Welcome to the beat. I am Ari Melbert. I am back. It's great to be back with you on this weeknight

after I had a couple days off. And I can tell you up front, we have one of our special reports tonight.

It's about Sarah Palin losing again after she famously lost to Obama and some lessons about politics,

coalition building, and the civil rights legacy of American artists ranging from Bob Dylan to Jay-Z.

I can also tell you that in a first, we have new reaction from Jay-Z himself to an MSNBC

beat segment we shared with you last week. So you'll hear the audio of him and I talking about that,

which is a first by the end of this hour. So I hope you stay with us

for that. Also later on, we have a report on this new surveillance video raising questions about a

maga coup plot. The top story, though, right now, is really about the fall. Here we are. Summer's

over. Labor Day is done. Today marks the midterms going into high gear, the unofficial sprint towards Election Day.

As President Biden touts his domestic record, including those late summer breakthroughs, while also arguing that democracy, and believe it or not, in a very real sense, Trumpism, are on this ballot.

If you're counting, election day is now just about nine weeks out.

The MAG Republicans don't just threaten our personal rights and economic security.

They're a threat to our very democracy.

I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence

that failed to condemn the violence against you

refuse to acknowledge the election has been won.

That is a threat to democracy.

I will not stand by and watch elections in this country

stolen by people who simply refused to

accept that they lost.

The Trump-fueled effort to take over once independent election offices is clearly up for a test

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