Iranianlinked group amid a rise of attacks targeting u. S. Service members. All this as a top israeli official arrives in washington, d. C. The latest on the escalating tensions just ahead. Plus, holiday returns. The latest from the roads and the air as millions of americans head back home, while shoppers rush to bring back those not so great gifts before time runs out to make their returns. Thanks for being here. We begin this hour with the expected visit tomorrow to mexico. By Secretary Of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Both are set to meet tomorrow with mexicos president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and first on the agenda will likely be the socalled caravan of migrants heading toward americas Southern Border. Organizers say 8,000 people, including thousands of children under the age of 14, have started the more than 3,000 mile journey from Southern Mexico to the United States and they are walking. Sam brock is following this for us. Sam, good to have you here. How long will the journey take and do we know if there will be shelter and other resources for these folks once they reach a border city in the u. S. . Sure, so, to our knowledge mexico has been reticent and good to be with you to set up shelters along the way. It is not clear what kind of housing they may encounter. The original question, how long is it going to take for them to get here and how many people are we talking about . Roughly 8,000 according to the organizers of the caravan, that was as of this morning. It was 6,000 recently, so were talk about 2,000 plus people, it is not clear the time frame added to that, but it is growing, the largest Migrant Caravan to the United States in the last year and a half, two years. There are considerations right now that are both political and humanitarian. Lets start on the humanitarian side. So far in the last couple of years, 2022 and 2023, the United States has exceeded 2 million Border Apprehensions along the southwest border. To put that in perspective, im in miami now. Miamidade county, total, has 2. 5 Million People. It is also roughly a third of the entire population of nicaragua or el salvador. As if everyone in miami, or a third of the countries picked up and tried to get to the u. S. Border. We have heard from u. S. Department officials, secretaries of state, Homeland Security is that our resources right now are strained. We have never seen numbers at this elevated level, 12,000 Border Apprehensions, just within the last week, per day, those were records, that sort of is setting the stage now for this meeting involving multiple secretaries as you mentioned, mayorkas with the department of Homeland Security and secretary blinken and Secretary Of State, theyll be meeting with the Mexican President obrador and the question is what is the give and take going to be like . We know for a fact that the Mexican President has come out and said im willing to do what i can to try to sort of stem this crush of migrants coming from the guatemalan border to mexico, but what we want to see is aid, packages of aid sent to the country where the people are fleeing, like venezuela, haiti, cuba, and partly also he wants to see dialogue between the United States and cuba on a bilateral basis,anctions relaxed against countries like venezuela. These are a lot of moving parts. And also the fulcrum of any deal with congress. The clock right now is ticking for congress, jessica, they need to get this ironed out in terms of a plan that not only provides more funding for the border, but also potentially meets requirements and requests from republican lawmakers about raising the threshold for Acai Um First place so the policy matters that have been to be handled as well, it pivots on whether we get aid for israel and ukraine based on these kinds of negotiations over the border, how closely will that be tethered to the visit of the secretaries . Mayorkas was on capitol hill recently as a Sounding Board for lawmakers as they go through possible reforms. Theyre all playing out right now simultaneously as some 8,000 people are making a multiweek trek from Southern Mexico to the border as we speak. And whether congress can get its act together and come up with a deal is a wild card here. Sam brock, thank you. Well take a deeper dive on this issue later on in the broadcast. First, with millions flying and driving this week between christmas and new years, lets get the latest forecast and a travel update. Back with me now is nbc news meteorologist michelle grossman. Were also joined by nbc news correspondent maura barrett. She is at one of the busiest airports in the world, chicagos ohare. Great to see both you ladies. Laura, with you first, it wasnt like last year, but southwest had hundreds of cancellations due to fog this weekend. How is it looking there today . Reporter yeah, some serious severe fog here in chicago over the weekend, canceling about 300 southwest flights on sunday, about 100 more trickling over into the holiday yesterday. Also canceled. As of today, southwest is running smoothly. Their team telling nbc yesterday they were operating in stable condition, they were putting all Hands On Deck to make sure that people could travel safely. It is a stark comparison to what we saw last year when 2 million travelers were stranded from southwest alone due to weather and scheduling issues. But weather is that wild card when it comes to something unpredictable like fog or Winter Weather we experience this time of year. Im at ohare today. Things are operating pretty smoothly. It is very