1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Truth. 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 2: With Lisa Booth, where we get to the heart of 3 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 2: the issues that matter to you. Today, we're joined by 4 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 2: Selena Zeito, the renowned journalist and author whose boots on 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 2: the ground reporting has redefined how we understand America's heartland. 6 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: Her latest book, Butler, The Untold Story of the Near 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland, 8 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 2: takes us to the events of July thirteenth, twenty twenty four, 9 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: when President Trump was almost assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania. Selena 10 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: was an eyewitness, and her book explores its profound impact 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 2: on the political soul of Middle America, from the raw 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 2: emotions that day to the broader story of populism and 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: the place of Butler, Pennsylvania and the significance of that. 14 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 2: Selena shares her insights from her front row seat to history. 15 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 2: So let's get into the truth and what happened that 16 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: day and why it matters with Selena Zito. Selena Zido, 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: as I mentioned to you before, I'm a big fan 18 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 2: of your work. I think you just do really important reporting, 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: and so it's an honor to have you on the show. 20 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 2: And I'm just really looking forward to hearing your insight 21 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: and your thoughts on this broader conversation we're about to have. 22 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: Well, I'm gonna give it right back to you, Lisa. 23 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 3: I'm big fan too, so we're going to have a 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 3: really good discussion. 25 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: Well, well, I appreciate that so much, you Knowesleina. One 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 2: thing I love about you is you actually report, which 27 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 2: is is sad to say, but you've traveled over four 28 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 2: hundred thousand miles in your jeeps to report on Middle America, 29 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 2: working America, America's heartland. Like actually hearing from them, listening 30 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: to them, talking to people who are very frequently ignored 31 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 2: by the rest of the media. 32 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: Why is that so important to you? 33 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: And also why do you think they're so routinely ignored 34 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:48,639 Speaker 2: by the rest of the media. 35 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: They are ignored by the rest of the media, and oftentimes, 36 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 3: if we look over the past couple of decades, they've 37 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 3: also been ignored by both parties. The Democrats used to 38 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 3: have a hold on them and faced away. Republicans didn't 39 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 3: quite figure out how to get there right. They got 40 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: there a little bit in twenty ten, a little bit 41 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 3: in twenty fourteen, twenty sixteen, all of a sudden, they're like, wait, 42 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 3: these are our voters, right, and they started to recognize 43 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 3: that their values coincide with the Republican's values. So I 44 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 3: think that the problem is is as newspaper desert as 45 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 3: counties across this country become newspaper deserts, right, small local 46 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 3: newspapers close out, and people have been relying on national news. 47 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 3: They find that they are observed by national news as 48 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 3: sort of like zoo animals, and they don't quite know 49 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: how to cover them because you know, they live in 50 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 3: these super zip codes, right, and they went to the 51 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 3: best of the best schools, but they don't know anybody 52 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 3: it owns a gun. They don't know anybody that thinks 53 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 3: it's more important to live down the street from their 54 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 3: parents and grandparents and raise their children that way as 55 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 3: opposed to getting nice bonus in a big car every year. 56 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 3: And they don't know anybody that you know, lives is 57 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 3: happy in a place like this, and so they struggle 58 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 3: to cover them. And so what happens that it ends 59 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: up coming across demeaning and condescending. And so that is 60 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 3: the problem within our industry is that our industry has 61 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 3: too many people focused in these in these places that 62 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 3: don't know how to cover the rest of the country. 63 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: And I'm telling you, Erie, Pennsylvania decides an election, not 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 3: in New York City. So there should be a more 65 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 3: concentrated effort to understand and be respectful to these voters 66 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 3: instead of calling some kind of ism after their name, right, racism, fascism, 67 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 3: whatever ism that they want to think of, because they 68 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 3: don't understand them well. 69 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 2: And that's what's so crazy to me about these voters 70 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: being ignored because they do decide elections. 71 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: I know, and so it's like you. 72 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: Would think that there would be. 73 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: Some desire to figure out, you know, why they vote 74 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: the way they do. 75 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: You know, like it's like you've got a very important 76 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: electorate that is just ignored and dismissed and belittled and 77 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: you know, the basket of deplorables and all these different things. 78 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: You know, why do you think. 