-- peter alexander -- peter alexander -- peter alexander and dylan dreyer. >> we will remix that right now. >> it never gets old. >> i have been watching this show since i was a kid and grateful to share this set with you guys. iot to nbc news almost 15 years ago. tom brokaw was the anchor. i learned so much. >> the best par is going over the last 15 years which we will do later. >> you have the beautiful and sunny and clear and crystal day. that is the reality. the nor'easter. >>> the wind and heavy rain and coastal flooding for millions oe peop up and down the northeast coast. i'll go through the details in a w minutes. >> busy saturday morning. we will get more. >>> thisry is the big s this morning. the overnight developments in the case of thelorida man charged on friday with sending a dozen pipe bombs to critics of president trump. the justice departmt said it was old fashion evidence that broke the case. nbc's chief justice corresetndentwilliams is in washington with more. pete, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. th investigation did move rapidly. the first bomb found mond.

joining me now, nbc news national correspondent peter alexander, bloomberg politics national political reporter, sahill kapoor, and tiffany cross. peter, i will start with you. the president was pressed by some of our colleagues yesterday on a few of these false comments he's made over the past few days. here was his response. >> going to the middle of the caravan, take your cameras, and search, okay. search. no, no, take your camera, go into the middle, and search. you're going to find ms-13. you're going to find middle

and we start with peter alexander, who is with us here now. peter? >> lester, good evening tonight. there were loud cheers inside the white house when susan collins made it all but official that brett kavanaugh would become the next supreme court justice, an historic political win for president trump after a bitter fight that has divided americans. >> reporter: tonight brett kavanaugh's contentious confirmation battle heading to a dramatic conclusion after another day of protests. and suspense. today senators finally revealed their intentions. first, alaskan lisa murkowski voting no, indicating she could not support kavanaugh. >> i believe he is a good man. it just may be that in my view, he's not the right man for the court at this time. >> reporter: but arizona republican jeff flake, who originally called for the fbi background investigation, announcing he would vote yes. >> will he be confirmed tomorrow? >> i would think so. >> reporter: then there were two. kavanaugh needing one of them to secure a seat on the nation's highest court. susan collins coming to the senate floor, arg

our peter alexander has details. peter, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you. tonight, christine blasey ford's lawyers say "it is inconceivable the fbi would not interview her" as two sources familiar with the matter tell nbc news the fbi could wrap up its background investigation as early as tonight. tonight, president trump is revealing one thing in his mind that would disqualify his supreme court nominee. >> i don't think he should lie to congress, and there have been a lot of people over the last year that have lied to congress, >> reporter: still, the president is fiercely defending brett kavanaugh. >> i think he's been very brutally treated. >> reporter: and casting this as a critical moment for young americans. >> what do you say to young men in america? >> i say it's a very scary time for young men in america when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of. you can be somebody that was perfect your entire life, and somebody could accuse you of something. but in this realm, you are truly guilty until proven innocent. >> reporter: asked

peter alexander, and richard eng engel, thanks to both of you. president trump's response to jamal khashoggi's disappearance and reported death has raised new questions about the business relationship between the president and saudi arabia. the president tried to put the issue to rest earlier this week when he tweeted, quote, with for the record, i have no financial interests in saudi arabia or russia for that matter. his son, eric, repeated that point during an appearance on fox news this morning. there's zero investments in russia. there's zero investments in saudi. we have absolutely nothing to do with those countries. >> the president's latest financial disclosure form did not list any interests in saudi arabia. but he does have a history of doing business with the kidnapping come. the associated press reports that in the 1990s, saudi prince, now fallen out of favor with the government, helped save trump from bankruptcy by buying his yacht for $20 million. a few years later, that prince joined with other investors to buy the plaza hotel in ne

peter alexander time on the at times bizarre moment and message. >> smart cookie. >> reporter: kanye west in the oval office today unfiltered and unapologetic. >> trump is on a hero journey right now, and he might not have expected to have a crazy mother [ bleep ] like kanye west. >> reporter: for more than ten minutes, the controversial rapper delivering a frenetic, at times jarring monologue. >> it was something about when i put this hat on made me feel like superman. >> reporter: slapping the desk and free styling by our count on more than 40 topics. >> what i think is we don't need sentences. we need pardons. it's a hydrogen powered airplane and this is what our president should be flying in. look at this. if he don't look good, we don't look good. this is our president. >> it's true. >> so when i said i like trump, to like someone that's liberal, they will say but he's racist. you think racism can control me? that don't stop me. that's an invisible wrong. you are tasting a fine wine that has multiple notes to it. >> reporter: the provocative performance nearly leaving even the p

