welcome to "the beat." i'm ari melber. it's halloween. there's a ton of news. i was in for nicolle last hour. this is a new hour as we're awaiting announcement of state charges against the suspected attacker of speaker pelosi's san francisco home. we'll bring you that live when we get it. charges are hitting after a separate action from the justice department which has already charged david depape with assault and attempted kidnapping. there's new information on what may be the politics of this. i say may be because we have to follow the evidence and what the authorities say and the information is slowly coming into view. the suspect did say that the goal was to, quote, hold nance hostage, viewing her as the leader of the pack of lies told by the democratic party, and said that if nancy were to tell the truth, he would let her go, but if she lied, he was going to break her kneecaps. he said he would show other members of congress there are consequences to actions. the suspects didn't get close to reaching nancy pelosi. she wasn't home. he found her husband, paul pelosi and allegedly struck him and beat him with a hammer. tonight mr. pelosi remains in the icu following surgery for a fractured skull and what are described as serious injuries to his hand and arms. this was a very serious attack. it must be taken seriously. the authorities have not given a lot of further identification about what is the formal motive or linkage to other people. there are always cases where you have people who repeat something they heard, but are not necessarily as organized as, say, the very clearly political domestic terrorists who galvanized on january 6th. we'll follow the evidence where it leads. there's also evidence the suspect kept shouting where is nancy? that is reminiscent of what was said by other organized trump fans who were summoned to washington by donald trump in the january 6th attack. >> nancy? oh, nancy. nancy, where are you? >> the federal criminal complaint here reveals that this now indicted individual had zip ties, tape, rope, plus that weapon of the hammer. the details about this zip tie is also striking because it was zip ties that you memorably saw with this individual as he criminally trespassed through the senate chamber looking for members of congress to kidnap. there's also scrutiny on aggressive messaging on the right against democrats and speaker pelosi because, well, you have heard us say on this program there's a wide latitude for rhetoric and free speech in america, but there are also lies. one of the questions is when these lines are crossed, what should be done about it? is it a criminal matter or is it a matter of policing yourself? republicans claim to be a party of law and order. they've given many a speech of why everyone associated to black lives matter protesters should speak up when there's looting. this ain't looting. this is a serious of attacks on the congress, on the fbi, on speaker pelosi's husband that are correlated with violent rhetoric. this video was sent from a shooter range with the #firepelosi last week. a primary candidate in arizona had a tv ad firing at actors firing at the democratic opponent, plus speaker pelosi and president biden. as always, there's a space for political speech and rhetoric. you can point to different examples throughout american history at times when things seem to be over the line. you can point to federal law that says that any action designed to incite or cause an attack on the president is a federal felony. you want to have a wide latitude for speech. you also want to have responsible civic political leadership, ideally across the whole spectrum, that doesn't get to the point that we have to ask if that candidate should be interviewed or arrested by the secret service. there's a wider climate as the details about this new violent attack are just coming in. with that in mind we bring in our panel. will summer, daily beast reporter and for the california charges which we're awaiting we have paul henderson, the director of the san francisco department of police accountability. mia, let's take what might be the most difficult question first for you. i am being quite serious when i say there has to be a wide latitude for speech and that one person's rhetoric obviously not intended to be violent is another person's very scary, shameful, intimidating attack. yet, i don't think i'm alone here having cited the evidence, the dhs warnings, that we seem to be passing other lines. whether you date them from trump's election and the rampant appeals to violence, or the insurrection, or some of what we saw in the last few days. your thoughts? >> free speech is a right. it's a right we protect. inciting violence has never been lawful. that's an important distinction to make. i think what you're pointing to, ari, is something in addition to that, which is that the norms of our democracy matters. the way in which our leaders play an important role in reminding us, americans, about what is and is not okay to do when we disagree politically. what we are seeing essentially is a crossing of the those boundaries like we haven't seen in my lifetime where we have political leaders reinforcing lies, literally parroting conspiracy theories, some of whom we know