79 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 2: President Trump, I know you've written about this before, but 80 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 2: it is interesting to have a guy who's a billionaire, 81 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 2: who you know, comes from New York City, who has 82 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: been able to connect with these voters in a way 83 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 2: that we haven't seen Republican presidents in a very long time. 84 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: I mean, I know, you know, in fairness, he's been 85 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 2: talking about a lot of these issues like trade and 86 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: feeling like we're being taken advantage of since like the 87 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 2: nineteen eighties, right, Like, So it's not he's been very consistent. 88 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: But why do you think he has been able to 89 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 2: connect with, you know, working class voters in a way 90 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,239 Speaker 2: that you know previous Republican. 91 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: Presidents have failed, or just presidents in general. 92 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I think gets you the earlier point about 93 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 3: deplorables and ignoring these voters. There's a moment in my 94 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 3: book where I almost cried in frustration. I'm in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jd. 95 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 3: Vance is coming to the state for the first time. 96 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 3: He has a motor a motorcade with journalists right to 97 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 3: press corps following him, and we're driving through Erie. Now, 98 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 3: I grew up in Pittsburgh. Erie was our beach, right. 99 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 3: We didn't go to the Atlantic Ocean. We went to 100 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 3: Lake Erie. And I'm trying to point out to all 101 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 3: these other New York and DC reporters. I'm like, look 102 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 3: over there, this is what used to be here, and 103 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 3: this is what used to be there, and this is 104 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 3: why things changed. And they're all looking down on their 105 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 3: phone and they're just completely ignoring me. And I'm thinking, 106 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 3: you actually don't care you And there were lines of 107 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 3: people lined up on the streets to see JD. And 108 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 3: JD had only been picked like ten days earlier, right, 109 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 3: and he was going through that whole he's weird and 110 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 3: cat ladies thing, and they missed the entire moment because 111 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 3: they were looking at their phones. To your point about Trump, 112 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 3: here's you know. I remember the first time he came 113 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 3: down the escalator and I was thinking, what does a 114 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 3: three time married guy that lives in the Gold Tower 115 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 3: have anything in Howard Stern regular have anything in common 116 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 3: with the people that I cover? And then he said 117 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 3: a very important line in that speech. Everybody else talked 118 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 3: about Mexicans, right, that's all the press talked about. He 119 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 3: talked about the dignity of work, and I was like, boom, 120 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 3: he gets it. So I did my first interview with him, 121 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. It was a year later. We were 122 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 3: in Pittsburgh. We were he was at the Marcella's Shale 123 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 3: Coalition shale event and I said to him in that interview, 124 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 3: I said, you know, take you seriously, but they don't 125 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 3: take everything you say literally. Where my profession takes everything 126 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 3: you say literally, but they don't take your candidacy very seriously. 127 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 3: And so he goes, come with me, Zito, let's take 128 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 3: a walk. And there's no cameras. My recorder's not going 129 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 3: this was just taking a walk. So we go. We 130 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 3: leave the green room and we go to the back 131 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 3: of the convention center where all the people are that 132 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 3: make the event happen, right, that make it really nice 133 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 3: for the suits, the caterers, the janitors, the electricians, the plumbers, right, 134 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 3: And he is talking to them like one on one, 135 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 3: asking about their life, asking about why they do what 136 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 3: they do, what their family is like. And I'm watching 137 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 3: this and I'm thinking, oh, I get it. So after 138 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 3: we're done, it was just him and I talking. There's 139 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 3: no one else around. I said, where'd you get that from? 140 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 3: He goes, well, you know, I grew up in the 141 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 3: construction site. I listen to people, I observe people, and 142 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 3: people think that I'm sort of from this class, and 143 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 3: I get it. I like gold and I made it big. However, 144 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 3: these are the people that if without them, I wouldn't 145 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 3: have had anything that I have. These are the people 146 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 3: that built this country. These are the people that deserve 147 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 3: our most respect. And these are the people I'm most 148 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 3: comfortable with. Remember, and you know, he and I went 149 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 3: back and forth. I don't know if anybody's ever seen 150 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 3: the movie The Age of Innocence is Scorsese movie, where 151 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 3: it's all these layers of the upper echelon of New 152 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 3: York and it's very much still the same way. New 153 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 3: money you aren't allowed in the club. Old money, you're revered. 