>> peter alexander at the white house tonight. thanks. >>> there are new questions about who may be listening in on the president's phone calls after a report claimed the chinese and russian spies regularly eavesdrop on conversations he has on his iphone. nbc's andrea mitchell with that story. >> reporter: a president who is never far from his phones, tweeting constantly, and calling friends from a personal phone not secured by the government. could foreign spies be listening in? tonight u.s. officials tell nbc news they have been concerned for months that president trump has been discussing sensitive information on his nonsecure iphone with people like sean hannity of fox news, and now "the new york times" reports the chinese and russians are routinely eavesdropping. nbc news has not confirmed aspects of "the new york times" report. according to the "times," the president also calls billionaires like stephen schwarzman and steve wynn, big campaign contributors with major holdings in china and contacts with china's government. as

once again, peter alexander leads off our coverage. r eporter: tonight thsands of demonstrators marching on the supremeourt protesting brett kavanaugh. >> shut it down! shut it down! >> kavanaugh has got to go! >> reporter: tensions on capitol hill, too, where they're blasting the fbi background investigation. these women confronting utah republic orrin hatch. >> don't you wave your veand at me. i wamy hand at you. >> when you grow up -- >> when i grow up! d >> reporter: a senators filing into a secure room reserved for classified briefings getting their first look at di the fbi's fs that will likely determine kavanaugh's fate. two crucial republicans seemed satisfied with the report. yi susan collins it appears to be a very thorough investigation. and je flake who originally called for the investigation saying it offered no additional corroborating information. to back up sexual misconductegations against kavanaugh. but heidi heitkamp already announced her decision. >> i will be voting oro. >> rr: republicans saying the findings vindi

>> peter alexander, thanks. took his seat on the u.s. supreme court bench today. and after a contentious confirmation battle, he wasted no time diving in with questions during the rs cases. after weeks of protests, a quieter scene outside, the retired justice kennedy sat with the kavanaugh family watching. >>> now to the new qutions about the limo involved in the crash that killed 20 people in upstate new york. somber moments as hearses carried victims to a funeral home. investigate asking if the 2001 ford ex-discussion -- excursion was legally modified. it failed inspection last month. the company says it fixed any dects. > now to the disappearance that's prompted an outcry around the world. we're seeing a survllance photo of "washington post" contributor. his final moments before stepping into the saudi consulate irk and not seen again. richard engel now with new details onhe investigation. >> reporter: this is the last time saudi journalist and washington post columnisal khashoggi was seen alive, entering the saudi consulate in istanbul last week. what happened

peter alexander nbc news the white house. >>> this is pete williams in washington. if this were a crimin investigate investigatioene,, fbi agents would follow information wherever it takes th t y find new leads and say this. >> we will leave no stone unturned. >> we will leave no stone unturned. in> reporter: it's not a crimal case for this background investigation of brett kavanaugh. the white house decides which stes turnover. the fbi is working like a private eye in a background investigation and the white use is the client specifying what to look at. >> i have not seen the white house control a reopening of a background investigation to this degree. this seems to be an attempt to unusually control not only the interviewshat could be done but the investigative steps the burro could take. >> reporr: another difference the fbi cannot force anyone to answer questions, cooperation is voluntary. in the meantime, the supreme court veitself remains a the fray opening the new term today. the remaining justices took their place this morng in eight chairs behind the court

we get more now from nbc's peter alexander >> reporter: those protesting on the supreme court against brett kavanaugh. >> shut it down. shut it down. >> kavanaugh has got to go. >> reporter: tensions on capitol hill, too, where they are blasting the fbi background investigation. these women confronting utah republican orrin hatch. >> don't you wave your hand at me. i waived my hand at you. >> will you grow up? >> you grow up. >> reporter: all day senators filing into a secure room reserved for classified briefings. getting their first look at the fbi's findings that will likely determine kavanaugh's fate. two crucial republican senators seemed satisfied with the report. susan collins to be a very thorough investigation and >> jefjeff flag who called for the investigation saying it offered no corroboration. saying heidi heitkamp is announcing her decision. >> i will be voting no on judge kavanaugh. >> republicans saying the findings vindicate kavanaugh. >> for goodness sake this is the america. nobody is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent. in this country. >> so why don't we d

