latino community over i.c.e. raids targeting undocumented workers. but what about the companies they work for? i'm joined live by presidential candida candidate julian castro. but first, be virginia tepr is voicing support for background checks. >> we need background checks, this isn't a question of republican or democrat. i will tell you i spoke to mitch mcconnell yesterday. he's totally on board. he said i've been waiting for your call. he's totally on board. >> a spokesman for mitch mcconnell told nbc news the majority leader has not yet endorsed any specific gun legislation. here's what mcconnell had to say for himself on thursday -- >> background checks and red flags would probably lead the discussion, but a lot of other things will come up as well. what we can't do is fail to pass something, you know, by just locking up and failing to pass, that's unacceptable. >> of course, quote, locking up and failing to pass, independent quote, is exactly what has happened in the wake of countless mass shootings in america. but in some ways the climate really is different this time around. the nra finds itself in the state of turmoil. the organization is dealing with in-fighting, financial problems and multiple investigations. and "the new york times" reports financing and grassroots energy among gun reform groups is on the rise. politics may be changing as well. bloomberg reports that after last weekend's shootings, some republicans are, quote, raising alarms that their opposition to new firearm limits is making the party toxic so the suburban women and college graduates that will shape the 2020 election. but nra chief executive wayne lapierre is warning the president a background checks bill would not be popular among his supporters and other conservative figures seem to agree. >> the only thing a new law would do is drive wage between trump and his voters and the nra. >> despite those warnings. the president seems to believe his base and potentially republicans in the senate are going to follow his lead, no matter what. >> i have a great relationship with the republican senators, and i really think they are looking for me to make -- give a signal. >> would your base support background checks? >> i think my base relies on common sense and they rely on me politically to tell them what's happening. politically, i can't tell you, good, bad or indifference. i don't want to have crazy people having guns. >> with that i welcome if my pam, politics editor for the daily beast sam stein, former adviser to jeb bush michael steele be associate editor for real clear politics a.b. stoddard. it's great to have you here tonight. mike, let me start with you. this is still your party -- >> absolutely. >> i think. certainly much different than when you worked there on capitol hill. the president there remarkable confidence that what he says will fly with the base. i think on a lot of issues that's true. but this one, there's a lot of emotion and deeply rooted history and feeling around this in the republican party. >> they rely on me, i thil truer words were never spoken. i think the president because of his cast iron support among the base of the republican party has a unique opportunity to make the case for modest, sensible, limited and effective gun safe legislation. i also think the fact that the nra has been in turmoil, i think the nra needs trump more than trump needs the nra at this point. the power dynamics have definitely shifted and the president won a very elect oror by running up the votes. he can't do that if to outweigh suburban voters if he fails to do that and passing legislation might put that in jeopardy. >> do you believe he will? >> i think hes had the opportunity, whether he will seize that opportunity and pick limited, sensible reforms and advocate for them and whether he will be consistent in doing all of that, that's been very hard for this president and that's what we have yet to see. >> sam? >> this is one of those wait and see things. we've been down this road before. trump famously endorsed stronger intelligence safety background checks, safety background checks after parkland, i think he did if like eight times in a meeting with congressional leaders and we all know where that went. i do agree to a degree the politics changed a little bit in part of the nra's turmoil. in part because you would never see quotes like that from mitch mcconnell prior. >> i was stunned by that, i have to say. >> but i keep coming back to 2013, and what happened in the wake of the shootings in new town was that joe biden was given a working group to come up with a series of executive actions and forums. and he took i think about three to four weeks to put together this mult kbraj document about what type of legislative action, executive action to take, and it was too long. it just took too long. the country had moved on from that point. there wasn't the appetite that existed right after newtown. we had gone on to other things and that brfs the was before th metabolism was sped off. congress indicated they're not coming back early so it's an eternity in this world. so that means we most likely move orn and increasingon and i unlikely had will get done at all. >> and the president said he does support background checks before. >> we will be very strong background checks. very strong emphasis on the mental health of somebody. and we're going to do plenty of other things. >> as the ap points out the president, quote, later retreated, expressing support for modest changes to the federal background check system and arming teachers. after parkland, the president also voiced support for raising the minimum age for purchasing assault weapons. >> i'm the one bringing it up. a lot of people don't even want to bring it up because they're afraid to bring it up. but you can't buy a handgun at 18, 19 or 20. you have to wait until you're 21. but you can buy the gun, weapon used in this horrible shooting at 18. >> after pushback from the nra, the president ultimately pulled back from that proposal as well. during the same bipartisan round table at the white house, the president even seemed to signal some support for folding an assault weapons ban into a background check bill co-sponsored by pat toomey and joe manchin. >> this is when the ten-year assault weapons ban was in, how incidents and deaths dropped. when it ended, you can see it going up. >> if you can add what you can into the bill -- >> show her. >> can you do that? joe, can you do that? can you add -- you're not going to agree with me. >> if you help. >> i'll help. >> of course, in the end, nothing came of that either. a.b. stoddard to sam's point the president's going on vacation, congress is out for several weeks. there does seem to be shifting political realities around this but is this really going to be the time when this actually tips over? >> i think imminently reasonable republicans who want the party to survive like michael steele are talking about the data that they're seeing on the ground. what they saw when they dug out of the results of the midterms, what they see in purple states and the energy behind this issue. >> the president even seems to get it. at least some of it. >> michael's right he has an opportunity to do something that would fix a huge political problem and it would be right for both parties to come together and try to take care of one of our worst problems. i have to agree with sam with what's going to happen is 18 political catastrophes from now deep in the heart of september when they're looking looking at appropriations and get some kind of handle on whether or not they can pass mcua, it's not like the white house is saying now and it will go through. >> it's also not clear trump thought through this as a policy matter at all. the idea you can add an assault weapon ban to something, he's not paying attention to history or the med dolg, 1994, big assault weapons pass but that was the lesson that built the mythology. >> let's look at other point of view, what is the danger of inaction? what is it like if the president is campaigning september, october of 2020 against a candidate who presumably supports another gun safety legislation and we have another horrible attack and he's done nothing, failed to live up to these promises? >> we will have another horrible attack like this. to your point, i think there's a momentum behind this, and trump is right about this. we've talked to lawmakers on the hill about why they may be more confident now than they were in 2013. because obama's not there. but they're not saying it's obama's -- >> but it's real. >> this is the president actually does have an opportunity as you point out -- >> they trust it. >> the one thing i want to disagree on the nra management, administration of the nra versus membership is they still have the ability with the help of rush limbaugh to tell their members that even a low-grade -- not universal, not strong background check is the beginning and giant gun grab. president trump wants to talk about confiscation with those on camera. yes they have the ability via the worldwide remember to do a lot of harm into this effort and scare the members of thinking this is the beginning of a complete lockdown. >> my question, a.b., why is mitch mcconnell saying what he's saying? is it because he recognizes that the president is saying a certain set of things? or he really sees a shift? >> mitch mcconnell knows exactly what's going on, what i just referenced. he's mined the midterm data. he knows exactly what's going on in all of these states. he knows there's a real threat given good enough democratic recruits to his senator in iowa, arizona, north carolina, come ko colorado, maine, georgia. he's