He changed to attacking other people and so i think what the reality is is as a party we have to have an internal look and full accounting as to what led to January 6. It is the titanic. We have a Band Playing on the deck saying its fine and meanwhile Donald Trump is trying to find Womens Clothing to get on the first lifeboat and a few of us saying this is not good not just for the future of the party but the country. And as if the gop antidemocratic plot needed additional Proof Points we got them friday when the Washington Post broke this scoop about the barr Justice Department. Quote, the trump Justice Department secretly obtained the Washington Post Journalists Phone records and tried to obtain the email records over reporting in the early months of the Trump Administration on Russias Role in the 2016 election according to Government Officials and the post adding it is rare for the Justice Department to use subpoenas to get records of reporters in leak investigations. And such movers must be approved by the Attorney General. The letters do not say when the records were taken and reviewed but a Department Spokesman said the decision to do so came in 2020, during the Trump Administration. William barr who served as trumps Attorney General before departing December 23rd declined to comment. The extraordinary intrusion of the rights of a Fry Press in line with the Posttrump Gop and the brazen antidemocratic conduct. The purge of cheney is not relevant adds a gop infighting story. The story is the lack of infighting. There is no major clash. Cheney is almost sure to be ousted and news comes after cheney trying to prove as Advise Irto Donald trump John Bolton has that trump is losing the grip on the party. Quote, when staff from the National Republican Congressional Committee rose to explain the partys latest polling in Core Battleground districts they left out a key finding of trumps weak bs. The ratings 15 points higher than the favorable ones according to the full polling results. Cheney was alarmed. She later told others in part because republican campaign officials had also left out bad Trump Polling News in a march retreat. Bothen stances she concluded that Party Leadership was willing to hide information from their own members to avoid the truth about trump and the possible damage he could do to republican house members. Even though the nrcc denies the agenda. None of that is likely to slow Cheneys Expulsion from the peert. Mccarthy has announced a Recall Vote expected for wednesday after mccarthy made public the endorsement of Trump Loyalist Elise stefanik. We are in a biggest battle yet for the nation and the direction whether this next century will be ours. You have one of the most critical jobs of the messenger going forward and need a conference to be you nirted and a Conference Chair delivering that Message Day in and day out and uniting the nation to make sure that we are on the right footing going forward. Do you support Elias Stefanik for that job . Yes, i do. The gop is a threat to democracy is where we start this hour with some of our favorite reporters and trends. Frank fanglusi is here and John Brennan and national investigative reporter for the Washington Post Carol Linik is here. I want to play a line of questioning that feels different in light of the scoop from Friday Night and then Senator Kamala Harris questioning then Attorney General Bill Barr. Has the President Or Anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone . Yes or no, please, sir. The President Or Anybody else. Seems you would remember something like that and be able to tell us. Yeah. But im trying to grapple with the word suggest. There have been discussions of matters out there that they have not asked me to open an investigation but perhaps they have suggested . I dont know. Hinted . Inferred . You dont know . Okay. Carol, when i saw at the time i wanted to buy the Attorney General that little Thesaurus App with a word that are alike. In light of the stated intent from Donald Trump to prosecute reporters, to call them enemies of the people over and over again, James Comey writes about conversations Donald Trump had callsing him asking him to investigate and prosecute journalists. This Attorney General meddling in all of Donald Trumps political pan that sys. Tell us what we should know about the news Friday Night. First off, it is really chilling to think that colleagues i work with and call had their Phone Records reviewed and taken and they didnt loren about it until months later. It is the norm for the Justice Department to have a lag in letting you know about these things but it is still so bizarre for them to want and need these records. Ill tell you that one of the big problems here is we dont know enough about why they wanted the records. The three reporters involved were working on some really interesting stories that went to the heart of national Security Adviser Michael Flynn and his communications with a russian ambassador which he lied about and admitted to lying about three times. He lied to the fbi even though they had Tape Recordings and actual transcripts of his conversation with kislyak before the inauguration. Taken the records is central. I wish we knew more because it is very curious. Again we dont know the answer but in 2020 John Durham was investigating the origins of the investigation into russian interference in the campaign. Im not saying thats the reason but im saying those Dates Line up. And it is curious because we know that President Trump wanted badly to catch every Leak Irand he believed it was treason and told barr and other aides that he believed these we are crimes against the state, against him and he wanted those reporters locked up. So he didnt lock up my colleagues but curious why it was such a national Security Concern to find out what they were reporting on and happened to be the lies of the national Security Adviser. Director brennan, shes right. Shes smart to bring up the durham investigation. I believe you were interviewed adds part of that investigation. You were also targeted by Donald Trump directly, attacked, i believe once throatened to take from intelligence and National Security circles and i wonder how you receive this news Friday Night. It just continues to reflect the Trump Administrations determination to use the Government Power to try to find the critics in the administration or outside, critics of Donald Trump and the lengths to which Bill Barr and others within the administration were willing to go to do Donald Trumps bidding. This is something that clearly was not an effort to try to just find out about unauthorized disclosures of Classified Information but who was talking to the press to try to reveal the wrongdoing within the Trump Administration. It is quite unusual. The Washington Post just found out recently about the oefrt in 2017 to get the meta data from the reporters of the Washington Post and the evidence of the lengths to which the Trump Administration was abusing the powers and engaged in the Corrupt Practices and having individuals such as the Attorney General of the united states to do the things purely for political purposes. Frank, we know how Donald Trump viewed Bill Barr. He viewed Bill Barr as a tool of his political vendetta against the biden family. We also know that Bill Barrs public facing conduct was a botched effort to fire the New York u. S. Attorney berman and the pardon just a couple stories that the reporters were working on at the time. Jeff sessions discussed Trump Campaign related matters with russian ambassador. Intercepts show another story that they wrote in that window, obama secret struggle to punish russia. I wonder what you make of the sort of through line of russia here once again. First, The Real Story here as everyones Touching On is the degree to which leadership in this case the Attorney General of the united states are willing to break away from loyalty to the Rule Of Law, democracy and do their own thing out of loyalty to an individual or some notion of cultlike thinking that is way outside the norm. Ive led leak investigations. Theyre run by the Counter Intelligence Division at fbi if fbi gets a chance to know what doj is doing under Bill Barr. I know what they look like when theyre compliant and not compliant. This investigation and what we know about it so far is not compliant on several levels including notifying the reporters within 90 days. Why do we know now . The Attorney General garland, dag, Lisa Monaco show up and go, what the heck is going on here . Breaking the law and rules with concert or about russia is what is circulating around John Durham, Jeff Sessions talking to russian officials and to protech their Guy Trump should worry us from a much larger preservation of Democracy And Rule of law stand point. Frank, you have just made the turn for me. Thats whats happening. And i think whether people acknowledge it or not were covering the Gops Ambivalence about the antidemocratic movers that the leaders are making. The purge of Liz Cheney has nothing to do with Policy Differences but someone refusing to lie. Thats bonkers. Let me show you some of this. Its not like we have a disagreement in policy. Its not like were sitting here one sides arguing the top Tax Rate Shoib 32 or 31. We need to move on and unite. This is lies versus truth. This is the election was stolen and therefore a third of america believes that democracy fails and that leads to violence by The Way. Long term. Versus the truth. And so, you know, look. I think when it comes down to it thats Liz Cheneys what she is being removed for is being consistent ian God Bless her for having the consistency to tell the truth. This is happening and we should be really careful about using words like circular Firing Squad or civil war. Theres one or two. Firing at all of the rest of the gop. There is no civil war. That suggests a violent clash. Just those two stanlding up for Truth And Democracy and the rest of the republican party laying over and harming the democracy insists not just on telling the lie but that she tell the lie or shes out because she cant convey the message. Thats right. You know, it is now reached a point that is so meta. By that i mean my great colleagues at the Washington Post also reported that Liz Cheney was growing increasingly worried because the Leadership Werent telling the members that trumps numbers were worse than they were. They were boosting his sort of power over the party after hes left and concealing that fact from members. So much so that they actually increased the favorability in some districts double, by double. Now what is the point