1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,315 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Have 2 00:00:22,515 --> 00:00:28,275 Speaker 1: Meet the Press staffers, including Kristen Welker, violated NBC News's 3 00:00:28,555 --> 00:00:33,235 Speaker 1: own written journalistic guidelines, what it called the NBC News 4 00:00:33,515 --> 00:00:38,915 Speaker 1: Employee Handbook, in failing to correct or fact check Trump 5 00:00:39,555 --> 00:00:42,475 Speaker 1: or in some significant way Warren Meet the Press viewers 6 00:00:42,555 --> 00:00:47,475 Speaker 1: yesterday that Trump was spreading provable falsehoods on the NBC 7 00:00:47,595 --> 00:00:51,915 Speaker 1: television network in a pre taped interview that provided NBC 8 00:00:51,995 --> 00:00:57,395 Speaker 1: News three full days to have documented those falsehoods. Did 9 00:00:57,595 --> 00:01:01,995 Speaker 1: NBC News make some sort of deal with Trump's campaign 10 00:01:02,075 --> 00:01:06,115 Speaker 1: to make sure that did not happen to not materially 11 00:01:06,115 --> 00:01:09,675 Speaker 1: fact check him on the air during the disastrous Welker 12 00:01:10,315 --> 00:01:15,675 Speaker 1: quote interview unquote, I do not know the answer to 13 00:01:15,715 --> 00:01:20,115 Speaker 1: those questions. I do know those questions are among many 14 00:01:20,235 --> 00:01:26,115 Speaker 1: being asked inside NBC today, in part because of one 15 00:01:26,475 --> 00:01:30,635 Speaker 1: NBC tweet and in part because of the awful realization 16 00:01:31,155 --> 00:01:35,075 Speaker 1: that some sort of illicit pre arrangement would almost be 17 00:01:35,155 --> 00:01:37,915 Speaker 1: a better explanation than that Welker and Meet the Press 18 00:01:37,915 --> 00:01:42,115 Speaker 1: and NBC News abrogated virtually every one of its journalistic 19 00:01:42,195 --> 00:01:47,115 Speaker 1: responsibilities in a Chris Licked level dumpster fire that has 20 00:01:47,195 --> 00:01:51,035 Speaker 1: left the longtime viability of Welker at her executive producer, 21 00:01:51,395 --> 00:01:54,755 Speaker 1: and the nearly seventy six year old program itself up 22 00:01:54,835 --> 00:01:59,955 Speaker 1: in the air. I do not know for certain that 23 00:01:59,995 --> 00:02:04,995 Speaker 1: there is an internal investigation. I do know veterans within 24 00:02:05,195 --> 00:02:10,435 Speaker 1: NBC News are pushing for one. Based on the following timeline, 25 00:02:10,475 --> 00:02:14,355 Speaker 1: Welker and NBC News reporter dash of Burns were among 26 00:02:14,395 --> 00:02:18,275 Speaker 1: a dozen Washington insiders who were quote whining and dining 27 00:02:18,315 --> 00:02:22,595 Speaker 1: with Trump thugs Jason Miller, Stephen Chung, and Chris Lasavida 28 00:02:23,035 --> 00:02:26,075 Speaker 1: at a steakhouse called Rare the night before the Republican 29 00:02:26,115 --> 00:02:29,955 Speaker 1: presidential debate in Milwaukee. The dinner was August twenty second. 30 00:02:30,355 --> 00:02:32,875 Speaker 1: Welker had been named the host in waiting to meet 31 00:02:32,875 --> 00:02:35,675 Speaker 1: the press on June fifth. The interview was suddenly announced 32 00:02:35,715 --> 00:02:38,235 Speaker 1: late in the day last Wednesday, the thirteenth, and it 33 00:02:38,275 --> 00:02:42,715 Speaker 1: was conducted on Thursday the fourteenth. I do know that 34 00:02:42,755 --> 00:02:47,515 Speaker 1: the Milwaukee dinner itself would not be considered a breach 35 00:02:47,595 --> 00:02:51,795 Speaker 1: of the NBC News Employee Handbook, the code on which 36 00:02:51,875 --> 00:02:55,995 Speaker 1: suspensions and terminations and other punishments are based if you 37 00:02:56,155 --> 00:03:02,115 Speaker 1: are an NBC News employee. I know the NBC News 38 00:03:02,195 --> 00:03:06,715 Speaker 1: Employee Handbook and the subject of it. Intimately, when NBC 39 00:03:06,835 --> 00:03:10,355 Speaker 1: attempted to suspend me in twenty ten for making a 40 00:03:10,435 --> 00:03:14,355 Speaker 1: series of mop up political donations after my coverage of 41 00:03:14,475 --> 00:03:18,635 Speaker 1: various campaigns had ended that year, it was prevented from 42 00:03:18,675 --> 00:03:22,315 Speaker 1: suspending me by the fact that it had insisted on 43 00:03:22,515 --> 00:03:29,235 Speaker 1: making me a contractor, not staff, not an NBC News employee, 44 00:03:29,515 --> 00:03:34,955 Speaker 1: so it did not have to pay me dental. Seriously, 45 00:03:36,515 --> 00:03:40,035 Speaker 1: the NBC News Employee Handbook would have discouraged the Welker 46 00:03:40,115 --> 00:03:43,555 Speaker 1: Burns Trump staff dinner, But if the reporting on it 47 00:03:43,635 --> 00:03:46,555 Speaker 1: by Politico is correct that the News employees who attended 48 00:03:46,755 --> 00:03:50,515 Speaker 1: paid their own meal charges, they would not have been 49 00:03:50,555 --> 00:03:54,435 Speaker 1: guilty of anything, not have been guilty of violating the 50 00:03:54,435 --> 00:03:57,515 Speaker 1: code precluding accepting meals or other gifts or other items 51 00:03:57,515 --> 00:04:00,755 Speaker 1: of value from a political campaign. A politician or office 52 00:04:00,795 --> 00:04:06,675 Speaker 1: holder contacts or discussions between meet the press or its 53 00:04:06,675 --> 00:04:12,315 Speaker 1: representatives and the Trump campaign about editorial restrictions on an 54 00:04:12,355 --> 00:04:16,675 Speaker 1: interview at that dinner or elsewhere, that would be a 55 00:04:16,875 --> 00:04:22,675 Speaker 1: major issue, that would be a red line issue. The 56 00:04:22,675 --> 00:04:27,195 Speaker 1: more pressing problem, probably the more relevant problem, is at 57 00:04:27,235 --> 00:04:31,435 Speaker 1: exactly ten am Eastern yesterday, NBC News posted on its 58 00:04:31,435 --> 00:04:35,715 Speaker 1: website a fact check of Welker's interview. At ten thirteen am, 59 00:04:35,875 --> 00:04:40,155 Speaker 1: it's Meet the Press account tweeted this, verbatim quote, Former 60 00:04:40,275 --> 00:04:44,595 Speaker 1: President Trump made a spate of false and misleading comments 61 00:04:44,635 --> 00:04:49,355 Speaker 1: about immigration, foreign policy, abortion, and more in a wide 62 00:04:49,475 --> 00:04:53,275 Speaker 1: ranging interview with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker unquote. 63 00:04:54,235 --> 00:04:59,475 Speaker 1: The problem is that the NBC News Employee Handbook requires 64 00:05:00,195 --> 00:05:03,595 Speaker 1: or required. I was never actually given one, obviously, though 65 00:05:03,635 --> 00:05:06,915 Speaker 1: I was given brief access to one, I have not 66 00:05:07,035 --> 00:05:11,195 Speaker 1: personally seen a revised copy. I am relying on others 67 00:05:11,235 --> 00:05:14,755 Speaker 1: to quote it to me. The handbook would have said 68 00:05:14,835 --> 00:05:20,155 Speaker 1: if they knowingly broadcasted or published lies, false or misleading 69 00:05:20,195 --> 00:05:25,075 Speaker 1: comments or information by anyone in any non live format 70 00:05:25,435 --> 00:05:29,115 Speaker 1: without a significant disclaimer or caveat or a fact check, 71 00:05:29,395 --> 00:05:33,115 Speaker 1: they would have violated the NBC News employee codes and 72 00:05:33,195 --> 00:05:36,515 Speaker 1: would be potentially subject to punishment up to and including 73 00:05:36,555 --> 00:05:42,235 Speaker 1: suspension and termination. On the one hand, NBC News is 74 00:05:42,275 --> 00:05:45,435 Speaker 1: posting a fact check of what a little later. At 75 00:05:45,435 --> 00:05:49,755 Speaker 1: eleven thirty am yesterday, it tweeted, We're quote at least 76 00:05:49,835 --> 00:05:54,835 Speaker 1: eleven times during President Trump's interview, in which he used falsehoods. 