154 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 3: And he's outer Borough, right, his family is new money, 155 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: and they punched their way in. And he's always been 156 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 3: more comfortable with the working class than he has been 157 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 3: with the C suite. And you know, the CEOs now 158 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 3: he can he can negotiate with them. But if you 159 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 3: want to know who his people are, it were the 160 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 3: plumbers and the electricians that we walked around and talked to. 161 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 2: Well, you know, I also just think he hates bs, 162 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 2: so he probably gets in a way, you know, like 163 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 2: he's you know, obviously you take two seconds listening to 164 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 2: the guy, it's like very clear that you know, like 165 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: my you know, the way he talks about things. 166 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: So let's get to Butler. 167 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 2: Why why was it important for him to do this rally? 168 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: And Butler, before we talk about what took place that day. 169 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 3: So President Trump has always had a really good instinct 170 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 3: in understanding about place. It's a nuanced in American politics 171 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 3: that has often missed. There are basically two kinds of 172 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 3: people in this country. There are the place people are 173 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 3: very rooted to where they're from, and then there's the 174 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 3: place lists were very transient, who are not connected to 175 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: the communities or the cities or the towns that they 176 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 3: live in. They're just onto their next sort of accomplishment. 177 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 3: Neither is better. But the place decide elections now Butler, 178 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 3: Butler has only there's only been one other president beside 179 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 3: Trump that has a campaign there, and that was JFK. 180 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 3: And nobody, no other president has ever campaigned for president there, 181 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 3: And so he shows up in places like Butler. Butler 182 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 3: is equidistant from Pittsburgh to Erie. It is forty two 183 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: miles from East Palestine, where I have argued endlessly since 184 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 3: it happened that that was his inflection point, that is 185 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 3: where everything changed for him. At that point in February 186 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 3: twenty twenty three, was behind in the polls in the 187 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 3: first Hampshire poll with Ron De Santis, and he shows 188 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 3: up there and galoshes and hands out water and within 189 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 3: a week he's ahead in the pole primary polling and 190 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 3: never looks back. Places like that. There's this old Billy 191 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 3: Joel song called Allentown. Everybody's saying along to Allentown across 192 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 3: the country. I'm sure people are familiar with it, even 193 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 3: though it came out in the eighties. And there's this 194 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 3: guy and he's sitting against a steel beam and you 195 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 3: know he's losing his job, his town is dying. Well, 196 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 3: people sang along with that song like a ballad. But 197 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 3: not because everybody from across the country is from Allentown, 198 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 3: but because they recognized themselves in that moment. They saw 199 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 3: their town, they saw their place, they saw the struggles, 200 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 3: and they related to it. He does that when he 201 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 3: goes to places like Butler, and he's Palestine, so that's 202 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 3: why it was important for him to show up and Butler. 203 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: We've got to take a quick commercial break. 204 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 2: If you're loving this commerce station, please share it on 205 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: social media, send it to a friend. I find it fascinating. 206 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 2: I hope you do too. Stay tuned from Worslein as 207 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 2: you do. Just for context, I believe you had mentioned it. 208 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 2: You're a Pennsylvanian. 209 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 3: So, oh yeah, my family was one of the founding 210 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 3: families of Butler in the seventeen fifties. 211 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: So this is near and dear to your heart for 212 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: multiple reasons. 213 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 2: So you're there that day on July thirteenth, twenty twenty four, 214 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 2: You're covering this rally, probably thinking, you know, this is 215 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 2: just going to be a normal rally. At what point 216 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 2: did you realize something was a miss? 217 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 3: I know that. 218 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 2: You know a lot of people were saying things they 219 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 2: saw Thomas Matthew Crooks. 220 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: There were concerns that were raised. 221 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 2: Did did you realize anything was a miss before he 222 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 2: took the stage or what was the environment like in 223 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: the lead up to the shooting? 224 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 3: So where people recognized that something was a miss was 225 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 3: very far away from where I was. Morning started where 226 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,439 Speaker 3: I was supposed to interview him for five minutes before 227 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 3: the event. Then it changed I was going to interview 228 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 3: him for five minutes after the event, and then they 229 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,719 Speaker 3: got a phone call and said, hey, do you want 230 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 3: to fly to Bedminster and we'll do the interview on 231 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 3: the plane. I'm like, okay, I'm in. And then in 232 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 3: the last few minutes this is why I didn't see anything. 233 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 3: They grabbed me and my daughter. My daughter took the 234 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 3: photo of the cover, she's a photo journalist, and said 235 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 3: it's no time. And when they said it's go time, 236 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 3: I thought that meant okay, they changed your mind again. 