uncertainty at such an unstable time for europe lester >> keir simmons in london, thank you. >>> back in this country, we turn to the investigation into the massacre at the highland park fourth of july parade the suspect's father now speaking out, defending his decision to help his son get a permit to buy guns and also saying he did nothing wrong. we're hearing new firsthand accounts from heroes on the ground here's maggie vespa. >> reporter: days after authorities say robert crimo iii carefully planned an attack on a fourth of july parade, his father speaking out for the first time, telling the "new york post" he talked to his son 13 hours before the shooting, adding, "that's why i guess i'm in such shock, like, did he have a psychiatric break or something? the father saying he sponsored his son's application for the i.d. card needed to buy guns because he thought he would use them at a shooting range. in the year since, prosecutors say crimo bought five weapons, including the one used at monday's shooting and another later found in his car his father telling the "post" his son bough

joining us now from saudi arabia is a senior international correspondent keir simmons. what more can you tell us about the president's visit today? >> reporter: well, it will be controversial. the president has a meeting with king salman and then a meeting with the crown prince and other ministers. there has been so much angst in the white house about how he should behave, whether he should smile. you know, jose, it is more than updates. to put it mildly, he is walking into a minefield. there are so many ways in which this region simply doesn't agree with the perspective in the u.s. we saw a little bit in israel with the prime minister openly disagreeing with the president over the question of iran and the nuclear deal. they don't agree on russia. they don't agree on china. they see china as a crucial economic partner. they don't seem to agree on oil production. there won't be a big announcement of more oil production from here because of the president's visit, although that might come later. not clear. do they agree on human rights? clearly there are many saudis who wo

denying she's effectively a hostage. >> nbc keir simmons reporting.t is maddening to see a bright american star in handcuffs for having some residue in her luggage and we're getting reporting from "the new york times" this morning the kremlin is sending signals to the biden white house that we'll let her go if you release this international arms dealer called the merchant of death from an american prison as if there is some equivalence in the two crimes. how does this play o, admiral brittney griner home. >> one, we have hostages that are held all around the world. we need to address all of them with equal. this particular case, willy, appears even unusually trumped up for a russia that as i said earlier is build these days on a stack lie after lie after lie and then thirdly, the point that kier made, here is a woman, a fine athlete going over there as he said to build bridges, participate in international sport. boy, in my view, every international athleic association ought to begin by dropping russia. some of them have. some other events are allowin

joining me now is michael steele, an msnbc international analyst and keir simmons who is live from londoni am fascinated by parliamentary government. i think in some ways it is more stable. the prime minister doesn't report to the public as much as to his party. he serves in parliament with them. they can oust him. can you talk about the ways that dynamic made it possible for boris to go? >> reporter: you know, joy, i woke up this morning with commentators comparing boris johnson to donald trump in the sense that he wouldn't concede, he wouldn't say sorry and then just a few hours later watched him here in downing street come out and make that resignation speech without ever saying the words, i resigned, it was in a way a triumphant resignation speech claiming that he had a huge mandate from the british people. but here is the point and why he had to go. he had to go because of scandal after scandal. he had to go because his own party decided he couldn't win another election, but it was possible for him to go because he is not a president, he is a prime minister. so when he won that huge

. >>> we begin with keir simmons. how are the people reacting to this shakeup? another at the top of their political leadership. >> reporter: there will be those who are breathing a sigh of relief. there will be those who are disappointed because he's a colorful character. there are people and many people who liked him very much. you really saw that character as he walked out of the world famous number 10 downing street behind me to give that resignation speech. you and i have seen a few resignation speeches in this famous street but nothing like this. there was no ounce of contrition. i got no sense of resignation, despite the fact it was a resignation speech. he basically blamed his party for forcing him out, as you played that sound of him describing it as a herd instinct. he feels that it's a mistake but that he has no choice. he really didn't have any choice, because so many members of his government had left. it was beginning to be a question of whether he could even replace them, whether he would have enough people in his party. there was a speech in the

