Youre not here tonight because youre afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. Youre ducking these things. Thats Chris Christie with a direct attack on donald trump. And christie wasnt the only republican president ial candidate to address the former president s absence from last nights debate stage. There werent that many other attacks, though. But well bring you that and other big moments from last night. Donald trump actually wasnt watching because he was instead on a stage by himself in michigan speaking to a crowd of mostly nonunion auto workers and criticizing the union strike against detroits big three. And meanwhile in washington it appears that farright republicans in the house are ready to shutdown the government over one key funding item. Well tell you what that is just ahead. Good morning and welcome to way too early on this thursday, september 28th. Im jonathan lemire. Thanks for starting your day with us. Weve got a big show ahead, and we begin this morning with the second republican president ial debate, which began with a Video Montage questioning the state of todays gop and a very direct message about donald trump. 40 years after reagan pfsz landslide reelection, the Republican Party faces critical questions. What does it mean to be a conservative . We fight for the truth. We are not going to worry about what the left and the media say about us. What is the key to a economy . America can do for everyone what shes done for me. Well stop the spending, stop the spending, stop the earmarks. What is americas role in the world. We need to build a military fitted to the widening challenges. Sometimes to avoid war by showing your tough. And the country faces even more challenges. Would reagan even recognize the country in which we now live . Last night some of those candidates went on the attack against trump who once again decided to skip the event. During the Trump Administration and its 7 trillion 7 trillion in national debt. Donald trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record. Donald trump hides behind the walls of his golf clubs and wont show up here to answer questions. Youre afraid of being on this stage and defending your record, youre ducking these things. And let me tell you whats going to happen, you keep doing that no is going to call you donald trump anymore, were going to call you donald duck. Donald trump said Vladimir Putin was brilliant and a great leader. This is the person who is murdering people in his own country and now not having enough blood hes now going to ukraine to murder innocent civilians. He should be here explaining his comments to try to say prolife protections are a terrible thing. I want him to look into the eyes and tell people who have been fighting this fight for a long time. Im not sure that donald duck line really worked. In a fight for relevance the gop candidate spent plenty of time yelling and talk over each other with the debate stage at Times Devolving into complete chaos repeatedly throughout the night. Gentlemen, youll have your turn. Everybody knows that. If i may just i actually agree with ron desantis. A high level of discourse there. Thank you for speaking while im interrupting. Joining us now julia manchester. Shes in simi valley, california, this evening. Julia, thanks for staying up late for us tonight. Lets start with broad strokes. We know the polls. These candidates are all well, well behind donald trump and desperate for some sort of moment, break out moment or momentum. Give us an overview of a cup of winners and losers of last nights debate. Yeah, jonathan i think its sort of unclear who the winners and losers were according to a lot of people i chatted with in the republican world. One consistent winner ive heard was nikki haley. Nikki haley is someone in the last debate she did it i think i would argue last night. She presented herself as the only adults in the room essentially trying to rise above the fray. She didnt speak as much as maybe some of the other candidates, but she had some of the more memorable knock out moments particularly against Vivek Ramaswamy. There was that moment he was defending his decision to join tiktok despite candidates attacking him for his past business ties to china. She said listening to you essentially makes me feel dumber every day. That was certainly a moment. Ron desantis himself i dont think he had a bad night but i dont know necessarily think he had a knock out night. He didnt do poorly, but he didnt get a lot of fuzzy moments like nikki haley did. And i guess the verdict is still out on donald duck, but people are still talking about that moment from Chris Christie, and tim scott also coming in and not holding back any punches, really trying to get out of his comfort zone, be a bit more assertive. Remember in the first debate he seemed to fall out of the fray, but this time he was very much trying to get himself out and center. Scott was more or less invisible the first time around, and youre right a couple of republicans texted me overnight, too, saying they thought haley was the best. Maybe she wasnt quite as good the first debate, but one wonders if shes going to be the never trumper and seems to be a consolidation of support around her. Trump, his presence was felt last night. He was a couple thousand miles away in