Morning Joe - Morning Joe 10/13/23

Episode Date: October 13, 2023

Israel issues 24-hour warning to leave Northern Gaza

Good morning and welcome to Morning Joe. It is Friday, October 13th. We are following fast-moving developments out of Israel. The country's military is telling us more than a million people, telling more than a million people to leave their homes this morning as it prepares a potential full-scale ground invasion in the wake of the terror attacks by Hamas. We'll have a live report for the very latest on the ground there, plus an update on the Biden administration's efforts to prevent further escalation in the region with top officials on the ground this morning in Israel and Jordan. Also ahead, the Republican led chaos on Capitol Hill reached yet another level last night when the party's nominee for speaker just dropped out of the race.

We'll talk about how that impacts the country and world events. Along with Joe, Willie and me, we have the host of way too early White House bureau chief at Politico, Jonathan Lemire, and President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, is with us here in New York as well. Nearly a week into the war, the atrocities carried out by Hamas are still coming to light. On social media yesterday, the Israeli Defense Forces released photos showing the burnt and decapitated bodies of babies. Due to their graphic nature, we're not going to show the images here this morning. Among the many Israelis missing, 10 members of a family who descended from a Holocaust escapee who himself passed away just last year. Speaking in Tel Aviv yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described

some of the horrors he had been shown in photos. It's hard to find the right words. It's beyond what anyone would ever want to imagine, much less actually see and, God forbid, experience. A baby, an infant, riddled with bullets. Soldiers beheaded. Young people burned alive in their cars or in their hideaway rooms. I could go on, but it's simply depravity in the worst imaginable way. Meanwhile, in its ongoing response to the terrorist ambush and ahead of a potential ground invasion of Gaza, Israel's military has called for the entire population of the northern half of Gaza to move to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours. That area, home to just over one million people,

accounts for about half of the territory's population. The United Nations warning such a move would be impossible without devastating humanitarian consequences. The U.N. has asked for the order to be rescinded to avoid transforming, quote, what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation. Hamas has told Palestinians not to comply with Israeli demands, calling it, quote, psychological warfare. Join us now from the Israel-Gaza border, NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel. Richard, thank you for being with us again this morning. What more can you tell us about the practicality of what Israel has requested, which is that the northern half of Gaza move to the southern half of Gaza in the next 24 hours?

And it is asking people to do that while they are under attack, while they are sealed off, and while the power, electricity, gas, all supplies have been cut off. So people are, it is not an organized evacuation in any way. People have just been told, leave by any means possible. You can see behind me right now, that is the northern Gaza Strip. That is Gaza City. That is the most populated part of Gaza. As you said, there are just over two million people in the Gaza Strip.

It is broken up into roughly two heavily populated areas, the north with Gaza City and then in the south. And what Israel has done, and Han Yunus in the south, and what Israel has said, everyone should leave the north, evacuate Gaza city, evacuate an entire city of a million people, and get in their cars, get in donkey carts, and there are still donkey carts in use in Gaza, and move south, move below the Wadi Gaza valley. And we've spoken this morning with people inside Gaza. They are they are trying to do it. Hamas has told them not to leave, not to obey this order. But people are listening and they are packing whatever they can, taking a little food, taking some supplies. If they have any any batteries, any gasoline, they're taking out with them and they are trying to move south.

Overnight, we heard some of the most intense bombardments so far. We were here all night and the incoming was intense, one after the other, after another, with Israeli airstrikes, tank fire going in. We heard small arms fire. And even now we are hearing Israeli drones above. And this offensive is continuing. We will see today if now that Israel has given this order for people to move south, if the attacks do lessen to a degree, that remains unknown. Hospital officials inside Gaza also tell us they're overwhelmed. There are thousands of dead and injured, and they are running out of supplies. People are being treated on the floor.

Hospitals are enormously crowded. So now under attack, cut off, people are taking what they can and trying to get out of that city right now and move to what could be a safer area before what is anticipated to be an Israeli onslaught into Gaza. And now it seems quite clear that the onslaught will focus on the north, on Gaza City. So, Richard, let me ask you about that anticipated onslaught. As you said, Israel has been responding from the air to this point over the last week or so. What could a ground assault, a ground invasion by the Israeli military look like here? Well, one of the reasons that Israel says that it wants people to leave is it is expecting a massive fight, is expecting that Hamas is dug in. So when when you expect to fight against a an entrenched enemy, you are going to bring a lot of force to bear.