237 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 3: We're going to do the interview now, and so we 238 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 3: go rushing back. We're behind stage. He's meeting with like 239 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 3: state troopers, police officers, you know, all law enforcement that 240 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 3: make things work right, that served the community. And I 241 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 3: asked the press guy. I'm like, so, is is this 242 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 3: where we're doing the interview? And he's like, I don't know, 243 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 3: and he goes around the bed and ask the president 244 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,559 Speaker 3: and then I President was like, no, I just want 245 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 3: to say hi to her. So I say hi to him, 246 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 3: and you know, we asked hi about my grandchildren. So 247 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,839 Speaker 3: I miss all that at that point. As I'm done 248 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 3: talking to him and he says, I'll see you on 249 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 3: the plane, I go out Leek Greenwood song starts, so 250 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 3: I'm going I can't get back to the riser. So 251 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 3: they placed me in the buffer, so I am feet 252 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 3: away from him, follow him out, go around. They told 253 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 3: me to wait on the other side, you know, just 254 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 3: be like off to the side because they'll grab me 255 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 3: for the motorcade, and I'm with my daughter and if 256 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 3: you look at my Twitter account that day, you can 257 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 3: see me taking pictures, videos. And then I get settled 258 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 3: in that corner. He does two things I've never seen 259 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 3: him do before. And I've covered a lot of rallies. 260 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 3: A chart goes down, and I'm thinking, what is he 261 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 3: ross Proro, like, what's going on here? Right? This is 262 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 3: so a character for him. If he does have a chart, 263 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 3: it's at the end and on the other side, but 264 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 3: that is also very very rare. And then he does 265 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 3: something else that he never does, turns his head away 266 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 3: from the crowd. If you've covered a Trump rally or 267 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 3: watch one in detail, these are very, very transient moments. 268 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 3: He feeds off of them, they feed off of him. 269 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 3: He respects them by never turning away from them. And 270 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 3: he turned. Now he might turn his body to face 271 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 3: different parts of the of the of the of the stadium, 272 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 3: but never turns his neck. He turns his neck and 273 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 3: that's when the first four shots go out over my head. 274 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 3: I saw him immediately grab his ear. I saw the 275 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 3: blood streak across his face. I see a sea of 276 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 3: navy blue suits around him in a protective stance. At 277 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 3: the same time, the next round of shots go right 278 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 3: over me. I don't know why I can't unlock it 279 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 3: from my brain. But I don't know why I didn't 280 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 3: think I was ever in danger. I remember praying that 281 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 3: he was okay, and praying that no one else was hurt. 282 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 3: And it was at that moment that his press abe Michelle, 283 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 3: butcard he just took me out, like on the ground 284 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 3: and laid on top of me to protect me. There's 285 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 3: some really great photos you can see them. Just God 286 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 3: bless this young man, and so in that moment. I 287 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 3: always have my recorder on when I'm covering a rally. 288 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 3: I know a transcript will come out. However, I think 289 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 3: it's important as a reporter to get the nuance of 290 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 3: the way someone says something. So that's why I always 291 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 3: record it, because something can get be lost if you 292 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 3: just put dry coats or quotes around it. And so 293 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 3: I watch him. I can see him just at this 294 00:16:55,400 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 3: weird angle, and I can see his face, I see 295 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 3: him moving his hands. I can hear the conversation he's 296 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 3: having with the Secret Service agents. I know the shooter 297 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 3: is down. I know that the shooter is dead. I know, 298 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 3: it's all clear, except President Trump wants to put his 299 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 3: shoes on. And that becomes almost like comic relief listening 300 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 3: to them talk back and forth about he wants his 301 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 3: damn shoes on, and then the crowd starts chanting USA, 302 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 3: and I can see him mouth USA, but I can't 303 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 3: hear him, so I don't know if he said it 304 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 3: out loud, but I can definitely see him saying it. 305 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 3: And he gets up and he says, wait, wait wait. 306 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 3: They start to take him off the stage, and that's 307 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 3: when he does fight, Fight, Fight, And it's the next 308 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 3: morning when he calls me that I eventually find out 309 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 3: exactly why he said that before we get to that. 310 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 2: I mean, what was that like to see him yell fight, fight, 311 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 2: fight and the crowds change because I was on vacation 312 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 2: at the time and we turned it on, and I 313 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 2: mean seeing that just from the TV, yeah, I I 314 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 2: you know, it's it's one of those moments like you 315 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 2: don't forget, you know, And so what was it like 316 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 2: to be. 317 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: There to see that, to hear that? I mean, you know, 318 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: I can't imagine being there in that moment, Like, what 319 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: was that like? 320 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was only a couple of feet away. Yeah, 321 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 3: I actually wasn't surprised because as he was getting up, 322 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 3: I hear I see him saying USA right. So I know, 323 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 3: I feel like something monumental is going to happen, right, 324 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 3: I feel like something something big is going to happen. 