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switch to comcast business and get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. call today! today on velshi, we will get a bit academic. first stop, while school. donald trump's criminal hush money trail is back tomorrow morning and things could begin to wrap up as early as tuesday. in a few moments, i will be joined by two people who have been watching the trail very closely. pay attention . this is the cheat sheet you will need for a very big week and yes, there will be a quiz. after that, back to college. will head to the key swing state of georgia which president joe biden famously flipped from red to blue in 2020. he's going to take the stage at historic morehouse college where they will have a

commencement at any minute now. the historically black college has been divided over the speech. dozens of faculty members voted against awarding the president the traditional honorary degree but that is not all. what is a day in school without a lesson in civics? sheldon warehouse is chair of the committee and hold subpoena power and is talking about opening a new investigation into donald trump and will join me to explain. while we are on government, you may have seen the viral video of marjorie taylor greene trying to turn a house hearing into the district. you might not have known jasmine crockett's response was more abiding and more poetic and a really good piece of lawyering. i will talk to congresswoman crockett about what was overlooked about the exchange and how about the specific challenge of being a black woman in the halls of power during the trump era. that is all coming up when

class is in session on velshi which starts right now. . >> good morning. it is sunday, may 19th. you are watching velshi on msnbc. i am filling in for my friend and colleague. we have a lot to talk about. this may be the final week of donald trump's hush money trial which is the historic first criminal trial of a former united states president. from's former personal attorney michael cohen has faced more than seven hours of cross- examination and is going to face even more questioning when he returns to the stand tomorrow morning. by the afternoon, the prosecution might rest its case. then it goes to the defense. the big question going into the week is whether donald trump will actually take the stand. the start of the trial last month, the former president told reporters he would absolutely testify. but his lawyers told the judge last thursday that it a

decision has not yet been made about trump taking the stand. at this point, it remains unclear whether the defense will call any witnesses at all. if you are wondering at home what your former civil rights prosecutor things, let's say i wouldn't bet on it. the judge told both sides to be prepared to give closing arguments as soon as tuesday. if things go smoothly this weekend if trump decides not to testify, that means that jury deliberations could begin in the next few days and that leaves room for the possibility that a verdict could be reached before the start of the long weekend over memorial day. joining me now to discuss all of this are my friends, super lawyer, colonel defense attorney and msnbc legal analyst an investigative reporter for the guardian who got up just for me to have this conversation on a sunday. danny, you know what time it is. i'm talking to a lawyer.

let's get right into it. i want to start going into the week with respect to michael cohen's testimony and his cross- examination. what more do you think the defense has to do to create the notion of reasonable doubt? >> just continue to cast doubt on michael cohen's credibility and point out that he is a liar and that he has a motive. a book entitled "revenge" and he is here making things up in order to get back at his former employer. and while i don't think the moment that we saw on thursday, where todd blanche confronted michael cohen with a phone call that he originally said was to talk to trump about the stormy daniels payment but now may have been about -- and to me, the reason for it eclipsing the purpose. but cohen was calling of presidential candidate pick the security detail for help dealing with a phony phone call. a 14-year-old phony phone call. a lot of folks thought that it was a gotcha moment. i don't think it brought a

fatal blow to the prosecution at all. i think it is something they could easily come back from. it is significant . and if i am the defense counsel, i'm using that in my closing. they need to continue to hammer that he is a liar but don't overdo it. don't keep them on their too long and start boring the jury. because a board jury will punish the lawyer. >> that is correct. i want to come back about the closing arguments and what to expect. before we do that, hugo, you are someone who always has the inside track. i want to turn to you. how is camp trump feeling about the way the trial is going and campaign trump feeling about the potential impact of a verdict here one way or the other? >> it is interesting. they think it has been going well. even on the first day of todd blanche's cross-examination which by all accounts i think everyone thought was a little slow and was meandering. they thought it was a really good day and i wonder if that is because, if you consume it

enough, you kind of buy what they are selling. but i think that they kind of have to hold on to hope. they went into the trial knowing the best outcome would probably be a mistrial. and under no circumstances, did they think there would be an acquittal. if you set expectations low enough, then anything that comes after could be seen as a win. >> do you have any sense as to whether the campaign has made calculations around a guilty verdict or mistrial or whether changes the approach going forward? >> in so far as looking at polling, they have done polling on this trial. they have republican base, the maga base. and it is interesting. again, because you have a split of people who think, if he is convicted of all accounts, maybe i would be dissuaded from voting for him.