77 00:05:55,195 --> 00:05:57,955 Speaker 1: They did not use the word lie, but they added 78 00:05:57,995 --> 00:06:02,715 Speaker 1: here's our fact check, while on the other hand, someone 79 00:06:02,755 --> 00:06:05,875 Speaker 1: in a position of authority at NBC News made certain 80 00:06:06,115 --> 00:06:09,475 Speaker 1: that there was no similar lengthy fact check on the 81 00:06:09,515 --> 00:06:14,195 Speaker 1: television broadcast itself, other than a passing mention directing viewers 82 00:06:15,115 --> 00:06:19,435 Speaker 1: to the website fact check, but in confirming Trump quote 83 00:06:19,475 --> 00:06:23,075 Speaker 1: made a spate of false and misleading comments. In a 84 00:06:23,115 --> 00:06:29,035 Speaker 1: piece posted on the NBC News website, NBC News underscored 85 00:06:29,075 --> 00:06:32,435 Speaker 1: that they failed to clearly flag and disclaim and Caveat 86 00:06:32,475 --> 00:06:35,795 Speaker 1: and Warren that Trump was making those false and misleading 87 00:06:35,795 --> 00:06:38,955 Speaker 1: comments on their television network, and in all the clips 88 00:06:39,075 --> 00:06:42,755 Speaker 1: shown on MSNBC and CNBC and the NBC owned and 89 00:06:42,755 --> 00:06:47,555 Speaker 1: affiliated television stations. The Meet the Press telecast, of course, 90 00:06:47,795 --> 00:06:52,875 Speaker 1: skipped anything resembling the online fact check, and instead, Kristen 91 00:06:52,915 --> 00:06:55,355 Speaker 1: Welker had Peter Baker of The New York Times on 92 00:06:55,915 --> 00:07:01,275 Speaker 1: for a self rationalization exercise and interview about why NBC 93 00:07:01,355 --> 00:07:06,435 Speaker 1: News wasn't committing journalistic suicide by platform forming a skilled, practiced, 94 00:07:06,595 --> 00:07:10,315 Speaker 1: professional psychopathic liar. In what amounted to several minutes of 95 00:07:10,395 --> 00:07:15,955 Speaker 1: the shrug emoji, only Baker was wearing a suit. Again, 96 00:07:16,435 --> 00:07:21,475 Speaker 1: I cannot confirm now that NBC News is investigating Kristin 97 00:07:21,515 --> 00:07:25,035 Speaker 1: Welker or Meet the Press executive producer David Gellis I 98 00:07:25,075 --> 00:07:28,475 Speaker 1: believe it's pronounced or anybody else within that unit or 99 00:07:28,515 --> 00:07:31,475 Speaker 1: the News division as a whole, for violating the written 100 00:07:31,555 --> 00:07:35,675 Speaker 1: NBC News journalistic guidelines in the NBC News Employee Handbook. 101 00:07:36,555 --> 00:07:39,635 Speaker 1: I do know there is reason to believe those internal 102 00:07:39,715 --> 00:07:47,075 Speaker 1: NBC News guidelines have in fact been violated, and amazingly 103 00:07:47,715 --> 00:07:51,115 Speaker 1: that is the good news for NBC and Meet the 104 00:07:51,155 --> 00:07:55,475 Speaker 1: Press and Kristin Welker, because the substance of the Trump 105 00:07:56,195 --> 00:07:59,995 Speaker 1: telecast was at or near the level of the CNN 106 00:08:00,155 --> 00:08:02,915 Speaker 1: Live Trump town hall. In fact, it might be worse 107 00:08:03,515 --> 00:08:08,195 Speaker 1: because while the judgment to do CNN's broadcast live was disastrous, 108 00:08:08,355 --> 00:08:12,675 Speaker 1: the calamities as a result all happened live. The NBC 109 00:08:12,875 --> 00:08:16,195 Speaker 1: disasters sat there for nearly seventy two hours after the 110 00:08:16,275 --> 00:08:18,595 Speaker 1: interview was recorded, and they were still put on the air. 111 00:08:19,075 --> 00:08:25,075 Speaker 1: That is an extinction level event for NBC News. Reviewing 112 00:08:25,155 --> 00:08:28,915 Speaker 1: the interview is like reaching for a book on the 113 00:08:28,915 --> 00:08:33,515 Speaker 1: top shelf and then two dozen books fall on your 114 00:08:33,555 --> 00:08:39,675 Speaker 1: head one by one, followed by the shelf itself. Trump 115 00:08:39,755 --> 00:08:43,395 Speaker 1: lies and says Biden quote told the Justice Department to 116 00:08:43,555 --> 00:08:46,115 Speaker 1: indict me, And instead of pushing back in any way 117 00:08:46,155 --> 00:08:49,475 Speaker 1: in real time, and without NBC putting up any graphics 118 00:08:49,835 --> 00:08:53,195 Speaker 1: warning they were transmitting provably false statements, and without NBC 119 00:08:53,195 --> 00:08:55,795 Speaker 1: coming back to the studio for a live fact check, 120 00:08:55,955 --> 00:09:00,235 Speaker 1: Welker instead then says on videotape, quote, let me ask 121 00:09:00,275 --> 00:09:02,675 Speaker 1: you this, mister President. I just want to hear from 122 00:09:02,795 --> 00:09:04,955 Speaker 1: you on this. I want to know what's in your 123 00:09:05,035 --> 00:09:08,075 Speaker 1: head when you go to bed at night. Do you 124 00:09:08,195 --> 00:09:13,515 Speaker 1: worry about going to jail? That was the answer to 125 00:09:13,555 --> 00:09:16,715 Speaker 1: his lie that Biden had ordered him to be indicted. 126 00:09:18,435 --> 00:09:22,035 Speaker 1: There was an on air fact check of Trump's lie 127 00:09:22,475 --> 00:09:26,635 Speaker 1: on NBC that the president ordered his indictments, and with 128 00:09:26,715 --> 00:09:29,315 Speaker 1: it his lie on NBC that Biden had profited from 129 00:09:29,315 --> 00:09:33,715 Speaker 1: his son's business dealings. Those two fact checks took a 130 00:09:33,755 --> 00:09:40,955 Speaker 1: combined twenty eight seconds. As in aside, Welker called him 131 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:45,555 Speaker 1: mister President at least twice, and that appellation is journalistically 132 00:09:45,635 --> 00:09:50,315 Speaker 1: reserved for the sitting president. President Trump is maddening, but 133 00:09:50,475 --> 00:09:54,795 Speaker 1: unfortunately it's acceptable. She did not call him that. There 134 00:09:54,915 --> 00:09:57,915 Speaker 1: was one other in progress fact check and NBC screwed 135 00:09:57,915 --> 00:10:01,595 Speaker 1: that one up too. Trump tells Welker, quote, they don't 136 00:10:01,595 --> 00:10:03,755 Speaker 1: want to kill a baby in the seventh month or 137 00:10:03,795 --> 00:10:06,235 Speaker 1: the ninth month or after birth, and they're allowed to 138 00:10:06,275 --> 00:10:09,875 Speaker 1: do that, and you can't do that. Instead of responding 139 00:10:10,275 --> 00:10:13,755 Speaker 1: that abortions do not occur after birth, that Trump has 140 00:10:13,795 --> 00:10:17,475 Speaker 1: just lied about that and non specifically accused countless medical 141 00:10:17,475 --> 00:10:21,195 Speaker 1: professionals of the murder of breathing children, Welker comes back 142 00:10:21,235 --> 00:10:24,235 Speaker 1: on camera and says, one important fact check, we do 143 00:10:24,315 --> 00:10:28,715 Speaker 1: want to highlight abortions later in pregnancy are extremely rare. 144 00:10:29,515 --> 00:10:35,035 Speaker 1: When we come back, Trump lies again about Biden and 145 00:10:35,035 --> 00:10:37,955 Speaker 1: says everything he says is like a lie. It's terrible. 146 00:10:37,995 --> 00:10:40,235 Speaker 1: And instead of pushing back against that in any way 147 00:10:40,315 --> 00:10:44,515 Speaker 1: and again without see caveats of any kind, Welker inanely says, 148 00:10:44,715 --> 00:10:47,675 Speaker 1: I want to stay focused on you because it's important 149 00:10:47,675 --> 00:10:51,155 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Mister president. Tell me what you 150 00:10:51,275 --> 00:10:57,275 Speaker 1: see when you look at your mugshot. Trump lied about 151 00:10:57,275 --> 00:10:59,915 Speaker 1: immigrants flooding this country. There was no fact check on 152 00:10:59,995 --> 00:11:01,995 Speaker 1: Meet the Press. Trump lied about a record number of 153 00:11:02,075 --> 00:11:04,075 Speaker 1: terrorists among them. There was no fact check about that 154 00:11:04,115 --> 00:11:06,475 Speaker 1: on Meet the Press. Trumpled about the US giving the 155 00:11:06,475 --> 00:11:09,315 Speaker 1: Taliban eighty five billion dollars worth of equipment. There was 156 00:11:09,355 --> 00:11:11,635 Speaker 1: no fact check about that. On Meet the Press, Trump 157 00:11:11,675 --> 00:11:15,115 Speaker 1: lied about January sixth insurrectionists getting record sentences. There was 158 00:11:15,115 --> 00:11:17,435 Speaker 1: no fact check about that. On Meet the Press, Trump 159 00:11:17,435 --> 00:11:20,035 Speaker 1: lied about his tax cuts producing revenue. There was no 160 00:11:20,115 --> 00:11:22,675 Speaker 1: fact check about that. On Meet the Press, Trump lied 161 00:11:22,675 --> 00:11:25,995 Speaker 1: that the media is no longer covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 162 00:11:26,155 --> 00:11:28,355 Speaker 1: There was no fact check about that. On Meet the Press. 