>> peter alexander at the white house, thanks. >>> breaking news in the louisville, kentucky area where a shooting at a kroger shopping market left at least twoead. e suspect in custody tonight. our joe fryer has late details. >> reporter: witnesses say they first heard gunfire inside this kroger grocery store in jefferson town, kentucky. >> i heard boom, boom, boom. >> there was glass and you could hear the screaming going on outside the door. >> reporter: police say the suspect shot and killed one man inside the store, then ngran into the par lot where he shot a woman, who also died >> at the kroger store. it appears somebody has been shot. >> i looked at her and look, fella, she's gone. there is -- there's nothing i can do. >> reporter: at one point,olice say the suspect encountered an armed citizen. >> the citizen engaged the suspec additional gunfire back and forth out here in the parking lot that gunfire resulted in noju es. >> reporter: eventually the gunman was arrested but tonight his motive is unclear. joe frye news. >>> tonight, the fda approved the first new drug to fight th

peter alexander, nbc news, the white house. >> reporter: this is pete williams in washington. if this were a criminal investigation, fbi agents would follow information wherever it takes them as they find new leads. they would be saying this. >> we will leave no stone unturned. >> we will leave no stone unturned. >> reporter: but it's not a criminal case. for this reopened background investigation of brett kavanaugh, the white house decides which stones to turn over. the fbi is working like a private eye in a background investigation. and the white house is the client, specifying what to look at. >> i have not seen the white house control a reopeninfstation to this degree. this seems to be an attempt to unusually control not only the interviews that could be done but the investigative steps the bureau can take. >> reporter: another difference, the fbi cannot force anyone to answer questions. cooperation is voluntary. meantime, the supreme court itself remains above the fray, opening its new term today. the remaining justices took their places this morning in just eight chairs

our own peter alexander has the details. >> reporter: the white house has authorized the fbi to expd limited background investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against brett kavanaugh, giving the t fbi green light to interview anyone it deems necessary as long as the review is wrapped up by the end of the week.ac rding to a senior u.s. official and another source briefed on the matter. >> i think the fbi should interview anybody that theywi wt in reason. but you have to say within reason. they should interview, b should also be guided, and i'm eing guided by what the senators are looking for. reporter: the key republican, jeff flake, who demanded a week-long background investigation in tst place, had earlier questioned why the white house would not give the fbi freerein. >> it does no good to have an investigation that just gives us more covepl for ex we actually need to find out what we can find out. >> reporter: he whihouse's decision, an abrupt shift after initially directing the fbi toi rview just four people, including the three witnesses christine blasey ford says wert

our peter alexander has late details. >> reporter: tonight, just 48 hours ahead of a possible vote and with top republicans saying they expect to receive the fbi's completed background investigation as early as tonight, nbc news is learning more about that investigation, and that it remains significantly limited in scope. according to a senior u.s. official and two other sources briefed on the investigation. agents have spoken to brett kavanaugh's high school friend mark judge and the two witnesses christine blasey ford says were at the alleged party where she says she was sexually assaulted by kavanaugh, as well as a second accuser, deborah ramirez. kavanaugh vigorously denies both allegations. now we've learned the fbi has also interviewed at least one other high school classmate of kavanaugh. but current and former fbi officials tell nbc news dozens of other people have come forward saying they have information on kavanaugh. but the sources say agents have not been permitted to talk to many of them. meanwhile, president trump is further alienating theerrepublican sene needs to suppo

our peter alexander is in pittsburgh tonight. >> reporter: as pittsburgh's jewish community buries its dead, president trump arrived here trying to provide comfort for those grieving. the president, alongside the first lady, his daughter, ivanka, who converted to judaism, and son-in-law, jared kushner, visiting the synagogue where 11 congregants were murdered saturday. the rabbi welcoming them inside before they laid flowers and ceremonial stones to honor each of the victims. nearby, a rally protesting his trip. among the dead, daniel stein. his nephew telling me he's outraged at the president's suggestion just hours after the tragedy, that the synagogue should have had an armed guard. >> donald trump should t j said, you know, our hearts and prayers go out to the people of pittsburgh and everybody involved and kept his mouth shut. >> reporter: you felt like he was blaming the community? >> that's exactly what it felt like. it's a stab in the back. >> reporter: congressional leaders from both parties declining an invitation to join the president, and the president is facing new critici