looking at next year. it's unlikely mcconnell is threatened in re-election next year but his good friend and former deputy john cornyn certainly could be in texas. he's looking at political allies and looking at the map. he knows president trump is always inconsistent and promises everybody the moon and reneges the last minute. mcconnell doesn't want his members to be hung out on a branch. >> if they did go for it on a bill that included some sort of background check legislation, the most likely scenario they will attach something to it that makes it poison for democrats like conceal carry reciprocity. while we think there my be momentum, there are 20 different chapters that have to get done before get to that point. >> is there something michael steele that could cost mcconnell's senate pass nancy pelosi's house? >> yes. the democrats have to make a decision whether -- every play can't be a touchdown pass. they have to decide five yards in the cloud of dust, move the chains, make some progress. what we learned from mitch mcconnell will not be the be all and end all for what house democrats want for safety but it moves them in the right direction. >> how do they balance this? the one thing that had gotten done on guns was buried -- >> and bump stocks. >> that was through executive action. but on the hill there was a lot of tension over that six anymni proposal. some said take the increment am progress. but others said don't do this or we will lose the momentum to do something real. >> it's one step forward and one step backwards. one that includes the toomey-manchin bill and reciprocity, a lot of democrats will have a difficult time saying we'll take the background checks but we're going to make it so new york has to respect texas' gun laws. that would be to them a bridge too far in my estimation and that would be a crisis point for the party. they will have to say we can't vote for this background check legislation we've been touting for years because it includes this poisonous pill. >> it's a tough, tough issue. here's to hopefully the pressure actually staying high after the terrible tragedies that we've seen over the course of the last week. we have a lot more to come tonight. the latest on the death of jeffrey epstein. just in, the medical examiner will not say how he died. ken littdilanian joins me. and later i will talk to bill de blasio from iowas as he makes s presidential bid. and julian castro who talks about the massacre in his home state of texas. state of texas so i only pay for what i need. then i won the lottery, got hair plugs, and started working out. and so can you! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ corey is living with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. she's also taking ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+ / her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. corey calls it her new normal because a lot has changed, but a lot hasn't. ask your doctor about ibrance. the #1 prescribed fda-approved oral combination treatment for hr+/her2- mbc. oral combination treatment [ gi♪ ling ] let'[ doorbell ]-up. [ slap ] your nails! xfinity home... cameras. xfinity home... disarm the system. door's open. morning... welcome to the neighborhood. do you like my work? secure your home with x1 voice control. and rest easy knowing you have professional monitoring backing you up. awarded "top pick" by cnet. demo at an xfinity store, call or go online today. xfinity home. simple. easy. awesome. welcome back. breaking news tonight, an autopsy has been completed on accused sex trafficker jeffrey epstein after his apparent suicide. a statement released moments ago by the new york city chief medical examiner says the office's determination is, quote, pending further information. the office has deferred to law enforcement agencies regarding other investigations around epstein's death. joining our panel now nbc news investigative correspondent ken dilanian. ken, great to have you. i'm really hoping you can explain to us what the hell is going on because essentially they said today that we're going to get an autopsy of jeffrey epstein, that they were going to be able to -- we heard right away yesterday that this was -- all of our sources were telling us this was suicide. but the examiner doesn't seem to be able to say that yet. what does that tell you? >> our sources are still saying it looks like suicide. this is going to set conspiracy theorists abuzz. >> more you mean? >> yes. >> i spoke to an official about this process who said this is not inusual. in cases like this the medical examiner needs to be extra careful. there's not only a pending criminal investigation there are civil attorneys swarming. in fact, he had a private forensic pathologist attend this autopsy. >> their statement said that's not unusual. is that true? >> i think that's accurate, especially when there's civil litigation. in a case like this, particularly when the president of the united states is trafficking conspiracy theories about it, the medical examiner wants to be absolutely sure they ruled out any other possibility. again, nbc news has been hearing all day long there are no indications of foul play and this looks like a suicide that he hung himself in his cell. >> do we know if we have video of this? >> i'm led to believe that there is likely not video because of the way that special meeting was set up and there are hundreds of inmates there and not enough cameras for each cell. >> really there's no necessarily for anyone to prove exactly what happened in this case? >> well, we have to see what the evidence is. the big question right now is whether the guards in that facility were checking on epstein every 30 minutes as the rules appear to require. the larger question, of course, why was he taken off suicide watch after having apparently attempted suicide? that had not been known except internally and it's a huge deal. on suicide watch he's wearing a tear-resistant smock, everything is bolted down and he's watched every second. in the special investigation housing unit he was alone and not watched for a period of time. by the way, even if they were checking him 30 minutes, 30 minutes is enough time, experts say, to hang yourself. >> seems like more than enough time. attorney general bill barr said he was appalled by epstein's apparent sued si apparent suicide and received this letter -- every single person in the justice department knew that this man was asuicide risk and his dark secrets could not be allowed to die with him. obviously heads must roll. michael steele, this whole thing completely astonishing, not least because of the victims of this man who now have a lesser shot at justice. >> i don't necessarily want this man to live because he was a good person or deserved -- deserved a long and happy life. but we needed to know what he knew in order to provide some measure of closure to the civil litigation, to his victims, to the list of prominent individuals who had been linked to him over the years, many of whom had a shadow of suspicion over them for quite some time based on their dealings with him. >> how is this allowed to happen? >> i'm not an expert on prison policy when it comes to suicide watch. i have read the statistics about prison deaths, vis-a-vis suicide, and it is a uniquely american problem. it's a scandal in its own right. so there is a scandal here. the scandal is not necessarily when the tconspiracy theorists want but it may end up being, who knows, it's how we handle prisoners and what we do and why we can't prevent more of these suicides. to michael's point, i feel for the victims here. they deserved their day in court. they deserved justice through the criminal justice system. zheved to watch this man rot for his alleged crimes. and they were denied that. so there are victims to this. and they are them. >> a.b., to that point, it's astonishing to me we know so much of what we know how about jeffrey epstein to "the miami herald" and julie brown did all of those reporting and this saga played out over years and years with victims had been silent for years and years to have it end this way is so hard. >> also a process where he got a slap on the wrist work release thing where he was only showing up at jail at night and he was off in his luxurious life working during the day. so it's -- he's always been protected in suspicious ways. this country has no trust, no faith in justice for people like jeffrey epstein and the justice for the rest of us. he was connected to very powerful people who really needed him to be quiet. there are conspiracy theories abounding and this will be a topic itself. this is an epic fail of staff and it's on the watch of this justice department and president trump's own government as he tweets -- or retweets about bill clinton,ne clinton, this is their fault. and senator sass is right. there need to be many answers about the violation of protocol how he ended up dead. it's on bill barr and president trump. >> and jonathan dienst have been reporting and they're confirming that the leading theory is still a suicide. there's no indication it was anything but a suicide or any indication of foul play. the fbi is leading this investigation. absolutely to your point this is a huge black eye for the department of justice. the reason these conspiracy theorists are trafficking, the reason the russians are pounding this message home is because somebody screwed up here. the unions that represent the correction officers at that facility are saying for some time that they're woefully understaffed. so that's going to be an aspect of this investigation as well. >> one thing we sort of touched down tangentially but have not actually shown our viewers yet is the conspiracy theory president trump has been sharing on twitter, and they include an unfounded claim that bill clinton was somehow involved. how are we here? >> i don't even know how to handle this one honestly, it's absurd. it's the height of irresponsible for the most powerful person in the world with the biggest mega phone to push a theory his political opponent, another president was responsible for a murder in jail. it's beyond the pale to think someone would do this. i read coverage at a news site, if a state senator had done this, we would have been aghast, shocked. we would have run a big story on it. the president of the united states does this and we're like oh, it's donald trump. >> it's donald trump he's done this before. >> the dark series of immorality circled around the clintons going to arkansas. one of the things trump does is surface those things. he brought alleged victims of president clinton's rape to the debate, so this is not surprising. >> that's the point. >> anyone at this table -- >> i'm not defending the practice. >> man, this has been a very, very dark week. ken dilanian, thank you very much for your reporting. when we come back, my conversation with presidential candidate julian castro as he releases his proposal to curb gun violence stemming from white nationalism. 