1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio special 2 00:00:21,315 --> 00:00:26,955 Speaker 1: Counsel Jack Smith is reportedly constructing a conspiracy charge against 3 00:00:27,075 --> 00:00:31,955 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. Some form of conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding. 4 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:34,755 Speaker 1: Doesn't sound like much until you hear that the jail 5 00:00:34,915 --> 00:00:38,475 Speaker 1: term is up to twenty years, and it sounds exactly 6 00:00:38,475 --> 00:00:39,955 Speaker 1: like the kind of case that could be broadened to 7 00:00:40,035 --> 00:00:44,035 Speaker 1: charge everybody from Trump to half his cabinet. CBS News 8 00:00:44,115 --> 00:00:49,115 Speaker 1: has reported and then inexplicably buried, that Smith is quote 9 00:00:49,115 --> 00:00:52,715 Speaker 1: looking into a possible conspiracy case against Trump and people 10 00:00:52,755 --> 00:00:56,515 Speaker 1: around him about trying to block the congressional proceedings. On 11 00:00:56,595 --> 00:01:00,115 Speaker 1: January sixth, sources who are close to the grand jury 12 00:01:00,195 --> 00:01:03,395 Speaker 1: say that witnesses are being asked about what kind of 13 00:01:03,755 --> 00:01:08,755 Speaker 1: national security levers Trump was asking about in those final days. 14 00:01:09,955 --> 00:01:12,795 Speaker 1: So everybody's rushing to hand ring about the threats against 15 00:01:12,835 --> 00:01:16,515 Speaker 1: Alvin Bragg and the threats made by House Republicans and 16 00:01:16,595 --> 00:01:19,075 Speaker 1: the threat that Trump would draw less than ten thousand 17 00:01:19,075 --> 00:01:22,715 Speaker 1: people to his first campaign event. And Robert Costa over 18 00:01:22,795 --> 00:01:25,595 Speaker 1: here from CBS has stumbled over a gold mine and 19 00:01:25,635 --> 00:01:27,675 Speaker 1: put it on the air once, and then CBS didn't 20 00:01:27,715 --> 00:01:30,355 Speaker 1: even write it up as a story. It just clipped 21 00:01:30,355 --> 00:01:33,195 Speaker 1: the video of him add libbing this on face the nation, 22 00:01:33,635 --> 00:01:36,195 Speaker 1: even though it is the clearest picture so far of 23 00:01:36,315 --> 00:01:40,835 Speaker 1: exactly what shape the Special Counsel's indictments of Trump will 24 00:01:40,915 --> 00:01:44,795 Speaker 1: probably look like when they happen. I just don't think 25 00:01:44,795 --> 00:01:48,715 Speaker 1: CBS understands what it has in this report. Costa framed 26 00:01:48,755 --> 00:01:51,755 Speaker 1: it thusly, and again quoting him, the Special Counsel is 27 00:01:51,915 --> 00:01:56,075 Speaker 1: tightening his investigation around Trump when it comes to January sixth, 28 00:01:56,395 --> 00:01:59,235 Speaker 1: now compelling some of his top aids and allies to 29 00:01:59,275 --> 00:02:04,195 Speaker 1: testify under oath. Costa then names Mark Meadows and former 30 00:02:04,275 --> 00:02:07,875 Speaker 1: National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and former Director of National 31 00:02:07,915 --> 00:02:11,835 Speaker 1: Intelligence John Radcliffe, and they and others are being made 32 00:02:11,875 --> 00:02:16,755 Speaker 1: to testify again quoting Costa of CBS about their private 33 00:02:16,835 --> 00:02:20,955 Speaker 1: conversations with Trump. That means there's no executive privilege they 34 00:02:20,955 --> 00:02:24,195 Speaker 1: can cite to try to block any kind of testimony 35 00:02:24,195 --> 00:02:28,675 Speaker 1: on those issues. Ute, Well, there is a boatload of 36 00:02:28,675 --> 00:02:32,955 Speaker 1: obstruction statutes that specify Congress or apply to Congress towards 37 00:02:32,955 --> 00:02:35,755 Speaker 1: which Costas Scoop points, But the three that seem to 38 00:02:35,795 --> 00:02:39,515 Speaker 1: fit best and are the juiciest start with eighteen US 39 00:02:39,595 --> 00:02:44,715 Speaker 1: Code one five one two C two, routinely referred to 40 00:02:44,835 --> 00:02:49,115 Speaker 1: as corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding and official proceeding, and 41 00:02:49,275 --> 00:02:55,195 Speaker 1: rather succinctly stating quote, whoever otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes 42 00:02:55,235 --> 00:02:58,035 Speaker 1: any official proceeding, or attempts to do so shall be 43 00:02:58,155 --> 00:03:01,355 Speaker 1: fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, 44 00:03:01,595 --> 00:03:06,035 Speaker 1: or both. And if that title number sounds at all familiar, first, 45 00:03:06,715 --> 00:03:10,115 Speaker 1: I bet you keep score during baseball spring training games, 46 00:03:10,155 --> 00:03:14,075 Speaker 1: don't you? And second, it actually should sound familiar, because 47 00:03:14,075 --> 00:03:17,995 Speaker 1: eighteen US Code one five one two C two has 48 00:03:18,035 --> 00:03:23,755 Speaker 1: been used against approximately three hundred defendants who actually broke 49 00:03:23,795 --> 00:03:28,115 Speaker 1: into the Capitol Complex on January sixth. There's also eighteen 50 00:03:28,235 --> 00:03:33,475 Speaker 1: US Code one five oh five obstruction of proceedings before Departments, agencies, 51 00:03:33,475 --> 00:03:38,315 Speaker 1: and committees, which is five years for whoever corruptly influences, obstructs, 52 00:03:38,395 --> 00:03:41,235 Speaker 1: or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the 53 00:03:41,315 --> 00:03:44,275 Speaker 1: due and proper administration of the law under which any 54 00:03:44,315 --> 00:03:48,755 Speaker 1: inquiry or investigation is being had by either House or 55 00:03:48,755 --> 00:03:52,475 Speaker 1: any committee of either House, or any joint committee of 56 00:03:52,515 --> 00:03:57,355 Speaker 1: the Congress. And thirdly, there's also the general Conspiracy against 57 00:03:57,355 --> 00:04:00,155 Speaker 1: the United States statute, which is eighteen US Code three 58 00:04:00,315 --> 00:04:04,835 Speaker 1: seven one. If two or more persons conspire either to 59 00:04:04,875 --> 00:04:07,835 Speaker 1: commit any offense against the United States or to defraud 60 00:04:07,875 --> 00:04:12,235 Speaker 1: the United States or any agency thereof, in any manner, 61 00:04:12,355 --> 00:04:15,955 Speaker 1: or for any purpose, each shall be fined or imprisoned 62 00:04:16,035 --> 00:04:20,555 Speaker 1: not more than five years or both. When Costas said 63 00:04:20,595 --> 00:04:23,875 Speaker 1: that Meadows and O'Brien and Ratcliffe have been or will 64 00:04:23,955 --> 00:04:27,875 Speaker 1: be asked about, quote what kind of national security levers 65 00:04:27,875 --> 00:04:31,635 Speaker 1: Trump was asking about in those final days, they are 66 00:04:31,715 --> 00:04:34,835 Speaker 1: basically being told, we have three pretty powerful statutes to 67 00:04:34,915 --> 00:04:38,555 Speaker 1: metaphorically ring your neck with, and the maximum sentence under 68 00:04:38,595 --> 00:04:41,795 Speaker 1: all three as a combined thirty years. So perhaps you 69 00:04:41,835 --> 00:04:44,995 Speaker 1: would like to testify against Trump and he can go 70 00:04:45,075 --> 00:04:50,035 Speaker 1: to the penitentiary instead of you looking into a possible 71 00:04:50,115 --> 00:04:54,955 Speaker 1: conspiracy case and tightening his investigation. Is neither a conviction 72 