Summary
Elsa becomes a category 1 hurricane. FBI releases new January 6 video six months after riot. Former President Donald Trump pushes election fraud lies at rally. Trump`s big lie may incite more violence. President Biden is under pressure to respond to Russian hackers` claims of responsibility for ransomware attack. Former Matt Gaetz associate asks for sentencing delay. According to CDC, over half of U.S. COVID cases are Delta variant. Biden outlines strategies to boost COVID vaccinations. Capitol police increase protection for Congress members outside Washington. Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus backs Senate infrastructure deal, calling for House vote. Democrats face challenging road to infrastructure deal. Runner Sha`Carri Richardson will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana.
Transcript
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, MSNBC HOST: Eric Adams will face Republican courtesy (ph) in the general election on November 2. That is tonight`s LAST WORD. "THE 11TH HOUR" with Brian Williams starts now.
CHRIS JANSING, MSNBC HOST: Good evening, once again, I`m Chris Jansing in for Brian Williams. Day 168 of the Biden administration.
Tonight, Elsa is now a category one hurricane and moving up Florida`s Gulf Coast. We`ll have the latest update on the storm`s path in just a moment.
But first, tonight marks exactly six months to the day since a mob laid siege to the nation`s capitol. Not long ago, the FBI released even more new videos of the January attack as it steps up the search for some of the most violent rioters. They include those who directly targeted law enforcement as they tried to protect the Capitol Complex. These new images are disturbing and leave no questions about what officers were facing that day.
(GOVERNMENT VIDEO EVIDENCE)
JANSING: The Justice Department also released new footage from inside the Capitol. The rioters can be seen trying to force their way into the Senate chambers and taunting those officers who were trying to keep them out.
More than 500 rioters have been arrested in connection with what was essentially a failed attempt to keep President Biden from taking office.
Late today, the winner of November`s election issued a statement it read in part, "This was not descent. This was disorder. It posed an existential crisis and a test of whether our democracy could survive, a sad reminder that there was nothing guaranteed about our democracy."
This past weekend, the man who lost November`s election continued to push the very lies that fueled the January 6 insurrection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: We won so much. And then we had a rigged election. Democrats use COVID to cheat. They illegally changed the rules and the key states and mailed out millions and millions and millions of absentee ballots. How come so many people are still in jail over January 6?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Of course, Trump did not win the election. No evidence of widespread fraud or illegal activity was found. Court case after court case that attempted to overturn legitimate results tossed out earlier on this network. One counterterrorism expert warned of the threat of more violence sparked by those falsehoods about the 2020 election.
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CLINT WATTS, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: There has been no real repercussion to the political leaders or the big lie about voter fraud. That did not occur. There`s been no repercussions for the extremists that they storm their own house, you will see them again begin to embrace violent rhetoric or incitement, which will lead to violence not just federal location but state and local locations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: Meanwhile, the current president is facing more questions about yet another ransomware attack. The hackers targeted software used by small businesses as many as 1500 may have been affected. A Russian based gang known as our REvil reportedly is behind the hack, which comes just weeks after Biden`s summit with Vladimir Putin. Back then Biden said he warned Putin that the U.S. would respond to cyberattacks from Russian based gangs. So, today he was asked about a possible response to this latest breach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: It could appears to have caused minimal damage to U.S. businesses, but we`re still gathering information to the full extent of the attack.
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JANSING: The White House says Biden will be meeting with Intel agency heads to discuss a U.S. response.
Tonight we`re also learning more about the federal sex trafficking investigation involving Florida`s Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz. NBC News reports that Gaetz` associate, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg is asking the judge overseeing his case to delay his sentencing. Greenberg`s lawyer says his client continues to cooperate with federal prosecutors in that sex trafficking case and argues that cooperation will not be complete before his scheduled sentencing on August 19.
Also tonight, the growing concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant, which the CDC now says makes up more than half of all cases in the U.S.
Earlier today, President Biden outlined new efforts to try to boost vaccinations including door to door outreach, and he had a warning for anyone who still has not received a shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: If you`re vaccinated, you`re protected. But if you`re unvaccinated, you`re not. And you`re putting yourself more importantly, maybe from your perspective, your family and your friends at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: There is also breaking news in the race to leave New York City. Tonight, the Associated Press has declared Eric Adams the winner of the Democratic primary, putting him on track to become the second black mayor in the history of the nation`s largest city.
