Morning Joe 12/13/24

Summary

Morning Joe Podcast Summary – December 13, 2024

Hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, along with Willie Geist, Jonathan Lemire, Mike Barnacle, Katty Kay, and Elise Jordan.

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1. Pressure Campaign on Senate Republicans Over Trump's Cabinet Picks

The episode kicks off with an in-depth discussion on the mounting pressure Senate Republicans face in confirming President-elect Donald Trump's controversial cabinet nominees. The conversation centers around the fear of primary challenges from within their own party if they do not align with Trump's choices.

Key Insights:

• Irresistible Political Pressure: Mike Barnacle remarks, “The approach is going to be everybody” [03:15], highlighting the unanimous pressure senators are under to support Trump's nominees.
• Primary Threats: Elise Jordan emphasizes the consequences, stating, “We are seeing that play out in real time right now with the nominees” [03:29], indicating that senators who resist may face primary challenges.
• Party Loyalty vs. Qualification: Katty Kay notes, “Now, when it comes to whether or not senators are going to be backing any of the nominees or what their decision-making process is, senators take it seriously” [04:46], underscoring the tension between party loyalty and the qualifications of the nominees.

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Barnacle: “Because we will primary you. I mean, we are seeing that play out in real time right now with the nominees” [03:29].
• Elise Jordan: “We're getting a little bit of a preview now of what it's going to mean to be allegiant to party” [03:45].

2. Nomination Challenges: Pete Hegseth and Cash Patel

The panel delves into specific nominations, focusing on Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary and Cash Patel for FBI Director.

Pete Hegseth:

• Senator Backlash: Ryan Nobles explains that senators privately question Hegseth’s qualifications despite public appearances supporting his nomination [08:17].
• Trump’s Strategy: Nobles suggests Trump may be testing the waters to see how far he can push Republican senators before needing their support for other legislative priorities [08:17].

Cash Patel:

• Controversial Choice: Katty Kay describes Patel as “the most controversial” nominee, citing his aggressive stance against Trump's opponents and his alignment with Trump’s agenda [13:00].
• Potential for Abuse: Elise Jordan voices concerns, stating, “One of those nominees that would have a difficult time being confirmed under any circumstance” [05:07].

Notable Quotes:

• Katty Kay: “Cash Patel is not only the most controversial, but the one that could change Americans' lives the most” [13:00].
• Elise Jordan: “You could run into a point when you could” [04:12], referring to the dual-edged nature of political pressure.

3. Mysterious Drone Sightings Over the East Coast

The panel addresses the recent flurry of unidentified drone sightings across states like New Jersey, raising concerns among lawmakers and the public.

Key Insights:

• Government Response: Mike Barnacle criticizes the administration's slow response, stating, “I think they should get out something as quickly as they can” [21:53].
• Public Fear and Conspiracy Theories: Willie Geist highlights the public’s desire for transparency to quell rising conspiracy theories [22:37].
• Legislative Frustration: Katty Kay points out, “We cannot simply say, well, they're not causing any harm. Well, do we know that?” [22:37], emphasizing the need for clear communication from the White House.

Notable Quotes:

• Willie Geist: “They want to know what these things are and they want to know as soon as possible” [22:42].
• Mike Barnacle: “It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully” [22:28].

4. Economic Concerns: The Rising Cost of Groceries

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the persistent inflation affecting daily life, particularly the soaring prices of groceries—a key campaign promise for Trump.

Key Insights:

• Trump’s Acknowledgment: In his Time magazine interview, Trump concedes, “it's hard to bring things down once they're up” [30:06], indicating challenges in fulfilling his campaign promise.
• Public Frustration: Mike Barnacle shares public sentiment, “Kids say eggs are up 65%” [29:41], reflecting widespread frustration over food prices.
• Disconnect Between Policy and Perception: Elise Jordan critiques the administration’s messaging, noting, “if you look at it, the inflation is slowing or employment is picking up again, you can't tell voters what they should be feeling” [34:28].

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Barnacle: “They put their best foot forward. I just decided I want to come play for the New York Mets” [53:58].
• Jonathan Lemire: “Dance money standpoint definitely is going to be there” [29:56].

5. Foreign Policy: The Future of Syria Post-Assad

The episode provides an update on Syria following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, with NBC's Matt Bradley reporting live from Damascus.

Key Insights:

• Rebel Governance: Matt Bradley reports on the rebel group Hayat Tahrir Hashem’s promises of equality and reform, though skepticism remains due to their historical ties to terrorism [42:55].
• International Concerns: Elise Jordan questions the group’s ability to implement their promises, comparing their assurances to those made by the Taliban in Afghanistan [41:07].
• Regional Stability: The panel discusses the potential for Syria to become a failed state, Turkey's role, and Russia’s continued military presence [46:22].

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Bradley: “This is a really momentous for so many people here in this country” [41:07].
• Katty Kay: “We're hearing celebratory gunshots... Israel is still operating every day as if they are at war” [43:04].

6. Foreign Policy Analysis: David French on Trump’s Potential Successes and Failures

Conservative columnist David French's piece in The New York Times is dissected, examining Trump's foreign policy stance.

Key Insights:

• Trump’s Vanity vs. Strategy: French argues that Trump’s personal motivations may lead to isolationist tendencies despite inheriting favorable conditions [44:50].
• Elise Jordan’s Counterpoint: Elise contends that the global situation is precarious and Trump’s reactive nature may prevent reckless policies like bombing Tehran [45:38].

Notable Quotes:

• David French (paraphrased): “Trump is a lucky man. He's inheriting a growing economy and weakened enemies in 2025” [44:50].
• Elise Jordan: “I don’t want to see bombing Tehran. I don’t want to see hardcore action immediately” [45:38].

7. Sports Highlights: Juan Soto’s $765 Million Deal and Bill Belichick’s Coaching Move

The episode briefly shifts to sports, covering Juan Soto's monumental contract with the New York Mets and Bill Belichick’s unexpected transition to college coaching.

Key Insights:

• Juan Soto’s Contract: Signed a record-breaking $765 million deal with the Mets, stirring talk among Yankees fans and analysts about the future impact on both teams [53:55].
• Bill Belichick’s College Coaching: The legendary NFL coach joins the University of North Carolina, an unprecedented move highlighted by his nostalgic references to his father's coaching legacy [51:06].

Notable Quotes:

• Bill Belichick: “I always wanted a coach in football, coaching college football and it just never really worked out” [51:06].
• Mike Barnacle: “He has an option out of that contract in five years” [56:22].

