i know it's not a popular way of saying things. at the end of the day, people aren't that focused on israel. at home, they're focused on their own checkbooks. i think only in case something drastic happens again, another huge attack, will the focus be on israel. >> biden's team has pointed, though we're seeing visible signs of young people upset on campuses, gaza not that high of an issue for most. we'll follow it in the weeks ahead. political analyst susan del percio, thank you for being here this morning. thanks to you for getting up "way too early" with us on this thursday morning. "morning joe" starts right now. rfk jr. said that, years ago, a doctor found a dead worm in his brain. this is strange. instead of using de-wormer, he injected himself with the covid vaccine. [ laughter ] he's got it all wrong. >> wow. >> got worms in the brain?

that explains it. it is a de-wormer. for a guy who believes doctors are con artists trying to scam you into getting a vaccine, he got a fast one when the worm started eating his brain. the inside of his head is basically the movie "dune." you should definitely vote for him. >> i want to say to any of rfk jr. fans who are watching, do not despair. just because he admitted in a sworn deposition that he had parasitic brain damage doesn't mean he is going to drop out. because bobby kennedy jr. does not know the meaning of the word quit. that information was in the part of the brain that the worm ate. good morning. welcome to "morning joe." it is thursday, may the 9th. with us, we have the host of "way too early," white house bureau chief at "poli"politico, jonathan lemire. former aide to the george w. bush white house and state departments, elise jordan. the congressional reporter for "the washington post," jackie

alemany. a lot to talk about. i think we probably on tv, willie, we broke the worm and brain story first here. we're proud of that. >> right off "the new york times" website but yes. >> exactly. 17 great years of sort of, you know, grabbing things out there. couple big events in sports last night. first of all, for our red sox fans, we got to see a guy who would eat worms and go on the disabled list for five years. a guy who would ride a bike and fall over and break 12 ribs. this is memorable. lemire will remember when he got into a fistfight with a tv screen when he was down in the minors. basically, threw about four pitches over five years for the red sox and cost us over $100

million. the biggest bust in red sox history. so he went to atlanta, and i guess he's not riding bikes or eating apples or eating worms anymore. he just shut us down, willie. he shut us down. the big news, of course, in new york, the knickerbockers seem to be playing well. >> that was chris sale we were talking about before dealing last night, not for the red sox but the atlanta braves. looking good down there. >> against the red sox last night. >> yeah. >> sale, of course -- >> it's hard -- >> go ahead, joe. >> you go ahead. i was going to say something mean about him. you say something mean about him. >> yeah, i'll say something mean about him. they don't win the 2018 world series without him. grateful for that. but then he -- >> please. >> -- signed a massive contract extension and pitched, as you say, about four games a year. you know, managed to outdo himself each and every season to the nature of his injuries, the best being when he did fall off his bike and shattered every

bone in his body. he was like the character in the bruce willis movie. yes, he has since been traded to atlanta. he was terrific last night, willie. struck out ten over six innings, didn't give up any runs. sox have been already this year, but that was a tough loss. yankees are pulling away in the american league east. >> it's over. >> most of the new york sports teams are focused on basketball. yankees are tied with the orioles in first place. incredible game last night at the garden. jalen brunson echoes of willis reid. hurt in the first half. hurt his foot. misses the entire second quarter. will he come back? knicks fans holding their breath. he does come back. leading the knicks to a comeback victory. they were down by 12 points in the third quarter. came back to win by nine. 130-121. now, a commanding 2-1 lead as they go back to indiana. jalen brunson, joe, has been an absolute revelation in new york.

a great guy. a solid guy. incredible chemistry on this team. three of the guys played together at villanova. the nova knicks. he is a bona fide superstar, jalen brunson is, in a way i don't think all of us fully understood before he got here. >> yeah. now, lemire, it looks like we may be having the biggest showdown between new york and boston since, i mean, alexander hamilton and john adams got into fistfights in washington's cabinet. i just made that up. but it looks like you may have the celtics against the knicks and might have the bruins against the rangers. >> yeah. new york/boston is a white-hod rivalry. patriots and jets. couple super bowls against another new york team i'm not bringing up. the celtics and knicks haven't had that much of a rivalry because, frankly, willie, the knicks haven't mattered much. see, we're starting it now.

17 championships. knicks are good, tough, well coached. msg is a tremendous home-court advantage. the pacers were ahead with leads both games this series. gave them both up. that series now shifts to indiana. boston celtics play game two tonight against cleveland after winning game one handily. bruins are 1-1. there is a possibility for a really fun/dangerous spring. >> jackie alemany knows more about basketball than all of us combined. a star in high school and college. who is your team, knicks fan? >> i grew up idolizing patrick ewing in the '90s knicks. >> me too. >> i'm having a year. this is great. women's basketball is back. >> yeah. >> love the knicks. although, i was a little worried last night. we'll see if og is out. going to the hospital for special surgery. do their thing on the left hand. >> didn't look good. >> i think jalen is fine, it seems. >> yeah. >> he came back the fourth quarter, 15 points?

>> yeah. >> but it's so fun when the knicks are good. we had -- the knicks were good during lin sanity, 2012. we had a bump, needed to get rid of carmelo. long overdue. >> all due respect. >> and now we're here. >> i'm no knicks fan whatsoever, but there is a certain energy the city gets when the knicks are good. >> yes. >> when the knicks are on a playoff run, it is the one team that units the city. no offense, but no one really cares about the brooklyn nets. doesn't happen in baseball. you have the yankees, mets. doesn't happen in football, the jets and the giants. in basketball, it's the knicks. the city is on fire. >> no better than a night like that at the garden. they got a blank reggie miller chant going, the despised pacer from 30 years ago, because he was at the game announcing it for tnt. the garden is on fire. long way from over. going back to indiana now. let's turn to the news. a rare bit of bipartisanship yesterday. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle overwhelmingly voted to

save house speaker mike johnson after congresswoman marjorie taylor greene tried and failed to oust him from leadership. greene, who has threatened to force the issue for weeks now, introduced the motion to vacate after two days of back-to-back meetings with speaker johnson. her own colleagues were quick to boo and jeer her on the house floor. >> the form of the resolution is as follows. declaring the office of speaker of the house representatives to be vacant. [ booing ] >> there are the boos. the vote to table greene's motion to vacate was 359-43, only ten republicans even sided with greene. speaker johnson spoke to reporters after the vote. >> i want to say that i appreciate the show of confidence from my colleagues to defeat this misguided effort. that is certainly what it was. hopefully this is the end of the personality politics and the

frivolous character assassination. we're better than this and need to get beyond it. at this moment, the country desperately needs a functioning congress. that's what the overwhelming majority of the members in this body demonstrated today. >> joe, it was clear before the vote yesterday that going to fail. marjorie taylor greene was going to fail in her attempt to oust the speaker. not sure we knew how bad the margin would be. only ten republicans after all this fury, all this sound, all these press conferences, all her interviews where she said she's leading the charge to get rid of him, just completely was blown out in the vote, falling flat in her attempt to get rid of the speaker. >> right. all the threats that were made against him if he did a continuing resolution, if he kept the government open, if he provided aid to israel, if he provided aid to ukraine, if he provided aid to taiwan. all of those threats just fell by the wayside.

you know, it raises the question that extraordinary profile, "the atlantic" profile asked as a subheading, what if this guy may end up being good at this job? right now, jackie, it's looking like he's going to far outpace all expectations for him. >> that is until november, joe. i think johnson made a little miscalculation when he was negotiating the ukraine and the israel supplemental package in not changing the rules around being allowed to sort of bring up the motion to vacate on a snap vote. as we've seen marjorie taylor greene do. democrats stepped in to save him this time around, but we'll see how long the good faith and this sort of mutually beneficial relationship continues. as trump said in his statement last night, now is not the time, marj. basically, there is this sort of feeling that this mutually

assured disruption within the republican party is not good for keeping the majority and republicans' re-election chances. hence, i think, trump's statement. a political calculus here. i think we're going to see this basically my out until november. after that, we'll get back to the republican civil war that we're so used to seeing play out. >> elise, we had fellow republicans calling marjorie taylor greene moscow marjorie, saying she fails again. what does this moment tell us? maybe the ukraine vote, as well, the ukraine aid vote, what does it tell us about the power of maga extremists inside the house? is it waning? is it there? is it just to raise money? to some extent, marjorie taylor greene doesn't care this failed. she'll raise money in her district, get reelected, and perhaps make trump happy. >> she doesn't care about governing. she gets headlines, not the best ones, but she shows fealty to

trump. since she doesn't care about the outcome, it doesn't matter to her. but then as the months go by, how much is the foreign policy and the supporting votes of these house lawmakers, how much is that going to be an election issue in this contentious election year, especially in the swing districts where people are a little bit more divided, frankly, over biden's foreign policy and also what the gop's isolationist bent has wrought to. >> they come out weakened. johnson keeps his job, but democrats had to save him. we'll see how he's able to lead going forward. marjorie taylor greene, the result was embarrassing, but she's getting favorable coverage on certain sites and will raise money off it, no doubt. white house aides give johnson credit, the end of the day, he did the right thing on the ukraine deal, even though he knew he would pay a political price. they now expect that he'll have to be a thorn in their side going forward to sort of get political cover and appease

those on the far right. but there is that much in terms of serious legislative business anyway. >> jackie, are maga extremists weakened, or is this a moment in time? >> because of the way the house is structured with districts being so gerrymandered and some districts being so red, catering to the base is never going to really hurt some of these far-right lawmakers whose constituents completely buy into this strategy of trying, actively trying not to govern. you know, none of these people have viable primary challengers. they're going into november pretty safe. but who it does hurt are their colleagues in vulnerable districts. i think it increases the chances, the more they have this infighting, of democrats being able to take back the house. even if trump wins the presidency. >> joe? >> the crazy thing, willie, is,

though, they don't care if they lose the majority. they really don't. in fact, being in the minority is better for these people because they're on the back bench. they can attack the democratic speaker. they can attack the democratic president. they can attack the democratic senate. i mean, this is actually -- it is such a bizarre, backward way of thinking, but they now think they can raise money whether they're in the majority or minority. if they're in the majority, they actually are looked to to get things done. that actually cuts against their business plan, against their governing by gesture. you actually have to do things in the majority. when you don't, people start to notice, like they're starting to notice with marjorie taylor greene. you're in the minority. no responsibility. you're not going to get anything done. your gesturing can become even more grand. >> right. >> that's the real problem for

marjorie taylor greene and these others that they present to the republican party. like chip roy screaming on the house floor, "name one thing we've gotten done." it's going to be a real challenge going into the election for the republicans. >> yeah. objectively, one of the least productive congresses in the history of the country. as you say, much easier to throw bombs from the back bench politically when you're not in power. republicans a little more unified on some national security issues. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is refusing to agree to a cease-fire deal unless israel can move forward with its military operation in rafah. four current and one former u.s. official tell nbc news netanyahu is demanding rafah be walled off from the proposal. negotiations are still under way in cairo, but, yesterday, hamas announced it will not make any more concessions. the terrorist group agreed to a three-part cease-fire, include a

42-day cease in fighting for 33 hostages and many palestinian prisoners. the sticking point is in the second phase, calling for a, quote, sustainable calm, a vague term. hamas sees that as an end to the war. israel does not. meanwhile, president biden says he will halt the shipment of some weapons to israel, including 2,000-pound bombs, if the idf invades rafah. >> civilians have been killed in gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. i made it clear that if they go into rafah, they haven't gone into rafah yet, if they go into rafah, i'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with rafah -- to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem. we're going to continue to make sure israel is secure in terms of iron dome and their ability to respond to attacks like came out of the middle east recently. >> the president's interview

with cnn aired just hours after defense secretary lloyd austin publicly acknowledged the united states did pause a delivery of thousands of bombs last week. many top republicans are outraged by that decision. in a rare, joint letter, speaker mike johnson and senate minority leader mitch mcconnell demanded an explanation from the president. saying, quote, security assistance to israel is an urgent priority. the republican chairs of the house foreign affairs and armed services committees also blasted that decision, calling it appalling. in the senate, lindsey graham grilled secretary austin about the delay in arms during an appropriations committee hearing yesterday. >> okay. so israel has been hit in the last few weeks by iran, hezbollah, and hamas. dedicated to their destruction. and you're telling me you're going to tell them how to fight the war? and what they can and can't use when everybody around them wants to kill all the jews? you're telling me that if we

withhold weapons in this fight, the existential fight for the life of the jewish state, it won't send the wrong signal? do you still think it was a good idea, general austin, to get out of afghanistan? >> i support the president's decision. >> yeah, i think you do. i think it was a disastrous decision. if we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price. this is obscene. it is absurd. give israel the weapons they need to fight the war they can't lose. this is hiroshima and nagasaki on steroids. >> oh, my god, what a hypocrite. what a hypocrite! what a hypocrite! republicans sat on their hands for months refusing to give israel aid! republicans sat on their hands for months refusing to give

ukraine aid. republicans sat on their hands for months refusing to give taiwan aid it needed to push back the communist chinese from invading their island. for months! now, lindsey -- first of all, try some sunscreen, buddy -- lindsey is talking about hiroshima and nagasaki? we saw -- hey, lindsey, i don't know if you were on a golf trip when iran fired thousands of missiles at israel. maybe you didn't remember this. maybe you don't want to remember this. maybe donald trump told you not to remember this. maybe you've been hanging out with rfk jr., and maybe a worm, like, ate out part of your brain so you don't have this memory. it was the united states of america who stood up for israel.

it was the united states of america that provided the main defense in stopping those iranian missiles from coming in. it was the united states of america. it was joe biden. it was the administration that told iran we would always stand by israel's side. and we are standing by israel's side now and forever. but that doesn't mean we send 2,000-pound bombs for netanyahu to drop on a densely populated area that has over a million people there right now and no place to go. that's your definition of -- of an existential threat? they're killing hamas commanders as we speak, without 2,000-pound bombs. they will kill and continue to kill hamas commanders. hamas isn't taking gaza over again, and you know it.

stop lying! stop lying. i know it's hard because donald trump wants you to say things like that. i just -- you know, willie, if i'm going, "i support ukraine. i support ukraine," then donald trump says, "don't support ukraine," and his hound dog bark barks," he goes," i don't support ukraine no more. we're going to release those weapons." what? a country is dying because russian invaders and vladimir putin says he has his eyes set on poland and the baltic states, and donald tells you, lindsey, not to support ukraine and to hold up funding for israel and

to hold up funding for taiwan, and you're providing lectures to the secretary of defense? what a joke. i don't know if you know this, but we have video, right? they create -- okay. so they film, like, you know -- i don't know, willie, maybe they created film in maybe the 1880s or something. turn it -- that film at some point turned into video tape. i don't know when it was. everybody was buying vhss in the '70s. my dad decided to get a betamax. >> yeah. >> tells you what you need to know. my dad played the long game, lindsey. even my dad's betamax could record you saying, "we're not giving support for israel and taiwan and ukraine unless we loan them the money." what, are you watching world war

ii movies? this isn't 1940, and you're not fdr! good lord, willie. i tell ya, this has got my hack hackles up. what is he doing? does he really think we're that stupid? they were the ones holding up support for israel for months, and, now, he's doing the jimmy swagget routine, crying and being self-righteous? we know what happened. come on, lindsey! we may have been born at night, lindsey, but we weren't born last night. how is that? pretty good, willie? >> the good people at betamax thank you for the reference, too. trying to get things going again. it's been a long road. >> i'm trying to get free supplies. i got my dad's betamax machine. i just don't have the tapes. >> everything comes back, joe. >> 1984. >> vinyl came back. beta is about to come back.

