Meet the Press NOW — March 1

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Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington at a pivotal moment in the Republican presidential primary. There are contests in four states in the District of Columbia this weekend, and this Tuesday will be the single biggest night of the primary. With a whopping 865 Republican delegates at stake from coast to coast on Super Tuesday, it could very well be the last chance for Nikki Trump's skeptics in her party to make their voices heard.

Amid that urgency, I sat down with Haley on this set earlier today in an exclusive interview for Sunday's Beat the Press. Here's some of what she told me. Do you think Donald Trump would follow the Constitution if he were elected to a second term? I don't know.

I don't, I don't know. I mean, you always want to think someone will, but I don't know. You know, when you, when you go in and you talk about revenge, when you go in and talk about, you know, vindication, when you go and you talk about, what does that mean? Like, I don't know what that means.

And only he can answer for that. What I can answer for is I don't think there should ever be a president that's above the law. I don't think that there should ever be a president that has total immunity to do whatever they want to do. I think that we need to have someone that our kids can look up to, that they can be proud of.

And I think we need to have a country of law and order, a country of freedom, and a country that goes back to respecting the value of a taxpayer dollar. And we don't have any of that right now, folks. That's a very significant statement from someone who served in Donald Trump's cabinet and a great warning about a second Trump term. Haley's comments about potential lawlessness in the second Trump administration comes on a day where the future of the multiple criminal trials facing the former president is playing out in courtrooms in both Florida and Georgia.

The former president is looking to derail or delay the trials into his conduct. Mr. Trump appeared in a Florida courtroom earlier today as his lawyers tried to push his classified documents trial until after the November election. And in Georgia, a judge heard final arguments amid a push from the former president and his co defendants to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified from that election interference case.

Of course, we're just carrying all of that. This all comes as the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mr. Trump's immunity defense in a move that's guaranteed to push the special counsel January 6th case closer to Election Day. That's if the Supreme Court allows the case to proceed.

With the Republican frontrunner in a protracted state of little limbo, his rival is hoping voters get some clarity. Here's what she told me when I caught up with her on the campaign trail last night in Northern Virginia. I think all of the cases should be dealt with before November. We need to know what's going to happen before it, before the presidency happens.

Because after that, should he become president, I don't think any of that's going to hurt. I don't think that a president should be immune from anything. I think that the president has to live under laws, too, and he's asking for things that no other president's ever asked for. So I hope the Supreme Court rules quickly and I hope they make their decision, but I think that they do have to make it give an answer.

When you say you hope the Supreme Court rules quickly, do you mean that you would like to see this case go to trial before Election Day? If Trump is the nominee so that voters know the outco with this case? I think voters are going to want to know what they're walking into and if they're walking into a president who's still going to have to be in court or if they're walking into a presidency where he can get rid of a court case. Voters are going to want to know that.

We've got a big team to start us off. NBC's Ali Italian is following Nikki Haley right here in Washington, D.C. nBC's Candelan is in Florida, where Donald Trump appeared in court today. NBC's Marissa Perez is in Georgia with the latest.

And finally, Willis disqualification hearing. And NBC's Garrett Hate is with me on set. He, of course, has been following the Trump campaign. Ali, I have to start with you.

I want to get your reaction to what we heard from Nikki Haley, those stunning comments. She says she's not sure if Trump would follow the Constitution in a second term. She also said she would like all of his court cases to be dealt with before Election Day. What do you make of it?

Kristin, two really stunning comments and kudos to you for making that news in these interviews with Nikki Haley that you did because she is pretty hard to pin down, especially when it comes to matters of Donald Trump. I do think that she has, of course, shown more of a willingness to go after her only rival at this point in the race. But I also think that she still has a lot of areas that are sort of no go zones when you ask her questions around the former president. The fact that she would say, and really anyone would be able to say that the likely nominee of their party may or may not respect the Constitution is, as you said, absolutely stunning.

And it really does tee up Nikki Haley for the quandary of what does she do if she drops out of this race and does she find a way to endorse her former boss? Or are all of these criticisms more than that? Are they more than just words? Are they actual red flags that she is willing to continue to challenge her party with?

Because it is really, truly shocking to hear that someone who could be next in line for the presidency might not respect the Constitution. That's the first thing I thought about. The second, though, when she says that she wants all of these court cases to be dealt with and adjudicated before election day. Same.