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>> what we see out there is we have this very toxic brew of growing white supremacy, white nationalism extremism combined with lacks gun laws and we need to address both of those things to disarm hate. my plan would do two things, number one, it would give the tools to the department of homeland security and department of justice and other associations they need in order to rule out extremism including white nationalism. one of the things that happened over the last couple of years in the trump administration is one of the primary agencies that supposed to rule out extremism to counter it, domestic extremism, had their budget cut by 85% of the we need to restore that and we need to give them additional resources so they can do their job. i also believe we need to do things like invest in community groups that are fostering cross culture understanding in the united states, so that instead of seeing our differences as something to fear, more and more americans, especially youngest americans can appreciate those differences. the second thing we need to do is common sense gun safety legislation, and, you know, people -- what does that mean to you? what do you include in common sense gun safety. >> i include a lot of things folks are familiar with. new assault weapons ban that would include weapons like the ar-15. universal background checks, limiting the capacity of magazines to no more than ten rounds. i would also required someone get a license to own a firearm. i would impose a seven-day waiting period for firearms purchases. i would also put an excise of 20% instead of just 10% on firearms and ammunition and use that $600 million to $700 million a year to invest in gun violence prevention. so we see the last of these types of incidents not only in the mass shooting context but also in every kind of gun violence that we see in our country. and my plan -- one thing i want to mention is that we often don't talk about is that more than half of death by gun actually are deaths by suicide. so one of the things my plan points out is we need to extend this distinction between mental health care and physical health care and invest in mental health care so that people who have depression or bipolar disorder or something else don't suffer with the stigma of it and are able to get care. >> to go back to some of these things that you listed out, including an assault weapons ban, et cetera, frankly, washington hasn't been able to do anything at all hardly on gun safety, let alone these large he steps that you're talking about. if you're president, how do you plan on changing that dynamic? >> well, first of all, i think on january 20th, 2021 at 12:01 p.m. we're going to have a democratic president, a democratic house and democratic senate. >> that's a lot to buy into, sir, with all due respect, especially the senate. >> i don't believe that at all. i think you can clearly see mitch mcconnell and his republican colleagues are very worried about their future. i think that's one of the reasons for instincts that they started to give this happy talk about potentially doing something on common sense gun safety legislation because they saw governor dewine in ohio get shouted down by his constituents, republicans and democrats the other day, who said do something. they told him you need to do something. they're getting this message and i think especially the suburbs of america are abandoning the republican party so whether it's texas, whether it's maine, whether it's other states that are -- could be swing states, i actually believe the republicans are in trouble in 2020. >> do you -- >> let's say for the sake of argument mitch mcconnell was still there, my plan also includes some things we can do by executive authority, for instance. we can redefine by executive authority what a firearms dealer is so anybody who sells five weapons or more in a given year is considered a firearms dealer, they have to get a special license for that and they have to do universal background checks. we can also include unmarried domestic partners under the protection of the violation against women act so we enlarge the scope of people who are able to get the kind of court orders that would protect them. >> so let's go back to the point you made about suburbs and i think that's an interesting one. your native texas has quite a few big cities where we've seen some of these changes happen in some house districts a little bit. houston, dallas, other places. do you think that this is an issue where you might see your current senator, who's up for re-election, john cornyn move because of the pressure you're talking about? >> well, i hope that he does. i think he certainly is going to at least mouth the words. the problem with john cornyn is he often talks but he hardly ever delivers. but this is another issue. he often said he will work on legislation to try to strengthen the background check system that we have, never mind the background check system is completely inadequate, even if it were working as well as it should, which it's still not. we saw that in the southerly springs incident where there should have been a red flag did not make it up the chain so that shooter was able to get a weapon. but i do think john cornyn, susan collins, i think a number of other senators and congressional representatives that are in those swing districts and suburbs are going to feel the heat. as you can see, they are already predicting they're going to lose because we've seen six or seven announcements for retirements, including a few in texas. >> tex adepts they're calling it. >> and as you know, and your viewers know, that's usually a good sign that republicans don't feel very confident about the upcoming election. >> before i let you go, i want to ask you about the list of donors from president trump from your brother, joaquin castro -- i'm sorry, it was san antonians. my mistake. he came under quite a bit of criticism because the idea of being especially at a time of heightened frankly fear and violence, this might make these people targets. you defended him so far. do you still think that was the right thing to do? >> oh, absolutely. i'm very proud of my brother. my brother took what is publicly available information that newspapers, other publications regularly do about people who maxed out, made the maximum contribution to president trump here in san antonio and put that forward as he said as a lament to say, wow, just look. in the city that is only 63% hispanic, a lot of these big business owners were on this list who have basically made their fortune off the hispanic community are putting money into the pocket of a campaign of a president that is turning around and using that money to fund something like 2,000 ads that say that there's hispanic invasion in the united states. i find that very disappointing, very ironic and i believe my brother had every right to do that and people should know who was funding that campaign of hate. i believe that's completely legitimate information, and i think one of the reasons that donald trump tweeted at my brother is because he must be afraid that people are ashamed they gave to him or something. >> julian castro, thank you very much for coming back on the program, sir. always great to have you. >> good to be with you. when we return, feels like 100 years ago there were democratic debates in detroit in which the candidates sparred over health care policy. we brought one of the best reporters on the medical industry to help us dig in to the actual policy that was overshadowed by the over-the-top theatrics. always a catch. like somehow you wind up getting less. but now that i book at hilton.com, and i get all these great perks. i got to select my room from the floor plan... very nice... i know, i'm good at picking stuff. free wi-fi... laptop by the pool is a bold choice... and the price match guarantee. how do you know all of this? 