Can’t get to microsoftonline.com from main WIndows Domain Controller

Hello,

I tried eliminating an old dc using metadata clean up because it wasn't demoting- it didn't go well so I restores our old 2012R2. Something is still not right.

On the 2012 R2 server I can get to microsoftonline.com. on the newer servers I can not longer get there and the PCs are pointed to the newer DC. I can get to google or hp or other sites just not microsoftonline.com – I CAN get to microsoft.com.

There is no hosts file

there are no firewall rules blocking it.

I can't restore from older backups.

The DC with all the fsmo roles points to itself and the other DC – I've tried reversing them and using just one of them – it doesn't help. I've also tried point it to the old DC and that doesn't help.

I'm only here to ask about how to get microsoftonline.com on the PDC, not by changing dns on the workstations, not by restoring something, not even how to get rid of the old DC – I just would like to know how to get it to resolve correctly on the DC. I'll ask all those other questions in a different post so this one doesn't get bogged down with other help or questions.

I temporarily added 8.8.8.8 to the DNS providers on the DC but I don't think that is a good long term strategy.