Morning Joe 11/19/24

Summary

Morning Joe Summary - November 19, 2024

Episode Overview: Hosted by Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist, the November 19, 2024, episode of Morning Joe dives deep into pressing political issues, including the Department of Justice's decision regarding Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's controversial nominations, rising antisemitism in Europe, the evolving landscape of news consumption, and global climate change challenges. The panel is joined by notable guests such as Jonathan Lemire, Mike Barnacle, Reverend Al Sharpton, and Eugene Robinson, who provide expert insights and diverse perspectives on these critical topics.

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1. DOJ Declines to Prosecute Matt Gaetz

Key Points:

• The Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided not to prosecute Matt Gaetz despite serious allegations.
• Willie Geist [01:17] questions the implications of this decision: "So how should people square that decision?"
• Joe Scarborough [01:20] explains that prosecutorial discretion plays a significant role:

  "Whether or not a federal prosecutor takes a case and decides to move forward on a trial or move forward on an allegation is that particular prosecutor's decision."

• The discussion highlights the tension between legal outcomes and public perception, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability.

Notable Quote:

Willie Geist [01:20]: "So how should people square that decision."

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2. Trump’s Nominations and Senate Confirmation Battles

Key Points:

• President-elect Donald Trump is actively pressuring senators to support his nominees, including former Congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.
• Mika Brzezinski [11:58] underscores the pressure tactics:

  "John Cornyn and other senators are saying we got to see all the information. It's too bad."

• Reverend Al Sharpton [15:06] criticizes the nominations as acts of retribution:

  "These four controversial appointments... are about revenge against the Justice Department and the FBI."

• The panel debates the likelihood of Gaetz’s confirmation, considering possible resistance from key Republican senators like Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell.
• Joe Scarborough [22:10] expresses skepticism about Gaetz’s qualifications and the broader implications for GOP credibility:

  "Matt Gaetz should never in any universe be Attorney General of the United States."

Notable Quote:

Reverend Al Sharpton [15:06]: "These four controversial appointments... are about revenge against the Justice Department and the FBI."

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3. Rising Antisemitism in Europe: A Warning for the U.S.

Key Points:

• A series of coordinated antisemitic attacks in Amsterdam has raised alarms about the resurgence of hate crimes.
• Jonathan Greenblatt [54:15] describes the severity:

  "What happened that Thursday night was like nothing they'd seen in generations."

• Mika Brzezinski [56:33] and Reverend Sharpton discuss the potential for similar incidents in the U.S., stressing the importance of combating hate proactively.
• The panel emphasizes the role of leadership in uniting communities against bigotry and fostering mutual understanding.

Notable Quote:

Reverend Al Sharpton [63:23]: "This is getting bad."

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4. Social Media's Dominance in News Consumption

Key Points:

• Recent research indicates that 1 in 5 adults regularly get their news from social media influencers, with nearly 40% of those under 30 relying on these platforms.
• Willie Geist [42:11] and Mika Brzezinski [43:18] discuss the challenges mainstream media faces in retaining relevance amidst the rise of short-form, influencer-driven content.
• The conversation highlights the necessity for traditional media outlets to adapt by creating engaging, bite-sized news segments to capture younger audiences.

Notable Quote:

Mika Brzezinski [43:18]: "How do we compete with 20 second snippets on an iPhone?"

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5. Climate Change: U.S. Progress vs. China’s Rising Emissions

Key Points:

• The U.S. has successfully reduced CO₂ emissions over the past decade, but China’s emissions are rapidly increasing, complicating global climate agreements.
• Joe Scarborough [48:36] points out China's critical role:

  "There's going to be increased onus and expectations of China to follow through in all respects."

• The panel discusses the geopolitical implications of climate policy, emphasizing the need for comprehensive international cooperation to address environmental challenges effectively.

Notable Quote:

Joe Scarborough [48:36]: "There's going to be increased onus and expectations of China to follow through in all respects."

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6. Other Major News Highlights

Key Points:

• Sean Duffy’s Legal Troubles: Lawyers for Sean Diddy Combs seek a new court hearing after authorities seized materials from his jail cell, accusing him of orchestrating a social media campaign to influence the jury pool.
• Mass Deportations Plans: Trump’s proposal to use the military for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants raises concerns about human rights and logistical feasibility.
• Hong Kong’s Crackdown: Dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been sentenced to prison under stringent national security laws, signaling Beijing's intensified control over the region.

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7. Call to Action and Unity

Key Points:

• Throughout the episode, the hosts and guests advocate for collective action against hate, political division, and societal challenges.
• Mika Brzezinski [17:39] emphasizes the importance of unity:

  "We are a 5050 nation... All of us get to work. Regardless of what side you're on... we can get there together."

• Reverend Al Sharpton [63:23] and others echo the necessity of bridging divides to foster a more inclusive and resilient society.

Notable Quote:

Mika Brzezinski [17:39]: "We are a 5050 nation... All of us get to work. Regardless of what side you're on... we can get there together."

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8. Conclusion

The November 19, 2024, episode of Morning Joe presents a comprehensive analysis of current political tensions, highlighting the interplay between legal decisions, presidential influence, societal challenges, and global issues. The hosts and guests underscore the critical need for transparency, ethical leadership, and unified efforts to navigate the nation's complex landscape. As the episode concludes, the call for bipartisan cooperation and proactive measures against hatred and division resonates strongly, urging listeners to engage thoughtfully and constructively in shaping America's future.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Willie Geist [01:17]: "So how should people square that decision."
• Joe Scarborough [01:20]: "Whether or not a federal prosecutor takes a case... it's that particular prosecutor's decision."
• Reverend Al Sharpton [15:06]: "These four controversial appointments... are about revenge against the Justice Department and the FBI."
• Mika Brzezinski [43:18]: "How do we compete with 20 second snippets on an iPhone?"
• Joe Scarborough [48:36]: "There's going to be increased onus and expectations of China to follow through in all respects."
• Mika Brzezinski [17:39]: "We are a 5050 nation... All of us get to work. Regardless of what side you're on... we can get there together."
• Reverend Al Sharpton [63:23]: "This is getting bad."

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Final Thoughts: The episode serves as a vital touchstone for understanding the intricate dynamics at play within American politics and society. By addressing both domestic and international issues with depth and clarity, Morning Joe provides listeners with the tools to comprehend and engage with the evolving political landscape effectively.

Transcript

[Joe Scarborough]

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[Willie Geist]

So how should people square that decision.

[Joe Scarborough]

With everything that you've laid out here today? Whether or not a federal prosecutor takes a case and decides to move forward on a trial or move forward on an alleg is that particular prosecutor's decision. It doesn't mean they didn't do it. She texted me late last night. Regardless of how many times she tries to distract from the truth, the public deserves to know what we all experienced was real and actually happened.

