unrest. >> what has historically made america unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. when times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal. >> and as we turn to philadelphia, that is where a couple of rallies are scheduled to take place aimed at police reform, in fact, today marks the 14th straight day of what have been mainly peaceful protests in that city following the death of george floyd. joining us now from philadelphia is nbc's mora barrett. mora, what is the latest on the ground there. >> hey, alex this, is going to be one of two protests we'll see in the greater philadelphia area in west philadelphia now as a couple hundred people have already gathered and more are quickly arriving. we're at the site of osage avenue where it's locally known as the move bombing where 35 years after this happened and they're calling police terrorism after police back in 1985 dropped a bomb on a commune here of black activists and damaged 60 homes and killing almost a dozen people so that's one example we've seen in philadelphia of the tension between philadelphia police and the black community and this has been a long-standing piece of tension throughout time and obviously as we're looking at city councils across the country, looking to reform police activity we've seen action here this week, the city council proposing bans on chokeholds and knee holds for police and the mayor getting into the mix saying he'll cancel some of the police budget increases that were expected for 2021 so we'll following this protest here today and moving down to center city later this afternoon. that will be specifically about defunding the philadelphia police. alex. >> okay, maura barrett, lots of people behind you, thanks for keeping us up to date. let's go to new jersey where protests are under way after this video surfaced a bit earlier showing white men mocking george floyd's death. let's go to cori coffin. very disturbing video but you're out with folks marching. what's going on, cori? >> reporter: the protest happening right now behind us, they are just passing us. they have showed up in force today to show their protest to that viral video that you showed. hundreds of people, the organizers of this one today tell us this is even bigger than the original protest that they had and this road here is exactly where that viral video you can hear people yelling and have lots of signs out here. this is the exact road that they were walking when that video was filmed so the response out here has been overwhelming to folks here who live this this area. i talked to one pastor. take a listen to what she had to tell me. >> it broke my heart because that is inhumane. that was unnecessary and though it was, this racism did not start with him but that touched a nerve and to see so many across the world rising up and saying this must stop, it encourages so for people who are broken we needed that push now stand up and speak up and take the side of right. this is a movement. this is a movement. it is picking up momentum. this is not a moment. we're not going away. we're not going to stop. >> reporter: you can tell this is a movement based on how many people are out here today. and earlier when everyone started gathering, they were at the local library and they recited the words that george floyd said during those 8 minutes and 46 seconds, it was extremely difficult to hear. people in the crowd were crying and now these folks are headed over to the local police station. they're going to say a few words there and they'll head back, alex. they say they know this is a difficult route to walk but it is a necessary response and a peaceful one at that today. and updates on that video that people have seen in the last couple of days, we're finding out that the person seen in that video who was seen kneeling on the person's neck and mocking the george floyd death was fired from his job at fedex and then there's also a corrections officer who is now under suspension who is also part of that, alex. this is set to go until 1:00 this afternoon. we'll provide you updates as soon as we get them. >> that former fedex employee, i was looking at that. that guy is feel a little bit of pain in his shoulder blade area. it is not on that man's neck as he mocks that as well. the whole video is preposterous and irritating and i'll just leave it at that because if i say what's really on my mind i could get in some trouble. cori, thank you so much. let's go to courtney with the president. he just wrapped up. courtney, welcome to you. set the scene for us where you are, how was the president's speech received and what else did he say? >> just a little bit about the scene here right now. you know, this is one of the quieter west point graduations that i've witnessed. it's in part because there's no family and loved ones here to cheer. the names have been called. more and more cadets and now second attendants are cheering a little bit more but overall it's quieter and moving a lot faster. the part of the ceremony where they call the names tends to really drag out. sometimes for upwards of an hour. well, they're doing two lieutenants at a time right now. they go up and salute and walk away. not walking across the stage. it's just shortening the ceremony. as for the president's speech, though, he was pretty subdued. he spoke about the history of the u.s. army. he mentioned a couple of notable graduates of west point who went on to be generals and even president. general grant, general then president eisenhower and general macarthur all notable famous graduates of this institution and spoke about the legacy that they had and the legacy that this graduating class will have as graduating from west point. but he also spoke, we've heard him many times talk about how he wants to end the u.s. participation in the endless wars overseas. he mentioned that here today. and he talked a little about how he sees the military's role overseas. here's some of that sound. >> it is not the duty of u.s. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. we are not the policemen of the world. but let our enemies be on notice if our people are threatened, we will never ever hesitate to act. >> reporter: there were no real notable reactions from the graduates as the president spoke today. a couple of times he got a laughter and even cheers when he absolved any one of any outstanding minor offenses that they had left over from their days as cadets. that one definitely got a cheer. but overall the crowd reaction was relatively subdued here, alex. >> so, courtney, i'm just going to ask given the history over the past couple of weeks particularly since that incident in lafayette square as the president left the white house, walked over to st. john's church and the chairman of the joint chiefs really regretting his walk over there with the president so the president is at odds with the military. did you sense any of that from either the speech or from the crowd? >> i didn't and one of the things i was watching while the president was speaking it there was any reaction from any of the graduates. did we see anyone -- no, i didn't see anyone, it's a large crowd, more than 1100 graduates. i saw no fidgeting, no notable reaction but the president really didn't talk politics here. you know, the sound bite we ran about the military not policing the world, he mentioned coronavirus very briefly saying that it emanated from china. he very briefly touched on the civil unrest in the u.s. but for the most part he didn't really touch on politics. i will say that the superintendent of the u.s. military academy general williams spoke right before president trump and he spoke about the need for these graduates to remember their oath and to be the kind of army officers that soldiers will want to follow and that was a very important message here. general williams, of course, an african-american superintendent of west point, that was a message that really resonated at least with me, alex. >> yeah, sounds like an important message from the superintendent of west point, thank you so much. courtney kube at west point. turning to richmond, virginia, where thousands are expected to participate in today's march against racism. amanda golden is there. good day to you. this is going to kick off there behind you, the robert e. lee monument and the governor announced that will be coming down soon. what do you know about this event? >> reporter: that's right, ail lengths. so ralph northam did announce this monument behind me which stands at six stories tall should be coming down imminently but there is a bit of a roadblock. a circuit court judge issued a ten-day injunction to stop the governor citing his authority to move the statue might not be there saying the descendant who owns the land of which the monument is on is challenge that and we'll see when the timing will be. this is the starting and ending location of a massive march here today. it's an annual event, the fourth annual but upgraded quite a bit given the continued moment of protests and national discourse called the virginia 5,000-man march. it's family friendly. as you can hear behind me, a number of church groups have been performing. some spoken words and prayers have been read as people start to gather, ahead of the march kicking off in an hour and spoke with the main organizer tristan harris who told me about the symbolism with him starting and ending in front of the robert e. lee monument. take a listen to what he told me. >> so, we picked the robert e. lee monument in the idea this would be the last large gathering here. what it means to us as we see the statue and see the graffiti and the black lives matter support that now thus sits upon this statue it's extremely -- i want to say thrilling to see the ideas and creativity that's been placed upon the statue. >> reporter: and, alex, worth pointing out the marchers here are being supported by the police and actually be leading as people march about a square block or radius around the monument leading with a motorcade of motorcycles and the police department leading marches throughout the surrounding area and there's no official sponsor to this event but numerous food trucks and volunteer groups bringing in water and sustaenance. >> well, that and the music sustaining them in a different maybe spiritual and emotional way. amanda, thank you so much. let's go west to seattle where protesters turned several city blocks into an autonomous zone where police are not allowed. vaughn, there is a police precinct in the zone and that building sits empty, right? >> reporter: exactly. that building still sits vacant. about two blocks down that way. this is the capitol hill neighborhood where you can see essentially the setup of one of the barriers into this area. this dates back to monday, alex, when the police