00:04:55,035 --> 00:04:58,035 Speaker 1: nor an indictment, but it does give you that first 73 00:04:58,275 --> 00:05:01,475 Speaker 1: pencil sketch of what the final building would look like. 74 00:05:01,995 --> 00:05:05,275 Speaker 1: And the department already has more than seventy convictions on 75 00:05:05,315 --> 00:05:09,955 Speaker 1: eighteen US Code two corruptly obstructing, so it has a 76 00:05:09,955 --> 00:05:12,995 Speaker 1: lot of experience on how to proceed against the defendant 77 00:05:13,715 --> 00:05:18,315 Speaker 1: that one over there with the especially long, stupid looking tie. 78 00:05:19,955 --> 00:05:22,235 Speaker 1: And of course this is not all Jack Smith is 79 00:05:22,275 --> 00:05:25,635 Speaker 1: pursuing Trump. On last Friday saw the extraordinary scene of 80 00:05:25,675 --> 00:05:29,075 Speaker 1: a Trump lawyer, Evan Corkrane, being compelled by the courts 81 00:05:29,115 --> 00:05:32,755 Speaker 1: to testify against his own client in the Marilago stolen 82 00:05:32,835 --> 00:05:38,235 Speaker 1: classified documents case. Costa's reporting underscored that that potential indictment 83 00:05:38,275 --> 00:05:41,395 Speaker 1: is still fully in place, two, detailing that on Friday 84 00:05:41,435 --> 00:05:44,475 Speaker 1: Corkran had to face the Special Council's Grand jury, and 85 00:05:44,555 --> 00:05:48,475 Speaker 1: again quoting Costa, share audio files notes details about all 86 00:05:48,475 --> 00:05:51,835 Speaker 1: those conversations with Trump, about how Trump handled those federal 87 00:05:51,915 --> 00:05:56,755 Speaker 1: requests about classified documents, What was Trump doing during that time. 88 00:05:58,875 --> 00:06:02,195 Speaker 1: If Costa is accurate in this story and the Special 89 00:06:02,235 --> 00:06:05,595 Speaker 1: Counsel follows through, it is going to make Donald Trump 90 00:06:05,635 --> 00:06:09,195 Speaker 1: nostalgic for those dear old, innocent days in which he 91 00:06:09,315 --> 00:06:13,435 Speaker 1: was only charged with paying off Stormy Daniels. And his 92 00:06:13,555 --> 00:06:17,555 Speaker 1: biggest worry was her response to a quote Christian conservative 93 00:06:17,875 --> 00:06:21,915 Speaker 1: who last night Magus flamed to her quote President Champ 94 00:06:21,915 --> 00:06:24,755 Speaker 1: would and tattoo with a ten foot poll, to which 95 00:06:24,915 --> 00:06:29,675 Speaker 1: Stormy Daniels replied, true, he used a three inch one. 96 00:06:30,995 --> 00:06:34,835 Speaker 1: The Daniels case remains imperative too, because nothing increases our 97 00:06:34,955 --> 00:06:37,835 Speaker 1: chances of sending Trump to the Big House more than 98 00:06:37,955 --> 00:06:42,115 Speaker 1: multiple indictments, multiple arrests, and multiple trials in multiple states 99 00:06:42,115 --> 00:06:46,275 Speaker 1: and federal jurisdictions, and lost behind everything else since he 100 00:06:46,355 --> 00:06:50,395 Speaker 1: threatened death and destruction Friday were he to be indicted 101 00:06:50,395 --> 00:06:53,795 Speaker 1: by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, just before that package 102 00:06:53,835 --> 00:06:56,755 Speaker 1: white powder and I'm going to kill you Alvin Notes 103 00:06:56,755 --> 00:07:00,635 Speaker 1: showed up there. Trump the Prophet has now made each 104 00:07:00,955 --> 00:07:05,555 Speaker 1: of the only three possible predictions about New York, and 105 00:07:05,635 --> 00:07:08,155 Speaker 1: in less than one week as well. It was Trump, 106 00:07:08,195 --> 00:07:11,235 Speaker 1: after all, not Bragged nor anybody else on the inside, 107 00:07:11,235 --> 00:07:13,715 Speaker 1: who claimed that Trump would be arrested last Tuesday and 108 00:07:13,755 --> 00:07:16,515 Speaker 1: he wasn't. And then it was Trump after all who 109 00:07:16,555 --> 00:07:20,595 Speaker 1: completely dropped the subject during his Ku Klux Hitler Klan 110 00:07:20,755 --> 00:07:24,475 Speaker 1: rally in Waco, and then proceeded to insist to reporters 111 00:07:24,475 --> 00:07:27,155 Speaker 1: on the flight back from Texas that quote, I think 112 00:07:27,195 --> 00:07:31,035 Speaker 1: they've already dropped the case. It's a fake case, some 113 00:07:31,155 --> 00:07:35,035 Speaker 1: fake cases. They have absolutely nothing. They've already dropped the case. 114 00:07:35,075 --> 00:07:40,075 Speaker 1: From what I understand. But before that, Trump, having already 115 00:07:40,155 --> 00:07:43,795 Speaker 1: chosen door number one and being seconds away from choosing 116 00:07:43,835 --> 00:07:48,675 Speaker 1: door number three, actually also managed to choose door number two. Quote, 117 00:07:49,075 --> 00:07:52,595 Speaker 1: don't ask me any more questions. I have no idea 118 00:07:52,675 --> 00:07:55,795 Speaker 1: what's going to happen. And there you have it. He's 119 00:07:55,835 --> 00:07:58,355 Speaker 1: going to be arrested. But they've dropped the case from 120 00:07:58,355 --> 00:08:00,715 Speaker 1: what he understands, and he has no idea what's going 121 00:08:00,715 --> 00:08:06,715 Speaker 1: to happen. Clearly, the three fascist congressman who believe to 122 00:08:06,755 --> 00:08:10,715 Speaker 1: flip the Watergate special Prosecutor Archie Cox's famous warning on 123 00:08:10,795 --> 00:08:13,475 Speaker 1: its head that this is a government of men and 124 00:08:13,595 --> 00:08:17,035 Speaker 1: not laws. Those three guys still have their bets down 125 00:08:17,075 --> 00:08:19,955 Speaker 1: on Trump will be arrested for paying off Stormy Daniels 126 00:08:19,955 --> 00:08:24,355 Speaker 1: and violating election and business records laws. You will recall 127 00:08:25,115 --> 00:08:28,275 Speaker 1: that Bragg brushed off a letter from Jamie Comer, whose 128 00:08:28,315 --> 00:08:31,115 Speaker 1: college girlfriend says he beater, and Jim Jordan, who was 129 00:08:31,155 --> 00:08:34,115 Speaker 1: accused of covering up rape at Ohio State, and Brian Style, 130 00:08:34,435 --> 00:08:36,955 Speaker 1: who appears to have misled the Capitol police into opening 131 00:08:36,955 --> 00:08:39,355 Speaker 1: a January sixth video viewing station they thought was for 132 00:08:39,435 --> 00:08:44,115 Speaker 1: Congressman but was actually for Tucker Carlson. Though the three 133 00:08:44,195 --> 00:08:46,835 Speaker 1: are impotent when it comes to enforcing any kind of 134 00:08:46,995 --> 00:08:51,035 Speaker 1: contempt of Congress resolution that might be enforced against Bragg. 