nbc blayne alexander joins us live from washington. what does president trump want the senators to do. first he says repeal and replace or let obamacare fail. what does he want them do? >> reporter: well, janelle, he wants them to get something done. that's the short answer in all of this. he wants to see something happen on health care. he wants to see it happen soon. that's why, as you mentioned, he's telling all of them, you should stay here in washington until you can make a move on health care. specifically, it sounds like he's changing course when it comes to exactly how to proceed on this. several days ago, mitch mcconnell had to admit they didn't have the votes to go through with repeal and replace, so he went to a fallback plan and said let's repeal now and replace later. the president at first was on board with that, but today, speaking to a number of republican senators here at the white house, he said, you know what, repeal isn't good enough, the american people want repeal and a replace and that's what he wants them to do.

blayne alexander is bringing us up to date. >> well, senator mccain is recovering from what doctors had originally described as a minor procedure. but back here on capitol hill, gop leaders say that they absolutely need him and his yes vote if the bill is to have any. >> all debate on the gop plan op senator john mccain recovers from a surgery to remove a blood clot in his head. >> on capitol hill, experts say, the short term delay could mean long-term failure. >> the traditional view is the delays on legislation like this are deadly. allows opposition, more time to grow at the same time it also gives senator mcconnolly and his team, the opportunity to grow support. >> he's a crusty voice in washington plus we need his vote. >> promising to deliver on health care. >> and we will end up replacing it with something that is going to be outstanding far far better than failing obama care. >> saying in an interview, he is just waiting in the oval office, pen in hand to sign the bill. and the white house says that president trump will be very active and very involved in pushing this health car

the president was also pressed today on the topic of russia, blayne alexander tracking the story from capitol hill. hello, blayne. >> reporter: well, leon, good afternoon to you. president trump confronted the controversy and he pushed back hard on what he calls an issue a big deal over nothing. ♪ ♪ special guests in paris. president trump and the first lady welcomed by the president of france ahead of the seal day. but a mid pause in circumstance, president trump, once again, forced to answer questions about russia and his own son. >> i have a son who is a great young man. he's a fine person. >> reporter: during a joint news co meeting between donald trump, jr. and a russian attorney said to have damaging information about hillary clinton. >> from a practical standpoint, most people would have taken that lead. that's very standard in politics. politics is not the nicest business in the world but it's very standard where they have information and you take the information. >> reporter: and making an unexpected claim, blaming the obama administration for letting the russian attorney int

it's a lot to keep track of these days, blayne alexander is on the capitol hill with the fallout from this. blayne. >> reporter: wendy, a lot of shuffling around today. and it happened very quickly. i want to just illustrate a brief timeline for you and try to show you how fast all of this happened. it was around 9:30 this morning that general john kelly was sworn in. it was just before 3:00 p.m. that we learned that was officially out. it took less than six hours for the new chief of staff to come in and start shaking things up in the west wing. president trump's new chief of staff, general john kelly, sworn in and moments later on the job attending his first cabinet meeting in his new role. >> i predict that general kelly will go down in terms of the position chief of staff one of the great ever. >> the general already making a mark, reportedly pushing out new communications director anthony scaramucci who was in the white house for only ten days. and whose profanity tirade last week made front page headlines over shadowing the president's message. >> he felt that anthony's comments

nbc's blayne alexander following this feud. this feud going on since last year and joe saying he never spoke to president trump directly but did speak to his son-in-law jared kushner. >> reporter: a lot of interesting back and forth that we have seen between the two host of morning joe and president trump. they have known each other for a dozen years. friendly at first but dissolved as they have spoken and criticized the president on their show. to talk specifically about your question whether he spoke to the president or jared kushner. there was a hit piece that was supposedly coming out from the national enquirer. aides from the president called him personally and said if you call the president and apologizes, he will call his friend and quash the story. so a war of words. but i think what is most important in all of this back and forth bickering is what lawmakers are getting most upset about is his policies and agenda having to compete with a different message of his tweets. you heard lawmakers on capitol hill before heading

