1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,795 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. We 2 00:00:21,875 --> 00:00:26,515 Speaker 1: rightfully fear a Donald Trump dictatorship. Right now, however, we 3 00:00:26,555 --> 00:00:30,755 Speaker 1: are being ruled by a Samuel Alito dictatorship, and right 4 00:00:30,795 --> 00:00:36,675 Speaker 1: now we have to take measures to overthrow it. Caught 5 00:00:36,915 --> 00:00:42,355 Speaker 1: flying one insurrectionist flag at his Virginia home while he 6 00:00:42,515 --> 00:00:45,035 Speaker 1: was at judicating cases that could have benefited the Trump 7 00:00:45,115 --> 00:00:49,075 Speaker 1: coup attempt, Alito simply lied about it, claiming he had 8 00:00:49,115 --> 00:00:52,835 Speaker 1: no role in it, then contradicted himself by telling a 9 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:57,235 Speaker 1: backstory of petty personal recrimination involving his wife and neighbors, 10 00:00:57,395 --> 00:01:00,315 Speaker 1: a backstory which had its own set of lies. And 11 00:01:00,395 --> 00:01:03,875 Speaker 1: now we know that that entire story was at best 12 00:01:03,955 --> 00:01:09,515 Speaker 1: a lie of omission, because when Alito was caught improperly 13 00:01:09,555 --> 00:01:15,515 Speaker 1: flying a disqualifying insurrectionist symbol in public at his primary 14 00:01:15,515 --> 00:01:19,755 Speaker 1: home in twenty twenty one, he was still continuing to 15 00:01:19,995 --> 00:01:23,475 Speaker 1: hide the fact that through much or all of last 16 00:01:23,675 --> 00:01:29,675 Speaker 1: summer he was flying a different disqualifying insurrectionist symbol in 17 00:01:29,755 --> 00:01:35,835 Speaker 1: public at his vacation home in New Jersey. It is, 18 00:01:35,955 --> 00:01:39,075 Speaker 1: as you know by now, the Appeal to Heaven flag, 19 00:01:39,875 --> 00:01:43,915 Speaker 1: the Appeal to Heaven flag stolen by groups of Christo 20 00:01:43,995 --> 00:01:48,835 Speaker 1: fascists from its historical role in our founding revolution and 21 00:01:48,955 --> 00:01:55,315 Speaker 1: repurposed by them to rationalize a fundamentalist religious dictatorship replacing 22 00:01:55,435 --> 00:01:59,475 Speaker 1: representative government in our country. As The New York Times 23 00:01:59,555 --> 00:02:02,795 Speaker 1: noted in reporting this story, quote, the phrase appeal to 24 00:02:02,875 --> 00:02:06,875 Speaker 1: heaven comes from the seventeenth century philosopher John Locke, who 25 00:02:06,915 --> 00:02:12,715 Speaker 1: wrote of a responsibility to rebel, even use violence to 26 00:02:12,915 --> 00:02:18,595 Speaker 1: overthrow unjust rule. Quote it's a paraphrase for trial by arms. 27 00:02:19,435 --> 00:02:23,275 Speaker 1: Anthony Grafton, a historian at Princeton University, said in an 28 00:02:23,275 --> 00:02:28,155 Speaker 1: interview Unquote it's a paraphrase for trial by arms. And 29 00:02:28,395 --> 00:02:32,995 Speaker 1: it's been flying in public view from Samuel Alito's home. 30 00:02:34,715 --> 00:02:37,955 Speaker 1: And this is not merely the kind of anti democracy 31 00:02:38,035 --> 00:02:41,795 Speaker 1: symbol of the so called distress flag, the US flag 32 00:02:41,875 --> 00:02:47,075 Speaker 1: flown upside down. This one, the Jersey flag, is an 33 00:02:47,155 --> 00:02:52,555 Speaker 1: implied call to violence, and Alito flew it, or let 34 00:02:52,595 --> 00:02:55,875 Speaker 1: it be flown, from his vacation home in Long Beach Island, 35 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:59,955 Speaker 1: New Jersey. For much of last summer, Alito had yet 36 00:02:59,955 --> 00:03:04,155 Speaker 1: to comment on this extraordinary, indefensible violation of the most 37 00:03:04,235 --> 00:03:08,395 Speaker 1: minimal standard of judicial impartiality and loyalty to the Constitution. 38 00:03:09,195 --> 00:03:12,395 Speaker 1: Presumably he was too busy trying to figure out who 39 00:03:12,435 --> 00:03:16,155 Speaker 1: to blame the flying of this flag on. It goes 40 00:03:16,155 --> 00:03:19,195 Speaker 1: without saying that if there were any remaining ethical or 41 00:03:19,195 --> 00:03:22,955 Speaker 1: even political justifications for permitting Alito to remain on our 42 00:03:23,075 --> 00:03:26,355 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, they have now come to an end. There 43 00:03:26,355 --> 00:03:28,875 Speaker 1: are no traditional means to remove him from his position. 44 00:03:29,155 --> 00:03:32,555 Speaker 1: He and Clarence Thomas and John Roberts and the three 45 00:03:32,635 --> 00:03:36,275 Speaker 1: Trump whores they serve with are untouchable. Certainly they think 46 00:03:36,315 --> 00:03:40,435 Speaker 1: they are. There are only three ways to proceed, and 47 00:03:40,595 --> 00:03:43,075 Speaker 1: all should be used. If you will harken back to 48 00:03:43,155 --> 00:03:48,155 Speaker 1: yesterday's episode, I noted the Bloomberg News report on increasing 49 00:03:48,155 --> 00:03:53,035 Speaker 1: indications from political polsters and focus group stages that voters 50 00:03:53,395 --> 00:03:57,195 Speaker 1: from all political extremes have suddenly begun to view the 51 00:03:57,235 --> 00:04:03,755 Speaker 1: Supreme Court as rogue, as dangerous, as unpredictable. If running 52 00:04:03,795 --> 00:04:08,035 Speaker 1: a campaign to expand the Court or to purge its 53 00:04:08,075 --> 00:04:11,555 Speaker 1: corrupted members like Alito seems too strong or too risky 54 00:04:11,635 --> 00:04:15,115 Speaker 1: right now, at minimum, democrats from local city candidates to 55 00:04:15,155 --> 00:04:18,715 Speaker 1: President Biden must adopt, as at least one of their 56 00:04:18,755 --> 00:04:22,395 Speaker 1: campaign strategies, a direct statement that they will rein in 57 00:04:22,515 --> 00:04:28,035 Speaker 1: this renegade, anti democracy, anti woman, anti minority, anti American, 58 00:04:28,035 --> 00:04:32,355 Speaker 1: collection of theocrats and political zealots who have hijacked the 59 00:04:32,395 --> 00:04:38,195 Speaker 1: Supreme Court. Secondly, there must be hearings by the Senate 60 00:04:38,275 --> 00:04:39,395 Speaker 1: Judiciary Committee. 61 00:04:39,435 --> 00:04:39,755 Speaker 2: Now. 62 00:04:40,835 --> 00:04:44,155 Speaker 1: Chairman Durbin of Illinois should have an outline ready by 63 00:04:44,155 --> 00:04:46,595 Speaker 1: a week from Monday of what he wants and from who, 64 00:04:46,875 --> 00:04:49,875 Speaker 1: and he should prioritize it ahead of all other business. 65 00:04:51,075 --> 00:04:54,755 Speaker 1: As Brian Boitler suggested, if he fears that subpoenas to 66 00:04:54,875 --> 00:04:57,875 Speaker 1: Alito and Thomas and the others would be ignored, he 67 00:04:57,955 --> 00:05:01,995 Speaker 1: can instead subpoena the three liberals and have them testify 68 00:05:02,875 --> 00:05:05,715 Speaker 1: to what the fascists like Alito are saying in private 69 00:05:06,155 --> 00:05:10,275 Speaker 1: and to what they Jackson, Kagan, Sotomayor have really meant 70 00:05:10,755 --> 00:05:17,835 Speaker 1: by their alarming cryptic brief criticisms of Alito and the others. Thirdly, 71 00:05:17,915 --> 00:05:19,915 Speaker 1: if necessary, we may be placed in a position of 72 00:05:19,955 --> 00:05:22,875 Speaker 1: having to ignore the Supreme Court the way Abraham Lincoln did. 73 00:05:24,555 --> 00:05:28,195 Speaker 1: This would require the president's re election and in theory 74 00:05:28,715 --> 00:05:31,635 Speaker 1: both retention of the Senate and gaining control of the House. 