and today's judges put a hold on their own ruling to give his lawyers time to file an appeal. it comes as the select committee heard from four important witnesses today. that would be john eastman, author of the memo used to try and convince mike pence to toss out the election results. that would be former trump cyber security czar chris krebs, who publicly disputed the big lie, famously said at the time that our presidential election had been free and fair. former pentagon official, kash patel, also ali alexander who organized stop the steal rallies after the 2020 election. he happened to meet with the committee today for eight hours. >> it was really just important to me as a man of faith and a man of peace to have come here and say, stop the steal held 500 rallies in all 50 states in the union, and not one turned violent. >> alexander also denies his group had anything to do with the violence at the capitol. the committee vice chair, liz cheney, said today the committee's approaching 300 witness interviews, and that the investigation is currently, as she put it, firing on all cylinders. late today maryland democratic congressman jamie raskin, who also sits on that committee, offered new clues about their progress. >> everything is moving in our direction at this point. we're getting a really fine grained image of what was taking place. and the money that was being raised, the money that was being spent, the coordination among the different elements, the interaction of the violent insurrection with the attempt to coerce mike pence to reject electoral college votes. all of it is becoming clearer to us. >> meanwhile, mark meadows is getting closer to being held in contempt. the committee meets monday to vote on that. we've also learned that long-time trump adviser jason miller was scheduled to be deposed tomorrow. that's now been postponed. meanwhile, nbc news reporting new york state attorney general letitia james is looking to depose donald trump as part of her civil tax fraud investigation into the overall trump organization. this news first reported by "the washington post." trump's lawyers call the move, quote, purely political, and wait for it, a witch hunt. with that, let's bring three of the original friends of this broadcast who make up our starting line tonight. and here's a hint. one of them hasn't been up this late since new year's eve of 1996. i'm not going to say which one she is. phil rucker, pulitzer rise winning correspondent for the washington. nicole wallace. she happened to have been white house communications director for president george w. bush and a senior aide to john mccain's '08 effort. and eugene. good evening and welcome to you all. nicole, we're all business here as we start off tonight. so, here's the lead question for you. given your experience as white house communications director and an insider inside the west wing in an entirely different era, give us some idea of the scope and contents. what kind of qualms could have come out of a day like 1/6, written, dictated, electronic records -- what kinds of things, to put it another way, does trump not want the committee to see? >> well, i hate to say "in a normal white house" because any sentence that starts that way is usually revealed by one of the white house to have not happened in this white house. but white house records is automated by design. every email you send is bcc'd that is addressed to a record. so, anything that anyone wrote to anyone else or into anyone in the white house would -- if it falls into the scope of what the committee had asked for and if it passed the test that the biden white house reviewed and said this does not -- is not going to be protected by executive privilege, that would be part of -- this was just the first of three traunches that would go to the committee. and it's vast. it could also include visitor logs. it could include phone records. we don't know what will ultimately make its way to the committee. but i think when you lay this ruling and the prospect that all of the documents in the archives will make their way to the committee over the fact that all of the witnesses are insider insiders. they didn't subpoena any, sort of, career folks who weren't either privy to what the trump team was doing or on the trump team itself. they're the closest people to donald trump at the white house, the people running his campaign, and the people who organized the event that he had planned on january 6th. but the committee keeps saying publicly that they have lots and lots -- liz cheney called them exceptionally interesting documents. mark meadows, who is potentially about to be held in criminal contempt. what a bizarre legal strategy he has undertaken. but they have so much already. and the idea of these documents sort of coming in like water and filling in the cracks and the gaps is what has to keep team trump up tonight. >> phil rucker, it is a bizarre choice, as nicole put it, for so many of these people who have had public careers to choose to have contempt of congress as, in effect, the last line in their résumés, in effect, the first line in their obituaries. but speaking of the deposed team trump in florida and washington and elsewhere, what's your reporting on how they're viewing their fight against this committee? >> well, brian, they seem to be losing almost every day against this committee. as liz cheney put it today, more than 300 witnesses have participated with this committee. it was a slow start for this investigation, but there appears to have been really clear momentum the last few weeks. now we're learning that all of these text messages from mark meadows on january 6th