>> no way. a lot of money. >> no way. thank you, president. is this your mug shot? >> this is what we're reduced to, which could be the slogan for donald trump's campaign as his republican sycophants continue to kneel to the first ever felon to be a major party presidential nominee. first up tonight bump stocks turn guns into rapid fire killing machines. nonetheless the six leonard leo conservatives on the supreme court say they cannot be banned, leading to a scathing dissent fromjustice sonia sotomayor. but we begin tonight by wishing everyone a happy flag day, which commemorates the day in 1777 when the continental congress approved the stars and stripes as the symbol for an emerging if imperfect nation. and as there has been some confusion recently the american legion wanted to clarify that the flag should never be displayed with the union down except as a symbol of dire distress in instance of extreme danger to life or property. in other words, never upside down. if someone wouldn't mind sharing that info with the alitos, we'd greatly appreciate it. just be careful. martha-anne can come in a little karen hot. the display we saw from some congressional republicans and donald trump cannot be described as anything less than a signal of dire distress. trump has long admired the world's most authoritarian leaders and the forced sycophancy they demand from their people. we've heard it time and again from trump like his adulation for kim jong-un over his citizens of north korea. >> he's the head of the country, and i mean he's a strong head. don't let anyone think anything different. he speaks and his people sit up to attention. i want my people to do the same. >> and perhaps trump's birthday wish came true because that's exactly what he got from republicans yesterday on his first visit back to the scene of the crime where his maga people let loose. it wasn't long before everyone showed up including mitch mcconnell and surprise surprise mitt romney. but they deemed it necessary to continue to shower applause and praise on donald trump even after he left the room. we see you, ted cruz. did you forget the insults trump made against your wife and your father? why were you clapping so vigilously there? i guess they were all afraid trump would find out who stopped clapping first and hoped he would learn who kept it going. what makes it seem so much more nauzuting is that they were on bended knee for the same person who caused them to have to run for their lives on january 6th. back then it even started like they were starting to learn their lesson when a few of them came out and said things like this. >> all i can say is count me out, enough is enough. if you're a conservative, this is the most offensive concept in the world that a single person could disenfranchise 155 million people. >> what happened here today was an insurrection incited by the president of the united states. >> there's no question, none that president trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. no question about it. >> but, of course, that was only a momentary glitch in the matrix. they soon reverted tattoo their natural cowardice and raw ambition. and let's not forget that before they were willing to drink the kool-aid, we heard from some of these same people what they really felt about trump back in 2016. >> i think he's a cook, i think he's crazy. >> there's no way we're going to allow a con-artist to take over the conservative movement and donald trump is a con-artist. >> this man is pathological liar. he doesn't know the difference between truth and lies. he lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. >> those were the days. oh, and trump's attacks on all of them were just as bad if not worse. but yesterday we saw how trump has trained his party to stay in line and obey in ways he previously could only dream of. while those republicans appeared quick to forget the past, it is worth noting to each and every one of them that while they were throwing their impromptu 78th birthday party for a felon, it's likely that some of the same capitol police officers who were providing security yesterday for trump and for them could have easily also been attacked by his insurrectionists on january 6th, attacks that included being bludgeoned at the very u.s. flag that we honor on flag day. joining me now is michael steele, former rnc chair and co-host of "the weekend" on msnbc. and david cay johnston, distinguished visiting lecturer at syracuse college of law and author of "the big cheat how donald trump fleeced america and enriched himself and his family." michael steele, i have to go to you first. you used to be the chairman of this party. and i just want to know how it felt for you watching these people including i'm shocked to say mitt romney -- maybe not shocked. maybe not so surprised -- debase themselves for donald trump after he sacked the capitol and made them all run for their lives. >> it's numbing in many respects because after -- after so many offenses and so many lies and so many betrayals by the leadership of my party, in one sense you do become numb. but that has to be a momentary feeling. you have to then decide whether or not you're going to engage them to help them understand how wrong they are and how bad not only donald trump is for the party but has been for our country. and so, yeah, in many respects you sit there and watch them all saddle up and sing happy birthday, you know, to the 34-count felon and, you know, embrace the flag and law and order and all of that. but it's all a lie because their actions betray all of that. their actions betray them, and the actions show the rest of us exactly who they are in this moment. and so this is the narrative, and this is the visual that's going into this election. and it's important for the american people to say -- to understand and appreciate that these individuals are in many respects an extension of all of us. they represent all of us. u.s. senators, congress members, governors, and it becomes on this day a reflection that we have to take seriously that this is not who we are, and this is not normal. >> let me tell you what liz cheney had to say. liz cheney she saved her greatest scorn for mitch mcconnell, who did say ongen 6, 2021, that donald trump was morally responsible for the sacking of the capitol and for the coup attempt on that day. and she said, you know, mitch mcconnell knows trump provoked the violent attack