Majority of objections on the lgbtq books. The author of one of the original ban books joins us live as the 11th hour gets underway on this thursday night. Good evening, once again, im stephanie ruhle. We begin this evening broadcast with President Biden stark warning of the Clear And Present Danger to american democracy. The president sounded the alarm during a speech in arizona about what he described as the threat from maga extremists. And he did not hold back today, launching a direct attack on the former president and his entire party. There is an Extremist Movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy, the Maga Movement. There is no question that these Republican Partys is driven by meg or publican extremists. Theyre not hiding their attacks. Theyre openly promoting them. Extremists and congress are more determined to shut down the government to burn the place down. Trump says the constitution gave him quote, the right to do whatever he wants as president , and of quote. Ive never heard a President Say that in jest. Meg extremist across the country have made it clear where they stand. The challenge for the rest of america, for the majority of america, is to make clear where we stand. Thats why im asking you, regardless of whether a democratic, republican, independent, put the preservation of our democracy before everything else. But our country first. President biden also spoke about Donald Trumps threatening post, suggesting that outgoing Chief Of Staff mark milley be executed. The president called out the rest of the Republican Party for failing to condemn it. This is the United States of america. And although i dont believe even the majority of republicans think that, the silence is deafening. Hardly any republican call allowed such hated statements. General milley responded to trumps threat in an interview with 60 minutes earlier this week. He is suggesting that you be punished by death. The former commander and chief, to his former top military advisor. Im a soldier. Ive been faithful and loyal to the constitution of the United States for 44 and a half years. And my family and i have sacrificed greatly for this country. As much of these comments are directed at me, its also directed at these two schanda military. Theres 2. 1 million of us in uniform. And the American People can take it to the bank that all of us, every single one of us, from private to general, are loyal to that constitution will never turn our back on a matter what. It almost seems odd ask this question because the former commanderinchief seems to be calling for your execution. Are you worried about your safety . Ive got adequate safety precautions. I wish those comments not been made, but they were, and will take appropriate measures to ensure my safety in the safety of my family. President bidens blunt warning about the threat to democracy came as House Republicans held their first impeachment Inquiry Hearing into him. Our own right nibbles has more from capitol hill. House republicans kicked off their first impeachment Inquiry Hearing. Democrats posting a shutdown clock. And arguing republicans have yet to provide evidence President Biden directly benefited from his sons lucrative foreign business dealings. If the republicans had a smoking gun, or even a dripping water pistol, they would be presenting it today, but theyve got nothing on joe biden. Republicans countering theyve collected evidence that is worth further explore rain. Whether it was lunches, phone calls, white house meetings, or official foreign trips, Hunter Biden Cash in by arranging access to joe biden. A gop witness supporting an inquiry, democrats asking if he would vote to impeach now. He would vote no, correct . On this evidence, certainly. Before todays hearings, we press the Top Republicans about that was that message the hunter sent while his father was not in office, describing the family ran as his only asset. How does that demonstrate that there is some sort of political influence been put over him, if at that time he is not an elected official . Im definitely not going to pinpoint one item. I think weve outlet youve presented it. It was the first thing you brought up. Apparently you dont agree with it its not that i dont agree with, that im asking you to explain it. Ill take the next question. With that, lets get smarter. Tonight with the help of our leadoff panel. My girl kara lenin is here, Pulitzer Prizewinning Investigative Reporter with the Washington Post. Former democratic new york Congressman Max Rose joins us. And paul wright coughed, founder of iraq and afghanistan veterans of america. And of course, host of the independent americans podcast. Paul, i want to turn to you first, President Biden has given three other speeches about democracy before. But i dont know, this one seem different. This one seemed heavier, darker, more pressing. Seems like hes on the offensive. And i think thats whats been needed. I think weve needed to name it as a National Security threat. Ive been talking about it on this network and other places for over a year. I think what were facing is what ive called an american insurgency. Its a group of people who want to violently overthrow our government. They want to disrupt our politics. And theyre extremists. They are a part of the Republican Party. Theyre not the entire Republican Party. But there are a threat to our National Security. They want to disrupt our government. They want to defund our troops. They want to shut down promotions for military people. And they ultimately want to reverse