Transcripts For MSNBCW Alex 20240704

You from the nbc news center here in los angeles. Welcome everyone to alex witt reports. We begin with the Breaking News, Tropical Storm hilary has begun lashing the pacific coast. Live pictures from san diego in the direct path of the storm we are heavy rain is beginning to fall in parts of california, and now under a State Of Emergency. Moving to las vegas, preparations for the orders are underway there. Storm drains are being tested, and potential for historic flooding there. Heavy rain could reach up to ten inches in some areas hit by the storms. So the impact could be catastrophic. The next two days will be crucial. Will hilary move north through california today and then into Northern Nevada by monday morning. A short time ago, the category one hurricane was downgraded to a Tropical Storm. But it is the first to hit california since 1939. Officials are warning, take this seriously. There would be Power Outages, make no mistake. There will be Power Outages across Southern California. The total rain amounts are not like what weve seen in some of the atlantic storms and gulf storms. But its gonna really be potentially devastating for them in these desert areas. And so, theyre gonna have impacts for sure. It is critical that angelina stays safe and stays home, unless otherwise directed by safety officials. Avoid unnecessary travel. If you do not need to be on the road, please dont get in your car. Weve got reporters in the field, and meteorologists ready to cover every angle of the storm for you. As i welcome you both, nbcs reporter joining us from san diego, which pretty much, it is in the Bulls Eye Of The Storm at this time. I mean, it looks okay at the moment, but give us an update. Alex, we are getting the first rain here in downtown san diego. Yes, we are right in the path of the storm. Now, we do have the city of twang in mexico and in sonata, which are large urban areas where the storm will come before it enters the United States. So authorities here of course have been talking about the flooding, the possibility of flash floods, and that is really what residents have been preparing for the most in the san diego area. San diego is a city with a lot of hills. Residents that live in those low areas know what they can expect with a lot of rain. Of course, we have been talking about the fact that no one here who is from san diego and and has always lived in san diego, no one practically lived through a Tropical Storm. They dont know what to expect. Authorities want people to protect their homes as best as they can. They have different locations where they gave away sand and sandbags for people to bring some of those home. They ask residents also to have food and water. And the power company, as you mentioned earlier, has communicated to customers about the possibility of outages. I spoke with a resident here yesterday who showed me a text message that informed him that those Power Outages could be extended once the storm arrives. For now, it is a lot of waiting here in san diego. And i will say that the east part of the county here, as well as the counties going into the northern part of Southern California, which is where palm springs is, San Bernardino area, they are expected to get the heaviest rain. The forecast indicates we will get a lot of rain here. But for some reason, it is the east part where they are expecting more rain. And there is a big difference, when you look at the geography in Southern California, alex, there is a lot of mountains and hills closer to the coast. Once you get over into the deserts, these are valleys that are flat. So, of course, the flash floods would be different. And thats where a lot of the customers, or the residents, that is, in those areas are very worried about. Were going to hear from someone who has been preparing in palm springs area. I wasnt worried until about an hour ago, and i started watching the news. And then i thought people here, and i started to get worried. In california, we never have this. I think this is a testament to the fact that they werent concerned at first, but as the news gets worse and worse, the national news, the local news, i dont want my house to be overflowing, Swimming Pool and authorities have not allocated the necessary resources here in california. The governor declaring that State Of Emergency, local governments in San Diego County and l. A. County also declaring a local emergency to make resources available, ready to go once the bulk of that storm hits Southern California. Alex . Okay, guad, thank you for keeping a very close eye on things in san diego, south of where i am right now. Lets go to and msnbc meteorologist Michelle Grossman whos tracking this storm for us. First question, how worried should people in the path of this storm the . Hi there, alex. We have a potentially lifethreatening situation. And it will be catastrophic in some spots. We are looking at up to ten inches of. Rain it will be three inches per hour in some spots. Were gonna start to see the rain picking up over the next several hours. Here is the latest on hilary, because we are looking at winds 70 Miles Per Hour. Thats where the difference between a hurricane and a Tropical Storm. We saw those winds decrease. We are still looking at the impact, really great as we go to the next couple of hours. We are looking at the movement northwest of 25 Miles Per Hour. It should pass over san diego later on this evening. It is about 20 miles south, southeast of san diego. California, where you see those darker colors, yellows, thats where we are seeing the heaviest rain falling. He was the timing on the storm, hilary, as we go throughout the afternoon evening hours. This is local time. Sunday, 5 00, right near san diego. Thats where we are expecting the heaviest amount of rain. And guad touched upon this. We are expecting heavy rain in the desert, specifically dangerous, because soil is really packed, its dry. Theres not a lot of vegetation to soak up this rain. So everything becomes runoff. And we are expecting up to ten inches in some spots. Because