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[beep] you should be mad your neighbor always wants to hang out. and you should be mad your smart fridge is unnecessarily complicated. but you're not mad, because you have e*trade which isn't complicated. their tools make trading quicker and simpler. so you can take on the markets with confidence. don't get mad. get e*trade and start trading today. which the candidates sparred which the candidates sparred would you raise taxes on the middle class to pay for medicare for all, offset obviously by the elimination of the insurance premiums, yes or no? >> costs will go up for billionaires and go up for corporations, for middle class families, total costs will go down. >> i listened to the american families who said four years is just not enough to transition into this new plan, so i devised a plan where it will be ten years of transition. >> the senator had several plans so far. any time someone tells you you're going to get something good in ten years, you should wonder why it takes ten year. >> we don't have to stand up here speculating why the medicare for all environment will be better than the corporation options. we can put it to the test. that's the concept of my medicare for all who want it proposal. >> i have a better pact, medicare for america. everyone who is uninsured is enrolled tomorrow. >> obamacare is working. the way to work and build immediately is build on obamacare. >> congressman delaney referred to it as bad policy. what are you saying to congressman delaney? >> you're wrong. >> did you get all of that? democrats spent more time during the second round of debates arguing about health care than about any other topic according to cnbc. the new polling suggests voters still aren't sure about what the differences are between the candidates' plans. joining the conversation now, julie roberts from kaiser news and has been covering this topic many, many years. it's been at least a decade since we recovered obamacare and i learned so much from you. now here we are, it became the law of the land. debate has obviously shifted enormously since then when the public option became so toxic, it was dropped. now it's hard to get your head around where the nuances are betweenp joe biden over here and bernie sanders is on the other side. if you're trying to walk voters through what the decision is they're making, how do you describe the differences? >> i think it's important to remember the democrats all want to get to the same place. they want everybody to have insurance. they have different ways of getting there. some of them have different time lines of getting there using pretty much the same way. it's a decision of how much do you want the private sector involved, how much public sector do you want involved. rye now the u.s. health system is a hybrid. we're partly public and partly private and democrats want to sort of push it more public and republicans want to push it more privatep the question is really how much. >> one of the other points of argument is how realistic are these plans of action? if bernie sanders says in four years, i think is his timeline, you could have medicare for all, should people believe him? >> it would be extraordinarily difficult. you were there when they were passing obamacare and couldn't even get a public option into the bill through the senate when the democrats had 60 votes in the senate yet the possible option right now is the furthest to the right of most of the democratic candidates who are running for president. >> mike steele, you're shaking your head no, this is not realistic. >> no. there are two fundamental problems with every major democratic proposal. one is it will involve a substantial tax increase on middle class families and it will require probably at some point the 148 or so million americans who currently have a private plan and generally speaking like it to lose that plan. i think the fundamental problem that liberals face on this is the american people's priority is lower costs. liberals' private is expanded coverage. and you can't do both so you resort to this essentially. >> there is a world potentially where universal coverage can drive down costs if the negotiations -- rather if the incentives are a little different in house the prices are negotiated, split. >> that's the hope. the united states spends so much on health care than noir country and it's not because we consume nrn any other country but it's because we pay more for it. so if we push down the prices, people spend less. in the past the debate is how much we as a society spend on medical care and it's too much. now it's how many individuals are having to spend. insurance and private insurance moved towards larger deductibles, more out-of-pocket costs for individuals. that's what congress is working on right now and i think the candidates are not necessarily talking about that. tear talking much bigger picture. >> sam stein, do you think the environment has changed enough on this? are the costs so high that people do -- there might actually be a way politically to get a public option done, just that basic step. >> the question of whether the window moved enough here, to your point, it was not even 2010 it would have been unfathomable we would have a serious presidential debate over medicare for all. five years ago would be unfathomable. bernie sanders took this concept and to his credit grown it in a remarkable political sense. the question is what is the world of feasibility this the point? honestly, that's a question for the parliamentary system of the united states. >> that is the geekiest book i ever heard on the program. >> we had such a nice conversation about public health care policy. >> let me put it this way, what we're talking about in this presidential campaign is sort of surreal. in the end if it has a 68-vote threshold, it won't matter. it seems unlikely -- >> they had 60 votes for obamacare. >> for a while. >> this is a case while incrementalism works. they could have said without a public option in 2010, we don't want it but they didn't. he built on a very conservative idea of health care reform and said we will take another whack of it down the road. we're now down the road. now the moderate position is, of course, a public option. if they can get that, maybe that would be an expansion of coverage. i don't agree with your assessment of the middle class tax fight. but it would be a pro depressive win but it wouldn't be considered a progressive win. >> i was admiring before we wra conversation, julie, we have not featured your dog wallace yet. >> what? >> i think we have some tape of wallace this is one of my favorite videos on twitter. we're huge dog fans here. can you explain what's going on here? >> yes, this is wallace making his agility debut a couple weeks ago. he did extraordinarily well. >> did he win a ribbon? >> he did. he won a blue ribbon. >> and he's a corgi? >> he's a corgi. >> amazing. we love him. please send us a photo and we'll put that on tv, too. thank you very much for your reporting. thank you all for being here, too. when we come back american soccer finds its 12th man, a lobbyist. hmm. exactly. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. nice. but, uh... what's up with your... partner? not again. limu that's your reflection. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ would shakespeare have chosen just "some pens?" methinks tul pens would serve m'lady well. thanks. and a unicorn notebook! get everything on your list. this week's doorbuster- 1-inch binders for $1; $1 in store or online from the advisors at office depot officemax. if you have moderate or psoriatic arthritis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. ♪ in the wake of their world cup victory members of the u.s. women's soccer team have continued to use their global platform to draw attention to what many see as an unfair pay gap in the sport. and it is not just talk. the team has been engaged in a lawsuit against the u.s. soccer federation against march claiming that the women's team could earn as little as 38% of what a men's player could make over the course of a year. now politico is reporting that u.s. soccer has hired two washington lobbying firms to push back against those claims and reports that one lobbyist even reached out to democratic presidential campaigns ahead of the debates last month to argue that the women's team isn't paid less than the men's team. according to the report, lobbyists circulated a presentation to those campaigns and congressional staffers that, quote, emphasizes the benefits the women's team players receive including a guaranteed salary, maternity leave, a nancy subsidy, injury protection and health and retirement benefits the men's team players do not. a senior adviser to one of the presidential campaigns who spoke on the condition of anonymity said whoever does their lobbying and pr should be fired and the money should go to the players. yeah. hiring lobbyists to lobby against paying women the same as men. when we return, usually the iowa state fair is dominated by foods on sticks, butter cows and politics. even donald trump once descended in his helicopter. candidates took on what to do about gun violence. bill de blasio joins me live and we watch the sunday shows so you don't have to. 