75 00:05:31,675 --> 00:05:34,715 Speaker 1: Although the latter two are not really mandatory, it may 76 00:05:34,755 --> 00:05:38,875 Speaker 1: come down to this. Ultimately, the message to Roberts and 77 00:05:38,955 --> 00:05:41,995 Speaker 1: Alito may have to be in effect. You have made 78 00:05:42,075 --> 00:05:45,235 Speaker 1: your ruling on such and such a case. Now, how 79 00:05:45,355 --> 00:05:48,435 Speaker 1: exactly do you expect to be able to enforce it? 80 00:05:49,475 --> 00:05:54,515 Speaker 1: Translation you and what army? Because the appeal to heaven 81 00:05:54,595 --> 00:05:59,315 Speaker 1: flag that Alito has been flying is an exhortation to 82 00:05:59,595 --> 00:06:04,315 Speaker 1: physical violence, and we need to be prepared for that. 83 00:06:05,995 --> 00:06:09,355 Speaker 1: The people who would, by any means available, turn this 84 00:06:09,475 --> 00:06:13,635 Speaker 1: country into a religious dictatorship, a kind of westernized Iran, 85 00:06:14,395 --> 00:06:19,075 Speaker 1: have already overtaken one political party. This same flag sits 86 00:06:19,115 --> 00:06:22,995 Speaker 1: outside the office of Speaker Mike Johnson and other representatives, 87 00:06:23,035 --> 00:06:27,275 Speaker 1: including Bobert and Chip Roy right now, and now we 88 00:06:27,395 --> 00:06:31,035 Speaker 1: learn at least one member of the Supreme Court's home 89 00:06:34,035 --> 00:06:36,275 Speaker 1: and if these are their rules, now we must beat 90 00:06:36,275 --> 00:06:45,035 Speaker 1: them at their own game, because sam Alito is a prejudiced, dishonest, lazy, 91 00:06:45,555 --> 00:06:51,235 Speaker 1: proselytizing fraud with a Messiah complex and an agenda, an 92 00:06:51,275 --> 00:06:54,315 Speaker 1: agenda not to serve the law, not the democracy, not 93 00:06:54,355 --> 00:07:00,075 Speaker 1: the nation, but his own religious beliefs. If it was 94 00:07:00,155 --> 00:07:03,355 Speaker 1: not obvious before, it is unavoidable now. He is intent 95 00:07:03,475 --> 00:07:07,435 Speaker 1: on turning the Supreme Court into the Republican Supreme religious 96 00:07:07,435 --> 00:07:11,035 Speaker 1: court and intent on turning this nation into a theocracy. 97 00:07:11,395 --> 00:07:13,475 Speaker 1: He may have already done the former and is well 98 00:07:13,555 --> 00:07:17,035 Speaker 1: on his way towards the latter. He had revealed this 99 00:07:17,155 --> 00:07:20,555 Speaker 1: bit by bit for years. Then in twenty twenty two 100 00:07:20,595 --> 00:07:25,235 Speaker 1: he pretty much stopped pretending. Quote it goes without saying 101 00:07:25,315 --> 00:07:28,875 Speaker 1: that everyone is free to express disagreement with our decisions 102 00:07:29,075 --> 00:07:32,755 Speaker 1: and to criticize our reasoning as they see fit, Alito 103 00:07:32,875 --> 00:07:36,635 Speaker 1: said then, in response to a stark but actually mild 104 00:07:36,715 --> 00:07:40,915 Speaker 1: reality check from Justice Atlanta Kagan. But saying or implying 105 00:07:40,955 --> 00:07:45,155 Speaker 1: that the Court is becoming an illegitimate institution, or questioning 106 00:07:45,235 --> 00:07:51,675 Speaker 1: our integrity crosses an important line, of course, Alito, and 107 00:07:51,715 --> 00:07:54,915 Speaker 1: this Court already had no integrity left to be questioned. 108 00:07:55,115 --> 00:07:58,315 Speaker 1: And this was before we found out about his flag collection. 109 00:07:59,435 --> 00:08:03,195 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty, sixty seven percent of this country said 110 00:08:03,435 --> 00:08:06,195 Speaker 1: it had a great deal or fair amount of trust 111 00:08:06,275 --> 00:08:12,315 Speaker 1: in the Supreme Court. Last year, the number was still 112 00:08:12,315 --> 00:08:15,755 Speaker 1: at about fifty four percent. It is now forty seven percent. 113 00:08:17,555 --> 00:08:20,795 Speaker 1: The Court's job approval in twenty twenty was fifty eight percent. 114 00:08:20,795 --> 00:08:24,435 Speaker 1: It is now forty percent. The political majority has not 115 00:08:24,595 --> 00:08:27,395 Speaker 1: changed on the Court since twenty twenty indeed, it has 116 00:08:27,475 --> 00:08:30,635 Speaker 1: not changed since nineteen seventy. The citizens of this country 117 00:08:30,835 --> 00:08:34,195 Speaker 1: have not been the ones who politicized their view of 118 00:08:34,275 --> 00:08:38,195 Speaker 1: the court. Mister Ledo and the frauds with whom he 119 00:08:38,275 --> 00:08:42,035 Speaker 1: sits have politicized the Court beyond this nation's ability to 120 00:08:42,115 --> 00:08:46,315 Speaker 1: withstand it anymore. And it is Alito and the frauds 121 00:08:46,315 --> 00:08:49,595 Speaker 1: with whom he sits who have now substituted the Bible 122 00:08:50,275 --> 00:08:57,435 Speaker 1: for the Constitution. The very worst moments, said Justice Kagan, 123 00:08:57,515 --> 00:09:00,875 Speaker 1: of the Court's history, have been times when judges have 124 00:09:01,715 --> 00:09:05,715 Speaker 1: even essentially reflected one parties or one one ideology set 125 00:09:05,755 --> 00:09:10,075 Speaker 1: of views in their legal decisions. The thing that builds 126 00:09:10,115 --> 00:09:13,555 Speaker 1: up reservoirs of public confidence is the court acting like 127 00:09:13,595 --> 00:09:16,515 Speaker 1: a court and not acting like an extension of the 128 00:09:16,515 --> 00:09:21,795 Speaker 1: political process. If over time the court loses all connection 129 00:09:21,915 --> 00:09:26,075 Speaker 1: with the public and with public sentiment, that is a 130 00:09:26,155 --> 00:09:31,555 Speaker 1: dangerous thing for democracy. It would be nice to have 131 00:09:31,755 --> 00:09:37,795 Speaker 1: Justice Kaigan questioned forced to speak on the record in 132 00:09:37,795 --> 00:09:40,915 Speaker 1: front of the Senate as to exactly what caused her 133 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:46,315 Speaker 1: to say that you already know I think of sam 134 00:09:46,355 --> 00:09:49,435 Speaker 1: Alito's speech in Rome July twenty twenty two at the 135 00:09:49,435 --> 00:09:53,875 Speaker 1: Notre Dame Religious Freedom Summit, which, as with most religious conferences, 136 00:09:53,955 --> 00:09:57,195 Speaker 1: was misnamed and was actually the Notre Dame Religious You 137 00:09:57,275 --> 00:10:00,955 Speaker 1: have no freedom but to obey us summit. You may 138 00:10:00,955 --> 00:10:03,595 Speaker 1: have heard him mock the world leaders who were appalled 139 00:10:03,915 --> 00:10:08,195 Speaker 1: by the court's de dishonest overturn of Roe v. Wade, 140 00:10:08,475 --> 00:10:10,835 Speaker 1: with its reliance on the legal wisdom of a judge 141 00:10:10,835 --> 00:10:14,315 Speaker 1: who used to oversee the hanging of witches. You may 142 00:10:14,355 --> 00:10:17,875 Speaker 1: have heard Alito bash secular values and the quote new 143 00:10:18,035 --> 00:10:22,315 Speaker 1: moral code. You probably, though did not hear him, Tell 144 00:10:22,795 --> 00:10:26,555 Speaker 1: the following meaningless anecdote, and tell it with the gravity 145 00:10:26,635 --> 00:10:31,675 Speaker 1: of someone who has just watched the burning of I 146 00:10:31,715 --> 00:10:35,275 Speaker 1: was going to say the Constitution, but obviously I really mean, 147 00:10:35,315 --> 00:10:38,795 Speaker 1: in Alito's case, somebody's just watched the burning of something sacred. 148 00:10:40,155 --> 00:10:41,395 Speaker 1: The appeal to heaven flagged. 149 00:10:41,515 --> 00:10:44,755 Speaker 2: I'm reminded of an experience I had a number of 150 00:10:44,835 --> 00:10:47,955 Speaker 2: years ago in a museum in. 151 00:10:49,435 --> 00:10:49,875 Speaker 1: Berlin. 152 00:10:51,155 --> 00:10:57,555 Speaker 2: One of the exhibits was a rustic wooden cross. An 153 00:10:57,595 --> 00:11:00,675 Speaker 2: affluent woman, a well dressed woman, and a young boy 154 00:11:01,035 --> 00:11:05,755 Speaker 2: were looking at this exhibit, and the young boy turned 155 00:11:05,795 --> 00:11:08,875 Speaker 2: to the woman, presumably his mother, and said. 156 00:11:09,435 --> 00:11:10,475 Speaker 1: Who is that man? 157 00:11:11,955 --> 00:11:15,555 Speaker 2: That memory has stuck in my mind as a harbinger 158 00:11:15,795 --> 00:11:18,275 Speaker 2: of what may lie ahead for our culture. 159 00:11:18,595 --> 00:11:21,795 Speaker 1: Alito believes it is his job. It is the job 160 00:11:21,835 --> 00:11:23,515 Speaker 1: of an American judge, It is the job of the 161 00:11:23,555 --> 00:11:25,555 Speaker 1: Supreme Court. It is the job of the United States 162 00:11:25,555 --> 00:11:29,995 Speaker 1: of America to force citizens to be able to identify 163 00:11:30,875 --> 00:11:35,155 Speaker 1: a man who may or may not have ever existed. 164 00:11:36,235 --> 00:11:38,795 Speaker 1: To also force them to honor the businesses that have 165 00:11:38,875 --> 00:11:43,955 Speaker 1: built themselves into world influencing corporations by attributing quotes to 166 00:11:43,995 --> 00:11:48,395 Speaker 1: this potentially fictional character, And to force us to defer 167 00:11:48,435 --> 00:11:51,275 Speaker 1: to the interpretations of this man who may or may 168 00:11:51,275 --> 00:11:53,715 Speaker 1: not have ever lived, about what the laws of the 169 00:11:53,835 --> 00:11:56,595 Speaker 1: United States of America should be, and who the President 170 00:11:56,635 --> 00:11:58,915 Speaker 1: of the United States of America should be, and if 171 00:11:58,955 --> 00:12:01,035 Speaker 1: we should have a president of the United States of 172 00:12:01,035 --> 00:12:03,955 Speaker 1: America or if a king or dictator would be better. 