of that, we have 26 Million People impacted by those storms. They stretch from Southern California into arizona, also utah, nevada, as far north as idaho. In boise, idaho, also under a flood alerts, were gonna see this Rain Flooding to the north through tomorrow morning. Its not just this afternoon, this evening, it is into tomorrow morning where were going to see the impacts of this storm. As we look at radar right now, we are seeing some Heavy Rain Falling East of los angeles, east of san diego. But passing through the cities as well, again, where you see those brighter colors, yellow especially, that is where we are seeing the moderate rainfall. Were gonna see this picking up over the next couple of hours. How much are we expecting . The reds, the oranges, the yellows, that is telling us where we expect the highest amounts of rain. East of los angeles, east of san diego, in the desert, up to five inches, six inches, even ten inches. That would be isolated. But that would be really dangerous as well. As a result, we have a Flash Flood Risk for looking at river flooding, we are looking at flash flooding, we are looking at mudslides, landslides, debris flows as we go throughout the next 12 hours. When fall rates, up to three inches per hour, especially where you see that darker blue. That is a slight risk, thats a higher risk for flash flooding. And of course, we need to talk about when. Yes, they decrease. But we are still talking about winds gusting 70 Miles Per Hour in yuma, and certain point as we go throughout monday, san francisco, 43 Miles Per Hour. Remember, the ground is gonna be so saturated, trees coming down, power lines coming down as a result, were gonna see some Power Outages. Alex . Dow yeah, you gotta worry about the desert flash flooding. That is for. So im glad you gave us the heads up on that. Let me ask you quickly, though, what is the difference between this huge rainfall that you are getting right now, and you remember what Southern California but back in january, because that was a recordbreaking storm. I mean, the l. A. River adjacent to where i am in the studio in l. A. , i cant believe how high it was. Ive never seen it like that. I know. And you know, that was historic. And weve talked about it for months and months and months. And that was the difference. It was days, days, months event. So we had atmospheric rivers over and over again. That blocking pattern, that connection to Climate Change where things move very slowly, the jet stream moves. Down certainly like rivers in the sky. The difference was we had high amounts of rain. It was a rainy season. But it was a longer duration. So youve had days and days of rain that added up to a lot of historical rain. Now, in this case, we are looking at tropical moisture, it is like a sponge, you squeeze it out. And were gonna get a deluge of rain. Its gonna come quickly. In a day, we could see up to ten inches of rain. So, speaking of tropical systems as a sponge, they just hold a lot of moisture. And again, thats the Climate Connection as well. Were gonna have stronger, longer, more powerful storms. We are gonna see storms like never seen before. In this case, we havent seen a direct hit since authorities. Thats the main difference. Historic, but its gonna be really historic as well. And scary fascinating, as people continue to break in roadways, mudslides, landslides as well. Alex . Roadways the sponge analogy, is a very good explanation. Thank you, michelle crossbrook, following that. We have more news developing this hour, starting this new reporting in the Trump Classified documents case. Sources familiar with the matter tell abc news that former white house Chief Of Staff mark meadows told Special Counsel Investigators that he could not recall trump ever ordering the classification of or discussing the documents in question before leaving office. Now, this contradicts trumps Public Defense that he declassified all materials. In a statement to abc news, a trump spokesperson, without evidence, accused the Justice Department of selectively leaking incomplete information to impact the 2024 election. Now, nbc news has not yet independently verified this report. It has reached out to donald trump. Mark meadows, as well as the Special Counsel for comment. Trump, though, and his 18 codefendants now have five days to surrender at the Fulton County jail in georgia, on racketeering and conspiracy charges. As legal issues grow for the former president , a republican senator today is urging him to stop his reelection bid. Do you think that trump should drop out of the race . I think so. But obviously, that is up to him. I mean, you are just asking me an opinion. But he would lose to joe biden, if you look at the current polls. A new poll shows trump, though, holding his largest lead yet among republican candidates. 62 of that, likely gop primary voters, say they would vote for trump. That is a full 46 points, rather, ahead of the next candidate, ron desantis, who is there with 16. This comes as republicans prepare for the first president ial primary debate this wednesday, which sources say trump will not attend. Earlier today, trumps rivals getting their views on how important the debate could be. I think every one of us that have qualified for that debate stage, or beyond the stage, be willing to square off, answer the tough questions, and also draw a bright line contrast. Once this debate happens this week, its off to the races. Thats when you are going to start to see people really focusing on different candidates, looking at what their options are. And tomorrow, President Biden and the first lady will survey the damage from hawaiis wildfires. Earlier today, governor josh green gave an update, as rescue crews keep searching. More than 1000 unaccounted for, about 1050. It will take several weeks still. Some of the challenges are going to be extraordinary. 