1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:17,835 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. This 2 00:00:18,115 --> 00:00:22,515 Speaker 1: is a Countdown special bulletin. I'm Keith Olderman. Inside the 3 00:00:22,555 --> 00:00:26,915 Speaker 1: outline of the Naked Woman was a typewritten note styled 4 00:00:27,395 --> 00:00:32,795 Speaker 1: as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, written 5 00:00:32,875 --> 00:00:36,035 Speaker 1: in the third person. According to the Wall Street Journal 6 00:00:36,075 --> 00:00:41,715 Speaker 1: bombshell story on Thursday night, quoting again voice over, there 7 00:00:41,795 --> 00:00:47,315 Speaker 1: must be more to life than having everything, the note began, Donald, Yes, 8 00:00:47,475 --> 00:00:50,995 Speaker 1: there is, but I won't tell you what it is, Jeffrey, 9 00:00:51,515 --> 00:00:55,955 Speaker 1: nor will I since I also know what it is. Donald. 10 00:00:56,075 --> 00:01:00,995 Speaker 1: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey, Yes, we do, 11 00:01:01,555 --> 00:01:05,715 Speaker 1: come to think of it, Donald, Enigma's age. Have you 12 00:01:05,835 --> 00:01:09,795 Speaker 1: noticed that, Jeffrey. As a matter of fact, it was 13 00:01:09,875 --> 00:01:13,115 Speaker 1: clear to me the last time I saw you, Trump, 14 00:01:13,355 --> 00:01:17,995 Speaker 1: a pal is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday, and may 15 00:01:18,075 --> 00:01:26,755 Speaker 1: every day be another wonderful secret. This story is the 16 00:01:26,795 --> 00:01:32,275 Speaker 1: story of the Trump Epstein connection and that phrase wonderful secret? 17 00:01:32,755 --> 00:01:36,995 Speaker 1: What in the hell is Trump talking about? The Wall 18 00:01:37,035 --> 00:01:40,795 Speaker 1: Street Journal put this story out at about sunset on 19 00:01:40,915 --> 00:01:44,955 Speaker 1: Thursday night. It was immediately denied in the strangest way 20 00:01:45,355 --> 00:01:48,635 Speaker 1: of all of the denials of all of the Trump stories, 21 00:01:48,755 --> 00:01:51,795 Speaker 1: of all of the Trump sex stories in the last 22 00:01:51,835 --> 00:01:55,955 Speaker 1: decade or more, since long before he became a would 23 00:01:55,995 --> 00:01:59,955 Speaker 1: be dictator. At the risk of reading the entire Wall 24 00:01:59,995 --> 00:02:03,995 Speaker 1: Street Journal paywalled story, there are parts that I would 25 00:02:04,035 --> 00:02:07,955 Speaker 1: like to quote for batim. The headline, for instance, Jeffrey 26 00:02:07,995 --> 00:02:13,355 Speaker 1: Epstein's friends sent him body letters for a fiftieth birthday album. 27 00:02:13,875 --> 00:02:18,315 Speaker 1: One was from Donald Trump. The subhead the leatherbound book 28 00:02:18,435 --> 00:02:22,915 Speaker 1: was compiled by Gallaine Maxwell. The president says the letter 29 00:02:23,155 --> 00:02:27,075 Speaker 1: is a fake thing. What may live out of this 30 00:02:27,195 --> 00:02:30,675 Speaker 1: story is not the letter, which is not by any 31 00:02:30,715 --> 00:02:34,675 Speaker 1: means conclusive of about anything at all other than a 32 00:02:34,755 --> 00:02:39,115 Speaker 1: relationship between Epstein and Trump. And we all know about that. 33 00:02:39,515 --> 00:02:43,435 Speaker 1: And Trump's efforts to separate himself from Epstein have been 34 00:02:44,235 --> 00:02:48,875 Speaker 1: pro forma at best and pathetic at worst. What may 35 00:02:49,235 --> 00:02:54,795 Speaker 1: linger are the denials Trump seems to be journalistically doing 36 00:02:54,835 --> 00:02:59,755 Speaker 1: the equivalent of perjury here again and again, needless, stupid, 37 00:03:00,275 --> 00:03:05,155 Speaker 1: easily disproved perjury in a journalistic sense. There is no 38 00:03:05,235 --> 00:03:08,515 Speaker 1: such thing as lying to a newspaper being some kind 39 00:03:08,555 --> 00:03:13,115 Speaker 1: of legal offense. The story begins thusly. It was Epstein's 40 00:03:13,115 --> 00:03:16,395 Speaker 1: fiftieth birthday, and Maxwell was preparing a special gift to 41 00:03:16,475 --> 00:03:19,835 Speaker 1: mark the occasion. She turned to Epstein's family and friends, 42 00:03:19,915 --> 00:03:22,995 Speaker 1: One of them was Trump. Maxwell collected letters from Trump 43 00:03:22,995 --> 00:03:26,355 Speaker 1: and dozens of Epstein's other associates for a two thousand 44 00:03:26,355 --> 00:03:29,555 Speaker 1: and three birthday album. According to documents reviewed by The 45 00:03:29,595 --> 00:03:32,875 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal, So put this back in its timing, 46 00:03:33,555 --> 00:03:36,595 Speaker 1: this would have been twelve years before Trump ran for president. 