Meet the Press NOW – October 27

If it's Friday, Israeli Defense Forces are expanding military operations inside Gaza, as communications inside Gaza are severed, while the U.S. launches retaliatory airstrikes on Iran-backed forces in Syria amid threats of a larger war. Plus, I'll speak to Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips and his first interview since officially filing in New Hampshire, becoming President Biden's most serious 2024 primary challenger yet. And the intensifying search for the suspect behind one of America's deadliest mass shootings, as thousands of main residents remain on lockdown, and investigators search the river for evidence.

Welcome to Meet the Press Now, I'm Kristen Welker in Washington. We begin today with breaking news of a rapid escalation by Israeli forces inside Gaza. Just hours after the country's Defense Minister said Israel expected to launch a long and difficult ground-offensive into Gaza soon. You're looking at live pictures of Gaza, where we've been seeing large explosions over the last half-hour and moments ago, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu told my colleague Katie Turr that, quote, tonight we are starting payback.

This was the skyline in Gaza moments ago, lit up by some of those explosions. It comes as our team reported earlier that fire between the two sides had increase, describing heavy waves of artillery fire and drone strikes from Israel, and at least one volley of missiles fired out of Gaza. Israeli Defense Forces made this announcement late today. Our ground forces are expanding their ground operations.

IDF is operating at all dimensions in order to achieve the goals of the war. Now the announcement of an expanded ground operation by Israel comes after the IDF carried out two ranks this week on military targets in northern Gaza. Palestinian officials say communications have been severed by Israeli strikes, and the Gaza's Internet services have been cut off from the bombardments. Experts tell NBC this amounts to a near total communications blackout.

The aid group, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said in a statement that the blackout has caused it to completely lose contact with its team, as aid workers desperately try to address an escalating humanitarian catastrophe. Tensions in the Middle East are also ramping up outside of Israel and Gaza. As the United States carried out strikes on targets affiliated with Iran-backed militants in eastern Syria last night, here's what the Pentagon had to say following the strike. We will maintain the inherent right of self-defense and will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas.

And so these strikes were very surgical, very targeted to send a clear message that we will protect our forces. It's also important to understand we do not want a conflict with Iran, we do not seek to widen this. And so hopefully they get that message loud and clear, and they will cease these attacks against our forces in Iraq and Syria. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes were in self-defense after a barrage of drone attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria.

These strikes by the US come as the Pentagon announced the deployment of 900 more troops to the region to bolster American defenses in the region. Let's get right to NBC News, Chief Foreign correspondent Richard Engel on the Israeli Gaza border. Richard, break down what you are seeing on the ground there as the IDF announced that the ground offensive is ramping up, is this the ground invasion everyone was racing for? It does not seem to be the ground offensive that everyone is racing for, but we are seeing intense activity.

It's not clear that that ground offensive as it was built will ever come, but what we are seeing right now is an intense bombardment into Gaza. It began a few hours ago with two hours of heavy airstrikes, heavy airstrikes all across the Gaza, but much of it focused on the northern part of the Gaza city, areas like Bethlehem. Those air strikes cut off communications since then it has been impossible for us to reach our teams inside, impossible for them to send pictures of what is happening, verified information, credible information. So what we can tell you now is what we can see from our vantage point in southern Israel, overlooking Gaza, there is a sustained level of attacks into Gaza strip right now.

You can hear some of the explosions that we've also seen machine gun fire going into Gaza, but it does not seem to be that massive push that some people were anticipating. Like I said, it may never come, but this could be the intense campaign. As you said, the adviser of the Israeli Prime Minister said, payback has begun and certainly for the people of Gaza, they are feeling that. And this is only one front in this conflict.

The West Bank, where many Palestinians also live, they don't only live in Gaza, protests have started to break out in at least four different cities, Hebron, Nablus, Janine, and Ramallah, and those have the potential to grow more violent and grow more angry as this continues. And Richard, what do you anticipate this might mean for the Israeli military and frankly for the citizens of Gaza in the coming days? We know that they've already carried out at least three ground incursions, two launched with tanks and troops, one described as a naval incursion, all of them brief. So before this latest phase of the attacks, we saw these probing attacks by Israeli forces.

So it could be, and I said it could be, that they are, they've blacked out the area, black out communications in order to push in further. We don't exactly know what is happening right now on the ground inside the people in Gaza don't know exactly what is happening inside. And you can only imagine how terrifying it must be for the 2.3 million people who are there under attack, unable to communicate, unable to call ambulances. And what we can see is that attacks from the outside, from Israel into Gaza, have certainly intensified after several punches into the Gaza Strip earlier today, earlier today and yesterday.