are now in the committee's hands. that's important for a lot of reasons. so, one by one, trump's most loyal allies and advisers are cooperating because they know they have to. they don't want to be held in contempt of congress. they're trying to cooperate to some degree. it's unclear if they're cooperating fully. but they're providing some information to this committee. and in doing so, frankly, they're certifying what the committee's doing. they're making this an official act. trump wants them to all dismiss this committee as a partisan witch hunt and have nothing to do with it, and they're not willing to play that game, even as they're unwilling to sort of publicly fully cross the former president. >> eugene robinson, your latest is headlined "the january 6th committee needs to get louder. much louder." made me think of the good trouble admonishment from the late great congressman john lewis. eugene, they have been previewing more. they have been telling us publicly what they have in hand already. there will be televised hearings. is that what you're talking about or something way more aggressive? >> it's not for televised hearings. i think there should be hearings. i think they should be making more noise. and they have started to do that. they have started to tell us more. but, you know, for many americans who are not paying close attention, this isn't, i fear, registering the way it should. and this is so important. it is so important to get to the bottom of what happened on january 6th. i think everyone on the committee understands that. so, say it loud. bring in the television cameras. make it impossible not to pay attention because it is -- it is -- this was a rupture in our democracy, the likes of which we have never seen before. and there has to be accountability. and people have to pay attention. >> nicole, you cover this committee if possible more than we do. hell, you've got a two-hour shift every day. we just do one. i don't need to remind anyone that the clock is ticking. i don't need to remind anyone that the clock runs out on these hearings this committee, effective the midterm elections. let's talk about consequences though. other than some of the foot soldiers who breached our capitol on that day, the plotters and planners, the big names, the senior folks that are the stuff of our broadcast, no consequences as of yet. nicole, do you think they can hear as loudly as we can the ticking clock? >> you know, i -- i -- garrett haake -- and you played that great interview he did just on the fly, seemingly effortlessly with jamie raskin -- talked about people who have gotten sort of wiggled off the hook. and the idea of steve bannon wiggling off anything was too much for me. but no one has gotten away. there are folks that they haven't sort of turned inside out in terms of what they know and what they saw. but i think the decision today by this appeals court -- and it's 68 pages. a lot of it is about how extraordinarily important it is for congress to get all these answers. they are making a legal argument that i think at least some of our legal friends, it would be pretty difficult for the supreme court to go in a different direction just on the legal grounds. but i think this idea of a ticking clock is very much on all of their minds. and i think that what we don't see shouldn't worry us as much as it does. it is clear that what they already know is shaping the subpoenas, it's becoming more clear in the letters they put out. if you thought, though, that i was going to stay up and put lipstick on at 11:00 just to talk about the committee, you had another thing coming. i think i can safely say i speak for all three of us in saying that to be on this last broadcast is so bittersweet. it was an extraordinary news day. it was the kind of news day that makes you want to throw something against the wall. the idea you will not be helming this broadcast anymore. i know that does not mean you will not be helming and talking us through these times. but your contributions are too much to number on behalf of all of us, everyone that i have seen tweeting. i know rachel pointed to this moment. to say that all of us are missing something already even though you're still very much right there on the air would be an understatement. >> bless you for saying that. you were present at the creation. you were -- you and i were anchor partners when this idea came to the boss, and we split off and went our separate ways, separate parts of the schedule. will i miss being the only friend of mine wearing make-up at 11:00 at night? no. but i will miss all of you and aspects of this. phil rucker, i -- what you're watching is an anchor gamely trying to get control of the rutter again. let me ask you a news question while i spread the love to my friend, nicole wallace, who has been incredibly gracious in ways that i can never repay. bannon and meadows are playing beat the clock. it's -- it's very clear. is there a scenario, phil, where the committee accrues so much material on them that their testimony -- and it may include up to and not limited to taking the fifth -- becomes less important? >> sure. you know, every day the committee gets more information, you know, the testimony, the words of steve bannon and mark meadows are less important simply because more of the holes are being filled by outside testimony, by documents, by all the other information the committee is gathering. that being said, there are certainly questions that they have that steve bannon will only be able to answer. and there are probably more questions that mark meadows will be able to answer. remember meadows, the white house chief of