47 00:03:36,915 --> 00:03:39,795 Speaker 1: This is not ancient history. This is not something that 48 00:03:39,875 --> 00:03:44,275 Speaker 1: predates his political aspirations, which we know began certainly no 49 00:03:44,435 --> 00:03:48,555 Speaker 1: later than twenty eleven and had been festering inside that 50 00:03:48,715 --> 00:03:52,595 Speaker 1: semi brain of his since the twentieth century. The letter 51 00:03:52,675 --> 00:03:55,715 Speaker 1: bearing Trump's name, which was reviewed by the journal, is 52 00:03:55,915 --> 00:03:59,635 Speaker 1: body like others in the album. It contains several lines 53 00:03:59,675 --> 00:04:03,475 Speaker 1: of typewritten text, framed by the outline of a naked woman, 54 00:04:03,755 --> 00:04:07,115 Speaker 1: which appears to be hand drawn with a heavy marker. 55 00:04:07,475 --> 00:04:10,995 Speaker 1: A pair of small arcs denotes the women's women's breasts, 56 00:04:11,235 --> 00:04:15,115 Speaker 1: and the future president's signature is a squiggly donald below 57 00:04:15,155 --> 00:04:21,155 Speaker 1: her waist, mimicking pubic hair. One thing above all else 58 00:04:21,195 --> 00:04:23,435 Speaker 1: about the forty fifth and forty seventh president of the 59 00:04:23,515 --> 00:04:28,795 Speaker 1: United States is all class. The denial from Trump is 60 00:04:28,915 --> 00:04:32,115 Speaker 1: the most interesting part of the story. Quote to the journal, 61 00:04:32,555 --> 00:04:35,675 Speaker 1: this is not me. This is a fake thing. It's 62 00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:39,395 Speaker 1: a fake Wall Street Journal story. I never wrote a 63 00:04:39,435 --> 00:04:43,595 Speaker 1: picture in my life. I never wrote a picture in 64 00:04:43,635 --> 00:04:47,035 Speaker 1: my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not 65 00:04:47,155 --> 00:04:50,395 Speaker 1: my language, it's not my words. I'm gonna sue the 66 00:04:50,435 --> 00:04:53,875 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal, just like I sued everyone else. This, 67 00:04:53,995 --> 00:04:57,115 Speaker 1: of course, quoted in the Wall Street Journal. I never 68 00:04:57,355 --> 00:05:02,555 Speaker 1: wrote a picture in my life. Stand by forgive my language, 69 00:05:02,595 --> 00:05:06,955 Speaker 1: writes jd Vance, who is Renfield to the Dracula in 70 00:05:06,995 --> 00:05:10,395 Speaker 1: this equation? But this story is completed, utter bullshit. The 71 00:05:10,515 --> 00:05:13,435 Speaker 1: WSJ should be a shamed for publishing it. Where is 72 00:05:13,475 --> 00:05:15,795 Speaker 1: this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never 73 00:05:15,795 --> 00:05:19,075 Speaker 1: showed it to us before publishing it. Does anybody honestly 74 00:05:19,115 --> 00:05:22,435 Speaker 1: believe this sounds like Donald Trump? Well it doesn't have 75 00:05:22,475 --> 00:05:25,075 Speaker 1: to sound like Donald Trump. Somebody else would have composed 76 00:05:25,075 --> 00:05:27,395 Speaker 1: it for him, and he would have paid them less 77 00:05:27,395 --> 00:05:31,075 Speaker 1: than he promised. To my goodness, he actually could in 78 00:05:31,155 --> 00:05:34,675 Speaker 1: two thousand and three write things that made sense, that 79 00:05:34,795 --> 00:05:36,955 Speaker 1: seemed to be in English, that did not seem to 80 00:05:36,955 --> 00:05:40,315 Speaker 1: be coming from a brain damaged individual. I received a 81 00:05:40,395 --> 00:05:43,915 Speaker 1: letter from him in twenty fourteen that was a suck 82 00:05:43,995 --> 00:05:47,715 Speaker 1: up letter, a fan letter, a disingenuous fan letter, and 83 00:05:47,715 --> 00:05:50,435 Speaker 1: what I'm sure he'd like to destroy. I'll get to 84 00:05:50,475 --> 00:05:53,755 Speaker 1: that in a moment. But this phrase I never wrote 85 00:05:53,835 --> 00:05:57,835 Speaker 1: a picture in my life was disproven within an hour 86 00:05:58,195 --> 