Transcripts For MSNBCW Kasie DC 20200816

And top Homeland Security senator gary peters is calling for a hearing immediately. Hes going to join me live. And coming up at 8 00, we count down to the conventions. Now less than 24 hours away. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins me in our second hour along with Steve Kornacki and so much more. We want to start with that breaking news. House speaker n eer nancy pelos announcing shes calling the full house to return to session later this week to vote on legislation to reverse changes put in place by new postmaster general and trump ally lewis dejoy earlier this year. The House Oversight committee is calling on dejoy to testify a week from tomorrow after the Postal Service warned all but a few states this week that it cant guarantee all mailin ballots will be received in time to be counted in the election. One example of just how urgent democrats feel it is to address this crisis, congressman jim cooper, a moderate from the red state of tennessee, says if dejoy fails to appear, the sergeant at arms should arrest him. Of course, this all comes after a week President Trump said flatly he opposing democre ins reque requests. Heres some analysis of those comments courtesy of republican senator mitt romney. Spoiler alert, its not all that complicated. Ive heard some people say they think that the reason the president doesnt want people to vote by mail is that polls show that people who want to vote by mail tend to vote for president , or Vice President biden, people who tend to want to vote in person tepnd to want to vote fo President Trump. So this is a political ca calculati calculation. The senator is right about those polls. A poll released this week from Monmouth University revealed that an overwhelming 72 of democrats are very or somewhat likely to vote by mail this november. While just 22 of republicans say the same. The president s own comments about mailin voting likely a big part of the reason for that disparity. With that, id like to welcome in my panel, National Political reporter for the Washington Post and msnbc political analyst robert costa. White house reporter for the Associated Press and msnbc political analyst Jonathan Lemire. Political reporter for axios, alexis mccammond. And former chief communications advise tor to house spueaker pa ryan, brandon buck. Its great to have you all tonight. Since were talking about Speaker Pelosi to start, let me start with you since you worked across the aisle from her for some years. This, of course, is in many ways a publicity move. This is not necessarily something we expect will eventually become law or pass the senate necessarily. Clearly, she was feeling a lot of pressure to bring them back. Going to be the saturday in between these two conventions. Theres not necessarily another day to do it. What does it tell you about how this crisis is unfolding . Well, one thing we should appreciate, its a big deal to bring members of congress back in the middle of august recess. That may sound silly, but is a big deal to do that. This is a total mess. I think there is really only anecdotal evidence that there was any kind of grand conspiracy behind whats going on with the Postal Service. At the same time, the president , though, basically raised his hand and said that he would be in favor of there being a big problem with the Postal Service. He created a political liability for himself and obviously energized his opponents. This was totally unnecessary but its a huge opportunity. You dont bring members of congress back the middle of august unless you thing its an opportunity. I am a little concerned this is now going to be super politicized. You know, democrats are on the attack here. You know, i think there had been some hope if both sides are able to come back together in september to eventually do a deal that Something Like this could be part of the solution. I worry now its probably less likely. Robert costa, you spent a lot of time talking to the Administration Officials behind the scenes as well as to republicans on capitol hill and brendans right, historically, members of both parties have been incentivized to protect the Postal Service for a host of reasons, not least because its only one of the services that americans in Rural Communities have reliable access to. Has this become so partisan that there wont be republican defenders of this . How do you see this playing out with republicans on hill next week . Keep an eye on Senate Republicans who are up for reelection this year. Theyre already facing headwinds. If leader mcconnell starts hearing from some of them that voters in rural areas, conservative areas of their state, older voters are concerned about the lack of access to mailin voting, about all the different complications raised by complications in the Postal Service, you could see some action. Its going to come down to leader mcconnell trying to bring something forward in the senate then giving the call to President Trump and Speaker Pelosi. Jonathan lemire, lets talk about a this a little more broadly because i was talking to Campaign Officials over the weekend with the biden team and while obviously there are great concerns about whats happened at the post office and there are reports across the country of peoples prescriptions being delayed and other issues, the Biden Campaign also underscores the fact that there is so much messaging coming out of the white house that is about undermining peoples faith in democracy, in our civic institutions, and raising questions about the outcome, potentially, of the election and that trying to encourage people to still believe in those civic institutions is important. Thats kind of the way that theyre looking at this. And i actually want to play some sound from mark meadows, the white house chief of staff, raising these questions without any evidence. He was on cnn earlier today. Watch. Do you realize how inaccurate the voter rolls are, with just people just moving around, let alone the people that die off, but sending ballots out just based on a voter roll, registration, any time you move, youll change your drivers license right. You dont call up theres no evidence of widespread voter fraud, though. Thats theres no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Theres no theres no evidence that theres not, either. Jonathan lemire, what is going on there . Yeah, thats a pretty remarkable statement, kasie. Its simply one not based in fa facts. A real what aboutism from the chief of staff of the white house. Its important to hit on two points here. First as you say, simply the mail service is so vital. Its an American Institution for so many people who live in this country particularly during a pandemic. Its one way youre able to hear from a loved one with a birthday card, perhaps, or, indeed, receive vital medication that they need. Larger than this, weve seen this pattern from the president sort of since day one where he has chipped away at the americans confidence in the institutions of federal government and the nation, itself. Hes alleged voter fraud before. Without evidence. Suggesting that in 2016 there were millions of votes cast illegally. Hi even formed a commission to explore it. That commission eventually was quietly disbanded because flofs there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The president thought there would be 3 million to 4 million illegal votes. The opposite. I think what the biden Campaign Officials but others are watching so nervously, this is a president who has already 2 1 2 months out from the election really casting doubt about the results, first of all, we all know its going to be a lengthy process this time. We may not have a winner that night simply because so many states are voting by mail because of the pandemic. It may stretch for days, even weeks. Hes suggesting, again, without evidence that there will be widespread voter fraud done by mail. He is planting the seeds here of sort of contesting and challenging the outcome of the election, perhaps opening up the doors for investigations into the election. Basically, trying to undermine americans belief in who will have won that day and whether that person, trump or biden, in this case, obviously, the president suggesting it be joe biden, would have been elected without merit illegally. Well, alexis mccam mondakaca seems important to underscore, there is no, as Jonathan Lemire says, jake taper pointed out in the spinterview, theres no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the mail. The most recent example we have is in the North Carolina race and it was perpetrated in that case by republicans. What does your reporting say about how the administration is grappling with this . The president raising questions about voting by mail seems to jush undermines his own potential vote and questions about the facts. Kasie, thank you for having me. The point about it undermining his own vote and that of his wife, melania trump, is a really important one because the sate time President Trump is saying on one hand, mailin voting is bad except in florida because they have a great republican governor, buts requesting these mailin ballots. It really contradicts itself. Thats because the big picture here is the facts rarely help the president. He knows that. He knows the facts in terms of mailin ballots shows it pretty equally helps republicans and democrats. I havent seen any evidence that shows its helping democrats more than republicans. But those things dont help President Trump. It also reflects this idea that hes incredibly stressed about the election that is happening in under 100 days. Hes looking at these national polls. The same polls were looking at showing biden not only leading, kasie, but increasing his standing on a consistent basis over the last few months especially because of the president s mishandling of the coronavirus. Americans are showing in polls and otherwise that theyre deeply unsatisfied. Dissatisfied with the president s handling of this virus. And hes getting nervous because, you know, at the same time that biden is looking at a pretty big map, the campaign is targeting Something Like 15 to 17 different states, battlegrounds, republican strongholds, democratic strongholds, and others, the president President Trumps Reelection Campaign is