163 00:11:28,515 --> 00:11:31,435 Speaker 1: Trump lied that COVID and not he drove up the deficit. 164 00:11:31,515 --> 00:11:33,635 Speaker 1: There was no fact check about that. On Meet the Press, 165 00:11:33,875 --> 00:11:37,635 Speaker 1: Trump lied more than a dozen times that the twenty 166 00:11:37,675 --> 00:11:41,195 Speaker 1: twenty election was quote rigged. There was no fact check 167 00:11:41,195 --> 00:11:43,595 Speaker 1: about that. On Meet the Press. Trump lied about his 168 00:11:43,675 --> 00:11:46,955 Speaker 1: ability to decide whether or not to, if elected next year, 169 00:11:47,235 --> 00:11:51,395 Speaker 1: seek a third term when he is constitutionally ineligible to 170 00:11:51,475 --> 00:11:53,675 Speaker 1: do so. There was no fact check about that on 171 00:11:53,715 --> 00:12:00,875 Speaker 1: Meet the Press. And from the infuriating to the sublimely stupid, 172 00:12:01,435 --> 00:12:06,715 Speaker 1: Trump lied that the price of bacon I'll say that again, 173 00:12:06,995 --> 00:12:12,915 Speaker 1: the price of bacon has quintupled. There is no fact 174 00:12:12,995 --> 00:12:15,155 Speaker 1: check on Meet the Press about that. And for the record, 175 00:12:15,235 --> 00:12:18,075 Speaker 1: the price is up not five hundred percent, but twelve percent, 176 00:12:18,155 --> 00:12:20,355 Speaker 1: and in any event, Trump ought to lay off the 177 00:12:20,395 --> 00:12:27,835 Speaker 1: effing bacon. All of those lies, however, were fact checked 178 00:12:27,835 --> 00:12:33,395 Speaker 1: by NBC News on its website, underscoring again that it 179 00:12:33,555 --> 00:12:36,755 Speaker 1: did not fact check them on its broadcast, which again 180 00:12:36,835 --> 00:12:41,555 Speaker 1: may have been a significant violation of its own printed 181 00:12:42,195 --> 00:12:51,675 Speaker 1: published NBC News employee handbook, My own caveat a lot 182 00:12:51,715 --> 00:12:54,835 Speaker 1: of coverage of the Welker Trump disaster. Yesterday, insisted that 183 00:12:54,915 --> 00:12:57,795 Speaker 1: she got Trump to admit he had lost the twenty 184 00:12:57,835 --> 00:13:01,435 Speaker 1: twenty election. In fact, he said he needed more votes 185 00:13:01,475 --> 00:13:04,395 Speaker 1: because the election was rigged. She then replied, are you 186 00:13:04,355 --> 00:13:07,955 Speaker 1: an you didn't win. He then replies, they rigged the election. 187 00:13:08,195 --> 00:13:11,355 Speaker 1: I'm not acknowledging. No, I say we won the election. 188 00:13:12,475 --> 00:13:17,715 Speaker 1: That is not him admitting he lost. Also, the vice 189 00:13:17,795 --> 00:13:21,475 Speaker 1: president of NBC News Digital boasted on social media that 190 00:13:21,555 --> 00:13:24,875 Speaker 1: Welker got Trump to say he ignored legal advice from 191 00:13:24,915 --> 00:13:27,635 Speaker 1: his attorneys who told him he lost, and thus he 192 00:13:27,675 --> 00:13:30,155 Speaker 1: continued with the lie that he won in twenty twenty. 193 00:13:30,355 --> 00:13:33,515 Speaker 1: Quote it was my decision, unquote, he said. This has 194 00:13:33,555 --> 00:13:36,715 Speaker 1: been presented in some quarters as excellent evidence for Special 195 00:13:36,715 --> 00:13:41,555 Speaker 1: Counsel Jack Smith and while it can't hurt, it merely 196 00:13:41,635 --> 00:13:44,715 Speaker 1: echoes the evidence. A grand jury has been hearing quotes 197 00:13:44,755 --> 00:13:48,195 Speaker 1: from Trump testimony from others about the lawyers, about what 198 00:13:48,235 --> 00:13:51,595 Speaker 1: they told him, about what Trump did in response, evidence 199 00:13:51,595 --> 00:13:57,275 Speaker 1: they've been hearing for months. In short, NBC News, Meet 200 00:13:57,315 --> 00:14:01,915 Speaker 1: the Press and Kristen Welker will never live down their 201 00:14:02,075 --> 00:14:07,755 Speaker 1: premeditated decision to forfeit seventy five years of journalistic credibility 202 00:14:08,075 --> 00:14:12,315 Speaker 1: built up by their predecessors for whatever ratings hit they 203 00:14:12,355 --> 00:14:15,595 Speaker 1: got in her debut on Meet the Press. The best 204 00:14:16,115 --> 00:14:19,435 Speaker 1: she can hope for is to be viewed forever now 205 00:14:19,595 --> 00:14:24,875 Speaker 1: as damaged goods or as a punchline, much as Caitlin 206 00:14:24,995 --> 00:14:28,595 Speaker 1: Collins has been viewed since the town hall fiasco at CNN. 207 00:14:29,755 --> 00:14:33,875 Speaker 1: What becomes of Meet the Press itself now is anybody's guests. 208 00:14:34,155 --> 00:14:36,955 Speaker 1: These uncertainties would only be amplified if there is an 209 00:14:36,995 --> 00:14:40,715 Speaker 1: internal investigation and it does find violations of extant NBC 210 00:14:40,835 --> 00:14:45,995 Speaker 1: News rules. But all of this still misses a monstrously 211 00:14:46,235 --> 00:14:51,155 Speaker 1: bigger picture of all the news organizations that Republicans and 212 00:14:51,235 --> 00:14:55,875 Speaker 1: magas and fascists view inside their fantasy world as the 213 00:14:55,995 --> 00:14:59,875 Speaker 1: quote liberal media or the quote fake news They view 214 00:14:59,955 --> 00:15:06,355 Speaker 1: National Public Radio's net untrustworthiness at about a minus twenty one. 215 00:15:06,475 --> 00:15:09,755 Speaker 1: The New York Times they vet at about a net 216 00:15:09,835 --> 00:15:14,275 Speaker 1: minus thirty. According to a u gov poll conducted last spring, 217 00:15:14,875 --> 00:15:21,195 Speaker 1: they view CNN and MSNBC at minus thirty seven, the 218 00:15:21,475 --> 00:15:27,435 Speaker 1: lowest number. As a separate entity, NBC News is a 219 00:15:27,515 --> 00:15:29,675 Speaker 1: minus seventeen. So I don't know if that makes the 220 00:15:29,675 --> 00:15:33,035 Speaker 1: combination of MSNBC and NBC News. They both televised Meet 221 00:15:33,075 --> 00:15:36,915 Speaker 1: the Press a minus fifty four or a minus twenty seven, 222 00:15:37,715 --> 00:15:41,515 Speaker 1: but from the delusional lunatic right, NBC and CNN are 223 00:15:41,955 --> 00:15:47,035 Speaker 1: the worst, And yet in the last one hundred and 224 00:15:47,155 --> 00:15:52,355 Speaker 1: thirty two days, both organizations have engaged their networks in 225 00:15:52,475 --> 00:15:57,955 Speaker 1: shocking and disgraceful episodes in which they prostituted their platforms 226 00:15:58,275 --> 00:16:05,275 Speaker 1: to give Donald Trump, a candidate vowing political revenge, candidate 227 00:16:06,155 --> 00:16:10,675 Speaker 1: vowing the destruction of democratic institutions and the wholesale pardoning 228 00:16:10,715 --> 00:16:18,155 Speaker 1: of violent and even murderous insurrectionists, unfettered access to poison 229 00:16:18,715 --> 00:16:23,915 Speaker 1: literally millions of viewers with what was truly nothing resembling 230 00:16:23,955 --> 00:16:27,755 Speaker 1: effective fact checking or pushback, or even just a large 231 00:16:28,155 --> 00:16:33,995 Speaker 1: flashing read letter l in the corner when he was lying. 