1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: This is Wins and Losses with Clay Travis. Clay talks 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: with the most entertaining people in sports, entertainment and business. 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: Now here's Clay Travis. Welcome and appreciate all of you 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: listening to us the Wins and Losses Podcast. I am 5 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: Clay Travis, and we are about to be joined by 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: Megan Kelly, who has had a really impressive media career. 7 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: She also fled the law as as quickly, probably as 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: she could. I'm actually curious. I read quite a bit 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: about her practice of law and her most recent book. 10 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: But we're going to run through a bunch of different stories, 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: but beginning right off the top here. Megan, thanks for 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: joining us, and was leaving the practice of law the 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: best decision you ever made in your career? It was 14 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 1: definitely one of them. Um. Yeah, it wasn't that easy 15 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: at the time, but yes, in retrospect for sure. By 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: the way, thank you for having me. Um. So you 17 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: know how it is when you become a lawyer or 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: anything that requires a bunch of schooling, right, So it's 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: a lot of money and a lot of time. Your 20 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: ego gets attached to it. And I had worked my 21 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: tail off. I was at a big, well respected firm, 22 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: Jones Day, which I loved, and I was about to 23 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: make partner. I was there nine years, I practiced law 24 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: nine years and was about to make partner. And that 25 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: was a feather that I wanted in my cap. You know, 26 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: I felt that I had earned it, and I don't 27 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: remember my twenties because I was at the office of 28 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: the entire time, and I really felt like I should 29 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: stay long enough to get that feather. But then I 30 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: just got honest with myself and realized I was miserable. Miserable. 31 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: You know. It's they say the law is a jealous mistress, 32 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: and you know, my mistress is so needy. She was 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: calling constantly. She never gave me a weekend off, and 34 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: I wanted my mistress to go away. So finally I 35 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: did find, you know, the resolve to get out, and 36 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: I never looked back. You know. It's just the parts 37 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: of the practice of I do miss, but the overall 38 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: lifestyle I don't miss one bit. So I want to 39 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: kind of dive into that because we have a lot 40 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: of lawyers who listened to this show, and you hit 41 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: on several different interesting angles there that that I find 42 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: to be fascinating. And I want to start with the 43 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: first one. One of the pratfalls I would say of 44 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: having success is people look at you like you're crazy 45 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: when you decide to do something else. And I people 46 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: who kind of know my story and are listening. I 47 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: practiced law for a couple of years, and I remember 48 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: I started at twenty five. I had what I call 49 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: a quarter life crisis, and I was looking around the 50 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: office and I was like, oh my god, this could 51 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: be the next fifty years of my life being a litigator. 52 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: And I was like, this is not what I love. 53 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: It's slow moving. I don't like the procedural aspects of 54 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: the law. I don't really enjoy writing over the same issues, 55 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: arguing about things that I don't really care about, frankly, 56 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: and so I ended up like writing was my escape, 57 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: writing about sports, which led into radio, which led into TV. 58 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: For you, was there or a moment in your career 59 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: where you had sort of an epiphany and you thought 60 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: this is not for me, even though, like you said, 61 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: you're about to be partner. You're being very successful, You're 62 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: making a lot of money. What I called the golden 63 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: handcuffs very often of being a lawyer, where you can't 64 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: quite find the will to escape. What was it for 65 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: you that was that final impetus or epiphany or was 66 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 1: there one or was it a gradual process? Well, there 67 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: was there was a moment, an aha moment. But you know, 68 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: like you, I know, you had a middle class background, 69 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: and so did I and so and I put myself 70 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: through law school, so I had a bunch of debt 71 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: and I had never seen or even dreamed of money 72 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: like they were paying me. You know it was it 73 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: felt like a fortune and one that I could never 74 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: rebuild if I left the firm. I mean, just I 75 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: was so proud of myself, you know, for making good 76 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: and earning real money on my own, paying back my 77 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: law school debt, and I just thought, who am I 78 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: If I'm not Megan Kelly Esquire. Yes, I'm not sure 79 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: who I am or whether I could ever achieve this 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: level of success. And of course the firm pulled me 81 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: aside and kind of telegraphed, You'll never achieve this level 82 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: of success if you leave. You know, you're a great 83 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: guy who I love. A Jones pulled me aside. He 84 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: was in the issues and Appeals department, which is very 85 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: are you day, and he said MKA. He said, no 86 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: matter how good you are at whatever else you intend 87 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: to do, you will never be as good at that 88 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: as you are at the practice of law. You don't leave. 89 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: And you know you've got really smart people saying things 90 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: like that to you. You think I shouldn't go like I. 91 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: But with all that in mind, there was one night 92 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: I was in Chicago and I was driving home in 93 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: the Kennedy one night at two am, yet again, and 94 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: just tears were streaming down my face because I was exhausted. 95 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: As you know, the practice of law is incredibly acrimonious. 96 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: I was a litigator, so you know, constant fighting, and 97 00:04:54,800 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: it's really it's just snake pit fighting. Um. I was 98 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: just stressed out and I hadn't seen I'd missed funerals, 99 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: I'd missed weddings, and I thought maybe I could just 100 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: go off the road and break a femur. Like if 101 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: I broke a femur, then I'd have to be in 102 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: the hospital for a while. It can't just be like 103 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: a rib because I'll have to go back. It's wild 104 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: that lawyers think like that, but you sometimes do start 105 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: to think, Man, if I just had an illness that 106 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: I know, I could get over but you know, like 107 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: it wasn't that bad, but I couldn't work for a 108 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 1: couple of weeks. Like, but when you start thinking if 109 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: I could break a leg, I could have a little 110 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 1: bit more time to myself, it's kind of a sign 111 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: that maybe you don't have the perfect work life balance 112 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: right right right, And it's like you finally get to 113 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: the point where you're like, I don't care anymore. I 114 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: went to visit my friend who worked in Boston as 115 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: a nurse at her around that time, and she had 116 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: no money, and we've got to high school together, we 117 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: were always close friends. And she was so happy. She 118 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: was living a crappy one bedroom walk up and we 119 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: went to the corner bar. We had a couple of 120 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: beers for like a buck each, you know, contrasted to 121 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: my life in Chicago with the big, fancy martiniz and 122 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: the steak dinners and the nice purse, you know, and 123 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: she was so happy, and I was so happy with her. 124 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: It was just a reminder that I really didn't need 125 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: all those trappings at all. You know, they were just 126 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: window dressing around a life that I wasn't enjoying. And 127 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: so those two things kind of got me to the 128 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: point where I was like, all right, I gotta get out, 129 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: and now the big question is what the hell else 130 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: can I do? Yeah, so you mentioned the way that 131 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: you approached the law if you come from a middle 132 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: class background. I remember, as a second year summer associate, 133 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: I was working in downtown Nashville, where I grew up. 134 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: My dad was in another building. He was a lifelong 135 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: state employee, and I was making more money as a 136 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: summer associate at twenty three years old or whatever the 137 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: heck I was than he was at you know, sixty 138 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: three or four years old, approaching retirement age. And remember 139 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: him coming into that building and seeing the office and 140 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: everything else. And there are those trappings of success, right, 141 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: if you never have experienced them before, it can feel 142 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: a little bit constraining to even think, oh, I'm gonna 143 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: leave and try something else. But yet almost every lawyer 144 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: you talked to has a parachute plan, right. They have 145 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: something they would do if they weren't practicing law, and 146 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: so many of them get wrapped up. So you make 147 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: the decision to try something else, and you eventually are 148 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: going to get into working in journalism and doing reporting 149 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: and being on television what made you think that you 150 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: would be good at that? And did you have any 151 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: other things or aspirations that you also considered exploring when 152 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: you decided to leave. So I confess I had nothing 153 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: other than journalism that I thought about. I had in 154 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: high school. I had thought, perhaps I want to be 155 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: a journalist. I took one of those APT two tests. 156 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: You're one of those tests that says this is what 157 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: you should be, and it's that journalist, and I thought, okay, 158 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: well that's interesting. I like to write, I like to read. Um, 159 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: I like to tell stories. But I kind of I 160 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: did like a couple of day internship with the All 161 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: of any Times Union, my local paper I'm from Albany, 162 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: New York, and a couple of other small things. And 163 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: then I went to Syracuse, so not to the journalism school. 164 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: I couldn't get in there. Um. I went for policy 165 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: and I took a bunch of classes at Newhouse and 166 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: I liked it. But then I just got sidetracked with 167 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: the whole law thing. And so when I decided to 168 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: leave the law, it was a natural next step to consider. 169 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: And what I realized was and I'm sure you and 170 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: a lot of your listeners who are lawyers understand this. 171 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: I hadn't exactly been preparing for journalism, but I had, 172 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: in the way you see in the Karate kid with 173 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: the wax on and wax off, been learning skills that 174 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: would make me very good at the next profession if 175 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: as so long as I chose wisely. You know, there 176 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: are a lot of skills you learn in law school 177 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: and in the practice of law that are very transferable, uh, 178 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: in helpful ways to other jobs. And one of the 179 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: things I loved through law school and as as a 180 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: litigator was getting up on my feet and making an argument. 