coverage of the certification of the vote. >> thank you so much. i'm live from msnbc headquarters. we are witnessing something that is extraordinary, tha peaceful transfer of power, a stark contrast to four years ago when a mob stormed the capitol fuelled by donald trump's false claims that the election had been stolen. now we are looking at vice president kamala harris who hoped that this day would be about certifying her election but she will momentarily preside over her own election defeat and a second term in office for donald trump. she has called this moment a a sacred obligation. she put out a recorded messagere committing to the peaceful transfer of power that we did not see of course four years ago. president bidenrs also warned ia

new op-ed that an unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite the history of that day, to tell we didn't see what we all saw with our own eyes but o then writing that on this day, we can't forget this is what we owe those who founded this nation, those who have fought for it and died for it. i want to go to nbc's ryan nobles who is at the capitol. and as we wait for this to formally begin, what are we expecting? >> this will be a deliberative process, and largely uneventful, much different than what things were like four years ago as you pointed out. we see speaker johnson already at the rostrum there and he has gavelled in the session. the sergeant of arms has welcomed the vice president and members of the united states senate. this is a joint session of congress, similar to what we would see play out if this were a state of the union address if this were a sitting president.

what we are about to see happen is that there will be a mahogany box with sealed votes carried in by the senate pages, one of the most important responsibility of the senate page programs to bring the boxes with the sealed ballots, and votes into the house chamber for them to be certified. and then it will be the vice president, kamala harris, who will preside over this procession. she will call together this joint session of congress. this of course a remarkable responsibility for her, givensp the fact that she was the other candidate on the ballot in the race. and the results of the election did not go her way. democrats have gone to great pains to point out that they are working with republicans now toi make this peaceful transfer of power happen despite the fact that they worked so hard to make the election results go her way. after the joint session of congress begins, there will be

four tellers who take turns reading the results from each of the states. now in past years, including four years ago, this is where things could have gone off the rails. that's where the opportunity is for congress to object to the results and prevent the reading of the results from taking place. but congress after what happened on january 6th changed the rules of the electoral certification process. now not just one member of congress can voice an objection. there has to be a group of members of congress that do that. there is a whole process that takes place that is a much higher bar than existed before, even though four years ago, it was more of a formality now after the electoral count act passed, it becomes more of a formality. if there are no objections, we do not expect objections to take place, the tellers will continue through the states in alphabetical order, reading out

the results, putting them on the record. then it will be the vice president kamala harris who lost the election who will be responsible for reading how the electoral votes and how many of the electoral votes each candidate received and then the election is certified and she will declare the joint session of congress dissolved. so this is really in many ways just ceremonial. wey know the results of this election. we saw the number of votes that were cast for both candidates, the number of electoral votes that they won. so this is basically just putting a stamp on a decision already made by the people of the united states of america. the difference between what happened five years ago and what is happening today is that donald trump won this election and four years ago, he did not win the election. that iswi part of the violence e saw on capitol hill on january

6th, 2021. >> this marks a remarkable comeback for donald trump. in years past it was not given much attention but now it is something extraordinary in contrast to what we saw four years ago at this very hour, at this very time, rioters had punched through the first outdoor barriers near the west front of the capitol. donald trumpon was still speakig at the ellipse. we have much to talk about. i want to bring in former democratic senator of missouri, claire mccasical, former republican congressman of florida, carlos cavela, both analysts who have witnessed certifications before. with me in studio is jeremy peters of new york times, michael hardaway, former communications director for hakeem jeffries. good to have you with me and you will be watching with me. as i look at kamala harris, another stunning contrast with

four years ago. after losing theas election, she is there to affirm trump's victory and she said today guided by love of country, loyalty to our constitution, and my unwavering faith in the american people. tog about the importance of what you are watching play out on the floor of the house right now. >> i think it is important that we always remember what a divided country we are. donald trump didn't get even 50% of the votes that americans cast in november. it is really a 50/50 country right now. that is why it is so important that a democratic party is showing america that they believe in our democracy. they arein not calling for anyoe to fight like hell. no oneig is barricading doors. no one is running for cover. they are accepting the results of the american people, even though, less than 50% of the people in the country voted for donald trump.

the electoral collegey is how w elect the president. he won the electoral college. i think everyone needs to respect that what kamala harris is doing today, she considers her sacred duty. i'm sure it's not fun. i'm sure this isn't her favorite day of all days. but she's going to do what she held her hand up and swore to do. that is to protect and defend the constitution and therefore the united states of america. >> i also mentioned the op-ed that joe biden wrote and he made the point that he will be at the inauguration. let's listen in now as the certification begins. >> the house will come to order. mr. speaker, and members of congress, pursuant to the constitution, and laws of the

united states, the senate and house of representatives are meeting in joint session to verify the certificates and count the votes of the electors of the several states for president and vice president of the united states. after ascertainment has been had that the certificates are authentic and correct in form, the tellers will count and make a list of the votes cast by the electors of the several states. the tellers on the part of the two houses will take their places at the clerk's desk.