173 00:12:04,115 --> 00:12:10,675 Speaker 1: For the church, there is one last vital point about 174 00:12:10,715 --> 00:12:14,395 Speaker 1: what Samuel Alito said and the danger it represents and 175 00:12:14,475 --> 00:12:19,155 Speaker 1: the necessity for action that it causes. When Alito said 176 00:12:19,275 --> 00:12:23,515 Speaker 1: questioning the Court's integrity, quote crosses an important line. What 177 00:12:23,635 --> 00:12:27,395 Speaker 1: does he mean? What does he believe should be done 178 00:12:27,555 --> 00:12:31,315 Speaker 1: after that line is crossed? As he seemed to say 179 00:12:31,395 --> 00:12:34,435 Speaker 1: Kagan had crossed it. I believe the answer is far 180 00:12:34,515 --> 00:12:38,595 Speaker 1: more ominous than is currently being realized. Two years ago. 181 00:12:38,675 --> 00:12:41,595 Speaker 1: Next month, I tweeted, and forgive the self quote, it 182 00:12:41,635 --> 00:12:44,595 Speaker 1: has become necessary to dissolve the Supreme Court of the 183 00:12:44,715 --> 00:12:47,955 Speaker 1: United States. The first step is for a state the 184 00:12:48,035 --> 00:12:52,235 Speaker 1: Court has now forced guns upon to ignore this ruling. 185 00:12:52,835 --> 00:12:56,115 Speaker 1: Great your court, why and how do you think you 186 00:12:56,155 --> 00:13:01,835 Speaker 1: can enforce your rulings? Ignore the court? A few days later, 187 00:13:02,435 --> 00:13:07,355 Speaker 1: Senator Marco Rubio of Florida retweeted my remarks and added, 188 00:13:07,755 --> 00:13:11,475 Speaker 1: it is a federal offense to incite rebellion or insurrection 189 00:13:11,875 --> 00:13:15,435 Speaker 1: against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof. 190 00:13:17,515 --> 00:13:19,475 Speaker 1: First I thought he meant it for Trump to read 191 00:13:19,555 --> 00:13:23,235 Speaker 1: and just got the name wrong. What Rubio, in fact 192 00:13:23,475 --> 00:13:26,755 Speaker 1: Paul but said there What Alito has opaquely danced around 193 00:13:26,875 --> 00:13:30,715 Speaker 1: when asserting that questioning the Court's integrity crosses an important 194 00:13:30,835 --> 00:13:34,115 Speaker 1: line is that they intend not just to complete the 195 00:13:34,195 --> 00:13:37,035 Speaker 1: job of corrupting the Supreme Court and using it to 196 00:13:37,075 --> 00:13:40,635 Speaker 1: convert this nation into a theocracy, and not just to 197 00:13:40,635 --> 00:13:44,835 Speaker 1: suppress criticism of a corrupt, prostituted Supreme Court, but to 198 00:13:45,075 --> 00:13:51,675 Speaker 1: criminalize criticism of the court. If Marco Rubio could look 199 00:13:51,795 --> 00:13:55,635 Speaker 1: at a tweet from some guy calling for states to 200 00:13:55,755 --> 00:13:58,155 Speaker 1: ignore court rulings, which by the way, is one of 201 00:13:58,195 --> 00:14:01,635 Speaker 1: the core values of his Republican party and which was 202 00:14:01,715 --> 00:14:04,795 Speaker 1: bracketed historically. We now find out by Justice alit so 203 00:14:04,835 --> 00:14:08,235 Speaker 1: hanging one insurrectionist flag at one of his homes and 204 00:14:08,315 --> 00:14:11,475 Speaker 1: a worse flag at another one of his homes. If 205 00:14:11,595 --> 00:14:14,675 Speaker 1: Rubio could look at that and imply that I am 206 00:14:14,755 --> 00:14:19,875 Speaker 1: guilty of inciting rebellion and insurrection by tweeting, then, unfortunately, 207 00:14:19,915 --> 00:14:23,515 Speaker 1: we have to take Alito's referencing to saying or implying 208 00:14:23,555 --> 00:14:25,955 Speaker 1: that the Court is becoming an illegitimate institution. For questioning 209 00:14:25,955 --> 00:14:29,995 Speaker 1: our integrity crosses an important line. Not as a defensive 210 00:14:30,395 --> 00:14:36,795 Speaker 1: Holier than Thou spasm, but as a threat. Samuel Alito 211 00:14:37,075 --> 00:14:40,395 Speaker 1: is a threat to the United States of America, and 212 00:14:40,555 --> 00:14:48,795 Speaker 1: we must defend our nation. The would be dictatorships are 213 00:14:48,835 --> 00:14:51,275 Speaker 1: stacked up so thick they have to wait for permission 214 00:14:51,275 --> 00:14:55,355 Speaker 1: to land in a surprise announcement. On the other hand, 215 00:14:55,435 --> 00:14:59,795 Speaker 1: Donald Trump has declared himself dead. They were authorized to 216 00:14:59,835 --> 00:15:03,395 Speaker 1: shoot me, begins his email to try to con more 217 00:15:03,435 --> 00:15:07,315 Speaker 1: money out of his dumbest cult members. Quote, I nearly 218 00:15:07,795 --> 00:15:16,275 Speaker 1: escaped death. Uh, I nearly escaped death. I mean, so 219 00:15:16,715 --> 00:15:23,995 Speaker 1: you did you? You didn't? You didn't escape death? I 220 00:15:24,115 --> 00:15:27,555 Speaker 1: nearly escaped death. Well, that's certainly would explain the cognitive 221 00:15:27,595 --> 00:15:33,835 Speaker 1: decline of his wouldn't it? All jokes aside? And metaphorically speaking, 222 00:15:33,835 --> 00:15:36,995 Speaker 1: Trump may actually be right. Something big has changed this week. 223 00:15:37,035 --> 00:15:39,755 Speaker 1: If it is foddled up upon, it will be with 224 00:15:39,835 --> 00:15:42,555 Speaker 1: us through the election, It will expand, and it will 225 00:15:42,555 --> 00:15:46,995 Speaker 1: help us fight back against the mass stupidity the extraordinarily 226 00:15:47,115 --> 00:15:50,275 Speaker 1: uninformed part of the electorate Trump was writing to. There, 227 00:15:50,475 --> 00:15:54,355 Speaker 1: the teeming millions of morons who were shown a standard 228 00:15:54,435 --> 00:15:59,075 Speaker 1: boilerplate authorization given to every FBI agent and virtually every 229 00:15:59,195 --> 00:16:03,315 Speaker 1: policeman in this country every day, every hour, and who, 230 00:16:03,355 --> 00:16:06,835 Speaker 1: having been shown this in the Bill Hicks line like 231 00:16:06,915 --> 00:16:10,435 Speaker 1: a dog being shown a card trick, are now convinced 232 00:16:10,515 --> 00:16:12,875 Speaker 1: or pretending to be convinced, that it was a death 233 00:16:12,955 --> 00:16:19,515 Speaker 1: warrant issued by Biden against Trump. Obviously, Biden didn't do that. 234 00:16:20,155 --> 00:16:24,995 Speaker 1: What he did, what he changed was he and those 235 00:16:25,115 --> 00:16:32,875 Speaker 1: around him apparently decided yesterday Tuesday, maybe earlier, to take 236 00:16:33,035 --> 00:16:37,715 Speaker 1: the foot off the break, to pull out the stops. 237 00:16:37,995 --> 00:16:42,075 Speaker 1: They have decided, Yes, we will call Donald Trump all 238 00:16:42,195 --> 00:16:47,915 Speaker 1: those things. He is a loser, a madman, a fascist, 239 00:16:48,955 --> 00:16:56,235 Speaker 1: and after this week and the Unified Reich video, an 240 00:16:56,315 --> 00:16:57,275 Speaker 1: anti Semite. 241 00:16:57,515 --> 00:17:01,155 Speaker 3: This on his official account, Wow, a Unified Reich. 242 00:17:01,555 --> 00:17:02,395 Speaker 1: That Sitler's line. 243 00:17:02,395 --> 00:17:04,275 Speaker 4: Greaves, that's not America's. 244 00:17:03,955 --> 00:17:09,035 Speaker 1: Took to social media and highlighted language from Nazi Germany. 245 00:17:09,595 --> 00:17:11,915 Speaker 1: Highlighted language from Nazi Germany. 246 00:17:12,515 --> 00:17:15,035 Speaker 4: A last person I'm going to take advice from as 247 00:17:15,035 --> 00:17:18,715 Speaker 4: a Jewish person is a known anti semi who's had 248 00:17:18,755 --> 00:17:21,675 Speaker 4: dinner with anti Semits, who said there was good people 249 00:17:21,715 --> 00:17:25,515 Speaker 4: on both sides after Charlottesville. He's a last person I'm 250 00:17:25,515 --> 00:17:26,595 Speaker 4: going to take advice. 251 00:17:26,235 --> 00:17:29,715 Speaker 1: From president, vice president and the first gentleman calling an 252 00:17:29,755 --> 00:17:34,835 Speaker 1: anti semite an anti semite. It is a start. Those 253 00:17:34,875 --> 00:17:36,835 Speaker 1: are the terms that must be used about Trump every 254 00:17:36,875 --> 00:17:39,435 Speaker 1: day from now to the election. Every day. Do not 255 00:17:39,515 --> 00:17:42,035 Speaker 1: get caught up in the well. They only reposted the 256 00:17:42,075 --> 00:17:46,395 Speaker 1: work of a fan fiction guy using a cheap online template. 