232 00:16:35,315 --> 00:16:39,075 Speaker 1: And moreover, CNN and NBC have put their stamp of 233 00:16:39,155 --> 00:16:44,075 Speaker 1: approval on him. They have validated him, they have authenticated him, 234 00:16:44,515 --> 00:16:47,435 Speaker 1: and they have done the same for the process of 235 00:16:47,515 --> 00:16:51,195 Speaker 1: letting him lie and falsely calling the result of those 236 00:16:51,275 --> 00:16:55,715 Speaker 1: lies a quote interview, and on the very idea that 237 00:16:55,755 --> 00:16:58,835 Speaker 1: any American can stand by and operate now as if 238 00:16:58,875 --> 00:17:02,435 Speaker 1: it is business as usual in this case, the news business, 239 00:17:03,075 --> 00:17:06,075 Speaker 1: when there is a dangerous force loose among us in 240 00:17:06,195 --> 00:17:10,115 Speaker 1: the land, which previously tried to overthrow the government of 241 00:17:10,155 --> 00:17:13,675 Speaker 1: the United States in a form of violent revolution and 242 00:17:13,795 --> 00:17:17,555 Speaker 1: nearly succeeded, and which is seeking to completely hijack the 243 00:17:17,635 --> 00:17:21,555 Speaker 1: very institutions still designed to protect freedom in this nation 244 00:17:21,995 --> 00:17:29,155 Speaker 1: and use those institutions to destroy themselves. That is what 245 00:17:29,275 --> 00:17:34,115 Speaker 1: CNN did in May. That is what NBC News did yesterday. 246 00:17:36,235 --> 00:17:43,475 Speaker 1: They are collaborating with authoritarians. And the question becomes why 247 00:17:44,875 --> 00:17:47,795 Speaker 1: CNN's new masters made no secret of their intent to 248 00:17:47,915 --> 00:17:50,875 Speaker 1: curry favor with Trump and the Republicans and to afford 249 00:17:50,915 --> 00:17:53,915 Speaker 1: him an avenue to spread the corporate fascism they have 250 00:17:53,995 --> 00:17:59,355 Speaker 1: openly endorsed. NBC's motives may be more obscure and opaque, 251 00:17:59,635 --> 00:18:05,635 Speaker 1: but they are nonetheless evil and equally so is either 252 00:18:05,795 --> 00:18:09,515 Speaker 1: like CNN positioning itself to survive in a world in 253 00:18:09,555 --> 00:18:13,435 Speaker 1: which the Trumpists prevail and this nation goes fully fascist 254 00:18:13,475 --> 00:18:16,835 Speaker 1: in the years to come, or perhaps even more disgustingly, 255 00:18:17,635 --> 00:18:21,275 Speaker 1: NBC is too greedy and too blind to see that 256 00:18:21,315 --> 00:18:28,355 Speaker 1: Trump exploited them and managed to manipulate them into pimping 257 00:18:28,435 --> 00:18:34,235 Speaker 1: for him and for evil. There are only those two choices. 258 00:18:35,795 --> 00:18:42,275 Speaker 1: There are no other explanations. It would be entirely appropriate 259 00:18:42,275 --> 00:18:45,555 Speaker 1: for Kristen Welker and the executive producer David Gellis and 260 00:18:45,755 --> 00:18:48,995 Speaker 1: NBC News chairman says Our Conde and the new NBC 261 00:18:49,035 --> 00:18:53,355 Speaker 1: News editorial president Rebecca Blumenstein to be fired and for 262 00:18:53,435 --> 00:18:55,955 Speaker 1: their careers in journalism to be ended in the shame 263 00:18:56,355 --> 00:19:04,075 Speaker 1: they have drenched themselves in appropriate but insufficient, just as 264 00:19:04,115 --> 00:19:07,355 Speaker 1: the firing of Chris Lick by CNN was insufficient. The 265 00:19:07,515 --> 00:19:11,995 Speaker 1: issue is what can be done now to destroy the 266 00:19:11,995 --> 00:19:17,995 Speaker 1: corporations which own NBC and CNN after they have taken 267 00:19:18,035 --> 00:19:23,755 Speaker 1: these actions against representative government in this country, against freedom, 268 00:19:24,275 --> 00:19:27,995 Speaker 1: against the United States of America, actions that actually hit 269 00:19:28,075 --> 00:19:31,155 Speaker 1: differently and perhaps worse than the actions of the Murdochs 270 00:19:31,195 --> 00:19:34,675 Speaker 1: of this world, whose intent and amorality is well known 271 00:19:34,835 --> 00:19:39,835 Speaker 1: even to many of those addicted to their swill. CNN 272 00:19:40,475 --> 00:19:45,555 Speaker 1: and now NBC have defiled their own previously more or 273 00:19:45,635 --> 00:19:50,235 Speaker 1: less reliably neutral, more or less reliably truthful platforms, and 274 00:19:50,315 --> 00:19:58,595 Speaker 1: the forces of those platforms, the faces Anderson Cooper, wolf Blitzer, 275 00:19:59,595 --> 00:20:07,195 Speaker 1: Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie and scheduled to broadcast tonight and 276 00:20:07,235 --> 00:20:09,835 Speaker 1: facing the choice of standing up for her principles or 277 00:20:09,875 --> 00:20:13,315 Speaker 1: standing up for her thirty million dollar salary, Rachel Maddow. 278 00:20:14,915 --> 00:20:21,915 Speaker 1: These people have not spoken up in defense of this country. 279 00:20:24,795 --> 00:20:27,155 Speaker 1: I'm very sorry to say this about someone I long 280 00:20:27,195 --> 00:20:30,435 Speaker 1: ago hired for MSNBC out of my own pocket, and 281 00:20:30,595 --> 00:20:34,675 Speaker 1: I will be happy to the point of tears and 282 00:20:34,795 --> 00:20:39,755 Speaker 1: will spend an entire podcast apologizing to her if she 283 00:20:39,995 --> 00:20:45,555 Speaker 1: proves me wrong tonight. But when it comes to Rachel 284 00:20:45,555 --> 00:20:51,395 Speaker 1: Maddow saying something about how bad the Welker Trump Show was, 285 00:20:53,555 --> 00:21:03,115 Speaker 1: I regret to say I am not hopeful. Also of 286 00:21:03,155 --> 00:21:06,995 Speaker 1: interest here Jack's Smith's gag order request in DC you 287 00:21:07,075 --> 00:21:09,275 Speaker 1: know about. I covered it at length in a bulletin 288 00:21:09,355 --> 00:21:14,715 Speaker 1: issued last Friday Night. Also, Drew Barrymore has given up, 289 00:21:15,755 --> 00:21:18,035 Speaker 1: but Bill Maher has not, and I guess that means 290 00:21:18,075 --> 00:21:22,475 Speaker 1: Bill Maher is still a scab scumbag. That's next. This 291 00:21:22,595 --> 00:21:42,035 Speaker 1: is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman still ahead 292 00:21:42,035 --> 00:21:45,195 Speaker 1: on countdown. I don't know. For some reason, this seems 293 00:21:45,235 --> 00:21:49,235 Speaker 1: like exactly the right time to bring up corporate interference, indeed, 294 00:21:49,275 --> 00:21:56,395 Speaker 1: corporate censorship at MSNBC, different corporation in name. Anyway, I'm 295 00:21:56,435 --> 00:22:00,835 Speaker 1: beginning to suspect they're actually all the same. But coming 296 00:22:00,915 --> 00:22:03,995 Speaker 1: up the day they nearly canceled, MSNBC nearly took it 297 00:22:04,075 --> 00:22:08,195 Speaker 1: off the air because the mother of the chairman of 298 00:22:08,315 --> 00:22:11,715 Speaker 1: ge General Electric was a Fox News fan, and she 299 00:22:11,875 --> 00:22:15,075 Speaker 1: called up her son and she yelled at him because 300 00:22:15,195 --> 00:22:19,635 Speaker 1: I was criticizing Bill O'Reilly. The further I get away 301 00:22:19,635 --> 00:22:21,835 Speaker 1: from this story, the less I believe it actually happened. 302 00:22:22,315 --> 00:22:25,475 Speaker 1: It happened first time for the daily round up of 303 00:22:25,475 --> 00:22:28,115 Speaker 1: the miss Grants, morons and Dunning Kruger effects specimens who 304 00:22:28,115 --> 00:22:30,675 Speaker 1: constitute two day's worst persons in the world. And let's 305 00:22:30,755 --> 00:22:33,475 Speaker 1: just start with the idea that the Russell Brand story 306 00:22:33,515 --> 00:22:38,155 Speaker 1: speaks for itself for now. Wasn't funny, wasn't coherent, and 307 00:22:38,235 --> 00:22:43,595 Speaker 1: allegedly wasn't legal the bronze. John Parkinson, producer reporter at 308 00:22:43,635 --> 00:22:47,275 Speaker 1: ABC News, This is a man who owes Kristin Welker 309 00:22:47,275 --> 00:22:51,635 Speaker 1: an FTD floral bouquet. At least in fact, he may 310 00:22:51,715 --> 00:22:54,755 Speaker 1: owe her a new car for obscuring what he did. 311 00:22:54,835 --> 00:22:59,595 Speaker 1: On Saturday afternoon, Parkinson tweeted proudly, complete with a photo quote, 312 00:22:59,795 --> 00:23:03,435 Speaker 1: as President Biden left church, I shouted quite loudly across 313 00:23:03,475 --> 00:23:07,995 Speaker 1: the cemetery, President, will you pardon your son? But Biden 314 00:23:08,035 --> 00:23:12,275 Speaker 1: did not visibly react or acknowledge the question. Parkinson either 315 00:23:12,315 --> 00:23:15,795 Speaker 1: did not know that's hard to believe or did not 316 00:23:16,035 --> 00:23:20,395 Speaker 1: care that Sandy is standard that he was literally shouting 317 00:23:20,435 --> 