this morning -- this is a theme where we get a win. we work and work and work and work and we get something done like this -- we have been working hard on this for 11 years. to get this piece of this -- to get this close -- thanks to bipartisan support through congress and the biden administration for getting this done, it's a great win and it will save lives. the evidence is there. we know it will save lives. at the end of that, my daniel is still gone. i made a promise to honor him, to protect my surviving children and to prevent families from having to endure this life-shattering pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. >> i so appreciate, mark, you being on with us and speaking about daniel and showing the

pictures of this extraordinary child that had as many dreams, hopes and aspirations as anyone else and they were just cut. i thank you, mark, for being with us. i really appreciate your time. >> thank you, jose. this is just an example that we solve this, we can do this. we can do it in a bipartisan way. it's the best way do this, as this country becomes more divided. this is such a great message to the country that we can do this and save lives this way. thank you. >> thank you, mark. appreciate it. that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose diaz-balart. thank you for the privilege of your time. andrea mitchell picks up with more news right now. right now on "andrea mitchell reports," o.j. simpson, the superstar football player turned defendant in the most high-profile murder trial in american history has died of cancer at age 76. a look at the individuals who could be called as witnesses

starting monday in president trump's hush money case. arizona's abortion ruling. marjorie taylor greene seeking a program set to expire. johnson packs for a trip to mar-a-lago. as israel braces for retaliation from iran for a presumed strike that killed key iranian leaders -- military leaders in syria, i will speak to the parents of a young father held by hamas as a deal to bring them home remains elusive. good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. it was the trial of the century. the nation was gripped by every moment of o.j. simpson's stunning downfall from his days

as an nfl hall of famer to the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, nicole brown simpson, and her friend ronald goldman, followed by the white bronco police chase, and the televised trial with the instantly famous defense line, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. 150 million viewers turning in. simpson was acquitted of criminal charges, only to be found civilly liable two years later. he published what was promoted as a book of fiction entitled, "if i did it, confessions of a killer." a judge ordered the majority of the profits to the goldman family. he later served nine years for kidnapping and armed robbery. we start with steve patterson and lori levinson. steve what do we know about his death? >> reporter: dead at 76 from prostate cancer, that's from a note from his family posted on

x/twitter. the family, of course, asking for privacy. they posted this message saying in part that he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. of course, again, asking for privacy and grace. there was some rumors that o.j. simpson had fallen into bad health after he was released from prison back in 2017. there were rumors that he had cancer, that he was entering hospice care. a prolific twitter poster, pushed back on those rumors in recent months. never denied the cancer diagnosis until this moment. the nation gripped by that trial, his legacy forever tarnished, his life forever changed. knowing o.j. and knowing his legacy and that trial, like all things depends on how well you knew his legacy based on who you were generationally. you go young enough now, o.j. simpson is a meme. to my parents, they remember the

football career, the bright smile, the celebrity, his life as a celebrity spokesman for hertz, the acting roles. i remember the white bronco chase in the kitchen with my mother. she was shielding my eyes. the trial starting in '94 until the acquittal in 1995. stunning the nation. a moment of pure racial division. the first moment i experienced growing up in suburban detroit being in a white school system, my parents were afraid for me in school that day. first the nation had felt that and learned that. a lot of people thought there was justice with the civil trial. of course, o.j. being forced to pay to the goldman family the money, of course, never paid in full. then his legacy forever tarnished by this botched robbery in the mid 2010s.

here we are today with the family again confirming what had been rumored for months, that o.j. is dead. >> that's just such an extraordinary account. lori, you covered the double murder trial. it changed how we covered trials and was one of the first televised trials. 11 months, i think. help me here. you were there. the cameras in the courtroom, the lawyering, johnny cochran. larger-than-life figures. >> you are right. this was -- we talk about trials of the century. there are a lot of cases. other than lindbergh, i think o.j. does deserve that title. there were over 1,000 journalists covering this case across from the courthouse. it was wall to wall. you had networks and broke into

