1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Quote 2 00:00:22,995 --> 00:00:28,395 Speaker 1: the Emperor has no clothes. No, not me. Congressman Don Bacon, 3 00:00:28,475 --> 00:00:31,515 Speaker 1: Republican of Nebraska, as Trump was arrested for the second 4 00:00:31,555 --> 00:00:36,195 Speaker 1: time in seventy days. Quote, the Espionage Act has been 5 00:00:36,355 --> 00:00:40,235 Speaker 1: used to go after traders and spies. Again not me, 6 00:00:41,075 --> 00:00:44,595 Speaker 1: Trump last night after prosecutors let him turn yesterday into 7 00:00:44,635 --> 00:00:49,435 Speaker 1: one long campaign ad quote. I certainly won't support a 8 00:00:49,515 --> 00:00:54,075 Speaker 1: convicted felon for the White House. Also not me. Republican 9 00:00:54,115 --> 00:00:58,675 Speaker 1: Congressman Ken Buck of Colorado Freedom Caucus member signatory to 10 00:00:58,755 --> 00:01:02,635 Speaker 1: the Texas Amicus Brief coup attempt who ten days ago 11 00:01:02,675 --> 00:01:05,675 Speaker 1: said the investigations and the lawsuits in the Eras almost 12 00:01:05,755 --> 00:01:10,115 Speaker 1: gave Trump credibility, and he didn't care. But who yesterday 13 00:01:10,315 --> 00:01:14,955 Speaker 1: changed sides like NICKI Haley did, like Tim Scott did, 14 00:01:15,195 --> 00:01:18,515 Speaker 1: like a trickle of other key Republicans have. It may 15 00:01:18,675 --> 00:01:21,915 Speaker 1: stop here. If it does not stop here, it may 16 00:01:22,115 --> 00:01:27,195 Speaker 1: stop Trump. He hid documents, Buck said yesterday as Trump 17 00:01:27,195 --> 00:01:29,515 Speaker 1: officially became the man who has not only been impeached 18 00:01:29,795 --> 00:01:32,395 Speaker 1: more times than he has been elected, but has now 19 00:01:32,395 --> 00:01:34,715 Speaker 1: been arrested more times than he has been elected. As well, 20 00:01:35,435 --> 00:01:38,955 Speaker 1: purposely putting them in a shower, purposely putting them on 21 00:01:38,995 --> 00:01:42,355 Speaker 1: a stage, So there clearly is an intent to hide. 22 00:01:43,195 --> 00:01:46,835 Speaker 1: Congressman Buck went further, yet, I would not feel comfortable 23 00:01:46,835 --> 00:01:49,715 Speaker 1: with a convicted felon in the White House. Bunck went 24 00:01:49,795 --> 00:01:52,355 Speaker 1: even further than that. Let's just look at Donald Trump's 25 00:01:52,355 --> 00:01:55,675 Speaker 1: words in twenty sixteen. He said that Hillary Clinton was 26 00:01:55,755 --> 00:01:58,075 Speaker 1: unfit for the White House because of the way she 27 00:01:58,235 --> 00:02:02,075 Speaker 1: handled classified information. I think his words have set the 28 00:02:02,155 --> 00:02:05,835 Speaker 1: standard that America will look at in determining whether he 29 00:02:06,075 --> 00:02:13,035 Speaker 1: is fit for president. Quote Republican. I hesitate to even 30 00:02:13,115 --> 00:02:16,835 Speaker 1: hope that this is where enough of the GOP breaks 31 00:02:17,435 --> 00:02:20,355 Speaker 1: to split the party, But the last two days have 32 00:02:20,435 --> 00:02:24,195 Speaker 1: shown what such a split would look like, and it 33 00:02:24,275 --> 00:02:29,395 Speaker 1: is along to simple fault lines. Both conceits are wildly untrue. 34 00:02:29,715 --> 00:02:33,395 Speaker 1: But the Republican Party thinks of itselves as the party 35 00:02:33,475 --> 00:02:38,115 Speaker 1: of law and order and the party of absolute prioritization 36 00:02:38,235 --> 00:02:40,835 Speaker 1: of the military. And what has been obvious to the 37 00:02:40,835 --> 00:02:44,075 Speaker 1: rest of us for eight years is suddenly obvious to 38 00:02:44,155 --> 00:02:48,035 Speaker 1: many in the GOP. Trump believes neither in law and 39 00:02:48,275 --> 00:02:52,715 Speaker 1: order nor in the military. Trump believes only in himself. 40 00:02:53,715 --> 00:03:00,115 Speaker 1: If that realization continues to spread, they may actually thwart him. 41 00:03:00,395 --> 00:03:03,835 Speaker 1: For Congressman Bacon, none of this is new, endorsed by Trump. 42 00:03:03,915 --> 00:03:08,315 Speaker 1: Trump apology then thrown overboard by Trump, and as Trump 43 00:03:08,475 --> 00:03:11,195 Speaker 1: was being a rain, he said, quote, I think it's 44 00:03:11,235 --> 00:03:14,315 Speaker 1: obvious what the President did was wrong, and we just 45 00:03:14,355 --> 00:03:17,875 Speaker 1: got to be honest. I just think the emperor has 46 00:03:17,955 --> 00:03:21,315 Speaker 1: no clothes, and we need to have some Republicans stand 47 00:03:21,395 --> 00:03:24,435 Speaker 1: up and say that. I think Republicans have always stood 48 00:03:24,995 --> 00:03:29,675 Speaker 1: on the rule of law. We can't walk away from that. 49 00:03:31,155 --> 00:03:34,555 Speaker 1: Think of that term rule of law as a brand name, 50 00:03:34,675 --> 00:03:37,315 Speaker 1: and it will be easier to digest what I am 51 00:03:37,355 --> 00:03:41,355 Speaker 1: putting out here. Mike Pompeo, who we can still see 52 00:03:41,475 --> 00:03:44,755 Speaker 1: standing there smugly in a time of American crisis, insisting 53 00:03:44,795 --> 00:03:49,035 Speaker 1: there would be a smooth transition to a second Trump term. 54 00:03:49,115 --> 00:03:54,835 Speaker 1: But yesterday on Fox Pompeo quote, Trump had classified documents 55 00:03:54,835 --> 00:03:56,915 Speaker 1: when he shouldn't have had them, and when given the 56 00:03:56,955 --> 00:04:00,115 Speaker 1: opportunity to return them, he chose not to do that. 57 00:04:00,115 --> 00:04:07,195 Speaker 1: That's inconsistent with protecting America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. 58 00:04:09,355 --> 00:04:13,395 Speaker 1: He left out the wax. Two days, two former key 59 00:04:13,435 --> 00:04:20,115 Speaker 1: members of the Trump government saying Trump endangered the soldiers. Again, 60 00:04:20,795 --> 00:04:23,355 Speaker 1: this could be the last we ever hear of that, 61 00:04:24,275 --> 00:04:28,155 Speaker 1: but it also could be Rubicon Republicans having to choose 62 00:04:28,195 --> 00:04:32,915 Speaker 1: between the law and the troops or the Trump. Even Hayley, 63 00:04:33,515 --> 00:04:36,355 Speaker 1: when she predictably tried to back away from her accusation 64 00:04:36,475 --> 00:04:40,355 Speaker 1: Monday that Trump had endangered the troops, only backed up 65 00:04:41,075 --> 00:04:44,435 Speaker 1: and did not back out. Yesterday, she talked about pardoning 66 00:04:44,595 --> 00:04:49,155 Speaker 1: him after a conviction. From many angles, that's even worse. 67 00:04:50,195 --> 00:04:54,435 Speaker 1: Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw. It's very problematic, he said. There's 68 00:04:54,435 --> 00:04:56,635 Speaker 1: a reason I'm not defending it. That's all I'll say 69 00:04:56,635 --> 00:05:00,515 Speaker 1: about it. Republican Congressman Tim Burchett, the weird one with 70 00:05:00,555 --> 00:05:05,275 Speaker 1: the beard. Would you support Trump after conviction? No, Honestly, 71 00:05:05,355 --> 00:05:09,755 Speaker 1: on the surface, I wouldn't. That doesn't look good. Republican 72 00:05:09,755 --> 00:05:13,275 Speaker 1: congress and Dan Newhouse. No one is above the law. 73 00:05:14,715 --> 00:05:18,075 Speaker 1: They are all trying to walk a tightrope that may 74 00:05:18,395 --> 00:05:21,795 Speaker 1: or may not be tied to anything on the other end. 75 00:05:22,475 --> 00:05:25,715 Speaker 1: And every one of their anti Trump sentences comes attached 76 00:05:25,715 --> 00:05:29,395 Speaker 1: to attack on Biden or Hillary Clinton or the DOJ. Fine, 77 00:05:29,915 --> 00:05:33,475 Speaker 1: that's not the point right now, general run of the 78 00:05:33,515 --> 00:05:37,275 Speaker 1: mill two thousand and eight. Republican paranoia at holier than 79 00:05:37,275 --> 00:05:39,755 Speaker 1: thou bleedings about the military and law and order that 80 00:05:39,875 --> 00:05:44,515 Speaker 1: looks surprisingly palatable at the moment. And by the way, 81 00:05:45,115 --> 00:05:48,075 Speaker 1: that tightrope, whether or not it's connected to anything, is 82 00:05:48,115 --> 00:05:54,635 Speaker 1: getting pretty damn crowded. Buck Bacon, Crenshaw, Birchett new House, Haley, 83 00:05:54,835 --> 00:06:00,155 Speaker 1: Tim Scott, Romney, Murkowski, thun Chris Christy, Asa Hutchinson, Hell 84 00:06:00,315 --> 00:06:05,235 Speaker 1: Mick Mulvaney, one of his chiefs of staff yesterday's I 85 00:06:05,315 --> 00:06:07,835 Speaker 1: think the chances of a guilty verdict are very high, 86 00:06:08,355 --> 00:06:11,795 Speaker 1: and the chances of real jail time are pretty high. 87 00:06:11,835 --> 00:06:14,795 Speaker 1: And the interviewer asked, how long in jail for Trump 88 00:06:14,875 --> 00:06:17,955 Speaker 1: do you think? And mulvaney said, quote at his age, 89 00:06:18,435 --> 00:06:25,955 Speaker 1: it doesn't really make much difference, right whooooo, Happy birthday, Trumper. 