on our capitol and then watched television happily has his mob brutally beat police officers and hunted the vice president. he knows trump refused for hours to tell his mob to leave, and even then with police officer bleeding he kept repeating his election lies and praising the criminals. he knows trump committed a disgraceful dereliction of duty and a danger to our republic. trump and his collaborators will be defeat, and history will remember the shame of people like mitch mcconnell who enabled them. dean, my friend, you wrote a piece for nbc calling these people cowards. i think it's an apprupro term, but i'm going to let you say more. >> sure. i mean apparently yesterday was bring a terrorist to workday because that's the reality. what so angers me, joy, is that january 6th was an act of domestic terrorism. that's what christopher wray testified before the house and senate. ted cruz even leaked out one saying it was act of terrorism. they had to apologize for telling the truth. they welled a terrorist to the capitol yesterday. this is like bin laden to ground zero 3 1/2 years after 9/11. they go to the capitol where they cheer him, sang songs, gave him a baseball from the congressional baseball game the day before. and to me you noted these people ran for their lives. josh hawley ran like a cartoon character and to michael's point this is who they are. and today's gop is how democracies die, and that's historically acterate. it is not a democratic party, it's not a political party as we know it. it's a fascist movement that's anti-democratic that will use violence to acquire power and retain power. and look what's coming now november 5th. who knows what they have in store for us, and the danger part is the gop will all line up no matter what trump asks of him. >> we know from what they did, dave, that they will. let meplay for you just to remind everyone donald trump has no respect for any of these people, no more respect than any of us really owe them at this point, but let's remind ourselves how donald trump has spoken about them. >> one of the problems with ted cruz is everybody hates him. i mean such a nasty guy. everybody hates him. let me tell you the real con-artist -- excuse me. the real con-artist is stenter marco rubio. i backed mitt romney. i backed him. you can see how loyal he is. he was begging for my endorsement. i could have said mitt, drop to your knees, he would have dropped to his knees. he was begging. and he walks like a penguin onto the stage. >> and david cay johnston, the response of republicans to that kind of contempt and he has to his voters let's be clear is mitt romney debasing himself at a dinner eating ketchup with a steak trying to become republican of the state and a republican named greg stuby introducing legislation to rename the united states coastal waters after donald trump, naming our coastal waters after trump. it's been house republicans proposing to rename dulles airport donald trump international airport. i could go on. the more he despises them and the more contempt he treats them with, the further onto their knees they fall. >> well, what you're seeing here, joy, is a public mental health crisis. all of these people are being infected in a social sense by donald trump's deep mental illnesses. and instead of standing up to him, and people will quickly realize he's a pathetic little man, they're instead bowing down to him because they're afraid. well, you know, more than a million people died for this country. my father was 100% disabled veteran of world war ii. and these cowards won't stand up for principle. and, you know, something to think about for the republicans. if ronald reagan were alive right now, he would be appalled. you would see him at the forefront of saying this is wrong. and for all criticism one can have of ronald reagan, he absolutely would not have gone along with this. and so you're seeing spineless people who have no moral core only want to hang onto power. and yesterday we saw what adam schiff very smartly called take a felon to workday. >> michael, you were saying -- you were nodding because you grew up in this party. and, you know, there was a time when the people who used to believe that floridation was a conspiracy theory were trying to take over the republican party. and republicans said, yeah, you no, you're not invited to the party. you can't be here. and they got rid of them. and now they don't have the spine to try to get this guy out of their -- out of their lives. why? >> you know, it's an interesting point, and an important historical note whether you're talking about the john birch society, you're talking about even the dance with the devil in the southern strategy of richard nixon. and at various points the party leadership, joy, the leadership, the men and women, the bob doles and the ronald reagans, the jack kemps said, no, that's not who we are. the john mccains -- we still have the image of john mccain standing up against that -- the incendiary hatred of barack obama in that presidential race in 2008 and saying, no, that's not who he is, ma'am, and that's not who i am as a candidate for the president of the united states. that's not the kind of president i country we are. that leadership is gone, and it is the hardest part of this story when it comes to the modern day version of the gop that sticks. and liz cheney nails it, absolutely nails it. the stain from these individuals collectively is a absolute failure of leadership. the ability to just say, no, that's not who we are. so, yeah, now we understand that's who they are, but it's not necessarily what those of us who remain beside the party are about and that's going to be the fight to come. stay tuned. >> let me play really quickly because he also met with business leaders. i want you to listen to what andrew ross sorkin, a cnbc business reporter reported what donald trump said. >> i will say i was surprised, i spoke to a number of ceos who i would say walked into the meeting being trump supporterish or thinking they might be leaning that direction who said that he was remarkably meandering, could not keep a straight thought, was all over the map and that they -- which may be not surprising but what's interesting to me because these are people who i think might have been actually predisposed to him. >> david, that's the guy you recognize, right? >> oh, absolutely. and, listen, the big tax cuts to corporations and the very