1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, ready or not, twenty twenty four is here, 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: and we here at breaking points, are already thinking of 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: ways we can up our game for this critical election. 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 2: We rely on our premium subs to expand coverage, upgrade 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 2: the studio ad staff give you, guys, the best independent. 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 3: Coverage that is possible. 7 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 2: If you like what we're all about, it just means 8 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: the absolute world to have your support. 9 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 3: But enough with that, let's get to the show. 10 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 4: The Russia coverage was not great. 11 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 5: Sure, the Russia coverage was not great from who or man. 12 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 4: From corporate media. Yeah, I mean just the question about 13 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 4: fat Donald Trump didn't have facts on his side. 14 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: I think that the Russia coverage on CNN was good. 15 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 5: I think that Bernie Sanders that that wing of the 16 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 5: Democratic Party actually did it as much, if not more 17 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 5: damage to Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump. 18 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 4: The Nikki Haley comment was that an excuse to purge you. 19 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 3: Welcome to Counterpoints. 20 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 4: I'm Ryan Grim, I'm Emily Dashinsky. We know that you 21 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 4: are used to seeing us every Wednesday. 22 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 3: But it's Friday. Here we are. 23 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 4: We're excited to premiere the Friday edition of Counterpoints, where 24 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 4: we'll do long form interviews. We'll do debates with some 25 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 4: big names, so make sure to subscribe over at Breakingpoints 26 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 4: dot com for early access to every episode. 27 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 6: All right, and for today's show, we're joined by a 28 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 6: familiar face, former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who's now the 29 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 6: host of The Don Lemon Show. 30 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 3: Don Lemon, Welcome to Counterpoints. 31 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: Thank you. I thought you guys said you had big 32 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: names on this program. 33 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: Now in the future we'll have big names. 34 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 5: After me, your next big name. Thank you guys for 35 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 5: having me on. 36 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 4: I appreciate it, of course, No, thank you for being here. 37 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 4: You're too humble done. But we want to ask you. 38 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 4: Your show is streaming everywhere. Our first question for you is, basically, 39 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 4: you spent a long time in what a lot of 40 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 4: people would describe as the corporate media, what we would 41 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 4: often describe as the corporate media, and now you're doing 42 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 4: an independent show. So if you could tell us a 43 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 4: little bit about what the difference is, you know, between 44 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 4: doing the news at this big corporate behemoth and doing 45 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 4: the news as an independent anchor where you really get 46 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 4: to I'm sure you had a lot of creative corol 47 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 4: and freedom at CNN, but now you really have no restrictions. 48 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 4: Nobody telling you anything. It's all you. 49 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: Well, it's two things I think that are most important. 50 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: One you said freedom. There's freedom, editorial freedom. 51 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 5: I probably had the most editorial freedom on my own 52 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 5: network than anyone because at the time of I was 53 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 5: ob this is the last show on the air, right 54 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 5: and it was at night, so I had a lot 55 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 5: of editorial freedom, and maybe the bosses weren't even watching 56 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 5: at that time, so you know, but I have even 57 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 5: more freedom here to say and do whatever I want. 58 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: And it's mine. I get to do. I get to 59 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: cover whatever I want. 60 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 5: There was a time that I'd have to ask and 61 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 5: get permission from everyone just to be on your show, 62 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 5: and they would, you know, it would go through the 63 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 5: SMP and they'd say this is not worthy, this is worthy. 64 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 5: I get to decide what's worthy. I get to decide 65 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 5: where I go, so I am my own person. But 66 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 5: the most important thing I think is that this is 67 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 5: a community and independent media. You build a community. It's 68 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 5: from the it's grassroots. 69 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: From the ground up. 70 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 5: People are actually engaged with you. They feel that you 71 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 5: are a part of their family so to speak. I mean, 72 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 5: people do say I feel like you're a part of 73 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 5: my family because I go to sleep with you every night, 74 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 5: you know, and so on and so forth. But also 75 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 5: it's not just me sitting on an anchor desk, you know, pontificating. 76 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 5: It's me talking to the viewers, trying to figure out 77 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 5: what is interesting, what they want. And also I have 78 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 5: the complete freedom just to be honest with them and 79 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 5: they appreciate that, and just to be myself. 80 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: I do a show. 81 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 5: I do this show which is in my studio now, 82 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 5: and you know, it's a nice, beautiful studio in Manhattan 83 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 5: on Park Avenue. 84 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: It's great. 85 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 5: But the show that gets the most engagement is a 86 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 5: show that I do for my living room. I do 87 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 5: a live show at five o'clock every day, Lemon Live 88 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 5: in my living room every day, where I talk about 89 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 5: what's happening in the news, and I take questions and 90 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 5: comments from the viewers live from the comment section. And 91 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 5: people are so engaged they call themselves a lemonheads or. 92 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: Lemon nation, and that's what I. 93 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 5: Really love about it. So that's the most important thing. 94 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 5: I get to build a community. It's not just a 95 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 5: one way conversation. And also I have complete toial freedom. 96 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 6: When you talk to anchors at CNN or MSNBC. So 97 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 6: I write for the Intercept when I'm not doing this program, 98 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 6: and all of me talking to them about stories that 99 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 6: we've done. Often here, God, we could never put that 100 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 6: on air. We just couldn't do that. And I'm curious 101 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 6: how often you kind of ran up against those constraints 102 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 6: as an anchor, and whether it was about ratings or 103 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 6: whether there were other kind of political or commercial interests 104 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 6: that would would require you just kind of internally or 105 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 6: within your staff to say, yeah, we just can't touch that. 106 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 5: Well, you know, I don't know if I ever had 107 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 5: that problem, and I don't want to. I'm not going 108 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 5: to disparage my own network because I loved working at CNN. 109 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 5: I love the folks there. They're the best journalists in 110 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 5: the world, I believe. But as I said, I had 111 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 5: more editorial freedom than I think anyone on the network, 112 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 5: And if I wanted something covered, then I could cover it. 113 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: If even if I couldn't. 114 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 5: Devote an entire program to it, I could devote a 115 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 5: segment to it, or just you know, I could just 116 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 5: come on the and say this is important to me, 117 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 5: and you know, and I would just say it in 118 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 5: a monologue and then be done. 119 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: With