So Israel has brought in tanks. It has brought in artillery. And when they move the tanks into the tight streets of Gaza looking for Hamas, concerned think that's why Israel is trying to tell people, leave the area right now. It will be dangerous for the Israelis because Hamas is dug in. It will be dangerous for Hamas, clearly, but it will be very dangerous for any Palestinians who stay behind and are caught up in what will soon be perhaps some of the most intense urban fighting that we've seen anywhere in the world in years. Richard, could you explain to our viewers in America why Egypt seals its border with Gaza and why they sealed the border soon after the attack? I've dropped off on IFP. I'm

sorry. I can't hear you if you're asking. OK, very good. Thank you, Richard Engel. We will be asking Richard Haass that question. Richard Engel, thank you so much. And please do everything you can to be safe. Richard Haass will ask you that same question. Egypt, obviously, no, no, no friends of Hamas. Egypt, of course, struck a peace deal with with with Israel in in the late 1970s. Talk about talk about why Egypt has sealed off the border with Hamas, because that obviously would allow a lot of Palestinians to escape. Egypt used to administer the Gaza Strip and did until the 1967 Six-Day War. They know it all too well. There has been infiltration over the years into Egypt of people who are committing terrorist acts within Egypt, among other things. So they just shut down the border as part of their larger effort to maintain internal security. It's about that simple. And that really explains a larger point that Americans who are just now tuning into this,

the atrocities that have happened and hearing about Israel and Hamas, and of course, the ongoing Palestinian question. I had noticed over the past 10, 15 years, I'm sure you've noticed it even longer because you've been so involved in this region for so long, but a growing animosity toward the Palestinian cause because of Hamas, because of the Palestinian authority from Arab governments. It used to be that the Arab League would get together. They would unanimously vote against Israel. They would vote for causes that were near and dear to Hamas's heart.

That is no more. That's no longer. In fact, most of the Sunni Arab world has turned against Hamas and by extension by those Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, which, of course, is an ongoing tragedy. Why? Lots of reasons. One is the principal backer of Hamas is Iran. That immediately puts a lot of the Sunni Arab government, shall we say, on notice. People forget their history also, Joe. When Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait, who was cheering for Saddam Hussein? Well, it was the Palestinians. A lot of the Sunni Arab

governments have a pretty long memory. They have no illusions about that. Hamas, again, their whole involvement with terrorism and other radical groups doesn't make the Arab governments comfortable. Arab governments would rather normalize with Israel for the most part. The one thing that the Arab governments, though, Joe, have to be careful of, and we see it in some ways in the to-ing and fro-ing with Saudi policy here, is the Palestinians still enjoy considerable popular support. In some ways, the governments are in a different place in lots of the Arab world than the quote unquote Arab street. So the governments have to be a little bit careful not to get too far out in front of their population. And if you have, for example, Al Jazeera showing all sorts of images, if we get to the point where Israel does go in and force

and you see Palestinian civilians getting hurt, It's just the sort of thing that's going to make the governments really careful because they face a situation then where sympathy for Hamas and sympathy for the Palestinians will grow. Well, there's already, of course, a humanitarian crisis that is growing right now in Gaza. Those images are coming out of children, of elderly people in being hurt by the attacks. Many have died. Richard, the question is, because obviously Hamas knew this would happen. Hamas just being blunt about it. If if an Israeli dies, then that's a victory for Hamas. If a Palestinian dies while Israel is trying to go after Hamas terrorists, that's also seen as a victory for Hamas. They don't care if their people die.

In fact, they've said anybody that tries to make peace with Israel will be shot. So the question is, Richard, with the United Nations warning of a coming humanitarian crisis that many would say is already there, what do the Israelis do? What is their best move? They cannot allow Gaza to remain run by these terrorists who have run it without an election since 2007. They have to go in and they have to root out. I was going to say ISIS might as well be ISIS Hamas. But how do they do it and avoid just a catastrophic humanitarian crisis? So let me be controversial here. There's a difference between what Israel will do or likely to do and what it should do. What I fear it will do is go in in mass.