And Richard, have we heard anything from Prime Minister Netanyahu or any government officials with whom you might be speaking about what the strategy looks like moving forward and how they are characterizing this moment? I think it's significant that we have not heard at this stage from Netanyahu himself. It has been the military that has been speaking, and I think that speaks to some of the divides in this country. After the October 7 attacks, there was a sense of national unity, Israelis were pulling together but now, as the days pass, there was a growing anger directed against the Prime Minister, and there are widely reported risks between the Prime Minister and the military.

So now, as this operation, wherever it happens to be heading, is underway, it has been the army, and the army's spokespeople who are sending the messaging and leading the official statements. But we could still hear from Netanyahu later tonight, but as of now, it's been the military doing the talking. And we know that you'll be watching closely for that. Richard, we have spent a lot of time discussing what the situations are actually like inside Gaza.

As you have clearly stated, you are not there, you cannot gain access to see what it actually looks like, but we know that there's been a mere total blackout of internet, of other communications. Are they effectively, at this point in time, cut off from the rest of the world from a communications standpoint? Yes, cut off from the world and largely cut off from each other. Everything had been cut to Gaza, and supplies had been slowly running out, fuel being one of the most important.

But people still had cell comps. They could use what little fuel they could find with generators, go to a hospital. A lot of the hospitals effectively became refugee centers. People would go there, charge their phones, and communications was one of the most vital tools that they had.

They no longer have that. Perhaps they will be able to be restored. But from a military point of view, it would make sense, if you will, that Israelis, if they are going in, would want to limit the amount of communications so that Palestinians can't necessarily pick their targets, but also so they can't necessarily get the message out to the world, the pictures that we've all been seeing of civilian casualties. Israel says that it is doing all of this because it is trying to give payback.

It is trying to attack Hamas, which has a network of tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip, but there are 2.3 million people who live on top of those tunnels. Yeah. I can't believe. And now we can speak to the world.

The the bar dments going off behind you. Just set the scene. I mean, how are people in Israel responding to this? I know you were there along the border.

It is loud from where we sit. I cannot imagine how loud it is for you there experiencing this in real time. Yes, it is it is louder in person than it is on television certainly, but it is it is Friday night here. It is Shabbat.

Many people are at home with their families. This area along the border is largely empty. A lot of the people who would be living here have already moved to say for areas away from this war zone. So I had declared areas in the south and in the north closed military areas.

Journalists with with with credentials are able to move around a little bit more freely. But this area is generally not full of people at this moment. There are some, but most people have left on the Israeli side. And Richard, just finally, before I let you go there, obviously we know that by administration officials have been signaling privately to Netanyahu's administration to slow down this round invasion to let the process of trying to get more hostages out, play out, work humanitarian aid, potentially get in how might what we're seeing now impact those efforts for Richard?

Well, it depends on where it goes from here. Is this it? Is this Israel's payback or is this the start of it? And I think Israel is deliberately keeping that keeping that to itself.

You quoted Margrega earlier. He said that the best way to pressure Hamas, to pressure it militarily, to press it to release the hostages is with force. And we're seeing Israel apply that force tonight. No idea if it will have success.

There have been ongoing negotiations to try to get the hostages out Israel, put up the number to 229 earlier today, the number of hostages it believes are still inside the Gaza Strip and also now under attack previously the hostages were released and they've been forced so far. So they were kept in Hamas tunnels underground and Israel said specifically it is targeting those tunnels. Richard Engle, thank you for your incredible reporting there on the Gaza Israel border. Please, please continue to say safe Richard, we really appreciate your joining us.

We know you have a number of hours ahead. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Joining me now with more on the concerns of a wider war and on those US airstrikes in Syria, as I've seen as global security reporter Dan Duluth, thank you Dan for joining me as we watch that urgent situation unfold behind Richard.

I want to talk about the US strikes in just a second, but what does the announcement tell you in light of the US telling Netanyahu to exercise restraint in his operations in Gaza? What we're witnessing right now? You know, I think we're probably going to see more of these kinds of raids and incursions. The Israeli forces know that Israel knows they have a very difficult task ahead of it.

And it may be that we never do see some kind of mass invasion the way we've been anticipating. We just don't know. It may not look like D.W. More like these raids that kind of roll become more frequent precise, a lot of special forces in play here.

But as to your question, I think Israel ultimately will do what it feels it needs to do and must do. There is this conversation back and forth with the Biden administration concerned about the humanitarian conditions there that are so dire, concerned about the optics, how Arab governments view it, how the rest of the world views it. So there's probably some tough conversations going on here, even as the US provides weapons and other help for the military operation that's unfolding. And help us understand from the perspective of the Pentagon, would they have likely gotten a heads up about these increased bombardments that we are seeing and hearing unfold right now, Dan?

That's probably, that's probably pretty likely, you know, there are very senior officers there in Israel who are offering their advice as well. And also the US is trying to provide Israel with air defense systems, bolstering those air defense systems. But on the other hand, Israel is very well known to be independent, a sovereign nation, that when it comes to security concerns, it does, but it feels as necessary and has often in the past not always followed the US's advice or appeals, but there's a very close relationship. They're obviously, they're very much in conversation.