And I think I meet voters all the time who feel the exact same way because they want to be able to make that kind of a decision. And never before have they been faced with the fact that the person that they could vote for, one of a few people that they have the option of, could be not just facing criminal prosecution, but convicted of those crimes. It really is, I know we use this word all the time, unprecedented, but it really makes and forces politicians to make statements that I don't think any of us thought we would be covering in presidential politics. Now, I think you're right, Ally, and it certainly does lay out the stakes.

And I do press her on whether she is able to get to an endorsement or if that's off the table, we'll tease the head to that for the alley. Very quickly, about 30 seconds. We're here in D.C. where Haley, of course, spoke to supporters.

Is this a place where she thinks she might have a shot at pulling off a window? Absolutely. Raucous room, I have to tell you. When Nikki Haley was speaking at one of the sole polling places the Republican voters were at Today in Washington, D.C.

for this voting day that's coming up. I gotta say, though, if You're Nikki Haley and you don't know any state that you can win. Is it better to be in the Republican primary and lose every state or is it better to be in the Republican primary and the only state you win be Washington, D.C. there's so much insidery Beltway stuff that's wrapped up in that.

And Haley's trying to run as an outsider. I mean, what is a win at the end of the day? And they can't point to one so they need it. But I'm not sure DC Is their most ideal place.

Yeah, it's a complicated mix of people who is supporting from that perspective. Al, you're absolutely right. You're gonna be on the panel on Sunday. So we're looking forward to that.

Thanks so much. Ali. Fatally we are too. Great reporting.

Can't. Let me turn to you. You are in Florida where there was a hearing about the classified documents case. Still no court date that's been set yet.

Right. What happened? What were your key takeaways from Trump actually being in court? He was fairly impassive, Christian.

But I came away from today's day long hearing more confident perhaps than I was before that there's a chance that this case could go to trial before the November election, in part because in response to the judge's demands, both sides have offered proposed schedules and the special counsel's office, thanks to this, could go to trial in July. And then Ms. Trump's lawyers begrudgingly proposed a date for August. Now, they quickly said they don't believe that can stand and they made a point of saying they don't think it's fair that he should go to trial before the election.

They think that's election interference. And it was interesting that Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, did not push back on that at all, in contrast to Judge Tanya Chuck and the D.C. who made clear that running for president does not excuse Mr. Trump from any of his obligations as a criminal defendant.

Cannon didn't say any of that today, but she did give the impression that she wants to move this case along. She didn't rule on the scheduling. And she also though made point of challenging the special counsel on some of their optimistic timelines. She thinks it's going to take longer than they think it's going to take.

But again, there is a prospect that this will get to trial before November. Well, that would certainly be hugely significant. Can Judge Cannon notably brought up what you and I spent a lot of time talking about, this 60 day unofficial rule which effectively says that the Justice Department wouldn't engage in any activities against a candidate 60 days out before an election. What did Jack Smith say about that?

What was the pushback and reaction? That was the news of the day, actually, Kristen, that the Justice Department, through Jay Bratt, one of the prosecutors, speak. Jack Smith was sitting back. He didn't speak.

But the Justice Department affirmatively stated to the judge that they had looked into this matter. And that rule, it's not really the 68 rule, that's what the nickname is. It's a rule that prohibits the Justice Department from taking action that would affect election. That rule doesn't apply to cases post indictment.

So none of the cases here at issue, both this Florida case and the DC Case are affected by that rule. And I think the theory behind that is that, look, the public already knows all the facts in this case. There's nothing secret here. There's nothing that's being sprung on the public a few days before election.

So they've had time to factor this in. So whether the trial is held before the election, after the election, it's not really. It doesn't have the potential to affect the vote. And so that's not gonna be a factor.

Well, one extraordinary day in court in Florida. Kendall Lanya, thank you for bringing it to us. Let's head to Atlanta now. Another court case.

Marissa, walk us through what unfolded in that Atlanta courtroom today. This, of course, is the case aimed at disqualifying the district Attorney Fani Willis and her team from this case because of her affair with the top prosecutor, which they argue did not start before she appointed him. What happened today? Hey, person, a lot of turns when it comes to this election interference case.

And so this latest chapter here, which is a motion that was filed by one of Trump's co defendants to disqualify Fawny Willis. So this latest chapter today actually is hearing today described in the last 15 minutes. I'll start by saying that the judge said no decision has been made right now at this moment. So I'll walk you through what we saw so far today.

The judge started out by saying today was day for arguments. Have been following this week. You'll know that both the state and the defense have been trying to submit new evidence. Between cell phone records, text messages and Napa employee who would corroborate something that Willis and Wade would testify.