00:06:02,075 Speaker 1: of the Wall Street Journal printing the denial. Within an hour, 87 00:06:02,235 --> 00:06:07,435 Speaker 1: no fewer than online copies of at least two dozen 88 00:06:07,555 --> 00:06:12,915 Speaker 1: Donald Trump drawings that had been publicly sold doodles, pictures 89 00:06:12,955 --> 00:06:17,475 Speaker 1: often sold at charity events, almost invariably of skylines, all 90 00:06:17,635 --> 00:06:22,915 Speaker 1: carrying his crazy signature, all resembling his crazy, ironically enough 91 00:06:23,475 --> 00:06:28,235 Speaker 1: heartbeat kind of signature, at least two dozen, one that 92 00:06:28,355 --> 00:06:30,995 Speaker 1: sold for two hundred dollars in Iowa, if I remembering 93 00:06:31,075 --> 00:06:34,635 Speaker 1: it correctly. And then this story about a doodle by 94 00:06:34,675 --> 00:06:37,795 Speaker 1: Donald Trump of the Manhattan Skyline has sold an auction 95 00:06:37,915 --> 00:06:42,155 Speaker 1: for a grand total of twenty nine and eighty four dollars, 96 00:06:42,755 --> 00:06:45,035 Speaker 1: placed on the market early this week by the Los 97 00:06:45,075 --> 00:06:49,555 Speaker 1: Angeles based Nate D. Sanders Auctions. The drawing is typical Trump, 98 00:06:49,835 --> 00:06:52,675 Speaker 1: featuring the Trump Tower right at its center and the 99 00:06:52,675 --> 00:06:56,875 Speaker 1: president's nightmarish signature scrawled below it in gold marker the 100 00:06:57,035 --> 00:07:00,995 Speaker 1: dates to obviously the first term. It's an otherwise nondescript 101 00:07:01,035 --> 00:07:04,635 Speaker 1: and childlike portrayal of New York City with unadorned bill 102 00:07:04,675 --> 00:07:07,755 Speaker 1: bildings lined up in a row like tetris blocks topped 103 00:07:07,755 --> 00:07:11,235 Speaker 1: with triangle roofs. I think they're actually being kind of 104 00:07:11,355 --> 00:07:14,915 Speaker 1: unkind to him. There is a certain well, there's a 105 00:07:14,955 --> 00:07:18,035 Speaker 1: certain charm to this thing. But more importantly, I think 106 00:07:18,035 --> 00:07:21,195 Speaker 1: it's impossible to look at the drawing that Trump did 107 00:07:21,395 --> 00:07:24,155 Speaker 1: and not see what this really is. There are at 108 00:07:24,235 --> 00:07:30,035 Speaker 1: least four buildings that look like erect penises, and all 109 00:07:30,115 --> 00:07:32,955 Speaker 1: the other drawings are the same thing. I don't know 110 00:07:33,035 --> 00:07:35,675 Speaker 1: that anyone has yet produced a Trump took a picture 111 00:07:35,755 --> 00:07:38,635 Speaker 1: of a naked woman with his signature as her hair. 112 00:07:39,755 --> 00:07:43,915 Speaker 1: But we have this denial from Laura Lumer also already disproved. 113 00:07:44,115 --> 00:07:47,555 Speaker 1: I'm calling bullshit on this Trump birthday letter to Epstein. 114 00:07:47,635 --> 00:07:51,075 Speaker 1: It's totally fake. Everyone who actually knows President Trump knows 115 00:07:51,115 --> 00:07:54,955 Speaker 1: he doesn't type letters. He writes notes in big black sharpie. 116 00:07:54,995 --> 00:07:57,835 Speaker 1: Trust me, I would know he doesn't use email and 117 00:07:57,875 --> 00:08:02,475 Speaker 1: he doesn't type write. Lumer, who is a genius prince 118 00:08:02,555 --> 00:08:06,515 Speaker 1: type write as two words. He writes messages in big 119 00:08:06,555 --> 00:08:11,275 Speaker 1: black sharpie. This is not true. I have and I 120 00:08:11,355 --> 00:08:14,435 Speaker 1: have retained it, despite what are clearly subconscious efforts on 121 00:08:14,475 --> 00:08:16,995 Speaker 1: my part to destroy the damn thing by putting it 122 00:08:17,035 --> 00:08:21,755 Speaker 1: in file cabinets full of garbage. I still have from 123 00:08:21,795 --> 00:08:25,355 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen the fan letter he wrote me about my 124 00:08:25,755 --> 00:08:30,035 Speaker 1: ESPN two show, particularly a commentary I did about Ted Turner. 