8. Weather Update: Extreme Winter Conditions in the Midwest and Northeast

An NBC correspondent provides a live report on the severe lake effect snow impacting the upper Midwest and Northeast, causing infrastructure strain and hazardous travel conditions.

Key Insights:

• Infrastructure Impact: Multiple commercial buildings have collapsed under the weight of the snow, exacerbating emergency responses [27:30].
• Public Safety Concerns: Authorities urge caution, highlighting the increased number of traffic incidents and ongoing state of emergency [27:30].

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Bradley: “A state of emergency remains in place there for a second straight week with no end in sight to this wintry mess” [28:35].

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the critical discussions from the Morning Joe episode aired on December 13, 2024. Covering political pressures within the Republican Senate, contentious cabinet nominations, mysterious drone sightings, economic struggles with rising grocery costs, intricate foreign policy challenges in Syria, and brief sports updates, the episode provides a multifaceted view of the current political and social climate.

For detailed insights and nuanced discussions, tuning into the full episode of Morning Joe is recommended.

Transcript

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[Jonathan Lemire]

With the Hegseth nomination, Gabbard, some of the others, I think the pressure has been irresistible. Raw political pressure is turning the tide with some of them turning their minds. The threat of a primary, let's be very blunt, is going to sway some of them, particularly colleagues who have elections in the next cycle. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about the pressure campaign by Donald Trump and his allies to get some of his most controversial cabinet picks confirmed. We'll have more from Capitol Hill straight ahead. Meanwhile, the President elect is admitting now he may have some trouble delivering on what was a key campaign promise for many voters. We'll tell you exactly what that is. Also ahead, we'll have the latest diplomatic efforts to between the United States and allies in the Middle east following the rebel takeover in Syria. Plus, some lawmakers in Washington now pressing the Biden administration for answers on those mysterious drones that have been in the skies over the East Coast. We'll tell you what the White House is saying about that. And the very latest on the extreme winter weather hitting the Midwest, causing a dramatic crash in Michigan. Lake effect snow up and down the east coast and into the Midwest. Good morning. Welcome to Morning Joe. It is Friday, December, December 13th. I'm Willie Geist. Joe and Mika have the morning off with us, the host of Way Too Early, Jonathan Lemire, MSNBC contributor Mike Barnacle, US Special correspondent for BBC News, Katty Kay and MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan. She's a former Aide to the George W. Bush White House and the State Department. Good morning to you all. Let's dive right in. We begin this morning on Capitol Hill where some Senate Republicans are acknowledging the pressure campaign. President Elect Trump and his allies are waging about some of his controversial cabinet picks and getting them confirmed. During a discussion yesterday with the group no Labels, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska got candid about what's going on right now. And Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina also weighed in on the matter while speaking to reporters.

[Mike Barnacle]

The approach is going to be everybody.

[Elise Jordan]

Toe the line, everybody line up. We got you here. And if you want to survive, you better be good. Don't get on Santa's naughty list here.

[Mike Barnacle]

Because we will primary you. I mean, we are seeing that play out in real time right now with the nominees.

[Katty Kay]

My friend Joni Ernst, who is probably.

[Mike Barnacle]

One of the more conservative, principled Republican leaders in the Senate right now, is.

[Elise Jordan]

Being hung out to dry for not being good enough. And you're going to get primaried. We're getting a little bit of a preview now of what it's going to mean to be allegiant to party.

[Willie Geist]

And I don't think that that's going.

[Katty Kay]

To help us as a Republican Party, believe it or not.

[Elise Jordan]

Do you feel like there's a pressure.

[Katty Kay]

Campaign against people who even throw out concerns?

[Mike Barnacle]

I do. And I think that that's a two edged sword. I think that you could run to.

[Katty Kay]

A point when we have thin majorities.

[Mike Barnacle]

To where you could.

[Katty Kay]

I think that that's, it's, it's more.

[Mike Barnacle]

Important to get behind closed doors, address concerns and have Republicans come than to create controversy.

[Katty Kay]

I just think, you know, it's a.

[Mike Barnacle]

Short term win but a long term.

[Katty Kay]

Loss if you're not careful with that.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Tom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina there, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, downplayed the idea of a pressure campaign against those Senate Republicans.

[Katty Kay]

Well, I think a lot of that's hyperbole.

[Jonathan Lemire]

I think the fact of the matter.

[Katty Kay]

Is President Trump has nominated people that he thinks are going to be the.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Best for the job.

[Katty Kay]

Now, when it comes to whether or not senators are going to be backing any of the nominees or what their decision making process is, senators take it seriously. They want to have those individual meetings, they want to have the hearings.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Right now there are no hard nos.

[Katty Kay]

From Republicans for any of President Trump's nominees because they're really good people. They're very good, well qualified people.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Let's bring in NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles, who's been covering all this very closely. Ryan, good morning. So we did see a change in tone from Joni Ernst from one week to the next. She basically expressing some skepticism, to put it mildly, about Pete Hegseth at Defense and then appearing this week to be much more more open about it. What are you hearing behind the scenes from these members, from these senators about the pressure that's being applied, not just from Trump and his people directly, but from outside groups as well?

[Willie Geist]

