NEEDS TO ALLAY FEARS. IS HE DOING IT? NBC'S GABE GUTIERREZ IS REPORTED FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN, WHERE THE PRESIDENT IS HOLDING A CAMPAIGN RALLY. ALI VITALI IS ON CAPITOL HILL. AND WITH US FORMER SPOKESPERSON FOR HILLARY CLINTON, AND IMAGINEU DOWD, FROM THE BUSH CHENEY 2004 CAMPAIGN AND A POLITICAL ANALYST. GREAT TO SEE SAUL OF YOU. AS THE PRESIDENT GETS RIGHT BACK OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, WHAT IS THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD? >> HI THERE, CHRIS. AND GOOD AFTERNOON. THEY ARE ECHOING WHAT WE JUST HEARD FROM JIM CLYBURN, THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON SUBSTANCE. IN TERMS OF FOREIGN POLICY AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY ARE REALLY EAGER TO TURN THE PAGE AT THIS POINT, CHRIS. THEY SEE EVERY DAY THAT THEY DON'T SPEND TALKING ABOUT A POTENTIAL TRUMP SECOND TERM AND WHAT THEY FEAR ABOUT THAT, TALKING ABOUT PROJECT 2025, ANY DAY THAT THEY DON'T SPEND TALKING ABOUT THAT IS A DAY WASTED ACCORDING TO THE CAMPAIGN. ONE CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL TOLD ME THOUGH THAT OUR VIEW IS THAT A NATO PRESS CONFERENCE ISN'T GOING TO BE A THING THAT MOVES THE BALL WITH UNDECIDED VOTERS. THAT IS WHY HE'S GOING TO MICHIGAN. AND CHRIS, THIS RALLY TONIGHT, IS GOING TO BE HIS FOURTH TRIP TO MICHIGAN THIS YEAR. IT IS A CRUCIAL STATE IN HIS RE-ELECTION BID AND A STATE THAT HE'S HAD SOME TROUBLE WITH OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IN TERMS OF POLLING BECAUSE OF HIS HANDLING OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR AND THE LARGE ARAB-AMERICAN POPULATION HERE. BUT THEY WANT TO GET HIM OUT IN MORE UNSCRIPTED EVENTS IN ADDITION TO THE RALLY TONIGHT, HE IS SCHEDULED FOR A INTERVIEW ON MONDAY WITH LESTER HOLT AND MORE INTERVIEWS NEXT WEEK IN AN EVENT THAT THE LBJ LIBRARY WANT TO FOCUS ON CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES BUT THEY DO PLAN TO GET THE PRESIDENT OUT THERE MORE OFTEN AND THEY WANT TO STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS DEBATE. >> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. SO ALI, THAT IS THE PUBLIC PART OF IT. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THE PRESIDENT MET WITH HAKEEM JEFFRIES LAST NIGHT AND TALKING WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS TODAY. TELL US WHAT WE KNOW. >> THOSE MEETINGS ARE SET TO HAPPEN BEFORE HE GETS OFF TO MICHIGAN WHERE GABE IS PATIENTLY WAITING FOR HIM. THE PRESIDENT TRYING TO AFFIRM WITH MEMBERS AS THEY ARE NOW OUT OF TOWN, THAT AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING TO QUELL THEIR CONCERNS. PART OF THAT, THOUGH, ARE THE -- IS THAT HE'S RECEIVED CONCERNS FROM HAKEEM JEFFRIES. HE HAD PROMISED MEMBERS THAT AS HE WAS ON A LISTENING TOUR THROUGHOUT HIS CAUCUS, HE WOULD ALLAY THE CONCERNS THAT HE HEARD TO THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. JEFFRIES NOW SAYING IN A STATEMENT, A DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER, THAT HE DID EXACTLY THAT SAYING IN PART IN HIS CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN, JEFFRIES DIRECTLY EXPRESSED THE FULL BREADTH OF INSIGHT, HEARTFELT PERSPECTIVES AND CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE PATH FORWARD THAT THE CAUCUS HAS SHARED IN OUR RECENT TIME TOGETHER. WE HAVE HEARD