busy. Typically. But right now as i left the security line, it looks like it is a tenminute wait for general boarding. Everything going faster than a lot of people planned, leaving themselves extra time as they got here. I spoke it a few travelers that were heading to tokyo, they said they were pleasantly surprised. Were anxious about it being crazy for the holidays . Definitely. Here four hours early. Are you surprised by is there a reason for that . Like, Something Weird happen . I dont know. Usually the day after christmas it is crazy. But were bumping into someone constantly, it was pretty bad. That confusion is something i can attest to, given im here on a weekly basis. This is a better day than most days at ohare. Thats likely to change over the next few days. 4 Million People traveled through tsa in the last two days. We expect to see even more on the back end of this week, tsa predicting the busiest time traveling in airports is on thursday and friday. It is always nice to be pleasantly surprised at the airports. Michelle, is there any snow on the horizon first coast and what can the folks driving expect for the rest of the week . Good to see you. No snow for the east coast, for the near future. Were looking at rain and heavy at times. That could slow us down on the roadways. Rain does that. Could lead to flash flooding as well. In the northeast, we had so much rain last week, any sort of rain could add to the streams and creeks rising so taking a look at the storm system, it is a large one. Stretching from the northern plains, central plains, to portions of the southeast. On this back side of the system, thats where the cold air is, were looking at blizzard conditions, winds gusting up to 35, 55 miles per hour. That little spot is probably some thunderstorms. Im going to look that up in a little bit. You see a Lightning Strike there. Heavy rain from the upper great lakes to portions of the southeast. Where you see the reds, oranges, yellows, thats the heaviest rain falling, even Lightning Strikes too in portions of the carolinas as well. This system has a lot of energy. Very slow to move. Were going to be dealing with the storm over the next couple of days. In terms of the winter aspects, Winter Weather advisories, winter storm warnings, ice warnings, blizzard warnings, In The Dark Purple here. Were talking about south dakota and nebraska, kansas, colorado, and that is really tricky. We could see some Power Outages there as well. Millions under these winter alerts. Lets talk about the system. Moving off to the north and east, not quick enough. On the slower side. But today well see that snow and wind continuing in parts of the plains. Also looking at the rain into the midatlantic, the southeast, seeing that now. Could see a few thunderstorms, i showed you that a minute ago. We could see more as we go throughout the afternoon, the severe risk is on the lower side. Then tomorrow, were looking at low pressure siding up the east coast, steady and soaking rain in the northeast and new england. Well end it here, see some Travel Troubles likely in minneapolis, cleveland, washington, charlotte. By tomorrow along the east coast and the big major airports along the east coast. Back to you. Makes it tricky. Thanks so much. Rising tensions. The United States striking back at iranianbacked militants in iraq. The situation on the ground in gaza is getting worse by the day. All that and more when were back in 60 seconds, only here on msnbc. Were back in 60 seconds, only here on msnbc. My frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. For one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. One pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. That first time you take a step back. I made that. With your very own online store. I sold that. And you can manage it all in one place. I built this. And it was easy, with a partner that puts you first. Godaddy. Tensions are escalating in the middle east as the u. S. Responds with lethal force to an attack on u. S. Troops in iraq. President biden ordering Christmas Day air strikes on several locations, used by an iranian affiliated Terrorist Group after three americans were hurt in attacks on u. S. Forces. Nbc News Tehran Bureau Chief Ali Arouzi joins me from london. What else do we know about the u. S. Strikes and the militants they were targeting. Hey, jessica. The u. S. Military hit some iranianbacked militias in iraq earlier today. Apparently they injured and possibly killed several of the militants. Why have they done this . Because hours earlier u. S. Personnel were injured in a drone strike on a u. S. Air base in iraq. One of the people injured is said to be in critical condition. Lloyd austin said three sites usedy Kataib Hezbollah and other grere hit in response to attacks on u. S. Forces. Who is Kataib Hezbollah. Financed by iran and one of the most prominent groups in attacks on u. S. Targets in iraq for some time now. They were formed in 2007. Theyre predominantly based in iraq, but they also have a very strong foot hold in syria. They also seem to crop up in other locations in the region. Like lebanon and bahrain and when they do, it is usually at irans behest. Now, they form part of the Umbrella Group of militias under irans patronage incorporated into the iraqi army. But, jessica, these attacks are nothing new and theyre hardly a surprise. The u. S. Repeatedly targeted sites linked to militant groups in iraq and syria in recent years and depending on the political situation these can ratchet up or go down given what is going on in the region. Tensions