nbc blayne alexander joins us live from washington. >> reporter: certainly a full plate for president trump. a couple of major thing that are happening around the same time, of course increasing pressure from north korea and mounting pressure here at home. all of this happening as the president prepares for the g-20 summit this weekend. for president trump a high stakes trip over seas. >> we must also confront the threat in north korea. >> reporter: standing on the world stage, the president promising a crackdown on north korea on the heels of a ballistic missiles test capable of reaching alaska. >> they are behaving in a dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it. >> reporter: hours before joining chinese president it is summit, president ramping up -- >> we have to use pressure to get them to the table. >> reporter: this on the eve of president trump's first face to face meeting with russian president vladimir putin. today -- to putin about russia's interferen interference of the election. >> experts say not likely. >> and putin is not going to admit to doing it an

blayne alexander has more from washington. >> reporter: after another health care defeat from republican frustration. >> for seven years i have been hearing repeal and replace. >> congress needs to do their job and congress needs to do their job now. >> reporter: and now a scramble for plan b. >> we will now try a different way to bring the people relief. >> reporter: that different way is repeal now, replace later. three leaders rejected the idea. >> to repale it kmaetly with no idea what it is going to be replaced with is no right choice. >> reporter: mitch mcconnell says he may push from a repeal only vote even knowing it might fail. >> i am not going to own it. the republicans are not going to own it. we will let obamacare fail and then the democrats are going to come to us and say how do we fix it. >> reporter: a political battle with -- >> nancy pelosi said it was the average americans who made the difference. when senators went home and heard from their constituents. >> the town halls worked. the outside groups weighed in with the story telling of people and what affordable care a

blayne alexander is tracking the story. >> reporter: we have learned that, at least, one of those people in the meeting is believed to have ties to russian intelligence. president trump has added another attorney to his legal team. president trump wrapping up his trip to paris. just as the russia investigation back home is taking a new turn. new light on that campaign season meeting between the russian attorney meeting. nbc news reporting there was one more previously undisclosed person inside the meeting a russian lobbyist. >> these guys can't come clean and it tells the country they have a lot to hide. >> reporter: this three days after trump junior released the e-mail thread. >> these are all the e-mails that exist in this case. >> reporter: now growing scrutiny on son-in-law jared kushner. >> the revoking of the security clearance for jared kushner. >> reporter: some republicans say that is going too far. >> once in a while, things get overheated. we need to calm down and follow the law. >> reporter: president trump landing in new jersey where he will spend the weekend at his golf cl

blayne alexander joins us. >> reporter: that was the very first question. president trump pushed back hard on what he called a big deal over nothing. special guest in paris. president trump and the first lady welcomed by the president of france ahead of bass stile day. forced to answer questions about russia and his own son. >> he is a great young man, a fine person. >> reporter: president trump pressed about a campaign season meeting between trump junior and a russian attorney. >> most people would have taken that meeting. politics is standard where they have information and you take the information. >> reporter: and making an unexpected claim blaming the obama administration for letting the russian attorney into the country. >> somebody said that her visa or her passport to come into the country was approved by attorney general lynch. i just heard that. >> reporter: the president defending himself and his family on politics back home. and president trump then went on to say that absolutely nothing came from that meeting. but critics say the problem is tha

blayne alexander reports. >> in his own words, donald trump, jr. revealing the e-mails that led you were to last year's meeting with an attorney said to have russian government ties and dirt on hillary clinton. today for the first time, president trump addressing the story. >> my son is a high quality and >> trump, jr. tweeting the e-mail chain revealing he knew the russian government was interested in helping the trump campaign and trump, jr. welcomed it. one e-mail from the person who arranged that meeting. this is very high level and sensitive information, the e-mail reads, but it's part of russia and its government support for mr. trump to which trump, jr. responded if it's what your say i love it. >> this should have set off alarm bells and red lights, instead what it seemed to do activated their sal vary gland. >> that attorney denied any ties to the kremlin. >> do you have connection to the russian government? >> but on capitol hill, among republicans, growing cold for the president's son to explain. >> this is a serious situation and one is

blayne alexander, nbc, washington. >> shocking fine causes investigators to swarm a local park. neighbors want to know what is going on in their community. >> we continue to track your weekend, this time we'll be in weather alert mode. storm team 4 has what you need to know. >> michelle obama with surprising insights into time. why she says it's an experience from what she's still healing. >> we're working for you even during our breaks. >> check outrm ltry align probiotic.n your digestive system? the top sto for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support, with align. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. also in kids chewables. >>> first at 4, police are trying to piece together the last moments of a man's life. his body was found along the trail right in prince georges county. >> megan fitzgerald is on the scene with what we neighbors were walking alon this trail early this morning when they spotted a body right next to the bridge. they called 911 within minutes this area became a crime scene. >> all of a sudden, five t