know they don't believe and agree with them. yet, this has given a kind of social permission to extremists to not only speak their extremism, but to organize and take action that is violent, that is politically motivated and is absolutely extreme. that's something that should concern us all. >> i appreciate the way you lay that out. will, given your focus on really reporting and objectively trying to both understand and hold to account what's happening out there i want to play something for you. i'll tell viewers you're seeing what we're seeing which is a live shot of the preparations for the news conference. we'll break into our coverage and bring the san francisco news coverage about those pelosi-related attack charges when it begins. will, margaret brennan here is pressing about the violent rhetoric. >> why is there a gun in a political ad at all? >> it wasn't an ad. >> #firepelosi. >> exercising our second amendment rights. >> that's not about the second amendment. >> yes, it is. >> do you not understand that's suggesting to people in a bad state and in this current environment how risky it is? you're talking about the importance of lowering are rhetoric. >> will? >> yeah, i mean, look, you see what we're seeing from so many republican leaders. a lot of evasion of how they've ramped up the rhetoric and a refusal to take responsibility for these actions that they've inspired whether it be january 6th, this attack. look at this suspect, his writings were so soaked in the right wing internet, everything from qanon, all these things, then we see the response from republicans which unfortunately from many of them is not shock and horror, but sort of joking. don jr. is posting memes about it. glenn youngkin is joking about it. no one is stepping up despite the fact there's a link between this violence and this rhetoric. >> paul? >> i am concerned about what the individual electors are saying, but there's a broader concern about what we're doing to balance public access and public safety. i hope what comes out of this is a real conversation when we're talking about what actions we're going to take as animation to define public safety and the violence we're seeing happen in the public field. it's not just the stuff we've seen from january 6th. it's not just the attacks on the judiciary in the supreme court. we're seeing specific attacks. we want to make sure we're trying to make sure we're addressing not just elected officials, but their family and staff. many of the folks we're talking about have residents in more than one jurisdiction, both in d.c. and in their regular real life homes which is what we're talking about now and the real issue we have to flag is who's going to be paying for that? is it going to be local jurisdictions that bear the cost? is it going to be state funded, federally funded? all these are conversations i hope are coming out. it's coming out naturally because of where we've been in the country both with things like the january 6th insurrection and the attacks from the supreme court. we're trying to collect them so we have a broad definition of who is going to be protected and how. it's a very important conversation. even with the bills pending now, specifically focussed and targeted on past transactions. there's going to be a broader definition that's going to come out in this year that should make it clear, at least, what type of protection people will have to try and prevent attacks like this taking place in the future. i see we're about to cut in now. >> thank you, paul. let's listen to the d.a.'s press conference. >> i want to also start by thanking the san francisco police department for their immediate and swift investigation of this case. i am here today to formally announce charges against mr. david depape in connection with the violent attack on mr. pelosi. the charges that we're filing today include attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, as well as threats to a public official and their family. these charges are based on the follow facts contained in the affidavit filed today as well as will be contained in the motion to detain mr. depape. mr. depape specifically targeted the pelosi home to confront speaker pelosi. he forced his way into the home through a rear glass door by breaking that glass. the defendant made his way upstairs to the second floor of the home, locating mr. pelosi in his bed sleeping. he woke him up confronting him about the whereabouts of speaker pelosi. mr. pelosi, who was sleeping, was wearing a loose fitting pajamas shirt and boxer shorts. he was forced to get out of bed and at some point mr. pelosi attempted to access the elevator in the home which has a phone. the defendant then blocked mr. pelosi's access to that elevator. it was at some point after that mr. pelosi asked to go to the bathroom which is where he was able to call 911 from his cell phone. the defendant realizing that mr. pelosi had called 911 took mr. pelosi downstairs near the front door of the residence. two police officers arrived at the front door two minutes after that 911 call. when that door was opened, the defendant was holding his hammer which mr. pelosi appeared to be attempting to control by holding a portion of that hammer. the defendant then pulled the