politicsnation. tonight's late, new faces. ♪ ♪ ♪ right now, the next chapter is opening in the israel-hamas war, after a weeklong cease-fire and it yesterday with a few hundred hostages and prisoners released by both sides. but no clear roadmap to pace. there are reports of it writes, sirens in israel and rocket fire over gaza tonight. the white house is urging israel to show restraint as pressure builds on president biden to call for a lasting cease-fire. here in the u.s., the clock is ticking on efforts to pass but military aid bill by christmas. with lawmakers to making new conditions on israel, funds for ukraine, and even border security as part of the plan. and just a minute, i'll talk to the ranking democrat on the house foreign affairs committee, congressman greg meeks. he joins me with the latest on where all these negotiations stand. and my political panel joins me later as crunch time begins in the republican presidential primary. former president trump and florida governor ron desantis are among the candidates making their case in iowa today with less than a month and a have to the caucus. another primary debate is looming next week, but we're looking ahead to the general. i'm proud to be joined later on the show tonight by the president of the first historically black college that will ever host a presidential debate later in 2024. we start tonight with congressman greg meeks, democrat of new york. let me start, congressman, by thanking you for joining us and i know you are the ranking democrat on the house foreign affairs committee and you have been sheer of the committee. you've recently went to israel. tell me, let's start at the end of the seven-day cease-fire between israel and hamas. the resumption of bombing in gaza could weaken international support for israel and complicate white house efforts to keep humanitarian aid flowing into gaza. what is your take on the situation in the positions i've said you hold and have held. >> i'll say this. number one, we've also got to make sure that we're holding amos, talking about the pressure on israel, which we have to do, but there is also pressure on hamas violated the cease-fire on october the 7th. it was a cease-fire agreement up until october 7th. and what hamas has said, they will attempt to do another attack on israel. so we've got to put that in there. now, we've had this seven days of a truce and the exchanging of, getting hostages back and people in president and israel there. i would hope that the dialogue reignites itself. because we know there is still hostages being held by hamas and they need to get all of the hostages out of their. i would hope qatar and the president of that united states have been doing a great job of negotiating, but we've got to get all the hostages home. and if we're going to get another humanitarian pause -- it needs to be with hamas agreeing to give all of the hostages back, get them back, or show proof of life. >> there have been, congressman -- but there is pain, congressman, blame going back and forth on both sides. and i'm hearing you say that we need not only israel but hamas to agree to certain things, that it can't be a one-sided cease-fire because irritating yourself up for even more problems. >> that's exactly right. because what happens in this conversation, all human life is very important. but with also got to make sure we set the context of how to we get where we are now? and that was by hamas breaking that truce on october the 7th. and hamas knew what kind of reaction israel would have once they broke that truce. and so, and hamas has been one that's utilized palestinians as shields, to protect themselves, and they have these tunnels underground. that being, said i'm also concerned about those innocent lives, babies, palestinian babies who've lost their life. the president of the united states is very concerned, which is why his constant communication and dialogue between the president, the secretary of state, and israel. what i'm looking at now with this next phase is more of an urban attack, because still israel wants to make sure they are destroying infrastructure of hamas. and the question is, how can you do that without having the kind of deaths of innocent palestinians? my thought is that number of airstrikes that goes out from the ground, from the air to the ground, that may be hit a target but caused buildings around to crumble. that bed. it's trying to reduce that. urban wolf air and tanks, i say, ended it with some people from the media so they are our individuals that can see what's taking place, what hamas is to, what the israeli idf is doing, and how you can avoid some deaths and stomach short you're getting at those tunnels so israel won't have to worry about another attack from hamas. >> and you can't get away from the fact innocent people killed on october 7th that started all of this. you can't be selective in moral outrage and the concern now of innocent people being killed in gaza. i think vice president harris even say it, too many illicit -- innocent palestinians are being killed, too many israelis killed. congress is hoping to get an israel aid package passed by christmas, but there is disagreement on whether the bill should include ukraine aid, imposed conditions on israel, or address border security as well. what the status of the negotiations? >> clearly then the house we are in a state of dysfunction. the extreme republicans won't put anything forward. so that status in the house is nothing is happening. what the focus is, and what the hope is, and we have been talking to senator schumer that the senate will bring a bill for sometime next week that is bipartisan, seen -- senator schumer, along with republicans that signed on to the bill, that will be included. that will include israel, ukraine, humanitarian aid, taiwan and the president even said some sense of something for the border, not the draconian bill that that republicans want to put forward, which is cold hr2. so there is a dialogue taking place. i hope the senate since the bill over to the house and the pressure will be put on speaker johnson to put the bill on the floor. i think if he puts the bill on the floor, there is enough democrats and republicans collectively that will pass it. and not allow the extremists in the republican party to prevent that bill to be voted on. >> a special election will be held, let me go get this. a special election will be held in late february and the state of new york, your state and mine, to fill the seat vacated by george santos it was expelled from congress just yesterday. congressman santos fate