better for private discussion than public discussion, but he stiff-armed every one of us except jack reed. now, in some ways, maybe it's not a surprise. this is an individual who's written books and articles where he said democrats are evil, democrats are the adversary, but if you're nominated to be secretary of defense for the pentagon it's a nonpolitical military, a civilian military that should not be politicized. if you begin the job saying i needn't even sit down and pay the respect of meetings with democratic senators, what about democrats who serve in the military? or independents or libertarians or people who don't share will hegseth's party affiliation. what does it say to the men and women who work for our military when he wouldn't even pay the respect paid by every predecessor that they would meet with senators of both parties before the i was very other day when we had a committee hearing to forward mr. hegseth's nomination and the republican majority asked for a waiver to forward it faster than rules allow and that waiver can be granted if the committee votes to do so and one

and jack reed asked for a second round. you picked up that objection.mocrats objected. so you were limited to only seven minutes of questioning. and what was normal in all these hearings in the past is if you had more and sometimes you don't have more, but if you have more, you'll get you'll get a second round if you if you stick around and wait for it. >> yeah. and i had a bunch of very relevant questions about policy, about weapons systems that dod is currently trying to acquire. sentinel, you know, program being one of them, the nuclear version of that and some controversy around it to see where he stands on these really important things. but with the personal issues that he has and the accusations out there, i mean, we had to address those things first. and you very quickly run out of seven minutes. i mean, it's it goes by really fast. yeah. >> going forward, what are you looking for? if this is the secretary of defense, if he makes it. and with joni ernst both announced tonight, he's a lot closer to making it. how do you oversee this department? >>

the criticism from jack reed, the criticism from jack reed that was not a complete background check that you hear from a lot of democratic senators. this was not a complete background check. what do you say to them? >> well, of course, an answer to your question. um, we followed the precedent from the committee for the last two nominations by a democratic president and a republican president. um, i don't have any complaints about the fbi investigation. they did a thorough interview of. persons at all the places where mr. hegseth has lived and worked, and i don't have any objection to the why didn't they interview the accuser of that sexual assault from 2017? i don't think she wanted to to speak and, um, they interviewed um, some, uh, 60 or more, um, witnesses and three asked not to be identified. >> and what about the ex-wives or the ex-wives or the ex-wives interviewed? >> committee should have heard from the accuser and hegseth ex-wives. >> i think the committee has has been adequately advised. and i think basically, um, it seems that the committee members have made up their minds. i t

jack reed is the ranking democrat out of rhode island.rom michael waltz and norm coleman and from pete hegseth which republican senator dan sullivan said is a striking statement and we will want to hear that as we listen together. elizabeth warren says she has 100 questions for pete hegseth. see how many she gets in when the hearing begins in six minutes. for 44 years and i'm from flowery branch, georgia. when i have customers come in i recommend prevagen. number one, because it's safe and effective. does not require a prescription. and i've been taking it quite a while myself and i know it works. and i love it when the customers come back in and tell me, "david, that really works so good for me." makes my day. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. but st. jude has gotten us through it. st. jude is hope for every child diagnosed with cancer because the research is being shared all over the world. i had the worst dream last night. you were in a car crash and the kids and i were on our own. that's awful, hon. my brother was

jack reed of rhode island is the top democrat on that committee.ng with pete hegseth failed to diminish his concerns and raised more questions than answers. republicans are worried about confirming nominees quickly. >> we need to move quickly. if my colleagues don't grasp the gravity of this, look at the crises happening in california right now. look at what is happening around the globe. we have very urgent crises that have to be dealt with. president trump needs his cabinet in place right now. >> another controversial nominee is rfk jr. his confirmation hearing is not even scheduled yet. kennedy is going support from the g.o.p. >> he came back with he is not anti-vaccination. he is -- he wants to have it science-based. i came away with that meeting very positively impressed. at the same time, he will be in front of committee. these tough questions will be asked. >> background checks for some nominees are -- quibbling about paperwork. republicans accused democrats of slowing things down. democrats contend it is due diligence. >> the american peopl

