1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: What do you do when life doesn't go according to 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: plan that moment you lose a job, or a loved one, 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: or even a piece of yourself. I'm Brookshields and this 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: is now What a podcast about pivotal moments as told 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: by people who lived them. Each week, I sit down 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: with a guest to talk about the times they were 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: knocked off course and what they did to move forward. 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: Some stories are funny, others are cut wrenching, but all 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: are unapologetically human and remind us that every success and 10 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: every setback is accompanied by a choice, and that choice 11 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: answers one question. 12 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 2: Now, what. 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: Would I steal an emmy? 14 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: Yes? 15 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: I stole an emmy? 16 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: Yep. Yeah, my dad's apartment in New York City at 17 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: a Christmas party every year, and we had just kind 18 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: of gotten to know each other, so invited you. I 19 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: will take a shot. Maybe Brooke will come, Maybe she wan. 20 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: I'm sure she's busy. One fighter to the family and 21 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 2: friends Christmas party. That was way too many people in 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 2: a way too small apartment. And that was the first year. 23 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 2: So that was when you showed up with Dan. I 24 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 2: believe he was the tree. Is that right? 25 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: We were a Christmas tree? I was on his shoulders, 26 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: and we brought you a bucket of Kentucky Fried chickt yes, and. 27 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: Just for a visual for people at one of those 28 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 2: small elevators in a pre war New York City building, 29 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: and here comes the front door opening. Someone ducking underneath 30 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 2: up on the shoulders of another person who's wearing gifts 31 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 2: on his feet because he's the tree. And I guess 32 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: you were the angel on the top of the tree. 33 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: Star. 34 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: You were the star. You were the star. And I 35 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 2: remember looking over and so I was like, who is 36 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: that And someone was like, I think that's brook Shields. 37 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my god. So you went over an 38 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: entire room until you did. There was some shoplifting that 39 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 2: happened of Emmy's and other things that belonged to my dad, 40 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: but all three were I's so charming. He was all forgiven. 41 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: My guest today is one heck of an interviewer. He's 42 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: also a good friend, a doting husband and father, and 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: a fixture on NBC and MSNBC. Willie Geist is a 44 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: co host of Morning Joe, a host of NBC's Sunday Today, 45 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: where he recently celebrated three hundred Sunday sit down interviews. 46 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: He and I met professionally years ago, and from day 47 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: one it felt like I was meeting an old friend. 48 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: Willy is kind quick on his feed, so funny and 49 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: lucky for me, loves a holiday prank as much as 50 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: I do. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to 51 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: turn the tables on him this time and learn a 52 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: little in the process. So, without further ado, here is 53 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: Willy Geist. Hi. 54 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: How are you, Brooker? 55 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: I'm so good. 56 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 2: How are you good? The last time I saw you 57 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 2: was at your premiere and you were going to Thailand 58 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 2: for a long time. 59 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: I went to Thailand. 60 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: How was that? 61 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: It was amazing? Okay, first things, first, asked Christina. 62 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 2: She's good. She misses you, and I know we say 63 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 2: it every time, but we're just so overdue. It's embarrassing, 64 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 2: isn't it. 65 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: It's embarrassing in life keeps getting crazier and crazier. 66 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 2: I feel it too, And then I see you and 67 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: then we go our separate ways, and then it's like 68 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 2: another four months and I'm like, ah, well. 69 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: You defected out of the city. 70 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 2: So that's really what it comes to. 71 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: That is on you, that's on me. The dog, The 72 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: dog that looks a lot like my dead dog. I 73 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: know that was a wonderful text. You were like, it's 74 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: like my dog just died, and you're like, oh my god. 75 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: They look like they could be siblings. I'm like, yeah, 76 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: except yours is alive. 77 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: I always know the right thing to say. 78 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, you do, you do. I'll tell you what you do. 79 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: Know the right thing to say when you're interviewing people, 80 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: you're coming upon an anniversary. You have what three hundred interviews? 