exactly of wanting to mislead your own members and lawmakers into thinking that a person has a greater hold over the party than he does . Its one thing to say, okay, im the leader of the house. I want for my member and my Leadership Team to say what im saying. He is right there. Mccarthy gets to choose who is speaking his message but to speak a message not truthful to the public and its also not truthful to his members i understand why Liz Cheney is going bonkers about this and put the foot down and wont move. I know when an american president travels to a foreign country people brief them about where that countrys sort of struggling, may be some i dont know china. When i was in the White House human rights abuses. You would explain the pressures in that country. If youre an adviser to macron or a foreign leader coming to the u. S. How do you brief them on Americas State of Democracy In The United States Of America right now . I would brief them honestly to say that you have one of the two primary Political Parties in the united states that continues to grovel to an authoritarian leader. Donald trump who continues to maintain the stranglehold over the members of his party including in congress and that very few individuals as you point out, Liz Cheney who i had significant Policy Differences with over the years but as Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger maintain integrity and try to speak truth to power and the fact to polarize the country is leading to a dysfunctional government in toer of addressing the issues so i would talk about how this continued Donald Trump influence is really affecting not just the governance within the united states but the direction of the republican party. How it continues to rely on falsehoods, untruths and the Demagogue Ri of Donald Trump going forward. Frank, if you could just lay over for us the view from Law Enforcement. Woe talked when Donald Trump told the proud boys to stand by and stand back. With the proud boys heard a call to action. What do the extremists hear with Liz Cheney purged for refusing to lie about the Election Results . So in terms of Law Enforcement and the Rule Of Law, a sign of a democracy able to sustain its will hold accountable those who threaten theiR Democracy. Ive not yet seen the level of accountability from the Law Enforcement side. Right . From the doj. Theyre just getting their feet on the ground. We have a massive insurrection investigation. Its moving rapidly. But if youre Briefing World leaders, one of the Things World leaders should ask us is how are you holding them accountable . The Rule Of Law needs to take over here, needs to be the Number One priority. Accountability. Must be a reckoning for those that threaten this democracy. If it is an entire party appearing to be threatening the democracy say it out loud and understand that were threatened by current leadership aligned with a person who sits outside our government and is still trying to run it. Carol, i just want to end reading this quickly. Mitt romney tweeted this. Excelling Liz Cheney from the leadership will cost us voters. Your colleagues on the fact that all of this is in service to someone whos a political loser. That seems like the only ironic twist that can maybe make you smile i guess . I mean, we might not want to overstate it. Donald trump has a lot of power. He does. People are flocking to maralago to kiss his ring right now hoping to get the Magic Pixie Dust that got him in office in 2017. I dont think that he is completely out of our consciousness and certainly not out of the republican Voters Consciousness and millions who adore him and view him as their champion. But its clear from what Liz Cheney found he is not as bulletproof and strong as some of the leaders of the house want their members to think. Right. And thats the coverup. All she wanted them to know is the truth about the poll numbers. No better people to talk to about it than the three of you. Thank you so much. When we come back, Bet Orourke calls it the greatest threat to the gop. Moving forward on a most restrictive Voting Laws in the country. What can be done at this point to protect the right to vote . He will be our ghost. A Cyber Attack on u. S. Infrastructure, this time hitting the energy system. Secretary Pete Buttigieg makes the case that the President Biden Infrastructure Plan can fix that. All those stories and more when we continue after a quick break. Cell phone repair. Did you know Liberty Mutual customizes your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need . Just get a quote at libertymutual. Com. Really . Ill check that out. Oh yeah. I think i might get a quote. Not again aah, come on rice. Do your thing. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. This is our block. Our place. Our people. Watch the curb. Not having a ride to get the vaccine. Cant be the reason you dont get it. You wanna help . Donate a ride today. Tech every customer has their own safelite story. This couple was on a camping trip. When their windshield got a chip. They drove to safelite for a sameday repair. And with their insurance, it was no cost to them. Woman really . Tech thats service you can trust. Singers safelite repair, safelite replace. The things, you say your purple prose just gives you away the things, you say youre unbelievable applebees irresistabowls are back. Dig in for just 8. 99. This is an attack on ouR Democracy and this is the row response. You have hirkss of texans drives from El Paso 8 1 2 hours to the west to be here today to Stand Up for this state and every voter, republican, democrat, independent within it. Texas Democrat Beto Orourke leading a protest there on the states in austin in opposition to a bill to curb access to the ballot in a state that already has some of the countrys most Row Strictive Voting Laws and Protest Part of a campaign to galvanize democrats against the wave of restrictions passed by that republican led legislature and those across the country. The New York times reports this. Quote locked out of power in the republican run states enacting laws making it harder to vet. Democrats are engaged in an effort to push back against the legislation with as much to do winning hearts and minds outside courtrooms as legal victims inside them. Joining our conversation is beto orourke. I know you have been really busy and on the ground trying to take this on from a grass Roots Level but i wonder if youre optimistic if anything can be done with the sort of Business Support and democratic opposition to slow or stop these bills. I think there is cause for optimism. The rally that secretary castro, myself and hundreds of others attended on Saturday In Austin was the largest gathering this entire texas legislative session and it was about this issue. People stanning up for Voting Right just everybodys Voting Right just when you connect whats happening in texas with the Voter Suppression laws and whats in 42 other State Legislatures, this is the fight of our lives and people are showing up, stepping up, speaking out. And these bills in texas, they are not yoet law. They have some procedural hurdles and has to get to the Governors Desk and time for the people of texas to act and theres still time for our friends in the united States Senate and those in the White House to do something about this at a federal level. Much like johnson did in 1965 with the Voting Rights act. This is our opportunity with the for the people act which i do think has a chance to pass and be on the president s Desk And Roll back the Voter Suppression efforts in all the states including texas. From the brennan center, 33 of the recently introduced bills to give this is about the Poll Watchers. More authority to observe elections with fewer limitations on the actions and an issue in the Texas Bill and it reminds me of the Election Officials in georgia. People Line Gabe Sterling screaming as he and Brad Raffensberger were assailed by Donald Trump on the role as Election Officials and i wonder if you can sort of take apart the most insidious parts of the laws to limit access. Texas has a problem with absentee voting it would appear and drive through voting. But the Georgia Law and i hi Theres Something in one version of the Texas Law to disempower Election Officials it seemed like that if they had fallen the other way 2020 could have been in jeopardy if Donald Trump had sought to corrupt more partisan Election Officials. Can you talk through the Doimpt Pieces of the bill and what worries you the most . It gives socalled Poll Watchers as you said almost unrestrained power within the Polling Place. These Poll Watchers really are partisan activists who seem to intimidate voters and historically in texas black voters, lower income voters, voters with disability, targets of suppression as long as weve been a state. Under the proposed bills those Poll Watchers could not be elected by an Election Judge Ian can be free to videotape those trying to cast the ballots and i guarantee you if that becomes law it will dissuade a large number of voters from going to the Polling Place because as you mention this is the hardest stit in which to vote. 750 Polling Place closures in 8 year pros deucing lines that stretch 6, 7, 8 hours long in the Fast Oes growing black and latino neighborhoods. Doing away with 24hour voting, drive through voting, limit Voting Machines in Polling Places under the guise of standardizing elections, and sounds relatively innocuous but will end up affecting and targeting the populations. It makes it harder in a state the hardest to vote in and will affect the outcomes of elections. This is ouR Democracy in texas connected to everything happening in this country and it is a biggest attack on democracy in our history. Thats why we need a response here and in washington, d. C. From the senate and the White House. Do you ever sort of i know a little bit about your schedule trying to schedule with your staff. Do you ever look up and say this is over a Bs Lie . None of this is real and your Attorney General worked hard to find real fraud and didnt. The office spent 22,000 hours looking for fraud and found 16 cases of wrong addresses. There was no fraud. Mitch mcconnell said there was no fraud. Mccarthy said there was no fraud. Donald Trump Picture Pech waited a lie with 47 states looking at 370 Voter Restriction laws. Voter suppression didnt have to happen this way. The lie is fueling these laws and every state doesnt have a Stacey Abrams or beto orourke. How do you fight this without the federal legislation . It is the lie that inspires these 370plus Voter Suppression bills across 47 State