essentially abandoned these six blocks. there have been clashes for more than a week with protesters and it was at that point on monday when the city decided to move back the police from this area including that police precinct. what you've seen in the days since are thousands of folks, residents and organizers, sort of an on the fly sort of an organization here but what you see is community members, you see kids, dogs, it's still early so i think what you'll expect are several thousand over the course of the day but through the night folks continue to say two blocks down this way and where that police precinct actually is. we should note that the police chief has suggested that she intends to move her police department back here saying that the call response time has been tripled as a result of not having her officers in this precinct. but when you talk to folks here, they're saying this is more than, you know, as you can see from the designs here, this is a black lives matter street mural here on the ground in front of us but what you see all along are murals up along the ways and see the taco shop over here to our right here and i think the gist is what you're hearing from folks this is more than a block party. this is about a movement. this is about a statement and there are several folks that are calling for this police precinct to be turned into a community center. saying that they want real enacted change. this has been a gentrified neighborhood over the years and some of these organizers are calling for the degentrification and have rent control in this area and real substantive change. well, you come out on the streets and you should expect much more of a festival type atmosphere, hot dog stands going, music going, families of all looks here but what they want to ultimately come down to is change. what does that look like? i think there's a lot of questions for the seattle mayor as well as that seattle police chief as to what it looks like here on the streets going forward, alex. >> vaughn, you've given me a good question. i have chief carmen best on for the next hour but the prospect of that becoming a community center, i'll ask her that. several states seeing a new spike in coronavirus cases, how dangerous the situation this is coming your way next. when you think of a bank, you think of people in a place. but when you have the chase mobile app, your bank can be virtually any place. so, when you get a check... you can deposit it from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. you can detect suspicious activity on your account from here. and you can pay your friends back from here. so when someone asks you, "where's your bank?" you can tell them: here's my bank. or here's my bank. or, here's my bank. because if you download and use the chase mobile app, your bank is virtually any place. so visit chase.com/mobile. hold on one second... sure. okay... okay! safe drivers save 40%!!! guys! guys! check it out. safe drivers save 40%!!! safe drivers save 40%! safe drivers save 40%!!! that's safe drivers save 40%. it is, that's safe drivers save 40%. - he's right there. - it's him! he's here. he's right here. - hi! - hi. hey! - that's totally him. - it's him! that's totally the guy. safe drivers do save 40%. click or call for a quote today. safe drivers do save 40%. there are so many toothpastes out there, which one should i use? try crest pro/active defense. it neutralizes bacteria for a healthier mouth than even the leading multi-benefit toothpaste. crest. let's go now to the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic. as of today, more than 115,000 people have died from coronavirus here in the united states. and a grim new forecast from the cdc predicts that number is likely to reach between 124,000 and 140,000 by the fourth of july. meanwhile, nearly half the country is experiencing a spike in cases as 14 states are showing a more than 25% increase just in this last week alone. states like florida, arkansas, south carolina, they are seeing the highest number of new infects in a single day since the pandemic began. covid hospitalizations are also increasing in texas, the number of patients being treated in the hospital, that is up nearly 40% since memorial day. "the washington post" reporting intensive care units are at 88% capacity in the houston area. these recent spikes are now prompting some areas to press pause on their re-opening plans. officials in nashville, tennessee, say the city will stay in phase 2 as both utah and oregon are putting any further re-openings of their economies on hold for now. joining me dr. natalie azar, medical contributor. let's get to this because just yesterday, you had florida, south carolina, arkansas reporting their highest single day spike in new cases since the beginning of this pandemic. so you have a rising case that was, yes, expected after re-opening but these numbers, do you think they're in dangerous territory? >> well, first of all, alex, let me state two things obvious. one you mentioned and that is that once you relax social distancing and start to re-open, you are going to see an increase in cases. we know that. and the other thing that's important because we're always talking about, well, is it from an increase in testing versus an increase or from social distancing relaxation is that cases are cases. so whether or not you're picking them up because you're testing more people and people are asymptomatic, those are still positive tests and that we need to take very, very seriously. as you mentioned, a couple of states, florida, arizona, texas, north carolina and south carolina all saw these rises since memorial day at the same time ostensibly there was more movement of people and, in fact, this was documented by cellular data in arizona, california and north carolina that showed that there was increased mobility moving amongst individuals which certainly would explain the increase in cases as opposed to just from testing. >> okay. but, yeah, we have the testing, more cases makes sense but many states, natalie are seeing the number of hospitalizations go up significantly. how are those numbers related? >> absolutely. and i think, you know, the -- what most public health experts are saying, of course, yes, looking at cases rising. they're very, very carefully tracking the number of hospitalizations, the number of icu admissions and the number of deaths. remember a couple of weeks ago we talked about governor cuomo talking about all those dials and how they are turning with cases and hospitalizations and deaths and already seen some states responding to their numbers by saying, you know what, we've done this, we've done this as an experiment, we need to dial back now, we are not ready to move forward. >> okay. speaking of moving forward, we have the president who is returning to the campaign trail this month. he's going to be holding a rally in arizona and you've been mentioning arizona in less than two weeks and there's new reporting showing that the number of cases there climbed by nearly 300% since may 1st. they've doubled roughly since memorial day. hospitals in that state were at 84 capacity as of four days ago, wednesday. how potentially dangerous is it holding these in these states seeing a spike? >> this is exactly what worries all of us as medical professionals is having a large group gathering of individuals especially in an enclosed space potentially not mask wearing and not maintaining social distancing. to me this is sort of the epitome of informed consent. if you are going to this rally you are basically acknowledging that there is a significant rick to your health. and what's sort of paradoxical about this is that the administration and the president is certainly acknowledging the danger of this situation because they're protecting themselves and their own liability but clearly they're not worried enough about it to worry about the participants' health. there is a major discord in there that is so clear to me and i hope people who do decide to go to the rally take their health into consideration and wear masks and try to be distant and have hand sanitizer and get tested after they attend. >> you're right. you're talking about that disclaimer. folks have to promise they will not sue the trump administration if they come up with covid, come down with covid after attending a rally like that. >> totally acknowledges how dangerous it is. >> thank you from you, the doctor, natalie, appreciate it. the message of black lives matter leading to a cultural shift and the entertainment stress is making swift changes. but what took so long? dave chappelle addresses the floyd case in "8:46." >> this man kneeled on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. can you imagine that? >> well, chappelle's special has been watched more than 11 million times in less than 48 hours. technology you can rely o. and people you can rely on. i'm a dell technologies advisor. me too. me too. me too. and if you're a small business, we're with you. we are with you. we're with you. we want to help. so we'll be right here. at home. answering your calls. providing support. and standing by you every step of the way. bye bye. no no no no no, there's no space there! maybe over here? hot! hot! oven mitts! oven mitts! everything's stuck in the drawers! i'm sorry! oh, jeez. hi. kelly clarkson. try wayfair! oh, ok. it's going to help you, with all of... this! yeah, here you go. thank you! oh, i like that one! 