1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:16,595 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Trump 2 00:00:16,755 --> 00:00:20,195 Speaker 1: may be indicted as early as tomorrow for violations of 3 00:00:20,315 --> 00:00:24,315 Speaker 1: the Espionage Act, specifically eighteen US Code seventy nine to 4 00:00:24,435 --> 00:00:29,435 Speaker 1: three gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information. It is that 5 00:00:29,635 --> 00:00:32,595 Speaker 1: part of the Act that does not require the actual 6 00:00:32,715 --> 00:00:37,635 Speaker 1: documents in question to be classified, a deliberate choice by 7 00:00:37,635 --> 00:00:41,915 Speaker 1: Special Counsel Jack Smith, if correct, a strategic one which 8 00:00:41,955 --> 00:00:45,915 Speaker 1: would thus completely erase Trump's defense that whatever he stole, 9 00:00:46,355 --> 00:00:50,235 Speaker 1: he had somehow already declassified it by blinking three times 10 00:00:50,275 --> 00:00:54,555 Speaker 1: in succession or throwing ketchup at one particular White House wall. 11 00:00:55,395 --> 00:00:58,315 Speaker 1: Those guilty of violations of eighteen US Code seven nine 12 00:00:58,315 --> 00:01:01,435 Speaker 1: to three quote shall be fined under this title or 13 00:01:01,475 --> 00:01:04,795 Speaker 1: imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and the 14 00:01:04,835 --> 00:01:08,035 Speaker 1: Independent Council's Grand Jury will be asked to vote an 15 00:01:08,035 --> 00:01:12,035 Speaker 1: indictment against Trump for violating seven nine three as early 16 00:01:12,395 --> 00:01:16,755 Speaker 1: as tomorrow. With the caveat from the Britain newspaper The Independent, 17 00:01:16,795 --> 00:01:20,835 Speaker 1: who scooped this is that quote, that vote could be 18 00:01:20,875 --> 00:01:24,395 Speaker 1: delayed as much as a week until the next meeting 19 00:01:24,435 --> 00:01:27,235 Speaker 1: of the Grand Jury to allow for a complete presentation 20 00:01:27,275 --> 00:01:30,435 Speaker 1: of evidence or to allow investigators to gather more evidence 21 00:01:30,595 --> 00:01:37,195 Speaker 1: for presentation if necessary. Unquote. The Independent report emphasizes that 22 00:01:37,235 --> 00:01:40,475 Speaker 1: an indictment on one charge from eighteen US Code seven 23 00:01:40,635 --> 00:01:43,635 Speaker 1: nine three is far from all of it that Trump 24 00:01:43,755 --> 00:01:47,395 Speaker 1: faces from the grand juries, that Trump may also still 25 00:01:47,395 --> 00:01:51,115 Speaker 1: be indicted on other counts within the Espionage Act umbrella 26 00:01:51,395 --> 00:01:54,675 Speaker 1: and potentially for obstruction of justice, and that Jack Smith's 27 00:01:54,675 --> 00:01:58,835 Speaker 1: mysterious Florida grand jury is still operating and further indictments 28 00:01:58,875 --> 00:02:02,355 Speaker 1: could emanate from there. The Washington Post, in fact, is 29 00:02:02,395 --> 00:02:05,635 Speaker 1: reporting today that the bulk of indictments could come from 30 00:02:05,635 --> 00:02:09,115 Speaker 1: the Miami grand jury, not the one in Washington, which 31 00:02:09,155 --> 00:02:11,275 Speaker 1: could give us a scenario in which there is one 32 00:02:11,395 --> 00:02:15,355 Speaker 1: indictment out of Washington tomorrow or next week, but many 33 00:02:15,395 --> 00:02:18,955 Speaker 1: more from Florida and the weeks to come. The Independent's 34 00:02:18,955 --> 00:02:22,515 Speaker 1: White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg adds that Mark Meadows did 35 00:02:22,755 --> 00:02:27,715 Speaker 1: flip so told you so. Quote. It is understood that 36 00:02:27,755 --> 00:02:30,355 Speaker 1: the former North Carolina congressman testified as part of a 37 00:02:30,395 --> 00:02:33,635 Speaker 1: deal for which he has already received limited immunity in 38 00:02:33,715 --> 00:02:36,835 Speaker 1: exchange for his testimony. A source who was briefed on 39 00:02:36,875 --> 00:02:39,475 Speaker 1: the agreement claimed that the alleged agreement will involve the 40 00:02:39,515 --> 00:02:43,635 Speaker 1: ex chief of staff entering pleas of guilty to unspecified 41 00:02:43,715 --> 00:02:48,235 Speaker 1: federal crimes, The Independent says. Meadows attorney George Terwilliger said 42 00:02:48,235 --> 00:02:52,795 Speaker 1: the guilty please story is quote complete bullshit unquote, but 43 00:02:53,955 --> 00:02:58,235 Speaker 1: that Attorney Terrilleger would not answer any questions about immunity 44 00:02:58,515 --> 00:03:02,435 Speaker 1: or testimony and Meadows. As to Trump, it was his 45 00:03:02,555 --> 00:03:06,555 Speaker 1: lapdog John Solomon who publish to piece today claiming federal 46 00:03:06,555 --> 00:03:09,995 Speaker 1: prosecutors had just notified Trump that he was a target 47 00:03:10,075 --> 00:03:13,315 Speaker 1: of their investigation and that an indictment in the document's 48 00:03:13,315 --> 00:03:16,875 Speaker 1: case was imminent. Trump then posted to social media, quote, 49 00:03:16,995 --> 00:03:19,435 Speaker 1: no one has told me I'm being indicted, and I 50 00:03:19,475 --> 00:03:22,195 Speaker 1: shouldn't be. I've done nothing wrong, but I have assumed 51 00:03:22,195 --> 00:03:24,075 Speaker 1: for years that I am a target of the blah 52 00:03:24,115 --> 00:03:27,635 Speaker 1: blah blah blah blah, which I read as a yes. 53 00:03:28,715 --> 00:03:31,395 Speaker 1: The New York Times got to Trump and asked him 54 00:03:31,395 --> 00:03:33,595 Speaker 1: if he had been told he would be indicted, and 55 00:03:33,635 --> 00:03:35,955 Speaker 1: he said it was quote not true, but he would 56 00:03:35,995 --> 00:03:39,275 Speaker 1: not answer Maga Haberman when she asked whether he'd been 57 00:03:39,275 --> 00:03:41,075 Speaker 1: told he was a target, and then he insisted he 58 00:03:41,155 --> 00:03:44,195 Speaker 1: is not in direct touch with prosecutors and again insisted 59 00:03:44,755 --> 00:03:49,075 Speaker 1: an we know for a fact that trumps spokesman and 60 00:03:49,195 --> 00:03:54,035 Speaker 1: apologist Taylor Butterwitch testified to the Miami grand jury today 61 00:03:54,715 --> 00:03:58,395 Speaker 1: and then issued a covecchy tweet about persecution and Biden 62 00:03:58,475 --> 00:04:00,715 Speaker 1: and the usual stuff you have to say to keep 63 00:04:00,715 --> 00:04:04,355 Speaker 1: getting a Trump paycheck. The Times reports Buddha Witch may 64 00:04:04,355 --> 00:04:08,835 Speaker 1: have been asked about a particular statement that Trump allegedly 65 00:04:08,875 --> 00:04:13,275 Speaker 1: had his staff people like Butowitch, a spokesman draft, after 66 00:04:13,315 --> 00:04:17,235 Speaker 1: the National Archives had gotten back fifteen boxes of material 67 00:04:17,315 --> 00:04:21,155 Speaker 1: from Trump in January twenty twenty two. In the draft, 68 00:04:21,235 --> 00:04:24,595 Speaker 1: it said Trump said he had returned all the presidential 69 00:04:24,635 --> 00:04:28,875 Speaker 1: material he had that was in the draft. The actual 70 00:04:28,915 --> 00:04:32,355 Speaker 1: Trump statement of January twenty twenty two did not claim 71 00:04:32,595 --> 00:04:36,555 Speaker 1: he had returned all the presidential material he had. Prosecutors 72 00:04:36,595 --> 00:04:39,835 Speaker 1: seemed to be fascinated by the email chain within Trump 73 00:04:39,875 --> 00:04:43,795 Speaker 1: World about that January twenty twenty two draft statement, and 74 00:04:44,035 --> 00:04:47,515 Speaker 1: just guess here, there could be some extraordinary admissions in 75 00:04:47,555 --> 00:04:50,755 Speaker 1: that email chain, like what the hell we didn't return everything, 76 00:04:51,355 --> 00:04:54,555 Speaker 1: or something similar that would go directly to obstruction of 77 00:04:54,755 --> 00:05:00,395 Speaker 1: justice indictments. So this is what we have to this hour, 78 00:05:00,475 --> 00:05:03,155 Speaker 1: and I will obviously have more in a full Countdown 79 00:05:03,195 --> 00:05:06,955 Speaker 1: podcast tomorrow and Thursday Day. But since I had already 80 00:05:06,995 --> 00:05:10,115 Speaker 1: written my analysis for tomorrow's pod about the firing of 81 00:05:10,195 --> 00:05:12,475 Speaker 1: Chris Lick by CNN, and make no mistake, he was 82 00:05:12,475 --> 00:05:17,595 Speaker 1: fired deep inside Central Park, like near my house, at 83 00:05:17,595 --> 00:05:20,715 Speaker 1: the crack of dawn, I'm not making any of these 84 00:05:20,715 --> 00:05:23,235 Speaker 1: details up since I had already written that. Let me 85 00:05:23,275 --> 00:05:26,475 Speaker 1: give you that one. Tomorrow's version will no doubt include 86 00:05:26,515 --> 00:05:29,875 Speaker 1: the latest on the other big media story, Fox threatening 87 00:05:29,915 --> 00:05:33,875 Speaker 1: to sue Tucker Carlson over that crapp o, a Twitter 88 00:05:33,955 --> 00:05:38,155 Speaker 1: ten minute video that Carlson posted Tuesday night. People doing 89 00:05:38,195 --> 00:05:42,115 Speaker 1: the suing here should be Tucker Carlson's fans because in 90 00:05:42,235 --> 00:05:48,795 Speaker 1: some Chuck Todd fired, Chris