military communications, getting the two teams to work on artificial intelligence, particularly in the national security realm. there was a lot of very good outcomes out of this meeting between president biden and president xi and the president is looking forward, we are looking forward to managing this relationship in a more responsible way and moving things forward, looking for ways we can cooperate, but also not afraid to confront where we can. including on the tensions in the south china sea. so the president and his whole national security team is focus forward out of san francisco. >> still call him a dictator each time he sees him? >> the president made it very clear. he was asked a direct question and he gave a direct answer and stands by the answer. as true as the statement was doesn't mean there are not still prospects to cooperate and compete with china in a more responsible way going forward and that's where the president's head is. >> when these two leaders met, did they agree to meet again or speak again in the near term? >> they agreed that they would meet again but no date put on the calendar. what's important now, the military to military coms will start and even the theater commander level and maybe lower than that, so that's -- that's the immediate channels of communication we are looking to get back only open. >> i have a question about fentanyl and then the gaza conflict. on fentanyl, the chinese president committed to reducing the export of fentanyl and fentanyl recur sores. under president biden, 200,000 americans stopped breathing and died as a result of these chemicals. we are still at record monthly numbers. if there is not a drop in american deaths, will president biden hold the chinese president personally responsible? >> it was really significant what president xi was willing to commit to. the first time now in several years, going forward and willing to take law enforcement action to shut down the export of these ingredients, the precursor chemicals that the labs largely in our own hemisphere are creating to make fentanyl. it's a big step forward and we are grateful for that. we'll see how they are in execution and i think we all need to understand it may be some time before you see the practical results of this, the crack down, and we are grateful for that. it's not just the precursor chemicals try again in english, but it's the labs in our own hemisphere that are taking those chemicals, ingredients, making fentanyl and then moving it north up to our borders and it's a serious problem, and again, as the president said, at the press conference, this agreement will save american lives and president xi said he was committed to helping with that. >> the chinese president's charge of a single party state, he said in the past that he would crack down on fentanyl and u.s. deaths hit an all time record. is president biden not going to consider him personally responsible if deaths don't go down. >> he said he would be personally responsible for stemming the flow of the chemicals out of china and we are grateful for that. that's going to take time as he goes back to beijing and puts those processes in place, law enforcement actions, we are grateful for that. >> protestors here in d.c., new york, across the country, settled on a nickname for the president, genocide joe, wrote it on the gates. do you have a response to that nickname? >> we are not worried about nicknames and bumper stickers. it's first amendment, free speech. president is focused on, as he wrote in his op-ed on making sure that we can continue to support israel as they fight a terrible terrorist group, hamas, and as we all work together to get humanitarian assistance in and get people out, including hostages. i said this the other day, again, people can say what they want on the sidewalk and we respect that. that's what the first amendment is about. but this word genocide is thrown around in an inappropriate way by lots of different folks. what hamas wants, no mistake bit, is genocide. they want to wipe hamas off the map, they have said so publicly more than one occasion, in fact recently. they said they are not going to stop. what happened on the 7th of october is going to happen again and again and again, and what happened, murder, slaughter, of innocent people in their homes or music festival. that's genocide intentions. yes, numbers are too high, too many families are grieving and yes, we continue to urge the israelis to be as careful and cautious as possible, it's not going to stop from the president on down, but israel is not trying to wipe the palestinian people off the map. israel is not trying to wipe gaza off the map. israel is trying to defend against a genocide terrorist threat. let's use the word appropriately. >> can you give us a sense of what the goal of these talks are and does the visit signal the white house is concerned about israeli military action in lebanon and then i have a follow-up. >> he is in israel today to follow up on his last meeting to lebanon about a week or so ago. where he talked about officials and to israeli officials up in the north about the risks of a second front, a northern front and he's in israel today back briefing his conversations with the israeli counterparts there in tel aviv. >> in terms of a follow-up, is the white house concerned that israel could be provoking hezbollah? >> we don't want to see this war escalate, don't want to see it widen. we don't believe it's in anybody's interest, certainly not the israel people's interest to have a second front in the north. what the team is doing, everything we can to help prevent that scenario from happening. >> if this is something that is being provoked, it could draw the united states into it, the goal of israel right now. >> again, we don't want to see the conflict widen and escalate, where olmos is having the conversation he is, and blinken in the middle east and the president has put additional force posture, carrier strike groups, and fixed wing aviation into the region to send a strong signal to any actor, nation state or otherwise, that if you are going to think about widen n and deepening this conflict, don't do it. >> thank you. south africa just submitted to the icc to investigate prime minister netanyahu. do you have any comments regarding the war crime? >> i'll have to take that question. i have not seen the referral by south africa. before i talk out of school for our u.n. ambassador, we'll take that question and back to you. >> ok. follow up question. almost the first year anniversary of the u.s. africa leaders summit. and president biden