THE CONCERNS FROM LAWMAKERS AND HEARD LAWMAKERS COME OUT PUBLICLY AND SAY THEY ARE, AS JIM CLYBURN SAID, RIDING WITH BIDEN. BUT WHEN JEFFRIES USES THE WORD CONCLUSION OF THE CAUCUS, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY RELUCTANT TO SHARE ANY CONCLUSIONS OTHER THAN MEMBERS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO COME FORWARD AND SAY THEMSELVES. WE JUST HAD ONE OTHER MEMBER THIS MORNING, PETERSON OF COLORADO, COME OUT AND SAY THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN SHOULD PASS THE TORCH AND THAT SCREEN IN FRONT OF US, THE GRAPHIC OF ALL OF THE FACES OF LAWMAKERS CONTINUING TO GROW AS MANY MEMBERS HERE CONTINUE TO WAIT AND WATCH. AND I THINK THE THING THAT IS SO STRIKING, CHRIS, IS SINCE THE DEBATE WE'VE HEARD MEMBERS SAY I WANT TO WATCH HIM ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN WISCONSIN. I WANT TO WATCH THE STEPHANOPOULOS INTERVIEW AND NOW THE NATO PRESSER AND NOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE SITS DOWN WITH LESTER HOLT. THE GOALPOSTS KEEP MOVING AND THE CAUCUS IS IN THE POSITION OF EVERY SINGLE TIME THE PRESIDENT GOES OUT, THEY WANT TO BE REASSURED IN MANY WAYS THEY'RE GRADING HIM AGAINST THE CURVE OF THE DEBATE AND IT ALLOWS THIS EM TO SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE AND THAT HE SHOULD STILL BE THE NOMINEE OR IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS, IT MIGHT NOT DO ENOUGH TO QUELL THEM AND IT COULD STEER THEM THE OTHER WAY TOO. >> I WONDER WHAT THE QUESTIONS ARE THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED. LET'S JUST TAKE DEMOCRATS WHO WANT TO SEE JOE BIDEN STEP DOWN, A SITTING PRESIDENT, WHO BY ALL OF THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN A GOOD PRESIDENT. THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THEY FOLLOWED THAT UP BY SAYING HE SHOULD STEP DOWN. DO THEY NEED TO HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH DEGREE OF CERTAINTY FIRST OF ALL THAT BIDEN CAN'T WIN, BUT THEN ALSO THAT THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE THAT THEY HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF CERTAINTY CAN. >> I MEAN, IF THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD ANSWER, WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE WHITE HOUSE AND WE WOULD NEVER LOSE IT TO THE REPUBLICANS. THESE ARE THINGS THAT DON'T HAVE CERTAINTY. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT WE'RE WASTING TIME. YOU AND I SPOKE IN ATLANTA 15 DAYS AGO AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED SINCE. WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, I SAW IT, WE ALL SAW IT, I WILL REPEAT AD NAUSEAM, IT WAS BAD. IT CAN'T HAPPEN OFTEN OR AT BAD TIMES. BUT HERE IS THE THING, THIS IDEA THAT WE'RE AT SOME JUNCTURE, WHERE THE PRESIDENT CAN STAY OR GO AND IF HE GOES THAT WE COULD GET RIGHT BACK TO BUSINESS ON MONDAY IS REALLY SILLY. IT IS NAIVE. FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT IT IS SIMPLE. WE WOULD WAKE UP AND GO SO WHAT IS NEXT? DO WE HAVE A VIRTUAL CONVENTION OR DELEGATES? HOW DO WE PICK NAMES? WE WOULD SPEND WEEKS AND WEEKS ON THAT. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT VERY SIMPLY WHO IS THE BEST SHOT TO -- FOR JOE BIDEN -- TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP. IF SOMEONE KNOWS THE ANSWER, THEY SHOULD BE PRESIDENT. BUT NO ONE DOES. THE BEST SHOT WE HAVE IS THE PERSON WE KNOW THAT BEAT HIM. NOW OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE TO HAPPEN. BUT WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS CARNIVAL DUNKING BOOTH ROUTINE THAT EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROM CONGRESS THAT MOST OF THE TIME I DON'T RECOGNIZE THEIR NAME, JOE BIDEN WHO I LOVE HAS TO STEP ASIDE, THAT WE ALL HOLD OUR BREATH. ONLY ONE MIND MATTERS AND ONLY ONE MIND IS GOING TO CHANGE OR NOT AND THAT IS PRESIDENT BIDEN. AND HE'S NOT CHANGING BY ANY PUBLIC ACCOUNT. THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE THAT COULD COME FORWARD. AND HE'S CLEARLY SAYING, HE JUST NEEDS TO SAY TO US, LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT, I APPRECIATE ANGIE, SHE GAVE ME GOOD ADVICE. AND I APPRECIATE HAKEEM AND A LOVE CHUCK. AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I THINK I'M THE BEST PERSON TO RUN AND I'M GOING TO KEEP RUNNING. I KNOW I NEED TO BE A BETTER CANDIDATE AND A BETTER CAME AND THAT IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AND LET'S GET BACK TO DOING THAT. WE CAN'T LIVE EVERY DAY ON PINS AND NEEDLES WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. WE CAN'T WAIT EVERY DAY PICKING NAMES OUT OF A HAT. >> MATTHEW TO THAT POINT OF HOW MUCH TIME IS THERE REALLY. I WANT TO PLAY WHAT JIM CLYBURN SAID TODAY. >> LET JOE BIDEN CONTINUE TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS ABOUT HIS FUTURE. HE'S EARNED THAT RIGHT. AND I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THAT MUCH RESPECT. IF HE DECIDES TO CHANGE HIS MIND LATER ON, THEN WE WILL RESPOND TO THAT. WE HAVE UNTIL THE 19th OF AUGUST TO OPEN OUR CONVENTION AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE SPEND OUR TIME NOW FOCUSING ON THE RECORD THAT WE WILL LAY OUT FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> IS CLYBURN TRYING TO SIMULTANEOUSLY TAMP DOWN REGULATION. DO DEMOCRATS HAVE UNTIL THE 19th OF AUGUST? >> LEGALLY THEY HAVE IN THELE 19th OF AUGUST. I DON'T KNOW IF PRACTICALLY, IF THAT IS THE DATE THAT JOE BIDEN DECIDED HE WASN'T GOING TO RUN AND SOMEONE ELSE WAS GOING TO REPLACE HIM, THEY COULD GET THE CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT BUT IT BECOMES A PRACTICAL PROBLEM IN THE COURSE OF THIS. I MEAN, I THINK THE ISSUE HERE AND I WILL DISAGREE WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID EARLIER, IS THEY'RE NOT MOVING THE GOALPOST. THE PROBLEM IS JOE BIDEN ISN'T GETTING IN THE END ZONE TO CONVINCE VOTERS OF THIS. THIS IS NOT 20 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE ASKING JOE BIDEN TO STEP DOWN AND HAVE -- AND BE REPLACED IN THE COURSE OF THIS. AND IT IS NOT POLITICAL PUNDITS LIKE MYSELF OR OTHERS WHO SAY WHETHER HE SHOULD STAY OR GO, IT IS VOTERS. AND VOTERS ARE UNCONVINCED RIGHT NOW THAT JOE BIDEN IS CAPABLE, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, TO PERFORM THE FUNCTION OF THE OFFICE. 70% THE VOTERS THINK THAT. SO WE COULD ARGUE WHETHER OR NOT POLITICIANS SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT SPEAK IN THE COURSE OF THIS. JOE BIDEN AND THE CAMPAIGN HAS NOT CONVINCED THOSE VOTERS AS OF YET, NO MATTER WHAT HE'S DONE, WHETHER IT IS THE ABC INTERVIEW, OR THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY, HE'S NOT CONVINCED THE VOTERS THAT HE'S