But I think the US still is very much concerned about what the endgame is, what happens not just today or tomorrow, but whenever this operation ends, and what is the political plan, if Israel does succeed in somehow driving out or crushing Hamas, what is going to be the political picture in Gaza after Hamas? And I think that's very much an unanswered question that the US is trying to work with Israel and other governments aren't. Absolutely. It's a question I've put to the Secretary of State a number of times who governs Gaza after this war is over.

And it still remains an open question, Dan. I want to ask you about the strikes in Syria. What is the Pentagon saying about the justification? They're obviously, they come in the wake of US service members being targeted throughout the region.

So there were more, there were 10 attacks, sorry, 20 attacks in about 10 days on US forces in Iraq and Syria, drones and rockets from these Iranian-backed militias. And so yesterday, Biden ordered airstrikes against some of those targets where those militias operate in Syria, F-16s delivering those strikes. But you heard the Pentagon describing them as calibrated as surgical, really trying to send a message that this was proportionate. So they're trying it on the one hand to Turkey, Ron, make clear that they won't accept attacks on US forces.

But on the other hand, trying not to escalate the situation, right? So they didn't carry out any operation directly against Iran itself. And the rhetoric was very much trying to balance those two things, like don't attack US forces, but we're not seeking some kind of wider confrontation. Well, and based on my conversations, I mean, that is one of the top concerns within the Biden administration that this will turn into a wider confrontation, that this will turn into a wider war.

What are officials telling you this week, Dan, about that, is there an increased concern that this is only going to escalate? And what is the message they're hoping to get to Iran in the wake of these attacks against US service members? It's definitely a concern. But at the moment, the US intelligence community still assesses that Iran is not seeking a direct conflict with the US.

But they also view these sort of attacks and publications by these proxy groups and some of the Hezbollah's showing across Israel's northern border as an attempt to pile pressure on Israel and attempt to put pressure on the US. And to make the US and Israel think twice about it, how it responds, I think Iran also wants to try to affect Israel's calculations with its military offensive, perhaps make Israel scale back what it has planned there on the ground. But yes, there is a tremendous concern here about what could happen. Also a concern that Iran could miscalculate, even if Iran isn't seeking a direct war with the US, it may cause some kind of accidental conflict that would be just terrible for the whole region.

So a very delicate moment and really one of the most serious situations for any president in the Middle East now for years. It certainly is, Dan Duluth. Thank you for walking us through all of that. We really appreciate your reporting and your perspective.

And we are going to keep our eyes on this breaking news in Israel throughout the hour, tune in tonight for more special coverage of the war with my colleague, Holly Jackson, the breakdown, the Israel, Hamas, war, heirs tonight at 11 years Eastern right here on NBC News Now. Congressman Dean Phillips on his presidential campaign launch, his message to voters and push back from members of his party as he challenges President Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024. That interview is next and how the White House is reacting to Phillips campaign launch and what it says about the state of the race and the state of our politics. You're watching the press now.

Welcome back. President Biden is now facing a 2024 primary challenge from an elected member of his own party. And it's the most serious challenge he's faced so far. Amongst Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips has been calling on President Biden to pass the torch to a new generation.

Well, today, New Hampshire Congressman Phillips threw his hat into the ring, announcing a long shot bid for the White House. I invite you to join me in declaring a new American independence, not from another nation or people, rather a new independence from fear and from the status quo. That road to a new American century starts right here and it starts right now. I am running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States because my friends it is time for a change.

Earlier today, I spoke with a newly announced presidential candidate in his first interview since filing in New Hampshire. So it is official. You are in. You are challenging President Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination.

I want to ask you about why you're running. Is your run solely because of public perception about President Biden's fitness for office? Kristen, I'm running because America's demanding it. About 80% of the country is making it very clear they want another choice.

These are Democrats and Republicans. Over 50% of Democrats are asking for a different nominee. And thank goodness we live in a country of democracy. Where competition, where the freedom to make choices and your vote matters and having choices and having options is integral to democracy.

And that's the answer. I'm answering that call right now. I'm listening to too many people who have been for a long time that want change, that want to pass that torch to a new generation. The problems that we are facing are ones that my generation and future generations can, should and will attack.

But we can't do it the old way. And we've got to do it together. We've got to repair this nation literally and figuratively and get to work. And I'm going to make that case thoughtfully, gracefully and with fortitude because we are facing some significant challenges and an existential threat to the very democracy that we love so much.

But as some of President Biden's supporters have pointed out, you have voted with President Biden nearly 100% of the time while you were in Congress. So I guess the question is, do you have any major policy critiques about the Biden administration? Well, Chris, I admire the president. I voted for those policies because they're good ones and they will be making a difference over time.