85 of the land has been covered. Now, we want to get to larger buildings which required peeling back some of the floors and structures. That last 15 could take weeks. Lets go to atlanta, nbcs Julie Tsirkin on trumps impending appearance at an atlanta jail there. Julie, welcome. What are we hearing from the georgia lawmakers today . We heard from two georgia lawmakers. They both border each others districts. The first one, congresswoman nikema williams, a democrat, of course, who represents the atlanta area. The second congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor greene, republican who represents the district that voters this one. And she, of course, is one of the former president s fiercest allies. You brought up the fact that hes not gonna be on the debate stage on wednesday. She, though, spanning to be there to stand up for the former president , as she did this morning on the sunday show. Take a look to what you have to say, and What Williams had to say as well. Watch. This is a conspiracy, a Grand Conspiracy by the democratic party, to use the Justice System at the federal level, but also in the states, using these state this week attorneys like in georgia, fani willis. They are using this giant collaboration, basically, to affect the 2024 election. What we know in Fulton County is that no one is Above The Law. My district attorney, fani willis, will hold donald trump and anyone else who breaks the law in Fulton County accountable. And, so we are gonna allow this process to play out. Llow thi now congresswoman williams also pointed out the Election Workers Ruby Freeman and shaye moss. We heard about them so much after the 2020 election because they were targeted with Death Threats for just doing their job. They are certainly involved in this indictment handed down to the former president on monday. To set the scene quickly as we are in front of the Fulton County jail, we still havent seen any of the 19 codefendants, not obviously the former president who plans to show up at the end of next week. But none of the 18 codefendants appear to be by the jail behind. Me they have until next friday noon to do so. Alex . Can i ask you quickly, when you say mtg is going to get there to the debate and stand up for President Trump, how exactly does she plan to do . That will she stand up and shout out the moderators, the candidates if she hears something she doesnt like . Is there anything she said this is how i plan to do it . Theres a couple things here, the rnc actually invited former House Members and senators to attend predebate events as well. But according to our reporting, she is planning to show up at this spin room to do some interviews and try to Counter Program the 2024 rivals on that stage and stand in the former president s corner. Obviously, he is not planning to take that stage himself. Gotcha. Okay, that makes a little more sense. Thank you so much, Julie Tsirkin. Meantime, a bombshell report about when mark meadows said to prosecutors about donald trump and those classified documents. Ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Congressman Jim Hines will be joining me in 60 seconds with reaction. Reaction pano ai chooses tmobile for business for 5g solutions. Because tmobile helps pano ai innovate, so they can stop the spread of wildfires. Nows the time to see what americas largest 5g network can do for your business. Feeling sluggish or weighed down . It could be a sign that your digestive system isnt at its best. Metamucil gummies make it easy to get the fiber you need. Promoting your Digestive Health for a better you. Metamucil gummies. The easy way to get your daily fiber. Were back with our brandnew reporting. Sources tell abc News Former White House Chief Of Staff mark meadows told Special Counsel jack smiths investigators he could not recall trump ever declassifying classified materials before leaving office and we want to know that nbc news has not yet independently verified this report. Again, that statement to the documents in question. Joining me now connecticut congressman jim himes, democratic Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Welcome, my friend. Im curious, how damning is that coming from Trumps White House Chief Of Staff . And what does it tell you about mark meadowss level of cooperation . It is an interesting question, right . Mark meadows is now for the first time playing in a court, a judicial proceeding, right . So, we all watched the Trump Administration and mark meadows going back to sean spies are telling us that the Niraj Ration Crowds were far bigger than obamas. Lies have been the stock in trade of these people for a very long time, the problem is in the court of law, a lie will get you into a lot of trouble. Now lo and behold, mark meadows, now that he is indicted, he is stepping away from the tradition of lying. Let me say two things about. This one, im not at all surprised that mark said this. It is hard for me to imagine donald trump in the oval office saying, hey, these documents are classified, but id like to declassify them. I think it was a lie, and secondly, look, the president has a lot of unconditional powers. The president can unconditionally classify things, pardon people, can unconditionally, i guess, as horrible as it is to contemplate, launched nuclear strikes on other countries. For each and every one of these unconditional powers, there is a very wellknown process. When the president says i want to declassify something, hundreds of people go to work to protect the sources and methods that are inherent or embedded in the documents the president wants to declassify. So that process didnt happen. Quite frankly, i dont know for sure, but i would be very surprised if donald trump at any point in his presidency said these documents are declassified. Yeah, look, i want to get at this one caveat. In the various reporting, it has been said mark meadows recalls him trying to declassify or saying he declassified one singular set of documents, and it was related to the fbis confidential files that, crossfire hurricane. That was investigation into trumps alleged role, connections with russia in 2016. That is something he says he did hear. Its interesting that he makes that point and distinguishes between the other documents in question, those at maralago and the