Morning Joe - Morning Joe 12/6/24

Episode Date: December 6, 2024

Hegseth says Trump still supports his nomination

Boy, is that a beautiful live picture of a giant Norway spruce lit up in Rockefeller Center. Six o'clock on the morning, Friday, December 6. Good morning. Welcome to Morning Joe. I'm Willie Geist. It is a very busy Friday morning, including Pete Hegs's fourth consecutive day of meetings on Capitol Hill.

Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of defense has spent a week attempting to sway Republican senators amid serious allegations against him. While he's starting to pick up some public support, there are key lawmakers still not yet ready to back him. Also ahead, we'll bring you the very latest in the search for the gunman who killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare as police released new photographs of a person of interest and additional information about the suspect. Plus we'll get a live report from Paris where the

Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen tomorrow, five and a half years after that massive fire that nearly destroyed the world-famous landmark. With me this morning I've got the host of Way Too Early, Jonathan Lemire, US Special Correspondent for BBC News, Cady Kay, MSNBC Political Analyst, Elise Jordan. She's a former aide to the George W. Bush White House and State Department. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and associate editor

of the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson, and Congressional Investigations reporter for the Post, Jackie Alamani. Good morning to you all. Let's hop right in with Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, back on Capitol Hill yesterday for a fourth consecutive day of meetings with senators.

Despite some reports suggesting Donald Trump is considering other options now, amid heavy allegations of drinking and sexual misconduct, Hegs has said the president-elect still is backing his nomination to head the Defense Department. What did President-elect Trump tell you, Mr. Hegseth? He's behind us all the way, spoken this morning. Are there any circumstances where you would withdraw from this process?

I'm here with the support of President Donald Trump. As long as he supports me, which he told me this morning, I'll be here. I'm a different man than I was years ago and that's a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate and I know from fellow vets that I've spent time with they resonate with that as well. I'm not going to back down from them one bit. I will answer all of these senators questions but this will not be a process tried in the media. I don't answer to anyone in this group, none of you, not to that camera at all. I answer to President Trump, who received 76 million votes on behalf and a mandate for change.

I answer to the 50, the 100 senators who are part of this process and those in the committee, and I answer to my Lord and Savior and my wife and my family. Pete Hegseth speaking yesterday on Capitol Hill. At least two of the Republicans Hegseth met with yesterday, Senators Mike Rounds and Rick Scott, expressed support for him later in the day. I know that there's allegations out there. They have been unsubstantiated at this stage of the game. I talked to him about that.

I gave him some suggestions, some advice about how he might be able to handle that. I'm looking forward to getting information from him in terms of responding to those allegations. But I really do see a path forward for him to be successful in being accepted by the Senate for this position. I just had a great meeting with Pete, the next Secretary of Defense.

I think he's going to do a great job. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he's confirmed as the Secretary of Defense. I think we all have to really appreciate, appreciate the people that are willing to put on the uniform and defend the freedom of this country. Rick Scott there. Florida, preceded by Mike Rounds. Both Republicans saying they support Pete Hegseth. Hegseth can only afford to lose three Republican votes, assuming all Democrats vote against him. And Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a veteran herself, remains someone to watch here. Here is what the combat veteran said on Fox News yesterday.

I did have a very long, lengthy discussion with Pete yesterday, and I do appreciate his service to the nation. I also am a combat veteran. So we talked about a number of those issues, and we will continue with the vetting process. I think that that is incredibly important. So again all I'm saying is we had a very frank

and productive discussion and I know that we will continue to have conversation in the upcoming months. Okay it doesn't sound on your answer that you've gotten to a yes. If I'm wrong about that, correct me. And if that is the case, it sounds to me as if the hearing will be critical for his nomination. Am I right about that? I think you are right. I think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared,

and that's why we have to have a very thorough vetting process. So Jackie, a lot of people, of course, watching Senator Joni Ernst, not just because of her experience in the United States military, but because Pete Hegseth has said repeatedly that women should not serve in combat. Joni Ernst, of course, served in combat herself. So there was a bit of a tone shift yesterday. In part, we heard from Mike Rounds and Rick Scott there. And we heard from Pete Hegseth himself saying, I spoke to Donald Trump this morning, and he offered his support despite all the reports

we've been hearing about. Perhaps Governor DeSantis of Florida now stepping in to become the new choice. What are you hearing on the Hill this morning? Yeah, Willie, well, there was even a little bit of a softening from Ernst herself, who actually went on the record last night in an interview with Real Clear Politics, to definitively say that she was not leading the campaign against Hexf and that she wasn't

herself angling for the Department of Defense job. As she's come under fire from a lot of these big MAGA world figures, people like Don Jr. and Charlie Kirk and others who have called her out and criticized her for supporting Lloyd Austin during his confirmation process in the Biden administration, but casting doubt continuously on Hegseth. It seems like a number of other senators who have been on the fence or have some people have been wish casting that they perhaps might vote against him or haven't some people have been wish casting that they perhaps might vote against him or haven't taken a definitive stance said yesterday that they thought that