hammer away from mr. pelosi and violently struck him in the top of his head. the police then immediately apprehended the defendant. what we also have learned is that the defendant brought to the location of the pelosi residence a second hammer, as well as zip ties, rope and a roll of tape. what is clear based on the evidence that we have thus far is that this house and the speaker herself were specifically targets of the defendant. as for next steps, the defendant is expected to be arraigned tomorrow afternoon. my office will be filing a motion to detain him without bail. that is based on what is obvious and severe public safety risk that the defendant poses to san francisco, as well as the outer community. violence has no place in this city. we will work vigorously to hold the defendant accountable. one last thing i want to say today. as leaders and as citizens, it is incumbent upon us all to watch the words that we say and to turn down the volume of our political rhetoric. we should be able to all engage in passionate political discourse, but still remain respectful of one another. violence certainly has no place in san francisco or in politics. thank you. >> thank you. now we'll open up for some questions. whoa. slow down. i would like to keep this orderly because i want to make sure we're able to get through. >> reporter: thank you for this. how many -- who opened the door for the police officers? the second question, how many times was he struck with the hammer? >> at this time it's unclear which of the men opened the door. we are also still flushing out how many times he was struck in the head. >> reporter: i'm wondering how an individual was able to access the home of someone so prominent. was there any security in place? how was he able to open the door of this home? >> what i can tell you is that there was no security present and that he was able to break the window to a glass door to gain entry into the home. >> reporter: did the defendant have any prior contact with law enforcement, any prior arrests, any record? >> all of that will come out in court tomorrow. >> guys, we're trying to do this orderly. >> reporter: how is this investigation going to work in conjunction with and cooperation with federal authorities who also are filing charges? >> yes. what i will say is that thus far both san francisco police department as well as the federal bureau of investigations have been simultaneously investigating this case. they've been corroborating well with each other. we've been in touch with the u.s. attorney's office. they will be parallel prosecutions. we'll make sure they move forward successfully. >> reporter: given the intense national focus on this case and the political dimensions and some of the theories out there, how important is it for your office to paint a clear picture of the motivation for this attack? >> it's always paramount the correct facts be in the public. we don't want distorted facts floating around, certainly not in a manner that is further traumatizing a family that's already been traumatized enough given the nature of this incident. that's why it's of paramount importance. >> reporter: can you cover some of the things the police found in the interview with mr. depape in terms of his attempt to go after the speaker and wait for the speaker and what his plans were for her? >> i think i covered as much as we're going to cover today. more facts will be contained in our motion to detain that we'll file tomorrow in court that you'll have access to. >> reporter: can you talk about his current state? our understanding is he's still being held at the general hospital. can you talk about that and his arraignment tomorrow? >> i'm not aware of where he is currently. obviously he's been booked on these charges. we expect him to be in court tomorrow. that's the most i can say. >> reporter: you talked about things being revealed tomorrow. when will we see the body cam footage from the cops? >> when it's made available during a court proceeding. that's the way this works. >> reporter: will it become public? >> if it's played in a court proceeding, it will be public. >> reporter: some of the details on the federal charges talked about finding a journal on the scene that he brought, saying he wanted to use nance pelosi to lure other individuals to the home. can you speak to some of those details? what do you know about him wanting to bring someone else to the home? >> we're not revealing any other details at this time. this investigation is still ongoing. what we have offered is what we believe the relevant facts are that are the basis for the current charges. >> reporter: does he have legal representation yet? if so, who is representing him? >> we'll find out whether he has legal representation tomorrow. >> reporter: can you say this was obviously politically motivated? >> yes. it appears this was based on his statements and comments that were made in that house during his encounter with mr. pelosi, it was politically motivated? >> reporter: was it an assassination attempt? >> he was looking for the speaker. of course the federal affidavit contains more information about other things, motivations he expressed. he certainly did enact what we believe is an attempt to murder her husband