325 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 3: I didn't know he would say fight, fight, fight, but 326 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,159 Speaker 3: I thought he would say USA right. I thought he 327 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 3: would would would make some sort of gesture that let 328 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 3: every everybody know he was okay. I didn't know it 329 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 3: would be that big of a moment, and watching it 330 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 3: was just that decision, by the way, probably saved lives 331 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,360 Speaker 3: that day, because there could have easily been a stampede. 332 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 3: There could have been chaos, there could have been instability 333 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,679 Speaker 3: in that crowd. There's fifty thousand people there. It's not 334 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 3: like a little crowd, right, and people are highly emotional 335 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,959 Speaker 3: and highly charged. It immediately brought the temperature down. It 336 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 3: immediately changed everything. Within within minutes, people were just quietly leaving. 337 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,199 Speaker 3: And not only did they quietly leave, they took me 338 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 3: and my daughter in the back. I think because I 339 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 3: was sprawled out on the ground for the whole world 340 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 3: to see that God, I wore a scort that day. 341 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 3: They took us in the back for about forty seven minutes. 342 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 3: When I come back out to the farm show, it's 343 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 3: completely clear. It was very eerie. The flag's still blowing 344 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 3: on the screen from the cranes. There's a wheelchair in 345 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 3: the center of the farm field. That's it. So I'm 346 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 3: walking the farm field where where everybody was standing is 347 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 3: about a little over a quarter mile from we were 348 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 3: where we actually parked. And if you know western Pennsylvania 349 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 3: and all, it was rolling hills, so you can't see 350 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 3: the parking lot as you're walking up that hill. It's 351 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 3: a slow grade. I got to the top of the 352 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 3: hill heading towards our car, and nobody has left. They 353 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 3: didn't let anybody leave. Now there's fifty thousand people there. 354 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 3: There's at least fifteen thousand cars, maybe twenty. And people 355 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 3: weren't hugging each other. They were sharing food. They a 356 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 3: lot of people had cohlers in the back of their 357 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:55,119 Speaker 3: vehicles and they were bringing out what water and food, 358 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 3: and people are like, anybody got a beer, and but 359 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 3: they're also saying it was a very moving experience. And 360 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 3: I remember looking down, and I wrote this in this book. 361 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 3: I remember looking at these people at the people there, 362 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 3: and it brought me to tears because I'm thinking, these 363 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 3: are the people that they call bitter, clinging to their grounds, deplorable, extremist, fascist, Nazis, racist, 364 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 3: and they could not be more of a better example 365 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 3: of who we are as a country, you know, part 366 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 3: of something bigger than self. And it really made me 367 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 3: very angry at my profession because this is they never 368 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 3: get the respect that they have earned. 369 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 2: And I totally agree with you, and that's one thing 370 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 2: that makes me so mad because like Trump supporters are 371 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 2: just salty the people like, they're patriotic, they pay their taxes, 372 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 2: they love America, you know, like it's like they're just 373 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 2: trying to do the right thing. And so, you know, 374 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 2: I've been to I've seen it in action, how orderly, 375 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 2: how kind everyone is. I also was at the convention 376 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 2: center that night and everyone just spontaneously erupted in gospel 377 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 2: hymns and you saw all different people from all you know, 378 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 2: like it's like, you know this right, and so it 379 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 2: is really frustrating to see them demonized. So you talk 380 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 2: about sort of this this interaction and everyone coming together, 381 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 2: you know, I know, one watching the moment on TV like, 382 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 2: I was like, that's my guy, right, Like America, we 383 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 2: were beaten down. 384 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: We needed a fighter. And then here's this guy and you. 385 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 2: Know, facing death, who then gets up rallies, you know, 386 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 2: the country, and stands determined against possible death. And what 387 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 2: I think is remarkable is he called you the next 388 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 2: day after almost being assassinated. 389 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: He called you. 390 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 3: I know, I was first thing in the morning and 391 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 3: get a phone call, Selena. This is President Donald J. Trump. 