Inquiry congress is working through the weekend. A top official is testifying under subpoena before house impeachment investigators in a rare saturday sergs. T session. He was involved with directly interacting with President Trump and Rudy Giuliani on ukraine matters. Live from capitol hill, our reporter. First up, who is phillip reeker and why is his testimony so important right now . Phillip reeker is the latest to be brought in before congressional investigators to continue to paint the timeline. Who is he specifically . He was the person who oversaw ukraine policy for the United States, and we know that way back in march he started to raise reservations up the chain at the state department about the Smear Campaign that was happening that we now know is run by Rudy Giuliani and spread in conservative media about then ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. We keep hearing about Marie Yovanovitch over and over again throughout this inquiry, this impeachment inquiry. We know that a couple months later in may yovanovitch was ousted. She was recalled from that position by the president. So whats philip reeker expected to say . Well, we know that he is talking behind closed doors and Congressional Democrats especially, these investigators are going to want to know what secretary of state mike pompeo knew. What he knew about the complaints that reeker brought to him, or were brought to actually mike pompeos ally, when another Top State Department official very close with pompeo. What did he know and what did he do about it . This deposition has been going on about three hours now and we are told they are just now starting a new round of questions. There is time left. Some hours left for many of them. Im curious, though, why is it on a saturday . They could have done this on monday or tuesday. Why today . Reporter a couple reasons. First, because they lost a couple days of depositions because of the passing of elijah cummings, the chair of the oversight committee. His funeral was thursday and friday. So they didnt do anything then. Also, democrats are trying to move very expeditiously. They want a timeline. They want this to move quickly, and so they put this on a saturday to make up for lost days, because they know that time is not on their side. All right. Joining us from capitol hill where it will be a busy day. And for a saturday for that matter. Thank you. Any day now, any minute now, we expect to hear the administrations response to a court ruling by a federal judge. The impeachment inquiry according to this judge is legal. This as several white house aides and advisers tell the Washington Post the president as frustrates as efforts fail to halt testimonies. The president insists hes nothing alarmed because hes done nothing wrong asking, where is the whistleblower . Kelly odonnell joins us from the white house. What more can you tell us about how the white house is responding to all of this . Reporter one thing is the expectation that the department of justice will seek to appeal this decision thats been made on the courts side that will give unredacted information part of the Mueller Investigation, the pieces of that puzzle that were not seen by congress, making it available for this impeachment inquiry is something the white house and administration has not wanted to have happen. Arguing that grand jury proceedings are always secret and, therefore, in regular course of investigations that kind of information does not make its way into this sort of, a judicial proceeding. A court at the appeals level found that that was an argument that failed on the department of justice side. A win for the democrats that they, according to this level of the District Court, provide, are required to receive by this week that information. Thats a big piece that may be able to put together details of things they did not know about the Mueller Investigation. That, of course, is going back to a very separate set of facts. Before the ukraine call. The president persists in saying that he did nothing wrong with that call nap hes not worried about it and resisting some of the advice of even some of those around him. That the white house may need a more fulsome team to push back. Especially with frustrations not being able to stop some of the government witness whose have been subpoenaed from testifying, and they are filling in a picture of the daytoday experiences they had and can shed more light on what the president s phone call with ukraine meant and some of the other pieces of that puzzle. So the white house clearly frustrated. The president saying that he is the biggest, most Important Team member trying to respond to these inquirienquiries. Yet we also know he has legal advice including two lawyers part of the Mueller Investigation defense side. Marty and jane raskin, a husband and wife legal team now assists the president again with this. Been in the picture all along and weve learned now they will also help the president deal with these impeachment issues especially since Rudy Giuliani, his personal lawyer and to some extent personal diplomat has been tied up in all this. The president said all along they didnt necessarily need a war room but seems as if the white house is starting to staff up there. Kelly odonnell at the white house. Thank you. Today is a milestone in the road to the white house. 100 days from today the first true measure of who is ahead in the democrats race for president. Iowa voters begin caucuses february 3rd. Three weeks later, South Carolina will hold its primary. It will be the first in the south and today several candidates, you can see on the right, are at the same event in the capital city of columbia, South Carolina. Senator Amy Klobuchar expected to take the stage at this president ial criminal Justice Forum. A live picture there from columbia. Candidates introducing plans to reform the system all day long and a bit of controversy, i should mention, involving the schedule and senator Kamala Harris. Harris initially pulled out of the forum at a historically black college after only a limited number were allowed to attend and given an award why in same event. Nbc News Reporter joins us from outside that forum. Curious about one thing. Senator harris is now, has now decided to rejoin the forum . Why . Reporter thats right, kendis. So interesting at the root of the confusion and there have been confusing moments in this will she or wont she attend involving senator kamala harrih. We havent seen this yet. Attract add number of president ial hopefuls, this weekend, ten, and also the president of the United States. The Bipartisan Justice Center hosting a forum on criminal Justice Reform also one of the few area theres have been bipartisan accomplishments coming out of the washington over the past years. Yesterday we saw this organization giving an award to President Trump. One of the participants on the democratic side Kamala Harris decided to initially not appear saying she would not be complicit in participating in a forum honoring President Trump on the issue of criminal Justice Reform when the broader message is different. Whats changed, local versus National Criminal justice. A prime ear kiary kingmaker, no thrilled within this black community. Resolution came to be that the Bipartisan Justice Center, one of the cosponsors of this event is no longer officially part of this forum. Its simply hosted by the mayor and the Benedict College, historically black college and will see senator harris on the stage in the next few minutes, actually. Interested in the scene yesterday as the president spoke. There were a number of reports that only a handful of actual