programming. you had everybody many the world focusing on this case. there were celebrity lawyers, celebrities in the courtroom. the court itself seemed to be deferring to some of the people. it was the beginning of dna evidence. you had race, domestic violence. it was packaged into this moment of a former heisman trophy winner, somebody people thought they knew because they saw him in movies and on tv, who was charged with a really brutal double homicide. finally, even though he was acquitted in that case, of course, he was found liable in the civil case. >> lori, what did you tell your students? what have you told your students about the lawyering and the precedence in that case? >> well, i tell them that you look like johnny cochran, who is no longer with us, and this was

his moment. he owned that courtroom. he had that demonstration that he took advantage of to say, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. you saw some really theatrical lawyering. you also saw a situation where factors that we don't usually think affect verdicts can. race was an issue in the courtroom. frankly, in a very odd way. the jurors certainly didn't like the lapd, they didn't like the way black defendants had been treated. even though o.j. really didn't play a big part in the black community, everyone seemed to identify him as a black defendant in the unfair justice system. >> steve, i think you have a statement from the ron goldman family. >> from the goldman family, from fred who is ron's dad. the only thing i have to say is that it's a further reminder of ron being gone all these years.

it's no great loss to the world. it's a further reminder of ron being gone. >> thanks to both of you, steve patterson and lo and lori levin. it was an experience. thank you. >> very intense. very intense. the witness stand. we will look at just who could be testifying, who is likely to testify at former president trump's hush money trial, the trial that starts monday. that's next when "andrea mitchell reports" is back in 60 seconds. stay with us. you are watching msnbc. you are c n trigger migraine attacks too. that's why my go to is nurtec odt. it's the only migraine medication that can treat and prevent my attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. now i'm in control.

with nurtec odt i can treat a migraine attack and prevent one. talk to your doctor about nurtec today. we are back with more breaking news. we have the list of potential witnesses for donald trump's upcoming hush money trial set to begin monday. joining us now, barbara mcquade and lisa ruben. lisa, who are some of the witnesses the prosecution and defense are calling?

any surprises? >> some surprises. some are not surprising. for example, michael cohen is on the list as is stormy daniels. also on the list is karen mcdougal, the playboy model who alleges she had an affair with donald trump and was paid off not by trump direct by but by the "national enquirer." people are more affiliated with trump's post-campaign life. they include madeleine westerhaute and hope hicks. i don't know that folks had those two on their bingo card in particular. i think both of them will offer really interesting detail about how this scheme was set up, what relation it played to trump's role as a candidate in 2016 and most importantly how it was papered over.

>> barbara, what stands out to you about the witness list? >> i think one of the things that we will hear next week is, who is the star witness? that's the big phrase the defense attorneys like to use. they point to someone that they think lacks credibility. i'm sure it will be michael cohen or maybe stormy daniels. i think there are a number of names on this list that are people who work with or for donald trump. those are going to be the true star witnesses in this case, because these are going to be people who do not have the same sort of ax to grind against donald trump. if anything, i'm sure they are reluctant witnesses. these are people who are on the inside, who perform functions at the trump organization or worked on the campaign or in the oval office. i'm sure these will be fact witnesses who will say, this is what i saw or this is what i heard. those can be some of the most powerful witnesses for the prosecution.

>> barbara, for the third time in three days, as you know, the defense attempted to delay the trial. it was denied very quickly from the appeals court. now what options does donald trump have? i heard last night some of the lawyers on tv saying that it could be a hail mary pass to the supreme court. i don't know what the issues would be and how they would do that. the feeling seemed to be the appeals court is not having anything of it, nor is the trial judge in terms of granting these late motions. >> i think that's right. never underestimate the imagination of a desperate defendant. i am sure we will see some sort of, as you say, hail mary. it could be, for example, that donald trump files a motion with the u.s. supreme court about the denial of a defense for presidential immunity. the judge denied it saying it was raised too late. i don't think he will get any traction with it. i could imagine he would file some of these motions even if

only in an effort to delay this trial. any possibility. i don't think those will be successful. i think we have seen decisions on these cases on merits. i imagine and i expect it will start on trial. >> we will be there starting early on monday with our colleagues jose and ana and i will be on from noon to 4:00 with chris and katy. thanks to both of you. coming up, the arizona fallout. i will be joined by a state lawmaker attempting to reveal the 1864 law dominating political headlines across the nation. that's next when "andrea mitchell reports" is back in just 60 seconds. stay with us. you are watching msnbc. ynamic cg and risk-reward analysis, help make trading feel effortless. and its customizable scans with social sentiment help you find and unlock opportunities in the market. e*trade from morgan stanley. with powerful, easy-to-use tools, power e*trade makes complex trading easier.