81 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, three hundred sundays. Sit down. Yeah, oh god. 82 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: I actually got a little not nervous, but because I 83 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: love you so much and I really feel the day 84 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: I met you that I was like, oh, this is 85 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: where my little brother went. They've been keeping him from 86 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: me forever. And when we first met, everybody thought we 87 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: had known each other forever. 88 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: I remember, I will never forget that. It must have 89 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 2: been ten years ago. And you came to fill in 90 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 2: on the Today Show where I was doing the third 91 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: hour of the Today Show, and I felt the same thing. 92 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 2: And so people know. Usually when somebody comes and hosts 93 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 2: with us, it's a lot of like for us, like 94 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 2: you want to manage the person, usually a very well 95 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 2: known person. It's not what they do, and this is 96 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 2: a whole different muscle, and I never felt a moment 97 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: of management. I was like, Oh, this is just fun. 98 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: She's a natural, she's funny, she's cool, she's smart. Like 99 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 2: we're good. 100 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: It was a huge gift. And then I got to 101 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: know you more socially. And the first time I met 102 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: your father, I stole his Emmy. 103 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: Gre shoplifting that happened of Emmys and other things that 104 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: belonged to my dad, but all for you were so charming, 105 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: it was all forgiven. 106 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: Well, thank you. I was so happy to meet your dad. 107 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: Your dad is such an extraordinary person, and I was 108 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: looking at so much of his sort of older stuff. 109 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: He has such an amazing sense of humor. 110 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's He started as a newspaper columnist he came 111 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: home from Vietnam, and then he had a couple of jobs, 112 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 2: and then he started writing for the Chicago Tribune, but 113 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 2: not the big paper. He worked the suburban trip and 114 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: he was covering like school board meetings and all the 115 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: stuff you do. But he started writing sort of funny 116 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 2: columns about living in the suburbs with caught people's eye. 117 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 2: And then he got a job at the New York 118 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 2: Times off that. So when I was five, we moved 119 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 2: from Chicago to New Jersey. And he's always had a 120 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 2: sense of humor. That's always been his things. Really smart, 121 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 2: really engaging, but he's always been funny. And I think 122 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 2: that was the biggest thing I've taken from him, is 123 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 2: sense of humor. Is sort of lead with that, like 124 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 2: that's where you start get you places, and he's yeah. 125 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 2: And then went on from the New York Times and 126 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: did the CBS Sunday Morning for more than thirty years. 127 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: And there's some teenage relige geist on some of those there. 128 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: Is he he was. He did a piece about my 129 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 2: sister's little league baseball team. I guess her soft was 130 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: baseball softball team, and I was one of the base 131 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 2: coaches on her team. So I was at first base 132 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: and I was like yelling at a kid to run. 133 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 2: I think that was my TV debut and a piece 134 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 2: or two later. But he was always shooting stuff at 135 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 2: our house. I think that's part. People are like, did 136 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: you get into journalism because of your dad? And they say, well, 137 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 2: not consciously. He and I never sat down and talked 138 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 2: about like you should get into this sun. It was 139 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: just it was in our house, it was in our lives. 140 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: He shot pieces at home and in our town, and 141 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 2: he would go out and travel and meet interesting people 142 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 2: and have great stories. And I think just watching him 143 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 2: genuinely enjoy his job in a way that I didn't 144 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 2: always see the other dads. 145 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: Is there something about his, like his style that you 146 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: think you got? 147 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 2: I think so, yeah, I think having I think he 148 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 2: has big curiosity for what we do. You have to Actually, 149 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 2: you can't sit across from someone who you're like not 150 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: super interested in or haven't gotten yourself to be interested in. 151 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 2: So I think being curious. And I'm always that way. 152 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 2: I mean, we were just on vacation and I come home, 153 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: I wake up too early, and I come home and 154 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 2: I'm like showing Christine, all right, there's a house for 155 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: sale over here, and I got the bagels, I got 156 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 2: the like She's like, you're just around every corner and 157 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 2: in every nook and cranny, just like what's around Oh, 158 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: let's go up here, let's see what's up here. And 159 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: I think my dad definitely had that. Professionally, his big 160 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 2: stories were not he wasn't a war correspondent, but he 161 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 2: was going to like the Iowa State Fair. What are 162 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 2: you going to do there? Just show up and find 163 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 2: something interesting and funny there. And so I think I 164 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: took the curiosity and again the sense of humor hopefully. 