Well, it's undeniable, Willie. And there's obviously the pressure campaign that's happening behind closed doors that we are not privy to, where there is the president himself who is making clear who he wants in these top jobs, his allies getting that message to those senators as well. But there's also in some way a very vicious online campaign against many of these senators who at this point have not publicly said there are no vote on any of these particular nominees. And it's almost a warning to those senators who are up for reelection in this next cycle, which includes both Joni Ernst and Tom, tell us that if you're not going to toe the line, you're going to see a primary challenge and you could be in trouble. And we are going to spare no expense or effort to make sure that happens. And that really has to be in the back back of the minds of many of these senators as they weigh this responsibility of advising consent and the co equal branch of government that the Senate is. And this is just kind of in many ways a foreshadowing of what we could potentially see as a showdown between Senate Republicans and the White House throughout the course of the next two years. This is basically setting the stage to determine whether or not these Senate Republicans have the backbone to stand up to Donald Trump when he makes a decision that they don't necessarily like. And it is fair to say that Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, who is no longer the attorney general nominee. Under normal circumstances, these are the kind of nominees that would have a difficult time being confirmed under any circumstance. So it's not a surprise that there is some skepticism among these ranks. And I think the question right now is just how far does Donald Trump himself, how far is he will to go to exert that pressure? And does he pick and choose between which one of these nominees that he wants to use that political capital on? Because there's no doubt that if he wants, he can make life very difficult for these Republican senators, particularly the ones that are up for reelection. But he also knows that he has to work with them. There's gonna be a lot of votes that he's gonna need from them because the margins are so close over the next two years. If he wants his tax cuts, if he wants funding for this mass deportation program, go down the line of these massive policy proposals that does he want to win then or does he want to win now? And there could be a calculus that's taking place here by Donald Trump where he's seeing just how far he can push them, and that'll tell us how the rest of this will play out, at least over the first two years of this second run at his presidency.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Ryan, I know you hear what I hear, what Jonathan hears, what everyone at this table hears from Republicans privately, which is they don't think that Matt Gaetz was qualified. They don't think Tulsi Gabbard should be anywhere near the country's secrets. They don't think that pet Pete Hegset, though they may like him personally, should run a bureaucracy the size of the Department of Defense. And yet none of them will say that publicly, at least as strongly as I just said it there. So what is the calculus for the senators? You talked about what Donald Trump is thinking. How do they weigh this? They have to live in Donald Trump's Washington for the next four years, but they also don't believe, principally that these people should be running the organizations to which he's going to nominate them. So what is that calculus for some of these senators?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, and I think it's important to keep in mind, Willie, that these Republican senators want Donald Trump to succeed. These are not, this isn't the Republican Party of 2017 where there was definitely a faction of never Trump Republicans, even if they were quiet, that were hoping behind the scenes that he did not succeed and did not make it through. These Republicans want him to win. And when they go through the advise and consent role here, it's not because they want to trip him up. It's not because they want to make his life difficult. It's because they want him to have the best people around, around him in these Cabinet posts when he takes office on January 20th and beyond. And so what they would like to see happen is behind the scenes, there's a conversation. They talk to the administration, they talk to these Sherpas that are working with these candidates, and they say, you know what? It's just not going to happen. If you go through this confirmation process, it's going to be ugly. We're going to have a hearing where, remember Democrats get to ask questions. They're going to expose a lot of these issues that have come up in media reports. Your nominees are gonna have to deal with all of this, and it's ultimately gonna look bad for you. And then at the end of all of it, after this brutal situation, we may have to vote against you and make it look like we're in opposition to you. The other path is behind the scenes, we quietly talk about how this isn't necessarily the right person for this job for a whole range of reasons. Why don't you find someone else and let that person bow out on their own? That's how it worked with Matt Gaetz, because it was clear that under any circumstance, Matt G. Not going to get the votes. Trump got that message. The question now and what he's dealing with when it comes to Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, and we'll see what happens with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. When he begins his process next week. Is Trump getting that message yet? Are these Republican senators willing to say definitively, there's no way I'm ever gonna vote yes for this guy? It's time for you to move on now so you don't go through that whole process. With Hegseth in particular, it seems that Trump feels that he has the charisma and in a public, public setting, he'll be able to win over some of these senators. And he's willing for him to go through that process and see what happens. May not be the case for all of them, but that's kind of the dynamic that we see playing out the back and forth between the White House and the senators.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Yeah. And a week ago, Pete Hegseth's potential nomination was teetering. Looked like it was on the brink of collapse, and yet Donald Trump has dug in. Let's talk about the FBI now. With Director Christopher Wray stepping down from his post next month, he announced that this week Republicans are falling in line behind Cash Patel, President elect Trump's pick to lead the bureau. Patel was back on the Hill yesterday, meeting with Republican lawmakers. Here's what he had to say ahead of a meeting with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. All I can say is we've had.

[Katty Kay]

A wonderful first week on the Hill meeting with so many great senators, almost 20 of them.

[Jonathan Lemire]

It has been a humbling process to.

[Katty Kay]

Receive their advice during the consent and advice process, and I'm looking forward to.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Continuing that during the confirmation process, as.

[Katty Kay]

I learn every day as I go, and I'm thrilled to be President Trump's nominee for the director of the FBI.

[Jonathan Lemire]

And I'm very excited to see Senator Ted Cruz, who is one of the most brilliant constitutional minds we have.

[Elise Jordan]

Thank you.

[Jonathan Lemire]

You know, Jonathan Lemire Cache Patel is viewed by many people as perhaps the most controversial of all President Elect Trump's choices here. And yet he seems to be publicly anyway getting the most broad support from Republicans. It seems, at least from the Republican side anyway, that he would breeze through if he could get all those votes there from the Republicans who've come out and spoken and supported his choice. What do you make of this dynamic? This is a guy, of course, who's called for the jailing of members of the press, jailing of opponents of Donald Trump, jailing of people he perceives to be part of the deep state. He had an enemies list at the back of his book, arguably the most controversial of the choices and yet drawing widespread support on the Hill the last couple of days.

[Katty Kay]

Yeah, I was talking to a senior Hill aide yesterday who was very blunt. This pick right here, Cash Patel, more than Pete Hegseth, more than Tulsi Gabbard, maybe even more than Robert F. King, Jr. That this pick, Cash Patel, is not only the most controversial, but the one that could change Americans lives the most because of if he's willing to use the tools of power in the FBI to go after the enemies list, one of which he put in the back of his book. Others more, he's going to take his cues from Donald Trump, either directly or indirectly. This is someone who's going to use the power of the most important law enforcement body in the world, potentially on American citizens, pressure campaigns and even arrests as he has threatened lawmakers, journalists, others who he has deemed in opposition to the MAGA movement. And as so many people have said, Cash Patel really has no ideology of his own per se, but rather simply channels whatever Donald Trump wants. So at least it is striking, though, to Willie's point. We have heard senators both publicly and privately express reservations about Pete Hegseth.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Right.

[Katty Kay]

We knew Matt Gaetz was that pick was in trouble right away. Some have said, well, Tulsi Gabbard, do we really want her to have the nation's secrets? I think next week the spotlight will turn a little to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Cash Hotel has flown under the radar. And my question to you is there are some, obviously Republicans, a number of Republicans, who do care about law and order, who do care about the norms of government and checking its investigative powers. Are they going to stand up against Cash Patel, who more than anyone I think symbolizes what Trump 2.0 Retribution is all about.

[Elise Jordan]

I don't think you can underestimate just how strong the anger is against the FBI, Even the rank and file Republicans, what they see as the department's excesses over the past eight years or so, really, starting with Comey and his announcement about Hillary Clinton on the eve of the election was even an overstep, some Republicans feel. So I think that that's why Cash Patel, they see as someone to come in and clean up and he might upset some apples in the barrel cart, but they're okay with it as long as there's radical reform. And you see that with so many of those nominees they're willing to accept, like they are with Trump, that things are going to get broken. There could be chaos. But, you know, they feel that they have to address the underlying problems that their constituents are so angry about.