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>> i think they are kick tiff of a cultural shift. i don't think that they are enough. i think that they are good starts so i think removing "gone with the wind" until it has context is a good thing to do so i think these are good shifts but they have a little bit of ways to go. they say they will bring it back when they have an opportunity to put it in context and have discussions. what would you want discussed as people look at this, you know, storied film, i think won best picture and every other academy award that was up back in the 1930s when it was released but what would the conversation be in your mind? >> in my mind the conversation has to be about the inaccuracies in the film. we know that the film depicts the south as separate from what actually happened and so i think if it's going to be the case that they're going to put it back up they have to talk about that. they have to talk about the stereotypes that are present in the film and they have to talk about the reason why that thatted that wayment films often happen in the context of their time so i think it will be important to talk about the time, important to talk about why those things are wrong and then important to say, this is what we think the world should be or this is where we are now and how we're separate from those things today. >> yeah. netflix as you know posted the new dave chappelle special on youtube in which the comedian addresses george floyd's death. let's take a listen to part of that. >> this man kneeled on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. can you imagine that? this kid thought he was going to die. he knew he was going to die. he called for his mother. he called for his dead mother. i've only seen that once before in my life, my father on his deathbed called for his grandmother. when i watched that tape, i understood this manu he was going to die. >> i got to tell you he is a comedian but that is just heartbreaking as he related all of that. calling for his mother, it's more than one can even imagine but, look, this video, it's got over 12 million views on youtube. so what do you think about these massive numbers of people tuneing into this kind of video. they are seeing this kind of expression and the reasons for calling for action. how important are videos like this? >> i think the absolutely important. one of the things i think was really great about that dave chappelle video he humanized the moment and i think dave chappelle in this video and others has a great way of slow-walking the viewer into the idea he will present. i encourage all viewers to imagine a moment of panic. a moment of uncertainty about a thing that's about to happen in their life and to think about how long that lasted and to recognize that it probably didn't last more than 30 seconds or a minute and then to imagine what it's like to have a knee on your neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds so i think these videos are very important because they help people understand things in a different way. they bring them to conversations with their guards down in ways that i don't know they come to these conversations when they happen in the broader public. >> 100% they make them very relatable. it's like we're right there. question nearby sh questi you've got companies, twitter, nfl, nike, making juneteenth, for example, a paid holiday. first of all, do you think that should be recognized as a national holiday and do you think it has a chance of getting there? >> i have some issues with the juneteenth thing and i think it's a good thing for companies to do the symbolic work but i want to make sure people understand as they start to set juneteenth aside it's a day that black people celebrate because it's the way we deal with mourning but it's a day of mourning where they are celebrating the fact that black people had been free from slavery for years before they were released into their own freedom and so i think having juneteenth as a day we celebrate and moving along potentially getting to a national holiday is good but i think it's necessary we come with a bit of gravity and don't start to believe since we have a juneteenth holiday that things are fixed in america. >> here's a thing on a practical level. something many of us have seen as we go shopping in walgreens, walmart, all these entities say they'll stop locking up beauty and hair care products made for black women. what is your reaction to that and are there other changes that come to mind you want to see companies make to combat racism and inequality. >> i have to tell you i'm wearing those products in my hair right now. i use them. >> looks great. >> when i go to the store, i have to -- i have to use this, i have to be policed not only in my thinking about what i will look like before i come before you and whether it can be straight or as it naturally grows out of my head but also in the decisions about what i'm going to do with my hair have to think about where the manager is when i want to get something done or have to think about why is the case that this is locked up, the things i want to use are locked up but the other kind of mainstream or majority white products are not locked up so i think it's absolutely necessary to do the work of unlocking and decriminalizing black hair not just in walmart and cvs and walgreens but also in the workplace. also in our public conversations about hair and about grooming. i think that this again is not enough. i think we have to be thinking about how businesses can share their wealth. how they can share their power and share access with black people so that we get to dismantling some of that systemic racism in addition to these small steps and these symbolic steps we are seeing over the past week. >> i always appreciate our chats. kenekhia, come see me again. >> thank you. breaking news, we have clashes between police and alt-right demonstrators. police say they responded when protesters threw projectiles at them. clashes have broken out in several parts but only a small amount of black lives matter protesters were in attendance. let's go to nbc's molly hunter in parliament square for us. she's joining us now from london to make sense of all that happened today. what did you see, molly? >> hey, alex, that as he right. so originally the black lives matters protest was going to be today and earlier this week when a counter protester by extreme right wing groups was announceds blm organizers organized it for yesterday but was small and peaceful and marched through the streets of london. today we saw the, quote, counterprotest and they mounted this protest to save the statues and were in parliament square because that is where the statue of winston churchill is the bronze statue of him was vandalized last week. underneath it says churchill was a racist, of course, in the center of london but also the center of government. and the mayor of london, the city of london has boarded up that statue for protection and so these right wing groups convened on parliament square surrounded the statue and basically decided to call their protest save the statues, the projectiles you mentioned they were throwing at police we saw at least were beer cans and beer bottles, lots of broken glass, and there were basically skirmishes, on again, off again, everyone was drunk and really angry. a lot of nationalists slogans being chanted. a lot of really kind of ugly behavior being exhibited. police made a ring around that area and protesters started to march kind of through london. i do want to play you video of one moment that we saw earlier today. there were very few black lives matter protesters who actually showed up in any part of london today. and there was one man who took a knee in front of all of these extreme right wing protesters. another guy came up yelled in his face got in his face and shooting the whole time and someone else joined him, another white man took a knee next to him and after that, the black man extended his hand to anyone who wanted to to come shake his hand. a number of people shook his hand but the clashes that we saw were not protesters versus protesters, there was no counterprotest even at all. it was really kind of these right wing groups against the police, alex. >> sounds like the potential for trouble with a capital "t." thank you so much. achieving police reform, how to make it happen. two members of the african-american mayor's association will join us next with their thoughts. signed up as a nursing cadet for world war ii. she was only 17. find an honor your ancestors who served in world war ii. their stories live on at ancestry. - i'm szasz. who served in world war ii. 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do you think police handled it appropriately. seven arrests one including a 13-year-old boy? >> well, alex, let's put this in context. for the past week the city of stockton has had over ten protests, all ended with no arrests, all of them were relatively peaceful and all concluded with the organizers, young people on the front lines doing the important work of making democracy real. we saw last night was about 30 people, not really protesters, i call them anarchist, many of whom weren't from the city of stockton upset at the way the community and police showed restraint and went to stir up trouble. given the fact there were no rubber bullets used, no tear gas used, only seven arrests bodes well for the work we're doing. >> i appreciate that context. staying with you, sir, i know that the u.s. conference of mayors launched a working group with police. they're trying to receipt recommendations on policing changes. give me some of the top ideas that you know are being discussed. >> a lot of the ideas are what you're seeing in the bill in congress right now. so the end of excessive use of force policies and chokehold federally. a federal use of force standard doing what we did in california and changing sort of the justification for when force can be used. but also things like implicit bias training, procedural justice training and making sure our police departments are equipped and able to police it with knowledge of the history of this country and understanding of their jobs as folks are supposed to work with the community not necessarily police the community. >> okay. that's one of them. mayor price, to you now, sir, tell me about the long-term goal and in your mind what they hope to accomplish nationwide. >> well, the african-american mayors association represents 500 minority mayors, black mayors in the country and what we want to make sure is that as we rechange and reform policing in this country that there's a united voice to make sure that the policies that we're going to enact are going to fit all of the cities in this country. so i am extremely proud of some of the young mayors who have been stressed into the forefront like mayors of richmond, st. paul, richmond, as well as birmingham, that these new young mayors are handling the situation well and we want to make sure that as we reform the policies that we state exactly what it is is going to benefit these 18,000 police districts in the country one policy can't conform to every city. >> absolutely and certainly as president of that association, you're well aware there is a lot of work to be done and different aspects apply to different cities to some degree, certainly. but mayor price, look, we've seen several cities ushering in new policies after only three weeks of protests and that would include among others a vote to ban no knock warrants in louisville, plans to shift millions from the police budget in los angeles and try and reinvest into the community. how about there where you are in newport news. would you consider adopting reforms like this or are there changes already under way in your town? >> well, what we plan to do is look at sort of the peer model. prevention, intervention, enforcement and re-entry and making sure that there's equitable amounts of money going to each part of those and not just all of the funding going into enforcement and i think what people are saying as we try to define what reform is is just making sure that there's equitable abilities of money going into the communities that we need. and what's going to help that also is that we make sure that the census count we're going through which is where we will have additional funding to do the programs that we need making sure that everyone is counted and we want to not lose that important aspect in our country right now as well even though we're going through the virus, we're going through racism, we want to also make sure our census count is accurate as well. >> i got to tell you it's important and we just got a reminder in my hometown one of those public reminders to fill the census out so reiterate that too. mayor tubbs as we look at the stats from there. 