125 00:08:30,435 --> 00:08:33,715 Speaker 1: It is typed. It doesn't have to be typed by him, 126 00:08:34,115 --> 00:08:38,355 Speaker 1: It's typed by somebody else. He, however, dictated it. It 127 00:08:38,475 --> 00:08:42,315 Speaker 1: is his language, and it has a few notations and 128 00:08:42,395 --> 00:08:45,515 Speaker 1: marks on it with a big black sharpie, and of 129 00:08:45,515 --> 00:08:49,195 Speaker 1: course he's crazy ass signature. We've also seen him draw 130 00:08:49,275 --> 00:08:54,795 Speaker 1: on things like, you know, hurricane maps. It is fascinating 131 00:08:54,835 --> 00:08:57,835 Speaker 1: that his typing and his drawing and his writing habits 132 00:08:57,875 --> 00:09:01,755 Speaker 1: are denied here, and not the implications of sexual perversion, 133 00:09:02,235 --> 00:09:05,275 Speaker 1: nor the cover up of the Epstein crimes by Trump, 134 00:09:05,595 --> 00:09:09,035 Speaker 1: nor the connection between Trump and Epstein. That is not 135 00:09:09,315 --> 00:09:14,315 Speaker 1: what his defenders or even what Trump are denying. They 136 00:09:14,315 --> 00:09:18,355 Speaker 1: are denying that he draws pictures, And suddenly two dozen 137 00:09:18,435 --> 00:09:22,875 Speaker 1: pictures appear already online. Jay d Vance says, why haven't 138 00:09:22,875 --> 00:09:25,755 Speaker 1: they shown us the picture? Where is this picture? What 139 00:09:25,875 --> 00:09:28,275 Speaker 1: if the picture now turns up, and of course the 140 00:09:28,355 --> 00:09:31,915 Speaker 1: ridiculous idea that Trump would have to personally type a 141 00:09:31,995 --> 00:09:35,915 Speaker 1: typewritten note himself or it doesn't count somewhere. That's what 142 00:09:36,035 --> 00:09:39,555 Speaker 1: happens when you get a millennial, and not a particularly 143 00:09:39,595 --> 00:09:42,755 Speaker 1: bright one, trying to figure out what a typewritten letter 144 00:09:42,875 --> 00:09:45,475 Speaker 1: is and who has to use the typewriter when they 145 00:09:45,515 --> 00:09:50,235 Speaker 1: type it. Also, the only negative here that I see 146 00:09:50,275 --> 00:09:53,235 Speaker 1: in the short term is it gives those wavering in 147 00:09:53,275 --> 00:09:57,515 Speaker 1: their support of Trump over Epstein, particularly those he called, 148 00:09:58,155 --> 00:10:02,755 Speaker 1: you know, weaklings and idiots and former supporters. It gives 149 00:10:02,795 --> 00:10:06,555 Speaker 1: them something to rally a against and kind of walk 150 00:10:06,715 --> 00:10:10,475 Speaker 1: back towards his side, even if it is the Murdoch 151 00:10:10,555 --> 00:10:13,955 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal against which they are rallying. It may 152 00:10:14,035 --> 00:10:16,355 Speaker 1: work to his advantage in this respect, but in a 153 00:10:16,475 --> 00:10:20,755 Speaker 1: larger sense it underscores this. This story will stay alive 154 00:10:20,875 --> 00:10:24,315 Speaker 1: into a third work week, and very few Trump scandals 155 00:10:24,315 --> 00:10:27,395 Speaker 1: have lasted that long. We will now be in the 156 00:10:27,435 --> 00:10:30,635 Speaker 1: mode in which the remaining news organizations in this country 157 00:10:30,955 --> 00:10:36,035 Speaker 1: begin to look for something else. Also, this story, as 158 00:10:36,195 --> 00:10:40,915 Speaker 1: mild as it is comparatively, drove Trump nuts and raged. 159 00:10:41,075 --> 00:10:44,955 Speaker 1: Trump attempted to kill the story from Status by the 160 00:10:44,995 --> 00:10:48,595 Speaker 1: reporter Oliver Darcy, formerly of CNN. Trump is said to 161 00:10:48,595 --> 00:10:52,155 Speaker 1: have personally called Emma Tucker, the journal's editor in chief, 162 00:10:52,395 --> 00:10:55,955 Speaker 1: to voice his objections. The specifics of the call remain unclear, 163 00:10:55,995 --> 00:10:59,475 Speaker 1: but it's hard to imagine Trump voiced anything but outrage. 164 00:10:59,675 --> 00:11:02,635 Speaker 1: There's a slightly different version of that in Breaker by 165 00:11:02,675 --> 00:11:05,875 Speaker 1: Lachlan Cartwright. There had been it's in recent days from 166 00:11:05,915 --> 00:11:08,675 Speaker 1: the White House to have the story killed, including a 167 00:11:08,675 --> 00:11:11,875 Speaker 1: phone call to Journal editor Emma Tucker from White House 168 00:11:11,875 --> 00:11:15,435 Speaker 1: Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, where Trump was on the line. 169 00:11:15,595 --> 00:11:18,875 Speaker 1: Breaker has learned, Oh no, how could you handle a 170 00:11:18,915 --> 00:11:23,435 Speaker 1: call from Caroline Levitt? The Division three softball center fielder. 