-- that's going to do it for us tonight. it is time for the last word with lawrence for donald. good evening, lawrence. >> good evening, rachel. you did make it look like it was the easiest thing in the world to sit down with you for an hour. i think a lot of people would want to do it, but i'm sure liz cheney is very glad she got the chance to do that. that point she just made about not the lesser of two evils is such an important point to double underline from everything she's written in her book, everything we've learned from the january 6th committee. i know plenty of times over the years, i've heard people refer to their vote choice as the lesser of two evils. that is not where we are anymore. >> now. lawrence, one of the things i didn't expect before reading the book, and i probably should have one i started to see republican reaction to it, a lot of the republican issue with liz cheney is she is not shy about saying what people are doing wrong. she doesn't try to make people feel better about it when they're doing something wrong. she doesn't go out of her way to say, oh, i understand, you had a hard childhood, or whatever. like meeting emotional needs of yours. you are doing the wrong thing at a time when your country needs to do the right thing. i'm going to call you wrong for doing it. that is the sort of thing, you have to be built a certain way to do that. that means you have a certain courage of convictions in terms of how seriously people are messing up, and how much we need to correct. i find it now i'm using to see these republicans, all these tough guy republicans talking about how much she hurts their feelings. she isn't afraid to do. it is worth doing it because of the stakes she defines so clearly. it is a remarkable thing. >> rachel, it is the way, in my personal estimate in the 99 days, one is working in the senate, it is the way about 80% of them were at that time. when we would close the door and have, say, the democratic senators policy luncheon, and you have 50, 57 democrats at the time, they don't all show up, but almost all of them do, there were some almost healthy, i would say, fistfights break out in that room in terms of just arguing across the table with each other, in extremely direct ways, and that would calm down into something else. it would be all a way of getting to a consensus. people did not pull punches. they weren't careful about your feelings on they disagreed with you on the tax bill. they said this is where i am. they were very clear about it. liz cheney reminds me so much of the way both democrats and republicans handled themselves in congress in the past. >> yeah. it is also -- i saw yesterday, i think it was on cnn, lindsey graham responding to the claims in her book about the dangerousness of a potential second trump term. his take on it was, oh, yes, i am sure liz has a lot of feelings about donald trump. like, actually, dude, no. i don't know if she has any feelings. i know she doesn't think they're relevant to whether or not we have a democracy anymore. so, trying to put things on her as if she is like, you know, a kid, a little girl, or a sad woman who needs to be placated it with her feelings, just profoundly misunderstands her force in politics, and what she's trying to do here, and gives light to that kind of laziness. i'm glad for. >> talk about feelings. i mean, lindsey graham has just a ball of feelings about donald trump, and the feeling is here. it does nothing but fear of donald trump that trump voters in south carolina. that is the way he lives his life, and fewer of those people. there is one way in which liz cheney is extraordinary tonight, and remains extraordinary, even if we go back retroactively. that is, the number of politicians that i am aware of, or i could watch them make the decision to do something, choose something that would, not just hurt their reelection, but pretty much doom their reelection, it is mario pummel refusing to change his position on the death penalty in the 1990s, and, sorry, i can't think of anyone since then, except liz cheney. for me, when i was working in government, the trick question for politicians always was, what would you not do to get reelected? most of them would go blank. they wouldn't be able to follow the sequence of those words. they wouldn't quite understand what you just asked, the concept of something you would not do to get reelected. liz cheney really, on that basis alone, being willing to do something that she knew would pretty much prevent her from getting reelected, she didn't just choose to do anything. she chose to do the single most important thing that you could ask her to do. >> people -- when it's hypothetical, everyone's a hero. everybody thinks they do the principal thing. we look at ourselves in history, think god, the resistance fighter, right? in reality, the reason is, the reason there are so few of those people, and there are so few heroes, is because, in reality, when heroism comes up and knocked on your door, it usually is easier to pretend you're asleep. it is usually easier to let things happen and hope someone else is going to take the rap. here's someone who saw it clear eyed and did it knowing exactly what it would mean. >> and, rachel, before you go, as long as we're talking about our list cheney histories, and our encounters, i know the last time i was on television with liz cheney, which was long before this program, a subject was torture. one of us was in favor, one of us was against. i would have to check the record to