80% decline this police shootings. how did the city accomplish that in such a short amount of time. 80% is a lot. >> yeah, well, our police chief eric jones is one of the most projective police chief, the police department and community before hashtags got serious about how do we redefine what policing looks like so a lot has been policy changes in terms of use of force and training we give to officers and a lot has been tough dialogues with our community members. we have our police chief go meet with groups and talks about how we understand that policing starts with slave patrols meaning that the origin is one of racism and fight to undo every single day but definitely our police chief and our officers have done a great job thus far with more work to do and our community has been a great partner in continuing to improve relations and continuing to do the work necessary and i also think part of the discussion is about how we can have our cops do everything so we've been talking in stockton about how we don't want our cops to be housing navigators or homeless social workers or health clinicians and we should find ways to hire social workers and health clinicians and create jobs and opportunities who only respond to those things can't be just police. >> certainly a lot on their plate which brings me to you as activists are calling on them to defund the police. where do you stand on that? >> i think defund something being defined and i think people just generally want to make sure that we have adequate funding and equitable funding in all aspects of policing and not only in enforcement. we want to demilitarize our police and make sure our national standards are there, getting rid of chokeholds and having a data base where we have police officers who have misconduct that everyone knows about so we won't keep rehiring the same bad police officers so the police standards in our city, all city council years ago decided we're going to go more toward community policing. and in doing that we have brought in a police chief that has lowered the crime rate, our citizens respect the police here in newport news and i think it's a model for people to look at. when you only ask a teenager or young person, the only time you're talking to them is when you're trying to get information from them, then you're doing the favor to failure. you have to establish relationships with the community. they have to trust the police. they have to communicate with the police and we have begun to accomplish that in this city and i'm very proud half. >> as well you should be. this is a very positive conversation, both of you mayors, mckinley price and michael tub, gentlemen, thank you so much. joining us in just a moment, the lawmaker who says the nation has remanti sized racism long enough. how she's leading the charge to remove confederate names from military bases and beyond. your bank can be virtually any place. so, when you get a check... you can deposit it from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. you can save for an emergency from here. or pay bills from here. so when someone asks you, "where's your bank?" you can tell them: here's my bank. or here's my bank. or, here's my bank. because if you download and use the chase mobile app, your bank is virtually any place. visit chase.com/mobile. from grills to play setsutdoor and more one of a kind finds. it all ships free. and with new deals every day you can explore endless options at every price point. get your outdoor oasis delivered fast so you can get the good times going. ♪ wayfair. you've got just what i need. ♪ ♪[ siren ] & doug give me your hand! i can save you... lots of money with liberty mutual! we customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ ♪ we've always put safety first. ♪ ♪ and we always will. ♪ ♪ for people. ♪ ♪ for the future. and there has never been a summer when it's mattered more. wherever you go, summer safely. get zero percent apr financing for up to five years on select models and exclusive lease offers. i have moderate to severe pnow, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer, yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything. keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ i see nothing in a different way ♪ ♪ and it's my moment so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs, or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. ♪ kelcee loves how essential oils help her chill. and now she has those same scents. in the laundry room. ahh... new gain with essential oils detergent. as the outcry of a racial injustice intensifies lawmakers on capitol hill are renewing a push to remove confederate monuments from across the country and this week congresswoman yvette clarke reintroduced the honoring real patriots act that would require the government to rename military bases, streets and buildings named after confederate leaders. joining me now, congresswoman yvette clarke, brooklyn to be specific. thank you for joining me. i understand you're at an early vogt event so hope we keep your signal up and running? >> i hope so too, alex. >> but as we talk about this introduced legislation you've introduced you tweeted this -- we must sop romanticizing america's racism. tell me about this bill and what you meant by that tweet specifically the word romanticizing. >> absolutely. let me say that in the wake of charlottesville, we knew that across this nation there were monuments that were flash points and sites of pain for so many americans and i thought it was important given in the 21st century that we not romanticize a period of time that was so painful for so many americans and descendants of slaves. the fact that charlottesville became such a flash point and there was no recognition given to that pain, i thought it was time that we remove all of those monuments to the confederacy which was actually a traitorist group of individuals that wanted to so succeed from our country and put them into the dust pile of history, into museums. it's not to negate the history took place but it's not to honor those who were traitorists to our nation. >> with regard to this extends to beyond just the bases. in fact, government buildings, there are 11 confederate statues on capitol hill. so -- >> absolutely. i'm curious as a black congresswoman how do you feel every day when you walk into work and see those statues? >> you know, it's a reminder of the pain. it's a reminder that i'm the only black woman in the new york congressional delegation and my voice is valuable as part of the fabric and mosaic that is the united states of america. i use it quite frankly as motivation to stand up for those who have been disenfranchised, those who have been marginalized and have been the victims and continue to be the victims of systemic racism in our nation and as a motivation to dismantle it and part of dismantling it is deemed romanticizing. what has been a painful part of the history of this nation. >> yeah, the president as you know tweeted a reaction to this effort by you and your colleagues and writing in part on twitter, these monumental and very powerful bases have become part of a great american heritage and history of winning, victory and freedom. the united states of america trained and deployed our heroes on these hall loyed ground and won two world wars, therefore, my administration will not even consider the renaming of these magazine enough symptom and fabled military installations. i imagine you have a reaction to that. what might that be. >> yeah, i think it speaks to the ignorance of donald trump. if he understood history he would understand that these were insurrectionists who actually tried to secede from the united states of america. had they succeeded he did not have the great nation that we have today and it was those who stood up against such tyranny that made this nation great. so, you know, whether -- what do you expect from someone who has stoked the flames of racist tendencies in this nation. what do you expect from someone who would use the hallowed grounds of the white house to continue to den nate and dehumanize significant parts of our american family? i wouldn't expect anything less in a tweet from him. >> i will let your questions be rhetorical for the moment, congresswoman yvette clarke, have a great day in brooklyn. protesters in seattle maintain control of several belongs in a standoff with authorities. i will speak with the police chief of seattle about what's happening there in just a moment. to worry about that, do i? harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify, voted product of the year. it works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. gum detoxify, from crest. me too. me too. and if you're a small business, we're with you. standing by you every step of the way. bye bye. new tide power pods one up the cleaning power of liquid. can it one up whatever they're doing? for sure. seriously? one up the power of liquid, one up the toughest stains. any further questions? uh uh! one up the power of liquid with new tide power pods. yeah. this moving thing never gets any easier. well, xfinity makes moving super easy. i can transfer my internet and tv service in about a minute. wow, that is easy. almost as easy as having those guys help you move. we are those guys. that's you? the truck adds 10 pounds. in the arms. -okay... transfer your service online in a few easy steps. now that's simple, easy, awesome. transfer your service in minutes, making moving with xfinity a breeze. visit xfinity.com/moving today. good day from miss mbs headquarters in new york. welcome to weekends with alex. a lot of stories to tell you about. the president delivered the commencement address at the nation's highest military academy but made zero mention of his recent conflicts with military leaders. and monuments to the confederacy, they are coming ground around this country. like this statue of jefferson davis. it was removed today from the state capitol of kentucky. across seas police clashed with protesters that swamped the city to defend statues one week after a monument to winston churchill was vandalized. a number of