Hegsef at least deserve to see a fair process people like Senator John Curtis but it does appear that Hegsef has gotten the full support of Donald Trump despite some of these other names like Ron DeSantis swirling about to potentially replace him. We've been told that Trump has been telling staffers at Mar-a-Lago and his transition officials to defend him to the bitter end. We've seen this pivot in a media strategy of Hegseth allies and his lawyers going on the record,

being combative, doing the media rounds. His wife has also been accompanying him in these meetings. His mother been making calls to senators directly. So they're really pulling out all the stops here to keep Hegsef in the game and try to work through this. We know that he is going to participate in the FBI background checks and has encouraged full transparency in the process,

though we have also seen people like Senator Rick Scott and some others say that they don't necessarily believe they should be hearing from a woman who signed an NDA with Hegseth and was paid off by him to not disclose any allegations of sexual harassment. You know, Jonathan, the FBI background check, it will be critical here because Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and his allies can dismiss, they can attempt to dismiss reports from the media as attacks from the left. That's been their tact always and has been in this as well.

But if the FBI comes out and substantiates some of this reporting, or if the FBI comes out and sheds new light on other problems with Pete Hegseth that may give grounds for even Republican senators to come out and vote against him. But he did say, Pete Hegseth, yesterday, I talked to Donald Trump this morning. He said, I still have his support despite everything we've read about Ron DeSantis, Joni Ernst, and other possibilities stepping in.

Yeah, but we have learned that you have Donald Trump's support until the moment you don't. Right now, what I've heard from folks I've talked to connected to the process around Mar-a-Lago is that, yes, Trump is encouraging Hexseth to keep fighting. He's his guy for now, but he has indeed cast about for some other names, had some other conversations about whether it's Governor DeSantis or a few alternatives who could be replacement set-paf picks if Hague Seth can't make it. And you make a good point about the FBI background checks.

I mean, Trump in his world, they may dismiss those checks as also vistas of the deep state. And they might say, well, that doesn't carry any water either. But other Republican senators, they'll think differently. And if some of these allegations are corroborated there, that could give them the excuse to definitively vote no. So, at least, I mean, we've been through extensively on this show the last couple of weeks about the lack of qualifications Texas has, and as well as all these very troubling allegations,

allegations he denies. You know, there did seem to be a little more receptiveness to him on Capitol Hill yesterday, but Joni Ernst, very non-committal, she's seen as the key vote. It's just hard to imagine her eventually to use that phrase, getting to yes. Well, I think they have to go through the motions, all these senators, and look publicly like they're behind Pete Hegseth until they aren't. And Joni Ernst might be the only one who has any grit to actually say, hey, there are some problems here.

Let's go through the full process. Let's see. Let's check out all these allegations. But that said, other senators behind closed doors are not necessarily jumping with joy over the prospect of having Pete Hegseth over an organization that has around three million employees, has a massive budget, the largest budget in Washington. So I really think that we're going to have to see is the loyalty test going to be enough and is Joni Ernst going to be pressured enough because you look at all the incoming on her

and that's not nothing. And yes, there's a long time until she would be primaried, if ever, but still it's what I'm watching for. Mm-hmm. And he'll be asked at these hearings, do you still believe women should not serve in combat? We'll see how he answers that question. He's been asked on Capitol Hill by reporters and just said

simply, well, they do, don't they? They serve in combat, not exactly a ringing endorsement of the policy. So that's Pete Hegseth at Defense. New concerns being raised about another of Donald Trump's choices. Now, a group of nearly 100 former national security officials sounding the alarm over President-elect Trump's decision to tap former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.

In a letter addressed to Senate leadership, the officials write, they are alarmed to hear of Gabbard's nomination because of her history of, quote, sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The national security officials also note Gabbard would be the least experienced director of national intelligence since the position was created in 2004.

The group urges the Senate to carefully evaluate Gabbard through closed-door hearings that would give lawmakers the opportunity to review government files on the DNI pick. So we seem to be going here, Cate K., down the line. It started with Matt Gaetz. He got his moment of attention and he had to step back. For now, it's Pete Hegseth at defense. But many, many, not just these 100 former He got his moment of attention and he had to step back. For now, it's Pete Hegseth at defense.