>> peter alexander tonight, thanks. >>> there are questions about who ning in ons the president's phone calls after a report claimed the chinese and russian spies regularly eavesdrop on conversations from his iphone. nbc's andrea mitchell with that story. >> reporter: a president not far from phones tweeting liconstantly and c friends from a personal phone not secured by the government. could foreign spies listen in? u.s. officials tell nbc news they have been concerned for hs moresident trump is discussing sensitive information on his non-secure iphoneith people like sean hannity of fox news and now "the new york times" reports the chinese and russians are routinely eavesdropping. nbc news has not confirmed aspects of the report. times" the report calls billionaires and steve wynn big campaign managers with major holdings in china and contacts with china's government. . as a candidate, trump regularly attacked hillary clinton. for e-mailing on a private for e-mailing on a private server. >> her server was easily tacked by foreign governments, perhaps even by her financial backers in co

i want to bring back live from the white house, peter alexander. i can only speak at this point from my perspective and my colleagues at the table and what i've seen on the internet thus far. we were prepared for more from the president at this point. >> yeah, i think americans will make their own judgments about what they just heard from president trump there. correct me if i'm wrong, i know he referred to them being sent to former political officials. i don't think he referenced cnn in the top of his remarks which would be notable here. cnn has been a frequent foil for president trump. it's an organization he's gone after repeatedly. i don't think he did mention cnn there which is one thing i would note. it was an opportunity for him to come before the cameras and say we condemn this in the strongest possible terms. we'll let americans make their own judgments of what they just heard from the president. what i'll be watching today is fact just a matter of hours from now the president will head to wisconsin. he's back on the campaign trail and the

peter alexander, and carol lee and sam stein and gadi schwartz out there in arizona. thank you, all. >>> and awe whisper c-- and a whisper campaign to discredit jamal khashoggi. that is ahead on "andrea mitchell reports." it on my own. not until i tried chantix. chantix, along with support, helps you quit smoking. it reduced my urge to smoke to the point that i could stop. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin reactions which can be life-threatening. stop chantix and get help right away if you have any of these. tell your healthcare provider if you've had depression or other mental health problems. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. the most common side effect is nausea. my favorite role so

. >> nbc news correspondent peter alexander is reporting from a source that the fbi contacted ten people, interviewed nine of them. it's not clear why the tenth person was not interview. the white house concluded the interviews two not corroborate sexual misconduct allegationsva. they are to deliver their report at 8:00 easterntime. likely be available for all senate members. as for whether it will be made public, that's not decided yet. mitch mcconnell plans to call for a procedural report on kavanaugh's confirmation tomorrow. >>> people in morgan hill gathered for a rally in support of dr. ford. they say they're proud of ford. some politicians don't believe her. >> go home your backward views have got to go home. >> reporter: honks of support for people standing up for dr. christine blasey ford in morgan hill. her supporters are rallying in the bay area and across the country. >> it feels good not to feel alone. just have some place to feel angry together. >> reporter: they arerett kavanaugh and he may be a supreme court justice. >> i don't find it acceptable from our judiciary committ

thank you, daniel miller and peter alexander and daniel goldman and kasie hunt. and senator richard blumenthal has just seen that report, and he is going to join me next on "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. whales. oop. you hear that? (vo) our subaru outback lets us see the world. sometimes in ways we never imagined. you always get the lowest price on our rooms, guaranteed? let's say it in a really low voice. carl? lowest price, guaranteed. just stick with badda book. badda boom. book now at choicehotels.com the sun goes down. you did a million things for your family today. but speaking to pnc to help handle all your investments was a very important million and one. pnc. make today the day. >>> nobody is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent in the united states of america. the senate should not sett a fundamentally un-american precedent here. judge kavanaugh's right to basic fairness does not disappear just because some disagree with the judicial philosophy. >> majority leader mitch mcconnell is pushing ahead with a critical test vote tomorrow on judge k

those close to this process are telling us and specifically peter alexander that anything to deal with inconsistencies in dr. ford's testimony is fair game. so if there are a gaps and inconsistencies, that would be appropriate in the eyes of the white house to raise publicly. and that's what the president did. but he did it in a way that was wrapped in the rally environment with a tone that was very different than his uncharacteristic restraint that we saw for so manes days. and even a couple of days ago when i was at his rally in west virginia, he spoke in favor of judge kavanaugh but did not denigrate dr. ford in anyway. so a shift here. does that mean the president himself thinks the tipping balance might have changed a little bit he might need to do more to exert support for those who have stood behind him through all kinds of high and lows of his administration? was that it? or was it just the moment taking over? here's another excerpt of the president talking about this issue. >> i don't even know him, folks. i don't even know him. i met him for the first time a few weeks ago. so

nbc news's peter alexander reports on that meeting. >> reporter: kanye west unfiltered and unapologeticp is on this journey right now. he might have expected to have a crazy person like kanye west. >> for ten minutes, the rapper delivering a frenetic and jarring monologue. >> it is something about when i put this hat on and it made me feel like super man. >> west repeatedly slapping the historic resolute desk, free styling by our count on more than 40 topics >> so what i think is we don't need sentences, we need pardons. this is what our president should be flying in. look at this if he don't look good, we don't look good. this is our president. so when i say i like trump to like someone that is liberal, they'll say oh, but he is racist you think racism is control me oh, that doesn't stop me you're tasting a fine wine it has multiple notes to it. >> the speech leaving even the president speechless >> that was quite something. that was quite something. >> it was from the soul. >> west sharing he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder getting a second opinion >> he said that i actually wasn'