135 00:08:51,675 --> 00:08:53,795 Speaker 1: In fact, the odds are long, but it's still better 136 00:08:53,795 --> 00:08:57,235 Speaker 1: that Bragg could pursue them for obstruction of justice. These 137 00:08:57,555 --> 00:09:01,955 Speaker 1: three knuckleheads wrote back to Bragg, upping the ante, and 138 00:09:02,035 --> 00:09:04,035 Speaker 1: if it were not something out of the third Reich 139 00:09:04,275 --> 00:09:08,355 Speaker 1: legal system, it would be hilarious, quoting their second letter 140 00:09:08,395 --> 00:09:11,755 Speaker 1: over the weekend, the Committee on the Judiciary, as part 141 00:09:11,795 --> 00:09:15,835 Speaker 1: of its broad authority to develop criminal justice legislation, must 142 00:09:15,835 --> 00:09:19,435 Speaker 1: now consider whether to draft legislation that would, if enacted, 143 00:09:20,195 --> 00:09:24,995 Speaker 1: insulate current and former presidents from such improper state and 144 00:09:25,075 --> 00:09:32,395 Speaker 1: local prosecutions. Unquote, Comer Jordan and Style swerved even further 145 00:09:32,515 --> 00:09:35,795 Speaker 1: into oncoming traffic by making this a political crime. And 146 00:09:35,835 --> 00:09:40,155 Speaker 1: again quoting these three stooges, the potential criminal indictment of 147 00:09:40,195 --> 00:09:43,395 Speaker 1: a former president of the United States by an elected 148 00:09:43,595 --> 00:09:51,315 Speaker 1: local prosecutor of the opposing political party implicates substantial federal interests. Command, boys, 149 00:09:51,915 --> 00:09:55,195 Speaker 1: you know you want to take it one step further still, 150 00:09:55,235 --> 00:09:57,795 Speaker 1: You know you want to tell Brag that your new 151 00:09:57,875 --> 00:10:00,275 Speaker 1: law will make it illegal for him to indict Trump 152 00:10:00,315 --> 00:10:05,155 Speaker 1: because he's black, and Trump is well whenever color that is. 153 00:10:06,155 --> 00:10:10,235 Speaker 1: But even in its non Jim Crow form, it's brilliant. 154 00:10:10,915 --> 00:10:15,035 Speaker 1: A Trump can Never Be Guilty law, which even if 155 00:10:15,075 --> 00:10:18,475 Speaker 1: it were somehow passed and got through the Democratic Senate 156 00:10:18,715 --> 00:10:21,275 Speaker 1: and was signed by the Democratic president, still wouldn't apply 157 00:10:21,275 --> 00:10:23,435 Speaker 1: to any indictment of Trump that Bragg were to make. 158 00:10:23,555 --> 00:10:27,155 Speaker 1: Now that would be called an ex post facto law, 159 00:10:27,235 --> 00:10:32,795 Speaker 1: and those aren't legal, And it also would protect Biden 160 00:10:32,995 --> 00:10:37,995 Speaker 1: against crazy Republican prosecutors. It is pure fascist grandstanding for 161 00:10:38,115 --> 00:10:43,635 Speaker 1: the pure fascist for whom Trump grandly stands. Comer, of course, 162 00:10:43,675 --> 00:10:47,115 Speaker 1: did manage to dig his Trump obedience hole still deeper, 163 00:10:47,235 --> 00:10:50,435 Speaker 1: personally asked repeatedly about trying to interfere with a New 164 00:10:50,515 --> 00:10:54,715 Speaker 1: York City prosecution and answering repeatedly this is a presidential 165 00:10:54,795 --> 00:10:57,755 Speaker 1: kind of date which has the obvious impact of helping 166 00:10:57,755 --> 00:11:01,155 Speaker 1: out both you at home and your faithful narrator here 167 00:11:01,435 --> 00:11:04,075 Speaker 1: by reminding us that whatever we want to do, whether 168 00:11:04,075 --> 00:11:07,155 Speaker 1: we want to park without feeding the meter, or we 169 00:11:07,315 --> 00:11:10,555 Speaker 1: want to say, shoot up a large resort in some 170 00:11:10,675 --> 00:11:14,235 Speaker 1: Atlantic seaboard state, we cannot be pursued by the law, 171 00:11:14,795 --> 00:11:21,315 Speaker 1: providing we have declared ourselves presidential candidates. As an asside, 172 00:11:21,355 --> 00:11:24,035 Speaker 1: I will repeat that for thirty years I have insisted 173 00:11:24,115 --> 00:11:27,155 Speaker 1: democracy is preserved last by those of us who struggle 174 00:11:27,235 --> 00:11:30,435 Speaker 1: on its behalf and more because of the repeated rake 175 00:11:30,515 --> 00:11:34,555 Speaker 1: stepping by the idiots who would undermine democracy. I will 176 00:11:34,595 --> 00:11:37,595 Speaker 1: now add that when I say idiots, I mean Representative 177 00:11:37,715 --> 00:11:43,875 Speaker 1: Jamie Coomber. On the other hand, bogus, impotent and stillborn. 178 00:11:43,955 --> 00:11:47,315 Speaker 1: Though they may be, the various draft legislations by Coomber 179 00:11:47,355 --> 00:11:50,795 Speaker 1: and the other Hitler youth still represent something closer to 180 00:11:50,915 --> 00:11:55,275 Speaker 1: actual and what's the word action than all the handwringing 181 00:11:55,315 --> 00:11:59,275 Speaker 1: about Trump's stochastic terrorism against Alban Bragg on Thursday and Friday. 182 00:11:59,555 --> 00:12:02,115 Speaker 1: The minority leader at Keem Jeffreys is, of course right. 183 00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:05,435 Speaker 1: Trump's threats are quote dangerous and he keeps it up, 184 00:12:05,475 --> 00:12:09,835 Speaker 1: He's going to get somebody killed, and other platitudes, ending 185 00:12:09,835 --> 00:12:13,955 Speaker 1: with an early nomination for twenty twenty three Susan Collins Award. Quote. 186 00:12:14,395 --> 00:12:19,995 Speaker 1: Clearly he has not learned his lesson. Norm Eisen, the 187 00:12:20,035 --> 00:12:23,555 Speaker 1: former Impeachment co Council and Obama White House Ethics Council, 188 00:12:23,835 --> 00:12:26,795 Speaker 1: managed to come up with off the top of his head, 189 00:12:26,835 --> 00:12:30,315 Speaker 1: I believe four crimes for which Trump could be prosecuted 190 00:12:30,915 --> 00:12:34,235 Speaker 1: Harassment in the first degree NYPL two four zero point 191 00:12:34,275 --> 00:12:38,355 Speaker 1: twenty five, menacing in the second degree NYPL one twenty 192 00:12:38,395 --> 00:12:42,435 Speaker 1: point fourteen, stalking in the fourth or third degree NYPL 193 00:12:42,555 --> 00:12:46,195 Speaker 1: one twenty point forty five, and one twenty point fifty. 194 00:12:46,355 --> 00:12:48,675 Speaker 1: But of course, it's one thing for Norm Eisen to 195 00:12:48,755 --> 00:12:52,035 Speaker 1: quote laws or for Jamie Comer to make up new laws, 196 00:12:52,675 --> 00:12:55,875 Speaker 1: and it's quite another for somebody in office to actually 197 00:12:56,715 --> 00:13:02,635 Speaker 1: do something, I mean, in political office as the guardrails 198 00:13:02,675 --> 00:13:05,475 Speaker 1: we grew up believing protected our free and our nation 199 00:13:05,755 --> 00:13:08,955 Speaker 1: from the various threats that who am I kidding from? 200 00:13:09,075 --> 00:13:12,875 Speaker 1: Trump turned out to be paper machee. I like to 201 00:13:12,915 --> 00:13:15,435 Speaker 1: turn back to that scoop CBS does not know it has, 202 00:13:15,475 --> 00:13:18,195 Speaker 1: and that one quote about that one guy in a 203 00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:21,635 Speaker 1: different kind of office, that fellow Jack Smith, and the 204 00:13:21,715 --> 00:13:25,835 Speaker 1: costa observation that quote. Sources who were close to the 205 00:13:25,915 --> 00:13:28,875 Speaker 1: grand jury say witnesses are being asked about what kind 206 00:13:28,875 --> 00:13:33,355 Speaker 1: of national security levers Trump was asking about in those 207 00:13:33,395 --> 00:13:37,915 Speaker 1: final days, because convicting him on trying to use some 208 00:13:38,035 --> 00:13:43,475 Speaker 1: kind of fake national security threat or something about Venezuela 209 00:13:43,675 --> 00:13:49,395 Speaker 1: or Italy or wherever to obstruct congressional proceedings. That's not 210 00:13:49,435 --> 00:13:54,395 Speaker 1: only exactly the crime for which Trump should be tried, 211 00:13:54,995 --> 00:13:59,555 Speaker 1: but also, and especially in this the time of Stormy Daniels, 212 00:13:59,675 --> 00:14:05,235 Speaker 1: it provokes the perfect imagery sending Trump to jail for 213 00:14:05,435 --> 00:14:23,235 Speaker 1: holding his lever in his hand. Still ahead of us 214 00:14:23,235 --> 00:14:25,475 Speaker 1: in this edition of Countdown, let us not skip over 215 00:14:25,515 --> 00:14:28,235 Speaker 1: that little bit with the white powder at the DA's office. 