the election. So you i think you have to name it for what it is. As an independent, ive been waiting for the democrats to take the gloves off. Call it what it is and fight back. I think its about our National Security. Our enemies have been celebrating this. And i think its about time biden stood up and went on the offensive and did his job as ultimately, commanderinchief, because this is beyond politics. This is not just a squabble between two parties. This is about defending our democracy, and now defending our military. With the former president and commanderinchief has threatened to have our chairman Joint Chiefs Of Staff executed, executed. This is how high the stakes are, and its about time we got serious about. Lets listen to a little bit more excuse me, im struggling tonight. We are on tv can light night. Lets listen to a bit more what the president said earlier. Democracies dont have to die at the end of a rifle. They can die when people are silent, when they failed to stand up or condemn threats to democracy. When people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated. Max, how important is that message for americans and for democrats going into 2024 . It is the most important message, and this is not new, by the way, this is the message that democrats ran on in 2022 and one more seats or defended more seats than anyone thought they would. But this is also what drives joe biden each and every day as the president and as he truly believes, and you see him wrapping his arms, rightfully so, around independents and republicans, because he is standing up for something much bigger than a political party. Hes standing up for an institution that he has dedicated his life to, the very same institution and constitution instead of values and ethics and morals that you see our chairman of the joint chief standing up for when he says, i represent not just myself, but the 2. 1 million, exactly. And these young Men And Women In Uniform, that Resolute Defiance that you saw the chairman stand there with against a president , a former president , attacking him and his family. We have both seen those young men and women show that same strength in combat. And ill tell you, in the face of what these people have seen downrange, donald trump is nothing but in old, crazy man. Do you think the military Community Knows that . Are they all watch on 60 minutes last sunday night, will the message get to them . Because a lot voted for him. And theyve known this for years. They voted for him anyway . Theyve been waiting for the American Public to notice. Theres a lot of people from the military, Law Enforcement voted forum. Many of them cant speak out. Someone like milley, they can, and they are an influential part of this. Independents, roughly 50 of independent veterans or independents. They wash this stuff and they see what happens. Milley speaking out like he has is critical. And hes crowd Sane A Rubicon The Chairman dont cross. But thats what this moment requires. And weve also had seven secretaries of defense speak out, weve had most retired flag right speak out. And theyre trying to appeal to the middle of america, who somehow on the fence here and still keep up in the polls. Thats why theyre speaking out. Carol, last nights debate, gop debate was held at the reagan library. Today, President Biden was in arizona honoring john mccain, two of the most revered republicans in modern history. What does it say that todays Republican Party would not nominate orelect either one of those men for office . You know, i think its pretty powerful what biden had to say about silence because when he chose to go to the mccain library, when he chose to celebrate essentially john mccains integrity and devotion to country above party, what you saw john mccain do several times. I think you remember, the staff, because i think youve shown the clip, senator mccain, while campaigning against president obama, had some of his followers scream out, hes this, and accuser bomb of various things. And john mccain stop them and said, no sir, hes an honorable man. I disagree with him on policy, but hes an honorable man. Were not going to be attacking him. When biden chose to elevate, you know, that relationship that he has with john mccain, he was sane, this is a man who wouldnt sit silently while obama was name called. He was not a person who would be silent about something that confounded his view of integrity. His view of whats important for the country. And what is so striking that biden is calling out is the silence of republicans who dont want extremists with bayonets attacking the capitol. But are essentially, as paul described, been so quiet about it that they act as if it would be okay if that happened. Their silence about a threat to execute the joint chiefss and the chairman is beyond the pale. And yet, thats where we are. I think ive interviewed general milley a time or two before, and he could not be more clear about how concerned he is about devotion to the constitution. He said it again, that we will uphold the constitution. We dont uphold one man. Its the constitution. You may remember, general kelly, while the Chief Of Staff to donald trump and growing increasingly concerned about the extremism that donald trump was exhorting, soliciting, pumping up while he was president. John kelly took a moment with all of his staff, very large part of the staff, i want to remind all of you, we sworn oath to the constitution, not to a person. In essence, he was telling them, if this guy asked you to do something thats against