Finally, we continue to follow the ongoing search at the site of the collapse condominium building in Surfside, Florida. The death toll has now reached 36 people 109 are still unaccounted for.
We`ll get to our leadoff discussion in just a moment. But first, let`s get the very latest on Elsa and its potential path. For that, we`re joined by meteorologist Janessa Webb. How are things looking at this late hour?
JANESSA WEBB, MSNBC METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Chris. You know, we`re looking at a very disjointed storm system that continues to really remain offshore across Southwest Florida. But we have these heavier bands that are really impacting Sarasota into the Tampa area. And that`s going to continue to increase for at least the next 24 hours.
Right now, we still have a hurricane with our latest update at 11 o`clock. It`s 65 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida. We still have that forward North movement of 14 miles per hour and it continues to really be on track with sustained winds of 75 mile per hour. So we`re going to continue to watch this movement in this area.
What happened in the last few hours, it`s in that warm body of water and it allowed this storm system to really intensify.
Now we`ll continue to watch this overnight. We do have storm surge concerns that stretch even for the Keys all the way into the Panhandle. Tomorrow morning, we`ll continue to see the storm system offshore but really the center of circulation will not make its way into Cedar Key`s area into the Panhandle and potential landfall until mid day, then we`ll continue to watch tracking Elsa all the way into Wednesday evening, Thursday evening as well for the Carolina`s all the way into West Virginia. We`ll still see the storm system tracking into areas of the Northeast as we go into Friday.
So along though with the storm system, even if it`s downgraded at our next update overnight, the potential flood threat and storm surge is going to be a huge problem. That`s why we have hurricane warnings. They`re still in place for Cross City, Florida into Southwest Florida as well, Tampa. We`re going to continue to watch and look at all these advisories. Now they`re stretching all the way into sections of the Mid Atlantic.
Now the storm surge overnight we are going to see a high tide across the Tampa area around at 3 a.m. This will mix with that storm and allow water to really flow in. Right now the forecast is calling for three to five feet for Sarasota into Cedar Key`s and this is going to cause major flooding in this area on top of the rain that we`re already seeing, torrential rain coming down currently.
On top of that locally, up to eight inches across the Central Florida into the Panhandle. Some sections could pick up 10 inches. We`re also going to be watching Georgia, South Georgia as well as the big time flood threat but flood watch is to be going into place in the next few hours.
Also, the severe weather threat, we have these heavier bands that are making their way across the Keys right now into Southwest Florida. And this is sparking up a few tornadoes that we saw earlier today. A tornado watch still remains in place for this area.
The wind speeds, we do have Hurricane Hunters that are out right now. They only extend about 20 miles but that will continue to really pick up across a Cedar Keys going into later this afternoon into this evening. So this storm still a hurricane potentially will be downgraded because it`s starting to split apart, Chris, but we still have a long way to go with this flood threat.
JANSING: Yeah, that threat of storm surges. Janessa Webb, thank you so much.
With that, let`s bring in our leadoff guests on this Tuesday night. Philip Rucker, Pulitzer Prize-winning Senior Washington Correspondent for The Washington Post, his highly anticipated new book written with his colleague Carol Leonnig, I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump`s Catastrophic Final Year is due out two weeks from today, A.B. Stoddard, Veteran Washington Journalist and Associate Editor and Columnist for Real Clear Politics, and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance who spent 25 years as a federal prosecutor. She`s also one of the co-hosts of the podcast, Sisters in Law with Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Jill Wine-Banks, and Barb McQuade.
Great to have all of you here tonight. Phil Rucker, obviously you have covered not just Donald Trump extensively, but also his political circle. Help us get some perspective here. What or who is animating, is stoking these continued lies about 2020, the belief that somehow somewhere the results are still going to get overturned? I mean, is this still Trump`s ego? Who`s he listening to these days? Help us understand where we are right now?
PHILIP RUCKER, THE WASHINGTON POST WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Chris, it`s an important question. And, you know, all of my reporting suggests that it`s Trump himself, who`s directing the continuation of this big lie throughout the Republican Party, and of course, throughout his orbit.