165 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 2: I mean the job I do is different from his, 166 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: and that he wasn't an anchor of a news show 167 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: and he wasn't covering politics and international affairs every day. 168 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 2: But I think on Morning Joe, the show I do 169 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: on MSNBC for four hours every day, you're allowed to 170 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: be your full self, which is such a gift in 171 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: its own and through that you can be funny. You know, 172 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: at a certain point in the show, there's room for 173 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: humor and music and sports and all the things that 174 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: I've sort of accumulated over my life and get to 175 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: show up. So I think my dad comes through me 176 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 2: probably the most in those moments. And then I would 177 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 2: say writing. He's such a great writer. He started with writing, 178 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 2: as I said, and that's the foundation for everything. 179 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: And so you've always written, like when you were a 180 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: little kid. Your kids are now fourteen and sixteen, right, 181 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: so when you see your when you think about yourself 182 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,319 Speaker 1: at their age, were you the same person you are now? 183 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 2: In a way, Yeah, I think writing was always there. 184 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 2: You know, I took journalism classes in high school. I 185 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 2: think there was a premium and a value placed on 186 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 2: being a reader and a writer in our house. You know, 187 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 2: my dad didn't know and he couldn't balance a checking account. 188 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 2: He wasn't in finance. That wasn't that wasn't our house. 189 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 2: We were My mom's a social worker, so we were 190 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: very creative and open hearted and all those things. But yeah, 191 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 2: I think the professional seeds probably were there beginning in 192 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 2: elementary school. And so I guess, yeah, you make me 193 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 2: think about it, it probably was always there. 194 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: So you say, you write your own stuff, So today, Sunday, 195 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: today you write all that. Do you write your own 196 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: Morning Joe stuff in the same way? 197 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 2: Morning Joe is more difficult because it is a daily 198 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 2: churn of hard news of this person got indicted, and 199 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: this thing's happening today, and here's the latest from Ukraine. 200 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 2: So we have a staff of people who get here, 201 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 2: I mean at midnight, one, two in the morning, we 202 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,839 Speaker 2: go on the air at six, and since the last 203 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 2: night they've been preparing for today's show. So they, I 204 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 2: would say, in Morning Joe. The truth is there's not 205 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 2: a ton of writing anyway. On Morning Joe because it's 206 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 2: such a freeform, ad lib conversational show, but there are 207 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 2: scripts that set up the story that we talk about, 208 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: so there's not as much writing for Morning Joe. It's 209 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 2: just preparation and do you have to do prep? 210 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: And then do they give you prep? Like is it 211 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: a common Are you constantly listening to the news and. 212 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 2: You are as much as you want to turn it 213 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: off and say, okay, my work day is over, as 214 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 2: you know, that's just doesn't not the way it works anymore. 215 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 2: It's you've got a phone in your hand and you 216 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 2: look down and you've got emails or you've got notifications 217 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 2: from a media outlet or a senator's office or something 218 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: that Okay, I'm going to internalize that. And then at 219 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 2: the end of the night we get a nice note 220 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: from our producers and that we wake up to has 221 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 2: been updated, which kind of boils it all down. Here 222 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 2: are the five or six big things that we're going 223 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 2: to talk about in some details about them. So the 224 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 2: preparation comes from our great producers, but it's also at 225 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 2: the end of the day, it's on you when that 226 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: question is asked of you, or when you have to 227 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: ask a question to be kind of fluent in whatever 228 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: that is. And it's a lot of ground to cover, 229 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 2: you know, it's a lot of players on the board 230 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 2: to remember who they are and where they fit into 231 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 2: the story and remember what they said last time, which 232 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 2: may be different than what they're saying today. 