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[ slap ] your nails! xfinity home... cameras. xfinity home... disarm the system. door's open. morning... welcome to the neighborhood. do you like my work? secure your home with x1 voice control. and rest easy knowing you have professional monitoring backing you up. awarded "top pick" by cnet. demo at an xfinity store, call or go online today. xfinity home. simple. easy. awesome. the nation's political leaders facing calls to do something -- >> as we grapple once again with our gun culture. >> this is a human cause problem with a human solution. >> it's our responsibility to do more to address it. >> we need a president who is willing to drive forward on this issue. >> the president is no more responsible for that shooting as bernie sand certificates fers i shooting. >> he creates the climate. do i think he wants to see somebody get shot? absolutely not. >> president trump says he wants meaningful background checks. >> 90% of americans support background checks. >> we want to make sure people who should not have firearms don't. >> no one law is going to stop everything. >> this will be a chess match and tactical sausage making in the senate. >> the raids in mississippi, this was done with sensitivity. >> you say it's done with sensitivity and yet we have kids without parents. >> this administration has directed dhs to conduct these raids as part of what i believe is this administration's campaign on terror. >> my 95-year-old grandmother went in the middle of the night and looked for her papers. >> these aren't raids. these are targeted law enforcement -- >> operation that is are part of their daily cycle. >> they are illegal immigrants. >> i don't have any information they have green cards. >> in hindsight, do you wish the raids didn't happen? >> the timing was unfortunate. welcome back to "casey d.c.." an autopsy completed on sex trafficker jeffrey epstein. a statement released says the office's determination is, quote, pending further information. multiple people briefed on epste epstein's death tell nbc news the suicide remains -- the presumed cause of death -- we're going to talk to presidential candidate bill de blasio about his death in a couple minutes. but first, every so often you get a "newsweek" where you really just want to look away and this was one of them with mass shootings in gilroy, el paso and dayton, casting a long shadow. a reuters poll revealed nearly 80% of americans think it's likely that another mass shooting will happen in the next three months. people scattered in times square after motorcycles backfired on tuesday night. there was a false alarm at the headquarters of one of the nation's biggest newspaper publishers, gannett. an off-duty firefighter detained a man in body armor carrying a rifle in springfield, missouri. a 23-year-old las vegas white supremacist was arrested on suspicion of possessing parts to make a bomb and allegedly wanted to attack jewish-americans and patrons of an lbgtq bar. a florida man arrested for illegally writing on football three more days of probation left and then i get my ak-15 back. don't go to walmart next week. hundreds of federal agents conducted immigration raids at meat processing factories in mississippi leaving these indelible images of children who were left behind. all of this set up a strange combination for the iowa state fair this weekend. so nearly all of the democratic field showed up to the fair. it was -- the weather was beautiful. there was, as usual, fried food on sticks. the butter cow sculpture, and it was coupled instead of with the usual light-hearted fun with intense talk about american culture especially through the lens of the gun issue. with that i'd like to welcome in my panel with me here. white house bureau chief for "the washington post" and msnbc analyst philip rucker, former trump white house senior adviser, and democratic strategist don calway. we have erin haynes and in des moin moines, iowa, political reporter vaughn hilliard who has been following that unusual iowa state fair trying to strike a delicate balance between retail politics and acknowledging tragedy. case in point, we have this moment with democratic candidate andrew wang who broke down on stage after hearing the story of a woman who lost her 4-year-old daughter to a stray bullet, the little girl's twin brother witnessed the shooting. >> i have a 6 and 3-year-old boy, and i'm imagining -- i was imagining it was one of them that got shot and the other saw it. i just can't. i'm so sorry. [ applause ] >> a tough moment there for andrew yang. how has this all played out? you have been covering the fair and it's obviously a ritual and an institution in iowa, but a very difficult set of circumstances. >> reporter: andrew yang was there at the gun violence forum in downtown des moines. that was coinciding with the traditional soapbox speeches and the corn dog eating. i have to tell you when the candidates were coming in, julian castro, kamala harris, bernie sanders this afternoon. usually you want to ask them about what's your favorite fair food but the direct follow-up question is on policy. it's a weird conversation to be talking about white supremacy, racism, and gun violence. just one week ago more than 20 individuals that are shot and killed and julian castro told me it would be nice to get back to the conversation about health care, criminal justice reform, having those substantive conversations you saw the democratic field have in detroit just two weeks ago. it was interesting that conversation coming out of that event in detroit, the debate was is this democratic field, is it too divided, too much friction and talk about the past when the focus should be on donald trump? it's a message of passing universal background checks, banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and the next part of the conversation talking to voters here that were coming through and particularly not just democratic voters but republican voters. i talked with a family earlier this evening, the miller family, and the couple both caucus for ted cruz back in 2016 and they are now taking part next february in the democratic caucus and debating which candidate. they're looking at kamala harris. there's another gentleman i want to let you hear from him. they have this little poll in which people get to put in a corn kernel for which candidate they support. you put in your corn kernel. who did you put it in for? >> guess? i'm white, old, they call me all kinds of names. you're smarter than that. >> i'll let you fill in the blank. >> i don't have to. everybody knows. >> what do they call you. >> i'm a racist. i went to school. i shared my dorm with a colored guy. i grew up in the east. we grew up with people. >> reporter: do you think the president is raceist? >> i don't. i really don't. >> reporter: when you hear him talk about communities of color, do you see why people do call him a raceist? >> yes and no because some of those people he's talking about have said just as bad things about him that you can't say on tv. >> reporter: kasie, you've been to many state fairs and most of the folks on your panel have as well. the conversations are not the same that i've had in years past, and this goes beyond the speeches on the soapbox of these candidates. this goes to the heart of these conversations with voters. these are tough conversations to be had because you're talking to people about dividing friendships and family, racism and white supremacy. this is no ordinary conversation taking place at the iowa state fair, kasie. >> indeed. some tough stuff to grapple with. vaughn hillyard, thank you for your reporting. erin, let me go to you. you've been covering these issues and associated issues. i have to tell you i'm really glad our wire service has somebody on this beat because of things exactly like what we saw just there with vaughn hillyard and this man in line at the iowa state fair which really, i think, highlights the divisions that are in our country right now twhachlt did you make of that, and how do you see this playing out across the country? >> yes, thank you so much, kasie. it's good to be with you. thanks for having me on to have this really important conversation. >> of course. >> i think vaughn's questioning was exactly right. i think for a lot of the president's voters, and let me make it clear, i'm not suggesting in any way that all of the president's voters are racist but this is a sticking point for them because you have athat is saying and doing a lot of things and things they may agree with. to implicate this president is to implicate his voters in a lot of cases. and so if they agree with the things he is saying or doing, those things and those actions cannot be racist because they are not racist and, therefore, the things he says and does are not racist. and so that is really a lot of the conversation we're seeing playing out and, yes, in the state fair of all places, which is proof this is definitely an election cycle not like those that we have covered in the past. i just wanted to make a point about the clip you showed with andrew yang and how emotional he got which i thought was a reminder for a lot of americans and a lot of people living in this country, the stakes are really a lot higher than just this typical -- the fact we're in an election year. i have colleagues who wrote a story just today about the hispanic-americans who are afraid to speak spanish in public, who are looking over their shoulder and looking for exits when they're out in public places because they are concerned about the climate that exists in this country they feel is being stoked by this president and the things he is saying and doing. >> this is actual ly a perfect segment. ashley parker and phil's new piece in "the washington post." they write, quote, president trump considers himself a branding wizard, but he is vexed by a branding crisis of his own, how to shed the label of racist, being called a racist has infuriated trump, gnawing at him as he reaches out in tweets and public comment. >> for them to throw out the word race again, racist, racist, racist, that's all they use. they call nancy pelosi a racist. she's not a racist. they call anybody a racist when they run out of cards. >> we should note that the president throws the word around quite a bit himself. in the last month alone he's described it to use elijah cummings, the squad, and hollywood. phil and ashley