blayne alexander has more. >> reporter: president trump was inside trying to move his agenda forward trying to urge to take action on health care. just a few hours earlier, jared kushner was inside the west wing. today in washington, rare public remarks from jared kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser with a short but firm statement to reporters. >> let me be clear. i did not collude with russia nor do i know of anyone else in the campaign who did so. >> reporter: he spent the morning behind closed doors answering questions about the russia investigation. including questions over a campaign season meeting he attended with donald trump jr. >> donald trump had a better message and ran a smarter campaign and that is why he won. >> reporter: the session was private and kushner was not under oath. and one member of the committee said any classified parts of it should be made public. >> it makes people more paranoid and skeptical of this. >> reporter: president trump is piling on the pressure. >> every republican running for office promised immediate relief from this disas

blayne alexander is on capitol hill. >> there's certainly a lot to break down. specifically on that transgender ban in the military, today work went out to all branches of the military, essentially saying that nothing changes until they get an actual order from the president. >> big welcome. >> the army's top general struggling to explain what happens next after president trump's surprise twitter announcement banning transgender people from the military. the pentagon, he said, is president but -- >> will today and will tomorrow and always should treat every single soldier, coast guard with dignity and respect. >> congressional sources tell nbc news president's announcement is tied to funding for his border wall, which is being held up in dispute over transgender health benefits in the military. >> they'll have to work out the details on how to move forward. >> i'm going to work hard on a piece of legislation to ensure the president does not do this. >> and another strong message from capitol hill to the president, amid reports that he's thinking about firing att

blayne alexander joins us live.he debate is back on. >> reporter: the debate is back on, it was truly a turning point today. and republican's seven-year crusade to replace and repeal obamacare. for senator john mccain, a hero's welcome. back on capitol hill for the first time since his diagnosis. delivered with a passionate message to his colleagues. >> what have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions? we have been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from the aisle. >> reporter: senator mccain pleading with long time colleagues to work together. >> our health care insurance system is a mess. we know it. those who support obamacare and those who oppose it. something has to be done. >> reporter: today a turning point that would allow the senate to begin discussing health care. >> many of us on this side of the aisle waited for years for this opportunity. >> we know that it is not perfect, but we know what you propose is much w

nbc blayne alexander joins us live with more on that. >> certainly a lot to break down today. on that transgender ban, word went out to all branches of the military nothing changes until president trump issues an actual order. the army top general struggling to explain what happens next after president trump surprise twitter announcement banning transgender from the military. >> will today and will tomorrow and always should treat every single soldier, marine, coast guard with dignity and respect. >> it is tide to funding in his border wall. >> said they were going to have to work out the details. >> i am going to work hard on a piece of legislation that the president does not do this. >> reporter: amid reports that he is thinking about firing attorney general jeff sessions. >> if jeff sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay. >> reporter: sessions himself defending the president on this interview on fox news. >> steadfastly determined to get his job done and wants all of us to do our job and that is what i intended to do. >> reporter: lawmakers juggling health care e

such contact between the two and does not even know who that attorney is, pat. >> all right, blayne alexanderanks blayne. >>> they have chosen michelle obama to present a courage award to his family during the wednesday's espy award. back in the late 1960s to she died in 2009. her sister rosemary was mentally disabled. >>> the heat on for sure, looks like it's doing to stay that way, heat index 95. but it's only going to be going up over the next few days and take a look at the temperatures that we've got out here as we move on through the next few days, 96 tomorrow. 9 95 wednesday. i think we could be advisory level as far as heat advisory goes as heat index could be 105 degrees maybe more than that, thursday being the hottest day and we'll talk more about this. >>> if you're not getting a good night sleep, you probably need to hear this. why some doctors say there could be a link between how well you sleep and alzheimer's. >>> and ahead at 5:00, we're getting the details of a new dtudy that coul >>> new information this afternoon about our quality of sleep and our risk for dementia. >> erik

