now, we had things off to politics nation with reverend al sharpton. d al sharpton.

a private ceremony just wrapped up at the carter presidential center. i will talk to one of carter's collaborators in congress about the connections he made beyond washington, and across racial and gender lines. just outside of washington, d.c., though, the newly reelect did republican speaker mike johnson is holding a strategy meeting with his republican colleagues as they gear up for the new legislative session. the first order of business is to certify the election results on monday, the fourth anniversary of january 6th. in new orleans, the investigation continues into the deadly new year's attack that left 15 people dead including the perpetrator. we will tell you about new revelations about the type of bomb materials recovered there,

that's coming up. but we start the show with congressman ro khana. a private service just wrapped up at the carter presidential center after a moment of silence was just held at the georgia state capital. the public will be able to pay their respects at the carter center for the next few days, before his body is laid in the state of the u.s. capitol and later returned to georgia for burial. how will you remember our 39th president? congressman? >> at a time when politics can often seem frivolous about sensationalism, or going viral, president carter was a true statesman, a person who

dedicated his life to public service. i first met the president as an intern at 19, i was at the carter center and i was going to the center for the presidents commitment not just for the people of the united states but working on better economic and human rights policies, and i remember jason carter, his grandson, being in a sports bar watching the olympics and president carter coming in and talking about his hope for diplomacy and peace and what our obligation as americans was to the rest of the world. he was truly one-of-a-kind and someone who i really looked to for inspiration about what public service can be at its best. >> no doubt about it, i have the same experience in meeting him the few times where i did,

that he really gave a presence of a great man. but switching gears to the 119th congress, officially underway this evening after mike johnson's narrow reelection as speaker yesterday. republicans have been holding daylong strategy sessions today, at fort mcnair, trying to come up with a plan for budget reconciliation, which will be a challenge, given their slim majority. now what are you expecting from this upcoming session? >> well, it should be very obvious what they want to do. they want to give tax breaks to the very very wealthy. they want to give $4 trillion of tax breaks to the wealthy. what does hakeem jeffries want to do? democrats want to make sure the money is going into the pockets of working-class and middle- class americans.

we want to invest in social security and medicare and that will be the big contrast for all of their preaching that they are for the working class and fiscal responsibility, the first thing they want to do is blow a hole in the deficit at $4 trillion of debt to give tax cuts to billionaires and multimillionaires. >> i have to address the tragedy this week in new orleans, where a suspect went on a violent rampage on bourbon street new year's morning, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more, the incident is being investigated as a terror attack after the suspect was found to have islamic state sympathies and bomb making materials but even before that, president-elect trump claimed, based on now retracted reporting that the suspect had illegally entered the country through our southern border. he hasn't corrected himself, even after the suspect was found to be a former u.s. army soldier from texas, but he has continued to post about open borders, feeding a spike in radical islamic terrorism and

violent crimes, your thoughts on president-elect trump's response? >> first of all let me just say that my heart goes out to all of the victims families, we had a collective moment of silence for the tragedy in the opening of the house, but when you are president or president-elect, your words really matter. and the fact that the president is using this incredible tragedy to score political points, it's just a travesty, it's a demeaning of the role of president. what we ought to be talking about is radicalization in our own country, how did that happen, how do we prevent that, how do we make sure that there's better enforcement within the united states? that would be constructive and that's what president biden is doing. and president biden convened his national security team and he is focused on the job, not

on the politics. >> now, you represent silicon valley, and a riff appeared last month in maga world, when trump allies you on musk and vivek swami both said that america was not producing the brainpower that the tech world needs, hence, the need for a revised version of the visa program which the president- elect says that he supports to some ire of his supporters. he said the program needs reform, and you put for partisan legislation to do that. what would you like to see changed, congressman? >> look, i am for having talent come to the united states, but let's be clear, we need to invest in america, and make sure that we are investing in the talent in the united states, that includes hbcus and the public colleges, it