are so high in the region right now these attacks have increased since october 17th there have been over 100 of these types of attacks by iranbacked militias. Now, lloyd austin said that the attacks were necessary and proportionate. As i mentioned to you earlier, some militants are said to have been possibly killed by this. Usually when the u. S. Attacks these sites, theyre proportionate. No u. S. Personnel have been injured or killed, theyll probably take out a warehouse or an ammunition depo. But this time they were targeted, they killed militants, and thats to send a message to iran and these militaries that they sponsor that if you hurt u. S. Personnel, then you are going to lose fighters on the ground as well. And this is what has happened. But the u. S. Also is trying to tread a very fine line. They dont want to open another front in this gazaisrael war. And that front would be opened up by iran. Theyre treading carefully with the militias and also with the houthis and the red sea. The houthis have wreaked havoc in the red sea, but the u. S. Has fallen short of attacking them because they fear a reprisal from iran that could get out of hand. So, for now, it feels somewhat calibrated, but miscalculation could change all of those equations. Jessica . A delicate balance for sure. Ali, thank you. Today in washington, one of israeli Prime Minister netanyahus closest advisers is meeting with Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan as israel is vowing to keep fighting hamas for as long as it takes. Joining me now to discuss is nbcs Aaron Gilchrist at the white house, and Nbcs Jay Gray from tel aviv, and former Deputy Commander of u. S. European command retired Lieutenant General steph twitty. Thank you for being here. Aaron, what have we heard about the meetings that ron dermer is having with officials in washington today . Reporter we got confirmation from the National Security counsel that meeting is happening this afternoon involving ron dermer, the minister of Strategic Affairs for israel and the National Security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary Of State tony blinken as well. This is going to be a face to face meeting this afternoon and it has been described as an opportunity for consultation on the matters related to the conflict in gaza and on the Hostage Situation that the u. S. And israel have been consulting about since the beginning of this conflict in gaza. So we expect that those things to be a key part of the conversation that happens this afternoon, between these three men. We know that ron dermer is a close confidant, top adviser for the former Prime Minister, American Born and hes been deeply involved in the conversations that have been happening from the beginning really as his office is in charge of Coordinating Intelligence and security and diplomatic relations for the Prime Minister there. And the Biden Administration as of late in particular has been pushing the Israeli Government to work on tightening up what it is doing in gaza, to go from a high intensity operation to one that is more intelligence driven, more precise and that will be a key part of the conversation this afternoon between ee gelemen. We will be watching that. E idf Chief Sd The War could contue for many months. But the u. N. Says it is, quote, gravely concerned about the continued bombardment of middle gaza by Israeli Forces after hamas says attacks on a refugee camp killed 70 gazans. What is israel saying if anything about the bombardment of the refugee camp . Reporter that refugee camp, al maghazi, a place where so many have been displaced from their homes, are look for shelter. The idf initially said is that they were reviewing an incident, wouldnt say whether it was al maghazi and came back later and said they refused to comment on anything surrounding that incident. And went on by saying, and im quoting here, were taking steps to minimize harm to civilians. All of this comes as a u. N. Said more than 100 palestinians have died since christmas and the idf says they have stepped up attacks, both from the air and on the ground, both in central gaza and to the north. The attacks have intensified as they continue to either review this incident or not comment about it at all. General, i want to talk about the u. S. Strikes against those iranianaffiliated groups in iraq. Is this proxy fight pulling the u. S. Deeper into that regional conflict and how concerned should americans be about that . Well, ill answer your last question first. Yes, we should be concerned, but i will tell you, the way the United States Central Command and our Secretary Of Defense lloyd austin, the way theyre handling this is the right way. We want it to be proportional. What we dont want is for this tinder box in the middle east to break open more than what it is now. It is local at this point, but we dont want a regional fight. If iran comes into this, u. S. Comes into this, you can see this tinder box breaking open and thats what we dont want. And so the key is to Attack Proportionally and to protect u. S. Forces and u. S. Interests in the region as you Attack Proportionally. General, were just getting word that militants have launched multiple attacks against u. S. Coalition forces in syria. This literally just came to the desk, according to two u. S. Defense officials, there are no casualties and no damage to infrastructure at the time. What do you make of this as the u. S. Continues to be pulled into this conflict, even more, first overnight and now again just a little while ago . What i make of it, throughout