[Willie Geist]

An attorney for two women who claim Matt Gaetz paid them for sex several years ago, Speaking yesterday to NBC's Hallie Jackson. We'll have more from that interview and the new reporting on Donald Trump's push to build support in the Sen For Gates to be his attorney general. Meanwhile, Trump's pick to lead US Intelligence services has become a favorite of Russian state media. We'll break down Tulsa Gabbard's comments that align with Kremlin propaganda. Also ahead, the president elect confirms he plans to use the military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. We'll go through how that might work and tell you about the group that's working to push back. And we'll get a live report from China following a massive crackdown on the pro democracy movement in Hong Kong. Good morning and welcome to Morning Joe. It is Tuesday, November 19th. Along with Joe, Willie and me, we have the host of Way Too Early, White House bureau chief at Politico, Jonathan Lemire, MSNBC contributor Mike Barnacle is here with us. President of the National Action Network and host of MSNBC's Politics Nation, Reverend Al Sharpton and Pulitzer prize winning columnist and associate editor of the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson is with us this morning. Good to have you all here.

[Mika Brzezinski]

And we're all around the breakfast table.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, that's nice.

[Mika Brzezinski]

All we need are some burgers. What?

[Joe Scarborough]

A burger for breakfast is an aggressive.

[Willie Geist]

Poor man would not like.

[Mika Brzezinski]

You've got to move. You got to do it. You just have to do it. I'm still waiting for whataburger to come north.

[Willie Geist]

I did not buy this.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Chick Fil A could go north. What's wrong?

[Willie Geist]

I'm just telling Susie Orman I did not buy this.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Ok. Ok. All right. She picked it up off the street, she saw it, it was half.

[Willie Geist]

Drink. I'm going to take this.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Okay. Just drink it.

[Joe Scarborough]

Drink it.

[Willie Geist]

It's important.

[Mika Brzezinski]

So thank you for saying that. We all are deeply grateful to know that. Willie. The Dallas Cowboys cannot win.

[Joe Scarborough]

They stink.

[Mika Brzezinski]

They have spent so much money. I've got to ask, has there. I'm serious. Has there ever been a team in NFL history that has spent as much money in the off season and has underperformed as badly as this team?

[Joe Scarborough]

They're legitimately terrible. And by the way, they were bad before Dak Prescott got hurt. So he's out for the season. Lost season. Their defense is the worst maybe in the NFL. They spend tons of money. They got all the weapons. They got CD Lamb taken care of. He's a great receiver but nobody to throw to him. They got smoked last night by their in state rival, the Houston Texans. My guy, Joe Mixon on my fantasy team. Three touchdowns got me a big as we get down the stretch, your big win in the fantasy league. That's a much needed for the struggling diced almighty franchise. Thank you for noticing. Thank you for noticing.

[Mika Brzezinski]

So who is, who is worse this year? Who's the bigger disappointment, Jonathan? The Dallas Cowboys or the New York Jets?

[Joe Scarborough]

Oh, the answer is the New York jets because the Cowboys coming into the season, yes, it's Jerry Jones. They're America's team, all that. But they were going to be a wild card contender at best. The jets you could argue went into this season with the highest expectations that franchise has had in decades. Totally turning over the franchise to Aaron Rodgers, bringing in Devonte Adams. Lots of star Players surrounding him with. And they have completely fallen apart. And I'll just note, I mean, look, the New England Patriots, Mike, we're no good, but we knew we weren't going in. We went into the lowest, went into the season with the lowest expectations in decades. The Patriots and the jets have the exact same record.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Here's the difference, the biggest difference between the jets and the Patriots. The Patriots have a quarterback. They do. The jets do not. They have an old man masquerading as a quarterback, trying to pretend that he was who we used to be 10 years ago or five years ago. That's not happening. The other interesting aspect of it is on the Giants and the New York Football Giants. I mean, what are they going to do? I mean, the idea. And then the Cowboys that you just mentioned off the top, the idea that Bill Belichick was be retained to be the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys is absurd because you're looking at a five year rebuilding process for that club. And Bill belichick is what, 85, 86 years of age?

[Joe Scarborough]

He's not quite that old, but I don't know that he'd want Jerry Jones in his life either.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Yeah, listen, I will say every time we talk about sports, I'm a little sad we can't talk to the Rev because he just says, I don't follow sports. But one thing I know he does.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Follow, I follow on Sunday.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Amen. But one thing you do follow, and we're going to talk about this real quick, then we're going to get the news. But I want to talk about the underlying fight because I know you do follow boxing. The Tyson fight was such a charade. But beyond that, I think one of the bigger media stories, one of the biggest media failures in a long time is Netflix promoting this for as long as they did and not being able to let their viewers watch it because they didn't have what it takes to stream this live event.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

No, I think you're right. For Netflix to have failed with the technology, I think was as bad as the fight. I mean, you know, I'm from Brownsville section of Brooklyn, like Mike Tyson is. So we cheered that Mike ended the fight on his feet. I mean, if he had thrown two or three punches, it would have helped.

[Willie Geist]

I know I don't get the sport at all.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Okay. You can't judge this as the sport, Mika, because it wasn't that. It was.

[Willie Geist]

It's not a sport.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Yeah. It was people beating each other up.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Okay, okay. We'll have a segment on boxing later. But Now?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, we will. We'll talk.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Okay. I guess we're not going to be able to talk about this.

[Willie Geist]

No.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Because as always, Mika keeps interrupting me and it makes me sad. But I guess now's the time to go to news. That's a joke.

[Willie Geist]

Okay, let's get to the news.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Let's go to news.

[Willie Geist]

I mean, Willie, you agree, right?

[Joe Scarborough]

About boxing?

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Joe Scarborough]

No, but we'll talk about that later.

[Mika Brzezinski]

I mean, I got to say, you're talking to somebody. I grew up. And I'm sorry, you have prolonged this. Just like. Just like when you said you didn't watch the Godfather, we had to respond to that. But you're talking about people that grew up watching getting in a ring and.

[Willie Geist]

Frasier and punching each other out.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Can we just talk? Ollie and Frazier, Frazier and Foreman, Foreman and Norton. Ollie and you talk about it. And CBS had those Friday night fights, Ollie, against usually a bunch of losers. But then there was Jimmy Young that came after him, and then there was Michael.

[Willie Geist]

I'm going to talk to Ari about this.

[Mika Brzezinski]

It was amazing. Oh, you're talking to the building. His fortune on fight.

[Willie Geist]

He can do better.

[Joe Scarborough]

All right.

[Mika Brzezinski]

We can do better. And we are live. Let's get the news now.

[Willie Geist]

President elect Donald Trump is reportedly making phone calls to senators pressing them to support his pick for attorney general. Axios spoke to two senators who said Trump called them about former Congressman Matt Gaetz, one of them being Republican Kevin Kramer of North Dakota. Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee is set to meet tomorrow to discuss its report on the former congressman. The top Democrat on that panel, Congresswoman Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, said the report should be released to the Senate and to the public. An attorney for two women who say Gaetz paid them for sex several times sat down yesterday for an interview with NBC's Hallie Jackson. He detailed part of their testimony to Ethics Committee investigators about a party in Orlando. Back.