see which one. it might be why she's not coming on this program. it is so -- it makes so much sense to me to see the two of you there tonight. this is the way, again, it used to work in congress, where you could be adamantly opposed, you could be fighting liz cheney all day on tax legislation, and you could be teamed up with her on something else. that, i used to see that all the time. you are fiercest opponent today, next week is going to be your most important ally in something. i am so glad to have seen this interview tonight. this is really -- this was worth waiting for. >> thanks, lawrence. i appreciate, my friend. >> thank you, rachel. thank you. liz cheney has already done the impossible with her book. e impossibleshe has, apparentlyd donald trump into finally telling the truth about himself. in a social media post about liz cheney and her book, donald trump said, i was angry, and i was eating too much. joining us now is jen psaki who served as white house press secretary in the biden administration, the host of "inside with jen psaki" on msnbc, and jen was angering the eight pm hour tonight. jen, i am so eager to talk to you about this. this is one of those moments, i think, for insiders. you have been in this kind of -- you have been government the waitlist cheney has. she's worked in administration -- >> and you have, yes. >> yes, before she went to congress, you worked in the administration. she grew up in it, in a sense, with her father. to see someone who stays angered all the way through all of that experience, so that when it comes down to it, and it comes down to a choice of her oath of office versus a reelection campaign, she chooses her oath of office. >> that's right, lawrence. as rachel started that interview, which was so fascinating to watch, acknowledging it is a little weird to see our friend, rachel maddow, interviewing the daughter of dick cheney, right? here we are. she stood up for democracy, and wasn't shy about telling the truth. there are so many things -- i have under the book yet, because the book comes out tomorrow, and i'm eager to do that. one of the things that was in the excerpts that stuck out to me, and as a reminder of that, is the scene of dick cheney going to the capitol, floor of the capitol a year after january six to commemorate that day, and being shocked there weren't other republicans there. having an embrace with nancy pelosi, of all people. that tells you a lot about liz cheney, about what she's been willing to do, and that's very difficult. really, she was third in line in the republican caucus, and what she did meant she was, of course, no longer in leadership, no longer in congress. i, really -- i love so many aspects of that interview. one of them, to go down the nerdy government capital with you -- >> please do. >> this is a safe place to do. i think we will be talking about it a lot more in the next couple of days. she mentioned the transition of power. the peaceful transition of power. it is so important to remember, at a time when there's so much craziness that donald trump is saying and doing, there are normal transitions of power. there is normal disagreements, even strong, visceral ones as you are talking about with rachel. i was a part -- i came in with barack obama, when the bush administration was leaving, lots of strong disagreements there about many policy issues, including the iraq war. it was a peaceful transition, a graceful transition, it was a -- they welcomed us with open arms, and wanted to prepare us to govern the country. that is how it is supposed to work. i thought it was interesting she mentioned that. my ears perked up because pardon power is something that is, basically, all powerful, as you know well, lawrence, that a president has, that, historically, for the most part, and there are exceptions, has not been abused. that power in the hands of a second term for donald trump is almost one of the scariest things. the fact she mentioned that, it is just a reminder of how important it is for us to pay attention to that. >> let's listen to part of the interview towards the beginning when liz cheney was describing a few days before january six, when she started to get the feeling about what was coming. let's listen to this. com ing. let's >> i had been getting thee hints through the months after the election of glimpses into things that they were attempting to do. each time, sort of, i saw something come up, and i kept thinking, and i think a lot of us kept thinking, all right, look, he's going to bring these court charges, but, of course, once the courts have ruled, he will concede, we will move on. each time you thought we were at an end, we weren't really at an end. so, i think, this was the most chilling moment where it was suddenly real that, you know, this wasn't just, sort of, a pr effort to suggest he hadn't lost the election. it was a very real plan to stop us from counting legitimate electoral votes. frankly, that realization, that recognition, it was nauseating because it was so scary. wait a minute, this is what they're going to try to do. >> jen, it is such a vivid moment. it is such a sickening idea that she is listening in on a phone call about this strategy, and hearing it for the first time. >> that's right. thinking, which is so striking, this can't possibly happen, really. that's what i heard in her answer. there's going to be some shenanigans. we know he is arguing the election was rigged. this can't possibly happen. listening to her really brought me back to that