senator jack reed says to his colleagues behind closed doors, i can't be forum unless two neurologists stand up and speak for his condition. and then i want to see him in a press conference. we weren't told any of this. we weren't told any of this. we've got a right to demand answers. so i'm glad it's being reported now, but it should have been reported sooner. i want to remind you, go to my website at smerconish.com. answer today's poll question. very relevant to all of this. i mean, i wrote my opening commentary before these revelations, okay. and the whole premise catherine can you put that back on me for just one second? i just want to tell you straight out, here's the deal. i'm looking at carter's passing, and i'm looking at the reverence for jimmy carter, and i'm looking at all the biden numbers, and i'm looking at all the trump numbers. and i'm saying to myself, i wonder if over time, biden's numbers will get better in a way that carter's did, and then come all these revelations about what people around him knew and didn't say. and i say to myself, you know what? they may actual

take a listen to what jack reed said after that. >> i was. >> alarmed that investigators had neglecteditical witnesses. and whistleblowers, and i urge them to reopen the investigation. during my experience on the armed services committee. it is unprecedented that the fbi has returned to my office two more times as recently as last night to provide additional information on the nominee. >> frankly. >> i still not do not believe the background investigation is complete. >> now, reed went. >> on to say his. >> concerns about hegseth include disregarding the laws of war in the past, as well as allegations of financial management. sexual impropriety, alcohol abuse, all of which pete hegseth denies. reed went on to say, however, that there is a pattern. >> of abuse. >> in his personal history that could be used by adversaries to influence his actions or embarrass him, and he's simply not convinced that anything he's heard would disabuse him of these concerns. and roger wicker, the republican chairman of this committee, has a very different view. he came away satisfied. he said he's gotten th

the former sister in law submitted an affidavit in response to a request from democratic senator jack reedor a statement about hegseth fitness to lead the defense department through his lawyer. hegseth has denied that he was abusive toward his ex-wife. in a statement to nbc news, his ex-wife says there was no physical abuse during their marriage and in their 2021 divorce proceedings, both parties agreed that neither claims to be a victim of domestic abuse. joining us now, nbc's julie sirkin on capitol hill. julie, good morning. what else are we learning from this affidavit? >> yeah. hey good morning jose. well, it's important to point out that the affidavit makes a lot of allegations that aren't related, quite frankly, to physical abuse. and so the fact that samantha hicks has responded to us when we asked her what is not accurate in these allegations, and she said she was never a victim of physical abuse, is notable, i will tell you that really, this process now comes down to republicans because her nomination has been reported favorably out of the armed services committee, which jack ree

i just wanted to also point out that today the ranking member, jack reed, longtime chairman, said that this information had been provided to the fbi and it was not in the background check that the fbi handed over to the chair and the ranking member. so that is, again, raising questions about what the fbi is actually providing to the senate. barbara mcquade, maria teresa kumar, brendan buck, garrett hake, thanks to all of you. and in just 90s major cities across the country bracing for potential deportation raids as we learn more about plans to send active u.s. military personnel to the southern border. you're watching southern border. you're watching andrea mitchell reports on ( ♪♪ ) eggs make all our family moments better. especially when they're eggland's best. taste so fresh and amazing. ( ♪♪ ) deliciously superior nutrition, too. for us, it's eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best. ( ♪♪ ) (vo) these days, the dollar just doesn't go as far. shrimpin' baby! eggland's best. it's shrimp your way. choose 2 or 3 flavors starting at just $16.99. like garlic shrimp sca

that being said, we have a new statement from senator jack reed, who in our reporting is the one who ultimately led danielle hegseth to bring these allegations to light. he says, quote, the sworn affidavit from this courageous woman provided at enormous personal risk and with nothing to gain documents, a disturbing pattern of abuse and misconduct by mr. hegseth. this behavior would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense. i will tell you, i am having conversations with some republicans who have been concerned about seth, about his alcohol abuse, about other allegations that he has denied and we have heard of since he was picked by trump in november. that being said, though, it's a very high threshold for them to be able to vote against him. and certainly samantha hegseth denying some of these allegations doesn't help them in that effort. >> julie sirkin, thank. >> you for. >> bringing us that reporting. amy hegseth, former sister in law, could have, you know, put forward these allegation

