with, like, spreadsheets and flow charts. the man is a walking encyclopedia of all things election-related and pennsylvania election related. so he'll be exactly the man you need him to be tonight. >> he is the guy, he's the guy. thanks, alex. >> by. >> after day of meeting with chinese president xi jinping in california today, president biden held a conference. president biden said the number one issue in the discussions today was fentanyl. >> first, i'm pleased to announce that after many years of being on hold, we're restarting cooperation between the united states the prc and counter narcotics. in 2019, you may remember, china took action to greatly reduce the amount of fentanyl shipped from china to the united states. but in the years since that time, the challenge has evolved from finished fentanyl to fentanyl chemical ingredients and pill presses, which are being shipped without control. and by the way, some of these pills are being inserted in other drugs like cocaine, a lot of people are dying. more people in the united states between the ages of 18 and 49 die from fentanyl then from guns, car accidents, or any other cause, period. so today, with this new understanding, we are taking action to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from china to the western hemisphere. it's going to save lives, and i appreciate president xi's commitment on this issue. >> the president announced a major breakthrough in military relations with china. >> we're really assuming military to military contact, direct contacts, as a lot of the press you know who follow this, that's been cut off, it's been worrisome, that's a accents happen, misunderstandings. so we're back to direct open clear direct communications on a direct basis. vital miscalculations on either side can cause real, real trouble with a country like china, or any other major country. and so, i think we will progress there as well. >> the president took questions on a range of issues, including the israel-hamas war, and we will get to those in a moment. leading off our discussion tonight is ben rhodes, former deputy national security adviser to president obama. also with us, richard stengle, former under secretary of state during the obama administration. they're both msnbc political analysts. and i want to show one more thing the president had to say today before we get to the discussion about the relationship with china. and this is his ability now to pick up the phone, as he put it. >> so, i think i know the man, i notice modus operandi, we have disagreements, he has a different view than i have on a lot of things. but he's been street. i don't mean that as good, bad, or different, he's just been straight. so, you know, as i said, the thing that i find most assuring is he raised and i fully agree that either one of us have any concern, mister ambassador, any concern about anything between our nations or happening in our region, we should pick up the phone and call one another and i will take the call. that's an important progress. >> rick a single, this is one of those demonstrations of the dynamic nature of these relationships, because i'm not sure we could've predicted a couple of years ago that the number one agenda item in a summit like this would be fentanyl. >> well, i think that's probably because they could not get much agreement on bigger issues. i mean, i know it sounds a little boring, but the biggest deliverable, as we said in the state department, the biggest achievement of the meeting was the meeting itself. for the last year, 1.5 years, china has been trending away from the u.s., criticizing the u.s., talking about how relationships with the u.s. is impossible, america's encircling them. the fact that xi jinping came here to have this meeting is a gigantic achievement in and of itself. that makes the world safer. you talk about the military to military agreement, that makes the world safer. that's a big deal. and it's great what they did about this, the precursor chemicals to fentanyl. but the biggest achievement is the meeting itself. >> ben, hear assessment of what develops today in the united states china relationship? >> well, you know, the relationship has been something of a freefall. the united states has been imposing increasing sanctions on china, preventing the inputs of certain technologies, the chinese economy, obviously at odds on key geopolitical issues. a lot of tension over time on. and it's pretty unlike usual for a year to go by without the u.s. and chinese president meeting. i think what i take away from this lawrence is that you have a war in ukraine that is in a very difficult circumstance, it's in a bit of a stalemate right now, entering almost into a third year. you have a war in the middle east that risks further escalation. and i think the administration felt it was very important to indicate that this one really big relationship, the u.s. and china, probably the most important relationship in the world between two countries, that feels like it's heading towards a cold war frankly could be headed towards a more direct confrontation over something like taiwan, that were at least putting a floor underneath the tensions between our countries and trying to reestablish the lines of dialogue to address the issues we care about. e lines the military to military contacts, what that is really about is preventing an escalation that could lead to war in the taiwan strait of the south china sea. fentanyl is something americans care a lot about. trying to get china to do a little bit more to help americans deal with what is a real crisis in our communities. there are a lot of other issues where we continue to have disagreements, including russia, including ukraine, including human rights. but i do think it sends a signal to the world and the american chinese people that at least we end china top these things out. and i think when the presidents top like, this it sends a message down into their systems, let's, like, resume dialogue and see what we can get done diplomatically, even as we know we are gonna be disagreeing with a lot of things. >> when it came to the questions, there were as many questions about israel and gaza as there were about china. let's go to the presidents response to a question about is real and what's happening in gaza, especially at that hospital where the israeli troops have now entered that hospital, let's listen to the presidents description of what he understands about that. >> here's a situation. you have a circumstance where the first