>>> we are back now at "andrea mitchell reports" and i'm peter alexander. rod rosenstein is defend iing t special counsel's investigation into the russian investigation. this is where rosenstein say s that i committed that i would make sure that the investigation is appropriate and independent and reach the right result whatever it may be. as far as his own future, rosenstein says that the president knows that i am prepared to do this job as long as he want ms. to do this job. joining me is the justice department julian ansley and bob bower, and so julia, this is odd to see him doing an interview, because we have heard a lot about him, and we thought that he was out of a job less than a month ago right now, and what message is he sending, and is the job safe or what is this? >> well, it is a 180 since that fire drill, because we thought that he was on the way to the white house to be fired and now he is much more comfortable, and he has the backbone back, and he is not the same one that cowered shortly after the comey firing, and what i took from this is th

here's nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: president trump late thursday saying he believes jamal khashoggi is likely dead. >> it certainly looks that way to me. it's very sad. >> reporter: and when pressed about a possible punishment for the saudis, if proven they're responsible for the missing journalist's death -- >> it will have to be very severe. it's bad, bad stuff. >> reporter: the president telling the "new york times," it's still a little bit early to say for sure who ordered khashoggi's killing. but expressed no doubt the truth would come out. we're working with the intelligence from numerous countries, he said. this is the best intelligence we could have. while turkish authorities claim that a recording proves khashoggi was killed by a saudi hit team within minutes of entering the saudi consulate, three u.s. officials tell nbc news that the turks have not yet given any tape to the u.s. government to review. secretary of state mike pompeo just back from saudi arabia and turkey saying he advised the president to give the saudis a few more days to explain what happened. >> they also

once again, peter alexander leads off our coverage. >> reporter: tonight thousands of demonstrators marching on the supreme court protesting brett kavanaugh. >> shut it down! shut it down! >> kavanaugh has got to go! >> reporter: tensions on capitol hill, too, where they're blasting the fbi background investigation. these women confronting orrin hatch. >> don't you wave your hand at me. i waved my hand at you. >> when you grow up -- >> when i grow up! >> reporter: all day senators filing into a room for classified briefings getting a look at the classified findings. two crucial republicans seemed satisfied with the report. susan collins saying it appears to be a thorough investigation. and jeff flake who originally called for the investigation saying it offered no additional corroborating information to back up sexual misconduct allegations against kavanaugh. but heidi heitkamp already announced her decision. >> i will be voting no on judge kavanaugh. >> for goodness sake, this is the united states of america. nobody is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent. in this country. >> so why

here is nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: president trump tonight touting his administration's progress against the opioid epidemic. >> seized more than 2.8 million pounds of i wi ill illicit and deadly drugs. >> reporter: the president tweeted, the republicans will protect people with preexisting conditions, a line he's repeated in ce days. >> republicans will always protect americans with preexisting conditions. we protect you. >> reporter: in fact republicans and the trump administration are aggressively trying to undercut obamacare that guarantees protections to people with preexisting conditions. but you wouldn't know it from watching these republican candidates' ads. >> ear year, we learned our oldest has a rare chronic disease, preexisting condition. we know what that's like. >> i support forcing insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions. >> in wisconsin, preexisting conditions are covered. and as long as i'm governor, they always will be. >> reporter: but theirs were among 20 states that signed onto a republican-backed federal lawsuit arguing obamacare, including its p

peter alexander was second-degree at the white house. o see if we can get peter up live. joel reuben, your reaction to what you just heard from the secretary of state? >> well, that's a very soft commitment that the secretary got from the saudis. i don't understand why the united states is not sending our own investigators to this site to have an independent verification of what took place. one could really drive a truck through this, and the saudis clearly right now are in control of the narrative, and they will send us the narrative when they're ready, apparently, and that's very troubling, and it's not going to have the kind of credibility that members of congress, i believe, are going to want to really rely on in terms of their assessment of what to do about this situation. >> there's also the urgency factor with secretary pompeo saying we ought to give them a little bit more time to be able to do the investigation. does that seem fair to you? >> well, it's already been a couple of weerks, aks, and appa the saudis sent in cleaning cre