includes hispanic serving institutes. so what i would like to see are three concrete things. if you are bringing in someone from an hb one visa, it shouldn't be used for entry- level jobs and there should be a tax on it and money collected should go into hbcus, public universities for stem programs here in the united states to be educating our workforce. >> i'm out of time but i have to ask you this, the democratic national committee votes on a new chair at the end of the month, and this weekend coming, senate minority leader schumer came out in support for wisconsin chair ben winkler, who we had on the show a month ago, schumer's cosign is one of the most prominent. you think as a member of the progressive caucus that is a sign from schumer that the party needs to

go in that direction and i understand maybe you have chosen where you may go if a candidate emerges? >> let me make some news, there is jesse jackson son, jonathan jackson -- >> congressman jonathan jackson. >> congressman jonathan jackson, he's in congress, and he is urged by many of us to run and the reason why is there were a lot of members of congress and communities who are asking for resources from grassroots organizations -- >> i think we -- >> we have a 50 state strategy and we can actually do this. >> all right, thank you for being with us, and as always, you make news when you do. now, more on the first day of the state funeral for former president jimmy carter that has begun earlier today in georgia.

right now carter's remains are at the carter presidential center in atlanta. moments ago the service ended with remarks, prayers, musical selections, and the laying of reefs in his armor -- honor. joining me now is, cement elizabeth holtzman, democrat of new york. now jimmy carter was a lifelong georgian but as president, he made an understated mark on this town, new york city, and with his passing, i remembered both the democratic conventions in his era were held right here in new york. i remember when he visited the south bronx in 1977, bringing national attention to the conditions of our inner cities and the residence, and also signed the refugee act of 1980 which made it possible for thousands of refugees to be admitted to the u.s., many of them, settling here in new york and making it what it is.

of course, all of this happened at the same time you were serving in congress in the late 1970s. tell us about your connection to president carter and his wife, roslyn, congresswoman? >> well, jimmy carter was, well he came at a very important moment in us history. i have been on the committee that voted to impeach richard nixon, and lived through watergate, lived through a time when a president lied to us and committed actual crimes and engaged in impeachable offenses, and who resigned rather than face certain impeachment enemy will from congress and here we have jimmy carter, actually what i remember first about him is that he carried his own garment bags, he didn't have aids caring it for him. he was a humble man.

and he was a breath of fresh air. he said i'm not going to lie, and we have been through a lot of lies including the live from a president who said i'm not a crook, so it was very important, it was a healing moment for the country and of course, it wasn't just his actions as a person and his rhetoric, but where he took the country, and whether it was a start in terms of an amnesty, trying to heal the wounds from the vietnam war resisters, trying to heal the wounds and bring the country together after the vietnam war and the tragedy of that war, but what i remember most of all, is working together with him on issues that new yorkers cared deeply about and most americans cared deeply about. they were still fighting over some of the issues which is unfortunate, but he was a principled man who stood for human rights, women's rights, civil rights. and i was very proud to work

with him. >> right on that point you just made, the height of the civil rights movement predated the carter presidency, still, he became a close friend of martin luther king jr.'s family, his widow, caretta, his father, after his assassination, he became close with them and whether he was governor of georgia or president of the united states, he made a point to include blacks in his cabinet, including many black women who credit carter with advancing their political careers while he was in the white house. how would you describe jimmy carter's presence in a racially evolving america of the late 70s, that was very volatile times, but you were very aggressive, ahead of your time, or maybe on time, and he took some stands that was not

something we are seeing a lot of today. >> correct. he understood the importance of the diversity of america and the need for inclusivity and the fact that we are only as strong as our weakest link, and you can't have poverty, discrimination, you can't have bigotry marking our nation's behavior without costing the whole country, and so, he stood up. not only did he make really impressive appointments and he had the first african american to serve as ambassador to the un, elinor holmes norton, he searched for the best and the brightest, and he had no hesitation, putting outstanding african americans in important positions not as figureheads but important positions to set an example for this country,

first of all, that blacks are just as talented and smart and wise as anybody else and they can also make mistakes like everybody else. they are human beings that have a lot to contribute. he did that. i had a small bill, reverend, dealing with discrimination, redlining in insurance, this affected urban areas particularly, and particularly minority neighborhoods. it was a small bill -- >> let me bring you into something even that you directly impacted with him, there's also his pioneering record on women's rights, you yourself work closely with them in trying to get the equal rights amendment ratified to our constitution, that effort ultimately failed but president carter famously extended the deadline for states to ratify it, cementing his legacy as an advocate for women, and that is