00:23:23,435 Speaker 1: at Biden across the graves of the president's first wife 318 00:23:23,475 --> 00:23:26,115 Speaker 1: and daughter, who died in nineteen seventy two and who 319 00:23:26,115 --> 00:23:30,355 Speaker 1: are buried there, as is his son, bo Will you 320 00:23:30,395 --> 00:23:34,235 Speaker 1: pardon your son? May mister Parkinson never forget for a 321 00:23:34,315 --> 00:23:36,635 Speaker 1: day that he did on a human to human basis 322 00:23:36,995 --> 00:23:41,235 Speaker 1: an unforgivable act of cruelty. May he be spared cosmic 323 00:23:41,675 --> 00:23:46,595 Speaker 1: retribution for it? Also ABC fire his worthless ass the 324 00:23:46,675 --> 00:23:49,515 Speaker 1: runners up in New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News 325 00:23:49,555 --> 00:23:51,635 Speaker 1: again looks like almost all of them, except the Daily 326 00:23:51,675 --> 00:23:55,715 Speaker 1: Beast and in probably the British tabloids, who all ignored this. 327 00:23:56,555 --> 00:24:00,115 Speaker 1: The Pool reporter covering the Bidens in Delaware reported yesterday 328 00:24:00,115 --> 00:24:03,435 Speaker 1: that there was a solo protester near their home yesterday 329 00:24:03,795 --> 00:24:07,755 Speaker 1: wearing a neon on safety best quote, walking down the 330 00:24:07,835 --> 00:24:10,835 Speaker 1: road toward the Biden home. He appeared to have a 331 00:24:10,915 --> 00:24:15,475 Speaker 1: gun in his holster unquote. He carried a sign that 332 00:24:15,515 --> 00:24:17,755 Speaker 1: appeared to consist of nothing but stuff they put on 333 00:24:17,875 --> 00:24:21,675 Speaker 1: the on screen graphics at Fox and Newsmax. Where's the 334 00:24:21,755 --> 00:24:25,675 Speaker 1: laptop ten percent for the big guy Joe has aliases? 335 00:24:26,115 --> 00:24:30,155 Speaker 1: In other words, a trumpest terrorist was moving towards the 336 00:24:30,195 --> 00:24:32,635 Speaker 1: residence of the President of the United States, and we 337 00:24:32,755 --> 00:24:37,035 Speaker 1: got Kristin effing Welker letting Donald Trump lie to everybody. 338 00:24:38,075 --> 00:24:40,875 Speaker 1: If this had happened at Brett Kavanaugh's house, the right 339 00:24:40,915 --> 00:24:43,915 Speaker 1: wing media would have called for martial law, and the 340 00:24:43,995 --> 00:24:48,195 Speaker 1: Times and NBC and others would have reported on them 341 00:24:48,475 --> 00:24:55,795 Speaker 1: calling for martial law. Controversy over marshal law proposal racks Democrats, 342 00:24:56,675 --> 00:25:01,155 Speaker 1: But our winner Bill Maher I may have mentioned this Friday. 343 00:25:01,435 --> 00:25:03,395 Speaker 1: In fact, I will mention it every day until he 344 00:25:03,475 --> 00:25:07,315 Speaker 1: recants or h cancels his crap shack show or both. 345 00:25:08,075 --> 00:25:11,195 Speaker 1: Bill maher bringing his show back on the air even 346 00:25:11,235 --> 00:25:13,035 Speaker 1: though there is a strike by the Writer's Guild of 347 00:25:13,075 --> 00:25:15,155 Speaker 1: America and he is a member of the Writer's Guild 348 00:25:15,235 --> 00:25:18,195 Speaker 1: of America, and even though the show is so bad. 349 00:25:19,995 --> 00:25:22,835 Speaker 1: For as long as I know him, now forty five years, 350 00:25:23,715 --> 00:25:26,195 Speaker 1: Bill has not only been a scumbag scab. He has 351 00:25:26,235 --> 00:25:28,075 Speaker 1: been since the spring of nineteen seventy eight, when we 352 00:25:28,115 --> 00:25:32,115 Speaker 1: met in college. He's been in training to become a 353 00:25:32,235 --> 00:25:36,635 Speaker 1: scumbag scab. And I apologize to you for having previously 354 00:25:36,675 --> 00:25:41,115 Speaker 1: exploited him for publicity and free air travel to the coast. 355 00:25:42,155 --> 00:25:45,115 Speaker 1: On the other hand, Drew Barrymore has called off returning 356 00:25:45,115 --> 00:25:47,715 Speaker 1: her talk show to the air, possibly because she came 357 00:25:47,755 --> 00:25:50,755 Speaker 1: at least within about an hour or so of ending 358 00:25:50,755 --> 00:25:53,835 Speaker 1: her career. Quote. I have listened to everyone, and I 359 00:25:53,875 --> 00:25:57,435 Speaker 1: am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until 360 00:25:57,435 --> 00:26:00,315 Speaker 1: the strike is over. I have no words to express 361 00:26:00,355 --> 00:26:06,955 Speaker 1: my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt. Okay, I'll 362 00:26:06,955 --> 00:26:08,675 Speaker 1: try to lighten the mood a little bit here and 363 00:26:08,715 --> 00:26:15,195 Speaker 1: get philosophical. Drew, as Lauren, we really enjoyed Beetlejuice. Oh 364 00:26:15,195 --> 00:26:18,115 Speaker 1: and the musical was good too. I guess Bobert would say, 365 00:26:18,795 --> 00:26:24,515 Speaker 1: at least it has a happy ending. Bill Scumbag, scab 366 00:26:24,715 --> 00:26:51,635 Speaker 1: mar two days worst Person and to the number one 367 00:26:51,675 --> 00:26:54,835 Speaker 1: story on the Countdown on my favorite topic me And 368 00:26:54,875 --> 00:26:56,835 Speaker 1: this is not the anniversary of this event, but I 369 00:26:56,875 --> 00:26:59,235 Speaker 1: was reminded of it over the weekend. So here goes. 370 00:26:59,995 --> 00:27:03,195 Speaker 1: Often it happens in television that there are events so 371 00:27:03,315 --> 00:27:06,675 Speaker 1: traumatic that the cliche about your life flashing before your 372 00:27:06,715 --> 00:27:10,755 Speaker 1: eyes does not apply, but an equally hackneyed one about 373 00:27:10,755 --> 00:27:15,515 Speaker 1: your career flashing before your eyes might. The executive producer 374 00:27:15,555 --> 00:27:19,395 Speaker 1: of our MSNBC newscast Countdown, Izzy Povich, and I were 375 00:27:19,395 --> 00:27:22,395 Speaker 1: on the grown up elevator to the office of NBC 376 00:27:22,515 --> 00:27:25,715 Speaker 1: President Jeff Zuocker on the fifty second floor of thirty 377 00:27:25,795 --> 00:27:29,235 Speaker 1: Rock in New York. Summoned there by some garbled message 378 00:27:29,235 --> 00:27:34,235 Speaker 1: from MSNBC president Phil Griffin about MSNBC being taken off 379 00:27:34,275 --> 00:27:39,555 Speaker 1: the air, I was mumbling to Izzy, sundry imprecations and reminiscences, 380 00:27:40,115 --> 00:27:43,675 Speaker 1: eight freaking months is we spent twelve freaking months forcing 381 00:27:43,715 --> 00:27:46,795 Speaker 1: them to create Meadows Show? At last eight months all 382 00:27:46,835 --> 00:27:51,035 Speaker 1: the crap prompter practice getting her over her fears, rockets 383 00:27:51,075 --> 00:27:53,715 Speaker 1: past CNN only eight months of show, and now it's 384 00:27:53,755 --> 00:27:57,675 Speaker 1: all gone. Izzy reminded me it was not just Rachel's 385 00:27:57,675 --> 00:28:01,235 Speaker 1: show that was threatened, which was why poor Court Harson 386 00:28:01,275 --> 00:28:04,875 Speaker 1: from Hardball was already upstairs along with poor Edge Shawl 387 00:28:05,555 --> 00:28:08,835 Speaker 1: and Phil Griffin at Rachel's executive producer Bill Wolf and 388 00:28:08,875 --> 00:28:11,155 Speaker 1: some clown from Morning Joe and a couple of other 389 00:28:11,315 --> 00:28:16,275 Speaker 1: MSNBC executives and us. I know, I know, I did 390 00:28:16,275 --> 00:28:19,275 Speaker 1: the line from the drunken irishman from Hitchcock's The Birds, 391 00:28:19,315 --> 00:28:22,155 Speaker 1: complete with the bad accent. It's the end of the world, 392 00:28:23,675 --> 00:28:26,515 Speaker 1: I said, Jeff immilt is going to take MSNBC off 393 00:28:26,515 --> 00:28:30,195 Speaker 1: the air. I didn't need any of my overwrought visions 394 00:28:30,235 --> 00:28:32,915 Speaker 1: from two years earlier of the future of liberal news 395 00:28:32,955 --> 00:28:36,555 Speaker 1: commentary falling out the NBC window to its death on 396 00:28:36,595 --> 00:28:39,755 Speaker 1: the rink. This was the real thing. The chairman of 397 00:28:39,875 --> 00:28:44,395 Speaker 1: General Electric was threatening to open the window himself, throw 398 00:28:44,515 --> 00:28:47,275 Speaker 1: us out the window himself, and then race down to 399 00:28:47,315 --> 00:28:52,635 Speaker 1: the pavement to stomp on our dying remains himself. Poor 400 00:28:52,835 --> 00:28:56,195 Speaker 1: Ed Schultz heard Jeff Zucker say those words, and he 401 00:28:56,235 --> 00:28:58,875 Speaker 1: had screwed up his face and tilted his head like 402 00:28:58,915 --> 00:29:02,315 Speaker 1: a puppy hearing a car crash. He had not believed 403 00:29:02,315 --> 00:29:04,395 Speaker 1: it the first time. He had not believed it the 404 00:29:04,395 --> 00:29:07,715 Speaker 1: second time. Zucker said it a third time. Immelt is 405 00:29:07,755 --> 00:29:12,435 Speaker 1: going to take MSNBC off the effing air at, Schultz groaned. 