staff, was physically at the former president's side throughout the day of january 6th and all the days leading up to january 6th. and according the our reporting was really playing both sides of that argument, telling pence one thing, telling trump another thing. he is such a central figure, so his testimony will be invaluable. yet the committee, with all this other work, will be able to piece together a lot of the narrative. i'm going to take a moment of personal privilege to add to what nicole said and point out that this has been such a turbulent, traumatic period for all of us in the country, for all of us in journalism. we have the gray hairs to prove it. and this has been such an hour of calm, and that's because of the integrity and the smarts and wit and grace that you bring to the news every night. and we're sure going to miss it. >> bless you real good. thank you, phil. i feel the same about you as i've said before, the stars of the show are the people we invite on here, again, but not limited to my friend with the pulitzer prize, eugene robinson. eugene, you are one of the founding fathers of this. you and i have shared so many late nights, sometimes resulting in understandable votes. >> that's absolutely right. listen, let me just throw it off the rails yet again because i just have to take this opportunity to thank you. thank you for the opportunity of working with you on this broadcast, on election nights where you fed us all staff banquets of bad food on other occasions. you know, you -- you have created, you and your great producers and great crew, created here on "11th hour" a show that's really kind of about the human comedy in the way that falls at the phrase, all of life, all the commotion, all of what we're doing. you have the unique ability to see not just the tragedy and the pathos of the event, but also the comedy. but it's a broadcast that always leaves viewers knowing a lot more about their nation and their world and feeling a bit better, feeling a bit more prepared to face the coming day. and that's a tremendous achievement. and to have been even a small part of it, i just say thank you, my friend. thank you. >> well, well, thank you so much. it's your -- it's your brains and words we've been borrowing this whole time. here's the difference a pulitzer prize makes. where i'm from, you throw around words like ball zack you're going to get thrown out of wherever you're in. that's just a fact of life. to these three friend who is i will continue to see in the real world but i will miss most of all in this forum, our ever-loving thanks to phil rucker, nicole wallace, eugene robinson. thank you all for coming on these many, many years and many late nights. coming up, another friend of ours, james carville is here to talk about what's next for the biden presidency and the democratic party as we near the end of joe biden's first year in office. and later celebrated history yans together on the state of our democracy tonight and what's at stake for all of us who love this country. "the 11th hour" is just getting underway on a more emotional than average thursday night, as we look up at the residence from the west wing. hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ this is the planning effect from fidelity. ben isn't worried about retirement because his plan is backed by the team at fidelity. a group of investment professionals manages ben's ira for him, analyzing market conditions and helping him stay on target. he gets one-on-one coaching when he wants some advice, and can adjust his plan whenever he needs to. and now he's so prepared for retirement, ben is feeling totally zen. that's the planning effect from fidelity. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. ben is feeling totally zen. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you. introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business. powering possibilities. we are going to take power after this next election. and when we do, it's going to be the days of jim jordan -- >> president trump, the leader of the republican party. >> -- and marjorie taylor greene. >> q is a patriot. >> and myself -- >> an armed rebellion against the government. >> the notion we're going to hold hands and legislate is ludicrous. >> that's a new ad out today from the democratic national committee. and it seems that the republican narrator is perfectly content with that portrayal of him and his party. matt gaetz posted this request on social media. in fact, quote, please run this ad in the florida congressional district 1. back with us is an old friend, james carville who rose to fame with the clinton campaign. he's now cohosts of the "politics warroom." it's great to see you at another time. we'll talk about lsu's new coach and what that did to notre dame. wow, what a story. back to politics. is this better than the party is getting more aggressive? as you and i have discussed, the toughest ads on behalf of the democrats have been made by latched republicans hereto for. >> matt gaetz will probably be in the penitentiary by the time the election comes around, having sex for underage females. there's a good chance he will be. yes, they've got to hit hard. any time jim jordan opens his mouth, he should go into the house and read all the ohio state athletes who said he knew they were being molested by the coach. when lauren boebert opens her mouth, somebody should go to the well and read a story out of the "new york post," which is owned by rupert murdock, talking about how lauren boebert and her husband met and read that into the congressional record. we've got to stop this and call these people out for who