216 00:14:28,315 --> 00:14:33,395 Speaker 1: The proverbial and time tested fake Hanthrax, I know this 217 00:14:33,475 --> 00:14:35,875 Speaker 1: story all too well. I was the victim of it 218 00:14:36,595 --> 00:14:39,515 Speaker 1: for separate occasions, and I'm here to tell you it 219 00:14:39,635 --> 00:14:43,715 Speaker 1: is a lot less fake than it sounds. In postscripts 220 00:14:43,715 --> 00:14:46,275 Speaker 1: to the news, Israel is coming apart at the seams, 221 00:14:46,955 --> 00:14:49,635 Speaker 1: The saddest part of it, at least from this perspective, 222 00:14:49,755 --> 00:14:52,915 Speaker 1: is we all here need to take notes, because the 223 00:14:52,955 --> 00:14:55,715 Speaker 1: idea of a national leader getting himself re elected to 224 00:14:55,835 --> 00:15:00,075 Speaker 1: office solely to avoid being prosecuted, and then changing his 225 00:15:00,355 --> 00:15:04,035 Speaker 1: entire nation's judicial system and system of government just to 226 00:15:04,115 --> 00:15:08,035 Speaker 1: protect his own sorry ass is playing out right now 227 00:15:08,155 --> 00:15:12,115 Speaker 1: in Israel. The next mass protests and general strikes to 228 00:15:12,155 --> 00:15:16,515 Speaker 1: stop fascism may be our own. And how bad is 229 00:15:16,555 --> 00:15:19,595 Speaker 1: it in Russia? The Russian actress is claiming that the 230 00:15:19,675 --> 00:15:23,595 Speaker 1: Russian COVID vaccine was a way to make Russians easy 231 00:15:23,715 --> 00:15:31,395 Speaker 1: targets for American rockets during the war in Ukraine. I mean, 232 00:15:31,435 --> 00:15:34,595 Speaker 1: this is so crazy. Robert F. Kennedy Junior thinks it's crazy, 233 00:15:35,755 --> 00:15:38,755 Speaker 1: and he probably doesn't. Worst person's coming up. That's next. 234 00:15:38,795 --> 00:15:49,355 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Alberman. Both 235 00:15:49,435 --> 00:15:52,475 Speaker 1: scripts to the news. Some headlines, some updates, some snarks, 236 00:15:52,475 --> 00:15:56,435 Speaker 1: some prediction. Stateline, Tel Aviv. The former senior Israeli general 237 00:15:56,475 --> 00:15:59,915 Speaker 1: and current Defense Minister, Joeff Gallant said it was time 238 00:15:59,915 --> 00:16:02,795 Speaker 1: for the net and Yahoo government to delay or stop 239 00:16:02,835 --> 00:16:06,115 Speaker 1: the radical reorganization of the democracy designed to give the 240 00:16:06,155 --> 00:16:09,915 Speaker 1: government the right to overrule the judiciary. Galant said it 241 00:16:09,995 --> 00:16:13,835 Speaker 1: made Israel vulnerable and threatened the democracy. And last night 242 00:16:14,515 --> 00:16:17,395 Speaker 1: Galant was fired by the Prime Minister Nat Yahoo and 243 00:16:17,555 --> 00:16:21,435 Speaker 1: all hell broke loose in Israel. Protesters took over main 244 00:16:21,555 --> 00:16:25,075 Speaker 1: highways in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The government used water 245 00:16:25,195 --> 00:16:28,435 Speaker 1: cannon on them. The nation's consul general in New York 246 00:16:28,475 --> 00:16:32,195 Speaker 1: City resigned, and general strikes were called from Monday at 247 00:16:32,235 --> 00:16:35,915 Speaker 1: six universities and by the nation's top union and local 248 00:16:35,955 --> 00:16:40,475 Speaker 1: mayors will begin a hunger strike in Jerusalem. Sixteen percent 249 00:16:40,595 --> 00:16:45,435 Speaker 1: of Israelis say they have participated in the protests. Netanyahoo's 250 00:16:45,475 --> 00:16:47,595 Speaker 1: aids met with him late into the night last night, 251 00:16:47,635 --> 00:16:50,715 Speaker 1: and many urged him to stop the judicial remodeling. He 252 00:16:50,875 --> 00:16:53,715 Speaker 1: seemed intent on sticking to his schedule of getting the 253 00:16:53,795 --> 00:16:56,755 Speaker 1: legislation passed this week. It is being pushed by the 254 00:16:56,875 --> 00:16:59,395 Speaker 1: religious right that put him at office, and it would 255 00:16:59,435 --> 00:17:03,435 Speaker 1: also protect nat Yahoo from prosecution. Note, well, what is 256 00:17:03,475 --> 00:17:07,475 Speaker 1: happening there second Trump administration and we will have to 257 00:17:07,475 --> 00:17:11,595 Speaker 1: protest in this same way and dateline San Francisco. Elon 258 00:17:11,715 --> 00:17:15,035 Speaker 1: Musk bought Twitter for forty four billion dollars in October. 259 00:17:15,275 --> 00:17:17,435 Speaker 1: The New York Times says it has seen an am 260 00:17:17,435 --> 00:17:21,435 Speaker 1: email sent to Twitter employees in which Musk says Twitter 261 00:17:21,515 --> 00:17:25,555 Speaker 1: is now worth twenty million dollars. Happily, as Musk insulted 262 00:17:25,595 --> 00:17:29,795 Speaker 1: William Shatner on the topic of the disappearing verification check mark, 263 00:17:30,235 --> 00:17:33,155 Speaker 1: that'll show a ninety two year old old man his place, 264 00:17:34,035 --> 00:17:36,675 Speaker 1: he can now pay seven dollars a month and keep 265 00:17:36,755 --> 00:17:39,995 Speaker 1: his blue check mark, and Musk will make his twenty 266 00:17:39,995 --> 00:17:44,355 Speaker 1: four million dollar loss back provided Shatner pays the seven dollars, 267 00:17:44,395 --> 00:17:47,915 Speaker 1: along with just three million, four hundred twenty eight thousand, 268 00:17:48,035 --> 00:17:58,795 Speaker 1: five hundred and seventy of his friends still ahead ever 269 00:17:58,835 --> 00:18:04,355 Speaker 1: gone fake anthrax in the mail four separate times, once 270 00:18:04,395 --> 00:18:09,875 Speaker 1: with the return address Jay Leno, Burbank, California. You haven't 271 00:18:11,395 --> 00:18:14,035 Speaker 1: happily I have, so I can tell you what it's 272 00:18:14,075 --> 00:18:17,835 Speaker 1: like inside Alvin Bragg's office on Friday when he got 273 00:18:17,915 --> 00:18:21,795 Speaker 1: some first time for the daily round of the miscreants, 274 00:18:21,835 --> 00:18:25,395 Speaker 1: morons and dunning Krueger effect specimens who constitute today's worst 275 00:18:25,435 --> 00:18:29,315 Speaker 1: persons in the world. The Bronze Senator Marsha Glitz and 276 00:18:29,395 --> 00:18:34,195 Speaker 1: Glitier Blackburn, who now complains quote the Democrats simply can't 277 00:18:34,275 --> 00:18:37,675 Speaker 1: help themselves. The words ban and control have entered their 278 00:18:37,755 --> 00:18:42,955 Speaker 1: daily vocabulary. Historian Kevin Cruz found seven times just in 279 00:18:42,955 --> 00:18:46,875 Speaker 1: the last two years that bands were called for on 280 00:18:46,915 --> 00:18:52,915 Speaker 1: Twitter by Senator Marsha Glitz and Glitter Blackburn. Band, Vaccine mandates, 281 00:18:52,995 --> 00:18:59,275 Speaker 1: fancytr band, TikTok band, Confucius Institutes, banned the Chinese Communist 282 00:18:59,275 --> 00:19:02,715 Speaker 1: Party from buying US farmland, banned Chinese nationals from buying 283 00:19:02,795 --> 00:19:08,675 Speaker 1: US farm band, Chinese owning US Farmland. Wait, Marcia, no 284 00:19:08,875 --> 00:19:13,955 Speaker 1: bands for fake randstones for Christmas? The runner up shared 285 00:19:13,995 --> 00:19:17,635 Speaker 1: by these adults like Ian Miles Chong and cat Turd 286 00:19:17,715 --> 00:19:19,715 Speaker 1: and the rest of the board of directors of Twitter. 