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like my dad and me, new ways of catching up on their favorite sport. the critical swing state of arizona is becoming the epicenter of the 2024 presidential race, after this week's shockwave by the state supreme court reinstating a near total abortion ban that states back to the civil war. the biden campaign says the issue is more politically potent than ever. peter alexander posing this question to the president on wednesday. >> reporter: what do you say to the people of arizona right now who are witnessing a law go in place that dates back to the civil war era? >> elect me. i'm in the 20th century, 21st century, not back then. they weren't even a state. >> donald trump says the issue

of abortion access should be left up to the states. but he has been taking full ownership of the dobbs decision that made all this possible, repealing roe v. wade. after previously supporting a federal ban of differing durations. in arizona, state republicans in the legislature blocked attempts to let the process play out, sending statehouse into recess before a vote to repeal the bill and prompting this response from democrats. >> shame on you! shame on you! shame on you! hold the vote! hold the vote! >> chaos in the upper chamber. democrats tried to start the process to repeal the law. republicans quickly adjourned insisting the request came too late.

>> the arizona state senator who you just heard at the end of the video, democrat anna hernandez joins me now. senator hernandez, thanks for with being us. is that the way democracy works in the arizona house and senate? >> thank you so much for having me. yeah, i mean, apparently that is how the republican majority in the state chooses to conduct business on both the house and

the senate floors. that is something that is a trend over here where we are silenced and we are not allowed to move solutions forward. they find different ways to block us. >> walk us through what happens next. what are your next steps as this law would go into affect in two weeks, as i understand it? although, the attorney general, who was on our air yesterday saying she's not going to prosecute anybody. of course, there's a chilling affect on providers, on doctors, on clinics. it's going to make these procedures less accessible to people. >> absolutely correct. while i applaud the decision of the attorney general, the reality is that we know that in 14 days, this very likely will be the law of the land here in arizona, which means complete abortion restrictions, because to me any exception -- the

exception for the life of the mother is still so -- there's no specificity if the law of what that means. that still puts providers in precarious situations to make the decision based on advice from attorneys. the next steps, we are in session. there's a path to repeal this territorial ban. this is where i call on my republican colleagues and the republicans in the majority that took no time to take to social media to make the post that they denounced this decision and that we should repeal this ban immediately. you know, when the democrats made that attempt yesterday, we were shut down and we were blocked. this is where i call on my republican colleagues to stand by their words. if they are serious about repealing that ban, then let's get to work and make this happen in the next few days. they could have done this last session. they could have done this earlier this session.

they chose not to. they are continuing to choose not to move forward on this. >> i know the white house -- the campaign, rather, is putting a lot of money into arizona, putting campaign ads on about targeting this issue. are people paying attention? has this energized voters, do you think? there's also, of course, the critical senate race, the whole kari lake race, where she endorsed this law and now walked away from it. >> that is a trend with the republicans that in arizona that fully embrace and celebrated not only the passing of the 15-week abortion ban, but also celebrated and tweeted for joy when roe v. wade was overturned. there's a lot of flip-flopping happening over here by a lot of republican elected officials,

including kari lake. i think the energy was there to make sure that we send the abortion access for all initiative to the ballot in november. this just reaffirmed why that is such a critical step that needs to happen, because the reality is that unless the rights are protected in the state constitution of arizona, we are not protected. these attacks will continue. we have seen that across other states where they are coming after contraception, coming after ivf. this does not stop just with abortion. >> well, senator anna hernandez, thank you for coming on and explaining that to us. stay close to us so we can keep track of all of this as it proceeds. thank you. >> absolutely. thank you. >> appreciate it. a tightrope, a political tightrope. the house speaker under threat of losing his job if he tries to pass critical national security

legislation and aid to ukraine. he is about to visit donald trump. what's that all about? you are watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. eporc (bobby) my store and my design business? we're exploding. but my old internet, was not letting me run the show. so, we switched to verizon business internet. they have business grade internet, nationwide. (vo) make the switch. it's your business. it's your verizon. h&r block's tax pros average 10 years of experience. and we'll do your taxes for you- from start to finish. you know, for nearly 70 years we've prepared more than nearly 800 million tax returns worldwide. i should know, i'm h&r block's chief tax officer, kathy pickering. for us, expert help isn't new. so, when every dollar matters, get your max refund guaranteed