at the time that the police arrived. >> reporter: are there any plans to increase security around the pelosi house or any other prominent public figures that reside in the community? >> we are working with the capitol police. as of right now, the san francisco police department is assisting with security. we will do whatever is necessary and we'll sort out whatever we need to sort out in terms of what happens long term. right now we're going to make sure that people are safe, that they feel safe. i mean, this has shaken a lot of people. we're going to make sure we do what we can. we're working with the capitol police on that. there's a presence right now, a san francisco police department presence right now. >> try to keep this orderly guys. we'll go to a.p. and then you and then back to you. >> reporter: chief, can you speak to how the responding officers are doing? you mentioned this was an event that would shake people up, a chilling event. >> they're on a day off, getting some rest. that's a good thing. officers unfortunately are exposed to this type of thing day in and day out in their careers and throughout their careers. it's traumatic for us as well. the officers did their job and responded quickly. i commend them. this is a terrible tragedy. thank goodness for the quick response, the quick thinking of the dispatcher and for a man that tried to murder mr. pelosi in my opinion. they did what they were supposed to do. >> reporter: is there any evidence that he tried to target other democrats and, if so, who? has he threatened the speaker or the pelosi family before? >> again, this investigation is ongoing. we're not revealing every single fact of this case. more will come out as this continues. certainly during the course of the prosecution. >> reporter: do you see this as an incident of domestic terrorism? >> right now all i can comment on is what's before me, which is what i believe an attempt to murder mr. pelosi, as well as the other charges we listed which we believe were politically motivated. like i said, this is very much an ongoing investigation. it's only been a few days since this happened. i believe more will come out both to the public, as well as to us as this investigation continues. >> reporter: how was he injured and what were his injuries, mr. depape? >> i cannot comment specifically on his injuries. >> reporter: this question is for chief scott. why isn't there an mou or some formal agreement between sfpd and the u.s. capitol police? >> there may be in the future. currently there is not. we have worked with capitol police before. if they have a need and we can help out with that need, we have done that in the past. what i can say is right now we're there to assist and we are there helping our capitol police partners right now. >> reporter: could you describe how you were helping them in the past? what did that look like? >> we've had postings at the pelosi residence in the past. these threats aren't new. let's be very clear. this is the era we're in unfortunately. we've assisted in the past and worked with that department and we're assisting right now. i'll leave it there. the capitol police asked us to refer any security questions to them. i wanted to be as transparent as i can be about a clear understanding that we're assisting. >> thank you. we're going to go to you and two more questions. >> reporter: what kind of sentence does he face if he's found guilty? >> currently he's facing 13 to life. >> reporter: i guess what's most disturbing about this is it's not just targeting her, right? it's family members. can you talk about -- offer any assurance -- there's a lot of people in this city. we have senators and governors that come in and presidents and family members. can you talk about that? >> of course. it's unnerved me as a political member in this city. we've got to a point where we know there have been tragedies in this very city of political leaders in the past. so it's something we have to take very seriously and it's very sad to see that we're once again at a point in history where people believe it's okay to express their political sentiments through violence. so, i think it demonstrates that we have to calm things down. we have to decide that we are going to be more respectful as an american society, that it's okay to disagree, but it certainly is something that's unnerved us all. >> last question. >> reporter: can you walk us through a little more of the timeline? you mentioned him trying to access a phone in an elevator. how long before 911 was called was depape in the house? >> that's not a detail that i'm able to give you at this point. like i said, this investigation is only days fresh. we are still flushing all the specific details out. >> thank you all for coming. we appreciate it. thank you. that was the last question. last question. thank you. >> that's for the family to answer. >> we appreciate everyone's time. >> we have been listening to the brand new press conference by the san francisco d.a. announcing the state charges against the attacker at the pelosi home, speaker pelosi's husband paul pelosi severely attacked as we could hear in some of the details that emerged. let me explain that the state charges are typically because of the nature of our