Now, he`s not the only one responsible. He`s, of course having inputs of information from throughout his political circle, from his various allies, political allies from conspiracists, he`s being shown, you know, articles or theories or commentary that he sees on some right wing cable shows or radio shows suggesting that not only with the election stolen, but that there`s a hope, with these, you know, "recounts" that are underway of somehow overturning the result and reinstating Trump as president.
Now, it`s not clear he actually believes he will be reinstated when he thinks, you know, rationally, but nonetheless, he is continuing to press this falsehood, this lie that the election was stolen from him that he was the rightful winner, and that Joe Biden`s victory, as the President is somehow illegitimate.
JANSING: And of course, A.B., the extension of disbelief that somehow this was all fraudulent. The 2020 election is the idea that really not that much happened on January 6. I want to play what Adam Kinzinger had to say on CNN.
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REP. ADAM KINZINGER, (R) ILLINOIS: I think the vast majority, if not all of them, my colleagues believe that this was a Trump inside of insurrection. But when you`re in a tribe, and you know, if you say something truthful, that gets you kicked out of the tribe, you keep your head down and you stay in the tribe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: You keep your head down, and you stay in the tribe, A.B., I mean, video after video, pleas from Capitol officers who were there that day, seemingly having no effect. What is keeping Republicans from publicly acknowledging what we can see happened on January 6?
A.B. STODDARD, REAL CLEAR POLITICS ASSOCIATE EDITOR & COLUMNIST: It`s really devastating, Chris, to see these new videos come out. It`s really difficult to watch but so important to really amplify the violence that we saw that day. And the Treasury we saw that day, but also the threat that continues and could result in future political violence.
All of the members of Congress who are backing the big lie and whitewashing January 6, know what happened that day, they don`t even need to watch the videos. Like Americans who don`t really know the full extent of what happened that day. They know and they are embracing this sort of walking back of the big lie in service to Donald Trump because it serves the big lie. So you have to say January 6 was no big deal. And you have to say the election was stolen. Members who will not say the words the election was stolen, say things like my constituents have so many questions, we have to give them answers. And we desperately need new voting laws, because we need voter integrity. But you saw those words from Donald Trump just a few days ago, you not only continues that he adds more emphasis, more detail, and more specifics. And that is the litmus test for all of Republican primary politics going forward. So anyone wanting to keep their seat next year, down to the local level, is embracing the big lie and saying to American January 6, some Washington focus obsession. It`s like what Alitas (ph) are focus on, most of us don`t care. We went on with our lives. And it just was something that got out of control.
I`ve had these conversations with people who have told me this. And so it is directly emanating from the top, from President Trump. We saw that because we saw the leadership, including Lindsey Graham, his good friend walk away from Donald Trump on January 6, and then circle right back because of those pressures in the days and weeks to come.
JANSING: Yes, but to the point of this voter integrity A.B., there was that Washington Post opinion piece today outlining, detailing the formation of a group of anti-Trump Republicans who call themselves Republicans for voting rights, but you do wonder, given what we`re seeing happen and how campaigns are being run already for 2022? Is it too late for a group like this?
STODDARD: I really praise their effort and I want them to succeed. I just wish people like Adam Kinzinger and Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney would get behind efforts like this, and you don`t see a push, even from Republicans who criticize the big lie, and to talk openly and often about the danger of January 6 and future violence. You don`t see them getting in the game on this voter nullification, which is what`s happening with these new laws, the partisan, the amplification of partisan influence in the process, which would affect vote counting, and ultimately nullify votes. That`s the part that I just don`t see. And that`s why the threat of voting rights remains.
JANSING: So Joyce Vance, couple of big legal stories, I want to get your take on, first up more NBC News reporting on Joe Greenberg`s request to delay his sentencing for among other crimes, sex trafficking and bribery. Here`s the quote from our story. Greenberg`s attorney added that Greenberg is expected to participate in additional sessions with prosecutors and notes that his cooperation could impact his ultimate sentence.
Now, it`s unclear what delay would mean for the investigation into Gaetz who has not been charged with any crime, and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. So Joyce, what do you make first of the request? And what might it mean for Matt Gaetz.
JOYCE VANCE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: This is a standard request that you`ll see from the government and the defendant jointly when cooperation is ongoing. And it can mean one of two things, Chris, it can mean that the cooperation is productive, and that they`re making cases on other suspects, but they just need a little bit more time.