181 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: I loved that. I loved being on and having the 182 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: pressure of real people looking at me and in the 183 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: case of a judge testing me, uh, and the case 184 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: of a jury needing to be persuaded in easy to 185 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 1: understand terms and to see if I could do it, 186 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: you know. And in the law, you really do have 187 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: to have a foothold, at least in the facts. Unlike 188 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: journalism today, UM, you kind of have to stick with 189 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: the record. And that's the challenge, right. You might have 190 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: bad facts and you've got to find a way through them. 191 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: I loved all that. I hated interrogatory. I hated the acrimony. 192 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: I wasn't too keen on like the really nasty depositions. 193 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: But I loved arguing in front of courts of appeal. 194 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: I loved all the trials I did. It was like 195 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: that stuff, And so I just thought, all those skills 196 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,719 Speaker 1: are going to translate for me in journal So when 197 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: I first started, I stunk, but I knew eventually I 198 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: could be good if I just kept practicing. When you 199 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: say you stunk, what does that mean? You know, for 200 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: people out there who haven't ever thought about the discipline 201 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: of being an on air reporter, did you go back 202 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: and watch yourself? What were you doing poorly? And how 203 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: did you get the opportunity to even find out that 204 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: you stunk? What did you have to do? And how 205 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: much I'm always fascinated by this. How much of a 206 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: pay cut? I know this is in your book, but 207 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: how much of a pay cut did you have to 208 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: take to move from nearly being a partner at one 209 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: of the elite law firms in the country to basically 210 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: starting all over again as a journalist. I mean it 211 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: was huge. I was approaching a seven figure deal um 212 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: and I took a job at Page seventeen thousand dollars 213 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: a year when I when I left, so it was 214 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: I mean, I wasn't making seven figures, so it would 215 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: have been a partner. But um, but there's a big 216 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: drop from several hundred thousand dollars a year your ish 217 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: to sev dollars a year that most people frankly wouldn't 218 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: take no matter what. That's right, and you really do 219 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,599 Speaker 1: have to slam face first into the wall of unhappiness. 220 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: I think to make that leap. At least that's what 221 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: it took for me, you know, you know, thinking about 222 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: harming yourself, like that's that's more than a red flag, 223 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: you know, that's a five alarm fire kind of flag. Um. 224 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: So you know what happened with my evolution in terms 225 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: of like growing and getting my feet you know? Under 226 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: me was I had a buddy who, um, she was 227 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: in my guitar class, and she offered to help me 228 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: make a resume tape, which I had never even heard of. 229 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: I didn't understand. I was like, don't I have just 230 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: have to tell him that I'm about to make partner 231 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: at a big law firm. She's like, no one's going 232 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: to give a damn about that. She was right, don't 233 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: even wanted to see a paper resume. They just wanted 234 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: to see a tape of you on camera delivering it 235 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: can be fake news, but just they just want to 236 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: see how you penetrate the lens. So she helped me 237 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: make it, and and the guy who shot the tape 238 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,319 Speaker 1: for me agreed to hook me up with his professor 239 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: at this local college in Chicago, and that professor let 240 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: me audits his journalism class. So I went there every 241 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: Wednesday night after I left Jones Day, and I was 242 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: like the old lady at that point, I was like 243 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: one with all these you know, twenty nineteen year old 244 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: I was like, isn't learning fun? Kids? You know? And 245 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: and I was loving it. I'm learning all about this 246 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: new profession that I'm considering. And we'd have to go 247 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: down on the streets of Chicago. So there I'd be 248 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: on South Michigan Avenue in the blustery cold weather at 249 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: eight pm doing fake news reporting into this professor's sort 250 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: of real looking TV camera, and you couldn't stop. You 251 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: had to do a minute long report. You had to 252 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: nail it, you know, you couldn't have to. You have 253 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: to treat it like it was a live shot and 254 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: it was thrilling, and all I could think was this 255 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: is what I want to do, and please God, don't 256 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: let anyone from Jones Day by right now. So when 257 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 1: do you when do you actually confess to the partners 258 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: and the people that you worked for and with at 259 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: Jones Day that you were exploring in a serious way journalism, 260 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: Like how far into the process did you get before 261 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: you were like, Hey, this is you know, not guitar 262 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: lessons that I'm just doing on the side. This is 263 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: something that that maybe I have an interest in. So 264 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: I kind of got discouraged. There. I was with my 265 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: resume tape, thinking okay, great, but I don't have a 266 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: single connection, you know, in news. I don't have anything 267 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: on my resume to suggest I could do news. You know. 268 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: I just had that feeling that I'm sure a lot 269 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: of people get, which is just apathy and self doubt 270 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: and you know, the desire to stay in my couch. 271 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: And by the way, my therapist always says, the desire 272 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: to stay on one's couch couch should always be fought 273 00:13:55,040 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: like that retreat is that it's almost always at And 274 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: one day I was watching Lifetime television, Lifetime television play 275 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: and they ran this movie, this you know, lifetime movie 276 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: called the Jessica Savage Story. And she was this amazing 277 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: journalist back in the late seventies eighties who was making 278 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: it in the man's industry, one of the only women. 279 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: She was like Jessica and Connie Chung and a young 280 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: Barbara Walters. And that was it, and it was a 281 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: great story. It ended in ruination, sadly, but as most 282 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: lifetime stories do, at least you didn't get murdered by 283 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: her husband, right. But I was inspired to try, so 284 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: I started cold calling news directors and every single one 285 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: was like, by you know, no one wanted to talk 286 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: to me. They didn't they didn't want to help me. 287 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: Theyn't want to give me a chance. And uh, Finally 288 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: I got smart and I decided to walk my tape 289 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: into the news station in dc um W j l 290 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: A and they had a cable channel that was like 291 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: their sister, and I thought, maybe they'll pop me on 292 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: that cable channel that like, not a lot of people 293 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: are watching. I got a shot there and I went in. 294 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: I met this guy, Bill Lord, who was the news 295 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: director for both and God bless that guy. He put 296 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: me on the air. So he started just just one 297 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: day a week, one day a week. And at that 298 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: point I had to disclose to Jones Day that I 299 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: was doing this because hey, they might see me and 300 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: be he could create an ethical conflict depending on what 301 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: I was reporting on UM. So he, you know, I 302 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: sort of said, it's just gonna be fun. I just 303 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: want to try it out. And they were a little leary, 304 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: but said okay, do it. And then I was doing 305 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: pretty well and the Lord said, well, how about you 306 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: do two days a week? So I did Saturdays and 307 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: Sundays and I did the law job the other days. 308 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: And then they came to me and said, how about 309 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: you do another day of a week. And that would 310 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: have required me to go part time at Jones Day, 311 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 1: and so I went. I spoke with a head of 312 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: general Litigation, a guy named Tim Cullen, who was so great, 313 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: and he said, Okay, I'm sad because this feels like 314 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: a trial separation and those usually lead to divorce. And 315 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: I said, Tim, you know it very well might, but 316 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: I gotta try. So he he let me stay at 317 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: Jones Day, you know, part time. UM. And then eventually 318 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: I decided it was time to make a full time leap. 319 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: All right, so your how old? The first time you 320 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: go on air with I think it was w j 321 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: l A. You said, so that would have been two 322 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: thousand three, so I was thirty two. Okay, so you've 323 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: never really done television before you're thirty two years old. 324 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: You get to go on this, uh, this relatively small 325 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: station in Washington, d C. What did you do the 326 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: first time that you were on television? The very first 327 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: time I ever saw myself on television, it was taped, 328 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: so I was clear like it was a taped piece. 329 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: But what would you remember the time? Do you remember 330 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: the topic of the tape piece? Do you remember what 331 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: you reported? It was the very first thing I ever 332 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: did was on a hurricane, and it was Hurricane Isabelle 333 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: that had gone through Virginia, and I thought for sure, 334 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: I thought I was gonna be doing doing mostly legal stuff. 335 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: Is that that had been my pitch? And I remember 336 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: calling Bill Lord. My first day was a Friday, and 337 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: I was like, probably don't need me, right because the 338 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: storms come in and you know you're not gonna need 339 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: a lawyer, legal expert type, And he goes, if you 340 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: don't already have rain boots and rain pants and rains 341 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: like that, you better go get up and get in here, 342 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: like oh no, And so it was a crazy night. 