233 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: It sounds like a twenty four hour a day job. 234 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: I don't know how Johnny Walker fel it's in it. 235 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: I don't know how does he a guest on the show. 236 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: It doesn't seem to make sense to me. 237 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 2: He'll show up at night once in a while to 238 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 2: get you to it. Yeah, he shows up at night 239 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 2: with his friends from Kentucky. But yeah, I mean the 240 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: other side has to be said, as we have such 241 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 2: an ensemble show that yes, it's a lot of TV 242 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 2: and a lot to know, but there's always somebody to 243 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: lean on. Sunday is just me, but morning Joe, as 244 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 2: you can spread the ball around and kind of have 245 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 2: a good team game every day. 246 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: To me, doing this show is a pivotal moment for 247 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: me because all of a sudden I was on the 248 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: other side of the table, which is I thought it 249 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: would be sort of easier, but it's so much easier 250 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: for me to be sitting in the chair being asked 251 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: questions because I've done it for forty plus years. But 252 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: in a way, the show in and of itself for 253 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: me has been a pivotal min But it's also about 254 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: pivotal moments and are first of all, are there any 255 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: in your earlier years just want to back up a 256 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: bit that good or bad would underscore you? 257 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 2: Well. I have college on my mind right now, as 258 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 2: we were discussing before we started. My daughters a junior 259 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: in high school, and we're thinking about that and thinking 260 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 2: about my choice to go to Nashville. I went to Vanderbilt. 261 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 2: That choice in terms of opening my world, you know. 262 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 2: And friends of mine who stayed in the Northeast and 263 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 2: went to all the great schools you can go to 264 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 2: in the Northeast had a completely different experience and have 265 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,319 Speaker 2: had different lives since because of where they went where 266 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 2: I went to the South, and all my friends were 267 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 2: from Atlanta or New Orleans or Peewee Valley, Kentucky or Albany, 268 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 2: Georgia or places I'd never dreamed i'd go to, hadn't 269 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: even heard of. And then I lived in Atlanta after college, 270 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 2: so all in I lived in the South for about 271 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 2: ten years, and I have so much grounding in that, 272 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: and I think, of course I didn't know it then, 273 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 2: but it changed the way I see different cultures and 274 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 2: people and places and political parties even and belief systems 275 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 2: to live alongside and understand. And that served me well 276 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 2: in this job for sure. 277 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: How do you think it has changed a house? 278 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 2: Because I think the stereotypes were blown up, you know. 279 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: I mean the sort of cartoon version of the South 280 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 2: that maybe you have growing up in New York City 281 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 2: or in New Jersey or wherever, is blown up when 282 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 2: you get down and they say, oh, they're just me, 283 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 2: but they live down here, and maybe they believe different 284 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 2: things in some cases. But I think the commonality of 285 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 2: our experience and how disconnected the reality is from the stereotype. 286 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: Do you think it's helped specifically with Morning Joe. 287 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 2: Yes, definitely, definitely. I think that's where it has helped. 288 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 2: And Joe, you know, my co host Joe of Morning Joe, 289 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 2: He's from the South and he was Republican congressman and 290 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 2: he understands that deeply. He grew up with it, and 291 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: I think I have some element of that too. So 292 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 2: where everyone picks to go to college. If they decide 293 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 2: to go to college changes their life. But I think 294 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 2: it's certainly. I mean it steered me to Atlanta, which 295 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 2: steered me to CNN, which you know that you can 296 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 2: watch all the dominoes fall from there. 297 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 1: Are you allowed to have an opinion or are you? 298 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: Do you have to stay neutral? How do you exist 299 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: in an environment in which, politically per se you don't 300 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: necessarily agree with but you need to be neutral enough 301 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: to be able to have sort of both sides. 302 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean on Morning on Morning Joe. My theory 303 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 2: is that there's plenty of opinion. There are plenty of 304 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: hot takes, right, I mean, that's what the show is. 305 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 2: And I think my role and by the way, I'm 306 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 2: not it's not a cynical play. I should have this role. 307 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 2: It's really the way I feel is to provide information. 