On other occasions, though, it can mean that while there`s a good faith effort to cooperate, being made by someone in Greenberg shoes, that it hasn`t yet been productive. And so the government is giving the defendant a little bit more time to see if he can do something that will help him get credit for sentencing. We don`t know which of those two scenarios is at play here. It seems a little bit more likely, since this is characterized as ongoing meetings that investigators and prosecutors simply need more time to debrief Greenberg and make sure that they get all of the information that he`s privy to. This probably means that estimates that Gaetz would be indicted in July were a little bit too optimistic. And it may move that timeline back, if in fact the Congressman is going to be indicted. So, a lot of this is grand jury and, you know, as I always say, with grand juries, we will find out when we find out there`s a reason that that process is secret, and it`s so prosecutors can get the job done properly.
JANSING: Meantime, we -- and we talked about this last week, Joyce, Donald Trump`s company and its CFO are facing an indictment. But then Trump talked about it this weekend. Here`s what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They go after good hard working people for not paying taxes, or the company car, company car. You didn`t pay tax on the car, or a company apartment, you used an apartment because you need an apartment, because you have to travel too far where your houses didn`t pay tax, or education for your grandchildren. I don`t even know. Do you have to put, does anybody know the answer to that stuff?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: I mean, he asked, Joyce, if anybody knows the answer, even though over the years, he has repeatedly said some version of no one knows the tax code better than I do. But is it correct that knowledge of tax law is critical to proving tax fraud or no?
VANCE: It depends on the specific charges. You know, these charges are highly specific to whether they`re brought in the state or the federal system and which violation you`re being charged with. But if we`re looking at the indictment that the New York A.G. has brought, and the Manhattan D.A. against Trump`s CFO, Allen Weisselberg, you know, these are grand larceny charges. These are essentially false statements and obstruction type charges. And the evidence laid out if the prosecutors can prove all of the allegations that they lay out in the indictment, and it surely appears that they can because much of what they discuss is documentary evidence, then Weisselberg looks like he is headed for a conviction. What that means for the former president isn`t entirely clear yet.
JANSING: And finally, Phil Rucker, another ransomware attack, it`s reached, does appear to be broad, the money demands are large. So how much pressure is President Biden under to respond?
RUCKER: You know, Chris, certainly, he`s under pressure not only to respond to this particular attack, but to try to come up with a strategy, a comprehensive national and economics security strategy for this country to deal with these attacks because it`s almost certain that these are going to continue in the months and years to come. Remember there was that serious ransomware attack just a couple of months ago that confronted this president and this White House, and then we`re seeing it here again. And so the pressure is on, this is a new, you know, realm for the U.S. to be dealing with in terms of our enemies.
Certainly there are people in the administration with a lot of expertise and experience on these sorts of attacks. But it now becomes incumbent on the President, on President Biden to figure out what that kind of big picture strategy is to communicate it to the American people and more importantly to communicate it to our adversaries so that they can be warned not to do this again.
JANSING: Phil Rucker thanks to you, A.B. Stoddard, Joyce Vance, much appreciated on this Tuesday night.
Coming up, it sounds like a headline from a year ago. Hospitals running short of ventilators. We`ll ask one of our top doctors about surging COVID hospitalizations in places where vaccines are not.
And later, it`s been described as the moral failure of the Republican Party. What the events of six months ago are now revealing about the GOP. The 11th Hour just getting underway on a Tuesday night, with one more look at Washington`s July 4 celebration.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENISE TAYLOR, DELTA HEALTH CENTER CLINIC OPERATIONS MANAGER: We have to go out to the churches, to the schools, to the athletic events and we have to talk to these individual one on one and answer their questions and let them know, it`s OK to be hesitant, but look at the facts, talk to your provider, not your neighbor, not your friend, not your family member. You will understand that the benefits outweigh the risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: That`s the message from the operations manager at a health center in Mississippi, a state where only 36% of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. And now the more contagious Delta variant is quickly gaining ground in poorly vaccinated areas all across the country. Fourth of July celebrations are fueling even more concerns. Over the weekend, the number of hospitalized COVID patients up by nearly 27% in Missouri, where at least one hospital was running out of ventilators.