it. 120 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 5: But when you work for company A, you do things 121 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 5: the way Company A does it. If you work for 122 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 5: company B, you do things away company B does it. 123 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 5: And I think that we develop regardless of what network 124 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 5: we're in. We develop sort of, you know, we have 125 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 5: this myopic lens, we have blinders that we do things 126 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 5: the way that it is done. And I find that 127 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:28,799 Speaker 5: since I've left that my media appetite has no media 128 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 5: diet has you know, changed, And so I feel like 129 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 5: I feel like I'm much more aware of what's going 130 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 5: on in the world because I'm not just focusing on 131 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 5: what are the big things in the news that are 132 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 5: going to make air on this particular network. And so 133 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 5: there were things, Yes, there were things that I would 134 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 5: like to cover, but they just didn't bubble up high 135 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 5: enough right into the things that we were discussing on 136 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 5: the network. And I'm not sure that's necessarily bad. That's 137 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 5: just the way that it was done. If you look 138 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 5: at Fox Box Has, you know, they have a different 139 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 5: editorial plan or edic, then CNN, CNN has a different 140 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 5: one than MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS. 141 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: For the most part, they're the same. 142 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 5: When you come out there covering the same stories, but 143 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 5: they somehow do it differently because they do it the 144 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 5: way that their company does it. So it wasn't really 145 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 5: a problem for me. But I understand your question. There 146 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 5: are certain things that just probably didn't bubble up. 147 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 4: And when we were thinking about this interview, Ryan had 148 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 4: an idea to play this clip of Nom Chomsky that 149 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 4: is really popular on the left. But this is kind 150 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 4: of a perfect segue into it because he talks about 151 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 4: the Chomsky theory. You know, whether or not you agree 152 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 4: with it. Don It's interesting is that basically a lot 153 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 4: of the different cable networks speak in one voice ultimately, 154 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 4: because there's almost a class bubble that a lot of journalists, 155 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 4: especially at the cable networks, find themselves in. So let's 156 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 4: just roll this one minute of Nome Chromsky and then 157 00:06:58,279 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 4: we'll get your reaction done. 158 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: I'll have to I think I know some of them. 159 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 7: Well, I know some of the best and best known 160 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 7: investigative reporters in the United States. I won't mention names, 161 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 7: but whose attitude or the media is much more cynical 162 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 7: than mine. In fact, they regard the media as a sham, 163 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 7: and they know and they consciously. 164 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 3: Talk about how they try to. 165 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 7: Play it like a violin. If they see a little opening, 166 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 7: they'll try to squeeze something in that ordinarily wouldn't make 167 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 7: it through. And it's perfectly true that the I'm sure 168 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,679 Speaker 7: you're speaking for the majority of journalists who are trained, 169 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 7: have it driven into their heads that this is a 170 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 7: crusading profession, adversarial we stand up against power, a very 171 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 7: self serving view. On the other hand, in my opinion, 172 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 7: I hate to make a value judgment, but the better journalists, 173 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 7: and in fact the ones who are often regarded as 174 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 7: the best journalists, have quite a different picture, and I 175 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 7: think a very realistic one. 176 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: How can you How can you know that I'm self censory? 177 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 7: How can you have self censory? I'm sure you believe 178 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 7: everything you're saying, But what I'm saying is you could 179 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 7: believe something different. 180 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: You wouldn't be sitting where you're sitting. 181 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 3: I had just seen that clip before. What'd you think 182 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 3: I had? 183 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: I hadn't seen that clip before. Well, listen to me, No, 184 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: johsk would not want to go up against the right. 185 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: I think he just basically sort of said what I 186 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: said in different words. 187 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 5: If you see something or you believe something that you know, 188 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 5: you find an opening you sort of squeeze it in, 189 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 5: which is basically what I was saying, and my previous 190 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 5: answer to you that there was something I found. 191 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: Important, I would find a way to get it in. 192 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 5: And obviously, look, I'm no longer, you know, in traditional 193 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 5: legacy media. So he says, if you believe something, if 194 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,559 Speaker 5: you believe differently, you wouldn't be sitting where you're sitting now. 195 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 5: So I'm not sitting where I was sitting before. So 196 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,839 Speaker 5: obviously there was something that I else said I believe. 197 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 4: And you know, I have a question on that, actually, 198 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 4: because I don't think either of us is interested in 199 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 4: getting into any drama with your old network. But I 200 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 4: do think the Nikki Haley comment what I found it 201 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 4: hilarious frankly, but we don't have to get into it. 202 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 4: All I want to say is is that an excuse 203 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 4: to purge you? Do you feel like that was Do 204 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 4: you think that your former colleagues cared deeply about Nicki 205 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 4: Haley's feelings or do you think that was sort of 206 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 4: a fig leaf to start purging maybe allies of Jeff Zucker. 207 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 4: What's your read on that whole situation, because you, I 208 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 4: mean you did I think apologized for it, and everything 209 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 4: sort of spiraled from there. It seemed like from the outside. 210 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: At least, look at my faith. 211 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 4: In your crime. 212 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 5: I will let your comments stand if you think, I think. 213 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: That you are a very smart woman, and I will 214 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: just let it stand. 215 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 3: Enterprime, no doubt, right of course. 216 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 6: So one of the criticisms I had of CNN over 217 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 6: over the years is around its coverage of the of 218 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 6: the kind of left wing of the Democratic Party, and 219 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 6: in particular missing the kind of twenty six the energy 220 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 6: behind the twenty sixteen Bernie Sanders campaign, and then missing 221 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 6: miss again the second time around. Like you know, twenty twenty, 222 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 6: Bernie Centers almost seized the nomination and it seemed to 223 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 6: catch the media flat foot at both times. I'm curious 224 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 6: what your editorial meetings were like throughout twenty sixteen and 225 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 6: twenty twenty or was there just so much Trump that 226 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 6: there just wasn't kind of the oxygen for the Democratic primaries. 227 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: Well, I want to make sure I understand what you're saying, Brian. 228 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 5: What are you asking me that that you think that 229 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 5: Bernie Sanders wasn't given his do in in traditional media? 