our national correspondent peter alexander is at the white house. g to you. top republican mitch mcconnell making clear the senate will vote on brett kavanaugh this week. that means the friday deadline is still intact. the white house authorizing widening the scope here but with conditions. sources familiar with the investigation tell "the washington post" the fbi will will not look into kavanaugh's drinking in his younger years or examine the statements he made about drinkingin arise. >> reporter: this morning brett kavanaugh facing new scrutiny over his drinking habits in high school a mischaracterized his drinking in college. >> i've seen brett drunk to the point he could easily be passed out. >> but you never saw him passed out? >> no. i never saw him passed out. but i saw him quite drunk. >> reporter: he also told "the new york times" he witnessed kavanaugh getting into a bar brawl after a ub40 concert. "the times" obtaining a police report from 1985 showing kavanaugh and four other men were questioned in new haven, connecticut after a bar fight

we have complete coverage starting at the white house with peter alexander. good morning, peter. >> reporter: good morning to you. this morning the fbi investigation is in the hands of the senate. the white house overnight announcing fbi agents completed their work and the fbi had sent the findings to the hill. a source briefed on the findings this morning tells me the fbi contacted a total of 10 people and interviewed nine of them. that the white house concluded those interviews did not corroborate sexual misconduct allegations against brett kavanaugh. all of it is democrats and lawyers for blasey ford who was not interviewed by the fbi complained the investigation simply did not go far enough. this morning members of the senate expected to get their first look at the fbi's completed background investigation into judge brett kavanaugh. >> everyone has asked what's it going to say? how am i going to react? i have no idea. in truth and fairness, i have no idea. >> reporter: late wednesday mitch mcconnell starting the clock on brett kavanaugh's confirmation vote

there is as peter alexander pointed out there is not one piece of evidence that dmbe dem started the caravan. >> it is an issue that people care about. >> -- no, he said they start ed it. >> i can't speak to the specifics of where he's getting information from. i do know some of it came from political leadership in honduras. that's been well documented they were marching through that. who started it, who's funding it, who's paying for it, i don't have any information there. i'm not going to second guess what the president's saying or not saying. i do think it is very bad optics for the democrats as they're marching towards the border. i often put myself in the place of a democrat pollster when i'm dealing with these situations. what would i think when i'm on the other side. i don't see anything positive about this for them. if there was something or some funding going on behind it, he's right in that they look at it now saying this probably is not the best image for us as we get close to election day. >> what do you know about these middle class tax cuts? >> i know that middle class

nbc's peter alexander is at the white house for us. nbc news investigative reporter tom winter is standing by along with michael balboni, former new york state homeland security adviser. frank figliuzzi, former fbi assistant director for counterintelligence is here. michael leiter, former director of the national counterterrorism center. ashley parker, white house reporter for "the washington post," and eli stokols, white house reporter for the "los angeles times" all join us here in studio. let me start with you, tom winter. take us through the list of targets, the devices they were sent and where the investigation stands at this hour. >> sure. so the latest i can update you on, is it appears based upon the fact that, one, nobody has been transported from the time warner/cnn building by ambulance for any sort of exposure and the fact that the time warner center and cnn has reopened, they are no longer evacuated, we can safely say the white powder found on the device sent to cnn has been deemed to be nonhazardous. we know the initial f

our peter alexander will be covering him. and the president is tweeting already, trying to keep his base fired up for this brett bounce. >> you're right about that, hallie. yeah, today, the president heads to council bluffs, iowa, where he's going to anoung brett kavanaugh but also talk about fuel. friday he heads to lebanon, ohio, to boost a senate bid and then he winds things up on saturday in richmond, kentucky. all of that coming after last night's purely ceremonial made for tv swearing-in of brett kavanaugh. look. instead of the president moving beyond the sexual assault allegations made against brett kavanaugh, president trump leaned in. he declared brett kavanaugh innocent. take a look at what he had to say last night. >> on behalf of our nation, i want to apologize to brett and the entire kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure. our country, a man or a woman, must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. and with that, i must state that you, sir, under his