i can feel it in my bones, you know? >> right there. >> you're of course right. lindsey graham, first of all, long held himself out as a supporter of ukraine, defender of ukraine, until donald trump yanked the chain and the leash and said, don't do that right now. so he stepped away from that. we should point out, it took months and months and months, but, finally, there was a foreign aid package passed last month that got $14 billion worth of aid to israel. they are getting what they need. in this case, john, the white house is making the point that joe just made. we're not going to supply. we'll see how you go into rafah, but we're not giving you 2,000-pound bombs to be dropped in an urban setting. the idea that the white house has cut off aid to israel is preposterous and just objectively wrong. >> right. the president made that point clear just a few weeks ago. it was americans, not only did you send weapons to israel to defend itself against the barrage of missile and drone attacks with the iron dome, but u.s. assets helped shoot down

the rockets. they're defending israel. the president in his holocaust memorial speech this week made it clear, we stand with israel, but you can, at times, disagree with a friend. they disagree with the plan to go into rafah. the president in this interview said, look, there has been limited israeli incursions into rafah. that is acceptable. they've been targeted at hamas leaders. what we oppose is an all-out invasion that will lead to devastating civilian casualties and add to the humanitarian crisis. president biden last night, look, he's reached his red line. he's like, we are not going to give you offensive weapons to go in and use for an invasion of rafah. bombs, artillery, anything of the sort. he acknowledged, undoubtedly, it's been some american weapons used by the u.s. military that killed gazans, ask we don't want that to occur. a lot of lindsey graham speaking for many republicans, if not as hysterically, about their anger.

mcconnell and johnson expressed concern in the delay of weapons. tell us about the democrats' response. so many have been voicing this concern, that israel was going too far in gaza. did it satisfy them? >> i think for now. as we were talking about earlier this morning, you know, there is this report coming from the administration that is basically going to take an assessment of just how many civilian casualties has been caused -- have been caused by u.s.-sourced bombs. this has been a source of concern and trepidation for democrats, as they're bracing for the ultimate findings from the intel community on this. but this is long overdue in the minds of democrats, many of who have become increasingly vocal about the biden administration adjusting their policy toward israel. there have long been complaints from the progressive flank of the party that the relationship is far too friendly, that, you know, we hold netanyahu and israel to a far different

standard, especially when it comes to human rights abuses and actually taking stock of what is going on and sort of the lack of oversight of the civilian casualties. and so it's something dems are keeping a close eye on. of course, as we were also talking about, it is a tricky political dance right now, especially as republicans are trying to weaponize this against democrats, painting democrats as anti-semitic and as wavering in the face of turmoil in the middle east. >> elise? >> he's not going to win, necessarily, politically, on this by this stage in the game. this might be a more sound policy move. indeed, we do not need to be just indiscriminately handing out 2,000-pound bombs when they already have dropped more tonnage in gaza than we did, you know -- the kind of bombs we dropped against isis in mosul. these bombs are about four times that. we don't need to just fuel that

when there already is a humanitarian crisis. he's not necessarily going -- you know, this is a baby step for the left. it is not going to satisfy the hard right who also, as you see with lindsey graham, are all over it. it doesn't matter if they're completely hypocritical and nonsensical, they're still going to weaponize it. >> well, i mean, not just -- they are hypocritical and nonsensical. willie, also, they know absolutely nothing about history. i guess you don't have to if you just look at tiktok and, you know, instagram reels, i guess. you look back at history, the united states history. i could talk about democratic presidents all day, but let's talk about republican presidents. dwight eisenhower during the suez crisis that pulled the israelis back and said, "no, enough. that's it." just said no to the israelis and to the british and stopped an attack with a threat. that was an existential crisis

for both israel and britain. you could look at ronald reagan. in 1981 after the bombing of iraq, ronald reagan actually suspended sale of f-16s to israel and said, "because of your attack, your bombing, we're not going to give you f-16s." a year later, over strenuous, strenuous objections from the israelis, sold awax to the saudis. it was a crisis for israel. reagan was worried about u.s. interests. he was worried about regional security. he was worried about what was in the best interest of the united states. and a strong israel is in the best interest of the united states. even reagan flew, throughout his

administration, even what happened in beirut, saying the same thing we're saying here, "you'd better not bomb." there was a hotel bagan wanted to bomb in beirut. reagan called him up and had an intense situation, told him he couldn't do it. we can talk about george h.w. bush, james baker. we could go through the long list of every republican president, nixon. they didn't hand israel a blank check. when israel was doing something they felt was not in israel's best interest and in the united states' best interest, every one of these republican presidents, including ronald reagan, said, enough. we will support you. we will defend you against any existential threats. we will help you root out terrorists. that doesn't mean we give you a blank check. so, in this case, you have joe biden acting an awful lot like ronald reagan and dwight

eisenhower. i guess -- i guess the new trump republican party now hates ike and reagan. i don't know, willie. makes no sense to me. >> $14 billion last month just went out the door in aid to israel. president biden making clear yesterday, they'll continue to support the iron dome program. there is support. there are weapons. now, the president says also a red line. congressional investigations reporter for "the washington post," and four-year starter at scarsdale high school, nice to have a fellow knicks fan on the set with me. jackie, nice to see you. >> willie, likewise. what to expect in court this morning when stormy daniels returns to the stand in donald trump's criminal hush money trial. also this morning, former secretary of state hillary clinton will join us here on set. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be back in 60 seconds.

moving forward with node-positive breast cancer. my fear of recurrence could've held me back. but i'm staying focused. and doing more to prevent recurrence. verzenio is specifically for hr-positive, her2-negative, node-positive early breast cancer with a high chance of returning, as determined by your doctor when added to hormone therapy. verzenio reduces the risk of recurrence versus hormone therapy alone. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor, start an antidiarrheal, and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain. serious liver problems can happen. symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to be. i'm focusing on what counts. talk to your doctor about reducing your risk. ♪

donald trump used the day off from his criminal hush money trial yesterday to host a dinner at mar-a-lago. trump welcomed buyers of his digital trading cards to mar-a-lago last night. according to a copy of the i invitation obtained by "axios," the dinner was for supporters who bought at least 47 of the cards priced at $99 each. some of those same buyers also were expected to receive physical pieces of the suit trump was wearing when he had his mugshot taken. >> oh, my god. >> after he was arrested in fulton county, georgia. >> oh, my god. what the -- what the -- >> back in august. >> what the? holy f is going on here? who are these people? >> i mean, what do you do, frame the piece of the suit, sniff it,

keep it at your bedside. >> the bomber jacket, that is quite a -- did they take tom cruise and put trump's head on it? that is actual, just, complete propaganda. >> he had them at mar-a-lago. a day off there his criminal hush money trial. what do you do? bring in the people who spend 10 grand on your nfts and pieces of the suit from your mugshot, which are not from that suit, undoubtedly. that's for stormy daniels set tn to the stand to continue in cross-examination. she described a sexual encounter she said she had with trump in 2006. the judge denied a motion for a mistrial after trump's attorneys called daniels' testimony unnecessary and prejudicial toward trump. prosecutors have indicated they plan to redirect or ask daniels follow-up questions after the defense wraps up its questioning. trump denies charges of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment made to daniels by

trump's former lawyer, michael cohen. the former president also denies any sexual encounter with daniels. let's bring in former litigator and msnbc legal correspondent, lisa rubin. lisa, a little bit of a day off yesterday. back at it this morning. where do we pick up from where we were on tuesday? >> well, where we were on tuesday was sort of a scorched earth cross-examination of stormy daniels. but among the subjects touched, guess which one wasn't really touched? whether or not the episode happened as she described it. susan necheles really going after her for a variety of perceived inconsistencies in her story. most notably, whether or not in 2011 she had been approached in a parking lot in las vegas while with her infant daughter and threatened not to reveal more of the story. that was largely a focus of the cross-examination. one of the things i'll be looking for today is, do they actually return to the story itself and try to counter its voracity, or do they poke around

at the margins, trying to make stormy daniels seem not credible and focused only on money? at one point, they did try to focus on her interest in money, and i thought she got the better of them in this exchange. question, do you recall testifying that you started acting in pornography because they wanted more money, right? answer, correct. question, and it is that simple, you wanted more money, right? answer, don't we all want to make more money in our jobs? question, and that's why you started acting in pornography, right? answer, to get a pay increase for my dancing, yes. question, that motivates you a lot in life, making more money, right? stormy daniels, with this classic answer, well, it is the united. that's what we do here. i'm looking forward to stormy daniels sort of giving as good as she gets today. she was a more focused witness on cross-examination. the longer the cross-examination goes on, so long as she can keep her answers tight and her temper in check, i think that makes her more sympathetic to the jury and more credible, as well. >> they also tried to get her to

sound like someone who has an ax to grind with donald trump. just asked explicitly, do you hate donald trump? she said, yes. does that hurt her in some ways, making it sound like this is some personal vendetta? >> she was then asked, you want to see him go to jail, correct? she said, i want to see him held accountable. i thought the honesty of the answer was a good thing. to try and hide from that given the multiplicity of her public statements about her feelings about trump, you can't run away from that. it was good for her to be candid in that moment. also, to focus that hatred on her own experience with him and her pain. that's an encounter that, as we've talked about previously, she understands maybe differently now than she did at an earlier point in time. certainly maybe differently than we all understood it. you know, this was a late-night punch line for many of us for a long time. the stormy daniels who came into court on tuesday, who talked about her sexual encounter with donald trump, painted it in a

very different life. i wouldn't call it a sexual assault, and neither did she, but she was clear it was less than full consent for her and a painful experience. given that, the hatred was somewhat more explicable. >> lisa, you know, i mean, as far as a jury looking at the witness, getting pushed, did you do this for money? if she said, no, i did it for the art. people would be like, what? yes, i hate it for the money. do you hate donald trump? yes, she says, she hates donald trump. there have been commentators suggesting that, somehow, the cross-examination hurt her credibility. i think you'd probably agree with me, with the jury looking to try to pick apart somebody's credibility, the fact that she told the truth in both of those cases, as you just said, actually makes the jury go, yeah, all right. for good reason. if somebody did that to me. if somebody called me horse face. if somebody was constantly

mocking me on social media. if somebody was ridiculing me and lying about an encounter we had, yeah, i wouldn't like them. yeah, we're in america. we want to make more money, she said she wanted to make more money. seems to me both of those answer answers that were supposed to undermine her credibility built her up. >> that's true. the one place she had significant problems with her credibility is sort of the pendulum swing between not wanting her story to come out in 2011, and by 2016, wanting it to come out. now, one of those differences is the realization that you could make money from it. that's not something necessarily to shy away from, but she says that wasn't her motivation. she said that safety was her motivation. in 2011, she was threatened to be quiet, and she did keep quiet, not even telling her husband about that encounter. but by 2016, she testified, the ball game had changed. once he was a major party presidential candidate and not just a reality tv star, she felt

the best way to keep herself safe was to get out in front of the story, make it public, so she was therefore, almost untouchable once he was the gop nominee. once the story holds up on continued cross is going to be interesting to see. she sort of vacillated about that and whether money was an interest for her. but at the end of the day, what prosecution needs to get out of this is not whether stormy daniels passes the beer test, right? that's the test we apply to presidential candidates. want to have a beer with this person? that's not necessary for a key witness in a trial. they just have to believe that if she came forward in 2016, told the story she told the jury, that that would have been hugely damaging to donald trump. that's the reason she's there. that's what prosecutors want the jury to walk away with. let's move to another trump legal case. the former president got a win earlier this week in florida when judge cannon delayed that trial. now, georgia. a georgia court says it will take up the trump team's appeal

of the d.a.'s disqualification ruling there. is that going to lead to -- how do you think that plays out? what delays might that produce? >> right now, it doesn't stay the case, necessarily. however, practically speaking, i think it will cause delays in that case going to trial. so if you're donald trump and your m.o. is not to go to trial, in most of these cases before the election, or not at all, the georgia case can't be stopped by his re-election, but it is a victory for him and his team in that this is one more case that's not likely to go to trial any time this year. >> msnbc legal correspondent lisa rubin on her way back downtown to the courthouse. we'll talk tomorrow morning. thanks. coming up, the economy is growing but inflation remains a challenge. steve rattner joins us in a moment with a look at what it all means for consumers as election day closes in. "morning joe" will be right back.

right now you can get a free footlong at subway. just buy any footlong in the app and get one free. just scan the qr code and enter promo code flbogo it only works from the other side of the screen, buddy. you still got a land line in your house. order now in the subway app. ♪ limu emu... ♪ and doug. (bell ringing) limu, someone needs to customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. let's fly! (inaudible sounds) chief! doug. (inaudible sounds) ooooo ah. (elevator doors opening)

(inaudible sounds) i thought you were right behind me. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, ♪ ♪ liberty. ♪ here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need... ...without the stuff you don't. so, here's to now. boost.

hey! asthma's got you going through it? grab nucala for fewer asthma attacks. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask an asthma specialist if nucala is right for you. and they're all coming? those who are still back with us, yes.igue. grandpa!

what's this? your wings. light 'em up! gentlemen, it's a beautiful... ...day to fly.

welcome back to "morning joe." moments from now, the bank of england is going to be making its next interest rate decision. economists predict inflation will remain at a 16-year high there. they have elections coming this fall most likely and, man, it is lining up to be a massive win for labor. labor will be back in government for the first time in a very long time. those interest rate hikes come a

week after the u.s. federal reserve left our interest rates unchanged here in the united states. with us now, former treasury official and "morning joe" economic analyst and board member of hss, which, by the way, steve, you'll be glad to know, got special mention this morning on "morning joe" in our knicks basketball report. very, very complete. very, very new york report. >> hss is a fantastic hospital. if you have an orthopedic problem, they're the place to go. >> it is. i have friends that have been there, and, yeah, it is extraordinary. i'm thinking a lot of knicks fans are hoping that those remarkable services won't be needed, at least until the offseason. i want to talk about the fed rate prediction, but, first, i have to ask you about what's happening right now in britain. interest rates at a 16-year high.