. >>> here is blayne alexander from washington. >> reporter: members of congress have already left for their holiday break. a number of members have expressed frustration at what they are calling a distraction by the president. today in washington, a split screen on one side, president trump's agenda, the first visit from south korea's new president. but all of that largely overshadowed by the president's tweets. lashing out at joe scarborough and mika brzezinski. >> this is nothing. for me, personally. but i am very concerned as to what this once again reveals about the president of the united states. >> we're okay. the country is not. >> reporter: the president immediately fired back. watched low rated morning joe for first time in long time. fake news. he called me to stop a "national enquirer" article. i said no. mika was bleeding badly from a facelift he wrote. he called her low iq and crazy and scarborough -- today in the rose garden after a joint statement with south korea's leader about growing tensions with nuclear armed north korea, the president of the united states ignored

blayne alexander live on capitol hill to break it all down for us. just another week in washington, blayne. >> we're kind of sitting back and watching what happens. leon, a lot going on, certainly, the most dramatic moment came during that early morning health care defeat on the senate floor. you know when senator john mccain who delivered that third no vote only days after rn dramatic form after his diagnosis to vote to go ahead with the health care debate. when reporters asked him after that vote earlier this morning, he said simply, i thought it was the right vote. for republicans health care plan, the death blow came just before 1:30 a.m. in a single dramatic jester, the senate maverick, joining two other republicans, senators collins and murkowski in voting against the gop's best effort at ending obama care crushing what would have been president trump's first major legislative victory. the president expressing confidence today. >> i said from the beginning, let obama care implode and then do it. i turned out to be right. >> venting his frustrati

blayne alexander is on capitol hill with a look at what's next, blayne. >> dordoreen, you know, as you w this represents a major turning point in republican's efforts to repeal and replace obama care. their vote, of course, did come down to the wire, now this gives them the freedom to move forward and discuss what obama care repeal might look like. >> for senator john mccain, a hero's welcome. back on capitol hill for the first time since his brain cancer diagnosis. >> mr. mccain. >> his vote today crucial for his party to move forward with health care, delivered with a passionate message to his colleagues. >> what have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions. we've been depending on -- spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. >> reporter: after casting his key vote, senator mccain pleading with his long-time colleagues to work together. >> healthcare insurance system is a mess, we all know it. those who support obama care and those who oppose it. something has to be done. >> r

blayne alexander is live. >> chris, certainly, a full plate for president trump. increasing tensions with north korea and then mounting pressure from here at home to confront the russian presidentou now all of these going on as the president prepares for the g 20 summit this weekend. >> president trump, the high stakes trip overseas with direct impact worldwide. >> we must also confront the threat from north korea. >> standing on the world stage, the president promising a crack down on north korea on the hills of the missile test capable of reaching alaska. >> they're behaving in a very very dangerous manner and something has to be done about it. >> at the g to summit, president trump ramping up criticism at the chinese leader and pushing china to impose sanctions. >> they don't want to sit down. you have to have pressure to get them to the table. >> this on the eve of president trump's first face to face meeting with russian saying he must send a stroj message in the election. experts say that message not likely. >> there's no benefit to the domestically raising

live on capitol hill, blayne alexander, news 4. >>> protesters on the hill, greeting republican senators as they return to work from the july 4th break, dodgers, nurses, patients with pre-existing conditions. he went to several senate offices to protest the senate republican health care bill, shouting shame and kill the bill outside the office of arizona senator. 80 people were arrested. >> we're looking at the start of a real heat wave. we'll see the real thing here folks, in fact, the hottest days coming up soon. what's the word, m matt. >> officially the heat wave will start today, the next couple of days, i don't any problem getting there and move on today tomorrow. out there today, we did hit that 90 degree mark. 92 degrees in richmond. you can see the heat starting to build. the only reason, they thought the storms that way, it's going to be hot for sure. you talk about the hottest hair so far this year, we hit 95 a couple of times. we'll go by that wednesday and thursday. near 105 at the advisory level here, i am mentioning a weather alert day, at least for the day on thursday. ta