392 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 3: I'm like, like, I don't know that, right, you know, 393 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 3: but he announces it and he says and before I 394 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 3: could even say anything, he says, I just want to 395 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 3: make sure that you and your daughter are okay, and 396 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,640 Speaker 3: I really want to apologize for not getting that interview done. 397 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 3: And then I did something that my parents probably are 398 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 3: not proud of, even though I'm in my sixties. I 399 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 3: sti't worry about what my parents think. And it's sort 400 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 3: of like a truck driver to the president of the 401 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 3: United States, And I'm like, are you blinking kidding me, sir, 402 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 3: You've just been shot. I'm not worried about an interview. 403 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 3: He would go on to call me seven times. He 404 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 3: was were very emotional, very raw conversations and I suspect 405 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: why he called me. You know, if you've ever been 406 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,679 Speaker 3: through something, if you're trying to explain it to a 407 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 3: family member or loved one, if they weren't there, they 408 00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 3: don't understand how you feel. And I think the reason 409 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 3: he called me was he knew I was right there. 410 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 3: He saw me five minutes before I got shot, right, 411 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 3: And so these conversations were about why did I turn 412 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 3: my heads Selena, Why you know I don't do that? 413 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 3: Why do I put the chart down? I don't do that? 414 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 3: And they would evolve into conversations about the hand of God. 415 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 3: This is what he came to conclusion. I did not 416 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 3: press him at all. I felt like this was a 417 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 3: person who needed to just have someone listen to them 418 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 3: and have been through something. I mean, I had been 419 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 3: through something and I hadn't been shot, but that was 420 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: you know, there's a lot going on that day, and 421 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 3: we would we would talk at length about God, about faith, 422 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 3: about what he's you know, he has purpose, a different 423 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 3: purpose that if he becomes president again, that he would 424 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 3: treat it like he doesn't have a tomorrow, because you're 425 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 3: not Garret. He's learned that you do not have it tomorrow. 426 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 3: And in the final the final question I asked. I 427 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 3: didn't ask him anything. I just let him talk. In 428 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 3: the final phone call, he calls me he's heading to Milwaukee. 429 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 3: He had gone back and forth, like, am I going 430 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 3: to go to Milwaukee? Am I going to go to Florida? 431 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 3: I stay at Midminster? Right? He wasn't quite sure what 432 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 3: to do, and he ultimately decides, you know, I'm freaking 433 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 3: going to Milwaukee. Right. And he's getting on his plane 434 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 3: and we're on the phone. I can hear him going 435 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 3: up the steps. I can hear Lindsey Graham in the back, 436 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 3: and I said, mister President, I have to I just 437 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 3: have to ask you one question. Why did you say 438 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 3: fight fight? Fight? And he says, well, so you know, 439 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 3: in that moment, I was not Donald Trump. I was 440 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 3: someone who had been president. I was someone that might 441 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 3: be president again. And I needed to show the strength 442 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,679 Speaker 3: of that moment warranted to show that our country remains 443 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 3: strong and diligent, that we are resolute no matter what 444 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 3: comes at us. I needed to show the grit that 445 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 3: we have always stood for and the exceptionalism that we've 446 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:20,120 Speaker 3: always stood for. I understood if I'm carted off of there, 447 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 3: even and use. That's why I was about get my 448 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 3: shoes on. I'm not going to go walking in my 449 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 3: stockings and gravel, right, He said, If I'm carted off 450 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 3: of there, what does that do the people that are there? 451 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 3: What does that do to people were watching? I needed 452 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 3: to show that we are strong as a country and 453 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 3: we will never back down. I was like, wow, that 454 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,679 Speaker 3: was pretty you know he has that's an obligation you 455 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 3: have as a president. That's just the obligation. And I 456 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 3: was thinking about the contrast he's telling me this. I'm 457 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,720 Speaker 3: thinking about the contrast that we have seen for three 458 00:26:55,800 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 3: and a half years with President Biden and how it 459 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 3: had not reflected that, and how that was part of 460 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 3: the softening and weakening of support for Biden and why 461 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 3: people were already moving. I thought President Trump was going 462 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 3: to win before he was shot. I knew he was 463 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 3: going to win. After he was shot. I definitely knew 464 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 3: he was going to win, like hands down. When Biden 465 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 3: drops out, which is exactly a year ago today, and 466 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 3: our profession just turned its head away. They were already 467 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 3: loosely covering this situation, but our profession just turned away 468 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 3: to the next shining object and never looked back and 469 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 3: the American people saw that it was like a mask 470 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 3: was lifted right and that they were like, oh my god, 471 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 3: this is what people have been talking about, this is 472 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 3: what Trump's been talking about. It's a BS and we 473 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 3: can see it. 474 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 2: We've got more of a Selena on Butler. What happened 475 