nbc national correspondent peter alexander has the story of how some white nationalists claim they areporter: good morning to you. we're telling the story to pull back the curtains of parents and college students who are aware these groups are out there. the southern poverty law center called identity europa, their members are clean cut, conservative dressed and recruiting on a campus near you. the man with a megaphone is patrick casey, the executive director of one of the groups that marched at last year's unite the right rally in charlottesville that would turn deadly. the group's image, clean cut, no visible tattoos, no criminal record the its message, pro-white. >> i do think we need to maintain a super majority in this country. >> reporter: identity europa makes it clear to join you have to be of european heritage. whites only. >> you have to be white, and you can't be jewish i imagine? >> right. >> why isn't that racist? wouldn't most say that's simply racist? >> we're trying to move beyond the paradigm that includes buzz words like racist. >> what is it? >> identitarian. >> it's

as peter alexander reports, speculation is swirling about her future and who's in line to replace her. >> reporter: nikki haley's bankrupt resignation costing president trump one of his administration's marquee stars. his u.n. ambassador and one of the few women in his cabinet. >> it was a blessing to go into the u.n. with body armor every day and defend america, and i'll always do that, but i will tell you that i think it's time. >> reporter: the president today praising haley, therho during te campaign was a frequent trump critic. >> she's done a fantastic job, and we've done a fantastic job together. >> reporter: the sudden departure stunning many white house aides, privately grumbling that haley should have waited until after next month's midterms. her resignation letter obtained by nbc news is dated last wednesday, the same day haley met privately with the president. the daughter of indian immigrants dismissing any immediate political ambitions of her own. >> for all of you that are going to ask about 2020, no, i am not running for 2020. i can promise you what i'll be doing is ca

peter alexander is at the white house monitoring developments from there. what are you hearing? >> reporter: the president was briefed in the oval office this afternoon by the secretary of homeland security and the head of fema. president trump says the white house is in constant contact with state and local officials saying plans are in place to send resources, food and water, but tonight rather than monitor the disaster response from here, the president is in erie, pennsylvania for a private fund-raiser followed by a campaign rally. when asked if appropriate to campaign, he didn't want to disappoint supporters who had been waiting in line. he said he will visit the region, the next week. >>> as the winds die down here in panama city, it is going to be a dangerous night ahead for millions across the northeast as the storm continues north. al roker joins us with the latest track. where is it heading? >> lester, it's heading into georgia right now. tornado watches from northern georgia all the way down to gainesville. right now it's 50 miles southwest of albany, georgia. 115-mile

we'll start with peter alexander on the hill for us this morning. he's been there every step of this nomination. peter, good morning. >> good morning to you. that critical vote on brett kavanaugh expected to happen within the next 30 minutes. and today the judge is making his closing argument. that new op ed posted overnight trying to back peddle from his emotional at times testimony last week saying that good fwang americans can count on him being even keeled, open minded and independent. on the eve of today's key senate vote one week after his testimony. >> this whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit. as we all know, in the united states political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around. >> president trump's supreme court nominee now expressing regret for his words. in a wall street journal op ed, brett kavanaugh writes i was very emotional last thursday, more so than i have ever been. i might have been too emotional at times, adding i know that my tone was sharp and i said a few things i should

. >> peter alexander was one of the key questioners asking the president to explain his statement today, peter, in the rose garden, that it's an open ended investigation, he doesn't want it to go too long, but he is not holding it back. that is contrary to all of our reporting. >> reporter: to be very clear here, the president says he's open to the fbi and they can interview whoever they like. it's another thing for don mcgahn to know the directors here, we know the preliminary list included four names on it. one of them was deborah ramirez, as well as three other individuals that dr. chris seen blasey ford mentioned and she claimed they may have information about things that happened in the 1980s. he questioned the -- i asked him specifically if brett kavanagh should be interviewed. he said he would have no problem with that. to my understanding, judge kavanagh has not been interviewed, neither has dr.ford. it's one thing for rachel matthews to do it and it's another thing to do it with the fbi and behind closed. at this time, to be totally clear, it's obvious from the president's word

nbc national correspondent peter alexander is at the white house with the whole story. >> reporter: in that interview with "60 minutes" president trump backed off his claim that climate change is a hoax but doesn't want to put the u.s. at warning. it comes as the president and first lady tour areas devastated by hurricaine michael. >> i think something is happening, something is changing and it will change back again. i don't think it's a hoax, i think there's probably a difference, but i don't know that it's man made. i will say this, i don't want to give drill yons atrillions of d moz millions of dollars. >> reporter: echoing melania trump's distrust of some within his west wing. >> i feel the same way. i don't trust everybody in the white house, i will be honest with you. >> reporter: adding he has been surprised by the no holds barred nature of politics. >> this is the most deceptive, vicious world. it is vicious, it's full of lies, deceit and deception. >> reporter: ahead of next month's midterms the president telegraphing more turnover in his administration, responding to questio