system the place for more serious violent charges as opposed to federal. the federal charges are right here. now in the last several minutes we learned about these local charges and they are severe. they include attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, threats to a public official. five of those six do not pertain to the status of paul pelosi's wife, the speaker of the house. they're all just violent and serious felonies in the state of california. the d.a. also stated that if all convicted, the individual could face 13 to life. we have paul henderson who has experience as a lawyer in california. will summer and mia wiley here as well. paul, i want to ask you several questions. i want to give viewers the clarity of a breakdown. first on the charges, what is your interpretation of these six charges and their severity? >> these are the charges that i expected. they are pretty severe. one of the things we have to talk about, so glad you introduced it in this way -- i think the district attorney talked about it. this is a joint prosecution. there's going to be the federal prosecution happening at the same time because there's joint sovereignty. there's not going to be double jeopardy. the 13 years to life that someone would face at the local level is not going to interfere with what that same defendant could be charged with and could face at sentencing for federal charges. the other areas where you'll see tracks cross are in the custody conversations. even if someone gets released at one level, they can be kept in custody at another level. >> on the breaking news -- you're doing third year. i want to start 101. we have breaking news. attempted murder. tell me about that charge. >> attempted murder here in california, the spread for that is five, seven, nine. that means that's how much time a person can face defending on how severe the facts and circumstances are. part of what you balance is what the prior history is from a specific defendant and that information isn't available. typically doesn't come out until the trial. the real key is going to be who is going to be presenting the information first and which trial is going to take place first. in this case i think it will likely take place at the local level. a lot of information will come up at arraignment. that same information, the same facts and circumstances about the defendant, are going to come out again and again later on when they have the federal charges, federal prosecution as well. that's really the charges -- >> again to you, paul, and then mia. this is an evolving process of information. the d.a. saying in her view based on the way they're approaching the case, which includes a charge of a threat to a public official and her family, they view it as a crime that was political in nature. for folks who are saying duh, there are times when someone is so deranged, that regardless of the crime and how it may overlap with a political target, it's not viewed in that matter. the statement by the d.a. means what about the course of their investigation, that they can public say and will be charging the case and pursuing it at trial as a politically motivated attempted murder? >> that is correct. those charges can go up to life if they can prove premeditation. the point you're raising is what's the motivation behind it. was it political intent? this is why it's important to have joint prosecution because there's still -- let's say it was a hate crime. hate crimes can be charged at a federal level. it can't be charged in some states still. that's why this is a challenge. i think the charges we're seeing here are pretty much what we expected, what's going to be interesting now is how the case is put in independent of what the cause for the charges are being politically motivated. again that goes back to my previous comments of unchartered territory about what we're doing here. >> mia, same question. >> you got to remind me of the question, ari. i'm still focussed on political violence. >> the d.a. saying this is a politically-motivated crime, that's their view of how they're approaching the case. >> on the federal side the affidavit which the district attorney referred to lays out facts making it explicitly clear that this is a defendant that was targeting nancy pelosi, looking for her, trying to find her because she was the leaders of the democrats. that by definition makes it political. as a matter of law, even if he wasn't doing it because she was a democrat, he would be facing charges because she's a member of congress. going back to the political violence we've been talking about, we've seen a jump in 2017 from roughly 4,000 threats on congress, by last year it was almost 10,000. this is a trend. her point that she was making repeatedly about needing to tamp down the rhetoric, it's not that the volume was too high. it's also the lies are too much and we need to say to any leaders elected and otherwise, stop lying because it's creating the conditions that are endangering real people. >> appreciate you raising that. will, you know, we've got three lawyers here in total. you're a reporter. on the reporting side of it, not the law, i think mia bridges to your area of expertise which is the d.a. in her role as a leader also urged that