90 00:06:27,355 --> 00:06:29,835 Speaker 1: I mean, can you imagine the headlines if a Democrat 91 00:06:29,835 --> 00:06:32,875 Speaker 1: had said that, had implied that any jail time for 92 00:06:32,995 --> 00:06:39,035 Speaker 1: Donald Trump means, you know, he'll die in prison. Mick mulvaney, 93 00:06:39,115 --> 00:06:44,995 Speaker 1: you have unsuspected depth. Of course, you can only imagine 94 00:06:45,035 --> 00:06:47,715 Speaker 1: the headlines if a Democrat had said that. Because here 95 00:06:47,755 --> 00:06:52,515 Speaker 1: it is again, President Biden has ordered radio silence on 96 00:06:52,595 --> 00:06:54,755 Speaker 1: the indictment. And I have not been able to figure 97 00:06:54,755 --> 00:06:59,075 Speaker 1: out who treated the defendant like Queen Elizabeth yesterday in Miami, 98 00:06:59,115 --> 00:07:02,315 Speaker 1: but the deference was nauseating. Anybody else would have been 99 00:07:02,315 --> 00:07:05,795 Speaker 1: denied bail. And he wasn't even a dressed as the defendant. 100 00:07:05,835 --> 00:07:10,555 Speaker 1: He was called the former president, no cameras, no audio. Reporters, 101 00:07:10,555 --> 00:07:13,755 Speaker 1: could not even text from the courtroom. And the difference 102 00:07:13,795 --> 00:07:18,955 Speaker 1: sounds all tidy and diplomatic. And yet besides the difference, 103 00:07:18,995 --> 00:07:22,315 Speaker 1: there's a deference, and it is interpreted by his defenders 104 00:07:22,675 --> 00:07:28,795 Speaker 1: as naked fear from Politico on the Democratic response to 105 00:07:28,875 --> 00:07:32,355 Speaker 1: Trump and the indictment, which is namely, there isn't any quote. 106 00:07:33,115 --> 00:07:35,075 Speaker 1: Biden and his top aides have taken a vow of 107 00:07:35,155 --> 00:07:38,635 Speaker 1: silence on the federal indictment of his predecessor, Donald Trump, 108 00:07:38,715 --> 00:07:42,595 Speaker 1: and have explicitly ordered the entities that the White House controls, 109 00:07:42,875 --> 00:07:46,635 Speaker 1: which includes the re election campaign and the Democratic National Committee, 110 00:07:46,795 --> 00:07:51,515 Speaker 1: are not to publicly discuss any of the criminal investigations 111 00:07:51,555 --> 00:07:56,035 Speaker 1: into Trump. Those closest to the president are deeply wary 112 00:07:56,115 --> 00:07:58,995 Speaker 1: of any perception that Biden is trying to influence the 113 00:07:59,075 --> 00:08:03,915 Speaker 1: investigations unquote, because the fact that Biden will be treated 114 00:08:03,995 --> 00:08:07,395 Speaker 1: as if he is on the phone directing every second 115 00:08:07,475 --> 00:08:10,155 Speaker 1: of this process twenty four to seven. Whether he does 116 00:08:10,195 --> 00:08:12,595 Speaker 1: it or not is not just presumed on the right. 117 00:08:12,635 --> 00:08:15,915 Speaker 1: It is the starting point of every fascist attack on 118 00:08:16,075 --> 00:08:20,515 Speaker 1: this process. And the President is going to pretend it 119 00:08:20,595 --> 00:08:24,715 Speaker 1: isn't instead of saying, what the hell you're gonna believe 120 00:08:24,755 --> 00:08:27,795 Speaker 1: the worst of me anyway? Let me get Adam. I'm 121 00:08:27,795 --> 00:08:32,915 Speaker 1: going to kick him while he's down. Repeatedly, War from 122 00:08:32,955 --> 00:08:36,035 Speaker 1: Politico quote. That decision has some Democrats and allies worried 123 00:08:36,075 --> 00:08:39,315 Speaker 1: that Biden could miss a chance to underscore the seriousness 124 00:08:39,355 --> 00:08:41,875 Speaker 1: of the national moment as well as deliver a political 125 00:08:42,035 --> 00:08:47,155 Speaker 1: blow to his top White House rival. You think, I mean, 126 00:08:47,275 --> 00:08:50,675 Speaker 1: it is as if Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans of 127 00:08:50,675 --> 00:08:53,155 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty four sat around one day at the desk 128 00:08:53,195 --> 00:08:56,435 Speaker 1: and decided it would be inappropriate to mention, you know, 129 00:08:56,435 --> 00:09:00,715 Speaker 1: if the country votes for George McClellan instead of for Abe, 130 00:09:00,995 --> 00:09:03,155 Speaker 1: that they're going to immediately sign a peace treaty with 131 00:09:03,195 --> 00:09:07,075 Speaker 1: the South, and you know, reinstate slavery. Abe is deeply 132 00:09:07,115 --> 00:09:09,475 Speaker 1: wary of any perception that he is trying to influence 133 00:09:09,475 --> 00:09:17,835 Speaker 1: the investigations of the secessionist traders. Concurrent with this madness 134 00:09:18,195 --> 00:09:21,955 Speaker 1: is the recognition provided by the perspective of finally seeing 135 00:09:21,995 --> 00:09:26,155 Speaker 1: Trump indicted and arraigned, even at this late date, a 136 00:09:26,235 --> 00:09:29,515 Speaker 1: perspective that is spectacularly outlined by Eric Levitts in New 137 00:09:29,595 --> 00:09:33,595 Speaker 1: York Magazine that there was political interference in the prosecution 138 00:09:33,675 --> 00:09:36,875 Speaker 1: of Trump, that the Department of Justice and presumably somebody 139 00:09:36,915 --> 00:09:41,555 Speaker 1: in the White House did interfere to try to prevent 140 00:09:41,795 --> 00:09:46,555 Speaker 1: Trump from being prosecuted. Quoting Levitts, as late as January 141 00:09:46,595 --> 00:09:49,035 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, the Justice Department was still giving Trump 142 00:09:49,075 --> 00:09:52,875 Speaker 1: the opportunity to avoid charges by returning the documents he 143 00:09:52,915 --> 00:09:56,795 Speaker 1: had taken. The indictment released last week makes this point clear, 144 00:09:57,995 --> 00:10:00,875 Speaker 1: as levitt notes, Trump returned one hundred and ninety seven 145 00:10:00,955 --> 00:10:06,955 Speaker 1: stolen documents, then he was charged on none of them. None, 146 00:10:07,235 --> 00:10:10,155 Speaker 1: just like Pence wasn't charged, just like Biden will not 147 00:10:10,275 --> 00:10:15,075 Speaker 1: be charged. To the extent that political considerations influenced the 148 00:10:15,195 --> 00:10:18,075 Speaker 1: DOJ's handling of the case, Levitz rights, they led the 149 00:10:18,155 --> 00:10:23,555 Speaker 1: Department to extend Trump extraordinary opportunities to extricate himself from 150 00:10:23,635 --> 00:10:28,035 Speaker 1: legal peril so as to avoid the politically inflammatory spectacle 151 00:10:28,075 --> 00:10:32,635 Speaker 1: of his prosecution. As Mick mulvaney said in that same 152 00:10:32,675 --> 00:10:36,915 Speaker 1: interview where he forecast Trump dying in prison, he compared 153 00:10:36,955 --> 00:10:40,715 Speaker 1: the Trump documents to the Benz and Biden documents and said, quote, 154 00:10:41,035 --> 00:10:46,195 Speaker 1: they gave them back. And oh, by the way, what 155 00:10:46,315 --> 00:10:51,435 Speaker 1: exactly has that spectacle, that politically inflammatory spectacle of his 156 00:10:51,515 --> 00:10:57,235 Speaker 1: prosecution been so far? Three hundred people showed up at 157 00:10:57,235 --> 00:11:01,995 Speaker 1: the courthouse yesterday, maybe four hundred, and the city of 158 00:11:02,035 --> 00:11:05,275 Speaker 1: Miami was ready for fifty thousand, and the Carrie Leep 159 00:11:05,475 --> 00:11:07,635 Speaker 1: prediction was three hundred million. In all the day, I 160 00:11:07,635 --> 00:11:10,195 Speaker 1: was waiting for Melissa McCarthy, a Shawan spicer, to show 161 00:11:10,275 --> 00:11:14,315 Speaker 1: up on my TV and announce it was three hundred million. Period. 162 00:11:16,675 --> 00:11:20,795 Speaker 1: I hope I am not conveying anything resembling Pollyanna. Here. 163 00:11:21,235 --> 00:11:24,195 Speaker 1: The small crowd at the courthouse is still about twenty 164 00:11:24,195 --> 00:11:26,675 Speaker 1: five times bigger than the small crowd of Republicans who 165 00:11:26,715 --> 00:11:30,715 Speaker 1: have scurried back aboard the good ship reality. The American 166 00:11:30,755 --> 00:11:35,195 Speaker 1: news media is also still pliant, gullible. It's not even 167 00:11:35,235 --> 00:11:39,075 Speaker 1: close to being haunted by memories of twenty sixteen or 168 00:11:39,075 --> 00:11:45,675 Speaker 1: twenty twenty or last freaking week. Though the improvement in 169 00:11:45,795 --> 00:11:49,715 Speaker 1: CNN post Chris Licht was immediate when CNN decided not 170 00:11:49,795 --> 00:11:52,395 Speaker 1: to run Trump's remarks at bed Minster last night Live. 171 00:11:52,995 --> 00:11:56,955 Speaker 1: The effect of the paste clears out of the system quickly, 172 00:11:57,355 --> 00:12:03,835 Speaker 1: I believe. But still, where is the enterprise, Where is 173 00:12:03,955 --> 00:12:08,915 Speaker 1: the daring? Where's the simple nerve of Sophie Alexander, the 174 00:12:08,955 --> 00:12:13,395 Speaker 1: international affairs producer for the UK's Sky News on assignment 175 00:12:13,475 --> 00:12:17,155 Speaker 1: in Miami yesterday, you saw this, You didn't see this 176 00:12:18,275 --> 00:12:21,795 Speaker 1: as Trump is doing the carefully staged man of the 177 00:12:21,835 --> 00:12:24,355 Speaker 1: people bit, the same act from the day that he 178 00:12:24,515 --> 00:12:27,995 Speaker 1: threw those rolls of paper towels to the drowning residence 179 00:12:28,035 --> 00:12:31,315 Speaker 1: of Puerto Rico. Trump hops into the Cuban hangout, the 180 00:12:31,395 --> 00:12:35,795 Speaker 1: Versailles Bakery, and all Sophie Alexander of Sky News did 181 00:12:36,315 --> 00:12:39,155 Speaker 1: was to shout above the crowd a question at Trump, 182 00:12:39,435 --> 00:12:43,195 Speaker 1: and the question was, are you ready to go to jail? 183 00:12:43,875 --> 00:12:44,795 Speaker 1: President Trump? 