the region, you have rannian hands behind this. Theyre using their proxy fighters, whether to hezbollah or Kataib Hezbollah, hezbollah down in lebanon, whe be the houthis in the north excuse me, in the south, to great chaos in this point in time. As i said early why the best way to go about this, Attack Proportionally, do not let this turn into a regional fight. The way were executing it at this point ines the best way. I should mention it now brings the total attacks against u. S. To least105 since october 17th. General, Benjamin Netanyahu says for the foreseeable future, israel will have to retain overriding Security Responsibility over gaza. Does that mean Israeli Occupation . Because we already know that thats at least at the moment a nonstarter for the u. S. I think what it really means, if you go back to his intended goal of destroying hamas, that mission has not been completed yet. They made significant progress in the north. They have not made significant progress in central gaza or in southern gaza. And so the mission is not complete yet. Also, we still have the hostages that are still in gaza, and their missiles still raining down on the israeli people from gaza. Until those three conditions are met, that i think theyre going to continue to fight in gaza for quite some time. Lieutenant general steph twitty, thank you for jumping in quickly on those late breaking details. Also, Aaron Gilchrist and jay gray, thank you. Well, border politics, next how thousands of migrants heading to the Southern Border could Impact Communities across the country in the coming election year. Keep it here on msnbc. Country i election year. Keep it here on msnbc. Blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. For one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. 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Welcome back. Right now thousands of migrants are making the long and exhausting journey from Southern Mexico to the u. S. Border. On sunday, christmas eve, as the group walked, they held a banner which translated from spanish Reading Exodus from poverty. One man in the crowd told the is Associated Press hes trying to get north for the wellbeing of his family. Caravan organizers say the groups numbers surpassed 8,000 people now, including many children and they will soon pass through mexico city. Tomorrow, u. S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken and Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are set to arrive there as well to discuss migration with the president of mexico. Joining me now to talk about all of this is former housing and urban Development Secretary and mayor of san antonio, texas, julian castro, back with me this afternoon, victoria Difrancesco Soto and susan del percio. Were getting these images of the mass migration in real time now. It is very overwhelming. How important is tomorrows meeting in mexico, what are the stakes there, and for you, what do you need to come of it . Well, it is very important because the u. S. Absolutely needs mexican cooperation to effectively and humanely manage migration at the border. What they do in mexico either helps or hurts our efforts to manage that migration and to treat people humanely. We have seen what can happen when they dont do their job, on the other side of the border. This is going to be important. Im glad to see Secretary Of State blinken and others from the Administration Meeting with mexican officials. It also speaks to the need for a region wide solution to this. That neighborhood has a lot of desperate people that are seeking the same kind of better life in the United States that people from All Over The World, over generations, have. We need to address this by doing the kind of work that Vice President harris is doing, and trying to ensure that people can find safety and opportunity in their home country, instead of looking for it in the United States. Lets talk about that longterm solution for the moment. The Biden Administration has repeatedly centered its Border Strategy on addressing the root causes and working with countries in latin america. So many people, thousands of them are coming. Is it time to change the strategy . I dont think so. This is longterm work. This is not something that were going to see the results of in six months, a year, two years. This is very longterm work. But we have seen that it can work. Colombia is a good example of this. It is a different country with more opportunity today than it was 20 years ago. There are other examples. So, the work that the administration has been doing over the last few years to ensure that there is sift and opportunity in those countries i think is going to pay off for the people of those countries over time. In the meantime, need to make sure theyre addressing humanely migration at the border and we cannot sell our soul to the steve miller and donald trump devil when it comes to asylum. The congress is currently stauld on potential immigration and border bill negotiations. What are your thoughts on the pressure democrats are feeling to make concessions on those issues at such a critical time . Was that for me . Yes, for you, julian. I think, look, they feel a lot of pressure because they are hearing it from not only republicans that are doing their usual scare tactics, but also big City Democratic mayors, mayor adams, mayor of chicago, other mayors who have said we need resources to address the number of migrants in our communities. The challenge is that what they ought to be doing what biden the Biden Administration would like to do is provide