MSNBC stars explain the 2024 election endgame — and the threats ahead

“Honestly, deep down I feel 50-50,” MSNBC host says Chris Hayes, “And at the most basic emotional and psychological level, it’s somehow the best way to engage with it.”

The historically close race between Kamala Harris And Donald Trump There are anchors like Hayes who accept the uncertainty of election night and the possibility that, as in 2020, the election may not be called for several days while the results continue to be counted. It's a guiding philosophy I've heard similarly from competitors at CNN, hosts at sister company NBC and from other MSNBC hosts Stephanie Rühle, Ari Melber, And Alex Wagner, He stressed the need for “patience” and “careful reflection in how we think about this extraordinary moment in which we find ourselves.”

In addition to discussing MSNBC's prime-time coverage, which begins Tuesday at 6 p.m., I spoke with the four hosts in more detail about this momentous time in American politics, the mix of fatigue and motivation among voters, and the danger that Trump will The entire democratic process could be disrupted. Trump “tried to steal an election,” Melber notes, “and is openly talking about stealing this election.”

This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Vanity Fair: Where does the race generally take place? Clearly there has been an intense news cycle in recent weeks about both campaigns' media attacks. I'm wondering if you would ask yourself whether you think anything that has happened or could happen will be the deciding factor at this point.

Chris Hayes: I do think that the MSG rally and the specific joke “Puerto Rico is a floating island of garbage” were resounding. Nobody knows what penetrates and what doesn't. We all move in this very strange universe where the competition for attention is so fierce that it's very hard to tell what people are getting and what they aren't. But sure, it came through.

Stephanie Rühle: I think the needle moved this week. Even if you saw Kamala Harris, her closing remarks at the Ellipse were super powerful from a political perspective, but also conveyed an overarching sense of unity. I think it tipped the scales for a lot of people in this (business) space who don't necessarily raise their hand and say, “I agree with her,” but they know the threat of tariffs, and that will be the case (Donald) Trump picks winners and losers. This was definitely a positive week for her…. There was great disappointment that more business leaders didn't come forward and say something about Trump and comments likened to fascism. If Kamala Harris wins this election and Trump doesn't accept the results, I think we're going to see a lot of prominent people who have been silent saying, “Enough is enough, we have to respect the outcome of the election.”