184 00:12:45,155 --> 00:13:10,035 Speaker 2: Are you ready to go to jail? 185 00:13:20,315 --> 00:13:22,675 Speaker 1: She's just a producer, She's not even on the air. 186 00:13:23,035 --> 00:13:25,955 Speaker 1: A producer. You think you're gonna get that from Andrea 187 00:13:26,035 --> 00:13:31,675 Speaker 1: Mitchell from Chuck Todd. Chuck Todd would have said, mister Trump, 188 00:13:31,755 --> 00:13:34,595 Speaker 1: some people say that it's an important question to ask. 189 00:13:34,635 --> 00:13:38,715 Speaker 1: Are you ready to go to Sophie Alexander Sky News Hey, 190 00:13:38,795 --> 00:13:43,755 Speaker 1: David Zaslav, I think I found your new CEO of CNN. Hell, 191 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:47,315 Speaker 1: have her do that and host at nine o'clock. Name 192 00:13:47,515 --> 00:13:51,395 Speaker 1: an American reporter at any venue, in any medium who 193 00:13:51,475 --> 00:13:55,955 Speaker 1: A gets inside that bakery. B has absolutely no concern 194 00:13:55,995 --> 00:13:59,315 Speaker 1: about disturbing the Trump narrative. And c does not give 195 00:13:59,355 --> 00:14:02,155 Speaker 1: a good goddamn what they think of her or what 196 00:14:02,195 --> 00:14:04,955 Speaker 1: they threatened to do to her for asking that question. 197 00:14:06,195 --> 00:14:09,035 Speaker 1: And yes, she's fine, but they did throw her out 198 00:14:09,035 --> 00:14:16,275 Speaker 1: of the bakery. Leave the phone, take the cannoli. Okay, 199 00:14:16,315 --> 00:14:18,795 Speaker 1: there is old business on the Trump front to clear 200 00:14:18,915 --> 00:14:21,195 Speaker 1: up here. You may have heard New York State Attorney 201 00:14:21,275 --> 00:14:24,115 Speaker 1: General T. James say the federal prosecution of Trump will 202 00:14:24,115 --> 00:14:28,395 Speaker 1: take precedence over hers. The quote was, in all likelihood, 203 00:14:28,395 --> 00:14:30,835 Speaker 1: I believe that my case, as well as DA Bragg 204 00:14:30,915 --> 00:14:34,275 Speaker 1: and the Georgia case will unfortunately have to be adjourned 205 00:14:34,755 --> 00:14:38,595 Speaker 1: pending the outcome of the federal case. Can't and won't 206 00:14:38,675 --> 00:14:40,715 Speaker 1: argue with her knowledge of her own case. But there 207 00:14:40,715 --> 00:14:44,115 Speaker 1: are no indications thus far that Bragg has slowed down 208 00:14:44,235 --> 00:14:48,075 Speaker 1: his prosecution of Trump, nor conceded any adjournment or delay. 209 00:14:48,315 --> 00:14:51,355 Speaker 1: And as to the Fannie Willis electoral interference case in Georgia, 210 00:14:51,395 --> 00:14:53,355 Speaker 1: not only is there no evidence that she is deferring 211 00:14:53,355 --> 00:14:57,195 Speaker 1: to jack Smith's schedule, but the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports 212 00:14:57,235 --> 00:14:59,675 Speaker 1: now that one of the people in that crowd of 213 00:14:59,675 --> 00:15:02,555 Speaker 1: three or four hundred around the Miami Courthouse for yesterday's 214 00:15:02,595 --> 00:15:08,035 Speaker 1: arraignment was and atlant a police official quote closely monitoring 215 00:15:08,755 --> 00:15:12,155 Speaker 1: the security procedures that city used to protect the world 216 00:15:12,195 --> 00:15:15,475 Speaker 1: from the Trump mob, you know, just in case they 217 00:15:15,595 --> 00:15:22,275 Speaker 1: indict Trump in Atlanta month after next. Also, though the 218 00:15:22,315 --> 00:15:25,035 Speaker 1: Miami event was a landmark, it was nowhere near the 219 00:15:25,195 --> 00:15:28,195 Speaker 1: end of the road for the Special Council. As Trump 220 00:15:28,275 --> 00:15:30,595 Speaker 1: was being treated with kid gloves, he did not deserve. 221 00:15:30,715 --> 00:15:34,115 Speaker 1: Jacksmith's Washington Grand Jury heard from the chairman and the 222 00:15:34,155 --> 00:15:37,835 Speaker 1: vice chairman of the Nevada GOP, Michael McDonald and Jim Degraffen, 223 00:15:37,915 --> 00:15:42,395 Speaker 1: reed two of that state's fake electors. And speaking of 224 00:15:42,435 --> 00:15:46,435 Speaker 1: fake in the mirror image world of the House Republican Caucus, 225 00:15:46,475 --> 00:15:48,835 Speaker 1: which stays up nights trying to make up stuff it 226 00:15:48,875 --> 00:15:52,835 Speaker 1: can claim, Biden did that Trump really did. The latest 227 00:15:52,835 --> 00:15:57,355 Speaker 1: twist in the Chuck Grassley, Jamie Comer, Ponzi scheme. Oh, 228 00:15:57,395 --> 00:16:00,635 Speaker 1: there's a lead about an FBI document, but it's hidden 229 00:16:00,715 --> 00:16:03,715 Speaker 1: and it's redacted, and it's from a confidential source, reportedly 230 00:16:03,795 --> 00:16:09,555 Speaker 1: quoting a rumoredhstile blower. Well, the new hint is Grassley says. 231 00:16:10,035 --> 00:16:14,275 Speaker 1: The hidden document says that the informant has seventeen audio 232 00:16:14,275 --> 00:16:17,475 Speaker 1: tapes of Joe and Hunter Biden talking about five million 233 00:16:17,555 --> 00:16:20,075 Speaker 1: dollar bribes. And of course none of this has come out, 234 00:16:20,715 --> 00:16:22,755 Speaker 1: none of it has come out at any time in 235 00:16:22,835 --> 00:16:28,875 Speaker 1: the last checks watch seven years. Now. I'll be the 236 00:16:28,875 --> 00:16:32,715 Speaker 1: first to admit that this particular Trump what about what 237 00:16:32,755 --> 00:16:36,715 Speaker 1: Biden did allegedly reportedly apparently according to sources, this is 238 00:16:36,795 --> 00:16:40,995 Speaker 1: a very very heavy lift for anybody. But there is 239 00:16:41,035 --> 00:16:43,635 Speaker 1: only one part. You really have to sell to the 240 00:16:43,675 --> 00:16:50,755 Speaker 1: Republican roobs that these alleged Biden tapes actually exist. You 241 00:16:50,795 --> 00:16:53,555 Speaker 1: don't have to play them, you don't have to show 242 00:16:53,595 --> 00:16:55,995 Speaker 1: a machine that they're on, you don't have to show 243 00:16:56,035 --> 00:16:59,635 Speaker 1: a document. Just convince them. They're ready to be convinced. 244 00:17:01,155 --> 00:17:04,035 Speaker 1: And sure enough, Jamie Comer went on news Max yesterday 245 00:17:04,075 --> 00:17:07,595 Speaker 1: and he was asked the question about this three times, 246 00:17:07,955 --> 00:17:10,875 Speaker 1: and each time he gave an answer worse than the 247 00:17:10,875 --> 00:17:15,275 Speaker 1: previous one, and the end result basically was Jamie Comer admitting, 248 00:17:16,115 --> 00:17:20,955 Speaker 1: are these Biden tapes for real? I have no frickin clue. 249 00:17:21,355 --> 00:17:23,835 Speaker 3: When will you be able to confirm if these recordings 250 00:17:23,835 --> 00:17:25,595 Speaker 3: are legit? How long is that going to take? 251 00:17:26,235 --> 00:17:28,235 Speaker 4: Well? I can confirm that the recordings were in the 252 00:17:28,235 --> 00:17:30,675 Speaker 4: ten twenty three. Remember I was with Center Grashley when 253 00:17:30,715 --> 00:17:32,675 Speaker 4: we saw the unredacted version. 254 00:17:32,755 --> 00:17:35,475 Speaker 3: Okay, so chause Grassley was saying, alleged yesterday. So these 255 00:17:35,515 --> 00:17:37,835 Speaker 3: recordings are legit. You can confirm they are legitimate. 