said he planned to travel to africa in a year. do you have any updates when the president will travel? >> i do not. >> thank you. >> is there an assessment of the u.s. on the level to which hamas has been degraded over the last several weeks? >> we don't have an independent assessment i'm aware of, better put to the israeli defensers fos. >> i know that you have a lot of commun cages with the israelis inside of their operation. is that part of what the communications are -- trying to get a sense of what the next steps are in terms of how long a campaign it may be to be based on that level of degradation. >> great questions for the israeli defense forces. it's their operation. we are in touch with them daily and they provide their perspectives and updates. i'm not going to characterize those, and quantify the degree hamas has been degraded, they go after their leadership, but it's a better question for them. >> thank you so much. has the president called the president-elect of argentina and does he plan to do so, and the administration think this president is the right man to reform the economy and the country? >> on the first question, i don't have an update on the president's call sheet to talk about today. but obviously i'm sure karine and her team will keep you informed as things progress. a tweet by jake sullivan congratulating him on his win, and look forward to working with with him and his administration, argentina is a terrific partner in the region and things we share in terms of value, value of democracy, human rights, and just hemispheric concerns and economic concerns. >> i know you have been careful what you can say regarding the hostage negotiations but are you able to confirm they are centered on getting women and children specifically out? >> i would really rather not. but as i said in the opening statement, we want to see, especially we want to see the children and women get released, it's a high focus for everybody and the americans, too, we know there is at least one american toddler in the pool, but i think the less said the better as we get into, you know, into the, what we hope is the end game here on the negotiations. >> you said it's the end game. what kind of time frame are you looking at? >> i couldn't tell you, just that we are closer now than we have been before, that's a good thing. but we don't want to do or say anything publicly that's going to jeopardize what we hope will be a positive result. >> thanks. >> i don't want to keep him too long on his feed. thank you, admiral, appreciate that. i know it's not comfortable. go ahead. >> a couple of things, changing gears. will there be an order to lower flags to half-staff to mark the passing and attending the funeral? >> i know you heard from the president and the first lady yesterday on the passing of the former first lady, i want to say certainly that their thoughts are with president carter and the entire carter family. as the president said, jimmy and rosalynn carter have been dear long time friends and she was an extraordinary, extraordinary first lady. a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, advocate for mental health and wellness for every person, and a supporter of the often unseen, uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones and people with disabilities. the president and the first lady are thinking offer had and of him and keeping the carter family in their prayers today as well, as it relates to any potential travel, the president and the first lady plan to pay respects to the former first lady, don't have details or anything to confirm just yet, we certainly will share that with all of you, and as it relates to the lowered to half-staff the flag being lowered, to half-staff, yes, we will certainly do that, and we certainly will follow and in accordance with protocols and details of when and how long that will happen, we certainly will share that at an appropriate time. >> how is the president planning to mark his birthday? he mentioned it during the turkey parting, some family here. a party or dinner? >> he's going to do what they normally do, how they celebrate the birthday, a tradition which they are going to keep to that tradition, which is they'll be able to celebrate the president's birthday as a family together in nantucket later this week and certainly will do that with coconut cake, something they traditionally do. >> last year we all remember the messy travel holiday travel season. i know the administration has taken steps for compensation for travelers and other steps to be accountable. how confident are they -- >> john: we will leave the briefing and continue to monitor for more news, but the big news, the president will celebrate his birthday in nantucket with coconut cake. >> sandra: and listening to john kirby about israel and the negotiations for the hostages out, he said they are hopeful and the situation, 240 hostages, they are talking about this deal to get at least dozens out. also an update on the americans getting out through the rafah gate out of gaza, the number stands at 800 now. so something we will continue to watch the briefing. >> john: there wasn't much in thativen how long it lasted. it's a holiday weekend. juan williams, and chris bedford, so, since i noted that was the big news was that he's going to be celebrating in nantucket and the coconut cake, i was only kidding, but juan, the fact the president turned 81, refocuses the issue of age. on this campaign. if elected president, he'll be 82 on election day. he would be 86 at the end of his second term. he would have to sort of run the table in terms of the actuarial tables to make it that far. when you look at his chances for re-election at this age, more and more questions are being asked as to whether or not he's up to the job. >> that's true, i don't think there's any question that it is the question about joe biden at this point for many voters. i think particularly from what i can see in the polls, john, among younger voters, and let me just say to be clear, it's often younger democrats who have real questions about biden as a result of his age. biden's response to this, i'll say, is, and he said this many times, watch me. and he has a legitimate point to be made. he's traveled to war zones, he keeps up a very busy schedule, out helping feed the troops for thanksgiving yesterday in nor norfolk and if you think about his ability to meet with the chinese president, deal with the ukraine situation and putin, you have to say it's a guy that is taking care of business. but on the other hand, you have lots of people who say well, we