go on to write, quote, following a month he leveled racist attacks on four congresswomen of color, maligned majority black baltimore as a rat infested mess and saw his anti-immigrant rhetoric parroted in an alleged mass shooter's statement, the risk for trump is that the pejorative that has long dogged him becomes defining. phil, great reporting work from you and ashley as always in "the washington post," capturing something. i think we pick up on it, too, people who speak on his behalf who are always arguing he doesn't have a racist bone in his body but the reality is this is becoming a defining thing for him both with people on the left supporting democrats and as vaughn showed potentially on the right as well. >> it is and it's not new, of course, kasie, because trump has had racist comments and racist actions going back to the 1970s through his career and business and reality television and now politics. but the trouble is this is a label that his democratic opponents are using now. they're calling him a racist. they're calling him a white supremacist and it's angering the president. he's not sure what to do to shed the label. and his advisers are stuck. they don't like this either. they're making an argument this calling the president a racist has the potential of backfiring because a lot of trump supporters like we just saw the gentleman at the state fair vaughn was talking to would feel they're being called a racist, too. the solution is for trump to change his habits and speak differently about people of colors, and he's obvious lip not done that yet. jump in, erin. >> phil makes a really good point here. what we know it's very clear that going into 2020 the president is going to go to a racial playbook to get himself re-elected. he feels that is a path to victory. it's one thing to go to that racial playbook and another to have people articulating that he is a racist and frankly not a lot of news organizations is doing and the candidates have been slow to come to. race and racism is a difficult conversation for many people in this country. this is a pattern and practice that has existed for president trump since the '70s. how many times does somebody have to do or say things that are racist before we say those things are happening. what we're going to have to wrestle with this is not just a question for candidates in 2020 or even for us as journalists. it's a question for the electorates and where they land on this question and what they do with the answer is the question of the election. >> matt, you worked for president trump. it's clear as erica points out that this president is decided to stoke the racial divisions as part of his campaign. is this good for our country? >> i think after tragedies like last saturday it can serve as a moment to unify. unequivocally proposed five different steps on how he can try to prevent mass atrocities and violence including from domestic terrorism as well. >> there are a lot of people who did not think he went as far as you suggest. >> he stated condemned white sue problem sic sue probleoblem supremacism. i think there was an important point in something he said. i mentioned the five points. the one that was really the most impressed by he's asking the department of justice to work with social media and tech companies to try to get the root of violent extremism online chatrooms that we see, to try to find out what are the root causes of this hatred. i think that's a really -- >> right, but right now if a story about what the president is saying appears on your facebook feed and the president's comments have been straight up racist and others walk right up to that line. >> the president is putting forward policies trying to protect and keep all americans secure. i think that's what he stated on monday and advance throughout his entire term. >> i appreciate your staunch loyalism to your former employer. the problem is some of us watch this stuff. day one in 2017, the president took away from the white house website the department of justice's office of civil rights link. what does that imply to the american people? i have no interest in pursuing civil rights issues, i have no interest in pursuing the mission of the department of justice's civil rights department. secondly, he effectively killed legislation that would keep mass killing machines out of the hands of the mentally ill. that is a fact. he has gutted the department of civil rights. he has taken away essentially the division that was specifically dedicated into looking at white nationalism and told them to shift the focus to black identity extremism which is something that virtually does not exist in this country. the problem is i understand what the president says when he has these written talking points he has to say in front of the teleprompter as opposed to the rallies. his policy, the things he has used, the awesome power to do to execute support nothing about what you're saying. actual policies suggest under girding and he has used his department of justice to support the mission and at least look away from the mission. >> we're going to continue this conversation -- >> i just wanted to add -- >> very quick and then we have to go. >> really quickly i think you make a good point. the comments we heard from the president condemning white supremacy, we don't hear those comments from the president nearly as much as we hear some of the other rhetoric we're talking about. it's important to talk about whether or not things are racist coming out of structures of power because to not talk about them is how you get systemic racism persisting and that impacts millions of people and not just individuals. >> and like i said, we are going to continue this conversation. thank you for that, erin. presidential candidate and mayor of new york bill de blasio joins me live from iowa. we'll talk about his platform and the breaking news about jeffrey epstein. ffjerey epstein. the insurance institute for highway safety 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[ slap ] your nails! xfinity home... cameras. xfinity home... disarm the system. door's open. morning... welcome to the neighborhood. do you like my work? secure your home with x1 voice control. and rest easy knowing you have professional monitoring backing you up. awarded "top pick" by cnet. demo at an xfinity store, call or go online today. xfinity home. simple. easy. awesome. welcome back to "kasie dc." joining me is democratic presidential hopeful, bill de blas blasio. mr. mayor, thanks for being here. >> thank you, kasie. >> let's start with the breaking news out of your hometown tonight this is, of course, a federal facility where jeffrey epstein had been held until he, we suspect, committed suicide. there's a coroner's initial decision or rather after an initial autopsy has not said what they believe happened. they are telling thus is presumed to be a suicide. what does it tell you that we don't have a conclusion on this yet and do you have any additional information to offer us? >> kasie, there will be a report soon from the medical examiner. there is some coordination that always has to be done with law enforcement in the process but there will be an answer soon. our medical examiner is the federal government. look, the bigger question is how on earth could it happen? i'm shocked to see the president not only do a conspiracy theory, any conspiracy theory from the united states, but to deflect it away from him when it's his own justice department that runs the federal president. how he was allowed to take his own life, if that's what it was, but also everything else epstein was a part of. that investigation does not have to die with him. >> are you confident there's a relationship of trust between your medical examiner and officials at the prison enough to give you faith in findings to determine this was a suicide. >> i'm absolutely confident in our medical examiner's office. i am not confident at all in the justice department on many levels. i think there needs to be an investigation. i think it should be done in a way that clearly is independent because the justice department looking at why its own personnel let this guy die. that's not something that will instill confidence. on the larger epstein matter, of course the justice department should be investigating that. it should be important for other prosecutors in any local area, new york and elsewhere, to take that up as well. we're talking about the richest, most powerful people in this country, kasie, trafficking under age girls. we can't let that get away. there better be plenty of investigation from independent sources. >> you are at the iowa state fair. the focus has largely been on gun violence. joe biden recently made a comment that, of course, was seized on many including the president saying poor kids are as bright as white kids. he, of course, corrected himself and added other children to his description as he was making the speech, but you criticized him for it. what do you think that says about the campaign? >> it's such an important issue. i respect joe biden. i'm going to fight hard for the nomination. i think a progressive should be the nominee. i think a progressive has a much better chance of winning and changing the country. if joe biden is the nominee, i'll work hard for him and all of my colleagues would, too. it's not what we think personally about joe biden. the question is what are his actions and his words, what do they mean for him as a potential guy to go up against donald trump? i'm not comfortable in what i'm seeing. >> do you think he would lose to donald trump? >> spend a minute or two -- what's that? >> do you think he would lose to donald