we are grateful. the the beat starts right now. you and everyone else in america is getting a law degree, one i paid for. but we are going to expend all that legal knowledge. thank you. and welcome to the the beat. i m katie phang in for ari melber. we have a lot to get to tonight. later, i will talk live to the lawyer for ruby freeman and shaye moss, the defamed election workers who won a $148 million verdict against rudy giuliani. now they are suing him again. plus, we ve got historian ruth who is here to talk about trump s threat to democracy and his gop enablers. we start the show with donald trump s desperation as legal deadlines pound him from the start, trump has tried to sow confusion, disgusting attacks on judges and witnesses, and above all, to delay his legal reckoning. the news tonight, special counsel jack smith is pressing forward with new moves designed to pressure trump and to stay on track. monday night jack smith forging ahead in the d.c. coup ca