Back with us tonight Dr. Irwin Redlener, Founding Director of Columbia`s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, who advises us on public health, he is also a columnist with the Daily Beast, this was not a conversation, any of us wanted to have to start talking about, you know, the lack of ventilators at this point. I want to play something that that Joe Biden, the President said earlier on his latest vaccine push, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Please get vaccinated now. It works. It`s free. It`s never been easier. And it`s never been more important. Do it now, for yourself and the people you care about, for your neighborhood for your country. It sounds corny, but it`s a patriotic thing to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: When he`s passionate that operations manager in Mississippi we heard was to or when but I mean, the problem is the message has been the same, vaccines work, they`re free, they`re easy to get. But what`s the new plan when we see these poor vaccination rates in a lot of different parts of the country, what`s your thought about how change gets made? Can it get made? Is it baked in?
DR. IRWIN REDLENER, EXPERT ON PANDEMIC INFLUENZA: Yeah, and Chris, you know, this is really an eerie replay of where we were going last year. And hopefully it won`t be anywhere near as bad. But still to hear about a hospital running out of ventilators is pretty awesome and scary. So I think the challenge now is that there`s sort of no new message, the new strategy was really about getting people who are close to the communities that were being hesitant or resistant. That means spokespersons promoting the vaccine, like the person you played earlier, those people who connect to the communities where there`s heads and hesitancy have to be out there. But beyond that, we have a certain hardcore irreducible minimum number of people who are not hesitant. And we need to make this distinction because they`re not hesitant. They`re actually anti-vaxxers, who are resistant, and are paying more attention to nonsense and conspiracy theories on the social media than they are to medical professionals.
And what worries me, Chris, is that we`ll end up with a hardcore 20%, who just will not get vaccinated for those communities, of course, where the vaccination rates are low, and there`s the new Delta variant in the same place at the same time. We have a collision course that`s going to spell disaster unfortunately, for a lot of Americans.
JANSING: Yeah. And you have a Delta variant that is now the dominant one, it`s more than half accounted for more than half the cases. So I mean, do we need to rethink the way we`re looking at this? Even if you`re vaccinated, do you need to start thinking about wearing a mask, again, when you`re indoors?
REDLENER: Yes, you do. And if you`re in a community that`s highly vaccinated with almost everybody being vaccinated, that`s one thing. But if you`re in one of these communities in Mississippi, or Utah, or Alabama, where vaccination rates are very, very low, even if you have been vaccinated, you still might be susceptible to getting infected with the Delta variant.
So let`s be clear, no matter where you are, the vaccination strategy is absolutely key to keeping you and your family, your community safe. And a lot of young people, you know, Chris, are somehow impervious to the messages we`re talking about and feel like they`re immortal or whatever. But the fact is, we`re seeing more and more young people who get infected and getting infected with long haul COVID infections. And it`s really, it`s dangerous, and it`s concerned, but getting the message out strongly as we`re doing right now is absolutely key. We must try to do everything possible to make sure that people are getting vaccinated. That`s the whole trick here, with or without the Delta variant in the community.
JANSING: And then you have Israel releasing its preliminary data, but that data did show that there`s a drop in protection and a pretty big one from the Pfizer vaccine against the Delta variant. What do we need to know about that?
REDLENER: Well, it`s concerning information, but as Tony Fauci said today, we need more information. We need more fine tuned data about what we`re dealing with in Israel. And a lot more information about who exactly is getting infected and how are they making these estimations about the level of protection given by the vaccines. We`ll get that information. Israel is very good about collecting it and providing it but I think we`re still a little bit in a wait and see period here right now while we get some more information, but it is concerning, and we are paying attention to it at the highest levels of the federal government.
JANSING: We all need to pay attention to it. Dr. Irwin Redlener, thank you, good to see you, my friend. And coming up, the deepening political fractures following the events of six months ago. And what if anything can heal the division when the 11th Hour continues.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Not to be furious about, not to be frankly offended by the attack by Americans, on Americans on our democracy on the seat of our democracy and to not want to invest in knowing what happened the facts and circumstances and invest in our people. Our Capitol Police, I think is a shameful decision of failed governing by the Republicans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: While Republicans decry the need for an investigation into the Capitol riot, many questions remain unanswered. For its part, the Capitol Police Department is announcing changes that`s made since 1/6 among them more protection for our elected officials when they`re off the hill in a statement the department said, the USCP has enhanced our staffing within our Dignitary Protection Division, as well as coordinated for advanced security for members of Congress outside of the National Capital Region. The department is also in process of opening regional field offices in California and Florida, with additional regions in the near future to investigate threats to members of Congress.