257 00:17:46,435 --> 00:17:49,995 Speaker 1: It turns out that cheap online template that spewed out 258 00:17:50,035 --> 00:17:54,275 Speaker 1: the Unified Reich filth could have been easily reset to 259 00:17:54,275 --> 00:17:56,555 Speaker 1: not include those words and to replace them with any 260 00:17:56,675 --> 00:18:07,155 Speaker 1: other words in human communication. Trump reposted it Reich, and 261 00:18:07,195 --> 00:18:09,635 Speaker 1: it's not a month since Trump had boasted that only 262 00:18:09,675 --> 00:18:12,915 Speaker 1: he and Dance Gabino are permitted to post on his account. 263 00:18:13,275 --> 00:18:16,235 Speaker 1: This talk of some staffer doing it without checking is 264 00:18:16,315 --> 00:18:21,035 Speaker 1: a typical Trump. Why Trump reposted it because he wants 265 00:18:21,035 --> 00:18:24,195 Speaker 1: his cult to know he remains the same anti semi 266 00:18:24,355 --> 00:18:29,275 Speaker 1: he was six months ago, and sixteen months ago and 267 00:18:29,595 --> 00:18:34,795 Speaker 1: thirty years ago. He goes through this every month, so 268 00:18:34,835 --> 00:18:37,555 Speaker 1: they don't have any doubts about him. We go through 269 00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:40,835 Speaker 1: this every month, and inexplicably, we continue to try to 270 00:18:40,875 --> 00:18:51,275 Speaker 1: manufacture doubts he's a Nazi. Trump plays your roundup of 271 00:18:51,315 --> 00:18:56,395 Speaker 1: the great anti Semitic hits. He has insisted repeatedly that 272 00:18:56,475 --> 00:18:59,715 Speaker 1: American Jews quote, have to get their act together before 273 00:18:59,715 --> 00:19:03,395 Speaker 1: it is too late. He has repeatedly pushed the calumny 274 00:19:03,435 --> 00:19:06,155 Speaker 1: that Jews are loyal to is not to the United States. 275 00:19:07,795 --> 00:19:10,875 Speaker 1: At the White House on Hanukkah, he referred to your country. 276 00:19:10,875 --> 00:19:15,035 Speaker 1: He meant Israel. He had dinner with the avowedly anti 277 00:19:15,035 --> 00:19:20,195 Speaker 1: Semitic Nick Fuentes and Kanye West. He praised Hitler to 278 00:19:20,235 --> 00:19:22,475 Speaker 1: former Chief of Staff John Kelly, and of course, the 279 00:19:22,555 --> 00:19:26,195 Speaker 1: Vanity Fair article from nineteen ninety quote if Anna Trump 280 00:19:26,235 --> 00:19:28,515 Speaker 1: told her lawyer that from time to time her husband 281 00:19:28,515 --> 00:19:30,955 Speaker 1: reads a book of Hitler's collected speeches which he keeps 282 00:19:30,995 --> 00:19:35,755 Speaker 1: in a cabinet by his bed, which was confirmed by 283 00:19:35,755 --> 00:19:40,195 Speaker 1: the former Chief of Gulf and Western and Paramount Marty Davis, 284 00:19:40,275 --> 00:19:46,195 Speaker 1: who gave Trump that book. This is not a complicated calculation. 285 00:19:47,075 --> 00:19:50,435 Speaker 1: If Trump determined today that he could get elected by 286 00:19:50,475 --> 00:19:55,795 Speaker 1: beginning a full fledged attack on Jewish people, Jewish influence, whatever, 287 00:19:56,435 --> 00:19:59,795 Speaker 1: he'd do it. When we speak of him as having 288 00:19:59,835 --> 00:20:02,195 Speaker 1: the soul of a mass murderer, that's what we mean. 289 00:20:02,235 --> 00:20:06,595 Speaker 1: People do not have any actual value to him. Reenact 290 00:20:06,595 --> 00:20:09,155 Speaker 1: the Holocaust in whole or in part to get reelected 291 00:20:09,195 --> 00:20:10,795 Speaker 1: to stay out of jail. Of course he'll do that, 292 00:20:12,235 --> 00:20:18,795 Speaker 1: and to any group you could name. If he became 293 00:20:18,835 --> 00:20:20,835 Speaker 1: convinced that he could regain the White House by rounding 294 00:20:20,915 --> 00:20:24,995 Speaker 1: up and killing all the left handed people, he would 295 00:20:25,035 --> 00:20:30,475 Speaker 1: do it. In March of this year, he introduced whole 296 00:20:30,715 --> 00:20:35,395 Speaker 1: new Hitler ploys. The whole January sixth hostages thing is 297 00:20:35,475 --> 00:20:38,035 Speaker 1: just a replay of how Hitler used to talk about 298 00:20:38,115 --> 00:20:41,915 Speaker 1: Nazi Party members who had been jailed. Trump's reverence for 299 00:20:41,995 --> 00:20:45,555 Speaker 1: Ashley Babbitt. That's just a replay of Hitler's constant invocation 300 00:20:45,595 --> 00:20:49,235 Speaker 1: of horse vessel shot by the Communists and the idea 301 00:20:49,235 --> 00:20:52,955 Speaker 1: of having that second national anthem, that creepy thing he 302 00:20:53,035 --> 00:21:00,035 Speaker 1: plays at his bund rallies, that's just stolen from the 303 00:21:00,155 --> 00:21:03,555 Speaker 1: Germans and they used it until nineteen forty five and 304 00:21:03,635 --> 00:21:06,155 Speaker 1: called it the horse vessel song. I don't know how 305 00:21:06,155 --> 00:21:11,195 Speaker 1: this could be any clearer. The terminology must be used, 306 00:21:11,195 --> 00:21:14,835 Speaker 1: and it must get stronger as election day nears. Today 307 00:21:14,835 --> 00:21:17,755 Speaker 1: we call him an anti semi. Tomorrow I want to 308 00:21:17,795 --> 00:21:23,635 Speaker 1: hear the first gentleman call Trump a Nazi. Because whatever 309 00:21:23,675 --> 00:21:26,275 Speaker 1: the deeper psychology of Trump, from being a disturbed and 310 00:21:26,315 --> 00:21:32,435 Speaker 1: apparently homicidal child, through adulthood and now into old age, 311 00:21:33,355 --> 00:21:36,995 Speaker 1: when deterioration has been added to this fatal mix, there 312 00:21:37,075 --> 00:21:41,515 Speaker 1: is a simple through line. He craves money and power. 313 00:21:41,915 --> 00:21:46,835 Speaker 1: He does not feel alive without both everything and everyone 314 00:21:46,875 --> 00:21:48,995 Speaker 1: else he pretends to like and love. He does so 315 00:21:49,235 --> 00:21:51,715 Speaker 1: because he believes it or they can get him money 316 00:21:51,715 --> 00:21:55,435 Speaker 1: and power. There are no other genuine emotions. If he 317 00:21:55,435 --> 00:21:59,035 Speaker 1: could win the election by imprisoning America's Jews, he'd do it. 318 00:21:59,235 --> 00:22:01,595 Speaker 1: If he could win the election by forcibly converting the 319 00:22:01,635 --> 00:22:06,715 Speaker 1: Gentiles to Jews. He'd do that, In fact, he do 320 00:22:06,835 --> 00:22:09,715 Speaker 1: them both one day after the other, if that would work. 321 00:22:10,675 --> 00:22:14,275 Speaker 1: And therein lies the ultimate danger of Trump's particular version 322 00:22:14,275 --> 00:22:16,955 Speaker 1: of anti Semitism, and why he must be called on 323 00:22:17,075 --> 00:22:21,275 Speaker 1: it every day. It is actually a moral He can 324 00:22:21,315 --> 00:22:24,875 Speaker 1: switch it on or off as the moment requires. Today 325 00:22:24,915 --> 00:22:27,795 Speaker 1: he is defending Jews and claiming his political opponents are 326 00:22:27,795 --> 00:22:33,635 Speaker 1: attacking them and endangering their country. Tomorrow he will again 327 00:22:33,715 --> 00:22:37,715 Speaker 1: be insisting that they are endangering him by being loyal 328 00:22:38,075 --> 00:22:45,235 Speaker 1: to their country. Of the thousand different madnesses of Trump, 329 00:22:45,795 --> 00:22:48,675 Speaker 1: this one may be the most dangerous. And we are 330 00:22:48,715 --> 00:22:53,635 Speaker 1: reminded again that of the thousand different madnesses of the 331 00:22:53,675 --> 00:22:58,155 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, including its most influential justice, the Flag Collector, 332 00:22:58,795 --> 00:23:02,755 Speaker 1: the most dangerous one is that its majority sees this 333 00:23:02,915 --> 00:23:08,035 Speaker 1: scumbag Trump as a through which it can impose its 334 00:23:08,075 --> 00:23:15,035 Speaker 1: theocracy to replace the democracy the Supreme Court seeks to murder. 