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house speaker mike johnson is under huge pressure, pressure from the far right conservative members of his caucus as well as from donald trump putting his job in jeopardy again. the speaker yesterday was facing a critical u.s. surveillance program he was trying to get passed. but it was tanked by 19

republicans in a procedural house rule vote, making it the seventh rule vote fail in republican majority house and the fourth under speaker johnson, coming after donald trump's directive to kill it. speaker johnson is set to appear with former president trump at mar-a-lago tomorrow for a speech on whatever they are calling election integrity. joining me now, ryan nobles and former national security agency general counsel glen gerstel. chris wray is expected to urge them to renew it. what alternative does the speaker have to get this passed? he says he is committed to it, but donald trump tanking it from one side and now marjorie taylor greene and others, jim jordan of the judiciary committee. what chances does he have? >> reporter: let's talk about

christopher wray. this is part of what he will say in his opening statement today. our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the middle east to carry out attacks here at home akin to the i.s.i.s. attack we saw on the russian concert hall a couple of weeks ago. the intel community, the national security leaders, they strongly believe that if it were to go away, which it's set to expire, it would leave gaping holes in their ability to protect the united states. the proper for speaker johnson is the folks that need to hear this the moment don't believe people like christopher wray. they believe they are part of the problem and they believe it needs to go away. they believe heavily in this idea of a deep state as they call it, even though they don't have a ton of evidence to support those claims. that makes it very difficult for speaker johnson. he does seem to support it with

these reforms that republicans and democrats have worked on. but there are republicans that are threatening if he brings this to the floor, that they will vote to remove him from office. the mechanism he has to get this done is to go around the rules process. right now, the republican party is ungovernable in the house. they need to abandon the rules process, go to the floor. that requires a two-thirds vote in order to pass. it would mean it would be propped up by democrats. that would make his shaky standing within the republican party even worse. >> doesn't that -- going around -- suspending the rule, doesn't that require a two-thirds vote, not just a majority? >> reporter: exactly. a two-thirds vote. that's why it would require democrat votes to get over the finish line. it would fuel this argument that the hard right republicans are making that mike johnson can't get anything done without democrats and therefore he

doesn't deserve the job of the speakership. it's why he is in such a difficult position right now. >> glen, i want to play some of what chris wray said earlier about what is called the fisa law. i think it's been in effect -- it was controversial in 2008. it has been renewed at various times. this is what he had to say. >> we must not undercut the effectiveness of this tool with a restriction paralyzing our ability to tackle fast moving threats. bottom line, a warrant requirement would be the equivalent of rebuilding the pre-9/11 law. two decades later, i can assure you none of our adversaries are holding back or tieing their own hands, whether to attack us, to steal from us, to put american national security, our economic security, american lives at

risk. >> glen, you dealt with this for years over at the nsa. talk to us about the concerns that people are spreading falsely, according to all the experts, about privacy concerns. this is not conversations on foreigners overseas. >> there are some appropriate levels of concern about privacy. the current bill would address the concerns and keep in effect what is the nation's most important operational statute for national security purposes. it's been in effect for 16 years. it's controversial. some communications are swept up in it. there's a concern about that. >> if an american is communicating with a foreign suspect. >> not all of the american

communications. if an american is talking to a russian agent or a chinese espionage agent, yes, that particular communication might get caught. i would submit, we have a strong interest in learning more about that. right? we would want to know who is planning an attack with an i.s.i.s. terrorist. there's a concern. the bill that's being talked about -- we're not sure if it will get to the floor. that bill presents the most comprehensive set of reforms in the history of this statute. it's got some 50 odd provisions that directly address almost every single point that the critics have been talking about. >> didn't donald trump reauthorize it in 2018? >> in 2018, after a lot of back and forth with congress, congress finally passed it, after an extension. donald trump signed it. in his signing statement in january -- i remember, because i was in the office at the time. i remember reading it and seeing it. he said, i would like to extend this law permanently, not even