>> without objection the tellers will dispense with reading former portions of the certificates after ascertaining that the certificates are regular in form and authentic , the tellers will announce the votes cast by the electors for each state beginning with alabama. senator fisher? >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of alabama seems to be regular and formed

and authentic and it appears therefore from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received 9 votes of president and jd vance of the state of ohio received nine votes. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of alaska seems to be regular and formed and authentic and appeared therefore that donald j. trump of the state of florida receiveded three votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received three votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of arizona seems to be regular in form and

authentic and it appears therefore that donald trump of the state of florida received 11 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 11 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of arkansas seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald trump received six votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of california seems to be regular in form and

authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received 54 votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received 54 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of colorado seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received ten votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received ten votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of connecticut seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of

the state of california received seven votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received seven votes for vice president. >> madam president , the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of delaware seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears there from that kamala d. harris from the state of california received three votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received three votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the district of columbia seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received three votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received

three votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of florida seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received 30 votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received 30 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of georgia seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received 16 votes for president and jd vance of ohio received 16 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the

certificate of the electoral vote of the state of hawaii seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris from the state of california received four votes for president and tim walz from the state of minnesota received four votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of idaho seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received four votes for president, and jd vance of the state of ohio received four votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of illinois seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of

california receiveded 19 votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received 19 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of indiana seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald trump from the state of florida received 11 vets for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 11 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of iowa seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received six votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio

received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of kansas seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received six votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote in the commonwealth of kentucky seems to be regular in form and authentic and donald trump of the state of florida received eight votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received eight votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of louisiana

seems to be regular in form and authentic and appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received eight votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received eight votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of maine seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears that kamala d. harris of the state of california received three votes for president and donald trump of the state of florida received one vote for president. tim walz received three votes for vice president and jd vance of the state of ohio received one vote for voice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral

vote of the state of maryland seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received ten votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received ten votes for voice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the commonwealth of massachusetts seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received 11 votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received 11 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of michigan seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there

from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received 15 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 15 votes for vice president. madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of minnesota seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received ten votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received 10 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of mississippi seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the

state of florida received six votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of missouri seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received ten votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio receiveded ten votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of montana seems to be regular in form and octentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received four votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received four

votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of nebraska seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received four votes for president and kamala d. harris s of the state of california received one vote for president. and jd vance of the state of ohio received four votes for vice president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received one vote for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral

vote of the state of nevada seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald trump of the state of florida received six votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of new hampshire seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that kamala d. harris from the state of california received four votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received four votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of new jersey seems to be regular in form and authentic and appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california receive 14

votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received 14 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of new mexico seems to be regular in form and authentic, it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california receive five votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received five votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of new york seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received 28 votes for president, tim walz of the state of minnesota received 28 votes

for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of north carolina seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears there from that donald trump of the state of florida received 16 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 16 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of north dakota seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received three votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received three votes for vice president.

>> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of ohio seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received 17 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 17 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of oklahoma seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received 7 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 7 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the

certificate of the electoral vote of the state of oregon seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received eight votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received eight votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the commonwealth of pennsylvania seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida received 19 votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received 19 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of rhode island seems to be regular in

form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california received four votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received four votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of south carolina seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received 9 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received nine votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of south dakota seems to be regular in form and authentic. it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received three votes for

president and jd vance of the state of had ohio received three votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of tennessee seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received 11 votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received 11 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of texas seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received 40 votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received