increasingly relying on a pretty small group of base voters and theyre really trying to rely on either depressing democratic voter turnout or firing up the Republican Trump base. Both of those things are turnout strategies. Neither of those are really about persuasion or convincing voters to convince trump this time around. Its really about either getting those folks who already like trump to come out and vote or getting democrats to stay home. I think thats a big part of why hes pushing this false narrative around mailin voting. Brendan buck, how bad do republicans, professional republicans, lets call them, whove been working on elections for the last couple decades, who are trying to get people reelected to the senate, reelected to the house, how bad do they think the landscape really is right now . For them . Quite bad, and the strange dynamic is that a lot of senators, republican senators, running, are actually running behind the president. And thats a really tough place for them to be. There are a lot of people who are out there voting for trump but not necessarily onboard with the republican senators that are there. Theyre running behind him. And thats an enthusiasm issue. But it also just shows you there are a lot of people who, you know, are trump voters but not necessarily republican voters. And so the dynamic out there is tough. One thing i want to raise on the mailin voting is this is an important issue and what mark meadows i think is trying to get to, not defending that comment, but this is an election where were relying nationally on mailin voting much larger way than we ever have and thats a serious thing, something we need to focus on. I think the solution, you think there are concerns about this, you should then fund the Postal Service more. Fix the problems that are there. But i dont think that we should just overlook the fact that we are going to have a largely untested system in a lot of states that have never done this before. I think this is an important thing to focus on and not just dismiss the idea that there could be challenges with it. Well, and robert costa, i mean, doesnt that very point kind of speak to the trouble that the administration has in kind of the mixed messaging and the reality that i think if everyone were as on board and a lot of republicans i talk to in congress are certainly on board with trying to give the Postal Service more money. Theyve been put in this box by President Trump. It would seem that the greater interest is to do exactly what brendan buck says. What do you think the dynamics are going to be as this plays out this week on the hill . Well, lets go a little bit deeper on that dynamic because when im talking to people on capitol hill, or longtime trump advisers, they say the servicelevel debate here is about the Postal Service and postal crisis that has been sparked by the president , but the deeper discussion in the president s orbit, what hes really doing is trying to erode confidence in the entire Voting System because he is worried about defeat in november and they say back in 2016 if he had been defeated, he would have went on for months saying the election was rigged, it was illegitimate. They were prepared for thencandidate trump to, perhaps, never even concede to secretary clinton should she have won that election. So that same pattern of behavior is rearing itself again in 2020. The consequence is hes weaponizing the postal system because hes trying to look toward that political end where he could win reelection but should he not win reelection, for his brand, personally and politically, he wants to be able so say that there was a reason for it and he sees the Postal Service as a foil and a target in that feffort. If he loses, it wasnt his fault that he lost, hes not an actual loser. It i want to say thank you to whoevers dog made a brief appearance on kasi d. C. Send us a picture afterwards. Im not sure who it was. Brendan buck, thank you for coming onto the program tonight. I dont know if we can hear alexis. Well look for a photo later on on twitter. Brendan buck, thanks for your time. Its great to have you. Were going to continue this conversation next with a top democrat on the Homeland Security committee. Senator gary peters who began investigating whats going on at the Postal Service weeks ago. At 8 00, an entire hour looking forward to the convention including Valerie Jarrett and senator doug jones. Kasie d. C. Back after this. Des allstate wont raise your rates just because of an accident, even if its your fault. Cut sonny. Was that good . Line the desert never lies. Isnt that what i said . No you were talking about allstate and insurance. I just. When i. Lets try again. Everybody back to one. Accident forgiveness from allstate. Click or call for a quote today. Whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. If you take asthma medicines, dont change or stop them without talking to your doctor. So help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. President trump admitted last night that postmaster general louis dejoy will need additional funding if the election is going to run smoothly. He also said that money depends on democrats agreeing to republican demands in the next relief bill. Obviously, if youre going to do these millions of dollars out of nowhere, hes going to obviously need funding, but the democrats arent willing to provide other things and, therefore, theyre not going to get the funding for that. And this Morning White House chief of staff mark meadows said the administration might consider standalone funding for the Postal Service if democrats agree to separate funding for stimulus checks. Im all about piecemeal. If we can agree on postal, lets do it. If we can agree on stimulus checks, lets do it. Speaker pelosi is the one who says she wont do anything unless its a big deal. Ask her, is she willing to do a standalone bill for stimulus checks for American People that are hurting . Joining me now is democratic senator gary peters of gn begmi. Hes one of the lawmakers calling on the postmaster general to testify. Senator peters, thanks very much for being here. And i know this has been an issue you have been focused on for quite some time. Even before everyones full attention was turned to this issue. So lets start with the question of whether the postmaster general is going to testify. If he doesnt he should be arrested as some members of the house have called for . He definitely needs to show up. The American People need transparency and need to understand k35k9ly what is happening at the Postal Service. He has knot benot been forthcom said there is no National Policy changes leading to a slowdown in mail delivery and said something differently. He contradicted that and said there are National Policies and doesnt answer key questions. What sort of data and what sort of analysis went into these changes before you made them . Did you appreciate that there could be a slowdown in mail and now that there is, whats plan b . He needs to be much more transparent. Im hearing from folks across michigan. I had thousands of people send me their stories of how mail is being delayed. We need to get to the bottom of this. What is your understanding of the policy changes that have most contributed to this delay . Is it the removal of the sorting machines or boxes or over time issue . What is driving this . Its cumulative. You dont have over time and as you have a surge, the machines in fact we heard from one individual that said the processing machines that can do 80,000 or more sorts, they were told to stop after 40,000, not to process all of the mail. Weve heard about trailers filled with mail that havent been unloaded for a period of time, as well. Really what it all boils down to and ive heard from letter carriers and mail handlers, these are incredibly professional people that want to move the mail as fast as they can and they have always in the Postal Service said the feeling was you never leave mail in the post office. You leave it out. Whatever it takes you move it out. They have mangers saying there is a pile of mail there but leave it until tomorrow. Dont worry about it. They leave and of course, its cumulative. Every day it continues to pile up. Thats not what we expect of the u. S. Postal service. Thats clearly not what theyve done in the past and we need to get back to the standards that existed prior to this new postmaster general. Lets talk about whether this is actually politically possible because it was being talked about in the context of the coronavirus. Relief legislation, those talks are stalled. The speaker is going to bring the house back. Chuck schumer put out a statement calling on mcconnell to bring the senate back. It doesnt necessarily seem likely hell do it. Do you think there is enough pressure from senators like Lisa Murkowski of alaska and Susan Collins of maine where she talked about the rural postal carriers and areas in her state that need to be served and others to actually get him to do something or is the president s influence too strong here . Well, unfortunately, weve seen the president s influence strong. Republicans generally do never want to cross where the president is but as you mentioned, this really hits rural areas. The u. S. Postal service is the only Delivery Service that delivers to every single address in our country. Rural america depends on the Postal Service for medicines, for paychecks, for getting their bills so they can pay them on time and not have fees. Small businesses are absolutely dependent on the Postal Service to get packages out and particularly in the pandemic now folks are selling products online, they need a reliable Postal Service. Anybody who represents rural areas should understand how important and how vital the u. S. Postal service is to the folks that they represent so i would hope they would step forward and say we need to fix this. Well, there certainly are rural areas of your home state of michigan. Dont want to leave them out. Lets talk about this more broadly in the context of the election. There are reports in michigan, republicans have been voting in equal proportions in person versus mail while democrats were five times more likely to vote absentee than in person. This does seem to contribute to the narrative President Trump is pushing that its all