But many, many, not just these 100 former and current national security officials, but many, many people who've worked in intelligence, who've worked in national security, have expressed their objections, to put it mildly, to Tulsi Gabbard, given her past sympathies for Putin, for Assad and other dictators, that she would be holding all of America's secrets.

Yeah, the conservative kind of defense of Tulsi Gabbard seems to be that the intelligence community needs a shakeup. Just look at the Iraq war, where their intelligence was faulty or managed to push a political situation that got America into that disastrous war. And so some conservatives that I've spoken to have said, well, she is somebody that believes

that. She's very skeptical about the intelligence community. And it's time that they got a real kind of hauling over. But more predominantly, even from Republicans, the view that I'm hearing is the problem with Talsey Gabbard is not just that she doesn't have the experience, she's not qualified in the way that Pete Hegseth has never run a department like this, Bobby Kennedy has never run a department the size of the department that he would be looking at. It's also that she's not known famously for keeping secrets.

I mean, literally I've had a former CIA person say to me that one of the things she's famous for is that she doesn't keep secrets terribly well. And the concern is, what would the knock-on effect be with allies because of that? Signal intelligence, I understand, is very tied up between America and its allies. But human intelligence is something that can be sort of decoupled, if you like. And one of the concerns that I've heard is that if Tulsi Gabbard is the person who's at the head of America's intelligence community, then that could happen, something human intelligence could just not come through to America in the way that it has done.

So, Jean, we know the point of many of these picks is to be anti-establishment, anti-elite, anti-deep states, to use a term favored by Donald Trump and his supporters. But there are people who are not establishment, who are not elite, who don't also sympathize with Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad. Yeah, that's exactly right. And look, I could certainly make the argument that, yes, the intelligence community could use some scrutiny and maybe some shaking up. And they have been wrong about a number of things, important things over the years.

And so, you know, why is that? But there is absolutely no indication that Tulsi Gabbard is capable of making that sort of transition to say nothing of the other questions about her and frankly about her loyalties, about the way she has publicly been more supportive of Putin and of Assad than others or than almost anybody else in her position. It's these nominees simply are not qualified to do the jobs that they're being nominated to do.

And that has to be, if not the number one consideration, I think, for these senators. It's certainly up there. You talk about the allegations about Pete Hegseth, but what makes you think he can run a bureaucracy and fighting machine as big as the Defense Department? There's nothing in his past that makes me think he's capable of doing that. And to compare, you know, to say, well, Joni Ernst voted for Lloyd Austin, so she's got to vote for him.

But Lloyd Austin was, you know, a veteran leader in the armed forces who did have the experience, who knew the Pentagon, who knew how to get things done, who... Texas is not bad and and and again Tulsi Gabbard is not bad in terms of the intelligence. So are the senators really going to going to approve people who are not qualified and probably not capable of serving the country the way it needs to be served in these very, very big jobs. I think that's the main question. It's a great point. In a lot of the cases of some of these choices,

the questions over character have overshadowed all the questions about qualifications for the actual job. So, Jackie Alamani, there's new reporting from the bulwark this morning that says Donald Trump is gonna go to the mat for both Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. because he believes they represent everything he represents, a challenge to the status quo, taking down the bureaucracy, shaking up Washington.

With all the focus right now on Pete Hegseth, what's your sense of the appetite in Congress for a Tulsi Gabbard, for a Bobby Kennedy? So this has been the one benefit of having other candidates that are more overtly controversial. It's been a little bit of a deflection tactic from some of the other candidates and nominees who also have controversies that haven't yet spilled out into public view yet. But what you're saying exactly is why Trump aides are telling us behind the scenes that backing Hegseth and continuing to stand behind him is so important to show

and to not allow this narrative to set in that the GOP-led Senate has essentially neutered Trump's power and his mandate here to appoint people into his positions, people who are loyalists, who are actually going to carry out his campaign promises and his MAGA mandate. So far, you know, there hasn't been much talk of Gabbard. People have been pretty preoccupied on Capitol Hill, but this is exactly where FBI checks continue to come into the conversation.

There is a desire for the full spectrum of information possible. And I think that this is where they're going to get a lot of that on Gabbard in particular. But you know, it'll be interesting to see what kind of position and posture Trump takes with people like RFK and Gabbard so far, with Matt Gaetz and with even with Pete Hegseth, Trump has sat back a little bit and let them try to front a defense. He did make some calls for Matt Gaetz prior to Gaetz withdrawing from the nomination. But we have been told that he hasn't been making calls on behalf of Hegseth and has largely left it up to him and his team to fend for himself and put up

as robust of a defense as possible. But we will see as this process plays out, we know that the transition team has now that these people have been picked and put into place, are focusing on murder boards and prep and combating some of these narratives in the media. It's still early in the process, it's worth reminding people.

