♪ ♪ >>> WE BEGIN THIS HOUR WITH BREAKING NEWS. WE HAVE A BUSY SATURDAY FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN ON THE WORLD STAGE. RIGHT NOW THE PRESIDENT IS IN A MEETING WITH EMMANUEL MACRON FOLLOWING A PROCESSION THE TWO LEADERS PARTICIPATED IN EARLIER THIS MORNING. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DELIVER REMARKS LATER THIS MORNING. THIS IS ALL PART OF THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP TO COMMEMORATE THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORMANDY AND WORLD WAR II. THROUGHOUT THE VISIT, THE PRESIDENT HAS EMPHASIZED THE THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY, NOT JUST HERE AT HOME BUT ALSO ABROAD. IT IS AS URGENT AS IT WAS 80 YEARS AGO. JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS IS STAFF WRITER FOR THE ATLANTIC AND MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY AND COUNTERTERRORISM ADVISOR TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, WELCOME TO YOU BOTH. >> THIS WAS QUITE THE WEEK FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN TO STAND ON THE GLOBAL STAGE IN A WAY THAT HE DID TO TALK ABOUT THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT IN DEMOCRACY AND RELATING IT BACK TO HISTORY. WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ON WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD TO SAY AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT RESONATED, NOT JUST WITH OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES BUT HERE AT HOME? >> THERE WE GO. >> I GET IT. I THINK HE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HE IS AN EXCELLENT LEADER ON THE WORLD STAGE. IT WAS CRITICAL TO SHOW THAT FACE TO THE WORLD AND ALSO TO AMERICANS. YOU KNOW, I THINK MICHAEL, YOU KNOW, HE DID HAVE SORT OF THAT REAGANESQUE QUALITY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY, THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO FREEDOM AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE. YOU KNOW, I SAW SOME CRITICISM ON FOX AND OTHER CHANNELS, WHY ISN'T HE ATTACKING TRUMP IN THIS MOMENT? HE NEVER MENTIONED TRUPP. HE NEVER MENTIONED HIM BY NAME, I DON'T BELIEVE. I THINK WHAT HE NEEDED TO SAY IS THAT THIS IS A BIGGER CHOICE, BIGGER CHOICE THEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, IT IS A CHOICE ABOUT WHAT DO WE WANT OUR FUTURE TO BE AS A COUNTRY? LET'S HONOR THOSE LIVES THAT SERVED. IMPORTANT STUFF. >> OLIVIA, THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT BIDEN WERE SO POIGNANT, I THOUGHT SPOT ON, LET'S PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO HARDSHIPS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. THIS IS THE PRESIDENT IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON FRIDAY WITH EMMANUEL MACRON. >> WE TALK ABOUT DEMOCRACY. AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE IDEALS OF LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IS HOW HARD IT IS, HOW MANY WAYS WE ARE ASKED TO WALK AWAY, HOW MANY INSTINCTS ARE TO WALK AWAY, THE MOST NATURAL INSTINCT IS TO WALK AWAY. TO BE SELFISH, TO FORCE OUR WILL UPON OTHERS, TO SEIZE POWER AND NEVER GIVE UP. AMERICAN DEMOCRACY ASKED THE HARDEST OF THINGS, TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING BIGGER THAN OURSELVES. >> DOES ANYBODY THINK MICHAEL -- DONALD TRUMP COULD HAVE GIVEN THAT SPEECH? ALICIA, I DON'T KNOW. >> IT IS A RHETORICAL QUESTION. IT SPEAKS TO ALL THE REPORTING YOU HAVE BEEN DOING, WHICH IS THE IMPOSSIBLE TO WATCH PRESIDENT BIDEN ON THE WORLD STAGE WITHOUT DOING A COMPARE AND CONTRAST, NOT JUST US, PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP ON CABLE NEWS BUT AS AN AMERICAN WATCHING AT HOME AND CERTAINLY IF YOU ARE AN ALLY WATCHING. >> YEAH, THE THEMES BIDEN IS SOUNDING IN THE SPEECHES AND THROUGHOUT THESE EVENTS COMMEMORATING D-DAY ARE VERY FAMILIAR THEMES FROM PAST ADMINISTRATIONS AND FRANKLY, BOTH PARTIES. TO OLIVIA'S POINT, SOUNDS LIKE RONALD REAGAN, GEORGE H. BUSH, GEORGE W. BUSH, NOT A VERY POPULAR PRESIDENT ABROAD. IN CERTAIN THINGS, THERE HAS BEEN A BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS IN THIS COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME. ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS THE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP AND THE FACT IT IS ROOTED IN WESTERN DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND BELIEF THAT AMERICA IS SUPPOSED TO ALIGN WITH OTHER DEMOCRACIES AND THAT ALLIANCE IS A SAFEGUARD FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD AND WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT SPEECH BIDEN GAVE WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UNCONTROVERSIAL AND UNMEMORABLE, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO. NOW IT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A MASSIVE DOMESTIC POLITICAL DEBATE ABOUT WHAT ROLE AMERICA SHOULD PLAY IN THE WORLD AND WHAT IT DOES TO ITS ALLIES. THAT COMPARE AND CONTRAST IS REALLY START THIS YEAR. >> YOU TOUCHED ON THAT, McKAY, ACTUALLY, IN A GREAT OBSERVATION OF YOUR FEARS, THE IRONY OF THE OBSESSION WITH THE ELECTION IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO DECIDE THIS ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT YOUR MUCH AT ALL. IN PART, IT IS BECAUSE MANY AMERICANS HAVE NOT SEEN THE NEED FOR NATO IN THEIR LIFETIME, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS SEPTEMBER 11th TERRORIST ATTACKS WERE THE ONLY TIME ARTICLE 5 HAS BEEN INVOKED. YOU TOUCHED ON A VERY IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT DISCONNECTION. ACTUALLY AND IRONICALLY, SOMETHING GEORGE BUSH 43 WARNED ABOUT ON THE HEELS OF 9/11. WE CANNOT FORGET THIS MOMENT. WE FEEL GOOD, WE ARE UNIFIED NOW, WE UNDERSTAND WE ARE STANDING IN DEFENSE OF OUR VALUES AND WE ARE PREPARED TO PROSECUTE THE CASE AGAINST TERRORISM BUT ALL OF THAT IS DISSIPATED, THAT CONNECTION TO THOSE INSTITUTIONS THAT HOLD ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AND I THINK BIDEN, BEING THERE, AND SAYING WHAT HE SAID WAS IMPORTANT, BUT YOU POINT OUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS STILL THIS TENSION, THIS DISCONNECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECONCILED BETWEEN US AND EUROPE, BETWEEN OUR ROLE IN THE WORLD AND THE REST OF THE WORLD AND HOW WE, AS AMERICANS, LOOK AT THESE INSTITUTIONS. >> SO I WAS TRAVELING THROUGHOUT EUROPE THIS SPRING AND TALKING TO EUROPEAN OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATS AND THE THING THAT KEPT COMING UP IS THIS REAL SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT AMERICA IS ANYMORE, RIGHT? BECAUSE FOR 75 YEARS, SINCE WORLD WAR II, YOUR EVEN WHEN THEY DISAGREED WITH PEOPLE WE ELECTED, EVEN THEN THEY DIDN'T REALLY LIKE CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIONS, THEY TRUSTED IN AMERICA TO BE A RELIABLE ALLY. AMERICA WAS THE LINCHPIN TO THE NATO ALLIANCE, IT WAS GOING TO BE A GENERALLY RESPONSIBLE MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THAT FIRST TRUMP TERM REALLY DID DAMAGE TO AMERICA'S REPUTATION AND TO THE TRUST AMERICA COULD BE RELIED UPON. AGAIN AND AGAIN, I WOULD HEAR THESE EUROPEAN OFFICIALS SORT OF ASK ME, WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT DONALD TRUMP IS CURRENTLY LEADING IN THE POLLS? >> WHAT'S WRONG WITH Y'ALL? >> BECAUSE THEY FINALLY REMEMBER THE U. S. THAT STORMED THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY, THAT IS THE YOUR -- AMERICA A LOT OF EUROPEANS STILL REMEMBER AND WE WONDER HOW MANY EUROPEANS REMEMBER THAT. >> TO CRYSTALLIZE THAT POINT, OLIVIA, LET'S LISTEN TO SOMETHING LIZ CHENEY PUT OUT, CALLED OUR GREAT TASK. TAKE A LISTEN. >> ONE'S COUNTRY IS WORTH DYING FOR. DEMOCRACY IS WORTH DYING FOR BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST DEEPLY HONORABLE FORM OF GOVERNMENT EVER DEVISED BY MAN. ALL OF YOU LOVE LIBERTY. ALL OF YOU WERE WILLING TO FIGHT TYRANNY. YOU KNEW THE PEOPLE OF YOUR COUNTRIES WITH -- WERE BEHIND TWO. TODAY WE GIVE THANKS FOR ALL THAT WAS GAINED ON THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY. WE REMEMBER WHAT WAS LOST WITH RESPECT, ADMIRATION AND LOVE. THIS FREEDOM AND THESE HOPES ARE WITH THE HEROES OF DJ FOUGHT AND DIED FOR. >> AMERICA DESERVES A PRESIDENT AS GOOD AND STEADFAST AS OUR NATION. A PRESIDENT OF CHARACTER, DRIVEN BY A NOBLE PURPOSE, ONE WHO HONORS THE SACRIFICES OF OUR TROOPS, NOT A MAN CONSUMED BY SPITE, REVENGE AND SELF-PITY. >> YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY THE NAME, OLIVIA, TO KNOW WHO IT IS THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THERE. >> YEAH, YOU DON'T. AT THIS TIME, IT REMINDS ME OF TRUMP SAYING THESE PEOPLE ARE LOSERS AND EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT THAT, A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD EVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MY STOMACH TURNS. WATCHING THAT AD AND THINKING ABOUT MY TIME DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WORKING IN NATIONAL SECURITY, I THINK WHAT LACKED AMONG SOME OF THE INNER CIRCLES, INCLUDING TRUMP HIMSELF WAS A GREATER PURPOSE OF SERVICE AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT IS IN HIS INNER CIRCLE, I AM TALKING ABOUT HIS ENABLE US AND HIM, UNDERSTAND A GREATER CALLING, UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT YOU BELONG TO THAT IS BIGGER THAN YOURSELF AND BIGGER THAN YOUR SELFISHNESS OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE EXHIBITED BECAUSE MOST OF THEM NEVER DID SERVE. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND MILITARY SERVICE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND PUBLIC SERVICE. I THINK IT IS A THREAT TO NOT REMIND OURSELVES TO WHAT THE PRESIDENT, AS WHAT THEY STAND FOR AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT AND WHAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY DO. A REMINDER, WE WILL LIKELY PULL OUT OF NATO BECAUSE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WERE HAD DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE REASON THE WORLD IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN SHOULD HE RETURN TO OFFICE IS BECAUSE I WAS IN THOSE MEETINGS WHEN WE WERE HAVING SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH WARREN HENDRIX, WHERE THE NARRATIVE FOR A DAILY BASIS, WHERE HE WOULD SAY, I THOUGHT WE AGREED TO THIS AND IT WOULD CHANGE. WE DID THIS ON VENEZUELA. I AM TELLING YOU, I COVERED AFRICA FOR VICE PRESIDENT PENCE, I SAT IN THESE DISCUSSIONS WHERE THERE WOULD BE A COMMITMENT MADE AND THEY WOULD PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER HIM. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DO DIPLOMACY. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DO THESE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. THEY ARE SO CRITICAL AND SO CHALLENGING. >> OLIVIA, PEOPLE AT HOME MAY NOT APPRECIATE FULLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING BECAUSE LITERALLY ALL THE THING IS YOU DO THIS, I WILL DO THAT AND WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT. PEOPLE NEED TO KEEP THEIR WORD, THAT IS IT. NOT EVEN JUST THE IDEA BUT THE FACT, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT IT BUT THE CHOICE, AS ALICIA NOTED, THE STARK CHOICE THAT IS BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE MORE CLEAR TODAY, THIS WEEK, FRANKLY, WITH WHAT WE SAW FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN JUXTAPOSED WITH THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. THE NATO , 80 YEARS AGO WHEN AD HAPPENED, NATO WAS NOT ESTABLISHED. WAS ALLIED TROOPS THAT CAME TOGETHER, THE WORLD CAME TOGETHER AND TOOK THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY. IT WAS THAT TIME IN NORMANDY THAT TURNED THE TIDE TO END WORLD WAR II, IT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATO WORLD COOPERATION YEARS LATER AND WE ARE IN A SEVERE MOMENT, THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT LINKING AD TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE AND THE FIGHT RIGHT NOW , I WANT TO PLAY THAT FOR YOU AND SEE HOW YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT IT ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> BETWEEN DICTATORSHIP AND FREEDOM, IT IS UNENDING. HERE IN EUROPE, WE SEE ONE STARK EXAMPLE , UKRAINE HAS BEEN INVADED BY A TYRANT FOR DOMINATION. UKRAINIANS ARE FIGHTING WITH EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE, SUFFERING GREAT LOSSES, BUT NEVER BACKING DOWN. THE UNITED STATES AND NATO, A COALITION OF MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES, STANDING STRONG WITH UKRAINE. WE WILL NOT WALK AWAY. >> McKAY, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE WORLD TRYING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE, MAKING EVERYONE FEEL OKAY THAT AS LONG AS I AM HERE, WE WILL BE STANDING WITH UKRAINE BUT AS THE "TIME" MAGAZINE ARTICLE SAID ABOUT A WEEK AGO ABOUT AMERICAN PRESIDENTS, THEY MUST EARN THEIR MANDATE AND WE DON'T KNOW IF JOE BIDEN WILL EARN HIS. >> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. AGAIN, GOING THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND TALKING TO THESE EUROPEAN OFFICIALS, THE THING I HEARD AGAIN AND AGAIN WAS, LOOK , THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN GREAT. THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SAY THE RIGHT THINGS AND THEY ARE TRYING TO REASSURE ALLIES WHO WERE AROUND DURING TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