president allegedly took with him from the white house. Let me move to the new report which says the fbis investigating threats right now. Those threats being against the Georgia Grand jurors after their names and addresses were leaked online. What does it say that the fbi is involved . And given the level of vitriol out there, how can these citizens be protected . You asked exactly the question that takes me back to january 6th. Did we ever imagined would see american citizens attacking Police Officers and breaking windows in the global symbol of democracy, our capital . Of course, we never imagined this, right . Trumps most fervent supporters, most fervent supporters are not open to reason, they are not open to arguments. Cbs news put out a poll that suggests trumps voters value him as a source of truth by eight points more than they value their friends and family, by 30 points more than they value religious leaders. These are people, i sort of hate to use the bombastic language, but these are people who have joined a cult. And therefore, when donald trump says, the fbis after me or Marjorie Taylor greene says the fbi, the democrats are after me, which is demonstrably nonsense, and they get pretty fired up. It doesnt surprise me at all that these jurors, these judges, federal judges are being threatened. This is where we have come because so Many Americans decided to join the cult of donald trump. Cided to join the listen, yoy one using that word, so i get it. There is a push from dozens of democratic lawmakers to try to allow cameras. This would be in the courtrooms, of course, for trumps trials. But in a New York Times oped, assistant special watergate prosecutor nick akerman says televising the trump files is a bad idea, he argues it would lead to a circus of daily entertainment, using the Adjacency Trial as a example. How do you come, down televised or not . I have a different view, but i agree that they should not be televised. Heres my view, and i feel very strongly about it. You, know the whole maga argument is that there is a two Tiered System of justice, where the democrats got off lightly, hunter biden is their case and, point even though the hunter biden prosecutor david weiss is a trump appointed prosecutor. Theyve got this nonsensical argument. And without these i would say even if that wasnt true, which is lets not change the rules in the middle of the game. Lets make sure that everything is the way it would be if you and i were charged, or if a random person on the street were charged. Lets not start changing rules. By the, way this takes me back to tim colby, who in 2016 decided he would be different, he would go beyond the rules and say you dont discuss a high profile prosecution. Look what happened. Look, if it is federal Court Procedure for trials not to be televised, and that is longstanding, let us not change the rules because somebody is going to point to that to buttress their fantastical Conspiracy Theories that everything is changing to go after donald trump. Even though Donald Trumps criminal behavior is really there for all to see. Look, lets do it the way it would be done for any other defendant. Got it. One for an given your leadership position, i want to ask this question as to the trump intel committee. Of all the indictments and legal issues facing, trump which faces the poses the biggest threat to our country . I am not sure that the legal indictments, in the indictments of donald trump are the threat to the country. Right . Im not at all surprised donald trump took documents to maralago. They are there for all to see, now we are having a long conversation about whether he shouldve done it or not. Doesnt surprise me. Again, the crimes are there for all to see. He was impeached the first time because we got a transcript, a literal transcript of the phone call he made with the ukrainian leader saying, if you dont give me dirt on joe biden, im not going to send you eight. None of this stuff is invisible or hard to see, right . What really worries me, alex, is the reaction of people. The fact that Marjorie Taylor greene, doesnt surprise me that Marjorie Taylor greene is doing, this but it does surprise me 20 of the american populous, if donald trump says the moon is made of green shoes and im Above The Law and i will be your emperor and i will impose christian nationalist country, they would say sign me up. No matter what he says, they are okay with that. The fact that, i dont know if its 20 or 25 or 30 , but the fact that substantial minority of americans are part of this cult, and regardless of what happens in these trials, that is a huge source of wrought in our democracy. Congressman jim himes, its always a pleasure. Good to talk to you about all these things. We will do it again. Meantime, two words i never thought id ever say together in the same sentence in my decades of journalism. Hurricane and las vegas. Expectations for how a rare storm could impact sin city next. Next made it smell like dave was in his happy place. The Massage Chair at the mall. But. He wasnt. Gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. Mlb chooses tmobile for business for 5g solutions. To not only enhance the fan experience, but to advance how the game is played. Nows the time to see what americas largest 5g network can do for your business. [music playing] subject 1 cancer is a long journey. Its overwhelming, but you just have to put your mind to it and fight. Subject 2 it doesnt feel good because you cant play outside with other children. Subject 3 as a parent, it is your job to protect your family. But here is something that i cannot do. I cannot fix this. I dont know if my daughter is going to be able to walk. I dont know if shes going to make it till tomorrow. [music playing] interviewer you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. Jude childrens research hospital. Families never receive a bill from st. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food so they can focus on helping their child live. Subject 4 childhood cancer, theres no escaping it. But st. 