political and potentially also that his criticism of mail in ballots is backfiring. Do you think its backfiring in your home state . I think so. The reason is the election is absolutely critical and we have to make sure that people have the ability to exercise their constitutional right to have their voice heard and particularly in a pandemic to be able to do that safely at home and securely to do it is critical. But the Postal Service is a whole lot more than the election as i mentioned. This is about medicine and Small Businesses. This is about folks who rely on a mail Service Every single day and to think you would mess with a service that is so important and that has such broad support from the American Public just to try to stack an election in your favor is simply outrageous to have a president making the kinds of statements that he has made. So we need to fix the Postal Service for a whole host of reasons, clearly, the constitutional right to vote is incredibly important but there is a lot more to the Postal Service each and every day for everyday americans. Very quickly, sir, before i let you go based on your role on the Homeland Security committee, i want to ask about chad wolf, two officials watchdog says that theyre violating the vacancy act in their appointments and chuck schumer, the minority leader called on them to step down. Do you agree they should step down . The president needs to put forward folks through the senate process and have confirmed leaders of the department of Homeland Security. You know, i would argue without question the department of Homeland Security is one of the most important agencies that we have in federal government because its about keeping the homeland safe. Federal government needs to keep people safe and you need to have leadership there that is confirmed by the senate. We had a hearing earlier with former secretaries of the department of Homeland Security who said without permanent leadership and Senate Confirmed leadership, it very difficult to lead that agency and right now, of the leading 18 positions at the department of Homeland Security, 11 of them do not have either a Senate Confirmed person in that place or there isnt even a nominee. It makes no sense whatsoever to have one of the most important agencies in the federal government not be led by Senate Confirmed leaders that can provide the kind of leadership necessary. The president needs to step up and go through the process and make sure that we get those nominations. All right. Senator gary peters, thank you very much for coming on the program tonight. Always great to have you. The dnc starts in about 24 hours and the president is set to travel to four ski states ke. Hell go to bidens hometown on the day the former Vice President accepts the nomination. 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Monica, is minnesota really in play at this point . Why is he going there . Reporter well, kasie, before the pandemic the Trump Campaign thought so investing resources compared to the last cycle when he lost by 1. 5 points to Hillary Clinton. Polls show joe biden up in minnesota but tighter than other Battle Grounds up for grabs and with 80 days to go, the entire 2020 landscape shifted and the two tickets are showing that in different approaches as we head into the conventions. Theres no playbook for campaigning during a pandemic but for President Trump, these dos and donts are the clearest signs how hell run for reelection on the home stretch. On november 3rd, were going to win. Reporter do, travel across the country. The coronavirus outbreak hasnt stopped the president and Vice President from leaving washington this summer. Game plan for the fall . Keep it up. It is great to be back in the hawk eye state. Reporter the president will visit four Battle Ground states this week to counter the democrats Virtual Convention and while joe biden has rarely ventured out his home state of delaware, the president is making trips to 16 different states since may in an official and Campaign Capacity but he cant hold massive rallies. At least for now. Were going to start our rallies back up now. Were not alloweded to ha to ha rallies. Reporter the candidate is sidelined indefinitely. Everything is negative. Dont go. Dont come. Dont do anything today. It was like ive never seen anything like it. Reporter the president s indoor tulsa event had empty seats and led to cases of coronavirus within the campaigns own ranks. Were looking at gettysburg and the white house and i would say it really down to those two. Reporter and so, the president is using the white house increasingly as a political backdrop blurring the lines between the campaign and official government business more than any modern incokucome bent. When he cancelled the rally he gave a version of the speech in the rose garden instead and now will likely redeliver the nomination speech from the south lawn in a major break with tradition. The Postal Service is a joke. Reporter not on the agaenda for this president , funding the agency to process millions of ballots this year. When you have this mail in voting, its very susceptible. Reporter with so Many Americans worried about waiting in line at their polling places, the president says the quiet part out loud why he may block 25 million in funding to the Postal Service. They need that money to have the post office work. If they dont get those two items, you cant have universal mail in voting. Reporter the president and first lady vote absentee themselves requesting ballots from florida this week. Im with the donald Trump Campaign. We were wondering if you decided who youd support for president yet. Reporter do campaign door to door. Canvassing looks different in 2020 but republicans deploy plenty of field resources to key states. Gop volunteers knocked on a whopping 6 million doors since june. Obvious low, cly, campaignin to door and holding rallies is difficult with the virus. Reporter democrats relied on virtual contacts with their supporters for town halls and fundraisers. One more thing, dont listen to the polls. Were doing very well in the polls and you know, they love the suppression polls. This soul most liis almost like reporter in 2016 trump was the pollster in chief and showed him trailing Hillary Clinton. Even though were doing pretty good in the polls, i dont believe the polls anymore. Reporter back then, exit polls found nearly a quarter of registered voters made up their minds less than a month before election day and tended to break for trump. This time around, the president even questions his campaigns own internal polling that shows him struggling in states he won easily last cycle. The president will be in full counter programming mode as he was for much of the primary season this week kasie, with a return to southern minnesota tomorrow and in wisconsin, arizona and then hell travel outside scranton, pennsylvania, joe bidens birthplace hours before the democratic nominee is set to deliver his keynote address at the dnc. Kasie . Monica alba thanks very much for that great reporting. The panel is back with me, r. Jonathan, youll be traveling with the president this week. What have you been reporting out in terms of what to expect. Arizona, if arizona is on the map, thats a real problem in terms of putting together the Electoral College scenario they need. Thats right, kasie. Both campaigns more or less agree there are six Battle Ground states that will decide this election and the president is going to three of them this week in terms of arizona, pennsylvania and wisconsin. Minnesota as indicated in that report is one he lost last time around and one of the very few states that went blue in 2016. The Trump Campaign felt like they have a shot at this time around, maybe add New Hampshire to that. Thats it. They find themselves having to play defense on a number of red states like georgia, texas, ohio. But they need to breakthrough in some Battle Grounds. They are down in arizona a state they won comfortably last time and with the president s handling of the pandemic seen numbers fall there and then of course, there is pennsylvania on thursday. A state that he captured first republican in decades to do so in 2016 and what can only be considered a, lets face it, a pretty troll move to go there thursday. Ill travel with the president as he goes to scranton to talk about biden and his economic record hours before joe bidens political career that night when he becomes the nominee. Youre expecting here as a final point. This is a kick off week. The week after is the republicans own convention and after that expect President Trump to be on the road on a near daily basis. Were advised to pack our bags. Well be on the road quite a bit and stand in contrast to a rather delaware centric joe Biden Campaign. Both men seeming to decide that their voters want Different Things from them amid a pandemic. Let stick with pennsylvania for a second. Alexi, i want to ask you about there is a cover story about the Trump Campaign in new York Magazine that came out today and reporter olivia went to pennsylvania and tried to show up to a bunch of volunteering events and then she wrote when she finally went to hq to figure it out, she said the staffers tried to sort out how with fewer than 100 days until the election. They had unknowingly advertised events that didnt exist to potential Campaign Volunteers in the most important swing state in the country. She went to events that were simply not happening. What does this tell you and what is your reporting more broadly how the Trump Campaign is actually performing on the ground in these states where they need people to show up for them . You know, i know President Trump and the apparatus that is his campaign performs better when they can be on the ground with Voters Holding in person events and big ticket rallies President Trump thrives at. Without those, weve seen how President Trump has declined in the polls and of course, started his own coronavirus briefings as a way to make up for that but what is happening in pennsylvania shows and suggests to us that the president s Reelection Campaign wasnt prepared for a Digital First world. Thats surprising given how strong the digital operation is and was in 2016 because now were in this totally new Virtual Reality where hes going to have to meet