reporters in place. let's begin with the president delivering the west point commencement address just a short time ago and a socially distant event unprecedented in multiple ways. monica is joining us. this was not like past graduations. talk about some of that and the things that the president highlighted in his speech. >> reporter: exactly, alex. you saw the cadets were all six feet apart. wearing face masks when they entered the ceremony and as opposed to a normal commencement where you walk up to the stage, receive your diploma and shake hands, instead that was all done at a distance and had the president saluting them. he stuck to the teleprompter remarks. this was a scripted speech and it's tradition for the commander in chief to speak to a branch of the military, of course, this was a very unique situation given that the cadets have been sent home months ago in new york given the coronavirus and then were brought back for this special ceremony and the president did make an illusion to vanquishing the virus, extinguishing the plague, language we've heard him touch upon there but did veer into the role of the military. kind of getting to something that has been a little bit more political in recent weeks in terms of national guardsmen and other troops we've seen that have deployed to these protests had remained largely peaceful. take a listen to what he said to the cadets at west point. >> what has historically made america unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. when times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal. >> reporter: so what you saw there, alex, is different than what we expect to see a week from today when the president is expected to have his first campaign rally since the pandemic began. in tulsa, oklahoma, a lot of controversy with this in recent days. the white house defending their original decision to have that on juneteenth, june 19th. of course, a very important date, marking the end of slavery and the emancipation that had reached different states by that point and, of course, in tulsa with its own history of racial violence, that was a one-two punch in the eyes of many critics who felt it was inappropriate so the president did decide to push that back. but as you saw those cadets there maintaining social distance using face masks no guarantees that that is what will be happening for the tens of thousands who may gather for this rally in tulsa we expect could be up to 20,000 people a week from today, alex this. is as the president gets back on the campaign trail. he resumes in person fund-raising. he has a multimillion dollar fund-raiser tonight but it's also as aides are divided as as how he will go forward in terms of police reform and reporting exclusively in recent meetings he's told his aides of the protesters who have been gathering over the death of george floyd. these are not my voters, dismissing them, these thousands of them who gathered who could have been some of them important to his re-election in november. alex. >> we have to point out to those in the maga base who pay want to see the president they'll have to sign documents that say we will not sue you, mr. president, or the white house if we come down with coronavirus given what you say, 20,000 people show up at that arena. something to consider, monica alba, thank you. let's turn to richmond, virginia, thousands are expected to march against racism. it kicks off at the robert e. lee monument. amanda golden is there for us. amanda, what's happening now? there was a lot of music and how about there behind new the last hour, how about now? >> that's right. great to be back tomorrow with you. we've here in front of the robert e. lee monument. the march here today is about to kick off. i'll step out of the way so you can see what's behind me. as thousands have started to gather, they're being encouraged by the organizers of this march heading out along monument avenue here they'll do a square route where they go around and they will make their way back here in front of the robert e. lee monument where they will culminate and hear from speakers and partake in a lot of different barbecue and food trucks and music that will encourage the conversation and the furthering discussion they want to have around the movements we've been seeing around the country. the march is called the virginia 5,000-manage march. an annual event further amplified by the protests and demonstrations we've seen and spoke with the organizers of this march, triston harris. he's been running it for the last four years but spoke to me very emotionally about what it means for him. he is a new father, a black man and his son growing up during this time and what it means to have all of this going on in this moment in front of this mon many. take a listen to what he told me. >> my son is the reason i do everything i do now. and, you know, i just hope one day that he'll be able to grow up in a world where he doesn't have to deal with the racism and the discrimination that, you know, we deal with today because it's just not right, you know, it's just not right. >> reporter: so, alex, as the marchers head out the real purpose is march on racism. march out discrimination and hate. we'll hear from a number of speakers later in the afternoon and then some of the notable attendees coming out include lieutenant governor justin fairfax as well as mayor lavar stoney, a notable addition includes george floyd's cousin, tavares floyd will be here later today and also supposed to address the crowd when he comes out here later this afternoon. alex. >> okay, amanda, thank you for the update on those things. the protesters taking to the streets in philadelphia now for a 14th straight day following the death of george floyd. upwards of 7,000 people expected to attend two separate rallies calling for police reform in the city of brotherly love. joining us now from philadelphia nbc's maura barrett. so, maura, what is the point of these two rallies? what do folks want to accomplish today? [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: alex, here at this first profetest several hundred people chanting hands up, don't shoot, chanting no justice, no peace and the overall message about defunding the police and police overall reform. they just had a bunch of speakers over the mast hour or so, actually more of a somber attitude over the last hour than what we've seen at other peaceful protests and everyone chanting with their fists raised as they prepare to march on to malcolm x park but as i talk to protesters they emphasize the importance of continuing to show up over these 14 days and going forward to capture this moment to effect change. one thing that one of the speakers mentioned was the success of bringing down the mayor frank rizzo's statue. he was one of those mayors that had a correlation with the black community and made constant racist comments and were successful in getting the mayor here to repeal the budget increases that the police department was going to see and so to them they say that when they keep showing up they keep the focus on this moment. that's how they will make a change happen and they kept saying today there is still more work to do and so we'll follow these protests throughout the day, alex and talking to some more people about what this moment means to them. >> okay, all that have as you say, maura, thank you so much from philadelphia. maura barrett. to new jersey. that's where protests are under way after this video surfaced earlier this week showing white men mocking george floyd's death. let's go to miss mbs's coughry coffin in new jersey. you were marching with a group of hundreds if not close to a thousand protesters a little while ago. what's happened? has that wrapped up? >> it looks like that thousands has made their way here to the police station here, alex. with these police escorts blocking off this entire route 47 for them in franklinville, i'll swing it around and show you kind of the crowd that's left here at the police station so far. things have gotten more quiet. they were earlier fairly energetic as they walked down the street and took over the entire area and really did take about an hour to make this march. they told me it was important for them to do that after that video went viral and after witnessing that because the original march which was this exact same route was peaceful when that incendiary rhetoric you heard there from the viral video happened. so they felt it was important for them to come out and spoke with one of the organizers who did the second march. listen to what he told me today. >> i'm not sure if you've seen the video that's been circulating but very traumatic scene. we have to be better than that and that was not franklinville. was not franklin countship and frankly that's not america so we're here to shows that we're better than that here and all over the world. >> reporter: in addition to the inspiring day protesters are calling for it's also been a really emotional day not only for that video but for people who have been speaking up here to the crowd. we even heard from a retired newark police officer who got emotional talking about that and talking about police and community relations and how to move forward with all of this. now, as soon as folks are done here they'll continue back down that original path here route 47, of course, we'll stick with them the whole way through and have the police escort all the way back and they tell us this is not the last protest and march here in franklinville and started a movement and will continue ago long as needed. >> thank you for monitoring that for us. funeral services are just getting under way in louisville for a loved member. david mcatee better known as ya-ya was the owner of yaya's barbecue shot and killed by a member of the national guard as they were dispersing a crowd near his stand on june 1st. cal perry is joining us from louisville. this is a guy that will be missed big time in that community, cal. >> reporter: yeah, you know, he had this barbecue restaurant because he loved to surround himself with his family members and on that night his family says he was protecting his niece from a situation that was spiraling out of control. as you said well known in the community, 53. used to serve free barbecue to police officers especially late in the evening. it was just less than two weeks ago when police backed by national guard were clearing sections of west louisville. when you talk to the community, they'll ask you why was the national guard and police clearing sections of west louisville. people were only breaking the curfew. no demonstrations in that part just people out having barbecue. on the other side of town you had these running clashes with police and national guardsmen and on that side of town where i was rubber