For more let`s turn to Juanita Tolliver, a veteran political strategist and progressive to progressive candidates and causes. Tim Miller, a contributor to The Bulwark and former communications director for Jeb Bush. Good to see Juanita, what is going on? What`s your reaction to news that Capitol Police are now feeling they have to have field offices to handle threats to lawmakers?
JUANITY TOLLIVER, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Chris, it shows a recognition of gaps in what we saw in the lead up to January 6, in an effort to rectify and fill those gaps and make sure that intelligence is being not only spread throughout the organization, but collected in a more efficient way that can have tangible impact before anything happens.
But more importantly, Chris, I think we need that full exploration, that full understanding of other gaps that need to be filled to prevent this from ever happening again, as well as still a full understanding of what led up to January 6, who was involved, who potentially gave tours, what was said to Trump, what was Trump doing during the entire attack when he was silent. And so that`s where we see the select committee coming in.
And I really appreciate Bennie Thompson statement today, just a few hours ago that every option is on the table right now. And they are going to get to the truth because it`s their mandate. And so he`s going to see that through in a way that I think is going to be highly productive, but also revelatory and understanding again, what happened in the lead up and what gaps there are still remaining to ensure that this never happens again.
JANSING: On the other side of that, however, that equation is that Kevin McCarthy and Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, said this about the GOP labor leader, Tim, let me read from it. Kevin gave a great speech the week after January 6, and then he went to Mar-a-Lago and charged the paddles and brought Trump back to life. That`s the moment when I realized, oh, man, this is a problem. I will certainly talk to Kevin if he wants to, but I don`t see how we`re ever going to come to eye-to-eye on this until there is a recognition that we can`t be the party of insurrection.
I mean, Tim, this seems to me just one example of the fundamental question right now for the Republican Party. Is that the party of Trump and McCarthy or Liz Cheney and Kinzinger? And is it even close?
TIM MILLER, FMR. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TO JEB BUSH: Hey, Chris, yes, like the fundamental questions been answered. It`s the party of Trump and McCarthy and Kinzinger, and Cheney are this kind of like this digital apparatus, the tagging on to the -- to a party, that they`re no longer really a part of in any meaningful way, unfortunately. I mean, I wish they were, I wish that they could fight and win people over.
But the reality is that the Republican elected officials in Washington have made their bed on this. They had an opportunity to go the route of Cheney and Kinzinger. As Kinzinger pointed out the week after January 6, when many of them were speaking indistinguishably from how Adams speaks now. But they decided to go another path, because that`s what their voters wanted them to do.
And now in order to stay in power, Kevin McCarthy has no choice but to continue down this path, to continue down the path of energizing MAGA voters with this sort of, you know, election conspiracy to step at while hoping that enough swing voters, you know, will look away from what happened in January 6, that they won`t have these long memories, and they`ll focus more on other issues as we get ahead to the midterms next year.
That`s the bet that he`s made. He`s already made it. There`s no internal fight left to have. I`m glad Kinzinger is out there saying what he`s saying. But the fight within the parties is over.
JANSING: Yes, now let`s see what the commission can do. And Juanita, I want to play for you what Congressman Jim Clyburn said, when he was asked if former President Trump would be called to testify about January 6.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM CLYNBURN (D-SC) MAJORITY WHIP: They comes to that they should go wherever the facts lead. I would not want to see a former president testifying in such a situation as this, but if that`s what it takes to get to the bottom of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JANSING: I don`t think there are a lot of people who are making bets on Donald Trump going before the committee. Do you think realistically? Are we ever going to get a satisfactory answer about what went wrong that day?
TOLLIVER: I think we will get more information, Chris. Will we get it from Trump? Probably not, like you said it`s highly unlikely that he would show up even if a subpoena was issued. He would fight it tooth and nail to avoid it. But eventually I think there will be some things that come out from Trump.