with a temporary extension. i would like to extend this law permanently because it's so important for our nation's security. >> what's happening right now when we look around at i.s.i.s.-k attacking in moscow, you would think moscow would be heavily defended despite a u.s. warning this was going to happen in that specific location, according to our reporting, and you see a rise of terrorism now, which could be threatening europe as well as us, because these groups are resurgent. >> you couldn't pick a worse time to blind ourselves to these threats. all of these are topics that section 702 is aimed at addressing, these threats to our national well-being. at a time when we are facing greater threats than ever, we have a group of people in congress who -- i guess if this was an election for a tenth grade class president we might

laugh at it. but the stakes are super high. they couldn't be higher. >> ryan, before i let you go, i want to ask you about what's backed up behind fisa. the speaker is being threatened if he goes to democrats for votes on ukraine, that marjorie taylor greene will file the motion to vacate and try to get him kicked out of office. ukraine money where zelenskyy has been saying he could lose this war if we do not get this passed. i was talking to senator shaheen yesterday from the armed services committee. she said, if this is changed in the house to modify it, put conditions on it, to take israel out, it has to go back to the senate for another couple of months. it will be critical, maybe fatal for ukraine's hopes of pushing back against the spring offensive from vladimir putin. >> you are talking about the two most difficult issues for mike johnson when it comes to the surveillance program and when it comes to ukraine funding.

it's the hard right group of republicans threatening his job, most opposed to these two pieces of legislation. with that slim majority, even though if you put these on the floor, both would probably pass with overwhelming majorities, he runs the risk of alienating that core. that's part of the reason that he is going to mar-a-lago tomorrow, to show himself standing shoulder to shoulder with donald trump to send a message to the hard right republicans that he is in good graces with the former president. whatever he does as it relates these two pieces of legislation, that isn't going to change. that may be a tough sell, because many of the hard right republicans are very much entrenched when it comes to these issues. they may make mike johnson pay the price if he moves forward. >> you can't predict what donald trump will say on either of these issues standing next to speaker johnson. ryan nobles, thank you so much. glen, thanks for being with us. we appreciate your expertise on

this. the desperate days. families of the hostages held in gaza for more than six months now make in-person pleas on the white house to bring their loved ones home. we will talk to the parents of one of the hostages next. you are watching "andrea mitchell reports." this is msnbc. ll reports." this is msnbc. nurtec odt, i found relief. the only migraine medication that helps treat and prevent, all in one. to those with migraine, i see you. for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. it's time we all shine. talk to a healthcare provider about nurtec odt from pfizer.

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cease-fire deal in exchange for hundreds of palestinian prisoners, but "the new york times" reported that hamas says it may not have 40 hostages in those categories, raising fears that more hostages could have died than previously believed, either on october 7th or the months after. one of the hundreds of people kidnapped by hamas and still being held is 35-year-old israeli american zagi. he moved his family into a safe room and went out to confront the terrorists. he was captured. he is yet to meet his baby daughter born while he has been in captivity. doesn't know the rest of his family did, fortunately, because of his heroism, did survive. two older daughters and his wife. joining us now is his father and his stepmother. who is joining us, i believe,

from florida. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> first, your reaction to new reporting that hamas is saying they are not sure they can come up with 40 people in those categories of women, the elderly, the ill. what does that tell us? if they are telling the truth. they won't give names. >> it has been a concern of ours for quite some time. but i have no faith whatsoever in anything hamas would say, i would imagine, any right thinking person would have their doubts. that being said, we are from a kibbutz that was attaced and destroyed october 7th. of the 39 remaining hostages from that kibbutz, of the 133, we know already that 12 have died. their murdered bodies being held by hamas. amongst we hope the 27 who are still alive, my son, there are older men for sure and children

and women. for us, it's a terrifying thought that our extended family, our kibbutz community family -- we don't know who might still be alive in that group. >> talk to us about this and how it affects you in terms of what you know, what you don't know and your fear that the word hostages has had a numbing affect on the world, that people don't know enough about the individuals involved. >> i will say how it is affecting us. they found a body and understand he was murdered in captivity in january. he was from our kibbutz.