This is, I'm not running against Joe Biden. I'm not running against President Biden. I'm running for the future. Yes, we have some policy differences, but I'm a crowd Democrat.

And what I'm hearing every single day, and I know all my colleagues are as well, both Democrats and Republicans, is that the cost of living in America is terrifying for people right now. It's too high. Things that were affordable are no longer. Mortgage rates are going up.

Fuel is too expensive. Food is too expensive. People can't afford childcare. And we're spending almost a trillion dollars a year defending the very people who can barely make ends meet.

60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. About 40% cannot even afford a $400 emergency repair. And I'm afraid we have people protecting their positions of power instead of protecting the American people who are desperate for someone to listen to them. If I can make that change, if I can be that year and then that voice and then that president, that's how this system is supposed to work.

And I might also say, those who might fear choice or who fear freedom, I don't think are on the side of democracy. And that is very troubling in a time like this. Congressman, respectfully, you are literally running against President Biden. So can you tell voters, what is your major point of difference with President Biden?

I'm not running against President Biden. I'm running for the majority of Americans who want somebody different. But you just announced you're running for president, aren't you? That means you're running against President Biden.

That's literally the definition of what that means. And I'm doing it. And I'm running for president because America deserves to have someone listen to them. I am someone that feels so deeply that this system is so broken, is so corrupt, and is so in need of someone who does not come from 50 years of spending time in Washington, a culture of conflict instead of cooperation.

I know what America wants. I'm part of the exhaustive majority. I know tens of millions of people are as well. And I also want to make it clear because I admire Joe Biden and I also am a proud Democrat.

I would not run as an independent. I, in fact, I encourage all the third party candidates to enter the primary. Cornell West, Robert Kennedy, the no labels effort. I think that would be the most traumatic, dangerous decision possible.

I want people to actually enter the primary because that's how we do it in America. And frankly, I'm still extending an invitation to more because we need more contributions and political lives. We need more competition and we need more participation. That's why I'm doing this.

I'm doing it with joy, but also recognizing the existential threat to our country. Gun violence, 18 people were just killed in the state next door in Maine, 18 Americans. And because Americans in Congress are fighting one another, we're not fighting for the people we represent. I'm going to change that.

I look forward to it. And if I don't succeed, rest assured I will be supporting the eventual Democratic nominee, but Americans are saying they want somebody else. I just have to try one more time. Name one policy difference that you have with the current commander in chief with President Biden.

I can name a couple. I think the circumstances that are Southern border, which I visited twice, are a good example where I believe Democrats have not done the job. National security is important to me. As president, I will ensure it.

And our Southern border is part of that. We need a comprehensive reform package to ensure border security. We need immigration reform. And we should be bringing Democrats and Republicans together at the table to identify ways to use the hundreds of billions of dollars that we spend a year much of overseas to actually keep people safe in the countries from which they're migrating so that we can go upstream and actually prevent the crisis that we are now dealing with.

Unfortunately, Democratic and Republican administrations have been for years unsuccessfully. I'm going to do it differently. I'm going to do it in a bipartisan fashion. And I'm going to get the job done because I'm sick of people making those promises who do not have the intention in my estimation of actually accomplishing it.

How do you justify your presidential run, which could effectively help Mr. Trump get back into the Oval Office? Chris, that conventional wisdom, perhaps, of a primary to a sitting president will help the alternative is non-sensible to me. I believe, and I think the data supports as do conversations and listening to people, that the most dangerous path right now is the status quo.

I sadly believe that President Biden is perhaps one of the only Democrats who might lose to Donald Trump. And I will tell you, in 2016, I watched the election with my family. I had a wonderful life, never contemplated serving in office, woke up the next morning, my daughters were in tears, and I sat at the breakfast table and I promised them that I would do something. And I did.

Ran for Congress. I flipped a district blue that had been in Republican hands for 60 years. I loved my service. I made a promise to them.

I was in the House chamber on January 6th, one of the most atrocious days in American history when an insurrection that was inspired by a sitting president of the United States affected our entire country. And I will not sit down. I will not be quiet. I will not get back in line the way that a lot of my colleagues would like right now, because I see the danger ahead, and it is this political system, this industrial complex, if you will, that is preventing the very need we have right now, and that's why I enter this race because it is about our children, it is about the future, and right now, if this election was held today, President Biden would lose, and it is an existential threat to the future of the United States of America that will not happen under my watch, and when I'm president, I will bring this country together, not just in words, but in deeds.

That's what people are begging for, they're asking for, and I invite Republicans, followers of Trump, followers of Joe Biden, to come meet me, hear me out, most importantly, let me listen. I want to ask you about what your fellow Democratic lawmakers have said about your presidential bid. Senator Pete Welch said, quote, it's a distraction, and he's going to be hounding on the president, not because of policies, it's not helpful. It just doesn't make sense, said Senator Elizabeth Warren.