we begin with keir simmons, doug has worked with johnson in the past and welcome to you all. sir peter is also author of "they call it diplomacy." and now a big welcome to all including keir, first of all, boris johnson fiercely fighting this for weeks. so what finally pushed him to this decision? >> reporter: yeah, well, i think in the end it became inevitable, andrea, just to give you an example the morning news show on the radio this morning that is an opinion leader, if you like, said seven ministers have resigned and had to correct themselves, we mean seven ministers have resigned since we've been on air. it was an avalanche of people walking away, and boris johnson losing more than a quarter of his government. so we just saw this dramatic moment, andrea, here in this history making street. boris johnson walking out of 10 downing street there and, of course, in the past we've seen prime ministers in tears. we've seen them try to grab the moment with these speeches, to make their play for history. boris johnson, we didn't harper an apology. there was no concession. instead

i want to bring in keir simmons. we heard from the prime minister who told parliament that was in a typical rowdy session, he is not resigning even though his own cabinet ministers says no, it is time to go. you've got to do it. what do you see happening? what's the domino effect here? >> well, hallie, yeah. there was a showdown tonight inside downing street where members of his cabinet including one who he only appointed yesterday when the previous one resigned going in there and reportedly saying we think you should go. the prime minister saying i am not leaving. he is going to be, we think, dragged out of downing street by his fingernails. the implication is a good question, hallie, because if they aren't watching in the white house and worrying then they should be because the chances are that boris johnson will be gone in the coming -- if not this week then next week. that will then leave an unstable british government with a leading party looking for a new prime minister just when you have that war in ukraine. o

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keir simmons has been covering this story for us. he's live in london with the latest.d morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the morning after the day before and britain's so crucial to president biden's alliance against president putin has a thumping headache. prime minister's long good-bye leaves the united in a state of paralysis. the "daily mail" says, what the hell have they done? >> reporter: new pictures of boris johnson embracing his wife and children inside downing street before walking out for a history-making speech. >> i'm immensely proud of the achievements of this government from getting brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century. >> reporter: wife kari holding their baby while watching. america's closest alley descending into uncertainty. president biden saying u.s./uk relations remain strong, but his statement barely conceding his strained relationship with boris johnson, not mentioning the prime minister by name. the kremlin saying it hoped britain would choose a more professional prime minister. while preside

. >> keir simmons joins us with the latest keir, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey there guys.tney griner's family. a day they really hoped they would never see. brittney griner appearing in that moscow court. so too we understand two representatives from the u.s. embassy to hear the charges. in a moscow courtroom this morning appearing for the first day of her trial, wnba superstar brittney griner. griern was arrested at a russian airport in february accused of carrying vapor cartridges that contain cannabis oil in her luggage. the charge, large skill transportation of drugs. if convicted she could face a decade in russian prison and griner has to remain in custody for the entire trial griner's wife says the two time olympic gold medalist is struggling and terrified. >> i told her i said i saw her picture. and honestly for a second, i thought she was insane i told her i just want to tell you one thing. if you are losing your mind, just be gracious with yourself, because you are human and that's okay. >> griner's detainment comes amid russia's on going -- with ukraine and strai

hoda >> keir simmons with tha breaking news at 10 downing street keir, thank you. >>> back here the accusedund for us in illinois good morning. >> reporter: good morning, the investigators saying the suspect confessed to the shooting. and also saying in the hours after the attack he fled to madison, wisconsin where he considered carrying out a second attack at another july 4th celebration. at the same time, overnight, the alleged gunman's father speaking to the new york post telling them he and his son the night before the attack spoke about a recent mass shooting in denmark and his son called the shooter there an idiot police saying he used a firearm he legally purchased along with four others in 2020 and 2021 also saying the suspect's father sponsored his son's application for a firearms identification card that allowed him to purchase the weapons later on. the father saying he did that because he thought his son wanted to go to a shooting range. >>> now to a warning from the fbi director and the head of british intelligence they are sounding an alarm over chinese spying, technology theft

so let's go to keir simmons right now. , it's something terheresa y was seen as a hapless prime minister by boris johnson. she led the conservative party july 2016 to july of 2019, three years. johnson, july of 2019 to 2022, three years. it looks like he is going out as quickly and as unceremoniously as his predecessor. >> reporter: yeah, joe. that will hurt him. just to set the scene, and i know folks watching who know british politics well will recognize this scene, over to my right there, what i can see is a podium now. it's been brought out into downing street. at either end of downing street now are staff from the cabinet office from 10 downing street, from number 11 downing street, walking out to listen to this now hotly expected speech by the british prime minister boris johnson, in which we expect him to announce his resignation. there is already now more argument, joe, over whether he will stay until the fall or whether he should just go and there should be a caretaker prime minister. but you're right, this was --