michigan, and some candidates did take him on in terms of his lack of presence last night and a little bit on his record. But did you see anything there thats going to move the needle in terms of these polls . I dont think so. One thing i think gives maybe desantis supporters home is that he was more aggressive in attacking donald trump publicly and on stage, talking about him, essentially dodging the debate stage, not being on the stage and talking about his record on abortion. This is something the Desantis Campaign has really been hating donald trump on. And i know donald trump arguably was a huge player in overturning roe v. Wade. His recent comments about the Electability Argument around abortion and not embracing a sixweek ban has made him receive some ire from the right so ron desantis trying to capitalize on that. I think a lot of his supporters were happy on him taking a more aggressive tone against the president. Theres been questions and open speculation on desantis once considered the frontrunner to unseat trump, they dont even make it to iowa, certainly his team has to hope last nights debate halts his slide. Lets talk about Vice President pence for a moment. How do you think he did last night . Hes another one betting on iowa. He struggled to get much in the way of traction, though. He has been willing to take on his former running mate. How do you think he fared . I think pence like the other candidates probably had a better night during the first debate in wisconsin. You know, i think he performed much better than expected. This time around, though, he did try to land some punches. But this time, though, i dont think they stuck the same way. There was an awkward moment at one point Chris Christie was trying to piggyback on insults Chris Christie talking about her status and talking about how the president has been sleeping with a member of the teachers union. Pence tried to awkwardly say, well, ive been sleeping with a teacher for the past 30 years. It was a weird moment, and that moment is what i think a lot of people are talking about right now when theyre asked about pence. I dont think thats necessarily he wants at this point. Yeah, that was deeply cringy moment to be candid. And it does seem like at any sever cycle theres one candidate on the debate stage the rest of them dont like. It was so clearly Vivek Ramaswamy this time around. Thank you for bringing us firsthand reporting from the debate. Donald trump of course was absent from last nights debate and delivered a speech instead to hundreds of supporters in michigan. Trump focused on union jobs and the biden administrations effort to transition towards electric vehicles. That issue, of course, has been a key part of the United Auto Workers strike against general motors, ford, and stellantis. The union is also debating higher wages, but trump told them theyre picketing for the wrong thing and then asked for their endorsement. To the striking workers, i support you and your goal of fair wages and greater stability. And i hope you get a fair deal for yourselves and your families, but if your Union Leaders will not demand crooked joe repeal the mandate, it doesnt matter what hourly word you get, it doesnt make a good bit of difference because in two to three years youll not have one job in this state. In other words, your current negotiations dont mean as much as you think. I watch you there with thepicts, but i don think youre picketing for the right thing. You can tell them i said it, although i have a feeling they ma be watching tonight. Not much applause for those remarks. Lets be clear last nights speech for trump took place at a nonunion Auto Parts Company in detroit. He addressed an audience of 300 that appeared to include only a few striking auto workers. Trumps speech came after biden made history, becoming the first sitting president in modern times to visit workers on the picket line. Trump did not visit striking works. Still ahead here on way too early, an update on the case that could strick donald trump and his sons of their ability to operate businesses in New York State. Plus well bring you a preview of the first Impeachment Inquiry Hearing into President Biden and the possible strategy for House Republicans. Well also take a look at the president s major speech on democracy thats coming later today. All of those stories and a check on weather and sports when we come right back. On weather and come right back. Power e trades awardwinning trading app makes trading easier. With its customizable options chain, easytouse tools and Paper Trading to help sharpen your skills, you can stay on top of the market from wherever you are. E trade from morgan stanley. New emergenc crystals pop and fizz when you throw them back. And who doesnt love a good throwback . [sfx video game] emergenc crystals. Welcome back as we turn to some of the mornings other top headlines. The new york judge who could potentially shutter Donald TrumpsBusiness Operations in New York State says he is not yet ready to make a decision on that matter. A lot of speculation about this. In a Pretrial Hearing yesterday judge Arthur Engoron declined to elaborate on the real world ramifications of the ruling he made on tuesday in a case brought by the new York State Attorney generals office. That ruling found that