287 00:19:21,155 --> 00:19:23,955 Speaker 1: Well that's a different list. I'm sorry they have pushed 288 00:19:23,995 --> 00:19:27,835 Speaker 1: the latest. You know you've seen too many movies. Conspiracy, 289 00:19:28,315 --> 00:19:31,075 Speaker 1: the idea that Senator John Fetterman has been replaced by 290 00:19:31,075 --> 00:19:34,155 Speaker 1: a body double. Look, his head is different shape, and 291 00:19:34,195 --> 00:19:37,115 Speaker 1: why is he smiling? It's a conspiracy. He's a Chinese 292 00:19:37,155 --> 00:19:41,715 Speaker 1: communist and Antifa and probably listens to NPR and maybe 293 00:19:41,755 --> 00:19:43,235 Speaker 1: he was dead and they brought him back to life. 294 00:19:43,235 --> 00:19:45,435 Speaker 1: Though why they Oh, why they bring him back to life? 295 00:19:45,475 --> 00:19:47,835 Speaker 1: Not JFK Jr. Oh No, that's right. JFK Jr. Is 296 00:19:47,835 --> 00:19:52,875 Speaker 1: that unshaven guy in the stupid hat. Anyway. Leave it 297 00:19:52,955 --> 00:19:55,675 Speaker 1: to Newsweek to point out that the quote new unquote 298 00:19:55,675 --> 00:19:58,995 Speaker 1: photo of John Fetterman with a different shaped head and 299 00:19:59,115 --> 00:20:02,915 Speaker 1: the face that isn't really his. That new photo is 300 00:20:02,995 --> 00:20:07,475 Speaker 1: from May twenty second of last year. It was taken 301 00:20:07,515 --> 00:20:10,315 Speaker 1: as he left the hospital while he was still Lieutenant 302 00:20:10,315 --> 00:20:13,795 Speaker 1: governor of Pennsylvania, and it was literally in all the papers. 303 00:20:14,995 --> 00:20:18,035 Speaker 1: Can we stop with the body doubles and clones and 304 00:20:18,155 --> 00:20:21,675 Speaker 1: replicant thing Already, there are no body doubles or clones 305 00:20:21,915 --> 00:20:26,515 Speaker 1: or replicants except for the seventeen different Milanna Trumps, of course. 306 00:20:27,835 --> 00:20:31,275 Speaker 1: But our winner of the Russian actress Maria Shukshina. Maria 307 00:20:31,315 --> 00:20:34,635 Speaker 1: Shukshina went on Russian TV and proved that Tucker Carlson 308 00:20:35,315 --> 00:20:37,915 Speaker 1: is not the craziest person on television in the world, 309 00:20:37,995 --> 00:20:41,715 Speaker 1: and Maria Bardaromo is not the dumbest one. Maria Shukshina 310 00:20:41,835 --> 00:20:46,395 Speaker 1: says that the Sputnick COVID vaccine is an American biological 311 00:20:46,395 --> 00:20:51,115 Speaker 1: weapons program designed to inject tracking chips into Russians so 312 00:20:51,155 --> 00:20:54,715 Speaker 1: that American Highmars rockets will find them and kill them 313 00:20:54,715 --> 00:21:00,395 Speaker 1: in Ukraine, which sounds like a great idea except for 314 00:21:00,435 --> 00:21:03,995 Speaker 1: the one small problem that the Smutnick COVID vaccine that 315 00:21:04,115 --> 00:21:07,195 Speaker 1: was designed of what Americans kill Russians, it was manufactured 316 00:21:07,235 --> 00:21:12,275 Speaker 1: in Russia. We had nothing to do with it. Maria's Shukshina. 317 00:21:12,395 --> 00:21:14,235 Speaker 1: You know, I'm just never going to be able to 318 00:21:14,555 --> 00:21:17,195 Speaker 1: view and enjoy her performance as Mum in the hit 319 00:21:17,235 --> 00:21:21,995 Speaker 1: film Bury Me Behind the Baseboard in quite the same way. Again, 320 00:21:22,835 --> 00:21:41,435 Speaker 1: Today's worst person in no where still ahead on Countdown. 321 00:21:41,475 --> 00:21:44,435 Speaker 1: I knew it was fake antrax. The FBI knew it 322 00:21:44,475 --> 00:21:46,915 Speaker 1: was fake antrax. The guy who sent it all four 323 00:21:46,995 --> 00:21:50,395 Speaker 1: times knew it was fake antrax. And we all agreed. 324 00:21:51,075 --> 00:21:53,675 Speaker 1: You still have to treat it like it's real anthrax, 325 00:21:53,755 --> 00:21:58,435 Speaker 1: because what if you're wrong? Inside what Manhattan da Alvin 326 00:21:58,435 --> 00:22:02,555 Speaker 1: Bragg's office went through last Friday. Next first in each 327 00:22:02,715 --> 00:22:05,075 Speaker 1: edition of Countdown to feature dog in Need you can help. 328 00:22:05,075 --> 00:22:07,955 Speaker 1: Every dog has its day back to the New York Pound, 329 00:22:08,115 --> 00:22:11,355 Speaker 1: a place that is fatal for dogs. It is one 330 00:22:11,395 --> 00:22:13,795 Speaker 1: thing to leave a dog at a kill pound. It 331 00:22:13,875 --> 00:22:16,635 Speaker 1: is another to leave notes that ensure they will kill him. 332 00:22:17,195 --> 00:22:21,115 Speaker 1: Shadow is a black dog. He's also a pity and 333 00:22:21,155 --> 00:22:23,915 Speaker 1: they said he nipped them for food. It's about it. 334 00:22:24,635 --> 00:22:26,755 Speaker 1: Of course. Rule one with big dogs is do not 335 00:22:26,875 --> 00:22:29,875 Speaker 1: walk towards them with food, which they did twice in 336 00:22:29,995 --> 00:22:32,275 Speaker 1: the pound. He has been overjoyed to see some of 337 00:22:32,315 --> 00:22:35,555 Speaker 1: the staff has particular favorites. He greeted other dogs with 338 00:22:35,595 --> 00:22:38,875 Speaker 1: a loose body. The best bet is for our pledges 339 00:22:38,915 --> 00:22:41,955 Speaker 1: to help a rescue save him and retrain him. Look 340 00:22:41,955 --> 00:22:44,835 Speaker 1: for Shadow on my Twitter feed and your tweets. Your 341 00:22:44,875 --> 00:22:48,755 Speaker 1: retweets can help save him too. I thank you, and 342 00:22:48,875 --> 00:23:02,915 Speaker 1: Shadow thank you. The story of the day of the 343 00:23:03,155 --> 00:23:06,275 Speaker 1: envelope with the anthrax in it that arrived at my apartment. 344 00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:09,755 Speaker 1: It was sixteen years ago this Sunday, Well, the first 345 00:23:09,995 --> 00:23:13,675 Speaker 1: envelope with the anthrax in it, and it wasn't obviously 346 00:23:13,835 --> 00:23:17,315 Speaker 1: really antrax, though the sender said it was. But you 347 00:23:17,355 --> 00:23:20,475 Speaker 1: would be surprised how much the FBI and Homeland Security 348 00:23:20,515 --> 00:23:22,755 Speaker 1: and other people in hazmat suits are not willing to 349 00:23:22,795 --> 00:23:25,595 Speaker 1: just act on what is or is not obvious about 350 00:23:25,635 --> 00:23:30,835 Speaker 1: fake antrax. But first, the Alderman non anthrax anthrax letters 351 00:23:30,955 --> 00:23:34,755 Speaker 1: story has a backstory. We'll start with this reminder. You 352 00:23:34,795 --> 00:23:38,235 Speaker 1: should never believe any source story you read in The 353 00:23:38,235 --> 00:23:41,155 Speaker 1: New York Post, or indeed in or on any media 354 00:23:41,155 --> 00:23:45,315 Speaker 1: outlet owned by the Murdochs like Fox News. They occasionally 355 00:23:45,395 --> 00:23:48,755 Speaker 1: do report real things, but just as often they make 356 00:23:48,915 --> 00:23:52,435 Speaker 1: stuff up. Not exaggerate or get slightly wrong, or spin 357 00:23:52,555 --> 00:23:58,115 Speaker 1: for political purposes, but utterly fabricate. On April eleventh, two 358 00:23:58,155 --> 00:24:00,715 Speaker 1: thousand and five, the Post was to run such a story, 359 00:24:01,075 --> 00:24:05,155 Speaker 1: only under the threat of multiple lawsuits to the Post 360 00:24:05,275 --> 00:24:07,995 Speaker 1: spiked this story. I've never told this thing before, but 361 00:24:08,035 --> 00:24:09,595 Speaker 1: I was reminded of it the other day, and I 362 00:24:09,595 --> 00:24:11,715 Speaker 1: think going through the mechanics of it will illustrate just 363 00:24:11,755 --> 00:24:15,795 Speaker 1: how evil an organization News Corp. Actually is, Like you 364 00:24:15,875 --> 00:24:18,435 Speaker 1: didn't know that from the existence of Tucker Carlson, but 365 00:24:18,555 --> 00:24:22,955 Speaker 1: more importantly, how unreliable it is as a source of news, 366 00:24:23,435 --> 00:24:26,995 Speaker 1: even for people who agree with it politically. As a 367 00:24:27,115 --> 00:24:31,195 Speaker 1: New York Post Page six gossip story, this one had everything. 