image in saudi arabia as temperature soared up to 125 degrees. the effects of the extreme heat made worse by the lack of accommodations and cooling centers for those who travel there without proper permits. days of heavy rain and flash flooding striking down utilities and forcing evacuations across iowa. governor kemp reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for 10 counties. a groundbreaking ceremony today for the new tree of life synagogue campus in pittsburgh. that is where 11 worshipers were murdered in 2018 in the deadliest anti-semitic attack in u.s. history. construction is expected to be completed by 2026. in moments, what the contenders on donald trump's short list for vice president said this morning. very good day to you all. welcome everyone to alex with reports. we begin with decision 2024. lee four days until he looming or historic debate. former president trump and current president biden said to go face-to-face for 90 minutes and what is being described as a rematch with greater risk and reward as each frame the other and calibrate expectations. >> right now, as you know, it's been reported that right now, crooked joe has a lot to study and prepare. they want to get him good and strong. we want to strengthen him up. so he comes out -- he will come out -- okay. i say he will come out all jacked up. >> i don't know. who knows what donald trump is going to do it any minute or any time? i bet he's going to talk hundred times off the microphone because he's a bully. the best way to fight a bully a stand up to him. joe biden has done that before and will do it again. >> the president will bring up trump's conviction during the debate. biden camp outlining new plans for 300 watch parties and postdebate rallies in swing states. surrogates on each side today aching pitches and predictions. >> for me, this is about the contrast between the two. donald trump has said, block congressional action because he wants more chaos at the border. he wants as much division as possible in this country. >> the cnn moderators are going to do everything they can to go after president trump to try to get under his skin. i think what president trump is going to do is focus everything back to the terrible biden agenda. >> all of this as nbc news reports donald trump has narrowed his choice of vice presidential running mate to three. senators jd vance and marco rubio are now the remaining contenders. we have reporters in place covering all the new developments for us. we begin with allie rother at the white house. i was president biden spending his final days before this big debate? >> alex, just four days remain until what is expected to be the biggest prime time moment of the 2024 election so far. and that is when president biden and former president trump will face off on this debate page on thursday for the first time in four years. the president is still deep in his intense preparation sessions for that big moment and his retreat at camp david. he is in these preparation sessions that are being led by his former chief of staff, ron klain, but is also huddling with those closest, those in his inner circle, closest campaign staffers, as well as his most trusted advisers. these are people including national security advisor jake sullivan, julie chavez rodriguez, as well as the president's personal lawyer, bob bauer, who is reprising his role for former president trump like he did for biden's debate prep in 2020. all of these people are mining their experiences, their expertise to help the president prepare for this big moment. they are poring over policy material with him to better help him create this contrast on the debate stage on thursday between what a second biden presidency or a second trump presidency would look like. they are also helping him hone in on possible attack lines or responses to what the biden team sees as the inevitable, those personal jabs and president trump on the debate stage on thursday. we heard from biden campaign co- chair mitchell andrew who talked on meet the press about how the biden team is preparing the sharp attack lines of their own, suggesting that the president concedes on the felony conviction in his hush money trial. >> the fact of the matter is that the sky is blue sometimes, and donald trump is a convicted felon. the american people have to sit in that for a second. the person who wants to be president should have to go and sit his probation officer before he goes to the debate. but it's not just a call donald trump a convicted felon. he goes to his behavior and he goes to his character. >> alex, the president's team also preparing him for some factors that will take place on thursday that may put both of these candidates, both the president and former president, a little bit out of their comfort zones as we know the cnn debate will put strict limits on the speaking time for these candidates. there will also be a bad on notes and interactions with members of these two men's staff as well is no studio audience in the room. >> there are a lot of different rules this time around. thank you so much. let's bring in nbc campaign manager for trailer we talk to about donald trump and how is gearing up for thursday. do we know anything more about his vip pick, jake? >> debate week is finally here. all eyes will be on that stage this upcoming thursday. before then, we are trying to get intel and understanding into what that actual preparation is looking like. dosha burns and i spoke with the former president yesterday, asking for how he's preparing at a campaign stop in philadelphia. he pointed to the crowd around him and said, this. this is my preparation. we know the trump has this time around can engaged in nonconventional preparation. we also spoke to the former president about where he is at and his vp selection. take a listen to some of that. >> reporter: trump saying his yet to be named running mate will be at the debate and that he has made his choice, but hasn't told anyone who it will be. sources tell nbc news the focus has been on three top contenders, each with a history of being critical of trump. florida senator marco rubio ran against trump in 2016. >> what we are dealing with here, my friends, is a con artist. >> reporter: ohio senator jd vance adamantly opposed trump. and north dakota governor doug burgum briefly ran against trump