Legislatures but also the lie that in large part inspired the insurrectionists on the 6th Of January to storm the capitol, kill five people and to come perilous close to hanging the then Vice President of the united states and murder sitting members of the congress. Joe biden despite that was successfully inaugurated and democracy is still under attack legislatively. It is under attack violently. And if we do not repel this attack and strengthen the democracy im very afraid we will lose it and so given everything we are up against i think its really incumbent upon the president and the Vice President , the administration and the democratic Senate Leadership to make this Priority Number one. Everything else is only possible when ouR Democracy is working. If we dont get for the people passed in the senate, Im Afraid well lose the democracy. Im afraid well have elections that will be contested and the form of government we have taken for granted all the many hundreds of years the last best hope of earth as lincoln put it will be lost if we dont act and win now. Thats how important this is. I thought back to the 2018 race and texting. You worked a regular on this program. I had no connection other than knowing that state and how republicans usually ran in places and knowing that Ted Cruz running way behind and i wonder if you think that folks like yourself just got too close why that texas got too close. I say this sort of as someone not proud of all the time in the republican party but the republican dos a good job to executing a plan. This is to them existential. Republicans know that if that race is held against you and i wonder if this figures into your thoughts but to answer both questions whether you think of another statewide run and whether they appreciate how this is for republican just this is Ball Game to them. They need to make it harder for people to vote for you instead of Ted Cruz because they know they Cant Win when its fair and square. The Fist State to pass and have the signs signed into law is georgia where Joe Biden the first democrat in nearly three decades to win the electoral college vote. Two long Shot Senate victories in january and of course republicans as you suggested understand that the ability to win free elections may be close and will try to secure their purchase on power. Same thing going on in florida, a close Battleground State and texas in 2024 with 40 votes and can really decide the Ball Game in terms of who the next president is and so of course they try to make it harder to vote in the state. I will do whatever it takes. Either as a Volunteer Helping to register voters. To fight back against Voter Suppression by Organizing Volunteers and working with other organizations. Or potentially running as a candidate for statewide office. The question for me is where can i do the greatest good . I think key to answering that is listening to other people and especially the fellow texans and working with powered by people and the volunteers to do this on the Ground Grass Roots Door to Door Work that even if the bills are passed and signed into law gives us a chance to register enough new voters and engage with existing voters to still win the elections. And the Education Campaign is massive as they have changed the rules in back to back elections. I would like to ask you to stick around. Through a commercial Break And Talk to you on the other side. Looking forward to it. Kingort it drives you. And it guides you. To shine your brightest. As you charge ahead. Illuminating The Way forward. A light maker. Recognizing that the impact you make comes from the energy you create. Introducing the allelectric lyriq. Lighting The Way. [sfx psst psst] lighting The Way. Allergies dont have to be scary. 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The truth is politicians in the craven Lust Or Power are willing to sacrifice ouR Democracy by using the Big Lie as a pretext for their true aim, some people dont want some people to vote. We have been talking about georgia. Georgia Knorr Warnock last month. The Big Lie of a stolen lengs is fueling moves by republicans across the country to stop people are being able to vote. Warnock and otheR Democrats have been clamoring for action at the federal level to stem the tide of Voting Restringss passed by republican led state houses. We are back with congressman orourke. This blew my mind. The brennan center analyzed each Voting Bill in the states and Con Cluz that the for the people act would thwart virtually every single one. It is the transformative bill that would expand Voting Rights and strengthen the democracy. It is like the with the vaccine is to covid this law is to the nearly 400 Voter Suppression laws making The Way through 47 legislatures. Do you think that leaders in washington appreciate those stakes . I sure hope so but lets not count on it why i think its incumbent upon us to reach out to that member of Congress And Senator and especially living in texas and Ted Cruz has got the plate full inspiring an insurrection. He may not picking up the phone when you call the White House wants to hear from you and i know that President Biden made this a priority, Voting Rights, but he has other competing priorities right now. He needs to hear from us and if he uses the political capital he has now as President Johnson did in 1965 he can pass the most significant Voting Rights legislation since the 65 votes Rights Act and it couldnt come at a more critically important moment with the violent insurrection at the capitol, 47 State Legislatures passing or considering this Voter Suppression stuff. It is not like this can wait and the democracy. Erm. He needs to hear that from All Of Us. What are your thoughts about the filibuster and changing the Way Policy is made in the u. S. Senate . It has to change to get this pro democracy Voting Rights bill passed but if democrats will be able to get anything of Anywhere Significance thats going to meaningfully improve the lives of the people of this country through the senate and it doesnt have to be a wholesale abolition of the filibuster but a reform of the rules. I have some faith in Senator Manchin and other senators for that matter who are going to make a good Faith Effort to listen to the republican counterparts see where they can find consensus. Move forward where that appears and after theyve done the best i know they want to do whats good for this country before the institution, before the party, before their own political career. Theyre going to answer and do the right thing. It is taking us longer than many of us would want to see but i believe in them and i believe that this country at its moment of truth is going to come through. It helps when we all Step Up and Stand Up and speak out. It helps when the president makes this a Number One priority. Which he has yet to do but i have faith that he will and i have faith it will happen faster the more loudly All Of Us speak up about this. Are you surprised by the inaction in congress . Again it is only on one side. I dont mean to say theres gridlock. It is not that. The republicans refuse to form a commission to get to the bottom of the January 6 attacks. A thing at the root of the clash between Mccarthy And Cheney is dedication to, seeing the commission The Way speak Ore Pelosi and we talked about democracy under assault and the Voter Sy Presentation laws but Matthew Dowd said that this war on truth and the war on the Vaccine And Hesitancy among republicans at this point making up the biggest group. Are you worried about the Health And Viability of the democracy with one party so committed to the lie that theyre about to oust one of the most conservative members for not repeating it . As the president has said you want a strong Opposition Party in this country. It keeps the party in power accountable, creates a true coffer tigs of ideas and vision for this country and we are better for that competition. However the gop descended into a cult of personality. You had even mccarthy and other republican leaders assign blame to Donald Trump or inciting that insurrection but it was a mirage and those days are over and you have Liz Cheney as really one of the lone profiles in courage in that party right now. And she is going to lose her leadership position. I dont know what will happen in her next race. I hope however that she serves as an example though we disagree on a number of issues, that she is the example for that party that there is a principled way to serve and doesnt have to be the Big Lie but best aspirations for that party and this country. She, Adam Kinzinger, a few others out there but if we need that courage where we put party behind Country And Service to this nation above anything else it is right now. Beto orourke, well stay on top of the texas Voting Rights bills. I hope youll keep us posted. I appropriate your optimism and for spending time with us today. Keep the faith. Thank you. Thank you. Up next, the sudden shutdown of a major pipeline in the country shows how vulnerable the infrastructure is and not just against storms. It is a Wakeup Call to pay attention to cyber threats. Making the case for probes Infrastructure Plan with Secretary Pete Buttigieg next. If you have this. Consider adding this. 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Today, President Biden is using the attack as another reason to push for his proposed 2. 