trump, his two oldest sons, and his company were liable of committing fraud over the course of many years. The judge has already granted attorney general Letitia James one punishment she sought which was to strip trump of his Business Certificates in the state. As a result the former president could be forced to give up all his new York Properties including the signature trump tower, his home of many years. Now, whether or not that happens will be decided by the same judge during a nonjury trial set to begin next week. Now today in just hours the republican led House Oversight committee will hold its first Impeachment Hearing on president joe biden. The New York Times reporting that top House Republicans are eyeing potential impeachment charges of bribery and abuse of power while trying to tie the president to his son Hunter Bidens foreign Business Dealings. Thats according to some senior house officials familiar with their plans. The times points out, however, that the lawmakers do not have evidence of either potential charge. And House Republicans have really struggled to link any of Hunter BidensBusiness Dealings to his father or get anywhere close to revealing proof of high crimes and misdemeanors which is what impeachment is supposed to be about. Elsewhere on capitol hill democratic senator bob menendez and his wife have pleaded not guilty to accusations of taking part in a bribery scheme. This as a the number of Democratic Senators calling for him to resign continues to grow. Nbc news correspondent has more. Reporter Holding Hands with his wife nadine Senator Menendez left Federal Court in a crush of protesters. Earlier they pleaded not guilty to charges they took part in a bribery scheme. They got these gold bars, piles of cash and a mercedes in exchange. The senators released on 100,000 bail, his wife on 250,000. Sources familiar with the matter say the fbi is investigating if Egyptian Intelligence Services played any role in the alleged bribe scheel in an effort to get nonpublic from menendez then chair of the Foreign Relations committee. Still silent on the Muden Nez Case Twhiel dick durbin added his name to the growing list of democrats calling for menendez to resign. Chuck schumer criticizing menendez but not calling on him to step down. For senators theres a much, much higher standard and clearly when you read the indictment Senator Menendez fell way below that standard. Thats nbcs jonathan dies reporting. Well have a glance at Major League Baseball and an incredible feat by one of the games best players. And the biggest story line in the nfl has nothing to do with anything happening on the field. You probably can get whats were talking about. Well explain all that next. S were talking about. Well explain all that next. Th. But im protected with arexvy. Arexvy is a vaccine used to prevent lower Respiratory Disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. Rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd, and certain other conditions. But im protected. Arexvy is proven to be over 82 effective in preventing lower Respiratory Disease from rsv and over 94 effective in those with these health conditions. Arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. Those with weakened Immune Systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. I chose arexvy. Rsv . Make it arexvy. There it is. He did it a 4070 season and a season unlike any other in Major League Baseball history for ronald akuniya jr. Take a base and take a bow number 13. Hes the Founding Member of baseballs 4070 club becoming the first player ever to hit 40 home runs and swipe 70 bases in a single season. Hes also on one of my championship teams this week. They beat the cubs 65 in ten innings and clench a first home run buy. Meanwhile that loss for the cubs dropped chicago into a tie with the Miami Marlins for the third and final wild card spot. To seattle now. The Houston Astros took a big step towards their seventh consecutive postseason birth extending their lead over the mariners, that 83 win in front of a Rough Seattle crowd moves the astros. And in toronto the New York Yankees are eliminated from the playoff contention, but ace garret cole is still vying for his first cy young award. A game shutout to finish the season with an al best. Lets move to the nfl now where sunday nights game just outside New York City could have millions of new Football Fans watching nbc. Why . You know why. Thats because taylor swift will reportedly attend the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the new york jets. Swift was at the chiefs game in kansas city on sunday adding fuel to the rumors she and chiefs tight end travis kelce are starting to date. Prime time match up in new york. No wonder the nfl didnt flex this game out of the Sunday Night Spot even though the chiefs are going to crush the jets. Week four of the nfl season kicks off tonight in green bay. Angie lassman is here. Angie lassman is a lions fan but more importantly a resident taylor swift expert. What do we make of swiftkelce . I listened to his pod cast yesterday with his brother to see what he was going to say about taylor swift. He didnt say much, but it was cute the tidbits he gave. And they just got a whole lot of new viewers, right . Well see what happens with that. Were also going to see what hap