343 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: I did a report on not that night, but the 344 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: next day on the hurricane, and it was fine. But 345 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: the first time I had to do a live shot 346 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: where it's like go, you know, like I'd practiced on 347 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: the streets of Chicago, was at the d. It was 348 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: the dullest airport and there was something going on with 349 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: the airport and security and they had a scare. You know. 350 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: It's just back when we were still pretty close to 351 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: nine eleven and there was a scare every other day, um, 352 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: and and it was here in the headlights, you know, 353 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: and they're like you can hear the anchor toss to you. 354 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: And really, I'm like, I don't know who the hell 355 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,360 Speaker 1: I am? Who the hell am? I just say your name, 356 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: say something, say something resembling anything. And I got through it, 357 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: and I thought I had been totally incomprehensible. When I 358 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: looked back at leader, it was okay. It wasn't hideous, 359 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: but it was terrifying. Be sure to catch live editions 360 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: about kicked the coverage with Clay Travis week days at 361 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: six am Eastern three am Pacific. I'm Clay Travis is 362 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: Wins and Losses. We're talking with Megan Kelly. So do 363 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: you go back, like an athlete and study your early 364 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: tapes in television to figure out what you're doing well? 365 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: Or did you find that you kind of got a 366 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: sense for how you were doing. What about the discipline 367 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: of television came to you and how did you get better? 368 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,239 Speaker 1: I definitely went back and looked at the tapes, and 369 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 1: I think that's a must do, you know, because it 370 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: is a visual medium and you have to see or 371 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: whatever the mechanism is, listened to yourself and see what 372 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: works and what doesn't work. You know, you may think 373 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: you sound fine, when you go back and you watch yourself, 374 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: you see a totally different product. So I did that 375 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: for years when I first started, you know, at w 376 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: j l A, and then and then at Fox News. 377 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: But the truth is that is a skill you only 378 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: develop by doing it over and over and over. You know, 379 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 1: It's like typing, and you you cannot type seventy words 380 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: a minute before you've done and so on. So I 381 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: would just say yes to everything, which I think every 382 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 1: young person in a job should do. I mean, I 383 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: I always tell the young people who are asking me 384 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:23,679 Speaker 1: for advice, you know, if they want you to empty 385 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: the trash, empty the trash, like say yes to every 386 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: weekend ship to working on Christmas. You know, have some gumption, 387 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: go after it, you know, don't don't be ah, I'm 388 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: above this kind of person. And that leads to opportunity, 389 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: you know, because the sad truth is it will set 390 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: you apart from of your competition, um so and and 391 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: and it just happened to be and in my profession, 392 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: as it is in most that that makes you better. 393 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: You know, you get your ten thou hours in and 394 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: before you know it, you're doing it almost effortlessly. What 395 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: I have found is, and this is probably a legal 396 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: background as well, what I get to do now is 397 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: make argue months. But instead of having to take as 398 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: you said earlier, sometimes you're on the wrong side of 399 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: an argument. You're like, boy, I'd rather have the facts 400 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: of that other side now, you know, with the position 401 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: that I'm in, And I think you get to do 402 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: this now as well. You get to look at all 403 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: the facts, array them as you see fit, and then 404 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,719 Speaker 1: make your case. And as you were talking about your 405 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: legal career, it struck me watch having watched your television show. Basically, 406 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: what you're doing is arguing in front of a jury 407 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: every single night about cases and stories that matter the 408 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: most to you in a compelling fashion. Right, It's basically 409 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: like an oral argument that you get to make every 410 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: single night when you're doing a live television show. Absolutely 411 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: and one of the biggest challenges but also rewards if 412 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,719 Speaker 1: you do it right. Of of doing that show in 413 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: that way was taking really condensed, really difficult subjects and 414 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: condensing them in a way that my imaginary viewer that 415 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: the one I picture in my head, Yes, she's working. 416 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: Who do you picture? By the way, who do you picture? 417 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: Because I I do that for my radio show, my 418 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: television show to an average person who's watching, Who in 419 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,879 Speaker 1: your mind is an average Megan Kelly viewer. I have 420 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: a woman in my head named Madge who lives in Iowa. 421 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 1: She works all day, She's got a couple of kids, 422 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: and she and her husband come home from work and 423 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: at night and they turn on the TV. Maybe they 424 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: have a glass of wine and they want to consume 425 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: their news in a way that is easy to understand, 426 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: somewhat entertaining, trustworthy, and that they don't have to work 427 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: too hard to get. So it's my job to take 428 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: something hugely complex, like a Supreme Court ruling on redistricting, 429 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: and try to make Madge not have to work for 430 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: it at all. If Madge has to hit the rewind 431 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: button on the remote control, I have failed. It should 432 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: it's I used to call it. It's like cool water 433 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: going over a hot brain. That's how I want my 434 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: news delivery to feel to the consumer. And and if 435 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: you have to try too hard on the air, you 436 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: haven't tried hard enough prior to getting to air. But 437 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: I will say, Clay, one of the things I like 438 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: about you and and one of the things I think 439 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: maybe the solution to our entirely disgustingly broken media is 440 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: more lawyers delivering the news in whatever way works for them. 441 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 1: Because lawyers, I think, in their soul they're programmed to 442 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: understand at least both sides and to try in some 443 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: way to recognize the other argument. I do. And I 444 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: don't know if it's just that we're soul as hacks 445 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: or you know, these trained elite arguers. The latter sounds better, 446 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: but whatever it is, most lawyers I know, Dan Abrams 447 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: is another they they're really good at being fair. I 448 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: don't think there's any doubt at all. I mean, what 449 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: I always say on my show is I care about 450 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: three things. The facts, the facts, the facts. And one 451 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: of the things that troubles me the most about our 452 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 1: country today is you can disagree with my opinions or 453 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: your opinions or anybody's opinion out there in the world 454 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: of media, or your friends and family posting on social 455 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: media all day, but if you start with incorrect facts, 456 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: then you get to a place with an incorrect opinion. 457 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 1: And so uh, there's a lot of people who don't 458 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: care about the factual basis whether you're a Democrat, Republican, independent, 459 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: and it seems like we have lost that, particularly in 460 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: a social media age. And I do think lawyers are 461 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: better attuned to being able to consider both sides of 462 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: an issue and at least understand the importance of facts, 463 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: because what you're talking about is basically the skills of 464 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: a great trial lawyer. And a great trial lawyer can 465 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: take facts which are honest and accurate and put the 466 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: best spin possible on them to advocate for the cause 467 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: they believe in. But they know that the facts have 468 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: to be right, or the jury is not going to 469 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: trust them right face to face. It seems to me 470 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: we've lost the ability to recognize the foundational basis of fact. 471 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: It's one of the things that is most disturbing me 472 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 1: and most inspiring me to get back out there, because 473 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: both sides do it right. You know, President Trump, I 474 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: always say he doesn't. He doesn't have an adult relationship 475 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: with the truth. You know. I think all of his 476 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: years in real estate, UM sort of led him to 477 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: tolerate a certain level of you know, puffery. We would 478 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: have called it in the law UM. And so he is, 479 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 1: I think, by nature and optimists who tries to oversell 480 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 1: positive outcomes. But he also if he gets himself in trouble, 481 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 1: he's not just gonna level with you about what he 482 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: did and why it wasn't a big deal. He's going 483 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: to try to tell you the facts are other than 484 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: what they are. That's a character trait that he has, 485 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: for better or for worse. But on the left, you 486 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: see like a post factual world when it comes to 487 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 1: discussions on tough subjects, you know, like the transgender issue 488 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: and the gender issue in general. You know that there's 489 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: there's no more biological sex and that you know, having 490 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: having certain genitalia is totally irrelevant to whether you're a 491 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: woman or a man. I don't believe that's true. Scientifically, 492 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: we can talk about what your life is like and 493 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: how you want to be accepted, and I'm totally pro 494 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 1: all of that, but there is a basis in science, 495 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: and I don't like the silencing of the scientific community 496 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 1: or even in the you know, all the Black Lives 497 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 1: Matter protests that we saw this summer. You know, you 498 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: can want to be an advocate against racism without making 499 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,400 Speaker 1: up lies about the police. Uh. And I'm not talking 500 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: about George Floyd, but I'm talking about the lives that 501 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: were put out there about the number of cases of 502 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: police brutality, but police killings of black men, there are 503 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: real data on that, and they've been they've been either 504 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: suppressed their silenced. In fact, I've represented, I've got it 505 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: right here. I mean that that I keep because it's 506 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: been such a big topic in the world of sports. Um, 507 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: you know, a police officer is seventeen times seventeen and 508 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: a half time as likely to be killed by a 509 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: black potential suspect as a police officer is to kill 510 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: an unarmed black man in this country. Right, that's a fact. 511 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: I'm reading directly from the Wall Street Journal. The data 512 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: is clear and transparent and straightforward. That is factual basis. 513 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: Now we can talk once we have those facts in 514 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: place about ways to make the country better based on 515 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:27,160 Speaker 1: our relationship between police and those that they consider suspects 516 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: of crimes, whatever race. They might be right to try 517 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: to dial down the tension, but it's as if that 518 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: fact makes people uncomfortable, and so you can't even have 519 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: an honest conversation about how to fix things if you 520 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: can't begin with a common basis effect. That's right, because 521 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: they'll call you a racist, and no one wants to 522 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: be called a racist. And and it's it's sad because book, 523 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 1: I'm sort of a free agent now, right, so it's 524 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: like I don't really care what they call me, and 525 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: they've already called me all the me memes that I'm 526 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: doing just fine. But I do worry about civilians, right, 527 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: for lack of a better term, because they don't want 528 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: to put themselves out there. I've got good friends who 529 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: are you know, they're successful doctors and lawyers, and they 530 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 1: can't even like a tweet without having to worry about. 