One other thing is true of Minnesota. We love Joe Biden, and we're working day in and day out to get him reelected. Your colleagues are not in favor of your presidential bid, so how do you garner support from your fellow Democrats in this race, Congressman? I'm so glad you asked me that question, Kristen, because they're in lies the great problem in this country.

The people whose job is to represent the Americans, the American people, the American citizens, are not doing it. They're not listening because if you listen to people in the streets, in restaurants, in coffee shops, at their places of work, in parks, they're telling every one of us right now that they want change. So when I hear people in Washington say that this is a mistake, or this is nuts, that is exactly the evidence that everybody needs watching right now, that something is terribly wrong. We are the exhaustive majority of this nonsense, people who are so much more focused on preserving and protecting their power than they are protecting American people.

That is the truth. I hear it every day. My colleagues hear it every day. I know you hear it every day, too, Kristen.

And that's why I'm running because in a democracy, when people are asking for change, you stand up, you participate, you don't sit down and shush up. That is the worst we could possibly do for the future of this country, and I will not rest, but I will be respectful. I will not demean the president. I will not undermine him.

I will not be dangerous relative to his chances. And whoever the Democratic nominee is, I believe it will be me. But if it is someone else, I promise to do everything I can, every ounce of energy, every moment of my day, to ensure that he or she is elected, because that's how important it is right now. Congressman, you are there in New Hampshire right now, actively campaigning, but it's a state that by all accounts won't award delegates.

You missed the Nevada filing deadline. It doesn't seem like your campaign is being built to actually win the nomination. Do you have a realistic path? What is it?

Rest assured, this is a campaign built to win. The difference is that most people who run for president have spent decades preparing for it personally, building organizations, planting the seeds, protecting their positions of power. This is a campaign that was developed in the last three weeks because there's an existential threat to the country. President Biden is behind in the national polls.

He's behind in five of the six battleground state polls. His approval ratings are at historic lows. And I hear every day from people right here in New Hampshire and Minnesota all around the country, the same thing. People want change.

That is the truth. But Congressman, Congressman, let me just challenge you. Let me just challenge you on that point, because if you can't win delegates in New Hampshire where you're currently campaigning, you will be behind in the delegate count. Will you not?

You're not registered in Nevada. What's the path here? And at what point do you say, okay, I don't have enough delegates, I'm going to drop out and get behind President Biden? I believe we will win New Hampshire.

I will be filing in other states. We are building a grassroots campaign. What other states, Congressman? Where else are you filing?

I'll be in South Carolina. I'll be in Michigan. I'll be in other states all around the country because that's how you do this. You stand before the voters to make your case, to listen to them, to hear them, their hopes and their dreams, their fears, and then to identify how we are going to work together to overcome those challenges.

It's so fundamental to democracy. I do not understand why people are fearful about choice. Why are people fearful about the freedom to have different options? It makes almost no sense to me and that I think is part of the problem that we're seeing in the country.

That's why people are so angry. They're so upset and that's why 80% of the country wants a different person in the White House. Congressman, respectfully, if you're not willing to draw bright red lines with the president, how are you going to beat him in this primary? I'm going to win this very simply.

American voters, what a novel, unusual concept. Is it the political-industrial complex that will decide this next election? Is it the Democratic National Committee that will decide the next election? Yeah, that's how it's been done in the past and that's exactly why we find ourselves in this very position.

I was an outsider for most of my life. I watched this from the outside. I was disgusted just like so many watching right now. Then I spent the last five years on the inside, every single day paying attention to how this works, how it doesn't work, what needs to change.

That's my case to America. If people are willing to take a moment out of their day and go vote in the primary election, I can almost guarantee you that I will win the Democratic nomination and then I will win the U.S. presidency. And then once again, the American people will come first because it was they that will have made the difference, not the political-industrial complex, that is going to be working very hard against me because I was not a member of that tribe.

All right, Congressman Dean Phillips, thank you so very much for your time. Really appreciate it. Thank you, Kristin. All right.

Well, in a statement today, the Biden-Harris campaign responded saying, quote, the stakes of next year's election could not be higher for the American people and the campaign is hard at work, mobilizing the winning coalition that President Biden can uniquely bring together to once again be the MAGA Republicans next November. Joining me now is my panel, Jeff Mason, Reuters White House correspondent. Simone Sanders Townsend, former senior advisor to the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign and host of Simone on MSNBC and Matt Cottonany, director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Simone, I have to let you respond first.

Where do you want to begin? And I want to start with the delegates. Okay, there you go. Yes, because for people at home watching, the way in which you win a primary, whether it be Republican or Democrat, you have to win delegates, delegates are awarded state by state in the primary process that is administered by the political party apparatus, RNC, the DNC.

For Congressman Phillips to say that his strategy is essentially South Carolina with the touch of Nevada and then his campaign apparatus is also saying, Michigan, they're not enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee. In 2020, the Democratic nominee needed 1,991 delegates to be the winner. Between New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, there's 114 delegates. Super Tuesday, 1,357 delegates.