[Mike Barnacle]

This reminds me that it could be like a 21st century version, an adaptation, an update of Pat Moynihan's 1993 essay on defining deviancy down. So Cash Patel is on the roster to be FBI director. And he's on the roster. He's batting third. Number one, Pete Hegseth. Senators walking around saying, he's totally unqualified. We can't have him. We can't put him in charge of the Department of Defense. Then they go to Tulsi Gabbard. Tulsi Gabbard, No. If she's Director of National Intelligence out of the White House, the French, the British, the Israelis, the Germans, no one will tell us about their intelligence apparatus. They won't deal with us because they don't trust her. Cash Patel. Oh, okay. All right. We'll define deviancy down. And Cash Patel. Okay, I'll vote for him to be FBI director. Will he? And it's incredible to watch it. And just thinking of what's happened to the United States Senate over the course of the past couple of decades, but especially over the past 10 years. I mean, it used to be the greatest deliberative body in the world. And now apparently for the Republican senators, it's check your conscience at the door.

[Jonathan Lemire]

And remember those senators principal objection they say to the FBI right now under Christopher Wray is that it has been, quote, weaponized against political opponents. That's their perception. Well, now you have someone in Cash Patel who explicitly is saying his job is to weaponize the FBI to go after the opponents of Donald Trump. So how are Democrats in the Senate handling all of this? Pete Hegseth met for the first time Yesterday with a Democratic senator on Capitol Hill, Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary spent the last two weeks in Washington talking to Republicans. Yesterday, though, he sat down with Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Before the meeting, Senator Fetterman told CNN he's just doing his job, advising consent and that he'd never heard of Hegseth before Trump picked the former Fox News host and military veteran to lead the Pentagon. Here's what Fetterman had to say after their conversation.

[Mike Barnacle]

I'm not really sure that, like I.

[Katty Kay]

Said, there's not really new thing.

[Jonathan Lemire]

We had a convers and that's part of the process. And that's the thing I'm gonna walk across. I'm going to listen to what my.

[Mike Barnacle]

Colleagues on the other side continue to.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Say and how they evaluate.

[Katty Kay]

Hey, guys, great space, great space. He's walking.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Are you considering voting for him?

[Katty Kay]

Yeah. So it's just like it's a conversation.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Tough to hear though, there, Caddy K. But Senator Fetterman basically saying this is not news. This is our job. We bring them in, we have a meeting. It doesn't voting for the guy, but I'm gonna give him a fair hearing like I would anyone else. What do you make though, just more broadly? That's one Democrat. There'll be others. Senator Fetterman keeping an open mind broadly about the process that we're talking about here, which is that Republicans, though, they were able to run off Matt Gaetz, it appears they're having a little more trouble, at least for the moment. There's still hearings to come and there'll be much more in this process finding their conscience about some of these picks.

[Elise Jordan]

Well, briefly on Fetterman. It shouldn't be news. I mean, if the system was working perfectly, then senators from both sides would meet the candidate of any president. But it is news, of course, because he is the only Democrat who has met with these proposed candidates from Donald Trump. So that in and of itself, he knows this. It makes it news. He also knows he's up for reelection in the election cycle in which Donald Trump will have just finished his first term in office and in a state in which Donald Trump has just won. So there may be a whole load of motives going on there. You're right that it looks for the moment like this week, at the end of this week, very different from the end of last week. Donald Trump's nomination picks seem to be in a stronger position than they were this time last week. We were surprised that Pete Hegseth made it through the weekend. I've been told there is, you know, there are lots of different machinations going on. John Thune, Senator John Thune, the incoming Senate Majority Leader, is having kind of discussions about how he can play kind of checkers with the senators, give some of them the opportunity to say no to one pick, but not have any of them have to say no to more than one pick. But at the moment, until this process starts, I mean, I think we have to slightly ignore this process at the moment, because some of the signals we're getting as we're going around the corridor being followed by reporters is different from what will happen when we actually have the hearings with Trump. You always have to kind of go with what is happening, not with what is being said. And one, once we sit down and these hearings start taking place, that could be the moment at which you start to see some of these senators say, okay, we are going to find ways that some of us on some of these picks are able to get enough cover to vote no occasionally. And occasionally, maybe only once.

[Jonathan Lemire]

And at the end of the day, will they vote against Donald Trump? Will they cross him? Historically, the answer has been no. We'll see. Ryan, before we let you go, I want to turn to a different story that you've been covering that has fascinated so many people. These drones, these mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, other states on the East Coast. What more are you hearing today?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, well, this story is fascinating. It's kind of funny how stories make their way to Capitol Hill. This story, you know, really originated on the Internet. Last week, people posting about it on TikTok, seeing these mysterious crafts in the air, looking for an explanation that it got to local mayors, wanting answers, asking the FBI and others. And now yesterday, in a big way, it finally made its way to Capitol Hill. And while the one House is saying it's nothing to worry about, they're not telling anybody what they think it is. And that has many leaders on Capitol Hill demanding answers.

[Katty Kay]

This is over my house right now.

[Willie Geist]

As mysterious drones continue to pop up in the skies over the East Coast.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Now it's hovering over my other neighbor's house.

[Willie Geist]

Lawmakers in Washington are growing frustrated that the Biden administration isn't explaining what they are. You've seen the Internet's running wild with conspiracy theories and that. Do you feel like the administration needs to fill that void?

[Mike Barnacle]

Well, they, I think they should get out something as quickly as they can.

[Willie Geist]

Theories are running wild about what the flying objects may be. One New Jersey congressman said they were being launched by an Iranian mothership. Off the Atlantic Coast. The White House saying an investigation is underway, but there is no cause for alarm right now.

[Mike Barnacle]

There's just no indication that this is some sort of foreign malign activity or.

[Katty Kay]

In fact, even criminal.

[Willie Geist]

Adding the objects being seen in the sky aren't even necessarily drones.

[Mike Barnacle]

It appears that many of the reported.

[Katty Kay]

Sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.

[Willie Geist]

And while the Pentagon has said they aren't military drones and they do not come from a foreign threat, senators like New York's Kirsten Gillibrand are demanding more information.

[Katty Kay]

We cannot simply say, well, they're not causing any harm. Well, do we know that?

[Elise Jordan]

What are they doing and who's sending them?