you in the photo on the left side in the red outfit. but what can you add to that story -- >> i'm in the green outfit, reverend. >> oh, i'm sorry. and i'm from brooklyn, i know what liz looks like. >> yeah, i think so. >> the important thing was that it wasn't just a gesture, jimmy carter believed in women's rights, so all you had to do was look at the role that roslyn played, his wife. i remember vividly this point, we met her, i was chair of the immigration subcommittee and we met her visiting refugee camps in southeast asia, why was she there? she was the eyes and ears of her husband. she was a partner with him and she was a capable and wonderful woman and it was a pleasure to work with her. it was not like today or a few years ago where we had a first

lady wear a jacket saying, i don't care, do you, roslyn carter cared about human beings whether they were asian, american, whether they were black or white, women or men. >> all right, thank you so much for being with us, coming up, more on the new developments in the investigation of the deadly new year's day attack in new orleans, and later, donald trump continues to complain after learning his sentencing in the hush money case will go forward, even though the judge is saying that jail time is off the table. we will be right back. right ba. . "paint the bathroom, give baxter a bath, get life insurance," hm. i have a few minutes. i can do that now. oh, that fast? remember that colonial penn ad? i called and i got information. they sent the simple form i need to apply.

all i do is fill it out and send it back. well, that sounds too easy! (man) give a little information, check a few boxes, sign my name, done. they don't ask about your health? (man) no health questions. -physical exam? -don't need one. it's colonial penn guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. if you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed in most states, even if you're not in the best health. options start at $9.95 a month, 35 cents a day. once insured, your rate will never increase. a lifetime rate lock guarantees it. keep in mind, this is lifetime protection. as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today. there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling.

what if your mobile network wasn't just built to work out here... ...but was designed differently to also give you blazing fast wifi where you are most of the time? reliable 5g, plus wifi speeds up to a gig where you need it most. xfinity mobile. xfinity internet customers, ask how to get a free 5g phone

and a second unlimited line free for a year. this is not an ideologically pure cabinet past my >> what are your concerns with the incoming administration when it pertains to mass deportations. >> what's your message to concerned voters? >> america will move forward as it always has. welcome back to "politicsnation", following the latest developments in the investigation of the deadly new year's day attack in new orleans. two senior law enforcement sources tell nbc news that the

driver who killed 14 people with his truck, also planned to use a transmitter to set off two explosive devices, using a rare compound never before seen in u.s. or european terror attack. joining me now to talk about it is retired lieutenant general russell honoree, is the former commander of hurricane katrina joint task force. general, no one knows new orleans better than you. to start, what is your reaction to the latest revelations about the attack? >> the terrorist groups continue to optimize technology, the use the internet to pass information, it's a surprise to everyone, it's to be expected, they continue to adapt and to

optimize whatever is available, the cornerstone of isys is to empower their people without orders as in the case of this young man, to kill as many people as he can until they die, you fight till the end and you kill as many people as you can. that is a part of the motto in the isys book that's been published online and they continue to adapt and use vehicles to attack with, as a mode of) and remember, we are at war with isys we even killed one of their commanders last week. we are at war with isys. >> i want to ask you about the

security, this attack took case in a busy part of bourbon street, it's been reported that the security barriers on that street were under repair when this happened. this was new year's day, the sugar bowl was scheduled to take place later that night. why weren't there more precautions in place? >> well, they were under repair, the police adapted by putting a car in there but it did not block the sidewalk but with these type of vehicle borne terrorist attacks, they will find a way to get in, reverend out, and they wanted to do it at that corner. it's one of the most historic corners in new orleans, that's where most of the hotels are, the big hotels where people enter the french quarter on bourbon street, so we -- he

picked a place that would have the most terror impact and scare the people and kill people, but if that street had been fully blocked, can now street is equally open with hundreds of people, as you know, on those streets at any given time. he could have killed somewhere else, between baton rouge and new orleans, he passed 150 chemical plants. he wanted to do a symbolic attack on a symbolic city, to terrorize people in america, which it did, it shocked the americans soul with what happened on the streets of new orleans, but those suicide bombers, they will kill people. >> i want to take a moment to acknowledge the 14 victims who were killed, who ranged in age from 18 to 63 years old. many more were wounded.

