Headquarters in new york city. Calls for peace in an increasingly dangerous world. As the crisis in lebanon deepens, and the Death Toll mounts, President Biden uses this final u. N. Address to urge global unity. But in a world wrecked by conflict, uncertainty and change, the harsh reality of limitations of diplomacy. Plus, the subset of voters with potentially outsized impact. The ticketsplitters in swing states, boosting Donald Trump and downballot democrats at the same time. Whats happening . That aims the barrage of baseless antimigrant claims in charleroi, pennsylvania. What our reporter found out on a visit to a town of about 4,000 people, after springfield, ohio, got the trump treatment. Lots to get to, but we start with President Biden in the u. N. Making a case for global unity at a time when wars in Gaza And Ukraine can make it feel like things are falling apart. The war In Gaza, almost a year old, and israel launched more Strikes Today following its deadliest attacks in lebanon in nearly two decades, children, 50 of them, and two u. N. Staffers have been killed thats according to lebanons health minister. That crisis is likely to overshadow other subjects on the u. N. Agenda. And while President Biden once again called for it, prospects before he leaves office appeared dim. So it was against that backdrop that the president got uncharacteristically personal, reflecting on his division to leave office and offering it as an example to other World Leaders. I is decided after 50 years of public service, its time for a new generation to take my nation forward. My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power. Its your people. [ applause ] we are here to serve the people. Not the other way around. I want to bring in nbcs Mike Memoli at the united nations. Raf sanchez is in israel. Peter baker is The New York TimesChief Correspondent and msnbc political Analyst And AaronDavid Miller is Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for international peace and longtime Middle East peace negotiator. So, peter, i wonder what you made of the Message Biden was sending there. And i wonder, especially the part where he talked about being more selfless, leaving, before its too late. What do you think other World Leaders were making of it . Yeah, i think it was an unusually personal reflection in this kind of speech. Presidents dont typically, you know, give their own personal experience, or discuss them in front of the u. N. Like that. But he decided to, you know, address the elephant in the room. And this is his last speech before the u. N. He is on the way out. He wants to have a capstone in some ways. He recited things he considered to be his achievements. He talked about the way forward. That he wont be there to lead but leave behind for them to follow. I think the point that he made about stepping down away from power was a striking one given that there were a number of people in that room, i presume, who probably have been in office a lot longer than him, and a lot less willing to give up power. Thats a very common scenario around the world. He may have had someone else more domestically in mind. His predecessor who refused to give up power, and set to overturn the election january 6th, so he had that message both abroad and here at home. Yeah, i wonder, who knows, but i wonder, aaron, if when he was talking about im serving the people, not the other way around. If he might have not been thinking of someone who is not yet in that room and that is prime minister benjamin netanyahu. Im sure thats true. But its also worth pointing out that the Democracy Parallel which the president referred to, during the campaign, about his presidency was noticeably missing from that. But, yes, i think there was an intended message, perhaps. Although i think you have to read pretty much between the lines. I think it was trumprelated more than netanyahurelated. I also point out, Cant Speak for everybody in that room, but of 190 plus folks who were sitting with him, i suspect that whatever criticism they have of the biden administration, theyre going to miss Joe Biden. If the election goes in the other direction. And i think that was also a point, i think that the president made by referring to it sort of an Inflexion Decisi going to affect the future and that is centered around american leadership. And, mike, we knew that american leadership was going to be a topic. Or a top, i should say, of President Bidens speech today. How did he do making that case especially in light of the wars that are happening in the world . Well, chris, one of the other ways, his speech was particularly personal was the president was able to talk about the length of his service, the length of his time on the world Stage. 36 years as a senator, eight as Vice President , four now as president. To make the Point Decade by decade, challenges that seemed insurmountable, problems that seemed to be unsolvable are able to be solved and managed because of the work of hard institutions like the united states. Because of the hard work of diplomacy, because of the strengthening of the alliances hes particularly proud of over the last few years. So theres no problem more solvable than seen in the Middle East. And the president dealing with that crisis. Take a listen. Fullscale war is not in anyones interest, even if the situation has escalated. A diplomatic solution is still possible. In fact, remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes and abort it safely. Thats what were working tirelessly to achieve. Reporter the president there talking about the importance of diplomacy. We also heard in the context of the situation in lebanon right now, White House officials deescalation, especially directing that message towards israel. We heard the president seemed to send a message to president netanyahu, that deescalating the situation there would allow us to focus more on the threat posed by iran. Hes sending these sort of coded messages to president netanyahu. But as we saw the president s Motorcade Leave here, there are no scheduled opportunities for President Biden to speak with netanyahu directly here or on the sideline of the u. N. That could change, but at this point, officials say Theres Nothing on the schedule. So, i wonder when you look at those things that Joe Biden has believed for for decades throughout his public life, diplomacy, alliances, institutions. If in this world, where you have so much division, and im talking about internationally, but also in congress, the relationship that he has with benjamin netanyahu, we could go on. This is a situation where reality overcomes aspirations, where reality makes it impossible for the things that he would like to be true. To really function the way that they have, perhaps, in the past. Aaron, what do you think . Im sorry, you know, i got a sense from the president s speech, im quoting jfk now, kennedy described himself as without illusion. Ukraine, a war thats clearly going to go on for years without conflict resolution. Situation between israelis and palestinians, even if youve got a ceasefire In Gaza, you still nation the intractable problem of what you could call the much too promised land. What you could do to the relationship with palestinians, and irans nuclear weapons. Its already a nuclear weapons state. And then north korea, and managing the situation with china. So, i think as you look out across the