308 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 2: And I'm always thinking about the viewer. Does the viewer 309 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 2: get what we're talking about? If I were watching this 310 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 2: at home, what would be my question? You've talked past 311 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 2: us a little bit, or you're down so deep in 312 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 2: the weeds. Can you pull us out of the weeds 313 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 2: and explain the big picture of what's going on? So 314 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 2: in terms of giving opinion, I think honestly, within the 315 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 2: last eight years or so, I think maybe there's been 316 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 2: more opinion, which is to say, and not for me anyway, 317 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 2: not strident, bomb throwing and a hot take. But like 318 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 2: you know, I think it's bad to try to overturn 319 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 2: the government. I don't think that's a shouldn't be a 320 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: terribly controversial thing to say. I think it's bad to 321 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 2: beat up police officers at the Capitol. That shouldn't be 322 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: a controversial thing to say. So to me, there are 323 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 2: some things that are just true that maybe people perceive 324 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 2: as an opinion or a hot take, which I don't 325 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 2: necessarily intend for it to be. But otherwise, within the 326 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 2: context of Morning Joe, everyone who's on there is there 327 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 2: for their opinion, and I try to be a little 328 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 2: bit of a rudder to say, Okay, here's some of 329 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: the facts about the case. Let's put a whole bunch 330 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 2: of context around this, and then to drop into the 331 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 2: conversation questions on behalf of a viewer who may say, wait, 332 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 2: who's that person again? Or wait why I don't understand 333 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 2: why that's bad. I just I literally sit back. Sometimes 334 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 2: I'm like, I know where we are here, but if 335 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 2: I'm watching it home, don't so let me let me 336 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 2: put down a little flag to remind people what we're 337 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 2: talking about. 338 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: Well, you've been all all across the I mean, okay, 339 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: so I feel like you've been on many many different networks, right, 340 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: I mean, you were at CNN for sports in your twenties, 341 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: you worked at Tucker Carlson, he was at an MSNBC. 342 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: Was that sort of your first on air? 343 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 2: It was, yeah. So I started out of college. I 344 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: graduated from Vanderbilt, and then I went home to New 345 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 2: Jersey and I drove the and I don't mean to 346 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 2: brag here, the liquor delivery truck for Hohokus Wine and 347 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 2: Spirit World. 348 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: Did it all get delivered where it was supposed to go? 349 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 2: You know, some of it fell fall off the truck. 350 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. It happens. It happened, It 351 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 2: falls off the truck. 352 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: Does you get any free booth? 353 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 2: We did have a generous boss who occasionally would allow 354 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 2: us to take a bottle home. So I did that. 355 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: Sorry I digressed, No, No, that was. 356 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 2: My dad was mad when I left that job because 357 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: we got like a twenty five percent case discount and 358 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 2: everything but I took so then I moved to Atlanta. 359 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: I knew I I wanted to work in media in 360 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,120 Speaker 2: some form. I'd done an internship the summer before while 361 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 2: I was still in college at the CBS Political Unit, 362 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: so it was kind of the nexus of media and politics, 363 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,479 Speaker 2: and it was during a presidential campaign. It was all 364 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: very exciting. So then I moved to Atlanta, but CNN 365 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 2: didn't have the PA job in news itself, so it 366 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:21,679 Speaker 2: was actually at CNN Sports Illustrated CNN Sports Network, and 367 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,719 Speaker 2: I was there for about six and a half years, 368 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 2: learned every job you can learn in TV. I was 369 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 2: from the bottom of the logging tapes to producing and 370 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,920 Speaker 2: everything you can learn to do. And then I moved 371 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 2: up to New York, which was a big jump. We 372 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 2: wanted to get back home. Christina and I had just 373 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 2: gotten married and took a job at another sports show 374 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 2: called IMAX and it got canceled after nine months. 375 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: That's a now what moment? 376 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 2: Well, so that I was, yeah, I mean talk about 377 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 2: now what moments, and you know what, it was the 378 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: last day of the show canceled after nine months. We've 379 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 2: made a big move, got an apartment and everything. We're 380 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 2: like all right, we're New York is now. Was Christina's 381 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 2: thirtieth first and I remember we went out to dinner 382 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 2: for her birthday and then we went to like a 383 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 2: karaoke place after. But I remember being like, let's not 384 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 2: maybe we don't have drinks tonight. I'll just stick with 385 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 2: the water and then like the karaoke thing is too 386 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 2: expensive and all that. And that was truly like when 387 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 2: you asked me that, I was like, that was a 388 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 2: real what now moment? Like I don't know if I'm 389 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 2: am I done in TV? Maybe you know CNNSI the 390 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 2: network I was on, they had pulled the plug, they 391 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 2: canceled this show. Maybe it's not for me. I thought 392 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 2: I wanted to be on the air, but that didn't 393 