resources to those communities to better handle migration and to do it in a humane way, but republicans wont let them do that. Instead, theyre saying, no, you have to give us an Asylum System that basically does away with the values that we have enshrined over the last several generations and reintroduces things like basically title 42, the donald trump and Steven Miller dreamt up, and does away with what is known as parole authority, which basically allows for the Executive Branch under extraordinary circumstances to allow people who might not otherwise be able to be admitted into the country to temporarily be admitted. They want to do away with that. The challenge here is how much do you compromise . How far do you go before basically Steven Miller and donald trump and an inhumane Asylum System have won the day . Victoria, the customs and Border Protection closing some Border Points due to the rising numbers. We have seen that more recently, especially after we saw people sleeping on the streets last year. Why do we keep seeing the systems so overwhelmed and should the Biden White House be doing more to address that . Yes, we need resources and i think that when we think about the border, we automatically go toward the idea of walls or barbed wire. But there is a lot of bureaucracy and logistics that goes behind that in terms of the personnel, the folks on the line, on the ground, on the border, but also back at the house. And this is really one of the weakest points in our Immigration System is the lack of staffing for processing, not just boots on the ground, but also the processing on the front lines as well as the Legal Proceedings processing this is just one piece of the problem. Im not going to say that fully staffing this is completely going to address the situation, because underscoring what julian said earlier this is a regional wide issue that we need to come at. But providing the correct staffing and thinking about it not just through the undocumented immigration lens, also think about the Commerce Piece of it. I grew up on the border. There are a lot of people who live on one side of the border and work on one side of the border or go to school on one one side of the border and that back and forth crossing is inhibited by that. This is really catastrophic, not just for Immigration System in terms of undocumented immigrants, but the day to day lives of border. As we look ahead to 2024, how critical are border and Immigration Policy going to be not only from a humanitarian perspective, but also as a Campaign Issue . It is going to be tremendously important and i think, and i know that the secretary is not going to like when i say this, but republicans are focusing on Border Security. Theyre not trying to get as much into the Immigration Battle because they know politically and im just speaking politically now, that Border Security is a much better messaging tool for them. And why it is going to be even more important in 2024 than previous years is because the Migrant Issue has now hit the suburbs of chicago, of atlanta, of new york. Those images are now not just at the border, but theyre in in our cities and we are seeing the toll it is taking on cities. People are feeling and seeing the migrant crisis much differently now than they did in 2020. Great insight, all of you. Julian castro, thank you, victoria and u susan, youre sticking around. Thank you. Trumps trials. Next, how the former president will juggle his legal issues while running for a return to the white house. 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Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food so they can focus on helping their child live. Father she grew up in this. So when we go to st. Jude, shes happy because thats her home. Every time i take her to the doctor, shes excited because she gets to play. And thats all because of st. Jude. Narrator when you call or go online with your credit or debit card right now, well send you this st. Jude tshirt you can wear to show your support to help st. Jude save the lives of these children. Mother speaking spanish narrator every gift counts, and whatever you can give will make a difference. [music playing] the fight as we have been reporting is growing over whether donald trump can legally claim president ial immunity to the federal election interference charges that hes facing. Because the Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the case, it will now be up to a federal Appeals Court to decide if mr. Trumps Immunity Claim should be dismissed. Joining us now is danny cevallos, Criminal Defense Attorney and msnbc legal analyst. Danny, great to have you here today. We know this fight over immunity now has touched all three levels of the Federal Court system. Talk about the implications that these resolutions will have on the case. As to the federal cases, and probably the State Courses as well, it is everything. It is arguably, i dont want to overstate it, but it may be one of the most important criminal law issues in american history. At least as it goes to Executive Power and separation of powers and possibly the supremacy clause. And so in this case, so far, you could say it has been at the Supreme Court, but only in the briefest of moments because the Supreme Court has for now at least declined to take up the issue, allowing it to go through the normal processes. Even then, no matter what people, Monday Morning Quarterbacking now are saying, people like me, it could have gone either way. On the one hand, Grandparenting Granting Certiari is rare. It is hardly ordinary. It