I think it'll be extraordinarily costly for Israeli armed forces. Several will get killed, will get captured. I think it increases the odds dramatically. If there's a massive Israeli campaign in Gaza, the war will widen. That's just the sort of thing I fear could bring Hezbollah and others into the war. You will get the global international response against Israel. So Israel will lose some of the high ground. Most of all, Joe, I do not believe it will succeed if success is defined as eliminating Hamas. I fear it could actually work the other way. I also think Israel has better options. I would suggest two things. I would say go after Hamas in a discreet way, not in a mass way. Do targeted attacks, whether it's from the air or from the ground,

when you have really high value, quote unquote, actionable intelligence, go after Hamas. Second of all, shore up Israeli defenses facing Gaza. That was what started this in the sense or allowed this to happen. The weakness of Israeli defense readiness against Gaza. So make it impossible for Hamas ever to do something like this ever again and go after individual or units of Hamas whenever you have a chance. But I would really be careful. I really have questions about reoccupation of Gaza. We've seen this movie before. Israel got out in 2005 for the very reason that this could not be sustained. And when they got out, it created a vacuum, which Hamas has filled. I don't want to

see a rerun here. And of course, Willie, Hamas knew that with its barbaric actions that it would pull Israel in to Gaza, almost setting a trap. Richard put a lot of options out. and Iran's oil revenue as tightly as possible, because all of Hamas's funding at the end of the day are most of it, like Hezbollah's, like the Houthi rebels, like Islamic Jihad. It comes from Iran. When Iran doesn't have oil money, then they can't fund Hamas. Yeah, and we're hearing now that that call from Republicans and Democrats alike about the $6 billion that we've been discussing and everything else. You have to turn the screws. Richard, I wanted to ask you, as we're talking about the relationship between Arab governments and Hamas, about a name we haven't talked about much in the last week or so, and that's Qatar,

which hosts in lavish living quarters the leadership of Hamas. They're not on the ground in Gaza. They're in Hamas calling for international jihad this weekend. What is the role of Qatar in all this? Might they be able to help get some of the hostages out? You even have some foreign policy, former foreign policy officials in America saying America should take or Israel should take military action to take out the leadership of Hamas inside Qatar. That seems unlikely. But the point is, the people running the operation sit comfortably in a different Arab nation that's been welcomed into the world,

hosted the World Cup last year and everything else. So what's their role in all this? They are the principal financial backers. If Iran is in some ways the principal strategic backer, I guess you'd call it, Gutter hides behind the idea that they're only giving humanitarian help to the people of Gaza. Obviously, money is fungible. So that doesn't wash, it doesn't bear any scrutiny. I think the United States should, I mean, put much more pressure on Gutter. You know, look, after 9-11, U.S. policy changed and we declared that we no longer drew a distinction between terrorists and those governments that supported terrorism. So I actually think we ought to have a very rough conversation with Qatar. What's holding us back in part is the United States is so dependent on them for its own military presence in this part of the world.

It's an it's important home to a lot of U.S. military forces. So it's not an easy conversation. And what we might want to do is talk about the parameters or put certain limits on the help they give to Hamas. But you also say one other thing. I do think if there is an exchange of hostages for Hamas prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, Qatar will be at the center of it, possibly Egypt as well. But certainly Qatar will play a significant role here. So we've got multiple considerations here. So it's just very hard to say, well, we're going to come down on Qatar

with like a ton of bricks because there's other things that weigh against that. So Jonathan LeMay or President Biden positioning this country fully partnered side by side with Israel. Lots of strength and moral clarity in his words. Secretary Blinken backing him up with his presence there. But he also is running a government that has some parallels with Israel right now in terms of the chaos and the Republican Party and no speaker of the House. Yeah, no speaker of the House, which we'll dive into later this morning. Steve Gilles dropping out last night. And certainly President Biden is a full-throated endorsement of Israel, but also

some warnings about what could come next, like make sure, try to avoid civilian casualties, be concerned about this humanitarian crisis. And we heard it pretty explicitly from Secretary of State Blinken while he was in Israel this week, telling Prime Minister Netanyahu to, hey, tap the brakes a little bit here as to what's going to happen next in Gaza. Richard, I also want to talk to you about the fate of the hostages. I have some new reporting this morning looking into why the White House is not sending boots on the ground there, in part in deference to Israel, but also because they don't know where the hostages are. They suspect they're spread out. They suspect they're hidden among civilian targets.

