1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to work in progress. Welcome 2 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: to this week's work in progress. Friends. 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: I know. 4 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: This is a pretty wild time in the news, certainly 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: at home in the States, around the world. The amount 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: of information we're being met with is hard to digest 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: and certainly hard to emotionally handle at times. And when 8 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: I feel that way, one of the things that gives 9 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: me the most hope and makes me feel the most 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: centered is to turn to journalists that I trust in. 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 1: One of the journalists I trust most in the landscape 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: is Kristen Welker. At a time like this, when trust 13 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: in institutions is incredibly fragile, and let's be frank, the 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: truth itself is often contested, the role of our press 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: has rarely felt more consequential or more scrutinized. And leading 16 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:17,559 Speaker 1: that conversation with an incredible ability to balance truth telling 17 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: in a deep and empathetic way and incredible amounts of 18 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: historical context and unbelievable access that she has earned through 19 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: many years in this business creating incredible relationships is Kristin Welker. 20 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: She is only the second woman to moderate Meet the Press. 21 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: She is the first journalist of color to moderate Meet 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: the Press, she is carrying its legacy into a new 23 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: era and designing its future in real time. Her career 24 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: has been built on incredible preparation, very impressive restraint, and 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: what is clearly a deep belief in journalism as a 26 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: public service. From watching the evening news as a little 27 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: girl in Philadelphia to reporting from the White House across 28 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: three administrations, Kristin Welker has focused on fairness and accuracy, 29 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: and now as the moderator of Meet the Press, she 30 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: has taken the show to number one, helping the country 31 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: make sense of power. And the stakes couldn't be higher 32 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: right now, So let's get some intel and a little 33 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: hope from Kristen Welker. Hello, how are you? 34 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 2: Hi? 35 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: I'm good. 36 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 2: How are you? I'm great? Thank you so much for 37 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: having me. This is such an honor and I'm. 38 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 3: Such a big fan of yours and your work, and 39 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: so what an absolute honor to be able to sit 40 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 3: down and have this conversation with you. 41 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: Thank you for well, it's so thrilling for me. 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: You know, my day job is technically being an actor, 43 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: but I went to journalism school and it really has 44 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: informed every aspect of my life and activism and advocacy 45 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: and all of it. And so when I get to 46 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: sit down with journalists, it's like, you know, some people 47 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: want to meet rock stars, and I'm like, can I 48 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: come see you at work? 49 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: Well, that it's incredible, and I love that you went 50 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 3: to journalism school, and I had read that even more 51 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 3: excited for this conversation. I think it's fantastic that you 52 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 3: are so passionate and have so many interests, and you 53 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 3: happen to be a great actress as well. 54 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: Thank you. I really appreciate it. And I'm giggling because 55 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: I realized I'm assuming, well, I'm guessing about your day. 56 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: I'm actually filming a movie in South Africa, and so 57 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: I was like running through the parking lot trying to 58 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: avoid the rainstorm that's now beginning outside to get in here. 59 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: So you could, you know, be interviewed by a person 60 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: who didn't look like a drown rat. And I made it. 61 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: So we're really we're doing it. 62 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: I'm I'm impressed that you're filming a movie and you 63 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 3: also are still do amazing. 64 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we figure it out. I will say that 65 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: time change is actually kind of helping, because after I'm 66 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: done working here, I can tap into your morning. So 67 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: it's great. 68 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: That's great. Will worked out perfectly. 69 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: Oh, I'm thrilled. So let's begin. I'm always so excited 70 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: to sit down with people who have incredible careers or 71 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: what I believe to be amazing points of view about 72 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: the world. And I want to ask you so many 73 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: things about the world today, because it's an insane place 74 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: to live. But before I dive into your smarts and 75 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: your career and your resume, which I couldn't have read 76 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: to my audience in the world's longest intro and still 77 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: gotten through. You're such a singularly impressive woman and journalist 78 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: and advocate and mom and all the things. 79 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: Thank you, well, thank. 80 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: I mean no, thank you. But I'm always really curious 81 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: what life was like for you before people knew you, 82 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: before you knew that people would know you. And I 83 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: especially like to ask this question of parents, because I 84 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: think we carry younger versions of ourselves in us. But 85 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: when you see younger versions of yourself in your kid 86 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: or your kids, yes, that's a trip. And I wonder 87 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: if you could interact with little Kristen at eight or 88 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: nine as the woman you are today, if you would 89 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: have that kind of catch your breath moment of oh 90 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: my god, you've always been like this. I see myself 91 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: in you. Are there things you think have stayed the 92 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: same about you since childhood? 93 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 2: I love that question. 94 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 3: It's so fantastic, and I absolutely I grew up in Philadelphia, 95 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 3: which is the birthplace of our democracy. I happened to 96 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 3: be watching the Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution, 97 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 3: which is incredible, right, It's so good, so good, and 98 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 3: I'm reminded of what Philadelphia is and what it means 99 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: and the place that it holds in our history as 100 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 3: I watched this, And so growing up in Philadelphia, I 101 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 3: grew up in a neighborhood called Fairmount. 