40 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of utah seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida received six votes for president and jd vance from the state of ohio received six votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of vermont seems to be regular in form anding authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris from the state of california received three votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota received

three votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the commonwealth of virginia seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california receive 13 votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota receive 13 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of washington seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that kamala d. harris of the state of california receive 12 votes for president and tim walz of the state of minnesota receive 12 votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of west virginia seems to be regular in

form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of florida receive four votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received four votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the great state of wisconsin seems to be regular in form and authentic and it appears there from that donald j. trump from the state of florida receive ten votes for president and jd vance from the state of receive ten votes for vice president. >> madam president, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of wyoming seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears there from that donald j. trump of the state of

florida received three votes for president and jd vance of the state of ohio received three votes for vice president. >> members of dpres, the certificates having been read, will ascertain and deliver the results to the president of the senate. >> the undersigned deb fisher and amy klobuchar, tellers on the part of the senate and brian steel and joseph moellie, tellers on the part of the house of representatives report the following as to the ascertainment and counting of the electoral vote for president and vice president of the united states. for the term beginning on the

20th day of january, 2025. >> the state of the vote for the president of the united states as delivered to the president of the senate is as follows. the whole number of the electors appointed to vote for president of the united states is 538. within that whole number, the majority is 270. the votes for president of the united states are as follows, donald j. trump of the state of florida has received 312 votes. [ applause ] o florida has received 312 votes [ applause ] >> kamala d. harris of the state of california has received 226 votes.

[ applause ] >> the whole number of electors appointed to vote for vice president of the united states is 538. within that whole number a majority is 270. the votes for vice president of the united states are as follows. jd vance of the state of ohio has received 312 votes. [ applause ] >> tim walz of the state of minnesota has received 226 votes. [ applause ]

>> this announcement of the state of the vote by the president of the senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons eelected president and vice president of the united states. each for a term beginning on the 20th day of january, 2025, and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the house and the senate. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> the purpose of the joint senate having been concluded

concurrent to resolution number 2, 119th congress, the chair declares this joint session dissolved, thank you. >> it took just about half an hour but that is an important moment in the peaceful transfer of power inn harris presiding over a ceremony in which she announced that the man she ran against for president, donald j. trump would indeed take th office of pr january 20, 2025 and jd vance of ohio who was in the audience will be the vice president. there were avi couple of moments there that are worth noting. i think perhaps the mostrh significant, not an easy day for kamala harris who fought so hard and under circumstances that no one else has ever had to face with a shortened campaign for president of the united states,

paused when republicans began to cheer after the announcement that donald trumpee had reached the number of electoral votes and would be certified the next president of united states and smiled and allowed them to have that moment. and of course the democrats cheering for her as well, the same for jd vance and tim walz. it took just about half an hour, stark contrast to four years ago when it took nearly 15 hours because rioters at this hour were approaching the u.s. capitol. donald trump had said a little after 1:00 on that afternoon of january 6th, if you don't fight like hell, you're not going togo have a country anymore. within a little more than an hour, folks had breached, had breached the building using a helmet and a board to break the glass in a small alcove and opening the doors to the senate

wing. although you can see watching that happen, this has never been must see tv in the past, it is now because of the stark contrast of the day that will live in infamy from four years ago, that january 6th, the incredible contrast to what we saw today. back with me, nbc's ryan nobles reporting from capitol hill. also joining us is former democratic senator from missouri, claire mccaskill and carlos curvelo, both analysts who have witnessed certifications. jeremy peters and michael hardaway are in studio. thank you all so much for watching this along with me. claire, we were speaking before we went into that certification process about how we are very much a divided country, 75 c million people plus change voted for kamala harris, 77 million for donald trump but it was not

a majority. she has called donald trump a fascist. she has said that he would abuse the powers of the presidency. she warned he should never again stand behind the seal of president of the united states. and i think it is reasonable to suspect that many of the 75of million americans who voted for her feel much the same way, claire. so as we witness what we just saw for those people who feel as kamala harris does, for democrats, former colleagues of yours who are in congress, and for just voters, what is their role now in preserving and protecting this democracy going forward? >> well, it's going to bego interesting. john thune has a big job because he has already said very clearly that he wants to protect the filibuster. he wantsct to require 60 votes r changes in policy. they will have the ability with

a simple majority to continue the trump tax cuts for the very wealthy in this country. they will have an opportunity to spend more money on border security which frankly i think will have some bipartisan support in a reconciliation bill that only requires a simple majority. here's the thing we have to remember. what happened four years ago, donald trump did not pay a political price for it. and i know that is awkward and uncomfortable and frankly depressing in many ways but it is true. if you would have asked me four yours ago if donald trump could ever get elected again on this day, i would say no. in facts if you would have asked be many times during the lastme four years if donald trump could get elected again, i would have said no. but the american people by a slim majority said yes, we will give him another shot because we are not happy with the status