people in positions of fellow leadership should be more responsible so as not to risk the next attempted murder being a completed murder. so as not to fan the flames of hate and violence and rhetoric and extremism even if some of those words might technically not be indictable. gosh, they might be terrible and they might lead to other indictments as these lies cohere as we go into another election. big picture, will, your view of that? >> we saw the d.a. getting personal there as well, talking about how as a public official in san francisco, this makes her fear for her own safety. the d.a. is being explicit about the political nature of the violence. it can be frustrating when other law enforcement officials sort of are more reticent. this guy wanted to break nancy pelosi's legs, wheel her into congress. the feds seem to be out front on the political nature. >> paul, there was another question about security that was so striking. these are difficult things to assess and report on, yet it's the reporting we need if people want the facts. there's a reporter there from the press conference who asked an excellent question. is there a standing security agreement between the capitol police and san francisco police? answer was no. then, okay, why not? what's the level of coordination? this is after the chief of police said there's nothing new about these threats, after the insurrection, after speaker pelosi was put on to a target list by so many of her colleagues in congress and the right wing, what is your response to that as someone with an expertise in prosecution and law enforce? she's high in the line of succession, a public target, lived through the insurrection. does it strike you odd that there isn't an agreement? should there be? your views on that? >> i think there should be an agreement. i think those conversations are taking place now. i think what has happened in the past is clear that in most cities where we have incidents of violence and certainly in all cities we have similar threats like this, both to elected officials, to the judiciary. i want to mention, also to their staff as well and other local elected officials. the real issue is now because of this incident are we going to have an institutionalized policy for those officials at the federal level and/or the judiciary now, the supreme court. it's important that that be codiied into legislation and the bigger issue beyond the legislation is who is going to write the check for that? is it going to be local law enforcement that's responsible or will there be teams at the state level or federal level coordinating what safety looks like from city to city from individual to individual from residence to residence. >> it's striking that everything we lived through that this individual who as of this charging is not identified as having other structural support, unlike the oath keepers. not part of apparently a large organization. he got right in there to a degree they're being charged with threats to the public official. they marched right in there. that is chilling. i want to thank paul, will and mia on the breaking news. thank you. we're going to fit in a break. there are also the midterms. obama out on the trail. we'll show you what he's been saying. he's out on the campaign trail with mandela barnes. >> if he understands tax backs for people with private planes, more than he's able to ensure that seniors are able to retire with dignity and respect. try downy light in-wash freshness boosters. it has long-lasting light scent, no heavy perfumes, and no dyes. finally, a light scent that lasts all day. downy light! hi! need new glasses? 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what? >> first of all, what? that is what it looks like when you have a fiery, loose and passionate barack obama on the campaign trail. he was in wisconsin. you can see the big, big crowds here. could remind you of a presidential year or a year with obama on the ballot. obama was campaigning with mandela barnes. for all the talk about democracy and coups on the left, as well as the talk on the right about crime and the economy among other issues, obama was hammering republican ron johnson on a different score. for putting billionaire tax breaks on that republican priority list above hard-working grandparents as obama put it. i'll play it for you. this is a moment that's going viral. it's got people talking and reminding some democrats why this is measurably their most popular leader over the past two decades in a row and, yes, that includes the current president. >> some of your parents are on social security. some of your grandparents are on social security. you know why they have social security? because they worked for it. they worked hard jobs for it. they have chapped hands for it. they have long hours and sore backs and bad knees to get that social security. if ron johnson does not understand that, if he understands giving tax breaks for private planes more than he understands making sure that seniors who worked all their lives are able to retire with dignity and respect, he's not the person who's thinking about you and knows you and sees you. he should not be your senator from wisconsin. >> that's how obama broke it down. as for his colleague turned