but there are people who are undecided who think, if it is a mistrial or he is convicted on only some counts, some may continue support. >> danny, let's go back to the courtroom and talk strategy. many people don't realize this. we know that as trial attorneys, you really don't begin to put together your summation until you know what has come out during the trial. you have to have a strategy. now that we have seen pretty much with the evidences and how things have played out, give me your best themes for both the prosecution on the defense as we go into what could be the final week of the trial. >> you are asking me to do something that will probably take three hours and 30 seconds. here we go. first, you can see the transition from cohen to daniels. you can argue that. can see the fact that cohen was repaid by trump with checks signed by trump. you can't argue that. instead, you focus on the burden beyond a reasonable doubt that the prosecution has not met it.

he pointed michael cohen and you say the prosecution build their case around this convicted liar. somebody who only wants revenge against trump. and we caught him in a lie right in front of you. and the new focus on what i call the empty chair defense. guess who has been notably absent. allen weisselberg. they never called him. what were they afraid of? his hand riding literally and figuratively all over the exhibits. you literally saw his handwriting in the exhibits in the most compelling exhibits with the most powerful evidence of falsification of business records. where is he? and what is the prosecution hiding? that, remember, many of you out there might be thinking, i don't know. i thought the prosecution explained that. maybe they did. that is not the burden of the defense. they need to create reasonable doubt and one or more more jurors. and maybe get one as an advocate in the jury room. >> the allen weisselberg pieces something i have been

talking about is well as far as a defense being able to use it as a short sword and shield in terms of defense. poking the hole or raising the specter of reasonable doubt. hugo, last week, we saw a red thai army of fans and accolades and disciples show up in. talking points on behalf of donald trump. what he couldn't say, we saw the house speaker mike johnson himself show up. what do we think this week in terms of the small army of trump loyalists coming out of the woodwork to show support? will it be more or last? are we going to see much of the same? how will it work? >> more of the same i think. those who have come on in support of trump, it has been an interesting thing. you have people that seem to run for the vp pick or allies on capitol hill. the one person you won't see is melania trump. i have been told for weeks that there is no way melania trump will show up for various reasons. donald junior is not showing up because it is hunting season.

but i think you can expect to see his usual people from his inner circle being there through the end of the trial. it will be a big week. >> talk to me about, is it a concern if you are the prosecution, on whether to raise an issue regarding the rhetoric outside the courtroom at this point in the trial. early on, you have the need to protect the integrity of the trial so you want to have this a gag order enforced and keep things on a short leash. at this point, if you bring that up and you try to connect what is being set outside the courtroom, you run the risk of creating a distraction that could derail your case? >> i think the prosecution decides not to make a big deal out of it. i think at the beginning of the case, they were more than willing to file motions to get trump on gag order violations but that is because it was trump. here you have this plausible

deniability. unless trump is passing them notes, go outside and give a press conference about what a travesty of justice this is, you are not going to get any members of congress or other politicians on violations to the gag order. they are always constitutionally suspect and enforceability depends on who you are trying to enforce it against. if it is a party or a lawyer, you will have a better chance. if it's a member of the press or somebody not involved with the trial, good luck. is the prosecution keeping their head down. they are almost there. almost to the finish line. i doubt they make any motion about the spectacle going on outside. i don't think they are even thinking about it. when you are on trial, you are focused on the case and that is it. all this other stuff probably is just a distraction. >> putting the summation in the 30 seconds is not something everybody can do. it takes a super lawyer . i know i have them on the panel today. thank you for getting us