We still have FBI background checks and of course the hearings themselves, assuming some of these choices make it all the way to the hearings. Still ahead on Morning Joe, we'll have a live report from outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan where a gunman opened fire this week killing the CEO of United Healthcare.

We'll have the very latest on the manhunt and and it is still a manhunt this morning, and what we're learning about the person of interest seen in these photos. Plus, a shouting match breaks out between the acting head of the Secret Service and a Republican congressman. We'll show you that moment from a hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday when we come back in just a few seconds. The manhunt continues for the gunman who shot and killed the CEO of United Health Care. New York City police released these photos of a person wanted for questioning in connection

to the death of Brian Thompson. Officials say they received a tip the shooter was staying at an Upper West Side hostel where these images were taken. Two law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation tell NBC News police now were looking into whether the person used a fake ID and paid with cash to rent a room at the hostel. Police also believe the gunman traveled to New York late last month. Three law enforcement officials telling NBC News the suspect may have taken a Greyhound bus from Atlanta on November 24th.

Thompson was killed outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. Police say they have recovered a potential cell phone from the gunman. The phone was found in a trash can in a plaza the suspect fled through after the shooting. A water bottle and a protein bar wrapper also found in the garbage. Police believe the gunman bought those items from a Starbucks nearby just minutes before the attack. Joining us live from outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is NBC News correspondent Steve Romo.

Steve, good morning. So what's the latest on the pursuit of the suspect? Yeah, really coming up on 48 hours now since that shooting happened and we still don't know the name of that suspected shooter. Those biggest developments though came yesterday when police searched that hostel and were able to obtain some still images

they released from that surveillance video showing who they describe as a person of interest who they want to question in regards to the shooting of Brian Thompson. Now they're calling that person a person of interest, but we did have images from the Starbucks showing a masked person who they called a suspect in this shooting that happened right here outside the Hilton where they've obtained most of the physical evidence right around this area, the physical evidence we know of anyway. The water bottle you mentioned along with the wrapper that he is believed to have purchased at the Starbucks nearby, along with those shell casings with the words that investigators who are briefed on this investigation say deny, depose, and defund.

That is, defend rather, that information coming from investigators which could say something about motive. What that motive is though is still not clear right now. We know police are looking at clips that they've gotten from surveillance cameras around the city. And we know the information you mentioned that Greyhound bus trip from Atlanta, it's not clear if they believe the shooter came on that bus from Atlanta or another stop along the way before it made its way to New York. But we are looking at that possibility that he was here for up to 10 days before the shooting actually happened, which would raise a lot more questions and potentially leave a digital trail and some of surveillance images or perhaps purchases that that shooter could have made if he had been in the city for that length

of time. All things that police are looking at right now, Willie. You know, Steve, those of us who live in New York and have for a long time, I guess in some ways have become spoiled by frankly the excellence of the NYPD, the volume of cameras that are across the city, how quickly suspects can be apprehended. It's very difficult to get away with a crime in New York City because of all those things. So 48 hours on now, does the police department feel like they have leads that they are pursuing that may bear some fruit, or do they feel like it's still wide open at this point? Yeah, we've heard off and on different leads

that investigators are pursuing, but nothing has been confirmed right now. And with this length of time passing without even a name, of course, that raising a lot more questions about the likelihood of finding this person. We did hear from Eric Adams yesterday on Morning Joe talking about the likelihood that he anticipates that an arrest will happen. But we are waiting, frankly, for more briefings from the NYPD to get more details about this

case. But so far, no names. And you've seen the images that we've had to show so far. And just you mentioned the cameras. It's not just the police department's cameras, which are of course all around the city, but also all of the private businesses have been, they've police departments, officials have gone out

and tried to ask for these video clips. And we've had some of them that we put to air, but not a clearer shot of the face of the suspect than those images the NYPD posted on Wednesday and then again yesterday, Willie. All right, NBC News correspondent, Steve Romo outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson,

a father of two, was killed 48 hours ago. Steve, thanks so much. Jonathan Lemire, so this has been two days of still images from a Starbucks. hours ago. Steve, thanks so much. Jonathan Lemire, so this has been two days of still images from a Starbucks. Now we get his face potentially or at least the face of a person of interest at that hostel on the far Upper West side. A little bits of clues but nothing concrete it seems just yet. No, nothing concrete just yet. The clerk at that hostel apparently told investigators