3 trillion spending on infrastructure and jobs, as his focus turns this week to making a deal with an impossible gop thats far more focused on opposition to President Biden, the democratic agenda and any sensible antitrump rhetoric. We have efforts under way with the fbi and doj, department of justice, to disrupt and prosecute ransomware criminals. In addition to companies stepping up, we need to invest to safeguard our critical infrastructure. Thats one of the many things my american Jobs Plan is designed to do. Joining our conversation is secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg. Mr. Secretary, i wonder if you can tell us how the proposed Infrastructure Bill would protect would have protected this pipeline from a cyberattack and whether that is central to all those things that i know some of your conservatives make fun of, things that arent actually tangible roads and bridges. Right, i mean, this is one more reminder that infrastructure in the u. S. Means a lot more than roads and bridges, although i would remind everybody that the american Jobs Plan has a huge amount of resources to improve roads and bridges in this country among many other things. Look, the truth is that having excellent, modern infrastructure has always been a National Security issue, and we are less safe and secure any time that we allow our infrastructure to degrade or to be behind the times. Thats true when we think about roads and bridges, obviously. Its a Safety Issue if theyre not in good shape. But its also true as were confronting threats of the future ranging from Climate Security to cybersecurity. Its one of the reasons why there is such a robust amount of funding for resilience built into the president s Jobs Plan. Its also why theres a lot on R D and innovation. The truth is that we need to spend and invest for National Security reasons on making sure that we have the greatest and best technology. Remember, the internet itself was invented through a federal program that was connected to the Department Of Defense out of an understanding that part of what makes america secure is being a step ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to technology and innovation. We should be doing the same thing for the generation thats now in charge and the generation to come, and thats all part of the Jobs Plan. And im guessing that what you just said about some of the National Security rationales for pieces of the Infrastructure Plan is, in part, designed to a appeal to republicans. I know the president is meeting with Kevin Mccarthy this week. Youve been engaged with republicans. Kevin mccarthy has a busy day wednesday. Its the day he plans to oust Liz Cheney for not repeating the Big Lie about the election. Do you think its a good use of your time and the president s to deal with the republicans on this . Well, look, we hope to earn every vote that we possibly can for this, and the president is serious about wanting a bipartisan approach and a negotiated approach. Now, hes also said that doing nothing is not an option. Weve got to moved forward here. But to the extent that there is goodwill, you know, we certainly have seen a specific proposal put On The Table by senate republicans that are responding and engaging with that. If we can come to an agreement on at least part of what we ought to do, then lets at least try to do that part together. And you know, we believe all of these things fit into one cohesive whole, but this negotiation is about seeing how much we can find some kind of Common Ground. I would like to believe that if theres any area of Domestic Policy left that we can find Common Ground on, it is infrastructure, and these National Security considerations. Alongside the job considerations are things that i believe should motivate conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. We are seeing a lot of bipartisan Interest And Support for this project, this bill among the american people, as often happens. Thats not always reflected here in washington, but were going to keep pushing. Mr. Secretary, on friday, when the Jobs Report came out, the news was instantly weaponized by republicans. I know that it was also sort of a Proof Point for all of you that theres so much left to do. The Infrastructure Package is central to that. What is sort of the view about the Jobs Numbers and where were heading . Well, what it shows us is that we have a Steep Climb ahead and by The Way, on thursday night, if we had gotten the question, why do a Jobs Plan now when the Jobs Numbers have been so encouraging, we were saying the same thing. Theres a Steep Climb ahead. The rate of Job Growth since this president took office is extraordinary. 500,000 jobs on average. I think thats 8 or 9 times the pace that he inherited and its historic, but we still have got about 8 Million to go just to recover the ground that we lost as a consequence of the pandemic. I guess The Way i would add it all up is this sounds like a great time for an american Jobs Plan that will not only respond to the concerns of the moment, and lets be clear, this is not a shortterm stimulus plan. It will respond to the concerns of the moment as the Rescue Plan is doing and prepare us for years and even decades to come. What is your sense of this republican party this week . As we said, theyre preparing to purge one of their Leadership Members for not repeating the Big Lie. I hope that whats happening Behind The Scenes is more encouraging to you all on the Infrastructure Bill than whats public. But Mitch Mcconnell has said his reason for being is to obstruct the biden agenda. What do you guys make of todays republican party . Well, i think they have some decisions to make about what to Focus On, and obviously, not my job to tell them what to do, but to the extent that members of congress, republican and democrat, they all come from somewhere, and i know as they return to washington for the sessions in the House And Senate this week, theyre all coming from a Home District that is full of roads and bridges and areas that need broadband and places where there are lead pipes that need to be improved, and places where the airport maybe the airport they flew from to get here to Washington Today is not keeping pace with the best airports in the world and so many other things going on that need attention. So our hope is that they will Focus On what the american people want us to Focus On, which is Fixing Problems and getting stuff done, and i will say, for all of the Headlinegrabbing Palace Intrigue that goes on in washington, were having conversations every day with members on both sides of the aisle who talk about their sincere Interest And Desire and sense of urgency to get things done. We are hoping that can be mobilized into bipartisan progress on what is a bipartisan priority, both in terms of the stated views and priorities of elected officials who are here in Washington Today and definitely a bipartisan priority out among the american people. Yeah, that seems to be the wind at your back. I mean, im sure they call you as much as you call them, because their voters want what you guys have crafted. Keep us posted in terms of how it all goes. Secretary Pete Buttigieg, thank you for spending time with us today. The next hour of deadline White House starts after a quick break. Dont go anywhere. Starts Afr T quick break. Dont go anywhere. Ade Usaa Insue for members like martin. An Air Force Veteran made of doing whats right, not whats easy. So when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. Thats how you do it right. Usaa insurance is made just The Way martins family needs it with hasslefree claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. Because doing right by our members, thats whats right. Usaa. What youre made of, were made for. Usaa weve got em on the ropes. The billionaires buying elections. The corporate special interests poisoning campaigns with dark money, frantic to preserve bigmoney politics as usual. Because the for the people act is on the verge of becoming law. Reining in corporate lobbyists, finally banning dark money, and protecting our freedom to vote. Billionaires and special interests, youR Day is nearly done. Because its time for the people to win. 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A fundamental part of the constitution and of who we are as americans is the Rule Of Law. Its the judicial process. The Election Wasnt stolen. There was a judicial process in place. If you attack the judicial process and you attack the Rule Of Law, you arent defending the constitution. Youre at war with the constitution. Hi again, everyone. Its 5 00 in the east. The gopsanctioned attack on ouR Democracy has over the last six months included conduct that has traditionally earned foreign countries admonitions from democracies like ours. But now . Now were the country with all the antidemocratic conduct that weve historically railed against. I dont know, things like a refusal to accept the vote count, a violent assault on the seat of government, a slow Motion Coup Attempt that involved strong Arming And Lobbying local Election Officials, Rewriting Election Laws to remove public servants and replace them with political cronies, a refusal to accept a new leader as legitimate, a purge of the prodemocracy legislators from the antidemocratic party, a Propaganda Network organized around the antidemocratic partys autocratic moves, a leader in exile calling the shots, a purge of professional National Security officials from the government. One of them is one of our next guests, and add to the list now evidence of the premeditated nature of the campaign to overturn the Election Result and convince millions of trump supporters that the result was illegitimate through conspiracy theories. Brandnew reporting in the Washington Post details a coordinated campaign to undermine any Election Result other than a Trump Win months before the november election. The Washington Post sets up its new Bombshell Investigation into one of the early seeds of the Big Lie this way. The enduring myth that the 2020 election was rigged was not one claimed by one person. It was many claims stacked one atop the other, repeated by a phalanx of trump allies. Ideas that were advanced not by experts or by insiders but by russell ramstead, a failed congressional candidate, a Texas Businessman as they pushed a Fledgling Company in a chaotic event to find evidence of widespread fraud where none exists. It ultimately led to the insurrection at the u. S. Capitol and undergirds a domestic Extremism Threat in this country but it was also refuted by Chris Krebs, a lifelong republican in charge of election security. I have confidence in the security of this election because i know the work that we have done for four years in support of our state and local partners. Theres no foreign power that is flipping votes. Theres no domestic Actor Flip votes. I did it right. We did it right. This was a secure election. The Gop Addiction to lies and the new reporting that it was the plan all along is where we start this hour. From the Washington Post, political Investigations Reporter Josh Dawsey is here. His byline is on that Post Report we quoted from. Also joining us, Michael Steele and the man who oversaw the security of the 2020 election, formeR Director of the cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency, Chris Krebs. Josh dawsey, i want to start with you in this incredible piece of investigative journalism. Im going to read a little bit more about it for any of our viewers who havent read it yet. I recommend they all read the whole thing. At meetings beginning in late 2018 as republicans were smarting from midterm losses in texas and across the country, Russell Jr. And his associates delivered alarming presentations on electronic voting to a procession of conservative lawmakers, activists and donors. Briefings in