it indicates to us now, it's not that they don't have time anymore. time has run out. time has run out for the hostages. we understand it now. i am concerned, of course, that both the world has moved on and has become numb to the issue of the hostages, particularly in light of -- we have to say it out loud. in light of the unbelievable devastation in gaza. so many people dead. children starving. buildings destroyed and demolished. it is an atrocity what's happened there. and it is a struggle, but we have to keep doing it, to also hold up the innocent hostages that were taken by hamas in a murderous, terrorist massacre, who are also starving and sick and dying.

it's a challenge right now. i won't say it isn't. it's heartbreaking. all of it is heartbreaking. >> jonathan, are you satisfied with what the netanyahu government is doing and the priority it's plaing on hostages versus the offensive, the air attacks and the goal -- the understandable goal of eliminating hamas, if it's possible to do that? >> well, those of us who have lived on the border, in my case over 40 years, are perfectly aware of the absolute need to eradicate hamas. that is simply a truth. if not just for us on the israeli side of the border, more so for the people of gaza who are living a nightmare. in terms of your question, until recently, there were not just me, hundreds of thousands, millions of israelis out in the, the israeli government do the

right thing in terms of negotiating to get our people out alive and not simply resting on this fantasy that somehow military action alone is going to get my son and the others home safely and alive. it appears that because of a lot of pressure from the biden administration on israel, qatar, and egypt, that there is a willingness now on the israeli side to move forward, to entertain a negotiation. now we in the world wait to hear what hamas wants. do they want the destruction of gaza? do they want somehow to discover what state building actually is and move towards a cease-fire, release of the prisoners and some kind of sanity in gaza? >> there's a new statement that we received from a member of the political bureau of hamas in gaza, translated by our bureau

in jerusalem and in tel aviv. one of the things that he is saying -- he is not rejecting what is now on the table. it was being studied by hamas. they were waiting for a reaction from the most militant of the leaders. he is viewed as the toughest operator inside gaza. he is saying -- he is objecting saying part of the negotiations is to reach a cease-fire agreement, to have enough time and safety to correct final and precise data on the hostages. they are denying that they know. they have been asked -- they have an obligation under the geneva convention and the red cross is supposed to have access to hostages and communication with families from day one. none of that has happened. there's been no accounting. that's been one of the objections. he is making the point that the life of all humans are precious

and priceless. no one is asking about the thousands of palestinians, innocents kidnapped in israel after october 7th, people arrested, presumably, and there have been false arrests and we have had plenty of results of that, and that there are people, hostages who are dead under the rubble with other -- with the palestinians because of the air strikes. it sounds like a dodge, but also it's probably likely that some of these hostages may also have been victims of the war. >> it is entirely possible. is the hostage families of all sorts are desperate to get the fighting to stop because we're perfectly aware that every day that the fighting continuing -- however justified it might be on israel's side or however tragic it might be on the palestinian side -- is endangering our loved ones. and therefore, there's an absolute moral and human

imperative for all sides to get this done, and the only obstacle right now to getting this done and to get palestinian lives back in order and our loved ones returned is for hamas to come to the table. all the other signs are aligned, qatar, egypt, the united states, and israel has been, if not forced, then nudged to come to the table. it's time to stop with these sort of dodging statements and for the man in the tunnel, sinwar was clearly the decision maker, to do something positive for his people and not just in the service of a fanatic murderous ideology, that has just brought tragedy certainly since october 7th. >> how is your daughter-in-law doing? she's got two little ones, 3 and 6 and now a 4 monday baby.

