fees and no obligations. get the real value from your life insurance when you need it. with abacus.

>> good day to all of you from msnbc world headquarters here in new york. welcome everyone to alex witt reports happening right now. president trump is addressing the crowd at cpac outside of washington, where he is airing some familiar grievances against his political opponents. we are monitoring it for you. we're going to have a live report in just a few minutes. also today, trump fired joint chiefs of staff chairman cq brown jr. the country's highest ranking military officer. trump announced his nomination of air force lieutenant general dan kaine to replace brown. the purge at the pentagon, also including other top military leaders, as well as plans to fire over 5000 civilian probationary workers that starts next week. meanwhile, the ranking democratic member of the budget committee sounding the alarm over republicans sweeping budget proposal that would cut medicaid and other social safety net programs. >> what i'm saying $880 billion to medicaid, hundreds of billions of dollars of cuts to the affordable care act cuts as you laid out to food stamps.

that's actually the bare minimum they have to on top of that. now find $500 billion worth of additional cuts to those programs. so again all told we were talking about what would be the biggest cuts to medicaid and other programs in american history. >> also new a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of trump's executive orders targeting diversity and equity programs. the judge writing that the term equity related programs is too vague to be enforced. and newly sworn in fbi director kash patel is moving to reassign 1000 agents in washington out to field offices across the country. in keeping with his plan to reduce the size of the fbi's footprint in the nation's capital. we've got a number of reporters and analysts in place ready to go over all these new developing story lines. let's start with nbc's vaughn hillyard, who is right at that conservative political action conference, cpac. it's in national harbor, maryland. and we understand president trump is speaking right now. we hear a

lot of applause, that's for sure. vaughn, what are we hearing from the president, though? >> right. and i actually want to note, you know, before we talk about his remarks here at cpac, on his way from the white house over here to maryland, he remarked on the six israeli hostages that were just released in the last hours after year and a half of captivity by hamas. and i want to let you hear directly from the president talking about the release of those hostages. take a listen. >> we had the hostages given back today. it's disgraceful what's going on there? they're not in great shape. but we've also seen them in worse shape. but the hostages, the six hostages were delivered by hamas. what a terrible situation it is. >> of course, of course, as negotiators, including particularly steve witkoff, the friend and ally of president trump, who has played a critical

role in phase one of the hostage negotiations between hamas and israel as they look towards phase two. there's still 63 israelis that remain in the hands of hamas here. and for president trump, we'll wait to see if he addresses that from this stage here in maryland. but for the president, we're now one month into this administration, alex. and what we heard directly from him upon taking the stage was that all we're doing is keeping our promises. and that was the message not only about the us's domestic, the administration's efforts to cut the government through the reduction of the federal workforce and the cutting of budgets, but also its posture towards our relations overseas. and he gave shout outs to the new members of his cabinet, from robert f kennedy junior to kash patel. but he also noted the others, like president of argentina, melaye as well as prime minister meloni, but also the president of poland, duda, who is here in the crowd in the first row. we met with him

behind closed doors before taking the stage, of course. duda has been an ally to president zelensky and has maintained a close relationship with candidate trump and now president trump here. and so this has been a busy, consequential first month for this administration. and in a lot of ways, the cpac address of what you could say is a very united republican party here that is using this as a way of making the case that they're going to continue to do exactly what they have done. and i think a social media post earlier today, alex, in which he urged elon musk to be even more aggressive, i think in so many ways is very representative of that, alex. >> yeah. and by the way, elon musk answered on x and said, you got it, mr. president. not in those words, but he agreed he's going to do it. well, buckle up and see what's coming. thank you so much. so let's talk now. more on the removal of the joint chiefs of staff q cq brown jr. and the purge of the pentagon of six high ranking officials. to do that, we're bringing in nbc news national security reporter dan deluce. dan, welcome.

president trump has now fired joint chiefs of staff chairman cq brown jr. of course, this is the country's highest ranking military officer. what has been the reaction? >> you know, alex, i. >> think. >> this has caused a lot of consternation. >> and dismay. >> inside and outside. >> the military. >> and of course, democratic lawmakers are. >> sharply. >> criticizing this as a kind of political partizan move. including some veterans in the senate and the house were criticizing this. here's what representative seth moulton, himself a veteran, said about this decision. this is the definition of politicizing our military. and that's dangerous not only for our national security, but for the fundamental tenets of our democracy. the people who control the military, the high ranking officers, including the adviser to the president, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, if that person is just political acting not in the interest of the united states,

but in the interest of one man who wants to be king, then that breaks all trust with the troops. >> so, you know, you're hearing this criticism widely. and the issue here is, of course, this. >> is unprecedented. it's not just that. >> it's the chairman. >> who is removed. the head of the. >> navy was removed. >> the first. >> female head of the navy, admiral franchetti. >> then also other senior. >> military officers were all removed in one step. >> and then also all the. >> military judge advocate general. the lawyers. >> who oversee military cases and military. >> courts were removed. and there wasn't really an explanation for that. so this is unprecedented in the. >> sense that. >> usually the chairman stays and fulfills his full. >> term, his or her full term. >> and that doesn't coincide. with elections. >> and of course, there's a. bedrock principle here. >> that the military is supposed to be apolitical. >> and nonpartisan. >> in a democracy. and this move