335 00:23:20,235 --> 00:23:23,835 Speaker 1: Also of interest here, Jim Jordan says something stupid about 336 00:23:23,875 --> 00:23:27,195 Speaker 1: Alito and Thomas, but it's actually funny, and god damn it, 337 00:23:27,235 --> 00:23:30,075 Speaker 1: we could use some funny right about now. That's next. 338 00:23:30,115 --> 00:23:56,715 Speaker 1: This is Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Olberman stell 339 00:23:56,755 --> 00:23:58,875 Speaker 1: ahead of us on this edition to Countdown. I ran 340 00:23:58,915 --> 00:24:02,475 Speaker 1: into al Roker at the Annimal Hospital the other day, 341 00:24:03,235 --> 00:24:05,755 Speaker 1: so after he left I had to tell my friends 342 00:24:05,795 --> 00:24:10,475 Speaker 1: there my matt Lower stories. So let me tell them 343 00:24:10,475 --> 00:24:14,875 Speaker 1: to you too. Ahead in things I promised not to tell. 344 00:24:14,995 --> 00:24:18,515 Speaker 1: I lied, But first, as ever, there are still new 345 00:24:18,635 --> 00:24:21,235 Speaker 1: idiots to talk about. The daily roundup of the miss Grits, 346 00:24:21,275 --> 00:24:25,195 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute two days 347 00:24:26,275 --> 00:24:29,395 Speaker 1: Where in the world are the worst persons in the world, 348 00:24:30,195 --> 00:24:34,835 Speaker 1: the bronze worse the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. In polling, 349 00:24:34,915 --> 00:24:37,675 Speaker 1: his Conservative Party is down by an average of twenty 350 00:24:37,835 --> 00:24:42,675 Speaker 1: one points to the Labor Party. The conservatives big cell 351 00:24:42,755 --> 00:24:44,995 Speaker 1: at the moment is that they're finally going to start 352 00:24:45,035 --> 00:24:51,475 Speaker 1: expelling immigrants and sending them to Rwanda, and the government 353 00:24:51,515 --> 00:24:54,035 Speaker 1: would be allowed to stay in office until New Year's Day. 354 00:24:54,075 --> 00:24:57,195 Speaker 1: But yesterday's Sunac called what the Brits referred to as 355 00:24:57,195 --> 00:25:03,435 Speaker 1: a snap election on July fourth. This July fourth, July fourth, 356 00:25:03,475 --> 00:25:08,595 Speaker 1: good Calling says the continuity of British government like putting 357 00:25:08,595 --> 00:25:10,835 Speaker 1: it up for a vote on the fourth of July. 358 00:25:12,035 --> 00:25:17,395 Speaker 1: Every parliamentary seat will be voted on forty three days 359 00:25:17,395 --> 00:25:19,835 Speaker 1: from now. Now, I'll have to say nothing pleases me 360 00:25:19,955 --> 00:25:22,635 Speaker 1: more than the idea that you could have an election, 361 00:25:23,515 --> 00:25:26,835 Speaker 1: say an election in this country for the chief executive 362 00:25:26,875 --> 00:25:30,675 Speaker 1: officer of the nation, and have the entire campaign last 363 00:25:30,795 --> 00:25:35,115 Speaker 1: only six weeks and one day. On the other hand, 364 00:25:35,915 --> 00:25:40,155 Speaker 1: who exactly runs mister Sunac's optics. He bounded out of 365 00:25:40,235 --> 00:25:44,395 Speaker 1: Number ten Downing Street to a famous outdoor podium to 366 00:25:44,435 --> 00:25:48,315 Speaker 1: announce the election, and within seconds, sirens from police vehicles 367 00:25:48,395 --> 00:25:52,635 Speaker 1: driving by drowned him out. And that was met metaphorically. 368 00:25:52,675 --> 00:25:55,715 Speaker 1: Then came the literal part. That's when it started to rain. 369 00:25:56,355 --> 00:25:59,715 Speaker 1: It rained so hard, so fast that water collected in 370 00:25:59,835 --> 00:26:06,115 Speaker 1: tiny puddles on the Prime Minister's suit. Somebody somewhere then 371 00:26:06,155 --> 00:26:09,795 Speaker 1: probably turned on a rival public address system and played 372 00:26:09,835 --> 00:26:13,235 Speaker 1: a song called things can Only Get Better. 373 00:26:13,635 --> 00:26:16,275 Speaker 5: Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to 374 00:26:16,315 --> 00:26:19,875 Speaker 5: request the dissolution of Parliament. The King has granted this 375 00:26:19,955 --> 00:26:22,755 Speaker 5: request and we will have a general election on the 376 00:26:22,795 --> 00:26:25,995 Speaker 5: fourth of July. This election will take place at a 377 00:26:25,995 --> 00:26:28,435 Speaker 5: time when the world is more dangerous than it has 378 00:26:28,435 --> 00:26:29,355 Speaker 5: been since the end of. 379 00:26:29,315 --> 00:26:34,515 Speaker 1: The cold the crack. BBC correspondent looks me Gopal reports 380 00:26:34,915 --> 00:26:37,995 Speaker 1: that was things can only get better by a Northern 381 00:26:38,035 --> 00:26:42,915 Speaker 1: Ireland group called d Reem from nineteen ninety four. I 382 00:26:42,955 --> 00:26:45,515 Speaker 1: guess that was the ultimate message for the poor Prime minister, 383 00:26:45,635 --> 00:26:47,875 Speaker 1: since as he finished his message and turned his back 384 00:26:47,875 --> 00:26:50,755 Speaker 1: on the cameras and went back inside Number ten, he 385 00:26:50,875 --> 00:26:54,675 Speaker 1: did not slip on the soaked street and do a 386 00:26:54,715 --> 00:26:59,275 Speaker 1: face plant. But for goodness sakes, how bad are things there? 387 00:26:59,275 --> 00:27:02,595 Speaker 1: Catch you buy this man a weather app? And what 388 00:27:02,715 --> 00:27:05,555 Speaker 1: did he find waiting for himself? Indoor reports that his 389 00:27:05,635 --> 00:27:08,595 Speaker 1: Conservative members of Parliament are now planning to try to 390 00:27:08,675 --> 00:27:12,755 Speaker 1: oust him as party leader and thus as Prime Minister 391 00:27:13,435 --> 00:27:17,355 Speaker 1: before the election forty three days from now, because he 392 00:27:17,435 --> 00:27:20,755 Speaker 1: called the election forty three days from now. I'd just 393 00:27:20,835 --> 00:27:24,715 Speaker 1: like to add this, Liz Trusts tanned, rested and ready. 394 00:27:26,155 --> 00:27:28,835 Speaker 1: The runner up worser Larry Hogan, the lame duck governor 395 00:27:28,835 --> 00:27:31,755 Speaker 1: of Maryland running for the Senate. A reasonable Republican but 396 00:27:31,795 --> 00:27:36,995 Speaker 1: still just a Republican, I e. A liar. Hogan has 397 00:27:36,995 --> 00:27:39,755 Speaker 1: posted his first campaign video and with it he has written, 398 00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:43,195 Speaker 1: as governor, I promise to uphold Maryland law on abortion, 399 00:27:43,515 --> 00:27:45,355 Speaker 1: and I kept my word in the Senate. I will 400 00:27:45,395 --> 00:27:48,755 Speaker 1: support legislation that makes row the law of Land in 401 00:27:48,795 --> 00:27:51,915 Speaker 1: every state so every woman gets the reproductive care she needs, 402 00:27:52,075 --> 00:27:54,275 Speaker 1: because no one should come between a woman and her doctor. 403 00:27:54,555 --> 00:27:56,755 Speaker 1: Sounds very nice, but it was left to David Simon, 404 00:27:57,835 --> 00:28:01,635 Speaker 1: the Baltimorean and O Tour of the Wire series to 405 00:28:01,755 --> 00:28:06,115 Speaker 1: note that mister Hogan was not being completely honest or 406 00:28:06,515 --> 00:28:11,555 Speaker 1: honest at all, or, as Simon put it, quote callo 407 00:28:11,995 --> 00:28:16,555 Speaker 1: lying mook. Larry Hogan, your veto had to be overridden 408 00:28:16,555 --> 00:28:19,795 Speaker 1: by the Democratic legislature, and then you withheld funds as 409 00:28:19,795 --> 00:28:22,635 Speaker 1: a means of undermining the ability of Maryland women to 410 00:28:22,755 --> 00:28:25,355 Speaker 1: control their own bodies. And now you have the nerve 411 00:28:25,715 --> 00:28:30,195 Speaker 1: to tweet this dishonesty. Well, of course, David Simon that 412 00:28:30,275 --> 00:28:33,235 Speaker 1: he had the nerve to tweet that dishonesty. He's in 413 00:28:33,355 --> 00:28:38,755 Speaker 1: the party of if all the other Republicans, but the 414 00:28:38,795 --> 00:28:41,675 Speaker 1: winner the worst. Good old Jim Jordan, with one of 415 00:28:41,715 --> 00:28:47,355 Speaker 1: his typical simplistic tweets, quote, America needs more justice Thomas 416 00:28:48,115 --> 00:28:54,035 Speaker 1: and justice Alito and less Wan Mershan. Well, then here's 417 00:28:54,035 --> 00:28:57,515 Speaker 1: good news for you, Jim Jordan. Republican. If you want 418 00:28:57,595 --> 00:29:02,315 Speaker 1: more of Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito, all you need 419 00:29:02,475 --> 00:29:08,875 Speaker 1: is cash him stepped on another rake Jordan two days 420 00:29:09,795 --> 00:29:11,075 Speaker 1: worst Parson. 