They also feel like Israel's intelligence in that region, not as good as it used to be, which is why it led to the attack last week. So if Israel goes in this weekend like they're telegraphing they may, what do you think happens to the 100-odd hostages there, including some Americans? Well, obviously they're in greater jeopardy than they are. Hamas took the hostages for two reasons. One was to arrange some kind of a swap to get their own people out. The other was to try to put a brake on Israeli military action. And if that brake doesn't work, and if there is widespread military action, then I don't mean to sound callous, but

what worries me, Jonathan, is the quote-un unquote value of these innocent people to Hamas goes down. And I put I think I fear that it puts them at greater. It's like a larger point because you put your finger on something really big for the U.S. right now, for the Biden administration, which has been incredibly supportive of Israel. I thought the president speaks the other day was really was really powerful and just magnificent. But privately, clearly, there's growing disagreement with what Israel wants to do. So the administration is trying to thread the needle. It is trying to be as supportive of you can of Israel's right to retaliate. But privately saying, just because you might have the right to do certain things,

is it really smart? Will it leave you better off? And trying to work this out so we are supportive of Israel, yet in some ways, try to pull them back is threading the needle. But that's exactly what the administration is doing. And quite honestly, we all better hope I actually think we all better hope they succeed because I worry about where this is, where this is heading. And Joe, President Biden, obviously navigating this on the world stage while back here at home, there is questions

hanging over Capitol Hill as to how to really get a functioning Congress in place. Well, I mean, here we have a crisis, obviously, one of the gravest crises in the Middle East, certainly possibly since 1973. We have a grave crisis in the center of Europe with Ukraine fighting against Russian aggression. We have the continued fear that China is going to act aggressively against Taiwan. And you have House Republicans just inexplicably not picking a speaker of the House. Just just make Patrick McHenry the temporary speaker for now, for God's sake, until everybody else can get their act together. But you not only have that, you you have the Republicans in the House in chaos. It is unbelievably dangerous time for Americans in the world.

And then you have Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal editorial page talking about Donald Trump's, quote, Israeli war insight and saying Mr. Trump can't help himself from making everything about himself. That's the same way he handled the covid crisis. And it's what voters would get in a second Trump term in a much more dangerous world. That's from The Wall Street Journal editorial page this morning. And of course, they're responding to what Israelis are responding to. And that is Donald Trump going out and praising Hezbollah and attacking Israel and its leaders. That's what's going on right now. There's a reason why the Israelis are putting up billboards of Joe Biden in Tel Aviv and thanking Joe Biden for his support, because that's what they need

right now. So it's and it's something that I know so many Republicans want to give to give to the Israelis, but they need to get their act together in the House, at least get a temporary speaker. And and they need to get a presidential candidate who actually doesn't undermine Israel right after the worst attack in 50 years. We'll talk about that and much more when Morning Joe comes back. At 27 past the hour now to the chaos on Capitol Hill, the Republican battle for a new House speaker has descended into an even bigger mess this morning, just one day after the party nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise for the position. The Louisiana congressman withdrew from the race last night. I just shared with my colleagues that I'm withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker-designee.

If you look at over the last few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, there's still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together and is not there. Joining us now, MSNBC contributor Mike Marnicle and another Mike, the co-founder of Axios, Mike Allen and congressional reporter for The Hill, Michael Schnell. And Joe, what happened? What could have happened at this point? Wouldn't it be a moment now more than ever where they need things to just function, get someone in place, let's go? It is inexplicable. I mean, I don't know of any political party that would ever act that way. We had a problem with Newt Gingrich. We took care of that problem in between sessions and and he moved on. And Republican John Boehner

complained about his problems. And for good reason, Paul Ryan quietly would grouse about it. But things were done in a somewhat orderly process. So you didn't have this happening in the middle of two of the biggest wars in recent history. And so it's a recklessness. It's an irresponsibility. It's a lack of leadership, the likes of which none of us have ever seen in from the House or the Senate, really, in our lifetime. It seems to me, Jonathan O'Meara, it's one thing when you have eight people deciding they're going to go their own way. But you had half the conference deciding that they weren't going to go with the will of the majority of the conferences has always happened. So this is spread from eight people to maybe 90, 95 people.