that the person arrived with the mask still up, she asked him to pull it down, got a smile while they spoke briefly. So that's certainly useful and you can see a pretty clear photo there. But this is someone who, and NYPD has been careful, they haven't identified a motive just yet, but they have said this is premeditated, planned, and seemingly highly professional in some ways because we heard from Mayor Adams yesterday, indeed, on the show, as Steve just mentioned,

about how the gunman used a suppressor. And the mayor, who was a police officer for a long time, said he'd never seen that before in New York City to sort of silence the shots. And also, New York City is not quite London in terms of surveillance cameras. But there are quite a few, particularly in Midtown. But the suspect took his bike through Central Park, where there are far fewer cameras and

therefore harder to track. So as is certainly true, any detective will tell you this, the longer you get from the shooting, the colder the trail does tend to grow. It gets harder to find people the more time they have to get away. But the NYPD is the best in the business. They have certainly conducted and successful investigation time after time, even moments like this, but remains, Willie, just such a striking moment for this to happen on a busy street in Midtown Manhattan during the holiday season.

And it has made a lot of people anxious. Not necessarily New Yorkers or visitors, because this is not a random act of violence, this is targeted, but rather business leaders who fear for their own safety now in the wake of something like this. Yeah, Kual, all kinds of questions about security for business leaders right now as well. So we will keep on this.

This is an around the clock dragnet from the New York City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. We'll bring you more details this morning as they come in. Let's turn back now to Washington. The final task force hearing on the attempted assassinations against Donald Trump devolved into a yelling match yesterday

when acting Secret Service Director Ronald Roe got into a heated exchange with Republican Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas. The confrontation was sparked after Fallon shifted his line of questioning from Secret Service failures in Butler, Pennsylvania in July to Roe's appearance at the 9-11 Ground Zero Remembrance Service a couple of months later. Fallon accused Roe of attending the event to further his career,

while Roe accused Fallon of trying to politicize the September 11 terrorist attack commemoration. Do not invoke 9-11 for political purposes. Oh, I'm not. I'm invoking this. You are, sir. Gentlemen, gentlemen. I would like to ask him a question. You are out of line, Congressman.

Don't try to fool me. I am an elected member of Congress and I'm asking you a serious question and you are playing politics. I am a public servant who has served this nation and you won't answer the question. On our day, on our country's darkest day. The committee will come to order. The committee will come to order. I'm asking you serious questions for the American people and they're very simple. They're not true questions. Were you the special agent in charge that day? No I wasn wasn't I was there representing the United States Secret Service sir Mr. Ballinger times it's not affect protective of our because you wanted to

be visible because you are just sitting for this agency you would change your president congressman vice president out of life because you are put you put those agents out of position. Did you have a radio with you? Did you have a weapon? I did, sir, and you are out of line. Good Lord. Jackie, what's going on there? What's the context?

I mean, there was obviously there was a photograph of Mr. Rowe at the 9-11 remembrance. The congressman there suggesting he was out of position to protect Vice President Harris and Donald Trump and others. There's the photograph. What's going on here? Yeah, Willie, it's actually, I gotta say,

until that moment I was in the room, I was thinking to myself, wow, this is really such a substantive congressional hearing that we're having. There was a lot of productive exchanges between Republicans and Democrats until that moment. And actually the exchange began with Pat Fallon asking Roe why as the second in command

to Kimberly Cheadle at the time of the assassination, if he was aware of some of the heightened threats against Donald Trump, why he wasn't in Butler, Pennsylvania and more proactive in terms of deploying counter surveillance units and counter assault units to try to ultimately prevent the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, basically insinuating that Roe was in a position as the number two at the agency at the time to try to have the knowledge to prevent something like that. And then from there, it devolved into Fallon accusing Roe

of trying to position himself for personal gain, that he was essentially auditioning for a job for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris by trying to get in the back of this photo op. Roe obviously immediately refuted these allegations and noted his personal connection to 9-11 and that he was there sifting through the ashes in the aftermath after a Secret Service agent died. The Secret Service also put out a statement after the fact, after the hearing yesterday,

saying that those claims that Fallon was making that Roe misplaced and pushed out special agents who were out of place to protect the president and the vice president at the time were false, and that the security and protective detail at the time was as it should have been. So Ronald Roe, as you said, pointed out, he was there in the aftermath of the attacks of 9-11, was at ground zero.