102 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: It was a couple of blocks from the Art Museum. 103 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 3: You know, We're Rocky ran up the steps that famous scene, 104 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 3: and that was sort of the backdrop to my childhood. 105 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 3: And my parents were incredibly and then I still have 106 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 3: them with me, which is such a blessing. But when 107 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 3: I was growing up, they were incredibly politically engaged. So 108 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 3: we would have coffee clatches at our house for politicians 109 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 3: and was just always the backdrop to my life. In 110 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 3: addition to that, my mom was a member of like 111 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: every women's group in Philadelphia. So she would bring me 112 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 3: to these luncheons with her, and I would hear from 113 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 3: these amazing, inspiring women who were breaking barriers, who had 114 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 3: set goals for themselves and accomplish what they put their 115 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 3: minds to. And in addition to that, I think my 116 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 3: parents thought it was really important that I had appreciation 117 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 3: of where I came from. My mom's African American, my 118 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 3: dad's vacation. So in addition to all of her women's groups, 119 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: she would take me to events that honored African Americans 120 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 3: their contributions to Philadelphia. Mlkday was always a really big 121 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 3: day in my household, and my mom would take me 122 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 3: to like the big city lunch And I remember I 123 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 3: met Rosa Parks one year. Yes, it is a moment 124 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: I will never forget. And that feeling of meeting someone 125 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 3: who is so powerful, who changed the world in which 126 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: she lived, who played a big. 127 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 2: Role in that, and just the inspiration. 128 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 3: That I got from all of that, I think is 129 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 3: part of what I have brought to bear to this 130 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 3: role as an adult. 131 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: And I think part of my passion. 132 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:21,119 Speaker 3: For politics, covering politics, trying to understand our political world 133 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 3: comes from that backdrop, and from the fact that my 134 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 3: mom actually ran for city council when I was growing Yes. 135 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: I was going to ask you about this. 136 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: So I got to so cool that world with a 137 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 2: front row seat, and I got to. 138 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 3: Experience what it was like to actually be a part 139 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 3: of a political campaign. 140 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 2: I was a kid at the time. 141 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,719 Speaker 3: I was in high school for the first time she ran, 142 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 3: but I got to really I went to fence with her, 143 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 3: I listened to her speeches, and I started to really 144 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: develop a bug for politics and the power of it 145 00:08:59,240 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 3: in importance of it. 146 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: Some of the journalists. 147 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 3: Covering my mom thought that and wanted to ask her 148 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 3: about being married to my dad as a political issue, 149 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 3: like was that somehow a betrayal. 150 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 2: Of her race? I mean, this is Philadelphia in the 151 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 2: nineteen nineties. 152 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 3: And so she actually got asked about this by some 153 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 3: radio talk shows, and I remember at the time feeling 154 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 3: personally offended. Why would they ask her these questions? And 155 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 3: my mom said, look like they're asking these questions. These 156 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 3: are probably questions that some voters have. They're tough questions, 157 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 3: you know, they're very personal questions. But at the same time, 158 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 3: she felt like she had a responsibility to answer those questions, 159 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 3: and she did, and I really beect her for that. 160 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 2: And I respect her for teaching me that lesson at 161 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: the time. 162 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 3: But it also I think taught me the importance of 163 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 3: approaching journalism with a sense of civic duty, holding people 164 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 3: to but also compassion. Who are you talking to, what 165 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 3: is their story, and making sure that you're bringing that 166 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: to bear in every conversation. So those are the seeds 167 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 3: of who I am now as an adult, and I 168 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 3: certainly when I look back and who I was as 169 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 3: a kid, I can see those parallels. 170 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, and it strikes me what an amazing way 171 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 1: to grow up. Where you know, we hear about in 172 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: writing or we see in certain movies these depictions of oh, 173 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 1: back then, the great authors, you know, the Hemingways or 174 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: the Josephine Bakers who had these salons in New York 175 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: or Paris, or you know, places where people were gathering 176 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: for art. But there is art to community organizing. 177 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 178 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: I actually think part of the reason we're in such 179 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: a political mess right now is the art was taken, 180 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: the storytelling was kind of taken from politics and it 181 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: became alls goal sort of business win it at a cost, 182 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: and it's incredible to me to think about how, as 183 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: a young woman you were raised in these rooms with 184 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: circles of women talking about how they were going to 185 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: build change, talking about the truth. Frankly, and I try 186 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: to say this to you know, young people, to my audiences. 187 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: Every single thing that is personal to you is political, 188 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: and every single thing that you experience in your personal 189 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: life is the result. 190 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:30,479 Speaker 2: Of a policy. 