the hangar had a clandestine air. Guests were asked to leave their Cell Phones outside. The idea of widespread Voting Manipulation remained on the political fringe until 2020. Its an incredible look backward. We all know it didnt end, but we all know what it culminated in on January 6th and the ongoing attempts to pass Voter Suppression laws and oust Liz Cheney but this is an incredible piece of reporting. Tell us more. Yeah, the former president was looking for any sort of evidence that he could throw against the wall to push these unsubstantiated and false claims of fraud, and he turned to kind of a Rag Tag Group of experts, Russell Ramsland and there was a cabal of others passing along lots of unproven, lots of farfetched material in the eyes of many of the government experts and his own lawyers like Chris Krebs, who you just mentioned. But these folks have put together this evidence for many, many months preceding the election and some of the president s closest advisors told me last year that he was looking for ways to be able to never accept that he lost, and they expected him to do that and that explained the assault on mailin ballots and some of the other things he was doing months before the election. But what our reporting showed is there was this group of folks around the president , sidney powell, the overstock ceo, others who were on the fringe of the party traditionally who were able, through all sort of methods to get the former President Information that was not vetted, that was not approved and that frequently made his lawyers quite apoplectic in the White House who would see things on his former account on twitter or for things he was speaking and wondered where they came from but they were coming in through the back door, through this kind of amalgamation of folks kind of on the fringe. Chris krebs, did you know about these efforts when you were tasked with protecting our elections from foreign interference oR Domestic . So, first off, josh, i have been called a lot of nasty things in the last few months but thats the first time someones called me a lawyer. Even if i am one, thats beyond the pale, i think. Look, so, were aware of a number of different groups over the last several years that have made claims on the various Security Vulnerabilities in election equipment, and you know, we spent 3 and a half years really looking for what are the sort of disruptive tactics that any actor, foreign oR Domestic, could take to interfere with the election. What we really came down was to the resilience of the systems were dependent upon the paper ballots that were voted upon by the voters, and so regardless of these nonsensical claims from asog or even whats going on down in arizona with cyberninjas, when youve got a ballot Thats Evidence of the voters intent, that allows you to go back and count, and nicole, ive been on the show a Couple Times, and you know, georgia counted three times and the outcomes were consistent all along. So, no, was i aware of Asog Or Anything like that . No. But we were preparing for any sort of claims that could be directed at undermining confidence in the election. Chris, do you think that the six months since the Election Day i mean, arizona also did three audits and found no widespread fraud. And Bill Barr said there was no widespread fraud, as did Mitch Mcconnell, as did Kevin Mccarthy, and theyre on the precipiceover purging Liz Cheney because she refuses to stop saying what they all said on January 6th. I mean, do you is it sort of like Alice In Wonderland through the Looking Glass . What do you feel when you watch the cyberninjas or this sketchy Conspiracy Theory believing founder is now running a faux audit in arizona . Obviously, the belief of the Big Lie undergirds the Domestic Violence Extremism Threat in this country. I know in the context of securing the election, you succeeded, but trump made sure that his voters wouldnt believe that. Right. So, i think thats really the challenge that were in right now in this posttruth world where we have alternate realities that are starting to coalesce or have firmly coalesced when you look at the number of republican voters that truly believe i mean, look at what happened in virginia this past weekend with the State Convention where you have a number of voters. I mean, even at the primary level for the governors, there are theres this Interparty Fighting because we dont trust elections anymore, but none of those names that you ticked off matter. Because trump is pushing it. As long as the former president continues to push this lie because it suits his fundraising interests, then were going to be suffering. Democracy is going to be suffering. I want to show you, Michael Steele exactly. Michael steele, i want to show you i dont do this very often on this show but i do want to show a little snippet of something that happened on Fox News sunday with Chris Wallace with republican jim banks. Watch and well talk about it on the other side. Is Joe Biden the legitimate President Of The United States . Yes, Joe Biden was elected. He was inaugurated on january 20th. I want to go back to your actions after the election in november. You joined more than 100 house republicans supporting a Texas Lawsuit to overturn the Election Results in other states. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Then, you voted on January 6th to, quote, Uphold The Constitution By Challenging Biden victories in several states. Do you still question whether or not Joe Biden won the election fair and square and got over 270 electoral votes, fair and square . Yeah, chris, i stand by my vote to object on January 6th. I stand by the Texas Lawsuit because i have serious concerns about how the election in november was carried out. I mean, Michael Steele, part of me wants to ask you whos going to tell him and the other part of me wants to ask if the republicans now represent one of the largest in terms of numbers, antidemocratic movements in the world. Theres no doubt about that. Were streaming headlong into that and theres that truth about who republicans are and how they see themselves right now. You know, youve got the congressman talking out of both sides of his mouth. Yeah, Joe Biden was sworn in, hes legitimate president. Oh, but i have doubts about the election. You know, its just another, you know, degree of stupid that were asked to buy, and this is why i appreciate the reporting of josh and despite mr. Krebs not necessarily being called a lawyer, he did a damn good job as a lawyer, protecting and holding the line on this election and got summarily castigated for it, and so we need these two voices and forces out there, both an open, free approach by the media to go and dig into these truths and the legal representation and, you know, those who represent us out there sort of pursuing the truth on that front, because where the republicans are right now, nicole, they cant Stand Up against that. They cannot Stand Up against the scrutiny of the press or legal system thats saying, wait a minute, timeout. What youre saying is not what happened. Now, to chriss point, how do you get the rest of the country thats sitting there, going, oh no, no, no, Joe Biden didnt win, because Donald Trump told us so. So, as long as that narrative persists, were going to have, as chris rightly points out, a very difficult time holding that line on democracy, because youre going to have those folks paying and buying into this idea that what theyre seeing happen didnt happen. So, Michael Steele, what do we do . I made that list of antidemocratic conduct at my breakfast table. I could have spent 20 minutes to come up with 20 more examples of the kind of antidemocratic Conduct President s are warned about before they go traveling the globe and meeting foreign leaders and if the republican party and the numbers behind it that support it, im guessing the republicans will be cheered by the purge of Liz Cheney on wednesday. How to you make Democracy Something that the right cares about again . Well, i think there are a number of ways that will reveal itself. One is what do good citizens out there decide to do . How do they Stand Up and respond . And to that, i say, stay tuned, because there are responses coming in the wake of what we see happen on wednesday. The other part of that, i think, is also the ballot box. At the end of the day, which is why, okay, so listen up, folks. This is what the play is. Why you see all of this activity on the ground right now to overturn elections through by revising the electoral processes and who gets to vote, when they get to vote, how they get to vote, is to foreshadow upcoming elections where republicans know their backs are going to be up against the wall. They want to put those mechanisms in place to overturn the results in 22 and 24 and thats where you have to overwhelm the system with your legitimate vote. Because at the end of the day, the numbers dont lie. You Cant Outrun 8 Million more votes than the other guy. Right . And as we saw on a congressional level, the narrowness of that, of those elections, will tell you just how important it will be for turnout. So i see those two pieces, citizens who decide to push back up against this, activists, former party officials, current party officials, push back on what the republicans are doing, and what we as citizens ultimately get to do at the ballot box, so you cant let up and you cant sit down, because you know, what chris did in 2020 mattered, and what the Chris Krebs going forward will have to do at the state and federal level will matter more. I want to come back to you, Josh Dawsey, and your reporting because you closed The Circle for us. I mean, this was a the campaign was in reaction to losses in 2018, and i wonder if you could just speak to how far up the awareness goes that all of these actions, what Michael Steele just detailed was the 47 states contemplating close to 400 Voter Suppression laws. We all watched the insurrection in horror on wednesday, Liz Cheney likely to lose her leadership post. It is all based on a Big Lie that was orchestrated many, many years before or at least two years before the general election and i wonder if you could just characterize your sense of how many people were swept up in that, how many people were involved in that premeditated campaign and how much of what they plan to do going forward is to continue to lie . Well, you certainly see the former president propagating it almost every day. I mean, hes still litigating Election Results in New Hampshire and in michigan and in arizona, most extensively, where he is just kind of fixated on that recount there. I mean, this