[Joe Scarborough]

One of the first things that happened when she got to the party. She testified to the House that within minutes of arriving, she was introduced to Matt Gaetz, and they went upstairs and had sexual intercourse on the bed, after which she went downstairs. At some point, she was walking outside to go to the pool area and to the right. She witnessed Representative Gates having sex with her friend, who was 17 at the time. Did your client believe that Gates at the time knew that her friend was underage?

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Yeah.

[Joe Scarborough]

So the House was curious about that. She testified that her belief was that Representative Gates had no knowledge that she was under 18, that she was 17 years old at the time. He was having sex with her. They did testify, both of them, that they consented to the activities. They were also asked whether or not they were victims. And she broke down in tears and she said, it's a very complicated question. Did your clients make any assessments in their testimony about Mr. Gates fitness or judgment to serve in office? They're very careful about what they might express publicly. But one did say, I do not think a man like him should have that much power.

[Willie Geist]

Gates has long denied the allegations. The Justice Department also investigated Gaetz over sex trafficking allegations involving a 17 year old girl. He has not been charged with any crime.

[Mika Brzezinski]

So this testimony of course happened, Willie, under, under oath and sex with a 17 year old woman paying two other women. I think the testimony was. He said sex under oath in front of the Ethics Committee. And regardless of what the speaker said, people on the committee say the information needs to get out. John Cornyn and other senators are saying we got to see all the information. It's too bad. I mean, I was in the House, I know what senators think of House members. Like they're not going to listen to the speaker of the House. They're going to want to get it out and get the, get the information for the American people. But I just, I just, if I can just for one minute, if everybody just give me a second here. And I appreciate it because they don't usually get a chance to talk on the show, but I'm going to do it this now. First of all, I want to just say Mick and I went to an event last night and it was wonderful. There are a lot of people that were sad. A lot of people came up to us, hugging us, saying, tell us everything's going to be okay. Tell us we're so upset, we're so torn. And I just, I said, I.

[Willie Geist]

It was the Roar Forward Summit, reimagined the second half of life to talk about 50 over 50. It was so good.

[Mika Brzezinski]

It really was. And I said, listen, we don't know how we're going to get forward. We're stumbling forward right now trying to figure it out. And rev, you know, First Corinthians, the love chapter. For now we see through a glass starkly, but later we will be able to see clearly.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

He quoted it correctly.

[Mika Brzezinski]

There you go. And so we don't know right now, but I just throw this open to the table. What I said was we're always concerned, obviously. And everybody that wins acts like this election is the last election ever. First of all, I want to just let everybody know Donald Trump did extremely well in middle America. He did. But I also want you to know this. We're a 5050 nation. About one out of four Americans voted for Donald Trump a little bit more. About one out of four Americans voted for Kamala Harris a little bit less. And in the swing states, Wisconsin, Donald Trump won by less than 1 percentage point. Michigan, he won by about a percentage point. Pennsylvania, he won by about one and a half percentage points. This is a 5050 nation. And I had a sign in my congressional office and said, if you want to predict the future, shape the future, so be sad, be upset, mourn, and then get to work. All of us get to work. Regardless of what side you're on or how you think we best get there, we're not going to always see eye to eye, but we can get there together. But Rev, there's a great story that I think David Marin has told about Bill Clinton. He was running for governor. I think it was an 80 he lost, young man, he had already been governor. It was supposed to be the end of his political career. The morning after the election when he lost, his staff members were looking out the window as they were packing up the boxes and there was Bill Clinton on the street shaking hands. And one of them looked at the other and they said, poor guy, he doesn't even know the election is over. And the other staffer said, oh, you don't understand. The other election may be over, but the next election has just begun. And Clinton was shaking hands, kept shaking hands, and he got elected governor in two years, two years after that, two years after that, two years after that, became president of the United States. And I guess that's the message we don't have the none of us right now. We're trying to figure out exactly what hit last week. But one thing we know is there's a lot of work to be done.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

And there's a lot of people that will be affected and impacted in the interim.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Exactly.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

And I think that we can't miss the forest for the trees when we have a new president. And that's who Donald Trump is, regardless of my views of him. We've got to figure out how we have people not suffer more than they can suffer if we're not dealing with that. That's why when there were those and there were not as many as I thought that said, why would you and Mika meet with Donald Trump? He's going to be the president. If you can meet with him, meet with him. That to me is no different than when people said to me, why Would Kamala Harris go talk to Bret Baer? So on one side she can talk to Bret Baer, but on the other side he shouldn't. Come on Morning Joe. I don't think we've got an equal judgment here because I think all sides need to be talking to all sides now. That's not my role. Donald Trump called me after he won the first time. I wouldn't meet with him because I felt that it would be a photo op and he promoted wrongly, even though we should be discussing issues. And we have talked on the phone since then, but I know he's a promoter. If he had been born black, he'd have been Don King. That's what he does well. But I think that what we need to do is deal with the issues that's going to impact people. I would say, I hope in your conversations we should ask Donald Trump. You talked about black men would be with you. Where's a black man being nominated by you for your cabinet? Has anyone noticed there's no black that has been nominated on his cabinet that needs to be raised rather than who's talking. Let's deal with what we're talking about.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Well, yeah, and I will say also, I just want to say thank you first of all, to everybody, was so kind last night, but also thank you. We really yesterday saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world, because we were flooded with phone calls from people all day, literally around the world. A very positive, very supportive going, understand what you do today, etc. Etc. But once in a while, I would get a text or a conference. I go, oh, man, I hope you're doing okay. I call him back and I yell, well, Eddie Glad was one of them. I go, eddie, are you on Twitter? And he goes, I am. I go, okay, well, I'm not. So we've had a good day. Mika just had a wonderful event and it's fantastic. We're. We're going to do that. All of us are going to do the best we can do. And we're all working towards a better America.

[Willie Geist]

Take it day by day, day by.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Day, day by day. And again, you can, you can, you can predict the future by shaping the future. But. But the reason I wanted to talk about that 1/4 of Americans voted for Donald Trump. About 1/4 voted for Kamala Harris is there's another election in two years. Now, I don't care who wins and how big they win. We've seen time and again and we talk about it Americans go back and forth and back and forth and back and forth with their picks. If Republicans, if Donald Trump, if Republican senators put in, as an attorney general, somebody that three women have testified, I believe, if I'm correct, he had sex with an underage woman at a drug fueled party. And what I read in the Wall Street Journal was he paid two other women for sex. If that is something that Republican senators and Donald Trump are okay with, there will be consequences at the voting booth two years from now. And of course, we always say, we won, we won, we can do whatever we want, really. Because that's what I heard a lot of Democrats saying after Barack Obama won and two years later, the Tea Party came running into town. So I will say it again. This and other of these picks, Republicans would be smart to advise and consent and Donald Trump would be smart to back off of them in two or three of these cases because there are elections two years from now and things just won't go well.