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Plus, free Home Delivery when you add a base. Shop now only at sleep number. Do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet . Try Nervive Nerve relief from the worlds number one nerve care company. Nervive contains ala to relieve nerve aches, and bcomplex vitamins to fortify healthy nerves. Try nervive. Back to the Breaking News and, try nervive pain relieving rollon. Out west. A looming Tropical Storm for millions of americans and a part of the country that has not seen this type of weather in 80 years. The rain expected to intensify all day into tomorrow, with predictions of catastrophic flooding in parts of california, nevada, and arizona. The storms i is expected to reach san diego in just a few hours. Some evacuations are already in place near l. A. , and then in nevada the governor is urging people to not travel today. Most places will get 2 to 6 inches of rain, but some areas could get a torrential ten inches through tomorrow. That is more than a years worth in two days. At this hour, hillary is a Tropical Storm with winds nearly 70 miles an hour. It is picking up speed, alerts are in place as far north in fact as idaho. Joining me from one of the cities in the storms path right now, nbcs chief jake ward in las vegas. Lets talk about what is happening. What is going on behind you . What have you seen so far . We saw some storm drain footage, and it looked like they were working properly, thankfully. Thats right, alex. The preparations underway here, im going to show, you are very dramaticlooking. I want to remind everybody that this is actually how it is supposed to work here in las vegas. This is the link hotel. It is the parking garage, which unfortunately has the bad luck of being the main input for storm waters. And they then pass from where i am standing down into this vast storm drain. All of this, this torrential water you see going, it is passing through here into that storm drain so that it stays off of the las vegas strip. All of this would be there on the vegas strip if it werent for the engineering that has been put in place here. In fact, in 2012, and before that in 1999, we saw a couple of inches absolutely devastate the las vegas strip. That is the thing that is really important for those of you who live in extremely rainy conditions. You know that a couple of inches shouldnt be any big deal. The thing is, in a place like this, las vegas is at the bottom of essentially an impervious bowl. Only an inch or two of rain can cause catastrophic conditions. Last year, with only that much rain, where i am standing was underwater. All of this is tremendously concerning to officials if rain really begins to pour. Here is one more thing i want to say about where i am and more broadly. Everyone here has this feeling, this undercurrent of trying to be prepared for something unprecedented. And that is not just vegas. Thats in places like san diego, all across mexico, and of course in los angeles. Karen bass had this to say in her her Preparation Recommendations to angelenos. Have a listen. Our message today is clear. Stay safe, stay home, and stay informed. This is an unprecedented weather event, but los angeles has deep experience responding to crisis. Last, night i also signed a declaration of local emergency to immediately activate the Emergency Operations organization and wave any regulation and that may inhibit the saving of lives here in los angeles. Now, the water you are seeing here, alex, is again normal preparations for a storm. This is not disaster. This is what happens in vegas when it is properly prepared for what is coming. The question is, how much is coming . That unprecedented feeling, it is something i want to articulate to you about it here, which is that im standing in las vegas, it should be 115 degrees right now. Right now i have goose bumps on my arms with a jacket on. It is just shy of 70 degrees at the moment. Youve got people kind of Walking Around with their arms bundled up, because it is strangely cold. There is an unprecedented feeling to this. At this hour, things are normal, it looks very scary, and it is sort of scary, the undertone of it, but it is really that sense of the unprecedented nature that has everyone worried about what kind of threat might be arriving today and tomorrow here, alex. Yet let me add to that, because im a native loss angeleno. When i left home this morning in l. A. For the studio, it was so sticky, hot. It was like this Tropical Storm thing that we will get maybe in florida or new york. Lets put it this way, jake, things are out of whack. Thats the way it is right now. Okay, my friend. Thank you so much. Stay safe. Out of whack. Okay. Two curious developments involving former trump Chief Of Staff mark meadows, how did unfolds into the trump legal mess next. Mess next. 9 years. About three or four years ago, i wasnt feeling as if i was as sharp as i used to be. I wanted to try something that was overthecounter. I saw the prevagen commercials. After a short amount of time taking prevagen, i started noticing a difference that im remembering this, im remembering that. I stopped taking prevagen and i found myself slacking back so i jumped right back on it. I feel as if its brought me back to the good ol days. Prevagen. At stores everywhere without a prescription. fan 1 there ya go thats what im talkin about josh allen is this your plan to watch the game today . hero fan uh, yea. I have to watch my neighbors Nfl Sunday Ticket. josh allen its not your best plan. But you know what is . Myplan from verizon. 