. >> jack reed had to say about. >> all of this. >> the senate is not considering a low level appointeeow. we are advising and consenting on. the nominee for. secretary of defense, and we cannot. risk installing a leader who may have a history that is exploitable by our adversaries. nor can we risk. confirming a secretary of defense who has shown. that he is. incapable of being responsible, accountable, and law abiding 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as that job. >> requires responsible. >> accountable. >> law abiding. what's the expectation with hegseth? i mean, i mean, what do senators and. dod personnel at this point, from, from your. >> understanding. >> think is going to happen next? >> well. >> look, i mean, he was just confirmed. so he's going to be walking into that building. >> i think what senator reed. >> said is really important. >> that the job of the secretary of defense is. >> a 24. >> hour job. you can. >> get calls in the middle of the night at all times. i remember my. >> boss. >> former secretary of defense lloyd austin, being in the indo-pacific and getting a call

i want to take this opportunity to thank my good friend, ranking member jack reed. this is my first opportunity to chair this committee and congress. i want to sank -- thank senator reed. he cares deeply about national security and about the united states of america. particularly, the men and women who stand watch here and around the world to protect united states. i want to thank you for the many courtesies you have extended to meet in the past and i look forward to working with you again in a bipartisan fashion in this congress. it is appropriate to recognize and welcome three senators attending their very first senate armed services committee hearing as members. senator banks of indiana, senator sheehy of montana and senator slotkin of michigan. we are excited to have you as committee colleagues and look forward to many important contributions from each of you. senator slotkin, is a look at the end of the dais, it seems only a week or two ago i was sitting in that very chair being recognized by the chairman of the committee, the distinguished senator from michiga

. >> he didn't meet with any of us except for jack reed.ou know, that's not typical of how this process is supposed to work, and i can only speak for my office. >> we gave them multiple days, multiple opportunities. >> it's very clear to us, i mean, it should be clear to everybody that he avoided meeting with all of us. >> and that was a common criticism from democrats throughout the hearing that pete hegseth, when he was trying, was meeting with members ahead of this hearing, he focused primarily on republicans, really only met with one committee democrat, and that was jack reed. and that same democrat, jack reed is the only member on the democratic side who saw that fbi background check. roger wicker being the only republican senator wicker indicating that he would not allow the full access to the committee, in keeping with practice from other nominees in the past. but even, dana, as you know, the democratic complaints only go so far. they don't have the votes to stop him at the moment. republicans are confident they will have the votes t

>> there was that and also this exchange with jack reed. >> you made statement to your platoon, would you explain what a jag off is. >> i don't think i need to. the men and women understand. >> it is a jag officer who puts his priorities in front of the officers. >> in case you missed it. >> it is an adaptation of an old flying thing from many years ago -- an old flying saying from many years ago. we will see what the vote is and the senate will vote but there are a lot of people who believe despite rocky road right after his nomination has got the votes to become the next secretary of defense. >> we are starting to get a sense of that. thank you. >> 30% they went up. [indiscernible] >> of the biggest in history. >> that was the father of one of the service members in the attack that left 13 service members dead. >> could the dream to buy greenland become a reality? alec told him is live. >> i am in greenland, the largest island in the world, a very cold one. trump's comments have been making the stir here. what have green lenders being done at what has greenland been saying about tha

senator jack reed, my friend, said it all in his opening statement. behavioral problems, alcohol abuse, lack of experience, his statements on the role of women in the armed forces. so we're in a in a period, though, where we've got to remind ourselves the real problem is mr. trump suggesting we might invade greenland, we might seize the panama canal, we might use military power against drug cartels in mexico. we might coerce canada into being the 51st state. this is comical stuff. that's going to be the challenge. less so, mr. hegseth. >> well, here are some of the key lines of questioning from of hegseth, from democrats in yesterday's hearing. take a listen. >> i do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job. we must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you, a variety of sources, including your own writings, implicate you with disregarding the laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other trou

hegseth chose not to meet with me nor any other senate democrats except the ranking member, jack reed, and he broke with strong, long-standing tradition to ensuring our work on national security remains free from partisanship, and i think that's the important point. we are stronger as senators, as congress, as a nation, if we are acting together. the committee, unfortunately, was not afforded the opportunity to ask a number of rounds of questions, and so there are a number of questions about his views, particularly regarding foreign policy and military policy, that we did not get an answer to. i've become the ranking member on the foreign relations committee, and so i'm very concerned about the role of the united states in the world. i think the american people expect transparency regarding mr. hegseth's ability to stand by our allies and partners, to uphold international agreements, to abide by rules ever engagements -- rules of engagement, and the bottom line, support the men and women in the military in a way that not only keeps us safe, but protects them as well. the almost three