[Joe Scarborough]

I mean, think about in the case of Matt Gaetz, we're parsing whether the young woman alleged to have had sex with Matt Gaetz was 17 or 18. This is a sitting member of the House of representatives in 2017. He'd just been sworn in. So does character count or not? That's a question for Don. It's a question for Republicans. They've all long lectured about character. Put qualification to the side. That's a part of his story as well. And you go down the list and ask those questions. And we will ask those questions. But to Rev's point, your point, to underline what you guys were saying yesterday, I wasn't at Mar a Lago. I've never been in Mar a Lago, never been invited. I guess I should be offended by that. But nothing changes for me. And I think for you guys either from before Election Day, which is, you know how we have criticized Donald Trump, you know, about his policies. You can see it in the people he's nominating. You'll see it in a minute when we talk about his plan for mass deportation. None of that changes for me. None of that changes for us in the way we will criticize that he is the President of the United States. That's a fact of the matter. He won very narrowly. I would point out that just yesterday, as more votes came into California, he has slipped under a 50% majority nationally. All of those swing states, save for Arizona, within the margin of error. The polling actually was right in those states.

[Mika Brzezinski]

So when we were saying every day this race is a tide it was, it was tied.

[Joe Scarborough]

It was. He swept the battleground states. True.

[Mika Brzezinski]

In that way, it was overwhelming, but almost within the margin of error, which again, that's how you win elections these days. 2016 within the margin of error. 2020 within the margin of error. 2024 within the margin. We are a 50, 50 nation. I guess the question is, again, side issue, when are we going to learn to work together?

[Joe Scarborough]

Yeah. And I mean, I'm deeply skeptical, it might be an understatement that he's going to suddenly be this bipartisan figure in our country, given his history, given the nominations and the choices he's making right now. But we will cover him as we've been covering him. So let's get back to those nominations with NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns and political reporter for Axios, Hans Nichols. He also is the author of the Axios Hill Leaders Newsletter. Good morning to you both. Hans, let's go to you. Going back to that reporting about some of the pressure that Donald Trump is reported to be applying personally to senators about Matt Gaetz, this does seem like the one place, hopefully there are others, but one place where Donald Trump might lose a fight in the Senate. Is it your sense that these senators who have said Donald Trump has a mandate will cross him, at least on Matt Gates?

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

That's the open question.

[Joe Scarborough]

And I think, you know, all of us reporters, it's incumbent upon us to kind of get a sense of just.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

How intense this battle is.

[Joe Scarborough]

It's an institutional battle between the Senate and the presidency. And the battle is joined. I mean, when the president, United States starts personally calling senators, really leaning on.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Them, there's no way out of that sort of showdown.

[Joe Scarborough]

And there's a lot that's interesting about this. Number one, it's interesting that Trump, Trump.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Didn'T apparently really call any senators before.

[Joe Scarborough]

He made these nominations.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Right. He's making these calls after he's already sent them.

[Joe Scarborough]

So not a whole lot of advising and the advice and consent part.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

And two, we've got to see what the senators actually say when they get.

[Joe Scarborough]

Pressed and pushed by Donald Trump.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

We talked to Senator Kramer.

[Joe Scarborough]

He said Trump's very persuasive. But you know, Joe, everyone at the table up there knows senators don't like being told what to do.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

They like their prerogatives.

[Joe Scarborough]

And they want to see the report. They want to see the contents of that ethics report.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

And they say they want to give Gates a fair hearing, but they want to know what's actually in there.

[Joe Scarborough]

And it's pretty clear whether or not.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

It'S the entire report or just the.

[Joe Scarborough]

Contents of the report that a lot of the details are going to come out. And then it's just up to the senators. Are they willing to defy the president that just handed them the majority?

[Mika Brzezinski]

Well, again, I think in most cases they probably aren't going to want to do that. At the same time, there are, Willie, a lot of senators who are up, maybe up two years from now. There are also people like Mitch McConnell who will probably never run again. There's Susan Collins, there's Lisa Murkowski. You've already said, I mean it's gonna.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Be.

[Mika Brzezinski]

We can't ever be shocked. Let me just say I just might get close to being shocked if those two women, Mitch McConnell and, and other Republicans fall in line behind a congressman who as you as the testimony said had sex with a 17 year old woman, statutory rape, had two other women who were there who also testified under oath. They all testified under oath and then he quit two days before the report was going to come out to stop the report from coming out. Now I've been around a lot of senators, I know a lot of senators, they don't want to give up their advice and consent and they've also been around long enough to know this stuff blows back. They were there when Karl Rove in 2004 said permanent Republican majority, Nancy Pelosi speaker two years later. They were there when Barack Obama's people said, you know, permanent Obama majority two years later they saw what happened. So yeah, they've been through this. They've been to this rodeo and they understand you really can't select a guy that has had testimony against him that he had sex with an underage girl who was a junior in high school at drug fueled parties and defend that on the campaign trail in two years from now because just like that Bill Clinton story centers that are up in two years, you know what they're doing right now? They're thinking about that election, how do I win? That's how they think. So yeah, I don't know how they get from here to there. Regardless of what the incoming president might say.

[Joe Scarborough]

And the incoming majority leader, John Thune is an honorable guy, a decent guy, a good leader. Is he going to stand by? Is he going to put his name on Matt Gaetz?

[Willie Geist]

He's a guy.

[Joe Scarborough]

Is he going to put a vote to Matt Gaetz? We will find out very soon. So Dasha Burns, you're covering all this as well. Matt Gaetz is just one of the names that have caused outrage by the way, not just among Democrats, but among some Republicans. Pete Hegseth at Defense as well, obviously, Bobby Kennedy for Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard as dni. What is your sense in Washington? What is your sense on Capitol Hill of the battles Republicans may choose to fight with Donald Trump here? Is it a case of we've got to vote down Matt Gaetz, but we'll give you Tulsi Gabbard in exchange? Look, you know, President Elect Trump, he.

[Willie Geist]

Does not want to give an inch here.

[Joe Scarborough]

And there are a couple of agencies in particular, Willie, that have been sort of a thorn in his side for a long time. Now. You talk about dod. That's a place where, in his first administration, he felt like he did not.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Have the right people in place.