my heart goes out to their loved ones as well as the city of new orleans, which has seen more than his fair share of tragedy over the years. how does the community bounce back? >> well, i think it's already started, reverend al, by paying tribute, and the ministers in the town, as soon as the remains were moved off, they did a second line which is a tradition, the highest honor that we can give to people in new orleans upon death, and they performed that service, the interfaith service led by the mayor and many other leaders in the community to pay tribute and the mourning will continue, but you know, life moves on in the city, they were able to secure the city, have the bowl game and now the focus from the governor and the mayor and the entire counsel is focusing on those families, the

federal government has brought teams in, the red cross is there, salvation army has brought counselors in but nothing will replace the loss to these families and my heart goes out to them but reverend now, mardi gras starts monday in new orleans, the first parade. we've got to secure, continue to work to secure the city and you know those parades, they go for blocks on end, and there will have to be some adjustments because normally our police are controlling traffic. they've got to now focus on counterterrorism operations and this is a of a wake-up call for every city in america that when you have masses of people out, you're going to have to have a counterterrorism plan to ensure that the vehicles cannot get to the people. >> now the suspect in this case who was killed in the incident was an army veteran who appeared

to have been radicalized, to the point where he claimed to be a member of isys. in las vegas, authorities are investigating an apparent suicide and car bombing at the trump international hotel where the deceased driver has been identified as a green beret. and either of these cases, do you think there is something in their military backgrounds that may be relevant to explaining what motivated them to carry out these alleged acts? >> well i think tied to the fact that they became suicide bombers and we will refer to them as that way because that's how we refer to them when they were in iraq and afghanistan. but on any given day, we lose 20 veterans to suicide. the federal government, of all the solutions we come up with for covid now, the focus on alcohol, the nation has yet to get a grip on and the surgeon general and the white house and others talk about how can we

curb this 20 veterans a day. these two did it by being a suicide bomber but in the last 24 hours, we've lost on average 20 veterans a day and most of them, to gun violence. both of them were suicide bombers and they were veterans. they are part of the 20 that we lose every day. >> thank you for being with us. before we go to break, a quick update on a story we've been following on "politicsnation", new york attorney general james has appointed special prosecutor to investigate the death of inmate robert brooks

who passed away after he was beaten by guards at a new york state prison, james said this week that she is recusing herself is four of the correction officers involved in the case are defendants in other cases and are represented by lawyers in the attorney general's office. we will continue to follow this story. and anniversary steeped in irony. we will look at the legacy of january 6th, four years later as donald trump gets ready to return to the white house. stay tuned. stay tuned ve a b to plan around. thanks! i mean, i can see you right now if that's...convenient. visionworks. see the difference. are you looking for a walk-in tub, for you, or someone you love? well, look no further. january is bath safety month. and for a limited time, when you purchase your brand-new safe step walk-in tub

you'll receive a free safety package. and if you call today, you'll also receive $1,500 off your entire order! yes! $1,500 off the price of our brand-new safe step walk-in tub. proudly made in tennessee, a safe step walk-in tub is the best in its class. the ultra-low easy step helps keep you safe from having to climb over those high walled tubs, allowing you to age gracefully in the home you love. now you can enjoy the best of both worlds. the therapeutic benefits of a warm, soothing bath, that can help increase mobility, relieve pain, boost energy, and even improve sleep! or, if you prefer, you can take refreshing shower with our stand-up shower package remember, if you call during national bath safety month you'll receive a free safety package plus $1,500 off!

lakesha: childhood cancer is-- it's a long road. it's hard. but st. jude has gotten us through it. st. jude is hope that you have a chance at life. and it goes such a long way for every child diagnosed with cancer because the research is being shared all over the world. it's awesome. [music playing]