voters where they are, which is online. You know, there is a lot of chaos because similar again to 2016 where the Trump Campaign was kind of building the plane as they were flying and it trying to land it. Now they are doing that exact same thing with a couple months left until the 2020 election. They cannot rely on that same 2016 playbook as much as they want to to help them in 2020 because were in totally different circumstances. I hear that. Even over the barking. Robert costa, final word to you here. Nbc is reporting that the trump, President Trump is considering meeting with Vladimir Putin before the election amid news that the russians are again interfering taking active measures to interfere in our election. What role does that play and why now . Why would the president consider meeting with putin right now . Well, kasie, for a second, i think about that old line if you want a friend in washington, get a dog. I think thats always applies. Perfect. Regardless of the situation. Look, the president 100 . Is defiant when it comes to russia. This is a president who has been to say the least moving away from traditional Foreign Policy positions that have been held in recent decades but republicans and democrats and he ties the russia investigation, his associates tell me to his own legitimacy as president. He thinks it been questioned because of the russia investigation and ever since that probe began, he has done Everything Possible to not only question that investigations own legitimate se but insist it fine. He zigzags at times with rhetoric saying hes as tough on anyone as russia to saying its fine to have these interactions with putin despite Vladimir Putin being highly aggressive in asia and eastern europe. You look at the ukraine situation and still have an encouraging into crimea. Quite a lot still unfolding of course on the International Stage as we hear and grapple with what is going on with the Postal Service and questions just 80 something days out from this election. Thank youall very much. Ale alexi, whats your dogs name . I have two dogs which is probably why youre hearing a lot of them. Maralin and siobhan named after success on hbo. Love it. Im a huge fan. Love it. Thank you so much and please give them our regards, as well. Nine months ago our next guest made the hardest decision shes had to make. Former congresswoman katy hill on resigning and the standards women in politics are held to. S women in policits are held to. [ action music throughout ] every box has a mission to protect everything inside from everything outside. When whats inside matters, count on boxes. [ doorbell rings ] paper and packaging. How life unfolds. There are so many toothpastes out there, which one should i use . Try crest pro active defense. It neutralizes bacteria for a healthier mouth than even the leading multibenefit toothpaste. Crest. These humans, those humans. Groovin, and golden. Its about getting more than Health Insurance and a partner who listens and acts. Humana calls it human care. Its talking to a doctor from your couch, or helping you find a cheaper prescription before you ask. Its helping you fix the rugs so you dont fall, and keeping you social, online or off. Its getting to know you, so you can be your healthiest. Thats our superpower. Thats human care. From humana. She was part of the new wave of young freshman democrats elected as a rebuke to the first half of the Trump Presidency but less than a year in, katy hill resigned following a relationship with a staffer and rightwing media smear she believes her husband was involved in. Despite going through there, hill found time to write she will rise becoming a warrior in the battle for true equality. Joining me now is katy hill. Congresswoman, its great to have you on the program. I know we talked a little bit a couple days ago on morning joe about what this experience was like for you and ive been thinking about our conversation, what i heard from you then and you know, i think the thing that really stands out for me in terms of your experience is the spot light that is put on women and the different ways in which women are judged for the actions that theyve taken and what the public will accept from them. There are many men over the course of the years, i wont list them here but there are many who have endured sex related scandals, embarrassing incidents, and who have, you know, clung to power and in many cases leaders have allowed them to do that and i just wanted to hear a little bit more from you about what your thinking is, how it changed after going through this. I know youve expressed some regret for some of the actions that you took but why do you think your experience was different from the many, many men in power who have used those positions of power to do things that we would consider embarrassing or wrong . Yeah, well, i think the fundamental difference is that we have just not had women in these kinds of powerful positions in the numbers were talking about now until relatively recently. Even know, even with the huge wave of women that we had in 2018, we still only make up a quarter of congress meaning that we have about half of the representation we should for the portion of the population that we comprise. So for us to get to the point where we are we dont have to be the most perfect examples of humanity to be able to do good in this world and to be able to be leaders and beeffec effective have to have parody and expect our leaders to be women as much as we expect them to be men and we got these idealized embedded institutionalized feelings around women so if women make mistakes, they are treated much more harshly than men and the biggest example of all, if you look at the person in the white house who has over 25 woman hent accused him of Sexual Misconduct and doesnt even factor into peoples considerations anymore because hes done so much worse since then. Would you ever run for elected office again considering what you went through but also whats out there . Well, one good thing about if i ever did run for office again, literally everything has been exposed including my naked pictures, not through my choice but it out there. I guess there is something somewhat freeing in that. You know, it is certainly not in my plans now. Im excited about the book, having finished it and laying out this road map that is so important for women of all kinds, not just women that want to run for office but any position to layout a battle plan for how were going to defeat the systems that keep us down but im also working on our organization, our pact Political Action committee called her time that is dedicated to helping more women get elected into office and especially young women, women of color. Were focussing on mobilizing young women as a voting group as a group of people that will consistently show up at the polls not just this election day but over and over and over again at each level of the ballot to be able to elect more women and finally, well advocate for issues that i outline in the book, that i outline in the book as well. Equal pay. You know, paid family leave. Healthcare issues and the right to choose. And so, there is an entire agenda that i think is the feminist agenda we need to be pushing for. And that we cant stop paying attention to. So, thats my next step. I dont i feel like i can have a pretty big impact not by running for office, but by doing this instead. So one woman we learned is going to run for a higher office, Kamala Harris. And shes grappled kind of her own relationship in the past. Do you think that should be fair game . Or not . No, i think we have to make a decision on whether you know, how we want this this personal life, you know, baggage i guess that any of us have, to affect how we see people as leaders. And i think there is a difference between, you know, misconduct and forcing people to do things and sexual assault, than there is between something that was not advisable or something that you regret, later on. And i think that its going to come up. Theres no option, right . You cant decide if its fair game or not but its up to us, members of society, to call it what it is, which is misogynistic. Shes going to get accused of something a man would never get accused of, which is quote unquote sleeping your way to the top. Its a completely offbase attack. And i hope that we can brush it off, as easily as we need to. It is going to be a tough couple of months. Katie hill, you know better than anyone what its like to go through a tough period. Former congresswoman katie hill, thank you very much for being with us tonight. I really appreciate it. Zblchlk as the number of americans with coronavirus drops, is a new test thats cheaper to use the best way to constantly test millions of americans for coronavirus . The nba says, maybe so. Coronavirus . The nba says, maybe so r this fo. They will, but with accident forgiveness allstate wont raise your rates just because of an accident, even if its your fault. Cut sonny. Was that good . Line the desert never lies. Isnt that what i said . No you were talking about allstate and insurance. I just. When i. Lets try again. Everybody back to one. Accident forgiveness from allstate. Click or call for a quote today. History says, Fine Jewellery for occasions. We say, forget occasions. Fine jewellery for yourself. snap were mejuri, the new luxury. Reinventing. Its what with comcast business, your Small Business can work faster, with powerful internet from the nations largest gigspeed network. Work safer, with all your connected devices automatically protected by securityedge. And work anywhere, with comcast business at home, our new businessgrade Internet Solution for remote workers. Whatever your business needs, comcast business has the solutions to help you not just bounce back, but bounce forward. Call or go online to find out more. Amid so much news over mailin voting, and of course, the political conventions, it is important to remember that, of course, the coronavirus pandemic has not subsided. There are now more than 5. 