191 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: Politics is everywhere. It's like the air we breathe, and 192 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: people don't quite realize it. And so you grew up 193 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: in this artistic community of women building a future, and 194 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: then you watched your mom run for office at a 195 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: time where that was deeply uncommon. I mean, when you 196 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: think about you know, you're talking about the nineties, when 197 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: you think about the fact that and I believe I 198 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: have my numbers right, but they could be reversed because 199 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: I'm you know, I gently do that in my brain, 200 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: and sometimes I believe it was. 201 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: I believe it was. 202 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: Nineteen ninety three was the first year a woman was 203 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 1: included in a clinical study of any kind. Everything was 204 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: always studied on men, and it was either nineteen ninety 205 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: one or also nineteen ninety three for the very first 206 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: time that women could wear pants on the Senate floor 207 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: like it. I think people forget that it's been essentially 208 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: a blip on the radar that we've had, even this 209 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: generation's shaky version of equality which is being eroded. How 210 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 1: was it to be a teenager to be cognizant enough, 211 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: to be far enough into social studies and the history 212 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: and all of those things, and to watch your mom 213 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: fighting to be able to take her place on that 214 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: kind of mantle. 215 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 3: Well, you actually touch on a really important point which 216 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 3: is part of the criticism of her. And I think 217 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 3: the frush with her campaign that she faced was the 218 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 3: fact that she was challenging this very powerful male member Council, 219 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 3: John Street, and he would go on to be mayor, 220 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 3: by the way, and he did win that race, but 221 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 3: that was part of what she was up against. Yeah, 222 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 3: And I remember the incredible pride I felt in her 223 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 3: for taking that on, and my dad took. 224 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 2: It on with her. 225 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 3: I mean, he was right with her every step of 226 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 3: the way. So I was so proud of both of them. 227 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 3: But it was uphill and I was very cognizant of that. 228 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 2: That was a big theme in the campaign. 229 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 3: How dare you, as a woman challenge this very powerful man. 230 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: This was his right to go on to hold this. 231 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 3: Seat, and that was part of the framing of some 232 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 3: of the coverage at that time too. 233 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 2: I think it speaks to you. 234 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 3: And it was an early lesson about how important reporting 235 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 3: and good reporting and accurate reporting is. 236 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, because if you are. 237 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 3: Only building upon those false narratives that somehow a woman 238 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 3: doesn't have the right to challenge a man in that space, then. 239 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 2: That's actually a disservice to. 240 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 3: The people that you are reporting for the public and 241 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 3: public perception. And so I think it was a really 242 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 3: early lesson to me about first of all, just how 243 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 3: brave my mom has been throughout the course of her 244 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 3: life and how much. 245 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 2: She's gapiration to me. 246 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 3: But again the importance of making sure that these stories 247 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 3: are covered accurately. And you talk about this moment that 248 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 3: we're in, and I think, and I'll add one point 249 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 3: to all the great points that you made. I think 250 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 3: one of the challenges that we have right now when 251 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 3: we think about how divided we are, is that our 252 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 3: media ecosystem is so divided. And I spoke to Doris 253 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 3: Kurun's Goodwin, who's also a historian. 254 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 2: I'm sure you're familiar with another legend legend, but she 255 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 2: talks about this as the fact that she says, our. 256 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 3: Media ecosystem is almost as divided as it was during 257 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 3: the Civil War. I mean, think about that people are 258 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 3: going to different places. You think about all of the 259 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 3: different things that are being spread on the Internet, and 260 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 3: that diffuses I think the public's shared understanding of a 261 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 3: set of facts. And that's part of what I think 262 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 3: the challenge of this moment is too. And I think 263 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 3: back to my childhood and how in some ways that 264 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 3: was a very early preparation for this moment, which is 265 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 3: very challenging. Think our job as journalists is to help 266 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 3: people break through the disinformation, the misinformation that's online and 267 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 3: really help them understand, you know, to sort through what 268 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 3: is fact from what is not fact. 269 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: And now a word from our sponsors, who make this 270 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: show possible. I wonder how difficult it must be, because 271 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 1: as a journalist, there are things you might say at 272 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: your dinner table to your best friends that you cannot 273 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: say on social media, on the nightly news, on your 274 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: Sunday show. You know, you are required in certain ways 275 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: to bite your tongue and in other ways. Your whole 276 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: job is to try to really cut to the quick 277 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: of what is true. And I think about it, for 278 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: all of you, how frustrating it must be to try 279 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: to set a high bar for the way you conduct 280 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: yourself and then to see another big news network. I'll 281 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: say it. You don't have to Fox News go to 282 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 1: court repeatedly and defend the lies they tell on television 283 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: to people by saying, we are not a sober news program. 284 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: We are an entertainment program. You know, these are quotes 285 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: from lawsuits, from court defenses. And I go, but if 286 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: half the countries getting their news from people that are 287 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: willing to lie for the rage bait that results in 288 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: the viewers, that result in the money, how are we 289 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: ever going to tamp down that polarization that, as you mention, 290 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: is at a kind of pre Civil war level. And 291 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: it frightens me on that macro scale. I see it 292 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: when you talk about your mom's journey. Immediately my brain 293 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: remembered back in nineteen ninety two when Hillary Clinton was 294 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: the first Lady and was literally fighting for universal child healthcare. 