i want to bring intimacy keir simmons in london and jonathan lamere, host of msnbc's way too early. i heard you say earlier today there is no way around it, the uk is entering a season of uncertainty. what exactly does that translate to for the british people and what might it mean for us here in the u.s.? >> chris, i was talking to a british diplomat just a little while ago and he was reassuring that the mechanism of british government will work for example, britain's support for ukraine, opposition to president putin he says is supported by the british people . in a certain way, it doesn't matter who the leader is or who the government is. having said that, there is a norm is uncertainty about who the new leader will be or even whether or not boris johnson inside downing street there will actually continue to be leader as he once to the full. you are right, it was a dramatic day. an end to a momentous political career. he walked out here into downing street and made this resignation speech that has no resignation in it he didn't apologize. he didn't seem sorry for the events. in f

joining us now from saudi arabia is a senior international correspondent keir simmons.an you tell us about the president's visit today? >> reporter: well, it will be controversial. the president has a meeting with king salman and then a meeting with the crown prince and other ministers.

joining me now from london is nbc senior international correspondent keir simmons.e been covering a lot of the process. it's pretty dramatic. this is not ordinary. >> reporter: yep. yeah, more than a process. yeah, definitely. it's been high drama here in washington, here in downing street over the past few days for sure. i think, andrea, in terms of the impact it has on that u.s./british relationship, if you like, signified by president biden's comments and statements, you know, i think actually if you want to think about it in terms of britain's most important allies, the united states, i think that perhaps boris johnson going could have positive impacts. i certainly think that he on the democratic side in the u.s. has been viewed as a version of donald trump. that may not be fair. there are many ways in which he's not that. but that's the reality. i also think that his bumbling style wasn't really to washington's taste. and of course he was there seen as something of a clown. in fact, the front page of "the economist" today describing his demise as "clown fall."

keir simmons from jetta, saudi arabia, thank you so much. trump's bid for re-election appears all but certain. in a new interview with "new york" magazine, trump tells the reporter, quote, in my own mind, i've already made that decision. he says, the only thing left to decide is whether to announce before or after the midterms. trump told the magazine that a benefit to announcer before the midterms would be to clear the republican field. saying, quote, i think a lot of people would not even run if i did because, if you look at the polls, they don't even register. that's actually not true. recent polls show florida governor ron desantis tied or ahead of trump in some key states. however, trump claimed in the interview he doesn't even consider desantis to be a rival. when the topic of the many state and federal investigations into the former president came up, he denied that shielding himself from prosecution is a reason for running. claiming, quote, i did nothing wrong. joe, i'm not even going to give that last comment a thought. >> of course

today senior international correspondent keir simmons is live with an emotional farewell. good morning >> reporter: good morning to you. deeply moving scenes in tokyo as huge crowds line the streets to say a last good-bye to their fallen prime minister. shinzo abe's funeral was a private affair, but today the people of japan turned out in tens of thousands, many still stunned by his assassination last week. the 67-year-old was driven by hearst past many of the landmarks from his extraordinary political career, including parliament where he first entered as a lawmaker in 1993. he would go on to be japan's longest serving post-war prime minister, res lute in his closeness to each american president. he was at times korntcontrovers, but influential. people bowed their heads, some crying and others saying thank you, as it weaved its way to the funeral and crematorium. president biden has called his killing a tragedy for the people of japan >> it's just so shocking, and as for the investigation, keir, any developments there >> reporter: it really is shocking, savannah this is a

"today" senior correspondent keir simmons with the latest.were taken off once she got out of the cage in it moscow. she couldn't stand up in the cage. the judge said she could sit down. and in that evidence, she described how a sniffer dog at the moscow airport identified her bag. the bag was searched and two capsules of cannabis medicinal use were found. she texted her agent and location service on her phone so her family could know where she was as she was held for hours. she said she yaz never given 5:00 sets to an attorney. and at the beginning of her evidence, holding up a picture once again of her wife, a wife, of course, who has championed her case and will be watching and worrying once again. sheinelle? >> thank you, keir. >>> less than a week after the 53rd anniversary of the first moon landing an in-flight jacket from that mission was sold for nearly $2.8 million at sotheby's auction house. the coverall worn by astronaut buzz aldrin. it had the letters e. aldrin for his first name. here is one that would be easy to watch on repeat.