trump? >> i think any democrat has the high ground. the notion of presenting consistently words and ideas out of touch with america. look at this iowa state fair. you see a very different american than 40 or 50 years ago when joe biden went into the u.s. senate. this is a place that's changed in so many ways. a much more connected country. i do not think we're as divided as we're often told. i think people are much more connected in many ways, but when joe biden says something like the statement you read, it suggests not understanding there's plenty of people in color who have done very, very well and there's plenty of white people who are struggling and even our poor and that's been true for generations. joe biden has said things that suggest he doesn't understand today's reality, today's democratic party and our values. lo look, i want him at minimum to start listening to all of us and say, joe, that's not right. that's not cool. you have to fix that because i want all democrats to talk about values people see as consistent and respectful. you can't make those mistakes up against donald trump. i disdain what he says and does but he's devilishly smart. if you make those mistakes you endanger our ability to win. joe biden has to show he has gotten the memo. that is not acceptable. >> i understand the point you're making. i want to put up a recent iowa poll that shows joe biden up at 28% of voters, and i know that you mentioned it's a more diverse place, that the fair has changed certainly, but this poll suggests people are comfortable with joe biden. your name not on the list. and you've faced some tough headlines. as mayor of new york, not an uncommon thing considering the tabloids you have. "the new york times" wrote trump's competition for the most unpopular politician in new york is bill de blasio. i certainly have spoken with democratic sources who are frustrated. that is something that might jeopardize his chances. how do you respond to that? >> very quickly about new york. the safest city in america, as mayor over the last six years, pre-k for free. re-elected a year and a half ago with 67% of the vote. that's the poll that really matters. that's the popularity question. the question whether it is right to challenge a front-runner, look, this is the preseason, kasie. this is when we'd better get it right. and, first of all, it doesn't mean he gets a free pass to the nomination. there's supposed to be a real competition, we'll tough questions asked. primaries very often make our candidates stronger and who is the best to prevail in the long run. i think these criticisms, this is child's play compared to what the republicans will throw at our nominee. i think any democrat better be able to handle critiques and criticism and whether that storm, if you can't do that, how on earth will you beat donald trump. >> mayor bill de blasio, thank you very much, sir. do enjoy the fair. appreciate you being on. >> yeah, i hope your viewers got a moment to smell the cotton candy. it's pretty cool here, kasie. >> come back and let us know what your favorite fried food on a stick may be. thank you. >> corn dog. i can tell you right now. >> don't be photographed eating one. it's a big mistake. when we return, time and time again, president trump has tweeted warnings of massive immigration raids. this time silence as hundreds of people were arrested and separated from their small children. new reporting on why so many undocumented immigrants are arrested but few companies face prosecution. all money managers might seem the same, but some give their clients cookie cutter portfolios. fisher investments tailors portfolios to your goals and needs. some only call when they have something to sell. fisher calls regularly so you stay informed. and while some advisors are happy to earn commissions whether you do well or not. fisher investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. maybe that's why most of our clients come from other money managers. fisher investments. clearly better money management. fill up for the chance to win free fuel for a year. that's one of thousands of prizes in the shell great gas giveaway! fuel rewards members are automatically entered when they fill up at shell. fuel rewards members are automatically great riches will find you when liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wow. thanks, zoltar. how can i ever repay you? maybe you could free zoltar? thanks, lady. taxi! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ what might seem like a small cough can be a big bad problem for your grandchildren. babies too young to be vaccinated against whooping cough are the most at risk for severe illness. help prevent this! talk to your doctor or pharmacist today about getting vaccinated against whooping cough. talk to your doctor or pharmacist today we're pretty different. we're all unique in our own ways. somos muy diferentes. muy diferentes. 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(vo) the network more people rely on gives you more. immigration enforcement authorities arrested nearly 700 people on wednesday at a food processing plant across mississippi. it's believed to be the largest single day sweep in one state in u.s. history. 377 people are still in custody. in the past the president has announced upcoming i.c.e. raids on twitter like back in june before pausing to try and let congress hash out an immigration solution. now "the washington post" reports this week's raids were a closely guarded operation, so secretive i.c.e. officials didn't inform the white house before they began. joining me now from jackson, mississippi, executive editor of "the clarion ledger" sam hall. our panelists back with us as well. sam, it's great to have you on the show tonight. what is the latest on the ground with these children we've all seen pictures of many of whom had not just parents but perhaps their entire support structure swept up in this raid and had nowhere to go, nobody to call when they came home from school at the end of the day. are there still children in those kinds of situations? >> it's hard to say exactly where the children are right now, to say all of them are back with families, most have been accounted for. what's even harder now and this is not just at the schools, over 200 absent on thursday, about 70 or so on friday as well. schools are just trying to get the word out reaching out to the communities to tell them it's a safe place to bring the children back to get them back into school. you have a lot of very small towns and you have a lot of businesses starting to hurt all right. they are losing their customers. right now it's looking to see what the aftermath will be. there's still a lot of fear among the hispanic community and small towns. >> the clarion ledger has reported that many of the people that were detained by i.c.e. originally were working at these plants wearing ankle bracelets which supports i.c.e. was aware of them and awaiting deportation proceedings. it also would suggest that perhaps the companies should have been aware they were undocumented. is there going to be any sort of legal -- of prosecution for the companies for breaking the law, or is this entirely focused on the workers? we do know from at least one company from a supervisor at that company, that when i.c.e. and homeland security was in there they confiscated several hard drives from them as well. we believe, though, they are still looking at all seven of the companies that were raided. what we found out just from the court documents that were used to gain the search warrants, going back as far as 17 years, they found hundreds and hundreds of undocumented workers across the country when they have been detained who have i.d.s from six of the seven companies and they all list an address of forest, mississippi. that's what led them to start focusing on these companies. it looks like they were looking at the companies, they're monitoring, they can see people who were claiming, in one case minnesota residents, in a little small town going back and forth. that's what led them to this so one would assume the next step is to follow through on the companies themselves. >> my colleague chuck todd spoke with kevin mcaleenan, the acting secretary of department of homeland security about some of these questions around companies but also, of course, about the timing considering what had just happened, the targeting of hispanics in el paso. >> some of this has been planned over a year, 14 federal warrants issued by a judge, and i.c.e. had to follow through on that. it was already planned and in motion. >> in hindsight do you wish the raid didn't happen this week? >> the timing was unfortunate. >> an acknowledgement, phil, from mcaleenan that obviously this came at a very emotional time. >> it actually took all the way to the end of the "meet the press" interview with the acting secretary to get that acknowledgeme acknowledgement. it's been a top priority of president trump's and why he trumpeted the planned raids. i don't think there's concern about the optics here. >> they did not tell the white house to maintain the white house the president announced it on twitter and announced publicly it's not by definition a raid because it's been planned and announced. they want to maintain the operational secrecy. >> matt, is there, do you think, any sort of commitment, we hear a lot from the administration about immigrants when we've been through the language and his focus on that but the companies are breaking the law by employing these immigrants and one of the things chuck also pressed mcaleenan on there is a commitment that chuck showed to him to go after the companies basically first. is