230 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: Is that what you're saying is. 231 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, and let me yeah, and let me and 232 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 6: let me tell you a little story about that real 233 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 6: quick like. So in February of twenty twenty, you remember 234 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 6: Rebecca Cutler, the old head of CNN talent, She reached 235 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 6: out to or somehow we got connected when I'm back 236 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 6: still at the Intercept, I was the Intercept at the time, 237 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 6: and she said, look, we have really missed the boat 238 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 6: on covering the left wing of the Democratic Party, like 239 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 6: we need people who have covered that before and who 240 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 6: understand this rising progressive energy. And so CNN brought me 241 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 6: in and said, look, we need to get you on 242 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 6: some of these programs because we need somebody, you know, 243 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 6: who can speak to this obviously now rising energy within 244 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 6: the Democratic Party. And then that that happened a couple times, 245 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 6: and then Bernie lost the South Carolina primary and got 246 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 6: wiped out on Super Tuesday, and they said, actually, nevermind, 247 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 6: We're good. We don't need to worry about this kind 248 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 6: of progressive wing. Maybe maybe in four years if it 249 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 6: if it bubbles back up. But there was a there 250 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 6: was a fear inside CNN reflected through Rebecca's outreach that 251 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 6: they had missed something fundamental about the country that was 252 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 6: represented by the rise of Bernie Sanders. 253 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 5: I don't know what conversation you had with Rebecca, who 254 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 5: I know, and so I won't get into that, but 255 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 5: I think if there was any outreach for you to 256 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 5: cover something that was happening in the news of the 257 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 5: zeitgeist politically, I think that Rebecca should be commended for 258 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 5: recognizing that. The second part is that I've never heard anyone, 259 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 5: anybody say that CNN should be more left, So you know, hey, 260 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 5: there's a first time for everything. I didn't necessarily think 261 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 5: CNN was left. I thought that CNN was about facts. 262 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 5: I think CNN is the best journalist in the world. 263 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 5: But I also think you asked me what my editorial 264 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 5: meetings were like. I mean, no one was trying to 265 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 5: push Bernie Sanders, and at least in my editorial meetings, 266 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 5: and I would venture to speak for the network. Now, well, 267 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 5: I'll speak for myself. I don't think that anyone was 268 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 5: trying to push Bernie Sanders out. I think that Bernie 269 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 5: Sanders may have had this sort of outsized influence with 270 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 5: a certain segment of the Democratic Party. But all polls 271 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 5: in twenty sixteen pointed to Hillary Clinton. All polls in 272 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 5: twenty twenty, and public sentiment pointed to Joe Biden. And 273 00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 5: so what was shocking, I think to myself, was the 274 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 5: the reaction from Democrats to the nomination of Hillary Clinton 275 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 5: instead of Bernie Sanders in sixteen, especially in twenty twenty. 276 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 5: You know, I couldn't get to gauge it because I 277 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 5: didn't get to go to the conventions. I think that 278 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 5: was around, you know, because of COVID. But here's a 279 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 5: shocking thing. We so networks have editorial calls or meetings 280 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 5: with campaigns right to figure out how you're going to 281 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 5: cover the campaigns. When I in my experience meeting having 282 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 5: those editorial calls and meetings with the Trump folks, they 283 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,439 Speaker 5: knew every single thing that was happening in the meeting, 284 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 5: every single thing that Don Lemon had ever said about 285 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 5: Donald Trump. 286 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: His folks knew about it. 287 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 5: They knew where to place him, they knew who they 288 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 5: wanted him to talk to, They knew who they want 289 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 5: him to call into or do in person interviews. By contrast, 290 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 5: the Clinton campaign was so above it that you know, hey, 291 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 5: you know, they had no idea what I was saying 292 00:13:57,800 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 5: about Hillary Clinton or whatever they were. You know, she 293 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 5: didn't not have as much media outreach. She got to 294 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 5: pick and choose where she went and rather than just 295 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 5: doing what Donald Trump did. So listen, I think that 296 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 5: the Hillary but yet and still the public wanted Hillary Clinton. 297 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: They didn't want Bernie Sanders. 298 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 5: So I say that to say, when after all of 299 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 5: you know, Republicans did not love Donald Trump, they held 300 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 5: their nose and they voted for him. All of the 301 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 5: never Trumper was all of the people, you know, from 302 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 5: Ted Cruz on down. When he became the nominee, everyone 303 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 5: got behind him. 304 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: When we were at the convention, it was Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. 305 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: It wasn't jeb it wasn't you know, Cruise, it wasn't Ruby, 306 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: it wasn't any of those people. By the time we 307 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: got to the Democratic Convention and Hillary. 308 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 5: Clinton was a nominee, people were yelling Bernie, Bernie, and 309 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 5: we were like, what the hell is going on? So 310 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 5: I think that Bernie Sanders, that that wing of the 311 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 5: Democratic Party actually did it as much, if not more 312 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 5: damage to Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump. 313 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 6: So look, but I think that's I think that's an 314 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 6: interesting I think any question to be asking is to 315 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:07,359 Speaker 6: say what. 316 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: I think Bernie is a fantastic politician. 317 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 5: But I do think that there is a lesson in 318 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 5: it for Democrats that you have to get behind the 319 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 5: person who is the actual nominee and you cannot have 320 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,239 Speaker 5: sour grapes of the person who did not become the nominee. 321 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: That's how the process worked. 322 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 5: So I know that people are upset and they're upset 323 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 5: about the progressive wing and they don't think it gets 324 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 5: covered enough. But this is where we are. The nominee 325 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 5: of the person is Joe Biden. The nominee of the 326 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 5: person then was Hillary Clinton. I think the Bernie Sanders 327 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 5: progressive wing of the party should have gotten behind should 328 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 5: have gotten behind them, And that's the reason, one of 329 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 5: the reasons, the main reasons that we're in the predicament 330 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 5: that we are now and that. 331 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: We had a Trump presidency. 332 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 6: But I guess the point would be if CNN anchors 333 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 6: are at the twenty sixteen convention saying, what the hell 334 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 6: is going on? That's kind of reflective of the time 335 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 6: that I was making that you guys should have seen 336 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 6: this coming and should have own what was going on, 337 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 6: where this we knew it was, where this anger coming from. 338 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 5: Just because we're realistic about who the nominee is doesn't 339 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 5: mean that we didn't see that, didn't see it coming. 340 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 5: Bernie Sanders was not going to win. Bernie Sanders was 341 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 5: not going to be the nominee. So I turned to 342 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 5: my producer and said that I'm not saying this on 343 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 5: the air, but I was. 344 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: Maybe I did say it on the air. 345 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 5: I was surprised because Republicans fall in line. Democrats fight 346 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 5: each other, Democrats usually wet the bed. I'm sorry for 347 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 5: Bernie Sanders was not the nominee, nor was he ever 348 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 5: going to become the nominee. And I know that people 349 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 5: are upset by it, but that's the truth. It's the 350 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 5: same thing for Republicans. Nikki Haley is not the nominee. 