they are. >> why -- why aren't they doing that, james? why aren't they as aggressive as you just laid out? why aren't they as aggressive as we are all free to read on social media. >> because of democratic things, it's human blah and you know. we've got less than a year to go between these off-year elections. and they've got to start hitting and hitting hard and start telling the truth on these people. how did matt gaetz sit up there and criticize anybody given the trouble that he's in? and paul gosar's got five siblings that all tell people to vote against him. read what your siblings say into the congressional record. brian, i have equivalent of phd in white trashology, and they can hold their own. they can be the subject of dissertation. i'm serious. and we better start calling these people and holding them accountable. that's what i say. >> james, new polling out today. 41% of americans support build back better. notably one-quarter of those asked don't have an opinion. i try to read as much as i can. i'm not sure what's in it. what's the fix for this kind of thing? >> we're starting to see a little bit of it. people are -- this economy is really good. and, you know, people are starting to talk about what's in the bill. only 10% of the people knew what was in the bill. that was the case a month ago. i'm surprised when you have 25% that are unsure you could get 22% of that 25% if they knew it was in there. the communications has got to be hard hitting. it's got to be streamlined. and it has to be repetitive. and that is what constitutes real good communications. and i think that people starting to see this and the kmu kay tors in the democratic party are starting to see this. but we have to be a lot more direct and a lot more hard-hitting in our communications. this has politically a rough year. accomplishments and legislatively, 2021 has been one of the better years we've had. you wouldn't know it from reading the press, but it has been. we've got to start telling people that. >> james, you and i were fused through years of political coverage. we were fuse td in the aftermath of katrina, which laid waste to your home and the area of the country that i love. and we were also fused by being on the air the moment you knew, the moment it occurred to you that hillary clinton had lost and the next president was going to be donald trump, which was an incredible moment to witness in real time, whatever the aftereffects were that we're still talking about and dealing with now. what is your message, as you'll forgive me, but we're within a couple years, as party elder to the up and comers, to the progressives on the left, to the moderates in the middle and a good many democrats still insist we're a center-right country. >> well, first of all, love your country. and i'm sure most of all of them do. and then communicate directly in simple, plain english. and when you do something good, take credit for it. and when they do something bad, blame them for it. it's just really isn't that much more complicated. but you have to do it directly. you have to do it plainly and clearly. let people hear you. the biden administration has an incredible story to tell. and i can't wait for him to get out there and start telling it. and, you know, i think when people start hearing it, there can be a change. but we've got to start telling our stories better. we've got to be better story tellers. that's essentially what communications is. it's nothing more than story telling. and we've got to get better at it and quick. >> hey, james, just a guess on my part, you do christmas up pretty big in your house? >> oh, yeah, i love christmas. are you kidding me? i went out and got this red shirt for the show tonight, you know? it's a great time of year. my kids are going to be home and we're going to my sisters and it's just great. it's a wonderful time of the year. and you know, down here -- >> and lsu has a new head coach. >> yeah. so, i just want to do something, toast you. can't be as eloquent as some of your past pulitzer prize winning guests are, but the best way i know to do it is a bottle of champagne and toast it, big career move here. i can't wait to see what's next for brian williams. >> bless you for that. thank you. all the best back to you. have a merry christmas, you and the family. we'll try to do the same. our guest tonight has been james carville. unique among political analysts. coming up -- there we go -- we'll continue the examination of our perilous state of democracy with two of the great historians of our time. 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(vo) subaru and our retailers believe in giving back. that's why, in difficult times, we provided one hundred and fifty million meals to feeding america. and now through the subaru share the love event, we're helping even more. by the end of this year, subaru will have donated over two hundred and twenty five million dollars to charity. this is what it means to be more than a car company. this is what it means to be subaru. no one can deliver your mom's homemade short ribs. that's why instacart helps deliver the ingredients. and you add the love. my auntie called me. she said uncle's had a heart attack. i needed him to be here. your heart isn't just yours. protect it with bayer aspirin. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. democracy doesn't happen by accident. we have to renew it with each generation. and this is an urgent matter on all our parts in my view because the data we're seeing is largely pointing in the wrong direction. >> troubling trend all over our world and most alarmingly right here in the united states. so, who better to talk about the preservation of our democracy than two renowned decorated historian who is off-camera are best friends and i will be forever grateful that i get to hang out with them both. celebrated author presidential historian michael beschloss. his latest work is "presidents of war." and john meacham, the rogers chair in the american presidency at vanderbilt university. he occasionally advises this current president on historical matter and major speeches. gentlemen, good evening to you both. i'm going to start with the same question to both of you. as long as we've all been alive n my memory our presidents have started the state of the union address with some form of, my fellow americans, the state of our union is strong. can we say that right about now, john? >> i don't think so. certainly not with candor and with confidence. and that's the problem of the age. you know, democracy's very counterintuitive. this is a human undertaking. we're all fallen. we're all frail. we're all fallible. and what is a democracy but the sum of its parts? the word means the rule of the many. and the rule of the many can lead to complications and chaos. the remarkable thing about the united states, i think, and i think we've all -- all three of us have talked about this -- and that we've lasted this long. and i think that, you know, our mutual old friend ben bradley used to say when something happened and he didn't think it was a big deal, he would say, when the history of the world is written, this isn't going to be in it. well, the fall of american republic, that -- that will be in it. and we're 11 months and two days away from the most significant physical assault on our democracy that didn't even happen during the civil war, right? the electoral count, winfield scott sent troops to washington on the 13th of february 1861 to make sure secessionists didn't interfere with the electoral count. and nobody got into the capitol. well, it did happen this time. and we have to do everything we can and what michael has rightly called for a long time, longer than i've been in this corner as well, that this is a genuine national emergency. >> michael beschloss, same question. >> it is. the genuine national emergency is that brian williams is leaving "the 11th hour." let me just say my piece, then we'll get on to democracy. brian, as historians we know tonight you've had an astounding 28 years at nbc news. very difficult to believe. that's more than a quarter of the history of the nbc national broadcasting company, more than a third of the length of serious tv news. so, this is a large monument to what you do, my friend. and viewers who are watching, we've all watched brian for all these years, the intelligence, wisdom, the kindness, the more than sense of humor, and especially these last five years on "the 11th hour" at a time of horrible troubles, a nightmare often times, for our country. brian, you made this country better at a time we all needed it. every single night this has been a course in civics and democracy, in some cases for people who didn't really know how precious and how fragile it was. every single night you spoke truth to power in the best democratic tradition. now, everyone knows how much brian loves history. certainly john and i do. you may not know that he collects historical artifacts and letters. anyone who's watched this program or watched him not only for 28 years, but he was doing other things before he came to nbc, knows that brian loves the history of presidents, loves the history of cars, and he loves the history of important anniversaries. now, someone may have noticed that the week he chose to end his run here at "the 11th hour" at nbc is the 80th anniversary of pearl harbor, i'm sure completely by coincidence. by gift for you tonight -- i thought i would look for something appropriate, presents and cars and anniversaries -- i'm sending you tomorrow this exact scale model of franklin roosevelt's limousine, 1938. as you can see, the hood opens. the doors open. even the seats go up and down. you'll be getting back soon, brian, as an addition to your excellent collection. all i can say is, before we get to the more serious stuff about democracy and the troubles we're having, thank you from all of us grateful americans. and i know i speak for john is saying we can't wait to watch your next chapter. >> bless you for that, michael. thank you very much. it was -- it was far too generous. all i can say is i have never forgotten that these are the cheap seats. my name is on none of the books on the bookshelves in my house. you two gentlemen are well-represented. and that's the difference. i'm going to keep these guys in their chairs just over a break largely because they have no other plans on a thursday night. we'll continue our discussion right after this. ur discussion right after this my daughter has type 2 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remembering bob dole, whose wish in life kind of came true lying in state today. he always wanted friends from both sides of the aisle. and here, this man from russell, kansas, attracted the most powerful republicans and democrats to his casket in the rotunda of the u.s. capitol. genuine consensus, american hero. i fear, john, we'll never see his like again. >> well, never is strong. but goodness gracious. look at what dole represents. not that he's a perfect guy. he's a ferocious -- was a ferocious partisan. but he put the country first. and that's the power of example here because it's a lot easier, blessedly, to learn from sinners than from saints, which is good given the relative proportion of the two in the population. dole was