[Joe Scarborough]

He wasn't happy with how the military was run, with who was running the military that would not execute his orders as he wanted them, mostly because they wanted to follow the law and follow precedent. Enter Pete Hegseth, who does not have the standard qualifications for that role and who also has been accused of sexual assault. Of course, he denies those allegations. So that's an important pick for Mr. Trump because of the loyalty that he feels Hegseth will have and the kinds of how he will execute what he wants. And when it comes to Matt Gaetz, the DOJ is an agency that he has railed against at every rally that I've been to, and he has campaigned on the message of weaponization of the justice system. Matt Gaetz was one of the biggest proponents of that message. He amplified that message. He talked about bringing these agencies like the doj, the FBI, quote, unquote, to heal or dismantling them altogether. So for a lot of these, he is specifically choosing people who are in opposition to the very agencies that they are being tasked with overseeing. And every time lately, he's had the choice between someone more traditional or someone more cut from the MAGA mold who would kind of shake up or potentially blow up an agency. That's the direction that he's gone, Willie.

[Mika Brzezinski]

All right, NBC, Sasha Burns, and political reporter for Axios, Hans Nichols. Thank you both.

[Willie Geist]

Thanks, guys.

[Mika Brzezinski]

You know, it is interesting, though, not, not every. Single one, Mike, of course, Susie Wiles, Marco Rubio, Ratcliffe, who was the first time through where people didn't want, but now they're going, okay, well, we're not perfect, but we're okay with that. But then there were. There were these other, other selections last week, specifically Gates, Gabbards, RFK Jr. And Hegseth. That Obviously have caused a great deal of concern. And, you know, I think from what we're hearing from Republican senators, they understand Donald Trump got elected. Donald Trump, if he has a theory about, you know, if he wants to be aggressive and try to go against what he calls the weaponization of the Justice Department, he got elected. Talking about that, the question is, who is the person that can sit in that position? An Attorney general does so much more for the president, for the country, than just look at things like this. I mean, it seems to me you would want a spokesperson to be, you know, loud, but you actually would want a lawyer in there who knew what they were doing that could carry out whatever a president wanted to do. And obviously, even if you get past all the ethics, Matt Gates is just. He's just clearly not qualified to be Attorney General of the United States. And that's what Republican senators are saying. That's what the watch the Wall Street Journal editorial page is saying.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Joe, there were two people here in.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Addition to Matt Gaetz, the documented, unqualified candidate for Attorney General, Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. So if you're a United States senator, you have term, you're isolated. You're not like the House. You have time to think about these things. You have time to be serious about these appointments. So, Gene, my question to you off of that setup is the nature of these two appointments and these two critical agencies, justice and the Department of Defense, going forward. What do you hear in that town where you've lived almost your entire adult life and worked almost your entire adult life covering that town? These are really shocking appointments at their root. And if you're a United States Senator, you don't want to be casting an a vote for a guy who is shocking in terms of incompetence.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Well, you don't want to do that. But the question is, what will they actually do? I mean, these appointments, all four of these appointments to me are about, seem to be about revenge. These four controversial appointments, you know, Donald Trump wants his revenge against the Justice Department and the FBI, and Matt Gaetz is the one who give him that. And without the niceties of constitutional law and precedent and decades of practice, I think he sees Hegseth as the same. You know, Hegseth will give him parade down Constitution Avenue. Remember the one he wanted with tanks and missiles that he couldn't get out of the generals the first time. I'm sure Pete Hexeth would give that to him. This is what Donald Trump said he would do. He said back in March of 2023. He said, I am your retribution. And this is about his retribution against parts of the government that he felt wronged him or disobeyed him or didn't bend to his will. And so I think that's what it's about. And you know, no votes in the Senate. It is indeed possible that the Senate will just can't get past Matt Gaetz. But I count. How many sure. No votes do I count? And I think Lisa Murkowski, I think Mitch McConnell probably. I think Susan Collins probably. Is there another definite no vote in the Senate right now? It's unclear. Let's see what more comes out and just how sordid the details of this encounter are or these encounters are. But, Ed, I do not rule out the possibility that he gets confirmed. I mean, if it's 5050 and JD Vance gets to break the tie and he's calling senators and leaning on them in the way that he apparently is. I wish I could rule it out because Matt Gaetz should never in any universe be Attorney General of the United States. But I don't think it's completely out of the question that he is. No.

[Joe Scarborough]

And we know how Congressional Republicans have responded, responded to pressure from Donald Trump. Historically, John, it's fascinating to listen for the last decade, Republicans and Donald Trump leading it, talking about the weaponization of certain departments to be used against him. Perceived weaponization for things like exercising a lawful search warrant at Mar a Lago when you store classified documents in your bathroom, that was framed as weaponization. But here we have people talking explicitly about using those departments as weapons against its critics, as retribution. Whether it's the FBI or the Justice Department or even dni, they're just saying openly, we're here to get back at the people who came at Donald Trump. Add to the FCC to that below the radar nomination. But that's in the same category. And this is what Donald Trump has told us that he is gonna be retribution. He does want revenge against the deep state that he feels like undermined him in his first term and in his post presidency. And people that I've talked to in his orbit are like, the motivation here is much to destroy these agencies as it is to lead them now in terms of whether these nominations get through. I mean, Republicans said there are a lot of Republican senators who are privately saying they won't vote for Matt Gaetz. There's a difference, though, between saying that privately and doing it publicly, defying Donald Trump. We know they voted for John Thune, who Trump didn't want. Well, that was done on a secret ballot. This will not be a secret ballot. There is a sense, though, that Gates will be the hardest one to confirm. There are real questions about Hegseth as well, particularly with some legal issues for him. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Seems to be sailing through, which is sort of hard to fathom considering some of the stuff that he has.

[Mika Brzezinski]

What do you think about that, Mike? You've known him for a long time. I have. It's almost incomprehensible that he's going to have his hands on the entire Health and Human Services Department almost in Florida. Fluoride. We got to get fluoride out of the water. Just get your kids vaccinated before Christmas this year.

[Joe Scarborough]

And just the idea of needing to force this through recess appointments, I mean, I think there's going to be a lot of resistance in the Senate for that. But the Trump camp, they are simply not ruling it out.

[Willie Geist]

Okay, we got a lot ahead. Just real quick. President Elect Trump has also chosen Sean Duffy, former congressman and Fox Business host, as his secretary of Transportation. President Biden's making his final appearance at the G20 summit in Brazil. And also, a suspect in New York City is in police custody after a stabbing spree that left three people dead. So we'll have more on that throughout the show. Also still ahead on Morning Joe, we'll dig into President elect Trump's plan to use the military to conduct mass deportations and the potentially wide ranging impact. Plus, dozens of pro democracy protesters in Hong Kong have been sentenced to prison. We'll go live to Beijing for the latest on a sweeping national security trial. We'll back in 90 seconds.