Now, it seems to me I'm wondering if there's any reporting or they thinking about somebody like Patrick McHenry just as a temporary speaker where they say, OK, you just you hold you hold the gavel. You run this place until we can get our act together, because there is a hot war in the Middle East. There's a hot war in the center of Europe. And in both cases, our allies are in crisis and are going to need our help. A phrase we use a lot in this modern era of politics, the Trump era, if you will, is we've never seen this before. But we've never seen this before. You come out of that closed door meetings with your nominee.

That person is going to be speaker. Steve Scalise, though, didn't even come close. And that's just it. He bailed last night because he wasn't just a few votes shy. He was dozens of votes shy. So now where do we go from here? There are some who support Jim Jordan, who was the runner up to Scalise,

saying, well, he can make another chance now. Although people we talked to on the Hill suggest his chances are just as slim as Scalise's were. There is still this thought of a dark horse, sort of more mainstream, moderate candidate who could jump in. Not clear who that would be. Some Republicans saying,

well, we've got to make a deal with the Democrats now. Maybe we can get their support. Democrats saying, well, we might be into that, but we're going to need some real concessions and promises to make that happen. And then there's the McHenry point where there's momentum there, the idea of trying to create some sort of mechanism, Mike Allen, where he could step in in a temporary way because this is happening in such a destabilizing moment. The war in Israel, what's happening in Ukraine, government shutdown deadline. That's on the horizon. That's only a month away. But again, it's not clear whether they'll be able to pull that off. What are you hearing? Is there any end in sight to this crisis?

Yeah, the Axios Hill team has new reporting this morning. The bipartisan group of about 10 House members are talking about how they could do it, how they could find a speaker. I know that behind the scenes, I'm told that there have been talks about some kind of power sharing. But could there be, Democrats suggest, like a couple of speakers that would be acceptable to them? In turn, they get some say about what goes on the floor. It could be some pretty subtle procedural changes that they would go for. They would get in there. I will say I'm skeptical like you. I've lived through all too many centrist moments, but this is an emergency. Really? So, Michael Schnell, you've been reporting on every twist and turn of this process up until minutes ago.

I'm sure you're on the phone. So it's unclear that anyone, is it not, could get to 17. So Scalise can step aside and then they can say, well, it's Jim Jordan. Well, Jim Jordan lost to Steve Scalise in that preliminary round of voting. Is there anybody in that caucus who can get to 217? And look, really, that's obviously the key question here. And I think that you bring up two really key points that I want to touch on. A, Republicans are likely now going to put up a new candidate, Jim Jordan, as you mentioned, who actually secured fewer votes than Steve Scalise in that internal election. The final tally was 113 to 99. So

Republicans are now going to try to move ahead with Jim Jordan, who already has less support within the conference. Not really a good place to start at. And then when you get into, you know, is there anybody who can secure enough support to wield the gavel? Look, Jim Jordan is likely going to have the same problem that Steve Scalise had. The fact that the House GOP majority is so slim, you need to have near unanimous support to win the speakership on the House floor. There are already some Republicans coming out against Jim Jordan by my count, too. And Wagner and Austin Scott already. It's an uphill climb for him. You know, Mike Barnicle, I was hearing soundbites from some of these, I guess,

backbenchers, extremists about why Steve Scalise shouldn't have the job or whatever. They were saying things that were so stupid and cruel and just beyond even bringing up at this table. But don't these people see the fire that's burning around the world that they should think above themselves, perhaps, and operate? What's going on? It's nice seeing an optimist this early. I'm not optimistic. I'm just trying to figure it out. It's not even it's not even a case of the tyranny of the minority. It's a tyranny of 10. Yeah. And yet in the middle of that, you get a ray of common sense from even what used to be the Republican Party. I was listening to

Chairman Mike McFaul yesterday, chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee. common sense from even what used to be the Republican Party. I was listening to Chairman Mike McFaul yesterday, chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee. And he was as upset about what is happening as we are apparently today and as many people are today. They lack the ability to govern, the basic ability to govern, and they don't care about it. When you go to vote for your member of Congress, no matter who it is, no matter what party you're in, you want them to do one thing. You want them to do their job, and their job is doing something for their constituents, and they've lost that ability.