351 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 5: She's not going to become the nominee. Donald Trump is 352 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 5: a nominee, regardless if you like it or not. The 353 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 5: guys in court and guess what, Republicans are going to 354 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 5: fall in line, and if Donald becomes the president again, 355 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 5: it'll be because Republicans fell in line. 356 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 4: One of the things I think I was just one 357 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 4: of the things I think it's cool about. Like Ryan 358 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 4: and I have both been critical of you. You've probably 359 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 4: been critical of independent media. This is the first time 360 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 4: we've ever talked in the past. But one thing that 361 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 4: I considered a low point, honestly in media coverage of 362 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 4: Donald Trump was the segment with you and Rick Wilson 363 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 4: talking about credulist Boomer Rubes. And I wonder, honestly if 364 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 4: there's an argument that sort of seeing other Americans through 365 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 4: that lens, and maybe now in independent media it's easier 366 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 4: not to but seeing other people through that lens of 367 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 4: you know, credulous Boomer Rubes laughing. 368 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 5: At Rick Wilson about that wasn't my That was not 369 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 5: my assessment of that. I was laughing at the Ukraine 370 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 5: on a map thing. 371 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: That was my point. 372 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 5: I did not make any comments about Americans. So you'll 373 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,199 Speaker 5: have to talk to Rick Wilson about that. 374 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 6: And I get but I guess there's an interesting mirror 375 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 6: going on where, you know, the Trump the Trump supporters 376 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 6: see that clip and they felsted in that, yeah, and 377 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 6: they feel. 378 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 3: Like they're not being represented. Bernie. 379 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 6: People feel like, you know, they're not being represented on CNN. 380 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 6: And and to the point about the polling that you mentioned, 381 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 6: just one point on Joe Biden's pulling. Joe Biden was 382 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 6: not polling ahead. You had said that Joe Biden was 383 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 6: pulling ahead. Joe Biden was in the toilet the entire time. 384 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 6: He finished fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire, got 385 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 6: annihilated in the data. 386 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:17,479 Speaker 1: He got to the convention. 387 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, and then he won after one hundred and seventy 388 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 6: five million dollars in free media between Nevada and South Carolina. 389 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 6: And then he wins Super twos and he won the nomination, 390 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 6: no doubt about it. But he wasn't pulling ahead before. 391 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 4: That is the sort of establishment media doing a good 392 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 4: enough job of connecting with the country in the way 393 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 4: that after twenty sixteen, newsrooms reckoned both with the sort 394 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 4: of Bernie Sanders phenomenon he won my homestate of Wisconsin, 395 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 4: for example, and the Trump phenomenon, and they said, for example, 396 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 4: Dean Baquet at the New York Times said, we don't 397 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 4: get religion. Has that gotten any better? Has it gotten worse? 398 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 4: Is the media in a sort of insulated You said, 399 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 4: your studios on Park Avenue the sort of a good 400 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 4: symbol right there, Like do people in the media know 401 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 4: people love people respect people. 402 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 5: Students on Park Avenue doesn't have to do with anything 403 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 5: I mean your studios in Washington, d C. Park Avenue 404 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 5: is part of America. 405 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 4: Well, no, I mean I don't disagree with that. Stephanie 406 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 4: Rule said the same thing, actually, but I am asking 407 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 4: you basically, we make an effort to talk to people 408 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 4: in different parts of the country. That's why I'm asking 409 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 4: does the media do a good, good enough job on 410 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 4: a class basis, not even a I think it. 411 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 5: Does a great job of talking to people from you know, 412 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 5: from all parts of the country. I mean when I 413 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 5: turn on Look, I'm not in legacy media anymore. When 414 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 5: I turn on legacy media, I see the left wing 415 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 5: of the Democratic Party overrepresented. I see the right wing 416 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 5: of the Republican Party overrepresented. There's always there's always panels 417 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 5: about what do maga people think nobody understands those people 418 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 5: and that they're overrepresented in media. The same thing happened 419 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 5: with the Bernie Sanders thing. The Sanders the left wing 420 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 5: of the party, it's overrepresented. Bernie Sanders getting is not 421 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 5: getting a fair shake. I think that it's over representation. 422 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 5: I just think, like listen, time to move on. Bernie 423 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 5: Sanders was not the nominee in twenty sixteen. We can 424 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 5: go back and litigate it. Now we've got a lot 425 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 5: of you know, unearned media or earned media. 426 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: In twenty sixteen, it's over. We can't go back and 427 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: litigate that. The same thing with twenty twenty. That's over. 428 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,640 Speaker 5: We can't go back and litigated. What we can do 429 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 5: is try to be better moving forward. So I do feel, honestly, 430 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 5: now that I'm in independent media, I do think that 431 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 5: the fringes of the parties, both parties are over represented 432 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 5: in the coverage in independent media and in legacy media 433 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 5: as well. 434 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 6: Why do you think legacy media is fading and independent 435 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 6: media is rising your what's your theory of that case? 436 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: Well, I don't think it's because they're so terrible the 437 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: way that they are covering the news. 438 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 5: I think they do a really good job of covering 439 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 5: the news because they have. 440 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: A ton of resources. I just think it is the way. 441 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 5: I think it's the advertising around it, because media is 442 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 5: so fractured now there are other places for advertisers to 443 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 5: put their money and so and there are just other 444 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 5: it's just other forms of media. Now you have way 445 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 5: more channels. He used to just be like, you know, 446 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 5: you had three ABC, CBS and NBC and then cable 447 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 5: came along, and then all of a sudden, the Internet 448 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 5: came along, and then social media came along. 449 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: I just think it's fractured. 450 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 5: So I'm not saying I don't believe that it's some 451 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 5: indication that traditional media is bad and therefore people aren't 452 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 5: tuning in. I just think there are more places to 453 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 5: tune in now and so the audience is shrinking. 454 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 4: Also curious if you've talked to Elon Musk since he 455 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 4: canceled the partnership, have you heard anything from him at all? 456 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 1: You know, I have a text message from him right now. No. 457 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 4: Well, on that note, actually, Elon Ryan has sent some 458 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 4: reporting on this Elon's censorship in different parts of the 459 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 4: world with X What do you think is the right 460 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 4: balance when it comes to content moderations obviously one of 461 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 4: the biggest challenges facing lawmakers, facing businesses, executives in Silicon Valley. 