has raised. questions about exactly why was this decision taken, what is the criteria for this? >> well, let me ask. maybe there's an answer to that question. with the president having nominated air force lieutenant general dan kane to succeed brown, what do we know about kane? >> well, general kane would be way down the ladder in terms of who would be next in line. right. so he's a three star general, not four stars. and he has not ever served on the joint chiefs. he's retired, is being brought out of retirement. and he's never led one of the armed one of the branches of the. >> armed services. >> and he's never led one of the combatant commands. so that is very unusual. there's nothing illegal here, but it's breaking with a very strong kind of norm and tradition where you do not simply shake up the leadership of the military without kind of cause. right. so other presidents have had some arguments with generals over the

years and have fired generals. of course, we remember harry truman, doctor general macarthur. right. but not several generals, not over their alleged misconduct. there's no alleged misconduct here, and there's no sort of military operation that was botched. somehow. we're not midstream through a massive ground war that general brown was presiding over. so the criticism and the questions being raised to us, is there some kind of vague political criteria? and, you know, was general brown somehow not sufficiently political or politically loyal or perceived to be? so this is a serious, serious question. >> yeah. for sure. dan, thank you for bringing it up and reporting on all this. we'll see you again. jeff mason covers the white house for reuters and he joins me now. jeff, i'm going to get to some questions. just a moment. but can you comment on what we were just discussing. is there discussion or reason for bringing in this new general, dan kane now to be the chairman

of the joint chiefs? because by dan's description, dan deluce, of course, the reporter of whom i'm speaking, he doesn't seem like an obvious choice to take this position. >> i mean, i would defer to dan in terms of the military sort of background, which. was which was really good context. the political background is i've seen that the incoming if he's confirmed, chair of the joint chiefs of staff has has worn a maga. hat before and appears to be supportive of trump. so that must have been or very well may have been, shall we say, a key ingredient in in how the president made that decision. and i don't mean just wearing a hat, but the point is that he, the president trump, is someone who prizes loyalty above all things. and in the we've seen in his first month in office and the second term in office, that he has had no sort of qualms about going for exactly what he wants and getting exactly what

he wants in terms of the people around him and in terms of the policies that he's implementing. so i think he's applying that same criteria to the military. >> all right. the first question i want to ask you after that one, thank you for answering that one. president trump, as we watch him at cpac, acknowledged friday that russia did, in fact, start the war in ukraine. i mean, we've all known that, but it is not in his nature to backtrack or correct any of his previous statements. do we know what led to the somewhat qualified reversal? >> well. >> i think i think your emphasis on the word qualified there is important. he said that russia had started the war, but he went on to say that president zelensky shouldn't have allowed that to happen. so it was kind of a walk back, but not entirely a walk back. i don't i don't you're absolutely right, alex. president trump is not someone to issue corrections. i think he was just acknowledging a fact that you just acknowledged as well, that we all know that that war started because of an invasion by by russia into

ukraine and not the other way around. but it didn't show. he didn't display in that comment any sort of backing down in his criticism of president zelensky, who, of course, has been leading his country throughout this war. >> yeah. president trump earlier it was on truth social. he urged elon musk to be even more aggressive. how much more aggressive can musk be and what are the risks of him being more aggressive? >> well, i mean, i would answer that question by looking at numbers. both the president and elon musk have said that they're targeting $1 trillion in cuts from the government. and mr. musk has also said the ideal situation would be 2 trillion. so the president didn't reference that number in his social media post. but surely i think that's a reference to the possibility that that mr. musk could do even more. and president trump, i was in the oval office when the two of them were taking questions from reporters a little over a week

ago. he showed there how much support that he wants to give to musk. and this is just, you know, a further indication not only of his support and the mandate that he believes or that he wants to give to musk, but also the fact that he wants him to go even further. so any of the criticisms that democrats and others, and not just democrats have been making about this falling on deaf ears. >> is there word on which departments and agencies, jeff, are next on the chopping block? >> you know, he's already said that the department of education is coming up next. we of course, know what he's done with usaid. also expecting some big cuts at the pentagon, which i know you've and nbc and msnbc have reported on, as has reuters. i can't tell you other ones, but i can say that, you know, i think that they're looking at everything and that is that is absolutely at the top of president trump's agenda. >> yeah. seems like nothing's off the table. let me play for

you a pretty heated exchange. it's between president trump and maine governor janet mills. this is from yesterday. listen to this. >> is the maine here, the governor of maine. down here. are you not going to comply with that? >> comply with state and federal law? >> well, i'm we are the federal law. well, you better do it. you better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. and by the way, you population, even though it's somewhat liberal, although i did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports, so you better come. you better comply because otherwise you're not getting any any federal funding. every state. good. i'll see you in court. i look forward to that. that should be a real easy one. and enjoy your life after governor, because i don't think you'll be in elected politics. >> deep sigh. does this administration thrive, jeff, on exchanges like that? >> oh, sure. i mean, president trump loves to have exchanges like that, whether it's with an

elected official or a democratic governor or with reporters. so yeah, i think i think he's he's very happy to have exchanges like that. i mean, i, i don't doubt that he will try to cut off funding to maine. i don't think that's an idle threat. but the governor responded to that by saying, we'll see you in court. and he accepted that challenge. >> you did and then some. okay. jeff mason, my friend, it's always good to see you and i'll look forward to seeing you again. let's turn now to ukraine, which keeps facing relentless attacks from russia as it is just about to mark three years since the start of that war. and as the death toll rises, so do concerns. ukraine's president could face dwindling support from the u.s, its most vital ally. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more from the city of kharkiv. richard. >> people here in. >> ukraine feel. >> like they. >> are caught. >> between a rock and a hard place. >> on one. >> hand, they are being attacked continuously. >> by russia. >> and now. >> president trump is.