421 00:29:12,395 --> 00:29:13,235 Speaker 2: And now. 422 00:29:31,315 --> 00:29:33,235 Speaker 1: To the number one story on the Countdown and my 423 00:29:33,275 --> 00:29:36,235 Speaker 1: favorite topic, me and things I promised not to tell. 424 00:29:36,315 --> 00:29:38,155 Speaker 1: And somebody asked me the other day, whatever happened to 425 00:29:38,155 --> 00:29:40,515 Speaker 1: Matt Lower? And I said, I don't know, but I 426 00:29:40,515 --> 00:29:43,835 Speaker 1: hope it was unpleasant. If the name Matt Lower is 427 00:29:43,875 --> 00:29:47,115 Speaker 1: remembered at all today, it is for two facts. One 428 00:29:47,715 --> 00:29:50,675 Speaker 1: but he was the face of NBC News until November 429 00:29:50,715 --> 00:29:54,275 Speaker 1: twenty ninth, twenty seventeen, when the network suddenly announced there 430 00:29:54,275 --> 00:29:57,795 Speaker 1: were credible allegations against him of sexual misconduct and that 431 00:29:57,875 --> 00:30:01,915 Speaker 1: he had been fired, effective immediately. And two the lesser 432 00:30:01,995 --> 00:30:04,915 Speaker 1: known fact that everybody at NBC knew he He was 433 00:30:04,955 --> 00:30:08,915 Speaker 1: an evil figure who dominated all of management at thirty 434 00:30:08,995 --> 00:30:11,875 Speaker 1: Rock and in many cases coerced them into looking the 435 00:30:11,915 --> 00:30:15,995 Speaker 1: other way, despite decades of abuse of women employees and 436 00:30:16,115 --> 00:30:19,635 Speaker 1: of bullying and retribution against male employees, including other people 437 00:30:19,675 --> 00:30:23,995 Speaker 1: on TV. This was so well known inside NBC News 438 00:30:24,195 --> 00:30:25,995 Speaker 1: that even some of us who had left and had 439 00:30:25,995 --> 00:30:28,435 Speaker 1: been gone for years knew. In advance he was to 440 00:30:28,435 --> 00:30:32,555 Speaker 1: be fired. I found out like four days before it happened. 441 00:30:34,315 --> 00:30:36,715 Speaker 1: And much of the bad conduct, at least the bad 442 00:30:36,755 --> 00:30:40,035 Speaker 1: conduct in the office involving the male employees, I saw 443 00:30:40,115 --> 00:30:43,475 Speaker 1: happen in real time. When I returned to NBC in 444 00:30:43,515 --> 00:30:47,475 Speaker 1: February two thousand and three, I was one of Lower's favorites. 445 00:30:47,795 --> 00:30:51,635 Speaker 1: For some reason, My show Countdown was the last program 446 00:30:51,715 --> 00:30:54,795 Speaker 1: he watched before he went to sleep, or maybe more correctly, 447 00:30:54,995 --> 00:30:57,995 Speaker 1: before he went to bed. He used to do these 448 00:30:58,115 --> 00:31:00,555 Speaker 1: moronic where in the world is Matt Lower segments in 449 00:31:00,595 --> 00:31:03,715 Speaker 1: which it created video clues as to his whereabouts that 450 00:31:03,755 --> 00:31:06,515 Speaker 1: would run on the Today And one day one of 451 00:31:06,515 --> 00:31:08,675 Speaker 1: his producers called and said Lower was such a fan 452 00:31:08,755 --> 00:31:11,315 Speaker 1: of Countdown he wanted to do a special clue just 453 00:31:11,595 --> 00:31:15,515 Speaker 1: for Countdown. Well, we had like two hundred thousand viewers 454 00:31:15,515 --> 00:31:18,835 Speaker 1: a night. We took whatever we could get some free 455 00:31:18,875 --> 00:31:22,915 Speaker 1: Matt Lower. Sure. By the way, I was reminded recently 456 00:31:22,915 --> 00:31:26,315 Speaker 1: that one MSNBC wag used to answer that rhetorical question 457 00:31:26,515 --> 00:31:29,875 Speaker 1: where in the world is Matt Lower by answering in 458 00:31:29,915 --> 00:31:34,795 Speaker 1: the bedroom of somebody else's wife. Anyway, Lower, if you 459 00:31:34,875 --> 00:31:38,035 Speaker 1: think the Republican's ability to turn any tragedy into a 460 00:31:38,035 --> 00:31:41,795 Speaker 1: political issue is something new, or that television's ability to 461 00:31:41,795 --> 00:31:44,635 Speaker 1: turn any tragedy into ratings is something new, or that 462 00:31:44,675 --> 00:31:47,955 Speaker 1: Matt Lower's ability to make anything worse was something new. 463 00:31:48,395 --> 00:31:52,915 Speaker 1: Consider the case of Terry Schivo. Terry Schivo was a 464 00:31:52,915 --> 00:31:56,715 Speaker 1: woman in Florida, twenty six years old, struck by cardiac arrest. 465 00:31:57,395 --> 00:31:59,835 Speaker 1: It did not kill her, but it left her in 466 00:31:59,875 --> 00:32:04,235 Speaker 1: a living nightmare. She was in a quote persistent vegetative state, 467 00:32:04,835 --> 00:32:08,435 Speaker 1: not brain dead, but neither was she conscious. And worse, 468 00:32:09,235 --> 00:32:13,355 Speaker 1: her eyes were open and her head moved constantly and 469 00:32:13,475 --> 00:32:18,515 Speaker 1: involuntarily and in a regular pattern. Her parents, I guess, 470 00:32:18,595 --> 00:32:22,675 Speaker 1: understandably unwilling to accept this terrible fate, quickly discovered that 471 00:32:22,755 --> 00:32:26,475 Speaker 1: if you moved a balloon through her hospital room, Terry 472 00:32:26,515 --> 00:32:31,795 Speaker 1: Shibo's head and gaze would seem to follow the balloon. Unfortunately, 473 00:32:31,875 --> 00:32:34,835 Speaker 1: if you did not move a balloon through her hospital room, 474 00:32:34,915 --> 00:32:37,835 Speaker 1: Terry Shibo's head and gaze would still follow the same 475 00:32:37,875 --> 00:32:40,515 Speaker 1: exact path as it did when there was a balloon. 476 00:32:41,555 --> 00:32:44,755 Speaker 1: Her husband, Michael, spent seven years in the courts trying 477 00:32:44,795 --> 00:32:47,995 Speaker 1: to get his wife's feeding tube removed and thus release 478 00:32:48,035 --> 00:32:50,315 Speaker 1: her and him and everybody in the family from this 479 00:32:50,395 --> 00:32:55,395 Speaker 1: living hell, and her parents fought him, and finally in 480 00:32:55,395 --> 00:32:58,875 Speaker 1: two thousand and three, the parents went public. They showed 481 00:32:58,955 --> 00:33:02,755 Speaker 1: video of their daughter her head following that balloon around 482 00:33:02,755 --> 00:33:05,755 Speaker 1: the hospital room. They contacted it every politician who would 483 00:33:05,755 --> 00:33:09,875 Speaker 1: take their call. The Republican leader in the Senate, doctor 484 00:33:09,955 --> 00:33:13,635 Speaker 1: Bill Frist of Tennessee, a heart surgeon, said on the 485 00:33:13,675 --> 00:33:16,275 Speaker 1: Senate floor that, of course he could not diagnose a 486 00:33:16,315 --> 00:33:19,995 Speaker 1: patient just from a videotape. And then he proceeded to 487 00:33:20,075 --> 00:33:23,555 Speaker 1: diagnose a patient just from a videotape. He said on 488 00:33:23,675 --> 00:33:26,755 Speaker 1: the Senate floor. She should not be taken off life support. 489 00:33:28,075 --> 00:33:31,235 Speaker 1: The Shaivohs eventually got Republicans to pass a bill in 490 00:33:31,275 --> 00:33:34,155 Speaker 1: the House and Senate taking her case away from the 491 00:33:34,195 --> 00:33:38,035 Speaker 1: Florida courts and putting it into the federal courts, and 492 00:33:38,155 --> 00:33:41,475 Speaker 1: President George W. Bush actually flew back from vacation in 493 00:33:41,555 --> 00:33:45,475 Speaker 1: Texas to Washington just to sign that law on camera. 494 00:33:45,595 --> 00:33:50,675 Speaker 1: Of course, this was a topic for all of tabloid television, 495 00:33:50,755 --> 00:33:53,355 Speaker 1: and for all of tabloid television that pretends it is 496 00:33:53,395 --> 00:33:57,115 Speaker 1: not tabloid television, like the Today Show, and it went 497 00:33:57,155 --> 00:34:00,675 Speaker 1: on for months. Eventually, there was a pack of guests 498 00:34:00,755 --> 00:34:03,995 Speaker 1: willing to appear on your show and imply cleverly that 499 00:34:04,075 --> 00:34:07,835 Speaker 1: Michael Shay had caused his wife's vegetative state and was 500 00:34:07,875 --> 00:34:11,915 Speaker 1: now trying to quote finish the job from my own network. 501 00:34:12,195 --> 00:34:15,555 Speaker 1: Joe Scarborough, who had been a lawyer, put on Terry 502 00:34:15,555 --> 00:34:18,955 Speaker 1: Schibo's brother and sister, and they both implied there was 503 00:34:19,035 --> 00:34:22,795 Speaker 1: quote foul play. Joey scars put it this way. I 504 00:34:22,835 --> 00:34:26,635 Speaker 1: am quoting him. They can attack every last person who 505 00:34:26,755 --> 00:34:30,075 Speaker 1: is trying to save this young woman from starvation. But 506 00:34:30,155 --> 00:34:35,155 Speaker 1: in the Americans shocked by this macabre chapter in American politics, 507 00:34:35,195 --> 00:34:37,915 Speaker 1: we'll see the Democrats as the party on the side 508 00:34:37,995 --> 00:34:43,315 Speaker 1: of death and see George Bush as the defender of defenseless. 509 00:34:43,435 --> 00:34:49,555 Speaker 1: Unquote Joe Scarborough MSNBC, Joe Scarborough is a jackass and 510 00:34:49,635 --> 00:34:52,915 Speaker 1: a fraud. If you watch his show, you are getting hustled. 