1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. CNN 2 00:00:22,355 --> 00:00:25,915 Speaker 1: chairman Chris Lickt or someone leaking on his behalf to 3 00:00:25,955 --> 00:00:30,915 Speaker 1: a reporter from CNBC has inadvertently admitted that the network 4 00:00:31,035 --> 00:00:34,595 Speaker 1: did pack the live crowd at the Trump town hall 5 00:00:34,715 --> 00:00:38,635 Speaker 1: with Trump supporters, and licked Or a colleague inadvertently also 6 00:00:38,675 --> 00:00:42,195 Speaker 1: admitted he and CNN lied about who was going to 7 00:00:42,235 --> 00:00:45,395 Speaker 1: be in that audience. They have thus managed to reignite 8 00:00:45,435 --> 00:00:48,195 Speaker 1: the tire fire just when it seemed to be dying 9 00:00:48,275 --> 00:00:51,715 Speaker 1: down to just a putrid smolder, and on the eve 10 00:00:51,795 --> 00:00:56,355 Speaker 1: of CNN's annual advertising presentation, no less, and Lickt has 11 00:00:56,395 --> 00:01:01,355 Speaker 1: reportedly boasted, quote history will look kindly on the network's 12 00:01:01,395 --> 00:01:06,835 Speaker 1: decision to give Trump an hour of uninterrupted propaganda. Let 13 00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:09,595 Speaker 1: me read you three paragraphs from Alex Sherman's piece for 14 00:01:09,675 --> 00:01:12,515 Speaker 1: the CNBC website, and I think it'll be obvious what 15 00:01:12,595 --> 00:01:17,075 Speaker 1: the lie was and where the confession is. Quote. Lickt 16 00:01:17,115 --> 00:01:20,275 Speaker 1: has acknowledged internally there are some things he wished the 17 00:01:20,315 --> 00:01:23,115 Speaker 1: network had done differently. Unquote well, me too, I wish 18 00:01:23,195 --> 00:01:27,315 Speaker 1: the network had hired a different CEO. Sorry. Quoting again, 19 00:01:27,755 --> 00:01:30,395 Speaker 1: Lickt said he wished he had introduced the in person 20 00:01:30,475 --> 00:01:35,915 Speaker 1: audience to TV watchers so that viewers could better identify 21 00:01:35,995 --> 00:01:40,755 Speaker 1: who they were. CNBC quotes its sources familiar with his thinking. 22 00:01:42,315 --> 00:01:44,715 Speaker 1: The crowd was a main character in the event, as 23 00:01:44,715 --> 00:01:49,275 Speaker 1: many Trump supporters cheered his responses and jeered CNN host 24 00:01:49,315 --> 00:01:52,515 Speaker 1: Caitlin Collins when she challenged him. Lickt would have liked 25 00:01:52,595 --> 00:01:56,915 Speaker 1: to openly question the crowd before the town hall began, 26 00:01:57,635 --> 00:02:01,355 Speaker 1: so the TV audience could better understand who they were 27 00:02:02,035 --> 00:02:06,675 Speaker 1: and why they were supporting Trump. From the day this 28 00:02:07,235 --> 00:02:13,235 Speaker 1: Chernobyl was announced, CNN announced, announced, again, and reiterated, and 29 00:02:13,315 --> 00:02:16,635 Speaker 1: said afterwards that the crowd was to be four hundred 30 00:02:16,675 --> 00:02:19,395 Speaker 1: Republican and independent voters who were planning on voting in 31 00:02:19,435 --> 00:02:23,995 Speaker 1: the state's Republican primary next February. The need to quote 32 00:02:24,275 --> 00:02:28,835 Speaker 1: better identify who they were and better understand who they 33 00:02:28,875 --> 00:02:32,315 Speaker 1: were could not have been an issue. We were supposed 34 00:02:32,315 --> 00:02:34,595 Speaker 1: to have already known who they were. They were presented 35 00:02:34,595 --> 00:02:37,795 Speaker 1: as some sort of cross section of Republicans in New Hampshire. 