406 00:29:12,915 --> 00:29:16,435 Speaker 1: After weeks of Griffin's coaxing. He had finally just moved 407 00:29:16,435 --> 00:29:21,035 Speaker 1: from Nebraska to New York the preceding weekend, yet he 408 00:29:21,115 --> 00:29:23,995 Speaker 1: was still, somehow only the second most strung out person 409 00:29:24,035 --> 00:29:27,355 Speaker 1: in the room. You, Zucker shouted at me, You're the 410 00:29:27,395 --> 00:29:30,275 Speaker 1: smartest one in the room. What the f do we 411 00:29:30,355 --> 00:29:34,035 Speaker 1: do now? I'll confess I was shaken by this because 412 00:29:34,035 --> 00:29:36,995 Speaker 1: it appeared for once that Zucker was not being sarcastic. 413 00:29:37,555 --> 00:29:41,075 Speaker 1: I had never before seen him flush nor flustered. This 414 00:29:41,235 --> 00:29:44,395 Speaker 1: was a guy who wore fleece in July, yet now 415 00:29:44,395 --> 00:29:48,075 Speaker 1: he was beat red and sweating. Sometimes he knew what 416 00:29:48,115 --> 00:29:50,835 Speaker 1: he was doing, and, as his opposition to hiring Matdow 417 00:29:50,835 --> 00:29:53,355 Speaker 1: had proved, sometimes he didn't know what he was doing. 418 00:29:53,755 --> 00:29:56,635 Speaker 1: But he always acted as the most confident man in 419 00:29:56,675 --> 00:29:59,915 Speaker 1: the galaxy. But now he literally had no clue what 420 00:30:00,035 --> 00:30:02,155 Speaker 1: to do next, and he not only could not ignore 421 00:30:02,235 --> 00:30:06,715 Speaker 1: my advice, he desperately needed it. This situation and that 422 00:30:06,875 --> 00:30:10,315 Speaker 1: color on his face were almost worth watching the corporate 423 00:30:10,395 --> 00:30:15,275 Speaker 1: fascists nuke my network. I asked Zucker to explain what happened. 424 00:30:15,315 --> 00:30:19,035 Speaker 1: You got Dan, Well know what happened. Zucker moved towards me, 425 00:30:19,075 --> 00:30:20,635 Speaker 1: and I stood up and I told him I would 426 00:30:20,635 --> 00:30:24,235 Speaker 1: see myself out. He stopped, remembering that he did indeed 427 00:30:24,235 --> 00:30:28,315 Speaker 1: actually need my help. I'm sorry. I apologize. This isn't rational, 428 00:30:28,675 --> 00:30:33,275 Speaker 1: this is immelt. Last week sometime Bill O'Reilly snapped. He 429 00:30:33,315 --> 00:30:35,275 Speaker 1: told Murdoch he wasn't gonna take any more of what 430 00:30:35,315 --> 00:30:37,115 Speaker 1: you were saying about him on the air. So he 431 00:30:37,155 --> 00:30:41,075 Speaker 1: did a piece last night accusing GE of manufacturing the 432 00:30:41,075 --> 00:30:44,715 Speaker 1: components that been used in roadside bombs that were built 433 00:30:44,715 --> 00:30:48,595 Speaker 1: in Iran to kill Americans in Iraq, which is true legally, 434 00:30:48,635 --> 00:30:51,395 Speaker 1: that's legally true. They found roadside bombs that had like 435 00:30:51,955 --> 00:30:55,835 Speaker 1: thirty year old GE transistors or TV tubes from nineteen 436 00:30:55,875 --> 00:31:00,395 Speaker 1: fifty four or something in them. Legally, GE did manufacture 437 00:31:00,395 --> 00:31:02,875 Speaker 1: components that were used in roadside bombs that were built 438 00:31:02,915 --> 00:31:05,675 Speaker 1: in Iran to kill Americans in Iraq. So O'Reilly puts 439 00:31:05,675 --> 00:31:08,675 Speaker 1: this on his effing show as a lead story, and 440 00:31:09,195 --> 00:31:12,275 Speaker 1: then Fox sent two camera crews in this little crap 441 00:31:12,355 --> 00:31:16,995 Speaker 1: producer from O'Riley show, Jesse Waters something to steak Emmelt 442 00:31:17,035 --> 00:31:21,715 Speaker 1: out and chase him around the GE shareholders meeting in Charlotte. 443 00:31:22,075 --> 00:31:24,395 Speaker 1: Zucker finally came up for air, and I jumped in, 444 00:31:25,155 --> 00:31:28,155 Speaker 1: why didn't emmelt have six camera crews to stake out 445 00:31:28,195 --> 00:31:30,835 Speaker 1: the two Fox crews and chase them around in Charlotte? 446 00:31:30,875 --> 00:31:33,555 Speaker 1: I mean, isn't that one of our news hubs Charlotte. 447 00:31:33,835 --> 00:31:37,155 Speaker 1: Doesn't emmelt own like twenty camera crews? There? He bring 448 00:31:37,235 --> 00:31:41,435 Speaker 1: a camera crew, you'll bring two camera crews. Zoocker started 449 00:31:41,435 --> 00:31:44,115 Speaker 1: to not like me again. Now you suggest that where 450 00:31:44,115 --> 00:31:46,395 Speaker 1: were you when? All right, never mind, it doesn't matter. 451 00:31:47,115 --> 00:31:49,795 Speaker 1: Emmel says, if there's one more story on Bill O'Reilly 452 00:31:49,835 --> 00:31:53,835 Speaker 1: about GE manufacturing components for roadside bombs in Iraq, he's 453 00:31:53,915 --> 00:31:58,515 Speaker 1: taking MSNBC off the air immediately. It'll just be twenty 454 00:31:58,555 --> 00:32:02,155 Speaker 1: four hours of lock up and I'm fired and you're fired. 455 00:32:02,555 --> 00:32:05,595 Speaker 1: And then he pointed at Chris Matthews, producer, Matthews is fired, 456 00:32:05,875 --> 00:32:08,235 Speaker 1: and he pointed at poor Ed Schultz and you're fired, 457 00:32:08,715 --> 00:32:11,435 Speaker 1: and Ed whimpered, so smart asked, what the f do 458 00:32:11,515 --> 00:32:15,915 Speaker 1: we do? I feigned all the nonchalants I could feign. 459 00:32:16,195 --> 00:32:18,675 Speaker 1: If I could have lit a shroot by striking a 460 00:32:18,715 --> 00:32:21,315 Speaker 1: match on the soul of my boot, I would have. 461 00:32:22,635 --> 00:32:27,515 Speaker 1: It's manageable. But Jeff, why is Emmelt so worked up 462 00:32:27,555 --> 00:32:30,995 Speaker 1: about what O'Reilly said about him? Only O'Reilly's nutjob viewers 463 00:32:31,035 --> 00:32:34,315 Speaker 1: actually believe any of that crap. Nobody at GE, nobody 464 00:32:34,355 --> 00:32:38,115 Speaker 1: investing in GE, could possibly believe we're building components for 465 00:32:38,235 --> 00:32:47,155 Speaker 1: roadside bombs. Zucker inhaled deeply. Emmelt's mother believes it. All 466 00:32:47,195 --> 00:32:51,475 Speaker 1: the heads in the room turned toward the president of NBC. Missus. 467 00:32:51,475 --> 00:32:55,595 Speaker 1: Emmelt back in Cincinnati is a devoted Bill O'Reilly viewer 468 00:32:56,075 --> 00:33:00,355 Speaker 1: watches him every night, sees this, calls him, says, Sonny, 469 00:33:00,395 --> 00:33:03,195 Speaker 1: why are you manufacturing components that were used in roadside 470 00:33:03,235 --> 00:33:07,755 Speaker 1: bombs built in Iran to kill Americans in Iraq? I 471 00:33:07,835 --> 00:33:11,995 Speaker 1: had not expected that, I said to Zucker. So so 472 00:33:12,195 --> 00:33:15,675 Speaker 1: he'll really burn what two hundred million a year in 473 00:33:15,715 --> 00:33:20,515 Speaker 1: profits just between Rachel and me? Because his mom watches 474 00:33:20,635 --> 00:33:24,515 Speaker 1: Bill O'Reilly, Zucker got angry again. You bet your effing 475 00:33:24,555 --> 00:33:27,275 Speaker 1: ass he will. Now you said it was manageable, How 476 00:33:27,315 --> 00:33:31,035 Speaker 1: how the hef do we manage it? Ulberman, just a minute? 