presidential replacement, barack obama will join the current president, joe biden, in philadelphia this saturday as part of the home stretch pitch. as for that candidate campaigning with obama over the weekend, as we heard some of those big moments, he's here. lt. governor mandela barnes, welcome. >> thank you so much. good to be back. it was an exciting time with president barack obama this weekend. >> what did you think of the policy point he made about ron johnson? >> well, he painted the picture as clear as day. ron johnson is not in it for working people. ron johnson is in it for himself. he's in it for his wealthy donors, the people who donate to his campaign. if you're an every day hard worker in wisconsin, you have one working for you. ron johnson will take us further back in wisconsin. the reality is over 12 years in the u.s. senate his biggest achievement was the tax vote. he orchestrated tax deductions for two of his biggest donors. he's coming after your hard-earned retirement benefits. he also wants to raise the retirement age to 70 years old. it will be a glorious day when people lower the retirement age for ron johnson. go to mandelabarnes.com. >> i see what you did there. i see you getting in the website. we know about that. mr. barnes, take a listen of a little more from someone who threw his weight behind you. barack obama on the trail. >> i've been reading up on some of these candidates on the other side. lord have mercy. who will fight to keep you and your family safe? is it somebody who carries around a phoney badge and says he's in law enforcement. the fundamental issue is who will fight for you? who cares about you? that's the choice in this election. i need you to get off your couch and vote. put down your phone and give tiktok a rest and vote. >> i got to tell you, you're so busy, i don't know what you listen to. obama sounds a little bit like kendrick's cousin who said put down your ig and look through my lens, a little intergenerational idea that people have to get out there and vote. what is your key issue on how you're getting people to get out during the midterms which do have lower turnout? >> there was the deluxe edition last week of the album. >> i'll let you finish. i'm sure you're looking for an election day that is blue. >> then i ask people to vote for me. to get people out, people have to know the future is on the line. we have a lot of work to do. i tell people all the time, people who are frustrated with politics and politicians. i'm not running because i think things are going well. i'm running because we need to change things and things need to be better. it only happens if you get involved in the process. these problems we have, they aren't going to fix themselves. with people like ron johnson in office, it will get worse. there is a reality where things become so much better. it doesn't happen unless you vote and stay active. voting is just the first step. you have to make progress happen. just because a person you want to win, wins an election, you can't assume good things are going to happen on its own. you have to show up. continue to apply pressure. >> yeah. look, i really appreciate hearing from you. we know you're busy and you were out with the former president. d with us on a busy news day. i appreciate your time. >> thanks. hope to see you soon. >> yes, sir. thank you. i'm going to fit in a brick. we have something else special tonight that i have been working on for you. it's about not only discrimination in the drug war which you have heard us discuss before, but something new. you're going to hear for the first time on "the beat" from michael thompson, his important story and why i want to share our new discussion. his trusty c. were delayed when the new kid totaled his truck. timber... fortunately, they were covered by progressive, so it was a happy ending... for almost everyone. vicks vapostick. strong soothing... vapors.. help comfort your loved ones. for chest, neck, and back. it goes on clear. no mess. just soothing comfort. try vicks vapostick. this holiday master your kitchen with wayfair. ♪ ♪ keep it fresh with colorful cookware. whip up holiday treats with ease. slice and dice with the best of them. and with wayfair, you can express yourself. ♪ ♪ wayfair, holiday your heart out. ♪ wayfair, you've got just what i need ♪ ♪♪ we all have a purpose in life - a “why.” maybe it's perfecting that special place that you want to keep in the family... ...or passing down the family business... ...or giving back to the places that inspire you. no matter your purpose, at pnc private bank, we will work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it. so let us focus t just tell us - what's your why? ♪♪ ♪ it's a lovely day today ♪ just tell us - what's your why? ♪ so whatever you've got to do ♪ ♪ you've got a lovely day to do it in, that's true ♪ [ chuckling ] ♪ and i hope whatever you've got to do ♪ ♪ is something that... ♪ [ music stops ] [ beeping ] cars built with safety in mind, even for those guys. the volkswagen atlas with standard front assist. ♪ ♪ among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. fanduel and draftkings, two out of state corporations there's no question it's something making big promises. what's the real math behind prop 27, their ballot measure for online sports betting? 