is the definition of extraordinary. So, for now, the Immunity Issue will go through the normal process. And what that achieves for the defense, they care more about delay, and they seem to have gotten that. Speaking of delay, do we think that the March 4th Trial Date will be postponed . I have taken a very simple approach to this. All my bets are on take any trial date that is currently existing and throw it out the window. And i only say that because even if ordinary cases, if they have some complexity, there is a good chance that if the judge sets a trial date, it will not go forward on that date. You add the odds increase as it is more notorious case, and in these, four criminal cases, which are the most notorious in american history, then you can bet that things happen. I dont necessarily know that those things are, but take a look already at what has happened. The appeals process alone, president trumps team appealing at every turn creates months, months of delay, which in an ordinary criminal case, involving a defendant youve never heard of, those months would be years of delay. Because it is so critical and so important, the courts here are stepping up their game and moving faster than they ordinarily would. We have the Immunity Case and two other trial dates and then we still dont have a date for the Georgia Election interference case yet. What is the likelihood we see him inou for more than one of these trials leading up to the election . Hell be in court. But ive stuck to my guns on this one, for georgia, i dont think the first witness will be heard in that case until 2025. I have a couple of reasons for saying that. It is state court. It moves more slowly than Federal Court. Number two, in its most recent somewhat infamous criminal rico case in fulton county, it took over eight months for the Jury Selection. Jury election. I cant imagine what that did to the litigants and the courts calendar for Jury Selection to take that long in that case. This case is much more known, you have a much more infamous, you could say, defendant. So this theyre going to need Jury Election time in georgia alone. Danny cevallos, thank you for your expertise. Good to have you here today. That Collision Course between trumps legal and political world is about to kick into high gear. Thats because in just 20 days, the republican president ial primary fight begins with the launch of the Iowa Caucuses. And nbc News Campaign embed jake taylor joins us now. Do you think it is shaping up to be trumps to lose . Reporter all gop candidates at home for the holidays this christmas with their families, gearing up for this iowa blitz that were about to see take place over the next couple of weeks. Of those candidates, donald trump as well at home in maralago, he had an interesting christmas message to shar yesterday on his social media platform truth social. He posted over a dozen times yesterday. He couldnt enjoy the Christmas Holiday because hes being politically persecuted by president joe biden, a common line of his on the campaign trail. He said while referencing u. S. Leaders including President Biden that they should, quote, rot in hell, strong words from the current commanding leader of the gop party. And over the past couple of weeks, trumps upped that aggressive rhetoric. He said that he doubled down immigrants are the theyre blood, that they are threatening the blood of our country. He said that he would be a dictator on day one if reelected. I have spoken with iowaes tryin affecting them. Theyre sticking with trump. Take a listen. I dont like the name calling, some of the childish activity. It doesnt sway me away from him. I can separate between somebodys personality and their qualifications that make them a good leader and good president. He is who he is and hes going to do what hes going to do. Thats probably it is his personality. And probably why some people dont like him very much. But, you know, i like that he stands up for truth and hes not afraid to say what hes thinking. Reporter now, jessica, all eyes, of course, on the iowa caucus, 20 days out. I spoke with jason miller, trump Senior Campaign adviser, he said theyre treating this like it is a tie. Not letting up, not taking any counting for granted. Vivek ramaswamy, 18 Campaign Events every single day. Theyre trying to make ground for that massive margin, over 31 points, donald trump currently has. The question we had from the very beginning still remains. How do any of candidates distinguish themselves enough to be a threat to donald trump and the gop primary . The clock is ticking. We need an answer. Jessica . Jake traylor, thank you for that. I want to bring in victoria Difrancesco Soto and susan del percio. We heard the iowa voters who seem unfazed by trumps rhetoric. We know his base is never leaving his side. How troubling is that for the Biden Campaign and how do you spotlight the dangers of those kinds of words, trumps words, in a way that will impact the swing voters . Right. So, jessica, what we see with these voters that were interviewed is that they still think that there is a separation between the bombastic language that trump uses, and what he really does. He really doesnt mean it. It is just his personality. It is callousness, right . But the truth of the matter and what we saw over the last four years is that a lot of what he says he seeks to put into action. I think that while for the base, they see a line of separation. The important part for democrats is to remind them it is not just trump being trump and saying crazy things. It is that this is