256 00:17:38,035 --> 00:17:40,875 Speaker 4: Well, I can confirm they were listed in the ten 257 00:17:40,955 --> 00:17:44,475 Speaker 4: twenty three that the FBI redacted. I don't know if 258 00:17:44,475 --> 00:17:46,595 Speaker 4: they're legit or not, but we know that the foreign 259 00:17:46,675 --> 00:17:48,875 Speaker 4: national claims he has them. 260 00:17:49,195 --> 00:17:51,275 Speaker 3: Okay, So when can you confirm it they're legit? Because 261 00:17:51,275 --> 00:17:51,755 Speaker 3: if they're. 262 00:17:51,635 --> 00:17:56,475 Speaker 1: Legit to it this is the problem. Heh boy, not 263 00:17:56,675 --> 00:17:59,595 Speaker 1: enough laughs. Let's close with a few more hadn't seen 264 00:17:59,635 --> 00:18:03,035 Speaker 1: this till last night. Maybe you have the Trump boxes 265 00:18:03,155 --> 00:18:05,515 Speaker 1: in the toilet shot, but with a new meme kind 266 00:18:05,515 --> 00:18:11,035 Speaker 1: of caption bed bath and beyond a reasonable doubt. The 267 00:18:11,115 --> 00:18:13,515 Speaker 1: twenty seven year old press aide Trump took with him 268 00:18:13,515 --> 00:18:20,075 Speaker 1: from the White House. Margot Martin, not Margo Martindale, my 269 00:18:20,155 --> 00:18:24,115 Speaker 1: fellow performer on BoJack Horseman, Margo Martin, she showed up 270 00:18:24,155 --> 00:18:29,355 Speaker 1: at the courthouse yesterday and was misidentified as Millenia, misidentified 271 00:18:29,355 --> 00:18:35,075 Speaker 1: on Fox News. And best of all, as Trump posted 272 00:18:35,115 --> 00:18:37,795 Speaker 1: before during an actor the hearing yesterday, he screwed something 273 00:18:37,875 --> 00:18:40,755 Speaker 1: up so badly that I am genuinely amazed. It did 274 00:18:40,755 --> 00:18:45,715 Speaker 1: not overshadow the entire arraignment. It's another attack on Jack Smith. Quote. 275 00:18:45,755 --> 00:18:50,235 Speaker 1: This is the thug overturned consistently and unanimously in big cases. 276 00:18:50,395 --> 00:18:53,555 Speaker 1: He's a radical right lunatic and Trump hater, as are 277 00:18:53,635 --> 00:18:58,355 Speaker 1: all his friends and Femme, wait what, He's a radical 278 00:18:58,795 --> 00:19:03,555 Speaker 1: right lunatic and Trump hater. And so we end where 279 00:19:03,595 --> 00:19:08,355 Speaker 1: we began. Are these first thirteen key Republicans to turn 280 00:19:08,395 --> 00:19:11,635 Speaker 1: on Trump also the last thirteen key Republicans to turn 281 00:19:11,675 --> 00:19:15,435 Speaker 1: on Trump? Or are they just the first wave? Doctor 282 00:19:15,475 --> 00:19:17,915 Speaker 1: Freud would look at that post and suggest the latter, 283 00:19:17,955 --> 00:19:22,555 Speaker 1: because based on what Trump wrote, Trump seems to think 284 00:19:22,915 --> 00:19:33,395 Speaker 1: he's now being prosecuted by the radical right. Also of 285 00:19:33,435 --> 00:19:37,155 Speaker 1: interest here, Senator Coach Pinhead, Tommy the Tuba Tubberville is 286 00:19:37,195 --> 00:19:41,315 Speaker 1: blocking unanimous consent for military promotions because somebody taught him 287 00:19:41,315 --> 00:19:44,595 Speaker 1: the word woke. But Tommy the Tuba wanted to be 288 00:19:44,595 --> 00:19:47,435 Speaker 1: at Bedminster with Trump last night, so he missed a 289 00:19:47,555 --> 00:19:50,195 Speaker 1: vital vote in the Senate. So somebody else suggested to 290 00:19:50,275 --> 00:19:53,795 Speaker 1: Dick Durbin, who's in the Democratic Party, if you didn't know, 291 00:19:54,115 --> 00:19:56,755 Speaker 1: now's the time, isn't it to go for unanimous consent 292 00:19:56,835 --> 00:19:59,795 Speaker 1: on all those military promotions because Tubberville isn't here. And 293 00:19:59,875 --> 00:20:04,155 Speaker 1: durban shook his head gravely, and he said. Durbin actually said, 294 00:20:06,235 --> 00:20:12,235 Speaker 1: that's next. This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman. 295 00:20:20,635 --> 00:20:23,835 Speaker 1: Postscripts to the news, some headlines, some updates, some snarks, 296 00:20:23,835 --> 00:20:26,995 Speaker 1: some predictions. Dateline the Capitol. If your brains did not 297 00:20:27,155 --> 00:20:30,675 Speaker 1: fall out your head over the kid gloves treatment of Trump. 298 00:20:30,715 --> 00:20:33,875 Speaker 1: Wait do you hear about Dick Durbin the world's dumbest Senator? 299 00:20:33,915 --> 00:20:37,035 Speaker 1: Tommy Tuberville was supposed to show up to vote against 300 00:20:37,155 --> 00:20:40,315 Speaker 1: nominee Jared Bernstein to become Chairman of the Council of 301 00:20:40,355 --> 00:20:43,475 Speaker 1: Economic Advisors so as to force the Vice President to 302 00:20:43,515 --> 00:20:46,755 Speaker 1: cast a tie breaking vote. Instead, Tuberville went to New 303 00:20:46,835 --> 00:20:50,595 Speaker 1: Jersey for a photo op with the defendant spoiling Mitch 304 00:20:50,675 --> 00:20:54,675 Speaker 1: McConnell's mischief. It was posited to Senator Durbin that with 305 00:20:54,795 --> 00:20:58,195 Speaker 1: Tuberville out chasing Trump, this would be the time to 306 00:20:58,275 --> 00:21:02,035 Speaker 1: pass all those military promotions that Tuberville has been blocking 307 00:21:02,075 --> 00:21:05,035 Speaker 1: because he's a grand standing idiot and nobody knows if 308 00:21:05,035 --> 00:21:09,395 Speaker 1: his head is inflated or stuffed. Durbin's reply, that would 309 00:21:09,395 --> 00:21:12,155 Speaker 1: be quote tempting, but quote one of the unwritten rules 310 00:21:12,155 --> 00:21:14,435 Speaker 1: of the place is you don't take advantage of a 311 00:21:14,435 --> 00:21:20,635 Speaker 1: person's absence. Senator Durbin, have you met Senator Feinstein. Wait, 312 00:21:20,675 --> 00:21:25,435 Speaker 1: it's worse, almost as Durbin was surrendering to Republicans who 313 00:21:25,515 --> 00:21:28,275 Speaker 1: hadn't even tried to force him to do so. Almost 314 00:21:28,315 --> 00:21:33,235 Speaker 1: at that exact moment, JD. Vance, the Republican senator representing 315 00:21:33,835 --> 00:21:37,435 Speaker 1: Book Tour Nation, announced he will be putting a hold 316 00:21:37,515 --> 00:21:40,475 Speaker 1: on all Biden nominees to the Justice Department to pay 317 00:21:40,515 --> 00:21:44,155 Speaker 1: the Justice Department back for the prosecution of the Trader Trump, 318 00:21:44,315 --> 00:21:49,835 Speaker 1: which means, in effect, Dick Durbin Democratic Party is an 319 00:21:49,915 --> 00:21:53,835 Speaker 1: accessory to these Republican stunts. And I think now the 320 00:21:53,875 --> 00:21:56,155 Speaker 1: time has come that he needs to resign. His leadership 321 00:21:56,235 --> 00:21:58,475 Speaker 1: roles in the Senate, and hell, while we're at it, 322 00:21:58,715 --> 00:22:01,755 Speaker 1: resign your seat. Senator. This is no longer the game 323 00:22:01,875 --> 00:22:04,875 Speaker 1: you are playing. You are wringing your hands and hoping 324 00:22:04,915 --> 00:22:07,995 Speaker 1: they'll be nice to you while the Republicans are throwing 325 00:22:08,035 --> 00:22:11,275 Speaker 1: America off the top of the Capitol Dome. You have 326 00:22:11,355 --> 00:22:15,395 Speaker 1: the majority, Senator, Kindly crush the Republicans with it, or 327 00:22:15,475 --> 00:22:19,155 Speaker 1: turn that majority over to someone who will. 328 00:22:31,995 --> 00:22:32,075 Speaker 4: You. 329 00:22:32,195 --> 00:22:36,155 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust Dateline, Hollywood, Pat Sajack says he is retiring 330 00:22:36,195 --> 00:22:38,435 Speaker 1: after the upcoming forty first season of the Wheel of 331 00:22:38,515 --> 00:22:42,995 Speaker 1: Fortune game show. Good he's a schmuck. There are lots 332 00:22:43,035 --> 00:22:47,635 Speaker 1: of TV performers who are schmucks. Maybe a majority, say Jack, though, 333 00:22:47,675 --> 00:22:51,515 Speaker 1: is a lazy, intellectually constipated schmuck. Thirty four years ago, 334 00:22:51,595 --> 00:22:54,795 Speaker 1: CBS actually decided that he was the right choice to 335 00:22:54,795 --> 00:22:57,595 Speaker 1: host a late night talk show to go up against 336 00:22:57,675 --> 00:23:01,915 Speaker 1: Johnny Carson on NBC. The CBS thought wasn't no, he's 337 00:23:01,995 --> 00:23:03,995 Speaker 1: not very good, and yeah, he's not going to do 338 00:23:04,075 --> 00:23:06,795 Speaker 1: very well in the but Carson is going to retire 339 00:23:06,875 --> 00:23:09,035 Speaker 1: soon in a couple of years, and by then, say 340 00:23:09,155 --> 00:23:11,515 Speaker 1: Jack will be the familiar face in late night and 341 00:23:11,555 --> 00:23:15,395 Speaker 1: he'll do well against whoever succeeds Johnny Carson. Well, Carson 342 00:23:15,435 --> 00:23:18,635 Speaker 1: did indeed retire just three years later, but by that point, 343 00:23:18,875 --> 00:23:21,435 Speaker 1: Say Jack's CBS show had been dead for two years 344 00:23:21,435 --> 00:23:25,075 Speaker 1: and a month because it never reached half of Carson's ratings, 345 00:23:25,315 --> 00:23:28,075 Speaker 1: and also for internal reasons that don't get talked a 346 00:23:28,115 --> 00:23:30,835 Speaker 1: lot about when they talk about what a great TV legend, 347 00:23:30,915 --> 00:23:35,715 Speaker 1: Pat Sajack is spinning that stupid wheel and not succeeding 348 00:23:35,715 --> 00:23:38,835 Speaker 1: at all in the primetime version. I was the local 349 00:23:38,955 --> 00:23:43,435 Speaker 1: sportscaster for CBS in LA in that exact timeframe. Twice 350 00:23:43,515 --> 00:23:47,035 Speaker 1: I was a guest on Pat Sajack's CBS show, The 351 00:23:47,155 --> 00:23:49,915 Speaker 1: Pat Sajack Show. We even did this bit where I 352 00:23:49,995 --> 00:23:54,595 Speaker 1: did my sportscast live from outside his studio and came 353 00:23:54,635 --> 00:23:57,315 Speaker 1: on as a guest on his show, and he came 354 00:23:57,355 --> 00:24:00,155 Speaker 1: on and was a guest on my show. Only we 355 00:24:00,155 --> 00:24:02,475 Speaker 1: were saying he was coming from the future to the 356 00:24:02,515 --> 00:24:04,835 Speaker 1: past because we were live at five point thirty. Well, 357 00:24:04,875 --> 00:24:07,915 Speaker 1: his show didn't go on until tape till eleven thirty. Anyway, 358 00:24:09,155 --> 00:24:11,235 Speaker 1: the second time I did the show, I got there 359 00:24:11,275 --> 00:24:13,635 Speaker 1: around three o'clock for a five pm taping. And I 360 00:24:13,675 --> 00:24:15,635 Speaker 1: wanted to say hello to Pat, and the producer told 361 00:24:15,675 --> 00:24:17,355 Speaker 1: me I should check back in an hour or so 362 00:24:17,675 --> 00:24:20,835 Speaker 1: because Sajack had started only showing up in time for makeup. 