day, and the day before. i was working on the presidential transition. we thought, and we didn't have as much inside as her, of course, but we thought there would be some shenanigans on the floor, some delay tactics, right? never factored in, of course, what happened on january 6th. it is all a reminder, listening to liz cheney talk, and even listening to donald trump talk, especially over the last couple of weeks, he is telling us exactly what he is going to do. we should listen to him, right? we think it's not possible, the system will protect us from it, the system is not equipped, always, for donald trump. when he's telling us things like he's not going to listen to the judicial system, or process, as she reiterated in that interview, we need to listen to him. >> let's listen to liz cheney's description, hypothetical description, of how it would work, how donald trump has been promising to run things if he is in the presidency again. let's listen to that. >> imagine a situation where the people around him, the lawyers he's hired in the administration, he may have some who would, you could imagine, then stepping up and saying, wait, we can't take that action, we can't do that for legal reasons. in the president, combining both his determination to ignore the rulings of the courts, with offering pardons to people who do his bidding, it is a toxic and very dangerous mix. i think people need to take it seriously, the potential he will do that because, in fact, we are watching him, and listening them so he will do it now. >> jen, if that message is going to get through to republican voters, it seems it has to come from a republican voice. >> yes. i think that is true. i also think it's important for people in this moment to understand, she referenced pardon power, i've referenced this earlier, technically, any president has the power to pardon anyone they want. historically, through the administrations i work, and probably during the time you are working on capitol hill, what would happen, there would be a legal vetting process that went through the department of justice to ensure you weren't intervening in an investigations, they met the qualifications, this is a person who should be recommended for pardon. that is a good check in the system. that is not what donald trump did. that's not what donald trump will do. what does that mean? all of these people who are helping him, who might help him, attempt to overturn an election, he intends to pardon them. he doesn't need -- there is not a check in the system to prevent him from doing that, legally, technically. there should be. there is a historical precedent. there is not a check in the system. i think that is important for people to know and understand, the risks of that in this moment. >> jen, you have an interview scheduled coming up with liz cheney. what is that? >> that is coming up next monday, at eight pm. >> monday eight pm. >> plenty of time to read the book, very much looking forward to talking with her, and diving into all of these pieces and questions. can i mention one more thing, which i'm sure stuck out to you given your time on the hill, lawrence? mike johnson is someone i've been talking about, i know you've been talking about. she raised him. what is important about that, in order for trump to do what he wants to do, he needs enablers. mike johnson is second in line to the presidency. he was an advocate, he was a partner, a friend for what donald trump did on january 6th. that is a scary circumstance, if mike johnson and donald trump are partners in this effort. i thought it was interesting she raised that. it is alarming. that's how the structure of power, of course, works. >> i have a feeling on monday night, at eight, we will be hearing more about liz cheney's views of mike johnson and so much more. jen, thank you. >> i have a feeling! thank you so much, lawrence. >> thank you, jen. appreciate it. thank you. coming up, donald trump's lawyers rushed into court today in new york to appeal a gag order. maybe russia is the wrong word, since they missed the deadline. that is next, with andrew weissmann and barb mcquade. and the giggles. the family that takes delsym together, feels better together. liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. with the money i saved, i started a dog walking business. i was a bit nervous at first but then i figured it's just walking, right? 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(engine accelerating) (texting clicks) (tires squeal) (glass shattering) (loose gravel clanking) we are making a quick programming just here. we weren't planning to do it this way, in this segment, but i want to begin by getting andrew weissmann and barb mcquade this reaction to something liz cheney told rachel about judges who handle cases involving donald trump. >> you could point to judges and justices appointed by democratic presidents, and republican presidents. again, almost without exception, they have been clearer, more dedicated, and done exactly what we need them to do, what we expect that judiciary to do at a moment when we're watching the former president and members of my party claim that judiciary somehow weaponized against us. we need the courts. we need the judicial system. we need the rule of law to function. that means you have to have a president, in particular, who take seriously his obligation to uphold it. >> our discussion now, andrew weissmann, former fbi general counsel, -- eastern district of new york. he is the co-host of the msnbc podcast