[Joe Scarborough]

This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Planned Parenthood Federation of America exists so all people can get access to the sexual and reproductive care and education they need. Planned Parenthood organizations advocate for health equity and policies that allow people the freedom to control their own bodies, lives and futures. More than 2 million patients a year rely on Planned Parenthood health center services like STI testing and treatment, birth control, gender affirming care, abortion, cancer screenings and more. Reproductive health care and rights are under attack from public officials who are out of step with the will of the vast majority of Americans. The constitutional right to abortion has been stolen and politicians in 47 states have introduced bills that would block people from getting the sexual and reproductive care they need. Planned Parenthood knows that equitable access to health care includes including safe, legal abortion is a human right. Right now, Planned Parenthood needs your help to protect access to health care. Donate today by visiting plannedparenthood.org protect have you met All Modern? All Modern brings you the best of modern furniture and decor. And right now through November 20th, you'll score up to 50% off during their early Access to Black Friday sale. Simplify your holiday entertaining with deals on plush so sofas, modern tabletop essentials and more. All on sale at All Modern. Then get them delivered for free in days. You heard that right. Days. That's modern made simple. Shop All Modern's early access to Black Friday sale now through November 20th at AllModern.com hi, my name is Patrick Adams.

[Mika Brzezinski]

You may know me as Mike Ross.

[Joe Scarborough]

On the TV series Suits and I'm Sarah Rafferty and I play Donna Paulson on Suits. And we have a podcast called Sidebar where every week we watch and discuss an episode of the show. Because here's the thing, neither of us have really watched it.

[Willie Geist]

That's true.

[Joe Scarborough]

At least until now. So we're going to cover all nine seasons, share behind the scenes stories and talk to our co stars and friends like Gina Torres and Aaron Korsh. So look, if you love Suits, Amazing.

[Mika Brzezinski]

This podcast is for you.

[Joe Scarborough]

And if you've never watched Suits, also Amazing, you can join us and we'll watch it together. I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Listen to sidebar wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.

[Mika Brzezinski]

A beautiful shopper shot in New York City. It's like purple to the sounds of Tears for Fears. Wait. That takes you back to 1980. Philadelphia.

[Joe Scarborough]

Seeds of Love. There's a long playlist for Tears of Fears.

[Mika Brzezinski]

I heard a stat about them one time that I. Everybody is on the edge of their seat. What is the stat you heard from Casey Case of Monteers for fears back in 1987 and it's something like one out of every three records they sold back when records were sold. Southern California.

[Joe Scarborough]

Really?

[Mika Brzezinski]

They were just. And I never knew that because, I mean, aren't they from.

[Joe Scarborough]

They're British.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Yeah, but man, Southern California, man, they're good.

[Joe Scarborough]

And they hold up some of the 80s music. It didn't hold.

[Mika Brzezinski]

I. I'm. I'm afraid.

[Joe Scarborough]

Yeah, yeah, they're good.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Yeah, no doubt. So I, you know. All right, so that was a good fact, Ralph. Wait, that is good fact. Now you know facts.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Thank you.

[Mika Brzezinski]

And now is nb when CNBC gonna say let me do Tears for fears, like in top 40, k ck some stuff. And they go. The more you know exactly the More.

[Willie Geist]

You know, you're so.

[Mika Brzezinski]

So we were just talking at breakfast. We only had like a 30 second break. We were like, well, let's talk. You came on this set three weeks ago and you said that when you went to Detroit, they weren't excited about voting for Kamala Harris. And we were very surprised. But we also heard from a lot of people that went knocking for doors in Pennsylvania that every door they knocked on, people said they were going to be voting for Donald Trump. And I guess the question is, why were people in Detroit so motivated to vote for Joe Biden in 2020 and not to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024?

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

I think that people felt in many ways deflated. I think the misinformation campaign had got through to a lot of them. I think that in many cases people had given up. And that's one of the reasons civil rights groups and others like my National Action Network went out saying, get out the vote. Cameron Harris was a great candidate. She did well. She's the third biggest vote getter in presidential election history. There was nothing wrong with her. And I think that as you talk about senators having to think down the road, we have got to think across the board how we make sure you energize voters and make voters understand what they're doing. One of the reasons on January 20, while Trump is being inaugurated is Martin Luther King Day. We've called for a rally on the other side of Washington. We're not protesting inauguration, but we're saying we've got to recharge the dream. It is Martin Luther King's federal holiday that day. We have got to give people the reason to be engaged, that meets them, rather than, as I always say to you on the show, rather than these ivory tower ideas that means nothing to people that have to go and buy groceries every day or trying to afford. We gotta bring it back to.

[Mika Brzezinski]

And that's a great point. I mean, Eddie Glad last time was talking to him, he's gonna be on the show later this week. But he was saying, you know, we said, hey, a lot of people on Twitter saying stuff. I go, okay, well that's fine. He goes, when? And I guess they're saying, well, if Donald Trump is so bad for so many years, like, why, why is he okay now? And I said, he's not. It's not. But like we said in our statement yesterday, you know, we were very concerned by January 6, the trials, by everything else, by the violent rhetoric, fascist sounding rhetoric. And we said that. But what we learned after the election was 75 million people to 75 million people. They were more interested in the cost of gas, the cost of groceries, and a Democratic party that they thought had gotten too extreme on a lot of issues.

[Willie Geist]

And I'm interested in getting to the news. Okay, so time now to take a look at some of the other stories making headlines. Wait till the second one. That's what I thought you'd be interested. Lawyers for Sean Diddy Combs want a new court hearing after authorities seized materials from his jail cell. The attorneys say prosecutors are using documents to keep Combs behind bars until his May trial. Prosecutors accuse the rapper of orchestrating a social media campaign aimed at influencing the jury pool. Combs denies that. And the allegations of sex trafficking. Trafficking and racketeering. Listen to this. New research shows one in five adults regularly get their news from influencers on social media. The number is even higher among younger Americans with almost 40% under the age of 30 getting their news from those sources. According to the Pew Research center, the social media site X remains the most widely accessed platform, followed by Instagram and YouTube.

[Mika Brzezinski]

I mean, that comes obviously for political news. And Mike, that's the challenge. You grew up in a newsroom like Gene grew up in a newsroom. I mean, that's a lot of challenge. That's a challenge for a lot of mainstream media sources is do they make themselves relevant again to here 20% of adults who actually get influencers on social media, I don't know how, maybe somebody who makes baskets and while they're making baskets, they look up and say vote for candidate acts. I don't know how they make themselves how we make ourselves relevant again because we can't compete with 20 second snippets on an iPhone, walking up morsels, getting your entire news digest of the day in less than a minute on your phone as you're walking into the crowd with coffee in one hand and your phone in the other. I don't know how we catch up to that. Yeah. So Gene Robinson, do you agree with Mike? Because I find this hard to believe that younger voters would be more interested in getting an entertaining 20 news, 20 second news snippet than watching a cable news show for four hours from 6am this seems like an easy choice to us here.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

What is wrong with these people? Exactly? Yeah, I mean, I mean, look, if I knew the answer, I would implement it immediately. Right? And reverse this. But we have to compete. I mean, the answer is we don't know how to compete with these social media basket making influencers or whatever. But we have to. And so we've got to figure out ways to do it. And maybe we make our own 20 second snippets. And, and we meet viewers where they are. We meet news consumers where they are because they're not here. And that's the problem.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Yeah. You know, Gene just said if I knew how, I thought he was going to say I'd start my own newspaper. It reminds me of the Beatles when they landed at jfk. Somebody asked John Lennon, why are you so popular? He goes, if we knew, we'd quit and be managers and start new bands or something like that. But yeah, that's the big question. How do you compete with, as Mike said, 20 second snippets when somebody's going in to get their coffee?