531 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: And that's not okay. You know that the data on 532 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: police shootings or killings of black suspects are knowable. They 533 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: are knowable. It's not a perfect science, but they have 534 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: been reported for years. The Washington Post has been keeping 535 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,919 Speaker 1: running tally of it all. And for some reason, and 536 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, people can draw their own conclusions, these activists 537 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: want us only to look at the percentage of black 538 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: people in the population, which tends to be around and 539 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:46,959 Speaker 1: then look at the number of black people who are 540 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,360 Speaker 1: killed by police in a year, and that's just not 541 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: the relevant data. They don't want you to factor in 542 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: at all the level of black criminality, and that The 543 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal has been doing a great job and 544 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 1: reporting the savas on this, but over the violent crimes 545 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: in the major cities of this country are committed by 546 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 1: black men. Now, the cops are not they're they're not 547 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: arresting women if that doesn't make them sexist against men. 548 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: They're going after the people who are committing the crime, 549 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: and so necessarily the interactions between those guys and polices 550 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: they're going to go up. And they're fraught because if 551 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: you resist arrest, and the data show that that's what's 552 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 1: happened in virtually all these cases where a death results, 553 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: your odds of getting injured or killed by the police 554 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: officers go up exponentially. That's an argument that is all 555 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: factual based, Right. I think it's an important one that 556 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: needs to be discussed in the country. You couldn't say 557 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: that on CNN today. You couldn't say that today on MSNBC. Right, 558 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: I really don't think you could. Why do you think 559 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: and you worked and had your own show, and you 560 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: did had a tremendous success at Fox News. Why do 561 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: you think our society, media culture has created this world 562 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: where there are facts that aren't allowed to be spoken 563 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: on television on certain networks, and by the way, you 564 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: can make it across the board, right there facts probably 565 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: that make Fox News viewers uncomfortable that don't get shared 566 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: very often. We don't have a Walter Cronkite of the 567 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: world who's sitting down and kind of the arbiter that 568 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: everybody trust to be a great official, so to speak, 569 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: of the world at large. How do we put the 570 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: genie back in the bottle? Can we are things going 571 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: to even get worse from here? Boy? I mean, I 572 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: think with what's happening with this sort of woke culture. Um, 573 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: you know, the social justice warriors. It's going to be 574 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: tough there. There that's a small group of Americans. They 575 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: do not represent the majority in trying to cancel everybody 576 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: and shut everybody up. But they're really loud, and the 577 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: media is they're in complete fealty to that small group. Um. 578 00:29:55,960 --> 00:30:00,080 Speaker 1: And so it's dangerous. And I'll tell you most they're are. 579 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: There are so many intellectuals black end white, but a 580 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: lot of black intellectuals who are sort of pushing a 581 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,959 Speaker 1: more heterodox view, you know, from Glenn Lowry to Coleman 582 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: Hughes obviously, um, Shelby Steele, Thomas Soul. But so you 583 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: can read black intellectuals who have done all the research 584 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: on this um and see what their worldview is. It 585 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: would it would back up everything I just said. Right, 586 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: go look at read Jason Riley in the Wall Street 587 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 1: Journal if you want to know the facts. Um. But 588 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: if a white person says it, they're going to call 589 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: you a racist. So you just you know, to really 590 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: know what's going on, you have to actually be prepared 591 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: to take some you know, some some punches in their face. 592 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: But I think what's happened with the media is they're 593 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: left They're not just liberal, they're leftist, and they love 594 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 1: to virtue signal. You know, early on in my career, 595 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: I got sent down to cover the Duke what we 596 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: now know is the fake rape case with a cross case. Yes, 597 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: and uh, I went out. When I first heard about 598 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: that case, I was new to Fox. It was like 599 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: two thousand five, and I at the time, it's thirty four, 600 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 1: so I was whatever, not that far out of college. 601 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: And I was like, these guys they probably did it, 602 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: you know, like action the cross players, and you know, 603 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: you had you had preconceived stereotypes as a you know, 604 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 1: girl who had gone to Syracuse. You're like, oh, I 605 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: can see these stupid lacrosse guys doing something like this, 606 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: by the way, everybody does. And then one of the 607 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: great things about being a lawyer is you end up 608 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: representing people that you're like, man, this guy seems like 609 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: a total jerk, and then you start to look at 610 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: the facts and you're like, man, maybe this is not 611 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: very similar at all to what was initially reported. So 612 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: that's fast. So you go down to Duke, and when 613 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: do you start to have doubts about that case as 614 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: a lawyer, and you start to look at it because 615 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: you're in a unique position there. Well, i'll tell you 616 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: the first thing I happened before I left for North 617 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: Carolina was britt Hume, my boss and the DC Bureau said, um, 618 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: keep an open mind. And it was just the small 619 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: piece of advice, but it was the best advice, right 620 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: because it just a good reminder that it really isn't 621 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: about what I think, It's about where the facts lead. 622 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: And I'm going down there in a fact finding mission. 623 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: So that's what I did. And I went down and 624 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: Fox gave me the you know, latitude to develop sources. 625 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: Normally they just have each other to a camera. We 626 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: have to do live shot every half hour on a 627 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: big story like that. But they sent a different report 628 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: to to do that so I could actually develop sax. 629 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: And it was very clear if you just had an 630 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: open mind, the facts did not support this woman delegations. 631 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: Her story started to fall apart very early, and I 632 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 1: reported those inconsistencies in her story and so on, and 633 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: at the time, this is very early in my career, 634 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: people were suggesting it was racist of me and each 635 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: sexist of me to be quote siding with these three 636 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: white privileged guys instead of this uh, single mother, black 637 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: um person who lived on sort of the Durham side 638 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: as opposed to the Duke's side. You know, it's like 639 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: that there's two areas of Durham one's one's less affluent 640 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: than the other. And uh, I just had to forge 641 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: through that. You just had to say, Okay, they're gonna 642 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: call me names, but I have to report the news. 643 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: That's what I made me paid to do. And you 644 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: know who the other person was who was getting the 645 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: facts right, who was on cable news at that time, 646 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: Dan Abrams, who I mentioned earlier, a lawyer who came 647 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: to MSNBC at the time from Court TV. And his 648 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: dad is Floyd Abrams, the famed First Amendment attorney who 649 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: argued New York Times to be solid it. So I 650 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: just think, you know, being open minds of the facts 651 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: helped me land in the right place and on these 652 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 1: cop shootings. Um that you just have to be open minded. 653 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: You have to be open minded and go where the 654 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: evidence goes. You know, the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, 655 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: you know people should go that. Kamala Harris and others 656 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: are still referring to Michael Brown as a victim, that 657 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: she's murdered, that he was murdered. He was not murdered. 658 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: And there were at least five black eyewitnesses who said 659 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: they saw him turn and run after the officer when 660 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: the officer, you know, was already had already been attacked, 661 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: hands up, don't shoot. A proven law. Yet it contends 662 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: to be continues to be propagated well, And that's so 663 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: that's what we have to be aware of now that 664 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 1: the media is in full virtue signaling mode, because what 665 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: I've noticed with with these cases is the media, which 666 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: again is leftist, it's not just liberal, it's leftist. They 667 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: will take these incendiary cases, these videos of of a 668 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: white police officer, or even if of a black police officer, 669 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: and they'll say that's racist too, if it's if it's 670 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: a black defendant, and they'll say they'll play it over 671 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: and over, over and over and over to tell you 672 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: that all police are brutal, and all police are racist, 673 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: and it's systemically racist, and it's so misrepresentative because you 674 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 1: could do the same with a white police officer. They're 675 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 1: doing this to a white defendant, and that that doesn't 676 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: mean that all police need to be stopped because they 677 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: must be brutal against everybody either. Because if you look 678 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: at the numbers of police killings of defendants here in 679 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: New York City, they in the seventies, they were in 680 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: the four hundreds a year. Now they're down to thirty 681 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: plus in a year. The police are going in the 682 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: right direction on this stuff. They're aware that they've had problems. 