international Stage, you see a world, chris, to be managed, frankly, hopefully, smartly. But not to be transformed. I think that biden didnt want to abandon hope. He referred to hope several times. Didnt want to despair. Things can get better, he said. But i think hes also at The End of his term, quite realistic what can be achieved in the short term. Lets do a Reality Check if we can, raf, what is the situation in both Lebanon And Gaza right now . Reporter well, chris, in just the last couple minutes, weve been hearing israeli Fighter Aircraft roaring through the skies here in israel. The israeli military has been continuing this wave of deadly Air Strikes all across lebanon for a second day. They say theyre targeting hezbollah militants and their Military InfrastructureIn The South of the country, but they as carried out a targeted strike In The Southern suburbs of beirut, earlier. Thats a hezbollah stronghold. They say that they took out the head of Hezbollahs Rocket and missile force. That hasnt been confirmed by the militant group yet. But if its true, that is the latest in a string of senior hezbollah commanders who have been killed by the israeli military in these Air Strikes over the last couple of days, following on the back of that just extraordinary operation where pagers and walkietalkies started exploding. Now israel has been urging citizens to get out of harms way. This is coming at an enormous cost in lebanon as you said, more than 550 people are dead. Among them, 50 children. We are seeing families by the thousands fleeing southern lebanon, trying to get to safety in the north. And the Big Question being asked across the Middle East and halls of the general assembly is, is israel preparing for a ground offensive. We asked the israeli military earlier. They said at this point, theyre focusing on an aerial assault but are not ruling out Ground Troops. I had a chance to speak to Bennie Gantz, hes one of president netanyahus political opponents and i asked him about the possibility of a Ground Invasion of southern lebanon. Take a listen. Is there any way to push hezbollah back from the border without sending Ground Troops in . If we have to send Ground Troops, well do that. Reporter do you believe the prime minister has given up on hoStages with this escalation in lebanon . No i dont believe he gave up on the hoStages. Its a very important issue for us and has his priorities but doesnt want to release them. And with hamas In The South was deorganization. Reporter now, chris, notable that one of the leader of the israeli opposition there saying he is prepared to support sending israeli Ground Forces into southern lebanon, if it comes to that. So, there is a broad consensus in this country, that after 11 months of Rocket Fire from hezbollah, it is time to fundamentally change the dynamic, even if that comes at a major cost of lives of both israeli troops and lebanonese civilians. You also heard Bennie Gantz say that he believes, and it isnt an either or getting the hoStages back from gaza and mounting this operation. But i can tell you, there are many still In Gaza who are watching what is happening in lebanon with dismay because they feel at this point the Worlds Attention is shifting to this growing crisis on the israel lebanon border, and it is shifting away from the fate of their Loved Ones who can be held in captivity short of a year, chris. So, peter, with all of that as a backdrop, Joe Biden stands in front of the national assembly, last time for the united states. He put his hand over his heart. There was a lot of reflect, even infection for Joe Biden who have known him for, if not years, theyve known him for decades. But the president has said, hes going to keep working. Hes going to try to work out some sort of peace deal. Ceasefire. Get the hoStages released. We know it is high on his priority list. But from people you talked to, within the administration, whats the Reality Check . I mean, i think reality is unsaid. I think for months and months, when you talked to somebody in the White House or the administration there is was the relentless optimism. We have this agreement in sight. All we have to do is get past the final options and that can happen. You know, thats sort of the american spirit, i suppose. And maybe its required, and when youre doing the diplomacy that theyre doing, it is possible it could happen. But Time After time, theyve been disappointed. Time after time, the agreement on the horizon would slip away. I think at this point, they sort of lost much hope in that happening anytime soon. The idea of some or the of a hoStage with the war In Gaza feels further away than before. They do hope, they do think theres a possibility that this attack on hezbollah is shortlived and leads to some sort of you know, a diplomatic resolution of some sort. Not a long one, but something that stops the fighting and allows people to, maybe, perhaps, move back to the border areas. And end this sort of yearlong lowgrade, how highgrade war. But with even that, i think they feel with optimism, and tell you they dont have huge hope for that. And if, ill steal your words from you, aaron, if this is a situation for Joe Biden that is perhaps not in any way transformational, but potentially can be managed, whats the biggest threat to having it be managed . Well, the biggest threat, right now, is the possibility of significant escalation between Israel And Hezbollah in the northern front. That leads to Hezbollahs Use of guided missiles which could reach most points in israel. Attacks on population centers, tel aviv. Major infrastructure projects, the energy grid, electricity. And then the peremptory retaliation which would, i hate to say this, would lead to a level of destruction in lebanon. A larger theater than gaza, that goes beyond what we witnessed over the past 11 months. And then the possibility, of course, the true strategic night nightmare, that this evolves into a Front Something that was never envisioned before. Syria. The houthis, of course, using their weapons. And the very real possibility of an iranian israeli sustained competition which would most certainly bring in the united states. That, i think, is a strategic nightmare that the administration faces. And im not predicting were going to go there. But, again, its really its three words of attrition, chris, one between israel and hamas unsolved. One between Hezbollah And One between united states and iran. I dont see that in the immediate future for any of these conflicts the world to me looks like a combination of Migraine Headaches and Root Canal operations. And thats sad for a president that put so much stock on the fact that america is not abandoning the table. And really truly believes, actually, as i do, that power is leadership within certain ways. And leading what is now already a catastrophic disaster. Mike memoli, raf sanchez, Peter Baker miller, thank you so much. The ticketsplitters, voters indecisive on congress and even the White House. Thats next. And book at vaxassist. Com in our family there was a passion for Glass Making thats passed down through the generations. On ancestry i was able to actually put together our family tree. Each person is a glass worker. We stood on some pretty broad shoulders to get to where we are today. This is our future, ma. Godaddy airo. Creates a logo, website, even social posts. 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