[Willie Geist]

And you do get the impression that the White House feels that they can just tell everyone, you don't have to worry about this. It's not a foreign actor. It's not an anything that is a real threat. But what you're increasingly seeing, and what I think I saw yesterday talking to lawmakers is that their constituents, the people that are actually seeing these things flying above their house, they don't feel confident enough with the White House just telling them, don't worry about this. They want to know what these things are and they want to know as soon as possible. And if there continues to be this lack of transparency, you're just going to see conspiracy theories continue to fill that void. And so I think the administration here, the Pentagon, they have a lot to do to try and ease people's fears here and come up with some concrete answers. We know there's an FBI investigation, DHS is involved, the FAA is involved. But at this point, they haven't given us any indication as to what they have uncovered and what these things could possibly be. Yeah.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Interesting to hear Admiral Kirby say yesterday, these are just legally owned, licensed planes or helicopters that people are seeing and the residents on the ground are saying no, we know what look like. We've seen those. We see them all the time. This feels like something different. So the saga continues. So interesting. NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Noble is covering a lot of ground for us this morning. Ryan, thanks so much. We appreciate it. Still ahead on Morning joe, we'll take a look at what President Elect Trump is saying about potentially ending some childhood vaccines and the, quote, big discussion he says he plans on having with his HHS nominee, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Also ahead, a live report from Damascus as the leader of the rebel group that overthrew the Assad regime calls for Syrians to celebrate in the streets today. Morning Joe's back in just 90 seconds.

[Elise Jordan]

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, responds to emergencies and provides long term solutions for refugees in more than 130 countries including Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan. UNHCR supports people forced to flee from war, violence and persecution at their greatest moment of need. During the winter, people forced to flee are faced with increased hardships and costs. As temperatures drop, families struggle to meet basic needs like heating their shelters, buying warm clothes and cooking hot meals. Refugees and displaced people are struggling to survive like never before. Funding shortfalls and rising food prices forced UNHCR to dial back its life saving aid to vulnerable families around the world. Donor support is crucial to address the need for essentials for millions of families. Without sufficient funding, life saving assistance will be threatened, cutting off a vital lifeline for refugees and displaced people. This is a tremendous challenge for people forced to Flee. Donate to USA for UNHCR by visiting unrefugees.org winter all gifts before December 31st are automatically matched.

[Katty Kay]

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.

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[Jonathan Lemire]

That is a beautiful live picture. Pre Dawn New York City 6:25 on this Friday, December 13, a new round of heavy lake effect snow causing hazardous conditions in parts of the upper Midwest and the Northeast. NBC News correspondent Erin McLaughlin has more.

[Elise Jordan]

In the Midwest and Northeast, yet another winter whiteout and dangerous moments like this. A box truck loses control on a Michigan highway, slamming into a fire engine. Authorities say the driver was taken to the hospital suffering minor injuries. No first responders were hurt. While in New York, officials in one county say They've responded to 50 traffic incidents in the last 24 hours. They're urging anyone out on the roads in this to slow down. It's the third lake effect snow warning to strike the region since Thanksgiving. This time it's so cold, ice balls are filling up this Michigan beach. And in western New York, more than 30 inches have dropped in the last 24 hours. So much snow that in Buffalo, its practice canceled for the Bills, their stadium blanketed in white after pulling off a snowy victory over the 49ers earlier this month. Meanwhile, hard hit Erie, Pennsylvania, woke up this morning to blizzard like conditions. The relentless weather is straining infrastructure. Officials say at least eight commercial buildings have either collapsed or partially collapsed under.

[Jonathan Lemire]

The weight of the snow.

[Elise Jordan]

A state of emergency remains in place there for a second straight week with no end in sight to this wintry mess.

[Jonathan Lemire]

And more of that dangerous weather ahead today. NBC's Aaron McLaughlin reporting for us. Turning back to politics and the economy, one of Donald Trump's often repeated campaign promises this year was to bring out the price of groceries very quickly because.

[Mike Barnacle]

People can't afford their groceries and they're going to be affording their groceries very soon. And I went on groceries. It's very simple word, groceries, like almost, you know, who uses the word. I started using the word, the groceries. A vote for Trump means your groceries will be cheaper. It'll also bring your grocery bill way down. I have more complaints on grocery. The word grocery, you know, it's sort of simple word, but it sort of means like everything you eat, the stomach is speaking. It always does. And I have more complaints about that. Bacon and things going up. Double, triple, quadruple. I don't like the tags very much.

[Katty Kay]

Look at that.

[Mike Barnacle]

Up 46%. Eggs.

[Elise Jordan]

Wow.

[Mike Barnacle]

Up 65% percent. Wow. School lunch is up 65%. How can a family afford that? I haven't seen Cheerios in a long time.

[Jonathan Lemire]

I'm going to take them back with me.

[Elise Jordan]

Bacon is through the roof.

[Mike Barnacle]

They're all through the roof. The milk, everything is bad. And we're going to straighten it out. We're going to bring prices way down and we'll get it, get it done fast.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Marveling at his own discovery of the word groceries. But in his Time magazine, person of The Year interview, conducted late last month, announced yesterday, he acknowledged lowering the price of groceries will not be so easy, saying, quote, it's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard. But I think that they will. Jonathan Lemire there's so much to plow through and dig through in this time Person of the Year interview. All these admissions of, well, I said a lot on the campaign trail, but it's going to be a little tougher once I'm in the White House. He talked about inflation. He talked about, actually Ukraine. I'm not so sure I can solve that on day one. As I promised, we'll dig into a whole bunch of that as we go. But obviously, no one, no president, no person can come in on day one and bring down the price of eggs, bacon and other groceries. You know, it's a word, John. It's a simple word that people are using now.

[Katty Kay]

Groceries, groceries, all the rage. It's always such a tell when Trump is reading something for the first time and he reacts to it in real time like he was with those price tags. And then when he saw the Cheerios on the table and realized that might be his lunch there at Bedminster that day. But, Mike Barnacle, you among all of us at this table have been for months, if not years, singularly focused on the price of groceries. You got there before Trump did. And those particularly at the Market Basket franchise that you and I so nearly.

[Elise Jordan]

Because he goes early morning on his days off.

[Katty Kay]

So Saturday morning, near and dear to our hearts, the Market basket.

