From Msnbc World headquarters here in New York. Welcome, everyone, to alex witt reports. We begin with decision 2024, Election Day is now 52 days away, and today, Vice President Kamala Harris is attending events in washington, d. C. while her running mate, governor tim walz, will appear shortly in superior, wisconsin. Vice president ial candidate Jd Vance is appearing in greenville, north carolina. Early voting in person begins monday in pennsylvania, and Congressman Natalie gaines says that while the polls are closed, she believes democrats can pull off a win in the purple state. I dont explain the polls, i just say this is going to be a very close election. While this remains close in the next 51 days, we want to prove that we will be the Keystone State again. Vice president Harris Yesterday made campaign stops in johnstown and wilkesbarre, pennsylvania, outlining her plan to help ease economic burdens on low and middle income families. I have a plan to help lower the Cost Of Living for americas families on everything from healthcare to groceries, including i will take on corporate price gouging, which, as we know, is about those few bad guys taking advantage of desperate people and there needs to be a consequence. And former President Trump, meanwhile, spoke in Las Vegas Last Night with one solid promise to workers there when i am back in that beautiful White House, we will pass larger Tax Cuts for workers, and we have a special tax that here, i think is going to do quite well, it is called no tax on tips. The new Prediction Today from trumps former lawyer and fixer, michael cohen, and his interpretation of Trumps Approach to the election. You cannot lose. Now, how can he lose to a woman . How can he lose to a black woman . He needs to come up with an excuse in advance, knowing he is going to lose the election. He needs the big Lie Number two, in order to keep the graft going. We have several reporters in place covering all of the big stories of the day for us. We will first go to Vaughn Hillyard in Las Vegas where trump held that rally Last Night at this pivotal moment. Ron . Reporter thats right, this week could be a defining one with early voting now just a mere few days away, but even so, it was the debate on Tuesday Night that set the tone for what americans are helping play out on the Campaign Trail. The two president ial nominees in Dueling Showdowns friday night. Vice president Kamala Harris in pennsylvania. We are not going back, because america is ready for a new way forward. Reporter former President Trump in nevada. Kamala harris, you are fired, you are fired get out reporter as thousands of voters, including those in battleground wisconsin, begin receiving mail ballots next week. You are a big Trump Supporter . How do you feel about the race right now . It is close. Reporter mr. Trump also speaking to reporters from his Los Angeles Golf club on friday, while facing more scrutiny from his own party, over his travels this week with Laura Loomer, a far right activist known for Making Racist and homophobic comments online. I know she is a big fan of the campaign, but i really dont know. Reporter with the she bring to you . She brings a spirit to us that a lot of people have, we have a lot a very spirited people. Reporter hours later, Trump Posting to his Social Media account, shes a private citizen and a supporter, i disagree with the statements she made. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning in pennsylvania, where her opponent, handily won four years ago, trying to and broaden her tickets appeal to workingclass voters. For far too long, our nation has encouraged only one path to success, a four year college degree. Reporter but, harris also facing continued protests as a Ceasefire Deal between Israel And Hamas remains unsecured, and both candidates dealt a blow friday after Pope Francis spoke out on the u. S. Election, criticizing trump for his treatment of migrants, and harris for her support of Abortion Rights. [ speaking in a global language ] reporter saying voters must decide between the lesser of two evils. And after insisting earlier this week that he would not debate Vice President harris again, after his performance earlier this week, Donald Trump on friday seemingly opening up the door to reconsidering. When asked if he would engage in another debate, he responded, maybe, if i got in the right mood. Okay, whatever that means. Thank you for that. Lets go to Aaron Gilchrist at the White House for us. Aaron, welcome. What are we hearing from the Vice President in her second Sitdown Interview since becoming the democratic nominee . Reporter alex, lets talk about the where of it all, first. The Vice President spent four of five days last week in pennsylvania, yvonne mentioned that she was in lazeric county, that is a bright red, ruby red, fire engine red, it is a Red County in pennsylvania, and the Harriswalz Campaign has said that they want to spend time in those places, where former President Trump has always had a firm grip, but places where they think they can sort of run up the margins just a little bit to try to garner some more support. So, she sat down there with philadelphiabased tv station, a local tv station, the Abc Affiliate there. Obviously, in that republican county, she talked about some of the things we have heard her talk about on the Campaign Trail before, about her economic ideas, about what she wants to do for Small Businesses and lower costs for families, she talked about her own Gun Ownership and gun rights, as