students from that campus were actually there to hear the president speak. Reporter thats right. Kendis, ive been speaking to University Officials to get to the bottom of what happened yesterday. Some of it has to do with the footprint that comes whenever the president of the United States travels anywhere. I tell you the room inside where all of the candidates will be speaking is rather small. While today its going to be open to any students able to attend and others in the Community Hoot would like to attend, whenever the president of the United States travels anywhere, i know this from my experience covering the white house, a lot of logistics and a number of moving pieces and invitations that need to be issued in order for the president s move including his traveling press corps as well. University officials tell me was in fact the number of students who were able to attend, larger than we actually understood yesterday. As many as 32 students in that room. Obviously one of the points Kamala Harris was making any forum 59 this university should include as much student participation as possible. That was, part of this, again, having to do with the footprint of the president of the United States and those who he wants to invite to an event hes speaking at. 32 students. Student body of 2,200. Mike memoli, thanks to you in columbia, South Carolina. Something significant took place in syria today involving u. S. Troops. Just two weeks after President Trump suddenly ordered soldiers to leave northeast syria. New video shows u. S. Military vehicles a convoy crossing the border from iraq into syria. You can see the American Flag there flying high. Returning not to protect our onetime allies the kurds, but to protect the oil fields from isis. Going to nbcs reporter monitoring developments now. This the border town of turkey. This was quite a turnaround there for seeing these american troops heading back there. What exactly will they be doing . Reporter well, the stated purpose of this mission, protect those oil fields to the east of syria. U. S. Officials being very tight lipped in terms of speck sighting. The security situation. Nbc does have two sources on the ground inside syria that say that they saw a convoy, a 13vehicle convoy including lightly Armored Vehicles the kind normally used by special forces, attack helicopters overhead, traveling through the kurdish city on their way to where the u. S. As well as Kurdish Forces have control of oil fields. Its something that the defense secretary mark esper alluded to in his comments at a nato forum in brussels yesterday. Take a listen to what secretary esper had to say. The United States will maintain a reduced presence in syria to deny isis access to oil revenue as we reposition for the next phase of the defeat isis campaign and considering how we might reposition forces in the area in order to ensure we secure the oil fields. Reporter u. S. Officials saying they have begun reinforcing those positions in what many see as a remarkable flipflop in u. S. Policy given that just two weeks ago the u. S. Was withdrawing from syria. Erin mclaughlin from turk pip thanks to you. Breaking news out of california where hundreds of fire crews are battles out of control wildfires and fierce winds. At least 14 wildfire, burning across the state. The biggest in Sonoma County in northern california. Another near los angeles. The massive kincade fire as its known in the north grew overnight and only 10 contained. Thousands evacuated. Local officials have not said if the area will experience Power Outages this weekend. So far the good news, no injuries have been reported. A rare saturday session for congress. The impeachment inquiry going into overdrive with todays testimony from a top diplomat, and the new ruling that involves House Democrats hoping to impeach the president. Plus, weve all had butt dials, but its Something Else when that accidental call comes from the president s personal lawyer. Nbc reporter who was on the receiving end of Rudy Giulianis accidental phone call joins me. 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Xfi advanced security. If its connected, its protected. Call, click, or visit a store today. It is day 32 of the impeachment inquiry. What a month its been. Unpacking latest developments from the past few weeks. Waiting to hear, i remind you what news comes from todays rare weekend testimony from philip reeker. You see him there entering the capitol today acting assistant for european and Eurasian Affairs subpoenaed to testify and cooperating defying the white house. Reekers deposition follow as week of explosive testimony and dramatic political theater. On tuesday William Taylor the lead u. S. Envoy to ukraine gave bombshell statements about taylor contradicting President Trumps claim there was no quid pro quo with the ukrainian president and nbc news reports that taylors testimony led to gasps in the room. Nbc news also reports at least three current and former u. S. Officials painted an emerging portrait of the quid pro quo evolving overtime. At for republicans, theyre pushing back. You saw this scene. Seemingly dropping the argument against a quid pro quo and have moved on to just opposing the impeachment process completely. On wednesday dozens of House Republicans delayed a closeddoor hearing storming a secure room, which, by the olat. They say the impeachment testimony is happening in secret. Several republicans in the demonstrations are among the 47 republicans on the investigating committees, which means they have full access to depositions and can question witnesses. Meantime, republican support is growing for a resolution introduced on thursday by senator Lindsey Graham. Now, it slams the impeachment process accusing democrats are violating due process. Only three republican senators have not signed on to the resolution and friday President Trump applauded republicans for their efforts. Somebody just said lindsey were up to 50 already. I havent even made a phone call. Lindsey graham and tim scott. Could you please [ applause ] all i can say is thank goodness theyre on my side. Because if they werent, id have big trouble. Right . This was a little bit of trouble. Last night a huge win for democrats as a federal judge ruled the inquiry is in fact legitimate and legal despite what the white house and the doj claim. In the coming week at least three more depositions are scheduled. Among them, former deputy of National Security adviser and he filed suit asking the federal judge to decide whether he should abide by the congressional subpoena or the white house directive for him not to testify. The outcome of that could actually be huge. It may actually determine whether other close trump aides like former National Security advisers john bolton are obligated to cooperate with the inquiry in the first place. Here to unpack this, its a lot, josh letterman, Nbc News National Political reporter and Washington Post white house correspondent, and charlie savage, a New York Times washington correspondent and msnbc contributor. Josh, start with you here. You wrote about the testimony depicting a quid pro quo evolving over time. What more are we learning about this . We know the president and his allies want us to fastforward to the point in time the aid was suspended and say if the ukrainian didnt know in realtime the aid was cut off or the reason why, there can be no quid pro quo. Were learning from more than 65 hours of testimony and counting is that what initially started as a request that the ukrainian investigate in exchange for this meeting that president zelensky really wanted at the white house was explicitly clear and