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In a new court filing, meadows claims the alleged crimes were committed while he served as a federal official, Rendering Him Immune from state prosecutors. Trump, on social media, is also now claiming president ial immunity on all indictments. Joining me now, charles coleman, former Brooklyn New York prosecutor, now civil rights attorney, and amber phillips, politics reporter at the washington post. Its good to have you both here. Charles, it is immunity automatic for mark meadows . Im just going to ask for the record, by extension, donald trump . Alex, this is an easy answer to that, its a simple no. They are trying to rely on the law that number one is not supported by case law and precedent, and number two does not exist in our United States constitution. Listen, at this point, given the fact that both fani willis and jack smith have donald trump on both their cases, i understand why the president is Grasping At Straws in desperation to try to mount a legal defense. He does not have much to spend on legally, but this will not going to do it. This will not do it for him or help him out of this situation hes in. With respect to mark meadows, hes claiming a number of Different Things. Immunity is not one of them thats going to be viable at all. I think the notion of immunity and things of that nature with respect to some of the conversations and communications that he may have had with donald trump while he was serving in office may prove viable in protecting him somewhat but i do still think that overall none of these protections are going to guard against you actually breaking the law. And that is what donald trump and mark meadows have big problems with. That same position, meadows asked to have his case moved out of state court to federal court. Heres what a former federal prosecutor told me, charles. Take a listen. He and trump are requesting a memo from an individual about how to disrupting delay the certification of the count. That is not an act that a Chief Of Staff is engaging in. Thats related to the campaign. Similarly, he sent a text to the Georgia Secretary Of State Chief Investigator about ways that that campaign could assist financially in speeding up the Fulton County signature verification process. Again, nothing to do with his role as a Chief Of Staff. So does he, charles, have to prove to a federal judge the crimes hes accused of were not directly tied to the campaign . Well know, alex, its more a matter of in order to try to get the type of immunity he would be looking for, what he would need to establish is that his actions were connected to his responsibilities while in office, and that he was acting as an agent of being the Chief Of Staff at the white house, rather than acting as an agent of the campaign. Thats why that distinction is so important. If your actions are for the campaign, none of that is relevant. Gotcha. Amber, abc news Reports Meadows told Special Counsel he could not recall trump ever ever declassifying maralago documents. Nbc news has not confirmed this report yet. But what does that mean . Could we see meadows emerge as a witness against trump . I think it is very possible, alex, that we could see meadows a merge as a witness against trump. At this point, it is kind of an open speculation in legal circles that he actually testified against trump in the grand jury, not only that, alex, turned against trump. I want to specify which grandeur, because there are so many investigations, the january 6th jack smith indictment. Legal experts i talked to say they think it is very likely mark meadows flipped. Thats why hes not listed in this jack smith indictment. However, he is listed, as weve been talking, about in those georgia indictment, with fani willis. Ive been talking to legal experts who say that really they are concerned it could complicate jack smiths indictment. And we wont know, by the way, if Mark Smith Mark meadows is going to be testifying against donald trump until a trial happens on january 6th and gets on the witness stand. But at the same time, hes a defendant in a similar case. It might cause him to retract helping out with the january six indictment. And these classified documents as, well because, as weve been talking about, he was very integral in donald trump with donald trump and his administration those last days when donald trump was allegedly taking those documents out of the white house legally. Pretty safe to say it is pretty complicated still. But i know that you broke down why georgia could be different for donald trump. And when i say different, im thinking more problematic. Of course he cant pardon himself, but you also point out, look, he can get a mugshot. When are you expecting, rather what are you expecting when he surrenders to the Fulton County jail this week . Do you think it will be televised . Its going to be a spectacle. I do not know of the actual surrender itself is going to be televised, but we are going to see a spectacle. Telefor those reasons i listed. Listen, this is a former president of the United States that will go to a dilapidated jail, it just like anyone else in atlanta arrested, that is so dilapidated its been under Justice Department investigation and we his family is suing alleging he died of that bug bites. Donald trump is going to go there, likely this week. He has to go there, otherwise authorities could arrest him. He is going to get a quick medical exam with 18 other codefendants. He is going to get a mugshot that will probably be released to the public. Hes going to get his fingerprints. And then the part where cameras come in is, one, the mugshot could be released. But then, whenever there is a trial, and that could be a long ways away, we are probably going to see it all televised. And even talking about earlier on your show alex about whether that will create a spectacle. Yes, i talked to former federal prosecutors who couldnt believe we in the media were following breathlessly, as we all wear monday night, this piece of paperwork being signed off by the judge and walked out of the courtroom in atlanta there. It was the indictments for the day, including donald trump. I talk to a former federal prosecutor, he called me at the next morning and say, that was the more boring part of this whole process and you couldnt stop watching it and filming it and tweeting about it. And, so imagine an entire trial of the former president. We are going to see that and we are going to have fani willis, i think that plays to her strengths in this indictment, because she wrote this 98page indictment to share this comprehensive story