prosecuting donald trump. also with us, barb mcquade, she is former u.s. attorney and a law professor at the university of michigan law school. she is also the co-host of the podcast, hashtag sisters in law, both msnbc legal analysts. andrew, your reaction to what you just heard from liz cheney. >> so, three branches of government, and i think liz cheney had it exactly right, there is one branch that has almost consistently seen people rise to the occasion and take their oaths seriously, whether talk about judge engoron, or talking about the appellate court. it affirmed him whether it's judge chutkan or the d.c. circuit on friday, whether it is beryl howell, the former chief judge who has been admonishing and holding rudy giuliani to account. you have some of the examples of judges. i should say, the 11th circuit judges who were appointed by both parties, where people could act out of principle. another thing she talked about, and jen talked about, this idea, for donald trump to get away with this, he has to have enablers. what you are seeing in the courts is a place where facts and law matter, or people are rising to the occasion, where they're not enabling that kind of lawless behavior, and that kind of ignorance of the facts. that is if you are looking for a bright light in this time, that is a place you can look. >> barb mcquade, it would include the 60 or so judges who made rulings in all those phony election cases that donald trump brought. >> yeah. sometimes, the judiciary is referred to as the least dangerous branch. it could be incredibly dangerous branch if the judges were not respecting the rule of law, and applying equal justice. as you said, 61 cases where donald trump challenged election results during the 2020 election period, all of those people who were tried for their crimes that occurred on january six, all of those cases, we've seen judges hold fast the rule of law, regardless of whether they were appointed by presidents, democrats or republicans, even the u.s. supreme court, which had an opportunity to find that there was fraud in the elections, and to not count the election results in pennsylvania, michigan, and other states. they said no, turned down attorney general ken paxton's request out of texas. we may not always agree with what our courts decide, but when they stop political activity, as they did here, we should be proud that the rule of law has stood tall. >> one of the challenges trump judges are facing now, the question of gag orders. we saw a development in the new york case today, andrew, where the judges issued gag orders on trump's lawyers, on trump. he appealed it, the appeals court ruled in favor of the judge. as they say, they rushed in to court today, but showed up late to try to get an expedited appeal. they want to take that up to the higher court in the state of new york. what do you expect to happen there? >> i don't expect the new york court of appeals, which is the highest court in new york, even though it sounds like it is the intermediate court. i don't expect that they are going to issue another stay. i thought it was notable the date for the hearing happens to be the date of donald trump is testifying. there is extremely unlikely event he would get some take between now and then. remember what's going on in new york, the gag order is just about, you cannot attack the judge's staff. that's issuing an order you should not take a sharpened pencil and stick it in your ear. no one would think that you'd need to have an order to say that. words matter. words that can lead to violence matter. to me, there is no question that a judge has the ability to restrict this kind of language. >> please stay in place as we squeeze in a commercial break. when we come back, it is one thing for politicians to say, no one is above the law. it actually means something when a federal judge presiding over donald trump's criminal trial in washington, d.c., says no one is above the law. while denying donald trump's motion, claiming that he is above the law. that is next. from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. children are the greatest joy and our best hope for a better future. friends, they are the future. but did you know that millions of kids right here in our own backyard are facing hunger every day without healthy food it's harder to grow, to thrive, to feel their best. the impact when children don't have enough to eat is tremendous, because when you're hungry and your basic needs aren't being met, you cannot learn. that's why i'm here now, asking you to join me in helping end child hunger in america. this is a problem we know how to solve and we can do it better by supporting no kid hungry for just $0.63 a day, only $19 a month. you can help provide healthy meals like a good breakfast in class to power kids through their days. breakfast in the 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in two separate rulings in federal court in washington, d.c., in front of the repeal's court rejecting claims that presidential immunity against civil lawsuits brought by capitol police officers against trump for inciting the attack on the capitol on january 6th, in which they were injured, then, late friday night, judge chutkan, presiding over the criminal case of united states of america versus donald j trump, wrote that she, quote, cannot conclude that our constitution cloaks former presidents with absolute immunity for any federal crimes they committed while in office. nothing in the constitution's text or allocation of