But here`s the reality. What subpoenas like that floating in the air potentially with this drumbeat of other potential subpoenas to Republican leadership that shows that this committee is going to run as long as it takes. That`s the message we`ve gotten from Pelosi. That`s the message that Clyburn was mentioning just there say, we`ll do whatever it takes. And that`s the message that I think Bennie Thompson was also communicating, especially as someone who has investigated other terrorist threats, other national security issues, he knows what it takes to get this done.
So while we might not get it from the mouth of Trump, I still think figures like McCarthy or Lauren Boebert, or Gosar or any other Republican who might have had something to do with this coming before, to -- coming before the committee to offer full testimony under oath is of definite probability.
JANSING: And real quick, Tim, what do you think is going to happen with the committee? Do you think that there`s going to be an announcement? They`re going to actually name Republicans who might seriously look at this? What do you think Kevin McCarthy`s move is?
MILLER: I doubt it. And I think the Republicans that want to be on it are the Matt Gaetz`s of the world, and I just don`t know that.
JANSING: Marjorie Taylor Green.
MILLER: I think (INAUDIBLE) ignore it for now, but you know, we`ll see.
JANSING: Tim Miller, Juanita Tolliver, both going to stay with us. Coming up. What`s next for the President`s infrastructure plan after a big endorsement from a group of bipartisan lawmakers in the house when the 11th Hour continues.
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JANSING: Some news from the House of Representatives, the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus is now endorsing the infrastructure deal created by the White House and that bipartisan group of senators. CNBC sums up the development this way, if the group`s 29 GOP members vote for the plan, House Democrats have room to lose support from skeptical progressives and still pass the roughly $1.2 trillion inflation structure framework.
Juanita Tolliver, Tim Miller still with us. So Juanita, what do you think this new support from the Problem Solvers Caucus means for the deal? Should the White House be feeling good tonight?
TOLLIVER: Absolutely, especially after the conundrum they were in a few weeks back, right, Chris. I think this shows the additional growing bipartisan support, which essentially means that the likelihood of this framework becoming formal legislative language is higher in probability. Because the more people you have signed on preliminarily, the more likely it is to be successful.
And so absolutely, the White House should be celebrating this moment. I think, though, they also did make that signal though, that they wanted this standalone bill separate and apart from any reconciliation package that Democrats are likely to pass along party lines. And so that is still some remnants, again, of that conundrum they had a few weeks back, when Biden and Pelosi backed him up saying that this would be a two bill package.
And I think the other thing here is, as the CNBC reports stated this gives Pelosi breathing room. She wants that, she welcomes that, especially recognizing that there were progressives in the Democratic caucus who are hesitant about this. They want to make sure that that second package comes through and they definitely had hesitations about voting for this bipartisan deal alone on its own.
JANSING: Yes, just today, Mitch McConnell said that second bill is going to be a hell of a fight the way he put it. But let`s go back to this first bill, Tim. What`s the biggest roadblock you see for this infrastructure plan?
MILLER: I think the first deal is going to be a heck of a fight. I think the 10 Republican senators. Look, Mitch McConnell has no incentive to give Donald Trump, or excuse me, to give Joe Biden a win on this.
JANSING: Except that the people -- the American people want it.
MILLER: I just don`t think that does Mitch McConnell`s constituents in Kentucky want it? I think that Mitch McConnell might make the bet that it is better to stop Biden from having wins ahead of the midterm than to pass a popular infrastructure bill.
JANSING: But this isn`t about what McConnell`s constituents want it, Tim. Mitch McConnell`s not going to lose this seat over this.
MILLER: Right. Yes, right. But I think as he looked at trying to become the majority leader. He`s going to have to make a calculation about should I whip my 10 Republicans to pass this? Or will that give Biden a win and make the Democrats look good and make the Democrats look bipartisan?
You know, Mitch McConnell doesn`t actually care about policy. We all know this. He cares about judges, he cares about winning, and that`s it. So, he might be the roadblock there. Fox and the Republican media ecosystem might not want to give Biden a win on this.
Getting to 10 Republican senators on that first bill is still a lot. There were only five there standing behind Joe Biden. Doubling that number is significant. And then if they can`t get to 10, you know, obviously, I think Manchin doesn`t want to break the filibuster, if it`s a 50-vote thing, would he break it for 57 votes? 58. You know, like, those become the questions. So I think that, you know, there`s a long way to go, you know, on that part of the negotiation still in front of us, unfortunately.