295 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 1: She said, I'm a mom. I want all children to 296 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: have the kind of healthcare my kid gets to have. 297 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: Because we're in the White House, that should just be 298 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: obvious in the richest country in the world. And people 299 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: went after her and said, who do you think you 300 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: are to do this? And she remember the infamous joke, 301 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: what do you want me to do? Bake cookies? 302 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 2: Right? 303 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: And then suddenly she was shaming mothers and she was like, 304 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: I do bake cookies. I'm just saying, if I have 305 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: this opportunity, I'm supposed to have a cause is the 306 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: first lady. And I've never forgotten that they lambassaded her 307 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: for trying to take care of other people's children the 308 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:02,400 Speaker 1: way her child would. 309 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 2: Be taken care of. 310 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,399 Speaker 1: And that was really, when you think about it, a 311 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: symptom of news doing the thing that you mentioned. It 312 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: did to your mom too, So you saw it from 313 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: such an early age, you obviously see how much of 314 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 1: a fever pitch it's gotten to. Now, how do you 315 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 1: go into your office and figure out how to lead 316 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: and also attempt to bring the frenzy down for your viewers. 317 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: That feels like a big job for one person. 318 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 2: It is. 319 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 3: It's monumental. And I will say a couple of things. 320 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 3: I mean, I spent ten years in local news before 321 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 3: I got to the network, which was Oh my goodness, 322 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 3: maybe fifteen years ago. Now I'm really dating myself. But 323 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 3: this has been my life's work. It's really how my 324 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 3: brain is wired. And I am so and this sounds 325 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 3: cheesy maybe, but I really mean this. It's so important 326 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 3: that whether I'm reporting in Philadelphia is a local reporter 327 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 3: where I spent five years by the way, which was great, 328 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 3: or at the network at the White House, or on 329 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 3: Meet the Press, that. 330 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 2: I am making sure I'm including a. 331 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 3: Wide range of voices, that I'm doing so in a 332 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 3: way that people across the political spectrum can hear the conversation. 333 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 2: That is so important right now. 334 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 3: It's what we strive to do every weekend un Meet 335 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 3: the Press, and it's not easy because we're so divided. 336 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 3: But I'm so deeply dedicated to the goal because I 337 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 3: say it's a goal, because sometimes we don't always get 338 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 3: it a thousand percent right, which we try to making 339 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 3: sure that these conversations are tough, are filled with fact 340 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 3: checks where needed, are able to account, but again where 341 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 3: people across the political spectrum can hear them, can learn 342 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 3: from them, can. 343 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: Listen to them. 344 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 3: Because if we are alienating part of our viewers, part 345 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 3: of our listeners, then we're not helping in this moment. 346 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 3: I really think the media has a responsibility to find 347 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 3: a way to help bring people together to the extent 348 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 3: possible in these really hard. 349 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 2: Conversations that we're having as a country. 350 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,239 Speaker 3: I mean, and I know we're we get to this, 351 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 3: but what is happening right now in Minneapolis. 352 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 2: I think it is a new challenge in many ways. 353 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 3: It feels like an inflection point in a lot of 354 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 3: different ways, and in this moment when I think it's 355 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 3: so critical that our coverage is sober and fact based, yea, 356 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 3: there and tough and invites a range of different voices 357 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 3: in so that we're making sure that we're covering the 358 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 3: story from every angle, but to make sure that everyone 359 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 3: across this country feels like they're. 360 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 2: Invited to the table. 361 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 3: Right people feel like they can't sit at the table 362 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 3: and listen to the conversation, then we're only deepening the divide. 363 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 3: And that's how I see my role as a journalist. 364 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 3: That's what I strive for. And again it sounds it's 365 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 3: just so fundamental to journalism. 366 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, I also think there's something so interesting about 367 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: you and the way that you work because it's something 368 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: I've been thinking about, especially over the last few years, 369 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: and for our friends at home. You went to Harvard 370 00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: to study American history, Yes, and I think about the 371 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: things you were aware of early because of the way 372 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: you grew up. I think about the things you watched 373 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: because your mom ran for office. The things you really 374 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 1: deepened your knowledge about in terms of our country are patterns, 375 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: global patterns at UNI. And one of the things I 376 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: have found to be the most impactful when people are 377 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: in this identity debate rather than a debate about facts, 378 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 1: is to contextualize things in terms of history, in terms 379 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: of lessons we've learned, in terms of times we weren't 380 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: willing to learn a lesson, and then did things everyone 381 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: can agree on because they happened one hundred years ago, 382 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: fifty years ago, twenty years ago, and say it's happening now. 383 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: Do you feel like your expertise about our history informs 384 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: the way you cover breaking news today? 385 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 2: It's a great question. Absolutely. 