government powers requires exempting former presidents from that solemn process, and neither the people, who adopted the constitution, nor those who have safeguarded across generations, have ever understood it to do so. defendants for your service as commander in chief did not put still on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens. no man in this country, not even the former president, is so high that he is above the law. judge chutkan noted donald trump's unique status as the only former president of the united states to be charged with crimes, saying, defendant argues, in essence, that because no other former presidents have been criminally prosecuted, it would be unconstitutional to start now. but while a former president's prosecution is unprecedented, so too are the allegations that a president committed the crimes with which defendant is charged. supreme court has never immunized presidents, much less former presidents, from judicial process, merely because it was the first time that process had been necessary. the court will not do so here. after weisman and barbara mcquade are back with us. andrew, this was, really, such a solid opinion to read. >> this opinion was one for the ages. it is hard to read this and not have, sort of, tears come to your eyes, how patriotic it reads. it ends talking about the history of george washington voluntarily relinquished killing the presidency after two terms, not running. you could run for a third term at that point, and he does not do so. in his farewell address, he talks about, essentially, that this is a nation of laws. we are not like the european president assessors, and saying that is why it is so important people be held to account, that we do not want the return of kings. it is beautifully written. your eye needs to be now on the court of appeals, and supreme court. this decision will be appealed by donald trump. he will seek a stay of the trial. he will -- i don't think you will win in the circuit. this decision is so solid. the issue should be, keep your eye on the supreme court and what it does. will he get the necessary votes to stay the march 4th trial? that would be a pocket veto of his not getting criminal accountability. that is, really, the whole ball game to keep your eye on, it's what this supreme court has done with this. >> barb mcquade, is there a version of this where the appeal goes forward without a stay of the trial, and the trial is progressing while the appeal is being considered? >> i don't think so, lawrence. ordinarily, there's something called the final judgment rule. that is a defendant in a criminal case must wait. they must have their trial, wait until everything is over, and appeal all of the issues at the end to prevent piecemeal litigation of a trial. there are few issues that are decided at the threshold. one of them is this immunity issue. another is the double jeopardy issue, which judge chutkan also ruled on in the government's favor. both of these say, donald trump should never have to stand trial at all. so, those two issues, at least, and i think even the government concedes this, are issues that are immediately appealable. as andrew says, if the courts proceed slowly, it could have the effect of delaying this trial. >> andrew, this will go to the net state supreme court. if the appeals court upholds judge chutkan, donald trump will take to the united states supreme court. jack smith would take it to the united states supreme court if the appeal went against him. >> absolutely. the supreme court does not have to take the case. you apply to do that. the circuit will hear this. the supreme court, you could apply for it, they take a tiny fraction. just remember, they have yet to rule on this issue. they have ruled on presidential immunity in the civil context. they have never ruled on presidential immunity in a criminal context. while i think judge chutkan's decision will ultimately be indicated and there will be enough votes, the issue is this day of the trial because if there is any case where the effort in justice delayed is justice denied, it's this one. there's not a large window for judge chutkan to hold this trial. it is really important for the justices and judges who are going to hear it in the court of appeals to really move it forward, and to keep their foot on the pedal. it doesn't mean they should issue a shoddy decision. it means everyone knows this has been briefed, they know what the issues are, they need to get that to the court of appeals, and they need to move this up to the supreme court if there's going to be a trial. frankly, donald trump's entitled to that trial. more importantly, the american public is entitled to a trial, and to know the evidence, and have that as part of their decision in deciding who to vote for. >> barbara, we saw the appeals process work lightning fast in the cases involving president richard nixon, where timing was also crucial. there were challenges about the tapes, and they pushed it right through the supreme court, handled it faster than you'd seen them do anything before. this seems to be one of those situations where everyone can get together and work really fast. it is a novel issue. it is a relatively simple issue they have to decide. is one person above the law? did they forget when they were riding out all these fancy constitutional principles, to they forget the specify that, oh, yeah, there is one person who is above the law? >> i don't know. i would hope the court would decide this issue quickly. it could