bullets and pepper balls and that's what has the community asking so many questions. add to that the investigation which is of course now a federal investigation but part of that investigation, alex, is the question of why the louisville metro police department who were standing right there with the national guard did not have body cameras on this. is a pattern with the louis vieira police department going back to breonna taylor who we spent a lot of time talking about. police entering her apartment not wearing body cameras so those are the questions after today's funeral the community is still going to be left with and the bigger question as we talk about policesing across america and what wroel will they have. >> that question about the body camera needs to be answered, cal. thank you so much. the future of the autonomous zone in seattle. you're going to hear from the city's chief of police next. ♪we ain't stoppin' believe me♪ ♪go straight till the morning look like we♪ ♪won't wait♪ ♪we're taking everything we wanted♪ ♪we can do it ♪all strength, no sweat a lot goes through your mind. with fidelity wealth management, your dedicated adviser can give you straightforward advice and tailored recommendations. that's the clarity you get with fidelity wealth management. and tailored recommendations. pete davidson is "twell, dad's still dead.d". i want to become a real tattoo artist. your work is mad inconsistent. obama ain't right. you don't get to act crazy your whole life just because dad died, ok. your dad was a hero. and heroes are necessary. [ cheering ] ♪ why do i have to clean this anyway? what, are you trying to show up sexy to a fire? i like him. around here, nobody ever does it. i didn't do it. so when i heard they added ultra oxi to the cleaning power of tide, it was just what we needed. dad? i didn't do it. #1 stain and odor fighter, #1 trusted. it's got to be tide. the xfinity voice remote will find exactly that.for, happy stuff. if the groups happy, i'm happy. you can even say a famous movie quote and it will know the right movie. that'll do, donkey! you're expecting prince charming? you can learn something new any time. education. and if you're not sure what you're looking for, say... surprise me. just ask "what can i say?" to find more of what you love with the xfinity voice remote. let's go to seattle where protesters maintain a hold on several city blocks where police are not allowed. it has become known as the autonomous zone or c.h.a.z. a colleague, vaughn hillyard is there for us. vaughn, i know there are more protests expected today but talk about the mood there. >> the mood is a rather i think cheery one but also forceful this. is a group of folks that say they have a message but you have the reality that over the course of the last several days you've had thousands of folks from across seattle from this capitol hill neighborhood. this is one of those entrance points into the six-block area. it was on monday that the city pulled back its police officers from the six-block area after more than a week of protests between and clashes between those demonstrators and the police. i want to introduce to you some of the folks because i think it's important we show you what we're looking at. i want to intro duce you to mat. why bring your kids. >> to acknowledge the fact that the system is broken and expose the kids to some of the things that we're doing and actions matter. >> i should say matt made a quick save of his son there as you were introducing. i want to introduce -- matt, thanks. introduce you to an artist. you are awe responsible for some of this artwork on the street. tell me what you want to see on the street. >> i just want people to come out and understand why we're doing this. black lives matter and we want people to come out and get educated and enjoy free food and a safe place tore our allies and people of color. >> there's questions about what is going to happen on the streets going forward. >> yeah, absolutely. >> what is your vision for these streets. >> my vision is like super educational, right? come in, talk, have the conversation, seeing why we're protesting and see action come out of those. >> alan rice, our great cameraman was showing you, alex, the police precinct up there that was one of those buildings that was vacated here on these six blocks and there's a conversation, will the police come in here and i know you have the police chief on with you next and one of the ideas and demands among some folks is turn that into a community center. again, this is a very diverse group that we're talking about. there's demands from education, from health, you know, from the police force here. there's a lot of questions, will the police force try to come back into the area and what is the city's vision for these six blocks and greater seattle area going forward. >> a lot of good questions and we will pose them. thank you, vaughn hillyard. they remain about the decision to evacuate that police precinct in the seattle capitol hill district there. the city's police chief and mayor expressed different comfort levels with the idea of that empty precinct. >> the decision to board up the precinct, our precinct, our home, the first precinct i worked in was something i have been holding off. you should know leaving the precinct was into the my decision. >> i think it was the right decision. i think it is clear that the removing the barriers was critical to removing the flash point. and if there were the safety concerns for people in the building or the equipment, but that is not the equivalent of abandoning the station. >> well, joining me now is chief carmen best, head of the police department. welcome. can you help clarify for us, first of all, how the decision was made to leave that police precinct and then the impact of not even having an operational precinct at that specific location. >> first, good morning, alex. thanks for having me on your show. i'm happy to answer both of those questions for you. it was never our intention to abandon our precinct and i have to say that clear. we were asked and decided because of the unpredictable nature of the crowd we wanted to make sure that we moved any sensible item, any weapons in the precinct in case there were other issues that occurred. so we were removing those items and then we were notified of the building and we were talking to our chief of the fire department. and we decided to temporarily not remain in the building for a period of time. it certainly wasn't an abandonment. every intention was to come back into the facility and it is still to come back into the facility. that has not changed at all. so i just want to be very clear about that. the second question was -- >> pardon me. just the difference of how you came to that decision, we understand that and what happens steps you would have taken. what would you have preferred to have seen done? >> yeah, obviously it would have been great it we could -- came back in without meeting resistance or confrontation and staff our precinct. not doing so means that many people in and around the area are not receiving the same level of police service as others. our response times have tripled for priority one calls which are the most ex-gent of circumstances and updo over an hour to secondary priority calls. so, you know, this is an area that has a diverse population. we need marginalized communities there and unfortunately they're not getting the same level of service as other areas of the city. >> you may have heard vaughn hillyard mention many people there with whom he has spoken would like to see that particular building, the precinct itself turned into a community center. you say you want to get back in there. you want to have it continue as a police precinct, right? so have you heard those calls for a community center as well? >> yeah, i've heard some folks saying that clearly that's a decision that's going to be up to the electeds, not to me but i certainly would like to see the officers back in the precinct providing police service, equally, equitably and fairly to everyone who lives or resides or comes through the area. you know, i think there's an opportunity here, every challenge is an opportunity. we can create dialogue, we can reenvision on this -- a lot of discussion about what policing means and how it can be different and better. so i'm open to that. what is the future? how are we going to do a better job but need to have a facility in which to have those discussions and operate. >> absolutely have an operational precinct for many very positive reasons, certainly but, look, chief, these protests have sparked dialogue between african-americans, police, city, community leaders, on very complicated issues and you uniquely represent all of those communities, do you find yourself conflicted over meeting the needs of each individual stakeholder if you will. what kind of compromises can make any of these groups completely happy? >> now, i'm not sure about what the future holds in that regard. i will say the idea of having a community center, a place for people to gather, have conversations is great. just use another building. don't take the police precinct. find another location that where people can come together and have the dialogue that people want to have. i would love to be engaged in that. nothing i want to see more than us moving forward as a society on some of these very, very complex issues. and particularly issues of race and racism. so i'm looking forward to those discussions. i'm looking forward to them occurring and it will be extremely expensive for them to buy another building, restock it and make it operable for police officers. >> yeah, point well taken on the logistics there. you are well aware the president has threatened to, quote, take back the city of seattle. do you think the city is out of control and what do you think about the possibility of the insurrection ago being used to invoke wrangling protesters there in seattle? >> you know, alex, i'm a police chief, i'm concerned about public safety and the safety of my officers and the people we're supposed to serve and one thing i'm clear about, i want the politicians to do the politicking. that's not my arena but want to stay steadfast in that we need a police precinct for the officers. >> you want to retake the city. what are your plans on doing that? >> i think a number of people are trying to determine and negotiate with folks about how that will work out, what that looks like. but ultimately whatever we do we want to meet peace with peace and want things to happen peacefully. >> you are promoting negotiation and not force. >> yeah, we don't want anybody to get hurst. force means that somebody is going to get hurt if force is used and could be my own officers so i absolutely want to meet peace with peace. i think we're all