Well, and you are so right, and I'm so glad you brought up Chairman McCaul. He not only is right on this point, he's been right on Ukraine. He's actually been pushing the Biden administration to move further and move faster with the deployment of weapons. We know, I know, because, you know, I was on the Hill a few weeks ago. I know there are Republicans who want to get this moving and they are enraged. First of all, that eight people held things up. I think, though, now, listen, I would work a deal. I would get I would say to the Republicans, either get your act together or we're going to work a deal with the Democrats and you're going to get run over.

That's how you know, that's what happened when I was in Congress. You stand in the way of what's best for your party and what's best for your country. People build coalitions and they run over you. You know, we always hear, oh, it's such a small minority. Mike Allen, I'll go to you on this one. Then I want to go to Richard on on on on another question. But I'll go to you on this one. Then I want to go to Richard on on on on another question. But I'll go to you, Mike Allen. Everybody's always talking about, oh, it's such a small Republican majority.

It's such a small. Oh, who could ever? I'll tell you who could. Nancy Pelosi. She had a small majority. And we always said on this show, people say, well, will this bill pass? And I'd always say, if it goes to the House floor, it will pass. Because Nancy Pelosi knows how to run her caucus. She knows how to pass bills. I'm just struck, Mike Allen, that we talked about Chairman McCaul. I know he's a very capable leader. I know the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. I worked with her. She's very capable. There are very capable Republicans. I just wonder at what point do they say, you guys, you work with us, so we're going to run you over and we're going to find some Democrats that will help us govern this house. Joe, that's the perfect contrast. Do you

govern from fear or do you govern from strength? And that's the fatal flaw in the deal that Kevin McCarthy took to get the job that he was never going to be able to live, lead by strength. He was in fear of the tyranny of the one in the case of the chance of losing the gavel. And that's why Republicans are weak. There's not somebody who can say this is what we're going to do. This is what we have to do. Yeah. And and and either go along with the party, stop undermining the party, or we're going to run you over politically. It's that simple. That's how it it's how it works. We have people who know how to how to run things. And let's hope for the sake of the country. Let's hope for Israel. Let's hope for Ukraine.

Let's let's hope for the American people that the Republicans will find that person. You know, Richard Haass, you wrote a book, your last book called Bill of Obligations. You also have written articles talking about the greatest risk to America is is America's political system itself. You know, I wrote an Atlantic column talking about how powerful this country is militarily, how powerful we are economically, how all of our leading indicators are exceptionally well. I wrote it late summer. And yet the one fatal flaw continues to be

our dysfunctional government. And here we go again. And I think, one of the most dangerous times in recent history. 100 percent. And that's what makes it so dangerous, Joe. I mean, if you just go around the world, you mentioned the war in Ukraine. You mentioned the rise of China, the threats to Taiwan. North Korea has grown its missile force and its nuclear weapons. We've been talking about Iran, still have terrorism in the Middle East. You've got global challenges. You know, we just got out of a pandemic. You got climate change. That's, you know,

that's quite an inbox. The fact that we have to contend with that inbox at a time the U.S. government is dysfunctional means we don't have the resources. We don't have the consistency. If you were a friend of the United States and you saw what is going on here, that would have to, to some extent, unnerve you. Where's the consistency? Where's the reliability? Where's the predictability that's essential for a great power that undermines democracy? Who's going to want to emulate us right now? So it's this combination of what's going on out there and what's going on out here. And the fact that it doesn't sober people up, what you were getting at, what people around this table are getting at, the idea that these people can continue with this circus, given the fact that they ought to be responsible this moment and step up to this challenge. And rather than stepping up

to it, they're stepping back from it. Willie. So, Michael Schnell, you're hearing Republicans talk about exactly what Joe just proposed. Congressman Mike Rogers of Alabama, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said Hakeem Jeffries, minority so that they can just vote no on everything and raise money and be on on cable news channels. Is there any chance of a deal here between Democrats and this group of Republicans who actually want to have a speaker of the House? House. Willie, I think the prospect of that is pretty is pretty low right now, just because Republicans see working with Democrats, even more moderate, pragmatic ones. They see teaming up with Democrats for the speakership as as something of giving up and throwing in the towel. Republicans worked hard to win the majority, albeit it being a very small one. And they're saying that under no circumstances do they really want to go, you know, team up with a minority. They say that we need to get our act together.