368 00:24:31,235 --> 00:24:35,715 Speaker 1: It attacked MSNBC, It had quotes from informed sources even 369 00:24:35,755 --> 00:24:38,275 Speaker 1: at one point, it had a witness. It had somebody 370 00:24:38,315 --> 00:24:41,835 Speaker 1: insulting Peter Jennings right after the late ABC anchorman revealed 371 00:24:41,835 --> 00:24:44,675 Speaker 1: he had lung cancer. And it was constructed in such 372 00:24:44,715 --> 00:24:46,835 Speaker 1: a way that if I did not comment on it, 373 00:24:47,195 --> 00:24:49,715 Speaker 1: they could print the story, then come back the next 374 00:24:49,755 --> 00:24:52,395 Speaker 1: day and rehash it and add that I was still 375 00:24:52,435 --> 00:24:56,915 Speaker 1: refusing to comment on it. But there was one overriding problem. 376 00:24:56,995 --> 00:25:00,235 Speaker 1: It was a complete fabrication. It was full of events 377 00:25:00,275 --> 00:25:03,755 Speaker 1: that did not happen and people who did not exist. 378 00:25:04,995 --> 00:25:09,235 Speaker 1: New York Post Page six contacted MSNBC's then media relations guy, 379 00:25:09,315 --> 00:25:12,355 Speaker 1: Jeremy Gaines on Thursday, April seventh, two thousand and five, 380 00:25:12,595 --> 00:25:16,195 Speaker 1: and this was the story They told him me a quote. 381 00:25:16,235 --> 00:25:19,875 Speaker 1: Frequent critic of President Bush had refused to anchor the 382 00:25:19,995 --> 00:25:22,675 Speaker 1: coverage of the death of Pope John Paul the Second, 383 00:25:23,035 --> 00:25:27,795 Speaker 1: pretended to be ill and called in sick instead. The 384 00:25:27,835 --> 00:25:30,915 Speaker 1: major problem with their story was I had anchored the 385 00:25:30,955 --> 00:25:33,075 Speaker 1: coverage of the death of Pope John Paul the Second. 386 00:25:33,195 --> 00:25:36,835 Speaker 1: I had been anchoring primetime coverage for hours each weeknight 387 00:25:37,395 --> 00:25:40,115 Speaker 1: leading up to the Potiff's passing. There were viewers who 388 00:25:40,155 --> 00:25:44,075 Speaker 1: saw me, studio staffers. Carl Bernstein was our in studio 389 00:25:44,155 --> 00:25:48,195 Speaker 1: Papal expert, remembered seeing me there. There were videotapes of 390 00:25:48,235 --> 00:25:52,315 Speaker 1: me anchoring. This did not stop the Post. In the 391 00:25:52,395 --> 00:25:55,435 Speaker 1: first version of their story, page six told us that 392 00:25:55,515 --> 00:25:58,995 Speaker 1: their unnamed source had been on board the Amtrak Acela 393 00:25:59,115 --> 00:26:02,275 Speaker 1: train from Washington to New York, sitting near my agent 394 00:26:02,355 --> 00:26:04,995 Speaker 1: as my agent talked to somebody on a cell phone. 395 00:26:05,475 --> 00:26:08,475 Speaker 1: Their witness said my agent complained that I had had 396 00:26:08,515 --> 00:26:12,195 Speaker 1: a quote meltdown after quote, calling in sick rather than 397 00:26:12,235 --> 00:26:17,435 Speaker 1: anchor the papal coverage, which I anchored. But there was more. Quote. Aulderman, 398 00:26:17,475 --> 00:26:19,915 Speaker 1: a frequent critic of the president's policies, said it was 399 00:26:19,955 --> 00:26:22,875 Speaker 1: better in sports. They quoted my agent, quoting me into 400 00:26:22,915 --> 00:26:25,915 Speaker 1: the phone, she supposedly said, I'll be dealing with this 401 00:26:26,075 --> 00:26:29,755 Speaker 1: all day now. Apart from the fact that I had 402 00:26:29,835 --> 00:26:32,635 Speaker 1: anchored the coverage, the postclaimed I had not anchored. There 403 00:26:32,675 --> 00:26:35,275 Speaker 1: was another major flaw on the story. My agent was 404 00:26:35,355 --> 00:26:38,155 Speaker 1: not on a train from Washington to New York on 405 00:26:38,195 --> 00:26:41,995 Speaker 1: the day in question, nor the week in question, nor 406 00:26:42,275 --> 00:26:44,675 Speaker 1: in fact the year in question. She told me she 407 00:26:44,755 --> 00:26:47,235 Speaker 1: thought she had once been on a train from Washington 408 00:26:47,275 --> 00:26:51,355 Speaker 1: to New York in the year nineteen sixty seven. My 409 00:26:51,475 --> 00:26:56,115 Speaker 1: agent at the time lived a top Mount Shasta in California, 410 00:26:56,195 --> 00:26:58,915 Speaker 1: and so seldom left there that when she once drove 411 00:26:58,995 --> 00:27:01,755 Speaker 1: to town to get the mail, I asked her for 412 00:27:01,755 --> 00:27:04,355 Speaker 1: full details because I jokingly suggested we should lead the 413 00:27:04,395 --> 00:27:08,355 Speaker 1: news with it. So the next day, Friday, April eighth, 414 00:27:08,435 --> 00:27:10,595 Speaker 1: New York Post, Page six came back with a different 415 00:27:10,715 --> 00:27:15,035 Speaker 1: version of their story. They had misheard their source. Of course, 416 00:27:15,035 --> 00:27:17,835 Speaker 1: it wasn't my agent on the phone from the train 417 00:27:17,955 --> 00:27:20,075 Speaker 1: from DC to New York. It was a woman who 418 00:27:20,115 --> 00:27:23,435 Speaker 1: worked for my agent, a woman named Susan. A woman 419 00:27:23,515 --> 00:27:27,795 Speaker 1: named Susan whom I had, they would report, already phoned 420 00:27:27,995 --> 00:27:31,475 Speaker 1: three times that morning and was to meet urgently at 421 00:27:31,475 --> 00:27:35,995 Speaker 1: the boat house in Central Park, presumably because the middle 422 00:27:36,035 --> 00:27:38,475 Speaker 1: of Grand Central Station would have been a little too public. 423 00:27:40,235 --> 00:27:45,115 Speaker 1: MSNBC's Jeremy Gaines responded again with some irrefutable refutations. Nobody 424 00:27:45,235 --> 00:27:48,635 Speaker 1: named Susan worked for my agent. In fact, sorry Post, 425 00:27:48,755 --> 00:27:51,995 Speaker 1: nobody at all worked from my agent. She was independent. 