The judge said today, today is only for arguments and he would decide only later if he would allow in new evidence to be submitted. So we heard those arguments. We heard first from the defense and really just a summary of what we've been hearing for the last several weeks painting a picture of Wade and Willis living this lavish lifestyle and saying and describing Willis's really financially benef benefiting from hiring way to the tune of one lawyer said the tune of $9200. But then we also heard from the state, I'll also mention that Wade and Willis were inside of Port today for terms of a big question on whether or not we would hear from Fawny Willis as we did a couple of weeks ago.

We did not the state is saying the burden has not been met for disqualification making the case that she did not profit from his work. They have previously classified that they were in a consensual relationship for about a year. And this was after Wayne has been hired as special prosecutor. One of the arguments that they had made was that these credit card statements don't really actually paint a full picture because Willis was paying him back in cash.

And so we heard all the way up until, as I mentioned last 15 minutes, the judge a lot of questions whether or not we would hear from the judge on a decision on whether or not Williams or her entire team would be disqualified in the course. He has said that that is not happening right now. He said this is a very complex, a lot of set of complex legal issues here. Kristen is going to take time.

He said look for something from you within the next two weeks for c complex legal issues following weeks of dramatic testimony. Merciful. Thank you so much for bringing us all your great reporting from inside the courtroom. We really appreciate it.

Let me turn now to Garrett Hake. Garrett, talk about you and I spent a lot of time discussing this. The fact that Trump has a political calendar and a legal calendar. And the legal calendar is getting a lot more interesting, particularly after what you just heard from Ken that based on what you heard today, thinks it's not impossible that the documents case goes trial.

Yeah. I've long believe that the most important elements of this campaign are not happening on the traditional campaign trail. They're happening in the courtrooms around this country where Donald Trump's legal fate will be decided. Today is a perfect example of why that's true.

Up until now, I think the Donald Trump campaign has benefited from kind of this confusing sort of strategic nihilism about all this. None of these cases really matter. It's all election interference. It's all a bunch of Democrats trying to stop me.

That has worked really well for him in a primary. And the strategy of delayed delay. Delay has also had a political benefit pushing all this off until later. The later is coming up sooner than the Trump campaign would like.

And Ken's reporting raises the possibility that voters could be confronted with the facts of these cases, potentially both of these federal cases, at some point in this fall while ballots are sitting on their kitchen table. You want to Election Day anymore. This country, we have Election Month. If your ballots on your table in October and you're watching every day Donald Trump sitting in the courtroom, that's going to affect the minds of people who are not the died in the world, Trump reporters, supporters who are pushing him through this primary.

It's such an important point. And it kind of takes me to what Nikki Haley was saying and her justification, quite frankly, which we've heard over and over again for saying in the race she has not won yet, as Ali just noted. But she says, look, I'm getting 40% of the vote in a lot of these states. That's 40% of voters who are not voting for Trump.

Does the Trump team see that as a vulnerability heading into a likely general election rematch with President Biden? I think they do, but it's not entirely clear to me how they're going to address him. I've been trying to get this question for them in different ways because on the one hand, you have a candidate saying, I don't want these people support. I asked him that question in gaggles.

He says, I don't need those supporters. I think the professionals on his campaign would say, yeah, you're probably going to in a general election. And to the group we see the strategy on that, it is that they believe, I think broadly, that these voters will come home. Joe Biden says, you know, don't compare to the almighty, compared to the alternative.

Trump campaign believes when the alternative is Joe Biden, some of these Nikki Haley supporters will come back. They probably need, if not all of them, a much bigger chunk than some. And so how they solve that question will be hugely important as they go into the fall. I think it will be.

Of course, UNI reported last week that he was being advised to set his sights towards the general election. How's that going? And what is he hoping for heading into Super Tuesday? Yeah, look, I mean, I think the evidence that anything's ever going to be able to fully change Trump operates is still lacking.

Right. We've seen him out on social media, still going after Nikki Haley, still talking about these court cases. I think he realizes there is some resonance with the voters he needs right now still to continue talking about these things that we might look at as his grievance. But his supporters look at as part of the reason they have to rush out and defend him.

Right. So that effort to sort of push him in a different direction has been ongoing for many years and I think will continue. As for Super Tuesday, they know they can't get to the number they need to become the presumptive nominee on Tuesday, but they do think they could theoretically knock a Kihaily out of this race for once and for all. And so whether he can stay really disciplined between now and then could be very useful to them.