that a priority for this administration? >> i think you heard the u.s. attorney allude to the fact this is part of a larger case that is likely to include a lot of those employers. you see the department of poem land security do in the situation working with justice is beginning to build the case. they are likely speaking to many of the employees. they're also actually, you know, going through all the evidence they recoup from the companies. if you look at what the u.s. attorneys said, they're going after the employees next. >> this does contribute to an atmosphere of fear among the latino communities that was original so incredibly high after what happened in el paso. >> absolutely it does. there's just no evidence. of course we know large, powerful employers could put a stop to all of this but there's no evidence this administration or any administration prior to this one, frankly, to be fair has any interest in going after those folks because they are rich, powerful businessmen who contribute to local and national politicians. i have no faith this would be the administration that begins right then. let's talk about a very inconvenient truth here. in 2004 there was a documentary called mississippi chicken which showed the inside of some of these chicken and food processing plants. haley barbour, certainly no more staunch republican in the country than haley barbour. even said we cannot have immigration stop in the state of mississippi because nobody is willing to do the work of these food processing plants. he took prisoners into the food processing plants, a tyson chicken plant, and they couldn't handle it. take me back to the mississippi state penitentiary because this is abhorrent and miserable. so these folks, let's be very, very honest, they're not taking jobs from americans. they are doing stuff nobody wants to do that frankly humans shouldn't be having to do in the name of work. we saw it in my home state of alabama just three, four years ago when they pass add draconian immigration law and the entire seasons of vegetables and fruits were unharvestable. we can move these folks out of here as a federal initiative to wave the flag, to terrorize immigrants throughout the country but it's doing quite the disservice to the country in the deep red states he claims to want to help. >> thank you both for being here tonight. sam hall, thank you very much for coming on and for your paper's reporting. a live look at the latest episode of "american swamp." a look at voter suppression and what keeps people heading to the polls. ading to the polls. we dried one shirt without bounce, and an identical shirt using bounce. the bounce shirt has fewer wrinkles, less static, and more softness and freshness. bounce out wrinkles, bounce out static. the business of road trips... ...adventure... ...and reconnecting. modernized comfort inn's and suites have been refreshed because our business is you. get the lowest price guaranteed on all choice hotels when you book direct at choicehotels.com. 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(avo) call 1-800-miracle to start your 30 day risk-free trial and schedule your free hearing evaluation today. termites, we're on the move.24/7. roger. hey rick, all good? oh yeah, we're good. we're good. termites never stop trying to get in, we never stop working to keep them out. terminix. defenders of home. you get more than yourfree shipping.ir, you get everything you need for your home at a great price, the way it works best for you, i'll take that. wait honey, no. when you want it. you get a delivery experience you can always count on. you get your perfect find at a price to match, on your own schedule. you get fast and free shipping on the things that make your home feel like you. that's what you get when you've got wayfair. so shop now! joining me now is jacob, the co-host of "american swamp" which airs after "kasie dc." the show is doing great. what's in store for everybody tonight? >> thanks, kasie. this is my weekly reminder for everybody to stay tuned. why so few people vote. you and i live and breathe this stuff. the reality is less than half the people come out to the polls at any given national election. we wanted to know why the first thing was head to the united nations to ask people why compared to so many other countries are we doing so lousy. how to have better voter turnout than the greatest democracy in the world? >> a lot of people wonder why you have that system. >> where are you from? >> denmark. >> oh, please talk to us. you do a great job. >> you're 18th place. we're in 122nd in the world. why? >> we all learned even in kindergarten to try to make decisions. >> schedule to work. our elections are on tuesdays. what days are your elections? >> on saturday. >> go figure. their elections are on saturday. ours are on a tuesday after the first monday in november, as we all know. if you ask why, the answer is no good reason whatsoever. so we get into a lot of that. why the united states ranks 122nd. we look at voter suppression as well. stacy abrams are in the episode. if you heard my phone ding while i was in that clip, that was katie saying hello and she's excited about the episode. >> tell her i said hello. >> i have about two more weeks. >> we're excited for you as is everybody watching, of course. >> it's fun. i have to put in another plug. you do get to see katie's entire pregnancy in the episodes. >> this is episode three so it's the fastest pregnancy of all time. >> i love it. thank you so much for being here. please do stick around tonight. right after "kasie dc" the third episode of "american swamp" right here on msnbc. when we return, democrats go to iowa and try to prove they belong there with mixed results. when you know what's . behind you, ♪ beside you, and up ahead... you can keep your mind on bigger things. ♪ safety first. ♪ and second. ♪ and throughout the all-new ram 1500. motor trend's 2019 truck of the year. ♪ make ice.d be mad at tech that's unnecessarily complicated. motor trend's 2019 truck of the year. but you're not, because you have e*trade, which isn't complicated. their tools make trading quicker and simpler so you can take on the markets with confidence. don't get mad. get e*trade. this inot this john smith smith. or this john smith. or any of the other hundreds of john smiths that are humana medicare advantage members. no, it's this john smith, who met with humana to create a personalized care plan. at humana, we have more ways to care for your health, and we find one that works just for you. no matter what your name is. family is all togetherect... and we switched to geico; saved money on our boat insurance. how could it get any better than this? 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my great, great grandfather who settled in henry county. >> by the way, an important iowa state fair update. i spoke with bill blas you. we have him eating tachos with his wife and son. that's tater tot nachos. my warning was too little too late. frankly, that photograph is not as bad as it could be. when we return, what to watch for in the week ahead. tch for in the week ahead. ♪ corey is living with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. she's also taking ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+ / her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. corey calls it her new normal because a lot has changed, but a lot hasn't. ask your doctor about ibrance. the #1 prescribed fda-approved oral combination treatment for hr+/her2- mbc. oral combination treatment do you want ready to wear clothing without all the hassle? you can, with bounce dryer sheets. we dried one shirt without bounce, and an identical shirt using bounce. the bounce shirt has fewer wrinkles, less static, and more softness and freshness. bounce out wrinkles, bounce out static. actually, that's my buick.. your buick doesn't have a roof rack! this is my buick. how are we gonna fit in your mom's buick? easy. i like that new buick. -me too. i was actually talking about that buick. i knew that. -did you? buick's fresh new lineup is full of surprises. current eligible non-gm owners and lessees get up to 16% below msrp on most of these buick models. or get over 7,000 on this 2019 enclave avenir. before we go, let's talk about what you are watching in the week ahead. phil is back with us. phil, what are you watching this week? >> well, the president is in new jersey all week. this is his summer vacation, and when he's on vacation there, he golfs, eats, watching a lot of television and he has unstructured time, which means controversies could emerge. >> aka tweets. >> we could expect a lot of interesting tweets this week. he's going to new hampshire for a big campaign rally thursday night, so we'll see how he handles these allegations of racism and some of the more serious issues swirling around in the news right now. >> it has been a difficult week with him on vacation and congress still out. i think my question is whether the gun conversation stays first and foremost. >> absolutely. >> that of course on a serious note. on a slightly lighter note, we do want to say thank you so our newest fan, wallace, who is watching tonight after getting on in our last hour. thank you as always for coming on. that will do it tonight for kasie dc. coming up next "american swamp." for now, good night from washington. i never thought in elementary school that one day i would be talking about the world's greatest democracy vietnam. >> vietnam has the best voter turnout. they put us to shame. >> vietnam, bolivia, turkey and then at the end the united states. >> keep going. keep turning the page. >> the united states is between -- >> boosnia and singapore