was sealed by an ethics committee investigation that uncovered numerous inappropriate uses of campaign funds. what do you make of what happened? >> look. you have a guy that afforded the people of the third congressional district. you have a guy that has lied and lied, i think he's lied more than he's ever said anything of truth. you had an ethics committee that went through and investigated themselves, you've got a person that's been indicted of several different charges. so members of the house came together and said this is not good for the body. and so there was a two thirds vote that was needed to expel him from congress. and therefore, yesterday he was expelled. and network looking, there is an open seat. the people of the third congressional district will get the chance to elect someone that they know and that they can examine. i can tell you, i play a part in the democratic process, as the chair of the queens democratic organization because part of the state is in queens county. that shear of nassar county, and we are going to sudden together and try and come up with a candidate, a democrat, that people can't depend upon and understand and stop some of the dysfunction that is happening in the house of representatives because of the extremism of the maga republicans that are now in control. >> you and i have known each other a little over 30 years and you always understand that the parliament stuff better than i ever have. i just can't understand how you expel a guy that has 23 counties facing in federal court and has been a pathological liar and some republicans joined that democrats in excluding him, but those same republicans support to make a man with 91 federal counts he is facing and has been found by a judge in civil court of heaven lied to banks and insurance companies and he want to make an president. you may be able to explain that to meet one day, i don't understand. before i let you -- go >> north to. i >> i want to get your reaction to exchange earlier this week between political reporter april ryan and that white house press secretary kareen jean-pierre over a meeting between president biden and center and cultural icon stevie wonder. take a listen. >> ahead a conversation with stevie wonder last night, potus asking the question, meeting with the president. he's very concerned about the black agenda fall and along the wayside and issues like ones from 15 years ago that are now being abolished or gutted. to include issues like the voting rights act. is that what house amenable to sitting down with stevie wonder, who has met with presidents throughout history? >> we appreciate what he's been able to do, on behalf of the community. so i can't, as for as a meeting with the president, i'm certainly not aware of any meetings with mr. wonder. >> what do you think, congressman? should the president sit down with stevie wonder? he met with many presidents. >> i don't see anything wrong with him something done with the president. sometimes, he reminds me, reverend, all of our time. one of our great performers, harry belafonte, he was very involved and would sit down and want to talk as part of the civil rights movement. to get out a message. i don't see harm. i love april, she brought it up, she had the conversation. and of course the presidents spokesperson is from my desert. i love her, she's historic. but i don't think there is anything big fear in that regard. and should the opportunity come, we are they can have that dialogue and competition, that's fine. i remember stevie wonder at the white house when president obama was there. i'm sure they had some conversations. for stevie to have a conversation with the president, should that happen, i don't think there is a big problem with that at all. >> all right, i might, at you and i both knew harry belafonte it well. you are a little older than me when you say our time. thank you, congressman meeks. >> one year, right, one here. >> harry was but little more than one here. but i'll take that from you. now to my political panel, juanita tolliver, democratic party just and msnbc contributor and ryan wiggins is that lincoln project chief of staff. let's start off with the 2024 presidential race. today, ron desantis completes his campaign promise of visiting all 99 counties in iowa. however, he'll be sharing the split with donald trump, who's also campaigning in the state today. this marks the end of an eventful week for both of them, yesterday a federal judge rejected the former presidents immunity claim in his election interference case, setting up an appeals fight that could delay the trial. and on thursday, desantis sparred with california governor gavin newsom during a debate on fox news. the hawkeye state called -- caucus is just over six weeks away here. when it, what the state of play? >> it's a big old mess for desantis and trump is still flattened for his life and the court, but still 40 points ahead of the rest of the gop field. we can see where it's headed. even and i, where desantis has the support of the governor and his hit all until nine counties, audit think that's going to be enough to overcome trump and his popularity with gop voters. but when i think about judge chutkan's role, and trump's immunity, i don't think anybody should be surprised by that. and i don't think trump's parties are. because they're about to try to leverage this in the appeals process to play trump's favorite game. daylight, daylight, daylight. because he knows, the only way he can try to avoid prosecution as if he tries to get back in the white house successfully. and he's trying to put off any of these federal trials until after 2024, which would be detrimental to our democracy, arrive. >> on tuesday, koch network formally announced its support for nikki haley. koch will commit its network of activists and funding to her campaign. the next day, jamie dimon spoke out in favor of nikki haley, or during even independent and liberal democrat to get behind her candidacy as an alternative to trump. it seems that after months of fence sitting, many in that republican establishment and donor class are rallying behind nikki haley. but, ryan, will this help or hurt that primary voters? >> it's not going to matter. i mean, listen. the primary is over. the primary has been over. to juanita's point, trump is leading everywhere. while nikki is a better option than ron desantis, he is still a maga republican. and she's just not trump light in the way desantis is. it is that year of that woman. so you have that republicans putting up a woman who is attractive and she's well educated and she has some