is something that hes not going to stop any time soon. Advisors close to him say he may be litigating this election in 2022 and trying to make It Part of the midterm elections. Hes certainly leading the purge against other republicans who voted to impeach him, who have said things against his claims of electoral fraud. Weve talked to a number of advisors who have gone down to maralago to meet with him to discuss a president Ial Library or foundation or a whole host of other measures and all he wants to talk about is the election. So this was a former president surrounded by allies, most of them out of the government, but some of them in the government, who began pushing this very aggressively throughout 2020 and will probably continue to do so. Chris, i want to ask you about the security threat. Adam kinzinger tweeted this. A few days before January 6th, our gop members had a conference call. I told kevin that his words and our partys actions would lead to violence. Kevin dismissively responded with, okay, adam, next question and we got violence. Thats one of Liz Cheneys warnings as well and i know Liz Cheney through working with her. She sees the world through a security lens, im sure on Fiscal Policy and foreign policy, she agrees with republicans more than any democrat and it appears she believes her party has become a threat. Do you see it that way . Well, i think there was a hearing or some sort of statement released in the last day or so, maybe today, about how the threats against sitting members of congress have skyrocketed over the last several months since January 6th so that shows you there is some degree of some a significant degree of politically motivated violence targeting our elected officials, and its not just at the federal level. Its happening all over the country at the state and local level. Katie hobbs, the secretary out in arizona, governoR Doocy just had to deploy another set of Security Forces to protect her. So theres no question that this that language, the invective is all being used to once again continue to drive political violence against, you know, our fellow citizens, and its yeah, ive said it. Its not only undemocratic. Its downright unamerican. Chris, what do you think the sort of extremists will see when the republicans successfully oust someone telling the trustworthy about the Big Lie and the truth about the insurrection tomorrow. Just from your security background. It depends on what groups youre talking about. There are going to be those that are just looking for chaos and the acceleration towards the end of democracy, the Boogaloo Boy types, so anything that continues to cause Friction And Chaos in the ranks, that benefits them. There are also going to be the truists, those that have, you know, those that say that they know in their heart of hearts that the President Couldnt possibly have lost the election. I mean, look how many people turned out for his rallies. Those will say, serves you right for not being on the trump train. And whether that actually manifests in violence inperson, i dont know. But theres no question that we are not going in the right direction, that the Tread Lines are very worrisome for violence directed at political and Election Officials, and we got to stop this. Josh dawsey and Michael Steele, thank you for starting us off. Josh dawsey, thank you for skroing us to talk about this extraordinary reporting. Were grateful. Chris krebs is sticking around. When we return, with the biden administration now to protect the country against the rising number of cyberattacks like the one that shut down a crucial pipeline over the weekend. Plus, a republican party about to kick Liz Cheney out of leadership for telling the truth about the Capitol Riot in the face of the former guys Big Lie. Today, were learning more about the signs the Capitol Police missed in the days before January 6th. And news just breaking in the past few minutes. The fda has authorized Pfizers Coronavirus Vaccine for Emergency Use in Kids Age 12 to 15 years old. Much more on all of that later in the hour. Deadline White House continues after a quick break. Dont go anywhere. Continues after a quick break. Dont go anywhere. Na na na na na na na na. Hey hey hey. Goodbye. Na na na na. Hey hey hey. Goodbye. Na na na na na na na na. The worlds first sixfunction multipro tailgate. Available on the gmc sierra. At chewy you can Shop Americas 1 Pet Pharmacy anytime, anywhere. Its so simple you can order on a walk, at the beach, even over breakfast. And with fast, free delivery theres more time for the good stuff. Shop americas 1 Pet Pharmacy. Visit chewy. Com today. New projects means new project managers. Shop americas 1 Pet Pharmacy. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. The moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our resume database. 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You get all of this on x1. So go on, get really into your shows. You need a breath mint. Xfinity. Its a way better way to watch. Again, the news breaking just moments ago, the fda has authorized Pfizers Coronavirus Vaccine for Emergency Use in children ages 12 to 15. Were going to talk to ouR Doctor, a pediatrician, about that news in just a couple of moments. But first, the fbi this afternoon confirming that the Ransomware Group, darkside, a russian cyber crime gang, was behind the hack that resulted in a shutdown of the colonial pipeline, which accounts for about 45 of the East Coasts fuel supply. In the shortterm, the federal government has issued an Emergency Declaration just to get the Oil And Gas moving around again, while colonial gets everything back up and running but there are obviously larger concerns at play here, ones with serious longterm consequences for our nations Nags Security and cyber safety. Joining our conversation, former fbi special Agent Cliff watts and nbc National Security analyst, lucky for us. Chris krebs is here as well. Clint, is russia winning . This is obviously attacking us and our infrastructure is their new offensive against the u. S. Are we being outmatched by then . Nicole, we have a Talent Management Problem that the russians dont have. From the russian perspective, some of this is statebacked. A lot of it is criminal. And not statebacked. But it creates a strategic resource in the sense that they can create a series of hackers, a series of capabilities, in this case, its a malware built by a collective known as darkside. It can be used by any criminal group, and whenever the russian government wants to leverage these cyber criminal groups, if its individual talent or in terms of attacking a foreign power, they can do that. There is no definitive line between the criminal underground inside russia in terms of hacking and what the state wants, and i think the key point to remember is we would not allow this in the united states. We would not have a criminal group in the united states that we would let proliferate and attack a foreign country and their infrastructure, and in this case, we have a Ransomware Group that is based in russia, r has associated hackers throughout eastern europe. None of them are policed. They are not allowed to attack inside their own countries, so they cant attack, really, inside russia, without blowback, but in the case of attacking the united states, theres really no consequence. So, in a way, it becomes a strategic cutout, a real pawn that russia and Vladimir Putin can use against the united states or Permit And Use at the negotiating table. Chris, you testified before congress on April 26th that its clear were in the midst of a new normal of cyber enabled malicious activity. The Status Quo Costs Government agencies and individuals hundreds of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, fraud and disrupt in operations. What clint was describing for us is the asymmetry of protecting ourselves both against the russian government and the russian crime operation in this space. What is a better approach . Well, look, we need to do better in terms of defending our networks. There are absolutely table Stakes Cybersecurity investments that companies can make, make sure theyre running on modern systems, that they take basic low cost, no cost internal security measures. They may move to things like multifactor authentication. Thats where you have to log in via an app on your phone. But we have to put more pressure on russia. They know this is happening. Lets be clear. This is a group, as clint pointed out, called darkside. Part of their malware looks for the russian language installed on The Machine theyre attacking, and if they identify the cyrillic language package, they exit. They dont lock it up. Why . Well, its because they know if they go hit russian or former soviet states, the intelligence services of russia are going to find them, and theyre not going to let it happen, so to me, whether this is approved or authorized by the kremlin, is increasingly irrelevant, because russia operations and criminal groups has been going on for years, so theres some degree of to sit approval because its happening under their nose. What we need to do again, weve got an opportunity, perhaps, in june, with President Biden meeting with president putin. Put it analysis table. This has got to stop. Were going to go after these crews and start taking action. Weve got intelligence services, military, Law Enforcement. Theres a lot more we can do to put an end to Ransom Ware now. Clint, what do you think people should understand about our vulnerability . Not to be alarmist but if they could take down a pipeline that supplies, you know, 55 of the energy on the East Coast and an electric grid is also on their radar, what should we be bracing for . Nicole, i think the last year has shown, whether its Covid Vaccine distribution, Covid Healthcare or now cybersecurity, we have to build more resilience into our society, and that means a lot of local and State Investment in improving infrastructure across the board and capacity. Its systemic throughout our system. We have come to rely on the federal government to kind of solve all the big problems in the country, and to a degree, they can do that, but ultimately, the number of End Points in our country that can be attacked from a Cybersecurity Perspective requires an investment from state, local, all The Way to federal, every corporation has to be investing in this. Its part of the backbone, and i think thats what you saw with President Biden talking about some of the packages that are coming up, regulation that might be implemented to try and build that resiliency throughout the country. I think the other thing is