462 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 4: You now have a show that is on some of 463 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 4: these streaming platforms. How do you think about, you know, 464 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 4: what that sort of balance between and just allowing people 465 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 4: to speak and get everything out there. Elon's doing that 466 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 4: sort of in the States now, not necessarily in other 467 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,719 Speaker 4: parts of the world. But what do you make of 468 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 4: that done. 469 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what your question is. If you can 470 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: just tell me what I guess. 471 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 6: Put it this way, like one of the disputes that 472 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 6: you had with Musk was the definition of censorship versus moderation. 473 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 6: You would say there ought to be there ought to 474 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 6: be moderation. He was saying anything beyond taking down, you know, 475 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 6: illegal posts is censorship. 476 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,640 Speaker 3: So where where would you draw the line. 477 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 6: Let's say all of a sudden, Saudi Arabia comes to 478 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 6: you and says, here's forty five billion dollars, we actually 479 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 6: want you to own Twitter rather than elon Musk. How 480 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 6: would you go about I think platforms figuring out the difference. 481 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 5: I think platforms that have moderation obviously do better than 482 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 5: platforms that don't. If you look at what's happening with 483 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 5: Twitter now, then you one would understand that if you 484 00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 5: look at a platforms that moderate, even the independent media 485 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 5: who's on YouTube has moderation, right, even TikTok that I 486 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 5: know people are upset because it's China, China owns it, 487 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 5: but there's moderation there. There's moderation on Facebook, there's moderation 488 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 5: on Instagram. And I think that I would draw the 489 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 5: line at hate speech. I would draw the line at 490 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 5: anything that is that puts people in danger. 491 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: And I would draw the line at where. 492 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 5: When people who go into synagogues or churches or supermarkets 493 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 5: say that they admittedly became radicalized in part because of 494 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 5: social media. I think you need to look at that 495 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 5: and you need to take it seriously. So I would 496 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 5: draw the line at that. And if you're going to 497 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 5: if you want to say it's okay, look at this 498 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 5: is it's Elon Musk's that part. 499 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: This is bat and ball. He can do it whatever 500 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: he wants to do with it. 501 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 5: But I do think that there you have some degree 502 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 5: of responsibility to keep people safe, and you have it 503 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:06,360 Speaker 5: should be responsible enough that you listen to those who 504 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 5: disagree with you, and that you have different voices on 505 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 5: your platform. Every organization has rules that must be followed, 506 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,919 Speaker 5: and if you're going to be on that platform, then 507 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 5: you need to follow the rules. 508 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: He even has content rules on his. 509 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 5: Platform, and the content rules on his platform should be followed. 510 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: And if they're not, then why are they there? 511 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,239 Speaker 5: So I think you would draw the line really at 512 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 5: hate speech, in anything that puts people people's lives in danger. 513 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: And a lot of what's on social media. 514 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 4: Does that the constitution protects a decent amount of hate speech, 515 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 4: if not most hate speech. So is it Do you 516 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 4: think it's for a business reason, because I actually think 517 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 4: that's an interesting argument that for a business reason these 518 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 4: platforms should be engaged in content moderation because their consumers 519 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 4: feel unsafe, feel miserable when they're on these platforms that 520 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 4: are with hate speech. Or is it just sort of ideologically, 521 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 4: maybe it's a combination. We should keep people from hate speech, 522 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 4: people should be protected from hate speech. 523 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: Whether I think that. 524 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 5: I don't think content should be you know, pushed to 525 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 5: young girls that make them feel less than I don't 526 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 5: think that content should be pushed to young men that 527 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 5: makes them feel that they, you know, can go and 528 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 5: shoot up supermarkets and kill people, kill Jews, kill blacks, 529 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 5: kill gay people. So I think for human reasons that 530 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 5: there needs to be moderation. I think for common sense 531 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 5: there needs to be moderation. That whole idea that you know, 532 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 5: free speeches is a you know, wild wild west. 533 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: I think that's BS. 534 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 5: I don't think that's what the our founders meant when 535 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 5: they said freedom of speech. You're free You're free to 536 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 5: say whatever you want, but you must suffer the consequences. 537 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 4: We had Stemm Rehersch on this show last year talking 538 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 4: about his reporting that implicated the CIA and blowing up 539 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 4: nord Stream pipeline. Is that is that beyond the bounds 540 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 4: of disinformation from your perspective, because there are some people 541 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,879 Speaker 4: that would say this is, you know, Russian propaganda, this 542 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 4: is disinformation? Is that something? How do you sort of 543 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 4: beyond how? 544 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 5: I think it has to be true if it's going 545 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 5: to be on your platform, And again, if you people 546 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 5: can create the rules of whatever they want to on 547 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 5: their platform, your organization, whatever organization you. 548 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: Belong to, you have rules. I have my own rules. 549 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 5: CNN has rules, MSNBC has rules, Fox has rules. 550 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: X Corporation has rules. 551 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,959 Speaker 5: Everyone has rules that their employees are people who are 552 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 5: going to take part in whatever platform that they have 553 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 5: or if you're going to work there, they have rules, 554 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 5: and I think you need to follow those rules. And 555 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 5: I think that that company gets to set what those 556 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 5: rules are. But I think at the very least, especially 557 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 5: when it comes to journalism and it comes to the 558 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 5: freedom of the press. 559 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,400 Speaker 1: That before you put it out there, you need to figure. 560 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 5: Out whether it's true or not. You just can't throw 561 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 5: it out there and expect it to be okay. I 562 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 5: don't believe that, and I think most sane people would 563 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 5: agree with that. 564 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 6: Let me ask you a totally unrelated question. You know, 565 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 6: just my strength lies in kind of writing and reporting, 566 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 6: kind of behind a desk, typing away the instant wretch. 567 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,679 Speaker 6: The whole TV presenting thing is not like, it's not 568 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 6: the thing I'm really good at. You're quite good at 569 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 6: the whole TV thing. Like even people who would disagree 570 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 6: with whatever you're saying, like as a presenter, you're quite 571 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 6: skilled at it. So what what tips do you have 572 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 6: for people like me and Emily who this isn't really 573 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:30,199 Speaker 6: our thing, but we find ourselves in front of this 574 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 6: camera anyway. 