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 2: work out. What am I doing? And I honestly everything 394 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,239 Speaker 2: from law school ran through my mind. I was like 395 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 2: the world was wide open, but also very scary. You know, 396 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 2: we lived in New York and it wasn't cheap and 397 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,479 Speaker 2: what are we going to do? And so the twist 398 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 2: of fate was that someone in a couple of guys 399 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 2: I knew who I'd worked with on this IMAX show, 400 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 2: knew somebody at MSNBC. We were hired as freelancers as producers, 401 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 2: and that was how I started at MSNBC as a 402 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 2: freelancer in Secaucus, New Jersey, reverse commute through the Lincoln 403 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 2: Tunnel to go out where they have all these like 404 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 2: it was like an abandoned Liz Claiborne outlet or something 405 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 2: that they turned into a TV studio. Its like all 406 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 2: those outlet stores, and so that was me. I was 407 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 2: all of a sudden, Okay, I guess I'm working in news. 408 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 2: But to your question, they had just hired Tucker Carlson 409 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 2: at MSNBC. A lot of people can't believe that he 410 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 2: ever worked at MSNBC. He did, and it was his 411 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 2: idea that I come on at the end of the 412 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: show because you thought we had good chemistry in the newsroom, 413 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 2: which we did. And that was my debut on television, 414 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: was doing four minutes at the end of that show 415 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 2: every night. And from there, you know, I started doing 416 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 2: a little more here and a little more there, little 417 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 2: segments that were just kind of throwaways at the end 418 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 2: of the show pop culture or here's the thing you 419 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: got wrong tonight or whatever it was. And then that 420 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 2: turned into you know, other shows saying, hey, can you 421 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 2: do a piece for us? Can you do this this? 422 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 2: Because I guess it was kind of a funny, lighter thing. 423 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 2: So that was I did well enough. I guess on 424 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 2: that that when Joe took over the morning time slot 425 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 2: on MSNBC, said Hey, do you want to do this 426 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 2: show with me? 427 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: Which I thought, and you had known him pror a 428 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: little bit. 429 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 2: I'd done a couple of pieces for his show, but 430 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 2: I didn't really know him, and so he roped me 431 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 2: and Mika in and that was his calculation that the 432 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 2: three of us would work. And here we are sixteen 433 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 2: years later, and. 434 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: That seemed to really work out for them. 435 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, well, I mean, think about it, I'm going 436 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 2: from doing four minutes at the end of the show. 437 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 2: Now they're asking me to co host the morning show, 438 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 2: which is hard news, straight news. So that was a 439 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 2: huge leap, huge lead. 440 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 1: I've watched too many times on Morning Joe and on NBC, 441 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: and what I find so unbelievably striking is that you 442 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: always just seem to be yourself. You just know it's 443 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 1: not bullshit, like you're not opting for a personality. Are 444 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: there enough people around you that you feel you'll operate 445 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: the same way Because so many of them just seem 446 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: like they're doing shtick or they've kind of opted for 447 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: that character, and you just kind of go like, I mean, 448 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: I want to trust you, but I don't know what 449 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: you're really are meaning right now. 450 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: And there it is, though you see right through it, 451 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 2: and I think most people do. I think there's no 452 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,479 Speaker 2: I don't think there's a reward for that anymore. And 453 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 2: I think, again, I keep going back to it, but 454 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 2: Morning Joe. Everyone you see on Morning Joe, like, that's 455 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: who Joe is off camera, That's who Nika is off camera, 456 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 2: that's who Mike Barnacle or Donnie Detch, that's who your 457 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 2: dad was, my dad. Yeah, I mean it's so we 458 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 2: have a place and I think it's almost like a 459 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 2: radio show. And I mean, the fact is we replaced 460 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 2: don Imus's radio show. He was on Imus in the 461 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: Morning in the morning, so when we were born into 462 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 2: that time slot where Imus had been, his radio show 463 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 2: was simulcast and MSNBC we sort of adopted that, like, 464 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 2: let's just sit around and talk vibe to a morning show. 465 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 2: And so immediately from day one, it was it was 466 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 2: not you are a news anchor, now start acting like one. 467 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 2: It was like, just bring yourself to this. We trust you, 468 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 2: we think, we know you'll do your homework, we know 469 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 2: you're smart, we know you'll report and do all the 470 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:12,719 Speaker 2: things you do. I don't know. I feel like there 471 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 2: are fewer and fewer people who are playing TV because 472 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 2: it doesn't work anymore. Everyone's seen Anchorman like they expose. 