the tory government is in free fall. the labor party looks like it'll sweep to victory. i know you don't follow it every day, but are we looking at an election, most likely this fall in britain? >> well, there has to be an election by early next year, so it is a question of when sunak decides to call it. the betting is probably this fall sometime. look, the tories have had a long run of power, 13 years, and the country is tired of them. in part, the country, frankly, is not doing that well. the economy there is very, very slow. they have a productivity problem. they have an investment problem. the kinds of things that touch the brits, they have a real problem with the national health service, which has been underfunded and is having trouble delivering the health care it used to. there is an enormous amount of

unhappiness in britain about the state of the economy. as you said, the byelections didn't go well. there will be a labor prime minister sometime in less than 12 months from now is the prediction. >> you look at britain's economic numbers. look at america's economic numbers. the brits have a good reason to be scratching their heads, wondering what all the complaining is about. they would do anything to have an economy as strong as ours right now. sometimes, a strong economy causes problems on wall street. it causes problems with car loans. it causes problems with house loans, with inflation. obviously, wall street and america looking at what the fed will be doing on interest rates. talk about that. talk about the prediction of what we may see in the year ahead. >> sure. well, look, every country in europe would love to have our economy. you've talked about that before. it's not even close, whether you look at germany, france, italy,

any of those places. we are certainly the star among the developed world. that brings with it some challenges. as you mentioned, interest rates and getting interest rates down and inflation under control has been our challenge. last week, the fed didn't lower interest rates. we didn't think they were going to. not long ago, in january, the market thought interest rates would start to really drop sharply as inflation came under control. get down to 3.5% by the end of this year, by around election day. as the economy has stayed as strong as it's stayed, the market has revised those projections. in fact, the market now thinks there will be only a modest decline in interest rates between now and the end of the year. that is what was implicit in the fed's decision last week, not to lower interest rates. people had expected it months ago. by the time we got there, they didn't. interestingly, on friday, we had a jobs report which i'm going to talk about in a minute that wasn't quite as strong as we expected. as a result, the market got

slightly more optimistic about interest rate cuts. it looks like interest rates are going to stay higher for longer. what does that mean for consumers, people who will go to the polls in november? unfortunately, mortgage rates, the rate that affects probably most americans, is not coming down the way we'd hoped. it peaked at 8% last year. it started to come down, as we thought interest rates and inflation would get under control, but it stalled out. we're looking at mortgage rates of 7.4%, which is obviously hugely high. home sales, as a result of that in large part, down 35%. tough for first-time home buyers. all of this, unfortunately, is not the best news as we head into the fall. >> talk about what inflation looks like at an annualized rate. if it keeps going the way it did the past quarter, what is inflation going to be on a yearly basis? >> the problem is, as you've suggested, in the most recent quarter, and this is an

inflation gauge that the fed happens to like called the pce. inflation on a quarter over quarter basis shot to 1.4%. that'd be an annual rate of something like 5%. nobody expects it really to get back up there. these are core services. this focuses in on labor, on services. it takes out energy, takes out food, takes out housing. this is the stuff that drives the ultimate inflation rate. why is that happening? it is happening for a couple of reasons. first of all, wage increases have stayed high. we all want people to get wage increases. you want people to make more money. wage increases feed into inflation. the most recent report which also came out just in the last few days shows wage cost, this is the whole cost of wages to a company, rising back up to 4.5%, back where it was in the early 2023 period. that's not ideal. that, however, has driven a lot

of demand, a lot of sales. people buying a lot of stuff. you can see the consumer demand remains above the average. the point is that you have higher wages, drive to people buying inflation. we want people to make higher wages and buy more, but we can't have inflation at this rate and expect interest rates to come down. >> the growth of payrolls, also the unemployment rate and how that plays into the question about inflation, interest rates, about all the things that americans are worried about right now when they talk to pollsters. >> again, why are wages going up as fast as they're going up? in large part, because of the huge demand for labor. we are creating jobs at an extraordinary rate. in this short period here, we created jobs at a 270,000 annual rate, well above 100,000 jobs above the longer-term average. this friday, last friday, we did have a slightly softer number

but still at the average. the great american jobs machine grinds on. then you have a very low unemployment rate. we've been 27 months below 4%. it has edged up. you can see it edging up a little to 3.9%. we need the labor market to get just a little bit softer, to hold down wage increases just a little bit, so inflation will come down and the fed can lower interest rates and life will be better for many americans who need to borrow money to buy a house or for other purposes. >> "morning joe" economic analyst steve rattner bringing the charts and bringing the heat. steve, thanks so much. appreciate it. ahead on "morning joe" -- >> people ask, tom, why would you do this roast now? it's simple. i can take all the hits. i would have done this earlier, but i've just been too busy winning championships. >> tom brady answering the question why he decided to get

roasted savagely during a live netflix event. pablo torre has the answer. he's standing by with his take when we come right back. (vo) in two seconds, eric will realize they're gonna need more space... (man) gotta sell the house.

(vo) oh...open houses. or, skip the hassles and sell directly to opendoor. (man) wow. (vo) when life's doors open, we'll handle the house. (♪♪) with wet amd, i worry i'm not only losing my sight, but my time to enjoy it. but now, i can open up my world with vabysmo. (♪♪) vabysmo is the first fda-approved treatment for people with wet amd that improves vision and delivers a chance for up to 4 months between treatments, so i can do more of what i love. (♪♪) (♪♪) vabysmo works differently, it's the only treatment designed to block 2 causes of wet amd. vabysmo is an eye injection. don't take it if you have an infection, active eye swelling, or are allergic to it. treatments like vabysmo can cause an eye infection or retinal detachment. vabysmo may cause a temporary increase in eye pressure after receiving the injection. there is an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye can occur.

most common eye side effects were cataract and broken blood vessels. open up your world with vabysmo. a chance for up to 4 months between treatments with vabysmo. ask your doctor. raising you was no bed of roses. are you getting me anything for mother's day? go to 1-800-flowers.com. oh my gosh! wow! gorgeous! i feel like royalty. thank you. 1-800-flowers.com. happy mother's day. happy mother's day! switch to shopify and sell smarter at every stage of your business. take full control of your brand with your own custom store. scale faster with tools that let you manage every sale from every channel. and sell more with the best converting checkout on the planet. a lot more. take your business to the next stage when you switch to shopify.

i think we see willis coming out. there he comes right now. 6'10" from gramling. the most valuable player of the

nba. >> mvp. >> flashes of willis at msg. the 50th anniversary of the dramatic emergence before game seven of the nba finals. the crowd last night welcoming back jalen brunson with mvp chants for his return to the court during half-time warmups. he left with a foot injury, as we all held our breath. the indiana pacers mounted a 17-point swing to lead by the break. brunson's return sparked the knicks. he led the knicks to a 130-121 victory in game two of the second game of the series. new york leads 2-0. on the road to indianapolis for

game three tomorrow night. espn's pablo torre along with mike barnicle. we'll talk about tom brady and the roast in a second. >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> i'm a knicks fan. we always are cautious in our enthusiasm. >> is that right? >> we learned that well, since 1973. it's been more than 50 years since the last title. but this is a fun team to watch. they're a likable team. brunson is a bona fide superstar. they play well together. they get rebounds they have to right to get to. they're on the floor for loose balls. something is happens at the garden. >> i grew up in new york. i have compicated feelings about the knicks as an institution. i feel like the caution is a fear that comes inside of this candy shell of just outright delusion. >> sure. >> the delusion is manifested on the sidewalk outside the garden. so we've seen these guys take over the streets since last year now, and i think this team provides the venn diagram between an unhinged delusion and

a reality. the end of games, the team looks like they want it. they look like they know exactly how to win a crowd, which has been historically full of neurosis you described. i have confidence they'll pull a win out of their behinds, and they've been doing it now the entire postseason. >> down by 12, and brunson wasn't looking like himself. my son and daughter and i were watching, and we were like, this is going to happen. we don't know how, but it'll be good. this will be a long series, i think, and the pacers think they should have stolen a couple year. celtics are still more talented, all those things. >> the favorite. >> mike, it seems like a fun, exciting moment at the garden, full of hope, which we've been filled with before, only to have the balloon deflated. >> the reference to the garden, being outside on the sidewalk before people go in, when people

spill out of the garden, depending on whether it was a win or loss, they're always the same. they're excited about the knicks. my son, our youngest son, went to the knicks game the other night. he came back and told me yesterday he finally realized, despite everything about where we're from, boston and the boston celtics, the red sox, everything, that madison square garden is the ultimate capital of nba basketball. he had never seen such an electric performance by the crowd, by all the people you were just referencing. >> right. it's the mythology of the garden. they call it the world's most famous arena. jonathan lemire is groaning visibly. but it's real. that's the part of the sales pitch, john, that's real. when the building is right, it does live up to the mythology that, of course, they've been trying to sell for decades. now, it is actually justified. it feels that way palpably. >> the garden is an incredible venue, of course, and it gets up for rangers games, too. the rangers team could be a

title contender, maybe more so than the knicks. yes, i'll roll my eyes about the hate geology of the knicks, but they have two championships, which may be more than others. the knicks are the one team that unites the city. when the knicks are good, you can feel it not just at the garden but everybody. the knicks, everybody gets behind. this group is a likable one. >> pablo, let's look out west. denver nuggets, defending champs. jokic won the mvp three of the last four years yesterday. they're on the ropes. lost the first two games at home. this timberwolves team, talk about a fun team to watch. anthony edwards emerging as one of the league's great stars. he was looked at as a dunker. now, he is a player and superstar. what are you looking for in the west? >> yeah, i'm looking for the way i'm going to traffic in hyperbole that also feels like it is grounded in reality. anthony edwards, watch the highlights. they're right when they say i see some michael jordan in him.

i don't want to be the guy who spins hateography, but this kid is 22 years old and the future of the league. he is the best, young american star, and the timberwolves are the best team in the playoffs. the reason the nuggets are down, that guy. >> and kat. >> in a month's time, we'll be like, oh, it is anthony edwards' league. they're the champs. >> buy stock now. >> the star of the olympics team this summer. >> thunder are the number one team out west. >> what a pro commercial, the worst in 50 years. side note. >> with chess. >> declare that on "morning joe.." >> terrible. >> i love the bitterness is just below the surface with pablo. >> yeah. let's talk about the tom brady roast. live on netflix. three hours. >> we've been waiting. >> we were going to show clips, and our producer said there's just no way to edit a clip.

oh, we do have one? he said we're going to try one. see how this goes. >> $50 million in crypto. tom, how did you fall for that? even gronk was like, me know that not real money. >> okay, that was 8 seconds we could show. nikki glazer, if you didn't already know about nikki glazer, she's good at the roast but she's a good stand-up comedian, too. she became a star that night. but the question hanging over all of this, and perhaps running through tom brady's mind in the first 15 minutes was, why is he doing this? why did he do it? >> i believe, mike, look, as the bostonian here, fact-check me, i believe this is his latest front in a years' long campaign to win the affection of america. this was a quest for likability. he is an executive producer of this thing. yes, was it an orgy of humiliation? of course. perversely entertaining because

of that? also yes. to me, this was a guy almost inviting everybody on stage to tenderize him into likability. it felt like a weird kink. did you want this? did you really want all of this this way? my god, it was a guy who never allowed himself to look this way, looking this way, in a way that felt strategic by the end because of the volume of it. >> yeah, i don't know, man. it wasn't good. i mean, you walked away from it and, yeah, a ton of laughs, but not only at tom brady's expense, but at his children's expense, at his children's and wife's expense. the guy didn't think it out. he signed a $70 million contract with fox sports. didn't need the money. i'm sure he'll be great at that, as well. it's not about the money. doesn't need the fame. i'll say also, and i just, you know, again, i don't know why he

would do this. we weren't talking about dean martin and don rickles and carol barnett. these people lacerated him which, of course, he can take. again, kind of brought his family in on it at the same time. i must say, also, there is another part of it, too, pablo. he should have got a coach. the belichick of coaching. you know, you burn down the place. at the end, you go, but wait, before i go, let me just say, we know this was all in good fun. my teammates, i wouldn't be here without my linemen. belichick, everybody loves. you know, we're brothers here. then you go through it. gisele, people love to talk and write about it. you know what? tonight, she's taking care of the kids. i'm just so grateful. none of that. it was like, you know, the end

of "once upon a time in hollywood." somebody handed him a blow torch, and he just, like, used the blow torch. there wasn't the sort of light touch that was required to make him more likable. i mean, well, bad night for him. i think the winner of the night was nikki glazer, who left that place a star. >> yeah. >> not so sure about tom brady. i'm still asking, why did he do it? >> i don't think it necessarily works when it comes to the likability of it. it just felt palpably desperate, to get in front of a stage. yes, joe, to your point, invite america to make fun of every part of your life, which then raises the question of why parts of your life are no longer in your life because they are now being made fun of us a spotlight that i don't think they should have enjoyed in any context, let alone with, i don't know, 50 comedians diving in. >> you know, the odd thing about it, though, is if you meet tom

brady, he is enormously likable. he is a very nice guy. he's rather an ordinary human being. he's tom brady, of course, but he is a likable human being. the idea that he would do this in enhance his likability factor is beyond -- it is beyond my imagination. so the question is, again, why did he do it? it wasn't for money. it wasn't for a charity. why did he do it? >> there had to be a charity element. was there not? >> i didn't see one reported. i googled, tom brady roast charity. nothing came up. fact-check that. he was advised, you're robotic, stiff, want to take over the voice of nfl's america god when he takes the booth. they need you to laugh at yourself. i love when athletes love at themselves. this did feel like a man who was so thirsty for it, it became unlikable by the end. that was my personal arc of

this. >> the one thing we can play for you is nikki glazer with jimmy kimmel talking about what happened inside that arena. >> it was an intimidating thing to walk into but, yeah, you know, i went after -- i kind of fed into that by throwing myself at tom brady a little bit. >> i don't think you can help but throw yourself at tom brady. when tom brady was here, i was throwing myself at tom brady. >> it's insane to look at. >> it is. >> he is unreal. one of my jokes i was going to say, he is like a.i. but without the intelligence. but i think he has -- i do think he is smart, though, so i pulled it last minute. >> elise, your take. >> if you divorced your husband, and he does something like this and makes you and your family the butt of many, many mean jokes, you are just like, wow, what a moron. good riddance. only solidifies you made the right choice in getting a divorce.

i would be absolutely furious. >> i've been appointed as the tom brady defender on this show for many a year. i'm going to sit this one out. sit this one out. back to you, willie. >> you're on to cincinnati, john? >> on to cincinnati. >> rare moment. pablo, thank you, as always, for sharing your wisdom with us. i'm not sure we really figured out why he did this. >> i'm also trying to be tender rised in likability by coming on. >> i need to ask pablo a question. can i ask pablo a couple quick questions? >> please. >> pablo, quickly, give us two, not just one, give us the two winners of the nfl draft and the two losers. what teams did the best? what teams did the worst? >> oh, joe, do we want to talk about the falcons here? i've been waiting. i've been waiting to bring up the question. >> you know the thing is, i thought penix's stock was undervalued, but, man, not that undervalued. >> yeah. >> it was a really interesting pick. it'd be easy to criticize.

in 2025 -- 2024, you know, kw quarterbacks are going to be going down every two weeks. may look like geniuses, maybe fools, depending how healthy their starter. >> as america's foremost falcons defender, i'll make both my losers the falcons here. both answers the falcons. kirk cousins getting a nine-figure deal. nobody has been made more money by people who disrespect him than kirk cousins in the nfl. all-time career earnings leader, they drafted a rereplacement. excellent, penix, but confusing. doesn't reflect the strategy. caleb williams to the bears, great. the teams that got quarterbacks. drake may, promising. the falcons, joe, i can't wait to talk to you on monday mornings about how your atlanta falcons are doing with their two quarterbacks. >> final question here. i don't know why this is, and, of course, i've been wrong

before, caleb williams seems like a great guy. i loved when he went up and hugged his mom at the end of the game. she covered him. >> weeping. >> crying and everything. i loved the humanity of that. i loved he cared that much. he just -- i haven't seen him -- i don't know i haven't seen greatness in him. i haven't seen him read defenses the way great quarterbacks read defenses. that's just a massive question mark over my head. by the way, my dear friend tom brady has said the same thing. [ laughter ] i do watch youtube short videos, as well. >> grinding film, yes. >> i'm scratching my head with the bears, who already had a pretty damn good quarterback. they could have built even more around him with justin fields. >> yeah. an nfl scout, former nfl scout who is extremely plugged in told my show that caleb williams

reminds him of if prince played quarterback -- now, this is a loaded metaphor, okay? >> come throwing up the guitar e hall of fame potentially. the guy is an improvisational genius on the field. sheet music may not be his strength, but the ability to make something beautiful out of nothing is what i saw from him in college. the bears getting him and rome, the wideout, is pretty good. also, the promising quarterback they liked until, i don't know, a couple years later. >> i'm cheering for him. cheering for the bears. as you know, i love the lions, loved them since they were 1-6. >> that's right. >> the packers getting better. man, the nfc north division, i mean, it is going to be the black and blue division. i'm going to be black and blue

if i don't go to break. alex yells in my ear. we'll be right back. i love your dress. oh thanks! i splurged a little because liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. that's great. i know, right? i've been telling everyone. baby: liberty. did you hear that? ty just said her first word. can you say “mama”? baby: liberty. can you say “auntie”? baby: liberty. how many people did you tell? only pay for what you need. jingle: ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

baby: ♪ liberty. ♪ why choose a sleep number smart bed? can i make my side softer? ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ i like my side firmer. sleep number does that. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base. shop now at sleepnumber.com

go to 1-800flowers.com, find the perfect gift and wow the people you love. wow! wow! this is amazing. whether you want to say 'happy birthday'. so cute! or i love you. i love you too. thinking of you. wow! go to 1-800flowers.com celebrate the people you love.