511 00:34:53,555 --> 00:34:56,915 Speaker 1: If you go on his show, there's another word for 512 00:34:56,955 --> 00:35:01,075 Speaker 1: that anyway. Finally, sanity prevailed. A court ordered the feeding 513 00:35:01,075 --> 00:35:03,875 Speaker 1: tube removed in March two thousand and five. Two weeks later, 514 00:35:04,195 --> 00:35:07,635 Speaker 1: Terry shi died. The autopsy showed her brain was half 515 00:35:07,675 --> 00:35:12,675 Speaker 1: its normal size. It had been irreversibly damaged fifteen years earlier. 516 00:35:12,715 --> 00:35:15,715 Speaker 1: There were no signs of physical trauma, not the slightest 517 00:35:15,715 --> 00:35:20,795 Speaker 1: indication of foul play. In January of two thousand and six, 518 00:35:20,915 --> 00:35:24,435 Speaker 1: I got a phone call. It was Michael Schaivo. He said, 519 00:35:24,595 --> 00:35:26,795 Speaker 1: rather matter of factly, that he had tried to avoid 520 00:35:26,875 --> 00:35:30,755 Speaker 1: watching as the tragedy he and his wife endured was 521 00:35:30,795 --> 00:35:33,995 Speaker 1: turned into a multi network soap opera, but he found 522 00:35:34,075 --> 00:35:36,235 Speaker 1: that there was one reporter who tried to balance the 523 00:35:36,315 --> 00:35:39,755 Speaker 1: hysteria and to treat him fairly, and that that was me. 524 00:35:40,475 --> 00:35:42,115 Speaker 1: And he wanted to know if I wanted to be 525 00:35:42,155 --> 00:35:45,955 Speaker 1: the first person to interview him. Nothing fancy, he said. 526 00:35:46,275 --> 00:35:48,235 Speaker 1: This guy, Matt Lower, he said, had been calling him 527 00:35:48,235 --> 00:35:49,755 Speaker 1: once a week and wanted to walk with him on 528 00:35:49,795 --> 00:35:52,555 Speaker 1: the beaches of Florida and do a three hour interview 529 00:35:52,555 --> 00:35:55,875 Speaker 1: for Today in Nightly News and Dateline and MSNBC. Michael 530 00:35:55,955 --> 00:35:57,835 Speaker 1: Chaibo didn't want to do any of that, and he 531 00:35:57,875 --> 00:36:01,155 Speaker 1: didn't like Matt Lauer at all, and he was thinking 532 00:36:01,155 --> 00:36:02,475 Speaker 1: if he had to sit down with one of the 533 00:36:02,475 --> 00:36:05,875 Speaker 1: celebrity interviewers, it would probably Ben Sawyer, but he hadn't 534 00:36:05,875 --> 00:36:09,395 Speaker 1: made up his mind yet. What Michael Schaibo wondered was 535 00:36:09,515 --> 00:36:11,515 Speaker 1: if he could just go to a studio in Tampa 536 00:36:11,595 --> 00:36:14,715 Speaker 1: one morning before work and have me go to a 537 00:36:14,715 --> 00:36:18,115 Speaker 1: studio in New York and I could interview him remotely 538 00:36:19,195 --> 00:36:22,515 Speaker 1: well naturally, I said yes. So on February first, two 539 00:36:22,555 --> 00:36:24,835 Speaker 1: thousand and six, I got up way earlier than usual. 540 00:36:24,955 --> 00:36:27,075 Speaker 1: I went into thirty Rock, I got into a studio. 541 00:36:27,475 --> 00:36:31,835 Speaker 1: I taped an interview with Michael Schaibo. Bluntly, he was 542 00:36:31,915 --> 00:36:34,315 Speaker 1: as dull an interviewee as I could imagine, and my 543 00:36:34,475 --> 00:36:37,395 Speaker 1: questions were deliberately not hysterical. But it was a good, 544 00:36:37,475 --> 00:36:41,035 Speaker 1: factual interview, and for a network that struggled as much 545 00:36:41,075 --> 00:36:45,315 Speaker 1: as MSNBC, it was a big deal just for journalistic credibility, 546 00:36:45,595 --> 00:36:47,795 Speaker 1: just to balance what we had been playing on the 547 00:36:47,795 --> 00:36:52,075 Speaker 1: Scarborough Show. Everybody at NBC News knew we were doing it. 548 00:36:52,115 --> 00:36:56,475 Speaker 1: We recorded it at NBC News using NBC News control 549 00:36:56,555 --> 00:37:00,675 Speaker 1: rooms and videotape. Everybody knew, including the President of NBC News, 550 00:37:00,715 --> 00:37:05,715 Speaker 1: Steve Campus, and the executive producers of Today Nightly News Dateline, 551 00:37:05,795 --> 00:37:08,195 Speaker 1: all of whom were interested in using clips of the interview. 552 00:37:08,915 --> 00:37:11,235 Speaker 1: After I finished, I went and visited the executive in 553 00:37:11,315 --> 00:37:14,595 Speaker 1: charge of MSNBC in his office at thirty Rock. Then 554 00:37:14,635 --> 00:37:16,675 Speaker 1: I went home and I took a nap before I 555 00:37:16,715 --> 00:37:19,955 Speaker 1: went into MSNBC in the late afternoon to prepare my 556 00:37:20,035 --> 00:37:24,195 Speaker 1: eight pm show. When the phone rang there, it was 557 00:37:24,275 --> 00:37:29,355 Speaker 1: Steve CAPPIs, President of NBC News. Look, you've interfered with 558 00:37:29,395 --> 00:37:32,035 Speaker 1: the Today Show's long standing plans and commitments. We have 559 00:37:32,155 --> 00:37:35,795 Speaker 1: signed contracts with Michael Chaibo. Matt Louer is furious, but 560 00:37:35,875 --> 00:37:38,875 Speaker 1: I understand Chivo offered you this interview, so you couldn't 561 00:37:38,915 --> 00:37:40,675 Speaker 1: have known how you were violating the Today Show. And 562 00:37:40,715 --> 00:37:44,795 Speaker 1: Matt I pointed out that Chibo had said specifically that 563 00:37:44,875 --> 00:37:48,315 Speaker 1: he had not signed anything with anybody. President of NBC 564 00:37:48,395 --> 00:37:50,755 Speaker 1: News ignored this. Here's the offer, Matt and I will 565 00:37:50,795 --> 00:37:53,475 Speaker 1: make you. You don't run the interview tonight, we will 566 00:37:53,515 --> 00:37:55,435 Speaker 1: run a segment of it tomorrow on Today, giving a 567 00:37:55,435 --> 00:37:58,075 Speaker 1: full plug to countdown. Then tomorrow night you can run 568 00:37:58,075 --> 00:38:01,155 Speaker 1: a four minute segment. The rest of your interview can run. 569 00:38:01,195 --> 00:38:03,595 Speaker 1: And I think, despite what you've done to us, your 570 00:38:03,595 --> 00:38:07,915 Speaker 1: interview should run after Matt Lowers does sometime next month. 571 00:38:08,515 --> 00:38:11,035 Speaker 1: I think this is a great idea. Since Matt wants 572 00:38:11,035 --> 00:38:14,475 Speaker 1: me to fire you. I said, this was the dumbest 573 00:38:14,475 --> 00:38:16,915 Speaker 1: thing I had ever heard, which was saying a lot 574 00:38:16,995 --> 00:38:19,595 Speaker 1: since I had spent nearly three years working at Fox. 575 00:38:20,955 --> 00:38:23,395 Speaker 1: There was nothing about our interview that risked Matt Lower's 576 00:38:23,475 --> 00:38:26,235 Speaker 1: prospects of getting his own interview. In fact, it probably 577 00:38:26,235 --> 00:38:30,035 Speaker 1: increased them. I could now pitch Michael Chaibo on Lower's behalf. 578 00:38:30,515 --> 00:38:33,915 Speaker 1: Michael Chabo did not like Lawer. On the other end 579 00:38:33,915 --> 00:38:38,915 Speaker 1: of the phone, Cappus gasped, doesn't like Lower. Don't say that, 580 00:38:40,435 --> 00:38:43,075 Speaker 1: But to bury our interview for a month was crapping 581 00:38:43,115 --> 00:38:47,395 Speaker 1: all over MSNBC and me and Michael Schaibo and journalistically 582 00:38:47,435 --> 00:38:50,315 Speaker 1: it was indefensible and it made me feel like walking out. 583 00:38:52,235 --> 00:38:56,835 Speaker 1: Steve Cappus, whose later boss at NBC told me that 584 00:38:56,875 --> 00:38:59,675 Speaker 1: she fired him for telling her that he would never 585 00:38:59,715 --> 00:39:03,235 Speaker 1: take orders from a woman, began to scream, as I 586 00:39:03,315 --> 00:39:05,955 Speaker 1: noted at the time in my die like a twelve 587 00:39:06,035 --> 00:39:06,795 Speaker 1: year old. 588 00:39:07,155 --> 00:39:09,475 Speaker 3: I offer you a way out and not getting fired 589 00:39:09,515 --> 00:39:11,595 Speaker 3: and not get Matt Lawer on your ass, and you 590 00:39:11,675 --> 00:39:12,395 Speaker 3: threatened to quit. 591 00:39:13,235 --> 00:39:15,035 Speaker 1: I pointed out that I had not threatened to quit. 592 00:39:15,075 --> 00:39:16,755 Speaker 1: I told him that if there really had been a 593 00:39:16,835 --> 00:39:19,915 Speaker 1: contract with Michael Chaivo, even if he had not mentioned 594 00:39:19,955 --> 00:39:22,995 Speaker 1: it to me, any of the one hundred NBC executives 595 00:39:22,995 --> 00:39:25,475 Speaker 1: who had known about my interview with Michael Schaivo for 596 00:39:25,755 --> 00:39:28,555 Speaker 1: like a week would have. I had even sent Brian 597 00:39:28,595 --> 00:39:31,475 Speaker 1: Williams a note asking if there were any specific questions. 