. >> senate armed services to remand committee and the committee's top democrat jack reed just read afile on head excess. he says he has more questions than answers. supporters are launching an operation to convince skeptical senators to vote yes. >> if your senator is on the fence put down earphones from recording us and call him right now and say you will hold them personally accountable in the electoral process if they do not support pete hegseth. is that clear of? >> trump national security advisor designate michael waltz and former senator norm coleman introduced hegseth to the committee tomorrow. chuck schumer is troubled by the nominee's background. >> if there is any cabinet position that ought to have a study and drama free individual it is certainly secretary of defense. unfortunately mr. hegseth has a deeply troubled background to put a generously. >> the senate has already postponed one hearing scheduled for tomorrow. interior secretary doug burgum slated to appear before the energy committee. blaming the delay on the office of government ethics claiming it is under review

. >> so democrat senator jack reed of rhode island gave his opening statement saying he just didn't believemeet the overwhelming demands of the job and yesterday the nominee's personal character. now, hegseth went on to say that unlike the current administration, politics, he said, shuled plano part in military matters. he said we are not republicans, we are not democrats, we are american warriors. and by the way, a number of protesters had to be removed from the hearing as hegseth was giving his opening statement. it was almost coordinated. one got up, shouted and scream ised, was booted out s. and then within a minute or two, another one. and that was the pattern. i think they're all out now. interesting stuff, stu. stuart: this one's for you. governor ron desantis called on florida legislators to hold a special session. what's that for? if do you know, ash? ashley: yes. to get the state ready for the illegal immigration crackdown that is expected once president-elect trump takes office. but everyone greeces even in his own party -- agrees, top gop legislative leaders in florida push back

. >> foxconn firms that armed services committee chairman roger wicker and jack reed of rhode islandtudied the customary documents the fbi prepped for the transition team about hegseth. reid wonders about his readiness for the job. he is not the only one. >> unfortunately, deeply troubling to put it generously. >> mike lee scheduled a hearing for interior secretary doug burgum for tuesday but nixed it until thursday because of what he called an unacceptable bureaucratic delay a hearing slated for doug collins tomorrow also postponed due to paperwork. other big hearings come wednesday for attorney general nominee pam bondi, khs secretary nominee kristi noem and secretary of state nominee marco rubio. he could be the easiest to confirm, maybe on inauguration day. bret? >> bret: chad pergram live on the hill. chad, thank you. stocks were mixed today. the dow surged 359. the s&p 500 finished ahead 9. the nasdaq lost 74. >> up next, as president biden steps off the world stage, has he strengthened or weakened america's image abroad? we talk with brit hume. ♪ ♪ did you take your vitamin to

andrew meijers jack reed alaa, a social media ferula. >> it is impossible to forget the suffering that she and other palestinian detainees have been forced to endure, but she says her focus now is on enjoying each moment with her daughter and husband. nada bashir cnn in bethlehem. >> and we'll be right back hi, everybody. >> you see. >> people from. >> radically different. >> views in. >> the. same conversation. >> we're going in. >> let's have some real talk. >> solving america right here. >> cnn presents an encore presentation of hbo's real time with bill maher tonight at eight on cnn. okay. >> everyone. >> our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. >> ensure with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health, and ensure complete with 30g of protein. >> do you have an old outdated bath or shower? but you're afraid of the cost and the hassle of a lengthy remodel? maybe you're having trouble stepping over a high bathtub and just feel unsafe. whatever your reason, your bathroom is personal and jacuzzi makes your remodel personal from the very

he denies those claims, but democrats like rhode island, senator jack reed say he's on qualified if confirmed. >> will not improve our military. but the stabilize it and weaken the institution to republicans also say they won't vote for him. senators susan collins and lisa murkowski, democrats are trying to slow down the process. alright, dia is to let whole truth come out. but senate majority leader john thune says one way or the other. >> these nominees will be confirmed now other controversial nominees have hearing set for next week. that includes rfk junior for secretary of health and human services. >> and tulsi gabbard for director of national intelligence in washington. i'm maddie beer-temple. >> and developing news, the u.s. coast guard has officially started referring to the gulf of mexico as the gulf of america. one day after president trump signed an executive order to initiate the name change. the move follows trump's campaign promise. florida governor ron desantis and other leaders have already adopted the new term while some critics continue to voice concerns. some lawmakers are