[Joe Scarborough]

Honestly, given my own experience with teenagers and young people, that number sounds low to me. Young people under 30, let's say, are not sitting and watching a full television show. It's just not happening at all anywhere for any of them. So they're getting it here. And Donald Trump and his campaign did a good job in the campaign of finding that audience with snippets, with moments. He created moments during his campaign. I'm not saying they were good moments, but they presented well in a short TikTok clip where people said, oh, he speaks truth. Oh, he's kind of funny. Oh, they sort of. He built an affinity with young voters and we saw that show up in the polls a little bit. Let's turn overseas. Dozens of former politicians and activists were sentenced to prison today in Hong Kong. The mass trial targeted legal scholars, opposition strategists and leading voices in the pro democracy movement movement. China imposed crushing national security laws on Hong Kong in 2020 following months of wide scale demonstrations against Chinese rule. The crackdown has been called a, quote, knockout blow to hopes for democracy in Hong Kong. Joining us now live from Beijing, NBC News international correspondent Janice Mackie Frere. Janice, what more can you tell us about this? Well, Willie, this trial is seen as the most significant, significant sign of Beijing tightening its control of Hong Kong. Dozens of pro democracy activists facing conspiracy charges under this national security law that was imposed in 2020. All but two of the 47 lawmakers and politicians who were arrested back in 2021 were convicted today. And the crime, according to authorities, was holding or taking part in an unofficial primary election. Among them was Benita, a law professor. He got 10 years. Twenty people were given terms of five to eight years. Others, including Joshua Wong, a well known activist, were jailed for over four years. Wong actually pleaded guilty, so he could avoid a life sentence. The law was Beijing's response to those protests in Hong Kong in 2019. The government here saying it was necessary to stop challenges to China's sovereignty. It's now made certain slogans a crime and expressing ideas about politics is dangerous. Censorship and digital surveillance have also been stepped up. When I last spoke to Joshua Wong after the law came into effect, he said, well, it doesn't mean we give up and stop, we're never going to stop fighting. But the law and then the arrests and now this trial have worked to all but end the pro democracy movement, or it's at least pushed it well into the shadow shadows. Critics are saying it's the end of the rule of law in Hong Kong. And tomorrow Jimmy Lai, the publisher, will take the stand at his trial. For the first time in four years, he's been in solitary confinement. He's facing charges of collusion and sedition that are widely seen as politically motivated. And there have been international calls to have lai, who's now 76 years old, to be released immediately.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Willing so. Hey, Janice, Joe here. I saw a chart this morning from the New York Times that it was just shocking to me and it talked about carbon emissions. And of course we, the United States, the eu, have been fighting, I think fairly hard and if you look at the charts pretty effectively in bringing down CO2 emissions over the past 10 years, I mean, we are on a downward slope. We certainly hope we continue on that downward slope. There are headwinds obviously with some nominations, but then you look at the line from China and this is again, their soaring emissions are just exploding. And it makes it hard to see how in the world we can ever come to any international agreements without China, China taking part in it. I'm just curious, is there a view from inside of China that that pollution, which has been just a terrible problem for the past 20, 25 years there, that at some point they will curb those emissions and start being a bit more concerned not just about their environment, but about their health?

[Willie Geist]

Well, this, this notion of historical responsibility.

[Joe Scarborough]

Is a major point of contention in climate politics. The US has been burning coal and oil for a lot longer, but China has been catching up over the last 30 years building coal fired plants with the booming economy. And last year China passed Europe for the first time as the second largest historical emitter. Now, China, for its part, has said that the emissions are going to peak this decade and then they're going to fall. And they are doing a lot in terms of wind and solar power, but it's all the emissions they burn to get to this place that are going to see it catch up to the U.S. and because of that, countries like the U.S. are saying that China has to pay, they have to pay more for developing countries to make this transition to better energy sources. China said, look, we've pledged the money. But the big debate I cop 29 right now is that China isn't coming through with transparency and with President elect Trump believed to be slashing green energy initiatives and going full tilt on drill, baby, drill, there is the sense that a lot of this global leadership on climate and climate policies is going to fall to China. And so there's going to be increased onus and expectations of China to follow through in all respects.

[Willie Geist]

All right. NBC's Janice McFrayer live from Beijing. Thank you very much for your reporting this morning. And coming up, the CEO of the Anti Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, will join us to discuss the recent anti Semitic attacks in Amsterdam and why he says the violence is a dire warning for Jews in America. Morning Joe will be right.

[Joe Scarborough]

Have you met All Modern? All Modern brings you the best of modern furniture and decor. And right now through November 20th, you'll score up to 50% off during their early Access to Black Friday sale. Simplify your holiday entertaining with deals on plush sofas, modern tabletop essentials and more, all on sale at All Modern. Then get them delivered for free in days. You heard that right. Days. That's modern made simple. Shop All Modern's early access to Black Friday sale now through November 20th at allmodern.com hi, my name's Patrick Adams.

[Mika Brzezinski]

You may know me as Mike Ross.

[Joe Scarborough]

On the TV series Suits. And I'm Sarah Rafferty and I play Donna Paulson on Suits. And we have a podcast called Sidebar where every week we watch and discuss an episode of the show. Because here's the thing, neither of us have really watched it.

[Mika Brzezinski]

That's true.

[Joe Scarborough]

At least until now. So we're going to cover all nine seasons, share by behind the scenes stories and talk to our co stars and friends like Gina Torres and Aaron Korsch. So look, if you love Suits Amazing.

[Mika Brzezinski]

This podcast is for you.

[Joe Scarborough]

And if you've never watched Suits, also Amazing, you can join us and we'll watch it together. I think we're gonna have a lot of fun. Listen to sidebar wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families with greenlight. You can set up chores, automate allowance and keep an eye on your kids spending with real time notifications, kids learn to earn, save and spend wisely. And parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money. With guardrails in place. Sign up for Greenlight [e-mail] podcast.

[Willie Geist]

The Anti Defamation League held its landmark 30th annual in concert Against Hate event at the Kennedy center last night. The benefit first began as a special event marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. And now it celebrates those everyday heroes who take action in the face of bigotry. The star studded event was emceed by award winning actor Ben Stiller and included performances from world class musicians including Grammy Award winner sia. Also in attendance, Holocaust survivor Rose Goldstein. Joining us now, the CEO of the Anti Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt. It's great to have you on the show. There are so many different things to talk about. Willie, I'll have you start off.