experience on international affairs. but she is not going to fall in line as a moderate. so it's just, you know, again, it is a waste of time. i mean, i've appreciate the fact the koch network is investing in her and not in trump. i think that is good for democracy. but, it is not going to matter. she didn't have a chance. ron desantis doesn't have a chance. none of them have never had a chance. it was always going to trump be. to secure the nomination. >> one is, that president biden is already dealing with sagging poll numbers as he heads into a turkey phase of his presidency. the temporary cease-fire between israel and hamas is over. and new violence will add to the calls for the white house to do something to end the fighting. the military aid package will move through congress, it is now being tied to poor security. an issue for the administration faces difficult choices between addressing immigration concerns and shoring up support among hispanic voters. can biden thread the needle or should he try to push the focus back on issues we are democrats are strong like reproductive rights and protecting obamacare and voter rights? which way should he go? >> we're, of the issues you just named are critically important. but it's important for biden to address immigration with him on the tight front and center. he can't hide from it and that's not going to be a good move. what he can do is try to use this border funding bill that's going to be tried to ukraine, funding for israel, and more to try to get under to the thicker issues related to immigration, whether it's funding additional resources for courts, for processing, whether it's finding additional resource for migrants to have that humanity and humane conditions that they deserve when they're exercising their right to seek asylum. it should all be greater and humanity and proactive steps because what it seems like, right now, is that republicans -- democrats were operating from behind the ball. and remember, the only present what democrats were ever in an advantage on immigration was because trump was advancing harmful, intimate policies. so ignore it is not the answer. leading with humanity is clearly the direction the pavon administration should go. >> ryan, republican george desantis suggested he became the sixth member of congress ever to be removed from your state. we don't know whether we've heard that last of santos. today he's threatening to file an ethics complaint against his former colleagues. however, what are your thoughts about his political career? was he simply an unusual character who somehow found his way to congress, or the type of politician we can expect more of in the age of trump? >> i mean, you know, i speak for everyone in this country when i say it is shock and we just expelled the ranking member of the royal family and most popular hollywood celebrity and americas 60's man from congress. this man lied and lied and lied and lied and lied about everything. and, you know, i am relieved. i think there was a minute that we did not know whether or not that republicans were actually going to expel this man. i am relieved that we don't have someone like that still sitting in congress. do i think he is finished? no. we know he's messy. so he's going to sing like a-powered in the same way madison cawthorn did and it's going to be excellent. i think it's gonna be fun for all of us to watch what's going to come up with george santos coming forward. >> all right, stay tuned. thank you juanita tolliver and ryan wiggins. let's do a quick check on the latest with the israel hamas war. nbc's david noriega is in tel aviv, israel. david, it is past midnight of right there. after another day of fighting, what else can you tell us? other day of fighting, what else can you tell us? >> reverend, after a week of respite, laura has resumed with full intensity, what the idf saying it struck more than 400 hearts across that length and width of the gaza strip. importantly, many of those strikes are happening in the southern heart of the strip, we're a large portion of the population of gaza was displaced an earlier periods of the war. that gaza health ministry says some 200 people have died in that last to testify. tiktok is, it most of them are women in children. idf says it does not target civilians, it paramus militants. and infrastructure. it points to the fact it's given detailed instructions to those and the south is too safe places to evacuate. people on the ground and gaza, however, say they have already evacuated, in many cases more than once, they feel there's no course have to go. meantime, diplomatic efforts to extend the previous cease-fire, have collapsed. both sides withdrawing from the bargaining table. reverend. >> think, you nbc's david noriega in israel. still ahead, elon musk's wild week. the billionaire tech entrepreneur traveled have around the world, only to end up back at square one when it comes to corrupting hate speech on x. that's next in this week's gotcha. gotcha (car engine revs) (engine accelerating) (texting clicks) (tires squeal) (glass shattering) (loose gravel clanking) it was a chaotic week for elon musk as f because yours fully his x platform of our content glorifying not sees. musk travel to israel to show solidarity with the jewish community, by touring the scene of a hamas attack with prime minister benjamin netanyahu. whatever goodwill musk might have generated with the trip was quickly squandered when he returned to the u.s. for an interview where he had a blunt message for companies lowered about two imperiousness with him. >> if somebody is going to try to blackmail mate with advertising, blackmailed me with money, go [bleep] yourself. >> that tech billionaires latest antics are yet more evidence he's probably either unable to confront a serious problem of hate speech on x. last week, musk responded to the appetizer boycott by attacking that watchdog group that sounded the alarm about nazi content. he filed a lawsuit against media matters, claiming it manipulated images in an effort to hurt his business. media matters says that lawsuit is a frivolous attempt to bully them into silence. elon isn't even trying to deny that hate speech is a regular occurrence on x, because he can't. researchers documented the significant rise and hateful content within weeks of musk's takeover. a situation that has only gotten worse since the outbreak of the war between israel and hamas. musk has long defended his policies by describing himself as a free speech absolutist. but those arguments grow flimsy by the day. the center for countering digital hate