for this years nomination. >> i don't think so. >> why? >> i just think that it's important that you are judged by the company you keep. >> now, alex, is worth noting as well that the former president told us yesterday that he specifically knows who his vp pick is. however, no one else is going to know. though they may be present at the debate, trump says that he will announce that person closer to the rnc convection in mid july. we do know all eyes will be on atlanta this thursday. >> those clips we played, if loyalty is the number one thing, one of those three certainly has to change their tune. anyway, we will see. thank you so much, jake. coming up, will be joining us with expectations for thursday's debate and what he hopes to hear from president biden. plus how democrats division over israel could impact the election. breaking news on the heat wave that is brought sweltering temperatures too much of the u.s. for 6 straight days now. in fact, 95 million americans are right now under heat alerts from coast to coast where the humidity has it feeling well into the triple digits in places. just a few moments ago, a rare tornado watch was issued for parts of new england and the northeast. we have severe storms expected to strike the area today. joining me from washington where it is a now steamy 97 degrees -- it is going up every hour -- gary graham bock. i guess everyone needs to be jumping into the pool. i hope you have your bathing suit on at some point today. >> i should have bought it. i'm sure the camera folks would be thrilled about that. however, it's 97 degrees right now. it's 100 degree real feel. it's not bothering anybody here. folks here in this d.c. pool are absolutely loving the weather, and this is the place to be. when we talk about these records, these potential records, we have seen more than 12,000 records broken for high heat this year across the nation. that is a very big deal. yesterday in d.c. alone, we saw a 100 degree day. that's the first 100 degree day we seen in june in 12 years. and it's not getting any better anytime soon. we are expecting the heat throughout the week to stay above the 98 degree mark. nobody here seems that much of a problem with it. >> going to the beach. >> you have any plans to go to the beach this summer? you are going to go to the beach? do you like the pool, too? >> yeah. >> what you like about the pool? >> going to play with my brother. >> are you having fun today? >> yeah. >> what are you doing? >> swimming with my sister. >> yeah? love swimming with your sister? what is your favorite part of summer? >> unfortunately, it's not all fun and games around the country. up in upstate new york, there is a tornado watch put out by governor kathy hogle for a number of counties in upstate new york. in iowa, we saw some heavy rain that broke a levy, caused some serious flooding out there as well. so some serious weather from coast to coast here. >> you can't seem to escape it anywhere. inc. you so much, gary. this thursday night, a big topic on the sunday talk shows as well, plus how every day, how the audition day -- it's really an audition way when you want to be donald trump's second in command. we are back in 90 seconds to talk more about that. that. all in one. to those with migraine, i see you. for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. it's time we all shine. talk to a healthcare provider about nurtec odt from pfizer. so rich. so indulgent. it's indulgent moisture body wash for soft, smooth skin. bye-bye dry. hello glow! in just 14 days. indulge with olay body wash. i'm having trouble getting around but i want to live in my home. i can do it with the help of a barber, personal shopper, an exercise buddy. life's good. when you have a plan. ♪♪ >> new today, lawmakers are hitting the airwaves to draw the contrast between donald trump and joe biden ahead of the debate rematch, now just four days away. julie sirkin is joining us from capitol hill. julie, what do the candidates and their supporters say today? >> they are supporting who they are supporting ahead of this debate. who better do want out there than your allies, your friends, your surrogate? the most prime time, pivotal moment of this campaign season so far. and that is exactly what you heard on the airwaves this morning and yesterday when i was at an event for the former president. he really heard from their allies and surrogates. in trump's case, talking about how he will make a point of the border, immigration, inflation, all of these items. the former president believes they got much worse under the direction of president biden. in contrast, you're going to hear his allies talking about how he's going to make a case that he's different than the former president. the former president is a convicted felon, biden took america forward in a better direction for american workers. but don't take my word for it. take a look at what elizabeth warren had to say about president biden and from lindsey graham on trump. >> joe biden is going to be joe biden, and he's going to draw the contrast. he will be out there for working families. he's going to say $35 million people seeing the student loan debts canceled, and that's the contrast with donald trump, who has been out there telling -- his words -- rich as -- donors that if they will just give more money to his campaign, and he's going to cut taxes for billionaires. >> most americans believe that they are not safer under president biden than they were trump. chris , a dear friend, said there's a good case to be made that you are safer today than when president trump was president. if you believe that, you shouldn't be allowed to drive. that is silly. that is dangerously wrong. >> the man they are referencing, chris , a major biden ally had to say this morning. obviously here the surrogates from the former president and the current one trying to build the case that this is the trial between two futures. we have a record, that's what makes this debate so unique. both men have had experiences already in the job. but aside from trying to appeal to their bases already, they're going trying to court the center. the independent voters that perhaps see both choices as not the ideal ones. you are going to see age, in both the case of the former and current as well, just a couple of years apart. you will see some of the top issues