683 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,279 Speaker 1: But when it comes to race, it's the media that 684 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: drives the narrative that it's a black white thing, and 685 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 1: they do that for reasons of their own, especially in 686 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 1: an election year you mentioned earlier. So you're covering Duke 687 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 1: Lacrosse in two thousand five, that is before there is 688 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 1: actually a social media universe really, I mean Facebook is 689 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: just getting started, then Twitter doesn't exist. That has put, 690 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: you know, sort of jet fuel or added steroids to 691 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: what was already a trend line moving in that direction 692 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: of everybody being able to find their own worldview by 693 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: turning on their television or just picking up their phone. Uh, 694 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,719 Speaker 1: what was it like for you? I'm curious as you 695 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 1: move up in the world to go from Megan Kelly, 696 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,919 Speaker 1: who's a reporter, right, like you're not necessarily giving your 697 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:15,880 Speaker 1: own opinions to making that transition to an opinionist, and 698 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 1: how did you do it? Well? I mean, I think 699 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: I'm sort of a hybrid. You know. I'm still a 700 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: journalist and that's why I was out there angering presidential 701 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: debates for Fox. UM. But I've I've offered opinion in 702 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,320 Speaker 1: the fields that I think I have some expertise in, 703 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: and that's tended to be legal stuff, you know. And 704 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: I think this whole Black Lives Matter thing started based 705 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:40,399 Speaker 1: on a legal case, and I know how to look 706 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:42,839 Speaker 1: at a legal case, and I've never gotten one wrong. 707 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: I've never looked at one of these situations and said 708 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: this is how it's going to come out and been 709 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,960 Speaker 1: proven wrong on it. And there's a reason for that, 710 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 1: you know. I'm I'm an objective juror on this stuff. 711 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: I will go where the evidence takes me. Um. So 712 00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: that's sort of what I've tried to do. I've tried 713 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: to sort of hold on to my journalistic integrity. You know, 714 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 1: I'm not somebody who would go out there. I watched 715 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 1: somebody like Nicole Wallace on the MSNBC. I don't know 716 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,319 Speaker 1: what she is. She used to work, She's a work 717 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: in Republican circle. She's as far from Republican as you 718 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,759 Speaker 1: can get now, and she's openly saying she's hosting a 719 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 1: daytime quote news show on MSNBC, but she openly says 720 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 1: she's going to vote for Joe Biden. So back in 721 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: my day, you weren't supposed to do that as a journalist. 722 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,279 Speaker 1: You we didn't announce who you're going to vote for. 723 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 1: You didn't announce whether your pro choice or pro life. 724 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: And I wouldn't touch those rails either. But I do 725 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: feel very comfortable correcting the record, even on dicey issues. 726 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 1: What you mentioned the Donald Trump, the debate that you did, 727 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: which I thought was fantastic and so well managed, but 728 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: it obviously turned your life upside down. What is your 729 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:53,840 Speaker 1: relationship like now, if at all, with President Trump? Have 730 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 1: you had any interaction with the White House since? And 731 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:00,040 Speaker 1: how did you find him both as a private in 732 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: a public figure. How much overlap was there in the 733 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,800 Speaker 1: way he would behave privately versus the way he behaved publicly. 734 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:13,360 Speaker 1: So privately, I before the debate and even ultimately after 735 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 1: the debate have found him utterly charming. You know, you 736 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: might be surprised utterly charming generous, self deprecating, effusive, and kind, complementary. Um, 737 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 1: I had nothing but kind feelings toward him, and and 738 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: I still have kind feelings toward him. I don't like 739 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 1: what he did towards me for those nine months, and 740 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: I don't love the way he talks about you know, 741 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:41,680 Speaker 1: some of my fellow citizens these days. You know, he's 742 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: not careful with his language and it can be problematic. UM. 743 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: And I see the flaws that people accuse him off. 744 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: There's no question he can be thin skinned and so on. 745 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: We all have our problems and his are magnified because 746 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: he's the president. But professionally, we went through a very 747 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,440 Speaker 1: tough period together for those nine months. Wasn't tough for him, 748 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: It was tough for me, and I hated it it was. 749 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 1: It was really just one of the most challenging things 750 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 1: I've been through professionally, and it was one of those 751 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 1: things that sort of there's probably a lesson in it, 752 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: because you know, I asked tough questions of all the 753 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: guys that night. The only difference was Trump wouldn't let 754 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 1: it go. You know, he made a thing out of 755 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 1: it and wouldn't let it go. And ultimately I couldn't 756 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: get him off my back. You know, Roger L's tried 757 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,799 Speaker 1: and Sean Hannity tried for me, and he was tight 758 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,319 Speaker 1: with Trump. He just he just wouldn't he wouldn't back off. 759 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: He was I think he was enjoying the storyline. And 760 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: so finally the lesson is it only stopped when I 761 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:44,399 Speaker 1: took it in hand myself and I contacted him through 762 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 1: a friend. It was actually Brian kilmead Um who got 763 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:50,399 Speaker 1: a message to him that I wanted to meet with him. 764 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: And you know, Roger Leader said, you should have met 765 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: on neutral ground, you should have gone a Trump tower. 766 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 1: I was like, Roger, I don't care. I don't care 767 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,600 Speaker 1: if it looks like I'm pursuing him or I'm an 768 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: aspect dary Well I am. I'm a journalist. The nature 769 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: of our relationship is, you know, pursuer and pursued. And 770 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: so we met and I basically, I mean the conversation 771 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: was off the record, but the bottom line is I said, 772 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,359 Speaker 1: please knock it off. You know you've done You've done 773 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,279 Speaker 1: this long enough. You made your point. Um, I want 774 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 1: you to put me back on the sidelines where I belong, 775 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 1: you belong in the playing field. And I belong on 776 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:29,080 Speaker 1: the sidelines. Put me back there. No harm done and 777 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 1: he was totally gracious about it, and we've never had 778 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: a problem since. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports 779 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows 780 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I 781 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. 782 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:47,920 Speaker 1: You said earlier in our conversation, I'm Clay Travis. This 783 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: is wins and losses. We're talking with Meg and Kelly. 784 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 1: Retreat is almost always bad. You left Fox for NBC. 785 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,919 Speaker 1: Obviously that didn't work out. Maybe it did because maybe 786 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 1: you're happy where you are now. If you were going back, 787 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: would you say, hey, I should have stated Fox, I 788 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 1: could have kept doing that show. Or was leaving Fox 789 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 1: like leaving the practice of law for you? You You felt 790 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 1: like you had done everything you could there and you 791 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,560 Speaker 1: were ready for another new challenge. And how would you 792 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: say to people out there who were, you know, trying 793 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: to weigh decisions that they make in their own career, 794 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 1: how did you make that choice? And looking back on it, 795 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 1: would you change anything? It's so smart, Clay, this is 796 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,279 Speaker 1: this is why you're doing so well. Um. That's a 797 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,360 Speaker 1: great question, and it the answer is it was the latter. Um, 798 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 1: it was. You know, I don't regret leaving Fox at all. 799 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: I kind of missed my old show because I think 800 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,240 Speaker 1: it was a service. I think it was an honest 801 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:49,719 Speaker 1: show that you could trust. And if The Kelly File 802 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:51,840 Speaker 1: we're still on now, I would watch it, you know. 803 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:54,280 Speaker 1: And it's one of the reasons why I'm I'm launching 804 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 1: this podcast, you know, because I do want to get 805 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:57,560 Speaker 1: back to doing the news in a way that I 806 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: think is fair and illuminating and hopefully yeerless. Um. But 807 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,319 Speaker 1: I don't regret the decision to leave, because it was 808 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 1: just a combination of things. It had been a rough 809 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:09,120 Speaker 1: time with Trump, yes, but that was in the past. 810 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: But you know, the Roger Ail thing changed my life 811 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: a lot at Fox. And even when it came out that, 812 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: you know, he really did have this side of him 813 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: that was really problematic. Um, people found it tough to forgive, 814 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:28,799 Speaker 1: you know, not everybody, but you know, I have dear, 815 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: dear friends there. Some of my best friends are there. 816 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 1: But some people who I really loved and admired just 817 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 1: never got over it. You know that I they thought 818 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:38,920 Speaker 1: I had turned on him because I didn't support him. 819 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:41,319 Speaker 1: And you know you I couldn't explain it any better 820 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:45,440 Speaker 1: than you know I had publicly. You know, it's I 821 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:48,360 Speaker 1: too felt loyal to Roger and grateful to him for 822 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:50,840 Speaker 1: what he'd done for me over the course of my career. 823 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: But when faced with the direct question about whether he 824 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:59,040 Speaker 1: was capable of doing this two women or not, there 825 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: was no way I was gonna lie. There's just there's 826 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:03,359 Speaker 1: just no way I was going to do it. So 827 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,440 Speaker 1: my life changed a lot there. The dynamic changed. And 828 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: while it was changing, um, my life was explosive. It 829 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 1: was you talked about acrimony. You know, I left a 830 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,320 Speaker 1: lot because it was too many hours and it was 831 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: too acrimonious. Put that on steroids for my time in 832 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:27,160 Speaker 1: cable news prime time. Um, you know O'Reilly told me 833 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 1: before I joined the prime time lineup that he said 834 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 1: it's a snake pit, and it got it. I've never 835 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: been told something more true. And so every time somebody 836 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: would come after me, there was somebody in the press 837 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 1: or another journalist or Trump or whoever, it would lead 838 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: to another crisis meeting. You know, the Trump thing had 839 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:50,719 Speaker 1: led to armed guards in my life, people showing up 840 00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:53,319 Speaker 1: at my apartment. It was dangerous and we lived like 841 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:56,680 Speaker 1: that for nine months. So I was weary, you know. 842 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 1: And at the same time, I had three young kids 843 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,800 Speaker 1: at the time, they were seven, five, and three, and 844 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: I missed them. I missed mothering. And I remember talking 845 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 1: my therapist about at the time and he said, you know, 846 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 1: he said, look at Chelsea Clinton. She had two parents 847 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,880 Speaker 1: who were incredibly busy, you know, they weren't there with 848 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:24,560 Speaker 1: her every day. She turned out just fine. And I said, 849 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:27,719 Speaker 1: I'm not worried about my kids turning out fine. I'm 850 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:33,200 Speaker 1: worried about missing it. I'm missing the whole thing. I 851 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,799 Speaker 1: don't see them anymore. I don't see them Monday through 852 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,080 Speaker 1: Friday because of these hours. You know, I go to 853 00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 1: work before they get home from school now, and what 854 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: I'm doing isn't good enough. So I just there were 855 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 1: a lot of tears that year. There was so