quo. whether kamala harris liked it or not, it represented the status quo. i don't think the majority of america wanted donald trump again but they didn't want more of the same. >> here's where we are jeremy. i think claire makes a great point. there are many republicans, many americans who still believe joe biden was an illegitimate president. donald trump has never conceded the election. and speaking of january 6th, republican congressman mikean collins falsely posted that this was four years ago, thousands of peaceful grandmothers taking a self guided, unauthorized tour of the capitol building. what does that bode movingat forward? >> the rewriting the history of january 6th represents donald trump's complete dominance of the republican party. not just his dominance but his ability to bend politicians and

decision makers to his will, to his lies. claire is exactly right. there were many people who thought after january 6th that he didn't stand a chance. he was politically dead. you know who those people included? many republicans like kevin mccarthy, like mitch mcconnell. there were people who feared for their lives in that house chambers where kamala harris just presided over the certification. >> mike pence. >> trump's doctor at the time, ronnie jackson who is now a congressman from texas was standing there with a flag pole he was using in case he needed to wield it as a spear or club against the rioters ready to burst through the house chamber doors. this congressman now just like the other republicans insist that january 6th wasn't really that big of a deal. that the media and democrats have blown it out of proportion.

andt sadly, that is the alterne reality that exists in orpolitical system right now. it is a sign of how deeply divided this country remains. also, how many americans are willing to kind of deny that thh kind of politics that trump represents is corrosive to the democracy and corrosive to what holds the country and our political system together. >> michael, you were nodding and i think that is a great point. it is one thing to talk about a divided country. we have had a lot of close elections in the past. we have had a lot of divided countries. you could argue that a divided country is part of democracy that people will have exchanges of ideas they feel very differently about any given issue. this is different. this is denying reality, not just what claire said that many

people would be shocked to have thought four years ago after what we saw happen, that donald trump could be reelected but that ronnie jackson could be elected, that so many members of congress that were there that day and refused to certify, voted against certifying, didn't want to certify the election of donald trump would be reelected. so, when president biden today warned about what we were seeing, and said the old adage that those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it, what are we to make of what we saw? >> that's right. the biggest issue of the era is not right versus left. it's truth versus lies. there are millions of americans who don't believe basic facts they read in the washington poso or what happened on january 6th. the president electen is gas lighting us into saying what yo saw didn't happen. believe me instead of your lying eyes. that is the biggest challenge

that we as a party face. >> congressman adam schiff invited daniel hodges to the capitol. he is the police officer who was attacked, and crushed in the doorway during the riot as you see. i want to play what he said about attending the certification. >> it will be myab honor to make it as uncomfortable as possible for the gop members who try to white wash what happened that day and pretend that we didn't save them. >> 174 republicans voted taoverturn donald trump's election loss in 2021. eight of the senators are currently in office. so are 139 house republicans. do you think they will be uncomfortable? >> you are dealing withhe one of the darkest days in american history for those who had a role in that, even if it was a minor role, certainly it has to be uncomfortable. i think today is not only a day

to remember the horrors of four years ago but to celebrate the fact that the losers of this election, the outgoing administration in this case have reminded americans of what this day should be, a celebration of democracy. the reason that so many people have come to this country since its inception inchewedcluding my family seeking respect forpe institutions and election results, today we are remined why we are the greatest nation in the world. just as we had to learn lessons from january 6th four years ago, wear have to learn lessons from today and celebrate the fact that we are back on track as a country. we have to remain vigilant but we had a peaceful transfer of power the way it should be, thanks to those who lost the election.

>> michael, you old boss minority leader hakeem jeffries seemed to take a dig after the speaker election. i want toplay that. >> two months ago, the american people elected donald trump as the 47th president of the united states of america. thank you for that very generous applause. it's okay, there are no election deniers on our side of the aisle. >> look, this is something that democrats leaned into in november. to be successful as a message but is it something that they can continue to talk about, should talk about or put aside? >> i think the reality isbo we have to fog s on our message which is what we do for working

americans, and the idea that prices are too high and how the party is going to address that and a litny of other issues. theli pocket book issues as a message should be the focus for democrats over the next few years. >> the laws have changed since 2021, making it more difficult to object. there was no doubt that the democrats were not going to make a show of this. they werema going to do what we just saw them do which is to uphold the ideals of democratic norms, right? but i wonder, d in real process, as we see things move forward, and as we see obviously not just a divided country but a divided congress and the razor thin margin that mike johnson has, is this going to play out and what will you be watching for in the weeks and months ahead? >>an look, how the democratic party regroups and resets itself