war crime is being committed by hamas by having their headquarters, their military, hidden under a hospital. and that's a fact. that's what's happened. israel did not go in with a large number of troops, do not raid, did not rush everything down. they've gone in, and they've gone in with their soldiers carrying weapons, their guns. they were told -- told, let me be precise, we discuss the need for them to be incredibly careful. you have a circumstance where you know there is a fair number of hamas terrorists. hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking israel again. like they did before, cutting babies heads off to burning women and children alive. so the idea that they're going to just stop and not do anything is not realistic. this is not the carpet bombing, this is a different thing. they are going through these tunnels, they're going to the hospital. and if you notice, i was mildly preoccupied today, i apologize, i didn't see everything, but what i did see, whether -- it hasn't been confirmed it, i asked my team, the answer to the question, what happened was, they are also bringing in incubators, they're bringing in other means to help people in the hospital. and they're giving the doctors, and i'm told, the doctors and nurses and personnel, an opportunity to get out of harm's way. so this is a different story than i believe came before, the indiscriminate bombing. >> ben rhodes, there is the president taking a chance to put his framing on what's happening at that hospital. >> yeah, and it's a big choice, lawrence. i think that what joe biden is indicating with that answer is that there is a lot of criticism of the nature of the israeli military operation, obviously a lot of criticism around military operations of any sort in a hospital where you have hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians, as well as potentially hamas in the tunnel network underneath. and the administration, the biden administration, has been calibrating a bit in recent days to emphasize more the need for humanitarian assistance to get in, calling for humanitarian pauses. and i think for the presidents day, you saw him really take a strong line defending israel and saying i'm actually going to go out and be the spokesperson on behalf of what israel is doing with its military operation. and that carries some risks, because obviously this is generating a lot of international blowback, a lot of concern about the scale of the humanitarian crisis in gaza. but i think joe biden is indicating with a statements today that that is not affecting his support for the israeli military operation. i think the challenge going forward though is there are these clear divides between the israel and the u.s. on things like how is gaza going to be administered in the long run? what is the ultimate objective in this military operation? is it open and military control of gaza via israel, or is of the palestinian authority returning to gaza to assume control? that remains unresolved. but i think he did signal today, you, know in ways that will make some people happy, some people not happy, like everything in this conflict, he signaled that he's kind of doubling down on his support for prime minister netanyahu's militaries operation in gaza. >> he did say he thought it would be a big mistake for israel to think they're going to occupy gaza and maintain gaza. let's listen to this, because this is also where president biden once again talks about the two state solution. >> i've made it clear to the israelis that, to be the end his war cabinet, that i think the only ultimate answer here is a two state solution that's real. we've got to get to the point where there is an ability to be able to even talk without worrying about whether or not we're just dealing with hamas that's going to engage in the same activities they did over the past -- on the seventh. so it's -- but i can't, tell i'm not a fortune teller, i can tell you how long it's going to last. but i can tell you, i don't think it ultimately ends until there's a two state solution. i made it clear to the israelis, i think it's a clear mistake for them to think they're going to occupy gaza and take gaza. i don't think that works. so we are going to -- i think you are going to see efforts to bring along -- well, i shouldn't go into anymore, because that's things i'm negotiating with, erin countries and others about what the next steps are. >> rick stengel, i don't think it ends in till there's a two state solution? >> you know, president biden has almost singlehandedly resuscitated discussion of the two state solution. he's dedicated -- >> he did it in that very first speech in israel. >> yes, and by the way, as you know, lawrence, he's been a 45 year supporter of israel. he's been a supporter of the two-state solution for the beginning. and of course, as you know, prime minister netanyahu has tried to unravel the two state solution over the last ten years, putting the gaza strip against the west bank. president biden is saying no, you guys have to figure this out. this is the only way that you can get to a new -- session where you're not threatening war with each other every two or three or four years. so i also always have been a support of the two state solution. let's hope we can put it back on the table. >> ben rhodes, in that statement, to very loud and clear messages to the israeli government, which i'm sure have been delivered privately as well, big mistake for them to think they are going to occupy gaza and maintain gaza, and it doesn't and until there is the two solution. >> yeah, it feels to me, lawrence, that what the approach from president biden's is i'm gonna back israel's military operation, even at the risk of taking some flak, a lot of fresh whack, frankly, internationally, and some domestically. but where i have a main difference here is with the long term dispensation of gaza, who's gonna be administering gaza? who is going to be essentially govern in gaza, which is going to have a lot of challenges, including a lot of displaced and almost people in the backing of many military operation. as the long term horizon here a two state solution without palestinian sovereign state in the west bank and gaza, or is it something not, is it de facto israel control of the territories? this government under prime minister benjamin netanyahu has not accepted the objective of a two-state solution at all, and particularly not in the context of their ongoing military operation. so this, to me, is an area where there's going