575 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 5: Look, my tip is that you should just be yourself, 576 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 5: and you know, if I can just be honest. You 577 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 5: guys are saying, you know, where's the teleprompter before? Like 578 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 5: I would say, challenge yourself. You don't need a teleprompter. 579 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,640 Speaker 5: I just think that you should be Ryan and Emily and. 580 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 3: I also we did we did skip the teleprompter. 581 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 4: Actually we did it live. 582 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: Ryan and Emily. 583 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 5: But I also think listen I'm just going to tell 584 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 5: you there were there were many things, and there are 585 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 5: many things in the media that I disagree with, But 586 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 5: I'm also tethered to reality, and so i may want 587 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 5: the outcome to be something different. 588 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: I e. 589 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 5: Bernie Sanders, but it is. As my mom says to 590 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 5: me all the time, it is what it is. And 591 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 5: so when it is what it is, you know, you 592 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 5: make your case, you argue it or whatever. 593 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: And then you move on. 594 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 5: And so I think that many times, especially in independent media, 595 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 5: I find people getting stuck in arguments and old arguments 596 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 5: and things that are no longer in the zeitgeist and 597 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 5: are no longer important anymore, and I think it's important 598 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 5: for so my advice to you would be to. 599 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 1: Get with the program. To go out and talk. 600 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 5: To those people who are on college campuses, to see 601 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 5: what you know, why they're on, you know, either for 602 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 5: or against protests, no matter how you feel about it. 603 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: To talk to the politicians. 604 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 5: I would encourage you to talk to more people who 605 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 5: are in traditional media, and if you can change their 606 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 5: minds about certain things, I would say do it. 607 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: I would say go on those shows. 608 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 5: But I would say the most important thing is to 609 00:28:55,640 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 5: have an open mind about everything about guests who come 610 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 5: on your program, about what you're talking about, what you're 611 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 5: trying to convey to the audience. It's just to have 612 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 5: an open mind and to be curious, be less judgmental 613 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 5: and more curious. 614 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:13,479 Speaker 3: I think that's well. 615 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 6: I was hoping for tips more about how to deal 616 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 6: with all these cameras in the studio setting. And you 617 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 6: should see the time transitions, you know, of this stuff. 618 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 5: I tell you this, Okay, Ryan, I'm wearing a light 619 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 5: blue shirt. Right, Dark shirts don't really work that well. 620 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 3: That's the kind of stuff I need. 621 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 5: You need a nice white crisp shirt always looks good 622 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 5: with a with a you know, with a nice tie. 623 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 1: Right. 624 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 5: Blue suits black suits on television are a little drab 625 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 5: and stay a little now we're talking, so you need, 626 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 5: like do a blue suit, or like me, you know, 627 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 5: do something that's on the blue or that gives a 628 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 5: little pop of color. 629 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: Don't be afraid. Don't think it's good. People think that 630 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: you're you know, you know what I'm saying. 631 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 5: Wear something that's a little bit out that maybe your 632 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 5: manhood is being questioned because you. 633 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:08,239 Speaker 3: Wear something uncomfortable with the man. 634 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 5: So I'll go with that and also a nice haircut. 635 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 5: Haircuts everything in your guy, make sure you keep it 636 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 5: neat and clean. 637 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 4: He gets accused of having it is real. 638 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 5: And I am never going to criticize what a woman 639 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 5: wears because you guys get enough of that. So I 640 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 5: like to I like to do that to the guys 641 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 5: because they don't know how you ladies live. 642 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: You got to go to hair and make up. You can't. 643 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 5: We could wear I could wear Ryan, you can wear 644 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 5: that suit every. 645 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: Day and no one would ever question. 646 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 5: In fact, every day she would get shipped from everybody 647 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 5: wearing she doesn't dress up, She doesn't what's going what 648 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 5: is she doing with her hair? 649 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: Guys don't get that. 650 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 3: You can just be you know, well, I'm the exception. 651 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 4: But yeah, you're totally right. I know we're running to 652 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 4: the end here, But don I have one question about something? 653 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 4: Actually does Tucker Carlson said recently that I don't know 654 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 4: if you guys overlapped at CNN, but he said recently 655 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 4: that social media really changed the way people on cable 656 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 4: news had conversations. That before social media, you sort of 657 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 4: were able to speak more freely because you weren't constantly 658 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 4: thinking about how things were going to get clipped on 659 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 4: Twitter now X or at the time, Facebook, and it 660 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 4: just kind of I mean, I know that you're putting 661 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 4: your show actually on x on all of the streaming 662 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 4: platforms now, So I think people have journalists have adapted. 663 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 4: But I'm curious what you think of that. Do you 664 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 4: feel like there was an era in media where people 665 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 4: actually could have more open conversations without the fear of 666 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 4: sort of getting written up, whether it's you know, conservative media, 667 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 4: liberal media, the blogs, and it was just more it 668 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 4: was easier to talk to people. 669 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: I don't think it's just media. I think it's everywhere. 670 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 5: I think, you know, even you know, in Washington. I 671 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 5: think our leaders are afraid of being criticized. 672 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: It used to be. 673 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 5: Now people don't care anymore because it doesn't have the 674 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 5: outsized influence that it once had. With Twitter, people would 675 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 5: concerned about, oh my gosh, people on Twitter are gonna 676 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 5: kill me. I'm gonna be trending or whatever people used 677 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 5: to worry about. I don't think they worry about that anymore. 678 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 5: But I think that happens everywhere. I think that happens 679 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 5: in Hollywood. I think that happens on television for sitcoms, 680 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 5: I think that happens for comedians, you know. 681 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: If you if you want proof of that, I think, 682 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: you know. 683 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 5: Go back and look at the episode of SNL with 684 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 5: Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor talking about me in word 685 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 5: right where they actually use the word. 686 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: You can't do that on television anymore. I wasn't. 687 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 5: But I do think people were, you know, journalists are 688 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 5: afraid of you know, being you know, getting criticized on Twitter. 689 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 5: I think maybe they are probably executives who were afraid 690 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 5: of criticism on social media because they're afraid of advertisers. 691 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: I think that does happen. So yeah, I think it. 692 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 5: Happens across all media and through throughout all industries that 693 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 5: people are concerned about, you know, their presence on social media. 