Licked fired, Tucker Carlson sued 91 00:05:49,195 --> 00:05:53,355 Speaker 1: Donald Trump reportedly to be indicted tomorrow. Happy days are 92 00:05:53,475 --> 00:05:58,635 Speaker 1: here again. That's next. This is Countdown. This is Countdown 93 00:05:58,995 --> 00:06:06,635 Speaker 1: with Keith album post strips to the news, some headlines, 94 00:06:06,675 --> 00:06:11,155 Speaker 1: some updates, some snarts, some predictions. Dateline, CNN headquarters, Hudson Yards, 95 00:06:11,195 --> 00:06:17,755 Speaker 1: New York, Last lickts CNN cans Chris. If you hear 96 00:06:17,835 --> 00:06:21,755 Speaker 1: anywhere that Chris Licked left CNN, don't believe it he 97 00:06:21,875 --> 00:06:24,635 Speaker 1: was fired. Even The New York Times says he was 98 00:06:24,675 --> 00:06:29,115 Speaker 1: fired seven am Wednesday morning oft by Warner Bros. Discovery 99 00:06:29,155 --> 00:06:33,075 Speaker 1: boss David Zaslav in the middle of a walk through 100 00:06:33,195 --> 00:06:38,355 Speaker 1: Central Park near my house, which explains all the smoke 101 00:06:38,475 --> 00:06:41,955 Speaker 1: we got here during the day. Times also says two 102 00:06:41,995 --> 00:06:46,795 Speaker 1: CNN anchors recently gave Licked votes of no confidence, Anderson 103 00:06:46,875 --> 00:06:51,875 Speaker 1: Cooper and Jake Tapper. I don't know if I've ever 104 00:06:51,995 --> 00:06:55,835 Speaker 1: mentioned it here, but bluntly, I never thought Chris Licked 105 00:06:55,995 --> 00:07:00,195 Speaker 1: was a good choice to run CNN. Just between you 106 00:07:00,235 --> 00:07:04,955 Speaker 1: and me, Okay, enough with the self abnegating disingenuousness. Yes, 107 00:07:05,675 --> 00:07:08,475 Speaker 1: I first mentioned Chris Lickt here on August nineteenth of 108 00:07:08,555 --> 00:07:11,235 Speaker 1: last year, the fifteenth episode, and this is episode two 109 00:07:11,315 --> 00:07:14,515 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty two, because, as I suggested, if they 110 00:07:14,515 --> 00:07:17,235 Speaker 1: had conducted a nationwide search for the worst person to 111 00:07:17,315 --> 00:07:20,275 Speaker 1: run CNN and they found him or her and they 112 00:07:20,275 --> 00:07:22,675 Speaker 1: were about to introduce that person to the world and 113 00:07:22,715 --> 00:07:25,355 Speaker 1: then said, oh wait, we forgot Chris Licked, they would 114 00:07:25,355 --> 00:07:27,315 Speaker 1: have switched to Lickt at the last minute because he 115 00:07:27,355 --> 00:07:32,155 Speaker 1: would have been worse, and he was. So it was 116 00:07:32,235 --> 00:07:35,395 Speaker 1: assumed that my reaction to this would be glee or 117 00:07:35,395 --> 00:07:39,795 Speaker 1: at least relief. And as a CNN alum who had 118 00:07:39,795 --> 00:07:42,955 Speaker 1: his first job interview there before they signed it on 119 00:07:43,075 --> 00:07:45,715 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty and who worked there from years two 120 00:07:45,755 --> 00:07:48,755 Speaker 1: through five in sports and years twenty two and twenty 121 00:07:48,755 --> 00:07:52,155 Speaker 1: three in news, I guess I am relieved because the 122 00:07:52,195 --> 00:07:54,635 Speaker 1: first of my points from the beginning was, yes, Licked 123 00:07:54,955 --> 00:07:57,355 Speaker 1: was at MSNBC when I was, and I also dealt 124 00:07:57,355 --> 00:08:00,715 Speaker 1: with him briefly on Colbert and he was an absolutely 125 00:08:00,835 --> 00:08:05,395 Speaker 1: irredeemable bastard. And worst yet, worked with a lot of 126 00:08:05,395 --> 00:08:10,675 Speaker 1: those he was an absolutely irredeemable, unqualified bastard. And I'm 127 00:08:10,715 --> 00:08:13,675 Speaker 1: going to rerun my comment from August nineteenth of last year, 128 00:08:13,755 --> 00:08:16,315 Speaker 1: just to give you a real time flavor of my 129 00:08:16,395 --> 00:08:20,475 Speaker 1: experiences and predictions. I'll run that later. But my second 130 00:08:20,515 --> 00:08:23,755 Speaker 1: and more important point was that Chris Lick should never 131 00:08:23,795 --> 00:08:26,275 Speaker 1: have been hired in the first place by CNN because 132 00:08:26,395 --> 00:08:29,395 Speaker 1: he was not only pursuing a white whale, he was 133 00:08:29,435 --> 00:08:33,515 Speaker 1: pursuing a white whale that clearly does not exist, and 134 00:08:33,595 --> 00:08:37,435 Speaker 1: everybody else in his industry knows it does not exist. 135 00:08:38,355 --> 00:08:42,515 Speaker 1: Chris Lick was fired, at least he was fired yesterday 136 00:08:43,155 --> 00:08:45,635 Speaker 1: because of that magazine piece in the Atlantic, and to 137 00:08:45,675 --> 00:08:48,915 Speaker 1: a lesser degree, because of the Titanic like bad publicity 138 00:08:48,955 --> 00:08:53,395 Speaker 1: of the Trump town hall. He was fired because he 139 00:08:53,435 --> 00:08:55,875 Speaker 1: made the company look bad and got it bad publicity. 140 00:08:55,915 --> 00:08:57,675 Speaker 1: If you have any doubt of that, please note that 141 00:08:57,755 --> 00:09:00,835 Speaker 1: two of the other three people off by CNN were 142 00:09:00,835 --> 00:09:06,075 Speaker 1: CNN's communications chief and its publicist, who infamously directed a 143 00:09:06,075 --> 00:09:09,275 Speaker 1: screeching Twitter screed against Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post 144 00:09:09,315 --> 00:09:13,275 Speaker 1: in defense of the town hall. They were fired, and 145 00:09:13,355 --> 00:09:16,675 Speaker 1: Licked was fired, and they were all fired only because 146 00:09:16,715 --> 00:09:22,035 Speaker 1: of bad publicity that reflected badly on bosses. The point 147 00:09:22,115 --> 00:09:25,115 Speaker 1: is that Chris Lick believed two plus two equals five. 148 00:09:25,915 --> 00:09:29,235 Speaker 1: His bosses may still believe that. It turned out it 149 00:09:29,235 --> 00:09:32,275 Speaker 1: does not equal five. I am confident that Licked will 150 00:09:32,275 --> 00:09:33,995 Speaker 1: spend the rest of his life believing then it does 151 00:09:34,035 --> 00:09:37,595 Speaker 1: equal five, and that he just somehow failed to convince 152 00:09:37,635 --> 00:09:40,435 Speaker 1: everybody else of that, or didn't use the right graphics. 153 00:09:43,315 --> 00:09:46,355 Speaker 1: It may still exist somewhere in other media. It may 154 00:09:46,395 --> 00:09:49,195 Speaker 1: be like those periodic reports over the last century, that 155 00:09:49,235 --> 00:09:53,395 Speaker 1: there really still is a passenger pigeon somewhere out there, 156 00:09:53,395 --> 00:09:56,035 Speaker 1: and the species has not been extinct since the year 157 00:09:56,115 --> 00:10:02,875 Speaker 1: nineteen fourteen. But there is no middle in American cable news, 158 00:10:03,555 --> 00:10:07,315 Speaker 1: and the pursuit of that middle was doomed from the beginning, 159 00:10:07,395 --> 00:10:10,595 Speaker 1: and it could not have been successful under some other 160 00:10:10,795 --> 00:10:13,635 Speaker 1: kind of Chris Licked from a different dimension, who wasn't 161 00:10:13,635 --> 00:10:16,835 Speaker 1: a schmuck and didn't didn't know what he was doing. 162 00:10:18,795 --> 00:10:20,995 Speaker 1: One can argue that the premise of going to the 163 00:10:21,035 --> 00:10:23,515 Speaker 1: middle by people who think Brett Baar of Fox was 164 00:10:23,635 --> 00:10:26,835 Speaker 1: the middle, was a cover story for throwing CNN hard right, 165 00:10:26,875 --> 00:10:28,835 Speaker 1: And I think that's true, but it's not really central 166 00:10:29,075 --> 00:10:33,115 Speaker 1: to the key point. There is no middle. There's no 167 00:10:33,315 --> 00:10:36,035 Speaker 1: real middle in cable television news, and there is no 168 00:10:36,155 --> 00:10:41,835 Speaker 1: pretend middle. Nobody wants to watch that. Ask the folks 169 00:10:41,835 --> 00:10:46,875 Speaker 1: at News Nation formerly WGN America, which claims quote unbiased 170 00:10:46,995 --> 00:10:50,355 Speaker 1: US news is its pretext, and which has been on 171 00:10:50,395 --> 00:10:51,955 Speaker 1: the air for more than two years now with a 172 00:10:51,995 --> 00:10:54,635 Speaker 1: lineup I have previously described as the nick at night 173 00:10:54,715 --> 00:11:01,315 Speaker 1: of cable news, Chris Cuomo, Ashley Banfield, Dan Abrams, Elizabeth Vargas, 174 00:11:01,315 --> 00:11:05,995 Speaker 1: and occasionally Bill O'Reilly. The audience for a given half 175 00:11:06,035 --> 00:11:08,675 Speaker 1: hour or hour on News Nation is smaller than the 176 00:11:08,755 --> 00:11:11,755 Speaker 1: audience for the podcast you are listening to right now, 177 00:11:12,755 --> 00:11:14,555 Speaker 1: And thank you for your confidence in me. And don't 178 00:11:14,555 --> 00:11:16,555 Speaker 1: get me wrong, but if a TV news network cannot 179 00:11:16,595 --> 00:11:20,515 Speaker 1: outdraw me on a podcast, there's something wrong with the premise. 