much stress, 856 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: and my life was was totally joyless. And I thought, 857 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 1: once again, despite the fact that I was making a 858 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:56,799 Speaker 1: lot of money and offered a lot of money to 859 00:44:56,840 --> 00:45:01,480 Speaker 1: stay and had a position of influence, it was irrelevant 860 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:05,360 Speaker 1: to me. I was running and it wasn't running to NBC, 861 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:08,759 Speaker 1: but I was just running to a different lifestyle and 862 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,440 Speaker 1: the reason I went to NBC over anybody else, So 863 00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 1: simply I thought I could do this morning show that 864 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:16,440 Speaker 1: would let me then get home to my kids. I 865 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: could still do the news and get home to my kids. 866 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:22,880 Speaker 1: And you know, that obviously did not work out, and 867 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 1: I wasn't well thought out on my part either, But 868 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 1: it was a good move to get out and I 869 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,320 Speaker 1: did exercise some new muscles there and I got to 870 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:34,279 Speaker 1: interview Vladimir Putin, which is cool. Um, So it wasn't 871 00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:37,360 Speaker 1: all bad. And and the bottom line is now in 872 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,600 Speaker 1: I am totally engaged with my kids, with my husband, 873 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:45,320 Speaker 1: with my personal life, tight friendships now with my friends 874 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:50,280 Speaker 1: that had gone unnurtured. I feel well, I feel healthy, 875 00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:52,800 Speaker 1: I feel happy, you know, as happy as an Irish 876 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,480 Speaker 1: Catholic living in New York and b And there's a 877 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:58,520 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of things going against me, um um. 878 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:00,840 Speaker 1: And I don't regret it from it. I don't regret 879 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,359 Speaker 1: for one minute. One of the things that I think 880 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,359 Speaker 1: is fascinating about becoming a public figure, and obviously you 881 00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:09,399 Speaker 1: did that leaving the law, which is a serious job 882 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:11,359 Speaker 1: and it's filled with acrimony, but most of the time 883 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:13,359 Speaker 1: you're not gonna wake up in the morning and people 884 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,560 Speaker 1: aren't going to be mentioning your name or having a 885 00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:18,839 Speaker 1: strong opinion about you. Is lots of people that you 886 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 1: don't know at all and you'll never be able to 887 00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: interact with suddenly have such strong opinions about you. And 888 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:29,760 Speaker 1: I find that transition to be utterly fascinating. I've certainly 889 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:31,400 Speaker 1: seen it in my life. And I was talking with 890 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 1: my wife the other day and she was like, what 891 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 1: percentage of the American public do you think has a 892 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,200 Speaker 1: positive view of you? And I was like thirty and 893 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:40,319 Speaker 1: she was like really, And I was like, well, I 894 00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: mean the media. I'm in the media. I'm in the 895 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:44,880 Speaker 1: opinion business. I was like, a lot of people like me, 896 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:47,200 Speaker 1: but a probably more people dislike me because they have 897 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,240 Speaker 1: kind of a you know, caricatured version of me because 898 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,040 Speaker 1: they've heard opinion they don't like and they think about that. 899 00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:54,600 Speaker 1: And I said, but the really, the truth is, and 900 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: I'm brought to this because of what you just mentioned, 901 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:58,480 Speaker 1: your three young kids. I've got a twelve year old, 902 00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:00,279 Speaker 1: a ten year old, and a six year old. And 903 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,400 Speaker 1: I said, really, the only thing I care is what 904 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 1: people in my house think about me, because they know me, 905 00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:08,520 Speaker 1: and then secondarily people that are close to me and 906 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:10,920 Speaker 1: my family, and then people that I work with on 907 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:14,359 Speaker 1: a daily basis. I really don't care outside of that, 908 00:47:14,719 --> 00:47:16,839 Speaker 1: but I'm curious for you and I and my wife 909 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: says like that's my superpower. I just genuinely don't care 910 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 1: what people I don't know think about me. But I 911 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:26,160 Speaker 1: wonder if that's true for you and what it was 912 00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: like to suddenly go from I would say you got 913 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:33,360 Speaker 1: generally favorable pressed with the Kelly File too suddenly, and 914 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,080 Speaker 1: you may disagree with that, but it seemed generally favorable. 915 00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:38,319 Speaker 1: It's at least as favorable as somebody who's working at 916 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,840 Speaker 1: Fox News can get to. Suddenly you are just getting 917 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:46,360 Speaker 1: attacked on all angles by everyone, and it's like that 918 00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:48,799 Speaker 1: had to be wild. What does that experience like to 919 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:51,319 Speaker 1: be in the center of the storm like you were 920 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,360 Speaker 1: and still are to a certain extent, but certainly then 921 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: you really were well. I mean, that was very stressful, 922 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:02,000 Speaker 1: like being misread, resented day after day. It felt like 923 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:06,960 Speaker 1: every word I said turned into a ridiculous controversy not 924 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:10,960 Speaker 1: supported by the facts, and you know, there's only so 925 00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:13,120 Speaker 1: much you can do about that. I've I've always sort 926 00:48:13,120 --> 00:48:15,160 Speaker 1: of been of the belief that you just have to 927 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:17,879 Speaker 1: let that go because you can't control what the media 928 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 1: is going to do and say about you or what 929 00:48:20,120 --> 00:48:23,680 Speaker 1: people think of you. Um. But when it comes in 930 00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:26,480 Speaker 1: every other day over the course of you know, more 931 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:30,160 Speaker 1: than a year, it's it's hard. I'm not gonna lie, 932 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:34,399 Speaker 1: it was. It was tough on me emotionally. Um. I 933 00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:37,000 Speaker 1: think in general, in general, I'm of the belief that 934 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:39,319 Speaker 1: you know, life in the public square, if you're doing 935 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,759 Speaker 1: it right, means loved hate, It never ignored, you know, 936 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:45,479 Speaker 1: like you just have to resign to that that you'll 937 00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:48,160 Speaker 1: all have people, you know, scoff at me as I 938 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:50,000 Speaker 1: walk down the street and I but I'll have far 939 00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:51,960 Speaker 1: more people come over and want to hug me and 940 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:55,120 Speaker 1: coll me. They love me, and my kids see both sides, 941 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:58,240 Speaker 1: you know. They they're Even my little guy, who's now seven, 942 00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:01,440 Speaker 1: he gets it. You know, he'll see something a picture 943 00:49:01,440 --> 00:49:04,760 Speaker 1: of me on the tabloid or whatever, and I'll say, oh, honey, 944 00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 1: you know, there's lots of lies about mommy out there, 945 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:10,520 Speaker 1: and he'll say, well, why don't why don't you correct them? 946 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,560 Speaker 1: And I'm like, because there's no need the people who 947 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:16,359 Speaker 1: believe that stuff want to believe it, and the people 948 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:18,759 Speaker 1: who don't believe it don't need to be persuaded. You know, 949 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 1: my fans know who I am and they don't believe 950 00:49:22,200 --> 00:49:25,000 Speaker 1: the nonsense. And the other people, in my experience have 951 00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:28,120 Speaker 1: been very agenda driven. They're they're in a different kind 952 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:32,080 Speaker 1: of bubble. There's really no point um in fighting those fights, 953 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:33,880 Speaker 1: so you kind of have to surrender to it if 954 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:35,840 Speaker 1: you're gonna put yourself out there is a public figure. 955 00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:40,440 Speaker 1: Why the podcast? You are starting a new podcast? We 956 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:42,439 Speaker 1: have a lot of people that you're working with who 957 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:44,680 Speaker 1: I know are super smart on the business side, and 958 00:49:44,719 --> 00:49:48,440 Speaker 1: I think you've chosen well there. But why this particular 959 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 1: way to reach your audience. Well, I really wanted to 960 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:57,600 Speaker 1: be independent, meaning not have a corporate sponsor above me 961 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,560 Speaker 1: controlling everything. I didn't set you know, but old media, 962 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:03,800 Speaker 1: if you will, because there are pressures. There are pressures 963 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:06,120 Speaker 1: to cover the news in a certain way, to not 964 00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:09,400 Speaker 1: say certain things, um, and I just don't want to 965 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:11,319 Speaker 1: live like that anymore. I'm at a point in my 966 00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:14,840 Speaker 1: life where I don't want to do that, and I 967 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:16,680 Speaker 1: think we're at a point in our country where we 968 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:20,040 Speaker 1: need more free agents who are just ready to say 969 00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:23,000 Speaker 1: what's true, no matter what slings and arrows right, no 970 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:25,480 Speaker 1: matter what slings and arrows come. And I'm in a 971 00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:27,839 Speaker 1: position to do it now. You know, It's like I've 972 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:31,520 Speaker 1: been at ABC, I've been at NBC, I've been at Fox. UM, 973 00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:33,799 Speaker 1: I've done a lot of things, and I'm ready to 974 00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:37,080 Speaker 1: just be in control of my own little empire. And 975 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:40,640 Speaker 1: and honestly, if we start with ten listeners, great, maybe 976 00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:43,319 Speaker 1: the next week we'll have twelve, and over time I 977 00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:46,600 Speaker 1: will build up my relationship again with my audience, who 978 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:49,720 Speaker 1: I do believe is there. I know how they feel. 979 00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:52,359 Speaker 1: I know there are strong people out there who don't 980 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:55,279 Speaker 1: believe in these nonsense safe spaces, who really want to 981 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:58,960 Speaker 1: have challenging conversations, who are way tougher than you know, 982 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:02,279 Speaker 1: these media people give them credit for. You know, those 983 00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:05,239 Speaker 1: are the people I'm going after and there it's great 984 00:51:05,239 --> 00:51:08,279 Speaker 1: because they have more and more options in podcasting. I 985 00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:10,480 Speaker 1: think my voice will be additive to the ones that 986 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:14,040 Speaker 1: are already out there, and hopefully people remember that I 987 00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:15,680 Speaker 1: do the news. I bring the news in a way 988 00:51:15,719 --> 00:51:19,399 Speaker 1: that's user friendly. UM. But for me, it just made 989 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:22,479 Speaker 1: perfect sense because I wouldn't have a corporate master. Um, 990 00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:24,359 Speaker 1: I could. I could do things the way I wanted to. 991 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:27,640 Speaker 1: And I genuinely believe that this is the future, and 992 00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:31,680 Speaker 1: that you know, television news is dying, it's yesterday. Digital 993 00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:34,160 Speaker 1: as the future, and so this is where should place 994 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:37,160 Speaker 1: your bet. I've got two quick questions for you, because 995 00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:39,239 Speaker 1: I know you're busy, um, and then I've got a 996 00:51:39,239 --> 00:51:40,920 Speaker 1: broad question for you at the end, if we can 997 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:45,600 Speaker 1: run through really quick because I jotted down, Um, in general, 998 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:48,880 Speaker 1: did you watch Bombshell? And if so, what's it like 999 00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:52,799 Speaker 1: to have someone as talented as Charlie's her own playing you? 1000 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 1: Like most people you know jokingly kind of say, I 1001 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:58,479 Speaker 1: think Wolf Blitzer. Somebody was like, hey, if somebody played 1002 00:51:58,520 --> 00:52:00,560 Speaker 1: you in a movie, who would owe is der Fauci. 