[Mike Barnacle]

Saturday morning, 6:30am I'm in Market Basket in Waltham doing the grocery shopping. And it was amazing to me during the course of this past campaign that the Democratic Democrats didn't focus more on the actual cost of groceries. They kept talking about the national economy in terms of global economies that were the strongest in the world. Yes. But the lived economy, the way people actually live and pay for things, nowhere does it occur more in reality each and every day than in grocery stores and at gas stations. And I'm wondering, what do you think, Elise, what do you think the over under is on the last time that Donald Trump was in a grocery store? 40 years. 50 years.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Elise Jordan]

I mean, does seven, 11 count? Maybe on a campaign stop, maybe on the campaign trail he wandered in, but I doubt that even as a teenager he ever went to the grocery store. Yeah, probably not. But also, I would add fast food to your list of concerns, too, which kind of like merges with groceries. It is insane how expensive fast food has gotten and so much of the country relies on it. Just the other day, getting a diet eliminated. Chick fil a 475.

[Mike Barnacle]

Yeah. McDonald's now has. McDonald's now has semi Happy Meals.

[Katty Kay]

Yeah. He did an event, we're reminded he did an event in a campaign stop in September. He also effectively appeared at McDonald's, which was something that those and his team thought was effective. But Willie, I'm curious. This will be another moment, though, where Trump acknowledged, look, it's going to be hard to bring these prices down. Do we think that he will face any sort of backlash from supporters if he doesn't? Well, we see that reflected in his poll numbers. We know that President Biden, despite a robust legislative agenda, would drag down his poll numbers more than anything Was high prices. Right. Inflation, the fact that just cost so much more to go to the store, to go to McDonald's, whatever it might be. You know, in the past, his supporters have always stayed with Trump, but he made this such a signature promise. One wonders if six months from now, a year from now, 18 months from now, things are still high. What that does day's approval?

[Jonathan Lemire]

Yeah, it's a good question because it is the issue that cuts across everything. Right. It cuts across all these demographic groups that Democrats were trying to target and Republicans were trying to win over. And we talked a lot about abortion and immigration and democracy and all those things that are so important. But at the end of the day, it was, as Mike has always said, the cost of groceries that was decisive. KATIE K. And there is nothing that Donald Trump can do. Obviously, the prices have come down since those peak days a couple of years ago when prices were so astronomically high but not low enough. And Donald and Joe Biden would be the first to tell you that he suffered because of that. Kamala Harris suffered because of that. They thought they did what they could do to strengthen the economy and bring the prices down. But whatever those grand concerns were about other lofty issues during the campaign, at the end of the day, life was just too expensive and remained so for a lot of Americans.

[Elise Jordan]

Yeah. Ask all of those other governments and leaders around the world who also got swept out, out of office in a year in which there were so many elections and people post Covid suffering from supply chain shocks, suffering from inflation shocks everywhere got thrown out of office. I mean, I think the Democrats did suffer from the fact on top of that that they were out there trying to tell people that the economy was getting better. And by many metrics, the economy has been getting better at a time when people didn't feel it was getting better and that disconnect didn't help them. I mean, saying to people, well, actually, you shouldn't be feeling bad about the price of eggs because if you look at it, the inflation is slowing or employment is picking up again, you can't tell voters what they should be feeling. Voters feel what they feel. And that means that in four years time, if the economy is still not doing well, if we have a tariff war in which not only the price of imports goes up, but the price of American exports goes up, making it harder for Americans to sell things abroad because of red trip retribution, retributive tariffs. Is that a thing? Anyways, too early in the morning for that word tariffs that are opposed because of retribution. Then you'll have, you know, do you start then getting some added dissatisfaction? I think it's going to be. It's this cumulative feeling of kind of unease, unhappiness, anger. I'm pissed off. If people are still feeling that in four years, sure, they'll blame the party that's in government whether it's Donald Trump or not Donald Trump.

[Jonathan Lemire]

You know, Katie, generally I would hop in to save you, but I don't know how to say that word either. Let's dumb it down to punitive maybe punitive tariffs, maybe. We both can say that. All right. Coming up, we'll have the very latest on the political upheaval in Syria. NBC's Matt Bradley joins us live from Damascus with a look at how rebel forces plan to govern the country now that Bashar Al Assad is out of power. Morning Joe's coming right back.

[Willie Geist]

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[Willie Geist]

On Syria Very focused on the opportunity.

[Jonathan Lemire]

That now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out out from under the shackles of Bashar.

[Mike Barnacle]

Al Assad to a different and better.

[Katty Kay]

Future for the Syrian people, one that.

[Jonathan Lemire]

The Syrian people decide for themselves. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Turkey earlier this morning speaking about the future of Syria as the United States and its allies work to secure a peaceful transition in the country and flesh out future terms of engagement there. Meanwhile, celebrations continue in Syria following the toppling of Bashar al Assad and his regime. The leader of the rebel group that overthrew Assad's regime called on Syrians to take to the streets today to mark what he described as a revolution. NBC News international correspondent Matt Bradley joins us now live from Damascus. So, Matt, what's the latest there on the ground today?

[Katty Kay]

Yeah, well, will you know, amidst the euphoria and the fear, and I can tell you really, there really is both, there is quite a bit of fear amidst all of these celebrations that we keep seeing. There is a real call for justice and not justice for those who were wrongfully imprisoned, who were wrongfully executed, who were tortured. And we've been seeing so many stories coming out of that infamous Znaya prison over the past couple of days. But also for those who were victims of chemical weapons, that was something that had been wielded by the Assad regime on several occasions over the 13 year, more than 13 year long civil war that really just ended. As far as we can tell, it is over just in the past week. So I went down to Ghouta yesterday, which is this town not so far from here where I am in central Damascus where there had been a chemical strike by the Assad regime back in 2013. I spoke with some young men about what they endured, about how many people they lost. This was an attack that killed somewhere between nearly 300 or nearly 2,000 people. We don't know exactly how many people were killed and maimed and injured many others, including the young man Muhammad, who I spoke to. Here's what he told me. So as you can see, this is a hugely emotional moment for so many people. Remember when we're hearing from these people, this is not just a time when they were calling something that is a occurred to them when they were recalling their victimization. This is really the first time they're able to speak publicly about these events inside Syria with comfort with knowing they're not going to be thrown in jail for speaking their mind and telling their truth. That's why this is so momentous for so many people here in this country.

[Elise Jordan]

Guys, Matt, Matt, the stories from the people who are going around prisons trying to find their loved ones after sometimes decades are just heart wrenching. Are we getting any sense of what the new incoming government, I guess we call it, is going to look like and whether it's going to be more open, more tolerant, whether it's going to be a government that Syrians will be able to keep their voices alive and aloud and in opposition if necessary to the incoming government? Is this a real sea change? Change?