The math is not math. What do you think about that? Jeff, the math doesn't add up. Simone is making the case.

And does he have a path? Definitely not going to argue math. That's what I'm talking about. I know.

I know. Let me get my calculator. Here's the point I would make. He does have a right to run.

And some of the things that he is saying are absolutely backed up by the polls. There are lots of Americans. There are lots of Democrats who are not happy with their choice. There are Republicans who are not happy with the fact that President, former President Trump is the front runner.

There is concern about the age of the current president and of the former president and of those two being a repeat of that race again. All of that said, the math is not there. This would be a much bigger threat for President Biden if it were an Elizabeth Warren or if it were somebody who was more of a mainstream Democratic candidate. He is not.

He has almost no chance. Zero chance, probably, of winning. But he is tapping into something, and I think that's what he's trying to say in his repeated answers to you. He thinks that because he sees that unhappiness, which is out there, that that's going to help him.

Let's put up the polls just to make this point very clearly because Jeff is highlighting something that we have seen. I mean, look at this. 75% of Democrats approve of the president's job. 37% men say they approve overall of voters overall.

So clearly, at this point in time, and this is a snapshot in time, he does have some vulnerability. How do you anticipate Republicans will try to capitalize on this moment? Well, they're going to try to point out all the differences in the Democratic Party. They see some of these numbers with Biden dropping under 40% in the latest Gallup poll because of erosion among Democratic voters as a sign of trouble ahead.

We'll say this. You might not need math to make an impact in this race. 1968, Gene McCarthy didn't even win New Hampshire, but his outside showing forced LBJ from the race, Phillips may be pursuing a similar strategy. What about that, Simone?

The optics of it. Do they start to chip away at the president's support around the edges? And, frankly, emboldened the Republican from the Republican Party. Two things can be true at the same time.

Dean Phillips has actually no chance of winning the Democratic nomination because of math, and his candidacy is, in fact, troubling for the Biden-Harris re-election campaign because Dean Phillips is going to go out there, and I heard him say, I will not demean the president, I won't undermine him. But his entire campaign is essentially an undermining of President Biden, and, frankly, an undermining of his policy goals. He went, he said that the border is one of the reasons why he's running. That is something you often hear from Republican elected officials, Republicans who are running to be the president of the United States of America, and I think that's language that could be paraded by some Republican opponents.

And then, secondarily, I guess thirdly, I would note, it just reminds people, and frankly, I think it is a false, he has the right to run, but I think it's given people a false sense of hope that somehow maybe Joe Biden won't be the Democratic nominee and we can have someone else. When the place for that conversation was prior to the president deciding he was going to run a real act. There is a way in which Phillips could help Joe Biden. And I point to the issue of immigration.

That's right. That's not something you hear from Democrats, however, when you look at the polls divided by a subject area, immigration is the area in which Joe Biden does worse, worse than the economy and inflation. The border is a major problem for him. The Biden-Harris campaign may want to listen to Congressman Phillips and maybe even adopt some of his messaging.

Jeff, what about that argument? Could he, in fact, by giving President Biden a run for his money, essentially make him a stronger general election candidate, get him into fighting statements? Yeah, I mean, usually candidates who have to fight for that spot on a ticket are stronger as a result. They come through a debate process.

They come through getting practice. I was recently watching some of President Biden's old debates, and I thought, you know what? He's not going to have that practice this time around. If there's not a primary, that might be a disadvantage come next fall if he is up against President Trump, although the same can be said for President Trump because he's not showing up for the Republican debates either.

But in general, having competition does usually make a competitor a little bit stronger. What do you make of what we have seen from the Biden campaign so far, basically this argument? We're focused on our campaign. How seriously do you think they're starting, they're going to engage with Steve Phillips down the line?

I don't think they'll engage with him at all. I think that they will. They are really focusing on a general election. They're focused on Donald Trump.

And that's where their focus is going to stay. I don't think they're going to engage with him either. I do think that they should be concerned to the point that you make about this eroding of Democratic support. There's soft support among young people.

When it comes to the general ticket, I would note if you look at the vice-president's numbers, she's actually very strong among younger voters, millennial voters, and Gen Z voters. And those are folks that the president and the vice-president are going to need to come out in strong numbers in a general election if they want to be whoever the Republicans want. Biden Harris is pouring money into the swing states already at this early time because they're concerned about these eroding numbers. And I think the problem will only grow worse in time.

Speaking of money, Dean Phillips is answering some questions about this donation he got in 2019 from Harlan Crow. Of course, there are all sorts of questions about the donations that Harlan Crow gave to Justice Clarence Thomas. I want to play his response on the trail today and get everyone's reaction. In June 2019, Harlan Crow gave you a maximum donation of $1,800, and you're wondering, can you explain the backstory there and what the relationship with Harlan Crow is or how you approach European-American general?