in fact, six years ago, when my predecessor came to racine with the promise of reclaiming our country's proud manufacturing legacy, we had infrastructure day every week for four years and didn't build a damn thing.

he promised a $10 billion investment by foxconn, to build new manufacturing complex, create 13,000 new jobs. in fact, he came here with your senator, ron johnson, literally holding a golden shovel, promising to build the eighth wonder of the world. are you kidding me? look what happened. they dug a hole with those golden shovels. then they fell into it. look, they didn't shovel other dirt. they did shovel some dirt. 100 homes were bulldozed. they wasted hundreds of millions of dollars, your state and local tax dollars, to promise a project that never happened. foxconn turned out to be just that, a con. go figure. >> president biden in wisconsin yesterday where he announced a $3.3 billion investment by microsoft to build an artificial intelligence data center in

racine. it'll be on the same site as a foxconn facility donald trump claimed during his administration would be the eighth wonder of the world. that foxconn facility never fully came together, and the taiwanese company drastically scaled back plans for that factory. obviously, a targeted event there, taking a shot at donald trump. >> white house aides gleeful at the staging on this one. they're allowed to draw that contrast and say, look at former president trump, who, by polls, gets more credit for his handling of the economy than president biden, to great frustration of the west wing. they're trying to have events like these that show the contrast of the number of jobs biden created versus what trump promised to do and didn't. it's not just it was a foxconn plant. it was a plant in wisconsin. these polls are extraordinarily close. democratic aides i talked to the last few days in washington, i mean, they're not counting out

some of the battlegrounds like in arizona, nevada, georgia. they think north carolina is legitimately in play. they know president biden's best path to more years in office are pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin. expect him to basically live there between now and november. >> mike, you can hear it in the president's voice. you can hear it in his speech, saying yesterday, donald trump didn't build a damn thing, talking about also $1 trillion of infrastructure investment. we're building things, he says, under my administration. >> to jonathan's point, the way to win this thing for the president is to be there, to be there in pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin. to be there physically, to stand up in front of human beings, talk like a human being, and talk about actually what's happening on the ground. the other aspect of the campaign, jonathan, i don't know whether you've picked up on this, i'm sure you have, and, elise, part of your tribe, the republicans in the past. donald trump is a phenomenon

that is not going away. i'm wondering when the democratic party is going to figure out, you know, you can make fun of him, talk about him being on trial and everything like that, he is not going away. none of this seems to be damaging him with the core of his support. >> no. you look at wisconsin, and that is just absolutely ground zero for probably the state of the three most important states where this election is going to be decided. and the polling, the recent polling is so close, that it just shows how this election is going to be such a nail-biter and really subject to what crazy event is going to happen and, ultimately, shake it in one direction or the other over the next six months or so. >> there were a pair of polls released just yesterday. one had biden up for wisconsin a little. one had trump up a little. both within the margin of error. the other thing of note, for polls in wisconsin and pennsylvania, the new one there,

too, the percentage that robert f. kennedy jr. is getting, he is over double digits and looking to play spoiler. both campaigns trying to figure out, from whom is he taking more support? these polls were taken before the revelation of the brain worm. >> sure. >> that might just send kennedy's support higher. >> throw these out until we factor that in. the q poll shows biden and trump basically tied. another poll showing him at 18%, kennedy jr. there it is. muhlenberg college poll in pennsylvania. trump and biden tied. robert f. kennedy jr. at 18% in this poll. also in wisconsin yesterday, president biden said he believes donald trump will not accept the results of the 2024 election. not exactly news there. biden was responding to trump's comment in a recent interview, saying, quote, "you have to fight for the right of the country if the election results

are not honest," does he put it. >> seriously, just like on january 6th. the guy is not a democrat with a small d. i mean, he is -- look, you can't only love your country when you win, number one. how many court cases did they have, supreme court cases? they all said this is totally legitimate election. this is trump. i mean, it's the same whether -- and he may not accept the outcome of the election. i promise you, he won't. >> promise that he won't? >> he won't. >> so -- >> which is dangerous. >> the president talking to erin burnett on cnn. author of "how the right lost its mind," charlie sykes. and u.s. special correspondent for bbc news, katty kay. katty's podcast, "the rest is

politics u.s.," which she hosts with anthony scaramucci. available to download now. charlie, not a big revelation from the president in that interview that donald trump will not honor the results of the election. of course, given what we saw in 2024, in 2020, and what he's signalled for this fall, as well, but also that the republican party, some of those members who perhaps want to be his vice presidential nominee, falling in line when asked by kristen welker on "meet the press," for example, on sunday, six different times, senator scott would not commit to honoring the outcome of the election. >> no, i mean, that is a very, very safe bet, that donald trump is not going to graciously concede defeat because he never does. but it is interesting watching the auditioning for vice president and, you know, sort of the ghost of mike pence hangs over all of this. donald trump doesn't just want loyalty but slavish loyalty. he wants a guarantee that, in fact, the vice president, whoever he chooses, by the way,

the one person he cannot fire, will, in fact, do his bidding. will do the tough things. will do the difficult, courageous things, like, for example, ignore the law. it is interesting, how willing all of these vice presidential wanna-bes are in basically saying, "yes, donald, we'll say and do anything. we'll use your words. we will kill puppies for you, to show how tough we are." >> in a gravel pit, no less. katty kay, the biden campaign and the white house was happy to lean into the split-screen. hey, we're building this a.i. facility in the exact same place donald trump failed to build the foxconn plant. the split-screen that is also there that they're not talking about but they're well aware of, and they don't discourage reporters from noticing, is that joe biden yesterday in wisconsin. he heads to the west coast this week. where is donald trump spending his time? a courtroom in manhattan. we know how few undecideds there

seems to be. is that going to be an imagine that will resonate with people. >> reporter: after a week of steamy stormy testimony, it is difficult for us following the trial closely to know, in the long run, how much impact this will have in november. because donald trump faces so many legal problems, they get merged together, or from donald trump's supporters' point of view, they're portrayed as the deep state is against donald trump. i think it could split either way. this is a bit of a messy trial. i mean, it is not just the subject matter that's messy. the legal case is not particularly clear. it'd only take one member of the jury to say they don't buy the argument that it was tied to campaign finance or that donald trump was directly involved for this to be a hung jury. if it was a hung jury or if donald trump was acquitted, what impact would that have on the election? it is different from a guilty finding for donald trump.

then the other question is, does the biden campaign actually think that donald trump kind of muzzled, to some extent, in a courtroom, is less beneficial to them than donald trump out of the campaign trail saying the kinds of things they feel are explosive, that, you know, are being pushed into those rallies which is when he goes off, you know, script and starts saying some of his extreme things, and they feel that is more beneficial. on the wisconsin thing, jonathan, your outfit, "politico," had the great report yesterday which may explain some of the reason why joe biden is not getting the kudos he feels he should be getting. which is, it is only 17% of the money that was pledged that has actually been spent on the infrastructure projects. that makes it a little harder for the president to go out and say, look at all the benefits we've brought for you. >> charlie, off of that referen the verdict that would come from this trial, because you're more

familiar with republicans than i certainly am, what's your sense of what would happen to trump's support if there were a guilty verdict? i mean, we've just seen nikki haley get 20% of the vote in the indiana primary. if donald trump is found guilty, what is your sense? what would happen? >> it is not going to affect his hard-core support. the republicans have already baked that in. they've already raised their hands, you know, during the debate and said they'd support donald trump even if he was a convicted felon. but being a convicted felon is not an asset. we do live on earth 2.0, but it is hard to imagine voters in wisconsin are going to be more likely to vote for somebody who is a convicted felon. also, it's the wash around of all of the sleaze surrounding him. it is not just the guilty verdict. it is being reminded who donald trump is. the kind of world that he lives in. the way he treats women. the way he treats the idea of truth. so, again, don't expect

republicans to break from him. don't expect the base to move away from him. but swing voters are not likely to be impressed. could i comment, though? i'm just a few miles up the road from that foxconn plant where joe biden was yesterday. just trust me, people in wisconsin remember this story really well. they remember the whole foxconn con. they remember how it was touted by donald trump, how it was touted by scott walker. all of the money that was committed. these were really, really big numbers. this was a huge story here in wisconsin. so this was one of the moments where, you know, my reaction to joe biden coming inand trolling trump on this was, this was a pretty good act of presidential trolling, to really highlight the gap between what donald trump promised and what happened. trust me, people in wisconsin remember this story and know

exactly what joe biden is talking about. >> vivid contrast. there were supposed to be 13,000 jobs touted by donald trump that did not show up there. charlie sykes, thanks so much, as always. we appreciate it. coming up next here, nbc's courtney kube joins us with a story of a marine reservist who left active duty to pursue a new mission, starting a family. now, it's become a legal battle involving the departments of defense and veterans affairs. we will explain that story next. and coming up on our next hour, former secretary of state hillary clinton will join us right here on set with a look at her latest project and to discuss the day's news. you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back.

- it's apparent. not me. - yeah. nice going lou! nothing like a little confidence boost to help ease you back in to the dating scene. that includes having a smile you feel good about. fortunately, aspen dental specializes in dentures and implants made just for you. and with flexible financing, you don't need to sacrifice quality work for a price that fits your budget. at $0 down plus 0% interest if paid in full in 18 months. helping our patients put their best smile forward. it's one more way aspen dental is in your corner. oh no. running low? with chewy, always keep their bowl full. save 35% on your first autoship order. get the food they love. delivered again and again. (♪♪) [thud]

beautiful shot of the monuments in washington. a lawsuit later this month alleges the departments of defense and veterans affairs discriminate against military service members and veterans who want to start families. courtney kube joins us with details. good morning. >> hi, willie. yeah, that's right. a group of veterans is headed to

federal court later this month. they're suing the departments of defense and veteran affairs over these policies that they say discriminate against service members, both current and former, who are trying to get pregnant and start a family. >> i knew that being a pilot in the marine corps and having a family were not very compatible goals. >> reporter: after flying helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in the marine corps for 11 years, jacqueline nichols left active duty and joined the reserves to pursue building a family. she now begins most mornings at her new mexico ranch with chores, feeding her many donkeys, horses, and chickens. once you put on the uniform, was it everything you dreamed it would be? >> i would say so. i knew i could potentially sacrifice my life, limbs, health, but what i didn't know was possible is i could potentially lose my fertility as a result of my service. >> reporter: nichols and her husband, a former marine, began trying to have a child after

deployment in 2018, but they've been struggling to conceive. infertility in the military is understudied, but in a 2018 survey, 37% of active duty women said they struggled with infertility, a rate that is three times the national average. >> so my question was why? my dad was a vietnam veteran and exposed to agent orange. there is something called second generation agent orange symptoms. as an aviator, it has to do with exposure. all these things can have a negative impact on fertility, men too. >> reporter: now 41, nichols is undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments but getting the v.a. to pay for it is a battle. >> i'm trying to get what i need. >> reporter: the v.a. told us it is constantly working to expand access to care, and it is committed to helping as many veterans as possible raise a family. still, she knows she's one of the lucky ones. in order to qualify for ivf

benefits, active duty service members and veterans have to prove their infertility is caused by their service. >> ivf is being treated differently than all other health care. if you have a 100% disability rating from the v.a., you have access to all health care the v.a. offers, except in the case of ivf. >> reporter: renee, an army veteran and law student at yale, never imagined she'd be suing the federal government. >> i served with so many people seeming to be struggling with fertility. whether it was the fact they delayed family building to pursue their careers or more medical reasons they didn't necessarily know or understand. >> reporter: the lawsuit from the yale veterans clinic alleges the d.o.d. and v.a. are restricting access to a fertility treatment on the basis of discriminatory and arbitrary markers. partly as a result of the lawsuit, both agencies recently ended the ban on ivf treatments for those who are unmarried or in same-sex couples. but the infertiity still needs to be service connected. while the pentagon and

department of veterans affairs can't comment on pending litigation, they are seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. >> the problem we have right now is that we don't have a direct cause and effect. >> reporter: senator tammy duckworth, an iraq war veteran who lost both legs in combat, introduced legislation to get the government to expand fertility benefits for service members and veterans. >> it is like agent orange. we went 30, 40 years, where all these veterans had higher rates of cancer. finally said, if you have this leukemia, you were in vietnam, it was caused by your service. we need to do the same thing with infertility in military service. >> reporter: duckworth, who used ivf to conceive her children, the mission is personal. >> i'd hate to tell a soldier, thank you for your service, but you don't get to be a dad. >> reporter: republicans objected to the undefined cost of the bill, with one senator suggesting it leaves the door open for future definitions for gene editing or cloning. nichols is remaining hopeful and

preparing to undergo an embryo transfer later this month. do you worry at all about any consequences for speaking out? >> i mean, absolutely. if i can save members from the heartache i've gone through, it's worth it. the change needs to happen. >> you know, willie, short of a catastrophic accident, it is difficult for a service member or veteran to prove their infertility is specifically service related. we heard about toxins in that story. so far, the science does not provide a direct link to exposure to toxins and infertility. remember, ivf treatments can cause tens of thousands of dollars each round. the service members and veterans we spoke to said, look, this is an investment worth making. the services have been struggling with recruiting. some struggled with retention in recent years. they look at this as an investment in the future. you're not only potentially retaining some top talent by investing in this, but you may be investing in the future by

providing these sorts of treatments and this sort of benefit, willie. >> fascinating. well reported. pentagon correspondent courtney kube, thanks, as always. we appreciate it. is this a case, elise, of the pentagon needing to catch up with the times a little bit? what are we talking about here? >> it is a pattern that the pentagon has had ever since they started letting women enter the ranks formally of the military. it took so long. women in the military fought for child care. that came in the '70s. for bases to have child care to help working moms. then you look at even the wars in iraq and afghanistan and how female marines and other women would not have properly fitting body armor. that just happened over the last couple of years. the sexual assault laws that finally recently took prosecution out of the chain of command and allows victims, you know, more recourse and to remove it from the chain of command that often stifled their

complaints, that happened a couple years ago, too. there is a long way for the military to go, especially for these female veterans who delayed having children because they were in jobs that were not necessarily conducive to starting a family. like the veteran profiled who was a helicopter pilot. >> this is the time the military needs to attract for the sake of recruitment, not repel people. coming up next, our next guest says one top university is struggling with a culture of fear and contempt. professor at the harvard kennedy and business schools, arthur brooks joins us with his thoughts on how to make improvements across higher education. arthur joins us next.

slowing my cancer from growing and living longer are two things i want from my metastatic breast cancer treatment. and with kisqali, i can have both. kisqali is a pill that when taken with an aromatase inhibitor helps delay cancer from growing and has been proven to help people live significantly longer across three separate clinical trials. so, i have the confidence to live my life. kisqali can cause lung problems or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. avoid grapefruit during treatment.

tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills, or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. long live life and long live you. ask your doctor about kisqali today. (psst! psst!) ahhh! with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily gives you long lasting non-drowsy relief. flonase all good. also, try our allergy headache and nighttime pills.

the future is not just going to happen. you have to make it. and if you want a successful business, all it takes is an idea, and now becomes the future where you grew a dream into a reality. the all new godaddy airo. put your business online in minutes with the power of ai. sure, i'm a paid actor, and this is not a real company, but there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. search talent all over the world with over 10,000 skills you may not have in house. more than 30% of the fortune 500 use upwork because this is how we work now. (tony hawk) skating for over 45 years has taken a toll on my body. i take qunol turmeric fbecause it helpspwork with healthy joints and inflammation support. why qunol? it has superior absorption compared to regular turmeric. qunol. the brand i trust. (psst! psst!) ahhh! with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary.

spray flonase sensimist daily for non-drowsy long lasting relief in a scent free, gentle mist. flonase all good. also, try our allergy headache and nighttime pills.

all eyes must be on rafah. that is the message that hundreds of students, faculty, and staff at harvard have been uplifting through principled action. this message, this commitment to palestinian liberation is what the harvard administration has been suppressing since october. >> the student protester at harvard university accusing school administrators this week of silencing palestinian supporters since the war broke out between israel and hamas arthur, it's great to see you as always. we're talking about happiness today. >> let's do it. >> let's talk about hainess

and why it feels not just harvard, but this is a university-wide concern right now. kids aren't happy. why? >> this is country-wide. you see an increase in mental illness or the symptoms of mental illness, anxiety and depression, but unhappiness in the adult population. that's because of declines in the situations like faith and family and friendship and work, but more than that is the storms, the way that we've become attached to social media, the political polarization in the country that loneliness that came from covid, all these things together have been especially acute among young people and especially at universities and all these things together with the activism on campus has led to this. >> you wrote in your piece, make harvard happy again. >> yeah. >> you say the narrow range of academic freedom and imperial free speech is in decline. you write, the fear is real. what about the lecture halls?