come up as well. the anniversary of which, the overturning of that historic decision a couple of years ago is tomorrow. a lot on the line for these two men as they prepare for this debate on thursday. >> thank you so much. joining me now, a member of the house select committee between the united states and china. let's get first to the debate on thursday, because as were well aware, it shows a very tight race before the president and the former president. what message will be the most productive president biden to make to the american people as he tries to put distance between himself and trump? >> thanks for having me on. trump and the republican party are not the party of law and order. they are torpedoing partisan border legislation to try and defriend the fbi, they are tricky surge machine guns onto our street. they are aiding and abetting cop killers from january 6th. and they are nominating a convicted felon to be president of the united states. meanwhile, joe bide standing for the rule of law, not the law of the ruler. that needs to be the contrast that is drawn home. >> i'm glad to hear that. it's not one that you hear as predominantly as questions about the economy, border policy, certainly some of donald trump's favorite attack lines come from those regions. there are also issues that americans feel deeply about. does president biden have an argument that could deflect and diminish those trump attack lines? >> yes. first of all, president biden, as he stated several days ago, is navigating the quintessentially american path on immigration. he says we need to have law and order at the border. he has proposed legislation to do that. we are also a nation of immigrants, and we will welcome those were coming here to build a better life for themselves and their children. and americans support that compassionate rule of law approach. on the economy, joe biden has a big story to tell. 15 million jobs, 18 million small business applications. even more importantly is the choice ahead of us. next congress will be a tax congress. the trump tax cuts are going to be expiring. we are going to have to reauthorize some version of a tax policy change. donald trump wants to explode the deficit by giving tax cuts for the wealthiest americans and threaten social security and medicare by so doing. joe biden has been very clear, he wants to get working-class and middle-class americans a tax cut. >> let's look overseas now is vladimir putin met with kim jong-un this week. is that alarming to you? as a member of that house committee on china, what does that suggest to you about the china- russia relationship? >> yes, it is concerning. it does underscore vladimir putin's weakness, that he is having to turn to a kingdom that is economically and politically isolated from the rest of the world for the munitions he needs to carry on his brutal war in ukraine. ukraine, in contrast, can turn to nato for its war. when you compare that to the $50 billion in economic aid the g7 has secured as well as the security alliances that are being shaped for ukraine's aid, we are doing an effective job in the west of sending a message to vladimir putin he can't just wait us out. we will be with ukraine as long as it takes. however, we have to do one more big thing, and we have to authorize ukraine to u.s. any site of military application in russia at any time. right now, we are still handcuffing ukraine excessively and not allowing them to hit the oil and gas fields that would impair russia's war economy. >> interesting. i know that has been something much discussed. let's talk today about benjamin netanyahu. he has doubled down on his claims that the u.s. was withholding weapons from israel. is that the case? because the biden administration has said it does not know what he is talking about. >> the biden administration is sending israel the material that he needs to secure a defeat of hamas, which is the shared goal of the united states and israel. because unless hamas is excluded from any postwar governance in gaza, there will be more hostages in the future. that is hamas's charter. and there is deep alignment there between the two countries. unfortunately, prime minister netanyahu is isolating himself. not just for president biden, but also from his own war cabinet who had to dissolve because they disagreed with him. his former prime minister, who said that netanyahu lacks a strategic vision for gaza. the prime ministers politicizing this relationship for his own purposes and joe biden is asking like a statesman by refusing to do that. >> let's look at the big rally yesterday. senator bernie sanders appearing at one here in new york. much of their message targeted the pro-israel group which injected a whopping almost $15 million in a campaign against him were his criticisms of israel. here's congressman bowman yesterday. >> that is why they are spending record amounts of money. >> why is our political establishment doing that? because jamaal bowman dared to speak up for palestinians. >> cease-fire now! we are not going to stand silent while u.s. tax dollars kill babies and women and children! >> we make a pro-israel groups trying to moderate the views of democrats in this way? is it problematic for democrats? as the president is going to this debate and the election, since it doesn't seem to be a unified message on israel, there certainly is a divide. >> the vicissitudes of any given primary of domestic politics in general are always going to be turbulent. what's important to me is the u.s. and israel relationship remains grounded in common values and a shared vision of a democratic future for israel and the united states. that requires strong bipartisan support in congress. that is what we must build upon. that is what president biden has built upon, and that is what a statesman in israel would build upon as well. >> okay. congressman jake auchingloss. thank you so much. we invite you to watch vice president kamala harris interview on morning joe tomorrow morning. that starts at 6:00 a.m. eastern right here on msnbc. big predictions for thursday's debate, but first, the updated timeline you need to see about donald trump's legal life. wipe some court watchers are reading into something ominous about the lack of expediency by the supreme court. preme court. 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