>> e vie ta is the hero in all of this. gillian and i and many others have been advocating around the world for hostages with governments, with parliaments and so on, but she and the other wives and children, grandparents who survived october 7th and certainly those from the kibbutz along the border have to completely reconstruct their lives. nothing was left. they survived by a miracle, and it is just awe inspiring to see what she's been able to do, and gillian and i and all the others are completely committed to get their father, their husband back and to allow this young family to continue its life the way it should be lived. >> and finally, do you have any -- did you get any word from vice president harris yesterday in your meetings that something

might be coming together? >> well, all of the u.s. families, those of us with dual citizenship that we've met with administration official, we've sort of kept say credit those internal conversations. what i can say is that from two or three days after october 7th, it's been extraordinarily reassuring that the u.s. administration has shown us by its deeds, not just by its words, that it's totally committed to getting all the hostages home, u.s. citizens, non-u.s. citizens, those who might still be alive and those who are already deceased and murdered. so it was another sort of brick in that wall of absolute solidarity from the administration side. >> jonathan, thank you so much and gillian kay, thank you as well. and our hopes are with you. >> thank you.

and the looming threat, the u.s. and israel and other allies on alert and concerns about potentially impending attacks by iran and their proxies in the middle east. more on that in a moment. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports." this is msnbc. come on. i already got a pneumonia vaccine, but i'm asking about the added protection of prevnar 20®. if you're 19 or older with certain chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, copd, or heart disease, or are 65 or older, you are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. prevnar 20® is approved in adults to help prevent infections from 20 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. in just one dose. don't get prevnar 20® if you've had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. adults with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects were pain and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, and joint pain.

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so, if you could change the price, change the name! it's not a lock, i know a lock. so how can we undo the damage? we could all unsubscribe and switch to xfinity. their connection is unreal. and we could all un-experience this whole session. okay, that's uncalled for. officials in the u.s. and israel say they were on high alert for iran to retaliate against israel for israel's presumed air strike on the iranian consulate in damascus killing a senior general of the islamic revolutionary guard. ayatollah khamenei warning israel has to be punished and will pay for its mistakes. joining me now is retired admiral james stavridis. we're told that this iranian strike could come at any time. it would most likely target military or intelligence facilities. there have been communications via intermediaries in qatar and

the uae and other countries to iran saying, you know, don't attack civilians in trying to get them to back off. what is your read of all of this? where are we most vulnerable? >> i think the israelis are most vulnerable meaning the ayatollah has spoken. he has talked about an attack in retaliation against israel. i would not be surprised to see an attack against an israeli diplomatic compound, could be an air strike, could be a suicide bomber, could be any number of different methods of doing so, but i think israel is the center of the bull's-eye. the ayatollahs will try and confine this strike because they're really not interested in a wider war. secondly and finally, the u.s. is at risk as in our forces in the region. as you well know, andrea, a

couple of months ago we had a whole series of attacks from iranian proxies on u.s. military in iraq and syria. they are clearly on high alert as well, but i think ultimately the iranians will go after the israelis. they'll keep it confined because iran does not want a wider war here. >> if it isn't proportional. if it is a wider attack, is there -- if israel can't defend itself with its air defenses. can we get involved? would we? the president said yesterday that we are -- that our defense of israel is ironclad. >> i think our defense of israel is, in fact, ironclad. you'll recall right after october 7th we had not one but two american aircraft carriers each of them would become that aircraft within immediate striking range of the region. i think if -- excuse me.

i think if iran decides to go big, i think it's unlikely, but if they did, i think you'd see the president launch another american aircraft carrier, and i think we would get involved in that. but again, i want to emphasize i think it's highly unlikely iran chooses to deliberately widen this war because of the reason we're talking about. it would drag the united states in, and it would ultimately lead to an extreme degradation of iranian military assets. they don't want that right now. >> and very briefly, there was an air strike by israel that killed the three sons and grandchildren of ishmael, the political leader of hamas who has been part of the negotiations. and the three sons were, israel points out, legitimate targets. he claims were military leaders in central gaza, commandos.

the children, you know, in the car -- whatever the vehicles were, but at the very moment when hamas was considering the negotiations, what was on the table, did you find that timing interesting? was this just an opportunity they couldn't pass? i guess we're out of time, but does this strike you at all? >> i think it's the latter. i think it was an opportunity to go after high level operational targets, if children were killed, obviously that's tragic collateral damage, but i think israel took the shot because they felt they could render a serious blow to hamas. the timing is unfortunate. >> thank you so much, admiral, and that does it for us. "chris jansing reports" starts right now. good day, i'm chris jansing live at msnbc headquarters in new york city.