4 million cases, across the United States. More than 170,000 americans have died. And the u. S. Continues to report more than a thousand coronavirusrelated deaths, every day. Now, the number of known tests conducted each day has fallen, for the first time, since the pandemic began, according to the covid tracking project. But there is some reason for optimism. Yesterday, a salivabased test developed by researchers at yale, in partnership with the nba, was approved for emergency use by the fda. A professor of epidemiology at harvard tells the atlantic while these tests may be less sensitive than others, the ease with which they could be conducted could be the key to testing millions of americans every single day. That could be good news for all of us. We have got a packed hour counting down to the conventions. Im going to talk to democratic governor whitmer. And tom perez joins me to talk about a year of changes unimagined. We got a very special hour of kasie d. C. Coming up next. F kasie d. C. Coming up next. Me. You ok, sis . My symptoms kept me from being there for my sisters. Flight boarding for flight 2007 to chicago. So i talked to my doctor and learned. Humira is for people who still have symptoms of Crohns Disease after trying other medications. And the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief. And many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor. If youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections. Or have flulike symptoms or sores. Be there for you, and them. Ask your doctor about humira. 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If you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. Common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. If youre living with hiv, keep loving who you are. And ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. If youre living with hiv, keep loving who you are. Did you know Liberty Mutual customizes your Car Insurance tada so you only pay for what you need . Given my unique lifestyle, thatd be perfect let me grab a pen and some paper. Know what . Im gonna switch now. Just need my desk. My chair. And my phone. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Illinois. And it was four years ago donald trump tried to turn a gold star family intotr a flash point. Also, senator ted cruz was booed. The latest nbc news wall street journal poll shows joe biden hanging on to a ninepoint lead over the president. When you isolate Battle Ground states, that lead shrinks slightly. Leading biden, only on his handling of theon economy and crime. When it comes to healthcare, coronavirus, race relations, and generally, uniting the country, President Trump is far behind. Even though, it was four years ago, ast nominee, he insisted that only he could fix americas problems. I am your voice. I have embraced crying mothers who have lost their children because their politicians put their personal agendas before the national good. I have no patience for injustice. Noor tolerance of government incompetence, of which this is so much. No sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens. No sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens. Those words ring pretty differently, sittings here, fo yearse, later. Conventions have long been seen as one of the biggest opportunities to reset the races and the president is, of course, going to try to do that when he breaks with tradition and, possibly, ethics rules to give his speech, from the grounds of the white house. But i want to start with Steve Kornacki for more on how much conventions can, or cant change the o contours of the campaign. Steve. All right, kasie. Theres a lot of things going to be different about the convention this year. One question is what about the convention bounce . You know, the nominee, sometimes, in the past, has gotten a big jump in the polls coming out of the convention. Not always. And its a question of obviously,in given how differen the conventions will be, will there be any this year. Lets start back in 2004. Were going back 16 years. Remember, this wasye john kerry versus george w. Bush. Theeo democrats, because they we the challenger that year, they went first in their convention. And john kerry, this is really the first time i can remember in the modern era, kerry was a point ahead of bush before the convention. In the average of the polls, he gotra a bump of seventepnths o one point. Essentially, there was no bounct for john kerry. Does that mean convention bounces are allme over . Well, we got hints about a month later, when george w. Bush had the republican convention. You see, bush was down a little bit before the a convention muc he left his convention at Madison Square garden in new york with a big lead. What was the difference between these conventions . One difference. John kerry had announced his running mate, john edwards. Did that just take some of the drama out of it . Was it not a great speech . Whatever it is, kerry didnt get a jump. 2004. 2008, here, we definitely saw some bounces. Obama went from slightly ahead to pretty significantly ahead. Then, a week later, they had the republican convention. Mccain went from down to up. These were both successful conventions in 2008. In 2012, again, here, you saw somewhat of aga bounce for democrats forbo barack obama, t incumbent president. It was a tied race. He left the convention with a lead. Mitt romneysith convention. You know, he was slightly behind. He brought it back to a tie. What we saw in these cases here, slight bump. And last time around here for donald trump, there was a little bit ofdo a bump. For Hillary Clinton, there was a bump, too. Actually, a pretty significant one. About seven points for Hillary Clinton. So the convention bumps, at least through 2016, you could get one, sometimes small. S sometimes, fairly significant. But theyve still been possible. Not automatic but possible. No n now, the question 2020, youre not going to have all the av energy, all the life, all the pageantry that normally comes with n a convention. So were going to be watching. Democratic convention. Republican convention. Is there any movement in the polls . Or does a virtual m convention, does that make it impossible . Its a key question, obviously, one were going to keep an eye on. And of course, the question whether you can hang on to that lead if you get a bounce out of the conventions. I want to welcome in msnbc contributor, sam stein. Elise jordan. And former deputy National Political director for Kamala Harriss president ial run, julissa washington price. Thank you all for being here tonight. Sam stein, let me start with you. Weve never seen anything likes this. Its going to be an entirely virtualti convention because of the coronavirus. Theyre going to be producing it. Theyve mailed video dwequipmen out to people all over the country. There seems honestly, i dont know what to expect. What are you looking for in terms f of whats going to make this a success or a failure for the democrats . Well, i think for for biden, really, its about not doing any harm. And i think, in some respects, having an lot of this prerecord helps him, in that sense. You dont have the potential for any awkward moments, flops, verbal miscues. You know, things that could maybe create a viral moment that would beir embarrassing, in som respects. As to what we should expect, think of like a and no no disunity, right . Idi mean, think back to monday, 2016. Bernie sanders. Then, the reaction. Yeah. Yeah. So, i mean, obviously, the convention was a huge success for Hillary Clinton in 2016. But people do forget that there was a fair amount of disunity t supporters for Bernie Sanders but also, there was app lot of discomfort in the halls of the convention because it was at that point in time thatec we ha the first published, hacked emails from the dnc. We wont have that opportunity to ask those types of questions. Hacks, as ofve the yet. And the disunity that you talked about wont be there. As for what you can expect, i think its going to be like a like a classic telethon in a way. Theres goingn to be performer music musical acts, surprise guests. And mumuthen, you know, builtu momentum to a closing speech. Cl and this is sort of a tv production. In a way, its like where donald trump is probably most comfortable. And nmaybe joe biden is not too familiar. But democrats have Convention Planners who are c very familia with puttingho things on for halftime superbowls, for instance. A lot of prerecorded. I dont think too much surprises, beyond who the guest speakers may rpbe. But yeah, its not going to be lots of thrills. And, therefore, i dont think were necessarily going to get much of a bump in either direction. Elise jordan, does that kind of raise the stakes a little bit for President Trump . I mean, obviously, it seems extraordinarily, ethically, questionable to give a purely political speech from the white house glourounds. Not something that other president s contemplated or used that venue for. But as sam points out, he is the consta consummate television producer. We dont have any t idea what republicans are planning around this, inre terms of pageantry. And its hard to imagine President Trump being happy if they dont stack up, in his mind, to what democrats put on this week. Well, and just consider that donald trump is at his weakest when he is delivering prepared remarks. He does not like to deliver from a teleprompter. He is often, seemingly, reading the remarks for the first time. You can tell by his response of sorts. But thats something thats going toom play more to the democratic advantage than to tho republicans. I remember, during the bush us years, we could pull someone like kid rock. It is a much shorter list. Also, was there for mitt romney. Lets talk a little bit about the substance, here. And julissa, you worked with Kamala Harris. This is going to be awi big, yo know, her her big, next test as the vp nominee is going to come this week when she takes the stage. And we actually have a little bit of a sense of what shes like, and a little bit of deja vu here. We have Kamala Harris introducing joe biden at the its actually the California Democratic convention. This was back in 2016. He lets just watch a little bit of that. It is through my friendship with bo, that i truly came to know joe biden, not just as a leader but, asju a person. So, california democrats, i say, from my personal experience, that thers biden family truly represents our nations highest ideals. Pr a powerful belief in the nobility of Public Service. Lets give it up for joe biden. So, of course, we heard some of those themes, julissa, earlier this week when joe biden formally introduced harris as his running mate. Wh what are the stakes for Kamala Harris, here . And you know, i cant help but think back to that historic moment. I was on the podium, actually, at the position the networks have. When Hillary Clinton became the first woman to accept a majorparty nomination. There has to be a lot of meaning in this for women of color, who are seeing the first woman of color take a position on the National Party ticket. R absolutely. This convention will be a historic one. If you think about it, this year marks 100 years since women had the right to vote in this country. And particularly,hi longer for black women, with all the hurdles we face when it comes to Voting Rights. 