180 00:11:23,195 --> 00:11:26,315 Speaker 1: You may lament the passing of utter political neutrality in 181 00:11:26,355 --> 00:11:28,355 Speaker 1: cable news, and given my history, I think you would 182 00:11:28,395 --> 00:11:30,395 Speaker 1: be surprised at how much I am in sympathy with 183 00:11:30,435 --> 00:11:33,355 Speaker 1: your viewpoint. But it is the reality, and it has 184 00:11:33,355 --> 00:11:35,755 Speaker 1: been the reality since the day in nineteen ninety six 185 00:11:35,955 --> 00:11:39,355 Speaker 1: when first MSNBC and then Fox signed on, and it 186 00:11:39,555 --> 00:11:42,595 Speaker 1: is not going to change. You can have all the 187 00:11:42,635 --> 00:11:45,315 Speaker 1: town halls you want and all the new graphics, and 188 00:11:45,395 --> 00:11:49,675 Speaker 1: it's not going to change. There is one neutral news 189 00:11:49,795 --> 00:11:54,235 Speaker 1: outlet on cable, and unfortunately, it is a monopoly, and 190 00:11:54,395 --> 00:11:57,155 Speaker 1: it is a monopoly in large part because it's nonprofit 191 00:11:57,195 --> 00:12:00,515 Speaker 1: and it never really could succeed as for profit and 192 00:12:00,555 --> 00:12:04,115 Speaker 1: it's called c Span, and other than one phone in show, 193 00:12:04,115 --> 00:12:07,195 Speaker 1: it just runs live coverage of hearings and press conferences. 194 00:12:07,275 --> 00:12:09,995 Speaker 1: And sometimes I watch just that and I think that's biased. 195 00:12:11,635 --> 00:12:15,355 Speaker 1: And yet there continues this quick sonic pursuit of the 196 00:12:15,395 --> 00:12:20,275 Speaker 1: illusion that some numerical formula of balance. Some calibrated both 197 00:12:20,315 --> 00:12:24,075 Speaker 1: sides ism will eventually vanquish networks that have a point 198 00:12:24,115 --> 00:12:31,595 Speaker 1: of view. It won't happen. You could take over Fox 199 00:12:31,755 --> 00:12:35,915 Speaker 1: or MSNBC or CNN tomorrow and apply that kind of 200 00:12:36,075 --> 00:12:39,835 Speaker 1: rigor and calculation to the vetting process, to make sure 201 00:12:39,835 --> 00:12:44,475 Speaker 1: that every statement of opinion is written first, is based 202 00:12:44,555 --> 00:12:48,795 Speaker 1: on fact, and is beholden to accuracy and checking and rechecking. 203 00:12:49,115 --> 00:12:52,475 Speaker 1: And you could clean up the propagandizing that has consumed 204 00:12:52,595 --> 00:12:57,035 Speaker 1: Fox and infected MSNBC and is the founding principle of 205 00:12:57,075 --> 00:12:59,755 Speaker 1: Newsmax and the like. And I think that would make 206 00:12:59,795 --> 00:13:04,835 Speaker 1: an unexpectedly enormous improvement in quality in cable news, and 207 00:13:04,915 --> 00:13:10,195 Speaker 1: maybe maybe an enormous improvement in audience, or even just 208 00:13:10,315 --> 00:13:15,875 Speaker 1: stop the hemorrhaging quality, that original concept that is so 209 00:13:15,995 --> 00:13:19,235 Speaker 1: often overlooked in assessments of any form of news or 210 00:13:19,275 --> 00:13:25,315 Speaker 1: television or both quality. Mike Goose a given network's ratings 211 00:13:25,315 --> 00:13:31,555 Speaker 1: a little, but the cult of imaginary objectivity is deeply 212 00:13:31,595 --> 00:13:34,115 Speaker 1: seated in the management of television news even to this day. 213 00:13:35,155 --> 00:13:37,355 Speaker 1: They all want to go back to Cronkite and Huntley 214 00:13:37,395 --> 00:13:41,115 Speaker 1: Brinkley because they were young men. They want to go 215 00:13:41,155 --> 00:13:43,995 Speaker 1: back to Cronkite and Huntley Brinkley, without remembering that Cronkite 216 00:13:43,995 --> 00:13:47,035 Speaker 1: and Huntley Brinkley and the various ABC anchors of their 217 00:13:47,115 --> 00:13:51,315 Speaker 1: eras were on the only national television channels in the country, 218 00:13:51,355 --> 00:13:53,475 Speaker 1: and if you wanted not to watch any of them, 219 00:13:53,515 --> 00:13:58,315 Speaker 1: your choice was usually either cartoons or reruns of McHale's Navy. 220 00:13:59,235 --> 00:14:01,715 Speaker 1: For the younger group running TV news, it's a dream 221 00:14:01,755 --> 00:14:04,995 Speaker 1: of returning to says CNN nineteen ninety one and the 222 00:14:05,035 --> 00:14:07,075 Speaker 1: Gulf War. And that's great, and it's not a bad 223 00:14:07,115 --> 00:14:09,395 Speaker 1: aspiration to keep in your heart. It might help you 224 00:14:09,475 --> 00:14:12,475 Speaker 1: rigorously check your sources and the information on which you 225 00:14:12,515 --> 00:14:16,115 Speaker 1: base your opinions. But in nineteen ninety one, not only 226 00:14:16,195 --> 00:14:18,915 Speaker 1: was CNN the only cable news network in America, but 227 00:14:18,955 --> 00:14:21,595 Speaker 1: it had been for eleven years, and it would be 228 00:14:21,675 --> 00:14:25,435 Speaker 1: for another five years. And it had in fact destroyed 229 00:14:25,555 --> 00:14:30,835 Speaker 1: rivals launched and then quickly killed off by ABC and CBS. 230 00:14:32,155 --> 00:14:34,995 Speaker 1: Yet seven and a half years ago, on the off 231 00:14:35,075 --> 00:14:38,195 Speaker 1: day of the twenty fifteen World Series here in New York, 232 00:14:38,955 --> 00:14:41,555 Speaker 1: I went to the Essex House hotel and had a 233 00:14:41,595 --> 00:14:44,515 Speaker 1: secret meeting with the then chairman of NBC News, Andy Lack. 234 00:14:45,115 --> 00:14:47,995 Speaker 1: And the then president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, and they 235 00:14:48,035 --> 00:14:51,395 Speaker 1: offered me a new show on MSNBC. I think the 236 00:14:51,435 --> 00:14:56,555 Speaker 1: idea was ten pm weeknights for half an hour with 237 00:14:56,715 --> 00:15:01,515 Speaker 1: a co host, on one important premise that I would 238 00:15:01,555 --> 00:15:07,315 Speaker 1: never do another political commentary on MSNBC in my life. 239 00:15:09,395 --> 00:15:11,795 Speaker 1: You know those what did you call them? Special comments? 240 00:15:12,075 --> 00:15:14,435 Speaker 1: Those are the worst things that ever happened to MSNBC. 241 00:15:14,835 --> 00:15:17,435 Speaker 1: Andy Lack said, you know that, right. I mean, what 242 00:15:17,515 --> 00:15:19,875 Speaker 1: America wants is the cable news version of The New 243 00:15:19,955 --> 00:15:22,315 Speaker 1: York Times. I mean I saw you once on there, 244 00:15:22,315 --> 00:15:24,595 Speaker 1: and you were so loud and angry about Bush that 245 00:15:24,675 --> 00:15:26,795 Speaker 1: I thought you'd lost your mind. I literally thought you'd 246 00:15:26,795 --> 00:15:28,395 Speaker 1: lost your mind. And I said to my wife, Betsy, 247 00:15:28,435 --> 00:15:30,355 Speaker 1: I think he lost his mind. And I called all 248 00:15:30,395 --> 00:15:32,515 Speaker 1: my friends. I said, you have to watch MSNBC right now, 249 00:15:32,515 --> 00:15:34,595 Speaker 1: turn it on right now. I think Alderman has lost 250 00:15:34,635 --> 00:15:37,555 Speaker 1: his mind. And everybody tuned in, and then we all 251 00:15:37,595 --> 00:15:39,155 Speaker 1: tuned in again the next night to see if they'd 252 00:15:39,195 --> 00:15:42,035 Speaker 1: fired you. Yet we watched every night after that. Just 253 00:15:42,075 --> 00:15:46,955 Speaker 1: in case I did not explain to Andy Lack, I 254 00:15:47,035 --> 00:15:50,715 Speaker 1: stopped myself. I did not explain to him that although 255 00:15:50,755 --> 00:15:54,075 Speaker 1: I disagreed with his out of your mind terminology. He 256 00:15:54,115 --> 00:15:57,715 Speaker 1: had not only just described what success in cable news 257 00:15:57,795 --> 00:16:00,795 Speaker 1: television now looked like, but he had just proven my 258 00:16:00,915 --> 00:16:03,915 Speaker 1: point that I was right about it and he was wrong. 259 00:16:05,235 --> 00:16:08,075 Speaker 1: He will never believe otherwise. But the point he made 260 00:16:08,115 --> 00:16:14,275 Speaker 1: was people watched. That's the first stop on the process. 261 00:16:16,955 --> 00:16:21,075 Speaker 1: So yes, Chris Lickt was a venomous worm who deserved 262 00:16:21,115 --> 00:16:24,035 Speaker 1: everything that's happened to him in the last year. And 263 00:16:24,075 --> 00:16:27,115 Speaker 1: the bottle of champagne opened at CNN headquarters yesterday was 264 00:16:27,155 --> 00:16:31,075 Speaker 1: matched by an imaginary one here at Olderman HQ. But 265 00:16:31,155 --> 00:16:34,155 Speaker 1: he could have been a prince. And the ultimate point 266 00:16:34,235 --> 00:16:37,715 Speaker 1: is the idea didn't work, couldn't work, and won't work. 267 00:16:39,515 --> 00:16:41,835 Speaker 1: And there is a larger issue that actually dwarfs all 268 00:16:41,915 --> 00:16:46,035 Speaker 1: this comparative minutia. Of course, exactly what are the two 269 00:16:46,315 --> 00:16:49,435 Speaker 1: sides you are presenting in the political news of this country. 