something that he will act upon, so, it is something that joe biden did in 2020 to get elected. And hes going to have to reignite that at the same time. And one minor point, trump is essentially running as an incumbent. I dont think that we say that enough. He is not president right now, but given the nature of the last couple of years, that Semantis Mantle he wears and hes a Master Brander and been able to craft a brand of donald trump, not over the last couple of years politically, but over a lifetime in his trump empire. We know the Iowa Caucuses are now just 20 days away. So, two things here, what does it take to narrow the republican president ial field, and at what point do one of the candidates have to take one for the team and say, okay, im going to drop out in order for anyone else to have a chance of beating trump for the nomination . Well, i think when it comes to iowa, all eyes are on nikki haley. Will she leapfrog over desantis Whose Campaign is basically on life support right now. And make a decent showing . As long as if she comes in number two in iowa, she is heading into New Hampshire already with some momentum, and then in is a viable case for desantis to drop out, and frankly for Chris Christie to drop out. Because nikki haley is gaining that support. So, thats what im looking towards. It is more of how does she do in iowa, and can she make that Momentum Go Forward into New Hampshire and make it a one on one race . Then, of course, the Million Dollar question is they going to finally take on trump . And, susan, briefly, i want to get to this, were running out of time, were four weeks away from the New Hampshire primary, which is also shaping up to be critical in the race. Nikki haley plans to return to the state tomorrow for the First Time Since her endorsement from governor chris sununu. Do you think her strategy has a chance . Absolutely. Because you have to remember, governor sununu is very popular. Even though endorsements dont mean what they used to. New hampshire is basically a third, a third, a third. Independents can vote in either the democrat or republican primary. With no democrat primary in town, theyre going to flock to the republican primary and thats really where nikki haley has to make up the difference between her and trump. And there is still a considerable number of Percentage Points there. Victoria Difrancesco Soto and susan del percio, appreciate you both today. An uncertain future as tourists return to a devastated hawaiian community. What happens to those people displaced by the deadly wildfire . Youre watching msnbc. Well be right back. Wildfire youre watching msnbc. Well be right back. 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Thousands of Bank Of America employees like scott spend countless hours volunteering to teach people how to reach their financial goals. It felt good. It felt like i could take on the whole world. The winter play was really coming together. Until. Disaster struck. Tensions. Were high. Luckily, Replacement Costumes were shipped with fedex. Which means mr. Harvey. Could picture the perfect night. Were delivering more happy for the holidays. Christmas looked different on maui this year. Nearly five months after the was, tourism is starting to bounce back but there are still challenges for the people who live there. Heres dana griffin. Overlooking the burn scar of the Historic Town of lahaina sits symbols of those who perished here. 100 crosses built from wood salvaged from the ruins. When families come, it brings them a little bit of comfort and not just sorrow. She and her husband, matt, made a pledge to maintain this memorial adding wreaths for christmas and while the holiday has brought another wave of terrorism, the west side of the island is still struggling. We were living a nightmare and now sometimes it feels worse. Hotels will relocate evacuees to accommodate tourist bookings. Frustrated fire victims left in limbo, rallying just before christmas for longterm housing. My family have had to move around five times, live out of suitcases. Hawaiis governor has threatened to ban Vacation Rentals if more owners dont volunteer for a program that would offer tax breaks to displaced fire victims. Im sure well face litigation but ill do it if we dont get 3,000 units because its not civilized. Rebelding will take years. Now that the clean up has been completed, this photo map created by a hawaiian is being used by officials to see precise details of the disaster zone. For example, a road needs to be rebuilt or a community. They can actually plan that reconstruction inside of the model before they go out and do it in realtime. But this christmas, the unit is clear. They will not turn their backs on each other. Thats what christmas is all about. Loving your neighbor. Dana griffin, nbc news. Our thanks to dana griffin. Thanks so much for joining me today. Richard lui picks up our coverage after this break. I picr coverage after this break. Look the heavy duty cloths are extra thick, for amazing trap lock. Even for his hair. Wow. And for dust, i love my heavy duty duster. The Fluffy Fibers trap dust on contact, up high and all around without having to lift a thing. Im so hooked. Youll love swiffer. Or your money back whenever youre hungry, theres a deal on the subway app. Buy one footlong, get one 50 off in the subway app today. Now thats a deal worth celebrating. Man, what are you doing . get it before its gone on the subway app. To finally lose 80 pounds and keep it off with golo get itis amazing. 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