1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: There are some things that need to be said, and 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: for me today, I'll have to say them about old friends, 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: because you deserve the truth and access and friendship. All 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: of these things are secondary to what's most important in 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: this moment, which is the country. 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 2: This is the warning. 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: I am one of seventy four million Americans who voted 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: for Kamala Harris. 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: We did not support Donald Trump. 10 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: But there are many of us. We are unrepresented right now. 11 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: Where is our voice in Washington, DC? Who will rise 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: up and say no to the insanity we are watching unfold. 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: Donald Trump campaigned repugnantly. He campaigned as a fascist, and 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: yes it's the appropriate word. Every single thing he has done, 15 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: with the exception of the employment of his chief of 16 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: staff and the nomination of Marco Rubio, has indicated he 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: will govern as radically as he campaigned. Yesterday, the Trump 18 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: transition confirmed that the US military will be deployed domestically, 19 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: and then it will build massive camps to house who 20 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: knows ten million, fifteen million, twenty million people. It was 21 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: on that day when Mika Brazinski and Joe Scarborough told 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: the country that they had gone to mar A Lago 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: to sit down with Trump. 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 3: Over the past week, Joe and I have heard from 25 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: so many people, from political leaders to regular citizens, deeply 26 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 3: dismayed by several of President Elect Trump's cabinet selections, and 27 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 3: they are scared. Last Thursday, we expressed our own concerns 28 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 3: on this broadcast and even said we would appreciate the 29 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 3: opportunity to speak with the President elect himself. On Friday, 30 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 3: we were given the opportunity to do just that. Joe 31 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 3: and I went to mar A Lago to meet personally 32 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 3: with President Elect Trump. 33 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 4: And that's going to come as no surprise to anybody 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 4: who watches this show, has watched it over the past 35 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 4: year or over the past decade, that we didn't see 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 4: eye to eye on a lot of issues, and we 37 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 4: told him so. 38 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 3: Joe and I realize it's time to do something different, 39 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 3: and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, 40 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 3: but also talking with him. 41 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: And this, of course, drew widespread immediate reaction, laughter, and 42 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: condemnation across a broad medium spectrum. For once people who 43 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: s virulently disagree with each other were in agreement. Here's 44 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: a taste of Megan Kelly. 45 00:02:50,160 --> 00:03:00,040 Speaker 5: Reacting, go yourselves, you dishonest jokes of faux journalists. What 46 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 5: Curtifarce that was. 47 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes people get caught up in the condemnation and the pylon. 48 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,559 Speaker 2: We shouldn't do that in this case, this is important. 49 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 2: What happened. 50 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: Joe Scarborough knows his history, and he surveyed Donald Trump's 51 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: statements and actions over a decade, and he looked into 52 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: the camera and he told his audience, probably the most 53 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: serious and damaging thing you could ever say out loud 54 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: about another person in politics. 55 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 4: This is not a reach. I could go back and 56 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 4: talk about Nazi Germany and I do it. I do 57 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 4: it without any concerns whatsoever. And if people can't start 58 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 4: drawing the parallels, well you're just stupid, or you have 59 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 4: your head in the sand. 60 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 2: Are You're one of them? 61 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: I know every time when I talk about the Third 62 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: Reich and I talk about the lessons of that era 63 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: and apply it to Trump's incipient fascist movement, I tried 64 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: to do so careful, with precision. Joe Scarborough has done 65 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: the same. It is clear that he looked and he processed, 66 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: and he decided that Trump was beyond just a radical, 67 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,839 Speaker 1: that he was beyond just an extremist, that he had 68 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: entered a territory where it was fair where it was appropriate. 69 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: And this is the most important part, absolutely in urgently 70 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: necessary to compare Donald Trump to the fascists of the 71 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties. Trump has done nothing to dissuade anybody since 72 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: his election that he will not govern precisely as he campaigned. 73 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: Jesus had it right about being the first to pick 74 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: up the stone. Joe Scarborough's picked up a lot of 75 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: stones and he's tossed on pretty hard. 76 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 6: And Marco Rubio Marco, like these other people, all because 77 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 6: if they want to cozy up to Donald Trump and 78 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 6: maybe be his vice pres that's it. They degrade themselves 79 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 6: and they slamed her America and Nikki Haley. 80 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 4: Everybody has to make a choice. And in twenty twenty four, 81 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 4: you know, Nicki Haley could have made the choice that 82 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 4: a lot of conservative Republicans have made. 83 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 6: Don't go along with the authoritarian. 84 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 4: Don't go along with the guy that wants to amass 85 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 4: more power in the White House and more power in Washington, 86 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 4: DC than any president in American history. So her choices 87 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 4: is support an authoritarian. 88 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: He attacked them for their moral capitulations, for their cynicism, 89 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: He questioned their motives. He questioned their intentions. From my perspective, 90 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: much of it was deserved, and I've done the same thing, 91 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: But I suspected difference between us is I meant it 92 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: and he did it. One of the things that the 93 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: American people rejected in this election was the performative cynicism 94 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: of the Washington DC media. The American people voted against 95 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: them as much as they voted against Biden, as much 96 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: as they voted against everything. People are so sick and 97 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: tired of the condescension of the bullshittery and the meanness 98 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: that flows down on them from network television. What is 99 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: the appropriate reaction for somebody who believes the person that 100 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: they're talking about the American Hitler has just been elected 101 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: to the American presidency with. 102 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 2: Both Houses of Congress. 