submitted this at the request of the top democrat on the armed services committee in the senate, senator jack reed hegseth describes in the affidavit allegations of volatile and threatening conduct by pete hegseth that made his second wife, samantha, fear for her safety. in the affidavit, the former sister in law details instances in which she says she was, quote, a witness to and even a victim of emotional abuse by pete hegseth. she says she personally witnessed him abusing alcohol numerous times. quote. among the allegations are that samantha, the ex-wife, hid in a closet once from hegseth that she developed escape plans for use if she felt she needed to get away from hegseth, escape plans that would be activated with a code word. she did once put that escape plan into action. you should know that. hegseth ex-wife. she tells nbc news that she will not be commenting on her marriage to pete beyond saying, quote, there was no physical abuse in my marriage. nbc news further reports that as part of their divorce, both pete hegseth and his second ex-wife signed a court document that said neither paren

senator jack reed, top democrat on the armed services committee met with pete hegseth today and released a scathing statement that he has no confidence in his abilities, his qualifications to be secretary of defense. that is a rare statement at this stage in the confirmation process, because usually members of the opposite party try to keep their powder dry, they try to wait until the confirmation hearing to chart out how they are thinking about a nomination. the fact that senator reid did what he did today bodes poorly for his nomination in terms of winning over maybe one or two democrats. that was always the possibility, i don't gets possible anymore this point. the question is, do republicans stick together on the nomination, and do they stick together on kelsey gabbard nomination? she is supposed to have her confirmation hearing next week. now it might slip into the week following, because not all of her documents have been cemented the committee, including the fbi background. there are a lot of senators i spoke to who you really interested in reading that background. there are conce

jack reed gave a statement exclusively this morning saying they are so disturbing that he wants them a pause, try to see first of all why none of this information made it into the fbi background check. we know that the fbi interviewed danielle hegseth. we reported last week none of this information or anything having do with his ex-wives was in the report provided by trump transition officials to senators considering his nomination. these are questions that democrats are asking. republicans are asking, too, and of course that is key because republicans control the chamber here. >> and we know that republicans still control the senate. we also know that hegseth's initial performance in his public confirmation hearing was well received. to that end, how might that impact things. >> reporter: yesterday they reported his nomination on party line votes 14-13. now it's out of the hands of the committee that held that hearing that you are referring to. now it goes to the full senate floor for a vote that. vote could happen as early as thursday. in the meeting yesterday democrats tried to hi

armed services ranking member jack reed is expected to brief senators on the fbi background check.an on the committee, roger wicker, have a hard copy as is. standard. what? why not? while you still control the government? as as president joe biden is still the country's president. merrick garland is still the country's acting attorney general. he's the attorney general, not acting. christopher wray is right now, as of 518 in the east, the fbi director. why not do things normally? why all these abnormal concessions to trump and his, in your words, unqualified nominee ahead of them being in charge of anything? >> i really don't know. i don't understand why you wouldn't allow the members of the committee, all the members, to read the report. i don't understand why you wouldn't allow the rest of the senate to read the report. i mean, this is such a consequential a the most consequential sequential position in the united states government. it is the largest agency in the united states government. as i mentioned, this is in the chain of command for nuclear weapons employment. and the fbi

former sister in law submitted to senators after a request for information from democratic senator jack reedys pete hegseth made his second wife, samantha, fear, for her safety when they were married, that she once hid in a closet from hegseth and developed an escape plan for use. quote, if she felt she needed to get away. seth's attorney has denied all these allegations. in the affidavit and in response to a previous request for comment from nbc news, samantha hegseth says there was no physical abuse in my marriage. nbc's julie sirkin joins us now from capitol hill. julie, you're reporting at least 20 senators have now seen the unredacted affidavit with these new allegations. walk us through your exclusive reporting. >> yeah. anna and i just want to say. >> in terms of samantha. >> hogsett's statement to us, that there was no physical abuse in the marriage. there is no mention of physical abuse in this affidavit. i have now viewed the redacted copy. we have also have two sources who recounted the details of the unredacted portion to us. we have that reporting overnight. i want to read you p