intellectual folks here and can figure out compromise and ways to achieve our goals. >> i know that you've been out there mingling and talking with the protesters. you've even said your daughter and her family have taken part in democrat straths. are you comeing away with the hope of seattle and this nation? >> absolutely. like i said earlier, every challenge is an opportunity. it's a way for to us look forward into the future. there's no point in looking back. how can we make it better? how can we reenvisioning policing and other institutions where we've seen issues of race, racism and division. let's come together and make it a letter place for all of us for my chirp, your children and all the future. >> positive sentiment, positive leadership, chief carmen best of the seattle police department. thank you so much for your time here on "withins with alex witt." >> thank you. the new book is out about the first lady. what it says about the negotiating that it took to get her to move from trump tower to the white house. the chase mobile app, your bank can be virtually any place. so, when you get a check... you can deposit it from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. you can detect suspicious activity on your account from here. and you can pay your friends back from here. so when someone asks you, "where's your bank?" you can tell them: here's my bank. or here's my bank. or, here's my bank. because if you download and use the chase mobile app, your bank is virtually any place. so visit chase.com/mobile. and get way more.ith wso you can bring yours 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joining me now, betsy. good to see you. let's get into the book. it offers details about how after the "access hollywood" tape, the rumored affair with playmate karen mcdougal the incoming first lady needed time to cool off after the election. the first lady chief of staff released a statement on the book saying yet another book about mrs. trump with false information. it belongs in the fiction genre but does what jordan writes, does that correlate with your reporting on the relationship between the president and first lady? >> what we know about the relationship here is that it certainly is one of the most unusual first cummings that this country has seen in recent memory. melania trump has had her low profile and the first families' internal dynamics are not what one would traditional. official add managers say her relationship with jared kushner and ivanka trump or at oftentimes been fraught and contentio contentious. not always been amicable and as calm as surface appearances might suggest. now, i haven't seen other outlets confirm the reporting in this book, specifically regarding the prenuptial conversations but one thing that every responsible reporter covering melania knows and mary jordan without question is a meticulous and careful report ser that the first lady is not shy about suing reporters who she believes give bad information about her. she absolutely has a litigious streak and taken report attorneys court during her time as first lady and so that kind of caution is likely to cover -- color all reporting regarding her and one would assume raise it to like a level of extraordinary caution. >> okay. well, then let's have what mary jordan laid out an argument melania trump is as determined to her own mythmaking as her husband continuing that it began early when she would fail to correct reporters who cited her age incorrectly, always younger than she was despite saying she wouldn't get plastic surgery three photographers would have worked with her say they have seen the scars. she attended a highly competitive architecture program at a slovenia university but did not graduate although she claimed she had a bachelor degree and her ability to speak four or five languages fluentry are maybe not true. what do you make of that? >> it's important context for thinking about the way that melania trump has handled her time as first lady. unlike many prior first ladies, she's kept a very low media profile. the undertakings that she has highlighted have been unusual and haven't publicly appeared to have borne much fruit. of course, her most high profile effort was an effort to combat cyberbullying. that does not seem to have had any influence whatsoever to put it lightly of her husband's online persona. in addition, another issue that we know she tried to bring to the forefront because it was a concern for her was the question of vaping. the growing use of e-cigarettes. the president seems to respond to that quickly at first, not something that drew some media attention but in the long run he actually hasn't taken any major or substantial steps that concern people in the vaping industry when reports first surfaced it was something melania trump was concerned about. this mythmaking element that she has and the potential efforts to what she has gone to shape her perception is something that's going to be an important part of her legacy as more and more information comes out in the week, months and years to follow about how she has actually has or to an extent hasn't used her platform as first lady. >> of the benefit of hindsight at some point to evaluate all of it. jordan writes how melania trump belonged ivanka from encroaching her domain while melania stayed in new york ivanka continued to establish herself in the west wing, notorious for its cramped and limited working spaces. according to several people she was eyeing real estate in the east wing as well, the domain of the first lady among other proposals, ivanka suggested renaming the first lady's office the first family office. melania did not allow that to happen. it was tradition and she was not going to let her stepdaughter change it. so, again, based on your reporting, what is the relationship between ivanka and melania and is there some sort of power struggle there. >> look, it's a complex one that is not always amicable and that's something that i think has the potential to be one of the most interesting parts of the book is the way that the first lady and her stepdaughter have interacted. they both clearly have a lot or have some or endeavor to have some influence over their husband. or thehusband and father but th results don't seem to indicate that either of their priorities in some of the biggest cases have borne substantial major transformative fruit. in addition, this is a relationship that hasn't been deeply explored publicly and in media in part because melania trump is so immensely private. she really, really tries to control anything into her life. >> glad you're not private. instead talking with me. thank you so much. two former staffers for president obama react with surprising claim from his successor. mornings were made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz xr, a once-daily pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis or active psoriatic arthritis for whom methotrexate did not work well enough. it can reduce pain, swelling, and significantly improve physical function. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections like tb; don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra can increase risk of death. serious, sometimes fatal infections, cancers including lymphoma, and blood clots have happened. as have tears in the stomach or intestines, serious allergic reactions, and changes in lab results. tell your doctor if you've been somewhere fungal 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out systemic racism. it's time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truth. it's time for to us face the deep open wound of systemic racism in this nation. nothing about this is going to be easy or comfortable but if we simply allow this wound to scab over once more, without treating the underlying injury, we'll never truly heal. the very soul of america is at stake. that's why i'm running for president. >> and just to be clear, the former vice president there was speaking to missouri democrats, not in missouri. joining me managing director of the american center for progress and also jesse moore, founder of common thread strategies and former speech writer for president obama. welcome to you both. we'll go ladies first, cleis th the message you want to hear and when does he need to be getting outside of delaware with this message? >> yesterday. this is absolutely a message that want to hear people speak frequently about the power of -- excuse me -- the black vote in this country and particularly the relationship between black people own the democratic party. he needs to go much further, much harder, much more quickly so that people understand that he is on board with the progress that we seek. i mean, we're going to have a tough election but beyond that once elected, should he be elected, we're not going to let up on accountability so important for him to get out and get that message across particularly for the white people and nonblack people of color who are also in a position where they are ready to act and tackle one of america's original sins. >> jesse, i'm curious. is joe biden the person to help deliver this important message on race? what are your thoughts on that and can he effectively do that in these as clela was saying difficult times. >> he needs to and i agree with her. he needs to be out there forcefully and out there constantly but actually i think one of the points of in that is probably being understood less than it should be is that we may be watching a quiet transition from a kind of obsessive focus on the presidency to people looking around saying, who is my mayor? who is my chairy who is my d.a.? so this may be a moment, i think the vice president understands that where his leadership and tone setting in the white house will always be vital and important. we see how bad it is when you have someone setting an awful tone from the white house. but understanding that local elections and also just constant local vigilance and saying who are the people making decisions about criminal justice, poverty and education in my neighborhood, that's where change actually happens. >> yeah, absolutely. i mean there's the saying all politics is local for good reason but, the president backing down on his juneteenth speech scheduled in tulsa there. how do you assess that backtrack? he says he spoke to his african-american friends. he translated -- transmitted that on twitter. should he maybe have spoken to them beforehand or was this a willful act by this president? >> it was absolutely willful. he set up a scenario where he then would show he fixed everything by being chairing about the juneteenth dmem race. he needs his supposed plaque friend to tell him what juneteenth is. the times we're in, a sitting president unclear about the significance of enslavement for his constituents and