363 00:24:21,555 --> 00:24:24,035 Speaker 1: He also said the CBS executive in charge of Late 364 00:24:24,115 --> 00:24:26,395 Speaker 1: Night was waiting in my dressing room, and I assumed 365 00:24:26,435 --> 00:24:28,075 Speaker 1: he was joking. And then I went into my dressing 366 00:24:28,115 --> 00:24:29,995 Speaker 1: room and there he was. Hey. He said, have you 367 00:24:30,035 --> 00:24:32,755 Speaker 1: ever thought about hosting something like this? And I laughed 368 00:24:32,755 --> 00:24:34,955 Speaker 1: and I said no, thinking he was still joking, but 369 00:24:34,995 --> 00:24:37,075 Speaker 1: I would happy to give it a try. And he said, 370 00:24:37,155 --> 00:24:40,995 Speaker 1: how about next month, We're gonna get rid of this idiot. Instead, 371 00:24:41,395 --> 00:24:44,315 Speaker 1: CBS just shut the whole thing down fifteen months after 372 00:24:44,355 --> 00:24:48,315 Speaker 1: it launched. It later proved that Sajack was such an 373 00:24:48,435 --> 00:24:51,675 Speaker 1: arch conservative, and sometime in the last fifteen years he 374 00:24:51,755 --> 00:24:54,675 Speaker 1: started apologizing for being the person who put me on 375 00:24:54,795 --> 00:24:59,195 Speaker 1: national television and thus made my career. I had to 376 00:24:59,195 --> 00:25:01,715 Speaker 1: point out that I had started on national television in 377 00:25:01,795 --> 00:25:05,075 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one, a year before he had that I 378 00:25:05,115 --> 00:25:08,515 Speaker 1: had spent four years on CNN every day. I also 379 00:25:08,595 --> 00:25:10,915 Speaker 1: had to point out that whatever he thought had happened 380 00:25:10,955 --> 00:25:14,515 Speaker 1: due to my appearances on his CBS show, since nobody 381 00:25:14,555 --> 00:25:17,715 Speaker 1: watched it. Helping my career was not one of them. 382 00:25:17,755 --> 00:25:20,955 Speaker 1: In Los Angeles, our CBS eleven o'clock News was in 383 00:25:21,115 --> 00:25:24,115 Speaker 1: last place in the ratings, but it still got more 384 00:25:24,235 --> 00:25:26,875 Speaker 1: viewers than the program that followed it, which was of 385 00:25:26,875 --> 00:25:44,395 Speaker 1: course called The Pat Sayjack Show still ahead on Countdown. Boy, 386 00:25:44,435 --> 00:25:47,435 Speaker 1: that was a long time before the president of a 387 00:25:47,475 --> 00:25:50,515 Speaker 1: network I worked for chased me around the studio threatening 388 00:25:50,555 --> 00:25:52,475 Speaker 1: to kill me, and I thought I was going to 389 00:25:52,555 --> 00:25:54,355 Speaker 1: have to call the cops or hit him in the 390 00:25:54,395 --> 00:25:57,435 Speaker 1: head with my fists. Boy, is that a story. I'll 391 00:25:57,435 --> 00:25:59,675 Speaker 1: tell it to you next. First, the daily round Up 392 00:25:59,675 --> 00:26:02,035 Speaker 1: with the miss Greens, Morons and Dunning Kruger Effect specimens 393 00:26:02,075 --> 00:26:06,555 Speaker 1: who constituted today's worst persons in the world, The Brons 394 00:26:06,635 --> 00:26:09,515 Speaker 1: the fine folks over to Fox quote news unquote. For 395 00:26:09,595 --> 00:26:11,395 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty weeks in a row, they have 396 00:26:11,475 --> 00:26:14,675 Speaker 1: won the primetime battle for the most viewers over CNN 397 00:26:14,755 --> 00:26:19,115 Speaker 1: and MSNBC and Newsmax and Nick at Night News Nation. 398 00:26:20,435 --> 00:26:23,315 Speaker 1: Last week, they averaged one million, five hundred and four 399 00:26:23,435 --> 00:26:27,995 Speaker 1: thousand viewers per minuted in primetime, while MSNBC averaged one million, 400 00:26:28,035 --> 00:26:31,995 Speaker 1: five hundred and twenty thousand viewers permitted in primetime. So 401 00:26:32,155 --> 00:26:36,155 Speaker 1: Fox is officially number two behind number one MSNBC in primetime. 402 00:26:36,195 --> 00:26:40,875 Speaker 1: And all I can say is you're welcome. The runner 403 00:26:40,955 --> 00:26:44,595 Speaker 1: up presidential candidate Vivek No. I don't think I'm embarrassing myself. 404 00:26:44,595 --> 00:26:48,115 Speaker 1: Why do you ask? Ramaswami. He went to the courthouse 405 00:26:48,115 --> 00:26:50,715 Speaker 1: in Miami yesterday dressed in a T shirt and a 406 00:26:50,755 --> 00:26:59,355 Speaker 1: baseball cap, and the baseball cap read tru thh. He's subtle. 407 00:26:59,995 --> 00:27:02,035 Speaker 1: He said he had written to every other candidate in 408 00:27:02,075 --> 00:27:05,115 Speaker 1: both parties quote, demanding that they sign his letter promising 409 00:27:05,115 --> 00:27:08,115 Speaker 1: to pardon Trump. On top of that, he mispronounced the 410 00:27:08,155 --> 00:27:10,435 Speaker 1: name of the North Dakota governor and gop wanna be 411 00:27:10,555 --> 00:27:16,955 Speaker 1: Doug Bergham as Doug Bugram. Congratulations, Governor Bugram on your 412 00:27:16,995 --> 00:27:20,115 Speaker 1: new name. So I'm trying to understand this. This guy, 413 00:27:20,275 --> 00:27:24,035 Speaker 1: Ramswami is a success in business, but our winner is 414 00:27:24,115 --> 00:27:28,755 Speaker 1: Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Cassidy posted a walking selfie, 415 00:27:28,795 --> 00:27:32,635 Speaker 1: which he himself has called outrage of the week. Quote. 416 00:27:33,315 --> 00:27:35,595 Speaker 1: The White House Gift Shop is putting out a commemorative 417 00:27:35,635 --> 00:27:38,435 Speaker 1: coin for Donald Trump's indictment. You gotta admit it's poor taste, 418 00:27:38,715 --> 00:27:41,475 Speaker 1: that it's capitalizing upon something without his permission. I'm sure 419 00:27:41,675 --> 00:27:45,235 Speaker 1: it's the wrong thing to do. Have a sense of decency. 420 00:27:45,275 --> 00:27:49,795 Speaker 1: White House Gift Shop unquote. Senator Cassidy has been in 421 00:27:49,955 --> 00:27:52,395 Speaker 1: Washington since two thousand and nine as a congressman and 422 00:27:52,435 --> 00:27:55,675 Speaker 1: then a senator, and apparently only yesterday did he learn 423 00:27:56,475 --> 00:27:59,395 Speaker 1: that the White House Gift Shop is unaffiliated with the 424 00:27:59,395 --> 00:28:02,675 Speaker 1: White House. It is a private retail company that sells 425 00:28:02,755 --> 00:28:07,435 Speaker 1: crap like a twenty twenty Trump beats covid coin online mostly, 426 00:28:07,475 --> 00:28:10,315 Speaker 1: and it does everything to make the stupid people out 427 00:28:10,315 --> 00:28:15,075 Speaker 1: there think it is some kind of branch of the government. Frighteningly, 428 00:28:15,155 --> 00:28:18,115 Speaker 1: Senator Cassidy is also a physician. He's a liver specialist, 429 00:28:18,195 --> 00:28:21,755 Speaker 1: and he thus fulfills George Carlin's timeless observation that just 430 00:28:21,795 --> 00:28:26,435 Speaker 1: by process of elimination, somewhere there must be the worst 431 00:28:26,475 --> 00:28:31,755 Speaker 1: doctor in the world. My late friend, I have your winner, 432 00:28:32,435 --> 00:28:36,355 Speaker 1: doctor Senator Cassidy, who also really struggled in that video 433 00:28:36,395 --> 00:28:42,755 Speaker 1: with pronouncing that word commemoratating so physician, healed thyself today's 434 00:28:43,595 --> 00:28:59,915 Speaker 1: worst person just ahead. Based on my reputation, you would 435 00:28:59,915 --> 00:29:02,595 Speaker 1: think that every one of my bosses was driven so 436 00:29:02,835 --> 00:29:04,755 Speaker 1: nuts that they would eventually try to kill. 437 00:29:06,315 --> 00:29:06,755 Speaker 2: Nah. 438 00:29:07,235 --> 00:29:10,835 Speaker 1: He's just the one guy. His story next. First in 439 00:29:10,835 --> 00:29:13,035 Speaker 1: each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in need 440 00:29:13,075 --> 00:29:15,675 Speaker 1: you can help. Every dog has its day. Back to 441 00:29:15,715 --> 00:29:18,635 Speaker 1: the New York Pound. Things are out of control, two 442 00:29:18,675 --> 00:29:21,835 Speaker 1: hundred and ninety four dogs, they say, in a shelter 443 00:29:21,955 --> 00:29:25,875 Speaker 1: designed to hold one hundred and sixty eight. Before the pandemic, 444 00:29:25,915 --> 00:29:29,315 Speaker 1: a dozen dogs on their twice weekly pre kill list 445 00:29:29,315 --> 00:29:32,195 Speaker 1: would have been a lot. Right now, it's thirty two, 446 00:29:32,315 --> 00:29:35,715 Speaker 1: including Simba, who's a forty eight pound puppy who's just 447 00:29:35,755 --> 00:29:39,075 Speaker 1: fifty four weeks old. Loves people, loves kids, loves dogs. 448 00:29:39,515 --> 00:29:42,995 Speaker 1: Unsure around strangers, but he warms up quickly dumped quote 449 00:29:43,035 --> 00:29:46,195 Speaker 1: due to not having time to care for him. He's exuberant. 