426 00:27:52,475 --> 00:27:55,435 Speaker 1: She had a working relationship with a small Los Angeles 427 00:27:55,555 --> 00:27:59,395 Speaker 1: agency which basically covered her phone when she was on vacation, 428 00:27:59,915 --> 00:28:02,275 Speaker 1: which was almost never because she never left the top 429 00:28:02,315 --> 00:28:06,515 Speaker 1: of Mount Shasta. We call that ac and they confirmed 430 00:28:06,515 --> 00:28:08,715 Speaker 1: they not only did not have anybody working for them 431 00:28:08,795 --> 00:28:12,035 Speaker 1: named Susan, but nobody from their agency was even on 432 00:28:12,115 --> 00:28:17,275 Speaker 1: the East coast so far that year. At this point 433 00:28:17,355 --> 00:28:19,675 Speaker 1: I called the television columnist of the New York Post, 434 00:28:19,675 --> 00:28:21,595 Speaker 1: who I knew a little, and off the record explained 435 00:28:21,635 --> 00:28:23,755 Speaker 1: to him that I was furious in getting ready to sue, 436 00:28:24,115 --> 00:28:26,955 Speaker 1: but that NBC was far angrier than I was, and 437 00:28:26,955 --> 00:28:29,395 Speaker 1: that they were going to sue as well, and sue 438 00:28:29,395 --> 00:28:31,675 Speaker 1: the editor of Page six personally in an effort to 439 00:28:31,715 --> 00:28:34,555 Speaker 1: put him out of business. I calmly went through the 440 00:28:34,595 --> 00:28:37,955 Speaker 1: facts of this. This guy, who had a conscience side, 441 00:28:38,115 --> 00:28:39,955 Speaker 1: said he got these kinds of calls more often than 442 00:28:39,995 --> 00:28:42,155 Speaker 1: I would believe, And I said, no, I'd believe it. 443 00:28:42,555 --> 00:28:44,035 Speaker 1: And he said he would go to the editor of 444 00:28:44,035 --> 00:28:46,555 Speaker 1: page six and explain somebody was lying to the editor 445 00:28:46,555 --> 00:28:48,555 Speaker 1: of page six and he was going to get himself 446 00:28:48,555 --> 00:28:51,915 Speaker 1: sued into bankruptcy over a really obviously untrue and completely 447 00:28:51,955 --> 00:28:55,875 Speaker 1: disproven story. A couple of hours later, New York Post 448 00:28:55,875 --> 00:28:58,955 Speaker 1: Page six called again, demanding a comment from me on 449 00:28:58,995 --> 00:29:03,035 Speaker 1: a third different version of their exclusive papal scoop. No, 450 00:29:03,795 --> 00:29:06,395 Speaker 1: the woman there and has heard who they first said 451 00:29:06,475 --> 00:29:09,075 Speaker 1: was my agent, then said she'd gotten it wrong. It 452 00:29:09,115 --> 00:29:10,875 Speaker 1: was a woman named Susan who worked for my agent 453 00:29:10,995 --> 00:29:13,395 Speaker 1: had now become a woman who worked for my agent, 454 00:29:13,435 --> 00:29:16,075 Speaker 1: whose name the witness never heard, but she was talking 455 00:29:16,195 --> 00:29:20,875 Speaker 1: to somebody else named Susan. And there was an additional 456 00:29:20,955 --> 00:29:23,755 Speaker 1: quote that appeared out of nowhere. I'll be dealing with 457 00:29:23,795 --> 00:29:27,475 Speaker 1: this all day now was gone. It was replaced with 458 00:29:27,915 --> 00:29:30,435 Speaker 1: I'll be dealing with this all day now. The same 459 00:29:30,475 --> 00:29:33,315 Speaker 1: week Peter Jennings makes his announcement about having lung cancer, 460 00:29:33,395 --> 00:29:36,715 Speaker 1: this idiot, a frequent President and President Bush critic, is 461 00:29:36,715 --> 00:29:41,635 Speaker 1: sitting around in his pajamas calling me about this years later, 462 00:29:41,675 --> 00:29:44,395 Speaker 1: a former gossip reporter in Murdoch's employee explained to me 463 00:29:44,435 --> 00:29:47,915 Speaker 1: that his celebrity and gossip people are taught never to 464 00:29:47,995 --> 00:29:50,955 Speaker 1: back down from a confrontation, and that if the subject 465 00:29:50,955 --> 00:29:53,315 Speaker 1: of one of their hit jobs fights back or tries 466 00:29:53,355 --> 00:29:57,315 Speaker 1: to refute, or especially threatens legal action, to keep making 467 00:29:57,315 --> 00:30:00,355 Speaker 1: the story worse and worse for them. And in the 468 00:30:00,355 --> 00:30:02,675 Speaker 1: first decade of this century, you were supposed to try 469 00:30:02,675 --> 00:30:06,275 Speaker 1: to work in a defense of George W. Bush. But 470 00:30:06,355 --> 00:30:09,835 Speaker 1: there's also what they called an emergency exit. If there 471 00:30:09,915 --> 00:30:12,595 Speaker 1: is no question that the story is nonsensical, the basic 472 00:30:12,675 --> 00:30:15,435 Speaker 1: spine of the story does not line up with provable facts. 473 00:30:15,475 --> 00:30:18,835 Speaker 1: Just abandoned it. Don't tell the subject of your attack 474 00:30:18,875 --> 00:30:21,755 Speaker 1: that you are abandoning it. Just don't make any more 475 00:30:21,795 --> 00:30:24,035 Speaker 1: phone calls and don't send any more emails about it. 476 00:30:24,075 --> 00:30:27,875 Speaker 1: Just banish, and then send the name of the subject 477 00:30:27,915 --> 00:30:30,235 Speaker 1: around to all the other Murdoch operations to see if 478 00:30:30,235 --> 00:30:32,235 Speaker 1: they can come up with any dirt on the subject 479 00:30:32,435 --> 00:30:37,315 Speaker 1: to punish them for fighting back against the Murdoch lies. Well, 480 00:30:37,395 --> 00:30:39,355 Speaker 1: it took The New York Post a year and a 481 00:30:39,395 --> 00:30:42,915 Speaker 1: half after dropping this story. They never called back about 482 00:30:42,915 --> 00:30:46,915 Speaker 1: Susan or my agent or the boathouse in Central Park again. 483 00:30:47,475 --> 00:30:50,755 Speaker 1: But on September twenty six, two thousand and six, I 484 00:30:50,835 --> 00:30:53,915 Speaker 1: opened an envelope bearing a California postmark at my home 485 00:30:53,915 --> 00:30:56,515 Speaker 1: in New York, and a sticky substance it looked like 486 00:30:56,635 --> 00:31:00,595 Speaker 1: drano mixed with talcum powder fell out. An accompanying note 487 00:31:00,835 --> 00:31:03,435 Speaker 1: said it was anthrax, and now I and other Liberals 488 00:31:03,435 --> 00:31:06,675 Speaker 1: would get a taste of our own medicine. Even reading 489 00:31:06,675 --> 00:31:09,995 Speaker 1: those chilling words and having covered the actual antrax letters 490 00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:12,875 Speaker 1: attacks of two thousand and one for CNN, I knew 491 00:31:12,915 --> 00:31:15,915 Speaker 1: it wasn't antrax. The guy who supposedly sent the actual 492 00:31:15,915 --> 00:31:18,155 Speaker 1: antrax was an expert in the field, and even he 493 00:31:18,235 --> 00:31:21,315 Speaker 1: mishandled the stuff so badly that the official report was 494 00:31:21,355 --> 00:31:25,155 Speaker 1: he gave himself anthrax poisoning and died of it. On 495 00:31:25,195 --> 00:31:28,915 Speaker 1: the other hand, what if I was wrong? My apartment 496 00:31:28,955 --> 00:31:30,995 Speaker 1: building was filled with little old ladies who had lived 497 00:31:30,995 --> 00:31:34,275 Speaker 1: there since Roosevelt was president. I only assumed that meant 498 00:31:34,275 --> 00:31:37,835 Speaker 1: Franklin Roosevelt. The odds were about one in a trillion. 499 00:31:37,875 --> 00:31:39,555 Speaker 1: This was actually anthrax, But who was I had to 500 00:31:39,595 --> 00:31:43,715 Speaker 1: dismiss this on their behalf, So I made a phone 501 00:31:43,715 --> 00:31:47,155 Speaker 1: call well, that made it into quite an evening. The 502 00:31:47,235 --> 00:31:49,715 Speaker 1: cops showed up, the FBI showed up. They said, of course, 503 00:31:49,755 --> 00:31:51,675 Speaker 1: it's not antrax. What we have to act like it is. 504 00:31:52,155 --> 00:31:55,035 Speaker 1: The hazmat squad came in, they set up a command 505 00:31:55,075 --> 00:31:57,715 Speaker 1: post in the building. They swept my apartment and they said, okay, 506 00:31:57,755 --> 00:31:59,955 Speaker 1: now you have to go to the emergency room for tests. 