1003 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:01,960 Speaker 1: He was like, who would you want? And he was 1004 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:05,400 Speaker 1: like Brad Pitt and everybody kind of laughs. Charlie Starone 1005 00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,400 Speaker 1: played you. And if you were like a normal you know, 1006 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:10,839 Speaker 1: woman sitting out there, and You're like, any woman can 1007 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:13,719 Speaker 1: play you in a movie. A lot of women, especially 1008 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:16,400 Speaker 1: around your your age, my wife's age, you'd be like, oh, 1009 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,400 Speaker 1: I would love to have Charlie's throne. So did you 1010 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,000 Speaker 1: watch it, and what is it like to have somebody 1011 00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:26,480 Speaker 1: that accomplished inhabiting you in some way. I did watch it. 1012 00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:28,359 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure if I was going to watch it 1013 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:31,640 Speaker 1: because I had nothing to do with it, and I 1014 00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:34,399 Speaker 1: was concerned that it was going to be a hit 1015 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:38,279 Speaker 1: piece either. I don't know either about me or my 1016 00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:42,080 Speaker 1: friends at Fox. You know, I still love Fox. I 1017 00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:45,080 Speaker 1: still have a lot of good memories there, and I 1018 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:47,360 Speaker 1: just I just knew they'd probably turn it into a 1019 00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:50,799 Speaker 1: parody of people who I really care about. Um And 1020 00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:52,520 Speaker 1: to some extent they did, and I really hated what 1021 00:52:52,560 --> 00:52:54,359 Speaker 1: they did to Brian kill me in that movie, just 1022 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:58,640 Speaker 1: as one example. UM. But I did ultimately watch it, 1023 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:01,920 Speaker 1: and I up actually doing a piece with some of 1024 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:04,080 Speaker 1: the women who were portrayed in there, whose stories were portrayed, 1025 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:06,759 Speaker 1: and I posted it on on my YouTube channel. If 1026 00:53:06,760 --> 00:53:09,160 Speaker 1: you want to go look it up. It's actually really good. 1027 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,880 Speaker 1: I think the women were very open about their experience 1028 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:15,560 Speaker 1: at Falks. But look, it was surreal and it was 1029 00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:18,480 Speaker 1: incredibly emotional. I didn't expect it to be quite that emotional, 1030 00:53:18,640 --> 00:53:20,480 Speaker 1: you know that I'd have tears running down my face 1031 00:53:20,480 --> 00:53:24,040 Speaker 1: in certain certain scenes, you know, whenever they showed my 1032 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:28,160 Speaker 1: kids on the screen. Even now, even telling you about it, 1033 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:30,360 Speaker 1: it chokes me up. I get that thing in my throat, 1034 00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:33,920 Speaker 1: you know, because it was tough for them too, like 1035 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:36,239 Speaker 1: the whole couple of years, Trump and nails and all that. 1036 00:53:37,320 --> 00:53:40,240 Speaker 1: Um it just brought back a lot of painful memories. 1037 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:42,600 Speaker 1: And of course I'm thinking to myself, there's a reason 1038 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: I repressed all of this. Imagine taking one of the 1039 00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:49,600 Speaker 1: most difficult years or two of your life and been 1040 00:53:49,719 --> 00:53:52,200 Speaker 1: seeing it on the big screen. You know, Red Back 1041 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:56,319 Speaker 1: performed back for you. Um So it was traumatic in 1042 00:53:56,360 --> 00:53:59,000 Speaker 1: some ways, but overall I felt, you know, the movie 1043 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:01,040 Speaker 1: was a force for good. Is it did help hina 1044 00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: light on sexual harassment and how how it usually goes 1045 00:54:03,719 --> 00:54:08,319 Speaker 1: down and how tricky it is to navigate. Um So 1046 00:54:08,400 --> 00:54:10,759 Speaker 1: I'm in favor of that. And you know, I thought 1047 00:54:10,880 --> 00:54:13,160 Speaker 1: Jay Roach, the guy who directed it made it happen, 1048 00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:17,359 Speaker 1: was a terrific guy. So as a part of that, 1049 00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:20,480 Speaker 1: the Me too movement sexual harassment, I think, and this 1050 00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:22,800 Speaker 1: kind of ties in with the Duke Lacrosse in many ways. 1051 00:54:23,440 --> 00:54:26,680 Speaker 1: The Brett Kavanaugh hearing, and I don't know that I've 1052 00:54:26,719 --> 00:54:30,080 Speaker 1: heard you talk a ton about this, but it fired 1053 00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:32,760 Speaker 1: me up in a really big way as a lawyer, 1054 00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:36,320 Speaker 1: because it was to me, it was like Duke Lacrosse, 1055 00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:39,480 Speaker 1: except in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I don't know what 1056 00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:41,239 Speaker 1: you think about Brett Kavanaugh. I don't know if you've 1057 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:44,000 Speaker 1: ever met him before, but when you looked at all 1058 00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:48,200 Speaker 1: the evidence there, it to me was so transparent that 1059 00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:52,680 Speaker 1: that was a attempt to get him without the goods, 1060 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:54,680 Speaker 1: so to speak. If you're a lawyer, you look at 1061 00:54:54,719 --> 00:54:58,640 Speaker 1: all the facts and everything else. And what started as 1062 00:54:58,680 --> 00:55:02,520 Speaker 1: something that I think is very reasonable, me too, moved 1063 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:08,040 Speaker 1: to believe all women, which is fundamentally anti everything lawyers 1064 00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:09,880 Speaker 1: are taught. Right if we went to law school and 1065 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:12,240 Speaker 1: they said, oh, you have to believe the white person, 1066 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:14,719 Speaker 1: well that's everything that was wrong with the Jim Crow 1067 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:17,759 Speaker 1: South and everything before then. And the same thing, to 1068 00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:20,440 Speaker 1: me is true of believe all women, or believe all 1069 00:55:20,719 --> 00:55:23,400 Speaker 1: Hispanics are all agents, or the only thing that matters 1070 00:55:23,440 --> 00:55:26,560 Speaker 1: is the facts. Where you is troubled by the evolution 1071 00:55:26,640 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 1: and how quickly it moved from what may well have 1072 00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:32,439 Speaker 1: been occurring at Fox News with Roger Ailes and many 1073 00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:35,080 Speaker 1: other people in media having to deal with sexual harassment 1074 00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:39,560 Speaker 1: to something with Brett Kavanaugh, which is fundamentally not that. 1075 00:55:39,719 --> 00:55:41,800 Speaker 1: It seemed to me it was an awkward high school 1076 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:44,960 Speaker 1: encounter even if it ever occurred that I think almost 1077 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:48,040 Speaker 1: everyone who's ever been sixteen or seventeen has experienced, and 1078 00:55:48,080 --> 00:55:50,200 Speaker 1: I don't even believe it happened. But even if you 1079 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:53,279 Speaker 1: accept the allegation on its face, as lawyers often do 1080 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:57,279 Speaker 1: or judges do, there was no basis to it. So 1081 00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:01,719 Speaker 1: I too felt deeply affect did by what happened in 1082 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:05,400 Speaker 1: that case, and was disgusted by the allegations that were 1083 00:56:05,400 --> 00:56:09,760 Speaker 1: thrown at Brett Kavanaugh with zero, zero, credible supporting evidence. 1084 00:56:09,880 --> 00:56:13,680 Speaker 1: In the case of especially these later ones who came forward, Um, 1085 00:56:13,719 --> 00:56:15,480 Speaker 1: we can talk about Blasi for because I put her 1086 00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:18,279 Speaker 1: in a different category. But yes, you go back and 1087 00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:19,800 Speaker 1: take a look at some of my coverage on NBC. 1088 00:56:20,360 --> 00:56:23,319 Speaker 1: There were articles written up about it because let's just say, 1089 00:56:23,320 --> 00:56:26,360 Speaker 1: I was the lone voice defending Brett Cavanaugh and just 1090 00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:28,080 Speaker 1: holding people to account it. There was a guy named 1091 00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:31,120 Speaker 1: Jacob Jacob sober Off who came on my show and 1092 00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:35,440 Speaker 1: said he's now been subjected to five allegations of sexual assaults. 1093 00:56:35,840 --> 00:56:39,879 Speaker 1: I said, hold on, that's not true, and we went 1094 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:41,359 Speaker 1: through and of course I had it at the ready 1095 00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:44,120 Speaker 1: because as all lawyers do about exactly what had been alleged. 1096 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:46,719 Speaker 1: And you know, creepy poorn lawyer, as Tucker would say, 1097 00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:51,120 Speaker 1: Michael Avanadi's client, who was the worst of all of them? Um, 1098 00:56:51,160 --> 00:56:52,560 Speaker 1: and then and then there was the one that he 1099 00:56:52,600 --> 00:56:55,840 Speaker 1: was counting in there, which was the mother of some 1100 00:56:56,040 --> 00:56:59,960 Speaker 1: woman who may have been Brett Cavanaugh's girlfriend at some point, remember, 1101 00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:01,680 Speaker 1: is her daughter saying he drew her against the wall. 1102 00:57:02,440 --> 00:57:07,960 Speaker 1: And the NBC published that account. Oh my god. And 1103 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:10,640 Speaker 1: by the way, the the actual daughter, the actual girlfriend 1104 00:57:10,680 --> 00:57:13,560 Speaker 1: later came out and said, that's that didn't happen. So 1105 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,400 Speaker 1: if somebody had bothered to check with me, you might 1106 00:57:16,560 --> 00:57:18,560 Speaker 1: not have gone out on that limb. But this is 1107 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:21,640 Speaker 1: this is how the news works. So you've got this guy, 1108 00:57:22,240 --> 00:57:25,120 Speaker 1: Jacob Soberrock out there saying five allegations of credible assault. 1109 00:57:25,160 --> 00:57:28,440 Speaker 1: Are you kidding me? So? Yeah, Even while I was 1110 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:31,240 Speaker 1: NBC on NBC, I was, I was outraged about what 1111 00:57:31,280 --> 00:57:33,640 Speaker 1: was being done to him. I think the blade before 1112 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:37,360 Speaker 1: thing is it's not egregious for the media to report 1113 00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 1: on that, and the facts on that deserve to be heard. 1114 00:57:41,120 --> 00:57:44,120 Speaker 1: Her testimonial. I was fine with her offering that testimonial. 1115 00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:47,600 Speaker 1: My own, you know, personal take as a lawyer on 1116 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:50,160 Speaker 1: what probably happened there was you know, the concept in 1117 00:57:50,160 --> 00:57:54,480 Speaker 1: the law of the eggshell plaintiffs. Yes, and it's basically, 1118 00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:57,560 Speaker 1: you know, some people are I don't want to say 1119 00:57:57,640 --> 00:57:59,320 Speaker 1: that the weaker is not the word I'm looking for, 1120 00:57:59,480 --> 00:58:02,880 Speaker 1: but no, that the people are out there who are 1121 00:58:02,920 --> 00:58:06,439 Speaker 1: not aware of it, like the thin skull. Like if 1122 00:58:06,480 --> 00:58:09,680 Speaker 1: you accidentally hit somebody who has a thin skull, it's 1123 00:58:09,680 --> 00:58:12,840 Speaker 1: a it's a concept and a plaintiff law, you're responsible 1124 00:58:12,920 --> 00:58:15,680 Speaker 1: for what happens to them, but they can be impacted 1125 00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 1: in a way that would not happen to the average person. 1126 00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:20,200 Speaker 1: Does that make sense like for people I'm trying to say, 1127 00:58:20,240 --> 00:58:23,720 Speaker 1: until way for people to understand it, that's exactly right. 1128 00:58:23,760 --> 00:58:25,960 Speaker 1: So you know, you sort of you don't know who 1129 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:29,880 Speaker 1: you're gonna hit, who you're dealing negligently hit the softball. 1130 00:58:30,160 --> 00:58:32,280 Speaker 1: You don't know how tough their skull is going to be. 1131 00:58:32,680 --> 00:58:34,720 Speaker 1: And my impression of her was she was a very 1132 00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:45,120 Speaker 1: fragile person who seemed very very nervous, very um maybe 1133 00:58:45,160 --> 00:58:49,920 Speaker 1: slightly not all together and U and so My impression was, 1134 00:58:49,960 --> 00:58:52,040 Speaker 1: this is a girl who may have had some sort 1135 00:58:52,080 --> 00:58:55,040 Speaker 1: of an interaction with the young Brett Havanaugh, and in 1136 00:58:55,080 --> 00:58:59,480 Speaker 1: her world it was something significant. In his world it 1137 00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:02,600 Speaker 1: was enoughing, and in the average woman's world it was 1138 00:59:02,880 --> 00:59:05,160 Speaker 1: it might have been nothing. And because I just I 1139 00:59:05,240 --> 00:59:07,520 Speaker 1: have a hard time believing she just totally made it 1140 00:59:07,600 --> 00:59:10,200 Speaker 1: up for political purposes to to kill the guy. Though 1141 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:12,640 Speaker 1: I've seen that happen, I have definitely I don't rule 1142 00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:15,920 Speaker 1: that out, um, but I think to come with it 1143 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:18,840 Speaker 1: thirty years later and expect this guy who's had a 1144 00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:22,400 Speaker 1: stellar record on the bench, not a whiff of problematic 1145 00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:24,560 Speaker 1: reports while he's been on the federal bench. In fact, 1146 00:59:24,560 --> 00:59:27,280 Speaker 1: to the contrary, so many female character witnesses, young girls, 1147 00:59:27,320 --> 00:59:31,440 Speaker 1: old women, talking about would an advocate he's been so nothing, 1148 00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:36,320 Speaker 1: nothing credible at all. Um. Is was really unfair because 1149 00:59:36,360 --> 00:59:38,160 Speaker 1: the guy there was no way he could defend himself. 1150 00:59:38,160 --> 00:59:40,160 Speaker 1: How do you I mean he tried, he had the 1151 00:59:40,240 --> 00:59:43,200 Speaker 1: journals and all that, and nobody remembered her story, including 1152 00:59:43,200 --> 00:59:47,800 Speaker 1: her own friend. UM. Anyway, so that's that's blasi forward. 1153 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:51,439 Speaker 1: I didn't object to a media vetting of the claim 1154 00:59:51,520 --> 00:59:55,080 Speaker 1: she brought forward. Everyone else I feel very differently about. 