somebody who understood the game, played the game. but when it came down to it, when there was a decision to be made for the good of the many, for the good of the country, kids have school lunches because of bob dole. george mcgovern, the america's disabilities act. the last time i saw him was -- second to last time i saw him was down in college station on the 75th anniversary of pearl harbor. by the way, beschloss has never given me a car, so i guess i have to retire to get one. and the fact he has that righted hand is really concerning. thankfully, brian, you'll have a little time off so we can do the intervention on beschloss. so, this will be good for everybody involved, everybody involved. we're very much concerned that we're not stopping him from doing this. in college station. and it was like adams and jefferson to some extent, right? here are these two rivals, bush and dole. they're part of the double helix. and there they were. they were both in wheelchairs, 75th anniversary of the war that changed both their lives, changed the country, changed the world. and there was a kind of commonality -- c.s. lewis once said that we picture lovers face to face but friends side by side. their eyes look ahead, and there's something to hold themming to. and dole understood that. and you can cut my mic. you've been a gift to the country. you'll continue to be a gift to the country. i will say i thought dole was the only funeral of the week. i didn't know this was going to be one too. but save these because the eulogies will not be as good i suspect in the fullness of time. but you've been fantastic and are fantastic. and now you can cut my mic. >> those thoughts have occurred to me this week. i ought to take notes, write this stuff down, because it's never going to get any better. >> it's a little bit like -- it's journalistic zoloft at this point. just use it. >> let me use the remainder of my time -- >> it has the advantage of being true. >> thank you. another great time from contemporary american politics. let me use the remainder of my time for your friendship, mostly for letting us borrow your brains regularly on this broadcast. we're going to have a weekend together with our significants others at our place. i don't know whether the history channel or comedy central should be here to shoot it, but it would make a dandy documentary. john meacham, michael beschloss, my brothers, friends forever. coming up here, something i'm not allowed to know about followed by some words i was able to successfully string together this afternoon. afterno. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ it wasn't me by shaggy ♪ you're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your discover card. - realtor.com's new collaboration tools made it easy for romeo and i to find the right home together. - 'cause we can see each other's favorites all in one place. - and go back and forth with comments. oh romeo, romeo, i love our new home. - realtor.com, to each their home. every day in business brings something new. so get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. introducing comcast business mobile. you get the most reliable network with nationwide 5g included. and you can get unlimited data for just $30 per line per month when you get four lines or mix and match data options. available now for comcast business internet customers with no line-activation fees or term contract required. see if you can save by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities. hi, it's nicole again. i was lucky enough to be one of the first guests on the very first "11th hour," and it is my privilege to get to share some of the most memorable moments from the last five years. >> and good evening and welcome from our headquarters in new york. where have we heard that music before? 20 days until the first presidential debate, 63 days -- or 62 depending on how you count -- until the election. and while it may not be the 11:00 hour where you are watching, we are rapidly nearing the 11th for this presidential campaign. >> they need to take this away from the candidate. >> do you, chris christie, think donald trump should release his tax return? >> he'll release them when the audit is over. >> that's a big difference to use the expression likely indictment when all the reporting is to the contrary. >> fine. it just doesn't change what's in voters' minds right now. >> tonight as we come on the air, it's the election of donald trump that is driving protesters out into the streets of several american cities. >> your organization -- let's go. >> question, sir -- >> quiet, quiet. >> it was harrowing television the first time around. it's just as harrowing to see it again tonight, isn't it? donald trump today became our 45th president, completing the most unusual and unlikely rise in the history of the presidency. a showdown between the president and the justice department. we have never had a president give nazis the benefit of the doubt. the president today has praised the leader of north korea. he sided with putin over the home team when given the chance. we are now at the start of the third government shutdown of this presidency. the democrats have just become the check on this president. donald trump, just the third american president to be impeached. the world health organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. the protests that erupted in minneapolis following the death of george floyd at the hands of police now of course a nationwide movement. >> the death tonight of supreme court justice right ruth bader ginsburg. >> the president of the united states tested positive for covid-19. today it