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, if she doesn't win any states of donor starts, I think that's really the key thing. Right. It's always when the money runs out.

That's when candidates have to make those really hard decisions. Exactly. You and I are racing for a busy couple of years. Great to see you as always.

Thank you so much. You can see much more of my exclusive one on one interview with Nikki Haley this Sunday on MEET THE press. Coming up, 2024's most hot button issues. While visiting the border, former President Trump weighs in on reproductive rights.

What he's saying now about IVF laws and abortion restrictions, that's next. You're watching MEET THE PRESS. Now drop off in a new Hyundai Launcher today with $0 down during the Hyundai Advantage sales event. Take advantage of the $1,000 Spring Drive bonus and lease the 2026 for just $73 weekly at 4.99% for 60 months.

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We want to turn now to some other major issues in the spotlight ahead of Super Tuesday in the presidential election this November. President Biden, Republican front runner Donald Trump both traveled to the southern border yesterday to spotlight competing views and point fingers at each other on the issue of migration. While there, former President Trump also waited on another hot issue for 2024, reproductive rights. Take a listen.

I got a call, Brit, a very wonderful young senator in Alabama. And she said friends of mine were coming up and like almost attacking her, they were so upset about it. And I said, what's the issue? What does it explain?

What is it exactly? We talked about the idea and I said we want that. We want people to help. We're on the side of women.

And same thing on the abortion issue. The abortion issue. Now I'm for the exceptions like Ronald Reagan was for the exceptions. And I think it's very important.

Life of the mother. I think it's a very important thing. The exceptions now comes as an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos of children has catapulted the issue of reproductive rights back into the national conversation. Yesterday, Alabama state lawmakers passed two bills aimed at protecting IVF from the fallout.

And Alabama Senator Katie Britt is set to deliver the Republican response to President Biden State of the Union next week. Just her president for President Trump talking about her. But national legislation to protect IVF failed in the U.S. senate after Democratic sponsor tried to pass it with unanimous consent.

Mississippi Republican Senator Cindy Hyde Smith blocked the bill, calling it, quote, vast overreach. Joining me now is our great panel, Republican strategist Garrett Ventry, Simone Sanders Townsend, co host of the Weekend on msnbc, and Daniella Diaz, congressional reporter for Politico. Thanks to all of you for being here on this busy Friday. Daniela, let me start with you.

Obviously, former President Trump appointed the three conservative Supreme Court justices, made it possible to overturn Roe v. Wade. He has not yet laid out clearly where he stands on how many weeks he would support. We're hearing 15 weeks.

We're hearing 16 weeks. How is that factoring into how this is all playing out in 2024? It's the biggest issue other than immigration. And that's why we're seeing so many of these lawmakers weigh in on this issue on both sides because it's such a big issue.

But really, if you think about the impact that Trump had on the Supreme Court, that could have been possibly his biggest legacy from when he was first in office. And we're still seeing the impact of that now. And if he's an office again, still something that he's been discussing. So really, it's going to continue to be the biggest issue that is coming up, especially this talk about.

Yeah. And we saw the huge role that it played in the midterms and special elections here. Let me turn to you because we have reporting that when roe was overturned, Mr. Trump talked to advisors about the fact that this is politically challenging for Republicans.

And now we actually have some election results which show how challenging it is. Do you think he needs to come out and say definitively, here's where I stand, I support a ban at X, Y or Z weeks, exceptions, as you just heard him talking about. I mean, how do you think he, how do you anticipate he's going to handle this issue moving forward? Absolutely.

It's a great question. As one that continues to linger for Republicans. As you look back at the 2022 midterm elections, the big issues were economy, whereas inflation was aborted. But it's undercurrent beneath that of abortion.

That maybe wasn't showing up as the major priority in the polls, but it certainly was after June, after Roe v. Wade was overturned, returned to the states. You're seeing this with the IVF ruling in Alabama, Officer to rush to get legislation there. I think Republican candidates in the past, what they've done is this.

They said Democrats are radical on abortion. They run away, they talk about border in the economy. It's not cutting it. So you can talk about the economy, you can talk about immigration.

There are central issues that voters do care about. But if you run away from abortion and don't address it and make your position clear, it's not only just making your position clear, though, but it's actually having something to offer. And I think you are seeing some candidates in the Senate try to do that. And I think that's something they're going to need to do going forward.

President Trump's going to have to make his position clear and get back to the other issues that matter to voters as well. My question is, when will he do that? Simone, let me show our viewers some polling. It shows that 2/3 of Americans are opposed to considering frozen embryos.