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. welcome back to "politicsnation". the nation's capitol is on high alert this weekend , as it gears up for an unprecedented period of prominent events, including president carter's funeral and president trump's inauguration. in the wake of two high profile

incidents on new year's day in new orleans and las vegas, joining me now to talk about it is democratic michigan u.s. senate to gary peters, ranking member of the homeland security committee. thank you for joining me today, senator. let's start with the investigations into the attack in new orleans that left 15 people dead including the perpetrator, as well as the parent suicide and car bombing at the trump hotel in las vegas, both, on new year's day. have you been satisfied with the way authorities have responded to these incidents so far? >> well, so far, in terms of the investigation, i think they are moving forward, in a way that is getting information fairly quickly. we still have more that we need to learn particularly what happened in new orleans,

certainly, this individual was inspired by isys. i think we want to know was that radicalization online, was he involved with individuals here in this country, what that process was, that could be very important to know, to prevent future attacks of this kind, so, these are always challenging when you have lone wolf actors engaged in these horrendous terrorist attacks or suicide bombing in the case of what we saw in las vegas, so we have more to learn, but we know a lot now, and i think it just highlights the risk that we have from domestic terrorism in this country, something that i've worked on very aggressively when i chaired homeland security and now as the ranking member, we always have to be concerned about foreign terrorists coming into our country but the number 1 threat is actually folks who are homegrown, people who are living here in the united

states, in these two attacks, these were both u.s. citizens who have served or were serving in the us military and yet engaged in these actions. >> the president-elect was quick to link the new orleans attack to open borders on wednesday. based on erroneous reports that were quickly discounted, many of trump's allies quickly echoed those claims, even though the attacker turned out to be a u.s. citizens. meanwhile, elon musk, openly mused on his x platform that the new orleans attack and the cyber truck explosion in vegas could be linked, something authorities have said is not appear to be the case. it should be noted that since then musk has been working with authorities to try and piece together what happened. trump will be president in 16 days and musk has been a near constant presence at mar-a-lago during the transition. are you concerned about how this incoming administration

could respond to similar incidents in the future, what are the possible consequences of rushing to judgment? >> well, it's clear, as you pointed out, this was a rush to judgment which is why it's important to act as possibly, particularly when you are president of the united states. you need to be thoughtful, you need to be responsible, and putting out the statements that he did before information came in, just causes more problems. it is clear, as you mentioned, this was not an issue of folks coming across the border although we have to do everything we can to make sure that the border is as secure as possible but in these cases, these were u.s. citizens, as you mentioned, had served in the military or currently serving. you need to wait to see the facts before you talk in the way in which he talked. and i hope that when you are

president, you have great responsibilities, it's different than when you are a candidate and throwing rocks, this is about trying to solve problems, figuring out what is going on and handling things in a responsible way, and i certainly hope the president will do that. i will continue to press his administration and hope that the folks who are nominated for these key positions will take a responsible tact when it comes to dealing with these types of incidents. >> monday is the fourth anniversary of the january 6th storming of the capital. earlier this week, the fbi announced it had made its largest seizure of homemade explosives, ever, at a virginia farm. the suspect had pipe bombs stuffed into a backpack bearing the phrase, no lives matter, a slogan linked to write wing extremist groups online. do you think america is safer from the threat of right-wing domestic terrorism, then it was four years ago?

>> no, i think it continues to be a major concern of mine, and i know law enforcement authorities well, when you look at homegrown terrorism, that's what we are talking about, it can be inspired by isys ideology but it's also inspired by anti-semitism, white supremacy. i have worked to get reports from both the fbi and homeland security, so we get a better understanding of violent acts that we are seeing across the country. what are those acts, what percentage of them, do we need to have more resources going into the fbi and homeland security to deal with it? that information is important unfortunately, we haven't been able to get that information because republicans have blocked my efforts to put that requirement in our national defense authorization. so i don't know why they don't want this information. i think it's incredibly important to protect americans and to understand that extreme