450 00:29:46,235 --> 00:29:48,235 Speaker 1: He's a lot of dog. He still needs to be fixed, 451 00:29:48,435 --> 00:29:51,155 Speaker 1: but there isn't one reason he should be killed. We 452 00:29:51,195 --> 00:29:53,195 Speaker 1: need pledges to defray the cost of a rescue to 453 00:29:53,235 --> 00:29:55,115 Speaker 1: come in and save him and train him and get 454 00:29:55,195 --> 00:29:57,755 Speaker 1: him to a family that will not leave him to 455 00:29:57,915 --> 00:30:01,795 Speaker 1: die in the pound when it's at maximum overcrowding. Look 456 00:30:01,835 --> 00:30:04,635 Speaker 1: for Simba on my Twitter feed. Your retweets will also 457 00:30:04,675 --> 00:30:18,955 Speaker 1: so help I thank you, and Simba thanks you. Finally 458 00:30:19,035 --> 00:30:21,515 Speaker 1: our number one story in the countdown things I promised 459 00:30:21,515 --> 00:30:24,035 Speaker 1: not to tell And back to my favorite topic, me 460 00:30:25,515 --> 00:30:28,595 Speaker 1: how exactly was I supposed to tell the police that 461 00:30:28,675 --> 00:30:31,835 Speaker 1: the man threatening to kill me was the president of MSNBC. 462 00:30:32,755 --> 00:30:35,955 Speaker 1: He was chasing me through the studios. He was too 463 00:30:36,115 --> 00:30:39,755 Speaker 1: overweight to run, But even though he inexplicably lied and 464 00:30:39,795 --> 00:30:42,515 Speaker 1: said he was six foot seven, at six foot five, 465 00:30:42,595 --> 00:30:44,555 Speaker 1: this guy, his name was Rick Kaplan, and he was 466 00:30:44,595 --> 00:30:47,395 Speaker 1: the soon to be ex president of MSNBC, just as 467 00:30:47,435 --> 00:30:50,075 Speaker 1: he was already the ex president of CNN. He still 468 00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:54,435 Speaker 1: had strides as long as my own. Plus On that 469 00:30:54,595 --> 00:30:59,515 Speaker 1: night of August eighth, two thousand and five, I was multitasking. 470 00:30:59,595 --> 00:31:02,635 Speaker 1: I was trying to mentally record everything he was shouting, 471 00:31:02,995 --> 00:31:06,635 Speaker 1: while also drawing him away from the live microphones of 472 00:31:06,635 --> 00:31:10,595 Speaker 1: the live studio in which he had started shouting, while 473 00:31:10,595 --> 00:31:13,315 Speaker 1: also fishing for my office key so I could lock 474 00:31:13,395 --> 00:31:16,475 Speaker 1: myself in there if need be, while also figuring out 475 00:31:16,555 --> 00:31:18,595 Speaker 1: how I would hit him if it came to that, 476 00:31:18,955 --> 00:31:23,075 Speaker 1: while also trying to register the superb double takes from 477 00:31:23,115 --> 00:31:26,595 Speaker 1: my colleagues past whom he was stomping like an out 478 00:31:26,635 --> 00:31:31,955 Speaker 1: of shape Frankenstein, while also trying to suppress an overwhelming 479 00:31:32,235 --> 00:31:37,115 Speaker 1: and seemingly inappropriate desire to burst into laughter while still 480 00:31:37,355 --> 00:31:41,075 Speaker 1: game planning these soon to be inevitable call to the cops. 481 00:31:41,475 --> 00:31:46,955 Speaker 1: A beautiful downtown Secaucus, New Jersey. Hi. Yeah, yeah, he's 482 00:31:46,995 --> 00:31:50,675 Speaker 1: trying to kill me, my boss, the president of MSNBC. 483 00:31:51,675 --> 00:31:56,755 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, the cable television network. Yeah, exactly, down the 484 00:31:56,755 --> 00:32:02,035 Speaker 1: street from the London Fog Outlet store. Yeah, one MSNBC Plaza. 485 00:32:02,315 --> 00:32:07,955 Speaker 1: I know it's a dumb address. He's about sixty two 486 00:32:08,035 --> 00:32:10,795 Speaker 1: seventy five, two hundred and eighty pounds. By the way, 487 00:32:10,795 --> 00:32:12,675 Speaker 1: he says he's six foot seven, but he's only six 488 00:32:12,675 --> 00:32:16,475 Speaker 1: foot five. Why Why does he lie about his height 489 00:32:16,555 --> 00:32:19,195 Speaker 1: or why is he trying to kill right? Well, I 490 00:32:19,235 --> 00:32:21,755 Speaker 1: did a commentary urging the viewers to stop smoking, and 491 00:32:21,795 --> 00:32:26,955 Speaker 1: he's afraid of the mention of blood. Hello. Hello. As 492 00:32:26,995 --> 00:32:29,435 Speaker 1: all of this played out in my head, President Kaplan 493 00:32:29,515 --> 00:32:32,435 Speaker 1: was huffing and puffing his way through our giant studio, 494 00:32:32,595 --> 00:32:35,675 Speaker 1: weaving through the news assignment area, past the makeup room, 495 00:32:35,755 --> 00:32:38,555 Speaker 1: down the hallways, nearing the offices of my show Countdown, 496 00:32:38,875 --> 00:32:40,675 Speaker 1: and passed the bank of a couple of one hundred 497 00:32:40,715 --> 00:32:43,595 Speaker 1: television monitors with a different face on every one of them, 498 00:32:43,635 --> 00:32:48,035 Speaker 1: each seemingly staring slack jawed at the executive, screaming threats 499 00:32:48,275 --> 00:32:50,515 Speaker 1: at the only guy on his own network who got 500 00:32:50,515 --> 00:32:56,675 Speaker 1: any ratings. I'll pay you back, I'll get you I'll 501 00:32:56,675 --> 00:33:02,155 Speaker 1: finish your own I'll kill y'all. This had all begun 502 00:33:02,875 --> 00:33:07,115 Speaker 1: roughly ten days earlier, in late July two thousand and five, 503 00:33:07,475 --> 00:33:10,635 Speaker 1: an oral surgeon who had intended to examine a growth 504 00:33:10,675 --> 00:33:13,715 Speaker 1: on the roof of my mouth that instead, with one 505 00:33:14,075 --> 00:33:17,915 Speaker 1: pale look, silently betrayed his suspicion that it was cancerous. 506 00:33:18,275 --> 00:33:20,755 Speaker 1: Then he cut the whole thing out. I was on 507 00:33:20,955 --> 00:33:23,795 Speaker 1: my way to work anyway. It was too late to 508 00:33:23,795 --> 00:33:26,915 Speaker 1: get a replacement, and I was bleeding so much that 509 00:33:26,995 --> 00:33:30,515 Speaker 1: our technical director and I decided to pre record all 510 00:33:30,595 --> 00:33:33,835 Speaker 1: of my on camera segments for that night's show, thus 511 00:33:33,915 --> 00:33:37,275 Speaker 1: reducing the chances of viewers hearing me say President Bush 512 00:33:37,315 --> 00:33:40,915 Speaker 1: today while blood oozed out of my mouth, over my 513 00:33:41,035 --> 00:33:44,235 Speaker 1: teeth and lips, and onto the desk like I was 514 00:33:44,635 --> 00:33:49,715 Speaker 1: dracul Anchor. When the following Wednesday, I got the unexpected 515 00:33:49,755 --> 00:33:52,595 Speaker 1: all clear from the surgeon's office, I decided to devote 516 00:33:52,595 --> 00:33:55,395 Speaker 1: some of each night's newscast to a campaign to help 517 00:33:55,475 --> 00:34:00,555 Speaker 1: viewers and myself quit smoking. My premise was a simple 518 00:34:00,595 --> 00:34:03,115 Speaker 1: one that I had never heard argued before and have 519 00:34:03,275 --> 00:34:06,395 Speaker 1: rarely heard argued since, that it would be a lot 520 00:34:06,435 --> 00:34:11,195 Speaker 1: easier to quit if you didn't have cancer then if 521 00:34:11,235 --> 00:34:15,075 Speaker 1: you did have cancer. I pitched my producers on the series. 522 00:34:15,355 --> 00:34:17,555 Speaker 1: I went into Rick Kaplan's office to get his seal 523 00:34:17,595 --> 00:34:20,835 Speaker 1: of approval. He was enthusiastic and supportive, and most rare 524 00:34:20,875 --> 00:34:23,875 Speaker 1: of all, he was paying attention. And then I said, 525 00:34:23,915 --> 00:34:25,355 Speaker 1: I was also going to point out that if you 526 00:34:25,475 --> 00:34:28,235 Speaker 1: got the good outcome like I had, they would merely 527 00:34:28,275 --> 00:34:30,395 Speaker 1: stick a laser in your mouth and you'd smell your 528 00:34:30,395 --> 00:34:32,995 Speaker 1: own flesh burning for like forty eight hours, and you'd 529 00:34:32,995 --> 00:34:34,715 Speaker 1: have to keep spitting out your own blood. 