the fact that it was even suggested is very calculated and my impression i'd imagine he didn't want to face the counterprotesters because as i'm understanding it there are many people who are saddling up to go to tulsa because evers not only disrespecting the commemoration of juneteenth but also the tulsa race riots being the worst act of racial terrorism in this country in oklahoma in 1920 so the fact that he would try to open up a rally on juneteenth, the commemoration of the tulsa burning of black wall street absolutely intentional and what we need to remember when we go to the ballot box. >> so as these protests rage across the country against racism, the president claimed he's done more for black americans than any of his predecessors, take a listen to this. >> i think i've done more for the black community than any other president and let's take a pass on abraham lincoln because he did good although it's always questionable. you know, in other words, the end result -- >> we are free, mr. president. he did pretty well. >> you understand what i mean. so i'll take a pass on honest abe as we call him. >> jesse, as someone who worked for the obama administration what goes through your head when you hear this president say something like that? >> i'm not sure -- i think it's more of a look that comes less than not so many words just emotions, but it's sad and, you know, i look forward to whatever they have planned for kwanzaa but the real talk at this moment is can we look away from this kind -- he's turned himself into -- has turned himself into a cartoon villain that is impossible to look away from and if there's anything i'm inspired from -- i'm overlooking the autonomous zone here in seattle. so that's where this is. if there's anything that's given me hope in this moment it's that we will get used to the fact that he's going to keep saying ridiculous unforgivable stupid things from the highest soap box in the land and will start thinking about, you know, how are we going to start experimenting with what equal and justice looks like here in my neighborhood. >> let's not ever get used to them, shall we say that. before both of you go quickly want to talk about joe biden's veep search. the ap reports they have narrowed choices to as few as six serious candidates including senators elizabeth warren and kamala harris, president obama's former nsa susan rice, congre congresswoman val demings, keisha lance bottoms and michelle grisham so you first, who jumps out first and you to, khalilah. >> putting me on the spot. that's a strong list. that's a strong list. i think senator harris is, of course -- she's having a moment right now where she is able to contextualize what it looks like to approach criminal justice from a reform standpoint. now, this is -- now, nobody is going to come into, you know, a federal job with what feels like a perfect record to everyone. i think her record is really strong as a reformer. not everyone will agree but the point is for -- in a democracy timing is everything. timing matters. and want to send people matters. and i want to send people into these jobs with all of the support they possibly can get to really push the reform that we need. she jumps out at me. but that is a really strong list. >> kaly la? does somebody jump out to you. >> same, it is a strong list. if i could take a point of privilege on the previous question about donald trump doing more for african-americans than any other presidents. his administrations just eliminated protections for transpeople. black transwomen have been facing homicide at extremely high rates. and so that alone is an example of ways he has been seeking to roll back progress from the previous administration that actually supported black people. so on this in terms of vice presidential candidates i am going to have to differ with my brother jesse here. i would like to see senator kamala harris as the next supreme court appointee. so the rest of the list is commendable, but i would not like to see her as number two. i would like to see her as one of nine on the supreme court. she is ready, and she will make sure that our courts are moving in the right direction for as long as she serves. otherwise, you know who i am a fan of? elizabeth warren always. but that is definitely an extremely strong list. i don't think you could go wrong with any of those women. >> that is a strong field. you both agree on that. a therapist specializing in racial trauma explains the cases she is seeing the most and why her work has tripled over the last few weeks. p whatever they'e doing? for sure. 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prevagen. it has helped me an awful lot. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. the 2:20 back-to-back calls migraine medicine it's called ubrelvy the migraine medicine for anytime, anywhere a migraine attacks without worrying if it's too late or where you happen to be. one dose of ubrelvy can quickly stop migraine pain and debilitating symptoms in their tracks within two hours. unlike older medications, ubrelvy is the first pill of its kind to directly block cgrp protein believed to play a role in migraine attacks. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. few people had side effects, most common were nausea and tiredness. a migraine can strike anytime, anywhere. ask about ubrelvy, the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. as protests to combat racial injustice and police brutality surged across the country following the death of george floyd mental health experts note an increase in depression and anxiety during this time of change. joining me now, a racial trauma therapist who has seen her workload increase by threefold in recent weeks. it is stunning that statistic. talk to us about the biggest concern, the biggest issue people are coming to you with. >> really just processing their stress, the physical symptoms. not being able to identify it. so i specialize in race-based stress. i am able to tackle it using ske therapy and both body work. one of the biggest barriers have been cost and access to care because there aren't a lot of culturally competent ten clinicians trained in raushl trauma. and cost has been a huge factor. >> how are these people suffering? how is all of this concern, the anxiety, the depression we talked about, how is it manif t manifesting in their daily lives. >> through the physical body. through emotions. it is causing things like fear, hyper vigilance, shame, giltd, i am seeing people experiencing nosebleeds due to all of the built up pressure. headaches, difficulty sleeping, sleeping too much or not enough. it is having a profound impact. racism literally affects our mental health, our standards of living and even our life expectancy. >> ashley, what about the ability to be part of a movement to get out there with part of the community, protesting, expressing yourself, does that help break free at all from some of the concerns that they are expressing to you? >> for some individuals it does. i allows them to express themselves and release some of the trauma that has been stored in their bodies especially as they are walking. it is extremely important to move because trauma stores itself in the body which is why you experience physical symptoms. as they are march examining protesting they are able the relieve some of the stressors that have been stored inside of their body. >> is there a sense of community, strength in numbers, if you will, and that strength within those numbers even strength to people that are potentially patients of yours. >> yes, it definitely does. when you see a corrective group actually going through the same thing that you are experiencing and you know that you are not alone that helps you in terms of your mental health because you can stand alongside your neighbors and your brothers and your sisters. so it definitely boosts yourself esteem and improves your mental health and your well-being as you gather collectively with one another. >> ashley, you have worked, you have trained with employees at major corporation, oppose, lockheed martin as well as yale and the university of washington in the past. how is this different work? or is it not different? >> it is not different. it's the same work. the only difference is now these companies actually see the benefit and they are reaching out, whereas in the past i was really trying to explain the importance that racial trauma has in the workplace especially when it comes to things like micro aggressions. those small subtle acts of racism that really impact the work environment. now, collectively, these large companies are actually saying, hey, we do need to bring in someone who can actually help the workplace and improve the workplace environment. >> yeah. other than being able to get some time with you one on one, ashley, what can people do? what's the first thing they should do to help themselves when they are experiencing this kind of anxiety and drama? >> the first thing is to move. that's why it is important to walk. do some progressive muscle relaxation. do something the actually release what you are feeling from your body because when we keep that suppressed in our body, it leads to things like chronic stress-related illnesses, chronic heart failure, strokes, heart attacks. awful these thing that we are seeing that disproportionately impact black people and lead to early mortality rates. >> all right. raushl trauma therapist ashley mcgirk, keep up the good work. that does it for me this hour, i am alex witt. i will see you tomorrow morning at 7:00. alicia men end picks up the coverage at the top of the hour. she will speak with u.s. senator tammy duckworth. they will be discussing the president's address at west point. the controversy over renaming u.s. army bases and much more. at 2:00 p.m. eastern here on msnbc. virtually any place. so, when you get a check... you can deposit it from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. you can detect suspicious activity on your account from here. and you can pay your friends back from here. so when someone asks you, "where's your bank?" you can tell them: here's my bank. or here's my bank. or, here's my bank. because if you download and use the chase mobile app, your bank is virtually any place. so visit chase.com/mobile. good day. i'm alicia men ends. today the president saluted cadets at west point giving his first commencement at the esteem's military academy as tensions heighten between he and the top military leaders. reaction from senator tammy duckworth. meanwhile an overnight about-face on the president's twitter feed announcing out of respect he will not hold a juneteenth rally in tulsa. still unanswered, why it was planned in the first place, on the same day marking our nation's most horrific racial massacres in the city where