affidavit was provided in response to a request by armed services committee ranking member senator jack reed. after learning that danielle hegseth was interviewed for an fbi background check, but that details of her testimony were not included in the final briefing provided to senators. joining me now is senator chris murphy of connecticut. he's a member of the senate foreign relations committee. senator, thank you for being here. let's go through this. the meritocracy that donald trump wants to build includes mr. hegseth, who in addition, the wall street journal has reported, was repeatedly passed out from alcohol abuse, according to witnesses. pete hegseth regularly abused alcohol to the point that he passed out at family gatherings and once needed to be dragged out of a strip club while in uniform, according to an relatives account of his behavior that was given to u.s. lawmakers and reviewed by the wall street journal. he has denied the allegations, calling them part of a smear campaign. is it a smear campaign by everyone that he used to work with at various places like fox and these cha

roger wicker, a republican, said, because he lacks qualifications that have led me, like jack reed, to say yes and vote for general austin and general mattis and others before him. but what struck me today is that at most, this nominee is qualified to be a spokesperson for the department of defense. he's very glib and facile. he's excellent as a communicator. that's what he did as a talking head for fox. but he is unqualified by virtue of his running two veterans organizations into the ground financially. the accusations of sexual impropriety and alcohol abuse, there's enough already on the record, but republicans are choosing to look the other way simply because it's donald trump, and they are, frankly fearful of the pressure and the threats and intimidation that he's directed at them. >> it appears that includes senator joni ernst, who is a combat veteran herself, who has talked about experiencing sexual assault, or in the military, herself, being a victim of it. she has indicated she's supporting him. does that surprise you? should it surprise us? >> i have a lot of respect for joni

important statement about this nominee's sort of troubled past came in the opening statement by senator jack reed, the military veteran himself been around a long time, very reasonable, very objective. >> and it surfaced all the reasons why you could or should vote against this nomination. and it's a provocative nomination, by the way, not half as provocative as the incoming commander in chief. and having said that, look, this guy is princeton educated. he's smart, he's articulate. he does know a ton about national security issues as a commentator on tv. and he conducted himself very well in this four hour plus hearing, i think, to the point where all he needed was to lose one republican senator and it would be killed in committee. and i think a lot of republican senators probably hope that would happen. it didn't happen. this guy is going to get confirmed. and i think it was a very divisive, bitter, you know, he's walking away from his background and women in the armed forces, they're 15% of the armed forces. a thousand have been killed and wounded in combat. he knows he has to walk away from th

senator jack reed provided the following statement to nbc news after that third briefing.a rule, i do not publicly discuss the contents of an fbi background investigation. however, two things are true in this case. one, during my time in the senate, the fbi has never before needed to deliver multiple briefings on a defense secretary nominee. and two, the recent reports about the contents of the background briefings on mr. hegseth are true and accurate, nbc news reports. during a second briefing, the two senators had received, the trump transition team told senator wicker and senator reed that samantha hegseth, pete hegseth, the second wife, spoke with the fbi regarding pete hegseth and gave them a prepared statement that said she has had and continues to have. he can, he has had and continues to have a problem with alcohol abuse. pete hegseth says he no longer has a problem with alcohol abuse, and samantha hegseth, set in, said in a statement as we've already said repeatedly on this program, many, many times that she has said pete hegseth has not physically abused her. the

pete hegseth refused to meet with any democrat on the armed services committee except the chairman, jack reed, and that broke precedent. people who want to get the committee vote meet with folks on both sides of the aisle. only pete hegseth decided. i don't even want to pay democratic members the respect of coming to meet with them before. >> democratic senator tim kaine, the great commonwealth of virginia. thank you so much. i think it's the first time we've talked since you were reelected. so congratulations on your reelection. >> thank you jake. appreciate it man. >> president trump is wrapping up his first week back in the white house. and between the executive orders, speeches to world leaders, pardons, threats of tariffs and more, it has been quite a busy month these last four days. our correspondents will join me live with the biggest moments and the ones you might have missed. >> kobe believed. >> in himself at the youngest possible age. >> he's one. >> of the most remarkable. >> stories in sports history. >> i don't want to be remembered as. just a basketball player. >> kobe premiere