36 00:02:38,035 --> 00:02:41,955 Speaker 1: All of CNN's rationalizations in advance of the telecast a 37 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:47,075 Speaker 1: week ago tonight were defensive but specific. The idea that 38 00:02:47,235 --> 00:02:53,555 Speaker 1: this idiot. Licked now regrets not introducing them during the 39 00:02:53,595 --> 00:02:58,555 Speaker 1: broadcast so viewers could better understand why they were supporting 40 00:02:58,555 --> 00:03:03,035 Speaker 1: Trump confirms in big, glowing, read capital letters that the 41 00:03:03,075 --> 00:03:09,115 Speaker 1: audience members were or supporting Trump. Lickd and CNN just 42 00:03:09,155 --> 00:03:12,475 Speaker 1: confessed that the crowd CNN pick was not representative of 43 00:03:12,515 --> 00:03:14,875 Speaker 1: the four out of ten New Hampshire Republicans who do 44 00:03:14,955 --> 00:03:17,315 Speaker 1: not support Trump, that it was a room full of 45 00:03:17,395 --> 00:03:21,035 Speaker 1: almost nothing but Trump's supporters, and CNN and Licked lied 46 00:03:21,155 --> 00:03:24,715 Speaker 1: about that. And everybody on CNN who did not acknowledge 47 00:03:24,715 --> 00:03:27,075 Speaker 1: that fact before the town hall or after it was 48 00:03:27,115 --> 00:03:30,555 Speaker 1: an accessory before or after the fact to this fundamental, 49 00:03:31,115 --> 00:03:38,435 Speaker 1: unforgivable dishonesty. Licked or whoever leaked this on his behalf, 50 00:03:38,675 --> 00:03:41,395 Speaker 1: and this has all the earmarks of a cable network 51 00:03:41,475 --> 00:03:46,235 Speaker 1: public relations department cleanup operation never stopped to think that 52 00:03:46,315 --> 00:03:49,875 Speaker 1: they were admitting that the audience was stacked, that the 53 00:03:49,915 --> 00:03:54,195 Speaker 1: crowd was full of Trump plants. Furthermore, they never stopped 54 00:03:54,195 --> 00:03:56,555 Speaker 1: to think that saying that in retrospect, they should have 55 00:03:56,635 --> 00:03:58,835 Speaker 1: talked to some of the room full of Trump cultists 56 00:03:58,915 --> 00:04:02,435 Speaker 1: before they started booing. Caitlin Collins and before Trump started 57 00:04:02,475 --> 00:04:05,995 Speaker 1: to egg them on supports the accusation by the Republican 58 00:04:06,035 --> 00:04:08,995 Speaker 1: governor of New Hampshire Chris Sanunu and the former Republican 59 00:04:09,035 --> 00:04:11,955 Speaker 1: Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, that virtually everybody they 60 00:04:11,995 --> 00:04:14,915 Speaker 1: saw in that studio at Saint Anselm's College was a 61 00:04:14,955 --> 00:04:20,915 Speaker 1: Trump supporter that they recognized by sight. This licked or 62 00:04:21,035 --> 00:04:26,195 Speaker 1: licked adjacent leak also supports the accusation by Chris Christie 63 00:04:26,675 --> 00:04:30,075 Speaker 1: that CNN let Trump choose who would be in the 64 00:04:30,075 --> 00:04:35,795 Speaker 1: crowd in one fell swoop. CNN has just admitted it 65 00:04:36,035 --> 00:04:39,275 Speaker 1: was an almost entirely pro Trump crowd and they should 66 00:04:39,275 --> 00:04:41,995 Speaker 1: not have deceived the viewers into thinking anything else but 67 00:04:42,035 --> 00:04:44,995 Speaker 1: that they did and licked wishes that they had not 68 00:04:45,115 --> 00:04:51,115 Speaker 1: done that lie to the viewers to the nation. This 69 00:04:51,195 --> 00:04:55,395 Speaker 1: elevates this disaster from mere television and journalistic malfeasance into 70 00:04:55,435 --> 00:04:59,315 Speaker 1: a literal kind of deception. A three card Monte game 71 00:04:59,755 --> 00:05:04,715 Speaker 1: in which a bluntly, nakedly, unforgivably biased, slanted, fully he 72 00:05:04,875 --> 00:05:09,595 Speaker 1: loaded fascist political rally was televised by a network whose 73 00:05:09,675 --> 00:05:13,875 Speaker 1: executives and announcers lied and told America it was some 74 00:05:13,995 --> 00:05:19,635 Speaker 1: kind of news or public events broadcast nobody is going 75 00:05:19,675 --> 00:05:23,995 Speaker 1: to do this. But frankly, given these revelations, these accidental 76 00:05:24,035 --> 00:05:27,155 Speaker 1: revelations by Chris Lick or whoever was leaking on his behalf, 77 00:05:27,395 --> 00:05:31,915 Speaker 1: this CNBC story turns the disaster into something that the 78 00:05:31,915 --> 00:05:34,995 Speaker 1: Senate Commerce Committee should conduct a hearing into and the 79 00:05:35,035 --> 00:05:37,955 Speaker 1: Department of Justice should investigate. This is no longer just 80 00:05:38,075 --> 00:05:43,435 Speaker 1: journalistic prostitution. It is quite literally commercial fraud and people 81 00:05:43,475 --> 00:05:49,795 Speaker 1: should be grilled over it and maybe be indicted over it. Again, 82 00:05:51,115 --> 00:05:55,595 Speaker 1: I'm not kidding you nor myself, this will not happen. 