270 00:16:50,475 --> 00:16:53,595 Speaker 1: What are you being objective about in the cultural news, 271 00:16:53,595 --> 00:16:59,155 Speaker 1: in the scientific news. One side is flawed, bumbling, self 272 00:16:59,195 --> 00:17:04,635 Speaker 1: obsessed aging. The other side it's trying to end democracy 273 00:17:05,035 --> 00:17:08,635 Speaker 1: and replace it with any flavor of authoritarianism it can 274 00:17:08,635 --> 00:17:10,595 Speaker 1: get away with. And oh, by the way, one of 275 00:17:10,635 --> 00:17:14,275 Speaker 1: the side effects of that authoritarianism will be the elimination 276 00:17:14,355 --> 00:17:17,875 Speaker 1: of places like CNN by violence, whether it is run 277 00:17:17,915 --> 00:17:21,315 Speaker 1: by this Chris Lickt or some perfected Chris Lickt or me. 278 00:17:23,275 --> 00:17:26,555 Speaker 1: When people have asked me about balance and not taking 279 00:17:26,755 --> 00:17:30,275 Speaker 1: sides and advocacy networks and opinion, I asked them, how 280 00:17:30,315 --> 00:17:34,435 Speaker 1: would you have wanted me to cover Joe McCarthy, How 281 00:17:34,435 --> 00:17:36,795 Speaker 1: would you have wanted me to cover World War II? 282 00:17:37,915 --> 00:17:42,275 Speaker 1: The Civil War? The American Revolution? Hey, yes, that may 283 00:17:42,315 --> 00:17:45,515 Speaker 1: be true. On the other hand, General corn Wallace insists. 284 00:17:46,915 --> 00:17:50,435 Speaker 1: Lickt insisted to the Atlantic that when his words, we 285 00:17:50,515 --> 00:17:53,795 Speaker 1: are not an advocacy network, we are providing something different. 286 00:17:53,795 --> 00:17:56,235 Speaker 1: And when the shit hits the fan in this world, 287 00:17:56,475 --> 00:18:00,875 Speaker 1: you're not gonna have time for that advocacy anymore. Well, 288 00:18:00,995 --> 00:18:04,235 Speaker 1: the shit has hit the fan. Its name is Trump, 289 00:18:04,915 --> 00:18:09,835 Speaker 1: and to oppose Trump shit, you must be an advocacy network. 290 00:18:10,595 --> 00:18:13,475 Speaker 1: I guess whatever. I'm just doing a job here. You 291 00:18:13,515 --> 00:18:19,915 Speaker 1: can call what you want. But practically speaking, just as 292 00:18:19,955 --> 00:18:23,395 Speaker 1: newspapers lost their monopoly on breaking news, and radio lost 293 00:18:23,435 --> 00:18:26,595 Speaker 1: its monopoly on breaking news, and broadcast television lost its 294 00:18:26,635 --> 00:18:30,515 Speaker 1: monopoly on breaking news, so cable news has lost its 295 00:18:31,275 --> 00:18:34,835 Speaker 1: cable news can be a factor, maybe even a decisive factor, 296 00:18:34,875 --> 00:18:38,315 Speaker 1: in coverage of live events, but that is no longer enough. 297 00:18:39,115 --> 00:18:42,195 Speaker 1: And if you are internally rigorous about exactly what your 298 00:18:42,195 --> 00:18:45,395 Speaker 1: commentators say and how much they have to back up 299 00:18:45,435 --> 00:18:49,235 Speaker 1: their opinions, you can be both. You can be a 300 00:18:49,315 --> 00:18:55,235 Speaker 1: pure news organization, you can advocate for, you know, a 301 00:18:55,355 --> 00:19:00,195 Speaker 1: non totalitarian America, and you can also make money doing 302 00:19:00,275 --> 00:19:04,235 Speaker 1: both these things at the same time. Back when I 303 00:19:04,275 --> 00:19:07,355 Speaker 1: was at m NBC doing those special comments, the ones 304 00:19:07,355 --> 00:19:09,555 Speaker 1: that made Andy Lack think I'd lost my mind, but 305 00:19:09,595 --> 00:19:12,035 Speaker 1: he and his friend started watching every night just to 306 00:19:12,155 --> 00:19:19,195 Speaker 1: check that role that special comments, guy Roll was kind 307 00:19:19,195 --> 00:19:22,435 Speaker 1: of balanced by another guy at MSNBC who handled all 308 00:19:22,435 --> 00:19:26,355 Speaker 1: the MSNBC breaking news, the Pope dying, the bridge collapsing 309 00:19:26,395 --> 00:19:30,515 Speaker 1: in Minnesota, the elections, the blackouts, the inaugurations, the death 310 00:19:30,555 --> 00:19:33,635 Speaker 1: of Michael Jackson. He even had a side hustle doing 311 00:19:33,675 --> 00:19:37,075 Speaker 1: football on Sunday nights. He was the painfully objective face 312 00:19:37,115 --> 00:19:40,955 Speaker 1: of that painfully objective breaking news side of MSNBC and 313 00:19:41,155 --> 00:19:44,555 Speaker 1: all that stuff, the breaking news stuff that used to 314 00:19:44,555 --> 00:19:51,995 Speaker 1: make money too, And his name was Check's notes me 315 00:19:55,555 --> 00:20:00,435 Speaker 1: there is no middle and more importantly for cable news 316 00:20:00,475 --> 00:20:04,715 Speaker 1: to be a success financially and journalistically, there is do 317 00:20:04,835 --> 00:20:09,515 Speaker 1: not have to be a middle Okay, as I said earlier, 318 00:20:09,595 --> 00:20:12,755 Speaker 1: end of new material, A full edition tomorrow Thursday. What 319 00:20:12,915 --> 00:20:15,955 Speaker 1: follows here is the full Wednesday edition in case you 320 00:20:16,035 --> 00:20:18,155 Speaker 1: missed it, just so you can listen to me predict 321 00:20:18,195 --> 00:20:20,235 Speaker 1: that Meadows had flipped and that Licked would get fired. 322 00:20:20,275 --> 00:20:35,915 Speaker 1: So Keithy had a good day yesterday, didn't it? Meadows flipped? 323 00:20:37,275 --> 00:20:40,555 Speaker 1: There's no other possible explanation. The news has been coming 324 00:20:40,595 --> 00:20:43,755 Speaker 1: for weeks. All other conclusions seem to have been sealed 325 00:20:43,755 --> 00:20:46,315 Speaker 1: off when the Iran War recording of Trump turned up 326 00:20:46,675 --> 00:20:49,515 Speaker 1: and it was made for an autobiography ghostwriter, and the 327 00:20:49,555 --> 00:20:52,875 Speaker 1: autobiography was of Mark Meadows, and thus the tape belonged 328 00:20:52,915 --> 00:20:57,075 Speaker 1: to Mark Meadows. Mark Meadows, The New York Times wrote 329 00:20:57,115 --> 00:21:00,555 Speaker 1: last night, has testified before a federal grand jury hearing 330 00:21:00,555 --> 00:21:04,595 Speaker 1: evidence in the investigations being led by the Special Counsel's Office. 331 00:21:04,715 --> 00:21:08,635 Speaker 1: According to two people briefed on the matter, Times said 332 00:21:08,795 --> 00:21:11,915 Speaker 1: it didn't know when Meadows testified, nor whether it was 333 00:21:11,955 --> 00:21:15,035 Speaker 1: to the Jack Smith election grand Jury or the Jack 334 00:21:15,075 --> 00:21:18,515 Speaker 1: Smith Documents grand Jury, but happily ABC News came to 335 00:21:18,555 --> 00:21:21,915 Speaker 1: the rescue. Quote sources same Meadows answered questions on both 336 00:21:22,395 --> 00:21:26,555 Speaker 1: Trump's efforts to overturn the twenty twenty election and Trump's 337 00:21:26,555 --> 00:21:31,435 Speaker 1: alleged mishandling of classified documents. It was on May twenty 338 00:21:31,475 --> 00:21:36,435 Speaker 1: fourth that CNN first pointed towards the Trump scandal's version 339 00:21:36,475 --> 00:21:39,195 Speaker 1: of Sherlock Holmes and the dog that did Nothing in 340 00:21:39,235 --> 00:21:44,435 Speaker 1: the night, going all the way back to two weeks ago. Quote. 341 00:21:44,835 --> 00:21:47,635 Speaker 1: A source close to Trump's legal team said Trump's lawyers 342 00:21:47,635 --> 00:21:50,475 Speaker 1: have had no contact with Meadows and his team and 343 00:21:50,595 --> 00:21:53,275 Speaker 1: are in the dark on what Meadows is doing in 344 00:21:53,315 --> 00:21:57,435 Speaker 1: the investigation. We've all heard the same rumors. One Trump 345 00:21:57,475 --> 00:22:02,915 Speaker 1: advisor told CNN, no one really knows what he's doing, though, well, 346 00:22:03,035 --> 00:22:09,875 Speaker 1: now we know what he's doing. He's nailing Trump by Felicia. 347 00:22:10,315 --> 00:22:12,915 Speaker 1: There was one more nugget in the Times piece, and 348 00:22:12,995 --> 00:22:16,995 Speaker 1: it helps to explain why Trump turned to stochastic terrorism yesterday, 349 00:22:16,995 --> 00:22:19,355 Speaker 1: which I will get back to in a moment. Times 350 00:22:19,355 --> 00:22:22,595 Speaker 1: has a quote from a Meadows attorney without commenting on 351 00:22:22,635 --> 00:22:25,195 Speaker 1: whether or not mister Meadows has testified before the grand 352 00:22:25,275 --> 00:22:28,795 Speaker 1: jury or in any other proceeding. Mister Meadows has maintained 353 00:22:28,795 --> 00:22:32,635 Speaker 1: a commitment to tell the truth where he has a 354 00:22:32,715 --> 00:22:37,275 Speaker 1: legal obligation to do so. Tell the truth what a 355 00:22:37,395 --> 00:22:43,875 Speaker 1: disloyal rat think? Huh. Trump's legal problems are beginning to 356 00:22:43,955 --> 00:22:47,195 Speaker 1: multiply in the same way. You may be too young 357 00:22:47,235 --> 00:22:50,395 Speaker 1: to remember this, but I'm not that Richard Nixon's did 358 00:22:50,515 --> 00:22:55,595 Speaker 1: thirty nine long years ago. It's that time worn analogy 359 00:22:55,595 --> 00:22:57,595 Speaker 1: that I love. The guy is walking down the street 360 00:22:57,595 --> 00:23:01,475 Speaker 1: carrying seven boxes when he can really only handle six boxes. 361 00:23:01,875 --> 00:23:04,675 Speaker 1: He drops a box. He bends over to pick it up, 362 00:23:04,875 --> 00:23:07,875 Speaker 1: but in the process he drops two more boxes. Sooner 363 00:23:08,035 --> 00:23:11,235 Speaker 1: rather than later, all of the boxes will be on 364 00:23:11,355 --> 00:23:18,035 Speaker 1: the street. That's Trump thoughts and prayers the other problems. 