Yeah, exactly. I don't believe I've ever met Harlan Crow. Sorry. Someone mentioned recently that he contributed my campaign.

I think I've had thousands and thousands of people contribute, so I won't pine on him. I take campaign finance reform really seriously. I do not remember ever making a call to Mr. Crow.

If I did, by the way, and there's evidence of it, I will be the first to acknowledge it, because I don't know. Jeff, what do you think of that? I'm not sure that saying I don't remember is going to help him with this. Yeah.

He's going to have to have a better answer. I find it hard to believe the first time he knew about this was when the reporter asked him today on the campaign trail. Yeah. What do you think, Matt?

I mean, these are the types of questions that, again, we're talking about the fact that he's running a long-shot campaign to begin with, but to have this loom large over your first day, exactly when the question is. Sure. I'm struck by he's facing a lot of process questions when it's in fact the message of his campaign that I think is the most significant element right now and what it says about the current state of the race. And look, I think Phillips is right.

A Trump Biden race is one that right now, Trump would win, and that has, I think, terrible implications for this country. But very quickly, before we wrap up, this idea that Jeff raises, which is, could this, in fact, get President Biden into a tougher shape in the general election? Could it make him tougher on the debate stage, for example? I don't think it will because the campaign is not going to engage with the infillates and the president itself is not going to engage.

There will be no, and I've, you know, I go out to eat restaurants, people are very upset that I've said this before, but I just won't be able to know these are just the facts. There are convening debates because the Democratic National Committee facilitates the debate process in a democratic primary and a presidential, and they pick their candidate. Their candidate is a sitting president of the United States. That's not me.

That's just the rules. There you have it. The truth. It's a great panel.

Jeff Simone and Matt really appreciate it. There's even more of mine of you with a congressman. You can see the full interview on our website, meetthepress.com. And after the break, the very latest on the expanding multi-state manhunt for that mass shooter responsible for killing at least 18 people in Maine.

Stay with us. You're watching The Press Now. Welcome back. Authorities in Maine are set to give another update, just a few moments from now, I mean their desperate and exhaustive search for the suspect in Wednesday nights, mass shootings.

A search that now includes teams on the ground, the air and in the water. Authorities have worked around the clock to find the suspect, four-year-old Robert Card since Wednesday night. When police say he opened fire inside a bowling alley, a nearby bar, killing 18 people and wounding more than a dozen others. Today's search has included dive teams scouring a river near where the suspect's car was located.

Clearly, we don't have him located at this point. We don't have him in custody. So all of those options are on the table. We certainly don't want to wait too long because the river is a big piece of this.

The car was located there. Evidence is located in the vehicle right there along the shores of the Andres Goggin River. So that's stuff that we want to make sure that we're checking and we're using the resources that we have available. For more, I'm joined in Lewis and by NBC News correspondent, Kathy Park, and in a moment I'll be joined by NBC News investigative correspondent, Tom Winter.

Kathy, thank you so much for joining us. So tell us we are learning more about the victims of this horrific mass shooting. What are we learning? What can you tell us?

Chris, good afternoon. So Wednesday night, it was supposed to be a normal night. Behind me is the bowling alley about an eight-minute mile down this road here and we were told that it was youth night. So a lot of families, a lot of kids were in attendance when the gunmen stormed in just before 7 o'clock Wednesday night, killing seven people and among those victims included Bill Young and his 14-year-old son and we have learned that they were there for their youth bowling league, also another victim, 53-year-old Tricia Aslan.

She was there with her sister at the time, it was her night off, they were just having a good time and we were told from family members that Tricia happened to be crossing the room at the time, trying to call 911 when she realized what was happening and that's when she was struck and killed. Meanwhile, Chris, in a few minutes away, just a few miles away from where we were standing is the second location of the gunmen targeted, the Schmeckes bar and grill and eight people were killed at that location, 12 minutes after the massacre here at the bowling alley. And we've also learned that they were hosting a cornhole tournament, so another busy night at that location, some of the survivors were saying that roughly 40 to 50 people were there, also enjoying their night when the gunmen came in, a lot of survivors saying they didn't even see the gunmen that closely because it happened so fast. But among the victims there was Joey Walker, he was a manager and we were told by his father that he died a hero because he tried to stop the gunmen, he found a knife nearby and tried to stop the gunmen but was not able to.

Chris, thank you for those tragic, tragic details, we appreciate your reporting so much on the ground there. I want to turn out a Tom, winter and Tom, I know you've been working the phones, you have some new reporting for us on the search for the suspect, what can you tell us? That's right, Kristen, and I apologize for being late, we have been on the phones all afternoon as you can imagine. So the search remains at this hour, unfortunately, I wish I had some news that they were closer to finding where this individual is, they are not so far, every indication that we've received is that they are actively searching, as you can see from video up there, as we've seen from the reporting all day, but they don't have any specific leads.