477 00:33:31,075 --> 00:33:35,675 Speaker 1: How old is she? Zucker summoned all his annoyance. How 478 00:33:35,715 --> 00:33:41,155 Speaker 1: old is who Emmel's mother? How old is she? Jeff 479 00:33:41,875 --> 00:33:44,315 Speaker 1: Zucker was really annoyed. How the f should I know? 480 00:33:44,515 --> 00:33:47,995 Speaker 1: You're missing the point? I had him really worked up, 481 00:33:47,995 --> 00:33:53,275 Speaker 1: nearly to the boiling point. It was great, guess, Zucker spluttered, 482 00:33:53,355 --> 00:33:55,795 Speaker 1: I don't know. He's in his mid fifties. She's got 483 00:33:55,795 --> 00:34:00,995 Speaker 1: to be eighty ninety something. I stifled a fake yawn. Yeah, 484 00:34:00,995 --> 00:34:03,355 Speaker 1: you're right, probably closer to ninety now that I think 485 00:34:03,355 --> 00:34:08,275 Speaker 1: of it. So the problem is she watches O'Reilly. She 486 00:34:08,435 --> 00:34:13,435 Speaker 1: tells him what's on Fox? What O'Reilly's saying about ge. Well, 487 00:34:13,475 --> 00:34:15,075 Speaker 1: I think you have a simple solution. I'd say the 488 00:34:15,115 --> 00:34:16,755 Speaker 1: first thing you do is you send over a couple 489 00:34:16,795 --> 00:34:19,075 Speaker 1: of big guys to her house and you pull the 490 00:34:19,115 --> 00:34:24,475 Speaker 1: freaking cable out of the wall. Zuker actually gasped, My producer, 491 00:34:24,555 --> 00:34:27,915 Speaker 1: is Hepovich unsuccessfully stifled a laugh, and I saw Rachel 492 00:34:27,995 --> 00:34:32,035 Speaker 1: crack a smile. Zucker regained himself. This isn't funny, Olderman, 493 00:34:32,755 --> 00:34:36,635 Speaker 1: I crossed my legs. Oh, it's a little funny. And anyway, 494 00:34:36,675 --> 00:34:39,675 Speaker 1: it's not essential if the problem is emailed is threatening 495 00:34:39,715 --> 00:34:41,635 Speaker 1: to take the network off the air because O'Reilly is 496 00:34:41,675 --> 00:34:46,475 Speaker 1: avenging himself against me by attacking him and attacking ge. 497 00:34:46,635 --> 00:34:49,235 Speaker 1: The short term solution is easy, and in fact it 498 00:34:49,395 --> 00:34:53,075 Speaker 1: is manageable. The long term solution that's not easy, and 499 00:34:53,115 --> 00:34:55,475 Speaker 1: that's not manageable. But the short term one that's simple. 500 00:34:55,675 --> 00:34:58,195 Speaker 1: Rest of this week, next week, maybe the week after that. 501 00:34:58,315 --> 00:35:04,115 Speaker 1: Even we just don't mention Fox News on MSNBC. Something 502 00:35:04,715 --> 00:35:09,235 Speaker 1: resembling a smile across Zucker's face. It made him look 503 00:35:09,275 --> 00:35:11,755 Speaker 1: a little less like a lizard person and more like 504 00:35:11,795 --> 00:35:18,475 Speaker 1: a monkey with glasses. You do that forever? No, not forever. 505 00:35:18,515 --> 00:35:22,115 Speaker 1: I would not do that, I said to Bias time. Yes, 506 00:35:22,715 --> 00:35:24,835 Speaker 1: but remember who was it who was in my office 507 00:35:24,915 --> 00:35:26,915 Speaker 1: last winter telling me that I should go on the 508 00:35:26,955 --> 00:35:30,275 Speaker 1: air and just to f with Fox. I should ask 509 00:35:30,355 --> 00:35:33,275 Speaker 1: why Rupert Murdoch was still running a huge international media 510 00:35:33,315 --> 00:35:36,835 Speaker 1: company like News Corp, despite all the reports that he's 511 00:35:36,875 --> 00:35:40,075 Speaker 1: suffering from dementia, Even though there haven't been any reports 512 00:35:40,075 --> 00:35:43,835 Speaker 1: that he's suffering from dementia for everybody's sake here, Who 513 00:35:43,915 --> 00:35:47,155 Speaker 1: was that again who told me to do that? Zucker's 514 00:35:47,195 --> 00:35:50,555 Speaker 1: goodwill was gone again? Obviously that was me. What's your point? 515 00:35:51,435 --> 00:35:55,275 Speaker 1: My point is, we built this new brand of ours 516 00:35:55,395 --> 00:35:58,155 Speaker 1: organically on a couple of themes, a couple of statements 517 00:35:58,155 --> 00:36:00,795 Speaker 1: of principle, and one of them is to use your 518 00:36:00,835 --> 00:36:04,995 Speaker 1: words just to f with Fox. If we don't f 519 00:36:05,075 --> 00:36:07,075 Speaker 1: with Fox for a couple of weeks at the start 520 00:36:07,075 --> 00:36:10,395 Speaker 1: of the summer, who's gonna care. Who's gonna notice? But 521 00:36:10,595 --> 00:36:14,435 Speaker 1: like after two weeks, three weeks, our viewers are gonna notice, 522 00:36:14,755 --> 00:36:17,195 Speaker 1: and the TV writers are gonna notice, and then the 523 00:36:17,275 --> 00:36:19,435 Speaker 1: crap will hit from every direction. You can think of 524 00:36:20,155 --> 00:36:24,755 Speaker 1: temporary freeze on mentioning Fox and mentioning O'Reilly and mentioning Murdock. Fine, 525 00:36:24,995 --> 00:36:28,395 Speaker 1: permanent freeze. Might as well let Immelt turn us off 526 00:36:28,395 --> 00:36:32,435 Speaker 1: in the morning. After all, I don't think Zooker actually 527 00:36:32,435 --> 00:36:34,795 Speaker 1: heard the last part about em Milt turning us off. 528 00:36:34,875 --> 00:36:40,275 Speaker 1: After all, the lack of color was returning to his face. Okay, breathe, 529 00:36:40,435 --> 00:36:44,995 Speaker 1: he kept saying to himself. Breathe, breathe, Okay, breathe. He 530 00:36:45,035 --> 00:36:47,715 Speaker 1: looked at me and nodded. He pointed at Izzy and 531 00:36:47,755 --> 00:36:49,955 Speaker 1: at Phil Griffin and me, you and you and you 532 00:36:50,435 --> 00:36:53,555 Speaker 1: and I will we will talk tomorrow, maybe tonight, and 533 00:36:53,595 --> 00:36:57,195 Speaker 1: we'll all meet again next week. Until then, nothing about Fox, anybody, 534 00:36:57,235 --> 00:37:01,475 Speaker 1: are we clear? Nothing on the air about Fox. Silence 535 00:37:01,515 --> 00:37:04,595 Speaker 1: in the room. Then the assorted noises of people rising, 536 00:37:04,755 --> 00:37:09,355 Speaker 1: mixed with attempts to resuscitate poor Ed Schultz. Somebody Matthew's 537 00:37:09,355 --> 00:37:12,275 Speaker 1: guy Harson I think, was almost at the door out 538 00:37:12,315 --> 00:37:14,555 Speaker 1: of Zucker's office, an office so big that it was 539 00:37:14,595 --> 00:37:17,115 Speaker 1: to steal the Ring Lardner line, the size of the 540 00:37:17,195 --> 00:37:21,755 Speaker 1: Yale Bowl, but with lamps. And then a voice spoke up, 541 00:37:21,835 --> 00:37:27,955 Speaker 1: quietly but firmly, Excuse me. It was Rachel Maddow. Excuse me. 542 00:37:28,795 --> 00:37:31,515 Speaker 1: I will not have the content of my show dictated 543 00:37:31,555 --> 00:37:36,035 Speaker 1: by any corporations, including the one I work for. Remember 544 00:37:36,075 --> 00:37:37,955 Speaker 1: this is June two thousand and nine. She still felt 545 00:37:37,955 --> 00:37:40,995 Speaker 1: that way then, and especially one I don't work for. 546 00:37:41,115 --> 00:37:43,395 Speaker 1: I will walk out first. I cannot have the audience 547 00:37:43,435 --> 00:37:46,395 Speaker 1: wondering what else I have not told them. I don't 548 00:37:46,435 --> 00:37:48,195 Speaker 1: do a lot about Fox on my show, but if 549 00:37:48,195 --> 00:37:50,475 Speaker 1: there is a story about Fox, I will not honor 550 00:37:50,515 --> 00:37:52,835 Speaker 1: this freeze. I will report that story and if I'm 551 00:37:52,835 --> 00:37:57,035 Speaker 1: prevented from reporting that story, I will leave. Whereupon she left, 552 00:37:58,035 --> 00:38:03,075 Speaker 1: Zucker barked Phil Alderman, is he stay? When the rest 553 00:38:03,195 --> 00:38:05,755 Speaker 1: of the room had cleared, he took her blue air 554 00:38:05,835 --> 00:38:08,315 Speaker 1: out of his mouth as if it were smoke. He 555 00:38:08,395 --> 00:38:10,875 Speaker 1: gestured violently at me with his right arm. I told 556 00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:12,755 Speaker 1: you she was a mistake. You didn't listen to me. 557 00:38:12,795 --> 00:38:15,355 Speaker 1: I told you. Now she's your problem. All of this 558 00:38:15,435 --> 00:38:17,715 Speaker 1: is your problem. Get her back on the reservation or else. 559 00:38:18,955 --> 00:38:22,955 Speaker 1: Now I had run out of goodwill and jokes. Oh, 560 00:38:22,995 --> 00:38:24,955 Speaker 1: I'll get