171 00:11:24,515 --> 00:11:29,435 Speaker 1: But one thing I can't get past happy birthday? And 172 00:11:29,595 --> 00:11:38,155 Speaker 1: may every day be another wonderful secret? What in God's 173 00:11:38,235 --> 00:11:42,835 Speaker 1: name could that mean? And do any of us want 174 00:11:42,875 --> 00:11:49,755 Speaker 1: to know another wonderful secret? It fits all of the 175 00:11:49,795 --> 00:11:54,435 Speaker 1: cliches and all of the assumptions about Epstein, and particularly 176 00:11:54,515 --> 00:11:58,395 Speaker 1: about whatever Trump's relationship to Epstein really was. That's the 177 00:11:58,475 --> 00:12:02,075 Speaker 1: main thing. It's a vibe, as the kids say, and 178 00:12:02,235 --> 00:12:08,035 Speaker 1: the denials have already been disproved. The lead story on 179 00:12:08,075 --> 00:12:12,155 Speaker 1: the Murdoch owned Fox News Channel shows Tonight, Hunter Biden 180 00:12:12,275 --> 00:12:15,795 Speaker 1: something something Laura Ingram insisting Trump shouldn't fall into the 181 00:12:15,835 --> 00:12:18,995 Speaker 1: special prosecutor trap about Epstein. If it weren't for special 182 00:12:19,035 --> 00:12:22,075 Speaker 1: prosecutors like Ken Starr, Laura would never have a TV career. 183 00:12:22,515 --> 00:12:24,835 Speaker 1: She had followed her mother and she'd be waitressing into 184 00:12:24,875 --> 00:12:28,395 Speaker 1: her seventies. Let me rephrase that that's an honorable career. 185 00:12:28,435 --> 00:12:30,795 Speaker 1: Her mother had not like what Laura is doing now. 186 00:12:31,075 --> 00:12:34,795 Speaker 1: There was, apparently late in Laura Ingram's program, a reference 187 00:12:34,875 --> 00:12:37,675 Speaker 1: to something about the Wall Street Journal story coming up 188 00:12:37,715 --> 00:12:40,435 Speaker 1: after the break, And when the break happened and ended 189 00:12:40,435 --> 00:12:43,115 Speaker 1: and we went back to Laura, she said nothing about it. 190 00:12:43,195 --> 00:12:46,035 Speaker 1: All we saw is that attempt to make her face 191 00:12:46,195 --> 00:12:50,675 Speaker 1: smile after all that work. Also of note as to 192 00:12:50,755 --> 00:12:54,715 Speaker 1: Trump's health cover up, you will have noticed Trump's terrifyingly 193 00:12:54,915 --> 00:12:59,075 Speaker 1: swollen ankles you would go to the hospital, and his 194 00:12:59,195 --> 00:13:02,715 Speaker 1: obvious use of makeup over an area of his hand 195 00:13:02,795 --> 00:13:06,395 Speaker 1: that clearly shows there's been an IV attached there perhaps 196 00:13:06,515 --> 00:13:10,115 Speaker 1: or electrode patches put there, or that his hands have 197 00:13:10,235 --> 00:13:14,795 Speaker 1: had profound bruises in the area, and makeup used to 198 00:13:14,875 --> 00:13:18,195 Speaker 1: cover those bruises. The area seems to be about the 199 00:13:18,235 --> 00:13:22,115 Speaker 1: size of a silver dollar. The White House says he 200 00:13:22,155 --> 00:13:25,955 Speaker 1: has now been tested. There is no deep vein thrombosis, 201 00:13:26,075 --> 00:13:29,595 Speaker 1: no heart problems, but he has had swelling in his legs. 202 00:13:29,995 --> 00:13:32,195 Speaker 1: That's what they checked him out for. And they say 203 00:13:32,235 --> 00:13:38,195 Speaker 1: he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency or venous insufficiency, 204 00:13:38,475 --> 00:13:41,955 Speaker 1: which occurs when leg veins fail to pump blood to 205 00:13:42,155 --> 00:13:45,435 Speaker 1: the heart, causing the blood to pool in the lower limbs, 206 00:13:45,595 --> 00:13:49,315 Speaker 1: which can then become swollen. They say this is minor, 207 00:13:49,395 --> 00:13:51,435 Speaker 1: and we have long since learned never to trust the 208 00:13:51,475 --> 00:13:56,675 Speaker 1: White House Press Office about anything, but especially his health. 