of how trump tried to illegally overturn the election results. It was at its most extreme in georgia. Listen, it sounds like we will have a very good reason to bring you on soon because weve got so much to talk about. Thank you though for this visit. We are checking on the breaking developments across Southern California. It is raining right now in long beach, as well as in san diego. Its raining so much you cant even see. Well there it is. There is new information about the risk of catastrophic flooding today from no Tropical Storm hilary. Well go there next. L go there next. Am i a big deal . Yeah you are, because its a big deal, when you get a big deal. Wayfair deals so big that you might get a big head. Because with savings so real. You can get your dream sofa for half the price. Wayfair. Its always a big deal. Wayfair, youve got just what i need woman why did we choose safelite . We were loading our suv when. Crack safelite came right to us, and we could see exactly when theyd arrive with a replacement we could trust. Thats service the way we want it. 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And try zzzquil purezzzs melatonin gummies. New dove men bodywash gives you 24 hours of nourishing micromoisture. That means your skin still feels healthy and smooth now. Now. And now too. Get healthier, smoother feeling skin all day. I am pretty worried, yeah. Yeah. We experienced we kind of know how things come in, and real estate florida as well. We are worried. Ive never seen anything like this in california before. Im a lifelong californian. We will be prepared. Good for her. Millions of people right now are bracing for the first Tropical Storm to hit Southern California and nearly a century. Joining me now is the chair of the Los Angeles County board of supervisors, janice hahn. Janice, welcome. Look, your area is under threat of catastrophic flooding. We just received new rain totals. There is one l. A. County desert city which is already seeing one and a half inches just since this morning. How dangerous can conditions get and how is the county preparing . Well, we in Los Angeles County are preparing for the worst. Just to be clear, we dont have weather in los angeles, particularly not in august. People are, communities are going to be beginning their entire annual rainfall in today and tomorrow. But that doesnt mean we dont know how to prepare for a disaster, just because weve never had a Tropical Storm. So we know how to respond to disasters. We know how to prepare. We have all of our county departments, including our fire department, our sheriffs department, who are ready to respond to any needs for rescue. But weve been doing a good job of warning people. Weve been spending the last 48 hours making sure that people, even though it is a Once In A Lifetime event, i really preparing for like any type of natural disaster. Does that include asking residents to evacuate . You are well aware that the governor declared a State Of Emergency across 11 Southern California counties. Yes, and i, as the chair of board of supervisors, signed our l. A. County Emergency Declaration this morning so we can join the state. That will signal to President Biden that it is a serious issue and we could use some help and some mutual aid. But one of the areas we are worried about here in l. A. County is the island. We have issued an Evacuation Warning to get people off that island today. And there is one Ferry Service that takes people from the mainland to the island, back and forth. Theyve now stopped taking new people and tourists to the island, and we are understanding that their last vote maybe will be this afternoon to bring people off the island. Then we are meeting these people who come off the island, if they dont have a place to stay, and offering them any kind of overnight accommodations, any kind of services they might need. But we understand that hilary is going to slam into catalina island. The biggest threat would be their power plant over their flooding and cutting off all power to the residents. I know that very well. You go there for wonderful days in the summer of tourism, but not today. Let me ask you finally about the reports of Grocery Stores being flooded with people trying to stock up on supplies. The stores are running out of critical items, flashlights and batteries are in short supply. Have you been alerted to any shortages . And what supply should people have on hand . Right. I have just anecdotal, you know, stories. My own grocery store, i was amazed that the water was gone and people were running out with the toilet paper. I try to tell people, this is probably just a two or threeday event. It is not like people have to really stock up on that much, but weve told people to make sure they have batteries for their flashlights, to prepare for a power outage. Then again, we hear in l. A. , i love us, but we just dont have weather, and weve never dealt with a hurricane or a Tropical Storm. But i will give it to everybody, they are listening to the warnings, we are giving people regular alerts and updates. The other thing we are worried about is our Homeless People in Los Angeles County. We have about 70,000 that sleep on the streets at night. We are going around to all the encampments, all the tents, and alerting them that they might be in a Flood Control area, they could be in danger once this storm really hits. I understand that uber is offering free uber rides to our homeless neighbors, to any shelter that will take them. I want to give a shout out. That is a good step. Up and for good reason, all right. Chair of l. A. County board of supervisors, janice hahn, thank you so much, good luck getting through it. Maybe you dont need a bigger boat. We will talk about this headline about jaws and the impact of who you know whos absence after the debate, next. 