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 2: that day and the events afterwards, stay tuned. It does 476 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 2: seem you talk about I remember people even talking about 477 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 2: how and I saw the pictures of the flag wrapped 478 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 2: around the poll and it looked like an angel and 479 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 2: President Trump talking about how God saved his life, which 480 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 2: I do believe that that is exactly what happened. It 481 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,439 Speaker 2: does seem like with this administration he has more purpose 482 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 2: driven and more determined. And I think he even saw 483 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 2: it at the convention a week later after getting shot, 484 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 2: where you know, he was with his grandchildren. You could 485 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 2: just see him really like taking in the moment in 486 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 2: a way that we hadn't seen from him previously. How 487 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 2: changed do you think he is from that moment. 488 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 3: I think he's profoundly changed. Yeah, I've just talked to 489 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 3: him last week, and I know that faith and purpose 490 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 3: are very much a part of who he is. Look 491 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 3: he has expedited his presidency in a way that he's 492 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 3: gotten more done in the past six months than most 493 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 3: presidents get done in four years. And you might not 494 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 3: like it, not meaning you, but you know, you might 495 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 3: be sitting out there and like, oh, I don't like that. 496 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 3: That's okay. Did it though, and he did it with 497 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 3: an urgency of now because he is a definite understanding 498 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,959 Speaker 3: that tomorrow and may not happen. And there's also a 499 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 3: very deep empathy I've always seen in him, but even 500 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 3: more pronounced within him. Last week, I interviewed him in Pittsburgh. 501 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 3: He was in town for this AI Energy summit. And 502 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 3: there's a photographer that I work with, who've worked with 503 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 3: for twenty years, so the President knows him. It's been 504 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 3: photographed by him very very often. And this photographer had 505 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 3: found out that his father had a terminal illness the 506 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 3: day before. I've never asked the president for anything in 507 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 3: my entire career. However, I know how much this photographer's 508 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 3: dad loves President Trump. And so I had one of 509 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 3: my books in my back pack and I said, mister President, 510 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 3: can I ask you for something? Because you know, he 511 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 3: never asked me for anything in the way that he 512 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,239 Speaker 3: always talks yeah, And I said, I know, but this 513 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 3: one's special. And I explained to him and he said, 514 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 3: of course, I'll sign it, and he signs it. He 515 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:21,239 Speaker 3: puts the photographer's dad's name on the front and then 516 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 3: he looks at the photographer and the photographer is has 517 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 3: tears in his eyes. He goes, you know what, I'll 518 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 3: do you one better and he said, put that video, Cameron. 519 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 3: And he holds up the book with his dad's name 520 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 3: on it, and he said, you have a good boy. 521 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 3: I want you to know that you have a good son. 522 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 3: He's always hustling, he's always working, and I know you've 523 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 3: got bad news. But God works in ways that we 524 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 3: don't always understand. So I want you to have faith. 525 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 3: And there's not a dry eye like all. 526 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 4: These sacred service people, right, there's not a dry eye 527 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 4: in the room. And so there's a I think there's 528 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 4: an elevated level of empathy and recognition of faith in 529 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 4: God that people don't always see because sometimes his comportment is. 530 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 3: A little rough around the edges. However, that is not 531 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 3: the full scope of who the president is. And seeing 532 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 3: this rise up in him has been really fascinating for me. 533 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 3: As someone who has covered him intently for over a decade. 534 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 2: Well, and that's something that I think is truly evil 535 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 2: in the way that he's demonized, because I've always seen 536 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 2: in him someone who like deeply, deeply, deeply loves America. 537 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 2: I mean he is as America first, Like he means it, 538 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 2: you know, like who really really cares about the people 539 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 2: he represents, and like it means something to him in 540 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 2: a way that I don't think it's meant to some 541 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 2: of these other presidents. 542 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's so thoroughly demonized. 543 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know the phrase make America great again? Right, 544 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 3: that has been turned into a slang terms by my 545 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 3: profession and Democrats, right, Meg, and Meg like gets like's 546 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 3: think it's a bad word. What people miss is make 547 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 3: America great again is aspirational, being part of something bigger 548 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 3: than self, being part of something making the country better. 549 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 3: That is so missed by the majority of our profession 550 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 3: it is astounding to me, and yet it is so 551 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 3: deeply embraced by the people that actually decide elections. 