>> demanding that ukraine sign. >> a natural. >> resources deal, committing to transfer to the united states. money revenue raised from natural resources in this country to pay back previous money spent, a lot of which went back to the united states in terms of military contracting and in order for promises of future military support for this country, many feel that they are being an offer that they're not in a position to refuse. some are saying that they're being blackmailed, that they are being pressured into signing this deal. president zelensky initially rejected this agreement, which was demanded by president trump and has been repeatedly demanded. and when president zelensky refused to sign the deal, he was insulted. he was called a dictator. he responded by calling, saying that president trump was trapped in a propaganda bubble which only sent president trump even more into into a rage. but now it does seem that ukraine is having second thoughts, perhaps capitulating to president trump's demands because they are

now reviewing another draft document that is very similar, according to the new york times, to the first document demanding money in exchange for not much in exchange for support, but not any concrete security guarantees, no specific promises that the us will stop another russian invasion. and that really is what ukraine has been looking for. they have said in the past they want to go into economic agreements with the united states that builds partnership, builds mutual interest, but they don't want to go into a relationship that makes them economically dependent, especially when there are no security guarantees, which is the basic thing that president zelensky has been demanding from the beginning, that if he is forced in a peace deal to surrender territory to russia, at least he wants some sort of proof, some sort of concrete, tangible proof that he can show to his people and that he can believe in that, that

that russia won't just invade again. >> okay. richard engel, thank you for that report. so if you felt overwhelmed by headlines like this one about the irs, wait till you hear what my next guest has to say about this next one. stocks notch. worst week since trump's inauguration. caleb silver from investopedia caleb silver from investopedia after the break. with fatigue and light-headedness, i knew something was wrong. then i saw my doctor and found out i have afib, and that means there's about a 5 times greater risk of stroke. symptoms like irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, or light-headedness, can come and go. but if you have afib, the risk of stroke is always there. if you have one or more symptoms, get checked out. making that appointment can help you get ahead of stroke risk. this is no time to wait.

>> reduces redness. >> in one minute. >> and look at the difference. >> my eyes look brighter and whiter. >> for up to eight hours. >> lumify it's. >> kind of amazing. >> see for yourself. >> meet caraway. >> beautiful cookware designed. >> for the modern home cook. caraway is nontoxic. ceramic cooking. surface is free from harmful chemicals, and it's harmful chemicals, and it's naturally nonstick. home cooki (man) got one more antoine. (vo) with usps ground advantage, it's like you're with us every step of the way. ♪ (man) cooool. ♪ (man) right on time! (vo) stay in the know. from your dock... to their door.

stocks fell sharply friday. the s&p 500 wiping out almost all of its gains since president trump took office. after reports showed consumer confidence is shaken with trump's tariff threats driving inflation fears. so joining me now is investopedia editor in chief caleb silver. it's good to see you again. two weekends in a row. there's a lot to talk about the economy right now, right. people might start tightening their belts. you've got inflation rising interest rates staying high. it's talk of a recession next. i mean i hate to bring it up. >> yeah. >> but you have a lot of uncertainty. and uncertainty affects everything. >> from the stock market. >> confidence there. >> to consumer confidence which is really at a ten year low right now. why are we unconfident. because there's so much chaos right now. whether it's continued sticky inflation tariffs which could cause more inflation, or this drumbeat of more and more layoffs, especially across the government sector, that has a psychological toll on the way people feel about spending money, investing money, and going out and doing the things that make this economy grow, which is consumer

spending. so that's the worry. if consumers pull back, that could lead to a recession. >> how long can the trump administration continue with these extensive cuts to these employee cuts across the government before it starts being felt within the economy? how much didn't these massive firings ultimately are going to cost in unemployment claims? >> yeah, well, that's where it starts with unemployment claims. and then it then it bleeds over to. >> trickle down. >> exactly to the contractors that are connected to some of these government agencies. maybe their contracts are paused, maybe they're killed outright. so a lot of people lose their ability to make money in this. but also, we have no idea yet what this is going to mean to the jobs report. for example, the unemployment rate is at 4% right now. that's historically low. but government jobs have been one of the main growing sectors for the past several years. in fact, the biden administration added some 1.5 million government jobs during its tenure. so we've heard of tens of thousands of cuts. yet we're not in the hundreds of thousands we could get there right now. these are smaller cuts on probationary workers, but that has a psychological toll. >> so that that's kind of the big picture. but let me ask if

there's going to be a proportional effect on state economies. and here's why i ask. because we're seeing these high job losses, particularly in the dc area. that's going to hurt virginia. why? because you have a lot of federal employees who live in that state. it has a considerable amount of residents there who work in the federal government. you had republican governor glenn youngkin, who's really walking a tightrope, acknowledging, yeah, there's a painful reality. i'm empathetic to all of that for these fire workers and yet still supporting trump's plans. >> yeah, well, i think maybe they're afraid not to. and you look at those states, that's pretty wide dispersion states, especially in the south and areas of the northwest as well. it's not just virginia and maryland, but again, when government employees start to lose their jobs, it affects the contractors tied to them, but it also affects the psychological sort of confidence of people down the street. your neighbor may work for the government may have worked for them for years. they've been a civil servant. you're wondering now what's next for you? if they stop, if they lose their job, what could happen to your job? what could happen to your sector? so the uncertainty is what makes consumers start to pull back,