209 00:13:57,315 --> 00:14:00,235 Speaker 1: They are this close to sodom husseining him. They are 210 00:14:00,275 --> 00:14:03,235 Speaker 1: this close to announcing that, like Sodom Hussein used to 211 00:14:03,275 --> 00:14:05,755 Speaker 1: claim to the people of Iraq, he's had a magic 212 00:14:05,915 --> 00:14:09,475 Speaker 1: stone implanted in his chest and is therefore immortal and 213 00:14:09,595 --> 00:14:13,755 Speaker 1: cannot be shot or killed. But this insufficiency in the 214 00:14:13,875 --> 00:14:18,075 Speaker 1: veins may be legit because they have never before cited 215 00:14:18,115 --> 00:14:22,075 Speaker 1: an actual disease Trump has, especially one which may have 216 00:14:22,195 --> 00:14:26,995 Speaker 1: implications for travel, for flying. And the ankles have looked 217 00:14:27,035 --> 00:14:30,195 Speaker 1: like he was wearing winter boots. This is a real 218 00:14:30,315 --> 00:14:34,315 Speaker 1: problem and it may be a real and treatable problem. 219 00:14:34,675 --> 00:14:36,915 Speaker 1: But that leads to the second half of the story, 220 00:14:36,955 --> 00:14:39,795 Speaker 1: which is even on thinner ice than the first half. 221 00:14:39,955 --> 00:14:43,435 Speaker 1: Is it's the stuff about his hands. Those aren't bruises 222 00:14:43,675 --> 00:14:47,595 Speaker 1: or leftovers from patches or ivs or electrodes. Oh no, 223 00:14:47,715 --> 00:14:51,395 Speaker 1: says the White House. They are from shaking too many 224 00:14:51,595 --> 00:14:57,555 Speaker 1: hands while taking aspirin to treat the chronic venous insufficiency, 225 00:14:57,635 --> 00:15:01,115 Speaker 1: which is I believe this is a medical term. Bullshit. 226 00:15:01,955 --> 00:15:04,195 Speaker 1: They are claiming it is not serious, that it's the 227 00:15:04,235 --> 00:15:07,875 Speaker 1: result of the disease, which isn't serious, even though it 228 00:15:07,955 --> 00:15:11,235 Speaker 1: blew up his ankles. And sure, everybody has swelling in 229 00:15:11,275 --> 00:15:14,355 Speaker 1: their legs and they only need aspirin to cure it. 230 00:15:14,395 --> 00:15:17,435 Speaker 1: But if you take the aspirin, the thing causing the 231 00:15:17,515 --> 00:15:21,155 Speaker 1: swelling in your legs will then cause bruising on your hand, 232 00:15:21,715 --> 00:15:26,635 Speaker 1: bad enough to require makeup on your hand. This does 233 00:15:26,715 --> 00:15:30,355 Speaker 1: not add up. Trump, simply put, is in worse physical 234 00:15:30,395 --> 00:15:33,595 Speaker 1: shape now than Joe Biden got within a million miles 235 00:15:33,635 --> 00:15:37,435 Speaker 1: of but he can still instinctively talk fast and loudly. 236 00:15:37,835 --> 00:15:41,035 Speaker 1: So Jake Tapper isn't writing a goddamned book about it. 237 00:15:41,515 --> 00:15:45,595 Speaker 1: His clarity, though, is clearly descending about half a point 238 00:15:45,675 --> 00:15:48,595 Speaker 1: a week. That quote to the Wall Street Journal is 239 00:15:48,995 --> 00:15:52,915 Speaker 1: nonsensical or nearly such. I never wrote a picture in 240 00:15:52,955 --> 00:15:57,595 Speaker 1: my life. Oh good. I never wrote a picture in 241 00:15:57,595 --> 00:16:01,275 Speaker 1: my life either. Holy crap. And it didn't even turn 242 00:16:01,315 --> 00:16:04,315 Speaker 1: out to be true. There's one other note to mention 243 00:16:04,395 --> 00:16:07,915 Speaker 1: in this bulletin. CBS has tonight canceled the Late Show 244 00:16:07,915 --> 00:16:11,355 Speaker 1: with Stephen Colbert. It will linger on in ever less 245 00:16:11,355 --> 00:16:14,875 Speaker 1: supported lame duckness until May of next year, which is 246 00:16:14,995 --> 00:16:18,235 Speaker 1: utterly bizarre. But I have to assume they are refusing 247 00:16:18,275 --> 00:16:21,515 Speaker 1: to just give him any money to go away. Right now. 248 00:16:22,115 --> 00:16:25,635 Speaker 1: They are citing economics CBS is, and I believe that 249 00:16:25,715 --> 00:16:29,315 Speaker 1: there is some legitimacy to that. Nothing in television is paying, 250 00:16:29,355 --> 00:16:32,075 Speaker 1: certainly nothing as expensive as a late night talk show. 251 00:16:32,395 --> 00:16:34,955 Speaker 1: But of course that was also what they cited when 252 00:16:34,995 --> 00:16:38,475 Speaker 1: they denuded the CBS Evening News, and what they presumably 253 00:16:38,515 --> 00:16:41,155 Speaker 1: will cite when they cut the nuts off sixty minutes. 254 00:16:42,355 --> 00:16:44,635 Speaker 1: I'm going to do my reaction to this out of order. 