694 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 5: I don't think that that's any secret, nor is it, 695 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 5: you know, I don't think it's any big revelation. 696 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm curious when when you're out in the world 697 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 6: and engaging with the public, what are the kinds of 698 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 6: questions that you often get, Like when people recognize you, 699 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 6: they come to you, they must say something selfish? 700 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: Can I get a selfie? You see? 701 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 5: Look, let me tell you I was in cable news 702 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 5: so guess what people say to me when they first 703 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 5: see me. 704 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 3: I see you in the airport all the time. 705 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: Oh no, not at all. My mom loves you, loves you. 706 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: Can I get a picture and send it to. 707 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 5: You, So that you got the idea of the age 708 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 5: range of the people who are watching. Now that I'm 709 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 5: in independent media, people say, you know, people talk to 710 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 5: me about what I'm doing now because young people are 711 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 5: actually tuned into social media, They're tuned into YouTube there, 712 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 5: some of them are on X now, not as many 713 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 5: as before, but I think that people actually get recognized 714 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 5: more now recently, in recent years than when I was 715 00:33:55,720 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 5: on CNN before, you know, after the pandemic, after Donald Trump, 716 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 5: after George Floyd. There was a time when I could 717 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 5: not walk down the street without people, and then that 718 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 5: sort of faded because you. 719 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,479 Speaker 1: Know, that just sort of goes away. 720 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 5: You're not in people's living when people were at home 721 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 5: during the pandemic, so that all they were doing was 722 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 5: watching CNN and I was on all the time. And 723 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 5: so now just getting back to normal times, I think 724 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 5: people recognize me now more from social and social media 725 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 5: and digital streaming media than they do from when I 726 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 5: was in traditional and cable. 727 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's super interesting, especially the younger audience part of that. 728 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 5: And actually one question I had for you was about that, 729 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 5: about they just I don't know, they just asked me, 730 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 5: what are you doing now? 731 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,720 Speaker 1: I miss you and see it? Where can I see you? Yeah? 732 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 6: You lived through a really seismic change when it comes 733 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 6: to not just CNN but kind of the media in general. 734 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 6: And it was fascinating watching it from my perspective because 735 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 6: I was always part of this kind of left wing 736 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,880 Speaker 6: of observers who was saying mainstream media needs to drop 737 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,440 Speaker 6: this like fake objectivity, this this view from nowhere, this 738 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 6: view from God, and I acknowledge that they have biases 739 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 6: and speak from that perspective and earn trust that way. 740 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 6: That was a very commonly held view, you know, for 741 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 6: many years on the left, and then CNN and ms 742 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 6: put aside, MSNBC. CNN really did that during the Trump administration, 743 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 6: and I remember agreeing with a lot of what CNN 744 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 6: was saying, disagreeing with the decent amount of it, particularly 745 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 6: all the endless focus on Russia. But I also remember thinking, WHOA, 746 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 6: that's a little bit much. You guys are starting to 747 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 6: sound like kind of a democratic mouthpiece, and I also 748 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:39,919 Speaker 6: recognize like they're doing kind of what I asked them 749 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,879 Speaker 6: to do for years, but now that they're doing it, 750 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:45,759 Speaker 6: not so sure I like it. And I'm curious what 751 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 6: it was like for you to be involved in that, 752 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 6: Ryan Well, I am. I am. 753 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Listen, I don't like that. I don't believe 754 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: in that whole. 755 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 5: I don't believe in the premise of Listen, I'm not 756 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,320 Speaker 5: trying to be confrontational. I don't agree with the premise 757 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,360 Speaker 5: of what you're saying when people put it in that context, 758 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 5: because listen. 759 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: We all we all, we all view life. 760 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 5: Through a certain lens, whether we're a journalists or not, 761 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:14,799 Speaker 5: whether you're a woman, a man, black, white, Jewish, Palacini, whatever, 762 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 5: we all viewed the world through our own lenses. 763 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: And it is okay to. 764 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 5: Come to be a journalist and to have a point 765 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:21,439 Speaker 5: of view. 766 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: That's okay. It is actually okay to be a journalist 767 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,280 Speaker 1: and have an opinion. There's opinion journalism. 768 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 5: So I don't believe in that that bs about. You know, 769 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 5: journalists just have to sit there and go what do 770 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:30,719 Speaker 5: you think? 771 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: What do you think? 772 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:34,760 Speaker 5: Okay, Fine, that's not how that's not how it works. 773 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,760 Speaker 5: I think that, you know, I said you were engaged. 774 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:41,800 Speaker 5: I think that when that was the zenith I believe 775 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:47,240 Speaker 5: of CNN when during that time, and it may have looked, 776 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,720 Speaker 5: I think that that we had moved to the left 777 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 5: or that you know, we were somehow becoming an arm 778 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 5: of the Democratic Party. That was only because of the 779 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 5: Republican side and mostly Donald Trump and the MAGA wing 780 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 5: of the Republican Party. 781 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 1: The facts were not on their side. 782 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 5: So by the simple fact of pointing out that someone 783 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 5: is lying, that you're getting misinformation, it may think it 784 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 5: may make people think that, oh my god, you must 785 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 5: be on the Democrat side. 786 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 1: No, you're on the side of truth. 787 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,280 Speaker 4: No, we have to wrap. But that the Russia coverage 788 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:21,359 Speaker 4: was not great. 789 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 5: The Russia coverage was not great from who, from anyone? 790 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,320 Speaker 1: The Russia coverage wasn't great from anybody. 791 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 4: A man from corporate media. Yeah, I mean just the 792 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:32,879 Speaker 4: question about fact Donald Trump didn't have facts on his side. 793 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: I think that the Russia coverage on CNN was good. 794 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:38,479 Speaker 1: I think the Russia coverage in the media was good. 795 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 5: I don't think that it was bad. You may disagree 796 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 5: with it, that's you're a bias. But I actually think 797 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 5: the coverage was good, and I think that people are 798 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 5: smart enough to discern what's true and what's not, what's 799 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 5: real and what's not, and so I don't think that 800 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 5: the coverage was that bad. I don't fall into that category. 801 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 5: And I think people were Look, I think people sort 802 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,320 Speaker 5: of romanticize the time that we were in, like people romanticize, 803 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 5: you know, COVID and the protocols that were in place, 804 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 5: and this was. 805 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 1: Bad and that was bad. 806 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 5: They don't remember the time that we're in that we 807 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 5: were in, and so, you know, I think that the 808 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:10,799 Speaker 5: media did the best job that they could at the time. 809 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: I don't think that it was terrible. 