83 00:05:55,915 --> 00:05:59,035 Speaker 1: Chris Lick will not be indicted. Chris Lick will not 84 00:05:59,155 --> 00:06:04,875 Speaker 1: be called in front of some Senate Commerce subcommittee. But 85 00:06:06,155 --> 00:06:08,675 Speaker 1: this underscore is the degree to which the people now 86 00:06:08,795 --> 00:06:13,395 Speaker 1: running CNN, and in particular Chris lickt have figuratively left 87 00:06:13,555 --> 00:06:18,035 Speaker 1: our planet and are now operating completely inside a fantasy 88 00:06:18,115 --> 00:06:22,555 Speaker 1: land in which, no, they didn't just destroy the network's reputation. 89 00:06:22,835 --> 00:06:26,795 Speaker 1: They didn't finish off Anderson Cooper's career. They didn't expose 90 00:06:26,835 --> 00:06:31,115 Speaker 1: their supposed new star Caitlin Collins as an unpleasant lightweight. 91 00:06:31,555 --> 00:06:34,035 Speaker 1: They didn't flush away even the fig leaf that, no 92 00:06:34,075 --> 00:06:36,955 Speaker 1: matter how badly that all has gone in the last year, 93 00:06:37,235 --> 00:06:41,115 Speaker 1: especially last Wednesday. It was intended as some kind of corrective. 94 00:06:41,195 --> 00:06:43,315 Speaker 1: It was a good gesture. It was some kind of 95 00:06:43,355 --> 00:06:50,475 Speaker 1: restoration of journalistic ballots. They illicitly loaded the audience, they 96 00:06:50,555 --> 00:06:55,155 Speaker 1: eliminated dissent. They lied about it, and when caught they 97 00:06:55,195 --> 00:06:58,075 Speaker 1: said maybe they could have done better by not lying 98 00:06:58,155 --> 00:07:03,315 Speaker 1: about it. And the rest of the article is about 99 00:07:03,315 --> 00:07:06,275 Speaker 1: how Licked thinks that there's a bit of blowback now, 100 00:07:06,315 --> 00:07:09,555 Speaker 1: but that'll all get better and CNN will prevail in 101 00:07:09,595 --> 00:07:12,595 Speaker 1: the long term. I mean, the numbers came out last night. 102 00:07:12,635 --> 00:07:16,795 Speaker 1: It did win the demo ratings race last week before 103 00:07:16,795 --> 00:07:20,555 Speaker 1: it sank into fourth place in a three team league. 104 00:07:20,995 --> 00:07:26,395 Speaker 1: History will look kindly. CNBC's sources claim Lickt has told 105 00:07:26,395 --> 00:07:30,315 Speaker 1: people both inside and outside CNN on the network's decision 106 00:07:30,395 --> 00:07:34,435 Speaker 1: to interview Trump in front of cheering supporters in a 107 00:07:34,515 --> 00:07:46,355 Speaker 1: live town hall format pacedeboy, stop digging, stop talking, You're 108 00:07:46,475 --> 00:07:53,835 Speaker 1: not good at it. It is impossible to believe, even 109 00:07:53,875 --> 00:07:56,675 Speaker 1: from my perspective, as somebody who's been telling you that 110 00:07:56,795 --> 00:07:59,915 Speaker 1: Chris lick was brought in to destroy CNN since I 111 00:07:59,955 --> 00:08:03,315 Speaker 1: think the very first episode of this series last August. 112 00:08:03,475 --> 00:08:05,995 Speaker 1: It is still impossible for me to believe that a 113 00:08:06,075 --> 00:08:10,155 Speaker 1: full week after the most irredeemably disastrous programming decision in 114 00:08:10,195 --> 00:08:14,155 Speaker 1: the history of cable news, CNN's chairman is continuing to 115 00:08:14,195 --> 00:08:19,235 Speaker 1: find new ways to make it worse. Surely, by now 116 00:08:19,315 --> 00:08:21,795 Speaker 1: you would think he would have run out of extremities 117 00:08:22,235 --> 00:08:27,795 Speaker 1: to metaphorically shoot himself in instead licked or whoever leaked 118 00:08:27,795 --> 00:08:31,475 Speaker 1: on his behalf to a reporter from CNBC managed to 119 00:08:31,515 --> 00:08:34,835 Speaker 1: collect all the ashes of their networks and their careers 120 00:08:34,875 --> 00:08:40,435 Speaker 1: and somehow managed to light them ablaze anew. And this 121 00:08:40,595 --> 00:08:43,715 Speaker 1: happens on the eve of the twenty twenty three Upfront 122 00:08:43,755 --> 00:08:50,075 Speaker 1: presentation for advertisers for CNN and its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. 