255 00:16:44,875 --> 00:16:47,835 Speaker 1: I'm going to do the unpopular part first. I have 256 00:16:47,915 --> 00:16:51,355 Speaker 1: alluded to this before my experience with Stephen Colbert, which 257 00:16:51,435 --> 00:16:56,395 Speaker 1: dates back I believe to his fourth show on Comedy 258 00:16:56,475 --> 00:17:01,315 Speaker 1: Central in two thousand and seven eight when I did 259 00:17:01,315 --> 00:17:05,155 Speaker 1: a favor to Jonathan Alter, one of our regular guests 260 00:17:05,155 --> 00:17:08,355 Speaker 1: on Countdown, whose wife was the guest booker on a 261 00:17:08,435 --> 00:17:12,955 Speaker 1: show nobody wanted to go on with called the Colbert Rapport. 262 00:17:13,835 --> 00:17:16,995 Speaker 1: My experience with Stephen Colbert over all that time is 263 00:17:17,075 --> 00:17:21,115 Speaker 1: one hundred percent negative. I'm doing him a favor. When 264 00:17:21,115 --> 00:17:24,675 Speaker 1: he goes to CBS once again, missus, Alter asks me 265 00:17:24,875 --> 00:17:27,915 Speaker 1: to come on and be a guest for the demo show, 266 00:17:27,995 --> 00:17:30,555 Speaker 1: like the second time they tried to do a Stephen 267 00:17:30,635 --> 00:17:33,555 Speaker 1: Colbert late night CBS show in front of an audience, 268 00:17:33,595 --> 00:17:35,835 Speaker 1: and I come on and give up my time, which 269 00:17:35,875 --> 00:17:39,075 Speaker 1: isn't that valuable, But I shaved and I come on 270 00:17:40,075 --> 00:17:42,475 Speaker 1: and he asks me what I'm going to do now 271 00:17:42,515 --> 00:17:46,195 Speaker 1: that my ESPN two show has been canceled, and I said, 272 00:17:46,315 --> 00:17:48,715 Speaker 1: I don't know. There are a couple of possibilities, but 273 00:17:48,755 --> 00:17:52,395 Speaker 1: I legitimately don't know. And he responds, tell me, when 274 00:17:52,395 --> 00:17:54,955 Speaker 1: you were on Countdown and somebody gave you a bullshit 275 00:17:55,035 --> 00:17:58,275 Speaker 1: answer like that, what did you do? What I thought 276 00:17:58,315 --> 00:18:01,155 Speaker 1: of doing, since we weren't actually on TV, was getting 277 00:18:01,235 --> 00:18:03,555 Speaker 1: up and spitting in his face and walking off. I 278 00:18:03,635 --> 00:18:05,995 Speaker 1: happened to be telling him the literal truth. I didn't 279 00:18:06,035 --> 00:18:07,755 Speaker 1: know what I was going to do. There was an 280 00:18:07,795 --> 00:18:11,195 Speaker 1: offer from CNN, there was an offer from MSNBC, there 281 00:18:11,195 --> 00:18:13,635 Speaker 1: were two sports offers. I didn't know what I was 282 00:18:13,635 --> 00:18:16,315 Speaker 1: going to do. Ultimately, I didn't do any of those things. 283 00:18:16,635 --> 00:18:20,915 Speaker 1: I'm doing this guy a favor, and he's saying I'm lying. Later, 284 00:18:21,075 --> 00:18:23,275 Speaker 1: after they got the CBS show on the air, I 285 00:18:23,395 --> 00:18:26,875 Speaker 1: pre recorded for him again, it's just my time. It 286 00:18:26,955 --> 00:18:30,995 Speaker 1: wasn't some sort of I didn't cancel some sort of 287 00:18:31,155 --> 00:18:33,475 Speaker 1: vacation to go do it for him. It was within 288 00:18:33,635 --> 00:18:36,075 Speaker 1: walking distance, but they asked me to come over one 289 00:18:36,115 --> 00:18:40,235 Speaker 1: morning and record a very unfunny bit about Alex Rodriguez 290 00:18:40,275 --> 00:18:43,435 Speaker 1: of the New York Yankees. The intro that Stephen Colbert 291 00:18:43,555 --> 00:18:46,515 Speaker 1: read while I was in the studio standing not twenty 292 00:18:46,515 --> 00:18:49,515 Speaker 1: feet from him, was here's the man who's had more 293 00:18:49,595 --> 00:18:52,355 Speaker 1: jobs than you had hot dinners. Then I go home 294 00:18:52,395 --> 00:18:54,395 Speaker 1: to watch to see if the thing was any funnier 295 00:18:54,435 --> 00:18:57,115 Speaker 1: on TV than it was live, and he has re 296 00:18:57,115 --> 00:18:59,915 Speaker 1: recorded it. It's no longer the man who's had more 297 00:18:59,995 --> 00:19:02,435 Speaker 1: jobs than you've had hot dinners. It's become the man 298 00:19:02,475 --> 00:19:05,235 Speaker 1: who's been fired more times than you've had hot dinners. 