90% of profits go to the out of state corporations permanently. only eight and a half cents is left for the homeless. and in virginia, arizona, and other states, fanduel and draftkings use loopholes to pay far less than was promised. sound familiar? it should. vote no on prop 27. kids getting hooked on flavored tobacco, including e-cigarettes. big tobacco lures them in with flavors like lemon drop and bubble gum, candy flavors that get them addicted to tobacco products, and can lead to serious health consequences, even harming their brain development. that's why pediatricians urge you to vote yes on prop 31. it stops the sale of dangerous flavored tobacco and helps protect kids from nicotine addiction. please vote yes on 31. vote yes on prop 31. marijuana, and that means people are making millions of dollars selling pot legally all over the country. but just as this drug war began with classism and racist discrimination, unwinding it is proving to re-enforce some of those same injustices if we don't figure out a more fair, more equal, and better way to try to end this mistake in a different way than how it began. because as some people get rich by selling pot, which you might say, that's fine, that's going to be business nowadays. others are still stuck in prison right now for doing the same thing. it's a cycle of discrimination i have talked to you right here on "the beat." it's also one msnbc is spotlighted in a new documentary about one of the people still paying for all this, michael thompson. >> as the state of michigan takes on recreational sales of marijuana, munn man is sitting in the muskegon jail. >> he sold three pounds of marijuana in the '90s. >> thompson is considered the longest incarcerated nonviolent offender in michigan's history. >> last night, msnbc aired what you just saw a clip of, the sentence of michael thompson, as well as a brand-new interview where just did with mr. thompson, who spent the bulk of his adult life incarcerated for the marijuana offense you heard about. truly a living embodiment of how unjust this is be. after finally getting out, he's working to rebuild the rest of his life. he's also speaking out on these issues which is certainly difficult. this is our first ever conversation. it reflects just a little bit of his own lived reality, of his pain, and so tonight, we did want to share from the new interview this excerpt with you. >> did you think this day would come? and you would be out? >> did i think this day was coming? no. no, because i wasn't supposed to get out until 2038. >> right, it took moving mountains to make you an exception. but you probably know people who are also still in for drugs. >> i know a lot of people that's in for drugs. and that's really why it's an honor for me to be here, because i want people to hear me and see there are people who need help. and quit playing politics. you know, quit playing politics with people's lives. because there's some guys in there doing well out here, just like me. we would do well out here. and there's a guy going to school to be -- to get his masters degree, i mean doctor's degree. his name is leroy washington. guys like that rotting away in there. and then i could name on and on, saying you got people like boris peterson, you know. he didn't kill anyone. but you got him in prison. he's been in prison for 52 years. >> you seem to have kept some of your spirit. i don't know you. we met today. but the cycle of overincarceration, especially for very young people, can really change the whole trajectory of their lives. so before i bring in the filmmakers, a bit of a personal question. however you want to answer it. how did you stay true to yourself and keep your hope or whatever kept you going to be the person you are here to be able to talk to us right now? >> well, i believe -- the only one i could depend on is god, and i believed in him. i believed one day -- you know, i believed in him. >> and that's what got you through. yeah. like i said, i don't know you, but i appreciate meeting you and you telling your story here. >> that's just a little bit of mr. thompson. the sentence of michael thompson is also available streaming on documentary plus, msnbc chose to air that as mentioned last night. you can look up more about the story because when we see even just a sliver of what someone went through, of their pain, their experience, and you think of decades for nonviolent offense, while other people are really making millions off it, you have to ask yourself, is this system being unwound the right way? and before anyone gives themselves a pat on the back for moving beyond it, just how are we moving beyond it and who is still having to pay? that's one question i have for you as we think about five different states holding marijuana legalization votes just next week. so my question to you tonight, sometimes we put this up on the screen. you can always hit me at ari melber. my question is, do you think people should be let out of these sentences if states are going to legalize and profit off marijuana? do you think that has to be part of the reform? as always, you can find me at ari melber or arimelber.com. "the reidout" with joy reid is up next. tonight on "