we realize how dependent we are on those these systems, and so that it, you know, from a even a personal or local level, we can build backups in place to make sure that we have these contingencies. Weve become very reliant on the Status Quo systems, thinking theyll always been there. Weve been proven time and again over the last few years those systems arent necessarily always going to be there. Chris krebs and clint watts, two of the best people on the planet to have this conversation with. Thank you both for spending time with us. Were going to turn back to our Breaking News this hour on the fight against the coronavirus. The fda has authorized the Pfizer Vaccine for Emergency Use in Kids Ages 12 to 15, paving The Way for millions more americans to get vaccinated. Joining our conversation, dr. Michael anderson, a pediatric critical Care Physician and senior advisor with the childrens national hospital in washington, d. C. Since the beginning of the pandemic, you and i have been talking about kids and covid, whether in the context of classrooms or whether they can get sick. This seems like a huge, huge, huge deal for the countrys fight against covid and for parents who have been terrified for the better part of 14 months. Nicole, this is a historic moment, and you and i, as you said, have been talking about kids since the beginning of this. The thoughts that kids were immune, kids werent infected, thats just false. We know that theres 300 families across this country that have lost children to this. We know that kids are carriers. We know, thank god, that kids seem to get less ill from this disease, but we are never going to get back to a state of normalcy, were not going to ensure a bright future for kids until the vaccine can protect them as well. So, the fact that were now going down to age 12 with pfizer through the eua, this is literally a historic moment where families and pediatricians and child advocates are celebrating. So, tell me what people should know about the thoroughness of these trials. And i ask that as someone very aware that we live in a country with, unfortunately, some politically influenced Belief Systems around vaccine safety. Just give us the facts. Yeah. We do know that, unfortunately, it has become politicized and i can tell you that the fda has put these vaccines through a very rigorous process. They have approved them under whats called an Emergency Use authorization, meaning that the evidence far shows benefits outweighing any minimal Side Effects or minimal downside to them, and the fact that once again were able to get these vaccines into more kids brings us back to normalcy. Were going to have to do more research because what about the 11yearolds . What about the 10yearolds . Once again, if were going to be an immunized community, weve got to get more and more kids vaccinated, and i know the companies are looking at that. But the Bottom Line is, these are safe vaccines. You know, pfizer being the first one approved for kids as young as 12, and the second thing i would say, you and i have talked about vaccine hesitancy, i think its really important, like pediatricians and Family Medicine docs and Nurse Practitioners do every day, that families rely on their medical home. Lets talk about this vaccine. Lets talk about if its right for my kid. And i can tell you that pediatrician after pediatrician are lining up to say, lets have this conversation because this is a really important day. I have to say, my pediatrician has not been wrong about anything all year. They do. They look at the family and they look at the child. I want to ask you about the actual vaccine. Is it a smalleR Dose, a lesseR Dose, is it still two doses, or was it just was the trial just to make sure it also worked in kids . Its two doses, like everyone else im sorry, like the adults over the age that have gotten pfizer, so it is two doses. I think theres still an unknown out there, whether youre an adult, and i have had two doses of the other one, the moderna. Whats this whole concept of a booster . Are we going to get to a once a Year Booster . But it is two vaccines. It is the same dose for kids 12 and up, but you raise a really good point, now for the younger kids that are obviously smaller, have less body weight, were going to have to figure out what the safe dose is for those kids, but it is two doses. And like i said, i think weve got an interesting question to ask us moving forward, not just for kids but for adults and kids, whats this whole notion of a booster. How do we get back to some semblance where this feels like influenza where yep, now its the fall and i get my Flu Vaccine. I think that will be a time to celebrate too. So, the biden White House has just announced that this can happen immediately, that if there are doses, they can now be administered today. You can take your 12, 13, 14, or 15yearold to get a vaccine. Is that something you recommend . I do. Childrens hospitals and pediatricians across this country have been revving up for this moment, so we have dose. I know here in the d. C. , maryland, virginia area, there are several centers that are ready to vaccinate kids over 12, so i say, get in line now. Figure out with your pediatrician how to get this dose. This is going to get us back to a much more normal state. Its going to get us back to a fall, what feels like a fall in school. And like i said, we still have work to do on the younger kids, but getting kids down to 12 vaccinated, this is just so historic. And i think that what im beginning to understand is that when you look at countries like israel where transmission has been extinguished, it is in getting your numbers up to that higher percentage. How instrumental is it to reaching our numbers to get kids as part of the vaccinated population . Its so huge, because as i said, weve accumulated a lot of data since this came out, right . We know kids are transmitters. We know that within a household, a child, thank god, doesnt have typically the same severe symptoms as adults do, but we know that theyre transmitters, so if were going to get to this notion of herd immunity, kids are 22 of the population. Theyre probably the most important part of the family. So, getting children to be a part of this immunization wave, if you will, is so vital. Its also very important. You and i have talked a Couple Times about the unfortunate, rare thing called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. As much as we can do from preventing the spread, thats going to do two other things. Its going to decrease the ability of variants to emerge, and weve talked about variants over this time. And hopefully, its also going to decrease that rare but really heartbreaking number of kids that get this multisystem inflammatory syndrome. So, slowly but surely, the higher percentage of the population, were going to get back to feeling normal. Im so glad you mentioned that almost 300 american families have lost their children to covid, and i remember i think i reached out to you with my terror reading about the inflammatory syndrome that affected kids. There were a lot in New York. I read it in my local paper and saw it on the local news. Can you talk too about the mental Health Toll that the pandemic has taken on kids. My son still learns remotely. This seems to end the debate about inclassroom learning. Everyone goes back to the classroom now. Its so huge. Weve known in the world of Child Advocacy that the demand for pediatric mental Health Care services far outpaces the supply. That was true going into the pandemic, and now the number of children that are suffering from anxiety, suffering from obsessivecompulsive disorder, you know, weve been telling them to mask, which is really appropriate, but now theyre so scared of their surroundings, so the mental Health Toll is just astronomical with this, and i think its terrific weve got kids going back to school. I keep saying we have a generation at risk that are going back to school, so we, as a whole of society, schools alone Cant Fix this. Childrens hospitals and pediatricians Cant Fix it. But we have to realize the number of kids that are suffering from this pandemic is astronomical. I keep in touch with some of my residency colleagues on a Group Text Message and they have most of them are general pediatricians. They have informed me of the terrible cases of obsessivecompulsive disorder and anxiety. So, its terrific the vaccine is here. But your point is so well taken. This entire generation of kids is at risk. So, we are covering the Breaking News, the fda has authorized for Emergency Use, the Pfizer Vaccine in Kids Ages 12 to 15. I have one more question for you, dr. Anderson. Sure. What is going on right now in terms of vaccinating the youngers . You know, maybe to get the kindergarten and up, between sort of 5 and 12 vaccinated . Whats that process look like . Whats the horizon . Its a real coordinated effort between the Pharmaceutical Companies that want to study younger kids, actually, potentially, down to age 6 months. Its then a coordination with the fda, how do we design these studies, what are the outcomes, how do we assure that Theres Safety . And then its the Childrens Hospitals and academic centers and, quite frankly, pediatrician officers. I know a lot of pediatricians that are anxious to help study whats the safe dose, how effective is it, and theyre really good questions you asked in the beginning. How many doses are we talking about . Because obviously, younger kids have different physiology, but weve learned a lot over the last decade. Pharmaceutical research in general to help support Childrens Health has really come to a much better place, so there are already networks in place across this country to study down to, as i said, theyre looking at potentially sixmontholds. I come back to the flu analogy. We recommend Flu Vaccine down to age 6 months, so can we get a Covid Vaccine that, of course, is safe, that is effective, but then allows us to say, yeah, kids 6 months and up, lets think about this like a yearly Fall Booster like we do for the flu. Yeah, just add it to new moms vaccine schedule. That feels like the End Game here. Dr. Michael anderson, it is so fortunate for us that we planned to talk to you today. Thank you so much for spending some extra time with us on the Breaking News. Were grateful. My pleasure. When we return, as the gop gets ready to cuts conservative Liz Cheney loose, theres new information about what happened and what police missed before the capitol insurrection. That is next. Missed before the Capitol Insurrtiecon that is next Advil Dual Action fights pain 2 ways. Its the first and