56 years ago,vo Fanny Lou Hamer talked about Voting Rights of black americans, as well as black representation in the democratic party. This k year, in 2020, we have senator Kamala Harris who will be accepting the vp nomination under the democratic ticket. To say thats a historical moment is an understatement. A lot of people are going to be watching. A lot of people are going to be fired up. Eo andto one thing to note, as wel. All of us are watching this convention at home because of the failed leadership of this administration. And thats not going to b go unnoticed. And i think a lot of the democrats, as well as senator harris, is going to mention that on the stage this week. Well, and, sam, as were looking at, you know, the program that theyve put together. T and as we are all battling this pandemic. You know, theyre going to have governor john kasich. That, by itself, is pretty rich considering kasichs past and the congressman that he once was. Now,reon speaking at the democr convention. And pernBernie Sanders. On the same night. All to send a message that this is all bigger than the t Trump Campaign. Yeah. I mean, theres been some griping on the left about how much time seems to be devoted in theto programming to, you know, former republicans, current republicans, nevertrumpers, and thes, like. Versus progressives and liberals. But i think you sort of hit the nail on the head. Th the message that biden is carrying into this election which is one, frankly, that he carried through the primary successfully. That this is a sort of great, unifying enterprise to rid the country ofto donald trump. And that you have to build largerto coalitions. And you cant just focus on base turnout, if you want to do that. And so, the convention is a reflection of the candidate ethos, and thats what bidens ethos is. So if people are angry or surprised, they probably shouldnt be. This is what hes run on and whh he is going to be. Im curious. You know, were all going to read probably way too much into this stuff. Who gets what slot . And also how much time each gets . What does Bernie Sanders say when he gets on stage . What does kasich say when he gets on stage . Does bernie talk about a progressive platform and moving beyond bidenism. Does john kasich make overtures to fellow republicans and say, l look, this may seem odd and uncomfortable. But we are at an historic moment, where you need to make a decision based oned morality, n just partisanship. So, you know, we have to really look into the themes of the speeches to understand what kind of pitch bidens is trying to get at there. But my sense is what you are talking about, which is unity in the face of i trumpism. And this being bigger than any one candidate. Elise jordan, do you think republicans, elected republicans, will start toed increasingly decide that they are comfortable signing on with joe biden . Or is that republicans just to save their own Electoral Prospects what is your what is your concern . And what measures have you taken to ensure the security of the convention . For those of us who have been on zoom calls, you know. Well, kasie,podiums, no doubt about it. More conversation in communities across this country. And what people are going to see is the unity that not only so not to, you know, be too muchto of a debbie downer, but there have been some attempts to do these kindee of largescale events over the course of the pandemic. Concerts. Perhaps, a classic telethon. Where weve seen celebrities. What are you doing to try and make sure that your production level is something that,th frankly, wont have people turning off their tvs . We hired a worldclass team, as i said. S . And we hired them a long time ago. We made a pivot. We understood that we have we were planning for the we were hoping for the best and we were planning for everything. And so, we didnt just start two, three, weeks ago putting this together. We started months ago. And i really believe that sometimes necessity is the parent of ingenuity and innovation. And we have a worldclass team, and im really excited about the program were putting together. I think it will inspire people. Now, you talked about all the political leaders who will speak. And im thrilled at who is speaking. Andsp im thrilled at the diversity of those who are speaking. Im equally thrilled that the ordinary americans, who are not recognizable household names, who have done extraordinary things that we are going to featureth as well. Because this is really a convention where we are talking to real people about the struggles in these unpress tent unprecedented times. So well have a frontline paramedic from florida whos been saving f lives and is a dreamer. You know, well have farmers from pennsylvania, who is a generational family farmer. And he trusted donald trump. He voted for him because donald trump said hed have his back. Now, theyre going to lose their farm. We are going to have those stories of real americans, who are fighting every day. And i think thats going to inspire folks because people are going toe see themselves in ma of these speakers. And our broad message is there is room for everyone at the democratic a party table. P this is not simply a convention for democrats. This is a convention for everyone who craves human decency. Who craves competence. I love that video you had of trump before. Um saying i will not tolerate incompetence. Hes the embodiment of incompetence. And people want a president who has their back, and can get the job done. An this has has failed every test of leadership. And people will see our optimism, our diversity, our competence. And o then, theyll contrast it one week from now, with the republicans politics of division. Theyll probably talk about birtherism. Theyll be talking aboutab caravans. And try to scare people. And that just doesnt workra anymore. Us people are fed up with the tweeterinchief. Bernie sanders. Senator Bernie Sanders was on meet the press this morning with my colleague, chuck todd. And he has said that he is on board with the unity train that you describe. But that, of course, on november, after election day, that , that may all change. Ay and he may be pushing harder for a more Progressive Agenda than the platform that you all are going to lay out at the convention this week. What did the Biden Campaign and you, at the dnc, do differently with Bernie Sanders this time thater has him more on board th what we saw in 2016 . We started working with everyone, in 2017. Er we had a Unity Reform Commission that brought everyone together. And our goal was to make sure that we built a big tent. We addressed the Critical Issues that were Sowing Division within our ranks. We came up with a series of very aggressive reforms, including the other weverwhelming number members supported it. And look what we have now. Everybody is fully throated behind joe biden because everybody had a fair shake during the primary cycle. That was my pledge to everyone. And i am proud of all the candidates for president because they they were saying im in it to win it and if i dont win it, i am going to be behind our winner and that is whats happening. Our unity is, indeed, our greatest strength and its Donald Trumps nightmare. And i want to give him some nightmares in the coming days by continuing this unity. Our goal is to unite america and i can think of no person better to do that than joe biden and, now, his historic and remarkably talented Kamala Harris. All right. Tom perez, a thank you so much. Our best of luck to you this ck week, as you try to do something that weve never seen before. We are just getting started, here, on this hour. Previewing the democratic convention. Still to come. Wi valer Valerie Jarrett. But first, Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Mailin ballots there and other states around the country, may not make it in time. States around the country, may not make it in time. And we always will. For people. For the future. And there has never been a summer when its mattered more. Wherever you go, summer safely. Get 0 apr financing for up to five years on select models and exclusive lease offers. Shingles doesnt care. I logged 10,000 steps today. Shingles doesnt care. I get as much fresh air as possible. Good for you, but shingles doesnt care. Because 1 in 3 people will get shingles, you need protection. But no matter how healthy you feel, your immune system declines as you age, increasing your risk for getting shingles. 