started today. >> coming up, donald trump says he can't campaign because he is spending so much time in court. but yet a small army of loyalists are showing up to pay homage to him outside the courthouse. we will talk about how donald trump is turning a criminal trial into a campaign opportunity. president biden right now is at morehouse college where in a few minutes, he will deliver the commencement address. we will go live to atlanta. two members of congress had words this week during a late-night hearing. that is only part of the story. democratic congresswoman jasmine crockett joins me next. you are watching velshi on msnbc. call leaffilter today. and never clean out clogged gutters again. leaffilter's technology keeps debris out of your gutters for good. guaranteed. call 833.leaf.filter today, or visit leaffilter.com.

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of the middle east. iranian state media is reporting that a helicopter carrying iranian president suffered a hard landing earlier today. it was flying in a remote region in a search and rescue operation underway. the status is unknown but state media implies he is a life. we have more on this breaking story coming up. if your wife i was working this week, you might have seen clips from a fiery and vile oral exchange between congress woman and transmitting darling marjorie taylor green and congresswoman jasmine crockett. there is a big part of the narrative that has gone missed. i will start from the beginning. so please make sure you are paying attention. on thursday, the house oversight committee met, not during normal working hours but at 8:00 at night and it did so because several republicans on the committee had plans during

the day and they want to push the meeting forward. what were the plans you might ask? they went to new york city to show support for their number one guy in the red hat and tie, donald trump. at his election interference trial. when the committee finally did meet, one particular republican launched the hearing into chaos. take a listen. >> you know what we are here for? >> i don't think you know what you are here for. >> you are the one talking -- numeral. >> i think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you are reading. >> order. >> mr. chair. >> i have a point of order. i would like to move to take down ms. marjorie taylor green's words. that is absolutely an acceptable. how dare you attack the physical appearance of another person. >> are your feelings hurt? >> move the words down. >> girl, baby girl. >> really. >> don't even play. >> i'm not sure what i was

watching. c-span or bravo. after that, there was a field vote to strike marjorie taylor green's words from the record. as her comments were allowed to stay, congresswoman jasmine crockett spoke up again with a point of order. >> i'm just curious, to better understand your ruling, if someone on the committee starts talking about somebody's bleach blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct >> chairman, i make a motion to strike those words. >> i'm trying to find clarification -- >> i have no idea what you just said. >> we are not going to do this. >> you just voted to do it. >> order. >> i'm trying to get clarification. >> i love the part where it's like what now?

you don't hear that. that exchange between marjorie taylor green and jasmine crockett and alexandria ocasio- cortez put a spotlight on the reality of what is to be a woman of color and particularly being a black woman and professional spaces that are usually majority white. marjorie taylor green and sold to the appearance and the intelligence of congresswoman jasmine crockett, one of her colleagues. a personal attack. innotech that had nothing to do with policy or even party affiliation. it was an attack that put jasmine crockett in a position where she was forced to make a choice. a choice that many black women have found themselves having to make. either sit there and a well green to insult and he will eat her or stand down on business and clap back. by the way, i should mention the men in this congress have not behaved well by any means. in the last year alone, we have seen shouting matches unfold and even an invitation to fight from leaders in this, the least

productive house in history. but when it is women having ago and particularly when a black woman expresses any emotion, even in defense of herself, the attention tends to focus on her buffet beer, her qualifications and her response to the provocation. while the heated exchange has gotten a lot of play in recent days, it is important that we also show you this key moment from congressman jasmine crockett as well. >> this idea of lacking all decency has left the building when the stench of donald trump showed up. and so we have seen constantly from him how he mocks people. we have seen in the committee how different members want to mock other members. that is all this is about. if this was so important, as it relates to whether or not the president of the united states has done something so wrong, then why is it that we couldn't have our hearing at 11:00 this morning instead of members being in a criminal courthouse