[Katty Kay]

It's a great question, Katie, and it's the one actually that everybody here is asking and nobody really has an answer yet except this new regime led by Hayat Tahrir Hashem. They're an organization that has passed loyalties to Al Qaeda. They're listed, designated as terrorists by the United States and many European nations and even by Turkey who has backed their allies in just the past week. So this is a really thorny situation. We've heard from the US and from other countries, countries that they're considering delisting this group as terrorists so that they can actually deal with this new government here in Syria. But they've been making all the right noises as far as the international community is concerned. We heard from Abu Mohammed Al Julani, who now goes by his non, his real name, it's not nom de guerre, he goes by Ahmed Ashara and he's been saying that women will enjoy free rights, full equality here in this new Syria, that any ethnic and religious minorities have nothing to fear. They will be treated with respect and equal rights under the law. This is exactly what the international community wants to hear. But the question is, given the history of this group, will this group be able to talk the talk or walk the walk as well as they are talking the talk? When it comes to liberalism, guys, many.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Reminded that the Taliban said all the right things a few years ago in Afghanistan about women. What do you see in there, Matt?

[Katty Kay]

Well, I think we're hearing celebratory gunshots. I hope that celebratory gunshots right off my right shoulder. We don't know exactly what's going on. You hear this every once in a while as well, by the way, as the sound of Israeli bombardments which are continuing around Damascus.

[Jonathan Lemire]

All right, we'll let you get to safety there. NBC's Matt Bradley in Damascus for us this morning. Matt, thank you very much. On the subject of foreign policy, conservative column David French has a new piece for the New York Times that caught our eye this morning. It's titled Biden Has a Pair of Gifts for Trump. David writes in part, donald Trump is a lucky man. He's inheriting a growing economy and weakened enemies in 2025. If Trump wants to capitalize on our enemies weaknesses, he's going to have to shed at least some of his isolationism. Trump is far more self interested than he is ideological. And an American retreat in Syria or the site of Russian troops marching in Kyiv or an Iranian nuclear bomb would all be de deeply humiliating to him. They would signal American weakness, which would signal Trump's weakness. In other words, Trump's vanity may save us from Trump's isolationism, but vanity is a poor proxy for a coherent national security strategy. Trump is a fortunate man. He's inheriting the conditions for profound foreign policy success, but he's also inheriting the possibility of failure. And the troubling reality is that his instincts are wrong, his national security picks are flawed, and he may well snatch series of terrible defeats from the jaws of extraordinary military and diplomatic success. That's David French writing this morning in the New York Times. Elise, what do you make of David's point there, which is that Joe Biden actually, for all the criticism from Donald Trump, has left Trump in a pretty good position here.

[Elise Jordan]

I like David, but I really don't agree with that argument very much. I think that the world, as Richard Haas would say, is in disarray right now. I think that I'm not going to lay all of that on President Biden, but it's just coming into a very perilous point. And I don't, I do think that the save face aspect of Donald Trump and he's so reactive to bad press, will, you know, mean that we're not going to have some crazy retreat into isolationism the way that some have predicted he's going to try to save face no matter what. So I Don't really think that that's exactly. I just don't want to see bombing Tehran. I don't want to see hardcore action immediately. And we're not going to see any of that, I don't think.

[Katty Kay]

I mean, that's possible. But we also, let's remember he was this close to pulling on a NATO Back in 2018 on the eve of the Putin Helsinki summit. It is interesting, Mike, that in the interview with Time magazine that was released yesterday, he acknowledged that it was gonna be harder to deal with the Ukraine Russia conflict than he originally promised when he said he'd get it done in 24 hours. And he even suggested he might wanna try to leverage US Military aid there to try to bring an end to this. He also suggested that the situation in the Middle east was thorny and it wasn't gonna be just as easy as he talked about on the campaign trail. There are some grownups in the room. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, as we prepare for a second Trump term. How do you see a Trump foreign policy doct?

[Mike Barnacle]

You know, Jonathan, I was sentenced to Washington D.C. for a couple of days this week. We saw our hearts went out company town. But you mentioned Marco Rubio. He right now he is the most interesting nominee of Donald Trump's Secretary of State. It's going to be interesting to see which direction he wants to take the administration in terms of foreign policy. The national security adviser who's already been named is a good pick, a solid pick that everybody likes. But you're looking at a situation where I'm told the question, the immediate question is, is Syria going to be a failed state, like almost immediately? Is it going to be Balkanized? What's Turkey's role going to be in the future of Syria? What are the Russians going to do with regard to propping up their existing naval base and military bases in Syria? Are they going to play ball with any other countries? Who is going to run Syria? It's an enormous question because it spills over into the Israeli wars with Gaza. Israel is still operating every day as if they are at war and they are at war every day. And the impact that the Israeli attacks within Lebanon and Syria, what effect has that had on the whole situation? And then after you get ready, finish worrying about, about that Ukraine, what's going to happen in Ukraine, is that going to be resolved within the next 90 days, within the next six months, or is it never going to be resolved? I mean, something's got to happen there. The Ukrainians are running low on manpower. It's a very small nation compared to Russia. Putin doesn't care about life. He just feeds, feeds anyone into the maw of battle. And the casualties that they've suffered, Russia has suffered are enormous. So how are you going to handle this when you don't know who's going to be secretary of defense, when you don't know who's going to be the who's going to replace Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence in the White House? How are you going to handle this from within the administration? That's almost as big a problem as America's role in the world. Because to play a role in the world, you have to be ship shape here at home going forward.

[Jonathan Lemire]

There's a lot on the chessboard. And Donald Trump conceding in that time person of the year interview that Ukraine's going to be a little more complicated than he let on during the campaign. Still ahead this morning, the New York mets introduced their $765 million man. We'll show you what Juan Soto had to say about that record setting deal. Plus, why Bill Belichick is calling his new college coach coaching job a dream come true. Bill Belichick, it really happened. He's at Carolina coaching in college. Morning Joe's coming right back. Beautiful live picture sunrise over Washington on Friday, December 13th. Just before 7:00 in the morning, the Carolina Tar Heels officially introduced Bill Belichick as the University of North Carolina's new head coach. Belichick, who spent his entire career in the NFL, talked about his move to Charles Chapel Hill. I always wanted a coach in football, coaching college football and it just never really worked out. Had some good years in the NFL. So that was okay. But this is really kind of a dream come true. I grew up in college football with my dad as a coach at Navy for 50 years. So as a kid, all I knew was college football. And so it's great to come back home to Carolina and back in an environment that I really grew up in. You don't remember everything. Obviously, I was too young to remember a lot of things from Carolina. But as I grew up, you hear the same story over and over and over and over again. And so one story I always heard was Billy's first words were beat Duke Mike Barnacle coach already saying all the right things at the press conference as he said his dad was an assistant coach at Carolina in the 1950s. I said, I see it. I believe it when I see it. Bill Belichick is a college coach. Well, now we've seen it he's coaching college football. Kind of amazing.