. >> blayne alexander, thank you. >> 11 days after the fact, we're learning there was a second meeting between president trump and vladimir putin at the g 20 summit. it happened after the leaders held their first face-to-face meeting later that night. foreign policy specialist first reported the meeting today on charlie rode show. he said the conversation lasted an hour, nbc news reached out to white house officials for confirmation. they say there was a couples only social dinner at to premier putin towards the end. no members of the president's staff or his cabinet were there. >> a big break for investigators after a baby was shot in his stroller and survived. one person now arrested as police offered new clues and the search for others in connection with this high profile case. >> atv destroyed, but at what cost to taxpayers. the reason police are demolishing the vehicles instead of reselling them to the public. >> new debate over development. to build new >>> one down, two to go in the search for suspects in the shooting of a one-year-old. the little boy was in a stroller when he g

blayne alexander on capitol hill to say they're determined to get to the bottom of this. what are you hearing? >> reporter: all day long we've been hearing calls from both democrats and republicans saying they need to learn more about this. they want to know about how the meeting came to be and what exactly was discussed inside and they're kaurling on donald trump, jr. to come to capitol hill. he released the e-mail to under score his point he had done nothing wrong. the critics say that releasing the e-mails actually did the exact >> in his own word donald trump revealing the e-mail that led you were to last week's meeting was an attorney to have russian government ties and dirt on hillary clinton. today for the first time president trump addressing the story. >> my son is a high quality person and i aplaurd his transparency. he's tweeting the e-mail chain revealing he knew the rurgs government was interested in helping the trump campaign and trump, jr. welcomed it. one meeting from the person who arranged that meeting. this is high level and sensitive information, the e

blayne alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> a big deal for big corporation based in our region. today discovery communications said it is buying script networks. it eowns channels like food network and hgtv. we don't know what this means for discovery, if you're wondering what this deal could mean for you, analysts say with so many different cable channels, now. consumer its own bundle of networks at a lower cost. >>> if you've been on an airplane, you probably notice the seats seem smaller. they are getting smaller. as a matter of fact, for a lot of passengers that we spoke to today at national airport, their seat is a serious issue. >> well, somebody my size, the width of the size isn't much of an issue more than the leg space. >> yeah, the seats are too small and i'm not looking forward to it. >> federal judge cramped will impact your safety. more on that. >> seats are getting smaller. . but it's the airline -- but is the airline industry in a tight squeeze, one of the incredible shrinking airline seat. >> i'm a six foot four guy and they seem to be made for about a five foot

the big question is, what's next, blayne alexander is on capitol hill with the latest. >> reporter: now that repeal and replace is a no go, gop even some republicans say that that would just lead to a big mess. >> after another health care defeat from republicans and frustration. >> i'm certainly disappointed for several years i've been hearing repeal and replace from congress. >> scolding, congress needs to do their job and congress needs to do their job now. >> we will now try a different way to bring the american people relief from obama care. >> that different way, repeal now, replace later. but almost immediately three gop senators rejected that idea. effectively stopping the plan in its tracks. >> to repeal it completely with no idea what it's going to be replaced with is not the right approach. >> just an indefinite hold on this, just creates more chaos and confusion. >> senate republican leader for a repeal only vote, even knowing it might fail. the president's plan. >> we're not going to own it. i'm not going to own it. i can tell you the republicans are not going to own it. we

. >> the president is not only pushing back, he's selecting bl a, yne alexander to break it down for us. blayne. >> doreen, in fact, that was the very first question today from an american reporter during that joint news conference as president trump was confronting the controversies surrounding his oldest son, yet he pushed back hard on what he calls a big deal over nothing. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: speci g first lady welcomed by the president of trump ahead of the field day. but amid the circumstances, president trump, once again, forced to answer questions about russia and his own son. >> i have a son who is a great young man. he's a fine person. >> during joint news conference, president trump pressed about a campaign season meeting between donald trump, jr. and a russian attorney said to have damaging information about hillary clinton. >> from a practical standpoint, most people would have taken that meeting. that's very standard in politics. politics is not the nicest business in the world. but it's very standard where they have information and you take the information. >> and making an unexpecte

alexander is joining us to break it all down for us. >> blayne. >> reporter: and increasing pressurerom here at home to confront the russian president over u.s. election hacking. those are just a couple of the obstacles that are facing the president as he prepares for this weekend g 20 summit. >> we must also confront the threat from north korea. >> standing on the world stage, the president promising a crack down on north korea on the heels of the ballistic test. >> they are behaving in a very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it. >> hours before joining chinese president at the g 20 summit, president t criticism and pushing china to impose sanctions on north korea. >> they don't want to sit down. we have to use pressure to get them to the table. >> this on the eve of president trump's first face-to-face meeting with russian president vladimir putin. >> experts say, that message not likely. >> there's no benefit to the president domestically in raising this. putin is not going to admit doing it nor will he do anything different. >> meanwhile a rough start out