with a twice impeached, over 88 count indicted, sexual abuse or? instead of being here to do the work of the american people if this was serious. >> joining me now is representative jasmine crockett herself. a democrat from texas and a member of the house oversight committee. good morning, congresswoman. bleached blonde bad built. we have been here before. what in the bbl is going on in the halls of congress? >> listen, i was so frustrated. we are always told that we are supposed to play within the systems and let the systems work. this is yet another example of, when it comes down to seeking justice for someone that looks like me, it is like the system doesn't really know what that

looks like and so absolutely, she was what we call engaging in personalities and therefore, her words were to be stricken and therefore she was to be kicked out of committee for the rest of the evening. but instead, that is not with the chairman did. the idea that i should just sit there and pretend that i'm on the plantation and that we are not both duly elected members of congress and i'm supposed to just take it , i did not launch back with another personal attack against her. i asked for clarification. >> i'm very aware that as a man, i occupy a particular privilege, space in this conversation. i would like, in your own words, can you talk to the viewers about the nuance of what it is to be a woman of color, a black woman in particular in these spaces and be faced with the dichotomy of choice on how you respond to an attack like that without necessarily having the emphasis

being placed on your response or your professionalism or your lack of class or whatever else people have said about how you chose to address your colleague in this manner. >> one of the great things about me and the space they occupy is my district. i represent for texas 30. i don't represent for anybody else. there is only one group of people that elect me. my district is a very diverse district. my district has so many black women. beyond that, they have been so supportive. they have allowed me to be who i am. they encouraged me to be who i am because i really am doing and experiencing things that so many other black women are experiencing but unfortunately, their stories are not highlighted. and i took this as an opportunity to again flex on

maga and she is no match for me when it comes to intellect. she just decided, i have privilege so i'm just going to say whatever i want to say and then leaned back and that is exactly what she did. and she knew that she would face no consequences, or at least she thought she would face no consequences. i refuse to be somebody's doormat. at anybody suggesting that i should, i need you to look in the mirror and maybe check yourself if you believe it is okay for her to say whatever she wants to say to me and the role that i'm supposed to play is one that says okay, i know she didn't really mean it or it wasn't really that bad or it's more important that i just sit here and be docile. that is not who i'm going to be. >> congresswoman, you sit on

the house oversight committee. there was so much important work you do. is there any concern that these sorts of exchanges can create a distraction for the actual work that has to get done? when can we expect to get some legislation? >> we are not going to get any legislation out of this committee. actually, i shouldn't say it that way. earlier this week, i actually did get something out of the committee. of course marjorie taylor green did not vote for my legislation which was valuable legislation to make sure our service members are able to hopefully keep their spouses with them as they are deployed. so spouses of service members that actually work for the federal government basically have legislation that allows for reasonable accommodations so that it is not a matter of, mom needs to stay here while dad goes there. instead, mom and dad can be together. and of course the party of

family values, the marjorie taylor greens of the world voted against it. i will say this did come out of committee in a bipartisan way and hopefully we can do that on to the floor and hopefully we can get that to the president's desk. overall, it has been nothing but a sideshow and honestly, marjorie is always in the middle of the controversy. if you will recall, she is the one that brought pornographic photos to the committee. it has been nonsense the entire time. >> all the smoke. she is ready for jasmine crockett. thank you for your time is always. right now, president joe biden is gearing up to deliver a commencement address at morehouse college, an all-male historically black college in atlanta. one of the biggest days in the lives of graduates. but it is also a huge day politically for the president as well. this speech will be his most direct interaction since the start of the war in gaza. it will give biden the opportunity to speak directly

to a group of voters that will be key in his reelection. young black men. the president is set to take the stage in a few moments. ahead of that, let's go to our abc news white house correspondent aaron gilchrist who is at morehouse. good morning and thank you for joining. what are we expecting to hear from the president this morning? >> reporter: the president will speak in a couple of minutes. i will have to stop talking when he comes to the podium. we expect to hear from the president , a message that we are told will be very deliberate. not necessarily for a national tv audience. the president wanting to talk to them about the role they will play in the future of the country and we understand from the white house officials that the president will talk about the accomplishments he believes he has had. i think the president is coming to the podium now. i will have to stop here.