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Absent trump looms over republicans first debate. Gop congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene is downplaying trumps expected absence. I told him, i said no, there is no need for you to debate. You are winning the primary. He is winning by absurd numbers. So there is no reason for a President Trump who has the best fouryear record in my lifetime, im almost 50 years old, the best fouryear record ive ever known to step out on the debate stage with candidates that no one is voting for. Joining me now is brittany cunningham, host of the undistracted podcast, and a former member of president obamas 21st Century Policing task force. Republican strategist susan del percio, and former republican congressman from florida david jolly, all msnbc political analysts. Welcome all. Susan, what is your reaction to what Marjorie Taylor greene just said . I mean, is there enough interest that a trump noshow might hurt him . It can. And here is why. People will be tuning into the debate and seeing, i dont know, eight or nine candidates of which i think five are probably serious, talk about issues. And what i do think looking forward toward the primary but more importantly the general election is where they come down on abortion. I actually think that will be the take away from this debate. Itll be interesting to see how trump lands because, as we know, he has varied on the issue, to put it mildly. Yeah, to put it mildly. In a new cbs news poll, david, it is out this morning, it is stretching his lead among gop rivals. I mean, it is really inexplicable. Will it take an actual conviction or two to derail donald trump, or might that not even do it . In politics, if you are up by 30 points, what you want to avoid is the unknown, which i think all of the Trial Strategy by donald trump reflects that. He knows the indictments have helped him. The unknown is whether or not a trial and conviction would also empower him or would actually hurt him. Certainly in the general election. I think donald trump is happy to go through the republican primary. Even the general election under indictment, but there is no reason for the risk of a trial and a conviction because that would be an unknown that likely, likely in the general election could indeed lead to his loss. Brittani, how do democrats feel all this legal turmoil following trump . Do they perceive it as being helpful because it will hinder his ability to properly campaign . I hate to frame it this way, but is there an upside and all this mess for President Biden . Listen. I think the democrats are very clear that not only is this about the election ahead, but this is about setting a clear precedent, this is about ensuring people cannot waltz their way into the white house, do whatever they want to do, wipe their behinds with the constitution and think that they will go on unpunished and be able to actually run for that same office yet again. So some of this is about ensuring that we send a clear message that this is not the way that we want our democracy to run, and i do think the democrats are being very clear to send a message that the front runner in the gop is not somebody who should ever be elected again, because, according to multiple district attorneys, states attorneys across the entire country, he is most likely and very provably a criminal. I think there is a clear message there, i think the democrats pound it home and help us realize across the electorate that the choice has to be a very, very clear in 2024, and that we cannot play any games about making sure that he does not step back into that office. On the flip side, david, the New York Times reports some members of the gop view biden as such a weak candidate that picking the most electable candidate to beat him no longer matters. Is this a miscalculation . It absolutely is a miscalculation. Particularly if you are talking about a republican candidate in donald trump or even a ron desantis who is out of step on so many cultural and maga issues with a general election populist. Look, joe biden is going to run on the growing economy that lifts all people, ladders of opportunity, education, health care, and industry. He is going to say i can do all this while protecting our democracy and ensuring personal freedoms and Voting Rights and personal rights. That contrasts with a donald trump who is seeking vindication and retribution and absolution of his own criminality. Its a contrast that plays very well for joe biden. Republicans are noticing, which is obvious, joe bidens numbers are underwater, but we are also about 14 months out and i would suspect that the president s numbers turn as voters focus on the general election. Last question to both of you, brittani and susan. Brittany, you first. What do you think about this report . You think democrats can use the underestimation of President Biden to their vantage . I think that if they are going to do, that they want to be incredibly careful, not to turn off people that they need to be a part of the coalition. But let us be clear, the republicans have been sending two totally contradictory messages at the same time. They are betraying joe biden as a bubbly idiot, while also portraying him as some great conspiratorial list when it comes to hunter biden. I am hoping that the democrats help people understand that these two things cannot coexist and that actually President Biden is somebody whos got the American People in mine and is working every day with us in mind. Can you give me your answer in about five or six seconds, susan, yes or no . Sure. Sure. I think it is a mistake. Its clearly a mistake. Biden has a lot of issues. Its a good thing that abortion will be the number one issue for him across the country. That lets put it that way. Okay, thank you all. Gotta go. Thats going to do it for me on this edition of alex reports in l. A. I will see you again from new york next saturday at noon eastern. My friend Yasmin Vossoughian continues with coverage. Continues with coverage. Hi, everybody. Good to see today. Im Yasmin Vossoughian. We are following Breaking News as Tropical Storm hilary hits california. Millions are at risk for catastrophic consequences, including severe flooding, mudslides, tornadoes, and wildfires. We are on the ground with the very latest. A legal stunner from one of do