>> it's not in every lecture hall. i write about the science of happiness and it's a happy atmosphere, and all professors are doing it in different ways, and the problem is the culture that said one side is right and the other side is evil which is not harvard. i mean, it is across the academic world and it's been bubbling up for the last 15 or 20 years. that's the best way to make students unhappy, to say your former friends who disagree with you are denying humanity, and they hate you. what creates more misery than telling people they have to hate fell he students? >> there's almost a tiktok orthodox. if you express a fact-based argument against that, they'll call you a bigot and effectively silence you or run you out of the classroom in some cases. >> it can be a problem, and the good news is we're starting to figure this out, and my colleagues and i at harvard and many around the country, a lot of administrators are saying, okay. we've got to do something, and so they are. we're looking for more academic

freedom, more discourse across difference. i talked to alumni. they loved the place because they were being challenged. not because it was a safe space intellectually, but it was an unsafe space. they met people who looked different than they did, or thought differently. if you want to make harvard happy again, or make america happy again, we need to start loving people who disagree with us. >> let's widen the aperture on this. if you bump into people 35, 45 years of age who have been in the marketplace and raising a family, they might be bitching about the cost of groceries and gasoline, but they're basically relatively happy. if you see people, 20, 25 years old, they seem all to be unhappy or most of them be unhappy. what is the deal there? >> well, part of it has to do with the fact that people who are older were brought up in an environment who are more likely to have religious faith or something like philosophy or religious faith. they are more likely to have

family formation. they were less likely to have a family and kids. they were less likely to have close friendships than you and i were that age. they have friends in work, but not real friends in life, and the relationship they have with work is changing. then you add in the toxic groove of social media, hatred in politics, loneliness from the coronavirus epidemic and this has created a really bad environment for young people. >> i'm getting unhappy listening to it. >> it's going to be okay. once we surface these ideas, we can create a "morning joe." we could have a happiness rebellion, man. >> i like that. >> start with oprah since you wrote a book with her. >> yeah. >> you're talking about how free speech is stifled among students on these campuses. >> it sometimes is, right. >> so how does that contribute to general intellectual discourse and the exchange of ideas and learning and growth, and also a capacity for forgiveness when someone does

express an odious idea and their ability to learn? there's as much of a cancel culture in the student body. >> it weakens the structure of education that we're trying to give people. the idea is to have an unsafe he electual space. that's how people grow and learn and get happier. that's one of the things people look back to with the most sentimentality and the greatest fondness in their college experiences. when you don't do that, they come out of college under the circumstances not knowing what the other side thinks. can you imagine thinking half of america, what a bunch of idiots? you can't live that way because you're ignorant of the cultural environment in your own country. >> so how do we break through those silos? it's easy on social media to only deal with your fellow travelers and to not see someone who you disagree with as a fellow human being. >> that's super important that those of us who are in

leadership roles, administrators, professors, people in media, people in politics, that we start talking openly about the fact that it's not right for people not to be exposed to different points of view. we need to look -- i mean, we have to be kind of a joyful representation of people who disagree with us. we have to model this behavior of loving people and being respectful to people with whom we disagree because that modeling will be observed by the next generation of americans. if we're running the institutions with some media politics academia with this dark triad, and even psychopathic leaders who say, i want power and the way i'm going to get it is by manipulating you into hating your enemies, that's where we are in this country today. if we can strike back against that dark triad personality characteristic we see in leaders, then we start to win. >> arthur brooks with the happiness rebellion. join up, man.

join up. >> i'm an original member. >> by the way, this is mental health awareness month, so it's a great time to have these conversations. professor at the harvard kennedy and business schools, arthur brooks. great to have you at the table. >> great to be with you. still ahead, a bipartisan effort on capitol hill saved mike johnson's speakership. we'll show what you he had to say after the vote and how badly marjorie taylor greene lost. also, former secretary of state hillary clinton joins us here at the table. we'll talk about her new role as a broadway producer and much, much more. "morning joe" is coming right back. much more. "morning joe" is coming right back the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate.

shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. while i am a paid actor, and this is not a real company, there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. upwork is half the cost of our old recruiter and they have top-tier talent and everything from pr to project management because this is how we work now.

clearly gone off the deep end. maybe the result of the space laser, but this type of tantrum is absolutely unacceptable, and it does nothing to further the cause of the conservative movement. the only people who have stymied our ability to govern are the very people that have pulled these type of stunts throughout the course of this congress to undermine the house republican majority. if they're so upset about the things that haven't happened, they should take a look in the mirror starting with marjorie taylor greene. >> welcome back to "morning joe." it's 8:00 a.m. here on the east coast, 5:00 a.m. out west on this thursday morning, and that was republican congressman mike lawler criticizing his gop colleague, congresswoman marjorie taylor greene after she

introduced the motion to release mike johnson from his leadership position yesterday, and that's where we begin this hour, third hour of "morning joe," with a rare moment of bipartisanship when lawmakers from both sides of the aisle overwhelmingly voted to save johnson. nbc news capitol hill correspondent ryan nobles has the latest. >> reporter: after weeks of posturing and threats, marjorie taylor greene finally made her move and was met with a chorus of boos. [ booing ] >> reporter: the republican fire brand close with former president trump dramatically failed in her attempt to remove speaker mike johnson from his post after an overwhelming number of democrats voted with republicans to block her effort. democrats decided to bail johnson out after the speaker bucked conservatives like greene and put funding for ukraine on the floor. the still speaker calling on his colleagues to turn the page. >> hopefully this is the end of

the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th congress. >> reporter: a message the vast majority of republicans agree with. >> and the reality of this is is this is, like, the congressional version of a temper tantrum, and we continue to do it. >> reporter: even trump pushed back against greene encouraging his supporters to defend johnson, but the georgia congresswoman even in defeat, found a way to claim victory. >> this republican party is not ready and they proved it today. as a matter of fact, they proved they're ready to do everything with the democrats. >> reporter: while the democratic leader declaring that a small group of right-wing republicans will no longer dominate the congress. >> we need more common sense and less chaos in washington, d.c. marjorie taylor green and extreme maga republicans are chaos agents. house democrats are change agents. >> johnson's safe for now, but

questions remain with how much power he has over his own party. that was ryan nobles. we turn to the escalating tensions between the u.s. and israel over the war in gaza. president biden says he will halt the shipment of some assistance to israel including bombs if they invade rafah. nbc news senior white house correspondent gabe gutierrez has more. >> reporter: overnight, president biden's most forceful comments yet as israel ramps up its offensive against hamas in rafah. >> if they go into rafah, i'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem. >> reporter: the president has already paused a shipment of 3,500 additional u.s. bombs to israel. president biden also acknowledging for the first time that american bombs have been used against palestinian civilians telling cnn -- >> civilians have been killed in gaza as a consequence of those bombs.

>> reporter: as israeli official tells nbc news there is deep frustration over the u.s. decision to delay the bomb shipment. republican critics also pushing back. >> i think biden's treading on some thin ice there and he's making a big mistake. >> reporter: this as ceasefire talks reach a critical stage. the state department says an agreement that could stop the fighting and secure the release of the hostages is within reach. with protests over the war looming over his re-election bid, the president traveling to battleground wisconsin noting his opponent visited the same site six years ago to announce a $10 billion electronics factory that never got off the ground. >> they dug a hole with those golden shovels and then fell into it. >> reporter: americans trust trump over biden on the economy. >> people have the money to spend. >> reporter: when asked about mr. trump's recent comments to a

milwaukee newspaper saying he won't accept the results of the election if he loses, the president was blunt. >> i promise you he won't. >> that was nbc's gabe gutierrez reporting, and we'll have much more on biden's day in wisconsin coming up, and also this hour, former secretary of state hillary clinton will be our guest. we'll talk about what's at stake this election for women's rights and the nation's democracy. we're back in just 60 seconds. cy we're back in just 60 seconds.

why choose a sleep number smart bed? can it keep me warm when i'm cold? wait, no, i'm always hot. sleep number does that. can i make my side softer? i like my side firmer. sleep number does that. can it help us sleep better and better? please? sleep number does that. 94 percent of smart sleepers report better sleep. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base. shop now at sleepnumber.com when my predecessor came to racine, the promise of, quote, reclaiming our country's, quote, proud manufacturing legacy. we had infrastructure week every week for four years and didn't build a damn thing.

his administration promised a $10 billion investment to build new manufacturing complex and create 13,000 new jobs. in fact, he came here with your senator, ron johnson, literally holding a golden shovel promising to build the eighth wonder of the world. are you kidding me? look what happened. they dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it. [ laughter ] look. they didn't shovel other dirt. they did shovel some dirt. 100 homes were bulldozed. they wasted hundreds of millions of dollars of your state and local tax dollars to promise a project that never happened. fox con turned out to be just that, a con. go figure. >> president biden in wisconsin yesterday where he announced a $3.3 billion investment by microsoft to build an artificial intelligence data center in

racine. it will be on the same site as a foxconn facility that trump claimed would be the eighth wonder of the world. it never came together and the taiwanese company drastically scaled back plans for that factory. so obviously a targeted event there building, but also take a shot at donald trump. >> white house aides gleeful at the staging of this one because they're allowed to draw that contrast. look at former president trump who by polls gets more credit for his handling of the economy that president biden does and it's a great frustration of the west wing. they try to have things like these for the number of jobs that biden created versus what trump promised to do and didn't, and then of course, we should look at -- it was not just that it was a foxconn plant. it was in wisconsin. the democrats i talked to in the last few days in washington,

they're not counting out some of the battlegrounds like in arizona, georgia. thing they're applied, but they know the president's best path by far is those three blue wall states, pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin. expect him to basically live there between now and november. >> you can hear it in the president's voice. you can hear it in his speech saying yesterday, donald trump didn't build a damn thing talking about also a trillion dollars of infrastructure investment. we're building things, he says under my administration. >> well, to jonathan's point, the way to win this thing is to be there. to be there in pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, to be there physically, stand up in front of human beings, talk like a human being and talk about actually what's happening on the ground. the other aspect of the campaign, jonathan, i don't know whether you've picked up on this. i'm sure you have, and elise, part of your tribe, the republicans in the past, donald trump is a phenomenon that's not

going away, and i'm wondering when the democratic party is going to figure out, you know, you can make fun of him. you can talk about him being on trial and everything like that. he's not going away. none of this seems to be damaging him with the core of his support. >> no, and you look at wisconsin, and that is just absolutely ground zero for probably the state of the three most important states where this election is going to be decided, and the polling -- the recent polling is so close that it just shows how this election is going to be such a nail-biter, and really subject to what crazy event is going to happen and ultimately shake it in one direction or the other over the next six months or so. >> to elise's point, there were a pair of polls yesterday. one has biden for wisconsin. one has biden up a little. they're both within the margin of error. the other thing of note is for

polls of both wisconsin, is the percentage robert f. kennedy jr. is getting, he's over double digits and looking to play a spoiler and both campaigns trying to figure out from whom is he taking more support though we should note these polls were taken before the revelation of the brain worm. so that could show kennedy's support much higher. >> we can factor those in. this is the q poll. 12% is a big number and then another poll showing him at 18%. that came out yesterday. also -- there it is. muilenburg college poll, trump and biden tied and robert f. kennedy jr. tied at 18%. also in wisconsin yesterday, president biden said he believes donald trump will not accept the results of the 2024 election. not exactly news there. biden was responding to trump's comment in a recent interview saying, quote, you have to fight for the right of the country if

the election results are not honest as he put it. >> seriously just like i did on january 6th. the guy's not a democrat with a small "d." the idea -- look. you can't only love your country when you win, number one. how many court cases does he have? supreme court cases. this is totally a legitimate election. this is true. i mean, it's the same whether he -- and he may not accept the outcome of the election. i promise you he won't. >> you promise that he won't? >> he won't, which is dangerous. >> the president talking to erin burnett on cnn yesterday. author of the book, "how the right lost its mind," charlie sykes, and katty kay.

she hosts "the rest is politics u.s." with the mooch. good morning to you both. charlie, not exactly a big revelation from the president in that interview that donald trump will not honor the results of the election. of course, given what we saw in 2024, what he's signaled for this fall as well, and the republican party, some of those members who perhaps want to be his vice presidential nominee falling in line when asked by kristen welker on "meet the press" for example on sunday six different times senator tim scott would not commit to honoring the outcome of the election. >> no. i mean that's a very safe bet that donald trump won't concede defeat because he never does, but it's interesting watching the auditioning for vice president and, you know, through the ghost of mike pence hangs over all of this, doesn't it? donald trump doesn't just want loyalty. he wants slavish loyalty. he wants a guarantee that, in fact, the vice president, whoever he chooses -- by the way

the one person he cannot fire, will, in fact, do his bidding, will do the tough things, will do the difficult, courageous things like, for example, ignore the law, and it's interesting how willing all of these vice presidential wannabes are, and basically saying, yes, donald. we will say and do anything. we will use your words. we will kill puppies for you just to show how tough we are. >> yeah, in a gravel pit no less. katty kay, let's -- the biden campaign was in the white house happy to lean into the split screen yesterday saying we're happy to build this a.i. facility that donald trump failed to build that foxconn plant. the split screen is also they're not talking about, but they're well aware of, and they don't discourage reporters from noticing that joe biden yesterday in wisconsin, he heads to the west coast this week. where's donald trump spending his time? in a courtroom in manhattan.

do we think that is -- for we know how few undecideds there seem to be. do you think that's going to be an image that resonates with people? or will this trial come and go? >> even after steamy, stormy testimony, it's still difficult for us following the trial closely, to know in the long run how much impact this will have in november because donald trump faces so many legal problems they kind of get discounted and merged together or from donald trump's supporters' side point of view, they get the deep stater against donald trump. i think it could split either way, and this is a bit of a messy trial. it's not just the subject matter that's messy. the legal case is not particularly clear. it would only take one member of the jury to say they don't buy the argument that it was tied to campaign finance or that donald trump was directly involved for this to be a hung jury. if it was a hung jury or if donald trump was acquitted, what impact would that have on the election? that's very different from a

guilty finding for donald trump. then the other question is does the biden campaign actually think that donald trump kind of muzzled to some extent in a courtroom, is less beneficial to them than donald trump out on the campaign trail saying the kinds of things that they feel are explosive that, you know, being pushed into those rallies which is when they goes off, you know, script and starts saying some of his more extreme things, and they actually feel that's more beneficial to them. just on that wisconsin thing, jonathan, your outfit, politico, had that report yesterday which may explain some of the reason why joe biden is not getting the kudos he feels he should be getting which is that it's only 17% of the money that was pledged, that's actually been spent on these infrastructure projects. it makes it harder for the president to say, look at all the benefits we've brought for you. >> so charlie, off of what katty just referenced, the trial and the verdict that would come the this trial, because you're more

familiar with republicans than i certainly am, what's your sense of what would happen to trump's support if there were a guilty verdict? i mean, we've just seen nikki haley get 20% of the vote in the indiana primary. if donald trump is found guilty, what's your sense? what would happen? >> well, it's not going to affect his hardcore supporters. republicans have already baked that in. they've already raised their hands, you know, during the debate and said they would support donald trump even if he was a convicted felon, but being a convicted felon is not an asset. we do live on earth 2.0, but it's hard to imagine that voters in my home state here of wisconsin are going to be more likely to vet for somebody who is a convicted felon, and also it's -- it's just the wash around of all of the sleaze surrounding him. it's not just the guilty verdict. it's just being reminded of who donald trump is, the kind of world that he lives in, the way he treats women, the way he treats the idea of truth.