>> we will bring you president biden residence remarks. let's tune in. . >> thank you. thank you. president thomas. faculty and staff and alumni. and a special thank you. i will ask all the folks who helped you get here, your mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers, all those who got you here. all the way in the back, stand up. we owe you a debt of gratitude. all the families. [ applause ] >> that is not hyperbole. a lot of you, like my family, had to make significant sacrifices to get your kids to school. it mattered. it has mattered a lot. and the friends of morehouse and the morehouse men of the class of 2024, i have more

morehouse men in the white house telling me what to do then i know what to do. you all think i'm kidding, don't you. you know i'm not. and it is the best thing that has happened to me. scriptures says that the prayers of a righteous man are as much . in augusta, georgia, a righteous man at one time enslaved to set foot for freedom. the story goes that he feared no evil. he walked through the valley of the shadow of death and was on his way north to free soil in philadelphia. a baptist minister, he walked with power in the steps of his feet. after the union won the war, unveiled on freedom. it was not his alone. and so this righteous man returned home. his feet weary and his spirit

in no ways tired. 157 years ago, you all know the story but the rest of the world doesn't and should. in the basement of a baptist church and augustine, he and two other ministers had an attorney planned something revolutionary. and it was at the time. a school. is school that helped formerly enslaved men were education would be the great equalizer from slavery to freedom. and an institution of higher learning. becoming morehouse college. i don't know any other college in america that has that tradition, that consequence. the class of 2024, you join as you know, a sacred tradition. education makes you free. and morehouse education makes you fearless. [ applause ] [ cheering ]

>> i mean it. visionary, congratulations. you are morehouse men. god love you! [ applause ] >> again, i think your families and friends who helped you get here. because they made sacrifices for you as well. this graduation day is a day for generations. a day for joy. a day earned and not given. we gather on a sunday morning for this reflection. a reflection of the resurrection and redemption. remember, jesus was buried on a friday. we don't talk enough about saturday. his disciples felt all hope was

lost. in our lives, and the lives of the nation, we have those saturdays to bear witness a day before glory. seeing people's pain and not looking away. what work is done on saturday to move pain to purpose. how can faith get a man, and nation, through what was to come? this is what my faith has taught. i was the first biden to graduate from college taking out loans all through school. to get me there. my junior year, spring break, i fell in love at first sight literally to the woman i adored. i graduated from law school in her hometown. i got married and took a job at a law firm in my hometown, wilmington, delaware. but then , everything changed. one of my heroes, and he was my

hero, a baptist minister, morehouse man, dr. martin luther king. in april, by law school graduation year, he was murdered. the city of wilmington, a slave state and segregated. delaware erupted into flames when he was assassinated, literally. the only city in america where the national guard patrolled for nine full months with a long stretch since the civil war. dr. king's legacy had a profound impact on me and my generation, whether you are black or white. i left a fancy law firm i had just joined and decided to become a public defender. and then a county council and working to change our state's politics and embrace the cause of civil rights.

the democratic party and delaware was the southern democratic party at the time. we wanted to change it and become a northeastern democratic party. and then, we were trying to get someone to run for the united states senate. i was 29 years of age. i had no notion of running. everybody knew i was going to run. i didn't know i was going to run. and a group of senior members of the democratic party came to me and couldn't find anybody to run and said, you should run. nixon won my state by 60% of the vote. we won by 3100 votes. we won by those margins. with a broad coalition, including students from the best hbcu in america, delaware state university. you guys are good. they got me elected. you all think i'm kidding.