103 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: How would they act if he then appointed Someone is 104 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: unqualified as Pete Hexsath, someone is morally ranted as Matt Gates, 105 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: someone who's as big a dupe as Tulci Gabbert, somebody 106 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: is sadistic as Christy Numm. What would they say? Would 107 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: they speak out with conviction, would they lead the charge 108 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: or would they they capitulate to it? Would they genuflect 109 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: to power? The truth of the matter is the word 110 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: on the street is that Joe and Meek are scared, 111 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: scared to death of Trump. And boy did they look 112 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: at in their humiliation now when they spoke to the 113 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: camera and they made their case about their abandonment of 114 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: principle and their justifications for why it is. Suddenly, two 115 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,679 Speaker 1: weeks after the election, they are at Mara a Lago 116 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: for the first time since the New Year's Eve party. 117 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: They thought about what to say, practiced it, recorded it, 118 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: checked it off with staff and each other, and then 119 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: the moment came and they did it. Now, there are 120 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: two other things that need to be set. Journalists, the 121 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: hosts of the most important in their words and in 122 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: their network's words, arguably public affairs show in the country 123 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: not become comfortable with power in the way that Joe 124 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: and Mika have become comfortable with power. John Meacham is 125 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: a regular on the Morning Joe Set. From there, he's 126 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: functioning as a Biden advisor and a speech writer without 127 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: ever declaring it to the audience. Journalists, like anybody, are 128 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: attracted to the idea of being in the room in 129 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: the middle of the excitement. To Narcoq, it's an aphrodisiac 130 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: Teddy's stuff. When the President of the United States calls 131 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: you and ask you for your opinion, ask you for 132 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: an idea, What should I say? Where should I go? 133 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: What should I do? It's the ultimate hit of adrenaline. 134 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: And you can tell Joe Scarborough and Mika love it 135 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: more than most. Maybe they're addicted to it because power 136 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: warps you in tremendously terrible ways. Joe Biden was in 137 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: big trouble, big trouble when Joe Scarborough said this. 138 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 4: Start your tape right now, because I'm about to tell 139 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 4: you the truth and f you if you can't handle 140 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 4: the truth. This version of Biden, intellectually, analytically is the 141 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 4: best Biden ever, not a close second. And I've known 142 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 4: him for years. The Brazenskis have known him for fifty years. 143 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 4: If it weren't the truth, I wouldn't say it. 144 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: But he did it to curry favor with power, to 145 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: aggrandize himself, to be relevant, to be in the game, 146 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 1: to be the President's guy, his advisor, his go to guy, 147 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: the most powerful host in morning television. And then he lost. 148 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: And part of the reason he lost was because he 149 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: was swallowed up by the media lie that no person 150 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: did more to advance and perpetrate on the American people 151 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: than Joe Garbora. He just wanted to be in the 152 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: room like Lindsay Graham. There's no difference in this notion 153 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: that Mika would dare to compare their station to her 154 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: father's to national security advisor to the President of the 155 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: United States and to say that it was necessary for 156 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: them to speak to Trump in the way that Brazinski 157 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: brought Pagan and Sedat together. 158 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 3: What we did agree on was to rest our communications. 159 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 3: My father often spoke with world leaders with whom he 160 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 3: and the United States profoundly disagreed. That's a task shared 161 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 3: by reporters and commentators alike. 162 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: Come on, it's not quite obscene, but it's silly, and 163 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: it represents a real disconnect from place in the world. 164 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: Self importance is a good thing. It's good to know 165 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: your value, but it's also good to keep the ego 166 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: in check and to understand if you have the privilege 167 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: to look into the camera, that you have an obligation 168 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: to tell the truth. And so in this moment, every 169 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: person that to use the word fascist to describe fascistic 170 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 1: behavior has been undermined by a person who obviously mean 171 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: a word of it. In this moment, the American people 172 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: deserve truth. For example, the House Ethics Committee Macate's report. 173 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: Despite what Speaker Johnson says, there is no precedent that 174 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: keeps us from seeing it. We must fight for the truth. 175 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: We must fight to know what is real, because we 176 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: must fight through a fog of bullshit that is as 177 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: thick as any that has ever been. And so now 178 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: my question is, for hours every day on NBC News, 179 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: how can you believe these people? How do you know 180 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: what it is they're omitting? How do you know what 181 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: it is that they're asking? What's the motive, what's the intent? 182 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: Where's the fear? There have been few instances that I 183 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: can remember where two people together have so thoroughly and 184 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: spectacularly immolated through a charade that was revealed on Life TV. 185 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:24,439 Speaker 1: A remarkable moment in a cynical age that will get darker, 186 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: more dangerous, more dishonest by the month. 187 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: Mark my words. This is the warning. 188 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning, and I invite 189 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: you to join. Subscribe on our substack, on our YouTube channel, 190 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: follow us. 191 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 2: Welcome to the community.