well. And then, she was asked by the reporter there about how she would speak to people who share former President Trumps values, but are open to something different. That is how the question was phrased. I want you to hear part of her response to that question. Most americans want a leader who brings us together, as americans. And not someone who professes to be a leader, who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other. I think people are exhausted with that approach, to be honest with you. I think that just makes us stronger and more healthy as a country, to say, look, we can all debate our differences around, you know, various policies. But, lets stop with the division. Like, enough of that. Lets bring everybody together. Reporter that really is consistent with the message that the Vice President has been taking across the country. It is worth noting that she is here in washington today. Her and President Biden will speak today at the congressional black Caucus Dater Dinner that is happening tonight. Her running mate, governor tim walz, is also on the Campaign Trail today, and they both will be in these critical Battleground States again next week, alex. We just learned from the campaign that the Vice President will be in pennsylvania, michigan, and wisconsin next week. Governor walz will be in georgia, and north carolina. Again, these critical Battleground States where there is an understanding at this point in the cycle, alex, that the supporters who support Vice President harris are pretty much locked in. Those Who Support Former President Trump are pretty much locked in. It is that sliver of people who are undecided in those key Battleground States, that the campaigns are now trying to speak directly to. And when i say directly, they are going to these places, and you saw the Vice President go into a Spice Shop last week in pittsburgh, she has visited bakeries, bookstores, things of that nature, trying to have that One On one Retail Experience with people, trying to drum up support. It kind of sounds like micro campaigning. They are really definitely drilling down, trying to get One On one as much as they can. Aaron, thank you for that, we will see you later. Lets turn now to nbcs Maggie Vespa from springfield, ohio, a town in the middle of a sudden political firestorm. So, maggie, how are those in the town reacting to all these false rumors that have caused some real, genuine threats . Reporter real, genuine threats, and actually, alex, the biggest headline of the day is that we are now on day three, the third straight day of Bomb Threats closing buildings here in springfield, ohio. The last two days, we saw multiple schools, even Elementary Schools closed, we saw government buildings closed, the fbi said they were investigating, and today, at that hospital behind me to the list. Administrators here at Kettering Health saying this morning they were informed by local police that a Bomb Threat had been made against their facility, so they went into temporary lockdown. Police and security had to search the building. They say they found nothing suspicious. City officials have been very clear, they say this chaos all kind of started mounting when, earlier this week, President Trump on that Debate Stage, repeated false and viral claims that haitian immigrants in this community have been stealing and eating peoples pets. Again, that is a falsity, officials say, a Conspiracy Theory that kind of found an amazing amount of life online and is now being or perpetuated by the former president. Now, the mayor of this town has been very blunt about how hard and how overwhelming this has all been, since it has really kind of rocketed into the national conversation. Here is part of what he had to say. It is definitely frustrating. I mean, what we need in springfield, we need help, not hate. We need people to believe the best about our community and the best about ourselves, the citizens there. We need those who have a national stage, that have a microphone, that is having millions and millions of people, we need them to understand what their words are doing to cities like springfield, ohio. Reporter and the mayor has also been open about how this didnt really happen in a vacuum. Basically, there has been a large influx of haitian immigrants to this community in the last 4 to 5 years, something like 10,000 to 15,000 immigrants in that time who basically came here for Factory Jobs and a low Cost Of Living. City officials have said there have been tensions, but they have really been escalated when these facebook posts started popping up, claiming that pets were going missing and kind of indicating that may be some of the immigrants were to blame, and then it just took off like wildfire. To that point, one final point, Nbc News has now spoken to a woman her name is now Erica Lee she is the woman behind one of those viral posts, claiming that her Neighbors Cat was kidnapped, and saying that it may have been at the hands of haitian neighbors. She tells us that Nbc News she has now deleted the post, that it was wrong, that she misinterpreted a neighbors story. She just texted me, i messed up royally. She said that she never meant to cause so much hate against this one group of people. So, alex, again, the frustration here mounting, the chaos mounting, and we are just kind of here on the ground, seeing where this goes, from here. It is so disturbing, that people are making Bomb Threats against schools, against a hospital, on a saturday morning. Its just its just nuts. Reporter