i'm not kidding. but by christmas, i was the newly elected senator hiring staff in washington d.c. i got a call from the first responders in my fire department in my hometown. that forever altered my life. it put a young woman first responder on the line to say, there is an automobile accident. the tractor-trailer hits your wife's car when she is christmas shopping and you have three children. and the woman just blurted out, your wife and daughter were killed. my 13 -month-old daughter dead. and your almost 3-year-old and four-year-old sons are badly injured and i'm not sure they will make it either. i rushed to washington to their bedside. i wanted to pray but i was so angry. i was angry at god. i was angry at the world. i had the same pain

43 years later when my four- year-old boy who survived was a grown man and a father himself, lying in another hospital bed at walter reed hospital having contracted stage iv glioblastoma because he was a year in iraq as a major and won the bronze star. cancer took his last breath. this walk of life, you can understand, you come to understand. we don't know where or what fate will bring you or when. we also know that we don't walk alone. when you have been a beneficiary of the compassion of your family and friends and even strangers, you know how much the compassion matters. i have learned there is no easy optimism. but by faith, by faith, we can

find redemption. i was a single father for five years. no man deserves one great love but let alone two. my youngest brother, hell of an athlete, did a great thing. he introduced me to a classmate of his. he said, you will love her. she doesn't like politics. all kidding aside, when i met jill. healed the family and all the broken places. our family became my redemption. many of you have gone through similar or worse things. but you lean on others. they lean on you. and together, you keep the faith and a better day tomorrow. but it is not easy. i know a number years ago, it felt like one of those saturdays. the pandemic robbed you of so much. some of the lost loved ones, mothers, fathers , brothers or

sisters and they are not able to be here to celebrate today. you mr. high school graduation. you started college as george floyd was murdered. and there was a reckoning on race. it is not to the wonder, democracy actually works for you. what is democracy? if black men are being killed on the street, what is democracy? a trail of broken promises leaving black communities behind. what is democracy. you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot. most of all, what does it mean? as we heard before, to be a black man who loves his country, even if it doesn't love him back in equal measure.

[ applause ] >> when i sit behind the resolute desk in the oval office in front of the fireplace across from my desk , i have two books. one of dr. king and one of bobby kennedy. i often find myself looking at those and making decisions. i ask myself, are we living up to what we say we are as a nation? to end racism and poverty. deliver jobs and justice and restore leadership in the world? i look down and see the rows around my wrist that was out of what my late son had on when he died at walter reed when i was with him. i ask myself, what would he say? i know the answer because he told me in his last days. my son knew the days were numbered. the last conversation was, dad,

i'm not afraid. but i'm worried. i'm worried you are going to give up when i go. you are going to give up. we have an expression in the biden family. when you want somebody to give you there word, you say, look at me . he said, look at me dad. look at me. he said, give me your word to give me your word as my father that you will not quit and that you will stay engaged and promised me dad, stay engaged. promise me. promise me. i wrote a book called "promised me dad" not for the public at large although a lot of people ended up buying it, but for my grandchildren and great- grandchildren to know who beau biden was. and my office reminds me of that. faith asks you to hold on to hope and to move heaven and

earth and to make better days. that is my commitment to you. to show you democracy, democracy, democracy. still the way. blackman being killed in the street and we bear witness. for me, that means to call out the poison of white supremacy and throughout systemic racism. i stood up for george floyd's family to help create a country. we don't need to have that talk with your son or grandson as they get pulled over. but instead of a trail of broken promises, we are investing more money than ever on black families in black communities. we are connecting black neighborhoods cut off by old highways in a disinvestment where nobody cared about the community . they delivered checks and pockets to reduce black child poverty, the lowest rate in history. removing every leadpipe in

america so that every child can drink clean water without fear of brain damage. we are delivering affordable high-speed internet so no child has to sit in a parent's car in a parking lot outside mcdonald's. instead of forcing you to prove you are 10 times better, we are breaking down doors so that you have 100 times more opportunities. good paying jobs, you can raise a family on in your neighborhood. capital . starting small business loans to start. i have walked the picket line and defended the rights of workers. i am relieving a burden of student debt . many of you have already had the benefit of it. the supreme court told me i couldn't. i found two other ways to do