the constitution, check yourselves. And that is what milley is reminding everybody about again. Yuck we have to remember that a lot of people that you described in the military, in the Law Enforcement, in the fbi, supported and support donald trump. And mark milley will be retiring on saturday. He was honored with a clap out when he left the pentagon today. I clearly im going to show that. Watch this. [applause] [applause] [applause] see you tomorrow. Max, the president spoke, not just about trump, but about how most republicans said absolutely nothing about trump s threats to milley. As a veteran, how does that make you feel . Those your colleagues. I walked up and down those steps hundreds of times, and that was not just about the chairman. If you look at those other Service Members who were standing to the left and right of him for the last 20 years, they have deployed on and off, on and off, missing so many days with their family. And here, you have a former president of the United States who didnt even have the courage and the strength to serve in combat himself when his country was at war, claimed bone spurs. Ran away like a coward. And i believe, you know, where in the craziness of politics right now with a primary and their extremist base. But i do have faith that the majority of americans see that when he says something about that without an American Hero who represents 2 million Men And Women In Uniform and so many other americans, that they see through it for what it is. Cowardice and weakness and unamerican behavior. You have faith that the American Voter will stop that, or say something, but what do you think about all the republicans that said nothing . Republicans who are veterans themselves. I think it is cowardly. It is treasonous. At this point, it is really treasonous. I think we have to name for what it is. What you see and mark milley is a true patriot. What you see and is a true patriot. What you see in the former president is now a traitor, someone who is an enemy of this country, who wants to under, minus two is a threat to our National Security. I think the important point here is, i think this is a political hill that Trumps Campaign dies on. Really . When you talk to military having said this before . We have. But the question is, if the democrats can capitalize on it. Can they get this message through that anybody here biden speech today . Can they get milley out on the campaign trail . Because ultimately independents will decide this election. Those are folks who care about National Security. Many are veterans, and if you come after the military consistently like this, i think this is the destruction of the gop. It will fragment. It cannot hold this. This is not the party of ultimately, this is what could swing the election to bidens favor if he can capitalize and stay on the offensive. Do you think this time is different, carol, you have reported for the last few years on all the times donald trump challenged so many of our institutions, but for a former Commander In Chief to float the idea of executing one of the nations top military officers, do you think that puts this one on a whole other level . Again, i know we have said it before. My skepticism is pretty thick here about what will be the hill the former president will die on. What would be the issue that would make people turn away from him . Lets all remember for a moment that he invited extremists, white nationalists, white supremacists, altright groups to the u. S. Capitol on january 6th, and said it will be wild. Told them to fight like Hell And Go Of Constitution Avenue where they actually did fight like hell with weapons. He said to several of his deputies on the day of january 6th, that he wanted to let people who had weapons, firearms, all sorts of Bulletproof Vests and their spray to be allowed through the magnetometers into his rally on the ellipse, and said he wanted to walk with him up to the capitol. So it is hard to see how exactly this moment, saying that mark milley could be executed at another time is so terribly different or so much more frightening than what we have already all seen. Max, can we go back to something that paul just touched on. This is a defining moment, if the democrats can get their message out and capitalize on it. Right . The president speech today was so important. But you live in a regular community in staten island, you know your voters, will people understand the importance of the threat to our democracy over the economy, Border Security . Because the truth of it is, those issues over here are right out the window if we dont have a functioning democracy. Were getting people to understand that is easier said than done. My party has also struggled with repetition and this is a particular case where, when you have your political opponent, assaulting and criticizing unnecessarily a secret american institution, that has the full faith and trust of the American People for centuries, that you have got to repeat that over and over again, and elevate yourself above, that because ultimately what this election will be about, just as we saw in prior elections from the Maga Movement plays a role, this will be about your belief in this country, values, that will go ahead of anything else. Whether or not you are pictured, whether or not you believe in our democracy and constitution, so long as the Democratic Party repeats that over and over again resist any urge to culturally alienate millions of people, they will win this election. Well, time to take the word patriot back. Carol, m