so again, don't expect republicans to break from him. don't expect the base to move away from him, but swing voters are not likely to be impressed and can i just comment though, you know, being -- i'm just a few miles up the road from that foxconn plant where joe biden was yesterday. just trust me. people in wisconsin remember this story really well. they remember the whole foxconn con. they remember how it was touted by donald trump and scott walker. all of the money that was committed -- these were really, really big numbers. this was a huge story here in wisconsin. so this was one of the moments where, you know, my reaction to joe biden coming in and trolling trump on this was -- this was a pretty good act of presidential trolling. to really highlight the gap between what donald trump promised and what happened and trust me, people in wisconsin

remember this story and know exactly what joe biden is talking about. >> a vivid contrast. there were supposed to be 13,000 jobs touted by donald trump that did not show up there. charlie sykes, thanks so much as always. we appreciate it. when migraine strikes, do you question the tradeoffs of treating? ubrelvy is another option. it works fast to eliminate migraine pain. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. allergic reactions to ubrelvy can happen. most common side effects were nausea and sleepiness. ask about ubrelvy.

for people who feel limited by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis and who are anti-achr antibody positive, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control, with improvement in activities of daily living. it is reduced muscle weakness. and ultomiris is the only long-acting gmg treatment with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year, for a predictable routine i can count on. ultomiris can lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal infections, which may become life-threatening or fatal, and other types of infections. complete or update meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before starting ultomiris. if ultomiris is urgent, you should also receive antibiotics with your vaccines.

before starting ultomiris, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and medications. ultomiris can cause reactions such as back pain, tiredness, dizziness, limb discomfort, or bad taste. ultomiris is moving forward with continuous symptom control. ask your neurologist about starting ultomiris.

i think we see this coming out. >> here he comes right now. 6'10" from gramabling. the most valuable player of the nba. >> willis reed in game seven of the nba finals. flashes of him at msg, the 54th anniversary of his dramatic emergence from the locker room before that game seven of the 1970 nba finals. the crowd there last night welcoming jalen brunson with an mvp chance with his return to

the court for halftime warmups because he left with a foot injury as we all held our breath. the indiana pacers mounted a 17-point swing to lead by 10 points at the break, but brunson's return sparked the knicks in the second half. he scored 24 of his team's 29 and led the knicks to a 130-121 victory in game two of the second-round playoff game in the series. new york now leads 2-0 on the road to indianapolis for game three tomorrow night. let's bring in the hope of pablo torre along with mike barnicle. we'll talk about tom brady and that roast in just a second, but i'm a knicks fan. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> we're always cautious in our enthusiasm. it's been more than 50 years since the last title, but this is a fun team to watch. they're a likable team. brunson is a bona fide superstar.

they play well together. they get rebounds they have no right to get to. there's something happening at the garden. >> i grew up in new york. i have complicated feelings about the knicks as an institution. i feel like the caution is a fear that comes inside of this candy shell of just outright delusion, and the delusion is manifested on a sidewalk outside the garden. so we've seen these guys take over the streets since last year now, and i think this team provides a venn diagram between an unhinged delusion and an unbelievable reality which is that you watch this team at the end of games. they look like they want it. they look like they know exactly how to win a crowd which has been historically full of the neurosis you described. when i watch this team, i have total confidence they will pull a win out of their behinds and they have been doing this now the entire postseason. >> they were down 12 in the

fourth quarter and brunson didn't look like himself. i agree. my son and daughter and i were watching the game and we were, like, this is going to happen. i don't know how it's going to happen. dante's going to hit a couple of threes, and he did. now let's -- the pacers are really good. this is going to be a long series, i still think, and and i think they should have stole an couple of games here, and the celtics are more talented and better and all of those things, but it does, mike, feel like a fun at least exciting moment at the garden, full of hope which is as i say, we have been filled with for only to have that balloon deflated. >> the reference you just made on the sidewalk, when people go in and spill out of the garden depending on who won or lost, they're excited about the knicks. my son, our youngest son went to the knicks game the other night, and he came back and told me yesterday that he finally realized despite everything about where we're from, boston, and the boston garden and the celtics and the red sox and everything at madison square garden, is the ultimate capital

of nba basketball. he had never seen such an electric performance by the crowd. >> yep. >> it was people that you were just referencing. >> it's the mythology, and they call it the world's most famous arena. jonathan lemire is groaning. that's the part of the sales pitch that's real. when that building is right, it does live up to the mythology that of course, they have been trying to sell for decades and now it's actually justified. it feels that way palpably. >> the garden is an incredible thing of course, and we're really good, and it can also be a title contender maybe even more so than the knicks. i'm going to roll my eyes about the knicks. they have 17 perhaps that might be looming in the eastern conference finals. we were talking earlier in the show, and the knicks were the one thing that unites the city. when the knicks are good, they're the one team that

everybody gets behind, and this particular group is a likable one. >> let's look out west real quick. the defending champs, jokic won the mvp, three of the last four games. they lost three of four games at home, and the timberwolves team, they're fun to watch. >> now he is a player and a superstar, and what are you looking for in the west? >> i'm looking for the way that i'm going to traffic in hyperbole that also feels like it's grounded in reality. anthony edwards, you watch these highlights and i'm, like, they're right when they say, i see some michael jordan in him. >> yep. >> and i don't want to be the guy who just spins this to use john's term, but this kid is 22 years old and he is the future of the league. he is the best young american star, and the timberwolves are the best team in the playoffs right now, and the reason the denver nuggets are down is because that guy. >> they play great defense, yeah. there's a real chance that in about a month's time, six weeks'

time, it's anthony edwards' league. >> buy stock now. >> he's going to be a star of the olympics team. he's the future. >> i want to sleep on the thunder. they're the number one seed out west. they won a blowout. >> if you see that commercial, it's just -- the worst commercial in 50 years. side note. blare that on "morning joe." blare that on "morning joe." [coughing] copd isn't pretty. i'm out of breath, and often out of the picture. but this is my story. ( ♪♪ ) and with once-daily trelegy, it can still be beautiful. because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flare-ups. trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night.

trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ [laughing] ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful, all day and night. for moderate to severe crohn's disease skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. control of crohn's means everything to me. ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. ♪ control is everything to me ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. why choose a sleep number smart bed?

can it keep me warm when i'm cold? ♪ control is everything to me ♪ wait, no, i'm always hot. sleep number does that. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add an adjustable base. shop now at sleepnumber.com

welcome back to "morning joe." gaza war protests on college campuses across the country continue to clash with commencement season, forcing a number of schools to alter their graduation ceremonies. nbc news correspondent liz kreutz has the latest. >> reporter: as graduates snap photos and put on their caps and gowns -- a pro-israel rally shut

down a major street just outside campus. >> we're going to stand up to the hate and anti-semitism that has become pervasive on all these college campuses. >> this is the reality this graduation season. the juxtaposition of joy from graduates and protests. >> reporter: this demonstration coming just days after the university shut down a pro-palestinian encampment. usc, the first school to cancel its main commencement ceremony, citing security concerns, highlighting the tensions on college campuses amid the israel/hamas war. officials at umass amherst say a hundred people were arrested. while some are still occupying a building demanding the school divest from israel. these student demonstrations spreading globally too, from

amsterdam to madrid and berlin. here in the u.s., lawmakers turning their focus to grade schools. as a house committee led by republicans grilled k through 12 administrators on capitol hill, accusing some elementary and high schools of letting anti-semitism run rampant in classrooms. >> what are you doing to keep students safe? you have been accused of doing nothing and turning a blind eye. >> reporter: new york city schools chancellor pushing back. >> we cannot simply discipline our way out of this problem. the true antidote of ignorance and bias is to teach. >> reporter: now a scaled back commencement ceremony is under way at usc, graduates forced to celebrate amid a backdrop of broiling tension. >> it's really sad to see the people not being able to experience this, like what commencement is. >> that's nbc's liz kreutz with that report. now to former president donald trump who used the day off from his criminal hush money trial yesterday to host a dinner at his florida club. a source tells nbc news trump

welcomed buyers of his digital trading cards to mar-a-lago last night. according to a copy of the invitation which was obtained by axios, the dinner was for supporters who bought at least 47 of these cards priced at $90 each. some of those same buyers were also expected to receive physical pieces of the suit trump was wearing when he had his mug shot taken after being arrested in fulton county, georgia back in august. wow. as for stormy daniels, she is set to return to the witness stand this morning where the defense will continue its cross-examination. on tuesday, daniels described a sexual encounter she says she had with trump back in 2006. the judge denied a defense motion for a mistrial after trump's attorneys called daniels' testimony unnecessary and prejudicial toward trump.

prosecutors have indicated they plan to redirect or asks daniels some follow-up questions. trump denies charges of falsifying business records to hide $130,000 hush money payment made to daniels by trump's former lawyer, michael cohen. the former president also denies any sexual encounter with daniels. we will go live to the courthouse in the next hour as stormy daniels retakes the stand today at the courthouse in new york city. also in our next hour, oscar-winning actor, eddie redmayne will join us. he's in "cabaret." that's a show set in berlin during the rise of the third reich. and former secretary of state hillary clinton joins the conversation. we'll be right back. y clinton j conversation we'll be right back.

right now you can get a free footlong at subway. just buy any footlong in the app and get one free. just scan the qr code and enter promo code flbogo it only works from the other side of the screen, buddy. you still got a land line in your house. order now in the subway app. voices of people with cidp: cidp disrupts. cidp derails. let's be honest... all: cidp sucks! voices of people with cidp: but living with cidp doesn't have to. when you sign up at shiningthroughcidp.com, you'll find inspiration in real patient stories, helpful tips, reliable information, and more. cidp can be tough. but finding hope just got a little easier. sign up at shiningthroughcidp.com. all: be heard. be hopeful. be you. it's hard to run a business on your own. make it easier on yourself. with shopify, you have everything you need to

sell online and in person. you can have your inventory, payments, and customers in sync across all the places you sell. it doesn't have to be lonely at the top. join the millions to finding success on their own terms. start your journey with a free trial today. (vo) in three seconds, this couple will share a perfect moment. (woman) is that? oh wow! but we got to sell our houses! (vo) well, almost perfect. don't worry. just sell directly to opendoor. (woman) yes! (vo) close in a matter of days. when life's doors open, we'll handle the house.

beautiful day in new york city. a live look at rockefeller plaza, and who do you hear coming off a two-month break, and fresh off her latest album, "the tortured poets department," taylor swift is resuming her "eras" tour in paris. emilie ikeda has the latest. ♪ i was taken by view like we were in paris ♪ >> reporter: this morning, the city of love is ready for taylor swift. as she kicks off the european leg of her history-making "eras" tour in paris. ♪ are you ready for it ♪ >> taylor in paris. >> reporter: warming up her

vocals near famous landmarks in anticipation. these girl skipping her college graduation to be here. >> it's a trip of a life tame. >> the tickets to paris for nothing short of a miracle. >> reporter: an estimated 20% to 30% of the fans set to file into the largest arena are american. >> i'm a teacher. i took off from school for the whole week. >> reporter: packing hotels and restaurants, this will test the city's infrastructure and security ahead of another major event this summer. >> for four nights, we'll be the center of the world. it's a rehearsal for the olympics, obviously. ♪ in the middle of the night ♪ >> reporter: last year, the stunning demand for tickets paused ticketmaster to pause sales. >> i was so, so sad, and disappointed. >> reporter: our crew happened to run into that fan in paris this week saying she scored a seat. >> i get to see it firsthand on

the first night. i'm sure she has so many surprises for us. >> reporter: today will mark the singer's first time performing since dropping "the tortured poets' department." which broke records. fans pointing to this never-before-seen white mic as signs she could incorporate songs off the new album. as swift's tour enters its next era. ♪ so i take my time. >> that's emilie ikeda. coming up, a live report from the courthouse in new york city where stormy daniels will be back on the stand for cross-examination. and then an expected redirect from the prosecution. a preview of today's testimony is straight ahead on "morning joe," but first, hillary clinton is now a broadway producer. the former first lady and secretary of state, part of a new musical about the woman's suffrage movement. she joins us alongside the

creative force behind the project, next on "morning joe." project, next on "morning joe. more energy in just two weeks. -ugh. -here, i'll take that. woo hoo! ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals. and a new fiber blend with a prebiotic. (♪♪) oh, yeah, man. and a new fiber blend take it from your inner child. what you really need in life is some freakin' torque. what? the dodge hornet r/t... the totally torqued-out crossover. bombas makes absurdly comfortable underwear. made to move with you, not on you. because your basic things should be your best things. one purchased equals one donated. visit bombas.com and get 20% off your first order. ♪♪ no. ♪♪ -no. -nuh-uh. ♪♪ yeah. oh. yes.

♪♪ oh yeah. yes. isn't this great? yeeaahhhh!! ♪♪ yeah, i could do a cartwheel in here. oh hey! would you like to join us? no. we would love to join you. ♪♪

sure, i'm a paid actor, and this is not a real company, but there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. search talent all over the world with over 10,000 skills you may not have in house. more than 30% of the fortune 500 use upwork because this is how we work now.

with absorbine pro, pain won't hold you back fofrom your passions.k it's the only solution with two max-strength anesthetics to deliver the strongest numbing pain relief available. so, do your thing like a pro, pain-free. absorbine pro. you ready? -showtime. this is gonna be epic. [ barking ] it's what the poster said. do you want to make out or? nope. i meant yes. he's a bon garçon. i give amazing sponge-baths. can i get a room? [ chuckling ] ♪ ♪ chef's kiss.