He said sifting through the ashes, wanted to go there to pay his respect. So I think some of those members of Congress, as you know, Jack, are used to using those hearings to grandstand, to maybe raise some money, get some clips online, not always used to getting it back as good as they gave in that hearing. So just briefly, since you were there, let's talk about the substance of it. What came out of the hearing? This was a five month investigation post-Butler

by this committee. What did we learn from it? What will be improved in the Secret Service because of it? Yeah, Roe meticulously went through a number of implementation and changes to the agency that they've already made and then further outlined plans going ahead, even looking ahead all the way to 2028 to beef up the protective agency that's going to be charged with protecting Trump, his family members and other protectees under their watch.

He said that they're going to expand the workforce by a thousand agents, special agents and officers by next year. They said that they've implemented retention incentives so that veteran agents who had been leaving the agency due to issues of either culture and morale or just being burnt out. These are people who work 24-7 around the clock with very little breaks in extremely high-stress environments that those incentives have actually been working in terms of retaining those veteran agents and elevating them.

They also said that they've been working with interagency to try to leverage some of the new technology developments, that there is an autonomous robot that has been trawling the seawalls at Mar-a-Lago recently in order to protect Trump as as he and his family are really conducting the transition at his residence and private club in Florida. And they've also done things like they've hired a chief wellness officer, someone who can provide some support for these agents who are maybe struggling with mental health or other issues

related to the grueling nature of the work. So it's, you know, Donald Trump has not made his decision yet for the nomination for someone who is actually probably going to be one of the most important people in his administration charged with, again, overseeing the agency that is going to protect him day in and day out as he does face a lot of heightened threats from foreign and domestic actors. You know, Roe, he's been complimentary of Roe's leadership and the response that Secret Service agents had to the attempted assassination, but it's unclear if Roe is going to stay in this job or not.

And by the way, Donald Trump may like what he saw in that hearing yesterday from Ronald Rose. Secret Service has an incredibly difficult job. We hope maybe coming out of these hearings something productive happens. They get the help and the support that they need to continue to do it well. The Washington Post, Jackie Alamany, thanks so much as always for your reporting. Thanks Willie. We appreciate it.

Coming up, a live report from Paris ahead of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five and a half years after that massive fire nearly destroyed it. Morning Joe's coming right back on a Friday morning. Wow, beautiful sunrise over lower Manhattan as we come up on 640 in New York City on this Friday morning. South Korea's parliament is set to vote tomorrow on whether to impeach the country's president after he abruptly declared martial law this week before backtracking. Opposition lawmakers need support from ruling party members to reach the two-thirds majority required. And earlier today, the head of the ruling political party expressed

support for suspending President Yun Suk Yule's constitutional powers. The party leader claimed to have received intelligence indicating the president ordered the defense counterintelligence chief to arrest key politicians over alleged anti-state activities during the brief martial law. Katie Kay, this has been an extraordinary few days in South Korea first by the implementation of martial law that shocked the country, but by the even stronger response from pro-democracy forces in the country, contrary to what we've seen in some other places, coming back so hard at this president that he may be now forced out of

office in a matter of days. Yeah, it's a reminder, isn't it, Willie, that things look so stable until they don't. And how quickly things shifted in South Korea, with some 300 troops, according to the parliamentarians, trying to take over the National Assembly, and then, as you say, getting rebuffed very quickly. And a lot of South Koreans saying, listen, we don't want to go back to 40 years ago, when we lived under a military dictatorship, clinging—and the power of the people of South Korea and the parliamentarians who voted—and this is the equivalent of members of Congress

voting, 100 percent of them, to suspend the martial law and now looking at President Yun potentially being impeached. This was South Korea really pushing back and saying, no, we don't want to go back to days of autocracy. We are firmly a democratic country, and that's the way we want to stay, which of course is a relief to allies like the United States, which depend on South Korea to house some of their military bases. Yeah, rapid response there from the forces of democracy. We're looking at those live pictures

a moment ago. It's almost nine o'clock at night. The streets of Seoul are filled with people demanding that the president leave after imposing martial law, cold temperatures as well. The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen this weekend officially. The two-day event will bring together dozens of heads of states and hundreds of guests more than five years after the cathedral's spire and roof caught fire damaging the structure severely. Joining us now with more from Paris, NBC's Jay Gray. Jay, it's great to see you. What should we expect this weekend? Yeah. Well, Willie, as you talk about this,

comes at a time when the government is in chaos, but this is a celebration much needed, and the people here in Paris very excited about it. Look, it's special for many. It's sacred, certainly historic by all measures. The church more than 850 years old, ravaged by fire, but now coming back to life. Something that many at the time of the blaze thought might never happen. As the world watches in stunned disbelief, flames swallow the iconic cathedral, the central spire, crumbling into ash.