386 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 3: Everything I do, I think is with a toward where 387 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 3: we have been as a country. And again, this is 388 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 3: so deeply infused in who I was as a child 389 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 3: and where we are now and the possibilities that we 390 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 3: have and I just had the opportunity to sit down 391 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 3: with Ken Burns and talk to him about his documentary actually, 392 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 3: and he talks about the fact that if the framers 393 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 3: of the Constitution, if the people who fought and died 394 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 3: in the American Revolution, could come back and look at 395 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 3: our country right now, they would actually be amazed in 396 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 3: so many ways that we still have a functioning democracy. 397 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 3: There's so many more voices and people are included in 398 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 3: those rights that they. 399 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 2: Fought and died for. 400 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, and clearly would say this is still an experiment, 401 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 3: This is still a work in progress. This is not 402 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 3: a finished product yet by any measure. 403 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 2: There is still so much more work to be done. 404 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 3: And I try to think about it within that context, 405 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 3: and I do think it adds. This goes to your 406 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 3: point about how I see my role. It's a very 407 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 3: weighty moment for that reason. I mean, every time we're 408 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 3: thinking about guests and what the interview is going to 409 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 3: be like, and how we're knowing the structure of the show, 410 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 3: it's all incredibly intentional. And you talk about the history. 411 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 3: We have a segment called Meet the Press Minute, and 412 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 3: it's a moment to sort of reflect on the history. 413 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 2: Of the moment. 414 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 3: Yes, to put it into a little bit of a 415 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 3: broader context. Here we are having this conversation, let's go 416 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 3: back fifty years and remember what this politician, this former 417 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 3: president said about this issue at the time. Because to 418 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 3: your good so feel we've wrestled with so many of 419 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 3: these issues in the past. Yes, and we continue, I 420 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 3: think to debate and wrestle with some of these fundamental 421 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 3: foundational issues to who we are as a country and 422 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 3: what this country looks like and how we all coexist 423 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 3: here together. 424 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and you're right, it is a it's a constant experiment, 425 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 1: and I think it's important for us all to remember 426 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: that progress takes time, destruction is faster. But we've proven 427 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: we can progress. And so the if the ancestors, founding fathers, 428 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: all tho historical figures who came before us got us here, 429 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: we're certainly not going to give. 430 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 2: Up, now, that's right. 431 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, And I wonder for you, you know, becoming 432 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,399 Speaker 1: a White House correspondent doing so across three administrations again, 433 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: talk about historical context. I'm really curious how what you 434 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: observed across each of those buckets, if you will, informed 435 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: the intentions you set when you started on Meet the Press, 436 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: because I know there's no way you walked in there 437 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,119 Speaker 1: as the woman you are, as the first host of Color, 438 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: as the historian that you love being and didn't have like, 439 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: of course you had goals for the show, but I'm 440 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: talking like your personal intentions as Kristen. Yeah, did you 441 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: think about them specifically? Did they come to you as 442 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: you were designing the show? Like how does it work 443 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: to prep for the first night you walk in there 444 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: and you take over. 445 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 3: What's so interesting is that I had. First of all, 446 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 3: I should say I was absolutely stunned when I was 447 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 3: offered this role. 448 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 2: Really, yes, I really. 449 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 3: When Rebecca Blumenstein, the president of NBC News called me 450 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 3: to offer me the job, I I literally thought she 451 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,200 Speaker 3: was calling to say hey, because she said, I just 452 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 3: want to update you on some campaign coverage. I was like, great, 453 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 3: and I thought I was going to be assigned to 454 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 3: one of the president of campaigns. And she called to say, 455 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 3: you know, Chuck has made this decision. He would like 456 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 3: to pass the baton to you. We would like you 457 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 3: to moderate Meet the Press. I could have been knocked 458 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 3: over with a feather. 459 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: Wow. 460 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 3: And it was the greatest honor and surprise, And yet 461 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 3: What was so fascinating is that when I sat down 462 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,199 Speaker 3: and really thought about what I wanted the show to 463 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:41,719 Speaker 3: be and to the question that you're asking in many ways, 464 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 3: it became very clear, very quickly. I wanted to focus 465 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 3: on the strength of the interviews, and I wanted to 466 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 3: create this segment called Meet the Moment for one of 467 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 3: the I think really important reasons that you have made, 468 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 3: which is that politics is infused into every single part 469 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 3: of our lives. So this notion that actors and athletes 470 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 3: and historians are not a part of who we are 471 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 3: as a country and how our politics operates, That's just 472 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,719 Speaker 3: not the case. So I wanted to bring those voices in, 473 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 3: and that's why I started might Meet the Moment segment, 474 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 3: which hopefully you will join me on one day and 475 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 3: I will have the honor of interviewing you at some. 476 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: Point anytime, anytime, all the time. Anytime you need someone, 477 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: someone gets sick, call me. I'll be there. 478 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 3: Okay, no, no, I'm in an RSVP, like we'll book it. 479 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: But then when you need a fill in, I'll be 480 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: there and then we'll book it again. 