♪♪ ♪ i want my great granddaughter to know i was here ♪ ♪ i want my students to know i was here ♪ ♪ i want my niece to know i was here ♪ ♪ the great american gift ♪ ♪ drink if they called you a shrew ♪ ♪ drink if they called you a crazy hag ♪ >> fabulous. that is a quick look at the new broadway musical entitled

"suffs," about the suffraist movement. they devoted their lives to finally earn women in america the right to vote, declaring once and for all that it was not just american men who were created equal. joining us now, former secretary of state hillary clinton, who serves as a producer on the show. and shayna taub. "suffs" received six nominations in all, including best musical. i love this in so many ways. i'm going to start with the former secretary of state, former presidential candidate and our friend hillary clinton, because you are now a producer. congratulations. you needed more accomplishments

on your resume, so i'm glad that you found something. in all seriousness, what drew you to "suffs"? >> in this election year, we need more joy. going to see how the struggle finally ended for women to get the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment is not only a thrilling experience because of the extraordinary work that the young woman sitting next to me as done in bringing this piece of our history to life in such an entertaining way, but it's so relevant today. i can't stop humming. thankfully, i don't sing. but i go around quoting lines from the musical, humming the score. it has just been so exciting. >> at a time right now when we've lost 50 years of rights

and we're fighting for those rights back and more, it's actually a wonderful time to sort of relive the history of what women did to get to where we are today. i am going to get to you about abortion, madam secretary, and where we stand on the election in just a moment. shayna, let me ask you about "suffs." you scored and wrote the whole production. it looks incredible. it's getting so much buzz. tell us about it and who you hope will go to see it. >> yeah. i grew up in rural vermont, loving musicals and learning about history and culture through them. i'm so excited to now get to share this story that i growing up going to public school never learned about my own history through a musical and through a cast album that hopefully we can share with people all over the

country to learn about where we came from and learn that women have done hard things in hard times and we can change the world again. >> yeah. we're going to need to do hard things. madam secretary, i've seen you on the red carpet there and in the audience watching this production that you decided to join as a producer. what has it been like to not only see it on broadway, but also to see the audience reaction? >> it has been an extraordinary thrill for me. i saw the original production in 2022 back at the public theater here in new york city. i was so happy that a story about women's history was coming across to the audience with a great moment of recognition that, yes, that's where we came from and here we are today. then with a lot of hard work,

shayna had transformed it even further to make it to broadway. when i go and i hear the audience cheering and laughing -- i go to a lot of broadway theater, because i love the theater. but this is such a special experience. her final anthem gets everybody up on their feet cheering as they leave the theater. among the lines, mika, a line that says "progress is possible, not guaranteed." we've seen that, unfortunately in our own time. and you have to fight for the future now. you can't just hope it's going to turn out well. you've got to make it as good as you can. of course, that's an elections. here we are in the middle of an election. people have to realize what the stakes are and particularly for women. these women went to prison. they were force fed because they were on a hunger strike in order to gain attention to finally get the amendment through congress

and then to get it ratified by the states. >> your show gives big "hamilton" vibes in telling so beautifully the story of history. you give big lin-manuel miranda vibes. hillary clinton saw the show in 2022. you heard she was in the audience. what did you do next? >> i was so thrilled she was there. she's an inspiration to me and so many in our cast our whole lives. we thought, who would be our dream partner to bring this story to a larger audience. of course it was secretary clinton. i wrote to her and told her how her work had inspired us. i was thrilled when she wrote back and agreed to come on board.

i think she understands storytelling and music and theater have a role to play in the movements for equality and justice, because it humanizes the history for people. >> this has been a labor of love for you. how gratifying has it been to see this reception, to see the theater full every night, to get six tony nominations? >> it's thrilling. and all of the hard work i've put in and my collaborates, through a pandemic, through so many years, theater is hard, but the best part about it is it's a collaboration. to have these moments of joy and celebrate and share with my cast and producers is thrilling. >> secretary clinton, when that letter comes across your desk, what were you thinking? >> i was surprised, to be honest. i was very touched that shayna had written to me. then i started to think, well, you know, storytelling is a big

part of politics, and it's a big part of what we have to do a better job of in our country. we have to tell the story of our past, but we also have to tell the story of where we are right now and what we want for the future. i got really excited. i immediately responded, said i'd be more than happy to help. she took me at my word. she sent me videos. i went to a reading. i got so involved in it. you know, we were saying some days are kind of hard in this election season. other days you get hopeful about the outcome. but i get so hopeful when i both go to see and think about what shayna has created. it's an original american musical. there aren't many of those. in fact, i think it's the only one nominated for a tony this year. it came literally out of her heart and her head. it is so important that we have as many people thinking about

where we came from and where we are and where we want to go, especially this year. >> shayna, you started this over a decade ago. does it have a new relevance now in today's climate? this is about a battle for rights. some rights have been taken away and others could be at risk. >> absolutely. when i was beginning to right this, we were on the precipice of another election. now doing it here in 2024 when roe v. wade has been overturned, we all feel a renewed sense of urgency to remind people of our electoral power, that when we come together, we can fight for our rights. it feels more important than ever. >> mika, shayna is the second women ever to write the book, music, lyrics and to star in a broadway musical. the last one was 52 years ago. >> a phenom. i am so impressed.

as we veer into politics right now, it's going to veer right back into "suffs," because it's so related. i know a lot of people ask you this question, so i want to ask you for our viewers about not just abortion, which i'll get to in a moment and women's rights, but about former president trump, who is in criminal court in new york city for this hush money thing. meanwhile, the documents case is delayed. meanwhile, georgia and everything seems to be delayed. there are those who argue this manhattan case is not as big, not as serious and he might get off anyway or not. how do people manage, especially who love this democracy, who take it seriously, who take the words you just said on our show very seriously, that you can't

just sit back and let democracy come to you, that this is every day something we all must work on together. what do you say when people ask you about the former president, these trials and these delays and the fear that they feel about the upcoming election? >> mika, i'm happy to go to therapy with you any time. clearly the pressure and the stress on our system, our country, our constitution, our future is so intense. for those of us who understand what's at stake -- and i don't mean that in a derogatory way to others, but if you've been in this world as you and i have and you've studied it, it is a very difficult time right now. justice delayed is justice denied. it looks as though people in our country will go to vote without knowing the outcome of these

very serious trials. the one going on now currently in new york is really about election interference. it is about trying to prevent the people of our country from having relevant information that may have influenced how they could have voted in 2016 or whether they would have voted. i think the defendant, the former president, knew exactly what he was doing when he went to such great lengths to try to squash, bury, kill stories, pay off people, because he understood the electoral significance of them. this is not, though, about the past, because the other cases are about election interference. he's practically promised us, if you listen to him at his rallies, that if he doesn't like the way the election turns out, he's going to do something again to try to prevent the lawful winner from taking office.

i was secretary of state traveling around the world on behalf of our country trying to persuade leaders to believe in democracy, to believe in the peaceful transfer of power, to accept election results after appropriate challenges were made. you know, trump had all the time in the world to make those challenges, and he was shut down by courts. he was denied by republican as well as democratic election officials, because there was no evidence. this is all about power, how to get it, how to keep it, how not to give it up. that is so opposite of everything we believe or should believe in our country about how we are a nation of laws, not of men. and they are men who try to put themselves above the law, try to hang onto power. the other point i would quickly make is that the supreme court is doing our country a grave disservice in not deciding the

case about immunity. i read the excellent decision by the court of appeals. the judges there, i think, covered every possible argument. what we heard when this case was tried before the supreme court, to my ear at least, were efforts to try to find loopholes, to try to create an opportunity for trump to have attempted to overturn an election, to have carried out hundreds and hundreds of pages of very highly classified material for his own amusement, interest, trading, we don't know what. these are very serious charges against any american, but someone who's both been a president and wants to be a president again, that should cause any voters to think not twice, but many, many times over about whether we should entrust

our country to him. >> madam secretary, therapy session is obviously over now. >> wait. i need more. >> you need more? >> it's all right. >> everything is going to be okay if americans do their job and get out and vote. madam secretary, you know, yesterday we interviewed andrew ross sorkin, who talked to one of the founders of the silicon valley revolution in the '80s. he said we're not talking about ai enough. i fear some americans are not focusing in enough on a president who said he would be a dictator on day one, that he would terminate the

constitution, that he would execute the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, that he would immediately jail reporters who he didn't like, that he would immediately find guilty of treason news organizations that didn't talk the way he wanted them to talk. we can go down the list. he said he was going to fire u.s. attorneys that wouldn't immediately jail his political opponents. i started thinking back to a richard cohen column that was written probably in 2007, 2008, where he talked about this scene around a lake in germany in 1937 and how peaceful and how beautiful it was and everybody was going about their business, 1937. kids were playing. then he said nobody saw it coming, nobody saw it. a year later, the world had changed. jews were being rounded up,

slaughtered, executed. so we find ourselves in sort of a dilemma. we seem to talk about him so much, and yet i don't know that people are really getting their arms around just what a threat american democracy is facing right now. help us out with that, if you will. >> joe, i think you make a really important point. i mean, it's one thing to cover the circus, and the circus is covered. people can't stop covering the circus, every utterance, every insult, every outrageous action or comment, it gets covered. the context is often missing. what does that really mean? i think it's imperative, especially for members of the press who understand, as you were just pointing out, the world has been here before. people did not take the kind of threats that we saw in the 1930s

as seriously as they should, including american journalists. you know, people were taking at face value that, oh, this can be controlled. he may have said some outrageous things, but the institutions will hold. a determined demagogue, unfortunately supported by member offense his political party, other enablers, people who care more about a future tax cut than the sanctity of the constitution, are falling in line behind him. they are trying to excuse some of the most outrageous things that you just recited. i don't think the press has done enough to basically say, okay, the circus is here. you can watch the circus, but let's tell you what that means. let's talk to people who have a real understanding of how dictatorships evolve. let's look at the people that he admires and what they've already done. back in 2016, we didn't have interviews with him.

we didn't have a track record of four years in office. you know, there was a lot of speculation. i understood that people wouldn't take what i said necessarily as gospel about what i thought could happen. i get that. but now we know. we've seen him and we've heard him. so we need to do a better job of making it absolutely clear that someone who says these things, you know, maybe he wouldn't jail all of his political opponents. one is one too many. maybe he wouldn't try to force out of business members of the press who didn't agree with him. one is one too many. we go down the line. maybe this would be our last election, because someone who will not accept the validity of an election is someone who doesn't believe in elections. he believes in his own power, his own right to power and his demand that he be installed regardless of whether he gets the votes or not.

>> i have always had great faith in the supreme court to be the leveling wind. unfortunately, as you said, you read the d.c. circuit opinion on presidential immunity. i must say i was shocked that the roberts' court didn't just affirm it, send it down. they are dragging their feet. it certainly looks political. so do we depend on them if they can't even handle a simple basic issue on immunity? i don't think so. let's not get started about tim scott and other republicans who are now also refusing to say they'll accept the results of the election. another difficult issue that i need your help on. i just want everybody that's watching, because everybody gets heated about israel and gaza.

what i'm about to talk to you about happened before october 7th. i'm going to talk about radicalism on college campuses, the sort of radicalism that has mainstream students getting propaganda, whether it's from their professors or from the communist chinese government through tiktok, calling the president of the united states genocide joe, calling you and predict war criminals, actually stopping the naming of a building after madeleine albright because they claim, some of the professors that took part in the most radical elements of the protest over the last couple of weeks called madeleine albright a war criminal. we're still waiting for the building for foreign service to be renamed after madeleine

albright. the first secretary of state that's a woman, made history, just like you made history. you've got mainstream college students -- i know because i've talked to a lot of college students over the last year or two. they have thisradicalized view of the middle east, a radicalized view of american public servants like yourself, madeleine albright, joe biden. there's this radicalization. i just want to know. what do we do about it so public servants aren't taught that american leaders are war criminals and that joe biden is not genocide joe, quite the opposite?

secondly, the stupidity of the slogans that ignore all the history since 1948 about what the united states has tried to do, about what you tried to do, about what president clinton tried to do in bringing a two-state solution about. i remember when you talked about a two-state solution and it was considered radical. oh my god, hillary clinton actually is talking about a two-state solution. she hates israel. and now that's been flipped to you're a war criminal, madeleine albright is a war criminal, bill clinton is a war crime, joe biden. it's disgusting. i want you to tell us what needs to be done, what you would hope to be done. number two, how do we get madeleine albright's name on that building? because she's been slandered in death, a public servant who escaped the holocaust, gave her entire life to the united states

of america and has been slandered in death by extremists funded by qatar. and number three maybe this will get on youtube if the communist chinese will allow it to get on youtube, please tell any students watching what president clinton and you put together in 2000 in the oslo accords. you gave the palestinians a pathway to peace and they were scared to take it because they knew they would be slaughtered by hamas. >> wow. i don't know where to start, joe. okay. i want to make a couple of quick points because you raised things that need to be vented about. first of all, i have had many conversations with a lot of

young people over the last many months now. you're right, they don't know very much at all about the history of the middle east or frankly about history in many areas of the world, including in our own country. but with respect to the middle east, they don't know that the bringing together of the israelis and the palestinians by my husband, the then-israeli prime minister, the head of the palestinian liberation organization and then the palestinian authority, yasser arafat. an offer was made to the palestinians for a state on 96% of the existing territory occupied by the palestinians with 4% of israel to be given to reach 100% of the amount of territory that was hoped for. and this offer was made.

and if yasser arafat had accepted it, there would have been a palestinian state now for about 24 years. it's one of the great tragedies of history that he was unable to say yes. you know, my husband has a book coming out later this year, joe, in which he talks about how arafat kept saying he wanted to agree, but he was pretty sure he'd be killed, because sadat was killed by extremists when he made peace with israel. this is a very important piece of history to understand if you're going to take any kind of position with respect to what's going on right now. there's much more we could go into literally thousands of

years. the point i want to emphasize, though, is propaganda is not education. propaganda either on tiktok or in the classroom is actually the opposite of education. anybody teaching in a university or anyone who is putting content on social media should be held responsible for what they include and what they exclude. so much of what we're seeing particularly on tiktok about what's going on in the middle east is woefully false, but it's also incredibly slanted pro-hamas, anti-israel. it is not any place where anyone should go to get information about complex matters like what is going on there. so we have to do a much better job in trying to, number one, teach history at all levels. that's why i love "suffs" because it's part of our

history. but it's also important that we recognize the propaganda value of social media. people are on social media oftentimes to press an agenda, an idealogical, a religious, a financial agenda. so of course you don't get the facts. of course you don't get any kind of context. we have to do a better job in trying to help young people understand how to filter and interpret the information they're given. i think we also need to do a better job in our classrooms, particularly at the college and university level, not to fall into easy absolutes. you're either this or that, you're for it or against. life is too complicated. history certainly is. i agree we've got to do something to stand against a lot of these false narratives. with respect to my dear friend

madeleine albright, she deserves to have anything and everything named for her. she lived the 20th century. she fled first from the nazis. and then after returning to what was czechoslovakia with her family, she had to flee the soviet communists. she exemplifies what freedom means. she demonstrates what a great refuge america has been for people seeking freedom. heaven forbid, if we don't protect this democracy, this constitution, our values, our institutions against false narratives, against demagogue authoritarian leaders, shame on us. madeleine albright was certainly one of those whom i admire greatly. >> well said. you've laid out the stakes of

this election here this morning in our conversation. you have a massive following among democrats, among swing voters, among progressives. what would you say to those who are feeling a little disillusioned right now who might think joe biden too old, we need new leadership, i'm going to look at rfk junior who's polling in double digits. what would be your message to those skeptical or disillusioned voters who say i'm going to look somewhere else or just stay home this fall? >> think about the kind of future you want, what kind of country you want to live in, whether you value freedom or whether you want to give it up to people who want to change the way that america has tried to work and our values that we've tried to aspire to and fulfill. you know, when people ask me about the biden/trump race, my

answer is very clear. we have two old candidates. one is, yes, old and effective, has passed legislation that i think is going to put america on such a strong footing for the future, is compassionate, cares about people, tries hard to make the right decision and they are complicated. the other is old and dangerous. why is that a hard choice for people? every one of us has an obligation as a citizen to try to figure out waking up the morning after the election, do i want to throw my vote away? do i want to not vote and let somebody who doesn't agree with me or care about me essentially fill that vacuum that i left? or do i want to feel like, okay, maybe i'm not ecstatic about the outcome, but i'm safe. i'm not going to have to worry

about what might happen to the economy because we have somebody who took us out of covid, has tackled inflation, the best economy in the world right now. let's not mess with that. i think it's also important to say, as hakeem jeffries, the majority leader in the house, said the other day, you know, if you can overturn roe v. wade, you can overturn social security and medicare and medicaid, things that americans not only take for granted but really rely on. the future is at stake not just in an abstract way. >> winding back to "suffs" and the brilliant shayna, i want to end on women's rights and ask you what do we need to know in our history as women in the united states fighting for our

rights as we look ahead toward a new fight for our rights, of regaining our rights, the right to make decisions about our body, our reproductive freedom? women have been told to bleed out in parking lots, have been told to carry unviable fetuses to term, to then watch their baby die, creating trauma in the family and possibly sterilizing new mothers. we have young rape victims who will be forced and have been forced to carry babies to term. this is the new reality that we're living in. my question to you is what is the history that we can draw onto get women ready for the fight ahead? >> it's a great question.