violence wherever it comes from, is something that is horrific and we have to make sure we do everything in our power to prevent these kind of incidents from happening. >> i want to give your take on the upcoming legislative session. mike johnson was narrowly reelected speaker of the house, republican senate majority leader john thune has said his colleague faces a quote, really tough job ahead. we have heard talk that johnson wants to pass one big reconciliation bill in the early days of the trump administration that would attempt to tackle taxes, energy, and border, all in a single piece of legislation. do you think that the two parties, and the two chambers will be able to work together? >> well, i certainly we can work together, hopefully in a bipartisan basis, i've always taken great pride in that and i think that's how government works best when people come

together and try and find common ground that serves all of the american people but i think we are expecting a lot of chaos in the house, we saw the chaos before we broke at the end of the year when we had a budget agreement that everybody agreed on and a bipartisan way and we know the president and his right-hand person, basically tried to sabotage that and create chaos. i think that is going to be what we are going to see going forward, the numbers are so tight in the house in the republican caucus and you have a group of very extreme folks who all believe that they have a lot of power now because of the tight margin, and i can't see us moving forward in a constructive way right now. i hope i'm wrong and i hope we can work in a bipartisan way and i will do what i can to make that happen but i was not

encouraged when i saw the end of last year, and going into this year, i don't expect that we will see anything different in the months ahead. >> senator, thank you for being with us. yesterday may have been speaker johnson's easiest day on the job in his congressional session. we will break it down with my political panel, next. my symptoms are mild now, but i'm not risking it. if it's covid, paxlovid. paxlovid must be taken within the first 5 days of symptoms... and helps stop the virus from multiplying in your body. taking paxlovid with certain medicines can lead... to serious or life- threatening side effects or affect how it... or other medicines work, including hormonal birth control. tell your doctor about all medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you take as certain tests or dosage changes of your other medicines may be needed. tell them if you have kidney or liver problems, hiv-1, are or plan to be pregnant or breastfeed. don't take paxlovid if allergic to its ingredients. stop taking and call your doctor right away if you have allergic reaction symptoms.

serious side effects can include allergic reactions, some severe like anaphylaxis, and liver problems. these are not all the possible side effects, so talk to your doctor. if it's covid,... paxlovid. ask your doctor today. whether you need to lose 10, 20, 50, or over 100 pounds, make the healthy choice with golo. head to golo.com that's g-o-l-o.com

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. welcome back to "politicsnation", speaker johnson, with him back in

control of the gavel, the 119th session of congress is now officially underway. joining me to talk about is my political panel, brandon buck is a former communications advisor to republican speakers paul ryan and john boehner, and donna edwards is a former democratic congresswoman from maryland. both are msnbc contributors. brandon, mike johnson squeaked by yesterday getting reelected speaker by just three votes. friend of our show, republican strategist, wrote that it might turn out to be his easiest day on the job this session. the real work of legislating starts now. you worked for two republican speakers. what is your take? >> well i certainly wouldn't say it's an easy day and that

should be credit to mike johnson for pulling this off on the first ballot. i think a lot of us thought that it was going to take several ballots if not several days to get there. but he did what he needed to do, certainly got a big assist from donald trump to get over the finish line but that's ultimately the key for success going forward. this is not a situation where some of these discontented members can push around the speaker like they pushed around kevin mccarthy or mike johnson last year, they are now trying to push around donald trump at the same time and they quickly realize, that is a different dynamic. you are right, governing this year is going to be extremely difficult. some of the things that you have to do when you are in charge like funding the government or increasing the debt limit which they will have to do in the next few months,

republicans have shown they are unwilling or unable to put up the 218 votes among themselves to get those things done. so they will have to work with democrats and ultimately, that's what gets the speaker in trouble. some of those things that you just have to do, you have to work with democrats and that's what got mccarthy kicked out. he's got a short lease to operate under and probably his best hope is that trump will continue to swat away some of these threats. >> the previous session of congress was the least productive in terms of bills passed, going back to at least the 1980s. do you expect the 119th congress to be any more effective? >> the reality check for democrats is that republicans do have a trifecta, but it's a very fractured and narrow majority, especially in the house and frankly, even to get to 60 votes in the senate. i do think you know, while donald trump may want a big beautiful reconciliation package, that is going to be difficult to move through the house and the senate, so i think