i'm peter alexander with nobody today. >> exactly. let's begin with today's news. developing story overseas and here at home. for the first time, saudi officials admitting that khashoggi was killed in the saudi consulate in turkey. there are still more questions than answers thismorning. nbc's chief global is in for two weeks, saudi officials said t a fist fight to kidnapping gone wrong and killing and suspects who covered up the story. nothing to do with the saudi royal family. president trump says he finds the saudi explanation credible. critics both in the u.s. congress and overseas are already calling this another saudi cover up. overnight, a stunning reversal from the saudi government. now admitting that jamal khashoggi was assaulted and killed inside the saudi consulate in istanbul. state prosecutors say the saudi writer last seen walking into the consulate to get papers for his upcoming wedding, got into a fist fight inside that led to his death. adding may god rest his soul. the saudis say 18 of the citizens have been arrested

nbc's peter alexander has more on the cabinet shuffle. >> reporter: nikki haley's abrupt resignationting president trump one of his marquee stars, his u.n. ambassador and one of a few women cabinet. >> it was a blessing to go in with armor everyday and defend america. i'll always do that. but i think it's time. >> reporter: the president praising haley, the is south carolina governor who during the campaign was a frequent trump critic. >> she's done a fantastic job, she's done a good job. >> reporter: some grumbling she should have waited until after the midterms. her resignation letter obtained by nbc news is dated last wednesday, the same day a highwayly met privately with the president. the daughter of immigrants dismissing political a pragss of her own. a for those of you with questions about 2020, no, i'm not running in 2020. what i can tell you is i'm be campaigning for this one. >> reporter: and going outs of her way to compliment the president's daughter and son-in-law. >> i can't say enough good things about jared and ivanka. jared is such a hidden genius that no one underst

. >> peter alexander for that report. >> and all eyes will be on few critical undecided senators in this morning's vote. with the senate split, 51 republicans to 49 democrats, the gop can only afford to lose one vote with e tie breaker going to vice-president mike pence. could one undecided d up tipping the scales? nbc's tcie potts tell us how it could go down. tracie, who are the senators w should watch today? >> reporter: four people you need to watch, the one undecidej democrat yout saw, joe manchin of west virginia, he had said that he wanted to see the results of this investigation. they are now out. he, ihe sides with republicans, could tip the scales here. you're llsoking at senators susan collins, lisa murkowski, and jeff flake. all republicans who have said that they were undecided on this nomination and wanted to see the outcome of the investigation. now, we haven't heard from murkowski, but we have heard from collins and flake after they viewed the resul flake saying he didn't see anything here that corroborated these allegations. and senator collins saying she did think that

here's peter alexander with more. >> reporter: president trump touting his administration's progress against the opioid. epidem >> seized more than 2.8 million pounds of illicit and deadly drugs. >> reporter: the rate of s overdose deaeginning to slow down. but it's another health care claim for the president under rutiny. tweeting republicans will totally protect people with pre-existing conditions. a line he's repeated in recent days. >> republicans will always protect americans with pre-existing conditions. we protect you. >> reporter: in fact, republicans and the trump adminiration are aggressively trying to undercutca obamare that guarantees protections to ople with pre-existing conditions. u wouldn't know it from watching these republican candidates' ads. >> earlier this year we learned our oldest has a rare chronic disease. pre-existing condition. we know what that's like. >> i support forcing insurance companies to cover preexisting condions. >>n wisconsin pre-existing conditions are covered. and as long as i'm governor, they always will be. >> reporter: but theirs were among

let's move to the courthouse where peter alexander is standing by.he white house focused. people feel good about manchin. they think flake is there and fbi inquiry provided him some cover. honestly we're not sure about collins and murkowski. >> reporter: you're dead on on that. they don't say they have the votes they say they are confident they will have the votes. we have a little way to go. one official said he puts his confidence level in the 70s and 80s noting particularly susan collins and jeff flake's public comments yesterday. but on joe manchin, this was important. the white house looked at the numbers. know the numbers for donald trump is so popular in the state of west virginia, deep red state and they say manchin secures re-election by voting yes. he just starts a knife fight by voting no. but to puthe point kasie made, e president is working the phones. it's important to note that that op-ed yesterday, it wasn't i didn't attack dr. ford, i didn't sexual assault dr. ford, it was i am an independent impartial judge. they recognize that is r