[Mike Barnacle]

Yeah. You know, Willie, a couple of years ago I was doing an interview with Bill Belichick. It was a fundraiser and he raised an enormous amount of money for the cause that he agreed to sit with me and talk. And it was the first time, despite knowing all about him or a lot about him, that I ever got the feeling, the real feeling he has for those Annapolis days, growing up in Annapolis, around Annapolis, when his father was coaching at the Naval Academy. And the impact, the lasting impact it had on him in terms of football, teaching football like it's a college course. And we just saw him talking about it in a sense, a bit like that. He's a teacher of football. And this reverts back to memories of his dad, Annapolis coaching in an earlier innocent time. And that's where he's going back to. I'm kind of happy for him.

[Katty Kay]

We should also note the classic Belichickian understatement there. Quote, he had some good years in the NFL, so that was okay. He's the greatest coach of all time and won six Super Bowls. Some good years in the NFL, so that was okay. I also, I agree with everything Mike said about wanting to teach the game. I think there's a lot of real anger that he has towards the NFL, how his run there in New England ended and how he didn't get a job last year. ESPN has a terrific piece on that that's on their website. But I should note, Willie, it's a three year contract with people who are parsing the language of it yesterday. It is a very, very easy out for Belichick after one year. So I think that if an NFL job were, if he has a good season in Carolina, an NFL job were to open up and he wanted to chase the wins record, he could do it easily, leave Carolina to do so. But at the same time, maybe this is where he wants to have his last act there in Chapel Hill.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Love the big swing by Carolina going after him too. And it'd be fun to see him back on the sidelines. We'll see what happens. It'll be fun next year. All right. We, we got the first look at Juan Soto in a New York Mets uniform yesterday during his introductory news conference at Citi Field. The superstar slugger talked about that record 15 year, $765 million deal he chose to sign with the Mets. The Mets is a great organization and what they have done in the past couple years, showing all the ability to keep winning, to keep growing a team. To try to grow a dynasty is one of the most important teams. Definitely what you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable. And the bias and everything in the field and the future that this team has had a lot to do with my decision. They showed me a lot of love on the standpoint of what they have for me and how they're going to.

[Katty Kay]

Try to make it comfortable for me.

[Jonathan Lemire]

That's one of the things that impressed me more and how they're going to treat everybody around me and my family and stuff like that. Money standpoint definitely is going to be there. He's going to come. It's always great. But definitely he was really impressed. What they showed me that they can do with my family and stuff like that. You know, Mike, as a Yankee fan, I keep trying to be upset about this that we let him go. But even Soto said yes, the Yankees put a great offer on the table, they put their best foot forward. I just decided I want to come play for the New York Mets. He's an incredible player. He's still young, so just wish him the best. Not too much though. If we make it to a subway series.

[Mike Barnacle]

He's 26 years of age, Willie. He has a massive contract, a historic contract and he has an option out of that contract in five years. He's been compared some Williams in terms of being one of the greatest hitters ever. Good luck to him catching up to Ted Williams, but that's another story. But five years from now, it's going to be really interesting, Jonathan, to see what happens with Juan Soto.

[Katty Kay]

Yeah, he could certainly test free agency again. The Mets have an ability to pay him more to make that opt out go away. I think there are questions how he'll age. He's a great fielder, great hitter, not much of a fielder already. He signed till he's 41 years old and as he put it, the Mets showed him a lot of money. But William, they also showed him a lot of cash and there was a sense that he was probably always going to go to the highest bidder. Now the question is what do the Yankees do to rebound? Max Freed, solid lefty starter. They picked him up. I think there's question eight years for a 31 year old. That's a lot for a pitcher right now. But do you see them landing another hitter? There's Alex Bredwing talk the trade for Kyle Tucker. But it's an interesting moment as a Yankee franchise. It can't be overstated. This has never happened before. It's not just that they were outbid on a player that they wanted. It was a player who chose to leave the Yankees when, when they, when they want to retain someone, they do. And in this case they didn't. And he and he went simply across town. Baseball in New York has been spun on its head.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Yeah. The good news is we still have our best player. Aaron Judge is still in pinstripes, so we like that. We still have our best pitcher, Garrett Cole. We still have that added another arm with Max Freeze, a lefty. So that's good. I think part of the feeling was we would have loved to Kep Soto. As I said, I love the guy. He's a dynamic player. He's great with the fans. I thought he fits so well in the Bronx. But it does free up Suddenly Mike Barnacle $760 million to go make your team better.

[Mike Barnacle]

Not only that, but with the signing of Max Fried, terrific, terrific pitcher. You've got maybe the strongest starting staff in baseball. Both American and National League Yankees might have the strongest sense of starters. You have enough starters, you can trade pitchers now they have pitchers on that roster that they can trade along with some minor leaguers. Really good minor leaguers for Michael Tucker.

[Katty Kay]

Kyle Tucker from Yes, Tucker Tucker is.

[Mike Barnacle]

The 50 home runs in that ballpark.

[Elise Jordan]

50.

[Jonathan Lemire]

That's right. A lefty with the short porch. We would like to see that.

[Mike Barnacle]

The cheating.

[Jonathan Lemire]

One other sports yeah. One other sports note before we get back to the news. A truly dreadful NFL game last last night, a 126 final. The Rams kicked four field goals to the 49ers. Two field goals in a game that set the sport back by decades.

[Katty Kay]

I need directions for paying down debt.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Starting route Apply for a SOFI personal.

[Katty Kay]

Loan and consolidate your debt into one fixed payment. Turn right into a positive outlook and get 5,000 to $100,000 as soon as the same day you sign with no fees required.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Got it.

[Katty Kay]

You could get out of high interest.

[Jonathan Lemire]

Credit card debt with a SOFI personal loan.

[Katty Kay]

View your [e-mail] debt in 60 seconds with no impact to your credit score. Loans originated by SoFi Bankina member FDIC terms and [e-mail] debt in MLS 696891.