598 00:39:31,515 --> 00:39:34,315 Speaker 1: He wanted me to ask Chaivo so he could use 599 00:39:34,355 --> 00:39:39,315 Speaker 1: a clip on NBC Nightly News. Somehow, Kappus began to 600 00:39:39,315 --> 00:39:42,355 Speaker 1: scream again in an even higher pitched voice. 601 00:39:42,715 --> 00:39:45,115 Speaker 3: Matt Lawer advises me to simply kill your interview with 602 00:39:45,155 --> 00:39:47,035 Speaker 3: Michael Schaibo, and I'm trying to find a way out 603 00:39:47,035 --> 00:39:50,115 Speaker 3: for you. You start bringing up ancient history from a week ago. 604 00:39:51,795 --> 00:39:54,835 Speaker 1: He really said that ancient history from a week ago. 605 00:39:55,675 --> 00:39:58,355 Speaker 1: I said, why don't we do it this way? We 606 00:39:58,435 --> 00:40:01,675 Speaker 1: run a thirty second clip tonight, the Today Show runs 607 00:40:01,715 --> 00:40:04,355 Speaker 1: whatever it wants to tomorrow, then we run the rest 608 00:40:04,395 --> 00:40:07,155 Speaker 1: of the U interview tomorrow night and the night after. Well, 609 00:40:07,235 --> 00:40:09,675 Speaker 1: Cappus resumed screaming. So let me see what I got 610 00:40:09,715 --> 00:40:12,595 Speaker 1: this straight. Matt Lauer is incensed over you stepping in 611 00:40:12,675 --> 00:40:15,315 Speaker 1: on his interview. I'm offering you publicity on the Today 612 00:40:15,355 --> 00:40:18,035 Speaker 1: Show and not getting fired. And your answer is we're 613 00:40:18,035 --> 00:40:20,955 Speaker 1: going to run seventeen minutes of it. I'm so impressed 614 00:40:20,955 --> 00:40:24,555 Speaker 1: with your professionalism, Keith. I will always remember how cooperative 615 00:40:24,595 --> 00:40:26,195 Speaker 1: you were. Fine, you do. 616 00:40:26,195 --> 00:40:30,315 Speaker 3: Whatever you want, mister professional. Run the whole half hour tonight. 617 00:40:30,515 --> 00:40:33,235 Speaker 3: Don't you understand television? Matt needs to be able to 618 00:40:33,315 --> 00:40:36,155 Speaker 3: say in his first interview since his wife's death. 619 00:40:39,595 --> 00:40:42,395 Speaker 1: For the fifty third time in my career at NBC News, 620 00:40:42,555 --> 00:40:45,555 Speaker 1: I thought somebody was secretly filming this and making a 621 00:40:45,555 --> 00:40:49,715 Speaker 1: segment on it for I don't know, punked or did 622 00:40:49,715 --> 00:40:53,955 Speaker 1: they still run candid camera? Well, getting back to the 623 00:40:53,995 --> 00:40:56,115 Speaker 1: interview here with Cappus, I said that in a month, 624 00:40:56,555 --> 00:40:59,595 Speaker 1: nobody was going to remember my interview and Matt could 625 00:40:59,635 --> 00:41:03,435 Speaker 1: still say in his first network interview since his wife's death. Well. 626 00:41:03,475 --> 00:41:04,595 Speaker 1: Kappus ignored that too. 627 00:41:04,835 --> 00:41:07,275 Speaker 3: I have been advised to kill the countdown piece outright, 628 00:41:07,435 --> 00:41:11,035 Speaker 3: but you do whatever you want for your little countdown show. 629 00:41:11,275 --> 00:41:14,155 Speaker 3: Go ahead and curry the enmity of Matt lower you 630 00:41:14,235 --> 00:41:19,035 Speaker 3: think he'll forget this Over the next two years, Matt 631 00:41:19,075 --> 00:41:21,755 Speaker 3: Lauer hired away two of my producers, then made a 632 00:41:21,795 --> 00:41:25,035 Speaker 3: supposed peace offering by running a segment that was to 633 00:41:25,075 --> 00:41:27,355 Speaker 3: be produced by my show every Friday on the Today 634 00:41:27,395 --> 00:41:29,955 Speaker 3: Show that required two of my producers to stay up 635 00:41:29,995 --> 00:41:32,315 Speaker 3: all night editing and thus not work on my show 636 00:41:32,355 --> 00:41:37,475 Speaker 3: on Friday. By some strange coincidence, for four consecutive weeks, 637 00:41:38,035 --> 00:41:42,795 Speaker 3: the Countdown piece never ran. It was just more petty revenge. 638 00:41:43,235 --> 00:41:46,235 Speaker 3: The Today Show also booked me as a guest four times, 639 00:41:46,755 --> 00:41:50,875 Speaker 3: canceled all four times, once the morning of my interview 640 00:41:50,955 --> 00:41:54,075 Speaker 3: as I was shaving to go in and do the interview. 641 00:41:55,715 --> 00:41:58,995 Speaker 3: The punchline, of course, my little interview back then with 642 00:41:59,075 --> 00:42:01,915 Speaker 3: Michael Schaibo ran over the next three nights. It did 643 00:42:01,955 --> 00:42:05,875 Speaker 3: not really affect our ratings. It did contribute some tiny 644 00:42:05,875 --> 00:42:09,475 Speaker 3: amount to the tiny amount of actual journalism MSNBC had 645 00:42:09,475 --> 00:42:13,875 Speaker 3: done on the Shibo story. It counterbalanced that schmuck Scarborough. 646 00:42:14,875 --> 00:42:17,475 Speaker 3: And on March twenty six, two thousand and six, the 647 00:42:17,715 --> 00:42:22,475 Speaker 3: Matt Lauer Interview aired with Michael Schaibo, and, as NBC 648 00:42:22,595 --> 00:42:25,915 Speaker 3: publicity phrased it, Michael and his new wife sit down 649 00:42:25,955 --> 00:42:31,235 Speaker 3: for their first network interview with NBC News. Is Matt Lauer? 650 00:42:33,075 --> 00:42:48,435 Speaker 3: Just likek I had suggested, I've. 651 00:42:48,235 --> 00:42:49,955 Speaker 1: Done all the damage I can do here. Thank you 652 00:42:49,955 --> 00:42:52,995 Speaker 1: for listening. Countdown musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip 653 00:42:53,035 --> 00:42:57,075 Speaker 1: Shaneil arranged, produced, and performed most of our music. Mister 654 00:42:57,195 --> 00:42:59,515 Speaker 1: Ray was on the guitars, bass, and drums, and mister 655 00:42:59,515 --> 00:43:02,635 Speaker 1: Shanelle handled orchestration and keyboards, and it was produced by 656 00:43:02,675 --> 00:43:06,875 Speaker 1: Tko Brothers. Other music, including some of the Beethoven, arranged 657 00:43:06,915 --> 00:43:10,395 Speaker 1: and performed by No Horns Allowed Sports Music is the 658 00:43:10,515 --> 00:43:13,195 Speaker 1: Lderman theme from ESPN two. It was written by Mitch 659 00:43:13,235 --> 00:43:17,355 Speaker 1: Warren Davis and appears courtesy of ESPN. Our satirical and 660 00:43:17,395 --> 00:43:20,835 Speaker 1: pithy musical comments are by Nancy Faust. The best baseball 661 00:43:20,875 --> 00:43:24,395 Speaker 1: stadium organist ever. Our announcer today is my friend Kenny Maine, 662 00:43:24,795 --> 00:43:28,435 Speaker 1: and everything else was pretty much my fault. So that's 663 00:43:28,435 --> 00:43:30,875 Speaker 1: countdown for this, the one hundred and sixty seventh day 664 00:43:31,235 --> 00:43:34,915 Speaker 1: until the twenty twenty four presidential election, and the one thousand, 665 00:43:34,995 --> 00:43:37,635 Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty fourth day. That's one two three 666 00:43:37,715 --> 00:43:42,075 Speaker 1: four since Dictator J. Trump's first attempted coup against the 667 00:43:42,075 --> 00:43:45,515 Speaker 1: democratically elected government of the United States. Use the legal 668 00:43:45,595 --> 00:43:48,875 Speaker 1: system such as it is, use the mental health system, 669 00:43:49,275 --> 00:43:53,115 Speaker 1: use presidential immunity if it happens, to stop him from 670 00:43:53,115 --> 00:43:58,715 Speaker 1: doing it again while we still can here in New 671 00:43:58,795 --> 00:44:03,275 Speaker 1: York anyway. The Memorial Day weekend began about quarter past 672 00:44:03,355 --> 00:44:06,435 Speaker 1: seven Tuesday night, So I'm gonna give the throat and 673 00:44:06,475 --> 00:44:09,635 Speaker 1: the sinuses a bit of a vacation. The next scheduled 674 00:44:09,675 --> 00:44:14,315 Speaker 1: countdown is Tuesday Bulletins. As the news warrants, I'll be 675 00:44:14,395 --> 00:44:17,395 Speaker 1: on standby for that Trump rally in the South Bronx tonight. 676 00:44:17,475 --> 00:44:20,875 Speaker 1: You never know when sam Alito's gonna fly another freak 677 00:44:20,955 --> 00:44:24,955 Speaker 1: flag somewhere. Maybe this one was over the Supreme Court headquarters. 678 00:44:25,595 --> 00:44:29,475 Speaker 1: Till the next one. I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, 679 00:44:29,515 --> 00:44:56,555 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is 680 00:44:56,555 --> 00:45:01,355 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 681 00:45:01,395 --> 00:45:05,315 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 682 00:45:05,355 --> 00:45:06,075 Speaker 1: podcasts