JANSING: Yes, Juanita, do you see the roadblock the same way that Tim does?
TOLLIVER: Look, I`d take whatever Mitch McConnell says with a grain of salt, as Pelosi said, vote no. And take the dough. You`ve heard him today talking to lawmakers in Connecticut about like, hey, you`re about to get a lot of money. It was a partisan vote. I didn`t vote for it, but you`re going to get some money. So spend it.
So at the end of the day, he wants those investments in Kentucky. I think Tim is absolutely right. He`s and you`re right, Chris, he`s not going to lose his seat over this. But there are other Republican senators who could be facing a challenge. If they were not to be able to deliver something like this a single legislative bill that they support back home in their own states.
JANSING: I mean, did they sell it? Can a Republican sell this, Tim, by saying, yes, we did this for you, our constituents, but we held them off on they agree just spending the way they see it of this second bill?
MILLER: Yes, you could see some of that. But again, I look into key Senate races not to get too in the weeds here. But is Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, you know, Pennsylvania is an open seat. You know, is Ron Johnson going to run into Wisconsin on making bipartisan deals with Democrats? I know that`s not the Ron Johnson that I`ve been watching for the last five years.
So, you know, on an individual basis, might there be one or two Republicans that make that case? Absolutely. Absolutely. 10, 10 is a lot, you know, and especially with where the party is right now, and the pressure that they`ll be getting from the conservative media, not to give Biden a win, you know, and I think that`s, you know, really where that where the fight is going forward.
JANSING: Surely, you know, by now, Tim, that nothing is really in the weeds for the smartest audience watching cable news. So, I think we`re good. I think we`re good. Tim Miller, Juanita Tolliver --
MILLER: Thanks Chris.
JANSING: -- Thank you. And coming up new developments on why the fastest woman in America won`t be competing in the Tokyo Olympics when the 11th Hour continues.
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JANSING: A pretty stunning to state decision to tell you about tonight. America`s fastest woman track and field star Sha`Carri Richardson won`t be at the Tokyo Olympics now just 17 days away. After testing positive for marijuana and accepting a month long suspension. She was still eligible to be named to the relay team. NBC News correspondent Tom Llamas now on why Richardson is the latest marquee athlete who won`t be on Team USA.
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TOM LLAMAS, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s official, the fastest woman in America, Sha`Carri Richardson will not be competing in any events at the Tokyo Olympics. Tonight, USA Track and Field announcing she will not run the four by 100 relay her last chance to make the team.
Richardson earned a ticket to Tokyo with that dramatic victory in the women`s 100 meter at the U.S. Olympic trials.
SHA`CARRI RICHARDSON, US TRACK AND FIELD SPRINTER: I want the world to know that I`m that girl.
LLAMAS: But following that jubilation, the 21-year-old tested positive for marijuana, a banned substance.
RICHARDSON: I know what I`m supposed to do. I`m allowed to do and I still made that decision.
LLAMAS: Richardson was suspended for a month and disqualified from running the 100 meter at the Olympics. Her suspension ends before the relay more than half a million people signed an online petition to let Sha`Carri run.
Tonight, USA Track and Field saying they support reevaluating the rules surrounding marijuana use. But quote, while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha`Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes.
(on camera): So as Tokyo puts the final touches on the Olympics, this news no doubt is going to disappoint fans. But Richardson for her part says this is not the end of her career. She has vowed to come back stronger, promising to be a world champion next year. From Tokyo, I`m Tom Llamas, back to you.
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JANSING: Tom, thanks so much for that. And coming up, the moment summing up the drama the world also take place on Capitol Hill six months ago tonight, when the 11th Hour continues.
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JANSING: The last thing before we go tonight, we want to take you back to exactly six months ago tonight, after a day of unimaginable rioting and violence at the U.S. Capitol. Senate Chaplain Barry Black closed out the Electoral College certification with a prayer. Here`s a portion of what he had to say.
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REV. BARRY BLACK, SENATE CHAPLAIN: We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol Building, the shedding of innocent blood the loss of life and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten democracy. These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue.
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JANSING: Amen to that. That is our broadcast for this Tuesday night with our thanks for being with us. On behalf of all my colleagues at the networks of NBC News, good night.