481 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 3: That's fantastic, But you know, I just thought that was 482 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 3: so important to expand the voices that we're hearing from 483 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 3: on Sundays. It is a moment for I think Americans, 484 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 3: for our viewers to sit and reflect on the week 485 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 3: that was and where we're going, and to do that, 486 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 3: I really wanted to bring in more voices, and so 487 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 3: it's one of the aspects of the show that I'm 488 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 3: really proud of. I always say, every week, is there 489 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 3: any way we can add an half hour onto the show? 490 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, we have so much content. We have a small 491 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 2: but mighty team. 492 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 3: They're just incredible, and we often lined up with three 493 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 3: interviews and incredible panel But that really was the philosophy 494 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 3: that I brought to bear when I took the baton 495 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 3: from Chuck. And as Chuck always says, you're a steward 496 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 3: of the chair. I mean, at some point I will 497 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 3: pass the baton onto someone else, but for the time being, 498 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 3: and why I took this extraordinary role and opportunity. My 499 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 3: goal really every Sunday is to make sure that we're 500 00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 3: hearing from a diversity of voices and that includes yes, politicians, 501 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 3: but people who are impacting our politics, who are outside 502 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 3: of the political spectrum. So we talked to Michael Phelps 503 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 3: about mental health. I know because here we are about 504 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 3: to go into another Olympics, which I know everyone's excited about. 505 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 2: You know Olivia Munn who. 506 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 3: I spoke with about her breast cancer battle and also 507 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 3: her surrogacy journey, which is something that we share and 508 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 3: I welcomed my two beautiful kids into the world with 509 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 3: the help of a surrogate. Alison Felix about black maternal 510 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 3: health and listens on and on, and we're really proud 511 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 3: of these segments because I think it's expanded the conversation 512 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 3: and it's also created a moment in the show. They 513 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 3: don't air every Sunday, maybe once a month, but it 514 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 3: is a sportment where our viewers can you know, you 515 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 3: have your kind of political debate at the top of 516 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 3: the show and then a moment to reflect and go 517 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 3: a little bit deep. Are into one of the top 518 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 3: issues and one of any one of these critical issues 519 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 3: I think that impacts us. 520 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: And now a word from our sponsors. I'm curious, you 521 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: know when you when you talk about it again, what 522 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: you're doing so beautifully is personalizing things for people, you know, 523 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: and I love that you mentioned thank you for this. 524 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: You know that that artists and athletes and all sorts 525 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: of people matter to these conversations. I think when people 526 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: look at us and stay stick to acting or shut 527 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: up and dribble, they forget that artists and athletes historically 528 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:51,480 Speaker 1: have been the boundary breakers of culture. And it requires 529 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: a kind of courage, and it requires a willingness to 530 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: put your best interests second, sometimes last, to put your 531 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 1: community interest first. And I appreciate when folks in your 532 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 1: position honor that and welcome us into those conversations. So 533 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: that's that's part one and part. 534 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 2: Two that I really do. 535 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I mean it. And you know the second 536 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: part of I guess the point where it leads me is, 537 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: you know you mentioned this, what's happening in Minneapolis is impossible. 538 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,959 Speaker 1: You know, when we talk about the divide, there are 539 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: political officials who literally go on record and want us 540 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: to believe the opposite of what we see with our 541 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: own eyeballs. And I'm really curious in a moment that 542 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: is so political, that is about the constitution, that is 543 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: about habeas corpus, that is about the rights of asylum seekers, 544 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: that is about the literal found of our nation, and 545 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: that also is so deeply personal and visceral and happening 546 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: to our neighbors in Minnesota. How do you deal with it? 547 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: How are you talking about this? How are you talking 548 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 1: about it on the press, and how are you going 549 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,760 Speaker 1: to get into the personal on meet the moment, because 550 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: I certainly look to you sometimes to go like what 551 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: do I do? And I know listeners do too, and 552 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: I just am curious how you're making sense of all. 553 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 3: This well, and I'll take you inside what happened this 554 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:39,360 Speaker 3: weekend As that unfolded. We typically have our editorial meeting 555 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 3: on Saturday morning, and it's our big editorial meeting, so 556 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 3: it lasts typically three hours. We're going through the interview's 557 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 3: question mine by line, word by word, and this breaking 558 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:56,959 Speaker 3: news happens and we all sort of stop what we're 559 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 3: doing and start to try to process. 560 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:01,760 Speaker 2: What has happened. 561 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 3: Like everyone in the country, we didn't understand what had happened. 562 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 2: We didn't know what to make of it. 563 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 3: We saw the initial video clips come in and I 564 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,919 Speaker 3: can tell you, I mean we sat there, Sophia, in 565 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:19,280 Speaker 3: that conference room. There were of course breaks here and there, 566 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 3: but for the better part of twelve hours looking at 567 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 3: the video clips over and every single angle, making phone 568 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 3: calls to officials try to understand what had actually happened, 569 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 3: and crafting an interview for the Deputy Attorney General, Todd 570 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,799 Speaker 3: Blanche that would reflect the moment and the urgency of 571 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 3: it and the questions. I think that we really tried 572 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 3: to capture what are the questions that Americans have as 573 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 3: they are going to watch this What information do you 574 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,719 Speaker 3: need to walk away with after having watched Meet the Press? 575 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 2: And it was. 576 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 3: Incredibly ruling, in part because watching that video over and 577 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:11,720 Speaker 3: over again is devastating. Wherever you fall in the political spectrum, 578 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 3: it doesn't matter. Watching that video is incredibly hard to watch. 