it. and we were able to do it. because it grows the economy. and in addition to the original 7 billion-dollar investment at hbcus, i am investing 16 billion more dollars because you are vital to our nation. most hbcus don't have the dominance that the jobs of the future requires. surface data laboratories and sophisticated opportunities on campus. opening doors to walk in the life of generational wealth. be providers and leaders. today, record numbers of black americans have jobs, health insurance and more than ever. democracy is also about a community free of gun violence and a plan of climate crisis

free. and showing power to change the world. also know that some of you ask, what is democracy? we can't stop war. in a democracy, we debate about america's role in the world. i want to say this very clearly. i support peaceful nonviolent protests. your voices should be heard and i promise you that i hear them. i am determined to make my administration look like america. i have more african americans in high places including on the court than any other president in american history because i need the input. what is happening in gaza and israel is heartbreaking. hamas is killing innocent lives holding people hostage. i was there nine days after .

a mother and daughter, with watching them as they die. men, women and children killed and displaced despite a need of water, food and medicine . it is a humanitarian crisis in gaza. that is why i call for an immediate cease-fire. immediate cease-fire. stop the fighting. bring the hostages back. i have been working on a deal as we speak. working around the clock to get more aid into gaza. and i'm working around the clock for more than just one cease-fire but to bring the region together. working to build a lasting and durable peace. the question is, you see what is going on in israel today. what after hamas?

what happens then? what happens in gaza? what rights to the palestinian people have? i am working to make sure that we finally get a two state solution. the only solution. for people to live in peace and dignity. it is one of the hardest, most complicated problems in the world. there is nothing easy about it. i know it angers and frustrates many of you, including my family. first of all, i know it breaks your heart. it breaks mine as well. leadership is about fighting to the most problems. it is about challenging anger and frustration and heartbreak to find a solution. it is doing what you believe is right even when it is hard and lonely. you are all future leaders, every one of you. and that is not hyperbole. you are future leaders, all of you. you will face complicated tough moments.

these moments and others. you have to decide, guided by knowledge , conviction and principle and your own moral compass. it is a desire to know what freedom is and what it can be. it is the heart and soul of why this college was founded in the first place. purveying that a free nation is born in the hearts of men and spellbound by freedom. and that is the magic of morehouse. that is the magic of america. let's be clear. what happens to you and your family come when old ghosts in new garments sees power and extremists come for the freedoms that you fought for. today in georgia, they won't allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election. where and what the hell is that

about? i'm serious. think about it. and the constant attacks on black election workers who count your vote. and insurrectionist storm the capital with confederate flags are called patriots by some. not at my house. black police officers, black veterans protecting the capital were called another word, as you will recall. they also say out loud, these other groups, immigrants poison the blood of our country. like the grand wizard said in the past . but you know and i know that we all bleed the same color. >> and america, we are all created equal. extremists close the doors of opportunity and strike down

affirmative action and attack values of inclusivity and inclusion. i never thought when i was graduating in 1968, i never thought i would be president when there was a national effort to ban books. not to write history but to erase history. they don't see you in the future of america, but they are wrong. to me, we make history. not erase it. we know that black history is american history. which [ applause ] >> many graduates don't know me but check my record . you know what i'm saying. i mean it from my gut. we know black men are going to help lead us to the future. black men from this class and this university. graduates, this is what we are

up against. extremist forces aligning against the message and meaning of morehouse. and the pedal of fiction and caricature. what being a man is about. tough talk. abusing power and bigotry. the idea of being a man is toxic. i ran into them all the time when i was younger. i don't even want to get started. that is not you. it is not us. you all know and demonstrate what it means to be a man. being a man is about strength and respect and dignity. it is showing up because it is too late if you have to ask. it is about giving hate no safe harbor and leaving no one behind and defending freedoms. it is about standing up to the abuse of power whether physical, economic or psychological.