365 00:23:18,315 --> 00:23:21,355 Speaker 1: The Times just dropped this in passing into a separate 366 00:23:21,395 --> 00:23:24,475 Speaker 1: story about that bonus Jack Smith grand jury in Florida 367 00:23:24,515 --> 00:23:27,235 Speaker 1: that nobody had known about. Among those who have appeared 368 00:23:27,275 --> 00:23:29,875 Speaker 1: before the Washington grand jury in the past few months 369 00:23:30,035 --> 00:23:32,755 Speaker 1: or have been subpoenaed by it, people familiar with the 370 00:23:32,755 --> 00:23:37,115 Speaker 1: investigation said, are more than twenty members of mister Trump's 371 00:23:37,675 --> 00:23:43,715 Speaker 1: Secret Service security detail. Nothing else in the whole story 372 00:23:44,475 --> 00:23:49,195 Speaker 1: about the Secret Service, not one word. Now we all 373 00:23:49,235 --> 00:23:52,915 Speaker 1: know about the testimony from the January sixth Committee about 374 00:23:52,915 --> 00:23:56,275 Speaker 1: Trump trying to take the wheel of the beast away 375 00:23:56,315 --> 00:23:59,115 Speaker 1: from a Secret Service agent so he could lead the 376 00:23:59,155 --> 00:24:03,195 Speaker 1: insurrection or witness it or whatever quote. I'm the fing president, 377 00:24:03,235 --> 00:24:05,955 Speaker 1: Take me up to the Capitol now. So maybe it's 378 00:24:05,995 --> 00:24:09,075 Speaker 1: that and the whole coup thing. Maybe it's about all 379 00:24:09,115 --> 00:24:13,475 Speaker 1: those deleted Secret Service text messages, or maybe it's classified 380 00:24:13,515 --> 00:24:16,435 Speaker 1: document stuff, because if you notice the phrasing in the Times, 381 00:24:16,555 --> 00:24:20,155 Speaker 1: it just says more than twenty members of mister Trump's 382 00:24:20,195 --> 00:24:24,875 Speaker 1: Secret Service security detail. It does not say those who 383 00:24:24,915 --> 00:24:26,915 Speaker 1: were in the detail when Trump was still in the 384 00:24:26,955 --> 00:24:30,195 Speaker 1: White House twenty twenty one and previous. It does not 385 00:24:30,315 --> 00:24:34,475 Speaker 1: say the current secret Service detail that protects him now 386 00:24:34,515 --> 00:24:40,115 Speaker 1: from everybody except himself. And that Florida grand jury is 387 00:24:40,115 --> 00:24:44,355 Speaker 1: now coming into focus, although it is still profoundly fuzzy. Firstly, 388 00:24:44,635 --> 00:24:48,835 Speaker 1: it is in Miami. Secondly, it is unsurprisingly about the 389 00:24:48,875 --> 00:24:52,875 Speaker 1: stolen classified documents. Thirdly, it has heard at least one 390 00:24:52,955 --> 00:24:56,755 Speaker 1: witness last month and was to hear from another one 391 00:24:56,755 --> 00:25:01,635 Speaker 1: today Wednesday. Nothing else, Although the possible reasons for a 392 00:25:01,675 --> 00:25:06,075 Speaker 1: Florida grand jury continue to be instructed, and other than 393 00:25:06,115 --> 00:25:09,235 Speaker 1: geographical convenience for witnesses. The leading theory seems to be 394 00:25:09,515 --> 00:25:11,955 Speaker 1: that it would give Jack Smith the flexibility to bring 395 00:25:12,075 --> 00:25:17,915 Speaker 1: charges against Trump and others in Washington and Florida, or 396 00:25:18,315 --> 00:25:23,795 Speaker 1: Washington or Florida. The Times has a former classified documents 397 00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:28,755 Speaker 1: prosecutor named Brandon van Grack, who says it's common in 398 00:25:28,835 --> 00:25:33,395 Speaker 1: situations involving classified information when prosecutors are uncertain of venue 399 00:25:33,835 --> 00:25:38,435 Speaker 1: to ground an investigation in Washington, Virginia, or Maryland. The 400 00:25:38,515 --> 00:25:41,915 Speaker 1: point is, just because it starts there doesn't mean it 401 00:25:41,955 --> 00:25:45,315 Speaker 1: has to end there. You don't know what your potential 402 00:25:45,435 --> 00:25:51,155 Speaker 1: venue hooks are until you've completed a thorough investigation. To 403 00:25:51,275 --> 00:25:55,035 Speaker 1: mister van Grack's point, that revelation of the US military 404 00:25:55,075 --> 00:25:58,035 Speaker 1: plans for war in Iran, that document being shown to 405 00:25:58,075 --> 00:26:00,555 Speaker 1: those people who didn't have the classification to read it 406 00:26:00,715 --> 00:26:03,355 Speaker 1: or know about it, that would have happened in Florida. 407 00:26:03,635 --> 00:26:08,795 Speaker 1: The crime was in Florida. There is one more news 408 00:26:08,835 --> 00:26:13,955 Speaker 1: note before we get back to the second coup attempt. Yesterday, 409 00:26:14,355 --> 00:26:19,635 Speaker 1: Bloomberg News reporting that Trump is searching for new lawyers. 410 00:26:20,835 --> 00:26:23,355 Speaker 1: Of course, all of human history divides neatly into those 411 00:26:23,355 --> 00:26:26,955 Speaker 1: times when Trump has just hired new lawyers, and those 412 00:26:26,995 --> 00:26:30,355 Speaker 1: times when he is trying to hire new lawyers. Quote. 413 00:26:30,355 --> 00:26:33,595 Speaker 1: Trump representatives in recent weeks have asked for recommendations of 414 00:26:33,795 --> 00:26:41,555 Speaker 1: Washington based Council with Trial Experience, which brings us to 415 00:26:41,595 --> 00:26:46,435 Speaker 1: Trump's other preparations for indictment by Jack Smith, you know 416 00:26:46,995 --> 00:26:52,435 Speaker 1: stochastic terrorism. If you heard my updated version of this 417 00:26:52,515 --> 00:26:56,795 Speaker 1: podcast Tuesday afternoon, you know the GISTs. But it bears repeating, 418 00:26:57,315 --> 00:26:59,995 Speaker 1: in large part because we really should not stop being 419 00:27:00,075 --> 00:27:06,155 Speaker 1: outraged and furious about calls to overthrow the government. It 420 00:27:06,275 --> 00:27:08,435 Speaker 1: is kind of amazing that this did not even merit 421 00:27:08,435 --> 00:27:12,515 Speaker 1: a think piece somewhere yesterday. I appreciate that we seem 422 00:27:12,635 --> 00:27:14,915 Speaker 1: to be on some sort of odd even system on 423 00:27:14,955 --> 00:27:17,155 Speaker 1: whether or not the media should give any weight to 424 00:27:17,235 --> 00:27:20,915 Speaker 1: Trump's terrorism. And it's an even numbered month, so no, not. 425 00:27:20,995 --> 00:27:23,795 Speaker 1: At the moment, My feeling is the response should be 426 00:27:23,835 --> 00:27:26,395 Speaker 1: sending a swat team to marri A Lago and arresting 427 00:27:26,395 --> 00:27:29,595 Speaker 1: the bastard now. Because the language of his eruption Tuesday 428 00:27:29,595 --> 00:27:35,115 Speaker 1: morning contained one key code word that unleashed January sixth, 429 00:27:35,355 --> 00:27:42,755 Speaker 1: The word was fight quote it's about election interference, began 430 00:27:42,795 --> 00:27:45,955 Speaker 1: a Trump social media post at eight twelve Eastern daylight time. 431 00:27:46,035 --> 00:27:49,395 Speaker 1: Tuesday morning, it ended they are using the DOJ and 432 00:27:49,595 --> 00:27:54,915 Speaker 1: FBI against me to rig, misspelled and capitalized rig the 433 00:27:54,955 --> 00:27:58,635 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four election. They'll hit Hunter with something small 434 00:27:58,715 --> 00:28:01,395 Speaker 1: to make their strike on me look fair. Nothing about 435 00:28:01,475 --> 00:28:05,755 Speaker 1: these fascists is fair or honest. Fight, and the word 436 00:28:05,755 --> 00:28:09,435 Speaker 1: fight capital letter is followed by an exclamation point two 437 00:28:09,435 --> 00:28:15,355 Speaker 1: minutes later, a second post election interference. Don't let it happen. 438 00:28:16,715 --> 00:28:22,075 Speaker 1: This was his call to his mob, just as that 439 00:28:22,155 --> 00:28:24,195 Speaker 1: same word fight was the cue to the mob on 440 00:28:24,275 --> 00:28:27,235 Speaker 1: January sixth, and just as on January sixth, it is 441 00:28:27,315 --> 00:28:31,195 Speaker 1: stochastic terrorism. And if Trump dies in prison because he 442 00:28:31,315 --> 00:28:35,355 Speaker 1: stole documents and defrauded his own rubes over a stolen 443 00:28:35,395 --> 00:28:38,275 Speaker 1: election he knew was not stolen, I will still be 444 00:28:38,355 --> 00:28:41,235 Speaker 1: disappointed that they did not convict him for these frontal 445 00:28:41,275 --> 00:28:45,355 Speaker 1: assaults by proxy on representative government in this country. He 446 00:28:45,635 --> 00:28:50,475 Speaker 1: is a thug, a scumbag, and a moral worm, a 447 00:28:50,515 --> 00:28:54,115 Speaker 1: psychopath who sees the people around him solely in terms 448 00:28:54,155 --> 00:28:57,955 Speaker 1: of what they can do for him. And just remember 449 00:28:57,995 --> 00:29:01,075 Speaker 1: that in that speech on the Ellipse on January sixth, 450 00:29:01,155 --> 00:29:07,075 Speaker 1: he used some form of the word fight sixteen different times, 451 00:29:07,715 --> 00:29:10,995 Speaker 1: and sixteen different times was nearly enough to knock democracy 452 00:29:11,235 --> 00:29:14,555 Speaker 1: to the ground. In the fight that followed, we fight, 453 00:29:15,075 --> 00:29:17,795 Speaker 1: Trump said that cataclysmic day, We fight like hell. And 454 00:29:17,835 --> 00:29:19,995 Speaker 1: if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to 455 00:29:20,035 --> 00:29:25,555 Speaker 1: have a country anymore. This country, especially the media in 456 00:29:25,595 --> 00:29:28,235 Speaker 1: this country, wants all of that to just go away, 457 00:29:28,955 --> 00:29:31,755 Speaker 1: like the pandemic. Just wants to forget it ever happened, 458 00:29:32,235 --> 00:29:35,715 Speaker 1: just wants to jump back into those nice safe grooves 459 00:29:36,475 --> 00:29:40,795 Speaker 1: of the three or four different disaster stories. Media understands 460 00:29:40,795 --> 00:29:44,035 Speaker 1: in this country, understands how to cover the four or 461 00:29:44,075 --> 00:29:47,995 Speaker 1: five different political stories. It understands and understands how to cover. 