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And now, were committed to helping you do just that with a powerful and reliable internet and voice solution at a great price. Call or go online today. Welcome back. Joining me now is democratic governor, gretchen whitmer, of michigan. Governor whitmer, welcome back to kasie d. C. Its great to have you on the program. I want to start with politics. And then, of course, were going to touch on the very Critical Issues of the Postal Service and coronavirus, in your home state. But as many of our viewers know, you were scheduled to be on with us two weeks ago. We, abruptly, learned that you were not going to be on the show. And of course, afterward, discovered you had flown to delaware to meet with joe biden to talk about becoming his Vice President. Obviously, we know you will remain governor of michigan. But take us behind the scenes, a little bit, into those conversations. What did you take away from your meetings with the former Vice President . That that help us understand where were going to go from here. I thought you might bring this up, kasie. Since i i i dissed you, at the last minute. I apologize. But now, you know why. You know, it was an honor to be it was an honor to be asked to go through the process. I think the world of joe biden. I think the world of Kamala Harris. And, frankly, all of the women who were rumored to be a part of the veep conversations he was having, i have got incredible respect for. I think that, as tom perez was just talking about unity, this is where we are as a country. Pulling together because the stakes are so high. I am thrilled to remain as the governor of the great state of michigan. I love being the governor. This is where three generations of my family live. And i am proud to support the biden harris ticket. But i think, that in those conversations, understanding, making sure that whomever it is that is his running mate is going to have the same values, support the agenda, be able to get it done. I went through, very much, the same process when i picked my lieutenant governor. And its really important that the candidate has the Comfort Level and the confidence. And i think thats what you see in joe biden and Kamala Harris. And frankly, all the people that he was rumored to be talking about were are phenomenally talented, and all are rock stars, on their own. So lets talk about your home state. My family, full disclosure, is actually from michigan. And elk rapids is my favorite place on on planet earth. So i am jealous you get to spend a lot of time there. What is your sense of where the state is, politically . Weve had debbie dingell, alyssa slotkin. Both congresswoman, who have warned biden shouldnt take it for granted. Nancy pelosi warned people who just show up to vote for donald trump are, perhaps, not people who showed up. Do you think polls activeually reflect where things stand right now . I think michigan is definitely a tossup in the president ial race. We are going to see these numbers tighten. I have never, for a minute, believed that it was a tenpoint spread. I will say this. In 2016, donald trump won michigan by less than 11,000 votes. I won michigan, just two years later, by around 400,000 votes. And so, i do believe that there is enthusiasm here to vote for joe biden. I believe his agenda resonates with michiganders. But its always going to be a dogfight in michigan and thats why people need to understand there still needs to be an incredible amount of attention paid here. And i know joe biden and Kamala Harris both get that. Kamala called me yesterday. We chatted briefly. I know that she is focused on michigan. They are eager to be president and Vice President for all of the nation and they are focused on this state. And i think michigan is a battleground. We all know that the road to the white house goes through this state. Do you think Kamala Harris being on the ticket will make a difference, in terms of africanamerican, black, voters from the detroit area especially, showing up in a way they didnt in 2016 . I think shes going to make a difference on the ticket, in a lot of ways, frankly. I know that women are enthusiastic. My daughter who is 18 is going to be casting her first vote. Well, she voted in the primary just a couple weeks ago. But she will be casting her first general election vote this year. She is superexcited. Not just about Kamala Harris but let me tell you. Shes gotten a chance to get to know joe biden, and she is thrilled about it. And so, i do think that Kamala Harris is one of those types of candidates that resonates with so many. And has really increased a lot of enthusiasm around this ticket and i think its wonderful. Lets talk about some of the issues, of course, that you are still facing as governor. Including the Postal Service and mailin balloting. That, handled, of course, by state parties but an Important Role in the secretary of states office. How concerned are you by changes that have opinion made in the post office . And what options do people in your state have to make sure their ballots get counted . Well, i am very concerned about it. I am working very closely with our secretary of state, jocelyn benson, and dana nestle. We are going to be unified in doing everything we can to make sure every vote counts. Ensuring there are drop boxes all over the state of michigan that are secure, so people can cast their ballot and drop it off if they are getting too close to election day. But we are investigating potential lines of suit against the federal government because this is a fundamental right. We amended our constitution in michigan, in 2018, so that people come vote from home. Thank god we did that. We never imagined wed be in the midst of a fwloepandemic. Its safer to vote from home and its every americans right to exercise that right of voting. So we are going to do everything we can to protect that right and ensure every ballot gets counted. Very quickly, before i let you go. You want to give us a little preview of your Convention Speech this week . Well, im going to talk a little about unity. Im going to talk about our frontliners, who have put their own health on the line to protect the rest of us and thats about all i can tell you right now, kasie. But one of these days when youre back in elk rapids, ill buy you a cherry margarita at pearls. I love that plan and i cant wait to be back up in michigan once we are able to travel a bit more freely. Governor whitmer, thank you so much for being on tonight. We hope to see you again soon. Just days after her announcement, the attacks against Kamala Harris started. For women in power, especially women of color, it is nothing new. I am going to talk with Valerie Jarrett about how best to handle it and her time working with the former Vice President. Er vice p. Tada did you know Liberty Mutual customizes your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need . I should get a quote. Do it. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. And get way more. Ith wso you can bring yours vision to life and save in more ways than one. For small prices, you can build big dreams. Spend less, get way more. Shop everything home at wayfair today. Which is why we keep taking care of ourselves, like screening for colon cancer. Because when caught in early stages, its more treatable. Cologuard is noninvasive and detects altered dna in your stool. To find 92 of colon cancers. Even in early stages. Its for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. False positive and negative results may occur. So, dont wait to screen. Ask your prescriber or an online prescriber if cologuard is right for you. Its totally not the same without you. Were finally back and cant wait until you are too. Universal orlando resort. Buy now and get two days free at the parks. Restrictions apply. Joe biden had the audacity to choose a black woman to be his running mate. How incredible is that . And what a statement about joe biden. That he decided that he was going to do that thing, that was about breaking one of the most substantial barriers that has existed in our country. And that he made that decision, with whatever risks that brings. Welcome back to kasie d. C. Joining me now is Valerie Jarrett. Former Senior Adviser to president obama and author of finding my voice, when the perfect plan crumbles the adventure begins. It is great to have you back on the show, valerie. It is rather unfortunate but i feel we have to start by something i saw you tweeting about over the past couple of days. And, that is, the return of a set of questions about whether Kamala Harris is eligible to be president of the United States. She was born in oakland, california. We know the answer is that, yes, she is, in fact, eligible to be on the ticket. But heres what President Trump had to say when he was confronted about this by my colleague, kelly odonnell. Watch. I just dont know about it. But its not something we will be pursuing. Mr. President , you know. You can simply clear this up. Let me put it differently. Dont tell me what i know. Let me put it differently. Let me put it differently. To me, it doesnt bother me, at all. I dont know about it. I read one, quick article. The lawyer happens to be a brilliant lawyer, as you probably know. He wrote an article saying there could be a problem. Its not something that i am going to be pursuing. Is she eligible, sir . I i just told you. I have not gone into it, in great detail. If shes got a problem, you would have thought that she would have been vetted. So, we have seen this tactic before. He is essentially refusing to say that, yes, she is eligible, by putting it off on someone else. And saying, well, how could i possibly know . Whats your reaction . Well, first of all, what a week for senator harris and Vice President biden. Not only is she qualified, shes bright, shes experienced, she is an incredible track record of Public Service at the local, state, and federal level. She is more than ready, on day one, to serve. And so, when confronted with a superstar like that, i think the attempt is to do the same thing they tried to do with president obama. And, that is, to delegitimize her. The same thing with the squad, go back to your country. What are you talking about . This is their country. And so, i think senator harris is more than prepared to deal with it. But the difference, also, this time is that there is a group of very powerful women who are going to have her back. And we are not going to let these miss objecti misogynist racist tropes come from anybody, either party. And before she is nominated because we saw this coming. But the American People are sick and tired of that. We are reeling from a pandemic. Millions of people have lost their jobs. What is it now . 