start to get less and less confident. and when we stop spending, that slows the economy to a halt. >> okay, but challenges in the job market going forward are for during in the future. you've got all of these people that are being laid off. does the job market have the capacity to absorb them? is it that strong right now? >> there are still job availabilities, but where are the jobs been growing leisure and hospitality, the government sector and health care and a lot of those areas right now are at risk, especially health care and social services that could be at risk with government cuts potentially. and when you think about leisure and hospitality, that depends on consumer discretionary spending. are we taking vacations? are we going out to eat or are we pulling back cooking at home and cutting back to basics? because that's what happens when people get fearful about the economy. it starts to have a domino effect on everything. >> restaurants. >> yeah, exactly. >> so irs lastly, because we're in the season, right? like it or not, over 3000 workers for the irs were fired this week. commerce secretary howard lutnick said that trump's ultimate goal is to abolish the irs. okay, how then does the

irs, if it's not there, how does the government get money from americans to help do what the government does? >> i'm sure they're working on a very creative solution that might even involve some sort of privatization. but you're right. how do we function without the irs taking our money from us or giving us our refunds? and a lot of these workers were what they call probationary, but a lot were hired through the inflation reduction act to bolster the irs in enforcement and also call centers. so you might have some issues filing your taxes if they're complicated this season, getting somebody on the phone, it should take 21 days to get your taxes back once you file them, file them now if you're ready, because it could get much more confusing over there. if they lose more and more workers and more and more ability to help people out. >> one more question how long are the prices going to stay high? and i'm hearing that turkey is having to send i mean, the country of turkey obviously having to send eggs to the us to help stock our supply. what we need. >> yeah, has not a lot to do with government except for health and human services and

the fda. but this is all about avian flu, right. so as long as the supply there is pinched, we're going to have high prices. and that could go on for a long time. we've heard of farms where millions of hens have had to be killed because there's this spread of flu and there's the worry about it going into other parts of the food system, too. so egg prices, i'm afraid, will be high for quite a while. >> i'm going to tell you, i read that rats have now shown evidence of bird flu in them. so it it's out there for sure. it's good to see you. thank you so much. the drama surrounding the mayor of new york city with a primary four months away. the rev al sharpton, he will be rev al sharpton, he will be joining us and he knows m i forgot to wash my work shirt. just wear it again! i added unstopables with odor blocker and it keeps our clothes fresh all day! [sniff] ooo, imma be feelin it at work today. she smells so good i'm actually paying attention! smell unstopable.

encrypt your. online traffic. >> get 72%. >> off nordvpn. and up to one year for free. >> whether you're a. >> professional driver or. >> just a fan. >> vehicle breakdowns. are costly. >> it started tugging. >> it started making some really weird noises. >> the last thing i remember is just the engine cut out. >> if your. >> check engine. >> light comes on tomorrow. >> the repair could easily. >> cost thousands. >> is that transmission? >> it's an. >> exhaust leak. >> broken axle. >> but with endurance. >> you could never pay out of pocket. >> for a costly. >> repair again. >> they covered a $14,000 engine replacement. >> i had. >> a seat sensor that went out. $1,400. insurance paid it. >> you got a brand new transmission, and we never saw the repair bill. >> use any. >> certified mechanic you want. just bring your car in and insurance. >> will pay. >> them direct. all major parts are covered. >> and your rate stays the same no matter how many claims you file. >> what i like about endurance.

>> they don't play games. >> there's no middleman. >> they're a solid company. >> if i didn't have endurance, i would have paid over $7,000 out of pocket to repair my vehicle. >> something is going to break down. make endurance. pay for it. >> with endurance. your car repair costs go way down while your car's life expectancy goes way up, allowing you to drive more and pay less. i've had five claims, and that is $3,500 that i've kept in my pocket. >> so who's going to pay for your next car repair? you or endurance? >> whether you put. >> 10,000 or. >> 100,000 miles a year on your car. >> if it's. >> less than 20 years old, endurance has you covered with unlimited miles. plus, your plan covers 24 over seven roadside assistance anywhere in the country. call right now to get $300 off any plan, plus a full year of our top tier elite benefits. a $2,000 value free. and all endurance plans come with a 30 day money back

guarantee. but you have to act now. call 1-833-440-4685 for a free quote. that's 1-833-440-4685. >> when you're the official. vehicles of winter, you can embrace everything the cold has to offer. leave fresh tracks with the safe and secure jeep grand cherokee. melt limitations with our most capable jeep wrangler ever. or battle the elements and win in the jeep gladiator. hurry into the jeep president's day sales event before these incredible offers slip away during the jeep president's. >> day sales event. get 10% below. >> msrp for an average of $5,bot

controlling your body odor better everywhere. >> a new york judge is delaying new york city mayor eric adams corruption trial, but not yet ruling on the justice department's motion to drop that case altogether. the judge announced he appointed former u.s. solicitor general paul clement to counsel him on the motion to dismiss, since there was no one arguing against