there are going to be challenges. i don't expect it to be more productive than any of these other republican-led congresses have been recently. there are just so many divisions and so many opportunities, i think as brandon pointed out, where the fractures go deep, and the ability of the speaker, to do anything is going to rest, depending on democrats and i just think that is a no go for a substantial number of their conference. >> while congress is poised to certify trump's reelection on monday, legal issues linger for him and his allies. trump was railing against judge merchan this morning, after he said yesterday's sentencing in the hush money case will go forward on the 10th, but jail time is off the table. former trump lawyer rudy giuliani testified at a

contempt hearing yesterday for failing to fully comply with an order to hand over millions of dollars in assets to election workers that he defamed. trump has gambled that getting reelected would make his legal headaches go away. do you bet that will pay off, the way he is hoping? >> well it sure seems like it, with jack smith already withdrawing his cases against the president, look, for all of us who sat around and watched the case in new york and a lot of people questioning you know, was this the type of case that would be brought against trump if he wasn't donald trump, and we get to the sentencing at this point and basically it's a slap on the wrist. i really think it underscores that this was a really weak case to bring against him and it leaves you wondering, to what end did we do this, to what purpose did we go through this entire thing and we get to the sentencing, there's no real consequences for what he did. there was no political impact to any of this.

it feels like what should be one of the most like remarkable moments in a president being found to be a felon, has had no practical impact on him and certainly no political impact. it makes you wonder why did we go through this in the first place and these were probably charges that should've never been brought in the first place. >> biden is making moves in the final days of his presidency that seem to rebuke the incoming president in terms of symbolism and substance, this morning he announced a slate of medal of freedom recipients including members that trump has demonized including hillary clinton and george soros and planning to announce a ban on oil drilling in the atlantic and pacific that could prove difficult for trump to undo. what do you make of these rules and do you think we can expect more? >> look, i think president

biden continues to demonstrate that he really does understand this process perhaps like no other president that we've had in recent years. look, these are political statements, i think especially with the medal of freedom awardees, hillary clinton, george soros, really highlighting them if there are clearly others, robert kennedy, i think is a definite slap in the face toward the incoming administration. and i think it sends a real message about the kind of democracy that president biden believes that we should have and that we deserve, and it's going to be in stark contrast to the incoming administration. also, i think these bands, particularly on drilling, are going to be very difficult to undo and they are going to come with a great political cost, should the incoming president decide to do that, so very smart moves, even in these

waning days of the biden administration. >> thank you. up next, more to come, my final thoughts, stay with us. w s shopify's point of sale system helps you sell at every stage of your business. with fast and secure payment. card readers you can rely on. and one place to manage it all. whatever the stage, businesses that grow grow with shopify.

when i looked at mike johnson's razor thin win to remain speaker because of the very, very narrow majority the republicans hold in the house, i thought about the american people will only be taken care of if we learn how to find some common ground without selling out our principles, but to care for the people that we serve and i've had to confront that in my life as a civil rights leader. i remember in 2009 i had marched on president george bush when he was in the florida vote count. i marched during his inauguration, but we began

talking in his second term even after i marched on hurricane katrina about education. we talked about my concern about public education, his with no child left behind and in his last appearance before his successor was inaugurated, he invited me to a public school with him as he addressed the audience and to everybody's surprise, i'll let you see what he said. >> i want to thank very much the reverend al sharpton. now some of you are probably about to fall out of your chair when you know that al and i have found common ground and by the way, it's on an important issue. see, he cares just as much as i care about making sure every child learns to read, write, add, and subtract and i want to thank you for your leadership on this issue and i appreciate your being here. >> and then just a few months

later when barack obama succeeded him as president, he had a meeting with newt gingrich, the former republican speaker of the house, and myself in the oval office with valerie jarrett and his secretary of education and had us tour five cities to study education to see where we could come together. we can in public life disagree without being disagreeable if we have grown-ups in the room and tweeting at each other and name calling is not going tosolve the problems of the people we claim to care a lot about. let's hope grown-ups are in the room as we go forward. that does it for me. thanks for watching! i'll see you back here tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. eastern for another live hour of "politics nation." the saturday show with jonathan capehart starts right now.