Much of the 860-year-old structure gutted. It felt painful to watch, but we knew they'd rebuild it. To see it now is amazing. More than five and a half years later, thousands are gathering again at Notre Dame, celebrating what many call the rebirth of this historic landmark, brought back to life by nearly 2,000 construction workers, craftsmen and artists from across the globe. I am so excited to see it open. Such a big part of our world, Notre Dame. The official reopening of the Cathedral,

marked by ceremonies and religious services, including Sunday, when dignitaries, heads of state and celebrities will join the faithful and more than 150 bishops from around the world during an evening mass led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. It brings hope. Paris deserves that. Before the fire, it was the most visited site in Europe with 12 to 13 million tourists each year. As Notre Dame reopens now, officials are extending visiting hours until 10 each night, expecting 15 million or more in just

the next few months, with as many as 40,000 a day touring the refurbished cathedral. Yeah, and look, while the interior restoration is complete, you can see there's still significant scaffolding. There are cranes all around the outside. They're continuing to refurbish the facade here, as well as repurposing some of the grounds around the church, Willie. And that's a project they say could take two or three more years. Jay, stay with us.

We want to talk about the backdrop of the politics taking place in France right now as well as Notre Dame reopens. But, Cady K, I was there covering the Olympics this summer for three weeks and on my many long walks you always have to... We noticed, Willie. It was very hardshipful. We felt so bad for you. Thank you. Yes, it was a tough assignment. But you just walk past the Notre Dame Cathedral that's always been there and you see that scaffolding and you remember the fire and how you just felt a pit in your stomach wondering if they were ever going to rebuild that icon. And here we are, it's taken five and a half years. As Jay said, it's going to take more work after this weekend,

but how beautiful to see those doors open again. Look, there are some things that the French state does very well and protecting their historic monuments is one of them. It's a very different country from perhaps the response might be here in the United States, where you really had the government step in. They got private financing from millionaires in France and very wealthy French citizens. And there's such a commitment in France to these monuments, to these buildings and to Notre Dame in particular.

But I think most people, even given that, even knowing how to these buildings, and to Notre Dame in particular. But I think most people, even given that, even knowing how important these buildings are and how committed the French state is to preserving those monuments, I think most people are surprised by how fast it's gone and how smooth it's gone. There was some debates about how the spire should be redone. Should it be more modern? Should it be more old looking? But I think everyone's, I was there too covering this when the fire broke out. It's so lovely to see it reopening again and just in time for the holidays. It really is. And by all accounts, we'll see for ourselves this weekend. The interior just looks magnificent. So, Jay, as I mentioned, there is developing political news in France

as this is all happening. French President Emmanuel Macron vowing to stay in office until 2027, which is the end of his term, following the ouster of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after a historic no-confidence vote. So what does this mean exactly, Jay? Yeah. Yeah, the no-confidence vote at the beginning of the week here and a lot of chaos in the government at this point. And this project, the restoration of Notre Dame, was something that was key to President Macron.

It's something that he has really pushed very hard here. When you talk to people about what's going on with the government, what they are telling us is that they're embarrassed that this is happening at a time when the world is watching what's going on here at Notre Dame, Also worried about what it means for the future. They will find a new prime minister, but there is questions, there are questions about how effective of a leader the president can be. Two more years, and that's something that he says he will finish, that he is going to continue to press forward.

But again, a lot of people here worried about what this means. When you talk to some, we talked to a driver yesterday who said, we're on the verge of collapse here. Now, I don't think it's quite as bad as he took it, but there are a lot of people very concerned about what happens with this country moving forward. And a lot of people looking at this weekend as kind of a chance to take a breath from that, celebrate what's happened here and move forward following this weekend.

All right, NBC's Jay Gray live for us in Paris this morning. Jay, thanks so much. We appreciate it. Still ahead, we'll speak with The New Yorker's Susan Glasser on her new piece, The Scandal of Trump's Cabinet Picks Isn't Just Their Personal Failings. That's the title. She'll explain. Plus, the manhunt continues for the gunmen

in the fatal shooting of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. What more we know this morning. NBC's Sam Brock live outside the Hilton Hotel with details on the key pieces of evidence that police have now uncovered. Also ahead, Joe's sit-down interview with Oscar-nom nominated actor Jude Law talking about his new thriller The Order. Morning Joe's coming right back. Are they going? They are going! And then Goffball's down but Montgomery Montgomery is going to pick up the first down. Ball game. And what a game.