her back on the reservation, Jeff. But if 561 00:38:24,955 --> 00:38:27,515 Speaker 1: you think this is my problem, just think about what 562 00:38:27,595 --> 00:38:30,315 Speaker 1: happens if he really does take us off the air, 563 00:38:30,635 --> 00:38:33,315 Speaker 1: or if it just gets out that he threatened to 564 00:38:33,435 --> 00:38:38,475 Speaker 1: take us off the air because his mother didn't like 565 00:38:39,115 --> 00:38:45,395 Speaker 1: what Fox said about him. That's my problem. Uh uh, 566 00:38:45,435 --> 00:38:49,075 Speaker 1: that's your problem. And it's the problem of the CEO 567 00:38:49,235 --> 00:38:52,795 Speaker 1: of the frickin' sixth largest corporation in the world, who 568 00:38:52,915 --> 00:38:57,275 Speaker 1: makes his business decisions involving hundreds of millions of dollars 569 00:38:57,315 --> 00:39:03,475 Speaker 1: of profits based on what his mother says. At this point, 570 00:39:03,555 --> 00:39:06,635 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin managed to pull Zucker away and Izzy and 571 00:39:06,675 --> 00:39:08,955 Speaker 1: I made for the door, saying nothing until we were 572 00:39:08,995 --> 00:39:13,035 Speaker 1: in the elevator. Finally, she asked, what are you going 573 00:39:13,115 --> 00:39:15,955 Speaker 1: to do about Rachel? I look straight ahead. I have 574 00:39:16,035 --> 00:39:20,635 Speaker 1: depth perception issues while traveling forward, backwards, up or down. Yeah, 575 00:39:20,715 --> 00:39:22,035 Speaker 1: if I know what I'm gonna do about her? But 576 00:39:22,075 --> 00:39:24,395 Speaker 1: I got an idea. I mean, the only person she 577 00:39:24,475 --> 00:39:27,435 Speaker 1: was really talking to in there was herself. This isn't 578 00:39:27,675 --> 00:39:31,955 Speaker 1: a brand new surprise success for her anymore. This is successful. 579 00:39:32,315 --> 00:39:36,275 Speaker 1: This is what nine ten months she's successful. She said 580 00:39:36,315 --> 00:39:39,075 Speaker 1: she was once a dancing cell phone outside a cell 581 00:39:39,115 --> 00:39:41,995 Speaker 1: phone store outside of Boston. She ain't going back to that. 582 00:39:43,595 --> 00:39:45,435 Speaker 1: I went to talk to Rachel about an hour later 583 00:39:45,515 --> 00:39:48,995 Speaker 1: and reassured her. I mentioned that powerful as Fox was, 584 00:39:49,435 --> 00:39:51,635 Speaker 1: they were not going to be able to reinvade Iraq 585 00:39:51,715 --> 00:39:55,355 Speaker 1: by themselves, and unless she moved it way closer than 586 00:39:55,395 --> 00:39:58,635 Speaker 1: it had been, nobody would cross her censorship line. And 587 00:39:58,675 --> 00:40:00,795 Speaker 1: I said, just give me as much time as the 588 00:40:00,835 --> 00:40:04,475 Speaker 1: French government took before fleeing during the Nazi advance. And 589 00:40:04,515 --> 00:40:06,955 Speaker 1: I eighteen forty. I said, give me, what was it, 590 00:40:06,995 --> 00:40:09,555 Speaker 1: thirty three days? Give me thirty three days. If we 591 00:40:09,595 --> 00:40:11,795 Speaker 1: aren't back where we were this morning, we can both 592 00:40:11,875 --> 00:40:15,155 Speaker 1: quit on the air. I mean, that'd be fun. Right. 593 00:40:16,315 --> 00:40:18,995 Speaker 1: Three nights later, well after midnight on a Friday, my 594 00:40:19,155 --> 00:40:23,555 Speaker 1: NBC issued BlackBerry buzzed with a quick email from Rachel 595 00:40:23,595 --> 00:40:27,755 Speaker 1: matdow Hey. She wrote, don't necessarily quote me because I'm 596 00:40:27,755 --> 00:40:30,275 Speaker 1: really drunk, but just make the best deal you can 597 00:40:30,395 --> 00:40:32,515 Speaker 1: for us. I trust you. We don't need to do 598 00:40:32,595 --> 00:40:34,995 Speaker 1: Fox all the time. I never do Fox stories anyway. 599 00:40:35,235 --> 00:40:37,355 Speaker 1: I just had to say that, and this is the 600 00:40:37,395 --> 00:40:41,155 Speaker 1: best platform we will ever have. Well she was right, 601 00:40:41,555 --> 00:40:43,955 Speaker 1: at least for the time being. A couple of weeks later, 602 00:40:43,995 --> 00:40:46,395 Speaker 1: I had to sneak in a script that blasted Fox, 603 00:40:46,435 --> 00:40:48,435 Speaker 1: and at ten thirty at home that night, I got 604 00:40:48,475 --> 00:40:51,315 Speaker 1: a call from a drunken Phil Griffin shouting into the phone, 605 00:40:51,675 --> 00:40:55,555 Speaker 1: I have a family. Zucker had to go meet with 606 00:40:55,715 --> 00:41:00,835 Speaker 1: Roger Ayles secretly inside thirty Rock, and I hope they 607 00:41:00,875 --> 00:41:04,075 Speaker 1: remember to clean the room afterwards. And mlt even had 608 00:41:04,075 --> 00:41:07,715 Speaker 1: to meet with Murdoch and then, happily, some idiot Ge 609 00:41:07,835 --> 00:41:10,915 Speaker 1: executive decided to boast to The New York Times about 610 00:41:10,955 --> 00:41:14,275 Speaker 1: getting us little talent children under control and a big 611 00:41:14,315 --> 00:41:17,155 Speaker 1: deal with the executives over at Fox and how they'd 612 00:41:17,195 --> 00:41:20,395 Speaker 1: settled everything, which blew up the whole deal instantly, because 613 00:41:20,435 --> 00:41:24,675 Speaker 1: the moment the deal went public, NBC looked so stupid, 614 00:41:24,875 --> 00:41:29,675 Speaker 1: and even NBC News was now risked. The only point 615 00:41:29,675 --> 00:41:31,635 Speaker 1: of the whole thing was to keep the Immels and 616 00:41:31,675 --> 00:41:34,315 Speaker 1: the Zookers and the Griffins and the ales is from 617 00:41:34,355 --> 00:41:38,075 Speaker 1: throwing us and our little island of liberal commentary out 618 00:41:38,115 --> 00:41:42,075 Speaker 1: of that window at thirty Rock. But as Rachel Mattow 619 00:41:42,075 --> 00:41:44,755 Speaker 1: and I would be constantly reminded in the ensuing years, 620 00:41:45,475 --> 00:42:03,155 Speaker 1: thirty Rock has a lot of freaking windows. I've done 621 00:42:03,155 --> 00:42:04,795 Speaker 1: all the damage I can do here. Thank you, Thank 622 00:42:04,795 --> 00:42:06,475 Speaker 1: you for listening. Here are the credits. Most of the 623 00:42:06,555 --> 00:42:09,195 Speaker 1: music arrange produced and performed by Brian Ray and John 624 00:42:09,195 --> 00:42:13,595 Speaker 1: Phillip Shanelle The Countdown musical directors. Guitarist, bass and drums 625 00:42:13,595 --> 00:42:17,035 Speaker 1: by Brian Ray. Orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shaneale, 626 00:42:17,035 --> 00:42:20,955 Speaker 1: produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections arranged and performed 627 00:42:20,955 --> 00:42:23,875 Speaker 1: by the group No Horns Allowed. The Olderman theme from 628 00:42:24,075 --> 00:42:26,955 Speaker 1: ESPN two is the sports music written by Mitch Warren Davis. 629 00:42:26,955 --> 00:42:30,395 Speaker 1: Courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments from Nancy Fauss. The 630 00:42:30,395 --> 00:42:34,075 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist. Ever, a lot of ESPN references 631 00:42:34,155 --> 00:42:36,635 Speaker 1: in there, including our announcer today is my friend Kenny Maine. 632 00:42:37,275 --> 00:42:40,355 Speaker 1: Everything else is pretty much by fault. That's countdown for this, 633 00:42:40,355 --> 00:42:43,155 Speaker 1: the nine hundred and eighty sixth day since Donald Trump's 634 00:42:43,155 --> 00:42:46,435 Speaker 1: first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the 635 00:42:46,555 --> 00:42:50,435 Speaker 1: United States. Convict him now while we still can. The 636 00:42:50,475 --> 00:42:54,195 Speaker 1: next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. If my throat permits till then, 637 00:42:54,195 --> 00:42:57,515 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 638 00:42:58,035 --> 00:43:10,035 Speaker 1: good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. 639 00:43:10,315 --> 00:43:15,635 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 640 00:43:15,755 --> 00:43:17,715 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.