People including 67% of independ and nearly half of Republicans. What do you make of those numbers and what do you make of Democrats politically speaking or handling this moment? Obviously, the vice president very outspoken on this issue. Very much so.

I mean, she's on a tour, if you will, talking about reproductive freedom. This extension of a tour that she I think did last year that was focused on college campuses. And this one is particularly about reproductive rights. I think that polling is important.

It speaks directly to the legislation piece that Alabama Republicans and how in the state House and state Senate are rushing to get through. But in that debate, in the legislation, I believe now Alamo governor's death, they did not address whether an embryo was considered a person. They punted that down the road. That is the core issue.

They could not come to a consensus on that. And because of that particular that speaks directly to the like a conception act, the bill in the House Representatives that 125 Republicans, including the speaker, has signed on to like a conception. What would argue if you fertilize an embryo, fertilize the embryo, is that in fact concession? There are, there are some very key details that people have to get on the record here on and I think that Democrats have to continue to be clear.

I think you're absolutely right. This is a longer debate about weeks. Okay. This is debate how you think people should be able to make the decision about their own bodies or do you think legislators, whether they're your state Capitol or Washington, D.C.

should make those decisions for you? I do think that's going to be the key question moving forward. Big picture. One of the issues looming over the primary in the general election for president, Trump's legal battles.

We've been talking about them throughout the hour. Nikki Haley really had an extraordinary comment to me when I asked her if she thought Trump would uphold the Constitution in a second term. She took a long pause and said, I don't know. She has been defiant.

She stayed in this race through Super Tuesday. Her arguments against Trump haven't worked so far. But it seems that like she's almost starting to make an ideological argument here for saying in the race. Well, I feel like she's been doing that from the very beginning.

This isn't really, I mean she's, you know, throwing things at the wall 6 but really nothing has changed from what she's been leading or running on as someone very different from former President Donald Trump and continuing to really try to give stark contrast from him. But it's undeniable that Trump's the person doesn't know me at this point. And regardless of this last minute endorsement that Nikki Haley has received from a senator, Senator Lisa Koski, Alaska, before that election or anything else that's happening right now to get Nikki Haley possibly to get more support before any before Tuesday, it's, it's, it's not going to happen. Trump really is the base of the Republican Party and I see that every day for, since when I'm going to Capitol Hill.

It's notable that Lisa Rakowski came out with this endorsement today. What did you make of that? More broadly speaking, what did you make of Mikayla's comments that she doesn't know that Trump's going to follow the Constitution in the second term. There's 20% of Republican voters who are not supporting Trump.

They're supporting her. Could that make it tougher to win them over? So you take that back. And Lisa Murkowkowki's never been very friendly.

Trump should vote to convict him in the sense, I don't think it's that surprising. It's the last stand of the Never Trump movement left within Congress. I think that if you look at this here, you're Talking about President Trump has a dominant performance as an eye over round of San Francisco spent because there's all nine counties on my third in there beat Nikki Haley by double digits in New Hampshire. She spent 34 to 1 there.

Spent most of her time at the centerpiece of her campaign. She got her butt kicked in South Carolina very embarrassingly by 20 points. She just lost the Michigan by 40 points. And she came in the state that she didn't win.

I mean we're talking about D.C. she might have won D.C. maybe she doesn't. She doesn't.

But we're talking about President Trump's had this lockdown. If you take a step back looking at the general here, it's not hurting him in a general election. You have polls that come out seven swing states where he's beating Joe Biden had head in the swing states and on the PSU the better of voters. So what about that?

What about the polling in the swing states? How do you balance that with this 40% who continues to choose Nikki? 40. Yes, you're right in Michigan.

Lord. And continue to choose to Kaylie, I think it's really early for swing state polling to be determined determinative. But what is determinative is these primaries and the fact that the President of the United States, Joe Biden is handily winning his primaries and the fact that the former President of the United States would like to be Republican nominee is losing 40% made some 35 in some places would be alarming to me if I was advising that campaign. So let me just say this.

On Kaylee we asked the question, Chris. I was like, yes, she's gonna give it to us. And Nikki Haley said, I don't know. Nikki Haley was the UN ambassador in the Trump administration.

She has sat in the room with Donald Trump. She knows, she has stories and she knows things that we probably never hear her say. She heard Donald Trump himself say that we should just break up the Constitution. You know, and if he hasn't said it, look at what he has done.