507 00:32:00,115 --> 00:32:01,915 Speaker 1: And I said, it's not antrax. You just said so. 508 00:32:01,955 --> 00:32:03,835 Speaker 1: And they said, if we have to do this, you 509 00:32:03,875 --> 00:32:06,955 Speaker 1: have to do this too. I laughed, And if you don't, 510 00:32:06,955 --> 00:32:08,995 Speaker 1: we can arrest you as a threat to public health 511 00:32:09,035 --> 00:32:11,915 Speaker 1: and make you do it. So out I went into 512 00:32:11,955 --> 00:32:16,875 Speaker 1: an ambulance dressed in a hazmat suit one size too 513 00:32:16,915 --> 00:32:20,075 Speaker 1: small that really chafed in the groin. I spent the 514 00:32:20,155 --> 00:32:22,755 Speaker 1: night getting checked out, and the FBI called back and said, 515 00:32:23,075 --> 00:32:27,475 Speaker 1: it's like draino with ivory soap flakes. But they also 516 00:32:27,515 --> 00:32:30,315 Speaker 1: said there were other letters that had arrived that night 517 00:32:30,355 --> 00:32:32,395 Speaker 1: and the night before and the week before to people 518 00:32:32,395 --> 00:32:35,995 Speaker 1: like the chairman of CBS and David Letterman's office and 519 00:32:36,155 --> 00:32:40,475 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi and the wrong John Stewart, and they couldn't 520 00:32:40,515 --> 00:32:42,275 Speaker 1: make me do this, but it would really help if 521 00:32:42,275 --> 00:32:44,435 Speaker 1: I did not report what had happened to me on 522 00:32:44,475 --> 00:32:47,115 Speaker 1: my TV show, just for one day, because they had 523 00:32:47,155 --> 00:32:48,595 Speaker 1: a lead on the guy and they didn't want to 524 00:32:48,635 --> 00:32:53,555 Speaker 1: scare them off. Naturally, I said sure. The next day, 525 00:32:53,595 --> 00:32:56,275 Speaker 1: while we were still observing the embargo on the story 526 00:32:56,675 --> 00:33:00,715 Speaker 1: my story, which actually happened to me, New York Post 527 00:33:00,755 --> 00:33:02,675 Speaker 1: page six ran a picture of me with the headline 528 00:33:03,035 --> 00:33:07,315 Speaker 1: powder Puff spooks Keith and making sure to identify me 529 00:33:07,435 --> 00:33:11,355 Speaker 1: as quote can you guess a frequent critic of President 530 00:33:11,395 --> 00:33:14,835 Speaker 1: Pusher's policies. It mocked me for not just assuming it 531 00:33:14,835 --> 00:33:17,795 Speaker 1: was fake antrax and ignoring it, and claimed I insisted 532 00:33:17,835 --> 00:33:20,355 Speaker 1: the cops take me to the hospital. Quote whether they 533 00:33:20,395 --> 00:33:23,195 Speaker 1: gave him a lollipop on the way out isn't known, 534 00:33:24,715 --> 00:33:26,795 Speaker 1: By the way, one of the anthrax letters in two 535 00:33:26,795 --> 00:33:29,395 Speaker 1: thousand and one, the actual anthrax letters had been mailed 536 00:33:29,435 --> 00:33:31,475 Speaker 1: to the New York Post, and one of their staffers 537 00:33:31,475 --> 00:33:34,515 Speaker 1: contracted the anthrax poisoning, but that didn't seem to matter 538 00:33:34,555 --> 00:33:36,315 Speaker 1: anymore when it was a chance to take a shot 539 00:33:36,355 --> 00:33:39,195 Speaker 1: at me. Anyway. As it turned out, there was a 540 00:33:39,275 --> 00:33:42,715 Speaker 1: guy in California sending out these threatening letters, each with 541 00:33:42,835 --> 00:33:45,795 Speaker 1: fake antrax, to about a dozen people. He sent me 542 00:33:46,115 --> 00:33:49,835 Speaker 1: four of them. I soon knew the FBI guys on 543 00:33:49,875 --> 00:33:53,435 Speaker 1: the case by their first names, and one day I 544 00:33:53,475 --> 00:33:57,035 Speaker 1: pointed out to FBI Doug that the last envelope had 545 00:33:57,035 --> 00:33:59,555 Speaker 1: a barcode on it that maybe could track the guy, 546 00:33:59,635 --> 00:34:01,595 Speaker 1: and he said, oh, you're right, And the next thing 547 00:34:01,635 --> 00:34:04,475 Speaker 1: I knew, the FBI had videotaped the suspect mailing yet 548 00:34:04,475 --> 00:34:08,195 Speaker 1: another letter to me from his home in Woodland Hills, California, 549 00:34:08,195 --> 00:34:10,835 Speaker 1: and I swear to God he actually lived in his 550 00:34:10,915 --> 00:34:14,075 Speaker 1: mother's basement. And FBI Doug said, do we have your 551 00:34:14,075 --> 00:34:15,795 Speaker 1: permission to pull a letter out of the mailbox and 552 00:34:15,835 --> 00:34:18,795 Speaker 1: open it? And I said sure, And the guy wound 553 00:34:18,875 --> 00:34:21,835 Speaker 1: up going to prison for like eighteen months, but not 554 00:34:21,955 --> 00:34:25,275 Speaker 1: before FBI Doug said, by the way, the barcode you'd 555 00:34:25,315 --> 00:34:28,075 Speaker 1: noticed it was for the post office here, and that's 556 00:34:28,075 --> 00:34:30,155 Speaker 1: where we found his address and the fact that he'd 557 00:34:30,835 --> 00:34:33,635 Speaker 1: bought all this stuff and purchased a postal money order 558 00:34:33,635 --> 00:34:37,155 Speaker 1: for fifteen dollars made out to the Katherine Harris for 559 00:34:37,155 --> 00:34:41,915 Speaker 1: Florida Senate campaign, and that led us to his online history, 560 00:34:41,955 --> 00:34:45,115 Speaker 1: which is all about how she is the most beautiful 561 00:34:45,155 --> 00:34:48,315 Speaker 1: woman in the world, Katherine Harris, except for maybe some 562 00:34:48,515 --> 00:34:52,595 Speaker 1: gal named Laura something the most beautiful woman in history, 563 00:34:52,955 --> 00:34:59,275 Speaker 1: and I said, Laura, Laura Ingram an FBI Doug said, Yeah, 564 00:34:59,275 --> 00:35:03,475 Speaker 1: that's it, Laura Ingram. And if that isn't ten years 565 00:35:03,475 --> 00:35:05,315 Speaker 1: of my life in one sentence, I don't know what 566 00:35:05,315 --> 00:35:21,075 Speaker 1: it is. I've done all the damage I can do here. 567 00:35:21,115 --> 00:35:23,155 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Here are the credits. Most of 568 00:35:23,155 --> 00:35:26,515 Speaker 1: the music was arranged, produced and performed by Brian Ray 569 00:35:26,595 --> 00:35:29,635 Speaker 1: and John Philip Channel, who are the Countdown musical directors. 570 00:35:29,955 --> 00:35:34,075 Speaker 1: All orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Channel. Guitars based 571 00:35:34,075 --> 00:35:36,995 Speaker 1: on drums by Brian Ray, produced by t Ko Brothers. 572 00:35:37,355 --> 00:35:40,235 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by the 573 00:35:40,235 --> 00:35:43,675 Speaker 1: group No Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Alderman 574 00:35:43,795 --> 00:35:46,155 Speaker 1: theme from ESPN two, and it was written by Mitch 575 00:35:46,195 --> 00:35:51,235 Speaker 1: Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Musical comments from Nancy Faust. 576 00:35:51,275 --> 00:35:54,355 Speaker 1: The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was 577 00:35:54,475 --> 00:35:58,275 Speaker 1: Richard Lewis. Everything else pretty much my fault. So let's 578 00:35:58,275 --> 00:36:00,875 Speaker 1: countdown for this the eight hundred and eleventh day since 579 00:36:00,915 --> 00:36:04,595 Speaker 1: Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected govern 580 00:36:04,675 --> 00:36:08,675 Speaker 1: remitted the United States arrest him now while we still can. 581 00:36:09,475 --> 00:36:12,955 Speaker 1: The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Until then, I'm Keith Oldriman. 582 00:36:13,035 --> 00:36:22,955 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with 583 00:36:23,075 --> 00:36:27,355 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 584 00:36:27,395 --> 00:36:32,115 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 585 00:36:32,155 --> 00:36:33,475 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.