579 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 3: At the same time, we forced ourselves to watch it 580 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 3: so that we had confidence going into the interview with 581 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 3: Todd Branch that we were asking accurate questions. 582 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 2: And again it goes. 583 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 3: Back to the journalism. We just took a very sober 584 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:35,839 Speaker 3: approach to what had happened. And to your point, why 585 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 3: was there disparity between what some top officials were saying 586 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 3: and what Americans were seeing in this video? And that 587 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 3: was really the framing point of our entire interview in 588 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 3: many ways, and the what happens now? And I can 589 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 3: tell you that after Meet the Present, my work does 590 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 3: not end. I've been on the phone recording story since 591 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 3: I walked off the set on Sunday, because it's a 592 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 3: story that I think is not just resonating across the country, 593 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,479 Speaker 3: but it seems like it's going to impact the Trump 594 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 3: administration's policies as it relates to how they are going 595 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 3: about these deployments. 596 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:18,280 Speaker 2: Will have to see what ultimately happens. 597 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 3: But again, it's about in these moments, which feels so 598 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 3: incredibly hard to wrap your head around, sticking with the 599 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 3: principles of journalism, what do we need to do to 600 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,040 Speaker 3: report out the facts here, what actually happened, what's going 601 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 3: to be done about it, who's going to be held accountable? 602 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,839 Speaker 3: And will there be a policy change? What will look 603 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 3: different in a month for now, in six months from now? 604 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:48,399 Speaker 3: And just asking those just very foundational questions. I think 605 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 3: helps people when they sit down to your point on 606 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 3: a Sunday morning and they're trying to process what happened. 607 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 3: It helps people, I think, to take that for Our 608 00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 3: goal is to help people to take that first step. 609 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 3: So we're processing what was a really difficult moment I 610 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 3: think for the entire country and clearly for the Trump 611 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 3: administration as well, I mean they have acknowledged publicly and 612 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 3: privately that this is a big problem what happened. 613 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: Right, Well, I think it's interesting as well to your 614 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 1: point about the importance of journalists to continue reporting. You know, 615 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 1: it's not lost on me, as a civilian who is 616 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 1: engaged in the news as nearly a full time job, 617 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: that the administration didn't backtrack until there were so many videos, 618 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:42,600 Speaker 1: so many angles of the video, there was no way 619 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: to deny what happened. And then the cleanup begins, and 620 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, I was reading reports that you know, now 621 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,520 Speaker 1: christinoam is saying she was pressured by Stephen Miller, and 622 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 1: now you know, everybody's pointing the finger, and I'm curious 623 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: how that works. To your point, you know, this happened 624 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:07,920 Speaker 1: on a Saturday. You had to report on it on 625 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,359 Speaker 1: a Sunday. It takes over your weekend. I also think 626 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: about it for you as a mom. You know, you're 627 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: not going to see your family on a weekend like that. 628 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: And then I think about it in terms of the 629 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:22,320 Speaker 1: working week. You know, more videos come out, more stories 630 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 1: come out. I would imagine your newsroom has the ability 631 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,839 Speaker 1: to call offices that most of us don't. You can 632 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 1: call the Minneapolis Police and say, are they allowing you 633 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 1: to process the evidence yet? Or is the answer still though? 634 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:39,440 Speaker 1: You can call people in the administration and ask for information. 635 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: How do you, guys, determine what calls get made first? 636 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,359 Speaker 1: And how do you make those hard decisions about I'm 637 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,799 Speaker 1: going to you know, use an analogy. This obviously isn't real, 638 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 1: but let's say you have ten pieces of information to 639 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,879 Speaker 1: report on and only enough minute to cover six. How 640 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,240 Speaker 1: do you decide what it's less important than something else 641 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: to shape your hour? 642 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:10,720 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, it's our challenge every single weekend. And 643 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:15,280 Speaker 3: if you could have seen the interview as written Saturday 644 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:19,640 Speaker 3: morning versus as delivered Sunday, you would see the evolving 645 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:25,280 Speaker 3: nature of what had to get dropped and what needed 646 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 3: to be in focus and to your point, and I 647 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:29,799 Speaker 3: do think this is important. We were doing all this 648 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 3: against the backdrop of a snowstorm, so we had this 649 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 3: very Everyone went to the hotel because we couldn't go. 650 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 1: Home, right state of emergency. 651 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:41,840 Speaker 3: Yes, and then you know, which was a few blocks 652 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 3: from our studios, and then came back a few hours 653 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:44,800 Speaker 3: the next morning. 654 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:50,360 Speaker 2: How do we determine how to prioritize. 655 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:56,280 Speaker 3: It is an evolution that is evolving until the minute 656 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:56,919 Speaker 3: I go to air. 657 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 2: And what's the unique methods that we. 658 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 3: Use to prepare for Sunday? We do mock interviews. My 659 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 3: executive producers is a genius at this, and basically we 660 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:15,799 Speaker 3: study what the person has said. He has played every 661 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:20,319 Speaker 3: single person I've ever interviewed. Wow, mock interviews typically on 662 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 3: a Saturday and again on Sunday, But because of the 663 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 3: nature of this news cycle, there was no time for that, 664 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 3: so we just came in on Sunday and did them. 665 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 2: And by the way, Tim Russer would. 