progress is possible, not guaranteed. every generation has to keep alert and diligent. not every generation necessarily has to fight, but this one does and we all do in order to take back our rights and to protect our rights. unfortunately, it's very tragic but not unexpected. there are people who want to turn the clock back on women. it's not just in this country. it's happening in other places as well. basically they want more control over women, more control over the choices women make, the lives women lead, the opportunities that we pursue. therefore, any woman who has any sense of self-respect, autonomy, agency, independence and values freedom needs to understand there's only one choice in this election, and that's joe biden. it is something that i feel so strongly about, because if you

are someone who has a religious belief about abortion, then pursue your own religious belief. that is exactly what this country allows you, in fact, wants you to do. but that doesn't mean that you or anyone of your male allies get to impose your views on everyone else, every other woman in this country. the final thing is, the cruelty, the cruelty that is being exercised and celebrated, i thought i would literally throw up listening to the oral argument before the supreme court about, you know, whether or not doctors in hospitals and nurses have to give emergency care to pregnant women who show up in emergency rooms, as you say, bleeding out, in terrible pain, having some extraordinary challenge to a pregnancy that they wanted, but now they are

not only sick, but maybe dying. to hear male justices of the supreme court parsing how many organs you have to lose in order to be eligible for emergency treatment, honestly, it was "the handmaid's tale" come alive. it was so distressing to me that you would have that kind of conversation going on in the supreme court by a radical group of justices who literally want to turn the clock back. they want to turn it back on women, they want to turn it back on all kinds of advances that we've made. so just remember, progress is possible, not guaranteed. one way we can help to guarantee it is by voting for a choice that will preserve our freedom. that's what i hope women in this country do. >> shayna, we'll end on you.

final thoughts, especially with this brilliant production you've put together. >> thank you. a hearty amen to everything secretary clinton said. the epigraph is you may not complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. that doesn't let us off the hook to do everything in our power to fight for the future in our own lifetimes. it's a scary time to be a woman in america, and yet i find a sense of hope in our ancestors that they changed the constitution and the country in much harder times, i think, and we can do it again this fall. >> excellent. so beautifully said. secretary clinton, thank you very much for your powerful words on our friend madeleine albright. the new musical "suffs" is

playing now at the music box theater in manhattan. thank you both so much for this conversation this morning and for the work you've done, both of you. coming up, we'll get a live report from outside the courthouse in lower manhattan, where donald trump's criminal trial is set to resume in just a few moments. adult film actress stormy daniels returns to the stand. plus, the average american household already pays for monthly streaming services. will they pay for five? cnbc's andrew ross sorkin joins us next with the news of the latest new major streaming bundle. that's straight ahead on "morning joe." ning joe." crack? trust safelite. this customer had auto glass damage, but he was busy working from home... ...so he scheduled with safelite in just a few clicks. we came to his house... then we got to work. we replaced his windshield... ...and installed new wipers to protect his new glass.

>> customer: looks great. thank you. >> tech: my pleasure. >> vo: we come to you for free. schedule now for free mobile service at safelite.com. ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ (bell ringing) someone needs to customize and save hundreds with liberty mutual! (inaudible sounds) (elevator doors opening) wait, there's an elevator? only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, ♪ ♪ liberty. ♪ if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce

the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ if you think you have dupuytren's contracture,

there's a simple test you can take—from anywhere. try to lay your hand flat against a surface. if you can't, you may have dupuytren's contracture. talk to a hand specialist about your options, including nonsurgical treatments. with absorbine pro, talk to a hand specialist about your options, pain won't hold you back from your passions. it's the only solution with two max-strength anesthetics to deliver the strongest numbing pain relief available. so, do your thing like a pro, pain-free. absorbine pro.

we've created jobs. we've made a situation where people have access to good-paying jobs. last i saw, the combination of

inflation, the cost of inflation, that's really worrisome to people with good reason. when i started this administration, people were saying the economy is going to collapse. we have the strongest economy in the world. let me say it again. in the world. >> there you go. president biden last night touting his economic record and the strength of the u.s. economy, despite polls that show voters trust donald trump on the economy more than they trust biden. let's bring andrew ross sorkin. what do you make of the president's message and the persistent push that, for some reason, donald trump is better on the economy? can we think back to four years ago, please? >> he's 100% right that we have the best economy in the world. there is no question about that. 15 million jobs were created during his presidency.

the context, of course, is we were coming off of covid. so i'm sure there will be critics that will suggest that those numbers are different. the biggest issue and the reason why there's this feeling -- but i think you're seeing the feeling change because the trend lines are going the right direction for the most part. this idea of cumulative inflation versus wages and just the cost of goods. people are looking at the price of gas, the prices at the supermarket and sticker shock. i think that sticker shock is starting to roll off, and you're going to start to see some of that in the polls. but to the extent the polls are reflecting that sticker shock inflation issue. >> i'll move on. i think there's a debate there as well. our next topic is about the does

disney and warner brothers discovery bundle with five streaming platforms in one. >> you're going to get max with disney and in with hulu. i think there's a bigger question. we just got earnings this morning from warner brothers discovery. the numbers were not as good as expected. this is in line with a number of big entertainment companies in streaming. it's called bundlitis. rich greenfield coined this term. how much bundles are we going to buy? is that going to make streaming work or not work? we went from having cable, which is a bundle of all of it, to deciding we're going to do this a la carte.

everybody is now trying to bundle it back up together. ultimate ultimately, we're trading analog dollars for digital nickels or pennies, and that's what's making the business so difficult. >> you have the analog dollars going down, you have streaming coming up, but not fast enough. so the companies say, my god, we have got to figure out how to make these lines come together and have streaming go ahead of analog. so they raised the prices because they're dying on the vine. what's happening sounds like it's making things even worse. >> and that's the question. the question is, what is the discretionary income the average american household is going to spend on tv services? also, people forget it's actually become more expensive in certain ways for each of these companies to operate their own streaming services. prior to this, they were distributing this via cable providers.

now they have to have their own marketing arms, their own distribution systems. so there's also added cost to putting this out this way as well. and once you a la carte it, it changes the dynamic. in certain cases, certain populations are watching one or two or three channels, but they're effectively subsidizing all the other channels. >> andrew ross sorkin, thank you very much, as always. still ahead, "cabaret" is back on broadway, a musical with themes that speak directly to what is happening today with the rise of anti-semitism. f anti-se.

today, at america's beverage companies,... ...our bottles might still look the same... ...but they can be remade in a whole new way. thanks to you... we're getting bottles back... and we've developed a way to make new ones from 100% recycled plastic. new bottles - made using no new plastic. you'll be seeing more of these bottles in more places. and when we get more of them back... ...we can use less new plastic. see how our bottles are made to be remade.

a slow network is no network for business. that's why more choose comcast business. and now, we're introducing ultimate speed for business —our fastest plans yet. we're up to 12 times faster than verizon, at&t, and t-mobile. and existing customers could even get up to triple the speeds... at no additional cost. it's ultimate speed for ultimate business. don't miss out on our fastest speed plans yet! switch to comcast business and get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. call today!

♪♪ ♪♪

♪ outside it is winter, but here it is so hot ♪ ♪♪ that is a look at the latest revival of the classic musical "cabaret," now in its fifth run on broadway since it opened in 1966. "cabaret" at the kit cat club has earned nine tony nominations. lucky for us, joining us the academy-award winning actor eddie redmayne and gayle rankin. great to see you. i love watching you, eddie, watching that clip making sure you nailed your lines and your

choreography. >> it's so funny seeing that first thing in the morning. it's definitely an evening piece. that was a wakeup. >> congratulations on the nine nominations. this is a beloved musical, of course, but you brought something else to it. what were your initial thoughts about playing sally? >> it's the female hamlet of musical theater, so i completely just jumped at the chance. i'd always wanted to work with eddie. our director is a visionary. i'd seen her production of "a streetcar named desire" in london. it's a "cabaret" for our times. i really felt like i was ready to play our 2024 sally. >> for those who may not have seen "cabaret" in any of its

incarnations, can you set the scene about where we are? >> "cabaret" is such a loved piece and has been done so beautifully before. we felt if we were going to do it again, we needed to bring something new. one of the things we were keen to do was to create an entire event, so that from the second you step off 52nd street into our theater, you go down these cavernous alleys and into these bars and pass musicians, you get a bit discombobulated. so hopefully by the time you've come into the theater proper, you are charged and prepped into the world of germany to be seduced and entertained. >> you've redesigned this well-known theater to fit this immersive experience. >> tom scott, our amazing scenic

and costume designer, is an extraordinary artist. it's so fun for us. it helps us, i think, really create what we're trying to do as artists. >> with that immersion, interaction with the audience right there, are you feeling the desire to react as a community? >> we're feeling it so hugely. one of the joys for me, the other characters are the audience. so within this space, which is in the round, i get to kind of slither in amongst the audience and interact with them. it's been joyful. you feel there is a profound thirst for human interaction now. it means for me also each night it changes, depending on the

audience and what the reaction is. for actors who do theater, we hope to have a different reaction every night and keep aspiring for something. >> you all were watching backstage the interview about "suffs" and its connection to the present. you can't help but see some of it in your show as well. >> absolutely. it was really inspiring. i got to listen to senator clinton and shayna talk about women's rights being under attack. to be playing a woman who has a really serious decision to make inside of this play is a big responsibility, and i take it really seriously. i feel glad i get to do that with my work to kind of interact with politics and the women of

today and the past. >> eddie, you said this show is a bit of a warning about all the joy we see inside the kit cat club and how quickly it can be taken away. >> i see the piece. it always seems relevant. there's sadness in that that we haven't learned from our mistakes. but i see the piece as exactly that, a compassionate warning, a sort of winning over humanity and that conversation. what's amazing about what they've done is they've created a piece of work that is so joyful and playful and yet moves us to a place that is moving and questions and challenges you while also entertaining. >> it is a unique experience.

it's beautifully done. congratulations to you both. "cabaret" is playing now at the august wilson theater here on broadway. eddie redmayne, gayle rankin, good to see you. we turn now to the donald trump criminal hush-money trial, where stormy daniels has resumed her testimony. there's a lot going on in there. let's bring in vaughn hillyard live outside the courthouse in lower manhattan. also with us former assistant district attorney in manhattan and nbc news legal analyst catherine christian and state attorney for palm beach county, florida, dave aronberg. vaughn, what's happening inside the courtroom? i understand donald trump has brought someone along with him to be in court today. >> reporter: good morning. he has brought along a florida senator, rick scott. this is sort of a question mark for donald trump. who is going to come out here in

defense of him during these proceedings? we saw ken paxton, the texas attorney general, last week. now you're seeing an elected figure from washington here with donald trump, flying in with him from florida to attend this appearance here. let's face it. he is going to be sitting in a courtroom while stormy daniels talks about her alleged affair with donald trump. so we await to see day two of system from stormy daniels. so far we have not heard any questioning of stormy daniels about her story, about the alleged one night stand with donald trump, the sexual encounter in 2006. instead, there is focus on tuesday afternoon about that 2011 parking lot incident in which stormy daniels which stormy daniels says that an unknown man threatened her and her daughter. you saw susan necheles, the attorney for donald trump, try to question discrepancies over her story and explicitly called into question of whether she was

telling the truth or completely made up the story. right now here in the first ten minutes of court this morning, susan necheles, donald trump's attorney is questioning her over the events of october 2016 and why she ultimately decided to sign the nondisclosure agreement with donald trump. we heard susan necheles accuse her of extortion of donald trump already. this is playing out in front of the jury. for donald trump when he entered the courtroom this morning, he said he expected to hear interesting things. those were the words of him. of course after cross examination wraps, the prosecution will have the chance to question stormy daniels again on redirect, mika. >> all right, vaughn, stand by. i'd love to get a look at what's expected today, but let's just go down the line here. catherine christian, i'm stuck on a sitting elected official, politician in the courtroom with donald trump. should i be, or is that aside from the fact, and he can bring anyone he wants in with him? and secondly, how do you think stormy daniels' testimony is holding up under cross

examination, especially given some of the reaction initially to her testimony, her questions -- her answers to the prosecution seemed very detailed to the point of perhaps overly detailed. >> well, to the first question, i'd never seen a united states senator come and sit through a criminal trial. now, these jurors probably wouldn't recognize kirsten gillibrand, so they're not going to know who he is. only donald trump and his team knows who he is. as to stormy daniels holding up, the goal for the defense in this case is to attack her credibility with her bias, which she has, she said she hates him, with her interest, she does have an interest in the outcome and prior inconsistent statements and she's made many. but really, her role and the prosecutor's going to say this in the closing argument, is just to confirm that she got paid $130,000 to remain quiet before the election. that's her role, and she's

confirmed that. other people have confirmed that. now, she has nothing to do. she can't talk about the business records, but because she can confirm that she was told to remain quiet, that goes to the theory that's why the business records were falsified to hide and conceal that this hush money payment was made to conspire to promote donald trump's election by unlawful means. so she's on the stand a long time, but really what the prosecutor should do is just say we know she was paid. we know she was paid not to speak. >> dave aronberg, same question to you, and i just -- i'm stuck on this rick scott thing. i mean, what self-respecting u.s. senator would sit and watch testimony about a tryst between a former president and a porn star that includes spanking and other creepy stuff coming out alleged done by the former president. like i guess there's nothing

more to say about it except that rick scott would do that. >> you want to know what kind of senator would do that? a senator that's up for re-election in a red state where donald trump lives. rick scott is up for re-election in november, and he's never won any of his elections by more than one point, so he wants to get the rub, as they say from donald trump. he wants to get some juice from donald trump who is popular in florida, that's why he's there. it's all politics. rick scott has always been a trump loyalist. he is not on the vice presidential short list, but, you know, it's easy for him to travel to new york. scott is a multimillionaire who has his own plane, so he doesn't have to fly middle seat on spirit to get up there. this is all about the show. expect an email from his campaign and trump's campaign afterwards to try to raise money off of it. as far as your other question about whether stormy daniels is helpful. i agree with catherine, she has been helpful to the prosecution. there were some trouble spots

when she spoke more than she needed to and she got admonished by the judge, and you know, you risk getting some sympathy for the defendant if you go too far. all it takes is one juror to have reasonable doubt and then it's a hung jury. but look, she was important to establish at least two things for the prosecution. number one, she shows that her story was credible because that's why she came up with all the details. it wouldn't be the same if she just said we had sex. she's got to show the color of the tiles, what's in his toiletry bag. and the other thing is it shows the jury why trump was so worried about this story, why he would pay $130,000 to her and $420,000 to michael cohen. now we see these lurid details that trump did not want to get out. no one knows that more than the jury. and last point, if trump wanted to debunk this story, he would take the stand in his own defense, but he's not going to do so. no way. >> wow, okay. more coverage from vaughn hillyard throughout the day and

thank you to nbc news legal analyst catherine christian and state attorney for palm beach county, dave aronberg. thank you very much for that analysis. and that does it for us this morning, ana cabrera and josé diaz-balart pick up the coverage after a quick final break. r a q. what if we don't get down in time to get a birthday gift for zoe? don't panic. with etsy we can find the perfect gift, and send her a preview right away. thanks guys. [ surprised scream ] don't panic. gift easy with etsy.

(vo) in two seconds, eric will realize they're gonna need more space...

(man) gotta sell the house. (vo) oh...open houses. or, skip the hassles and sell directly to opendoor. (man) wow. (vo) when life's doors open, we'll handle the house.

good morning, it is 10:00 eastern. thanks so much for being with