462 00:29:49,395 --> 00:29:51,915 Speaker 1: They don't want to cover what he actually expected people 463 00:29:51,955 --> 00:29:55,915 Speaker 1: to do yesterday. They don't want to face the reality 464 00:29:55,955 --> 00:29:59,835 Speaker 1: that he expected when he hits send on those that 465 00:29:59,955 --> 00:30:05,035 Speaker 1: somebody would try to stop Jack Smith from indicting him 466 00:30:05,195 --> 00:30:10,315 Speaker 1: by violence. They do not want to emphasize his insanity 467 00:30:10,555 --> 00:30:14,515 Speaker 1: that the rage in those posts was then followed by 468 00:30:14,555 --> 00:30:18,955 Speaker 1: at least five posts in which he congratulated himself on 469 00:30:19,035 --> 00:30:22,235 Speaker 1: predicting the golf merger and wrote, isn't that what you 470 00:30:22,315 --> 00:30:25,155 Speaker 1: want in a president? Somebody who can predict the future. 471 00:30:25,315 --> 00:30:28,795 Speaker 1: This is madness. It remains madness. He is a madman. 472 00:30:29,555 --> 00:30:31,795 Speaker 1: It does no good to ignore it. And the rest 473 00:30:31,835 --> 00:30:34,635 Speaker 1: of us who believe that the word terrorist should become 474 00:30:34,755 --> 00:30:37,995 Speaker 1: synonymous with the name Trump, and that the connection should 475 00:30:37,995 --> 00:30:41,235 Speaker 1: be reinforced daily, we are in a decided minority, and 476 00:30:41,275 --> 00:30:46,115 Speaker 1: we should not be stochastic. Terrorism does not have to 477 00:30:46,115 --> 00:30:48,315 Speaker 1: be subtle, and it does not have to be deciphered, 478 00:30:48,355 --> 00:30:50,035 Speaker 1: and it does not have to be a surprise. And 479 00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:53,155 Speaker 1: Donald Trump committed it on January sixth, twenty twenty one, 480 00:30:53,315 --> 00:30:56,795 Speaker 1: in Washington, and he committed it again yesterday on his 481 00:30:56,875 --> 00:30:59,555 Speaker 1: social media and we all need to be saying this. 482 00:31:01,515 --> 00:31:04,395 Speaker 1: I have been saying this since at least February twenty seventh, 483 00:31:04,755 --> 00:31:09,275 Speaker 1: twenty twenty Looking for something else, I found this in 484 00:31:09,315 --> 00:31:11,955 Speaker 1: my computer the other day. It is from a report 485 00:31:12,035 --> 00:31:15,555 Speaker 1: I had written that day for all people, Jeff Shell, 486 00:31:16,435 --> 00:31:19,555 Speaker 1: the disgraced x CEO of NBC, who wanted me to 487 00:31:19,595 --> 00:31:22,995 Speaker 1: rejoin MSNBC. It was written as we were mapping out 488 00:31:23,075 --> 00:31:27,315 Speaker 1: how to make that happen. This passage followed a paragraph 489 00:31:27,395 --> 00:31:30,115 Speaker 1: about how I had first met Trump in nineteen eighty 490 00:31:30,155 --> 00:31:33,715 Speaker 1: three and how I had known him personally but thankfully 491 00:31:33,755 --> 00:31:36,435 Speaker 1: not well since two thousand and seven. Or so I 492 00:31:36,475 --> 00:31:40,275 Speaker 1: wrote to Jeff Shell, I think I know something nobody 493 00:31:40,275 --> 00:31:43,355 Speaker 1: else in the field of political commentary has yet realized. 494 00:31:43,875 --> 00:31:46,755 Speaker 1: The turbulence of the last five years will only be 495 00:31:47,035 --> 00:31:50,355 Speaker 1: preamble to what will greet us on the morning of 496 00:31:50,395 --> 00:31:56,395 Speaker 1: November four, twenty twenty, regardless of the electoral outcome. Presuming 497 00:31:56,435 --> 00:32:00,235 Speaker 1: Trump is not somehow precluded from running, there are only 498 00:32:00,315 --> 00:32:04,195 Speaker 1: three prospective realities. One he has been reelected. Two he 499 00:32:04,235 --> 00:32:08,635 Speaker 1: has law lost narrowly, is demanding a recount, is suing, 500 00:32:08,755 --> 00:32:12,675 Speaker 1: and is being backed by the GOP. Three he has 501 00:32:12,835 --> 00:32:18,875 Speaker 1: lost narrowly or otherwise but his claiming fraud, deceit, or 502 00:32:18,955 --> 00:32:22,555 Speaker 1: foreign intervention. He will not concede, and he will try 503 00:32:22,555 --> 00:32:25,555 Speaker 1: to retain power in the courts or by declaring a 504 00:32:25,635 --> 00:32:32,475 Speaker 1: national emergency, or possibly by utilizing the military. I include 505 00:32:32,475 --> 00:32:34,875 Speaker 1: that not because I'm the only one who saw that coming. 506 00:32:35,195 --> 00:32:41,355 Speaker 1: Thousands saw that coming. I include that because it reminds 507 00:32:41,435 --> 00:32:45,275 Speaker 1: us to dismiss Trump and his animal like cunning and 508 00:32:45,395 --> 00:32:52,555 Speaker 1: destructive skill. At your peril and our peril. What you 509 00:32:52,595 --> 00:32:55,835 Speaker 1: think you see in him is as bad as you 510 00:32:55,875 --> 00:33:03,435 Speaker 1: think it is, or worse. Always always. On January sixth, yesterday, 511 00:33:03,835 --> 00:33:06,955 Speaker 1: the truth so posts were made in hopes of getting 512 00:33:06,995 --> 00:33:11,875 Speaker 1: somebody to attack Jack Smith or Merrick Garland, or Joe 513 00:33:11,875 --> 00:33:17,635 Speaker 1: Biden or somebody. The Trump thinking is not complex. This 514 00:33:17,755 --> 00:33:21,595 Speaker 1: other creature is in my way. Destroy the other creature 515 00:33:21,755 --> 00:33:29,035 Speaker 1: in my way. There is good news from his panic, 516 00:33:29,235 --> 00:33:32,955 Speaker 1: from his stochastic terrorism. There now can be no doubt 517 00:33:33,475 --> 00:33:37,075 Speaker 1: that Trump has concluded, perhaps even that he has been 518 00:33:37,155 --> 00:33:42,075 Speaker 1: told that he is to be indicted imminently by the 519 00:33:42,115 --> 00:33:54,515 Speaker 1: Special Council, and it just cannot be imminent enough. Also 520 00:33:54,595 --> 00:33:58,755 Speaker 1: of interest here today, all of American golf, all of 521 00:33:58,875 --> 00:34:02,515 Speaker 1: world professional golf, has just been sold to Saudi Arabia. 522 00:34:02,875 --> 00:34:05,915 Speaker 1: This is not hyperbole. The same people who spent a 523 00:34:05,995 --> 00:34:09,275 Speaker 1: year fighting against the attempted takeover of the golf business 524 00:34:09,355 --> 00:34:12,635 Speaker 1: by the Saudis, of talking about Saudi blood money and 525 00:34:12,755 --> 00:34:16,155 Speaker 1: nine to eleven and Jamal Kashogi, they just sold the 526 00:34:16,195 --> 00:34:18,835 Speaker 1: PGA Tour to the Saudis. And don't believe it for 527 00:34:18,875 --> 00:34:20,915 Speaker 1: a moment when people tell you it's a merger, because 528 00:34:20,915 --> 00:34:23,875 Speaker 1: it's not a merger. The Saudis bought the PGA Tour, 529 00:34:24,115 --> 00:34:26,475 Speaker 1: and some of the PGA golfers who help run the 530 00:34:26,475 --> 00:34:31,035 Speaker 1: PGA Tour are trying to Forestall an ethical disaster so 531 00:34:31,235 --> 00:34:33,195 Speaker 1: bad that you might as well change the name of 532 00:34:33,235 --> 00:34:36,875 Speaker 1: its founding organization from the Pro Golfers Association to the 533 00:34:36,915 --> 00:34:42,555 Speaker 1: Pro Terrorism Association. That's of interest, And Chris Licht has 534 00:34:42,555 --> 00:34:46,235 Speaker 1: done it again at CNN. Another stunt town hall. That's next. 535 00:34:46,275 --> 00:34:55,115 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman postscripts 536 00:34:55,155 --> 00:34:58,475 Speaker 1: to the news. Some headlines, some updates, some snarks, some predictions, 537 00:34:58,555 --> 00:35:02,875 Speaker 1: date lines, CNN Headquarters, Hudson Yards, New York Man. If 538 00:35:02,875 --> 00:35:05,395 Speaker 1: only CNN viewers wanted to watch much twenty four to 539 00:35:05,475 --> 00:35:10,155 Speaker 1: seven coverage of CNN's chief executive officer twisting slowly, slowly 540 00:35:10,235 --> 00:35:13,315 Speaker 1: in the wind, and CNN would carry it. To paraphrase 541 00:35:13,315 --> 00:35:16,115 Speaker 1: William Holden in the movie Network, it'd wipe that fing 542 00:35:16,275 --> 00:35:20,995 Speaker 1: MSNBC right off the air. The story continues now. It 543 00:35:21,115 --> 00:35:23,875 Speaker 1: is the New York Post reporting that Chris Licked has 544 