wealthy who got 83% of all the tax cuts, those run out next year. this is craven by ceos. and the mistake they're making is thinking that if they get donald trump back in the white house and they get a lower tax rate, that that's going to be good for their business. everything else about donald trump is going to be terrible for business, terrible for the economy. the idea of replacing the income tax with tariffs, you want to make us with poverty and have everyone walking around with holes in their shoes and ragged jeans, that's what you do. go to that method. >> very quickly, dean, last word to you. and they also think they'd be able to control their businesses. he wants to be putin. he'd be in control. >> obviously. look at the oligarchs in russia, look at the one that saddled up to putin they're either dead or fled the country. that's the reality. so you can own a president. >> yeah, it's a fire sale, selling the united states for parts. michael steele, dina, david cay johnston, thank you very much. and next on the reid out the supreme court overtanned a ban today like the one on bump stocks. the impact of that decision next. stocks the impact of that decision next oh, why leaffilter? it's well designed, efficient, i appreciate that. leaffilter's technology keeps debris out of your gutters for good, guaranteed. what more could you ask for? call 833.leaf.filter today, or visit leaffilter.com. if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ why would i use kayak to compare an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. hundreds of travel sites at once? i like to do things myself. i can't trust anything else to do the job right. kayak... aaaaaaaahhhh kayak. search one and done. in a matter of seconds a country music festival turned tragic, a storm of gunfire raining down upon the innocent crowd. >> whoo, that was october 1st, 2017 after a shooter added a bump stock to all of his 14 semiautomatic rifles and slaughtered 60 people while injuring more than 500 at a country music festival in las vegas. the carnage took just ten minutes. the bump stock helped him unleash nine rounds per second, killing more people faster. today leonard leo's conservative supreme court majority led by its most os10 tagsly corrupt justice, clarence thomas, said that donald trump overstepped i just said his authority in 2018 when he had the atf ban those devices, a ruling he expected they would make because he didn't really want to ban them. bump stocks causes a semiautomatic rifle's trigger to buck against the shooter's finger, repeatedly bumping the trigger so the shooter doesn't have to pull it, effectively reloading the gun at the same speed as an automatic rifle. bump stocks effectively turns guns into machine guns. it is against the law to own a machine gun, well it was until today. thanks to justice thomas, alito, kavanaugh, gorsuch, and barrett it is now essential illegal for americans to use machine guns. thomas used ridiculous logic to explain bump stocks do not turn semiautomatic rifles into machine guns even though they clearly do, a point justice sotomayor made in her dissent on behalf of the minority. today she wrote today court puts bump stocks back into civilian hands. to do so it casts aside congress' definition of machine gun. when i see a bird that walks like a duck, quacks like a duck i call that bird a duck. i bump stock equipped semiautomatic rifle fires automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. because i like congress call that a machine gun, i respectfully dissent. president biden reacting to the ruling issued a statement saying, quote, weapons of war have no place on the streets of a civil society. today six justices put those weapons of war back on the streets. even more terrifying this court has yet to issue a decision on whether domestic abusers can be banned from owning guns or whether trump as president would have absolute immunity to order assassinations. well, today they've made the most lethal implements of murder, mass murder, and assassination more accessible. joining me now is fred guttenberg, whose daughter jamie was killed in the parkland shooting in 2018. the coauthor of "american carnage, shattering the myths that fuel gun violence." fred, i hate that i call upon you and only see you in these circumstances. but i just want to let you respond to what the court did today. >> so today, demolition crews started tearing down the building that my daughter was killed in, my daughter and 16 others. today was the day they started tearing it down, and i keep thinking about that building, sandy hook, you know, uvalde, all these instances of gun violence that because of today's decision we won't be talking about 15 killed or 20 killed. we'll be talking about 100 killed or 200 killed. now, joy, let me be very clear about what the supreme court is doing. 20 years ago when my daughter was born, ar-15 sales were maybe 2% of all guns sold. in 2008 the heller decision defined a phrase called common use. the industry went on a manufacturing binge to put these weapons into common use. that's 16 years ago. following that, they developed this technology to turn them into machine guns. and today the supreme court said have at it. more people are going to die. supreme court justice clarence thomas' signature will be on their death certificate. for whatever reason that man hates everything that makes america great, and this is going to be so deadly. so i just want to say one more thing. there's a really simple solution. every single person watching this show today needs to check your voter registration. go online right now and do it. check your voter registration, make sure you vote in november. actually, make sure you vote early if you can because what this supreme court did is gave maga the tools to potentially turn that time leading into the election into one where they're going to threaten this kind of violence. vote early, vote absentee if you can, check your voter registration today. >> yeah, it is such a great point because the only power we have against the supreme court is a ballot. your beautiful daughter was killed along with as you said 16 of her friends. that isn't even in the top five deadliest shootings we had in this country. the one in las vegas was number one at 60 because this man had what we call a street sweeper, effectively a machine gun. vegas, 41 people in orlando. southerland springs, texas, 26. that as you said doesn't