senator jack reed, who's the top democrat on the armed services committee, as well as roger wicker, the chairman of the committee. wicker defended the decision not to allow the rest of the committee to do this, saying that that's consistent with some past practice, although there have been instances when the full committee has been able to access that. democrats sharply critical of that and also critical of the investigation itself, saying there were gaps in the investigation. certain people were not interviewed, including the accuser of that sexual assault allegation from 2017. but wicker defended that investigation. jake told me it was a thorough probe and he had no issue with how it was conducted. >> jake, manu, i can't help but notice you're standing outside the office of republican senator joni ernst. she's a key member of the committee. she is a veteran of combat in our armed forces. she's also a survivor of sexual assault. where is she? on the hegseth nomination? >> you know, she has not, said jake. there is an expectation, though, that she will back this nomination, even though

they gaggle together last night with their top democrat on this committee, jack reed, behind closed doors, where reed really walked them through. what he learned in that background investigation, at least, what was included and what wasn't. here's what we know so far from that. here's tammy duckworth, a democrat on the committee. >> my understanding is that several of the. uh, witnesses, um, were not interviewed by the fbi, even though they wanted to be. >> and that includes the accuser of his sexual assault accuser. >> i have not seen the fbi report, and they've not made it available to us. >> but who is not interviewed? >> i only know that some of the folks that have the women in his past, women in his life, have wanted to be interviewed, but have not been interviewed by the vetters. >> for a change. now, it's important to keep in mind that pete hegseth can get through without a single democratic vote that includes a single democratic vote on the committee. it's really those key republicans that we're going to have to keep an eye out for to determine whether or not hegseth is going to h

he met with the senior democrat on the armed services committee, that being senator jack reed, who saidot relieve my concerns about mr. hegseth lack of qualifications and raised more questions than answers. so, look, trump doesn't necessarily need democrats to confirm his picks, right? but what kind of fireworks could we see on tuesday and during then hegseth subsequent hearing with the full senate? >> right. >> i think the initial hearing will be more issue driven. basically, what what in your resume thinks makes us think that you are qualified to do this job because nothing has shown up thus far. and i think, i hope at least that the senators keep to the issues and not the personality. now, when you have the full senate hearing, that's when you see a lot of folks taking their time to make names in the press, and they'll do their thing. i don't hold it against them. republicans do it all the time, you know, did it all the time with with biden and other democrats. so it's part of the process. but i do think that we are in for a few surprises. we have had a quiet lull, but it's almost be

and right now, in this closed door meeting, i tried to ask the the jack reed, the top democrat on thecommittee, about that investigation, and he did not want to comment about this at all and suggested he would have more to say tomorrow. any concerns about the background check, the fbi background check, not really. >> until tomorrow. >> you're not. what i am i'm going to have a hearing tomorrow along with my colleagues, and we'll see what happens. are you going to vote for mr. hegseth? >> he has has to have an opportunity to testify. would you have concerns with his nomination more generally? >> you do. >> i think, you know, on the public record that we have right now, put aside all of the charges of sexual impropriety and alcohol abuse. >> there has never been a nominee for an office of such serious consequence. who is so unqualified and unprepared in recent american history. >> but, wolf, pete hegseth does not need any democrats in order to get the job. in fact, he needs republican support. he needs a limit. republican defections to three on the senate floor. and right now, no republ

were you surprised by that lack of courtesy to jack reed, the longtime chairman, west point man who is so widely admired by everyone? >> well, i was disappointed. i had in my second round, i wanted to ask mr. hegseth about his positions on nato, because what he's said in some of his writings is that nato is a relic. it's outdated. >> and in fact, nato has been reinvigorated. we have 32 nations now part of nato. it's the strongest defense alliance that we've seen in modern history. and the fact that we can't count on him to understand that that is so important as a secretary of defense, when we compare that to the work of past secretaries of defense, their understanding of nato and the importance of our alliances and partnerships, that's what helps to make us strong. and the fact that he doesn't seem to recognize that is very troubling. >> assuming that he is going to get confirmed, since none of them. joni ernst is now saying she'll vote for him, and we don't know what the other two republican women may may end up doing. but at this stage he is going to likely get confirmed. is there s

the senate armed services in response to a january 18th letter from the ranking member, senator jack reed, asking for more information about information that she has about the marriage and the time that that pete hegseth and samantha hegseth were married. now, in it, she details times where she was told by samantha hegseth, his ex-wife, that she feared for her safety because of pete hegseth s behavior. now, as you said, and i want to read this because i want to give the entire statement here. we did reach out to samantha hegseth first. we heard back from her on monday. we reached out to her again today. and she she does deny that there was any physical abuse in her marriage. and she's asking and she does say that she doesn't want to speak anymore about her marriage to pete hegseth, as you mentioned. his attorney, tim parlatore, also denying this and pointing to a court order that they both signed in their marriage that denies any physical abuse. that being said, katie, this is in an affidavit signed by pete hegseth, former sister in law, that details real claims of fear that samantha had