530 00:34:34,915 --> 00:34:35,755 Speaker 5: Don't say that. 531 00:34:37,595 --> 00:34:40,515 Speaker 1: He suddenly threw his meaty hands out towards me in 532 00:34:40,555 --> 00:34:43,515 Speaker 1: a strangling gesture, and then just as quickly clamped them 533 00:34:43,515 --> 00:34:46,555 Speaker 1: over his own ears and closed his eyes and began 534 00:34:46,635 --> 00:34:48,995 Speaker 1: actually screaming no, no, no, no no no no no 535 00:34:48,995 --> 00:34:52,475 Speaker 1: no no no no no. I thought he had gone crazy, 536 00:34:53,475 --> 00:34:56,995 Speaker 1: as it proved he was just practicing for going crazy. Later, 537 00:34:57,635 --> 00:34:59,955 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I'm squeamish. I got the point. I just 538 00:34:59,955 --> 00:35:03,995 Speaker 1: can't findle references to, you know, uh, the red stuff. 539 00:35:04,675 --> 00:35:09,195 Speaker 1: Go ahead with the series. Just toned down the red stuff. 540 00:35:10,515 --> 00:35:15,555 Speaker 1: I toned down the red stuff, and my executive producer 541 00:35:15,635 --> 00:35:17,875 Speaker 1: is Epovich sent him the scripts and he told her 542 00:35:18,275 --> 00:35:21,195 Speaker 1: to tone down the red stuff a little more. And 543 00:35:21,235 --> 00:35:24,515 Speaker 1: I went and I did that too. We all decided 544 00:35:24,515 --> 00:35:28,795 Speaker 1: to start the anti smoking series the following Monday, August eighth, 545 00:35:28,835 --> 00:35:32,635 Speaker 1: two thousand and five. By nauseating coincidence, that was the 546 00:35:32,675 --> 00:35:35,995 Speaker 1: day after the ABC anchorman Peter Jennings had died of 547 00:35:36,075 --> 00:35:39,675 Speaker 1: lung cancer. The MSNBC president had been a producer on 548 00:35:39,755 --> 00:35:44,355 Speaker 1: Jennings newscast. I had long since written and recorded Jennings obituary, 549 00:35:44,835 --> 00:35:48,115 Speaker 1: and now this somewhat cold, but still journalistically valid segue 550 00:35:48,195 --> 00:35:50,035 Speaker 1: would have to be made. We would have to go 551 00:35:50,195 --> 00:35:53,835 Speaker 1: directly from the twelve minute long Jennings oh bit to 552 00:35:53,875 --> 00:35:57,715 Speaker 1: the start of our anti tobacco campaign. Eight or nine 553 00:35:57,715 --> 00:36:01,435 Speaker 1: minutes into that pre recorded Jennings obituary, Rick Kaplan came 554 00:36:01,475 --> 00:36:03,715 Speaker 1: out of his office and walked the fifty feet or 555 00:36:03,795 --> 00:36:06,635 Speaker 1: so through the vast open newsroom to where my anchor 556 00:36:06,675 --> 00:36:10,515 Speaker 1: desk was His eyes were full of tears. This is wonderful, 557 00:36:10,675 --> 00:36:14,275 Speaker 1: he said quietly. Peter would have liked this. He gave 558 00:36:14,315 --> 00:36:16,515 Speaker 1: me a thumbs up. Then he walked to a second 559 00:36:16,515 --> 00:36:19,275 Speaker 1: desk another fifty feet away, where his first big hire, 560 00:36:19,635 --> 00:36:22,755 Speaker 1: a woman named Rita Cosby, was about to premiere his 561 00:36:22,875 --> 00:36:27,555 Speaker 1: first big gamble, her new show immediately following mine. I 562 00:36:27,635 --> 00:36:31,195 Speaker 1: was actually moved by Rick Kaplan's comment. I did not 563 00:36:31,315 --> 00:36:36,315 Speaker 1: once think of phoning the Secaucus police. But then I 564 00:36:36,435 --> 00:36:39,115 Speaker 1: began the anti smoking segment, and as I focused on 565 00:36:39,115 --> 00:36:40,995 Speaker 1: the camera and the teleprompter in front of me and 566 00:36:41,035 --> 00:36:43,115 Speaker 1: detailed the blood and the gore and the spitting and 567 00:36:43,155 --> 00:36:45,755 Speaker 1: how that was the good outcome, out of the corner 568 00:36:45,795 --> 00:36:49,355 Speaker 1: of my eye, I saw this weird sight. The President 569 00:36:49,395 --> 00:36:52,435 Speaker 1: again left his office and waddled out along the wall, 570 00:36:52,515 --> 00:36:54,835 Speaker 1: thirty feet all ahead of me, in the general direction 571 00:36:54,875 --> 00:36:58,435 Speaker 1: of the control rooms. Within moments, as I continued to 572 00:36:58,475 --> 00:37:00,915 Speaker 1: read my script, he was back in the studio and 573 00:37:01,035 --> 00:37:06,915 Speaker 1: standing right next to my camera, gesticulating wild. I said, 574 00:37:07,435 --> 00:37:09,475 Speaker 1: they never say it, but wouldn't it be really easier 575 00:37:09,475 --> 00:37:11,595 Speaker 1: to quit smoking when you didn't have cancer than when 576 00:37:11,595 --> 00:37:14,955 Speaker 1: you did? And Kaplan responded with the same two handed 577 00:37:15,075 --> 00:37:18,435 Speaker 1: choking gesture he had made briefly in his office much earlier. 578 00:37:18,835 --> 00:37:21,995 Speaker 1: I presumed there was some simple problem, like that the 579 00:37:22,035 --> 00:37:24,915 Speaker 1: building was on fire, but I calculated that I could 580 00:37:24,915 --> 00:37:27,075 Speaker 1: still make it to the show's scheduled finished time eight 581 00:37:27,155 --> 00:37:31,115 Speaker 1: fifty nine fifty nine EDT and still survive even if 582 00:37:31,195 --> 00:37:34,675 Speaker 1: others perished. That's countdown for this the eight hundred and 583 00:37:34,755 --> 00:37:37,355 Speaker 1: thirtieth day since the declaration of mission accomplished in Iraq. 584 00:37:37,555 --> 00:37:40,515 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Ulerman. Good night and good luck your sliver. 585 00:37:41,315 --> 00:37:45,235 Speaker 1: Rick Kaplan suddenly screamed from the other anchor desk. I 586 00:37:45,235 --> 00:37:47,635 Speaker 1: could hear, and this is my impression of her. 587 00:37:48,235 --> 00:37:51,715 Speaker 5: Good evening. I'mrita Cosby. This is Rita Cosby, live and 588 00:37:51,795 --> 00:37:54,635 Speaker 5: direct with Rida Cosby, and I'm Rida Cosby. 589 00:37:55,595 --> 00:37:57,115 Speaker 1: She was not a big woman, but she had a 590 00:37:57,155 --> 00:37:59,835 Speaker 1: voice on her like the horn on the Staten Island 591 00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:03,515 Speaker 1: ferry if it had a cold. You are over the top. 592 00:38:03,555 --> 00:38:06,835 Speaker 1: You aren't disgusting. My first thought was that Kaplan had 593 00:38:06,835 --> 00:38:09,675 Speaker 1: forgotten that microphones fifty feet away were live during the 594 00:38:09,715 --> 00:38:13,795 Speaker 1: premiere of his pet project sh Rina is On. I 595 00:38:13,835 --> 00:38:17,355 Speaker 1: actually whispered to him, silly me, I don't give her half. 596 00:38:17,395 --> 00:38:19,835 Speaker 5: If Free Day is on, you were told by is 597 00:38:19,875 --> 00:38:21,755 Speaker 5: He Poevits that the piece was over the top and 598 00:38:21,795 --> 00:38:23,555 Speaker 5: you needed to cut it, and you didn't. 599 00:38:25,355 --> 00:38:27,555 Speaker 1: I still couldn't bring myself to yell back her in 600 00:38:27,555 --> 00:38:30,315 Speaker 1: a live studio. I did cut it, and eas He 601 00:38:30,355 --> 00:38:32,435 Speaker 1: read it and approved it, and she said you had too. 602 00:38:32,915 --> 00:38:36,115 Speaker 1: And Rita's premiere is going on over there in that 603 00:38:36,235 --> 00:38:38,875 Speaker 1: sort of direction. Maybe you should yell at me closer 604 00:38:38,875 --> 00:38:41,515 Speaker 1: to the assignment desk. Maybe I don't give a crap. 605 00:38:41,635 --> 00:38:43,675 Speaker 1: If is He approved it, then she's an ass and 606 00:38:43,755 --> 00:38:46,155 Speaker 1: I can't trust you. I can't trust you. You're all idiots. 607 00:38:46,355 --> 00:38:48,195 Speaker 1: I can't believe you did this to me. I'm trying 608 00:38:48,235 --> 00:38:50,035 Speaker 1: to get Rita's show off the ground, and you start 609 00:38:50,075 --> 00:38:54,355 Speaker 1: talking about spitting blood into a garbage can. Well, now 610 00:38:54,395 --> 00:38:58,115 Speaker 1: I was getting angry. I couldn't resist. Yes, Rita is 611 00:38:58,195 --> 00:39:00,995 Speaker 1: in fact live and direct from that desk right over there. 612 00:39:01,155 --> 00:39:03,755 Speaker 1: And if you'll notice, she keeps looking over here at 613 00:39:03,835 --> 00:39:07,835 Speaker 1: using why you are yelling during the first minutes of 614 00:39:07,875 --> 00:39:11,315 Speaker 1: her first show? So why don't we move over here? Rick? 615 00:39:12,115 --> 00:39:14,555 Speaker 1: I began to move away from him, and we're walking 616 00:39:14,675 --> 00:39:17,955 Speaker 1: away from the live Mo Mike's and we're walking, and 617 00:39:18,075 --> 00:39:20,395 Speaker 1: we're walking, and Rick and Keith are walking because the 618 00:39:20,435 --> 00:39:24,035 Speaker 1: noise isn't really professional. Well, we're not talking professionals, are 619 00:39:24,035 --> 00:39:27,675 Speaker 1: we We're talking idiots. We were walking and he was 620 00:39:27,715 --> 00:39:31,155 Speaker 1: still screaming, you're idiots. I will never trust you again. 621 00:39:31,915 --> 00:39:34,755 Speaker 1: He had begun to trot or stumble or whatever he 622 00:39:34,795 --> 00:39:35,195 Speaker 1: was doing. 