170,000 people have lobtd thest lives. The impact on their families. The racial tensions that have surfaced around our country. There is enormous pressure on the American People and i dont think they have time for nonsense. And i know one thing. Vice president biden, senator harris, want to debate the issues. They want to explain, as this Convention Starts tomorrow, which i am so excited about, their vision for america. And i think everyone should tune in and hear what i think will be a draw from people all across our country. So harris, herself, of course, has said that she is ready for all these attacks that are going to come her way. She obviously has been living in the spotlight. Still, running against donald trump is something else. And then, you also have to face down, things like this. So, there was a column of frank brunei writes, harris the prosecutor can find the holes in your argument and make you tremble but can harris, the historymaking Vice President ial candidate find cracks in your heart and make you cry . Now, i understand that you have written a letter to media organizations, saying, hey, avoid stereotypes. Do you see stereotypes in this column . Yeah. And look, i have a lot of respect for frank but i was disappointed in that column because thats exactly what i am talking about. I know her. She and i thought her speech the other day was just perfect. She talked about her credentials. She talked contrasted what her vision and Vice President bidens vision for the country is, compared to the current administration. And she talked about her family. And she talked about her husband. And all of the things that make you human. And so, yes, that was disappointing. And i think the question we put is this. Would you ask the same thing of a man . Would you use the same language, in the same way, to describe a man . This whole issue about whether women are mean or nasty or ambitious. Whats wrong with ambition . Who, in their right mind, wants to be president or Vice President of the United States, who isnt ambitious . So this is a teaching moment for, not just the media but, i think, for america to say women are going to be moving into positions of power. You better get used to it, and you better treat us equally. Level playing field. What do you think americans learned from Hillary Clintons defeat . Especially, american women, about how and what it would take to get a woman elected to the how i white house, eventually . Well, look, first of all, 100 million americans didnt vote for the 2016 election. And i think it was a real wakeup call. The fact we had the womens march the day after inauguration. We saw an uptick in voting in the midterm elections compared to the last midterm. And we now have more women in congress than ever before as a result of the momentum that we see coming from women. So, i dont think that can be stopped now. And i know, right this minute, and you are going to see it next week during the convention. There are going to be house parties. We are going to be registering people and encouraging people to go out to vote. Which is why, kasie, it is so profoundly troubling that we are seeing the Postal Service disinvested in a time we want people to vote by mail. We want to keep them safe. I dont want my mother to have to choose between going to the polls and exercising her right, and putting her life in harms way because of her age. And that applies now, we know, to everybody. Everyone puts themselves in harms way because of this covid19. And so, we should be doing everything we can to build up the Postal Service. Building more infrastructure. Why are we seeing mailboxes being stored and taken out of neighborhoods, when we should be expanding those opportunities . In a democracy, everybody should be able to vote in as easy, accessible, and as safe way as possible. So thats really where the spotlight needs to be. So these attempts, for example, to come after senator harris and question her citizenship, i think is an attempt to distract from the abominable track record of the last nearly four years. RalValerie Jarrett, thank yo for your time tonight. Up next, senator doug yoejones slated to speak tomorrow night as the Convention Kicks off. What can we expect to hear from him as he tries to hold on to his deep red seat or his seat in deep red alabama . In deep red alabama . We see you. Looking out for all of us. But you cant lose sight of your own wellbeing especially if you have a serious chronic medical condition. At aetna, were always here to help you focus on your health. Because its always time for care. Gillette proglide and proglide gel. Five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke, while washing away dirt and oil. So youre ready for the day with a clean shave and a clean face. And mines unlisted. Try boost® high protein. With 20 grams of protein for Muscle Health versus only 16 grams in ensure® high protein. And now enjoy boost® high protein in new cafe mocha flavor. They get that no two people are alike and customize your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need. What do you think . I dont see it. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Welcome back to kasie d. C. I want to bring in Democratic Senate eve senator doug jones of alabama. He is going to be speaking at the Democratic National convention toefrm nigh conventi convention tomorrow night. Senator jones, its always great to have you on the program. Id like to start with your day job, as opposed to your Political Campaign work with the Biden Campaign because we have a brewing crisis with the Postal Service. There are delays in in mail. And i know some of your constituents have been dealing with this. Id be interested to hear about what youre learning from them. But also, senator schumer said he wants to bring the senate back to address this. Do you think there is any world, in which Mitch Mcconnell will do that . You know, kasie, first of all, thank you for letting me come tonight. Its going to be a big week for democrats. You know, i really cant say. You know, i was asking senate ever mcconnell to keep us in session, the week before we got out. And weve bc have been calling. I have been pretty critical of him adjourning. But all of these calls for the senate to come people deserve a demand and we just get nothing but kentucky crickets coming out of mcconnell. Wrote know whats in his mind at this point but its not leadership and certainly not helping the American People or saving the Postal Service. Do you think nancy pelosi has drawn too strong a line in the sand or do you support her position . I dont think theres too hard a line in the sapped. Remember, the house passed a bill may 15th, three months ago, three months ago, the house of representatives passed a bill. Immediately it was denounced by the administration, republicans like senator mcconnell, everyone went into partisan corners when they should have used it as a frame work to talk about cities and counties, talk about more testing, schools that are more, more unemployment benefits. As i understand, i dont think so. Theyre hooking at top line numbers and i think theyve moved a good bit off of that. Senator mcconnell put out that very break, bare bones bill, doesnt do the things that the American People needed. Apparently it was the administration that drew the line in the sand, said my way or the highway. We want to get something done for the American People. I dont see that. I quite frankly dont believe the administration negotiated and discussed this in good faith. All along, i think they wanted the president to issue these orders, so we could come in and be the cavalry. Unfortunately the cavalry is not saving anyone these days. Politics for a second. You have known joe biden for the entirety of your political career. I know you built a relationship back when he was a young senator. What do you want americans to know about the former Vice President heading into the convention . Jai want them to know that he is a man of conscious. Hes a man of faith. Hes a man of honor. He listens to people. I think thats so badly need prosecuted the administration these days, someone who will actually listen and talk. Thats been joes 40year history. Whether it is the violence against women act, whether its any number of things hes done, Foreign Policy, i want people to know that joe biden, the personal not just professional but the personal relationship that he has with all of his friends, all of his family, those are the way to get things done. Also think its important to remember his Foreign Policy expertise. Weve got to get the United States back to being the moral kumpous of the world. Right now i dont think we are that and i think joe biden can get us back there are. You have a race, o of your own in alabama. In the event that race doesnt go your way we know youve got the the a steep climb, would you be open to serving in a Biden Administration potentially . Oh, casey, were a long way from any of that right now. Right now weve got to focus on the election. Weve got to focus on my race in alabama, which i feel very good about. I appreciate all the support i get you folks. If you need im going to need all the help i can get. Go to dougjones. Com. The new administration will take office on january 20th. We didnt get a chance to talk about college football, which i know has become an issue in your race. Hopefully next time we can chat about that, too. Senator doug jones thank you for being here. Its great to have you. Thank you. Before we go, we did have a historic moment this week. Watch. And joe, im so proud to stand with you and i do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me. That was Kamala Harris becoming the first black woman to accept a president ial nomination. Days ahead of the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote in this country. Snenld feminism, a growing revolt of women against restraints in general and right to vote. Wow. 100 years later i want to give my own nod all of the ambitious and Audacious Women who came before me. I, we owe you so much. Its really easy to forget it wasnt so long that getting a credit card or leasing an apartment requires a mans signature. Of course mile grandmother had to quit her job just because she got married. Those days are gone. Making that happen started with those women who marched a hundred years ago to demand the right that sits at the very core of our democracy,ing t the the have our voices heard, the right to volt. Lets celebrate 100 years with a commitment never to stop fighting, to give our daughters and great granddaughters the equality that were still trying to achieve. That does it for me. Up next, Joshua Johnson talks to karen ma kwloin. Shes calling for a hearing to get answer from the u. S. Post master gem. From me, good night from washington. 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And the plan for protecting the portfolio service. Let us begin with the fight over mailin voting. The Oversight Committee is the