dropping the charges. this is governor kathy hochul said she will not remove adams from his job honoring new yorkers who elected him to office, but she will implement guardrails on his authority. joining me now, our good friend, reverend al sharpton, host of politics nation here on msnbc and of course, founder of the national action network. hello, reverend. you met, i'm told, with governor kathy hochul, offered some counsel. tell me what you told her before she made this decision. >> well, we i met with her one on one, and then she met with some of the elected officials together and some faith leaders. and in our one on one, i said to her that i think that she should wait at on the judge's decision, because when we met, it was before the judge decided. and she with the judge says, the reason i said that is because, according to the new york charter, the governor has the power to remove a mayor if you're involved with a crime or

disabled. and if the judge was going to remove the crime and delay the trial, there was no crime for her to move him with. correct? so why would you preemptively make a move that could be turned around in the next day or so? i think we met before the day of the judge would make his decision, and i think she putting the guardrails on. >> what are the guardrails. >> do you. well, if she's putting in what would be an inspector general, she would be certain things would have to be cleared by or at least reviewed by outside people. i don't know the exact terms. >> they used. yeah, it hasn't been too specific yet. >> right. but i think that that the reason for that is a lot of people, including me, was concerned about how these charges were removed. the justice department went in and said they wanted to remove the charges with or without, with prejudice, without prejudice, and therefore they had the right

to come back later and try him. well, many of us felt that was the trump administration putting a leash on the mayor and for that matter, the people in the city of new york, because you're not saying it's over. they distinctly say in their decision, we're not saying he's innocent or guilty. we're saying that he was indicted too close to the campaign for the primary for mayor. well, he was indicted nine months ago. people in congress run every two years. they're campaigning nine months out. so that didn't make sense. then they said that he would not be available if he goes to trial to help the president with immigration and violent crime. well, that's policy issues. that's not legal issues. and the last one, they had said that they were concerned about whether it was a political vendetta. so you need to establish what was the political vendetta. or some have said that

they felt that biden administration or went after him because of his stand on immigration, was closer to president trump. but the fact is that the investigation now we've seen in reports has started before biden was president, and there have been others that have gone against it. so none of what their reasoning made sense. and the thing that it left the people, a lot of people in new york, including me, say, is, why would you have these kind of positions and not bring him either pardon him or we wouldn't even be in court like you did hundreds of people that broke the law on camera on january 6th, or let the trial go forward. now, i'm not endorsing a pardon. i'm saying that is not how donald trump dealt with everybody else. if they really felt this was a political vendetta, then why didn't he pardon him and say he was a victim of a political vendetta? but the only reason, the only

cause for concern was to have this. where we've got you now, where we can try you later. and that is against the interests of the people of the city of new york. >> thus the phrase quid pro quo. this is what you keep hearing left and right. now there's a twist, because mayor adams has sued the current administration now to try to get back these $80 million that had been in the coffers for new york city apparently disappeared overnight. this was money that was funded by the biden administration for helping to house migrants in different hotels in the city and other places. and he's saying no. and you guys clawed this back. and so now he's using this to say, look, i'm standing up to the trump administration. is that how it's being interpreted? is that how you. >> think that some are interpreting it that way? because you must remember the money was already approved down, headed down into the account. they snatched it back. and you're right, the money had been approved under the biden administration. so some are saying that the mayor is right to sue, but it still does not

explain why the president would put him in a position where he'd have to operate with this cloud over his head. and if you really are convinced that this was political, he would have done that. and you wouldn't say, we're not saying he's guilty or not guilty, we're saying we're going to move on. so i don't think the concern from most people i'm talking to, and i have rallies in harlem every saturday morning, i just left. the concern here is not on the mayor or or the judge or anyone other than what is president trump doing here? this is not something we've seen him do to anybody. that was proud boys and everybody else. he pardoned him. we had people in jail. he pardoned. yeah. and here you have the mayor of the city of new york, largest city in the country, and you're going to just put him on where you can yank the chain. it really is offensive to many of us. >> okay. reverend al sharpton, always good to have you. you can

stick around if you want. i've got another 25 minutes. >> for mine. >> well, and for all of you, you can catch much more of the rev. it's on politics nation. just about an hour from now at 5 p.m. eastern. an hour and 25 minutes. but who's counting here on msnbc? thanks my friend. it is a piece you'll want to read its title. i'm a former u.s. intelligence officer. trump's ukraine betrayal will have terrible consequences. the terrible consequences. the author joins me next. so, what are you thinking? i'm thinking... (speaking to self) about our honeymoon. what about africa? safari? hot air balloon ride? swim with elephants? wait, can we afford a safari? great question. like everything, it takes a little planning. or, put the money towards a down-payment... ...on a ranch ...in montana ...with horses let's take a look at those scenarios. j.p. morgan wealth management has advisors in chase branches and tools, like wealth plan to keep you on track. when you're planning for it all... the answer is j.p. morgan wealth management.

save hundreds on car insurance with. >> liberty mutual. >> you're just. >> a flightless bird. >> you know. >> he's a dreamer, frank. >> doug emhoff and doug. >> well. >> i'll be. >> that bird really did it. >> only pay for what you need. >> liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. >> i tried a bunch of different probiotics before seed. >> and they didn't help. >> it addressed. >> my bloating. >> and my irregularity. >> it's really. >> helping my. >> daily bowel. movements and keeping me pretty regular. >> i started. >> feeling better and less bloated, felt flatter, lighter. >> i just. >> keep going back. to seed. >> because it actually works. >> now. >> i walk around and smiling every day because i don't get bloated anymore. >> you deserve.