only fda approved combination of Advil Plus acetaminophen. Advil targets pain. Acetaminophen blocks it. Advil dual action. Fast Pain Relief that lasts 8 hours. Tech every customer has their own safelite story. This couple loves Camping Adventures and their suv is always there with them. So when their windshield got a chip, they wanted it fixed fast. They drove to Safelite Autoglass for a guaranteed, sameday, inshop repair. We repaired the chip before it could crack. And with their insurance, it was no cost to them. Woman really . Tech thats service you can trust, when you need it most. Pop Rock Music singers safelite repair, safelite replace. This is our block. Our place. Our people. Watch the curb. Not having a ride to get the vaccine. Cant be the reason you dont get it. You wanna help . Donate a ride today. We need to reduce plastic waste in the environment. Thats why at Americas Beverage companies, our bottles are made to be remade. Not all plastic is the same. Were carefully designing our bottles to be One Hundred percent recyclable, including the caps. Theyre collected and separated from other plastics, so they can be turned back into material that we use to make new bottles. That completes The Circle, and reduces plastic waste. Please help us get every bottle back. Im not sure if Theres Anything i can say that completes The Circle, and reduces plastic waste. To my Family Members to convince them to take the covid19 vaccine. Im not even sure if im convinced. Hi darius, i think that people respond more to what we do than what we say. So after looking at all the data and the science about these vaccines, i got the vaccine. And i made sure my Mom And Dad got the vaccine. Because these vaccines are safe. I feel it is of the utmost importance to continue exploring and reviewing the causes and failures that led to the horrific events when the capitol was violently attacked. The department did not aptly provide detail and up to Date Guidance in place for its Countersurveillance And Threat assessment operations, which could have led to unclear guidance and accountability. Additionally, a lack of clear and detailed Communications Procedures could have increased inefficiencies with processes as well as led to critical Countersurveillance Information not being appropriately communicated throughout the department. That was Capitol Police inspector general Michael Bolton testifying just hours ago in front of a house committee, admitting the major Communication Flaws that led to the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th. Bolton spoke about the third Flash Report that his office has produced in the wake of the riot and outlined that his department is, quote, cultural changes and made recommendations for a new Countersurveillance Operation to solely protect congress. Meanwhile, on the planet nonearth, Liz Cheney, one of the lone republicans to support a commission to investigate the riot is punished and likely expelled for telling the truth about what happened on January 6th. Republicans are set to oust her, further cementing their Commitment And Push of the Big Lie. But also, staking their support behind the former guy, heading into the 2022 midterm elections. Joining us now, democratic congresswoman from pennsylvania, Madeleine Dean is back. Congresswoman, i want to ask you about something that i saw in this report because ive asked you if you feel safe up there, and i want to know the answer again in context of this. As our work continues, my office sees continuing areas in our findings that u. S. Cp needs addressing. Those areas are intelligence training, and cultural change. The department needs to move away from the Thought Process as a traditional Police Department and move to the posture as a protective agency. That would make all of you protectees and not just people who work in a building with its own police force. Thats a big deal if you sort of follow the Way Government buildings and institutions and people are protected and i wonder how you feel about it. I actually picked that up in his first report. I thought that was exactly well said. And something i didnt realize until after the insurrection. Really, we i think we thought of them as some sort of a Police Department, but we should not think of them in that way. They are protectionry force. I had the benefit of that when i was the impeachment Manager And I cant tell you the Respect And Gratitude that i have for everyone who helped me through those difficult weeks. They are a protectionry force. They should not be thought of as some municipal Police Department, and we should resource them appropriately. I think, sadly, that is where we are, and i really appreciate the inspector general saying that a number of things were failures. Outdated guidance, understaffed, undermanned, underwomaned, and a failure to gather intelligence. You know that general honore and his task force, right after January 6th, came up with those same recommendations. We were undermanned, understaffed, underresourced, and they need to have dedicated intelligence gathering. One of the ideas that hasnt moved as quickly as some people thought when we all watched the insurrection was the commission, a 9 11 style commission. I know Speaker Pelosi is still at it, but one of the reasons people believe Kevin Mccarthy is so committed to ousting Liz Cheney also happens to be the fact that they clashed on the scope of an investigation. Can you tell me your thoughts and how optimistic you are that a commission will be formed . Nicole, i want a commission to be formed. You saw that this was in front of the administration committee today, House Oversight on wednesday will have more hearings. We have to get to the truth and the facts and gather it all in one place. Sadly, what we are seeing is a republican party convulsing, at war with itself, at war, obviously, with the truth, at war over power instead of policies, you served a republican administration that fought over policies and not over power. But this is a very sad state of affairs when the person who spoke up and told the truth, Liz Cheney, is being ousted by her own party for telling the truth. And for wanting us to get to the facts so that everybody in that capitol is safe, not just members of Congress But Staff and visitors. Im shocked by the shallowness of whats going on in the republican party and republican leadership with simple fealty to a president , a failed president , who failed to win reelection, who failed to maintain a majority in the senate. This cultish behavior is a party at war with itself, and i hope that we will be able to get the commission and we will gather the facts and the truth so that we can lead us away from an attack by americans on americans. Kevin mccarthy keeps saying that his concern is around Liz Cheneys ability to deliver a message. That seems to confirm that the message going into the next Midterm Cycle would be to continue to run on the Big Lie, to continue the will, and to c defy the results of the election. I wonder if that has you concerned about the state of the democracy . Sadly, leader mccarthy has no credibility. He has spoken out of both sides of his mouth. Right after the insurrection he spoke, i think, with candor and with Trepidation And Fear for All Of Us, and very quickly he flipped. He flipped because he saw the only way for him to remain in power and hopefully get greater power was to remain loyal to a man who actually incited the insurrection. So sadly, mr. Mccarthy has no credibility and hes at war with somebody like Liz Cheney who is exhibiting Credibility And Integrity and telling the truth against the Big Lie. It seems to also be wrapped up in how popular the president s agenda is among their own voters. Do you pick up any sort of political desperation as part of the equation there . I see an awful loss of desperation clinging to power. All of these moves seem to be out of utteR Desperation. You know, i had the chance when we were home this past week to visit my district. And i have to tell you, republicans and democrats are saying thank you. Thank you for the american Rescue Plan. And why is it that not a single republican could summon up the guts to say yes, i want to send millions of dollars to my desperately needed districts. So theres a lot of desperation out there. There is, sadly, not a conversation about whats best moving forward, like the american Rescue Plan, like the american Jobs Plan. This is what democrats came to fight for, and so im confident well move forward. OuR Districts are noticing who is hollow and simply chiming a tune that mr. Trump wants to hear and those that actually want to move america forward based on the truth. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, always a pleasure to get to talk to you about all of these issues and anything in the news. Thank you for spending some time with us today. Thank you for having me. When we return, as we do every day, we will remember lives well lived. 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She was a track star, a basketball player, a softball player. She could draw, she could paint. She was a makeup artist. People came to the house to get their eyebrows done from her and would pay her. And she was just a beautiful soul. Everybody who met her wanted a piece of her. Dakota morgans brave, brave Mom Sharing with the mom her superstaR Daughters legacy. Dakota was a smart, talented, driven 15yearold with a beautiful soul as you heard from her mom. The kind of person who undoubtedly could have achieved whatever she wanted in this world. According to nbc chicago, last week just two days after a positive covid test, she died of what doctors are calling an inflamed heart. Her father says she was an amazing child, who shared her light with everyone. It goes without saying, please, All Of Us, lets keep Dakotas Family in our thoughts and prayers this week. Well be right back. Back. This is our block. Our place. Our people. Watch the curb. Not having a ride to get the vaccine. 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The beat with Ari Melber starts right now. Hi, ari. Any, nicolle. Welcome to the beat. I am Ari Melber. Top republicans trying to silence any antitrump dissent, even if its factual. Now, in a moment i want to tell you something special. Neal katyal is here live on rudy giulianis mounting problems. Today mr. Giuliani said like nixon, hes not a crook. Also Tonight News on the fda authorizing the Covid Vaccine for teenagers. That may be relevant in your household. So we have all that ahead including neal in this segment. We begin with these top republicans who want to quiet trump critics ith