Now, look, we're a week and a half into this situation where there is no speaker and there's no real viable candidate on the horizon. So it is possible that we could move into some sort of coalition government at some point that some of these Republicans can say, OK, the time has come. I did speak to Congressman Don Bacon yesterday. A moderate Republican from Nebraska said the time is coming where we will need a bipartisan solution. But I don't know that we're there yet. And I don't know that there will be enough of those Republicans willing to. I will note that Hakeem Jeffries has consistently said as recently as yesterday that Democrats are ready and willing and able to team up with some of those more moderate and pragmatic Republicans to come to some sort of, you know, compromise here to reopen legislative business. But that's likely going to take some concessions from the Republican side, whether it be even an even playing field on the rules committee promises to bring up different pieces of legislation.

There's going to be a hefty negotiation there. So to get back to your point, I don't know that we're there yet and that there are enough Republicans to team up on that just yet. But is the is it a possibility in the future? Absolutely. On this track that we're headed on. Congressional reporter for The Hill, Michael Schnell, thank you very much for being on this morning. Co-founder of Axios, Mike Allen. Thank you as well. And Mike Barnicle, you stay right where you are. Really? Oh, yeah. OK, coming up. Yes, you will. You're here. You are here for the duration.

Coming up, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has equated Hamas to ISIS. David French will join us with his new piece for The New York Times on what it would mean to treat both terror groups the same. Plus, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby will join us once again, live from the White House, as Israel prepares a potential ground invasion of Gaza. Also ahead, how the Trump campaign is defending the former president's comments, praising Hezbollah as smart. You're watching Morning Joe. We'll be right back. We need to fill the chair with a speaker. Every day that goes by, it gets more dangerous.

You know, I was on the phone with our friends from Israel. They're going to need a supplemental aid to replenish the Iron Dome. But they can't do that if we don't have a speaker in the chair. So I see a lot of threats out there. But one of the biggest threats I see is in that room. It's very dangerous what we're doing, and I just wanted them to know that, you know. you're... Beautiful sunrise over New York City at 646 on a Friday morning. A little south of New York, the Philadelphia Phillies eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS for a second year in a row. Nick Castellanos hit another two home runs last night, becoming the first player ever to record consecutive multi-home run games in the postseason. The Braves are out. The Phillies will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in game one of the NLCS on Monday night. And the American League Championship Series opens

on Sunday night in Houston with the Astros hosting the Texas Rangers. So Mike Barnicle, the team with the five best records in baseball in the regular season are all out. And here we are again. The Astros have another chance to go to the World Series. And the Philadelphia Phillies and that stadium absolutely rocking again last night. Wow. Back in the NLCS.

Oh, 11 home runs in a four-game series. Nick Castellano twice last night. And the third run they got was a home run off of the bat of Trey Turner. They are hitting the you-know-what out of the baseball in that ballpark. And that ball flies in that ballpark. And I've got to say one thing. After being so upset at looking at the marginal crowd showing up in Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay is a very good baseball outfit, very good team,

but 18,000, 19,000 people in the stands for that game. To see the Philadelphia fans jam that stadium and be vocal, be unbelievably vocal from the first pitch through the last pitch, that was heartening. I loved that. That really was. I mean, that was postseason baseball. It was so exciting. And just an out for everybody who follows a team that's not in the American League East and hear us talking about the American League East every day. Don't think it has gone unnoticed by all of us here that the AL East, the three teams from the AL East, 0-7 in the playoffs this year, swept Jonathan Lemire.

And guess what? We were in last place in that division. In fact, the Boston Red Sox are the only American League East team that won a game in October. We won the regular season finale in October. The rest of the league teams did not. But yes, it pains me to praise the Philadelphia sports fan, but that is great. That's a great crowd.

Maybe the best in baseball right now. And I think as we head into this next round, we can all be united on one thing, to root against the Houston Astros. Whatever it takes to root against the Houston Astros, we are all Texas Rangers this morning. Yeah. So guess what, guys?