810 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 5: We can always look back, you know, from being an 811 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 5: armchair quarterback Monday morning quarterback and saying, oh, you should 812 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 5: have done this. 813 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 1: Should it would have? Could have? We didn't. 814 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 5: And again my advice, accept things the way that they are, 815 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,000 Speaker 5: learn your lesson and move on. 816 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:28,360 Speaker 4: Yeah. I was part I was personally wrong on like 817 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 4: some of my early Russia coverage. 818 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 1: Was personally wrong on that. That's okay, you said it 819 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: was wrong. 820 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 5: That's what happens, and people will say I was wrong. 821 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 5: I think you know where I was. If we made 822 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 5: a mistake and we got something wrong, we would say it. 823 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,800 Speaker 5: That's the whole point about having an independent media. 824 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: But you also have. 825 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 5: To have to have a media that has rules and 826 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 5: that's accountable. That doesn't happen on social media. There's no accountability. 827 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,239 Speaker 5: And I think that, but you know, maga. 828 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: Folks realize that, and so they put out disinformation. 829 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 6: But has has CNN ever said that there actually was 830 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 6: not never proven collude usion between as Trump campaign and 831 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 6: the I don't think that they ever had it. 832 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 4: Washington posted a whole series rebutting its own coverage. 833 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 5: Interestingly enough, beyond CNN, I think that there there are 834 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:16,279 Speaker 5: accounts of collusion, but you have to ask c in it. 835 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 4: Well, Don, you said a couple of minutes ago that 836 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:21,920 Speaker 4: you don't want to be confrontational, but big confrontational is fun. 837 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,280 Speaker 4: And we really appreciate, we really appreciate your willingness. 838 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 3: Actually answer the test question. 839 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you for your tips. We appreciate it. 840 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. It was great talking to you. 841 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, we appreciate it so much. Don is the host 842 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,959 Speaker 4: of the Don Lemon Show. It's streaming everywhere now. Thank 843 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:38,680 Speaker 4: you so much, Don for joining us. 844 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:40,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, Ryan. 845 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,040 Speaker 4: We could have kept doing that for three hours. At 846 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 4: some point, it's like I cannot relitigate the extent of 847 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,720 Speaker 4: CNN's Russia collusion coverage, which I could argue for hours 848 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 4: was terrible, Like we just are not on the same 849 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 4: page on that, But I thought it was good to 850 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 4: get some contrast. 851 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 6: Yeah, and my view on that one has always been that, 852 00:39:57,719 --> 00:40:01,919 Speaker 6: you know, Putin was clear that you know, he hated 853 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 6: Hillary Clinton. But what CNN and others were saying is 854 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 6: that there was active collusion between the Trump campaign and 855 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 6: Putin and there was just never any evidence to support that. 856 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 6: There was that one meeting in Trump Tower that got 857 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,480 Speaker 6: played up a ton that sort of so. 858 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 4: CNN botched one of those stories. 859 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,239 Speaker 6: Actually I think they did the Alpha Bank anyway. All 860 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 6: that aside, Back when I was at the Hovington Post, 861 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 6: we had MSNBC, CNN, and Fox on all the time. 862 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 6: And I left there in twenty seventeen, and so after 863 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 6: ten years of cable getting blasted at me all day long, 864 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,279 Speaker 6: every day, I basically have not watched cable since then 865 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,600 Speaker 6: other than what clips get put up on Instagram or 866 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 6: Twitter or whatever else. 867 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 3: And I think my. 868 00:40:56,239 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 6: Mental health in my life is much better for It's 869 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 6: it's interesting to talk to Don knowing that he's like 870 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 6: a big cable guy, but also not having he's not 871 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 6: actually wasn't actually part of my media diet unless he 872 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 6: got clipped onto Twitter saying something crazy. 873 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 4: And I really meant what I said when I mentioned 874 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 4: that Rick Wilson clip, which we had it pulled up, 875 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 4: but our conversation was going so didn't roll it. 876 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 3: But we can put it in post that Lemon. 877 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 4: Is laughing hysterically alongside Rick Wilson and Waliid, just laughing 878 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 4: uproariously at this very classiest impression of a Trump voter. 879 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 4: And that's why I actually just want to say I 880 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,600 Speaker 4: genuinely appreciate that Lemon came on the show. I don't 881 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 4: think he knows who the hell we are, but I 882 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 4: genuinely appreciate. I know he's promoting his show, but we're 883 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:43,480 Speaker 4: not ever going to if people don't aren't willing to 884 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 4: do hard things to promote their shows. Frankly, we're never 885 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,399 Speaker 4: going to have some of these hard conversations. So good 886 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 4: for him for coming on. 887 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:51,840 Speaker 6: Yeah, books and new shows are good things because it 888 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 6: forces people to get out and talk to people that 889 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:55,279 Speaker 6: they would not the ones talk to one. 890 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,560 Speaker 4: Hundred percent, and that's why we can't tease exactly what 891 00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 4: it is yet. But one of the hottest books of 892 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 4: the last year, last several years. Honestly, we're trying to 893 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:04,279 Speaker 4: set up a debate about. 894 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 3: That hot we're talking about White Royal Rage. 895 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,279 Speaker 4: It's oh my gosh. Every bookstore I walk past in 896 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 4: DC has like a stack of the It's been rebutted 897 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,560 Speaker 4: in like all of these different publications. It's been promoted 898 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 4: in all these different publications. I'd say it's pretty hot. 899 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's it's a good one. We'll have a good 900 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:22,799 Speaker 6: conversation about that, is it. We're still we're still working 901 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:23,480 Speaker 6: on the scheduling. 902 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 4: Ryan is white enraged, so he's ready to rumble with 903 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 4: that conversation. But I hope everyone enjoyed this first foray 904 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 4: into some long form. I mean we've done very long 905 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 4: interviews before. We did ted cruise for like a. 906 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 3: Half an hour, but cruise back here. 907 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:42,680 Speaker 4: I bet it's come Fridays. That's what we'll be doing, 908 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 4: long form debate, having some of these conversations. Now we can't, 909 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 4: you can't get to everything in a discussion with Don Lemon. 910 00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 4: We would It would take us, you know, six hours 911 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:53,319 Speaker 4: probably to do that, but. 912 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:55,359 Speaker 3: I hope some of the world probably doesn't need that. 913 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,600 Speaker 4: Also getting Don Lemon to respond to the tchromsky climp 914 00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 4: clip that he had never seen beautiful. 915 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:02,400 Speaker 3: I like that beautiful. 916 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,280 Speaker 4: And that's what you get here at counterpoints and breaking points. 917 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 4: So make sure to subscribe to get the version of 918 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:09,719 Speaker 4: the show, the full version of the show early. Other 919 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 4: than that, we'll see you back next Wednesday and next Friday. 920 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 3: There you go, see you then,