it is about knowing faith without works is dead. look, you are doing the work. today, i looked out at all of the graduates and i see the next generation of morehouse men. where doctors and researchers are curing cancer and artists are shaping the culture. your list journalists challenging convention. i see preachers and advocates who might join another morehouse men in the united states senate. you can clap for him. he is a good man. i'm proud to have the most diverse administration in history. and his happen in the full talent of the nation. i'm also proud of putting the first black woman on the united states supreme court. i no doubt know that a

morehouse men will be on that court as well. >> you know it. i have been vice president to the first black president and president to the first woman black vice president. [ applause ] >> i have no doubt that a morehouse man will be president one day. just after an a.k.a. from howard . she is tough, guys. >> let me close with this. i know it doesn't look like i have been around very long. but in my career , for the

first 30 years, i was told, you are too young, kid. they used to stop me from getting on the senate elevator when i first got there. for real. now i'm too old. whether you are young or old, i know what endures. the strength and wisdom of faith will endure and i hope for you, my challenge to you is to still keep the faith so long as you can. that cap on your head proves you have earned your crown. the question is now, 25 years from now, 50 years from now, when you are asked to stand and address the next generation of morehouse men, what would you say that you did with the power you earned? what would you say you have done for your family, for your community, your country when it mattered the most? i know what we can do. together, we are capable of building democracy worthy of

our dreams. a future of more brothers and sisters following their dreams. a boundless future where your legacy lifts us up as well as those who follow. a brighter future that proves the american dream is big enough for everybody to succeed. class of 2024, number years ago, it probably felt like saturday. four years later, you made it to sunday. to the commencement come to the beginning. with faith and determination, you can push the sun above the horizon wants more. you can reveal hope. and i am not kidding. for yourself and for your nation. the prayers of a righteous man, a good man, a morehouse man. god bless you all. we are expecting a lot from you. thank you.

[ applause ] >> that was president biden speaking at the morehouse college commencement ceremony. i want to go back to our nbc news white house correspondent erin gilchrist to is at morehouse. how does that add up to will be expected to hear from the president? >> this was very much consistent with the message that we expected to hear from the president today. it was the wide ranging speech you heard. the president addressing some of the accomplishments of his administration and the work it has done for african-americans around the country and particularly the hbcus. he talked about funding $16 billion of additional funding for the hbcus and the work they do around the country. we should also note that the president did address the situation in israel and gaza. that was something we wondered about, whether he would actually talk about that given the response that he has seen from college students around the country. and there was response in the audience from these morehouse

graduates as well. the president reference to the situation there and called for an immediate cease-fire and said that he is working on a deal as we speak. we know his national security advisor jake sullivan is in the middle east right now planning to go to israel today as a matter of fact if he is not already there. it is worth noting that as we look at the graduates sitting in the audience here, we did see at least half of a dozen young men who sat with their backs turned to president biden. we saw one person holding up a flag on his back, a palestinian flag i believe on his back while the president spoke. for the entirety of his speech, the release two faculty members on the stage standing behind the president holding up a flag representing the fighting going on there and the situation in the african nation. there was a silent protest that happened here. these students wanting their voices to be heard in a fashion where they could be seen. wanting this ceremony to be respectful. wanting to show respect to the moment.

their families watching here. and so we saw this silent protest from the students waiting to receive their degrees here at morehouse. >> charles. >> that was erin gilchrist at morehouse university in atlanta. thank you for your reporting from the commencement. joining me now is my friend molly, a special correspondent at vanity fair and host of the fast politics podcast and msnbc political analyst. molly, we are going off script. i want to have a conversation with you and i think you are the perfect person to have this discussion. i want to get your reaction, to my reaction. >> we just saw the president gave what i would estimate to be, 80-85% of a campaign speech in about in 15-20% of the commencement

speech. commencement speech honor for the president to be at morehouse than it is for morehouse to have the president. i'm very serious about that. i don't know that this was the proper balance -- i understand -- but i don't know this was the proper balance in terms of celebrating a day that is about these young men and their commencement from such an important day then giving a campaign speech to an audience that he has to reach and is critical for him going into the selection. i'm curious abou