Did you know it's Mike Barnacle's birthday? Oh, yes. Yeah, it's the 39th again. There we go. Yeah, I told you it was your special day when I walked in. And Mike got really mad at me when I tried to wish him a happy birthday this morning. I appreciate that, Mika, but let me tell you something. At this stage in my life, if I wake up every day is a special day.

Every day is a special day if I wake up. Well, it's a very special day today because here's just a tiny snippet of what we're treated to from Mike every morning right here on Morning Joe. We have MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle. Mike Barnicle with us. Veteran columnist Mike Barnicle. Oh! Give me the money you owe me. Give it to me. Mike Barnacle. This ball yard has so many places.

They fill the mind with thoughts of when you were young, or thoughts of yesterday, or hopes for tomorrow. You come here and the memories just resonate. They just fall off you like sweat on a hot day. Catastrophe of 86. I love you, Mike Barnacle. I really do. Your average fan. Morning. I'm Mike Barnacle in for Willie Geist and this is Way Too Elderly. Here it goes. And President Obama. Oh, right here. Here he is. I walked right past the president.

If you look at your life as a 15-round title bout, you've been knocked down several times, gone to one knee. You always get back up. So at this stage of this election process, why are you still the guy, the best guy, to be in the ring with Donald Trump. This is a crime syndicate that's been operating in full view of the American public, which says a lot about us, that it takes these hearings to awaken and alert some people to the misbehavior, to the criminal behavior of one administration, the Trump administration. This country has suffered great damage, none more so than the injection into the

political bloodstream that the election of 2020 was fixed, was rigged. What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo? About Aleppo. And what is Aleppo? You're kidding. No. All facing west toward the beach where they landed, the channel they crossed, and the land that they left to come and help rid the world of the terror that was Hitler's Third Reich. I think that it is unfortunate, it's impossible of course, that every American cannot get the opportunity to stand on that hallowed ground. Barnacle will leave his jacket on the back of the chair. I'll be right back. And he just never comes back. That's the Irish goodbye.

Nice. So legendary. Really. So handsome. He is legendary. And, you know, Willie, it is. I mean, for younger people who know Mike over the last 16 years on this show, that we've been so blessed to have him here.

They, many don't even, younger people don't understand, he's one of the greatest columnists of the 20th century. You talk to people in Boston still, and they come up to you and they ask about Barnacle, wherever I go, wherever I go, they're like, they come up to you and they ask about Barnacle. First question. Wherever I go. Wherever I go. They're like, tell me about Barnacle.

Tell me more about Barnacle. And I will tell you about Mike Barnacle very briefly this morning, Willie. And I know you feel the same way. People always ask how we get up at 3, 34 o'clock, how we do this every day. We do it every day because we do it with people that we love, the people that are members of our family. And and you just like you are a member of our family, Willie, and we're a member of your family. Mike, Mike is not like family to us. Mike is family.

I've never felt closer to a group of people along with my family than I feel to you all. And Mike, Willie, Mike is at the center of that. Yeah, no question about it. And the reason you love Mike Barnacle is because these five minutes are making him outrageously uncomfortable. He's much rougher not to talk. Very angry. He's going to leave. Yeah. It is true, Joe.

And I was thinking exactly what you said, which is you wake up at four in the morning, you come through, you see 30 Rock. That wakes you up because you're so lucky to get to work here and do this show every day. But then when you see Mike Barnicle, you go, oh, right. That's why we're doing this to spend time and not just on the air. Off the air is the best time with Mike. We love him so much. He's a role model to me as a dad. Oh, my God. He is. It's a big and I want to say one last thing. You weren't joking. You weren't joking about the jacket on the back of the chair at the

2008 Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. We're doing a show three hours. We take a break. I look around. I say, where's Barnacle? And the blue jackets on the back of the chair. And I finally text him, where are you? I'm in the hotel room having breakfast. I said, what? He said, Willie, in your life, what you want to do, go buy a bunch of cheap blue blazers and you can just leave them wherever you go and you can leave any party you don't want to be at any situation that's why costco if you walk away from it the best advice he's ever given us all right happy birthday my birthday mike did you see that coming did we surprise you i did not see it coming and and i am enormously grateful for the time i've been allowed to spend here 16 years with all of you.

And now, Mika, in the immortal words of Roberto Duran, no mas. All right, Mike, we love you.