after the briefing, senator jack reed, the committee's ranking member, says he looks forward to hearing >> well, it raises significant questions, and that's the purpose of our hearing tomorrow to ask thoughtful questions and to give him the opportunity to respond. and we've very well, i hope, prepared to be balanced and objective as possible and to get answers that will bear on his ability to be the secretary of defense. >> but then there's this. nbc news reports that the contents of the report may be lacking. the fbi's security check of hegseth does not include interviews with any of his ex-wives, or the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017. that's according to three sources with direct knowledge of that background check. hegseth has denied any wrongdoing in that case, and the local district attorney in california declined to file charges in the sexual assault case, saying there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the assault took place. democratic lawmakers, though, are sounding that's been left out of the report. joining us now to break it down, congressional repor

senators roger wicker of mississippi and jack reed of rhode island.ittee received texas fbi background check on friday. two sources tell nbc news the 25 member committee does not necessarily need to review his background check to proceed with the nomination hearing, but two committee sources familiar with the process said it was unprecedented that the report took this long to get to the panel's members. democrats on the panel have been frustrated by the delay and suggest the report may not be thorough, but they say they'd prefer to see it before this hearing tomorrow regardless. a spokesperson for the fbi declined to comment. hegseth, a veteran and former fox news host, has faced multiple controversies and allegations since he was announced as trump's defense secretary pick. he's met with multiple republican members of the committee, but his team has told most democratic senators that he would only be available to meet with them after the hearing. joining us now is senior investigative producer and story editor for nbc news, sarah fitzpatrick. sarah,

we do know that the top democrat on this committee, jack reed, met with his members last night to discuss what was in and what was not in this report. so expect that there's going to be questions about the information that democrats have access to, as well as questions about hegseth past. john. >> all right. lauren fox manning the hallways there. we know you will get pete hegseth the minute he walks in there. also, the other key players, thank you so much for being with us this morning, sarah. >> all right. now to the fire danger in southern california exploding once again as winds may hit near hurricane force. already a new fire has erupted. firefighters battling a fire now in ventura county. just one of the areas under the highest fire threat. red flag warnings have been expanded because of just how strong the winds are expected to be. the danger of more fire outbreaks remains, and the winds could potentially undo the progress that firefighters have made in trying to contain the palisades fire and the fire in altadena. joining me now is california congresswoman sidney dove. thank you so

and you'll notice that at one point, jack reed, who did bring up the issue about work, about pardoning criminals, by the way, that senator reed said, you know, it's pretty unusual not to have a second round of questioning because mark kelly asked for one, and he said that is a breach of protocol. and roger wicker basically said, thank you. noted. and that's it. that's that's all he had to get through. he doesn't come back for another day. chuck hagel went through three rounds. ashton carter went through. two senators are sent. when a senator asks for this. it should get more than a shrug. but i think everybody just understood he's not qualified. he's got a lot of baggage. get through this four hours and then just, you know, ram him through as quickly as possible. now that may not happen. there may be those four republican votes. i'm not as sanguine as some as you were or ryan are. you know, at this point that he's headed for a nomination, but that may just have been his thinking. just get through it and don't answer these questions. >> yeah. listen, there is a there is time. it's going

her own name by his former sister in law, that was provided in response to a request from senator jack reedr in law says she believes hegseth has an alcohol abuse problem, saying she personally witnessed hegseth abusing alcohol numerous times. she also recounts a night in 2013, in which hegseth got very drunk at a bar, dancing with gin and tonics in each hand and dropping several glasses on the dance floor, making a mess, leaving the bar with hegseth. she says he repeatedly shouted no means yes! when asked about these allegations specifically, his lawyer said these claims are clearly and obviously false to any objective observer. senator tim kaine of virginia, a member of the armed services committee who spoke on the senate floor about all the problems with this nomination today. he joins me now. and, senator, i want to just start and say, it seems to me there's a whole bunch of reasons that were i a us senator, i would vote against pete hegseth. but just take all of them aside, bracket all of them, and just talk about the allegations of what appears to be a serious drinking problem. if you