be done with the briefing that's been provided. i'm sure there would be additional briefing. the issues are clear. it can be done quickly. the question is, will it be done quickly? i don't know the answer to that, although, as you said, in watergate, nixon case was handled quickly. i think about pentagon papers case that was handled and something like 17 days from the district court to the supreme court. i think back to some of the issues like the subpoenas from congress in the cases that went to the supreme court, about whether congressional committees could subpoena a president, or whether the manhattan d.a. could subpoena the president. those cases took many months, going back, up and down a couple times with the supreme court. it seems like the supreme court can act quickly when it wants to. it doesn't always want to. so, i think we will have to see what moved there and when they see this case. >> barb mcquade, andrew weissmann, i thank you very much for joining our discussion tonight. >> you're welcome. >> thank you. coming up, vice president kamala harris says, quote, as israel defense itself, it matters how. you will hear more of what the vice president had to say about israel, and hamas, next. hmmm... can this be more, squiggly? perfect! so now, do you have a driver's license? oh. what did you get us? with the click of a pen, you can a new volkswagen at the sign, then drive event. hurry in to lease a new 2023 all-electric id.4 for zero down, zero deposit, zero first month's payment, and zero due at signing. limited inventory available. with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. -ahh, -here, i'll take that. woo hoo! ensure max protein 30 grams protein, one gram sugar, 25 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were shipped with fedex. which means mr. harvey... could picture the perfect night. ♪ we're delivering more happy for the holidays. ♪ it's not it isn't easy, the american news media doesn't make it easy, what the vice president is doing, in her daily job. you can do that on this program. here is what the vice president had to say this weekend. >> on october 7th, hamas terrorists launched a terrorist attack that killed 1200 innocent people in israel, including 35 americans. it was a brutal and horrific massacre. babies and holocaust survivors were killed. young people who were simply attending a concert were shot dead. 240 hostages were taken from their homes, and over then, the past eight weeks, president biden and i have been clear, israel has a right to defend itself, and we will remain steadfast in that conviction. we are working with israel and our partners in the region to secure the release of all the hostages, which includes americans. >> vice president harris was speaking in dubai this weekend, where she met with the king of jordan, the president of egypt, and spoke by phone with the amir of qatar who has been very helpful in the hostage negotiations. >> let me be very clear, as i have said before, we cannot conflate hamas with the palestinian people. hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. hamas has vowed to repeat october seven until israel's annihilated. no nation could possibly live with such danger. which is why we support israel's legitimate military objectives to eliminate the threat of hamas. president biden and i have been clear with the israeli government, in public and in private, many times, as israel defends itself, it matters how. the united states is unequivocal, international humanitarian law must be respected. too many innocent palestinians have been killed. frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from gaza are devastating. i have spoken with members of the palestinian, arab, and muslim communities of america, including those who have lost loved ones in gaza, and american citizens who were injured and evacuated from gaza. it is truly heartbreaking. i have had a number of in-depth conversations with arab leaders here in dubai, specifically i proposed three areas of focus. one, reconstruction. the international community must dedicate a significant resources to support short and long term recovery in gaza. second, security. the palestinian authority security forces must be strengthened to eventually assume security responsibilities in gaza. until then, there must be security at range ones that are acceptable to israel, the people of gaza, the palestinian authority, and the international partners. >> the vice president described the biden administration's five principles for the future of gaza. >> five principles guide our approach post conflict gaza. no forceable displacement, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory, and no use of gaza as a platform for terrorism. >> joining us now is david rothkopf, foreign affairs analyst and columnist for the daily beast. he is also the host of the deep state radio podcast. david, you are one of the few reporters out there who follows with the vice president does and says, and how she works in situations like this around the world. what was your reading of how she handled this weekend? >> i thought she handled it very well. it's a very tough task. it's a tough task to go into the region, to speak the truth about hamas, to speak the truth about the casualties amongst the palestinians, to do it to each of the leaders that matters to us in the region. it is also tough to do what she did, to look ahead, to talk about the day after. since this conflict began, i am told that, within the white house, she has been a