473 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 2: It's like, you know, you can't still do all the 474 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 2: old cliches. 475 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: You've talked about professional Now what moments? Is there a personal? 476 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: Now what moment for you? 477 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? I know I hate to do the cliche thing, 478 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 2: but it is true. But my so I said, Morning 479 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 2: Joe started April of two thousand and seven. June of 480 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 2: two thousand and seven, my daughter Lucy is born, and honestly, 481 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 2: up until that point, despite the semi polished package you 482 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 2: see on TV, like, I had some fun in my 483 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 2: twenties and early thirties, We had some good times. And 484 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 2: so I always talk about it as this brick wall 485 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 2: of reality, which is your dad. And then you have 486 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 2: a morning TV show that you wake up at three am, 487 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 2: which is sort of the back end was of my 488 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 2: day up until then. So those were I'll never forget. 489 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 2: And I'm sure you had this as well, walking out 490 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 2: of the hospital with Lucy in a green car seat 491 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 2: and I'll never forget the nurse going good luck, and 492 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 2: I was like, good luck. Like that's like that was 493 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 2: the heaviest good luck of all time that you got 494 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 2: to you got to keep this person safe and healthy 495 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,239 Speaker 2: and happy, hopefully and get her to eighteen and then 496 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 2: get her even farther than that. And so that was 497 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: I mean, it's an obvious one, but man, was that 498 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 2: And now, what what do I do now? So my 499 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 2: life is different personally obviously it's different professionally. Now I 500 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 2: didn't know how it was going to go I was 501 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 2: going to turn out, So I think that, I mean, 502 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 2: obviously that was it. And then I as I got along. 503 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 2: My dad has had Parkinson's disease for thirty one or 504 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 2: two years, I think. And so getting to a point 505 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 2: in life and I know you had this too, because 506 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 2: you've had a parent that you've had to worry about 507 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 2: sometimes in your life. Is to be in that middle 508 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 2: zone where I'm concerned about my kids well being and 509 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 2: happiness and safety. And now on the other end of it, 510 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 2: the people who were always looking out for me, I 511 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 2: got to think about them too. Are they okay? Are 512 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 2: they doing all right? And I don't think anyone talks 513 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 2: enough about that or prepares you for that, or maybe 514 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 2: they do, and I just didn't, wasn't on my radar. 515 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 2: But it's the middle zone and I'm still in it 516 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 2: to a big extent. Is you're worried on two sides 517 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 2: of you now, you know? 518 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: And he didn't even tell you, right for decades, right, 519 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: you didn't even know about it. 520 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, his Parkinson's. So he was diagnosed at forty seven 521 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 2: years old, which is younger than I am now. And 522 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 2: it was very, very slow moving. So it's weird to 523 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 2: use the word lucky with Parkinson's. But he continued to 524 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 2: work full time and travel and be on television, and 525 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 2: it was you know, I don't. I was almost a 526 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 2: decade before they finally said out loud, my parents' dad 527 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 2: as Parkinson's. We knew he was slowing down a little, 528 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 2: and I thought it was too young for. 529 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,640 Speaker 1: Him to slow down, and to wait, how old were you. 530 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 2: When he was diagnosed? I was seventeen, and by the 531 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 2: time they told me, I was in my twenties and 532 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,479 Speaker 2: living in Atlanta. So but again, he worked until about 533 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 2: two thousand and eighteen, like five years ago, he retires, 534 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 2: which think about now the strength he had quietly to 535 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 2: he was going through all this, his body was changing. 536 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 2: He didn't have control of everything he was doing with 537 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 2: his movement, and he was getting on a plane and 538 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 2: going to interview people. There was no hiding from it, 539 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 2: and coming home and writing a piece and being on TV. 540 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: And you know, people show strength in different ways. And 541 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 2: he's not like the face of Parkinson's and he doesn't 542 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 2: have a foundation, but he's. 543 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: Like, you've done a lot of work for Michael. 544 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 2: We've done a lot and the Michael J. Fox Foundations 545 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 2: don't so much for us. Yeah, and he's but he 546 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 2: was really strong. And the hell of it is he 547 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 2: when they diagnosed him, they couldn't there was no genetic component. 