552 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 2: President Trump is probably one of the most transform transformative 553 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 2: figures we've had, like in American history and maybe even 554 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 2: in world history. What's your perspective, and just how much 555 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 2: he has changed the country, the media, like the way 556 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 2: we do handle diplomatic relations, just like all of it, 557 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 2: the totality of it. 558 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 3: So he's a disruptor and and it was a long 559 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 3: time coming. And and what do I mean by that, Well, 560 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 3: our cultural curators in corporations, academia, legacy, media, government institutions, right, 561 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,959 Speaker 3: they've all been run by just a small select people 562 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 3: that live in the super zip codes in our country, 563 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 3: and they made decisions like what has happened in our universities, 564 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 3: and what has happened with our corporations and how they 565 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 3: depict people and how they sell to people, and with 566 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 3: Hollywood and with government and politics. He has blown it 567 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 3: all up. And some times I'm really shocked that people 568 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 3: didn't see this coming. Just think about recent disruptors in 569 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 3: our society. Amazon. Well before Amazon, everyone bought everything from Sears, 570 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 3: and Sears decided what brand you use. Amazon comes along 571 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 3: and disrupts the entire system. There's no more Seers, there's 572 00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 3: no more Kmart, right, disrupted our whole buying, the way 573 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 3: we buy things and the way we trade things. And 574 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 3: the same with the iPhone. We went from something that 575 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 3: was tethered to a wall, to something we can conduct 576 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 3: our entire lives on. These are disruptors. It's only natural 577 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 3: to think about fed X. Before fed X, you know, 578 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 3: wait like three to six days to get a piece 579 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 3: of mail or package. Today you can get it overnight. 580 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 3: And so all of these entities were leading up to 581 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 3: this moment. It was natural that it would happen in 582 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 3: our politics. It's just it's just that it's interesting to 583 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 3: me that it is the elites that struggle the most 584 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:53,800 Speaker 3: with it, and they're the ones that shouldn't understand it first. 585 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 2: You know, when you look at just the political realignment 586 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 2: aspect of it, is that here to stay? I mean, 587 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 2: he's such a unique figure. Can Republicans keep that coalition together? 588 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 1: Or is that is that his? 589 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 3: Oh no, they can definitely keep it together. Here's the 590 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 3: problem he has. You know, whatever party has the working 591 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 3: class within their fold is the party that wins. And 592 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 3: the working class have definitely moved over to the Republican 593 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 3: Party for at least a generation. And so why do 594 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 3: I say that? How am I so sure about that? Well? 595 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 3: Democrats have not shown that they understand why they lost. 596 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 3: They have not shown how to reach out to the 597 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,320 Speaker 3: working class and a white working class, black working class, 598 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:47,040 Speaker 3: Asian working class, whatever, the Hispanic working class. They are 599 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,399 Speaker 3: just not in tune what things, the things that are 600 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:56,879 Speaker 3: valuable to them, they still don't understand. So this, this 601 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 3: working class coalition within the republic and Party stays for 602 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 3: at least a generation. I mean they were in the Democrats' 603 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 3: coalition for with the New New Deal Democrats for decades. 604 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 3: So you know, does that mean that when everything No, 605 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 3: but it does mean that they have that they have 606 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 3: that persuadable power within their coalition, and as long as 607 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 3: they continue to have an affinity for each other, they 608 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 3: will continue to win major elections. 609 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 2: Selina Zo number one New York Times bestseller. Everyone go 610 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 2: get the book. Butler Untold story of the near assassination 611 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:38,600 Speaker 2: Donald Trump for America's Heartland. Really insightful stuff, great work. 612 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 2: Is always continuing to be impressed by you and just 613 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 2: so happy with your success because I you know, you 614 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 2: take the job seriously in a way that reporters just 615 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 2: don't anymore, and it's so important. So it's great to 616 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 2: see you have the success that you have because you 617 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,800 Speaker 2: actually care, and unfortunately that's a rare quality these days. 618 00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. I think you 619 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 3: do a great job as well. 620 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 2: That was Selena Zito, author of the new book Butler, 621 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 2: the untold story of the near assassination of Donald Trump 622 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,520 Speaker 2: and the fight for America's heartland. Really encourage you to 623 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 2: go out and get it. She's an incredible reporter. She's 624 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 2: a great person. Appreciate you guys at home for listening. 625 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,239 Speaker 2: You guys are great people. Every Tuesday and Thursday the 626 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,040 Speaker 2: show comes out, but you can listen to it throughout 627 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 2: the week. I also want to thank John Cassio, my producer, 628 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 2: for putting the show together. 629 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:23,439 Speaker 1: Until next time,