I think that there are so many people out there waiting with baby breath for Nikki Haley to just say the thing. Just tell us what she believes, tell us what she really thinks about Donald Trump. And to Daniel's point, she still thinks that the policy was six. I think that he knows the answer to that question.

I think that she actually has answer. She didn't give two here wasn't the pause in and of itself, I thought was a significant moment coming on the hills for killing me last night. She wants all of the trials to go to court. She's just an outlier in the Republican Party right now.

You're talking about again, these are, you know, she should be served with him though, Simone's point. And a number of his former officials. Absolutely. And also broke them with him.

That's true. But a lot of these people come back and endorse them. These folks that have ran against him, those type of things that happened in Ron DeSantis as a brutal campaign. I think again here you're looking at, you know, this is a contested primary.

You're talking about Joe Biden's got Dean Phillips and it'd be different Gavin Newsoms, which are challenging. I think Joe Biden would be getting 6% of the vote. He also in Michigan, you know, struggled against, you know, uncommitted because it's still problematic. There's not committing again.

And if you look again, don't forward. He's losing the Donald Trump in every issue that matters, immigration, the economy, inflation, border, national security. It's not a new problem going into 2024. There's no doubt Democrats are paying attention.

But as you say, it is still somewhat early. Thanks to all of you, great Friday conversation. Garrett, Simone and Daniela, appreciate it. Coming up next, is the hunger crisis even in Gaza?

President Biden announces the U.S. will join other countries and begin airdropping food aid to Palestinians desperate for it. You're watching me. While the back questions continue to swirl around yesterday's deadly incident near an aid convoy in northern Gaza.

With international leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN Secretary general both calling for an independent investigation into those events. This latest incident also underscores the dire need for even more humanitarian assistance in Gaza. President Biden announced today that the US Will join a list of other countries airdropping aid into Gaza, adding that the current level levels of aid in Gaza, it's not nearly enough. The truth is aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough.

Now it's nowhere nearly enough. Innocent lives are on the line and children's lives are on the line and we won't stand by and let until they get more aid in. Joining now is NBC News White House horse Ali Rafa. Ali, thank you so much for joining me.

So yesterday President Bination walked back his expectation that a ceasefire could be reached by Monday, given what happened around the aid convoy and people getting shot while trying to get aid. But what are you hearing from officials behind the scenes? Yeah, Kristen, that's right. We heard from the president yesterday say that he knows that this Gaza attack over this delivery of humanitarian aid would impact those ongoing talks about hostage negotiations, about the letting in of more humanitarian aid in Gaza.

And in the short term, just since that attack, we know that these conversations are ongoing, but they have now gone into a more remote and virtual mode rather than the in person discussions that we know were happening for months now. And as far as the long term, that's something that was asked to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in today's White House press briefing how more largely, more broadly, those talks could be impacted by that attack in Gaza. Kirby telling reporters that it is still too soon to say, but saying that there is progress in the right direction. But of course, we know this is still a very concerning issue for this White House, both publicly and privately.

As we know, the president continues to be criticized for standing so strongly in support behind Israel. And Ali talking about the comments in the Oval Office today, what we hear from the president. Yeah, the president in his bilateral meeting with the Italian prime minister announcing that the US in the coming days will partner with Jordan and other countries to deliver humanitarian aid by air. And he says that this is being done to boost humanitarian aid in Gaza, as the UN Warns, impossible famine if conditions don't improve there.

The White House also saying that they're in the early stages of also considering a maritime option to be able to get more aid into Gaza. But of course, they say that this just supplements but does not replace the deliveries of humanitarian aid through trucks via those border crossings. The White House says that they are working closely with Israel to try to boost in the coming days. Christian okay, I thank you and getting some certainty as well for confusing Ukraine and Gaza and then correcting himself.

Ali Rather, thank you so much. Appreciate it. We will be back Monday with more MEET THE PRESS now. And if it's Sunday, it's MEET THE press.

Don't miss my interviews with Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and Democratic Congressman Debbie Dingle. And mark your calendars for the NBC News Super Tuesday special coverage. That's next Tuesday, March 5th, right here on NBC News. Now coverage continues with Hallie Jackson right now.

He was a young Marine. She didn't care about convention. They made a life together. Then one night the Marine died.

And then the death investigation took a wild, unexpected and utterly bizarre turn. I'm Josh Matiewicz and this is Trace of Suspicion, an all new podcast from Dayline. Listen to all episodes of Trace of Suspicion now wherever you get your podcasts.