623 00:39:35,355 --> 00:39:37,955 Speaker 5: This is not over. I will pay you back, self 624 00:39:37,995 --> 00:39:40,755 Speaker 5: serving garbage. I will get you, and I'll get that 625 00:39:40,955 --> 00:39:43,515 Speaker 5: A hole is he for not staying here and reading 626 00:39:43,555 --> 00:39:45,755 Speaker 5: that script? How many times did you intend to say 627 00:39:45,795 --> 00:39:48,315 Speaker 5: spit blood into a garbage can before I stopped to 628 00:39:49,875 --> 00:39:52,835 Speaker 5: I now realized what he thought had happened, as he 629 00:39:52,875 --> 00:39:56,195 Speaker 5: had gestured spasmodically at me while he stood next to 630 00:39:56,235 --> 00:39:59,595 Speaker 5: my camera. I briefly let my focus shift to amazement 631 00:39:59,595 --> 00:40:01,515 Speaker 5: at the fact that this guy, who had been in 632 00:40:01,595 --> 00:40:04,795 Speaker 5: TV news for twenty five years, knew almost nothing thing 633 00:40:04,835 --> 00:40:08,435 Speaker 5: about how TV worked. I explained to him that Izzy 634 00:40:08,955 --> 00:40:11,075 Speaker 5: and one of her assistants and I had gone over 635 00:40:11,115 --> 00:40:14,555 Speaker 5: the script several times and taken out half of the 636 00:40:14,635 --> 00:40:18,435 Speaker 5: Gorrier references. Then they suck at television. And since I 637 00:40:18,475 --> 00:40:20,995 Speaker 5: can't trust anybody here, since they won't stand up to 638 00:40:21,035 --> 00:40:23,635 Speaker 5: you and edit the script since you obviously bullied them. 639 00:40:24,395 --> 00:40:27,675 Speaker 1: He bawled up his fist and stomped his foot on 640 00:40:27,755 --> 00:40:30,955 Speaker 1: the floor as he called me a bully. I'm now 641 00:40:31,035 --> 00:40:33,995 Speaker 1: going to have to approve every piece of your copy. 642 00:40:36,075 --> 00:40:39,035 Speaker 1: By this point, I was backing into the countdown work 643 00:40:39,115 --> 00:40:41,675 Speaker 1: area with its array of desks, and all the producers 644 00:40:41,755 --> 00:40:44,395 Speaker 1: Kaplan had just insulted. I knew one of them would 645 00:40:44,475 --> 00:40:47,155 Speaker 1: dial the phone when I said, call the cops. I 646 00:40:47,275 --> 00:40:50,035 Speaker 1: call this lunatics, boss, did you hear me? 647 00:40:50,435 --> 00:40:51,915 Speaker 5: And if you don't like it and you don't want 648 00:40:51,915 --> 00:40:53,795 Speaker 5: to come into work tomorrow, that's fine too. 649 00:40:54,955 --> 00:40:57,955 Speaker 1: I never did get that part, but now I had him. 650 00:40:58,195 --> 00:41:00,715 Speaker 1: I crossed my arms in front of my chest slowly, 651 00:41:01,315 --> 00:41:03,995 Speaker 1: like you have seen every news anchor do in every 652 00:41:04,035 --> 00:41:06,835 Speaker 1: television news promo ever shown in the history of the world. 653 00:41:07,515 --> 00:41:11,715 Speaker 1: I flashed as evil a slow mo smile as I could, Oh, 654 00:41:12,235 --> 00:41:15,355 Speaker 1: I'll be here tomorrow, and then I made a sweeping 655 00:41:15,435 --> 00:41:18,955 Speaker 1: gesture back towards my staff, who were both, of course 656 00:41:19,435 --> 00:41:26,475 Speaker 1: literally and figuratively behind me, and so will all of them. Suddenly, 657 00:41:26,555 --> 00:41:29,315 Speaker 1: at that point, for no apparent reason, Rick Caplin's hysterics 658 00:41:29,315 --> 00:41:32,955 Speaker 1: were replaced by mere confusion. He even stopped huffing at 659 00:41:32,995 --> 00:41:38,475 Speaker 1: almost normal volume. He asked me all of who. Only 660 00:41:38,515 --> 00:41:41,115 Speaker 1: at this point did I turn around to discover that 661 00:41:41,235 --> 00:41:44,395 Speaker 1: my entire staff had already left the building. There was 662 00:41:44,475 --> 00:41:48,715 Speaker 1: nobody there behind me. Of course, there was nobody there, 663 00:41:48,955 --> 00:41:51,115 Speaker 1: As I Povich told me later, he went into the 664 00:41:51,115 --> 00:41:53,995 Speaker 1: control room and threatened all of them first, So we 665 00:41:54,035 --> 00:41:55,755 Speaker 1: got on the phone back to the office to tell 666 00:41:55,795 --> 00:41:58,195 Speaker 1: everybody to get the hell out of the building. She 667 00:41:58,355 --> 00:42:01,155 Speaker 1: paused and laughed. I mean, we love you, but we're 668 00:42:01,195 --> 00:42:06,355 Speaker 1: not crazy. Rick Caplin's ex was a brief one. He 669 00:42:06,395 --> 00:42:09,835 Speaker 1: began screaming again, I'm going to end your career tomorrow. 670 00:42:09,875 --> 00:42:13,275 Speaker 1: I'm going to completely f you up. He turned and 671 00:42:13,315 --> 00:42:17,515 Speaker 1: stumbled away from my office. Good luck sleeping tonight. I 672 00:42:17,555 --> 00:42:21,315 Speaker 1: slept like a stone. And not because Kaplin had previously 673 00:42:21,315 --> 00:42:24,075 Speaker 1: threatened to fire me for not leaving my father's bedside 674 00:42:24,555 --> 00:42:26,835 Speaker 1: after what they thought was a heart attack to fly 675 00:42:26,955 --> 00:42:29,035 Speaker 1: to la to appear on the Tonight show. And not 676 00:42:29,115 --> 00:42:31,515 Speaker 1: because he'd once threatened to fire me because he didn't 677 00:42:31,595 --> 00:42:35,315 Speaker 1: like my tie, And not because he had previously threatened 678 00:42:35,315 --> 00:42:38,035 Speaker 1: to fire me for not doing something during live coverage 679 00:42:38,475 --> 00:42:40,635 Speaker 1: that I had already done, but he thought we hadn't 680 00:42:40,635 --> 00:42:43,155 Speaker 1: done because he was watching us, not live but on 681 00:42:43,235 --> 00:42:48,275 Speaker 1: delay on his DVR president of a network. And I 682 00:42:48,315 --> 00:42:51,555 Speaker 1: slept beautifully, not because I correctly guessed this would be 683 00:42:51,715 --> 00:42:54,155 Speaker 1: it for Rick Kaplan, and it was. The next day 684 00:42:54,715 --> 00:42:58,395 Speaker 1: human resources forced him to apologize to me, and ten 685 00:42:58,435 --> 00:43:03,235 Speaker 1: months later his bosses fired him. Nor did I snooze 686 00:43:03,275 --> 00:43:08,595 Speaker 1: blessedly because of any bravery or stoicism or fatalism on 687 00:43:08,675 --> 00:43:11,115 Speaker 1: my part. But I slept well simply because of the 688 00:43:11,155 --> 00:43:16,475 Speaker 1: realization that even after all of this, Rick Kaplan was 689 00:43:16,515 --> 00:43:22,515 Speaker 1: still only the second or third craziest MSNBC executive I 690 00:43:22,715 --> 00:43:37,675 Speaker 1: had ever worked for. I've done all the damage I 691 00:43:37,675 --> 00:43:39,315 Speaker 1: can do here. Countdown has come to you from the 692 00:43:39,395 --> 00:43:42,115 Speaker 1: Vin Scully Studio at the world headquarters of the Olderman 693 00:43:42,155 --> 00:43:45,635 Speaker 1: Broadcasting Empire in New York. Here are the credits. Most 694 00:43:45,635 --> 00:43:48,075 Speaker 1: of the music was arranged, produced, and performed by Brian 695 00:43:48,155 --> 00:43:51,435 Speaker 1: Ray and John Phillip Shanel. They are the Countdown musical directors. 696 00:43:51,715 --> 00:43:55,475 Speaker 1: All orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shanel, Guitars, bass 697 00:43:55,515 --> 00:43:58,995 Speaker 1: and drums by Brian Ray. Produced by Tko Brothers other 698 00:43:59,035 --> 00:44:01,555 Speaker 1: Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by the group 699 00:44:01,595 --> 00:44:04,955 Speaker 1: No Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Olderman theme 700 00:44:04,955 --> 00:44:09,195 Speaker 1: from ESPN two. It was written by Mitch Warren Davis CURTESYBSPN, Inc. 701 00:44:09,675 --> 00:44:13,475 Speaker 1: Musical comments by Nancy Faust. The best baseball stadium organist ever. 702 00:44:13,795 --> 00:44:16,595 Speaker 1: Our announcer was my friend Kenny Maine. Everything else is 703 00:44:16,595 --> 00:44:19,035 Speaker 1: pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for this the 704 00:44:19,035 --> 00:44:21,955 Speaker 1: eight hundred and ninetieth day since Donald Trump's first attempted 705 00:44:21,995 --> 00:44:25,155 Speaker 1: coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 706 00:44:25,635 --> 00:44:28,675 Speaker 1: Arrest him again while we still can. Let's go for 707 00:44:28,715 --> 00:44:32,155 Speaker 1: a streak. Let's do it every day, shall we. The 708 00:44:32,235 --> 00:44:34,835 Speaker 1: next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Till then, I'm Keith Olberman. 709 00:44:34,915 --> 00:44:50,955 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown 710 00:44:50,995 --> 00:44:54,755 Speaker 1: with Keith Olberman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 711 00:44:54,835 --> 00:44:59,795 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 712 00:44:59,835 --> 00:45:01,675 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.