>> to. >> feel safe. >> with the confidence. >> that you're protected online. >> introducing mcafee plus all. >> in one. >> protection that goes beyond your devices. it protects you, your identity and privacy with credit and dark web monitoring. removing your personal info from sites that sell it, and more. all backed by $1 million in identity theft coverage. with mcafee plus, you can enjoy life online confidently because safety has a feeling all its own. yoo hoo! no no no. >> that is against the hoa bylaws. >> bylaws, bylaws. we're showing we're consumer cellular gets great coverage. >> you're making everything orange. >> i know right. >> we use. >> the same. >> towers as big wireless, so you get the same coverage. difference is, our plan starts at just $20. >> no, that can't be true. >> but it is. >> wow. i hope you're using primer. >> do we use a primer for >> do we use a primer for unlimited talk and text with still searching for the one? olay super cream with spf. the power of five in one super cream.

to hydrate, smooth, brighten, firm and protect. skin just drinks it in. to boost cells for more resilient skin. it's super cream. only olay. brand new. >> learn more about celebrity cruises latest offers. >> land. >> yeah. >> why are you screaming? >> because you're screaming. are you hiding from used car shopping? >> yeah. >> what if i overpay? >> i get it. nearly half of all used cars have been in an accident. but that's nothing to be afraid of. >> show me carfax. >> knowing how a car's accident history impacts price means, you don't have to overpay. for fast non-drowsy allergy

relief. >> with allegra. >> it's a. >> no brainer. disney's snow. white in theaters march 21st.

>> 40. with the breaking news out of rome, pope francis health worsening somewhat today as the vatican says he suffered a prolonged asthma like crisis. he had to receive high flow of oxygen as well as some blood transfusions. this was due to a low platelet count. it's an anemia. the 88 year old pontiff remains in critical condition. he has been in the hospital since february 14th with double pneumonia. dozens of catholic faithful have shown up outside that hospital today to pray for pope francis. the vatican does say the pope was alert today and spent the day sitting up in the arm chair. well, today is the third anniversary of russia's invasion of ukraine. approaches. disagreements over peace terms are causing visible tensions between president trump and ukrainian president zelensky. trump saying negotiations with russia are going well, but not so with ukraine. >> if i. >> won the election, which i did, it's a war that never, ever would have started. so i've been watching for years and i've been

watching him negotiate with no cards. he has no cards and you get sick of it. you just get sick of it. and i've had it. >> joining us now is former senior cia intelligence officer mark polymeropoulos. good to see you, my friend. so you spent time in moscow while you worked in the cia. you write trump's ukraine betrayal will have terrible consequences. how so? >> well, you. >> know, i have a unique view of kind of international affairs. i was a practitioner for the us government. i was a cia operations officer. and so, you know, i was not on the national security council in the white house. i wasn't in an academic institution. i wasn't at a think tank. you know, i was out on the front lines. and oftentimes we would work with indigenous groups, whether it was afghans during the global war on terrorism, whether it was iraqis, iraqi kurds, for example, in our conflict with saddam hussein. and so that's the that's the idea that you break bread with your partners.

you know, you you celebrate when they have successes, you mourn when they're killed in action. and so my view of this is personal. and in talking to, you know, my old colleagues who served in ukraine, who were part of this kind of effort against russia, they have a very strong feeling on this. and i think they're right in the sense of, you know, we used to be the good guys. this is a david versus goliath story. and if we can't be on the right side of history in this, in this kind of struggle against, against russia, you know, who are we? and in the end, if we end up at some point becoming neutral in the conflict, which it sounds like we are, and then almost siding with russia, you know, we're never going to have friends in the future. and this has ramifications for, you know, conflict or potential conflict with with china, you know, are the people in taiwan going to look at us to come to their assistance? and so i think there's some really some profound meaning in what's happening right now. that's that not only hurts a lot of us who did these things for a living, but also has ramifications for the future. >> so how much has this hurt america's reputation on the

world stage? and how do you think vladimir putin seeing this? >> well, you know, we used to be the good guys. again, this is a conflict with ukraine. this was, you know, a black versus white, you know, david versus goliath and the global war on terrorism. things got murky. we stayed in afghanistan and iraq for probably too long. but in this case, we're on the side of the ukrainians who are suffering terribly. and so i think that it does have, you know, huge ramifications. you know, the us used to be seen. i hope it still can be as the as the bright shining city on the hill. you know, we are a values based or we have a values based foreign policy. and now it just seems like it's transactional and that again, this, this idea that we're somehow neutral in a conflict against, against russia, which is in effect a terrorist state that raped, murdered, pillaged thousands in ukraine. something's wrong with that. and i think people around the world are going to look at us. certainly in europe there is an absolute crisis. right now. they're wondering if, you know, the us would ever come to their assistance under article five and nato, for example. again,