[Joe Scarborough]

All right, so Jonathan, put in context that night, last night, star studded glossy event, but deadly serious issues at the center of this that we've been talking about with you for a long time now and more intensely, let's say, in the last year, year and a half or so. What was front and center last night and what should people be thinking about moving forward here? Well, last night was really electric. You had a sold out Kennedy Center, Ben Stiller's emcee as we saw and honoring these heroes. And I think this was a reminder that people can push back against prejudice if they choose. We honor Dr. Maynaz Afridi who is a Muslim professor at Manhattan College who has taught her Muslim and Jewish students how to work together as they memorialize the holocaust. We celebrated Dr. Charles Chavez, who's a professor at George Mason University, who's done work around racial healing. And of course we honored Scooter Braun, the Grammy Award winning producer who brought the Nova exhibit here to the United States. And Scooter was amazing. His speech was extraordinary. And so look, last night was one of these amazing things that can happen sometimes in Washington, D.C. where you get beyond the rhetoric and beyond all the noise and folks come together for a bigger purpose. And this bigger purpose was fighting hate. We can do it if we dig deep and try. And Jonathan, this comes against the backdrop of what's happening in Europe right now. You've got a new piece in USA Today titled antisemitic Attacks in Europe Are A dire warning to Jews in the US we may be next. In it, you chronicle your recent trip to Europe amid a string of antisemitic violence there, writing, quote, raging antisemitism in Europe this month has been whitewashed with ridiculous labels like hooliganism and violence tied to a soccer game. Let's put an end to the gaslighting. Jonathan continues. Just hours after the attack, I traveled to Amsterdam. I wanted to hear directly from the Jewish community and political leaders. And what I heard was nothing short of an emergency. So, Jonathan, if you could elaborate on those conversations. What did you hear? It was astonishing. So I flew out to Amsterdam, literally right after I heard about the attack. I met with the Jewish community leadership. I met with elected officials. I met with the prime minister. And what I heard again and again was what happened that Thursday night was like nothing they'd seen in generations.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Literally.

[Joe Scarborough]

Willie, after the soccer game, there were dozens and dozens of coordinated attacks against Jewish people all over the city. So literally coordinated by cab drivers who used WhatsApp and Telegram. They staged a Jew hunt is the term that they used. And with pipes, with knives, with clubs, they beat and assaulted individuals whose only crime was, you know, they were Jewish. And this didn't, you know, barely raised an eyebrow here in America. But this is what globalized the Intifada looks like. This is where violent rhetoric leads you. And I went from Amsterdam to Berlin, from Berlin to Brussels, from Brussels to Paris. And in all these places, meeting with elected leaders, with community members, the level of fear is frightening. And, Willie, this can happen here. When our leaders allow violent rhetoric to go kind of crazy, people end up doing crazy things.

[Mika Brzezinski]

You know, Reverend Al, I have watched you and Jonathan Greenblatt over the past several years bring your organizations together and speak out against hatred, speak out against antisemitism, speak out against racism. We seen it here in America. I certainly saw you guys, especially after the tragedy in Pittsburgh. But this is exactly what you and Jonathan have been warning us about over the past several years on your show. And when Jonathan comes on and you.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

All work together, no doubt about it, and I think that it is going to be needed now more than ever. Amsterdam shows us that. And Jonathan, thank you for inviting me last night. I just couldn't get to Washington. But let me ask you this. As we look at the new administration coming in, I spoke in White Plains at the synagogue Friday night, and there are a lot of people concerned. They talked about the hate summit that you and I and others put together with Biden and Kamala Harris at The White House. Where do we go with this new administration? Both you and I are concerned for different aspects. Certainly, I've said I'm against what Netanyahu has done, but we've got to stand up and deal with the antisemitism. And what happened October 7th cannot in any way be tolerated, as well as what's going on, in my opinion, with innocent people in Gaza. How do we deal with the hate, though, that's coming this way? And groups like ADL and others, National Action Network and others deal with this. We see the text messages to blacks right after the election. We see a rise in antisemitism from Europe headed this way. How do we keep this coalition against hate together?

[Joe Scarborough]

Well, look, I'm so glad you asked, rev. And I think there are a few things. So number one, we've got to stop the gaslighting. They had people in Amsterdam who said that the Jews brought this on themselves because some of them made mean chants the night before, like there is no excuse for intolerance and there is no rationalization for violence. So that's number one. I think, number two, we need to realize that we have so much more in common than the things that keep us apart. And so politicians, frankly, on both sides will try to light a fire. They will try to divide us. We've got to resist that, Rev. Jews and blacks, Asian Americans, Hispanics, men, women, gay, straight, all of us need to come together to build the America we want to see. That's what you and I have got to do. That's what our communities and the country's got to do in the years ahead.

[Mika Brzezinski]

All right, CEO of the Anti Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, thank you. Thank you so much. And Jonathan, thank you so much for your kind note. We greatly appreciate it. So sweet.

[Willie Geist]

Thank you.

[Mika Brzezinski]

Thank you. Gene Robinson. You look at the images out of Amsterdam and you hear them on, you hear about people on social media talking about Jew hunts, and you really, you just wonder where that moral arc of history is actually bending right now. Because when you look at those attacks, those anti Semitic attacks that seem to have overtaken Amsterdam, you just have to ask, where are we going?

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

Where are we going? I mean, it is shocking to me to see in Amsterdam and in New York, in other places, Jews being attacked for being Jews. It is one thing to have a focus on Israeli government policy, the policy of the current Israeli government and what it's doing in Gaza, and you can certainly oppose that. But, you know, random Jews being attacked for being Jewish is just, it's appalling. And something I never thought I would see yet at the same time, three or four times a week. And I'm being conservative. I get emails or whatever from, you know, people who were critical of my political points of view, who just use the N word. And, you know, and for me and others, they sometimes they include Reverend L as well. Just to throw that in, this has increased and this atmosphere is. It's shocking. It's something I haven't quite seen since I was a kid in South Carolina. And we have gone backwards and we need to turn this around. I mean, we need to turn this around. This is getting bad.

[Mika Brzezinski]

I mean, I would tell you I was raised in Georgia, in Mississippi, in northwest Florida. I went to school in Alabama. I was raised in the Deep South. And I was raised in the Deep south at a time when I will say, at least in middle class America, the racist insults and everything wasn't said in polite society, wasn't said in school, wasn't said for. I'm just telling you where I was in the middle class communities that I was in. And I will tell you now I'm hearing from my children, it's changed that. It's actually gotten worse than it was when I went to high school decades ago. And you just say it's not supposed to be this way. No, but it is this way.

[Reverend Al Sharpton]

It is.

[Mika Brzezinski]

And it's frightening. It is frightening.

[Joe Scarborough]

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