00:35:23,995 --> 00:35:27,795 Speaker 1: quote been calling anchors who have never spoken to him 545 00:35:27,835 --> 00:35:31,715 Speaker 1: before in a bid to shore up support one employee 546 00:35:31,755 --> 00:35:34,635 Speaker 1: at a time. The paper also claims it sources say 547 00:35:34,715 --> 00:35:38,195 Speaker 1: CNN might fire Licked over the July fourth holiday, and 548 00:35:38,355 --> 00:35:41,995 Speaker 1: it named two upper levels CNN executives as candidates to 549 00:35:42,115 --> 00:35:45,635 Speaker 1: replace him. The Los Angeles Times reports that quote, the 550 00:35:45,675 --> 00:35:49,155 Speaker 1: top conversation internally is how much longer Licked can last 551 00:35:49,195 --> 00:35:51,875 Speaker 1: in the job. According to several insiders who were not 552 00:35:51,955 --> 00:35:56,795 Speaker 1: authorized to discuss the matter publicly, something actually happened at 553 00:35:56,835 --> 00:36:00,395 Speaker 1: CNN yesterday and this is so Chris Licked it will 554 00:36:00,435 --> 00:36:04,995 Speaker 1: make you spit out some ozempic. Next Monday, CNN will 555 00:36:05,035 --> 00:36:11,155 Speaker 1: air a live presidential town hall moderated by Anderson Silo's Cooper, 556 00:36:11,955 --> 00:36:17,155 Speaker 1: and the town hall is with Chris Christy, who had 557 00:36:17,195 --> 00:36:20,835 Speaker 1: only announced he was actually inexplicably running for the Republican 558 00:36:20,875 --> 00:36:26,315 Speaker 1: nomination literally hours before. So if you want a free 559 00:36:26,355 --> 00:36:29,275 Speaker 1: hour of TV time on CNN, just announce you are 560 00:36:29,315 --> 00:36:32,475 Speaker 1: running for president and call Chris Licht. The number is 561 00:36:32,555 --> 00:36:37,635 Speaker 1: Plaza seven, eight eight sixty six. But the real new 562 00:36:37,835 --> 00:36:41,155 Speaker 1: story at CNN is a man named Oliver Darcy. I've 563 00:36:41,195 --> 00:36:43,955 Speaker 1: spoken of him before. He is the media reporter who 564 00:36:44,035 --> 00:36:46,235 Speaker 1: was the first and for a week, the lone CNN 565 00:36:46,355 --> 00:36:50,275 Speaker 1: voice who even mildly criticize Licht's waterloo the Trump town hall. 566 00:36:50,715 --> 00:36:54,795 Speaker 1: He survived. He went on vacation as planned, He came 567 00:36:54,875 --> 00:36:57,235 Speaker 1: back from vacation, and he came back in time to 568 00:36:57,355 --> 00:37:01,075 Speaker 1: issue his late night media newsletter right after the Atlantic 569 00:37:01,155 --> 00:37:04,395 Speaker 1: piece about Licht ran. The title of the first of 570 00:37:04,395 --> 00:37:09,475 Speaker 1: these newsletters was read Licked Flashing, which reads better than 571 00:37:09,475 --> 00:37:13,675 Speaker 1: it sounds. The third paragraph reads quote. The embarrassing piece, 572 00:37:13,835 --> 00:37:17,395 Speaker 1: which reverberated all weekends throughout the media industry, called into 573 00:37:17,515 --> 00:37:22,075 Speaker 1: serious question Lickt's judgment, his ability to lead the network staff, 574 00:37:22,435 --> 00:37:27,915 Speaker 1: and his overall professional capabilities as CNN's top executive. Not 575 00:37:28,115 --> 00:37:32,235 Speaker 1: much further in, CNN's media reporter Oliver Darcig wrote this 576 00:37:32,355 --> 00:37:36,035 Speaker 1: about reaction inside his own network quote, there is one 577 00:37:36,155 --> 00:37:40,075 Speaker 1: near universal sentiment that has been communicated to me. Lickt 578 00:37:40,275 --> 00:37:44,755 Speaker 1: has lost the room. I spent the summer of nineteen 579 00:37:44,835 --> 00:37:48,115 Speaker 1: ninety eight talking like this about my bosses at MSNBC 580 00:37:48,315 --> 00:37:50,795 Speaker 1: and NBC News. But on the other hand, I was 581 00:37:50,795 --> 00:37:52,995 Speaker 1: trying to get one of them to fire me so 582 00:37:53,035 --> 00:37:55,675 Speaker 1: I could go back into sports for five times my 583 00:37:55,875 --> 00:38:01,275 Speaker 1: NBC salary. This this is courage, though one would think 584 00:38:01,315 --> 00:38:05,675 Speaker 1: it will still ultimately be Licked or Darcy at CNN 585 00:38:06,275 --> 00:38:09,715 Speaker 1: within a month or two, but not both. Either way, 586 00:38:09,755 --> 00:38:13,275 Speaker 1: they can hold an Oliver Darcy parade if lick gets fired. 587 00:38:13,675 --> 00:38:16,235 Speaker 1: Darcy can sit atop the front car and the parade 588 00:38:16,235 --> 00:38:20,515 Speaker 1: and wave to grateful CNN staffers. If not, he can 589 00:38:20,595 --> 00:38:24,555 Speaker 1: ride in the back and that big long Cadillac that 590 00:38:24,835 --> 00:38:43,835 Speaker 1: doesn't have any you know windows. This is Sports Center Wait, 591 00:38:43,995 --> 00:38:51,515 Speaker 1: check that, not anymore. This is countdown with Keith Alberman 592 00:38:51,715 --> 00:38:54,315 Speaker 1: in sports for a field of endeavor, in which the 593 00:38:54,395 --> 00:38:58,635 Speaker 1: horriest of all the hoary cliches is, on any given Sunday, 594 00:38:58,955 --> 00:39:02,915 Speaker 1: any team can beat any other team. Few things in 595 00:39:03,075 --> 00:39:07,475 Speaker 1: sports are actually surprise, let alone shocks. But there was 596 00:39:07,675 --> 00:39:11,275 Speaker 1: universal shock yesterday when the PGA Golf Tour announced it 597 00:39:11,315 --> 00:39:15,395 Speaker 1: had merged with Live Golf, after a year in which 598 00:39:15,475 --> 00:39:19,075 Speaker 1: the PGA rightly decried players who joined Live as taking 599 00:39:19,315 --> 00:39:22,515 Speaker 1: blood money from Saudi Arabia. Well, it turns out it's 600 00:39:22,515 --> 00:39:25,195 Speaker 1: only blood money if they're getting it, not if PGA 601 00:39:25,235 --> 00:39:28,835 Speaker 1: Commissioner j Monahan is getting it. The move was announced 602 00:39:28,835 --> 00:39:32,555 Speaker 1: before almost anybody it effects knew about it. That includes sponsors, 603 00:39:32,955 --> 00:39:38,515 Speaker 1: networks that televise golf, and most importantly PGA players. The problems, 604 00:39:38,555 --> 00:39:42,155 Speaker 1: of course, are it is blood money and worse, the 605 00:39:42,195 --> 00:39:46,395 Speaker 1: PGA and LIV did not merge. The Public Investment Fund 606 00:39:46,475 --> 00:39:48,915 Speaker 1: of Saudi Arabia, led by that Prince with the international 607 00:39:48,955 --> 00:39:53,355 Speaker 1: collection of murderers, at his disposal, bought the PGA Tour. 608 00:39:54,035 --> 00:39:57,675 Speaker 1: The Saudis have bought the PGA Tour. The Saudi Fund 609 00:39:57,715 --> 00:39:59,915 Speaker 1: will have the right of first refusal on all future 610 00:39:59,915 --> 00:40:04,155 Speaker 1: investments in the combined new operation, and that ultimately gives 611 00:40:04,195 --> 00:40:08,075 Speaker 1: it the right time to squeeze out all non Saudi influence. 612 00:40:08,795 --> 00:40:13,675 Speaker 1: Golf is now Saudi Arabian. PGA Commissioner Monahan tried to 613 00:40:13,715 --> 00:40:16,675 Speaker 1: explain this to players at the tour stop in Toronto yesterday. 614 00:40:16,715 --> 00:40:19,515 Speaker 1: Nearly all of them reacted violently. There is still a 615 00:40:19,595 --> 00:40:22,475 Speaker 1: chance the players on the PGA's board could muster enough 616 00:40:22,475 --> 00:40:26,155 Speaker 1: support to quash the thing. In the interim, golf fans 617 00:40:26,195 --> 00:40:28,715 Speaker 1: are left with a moral dilemma, and golf fans tend 618 00:40:28,715 --> 00:40:31,275 Speaker 1: not to do well with moral dilemmas. They did not 619 00:40:31,435 --> 00:40:35,115 Speaker 1: fight back against golf's literal quota system for memberships at 620 00:40:35,155 --> 00:40:39,435 Speaker 1: clubs like Augusta National, where they hold the deplorable Masters tournament. 621 00:40:40,155 --> 00:40:43,315 Speaker 1: Well now, no American sports fan can in good conscience 622 00:40:43,435 --> 00:40:48,715 Speaker 1: participate or pay for or watch any PGA event, no 623 00:40:48,755 --> 00:40:51,115 Speaker 1: matter how hallowed it might be within the sports world. 