548 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 2: They couldn't find any of the markers they looked for. 549 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 2: And the doctor said one more question. Were you in 550 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 2: Vietnam by any chance? And he said I was what 551 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 2: years sixty nine seventy where were you? And they go, 552 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 2: you got it from age and Orange and my dad. 553 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 2: And it turns out we know now through class action 554 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 2: lawsuits and government admitting to it, that the agent Orange 555 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 2: that they dropped to you know, defoliate all the trees 556 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 2: and everything. Our guys were breathing it all in and 557 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: many many of them got Parkinson's and MS and effectively 558 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 2: had their nerves fried by this stuff they were breathing 559 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,199 Speaker 2: in over there. So there's that element of frustration to it, 560 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 2: and you know, it's there are a lot of layers, 561 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 2: but certainly getting that news was a what now moment 562 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 2: for me and for my mom and my sister everybody. 563 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: I mean, God, did you have you spoken about that, 564 00:26:58,080 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: like reporting on that? 565 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, I mean I haven't done my own, but 566 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 2: there's like they. 567 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: Were very controversial. I mean, that kind of knowledge is. 568 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,360 Speaker 2: Needed out there. And you know what it's still I mean, 569 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 2: it happened in Iraq and Afghanistan these things called burn 570 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 2: pits where they just burn everything. That's all the garbage 571 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 2: on the base, but it's also tires and medical waste 572 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 2: and chemicals, and the guys from Iraq and Afghanistan are 573 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 2: getting sick now from that too. So it's it's frustrating 574 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 2: on many levels that he for that time he's spent there, 575 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 2: which he wasn't thrilled about obviously being there, even that 576 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,640 Speaker 2: he paid so dearly for it. But I do take 577 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,719 Speaker 2: I do take all the years I've had with him. 578 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 2: He's still here. I was just on vacation with him. 579 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 2: He's doing great. I mean, for all the years I've 580 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 2: had with him, I'm grateful because it's not always that 581 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 2: way for everyone. It can accelerate very quickly and be debilitating. 582 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 2: And he's he had, you know, twenty five really good 583 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 2: years and now getting past thirty. 584 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: It's just extraordinary. How do you how do you stay? 585 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: How do you just stay? Wonderfully? Willie? You're so unique? 586 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 2: You know, I don't. I don't know any other way. 587 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 2: It's we have in our call it the makeup room 588 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 2: test here where like what's the person really like? And 589 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 2: then make make up the hair people they know everything 590 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 2: about everybody. So if you're want to know what you like, oh, really, 591 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 2: you know, she seems great. So but I think, like 592 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 2: the point am I even bring that up? 593 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: Was? 594 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 2: I feel like when I hear everyone's like, oh, you're 595 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 2: so nice, and I'm like, what's the alternative to that? 596 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe it's like maybe it's the way 597 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 2: I was raised, or I'm surrounded by great friends, and 598 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 2: who are who are like that too? Who are trying 599 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: to be nice to everybody and be generous and be 600 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: filled with gratitude, which I always am, even when I 601 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 2: wake up at four am today and I commute in 602 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 2: and then you get here and you get in the 603 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 2: elevator at thirty and you see the Peacocks on the 604 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 2: carpet and you're like, oh right, I work for NBC 605 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 2: News at Peacock and you know, Bill Murray us to 606 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 2: ride this elevator up to SNL Like, I'm what, you know, 607 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: come on, snap out of it, you know. So I 608 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 2: truly I have gratitude, and Christina and I on a 609 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 2: personal level, we are we always stop for gratitude. We're 610 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 2: our kids are healthy right now, we're healthy. We just 611 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 2: went on this vacation where my parents came with us. 612 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 2: We were so grateful to get them there, and my 613 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 2: sister and her family, and like you just look and 614 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 2: you go, this is all I need. This is it, 615 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 2: This is all I need. 616 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: That was the amazing and insightful Willie Geist. To hear 617 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: more from him, tune into Morning Joe weekdays on MSNBC 618 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: and Sunday Today every Sunday on NBC. That's it for 619 00:29:54,160 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: us today. Talk to you next. Week Now. What with 620 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: Burke Shields is a production of iHeartRadio. Our lead producer 621 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: and wonderful showrunner is Julia Weaver. Additional research and editing 622 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: by Darby Masters and Abu Zafar. Our executive producer is 623 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: Christina Everett. The show is mixed by Baheed Fraser.