think he's just too old, and that's the issue. >> john: and it's being reflected in the poll as well, nbc poll has donald trump 46 over 44%, and younger voters, and david axelrod, i think he has a 50/50 shot here, no better than that, maybe a little worse. he thinks he can cheat nature and it's really risky. they have a real problem if they are counting on trump to win it for him. hillary doing that, too,s biden apparently called axelrod an epithet that rhymes with creek, rhymes with p, he said i hope they don't think the polls are wrong, they are not. >> when you hear axelrod attacking joe biden, it's someone very close to former president barack obama, very powerful person, democratic orbit, has not left washington, d.c., has an out sized kind of -- outside influence on this administration. when you hear criticism, coming close, and then you see the administration leaking the political magazine the plan is simply do a rose garden campaign and that's not something that's really going to enernize voters. it gives biden the sense of respectable, the youth have been going further and further to the left but a bit of a counter culture coming back. for example, the top comedians, i would not call them republican voters but at least most of them, but they are constantly making fun of the liberal culture, the democrat kind of rule, and that seems to finally show in the polls. >> john: and bill maher said this. >> do you think joe biden can do the job, absolutely. i don't think he can win the job and that's what i care about. he's going to lose because the people think he's too old and perception is reality, i'm sorry. >> the thing about those young voters, most of them are democrats. they lean democrat heavily, voted democrat in the past. >> john: and 60 years younger than the president. >> my bet is they come back. a choice between trump and abortion and trump talking about people who are his critics can't protest in public without -- boy, you bet the billions of dollars that joe biden and donald trump are going to spend in the next year is going to reminds voters what the choice is. >> john: i don't think the danger is they get into the voting booth and pull the lever for trump, they would stay home. >> he's lost about a third of his support, joe biden has, over his handling of the israel-hamas war and that puts them very much at odds with all the democratic voters who are more pro israel. when you are looking at this, what he needs to generate is the anti-trump fervor and the pro joe biden fervor, just like with republicans, if the evangelicals stay home you are in trouble and if you lose the muslim vote in michigan, will not vote for republican, not for biden, you are in trouble. >> and the idea of voting on election day is quaint, and democrats do a good job with the mail-in ballots from younger voters. a long time to mull this over. >> sandra: a live look at the state department, matt miller is set to begin a briefing there any moment now, as we look for any updates on the ongoing battle on the ground and obviously ongoing hostage negotiations that are happening. israeli military is surrounding a second hospital in northern gaza and said hamas terrorists are inside. >> john: idf releasing new video of hamas tunnels under the hospital, intense scrutiny from media and the activists. see how the state department responds as we learn more about the atrocities carried out by hamas inside gaza and outside israel list. united nations is silent. >> sandra: they said they have sent proof about the crimes against women and called the u.n. nonresponse deafening. i>> the u.n. is a hypocrite organization, rhetoric ever democratic resolutions against israel. >> john: a new report suggesting u.s. taxpayers are funding u.n. schools inside gaza where teachers are promoting anti-israel teaching. we'll get to that in just a second. first our senior national correspondent william is live in los angeles. what more do we know is being taught to the palestinian children? >> we know a lot, every year u.s. taxpayers pay for and for teachers that promote hate, and unrwa, more than $3 million from the u.s., a math teacher posted a video praising hitler, another cheered the massacre in munich in 1972 of the israeli athletes and a book, israel does not show on the map. and ninth graders celebrated the firebombing of a jewish bus and a teacher praised the hamas attack on israeli civilians. >> when you are funding unraw, you are seeking to undo israel in 1948, so the administration has a lot to answer for. >> president trump cut all funding to them in 2018, president biden reversed that to rehabilitate palestinian relations. some in congress wanted reform to come forward. >> 5th graders are taught to align with a terrorist, it does not seem to be an immediate threat, and but if you ignore that for ten years, then you get what we see. >> so the house did pass a bill accusing them of insiting violence and antisemitism. it wants state department oversight of those moneys. they say they have not denied they have employed some bad apples but -- >> john: william, thank you. >> sandra: far left protestors and lawmakers are pressing columbia university to reinstate two anti-israel student groups, which had been suspended for violating university policies in recent weeks. alexis mcadams has more, she's on columbia's campus. what is planned on campus tonight? >> hi, sandra. in a few hours, expecting to see hundreds of students, faculty and alumni show up here saying that they want those student groups to be reinstated. they are starting their own groups and say they are going to speak out tonight, but other students i talked to say they believe the university did what was right. watch. >> i support the decision 100%. every student who supports al-qaeda or hamas, they should be suspended and should be deported to their country of origin and student visas, it should be suspended immediately. >> protests erupting pretty much every week, from large marches and fights, and some groups suspended after jewish students filed dozens of safety complaints and lawsuits. >> [bleep] >> that chaos erupting at the university of michigan where around 200 pro palestinian protestors forced their way into an administration building in ann arbor, it's encouraging college leaders to fight back against antisemitism. >> they are accomplices to the notion you can butcher young children, chop heads of women. >> this new video from wisconsin we got into the newsroom shows about 20 people marching through the capital in madison carrying nazi flags, and carrying swastikas, yelling israel is not our f