666 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:32,880 Speaker 3: Do that as well with his executive producer, and it 667 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:35,279 Speaker 3: was all marks of how he would prepare. And it 668 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 3: helps you to think through what is the person going 669 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 3: to say? How am I going to think about what 670 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,400 Speaker 3: they're going to say? What are the holes in the 671 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 3: question I'm asking? Is this the sharpest way to ask it? 672 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,440 Speaker 3: Or is it kind of letting the person do a 673 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 3: choose your own adventure answer? And to make it really 674 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 3: is a stress test of our questions of my ability 675 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 3: to kind of have an awareness of all of the information, 676 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,759 Speaker 3: make sure that I'm armed with all of the information 677 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:05,320 Speaker 3: going into the interview, Have I missed something? 678 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 2: Do I need to go back and read something more carefully? 679 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:10,759 Speaker 3: And it's a stress test of the interview and of 680 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 3: my knowledge of any given subject. And so I have 681 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 3: found it to be and we as a team have 682 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:18,520 Speaker 3: found it to be incredibly effective in terms of what's 683 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,480 Speaker 3: the most important in a moment like this where it's 684 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 3: breaking news. And I can't tell you, Sofia, how many 685 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:27,800 Speaker 3: sundays we are dealing with breaking news, whether it's domestically 686 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:28,840 Speaker 3: or internationally. 687 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,040 Speaker 2: Right, we typically live in. 688 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:38,680 Speaker 3: That breaking news moment and we try to, you know, 689 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,000 Speaker 3: really look at what's happening from every different angle. 690 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:43,799 Speaker 2: And that was the decision we made this week. 691 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 3: So there are some bigger picture questions that I didn't 692 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,879 Speaker 3: get to ask that. Of course we're on the cutting 693 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,520 Speaker 3: on floor that I was. I wish we had even 694 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:56,720 Speaker 3: more time, but that just realistically, you know, you can't 695 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:59,440 Speaker 3: get to everything, so you do have to mirioritize. You 696 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:03,279 Speaker 3: do have to say, okay, again, what do you as 697 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:04,920 Speaker 3: a viewer need to know? 698 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 2: What do you have to know at the conclusion of 699 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 2: this interview? 700 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 3: What might not be able to live with myself if 701 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 3: I didn't ask this, What are the set of questions 702 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 3: that I just could not bear to know I didn't ask, 703 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,919 Speaker 3: and those are those And it's really every week it's 704 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 3: a challenge and the same sort of rules apply. You're 705 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:31,440 Speaker 3: asking about, like how do we think about how those 706 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:37,080 Speaker 3: calls get made? I mean, this weekend a side, I'm 707 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:41,000 Speaker 3: in a constant state of making phone calls to my 708 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 3: sources who I've developed over time. You know, I've been 709 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:50,200 Speaker 3: in Washington since twenty ten, so you know I'm constantly 710 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:52,840 Speaker 3: reaching out to people both inside the administration and outside 711 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 3: the administration. 712 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:56,280 Speaker 2: People on Capitol Hill, people who've. 713 00:43:56,080 --> 00:44:00,439 Speaker 3: Served in past administrations who often can give I've brought 714 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 3: a perspective to a moment. In a situation like this 715 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:06,640 Speaker 3: where you're dealing with a law enforcement matter, I'm reaching 716 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:09,279 Speaker 3: out to my law enforcement sources to say, help me 717 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:14,040 Speaker 3: understand here, what's the protocol? How does this video we're 718 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 3: seeing match up against the protocol that you're aware of. 719 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 3: So we're trying to constantly bring the best reporting to 720 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 3: bear on the show. But again, as I said, like 721 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,520 Speaker 3: you know, I've spent the past several days making phone 722 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:30,480 Speaker 3: calls because as a journalist, I want to help and 723 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,400 Speaker 3: be a part of the effort of NBC News to 724 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,440 Speaker 3: get to the bottom of what exactly happened here and 725 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 3: what's going to happen moving forward, and I think the 726 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:40,919 Speaker 3: moment demands it. There are times, I mean, I will 727 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 3: tell you my days off for Monday and Tuesday, since 728 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 3: we work on the weekend, and I try to preserve 729 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 3: those days for my two kids and just to have 730 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:53,040 Speaker 3: that mom time with them uninterrupted when there are huge 731 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 3: stories like the Venezuela story. 732 00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know again, the week does not end. You're 733 00:44:58,600 --> 00:44:59,200 Speaker 2: in on Monday. 734 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:03,000 Speaker 3: You're working streaming show during the week, so I'm anchoring 735 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,120 Speaker 3: my streaming show, which typically gets anchored by someone else 736 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:08,799 Speaker 3: on Mondays and Tuesdays to make sure that I'm a 737 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:12,200 Speaker 3: part of the ongoing coverage. And I guess, to button 738 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:14,080 Speaker 3: it up, what I would say is at the heart 739 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:14,520 Speaker 3: of all of. 740 00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 2: This is I'm a reporter, and that's how. 741 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 3: I've approached my role as moderator of Meet the Press 742 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,239 Speaker 3: as a reporter, and to really be a reporter, I 743 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,200 Speaker 3: think you have to approach these things with humility and 744 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:31,560 Speaker 3: a sense of trying to constantly ask enough questions to 745 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 3: enhance your own understanding, and therefore the public's understanding of these. 746 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:37,120 Speaker 2: Weeks absolutely moments. 747 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:41,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. I actually would say that one of the best 748 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,480 Speaker 1: marks of a great reporter is their willingness to ask 749 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: and listen, not just to digest. 750 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:51,840 Speaker 2: And tell yes. And you're right, that's. 751 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 3: Really what's at the heart of it, and it goes 752 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:55,000 Speaker 3: to your initial question, how do we bring people together 753 00:45:55,400 --> 00:45:56,960 Speaker 3: in this moment by listening? 754 00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is such an incredible conversation and I'm thrilled 755 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 1: to let you know that while we are at the 756 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:05,920 Speaker 1: end of part one, there is a part two with 757 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 1: Kristen Welker