right. But, let me ask you quickly, with regard to the haitian immigrants, the haitian immigrants, are they fearful at all for retribution, from people coming at them for these falsehoods . Reporter oh, of course they are. Of course they are. We had our team here earlier this week, and they told us, point blank, they fear for their lives. We should note, a lot of them dont really want to go on camera, we have had one representative of the community speak to us about that point, that is why you havent seen a lot of people speaking out, because they are fearful. One family telling a local paper that they woke up one morning to a window broken, and acid thrown on their car. So, make no mistake about it, they are fearful. They say the violence is real, and a lot of them are afraid to speak out. So, we are hearing those stories as best we can as this all plays out. And again, a lot of these haitian immigrants have come, they are doing factory working jobs, jobs that werent able to be filled. They did not have the Labor Pool to draw, to fill those jobs. So, that is what they are doing there, folks. Okay, Maggie Vespa, thank you so much. Tensions rising between moscow and washington, and Vladimir Putin threatens war. Next, is there any hope of De Escalation . Peter baker, chief white House Correspondent of the New York times, and my good friend, joins me in 90 seconds. Second for a great low rate, go with the general. Life has twists and curls. But you define them and make them bounce. Tresemme flawless curls defining mousse. 24 hour. Hydrating curl definition. Style your life the way you want. Tresemme, style your way. Psst psst aaaah with flonase, allergies dont have to be scary. Spray flonase sensimist daily, for nondrowsy, longlasting relief. In a scentfree, fine mist. Psst psst that grimy film on your teeth . Dr. G . Its actually the buildup of Plaque Bacteria which can cause cavities. Most toothpastes quit working in minutes. But crest prohealths antibacterial fluoride protects all day. So it stops cavities before they start. Crest. Switch to shopify so you can build it better, scale it faster and sell more. Much more. Take your business to the next stage when you switch to shopify. Tensions are rising between the kremlin and the West Today with President Biden poised to approve Ukraines Use of long range u. S. Supplied weapons in russia. Despite putins warning russia would be At War with the u. S. And its allies, if they let their previous restrictions, if they lifted those. So, the president double down on his support for ukraine during a white House Meeting with the uk Prime Minister yesterday. United States Commitment to standing with you, helping ukraine defend against russia, because it is clear that putin will not prevail in this war and the people of ukraine lets bring in peter baker, msnbc political analyst, chief white House Correspondent for the New York times, and Co Author of the Divider Trump in the White House from 2017 2021. Welcome, my friend. Checking out your new article, peter, you said this issue would come to a head during that bilateral meeting. Did it . And what is the calculus around using ukraine allowing ukraine to use the longrange weapons . Is there an obvious, strategic purpose, advantage to it . Yeah, there is a real debate going on right now about this in the west and in washington in particular. If you asked the defense department, what they will say is they dont think it is a good idea to allow ukrainians to use these attackers, that is what they call these longrange weapons, in part because they say 90 of the airbases that we are talking about in russia, that are amounting these attacks on russia are outside of the range of those weapons anyway, and therefore on the one hand, it wouldnt do as much good as people hope it would do. And on the other, there is a worry, obviously, and President Biden has nursed this worry of more than two years, of escalation. That is why he has asked for a slow role at times, and provision of certain weapons, worrying that if you gave ukraine this weapon or that weapon, it would escalate within russia, to the point that things would get to where Vladimir Putin is talking about, that it would be a war with nato, that it could even escalate into a nuclear conflict. That has been his concern all along. At the same time, he ultimately ends up providing all of these weapons anyway. The difference here, they are not weapons for use on ukrainian territory. What the ukrainians want is to be able to use them against russian territory, and the worry, that is a redline for Vladimir Putin. Yeah, so, give me a sense of the u. S. goal, peter. Does it seem that escalating is the only path being considered . Or, are there legit De Escalation paths in sight, too . Well, i mean, you know, the president of ukraine, has talked about having a Peace Conference of some sort in november, he wants to have a plan that he will present, at the u. N. But, it doesnt seem like there is territory right now for a negotiated solution. For one thing, there is no understanding that Vladimir Putin is either interested in a negotiated solution, or would abide by one, even if he did sign something. Remember, he has signed Cease Fires in ukraine before, prior to the big invasion. Number, this started in 2014, and not always lived up to that. So, Putins Word is not that good, obviously, in the west, certainly in ukraine. But, there is a lot of exhaustion with the war. Ukraine, two and half years of war, Tens Of Thousands of soldiers and ci