who are we right now? and i think that's a pretty, pretty important question to ask. >> given that donald trump is a very transactional president. with this feud between the two presidents out in the open, what cards does ukraine have left to play? because the washington post reports both sides are nearing a deal for ukraine's mineral resources. is this the biggest card they have? >> well, there's no doubt that ukraine is desperate. and so this notion of this mineral deal, which one could also see as extortion, you know, some of the details are leaking and that's the us, you know, taking control of 50% of, of some of the natural the wealth of ukraine, maybe trying to recoup $500 billion. but i think that we have it all wrong. once again, you know, this is the idea that somehow ukraine should be appreciative of us assistance. i think it's the other way around. i think we should be thanking ukraine again. russia is an enemy of the united states, and the ukrainians have managed to 50% of the ukrainian military. they sank nearly the entire, you know, black sea fleet. they're

doing us a favor. we should be thanking them and not certainly asking that they, you know, somehow provide us with so much of their kind of natural wealth. they're going to need this for rebuilding. >> i'm going to ask our viewers to go to msnbc. com and look for your article. it was posted today. it is extraordinary. lots to get from it. thank you mark. good to see you. a big loss in court for the trump administration. it has to do with die. so what does the legal decision mean for people already decision mean for people already losing their jobs? ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ get 0% apr for 60 months on 2024 gmc ev models. that's up to $17,200 in average finance savings. ♪♪

>> sales tax? >> different pos systems in all seven countries. >> and online sales? >> that's a whole other system and different regulations. there's real estate credits, solar incentives. >> and we have no way to. >> integrate all that. >> no. >> but bdoe does. >> people who know know bdo. >> or plant. >> based healthy blood pressure support. there's one brand at walmart that stands above the rest. it's super beats. discover why more cardiologists recommend super beats for heart health support than any other beat brand at super beats. >> com in 2024, the irs flagged nearly 2 million tax returns for possible identity fraud. someone stole my social security. number and filed a tax return in. >> my name. and i'm a cpa. >> your tax forms have all the

personal information needed to commit identity theft, and you're not the only one with a copy which makes you vulnerable. only lifelock alerts you to the widest volume of threats. others could miss. and if your identity is stolen, a us based restoration specialist will work to fix it. guaranteed. enroll now. if you still. haven't heard about martin bowes. >> jeans, you. >> are missing out. venmo is the number one premium denim company in comfort and style. >> their jeans have dynamic stretch. >> technology to. >> provide absolute flexibility and make them perfect for everyday wear. the denim comes from some of the best denim mills in the world, so their jeans look great and last a very long time. they are probably the most comfortable jeans you'll ever wear. head on over to vogue.com for the perfect balance of fit, style, and comfort. >> hi, i'm. >> regional commercial. actor neil patrick harris. i love coffee. i love starting my day with it and more importantly, i look good drinking it. hello there! i just don't love the

jitters. that's why i drink rise mushroom coffee. most people think mushrooms are just. >> sticks with hats on, but they're so much more. in fact, they're little nutrient bombs that blow regular coffee out of the water. yeah. mushrooms. yeah. thanks. with rise, you get improved focus, sustained energy, and it's easy on the stomach. that's because we use only the best organic mushrooms, like stumpy warthog. and found a hair in my soup, which sound like made up names because they are. and you're guaranteed to be surrounded by an aura of goodness with every cup. rise. mushroom coffee. you can drink it cold or hot, like me. oh, rise. >> mushroom coffee. drink it cold or. hot like neil. >> muddy paws, dirty shoes and endless cleaning your floors. never stay clean. meet muddy matt, the ultra absorbent microfiber mat that traps dirt instantly. >> dog parents. >> this is. >> a must have.

>> my floors. >> have never been so clean. >> you just. >> place the muddy mat in front of the door and you'll save up so much time cleaning the floors. go get one. thank me later. >> call or go to try.com, or scan the qr code on the screen scan the qr code on the screen ♪♪ 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. blink nutri tears. >> it works. differently than drops. >> blink nutritive is a once daily supplement clinically proven to hydrate from. >> within. >> helping your eyes produce more of their own tears to promote lasting, continuous relief. you'll feel day after day. try blink. nutritive is. >> a different. >> way to.

>> support dry eyes. >> thank. >> new today a legal loss for the trump administration on one of its biggest initiatives. a federal judge in maryland largely stopped the administration from ending federal support for programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion. as donald trump demanded in one of his first executive orders as president. joining me now, sky perryman, president and ceo of democracy forward, the group that represented the plaintiffs in that case. welcome back, sky. it's good to see you. so how big of a victory is this and what actions does it specifically put a stop to? >> well, this. >> is a big victory. >> for the american people, for all of us that care about the first amendment and our ability to express ourselves. the president, with a stroke of the of a pen, tried to, in an executive order, really seek to penalize people for using certain language or for

participating in equity based programs. the government has not been able to define even what those programs are, and the court found and issued a preliminary injunction, which essentially blocks this executive order and its implementation, including, by the way, pam bondi's memo that is would seek to even require that institutions and private parties, like businesses, certify that they do not engage in equity related activities. so this was a big win for people. it was a big win for businesses. it was a big win for communities. and we are really pleased and proud of our clients for taking this step. >> okay. however, there have already been dei affiliated layoffs and the dei programs have begun to be dismantled. put into context how much damage has already been done and how much of it can and needs to be undone. >> well. >> this administration continues to want to wheel and deal in fear and intimidation, and unfortunately, we are seeing some institutions pulling back their programs. we hope that the

bravery of our clients and we had clients who operate in universities, the american association of university professors, higher education officials, but also the city of baltimore and restaurant workers. so everyone from university professors to restaurant workers were in this case. and we hope that their bravery will really show that there is a better way forward. >> so the judge issued a temporary block, which means more to come. i hope that is not there. you have. you were frozen for just a moment. what comes next? >> oh. so sorry. yeah. so we will wait and. >> see how the government responds. there could potentially be an appeal. we will not know yet. but for right now, this is a really good sigh of relief for so many people across the country who were, you know, who could have been penalized for expressing themselves and for equity based measures. >> if someone's lost their job, do they have legal recourse to get it back?