What a call. A fourth down gamble pays off for the Detroit Lions with less than a minute to play, setting up a game winning 35 yard field goal from Jake Bates as time expired. A thrilling back and forth game between the NFC North rivals. Josh Jacobs had three rushing touchdowns for the Packers. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for three scores, including two to Tim Patrick, both coming on fourth downs. Detroit now has won 11 straight games,

breaking a franchise record. They have clinched a playoff spot and hold the best record in the NFC at 11 and 1. Jonathan Lemire, Newsflash, the Detroit Lions are good, are really good. And this team and this city loves its coach, Dan Campbell, because of moments like that, going for it on fourth down, probably could have kicked the game winning field goal on that fourth down, but he didn't want to leave the Packers anytime coming back to win the game said he trusted his running back trusted his own line get the first down and then they can let the clock run out with the game-winning field goal incredible they look great they do first time in franchise history they've won

11 straight Dan Campbell a risk taker now doesn't always work backfired last year the NAACP title game against the 49ers, but it did yesterday. He goes for a fourth down routinely, and this was a significant win for them. And Eugene Robinson, I would argue that these two teams here, Lions and Packers, are two of the three likely Super Bowl representatives out of the NFC. You'd have to add the Philadelphia Eagles to that, too. The Eagles defense in particular really coming on strong. Setting up to be a potentially really good January

on the NFC, while on the AFC side, looks like Chiefs bills ahead of the class though. You may still hear from perhaps the Ravens or someone like that. Yeah, I think I might add to your list. I don't know if it's just down to these two and Philadelphia. I mean, you know, in between them in the standings before last night were the Minnesota Vikings now.

I don't, it doesn't look to me as if the Vikings are as good as the Packers or the Lions, but they keep winning games. They were 10 and 2, so we'll see. And Dan Campbell, he's a great story. The Lions are, they are so good, I think. But earlier in that game, he went on a fourth down and failed from his own 30 yard line, and that essentially gifted the Packers

one of their touchdowns. So it doesn't always work, but he's consistent and it worked when it counted. And so the Lions are just a great story and it's so great for the city of Detroit. Hard not to root for the Lions. And Gene, I'm not gonna let you let go of the Washington commanders.

They've slipped a little bit in recent weeks, but they came out of the gate hot. They're gonna be around come playoff time, don't you think? Exactly. I, you know, I don't wanna jinx anything by bringing them up. But in fact, we saw, you know, in the last week

that Jaden Daniels is back. I think he was bothered by that rib injury. He suffered. He looked just like he looked at the beginning of the season in their last game. They have a bye this week. The commanders aren't going anywhere. And so they're, you know, they have one more game against Philadelphia. We'll see how that works out.

I think the commanders are, they've already surprised a whole lot of people this year and there might be more surprises in store. And my mighty New York Giants continue their pursuit of the number one pick in next year's draft. And I'm all, I am with them on that. How about this headline out of college football, Jonathan, yesterday?

Your guy, former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, has interviewed for the head job at the University of North Carolina. This comes after the school announced last week its Hall of Fame coach, Mack Brown, will not return next season. Belichick is 72 years old, has actually never coached in college,

but according to the Athletic, the six-time Super Bowl champion has spoken to Carolina officials several times about the job. Belichick has spent a good bit of time around the Washington Huskies program this year because his son Steve is their defensive coordinator. Okay, but we're talking about the North Carolina job here. John, can you see him actually taking a college job? And this is, I'll do respect to the program there. I love the University of North Carolina.

This isn't like the Alabama job or something, you know? Yeah, I truly can't see it. This came as a real surprise to me. I mean, Belichick, after leaving New England, he did try to get an NFL job last year. He was a finalist in Atlanta, but didn't get anything, which is sort of surprising for the greatest coach of all time, though his last couple years

in New England were disappointing. This this year he's got a bunch of media jobs it seems like he's trying to rehabilitate his public image be less of a curmudgeon that said everyone around him has long said that he wants the NFL coaching wins record he is currently 26 wins behind Don Shula such a couple more seasons the NFL he's not going to get there if he's coaching in college and I'll leave others to make jokes about Bill Belichick's girlfriend and her age. But this is a moment where also going to college coaching has never been more complicated with the transfer

portal and the NILs and all that. I would just be surprised if Belichick made the leap to the college game. I think there'll be enough NFL jobs open at the end of the season. It may not be a glamour job. It might be like Jacksonville, but I think Bill Belichick would get one. Yeah, I think you're right. I think he clearly wants back in. He's been out for a year and realized this is who he is. It's his life, but I agree. I'd be surprised if he takes it, but who knows? We'll see.