One thing they are starting to think about are the consequences ahead, and so we understand that they're going to begin bringing in more resources to allow people to get some rest to keep the people that are doing these searches fresh on the ground, but at the same time, make sure that they continue to be staffing this up, because very clearly they've got a lot more work to do to find out where it is. We do have a multiple law enforcement official saying that because of Maine's laws, it's a little bit difficult for them to determine what weapons this individual bought and when to see if he had or has any additional guns. So that's proving to be a challenge here, according to two senior law enforcement officials who've been briefed on it. In addition, a senior law enforcement official says that the gun was found at the residence of, excuse me, the cell phone belonging to card was found at his residence, they're trying to determine at this point using cell site analysis whether it was there during the entirety of the shooting.

So those are just a couple of new details that we have here tonight. It's really great reporting, Tom. And just can you tell us a little bit more about the activity in your card's home last night? We know that the police were there, and as you're saying, they did make some key discoveries.

What else would sound? Yeah, so one of the things that they've been doing is going house to house and focusing on family members. I mean, you think when something like this happens, what are the properties or places that somebody like car would be most familiar with? So I know there was a lot of activity there last night.

That activity was actually the second time they had gone back to that residence. There were some additional structures, there were at least one additional structure there that they wanted to give kind of a second look at. And so what they're doing, and we'll hear about this by the way again tonight at some point, I'm sure, that they might use certain flash bangs to get people's attention. They might call out on bullhorns, use spotlights, we're looking at it on the video right there on screen and shout out to people, come out with their hands up because they don't want anybody to be startled and create an accident.

It's something that law enforcement has to do to say, look, we told somebody to come out, give an opportunity to do so. All right, Tom Winter. Thank you so much. And Kathy Park beforehand, really fantastic reporting.

We will have all the latest developments on this story right here on NBC News Now. And still ahead, you're looking at live pictures of Gaza as the IDF prepares an expanded military operation in the war against Hamas. We are back on the ground in Israel next, you're watching at the press now. Welcome back.

We want to turn back to the breaking news. We've been following all our rapid escalation of operations by Israeli forces inside Gaza. Joining me now from our show in Israel is NBC News Foreign correspondent, Raf Sanchez. So Raf, what is the very latest that you are seeing right now there?

Well, Chris, in just the last few minutes, we got a statement from the Al-Kassam Brigades. This is the so-called military wing of the Hamas terrorist group. They say they are fighting ground battles against Israeli forces in an area of Gaza called Beit Hanun. This is the absolute most north-eastern tip of the Gaza Strip.

Now, the Israeli military, having said earlier tonight that they are expanding their ground operations, are not commenting on this specific claim about fighting in Beit Hanun. But it's an area where it would make sense. This is the most northern end of Gaza. It would be one of the entry points for Israeli ground forces.

Now, Chris, over the last couple of nights, we have seen Israeli troops going into Gaza two nights ago by land with tanks. Last night, they landed by sea, Israel's equivalent of Navy seals landing on a beach in the south of Gaza fighting Hamas forces there. We do not know what Israel's military means specifically when they say they are expanding ground operations. But one possibility is that Israeli forces will enter the Gaza Strip tonight and they will plan to stay there.

They will plan to hold territory and they will try to establish some kind of bridgehead, some kind of staging area for what could be a larger ground invasion in the coming days, potentially in the coming weeks. Chris. Rob, let me put this question to you. I was discussing it with Richard earlier in the hour.

Obviously, we know that the Biden administration has been sending a signal to Israel to slow down its ground invasion. Now might what we're seeing right now impact the effort to get the hostages out? Yeah, it's a really good question, Chris. So we were outside the Israeli Defense Ministry yesterday.

Families of the 220 plus hostages have been protesting there on the daily basis. And what we heard from them consistently is that they are very, very frightened that the start of an Israeli ground defensive in Gaza will mean the end of these delicate negotiations over the fate of the hostages. Four hostages released so far, all women through these back channels via Qatar via Egypt. It is not clear what exactly the impact of an Israeli ground defensive would be.

Some Israeli officials, former officials are arguing that actually by entering on the ground, Israel might ramp up the pressure on Hamas to negotiate to release the hostages. But there is another school of thought. It seems to be the dominant one among the families of these hostages that once the ground offensive starts, the negotiations are going to fall apart. Chris.

All right, Rob Sanchez. Thank you so much for your great reporting. Please continue to stay safe. We really appreciate it.

And thank you for being with us this hour. We will be back Monday with more Meet the Press now. And if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC station. I'll have exclusive interviews with Congresswoman Pramila Jaival in 2024, presidential candidate Governor Rhonda Santis.

You do not want to miss it. The news continues with Tom Costello in for Hallie Jackson right now.