>> well, so i think. >> alex, there. >> you're probably referring to the series of really arbitrary actions that the administration has taken with federal workers in the federal government seeking to terminate federal workers who may have worked on equity related grants or programs. and we do believe that those individuals have legal recourse that what the administration has done is improper. and we are, you know, are supporting those employees. >> okay, skye perryman, we'll see you again, no doubt. thank you. what to know about the election in germany that's about election in germany that's about to get underway. with fatigue and light-headedness, i knew something was wrong. then i saw my doctor and found out i have afib, and that means there's about a 5 times greater risk of stroke. symptoms like irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, or light-headedness, can come and go. but if you have afib, the risk of stroke is always there. if you have one or more symptoms, get checked out. making that appointment can help you get

ahead of stroke risk. this is no time to wait. relief seeds? dsr one daily probiotic and prebiotic is formulated to support digestive health, reduce abdominal bloating, and improve regularity in as little as two weeks. change how your gut feels. change how your body feels. change how your body feels. visit the average dog only lives to be ten. at the farmer's dog, we don't think that's long enough. that's why our food comes in personalized portions. because a dog at a healthy weight could live a longer, happier life. plus all in one protection that

goes beyond your devices. it protects you, your identity and privacy with credit and dark web monitoring, removing your personal info from sites that sell it, and more, all backed by $1 million in identity theft coverage. with mcafee plus, you coverage. with mcafee plus, you can enjoy life online incoming dishes. —ahhh! —duck! dawn powerwash flies through 99% of grease and grime in half the time. yeah, it absorbs grease five times faster. even replaces multiple cleaning products. ooh, those suds got game. dawn powerwash. the better grease getter. environments is become too difficult, we are requesting your participation in a special program called the 30 day risk free challenge hearing life hearing centers are seeking people with hearing difficulties to evaluate a new 100% digital mini hearing aid now being

released. all people with hearing aids or hearing difficulties are wanted to take part in this 30 day risk free challenge. evaluating this new high tech device that sits discreetly behind your ear. this hearing aid is bluetooth enabled and rechargeable. all hearing assessments are performed at no charge. for those taking part in the challenge, participants will try these hearing aids for 30 days. now. to take part in this event, you must call. so please get a pencil and write down the number below.

the way i approach work post fatherhood, has really trying to understand the generation that we're building devices for. here in the comcast family, we're building an integrated in-home wifi solution for millions of families like my own. in the average household, there are dozens of connected devices. connectivity is a big part of my boys' lives. it brings people together in meaningful ways. if sparks are right for you at. sparks. >> today, politicians in germany making their final appeals to voters before tomorrow's critical elections. and protesters were on the streets today as polls show support for the far right at the highest level since world war two. abc's ralph sanchez is joining me from berlin. what all is at stake in tomorrow's vote, ralph.

>> a lot at stake, alex. germany. >> the. >> biggest economy. >> in europe. a key member of nato. >> and germans going to the polls tomorrow to decide which way this country goes. at first glance, this looks like a pretty normal election. >> you have. >> an unpopular government. >> it's led by the. >> center left. >> they're presiding over a bad economy. germany has been in recession. >> for two years. >> now. >> and it looks like the. >> voters are. >> going. >> to kick. >> that. >> government out and. >> replace it with a government. led by the center right. >> so. >> far, so normal. but as you. >> said, what is. >> not normal. >> is that the far right is absolutely surging. >> in a way that. >> we. have not. seen in this. >> country since. >> the. >> second world war. >> the alternative. >> for germany. >> parties better. >> known as the afd, looks like it is. >> going to. >> come second in these elections. >> it looks like it's going to be the largest. >> opposition party, and. >> that is. >> just an. >> absolute political. earthquake in the history. >> of modern. >> democratic germany. when we talk about. >> this party being. >> far right. >> some of this may sound

familiar. >> they're talking about. >> restoring germany's greatness. they're talking about cutting immigration. >> but some of the more extreme. >> members are. talking about. stripping citizenship away. >> from. germans who. >> are. >> of foreign lineage. >> lineage might have been born overseas. so this. >> is an election. >> that is being very closely followed, not just here in europe. >> but really. >> around the world. and, alex, the afd, going. >> into this. >> election with the. >> backing not. >> just of elon musk, the. >> world's richest. >> man. >> but also. >> the stamp of legitimacy. >> from the. >> vice. >> president of. >> the united. >> states, jd vance, speaking here in germany last week, said that the mainstream parties need to end their. practice of not cooperating with the far right, a practice that's been in place since the second world war. alex. >> one word reaction. stunning. thank you. ralph. we'll check in with you tomorrow. and that's going to do it for me on this edition of alex witt report. see you tomorrow, 1 p.m. eastern. up next, the beat weekend.