299 00:19:05,675 --> 00:19:08,555 Speaker 1: That is as cheesy a thing as I have ever 300 00:19:08,595 --> 00:19:11,755 Speaker 1: heard in the entirety of my fifty years in the 301 00:19:11,915 --> 00:19:16,595 Speaker 1: entertainment and information media business. That's Stephen Colbert. And if 302 00:19:16,635 --> 00:19:18,915 Speaker 1: it wasn't his idea, it was the idea of his 303 00:19:19,075 --> 00:19:23,235 Speaker 1: executive producer at the time, Chris I will later kill 304 00:19:23,395 --> 00:19:28,195 Speaker 1: CNN licked. Stephen Colbert is not an honest broker, He 305 00:19:28,315 --> 00:19:31,435 Speaker 1: is not a sincere guy. He is not worthy of 306 00:19:31,475 --> 00:19:33,995 Speaker 1: your trust. And the more I reflect on it, the 307 00:19:33,995 --> 00:19:37,235 Speaker 1: more I think there was something to the old conservative 308 00:19:37,315 --> 00:19:40,435 Speaker 1: theory about the Comedy Central show, that he was not 309 00:19:40,595 --> 00:19:44,275 Speaker 1: some liberal pretending to be a stupid conservative, a really 310 00:19:44,355 --> 00:19:47,395 Speaker 1: dumb bill O'Reilly who kept stepping on rakes, That he 311 00:19:47,595 --> 00:19:51,875 Speaker 1: was a conservative pretending to be a stupid conservative so 312 00:19:51,915 --> 00:19:56,955 Speaker 1: he could surreptitiously counter liberal narratives in a liberal space 313 00:19:57,275 --> 00:20:01,115 Speaker 1: and counter more importantly things like reality and facts and 314 00:20:01,195 --> 00:20:05,115 Speaker 1: democrats and worst of all, when they can anseled the 315 00:20:05,235 --> 00:20:09,435 Speaker 1: David Letterman Show. When they eased David Letterman out, Colbert 316 00:20:09,595 --> 00:20:12,235 Speaker 1: and the people working for him were brutal to the 317 00:20:12,355 --> 00:20:16,195 Speaker 1: Letterman people, going to the extent of ripping up everything 318 00:20:16,275 --> 00:20:19,115 Speaker 1: in the Ed Sullivan Theater that had any connection to 319 00:20:19,195 --> 00:20:22,675 Speaker 1: David Letterman and throwing it away the morning after the 320 00:20:22,795 --> 00:20:27,755 Speaker 1: last show. No auctions for charity, no farewell items for 321 00:20:27,835 --> 00:20:31,795 Speaker 1: the staffers, nothing, a blood letting to make sure that 322 00:20:31,915 --> 00:20:35,715 Speaker 1: everybody forgot David Letterman and thought only of Stephen Colbert. 323 00:20:36,195 --> 00:20:40,235 Speaker 1: And now Stephen Colbert is finished and everybody thinks remember 324 00:20:40,355 --> 00:20:44,155 Speaker 1: David Letterman. So to hell with him. I hope he 325 00:20:44,235 --> 00:20:48,315 Speaker 1: never works again. The platform, however, will be missed. His 326 00:20:48,435 --> 00:20:53,595 Speaker 1: stuff became reliably anti Trump, meaning anti dictatorship. Occasionally it 327 00:20:53,675 --> 00:20:56,755 Speaker 1: was funny. CBS, of course, jumped the shark with the 328 00:20:56,795 --> 00:21:00,315 Speaker 1: deal that Sherry Redstone's been making with Trump, that bribe 329 00:21:00,475 --> 00:21:03,435 Speaker 1: dressed up as a settlement of the ludicrous lawsuit over 330 00:21:03,475 --> 00:21:06,875 Speaker 1: the editing of the Kamala Harris interview. The question now 331 00:21:07,115 --> 00:21:10,355 Speaker 1: is will these a moral cash whorees who are taking 332 00:21:10,395 --> 00:21:15,595 Speaker 1: over CBS paramount also fire John Stewart, who, after a 333 00:21:15,675 --> 00:21:20,075 Speaker 1: bad both sides this start to his return on Comedy Central, 334 00:21:20,275 --> 00:21:22,835 Speaker 1: has gotten closer to his old form and was about 335 00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:26,275 Speaker 1: one hundred times more valuable in the political space than 336 00:21:26,315 --> 00:21:30,915 Speaker 1: Colbert ever was at his best. In any event, This 337 00:21:30,955 --> 00:21:34,715 Speaker 1: has been a Countdown bulletin podcast. The next regularly scheduled 338 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:38,395 Speaker 1: full edition is Monday, dropping at midnight Eastern Sunday night. 339 00:21:38,915 --> 00:21:42,155 Speaker 1: Until then, I'm Keith Olberman. I never wrote a picture 340 00:21:42,155 --> 00:21:45,635 Speaker 1: in my life other than these two or three hundred, 341 00:21:46,115 --> 00:21:50,195 Speaker 1: and let me close by just saying, may every day 342 00:21:50,435 --> 00:22:00,635 Speaker 1: be another wonderful secret. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a 343 00:22:00,675 --> 00:22:05,355 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit 344 00:22:05,395 --> 00:22:10,075 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.