became official, they are president-elect and vice president-elect. this day was disgraceful and dark and sad and humiliating because an angry mob took over the u.s. capitol with seeming ease. a lot to take in. we have the very best in the business standing by to continue our conversation. >> this is a vital, vital moment. >> fascism did not rise in the '30s because it was strong but because democracy was weak. >> what happened on january 6th, what's happening with the virus, those are facts that are going to be looked at with great disfavor by historians many, many, years from now. >> i don't know how you do this every night, brian, keep your subtle but amazing humor in tact. >> it got physical at nato with what we love to call the mont me grow heisman. >> fake trump protesters. i think these are people that probably planned this. >> as i sauls say we paid extra to have those translated from the original russian. >> that's the man's grooming icon steve bannon on his podcast today. >> you had me at hello. you had me at hello. >> that is -- obviously we have rolled the wrong clip here. i thought this was going to be of the mccarthy and trump meeting. >> have you been a good little nazi! >> perhaps you remember your first edible. he's just a boy standing in front of new hampshire asking them to love him. "the 11th hour" is way bigger than any one man or one woman. the truth is our secret has always been it's always about our guests. that will never change. tippy toes, tippy toes, i don't see your tippy toes. oh come on he's having a laugh. cough cough sneeze sneeze... [ sneezing ] needs, plop plop fizz fizz. alka seltzer plus cold relief. dissolves quickly. instantly ready to start working. so you can bounce back fast with alka-seltzer plus. now available for fast sinus relief. ♪ feel stuck and need a loan? move to sofi and feel what it's like to get your money right. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ move to a sofi personal loan. earn $10 just for viewing your rate — and get your money right. ♪ when it comes to autism, and get your money right. finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org my retirement plan with voya keeps me moving forward. they guide me with achievable steps that give me confidence. this is my granddaughter...she's cute like her grandpa. voya doesn't just help me get to retirement... ...they're with me all the way through it. voya. be confident to and through retirement. are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? it can also deplete your coq10 levels. i recommend considering qunol coq10 along with your statin medication. the brand i trust is qunol. well, look e the time. i'll try to keep this brief. after 28 years of peacock logos on much of what i own, it is my choice now to jump without a net into the great unknown. as i do for the first time in my 62 years, my biggest worry is for my country. i'm not a liberal or a conservative. i'm an institutionalist. i believe in this place. and in my love of my country i yield to no one. but the darkness has spread to roads and highways and neighborhoods, the local bar, the bowling alley, the school board and the grocery store. and it must be acknowledged and answered for. grown men and women who swore an oath to our constitution elected by our constituents possessing the kinds of college degrees i can only dream of have decided to join the mob and becoming something they are not hoping we somehow forget who they were. they've decided to burn it all down with us inside. that should scare you to no end as much as it scares an aging volunteer fireman. to my coworkers, my love and thanks. and i say, again, everyone i've worked with has made me better at what i do. to my family, love and thanks doesn't begin to cover it. but now i have the time to better express it. my friends know who they are. no one's been blessed with better friends. to the guests on this broadcast, it's always been about you. otherwise i'd be staring into the camera for an hour five nights a week. and nobody wants to see that. you are "the 11th hour" and will continue to be "the 11th hour." this is where i thank you, however, for being so great for explaining these last five years. as a proud new jersey native, this is where i get to say, regrets, i've had a few. too few to mention. what a ride it's been. where else, how else was a kid like me going to meet presidents and kings and the occasional rock star. these lovely testimonials that i can never truly repay make me hyper aware that it has been and remains a wonderful life. it's as if i'm going to wake up tomorrow morning in bedford falls. the reality is i will wake up tomorrow in the america in the year 2021, a nation unrecognizable to those who came before us and fought to protect it, which is what you must do now. my colleagues will take it from here. i will probably find it impossible to be silent and stay away from you and lights and cameras after i experiment with relaxation and find out what i've missed and what's out there. every weeknight for decades now, i've said some version of the same thing. thank you for being here with us, us meaning the people who produce this broadcast for you. and you, well, without you, there is no us. i'll show myself out. until we meet again, that is our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. and for all my colleagues of the networks of nbc news, good night. ♪♪ before we start tonight i'm going to ask you to indulge me for a second. i want to say if you have got only one hour to spend tonight watching the news, if you've only got one block of time that you can set only got one block of time that you can se but he is