champion for focusing on the day after. for being as strategic and our approach to this as we are attentive to technical details. that is what she was talking to these regional leaders about. she was able to have the conversations that the president had intended to have when he went to israel. he was unable to have, if you recall, because of the bombing at the baptist hospital in gaza. >> the principal, first two things she mentioned that she was trying to get these middle eastern governments to support, reconstruction and security. reconstruction means, those countries need to contribute to significant financial resources to the reconstruction of gaza. >> i think that is the hope of the white house. i think the feedback that they got is that it will be possible once you get other preconditions met. one of those preconditions, frankly, it's going to be the departure of that yahoo as prime minister, which is something many israelis expect to happen. another one of those preconditions is the revitalization of the leadership of the palestinian authority because i believe it is the u.s. expectation that the palestinian authority steps in, fills the political void left by hamas in both gaza and the west bank. they represent the best negotiating hope to get towards a two-state solution, which, once again, is the goal of the united states. >> the vice president there on the five principles, she mentioned, one of them stands out. a. no reduction in territory for gaza. that is something that has been discussed by some israeli officials. a >> yes, well, you know, within prime minister netanyahu's coalition, the small group around him, there have been a lot of rather pernicious ideas discussed, of one is reduction in territory, another is the relocation of the residents of gaza out of gaza, or the thinning out of gaza. another is israeli reoccupation, and control. in her five principles, the vice president was extremely clear, u.s. opposes all of those things. >> and that was the -- it was matched with the very strong statement of support for israel that is included in the same statement. it is one of those speeches that examines every facet of what the administration has to deal with every day on this. >> it is one of the toughest diplomatic balancing acts i've ever seen. clearly, israel has a right to self defense. clearly, what hamas did was commit atrocities. it is indefensible, and they no longer can play a role in the region. the united states also plays the role of the spokesperson, if you will, for part of the international community, urging israel to use restraint. one of the messages delivered by the vice president was that the lessons of the war in the north of gaza have to be applied now as israel moves into the south of gaza. what that means is fewer civilian casualties. >> david rothkopf, thank you very much for joining our discussion tonight. >> thank you. tonight's last word is next. i know what it's like to perform through pain. if you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine, nurtec odt may help. it's the only medication that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine 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fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold, medicine. gratitude. so far, this holiday season, you have contributed $1,371,048 to the kind fund kids in need of help. its initiative created by msnbc and unicef to provide help for kids in malawi. helping girls attend high school in malawi where public high school is not free. this morning, i joined the political roundtable on morning joe, where joe and micah have been supportive of this from the start. >> how wonderful, lawrence, that must have been so absolutely fulfilling to go on the trip. but tell us more about the need out there? >> it is the high point of my ear, always, mika. and these kids are so great, you know, deprivation is a relative concept. and so, they don't see any more wealth around them. they don't see kids who have toys. they don't see kids who have phones. they don't think it will don't have things that they have. so they actually feel that deprivation the way you would hear because you can constantly compare yourself to others. and, you know, this is one of those situations where every penny helps. the girls who we sent to high school, public high school, it's not free in malawi on those scholarships. we have to provide them with uniforms, everything, including their shoes. the shoes that we give them cost $8.25. and no family in malawi, almost no family send their daughters to school and high school can afford those shoes. that's part of the package. so, anyone who can send in $8.25 can get some shoes on a girl who needs them to go to high school. you can donate at last word desks dot msnbc.com. and morning joe has been so supportive of this from the start. i have to tell you. some of the biggest contributions we have gotten over the years have come from viewers of this program. and so, joe and mika, i really thank you for giving a voice here through your reporting. >> absolutely -- >> so grateful that you are here. >> let me say it again. if you would like to donate to kind, visit last word desks dot msnbc.com. or you can call, one 800, 4 unicef. >> joe and mika get tonight's last word. i will say tonight they are soundly at this hour. the 11th hour with stephanie ruhle starts now. tonight, sounding the alarm. new warnings about a second trump term and the threats to our democracy, as the former president bush's baseless claimsad