624 00:40:51,635 --> 00:40:54,075 Speaker 1: Within moments of the announcement of the Saudi takeover of 625 00:40:54,115 --> 00:40:57,035 Speaker 1: American golf nine to eleven, Families United wrote to the 626 00:40:57,035 --> 00:41:00,275 Speaker 1: Department of Justice asking it to step up its investigation 627 00:41:00,355 --> 00:41:03,315 Speaker 1: of the Saudis related to the terrorism. On nine to eleven, 628 00:41:03,435 --> 00:41:05,555 Speaker 1: at it issued a statement can deming the merger in 629 00:41:05,595 --> 00:41:09,955 Speaker 1: the strongest terms, and then a podcaster named James Heskey 630 00:41:10,595 --> 00:41:15,115 Speaker 1: summed it up with one joke, grim telling and all 631 00:41:15,275 --> 00:41:19,235 Speaker 1: too true quote. As part of the merger, the PGA 632 00:41:19,355 --> 00:41:25,075 Speaker 1: will control holes one to eight and twelve eighteen, the 633 00:41:25,075 --> 00:41:31,235 Speaker 1: Saudis do nine to eleven. In the no surprise Sports News, 634 00:41:31,235 --> 00:41:33,715 Speaker 1: the Texas Rangers announced Jacob de Grom, the pitcher, will 635 00:41:33,795 --> 00:41:37,075 Speaker 1: undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a tear in his 636 00:41:37,115 --> 00:41:40,115 Speaker 1: collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. He will miss all 637 00:41:40,155 --> 00:41:43,115 Speaker 1: of this year and almost certainly all of next year. 638 00:41:43,835 --> 00:41:47,115 Speaker 1: Last year, there was a delicate balancing act going on 639 00:41:47,195 --> 00:41:49,955 Speaker 1: here in New York, where the Mets live, whether to 640 00:41:50,075 --> 00:41:53,275 Speaker 1: give their homegrown ace de Gram, the hero of their 641 00:41:53,315 --> 00:41:56,875 Speaker 1: fan base, the huge long term contract he wanted, even 642 00:41:56,915 --> 00:41:59,235 Speaker 1: though he had missed much of the previous two seasons 643 00:41:59,635 --> 00:42:03,835 Speaker 1: with injuries but without surgeries. This is the leading marker 644 00:42:03,875 --> 00:42:07,515 Speaker 1: for the likelihood of pitcher succumbing to a future serious injury. 645 00:42:08,075 --> 00:42:10,435 Speaker 1: The Mets chose not to give de Graham the money, 646 00:42:10,515 --> 00:42:13,435 Speaker 1: in part because he's already had one Tommy John operation. 647 00:42:14,075 --> 00:42:16,675 Speaker 1: But the Texas Rangers did give to Graham the money, 648 00:42:16,715 --> 00:42:18,795 Speaker 1: all of the money, and they broke out to a 649 00:42:18,875 --> 00:42:21,955 Speaker 1: thirty nine and twenty record this season, second bastion all 650 00:42:21,995 --> 00:42:25,475 Speaker 1: of baseball. And now they are committed to paying Jacob 651 00:42:25,475 --> 00:42:28,435 Speaker 1: de Grom one hundred and eighty five million dollars through 652 00:42:28,435 --> 00:42:31,715 Speaker 1: the year twenty twenty seven. And for the first seventy 653 00:42:31,755 --> 00:42:36,595 Speaker 1: million they will likely have gotten thirty innings pitched. But 654 00:42:37,795 --> 00:42:41,515 Speaker 1: they were great innings. And also, what did we see here? 655 00:42:42,075 --> 00:43:08,835 Speaker 1: Great agent ing, Thank you Disco, Nancy Faust. Maybe de 656 00:43:08,915 --> 00:43:11,715 Speaker 1: Gram can pass the time off by buying the seemingly 657 00:43:11,755 --> 00:43:15,715 Speaker 1: homeless Oakland. A's ownership had starved the team in Oakland 658 00:43:15,715 --> 00:43:18,915 Speaker 1: and seemingly made a commitment to take Nevada taxpayers money 659 00:43:19,075 --> 00:43:21,595 Speaker 1: to go build themselves a stadium there. But a funny 660 00:43:21,595 --> 00:43:24,435 Speaker 1: thing has happened in Las Vegas. The bill aimed at 661 00:43:24,435 --> 00:43:27,395 Speaker 1: giving the As three hundred and eighty million for their 662 00:43:27,435 --> 00:43:31,555 Speaker 1: billion and a half dollar ballpark in Sin City stalled 663 00:43:31,595 --> 00:43:34,035 Speaker 1: in the Nevada legislature, it was not voted on before 664 00:43:34,075 --> 00:43:35,995 Speaker 1: the deadline, so the a's and the lingo of the 665 00:43:36,035 --> 00:43:53,195 Speaker 1: town have crapped out. Coming up, speaking of all time 666 00:43:53,235 --> 00:43:56,555 Speaker 1: great baseball pitchers like Jacob de gram in two years 667 00:43:56,595 --> 00:44:01,115 Speaker 1: from now, I once covered one and covered for him, 668 00:44:01,875 --> 00:44:04,315 Speaker 1: the guy who came this close to having a fistfight 669 00:44:04,395 --> 00:44:08,795 Speaker 1: with a fan during the World Series, and my network 670 00:44:08,835 --> 00:44:11,715 Speaker 1: caught it on tape, and I owned the tape, and 671 00:44:11,795 --> 00:44:13,755 Speaker 1: I covered for him, not because he deserved my help, 672 00:44:13,755 --> 00:44:17,075 Speaker 1: but because the videotape did not show that he did 673 00:44:17,115 --> 00:44:20,675 Speaker 1: not start the fight things I promised not to tell literally. 674 00:44:20,715 --> 00:44:23,195 Speaker 1: Coming up first, the daily round up of the miscrants, morons, 675 00:44:23,235 --> 00:44:27,035 Speaker 1: and Dunning Kruger effect specimens who constitute today's worst persons 676 00:44:27,035 --> 00:44:31,835 Speaker 1: in the world, The Brons. Harris Faulkner of Fox News 677 00:44:31,915 --> 00:44:35,835 Speaker 1: one of the most inexplicably self righteous, shallow people in 678 00:44:35,875 --> 00:44:41,075 Speaker 1: American media. She is a propagandist of Fox quote news unquote, 679 00:44:41,435 --> 00:44:45,675 Speaker 1: and she is as just to pick an apt current 680 00:44:45,715 --> 00:44:50,315 Speaker 1: analogy as dim as a sunset during Canadian wildfire haze. 681 00:44:51,115 --> 00:44:54,315 Speaker 1: Armie Bratt. Her Twitter handle and her Twitter name are 682 00:44:54,315 --> 00:44:59,675 Speaker 1: both in all caps, and she is ceaselessly holier than thou, 683 00:44:59,915 --> 00:45:02,595 Speaker 1: and Fox now has given her a shot in Tucker 684 00:45:02,595 --> 00:45:06,355 Speaker 1: Carlson's old primetime because use the only two people left 685 00:45:06,355 --> 00:45:12,555 Speaker 1: were her and me. By the way, remember Tucker Carlson. Anyway, 686 00:45:12,595 --> 00:45:16,875 Speaker 1: Faulkner did not disappoint. She disappointed. She was complaining about 687 00:45:16,875 --> 00:45:19,555 Speaker 1: this war on religion, which is really funny because the 688 00:45:19,595 --> 00:45:22,875 Speaker 1: world gives religion more tolerance than anything else. I mean, 689 00:45:22,915 --> 00:45:27,235 Speaker 1: it's not facts, it's beliefs, which you're fine, but it 690 00:45:27,355 --> 00:45:30,635 Speaker 1: can't and hasn't been proven. And almost all of the 691 00:45:30,675 --> 00:45:33,515 Speaker 1: religions are based on books written by anonymous authors or 692 00:45:33,595 --> 00:45:37,475 Speaker 1: rewritten by other anonymous authors. And yet we tolerate constant 693 00:45:37,515 --> 00:45:42,915 Speaker 1: references to religion in our lives, from songs to interruptions 694 00:45:42,915 --> 00:45:47,675 Speaker 1: for prayers to tax exemptions for churches. Anyway, that's not 695 00:45:47,755 --> 00:45:51,395 Speaker 1: how she sees it. Harris Faulkner says you should say 696 00:45:51,475 --> 00:45:56,075 Speaker 1: grace or whatever for meals at restaurants in public, and 697 00:45:56,115 --> 00:45:59,555 Speaker 1: that once when she tried, they threw her out. Quote, 698 00:45:59,875 --> 00:46:02,875 Speaker 1: I've been asked to leave a restaurant for openly bowing 699 00:46:02,955 --> 00:46:08,555 Speaker 1: my head in prayer hand in America. Sadly, she would 700 00:46:08,595 --> 00:46:12,075 Speaker 1: not give a more specific address or a day when 701 00:46:12,115 --> 00:46:15,955 Speaker 1: it happened, or witness, or would she answer any questions 702 00:46:15,995 --> 00:46:19,235 Speaker 1: about it that followed from members of the media, or 703 00:46:19,515 --> 00:46:22,395 Speaker 1: didn't your religious figures over there say something about bearing 704 00:46:22,475 --> 00:46:26,795 Speaker 1: false witness? They runner up. Why it's Harris Faulkner Fox 705 00:46:26,875 --> 00:46:30,715 Speaker 1: News again, while she wasn't done chastising the wicked ways 706 00:46:30,755 --> 00:46:33,595 Speaker 1: of twenty first century America, Land, this is about the 707 00:46:33,635 --> 00:46:37,195 Speaker 1: whole gender thing. Quote. The Lord has determined I am 708 00:46:37,235 --> 00:46:44,275 Speaker 1: a woman, My pronouns are USA. Once again, the jury 709 00:46:44,395 --> 00:46:47,395 Speaker 1: is in. The Lord has also determined that conservatives will 710 00:46:47,395 --> 00:46:52,835 Speaker 1: never understand what the hell pronouns actually are. Harris, you 711 00:46:52,835 --> 00:46:57,395 Speaker 1: should ask the Lord for an education. But our winner, Wow, 712 00:46:57,515 --> 00:47:02,955 Speaker 1: it's Harris Falkner of Fox News, the trifecta. While she 713 00:47:03,155 --> 00:47:05,995 Speaker 1: was instructing us when to pray and how to eat 714 00:47:06,075 --> 00:47:09,195 Speaker 1: and what her pronouns are, I think she said dumb 715 00:47:09,795 --> 00:47:14,035 Speaker 1: all that time the big banner graphic placed right across 716 00:47:14,035 --> 00:47:21,355 Speaker 1: her Holy blessed condescension red quote American can and will 717 00:47:21,355 --> 00:47:26,115 Speaker 1: be put back together again? American not America can and 718 00:47:26,155 --> 00:47:29,795 Speaker 1: will be put back together again. American can and will 719 00:47:29,795 --> 00:47:34,955 Speaker 1: we put back together? American? Harris? What kind of American 720 00:47:35,195 --> 00:47:39,275 Speaker 1: doesn't check the graphics and lets her network misspell America. 721 00:47:39,795 --> 00:47:42,715 Speaker 1: Why didn't you walk out of that place too, Faulkner 722 00:47:43,115 --> 00:47:57,435 Speaker 1: Today's worst person. He Countdown with Keith Olderman is a 723 00:47:57,475 --> 00:48:02,315 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 724 00:48:02,315 --> 00:48:06,875 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.