is going crucial here. they are headed for a period in the wilderness like many parties have after a decisive defeat. the question, as you were just talking about, can they reorient their policies and their message around working americans so they aren't focused on issues thet most americans see as resolved and in the past like democracy as important as it is. electionta denial, it is not -- it's a troubling thing but i don't think many americans would rank it as something high on their list of priorities. frankly, democrats really --es when i speak to them about how they blew this last election, it is the national democratic party that has the brand problem. democrats who ran localized races that did not focus on the

larger, ethreal questions about democracy and justice and social equality and these issues that people like and they want to support but when bananas cost $8 and gas is $5, it's really that kind of stuff that people want to hear you can fix as a politician. they want -- all politics really is local. theol democrats who did well ths time, who bucked the trend, they are the ones who didn't run on these big national messages that a lot of national democrats focused on. >> all of you, if you can, stay with me. i want to bring in republican congressman dusty johnson from south dakota. he just left the chamber after the certification. good to see you. there is no doubt, today is marking a remarkable comeback for donald trump after his electoral victory. it was decisive. but the final results show he

did not get a majority of the popular vote. we talked about that. and congress is sharply divided. so in a real or practical sense, is it unwise for congressional republicans to move ahead as if they have a significant mandate? what do you see ahead? >> i think you will see an aggressive agenda. even people who didn't vote for donald trump acknowledge that the border played a massive role in his win. rolling back some of the ridiculous overreaches of the biden administration, that is an 80/20 issue too. i think at some point the path forward is pretty clear. if republicans don't work aggressively to address those issues, shame on us. >> letes me ask you about what u feel is going on in your caucus. i know you are one of the folks who will be going down to mar-a-lago over the weekend from the republican side andla goingo be talking to the president

elect. heo does have a very aggressive agenda. in fact his day one comments have been aggressive. how do u figure out a wie to come together and if you can do that in your caucus, work with the democrats? where are the areas? you talk about the 80/20 but the devil is in the details. >> it is. but talking about energy to market, we will get democrat votes on that. on border security, we will get democrat votes on that. i don't think republicans should move in half measures. i think the american people have no tolerance for dc games as normal. i think they wouldor like to sea bold and ambitious agenda. that's obviously what trump has been calling for and how he has been talking about the first six months. when i'm down having t dinner wh him on sunday night, of course we will talk about tactically

how do we get that done because failure is not an option. our incredeble tight margins in the house are actually clarifying. it makes it clear to everyone ia the house that we don't get the luxury of voting no. we have to figure out a way to get to yes. we have to design a package that gets done what we have to get done and make sure we get every single vote. >> your south dakota colleague, senator john thune was asked about trump's plan to pardon january 6th rioters. i want to play for you what he said about that. >> what message do you think it would send to give pardons to people who pleaded guilty to attacking police officers, who stormed this building four years ago? >> again, that's ultimately going to be a decision for the president of the united states. the pardon power exists with him. that is four years ago andxi iea think the american people are living in the present and they want the work we are doing with an eye towards what we can do to improve their lives today.

have said that people who attacked police officers, you said that is not something we should ever condone. so what would you say if donald trump does end up pardoning those who attacked officers andt if he asked you, would you tell him not to do it? >> i think the president is going to be looking at every one of these cases individually. the facts are different for every one of them. a number of these folks, thes, courts have rejected theur charges. we have to be open to the idea that trespassers should be treated differently than those who attacked police officers. i have no doubt that donald trump will look at these individually and make a good decision. >> i'm curious what you make of what you just came out of, the certification and what you make of how your democratic colleagues handled the process. four years ago, you were strong in your support of constitutional norms that hold congress a witness not a judge

of the. but several refused to certify the vote after the attack on the capitol. are seeing today andrison to what it was like to be in that room? >> this has been an infection that unfortunately has been growing over the course of the last two decades. you can go back to the 2004 election where senator boxer objected and it has continued. we have had objections to every election since then except for today. i do think the constitution makes it real clear what my role is. it says that the president of the senate shall in the presence of the house and senate open the certificates and count the votes. that does not tell me that i get to be a super judge with a super veto over how south dakota or tennessee or florida conduct elections. i was happy to see today that the constitution was honored in a clear way and that donald

trump was certified as the winner of the election. >> congress johnson, thank you so much. we appreciate you taking the time. >> thanks much. our breaking news coverage will continue in a moment, right after this. s tinue in a moment,t after this (man) look at them - e that robinhood gold members now enjoy the vip treatment — a 3% ira match on retirement contributions. (auctioneer) 11 million sir. (man) once they discover their privileges are no longer exclusive... their fragile reality will plunge into disarray. ♪

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