to be some friction going forward. i think part of what the administration is doing is trying to line up arab countries, european allies, the kind of countries that want to see an end to this conflict behind a plan that can build a different policy and leadership, obviously from hamas, but even from the sclerotic and corrupt palestinian authority that can be the potential palestinian state. however, at some point, that's going to have to involve a very hard conversation with the israeli government. whether that involves premised or netanyahu, who's currently in political hot water there, whether a different israeli leadership emerges that's more open to a two state solution remains to be seen. but for people watching this, this is the area where i think there is the biggest gap between biden and netanyahu, this question of how does this end. we try to make this and in a two state solution, or do we try to make this and in a military defeat that is permanent, essentially, with israeli control over gaza? and that remains to be seen. >> this was one of this press conference says where the president stopped a couple of times after leaving the microphone on his way out of the room and turned and took some of the shouted questions, the microphones don't pick that stuff up as well, but one of those shouted questions was about the hostages that hamas has taken. let's listen to that. >> i'm doing everything in my power to get you out. coming to help you to get you out. i will be sending military in to get them, is that what you thought i meant? no, no, i was not talking about the military. i was talking about they are on our mind every single day, five, six times a day, i'm working on how i can be helpful in getting the hostages released. they have a period of time where there is a pause long enough to let that happen. and there are somewhere between 50 and 100 hostages there. we think. >> sir, one is a three-year-old american child. >> i'm ready to -- that's why i won't stop until we get them. >> rick stengle, he was very clear on how much attention the hostages have from him. >> it's getting a lot of attention from him, from the u.s. government. we're always focused on hostages. but i think biden's theory of the case is he wants to modulate the israelis, he wants to make sure they operate with restraint. the only way you can do that as u.s. president is to say i have your back, i'm with you, i have unconditional support for you. then the israelis will listen to him and i think that, behind the scenes, biden is being straight with them, that's how he describes xi jinping, he's been straight with them about the fact that they have to show some restraint, they have to care about this humanitarian needs their. and i think he will be effective in that. >> ben rhodes, the president is always very careful when he talks about the hostages and you can see him in realtime trying to check his words to make sure he doesn't say anything that might in any way get in the way of a deal on getting hostages. >> well, yeah, from everything i understand about this, lawrence, from talking to people in multiple governments, i mean, it's pretty clear that the u.s. is really trying to negotiate some pretty significant release of hostages, perhaps particularly women and children through qatar. qatar has a relationship with hamas and egypt, and obviously, the israeli government. now, that will have to include a multi dimensional agreement where israel probably will have to pause its military operations for some period of time, in part to just allow for the transfer of those hostages out. at the same time, you need to have -- you need to make sure that hamas is doing what they're committed through a third party, which is qatar, because the u.s. is not in direct contact. it's very complicated, three dimensional negotiations involving people who are active combatants in a war zone to keep commitments that are gonna be difficult. so i think he wants to say not say anything that is going to upset that precarious balance of negotiation, nor is he going to want to over promise, other than his commitment to getting these people out. i think what is clear is that the u.s. is trying to get them out through negotiation. it is easier, as someone who's been in government trying to get hostages out of war zones, it is just a fact that it is easier to do that through negotiation and through the military operation, particularly in a chaotic area like gaza that is very densely populated, where you have a lot of people in close proximity, obviously you've got tunnel networks. and so, i think the thing to look for is whether or not there is some humanitarian pause that is accompanied by a deal to get a bunch of hostages out that is mediated by qatar. and israel has to sign off on obviously, they want to get those people out to. but they have to stop their military operation long enough for that to happen. >> ben rhodes and richard stengel, thank you very much for joining us on this important day in american foreign policy, appreciate it. thank you. and when we come back, now we know who leaked the video evidence in the case of georgia versus donald trump and his codefendants. that's next, when andrew weissmann and gwen keyes. weissmann and gwen keyes you've evolved. ♪ you've changed. so have we. that's why dove body wash now has 24 hour renewing micro moisture for continuous care. dove body wash. change is beautiful. (sung) febreze! i use febreze fabric refresher everyday. to make my home smell amazing. on my bed... my couch... my jacket or jeans. in between washes. even shoes. febreze doesn't cover up odors with scent, but fights them and freshens! over one thousand uses. febreze fabric refresher. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪♪) he hits his mark —center stage—and is crushed by a baby grand piano. you're replacing me? customize and save with liberty bibberty. he doesn't even have a mustache. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ my active psoriatic arthritis can make me feel like i'm losing my rhythm. with skyrizi to treat my skin and joints, i'm getting into my groove. ♪(uplifting music)♪ along with significantly clearer skin... skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. and is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. skyrizi attaches to and reduces a source of excess inflammation that can lead to skin and joint symptoms. with skyrizi 90% clearer skin and less joint pain are possible. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower abi