1155 00:59:55,440 --> 00:59:58,920 Speaker 1: It was a huge smear job. It changed the Supreme 1156 00:59:58,920 --> 01:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Court nomination process forever. What the Democrats were doing to 1157 01:00:03,440 --> 01:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Brett Kavanaugh was disgusting and unforgivable. It was unforgivable the 1158 01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:09,520 Speaker 1: fact that they accused him of gang rape from this 1159 01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:13,040 Speaker 1: Julie Sweat Knicks allegations, which were completely and obviously focused 1160 01:00:13,120 --> 01:00:17,400 Speaker 1: from day one, day one. It was disgusting. And the 1161 01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:20,840 Speaker 1: fact that they would run with an allegation like that 1162 01:00:21,520 --> 01:00:26,440 Speaker 1: at places like NBC, but wouldn't run the Harvey Weinstein 1163 01:00:26,560 --> 01:00:29,440 Speaker 1: rape stories that Rose mcgallen was on the record with 1164 01:00:29,560 --> 01:00:31,600 Speaker 1: and other women were on the record with with NBC. 1165 01:00:32,000 --> 01:00:33,919 Speaker 1: That's just one of the media that dropped the ball 1166 01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:36,640 Speaker 1: on It is egregious, right. It just tells you everything 1167 01:00:36,640 --> 01:00:40,720 Speaker 1: you need to know about bias. They protect the guy, 1168 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:43,800 Speaker 1: the rich guy. He's donated to all the Democrats and 1169 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:46,200 Speaker 1: you know, he makes legal threats, so okay, peace out. 1170 01:00:46,240 --> 01:00:48,960 Speaker 1: By the way, they have their own, you know, predator 1171 01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:51,560 Speaker 1: inside the halls of NBC. As it turned out, um 1172 01:00:51,600 --> 01:00:54,000 Speaker 1: which recording to Roning was exactly why they didn't want 1173 01:00:54,000 --> 01:00:56,560 Speaker 1: to tell the story of Harvey Weinsteins. But as long 1174 01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:59,040 Speaker 1: as it's a Republican nominated of the Supreme Court. Have 1175 01:00:59,200 --> 01:01:02,520 Speaker 1: Adam go for it? Julie Sweat, Nick Michael Abanadi? How 1176 01:01:02,600 --> 01:01:06,240 Speaker 1: many times can we put you on television? Um? Anyway, 1177 01:01:06,640 --> 01:01:09,000 Speaker 1: to me, it was a travesty and we're gearing up 1178 01:01:09,040 --> 01:01:11,760 Speaker 1: for another one. That's what I was gonna say. We're 1179 01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:13,440 Speaker 1: talking before this. This is not going to go up 1180 01:01:13,560 --> 01:01:15,200 Speaker 1: till next week. But how much of a mess do 1181 01:01:15,280 --> 01:01:18,000 Speaker 1: you think this next day? And I guess what I 1182 01:01:18,000 --> 01:01:20,560 Speaker 1: should say because you got me fired up too. These 1183 01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:24,560 Speaker 1: are theoretically some of the brightest legal minds in politics 1184 01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:27,960 Speaker 1: that are on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sitting as Democrats, right, 1185 01:01:28,320 --> 01:01:31,440 Speaker 1: And I watched those hearings and I just thought to myself, 1186 01:01:32,080 --> 01:01:35,480 Speaker 1: how in the world could you ever think this makes 1187 01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:39,360 Speaker 1: sense as an objective lawyer? Right? The way that so 1188 01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:42,280 Speaker 1: many of those Democrats behaved, And I would like to 1189 01:01:42,320 --> 01:01:45,760 Speaker 1: think that Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee wouldn't behave 1190 01:01:45,800 --> 01:01:47,360 Speaker 1: the same way. We may have to wait a few 1191 01:01:47,440 --> 01:01:49,960 Speaker 1: years to find out, but to me, the precedent that 1192 01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:53,640 Speaker 1: the Kavanaugh here hearing set is effectively no one is 1193 01:01:53,680 --> 01:01:56,840 Speaker 1: eligible to be a Supreme Court justice because everybody's got 1194 01:01:57,080 --> 01:02:00,800 Speaker 1: something that somebody negative can say about them, even if 1195 01:02:00,840 --> 01:02:04,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't rise to the level of being criminal. Well, 1196 01:02:04,880 --> 01:02:06,440 Speaker 1: that's the thing is like people are taking a hard 1197 01:02:06,480 --> 01:02:08,400 Speaker 1: look at Coney Barrett saying, oh, they're going to come 1198 01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:10,320 Speaker 1: after her for her faith or you know, for this 1199 01:02:10,440 --> 01:02:13,720 Speaker 1: ruling or for that ruling. They're going to come after anyone. 1200 01:02:13,880 --> 01:02:16,040 Speaker 1: If I were Trump, I would pick who I genuinely want, 1201 01:02:16,160 --> 01:02:17,520 Speaker 1: you know, I would want to pick the one who 1202 01:02:17,520 --> 01:02:19,720 Speaker 1: would give me the best legacy on the bench with 1203 01:02:19,760 --> 01:02:22,400 Speaker 1: the rulings I hope for right that who's going to 1204 01:02:22,680 --> 01:02:26,840 Speaker 1: be institutionalist and originalists and represent, you know, my world 1205 01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:29,800 Speaker 1: view when it comes to law the best possible, because 1206 01:02:29,920 --> 01:02:33,120 Speaker 1: whoever it is is going to get killed unfairly by 1207 01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:35,960 Speaker 1: the press and by the Democrats. And I think you're 1208 01:02:35,960 --> 01:02:37,840 Speaker 1: doing more generous than I am. I don't look at 1209 01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:39,680 Speaker 1: those Democrat lawyers and think these are some of the 1210 01:02:39,720 --> 01:02:42,640 Speaker 1: best legal minds in the country. I really know very 1211 01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:45,440 Speaker 1: few people who have. I said, for Paul, for politicians, 1212 01:02:45,480 --> 01:02:47,439 Speaker 1: they're some of the best legal minds, right, I mean 1213 01:02:47,440 --> 01:02:51,280 Speaker 1: that that's the best of the elected officials unfortunately, that 1214 01:02:51,360 --> 01:02:53,560 Speaker 1: have a law degrees that we could rely on. And 1215 01:02:53,600 --> 01:02:55,560 Speaker 1: I just sat there discussed it. I mean, you know, 1216 01:02:55,600 --> 01:02:59,000 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Um And by 1217 01:02:59,000 --> 01:03:01,680 Speaker 1: the way, years why the Lindsay Graham moment was so huge. 1218 01:03:03,240 --> 01:03:05,880 Speaker 1: We all watched and I covered at length while the 1219 01:03:05,880 --> 01:03:08,560 Speaker 1: wall gavel, the gavel the Supreme Court confirmation hearing is 1220 01:03:08,600 --> 01:03:11,200 Speaker 1: in recent history of John Roberts, of Samuel Alito, of 1221 01:03:11,280 --> 01:03:14,520 Speaker 1: Lana Kagan, if Sonia Soto mayor, none of this happened. 1222 01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:16,800 Speaker 1: There was like a little Aldo who got a little 1223 01:03:16,880 --> 01:03:20,120 Speaker 1: bit unfairly beat up and his wife shed a tear. Right. 1224 01:03:20,240 --> 01:03:23,120 Speaker 1: It's like a sad moment in the in the process, 1225 01:03:23,160 --> 01:03:25,800 Speaker 1: that's it, And that was already more vicious than it 1226 01:03:25,920 --> 01:03:29,320 Speaker 1: used to be, other than bourk And to see them 1227 01:03:29,360 --> 01:03:35,880 Speaker 1: try to destroy this man, destroy him without any concern 1228 01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:38,960 Speaker 1: for the truth, for what, what would be admissible in 1229 01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:41,520 Speaker 1: a court of law, what's appropriate to report to an 1230 01:03:41,560 --> 01:03:47,320 Speaker 1: audience of millions, was infuriating. And so I think we're 1231 01:03:47,320 --> 01:03:49,880 Speaker 1: going to see it again. I think I don't know 1232 01:03:49,880 --> 01:03:52,000 Speaker 1: how to solve it. I think it's like a nuclear 1233 01:03:52,080 --> 01:03:56,439 Speaker 1: arms race now where no one's gonna step down. Each 1234 01:03:56,480 --> 01:04:00,560 Speaker 1: side just keeps raising the anti Although all I can 1235 01:04:00,600 --> 01:04:02,880 Speaker 1: hope is that because I think Trump's going to fill 1236 01:04:02,880 --> 01:04:04,560 Speaker 1: the seat, and I think he's going to get his vote, 1237 01:04:04,640 --> 01:04:06,440 Speaker 1: and I think he's going to install the next justice 1238 01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:10,480 Speaker 1: on the Supreme Court. Um. And I don't think the Democrats. 1239 01:04:10,960 --> 01:04:13,280 Speaker 1: I I don't believe they're going to pull the trigger 1240 01:04:13,360 --> 01:04:17,040 Speaker 1: on unpastacking the court. Yeah. Yeah, I just I can't 1241 01:04:17,040 --> 01:04:20,280 Speaker 1: believe they do that. It's that is killing the Supreme Court. 1242 01:04:20,360 --> 01:04:22,280 Speaker 1: The Supreme Court is done. If they do that, it's over. 1243 01:04:22,840 --> 01:04:27,480 Speaker 1: I just by the way I go that far. Yeah, 1244 01:04:27,520 --> 01:04:29,720 Speaker 1: I can't imagine. I was just gonna say, if you 1245 01:04:29,760 --> 01:04:32,240 Speaker 1: want to read about that, there's a fantastic book by 1246 01:04:32,280 --> 01:04:36,840 Speaker 1: Molly Hemingway h called Justice on Trial, the Kavanaugh Confirmation 1247 01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:40,000 Speaker 1: and the Future of the Supreme Court. It goes all 1248 01:04:40,000 --> 01:04:43,720 Speaker 1: the way through. Uh, it's an incredible book. Molly Hemmingway. 1249 01:04:43,720 --> 01:04:45,080 Speaker 1: I want to make sure I get it right. And 1250 01:04:45,200 --> 01:04:48,440 Speaker 1: Carrie Severino did a phenomenal job on that. All right, 1251 01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:50,600 Speaker 1: I've kept you for a long time. Final question here 1252 01:04:50,640 --> 01:04:52,400 Speaker 1: because I'm always kind of curious. This is the Wins 1253 01:04:52,400 --> 01:04:54,720 Speaker 1: and Losses Podcast. I'm Clay Travis. We've been talking with 1254 01:04:54,800 --> 01:04:56,840 Speaker 1: Megan Kelly and by the way, this is fantas like 1255 01:04:57,080 --> 01:04:59,360 Speaker 1: I want to bring you on to talk when this 1256 01:04:59,760 --> 01:05:03,600 Speaker 1: when this process actually starts playing out on the Supreme Court, like, 1257 01:05:04,800 --> 01:05:06,800 Speaker 1: I feel like it's gonna be I feel like it's 1258 01:05:06,800 --> 01:05:10,520 Speaker 1: gonna be covered so poorly that I'm already fired up 1259 01:05:10,520 --> 01:05:13,440 Speaker 1: about just wanting to have a panel of smart lawyers 1260 01:05:13,440 --> 01:05:15,880 Speaker 1: who aren't trying to come at this from a like 1261 01:05:15,960 --> 01:05:17,840 Speaker 1: I'm not telling you who I think should be on 1262 01:05:17,880 --> 01:05:20,760 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court, Right, I'm not the president. I probably 1263 01:05:20,760 --> 01:05:23,520 Speaker 1: would disagree with many of the rulings that Brett Kavanaugh 1264 01:05:23,560 --> 01:05:26,960 Speaker 1: would make, or Sonya Sada mayor for that purpose, whoever 1265 01:05:27,000 --> 01:05:29,640 Speaker 1: you want to point to, Right, But Brett Kavanaugh was 1266 01:05:29,760 --> 01:05:33,640 Speaker 1: imminently qualified and probably as good of a choice as 1267 01:05:33,680 --> 01:05:37,520 Speaker 1: Donald Trump could make. Right, Like regard if you're acknowledging 1268 01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:39,640 Speaker 1: that the Republican is going to make the choice, I 1269 01:05:39,640 --> 01:05:42,000 Speaker 1: think Amy Coney Barrett, based on everything that I know 1270 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:45,600 Speaker 1: about her, and if research, is an eminently reasonable choice. 1271 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:48,920 Speaker 1: This isn't George Bush trying to put Harriet Myers on 1272 01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:51,440 Speaker 1: the Court because he's good friends with her. You know, 1273 01:05:51,560 --> 01:05:54,040 Speaker 1: this is an eminently reasonable choice. And I just feel 1274 01:05:54,080 --> 01:05:56,560 Speaker 1: like the media by and large is going to do 1275 01:05:56,800 --> 01:06:00,080 Speaker 1: such an awful and crappy job of covering this that 1276 01:06:00,200 --> 01:06:02,480 Speaker 1: I feel like there has to be an outlet that 1277 01:06:02,560 --> 01:06:04,080 Speaker 1: can do a good job of it. And I'm sure 1278 01:06:04,120 --> 01:06:06,080 Speaker 1: you'll do a good job on your podcast, but I 1279 01:06:06,120 --> 01:06:09,280 Speaker 1: feel like that's being lost now. I couldn't agree more. 1280 01:06:09,320 --> 01:06:11,480 Speaker 1: And it did occur to me, you know, for the 1281 01:06:11,520 --> 01:06:14,520 Speaker 1: purposes of my launching this podcast. It was good timing, 1282 01:06:14,920 --> 01:06:17,480 Speaker 1: you know, to have this battle. I do respect the 1283 01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:19,840 Speaker 1: work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For the record, I do 1284 01:06:19,920 --> 01:06:22,400 Speaker 1: think she was a liberal icon. She was She was 1285 01:06:22,440 --> 01:06:24,320 Speaker 1: a fighter for women. I refer not to what she 1286 01:06:24,360 --> 01:06:25,680 Speaker 1: did on the bench, but what she did as an 1287 01:06:25,720 --> 01:06:27,800 Speaker 1: advocate prior to that and at Harvard coming up in 1288 01:06:27,800 --> 01:06:30,480 Speaker 1: a man's world. So I mean respect, respect, And I 1289 01:06:30,520 --> 01:06:32,720 Speaker 1: loved her friendship with Scalia and they were an example 1290 01:06:32,720 --> 01:06:38,800 Speaker 1: and bipartisanship. Um. But this battle is going to require objective, 1291 01:06:39,040 --> 01:06:41,960 Speaker 1: fair voices out there where people know they can turn 1292 01:06:42,040 --> 01:06:45,520 Speaker 1: for the truth, the truth, and I know you're one 1293 01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:47,560 Speaker 1: of them, and I will be too. As soon as 1294 01:06:47,600 --> 01:06:49,400 Speaker 1: I get this thing launched the week of the twenty eight, 1295 01:06:50,440 --> 01:06:52,440 Speaker 1: we will be listening, all right. Final question, what do 1296 01:06:52,480 --> 01:06:54,560 Speaker 1: you wish you could go back and tell yourself when 1297 01:06:54,560 --> 01:06:57,360 Speaker 1: you walked out of the law firm and into your 1298 01:06:57,400 --> 01:07:00,400 Speaker 1: media career. That would have helped you the most to 1299 01:07:00,440 --> 01:07:06,120 Speaker 1: be prepared for what was to come. Mm hmm, wow. 1300 01:07:06,720 --> 01:07:10,120 Speaker 1: I might have said, you just turned back in there, girl, don't. 1301 01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:14,640 Speaker 1: You'll be a partner. You can become really successful there 1302 01:07:15,080 --> 01:07:17,440 Speaker 1: and you know, at some point you can ride off 1303 01:07:17,480 --> 01:07:18,960 Speaker 1: into the sunset. I mean, I got a lot of 1304 01:07:19,000 --> 01:07:22,160 Speaker 1: friends who who have stayed in the partner life and uh, 1305 01:07:22,240 --> 01:07:25,000 Speaker 1: and they're doing well. And the positive with that is 1306 01:07:25,040 --> 01:07:27,760 Speaker 1: you grind and it's a tough, tough job, but by 1307 01:07:27,800 --> 01:07:30,080 Speaker 1: and large, you don't have to worry about waking up 1308 01:07:30,080 --> 01:07:32,720 Speaker 1: and pulling out your phone and somebody is you know, 1309 01:07:33,000 --> 01:07:35,560 Speaker 1: somebody has come after you and you're trending, you know 1310 01:07:35,680 --> 01:07:39,080 Speaker 1: on on Twitter. You know. Okay on that front. The 1311 01:07:39,120 --> 01:07:42,720 Speaker 1: difference between your adversary coming after you in the practice 1312 01:07:42,760 --> 01:07:46,360 Speaker 1: of law in my experience, and those who come after you, 1313 01:07:46,880 --> 01:07:50,000 Speaker 1: as you know, in this profession and media is the 1314 01:07:50,400 --> 01:07:54,760 Speaker 1: lawyers still have honor. They do, not all of them, 1315 01:07:54,800 --> 01:07:56,720 Speaker 1: but for the most part, lawyers still have honor in 1316 01:07:56,760 --> 01:07:59,640 Speaker 1: my experience, and they they won't try to hurt you 1317 01:07:59,720 --> 01:08:03,360 Speaker 1: unfair early. Um. That's not the case in media. Their 1318 01:08:03,560 --> 01:08:08,720 Speaker 1: their business is to be unfair and unfactual in today's 1319 01:08:08,800 --> 01:08:11,640 Speaker 1: day and age, and so as frustrating as that can be, 1320 01:08:12,080 --> 01:08:15,000 Speaker 1: it is it is like that's our reality, and one 1321 01:08:15,040 --> 01:08:17,040 Speaker 1: just now has to learn how to navigate around it, 1322 01:08:17,560 --> 01:08:20,599 Speaker 1: and then, unfortunately help people who aren't in the media 1323 01:08:20,680 --> 01:08:23,000 Speaker 1: learned to navigate around it because they also live in 1324 01:08:23,000 --> 01:08:26,040 Speaker 1: a world of Facebook and Twitter where things they're just 1325 01:08:26,040 --> 01:08:28,240 Speaker 1: said about them that aren't true, and now they have 1326 01:08:28,280 --> 01:08:30,280 Speaker 1: to pussy foot around every issue when they're at their 1327 01:08:30,360 --> 01:08:33,880 Speaker 1: jobs lest they lose them, you know. And so I 1328 01:08:33,880 --> 01:08:35,360 Speaker 1: don't know. I just think the call is greater than 1329 01:08:35,400 --> 01:08:38,679 Speaker 1: ever to do what we're doing. But sure, I think 1330 01:08:38,800 --> 01:08:40,720 Speaker 1: in some ways my life would have been easier had 1331 01:08:40,720 --> 01:08:43,160 Speaker 1: I just taken that partnership and tried a bunch of 1332 01:08:43,160 --> 01:08:46,200 Speaker 1: cases and retired with you know, I guess in fifteen 1333 01:08:46,200 --> 01:08:50,360 Speaker 1: more years with it, with a fat pension of some sort. Um. Listen, 1334 01:08:50,560 --> 01:08:52,320 Speaker 1: I'll leave you with this because I've mentioned my therapist 1335 01:08:52,320 --> 01:08:56,720 Speaker 1: several times. He's amazing. Um. After one one of the 1336 01:08:56,720 --> 01:08:58,679 Speaker 1: many blow ups in my life or we were talking 1337 01:08:58,720 --> 01:09:03,400 Speaker 1: and uh, he said, you know, Megan, you don't always 1338 01:09:03,520 --> 01:09:08,920 Speaker 1: have to take the path of most resistance. And I thought, 1339 01:09:08,960 --> 01:09:11,280 Speaker 1: you know. If you know me at all, you know 1340 01:09:11,360 --> 01:09:14,439 Speaker 1: that I do. Some of us are just pugilistic by nature, 1341 01:09:14,560 --> 01:09:18,640 Speaker 1: and for whatever reason, the flame finds us. And I 1342 01:09:18,640 --> 01:09:21,880 Speaker 1: think that's brought great, great gifts into my life and 1343 01:09:22,040 --> 01:09:24,800 Speaker 1: some downsides as well, but I'm balanced. I wouldn't train 1344 01:09:24,840 --> 01:09:28,240 Speaker 1: any of it. This has been phenomenal. This has been fantastic. 1345 01:09:28,240 --> 01:09:30,519 Speaker 1: I would encourage all of you to go make sure 1346 01:09:30,560 --> 01:09:33,320 Speaker 1: that you subscribe to Megan Kelly's new podcast. Go follow 1347 01:09:33,320 --> 01:09:36,160 Speaker 1: her on Twitter at Megan Kelly. I'll tweet out the link. 1348 01:09:36,200 --> 01:09:37,960 Speaker 1: If you haven't followed her already, you can make sure 1349 01:09:38,000 --> 01:09:39,800 Speaker 1: you do it just in time for the Supreme Court 1350 01:09:39,840 --> 01:09:42,280 Speaker 1: confirmation battle that appears it's going to be eminent on 1351 01:09:42,360 --> 01:09:44,960 Speaker 1: the next few days. Megan, thank you so much. I 1352 01:09:45,000 --> 01:09:47,160 Speaker 1: know how busy you are. This was phenomenal. Look forward 1353 01:09:47,160 --> 01:09:49,120 Speaker 1: to being able to talk some time again down the line. 1354 01:09:49,920 --> 01:09:52,840 Speaker 1: Thanks Clay, I appreciate it. That is Megan Kelly. I'm 1355 01:09:52,880 --> 01:09:56,439 Speaker 1: Clay Travis. This has been wins and losses. Be sure 1356 01:09:56,479 --> 01:09:59,080 Speaker 1: to catch live editions about Kick the Coverage with Clay 1357 01:09:59,120 --> 01:10:02,440 Speaker 1: Travis weekday. He's at six am Eastern three am Pacific,