123 00:08:51,435 --> 00:08:53,915 Speaker 1: If you were on your way to that event at 124 00:08:53,915 --> 00:08:58,315 Speaker 1: the theater at Madison Square Garden to buy advertising on CNN, 125 00:08:58,355 --> 00:09:01,875 Speaker 1: and you read this piece at the CNBC website, you 126 00:09:01,915 --> 00:09:06,075 Speaker 1: would instead skip the event in Madison Square Gardens theater. 127 00:09:06,155 --> 00:09:08,915 Speaker 1: And it's said, go down the stairs under Madison Square 128 00:09:08,915 --> 00:09:11,315 Speaker 1: Garden and go into Penn Station and get on a 129 00:09:11,355 --> 00:09:14,715 Speaker 1: train going anywhere that would get you the f away 130 00:09:14,795 --> 00:09:20,315 Speaker 1: from CNN. And all that I have quoted so far 131 00:09:20,355 --> 00:09:24,355 Speaker 1: from this article is the smarter part of it. Quote 132 00:09:24,515 --> 00:09:29,915 Speaker 1: Licked and other CNN executives also pointed to direction elements 133 00:09:30,435 --> 00:09:34,355 Speaker 1: CNN could have done differently, such as focusing the camera 134 00:09:34,475 --> 00:09:37,995 Speaker 1: only on Collins when she tried to fight off Trump's 135 00:09:38,035 --> 00:09:41,235 Speaker 1: lies about election fraud in twenty twenty, rather than using 136 00:09:41,315 --> 00:09:45,475 Speaker 1: wide shots on both Trump and Collins. That way, CNN 137 00:09:45,555 --> 00:09:48,795 Speaker 1: could draw the audience's focus to the substance of the 138 00:09:48,915 --> 00:09:56,675 Speaker 1: question rather than the spectacle of trump enquote, why sure, Chris, 139 00:09:57,035 --> 00:09:59,915 Speaker 1: That was the solution to Trump lying like an out 140 00:09:59,915 --> 00:10:04,155 Speaker 1: of control fire hose. Keep him off camera while he's lying, 141 00:10:04,395 --> 00:10:07,195 Speaker 1: inst keep a close up on the dead look in 142 00:10:07,235 --> 00:10:11,235 Speaker 1: the host's eyes as they ran the gamut of emotions 143 00:10:11,235 --> 00:10:15,795 Speaker 1: from A to B. That's the way you fight Trump's lies. 144 00:10:16,035 --> 00:10:19,715 Speaker 1: Calling for camera one instead of camera three, Chris, not 145 00:10:20,195 --> 00:10:23,915 Speaker 1: you know, deciding not to put a psychotic liar on 146 00:10:24,075 --> 00:10:27,635 Speaker 1: live in primetime where virtually no fact checking method known 147 00:10:27,675 --> 00:10:29,795 Speaker 1: to man could shut him up while an audience of 148 00:10:29,835 --> 00:10:34,235 Speaker 1: the cheerleaders you lied about inviting encouraged him to go 149 00:10:34,315 --> 00:10:39,475 Speaker 1: in for the kill. Quote. CNN could have also graphically 150 00:10:39,555 --> 00:10:43,875 Speaker 1: shown each question while Trump spoke. Lick apparently offered to 151 00:10:43,915 --> 00:10:48,795 Speaker 1: the CNBC people emphasizing his answers didn't always match the 152 00:10:48,835 --> 00:10:53,355 Speaker 1: topic at hand. Yes, that's it, Chris, exactly, That's what 153 00:10:53,435 --> 00:10:59,395 Speaker 1: the thing needed last week. Better graphics. Not don't ever 154 00:10:59,475 --> 00:11:02,195 Speaker 1: do something like this live, or if you are going 155 00:11:02,235 --> 00:11:04,355 Speaker 1: to do it live, you have a fact checker in 156 00:11:04,395 --> 00:11:09,915 Speaker 1: a studio, backstage or in another state or country, and 157 00:11:09,955 --> 00:11:13,235 Speaker 1: you go to the fact checker to counter Trump's lies 158 00:11:13,355 --> 00:11:17,035 Speaker 1: while you shut off Trump's microphone. No, don't do that. 159 00:11:17,675 --> 00:11:25,795 Speaker 1: Better graphics, Jesus H. Christ. Incidentally, the way I know 160 00:11:26,315 --> 00:11:30,555 Speaker 1: that this story was not somebody near Chris Lickt surreptitiously 161 00:11:30,635 --> 00:11:35,355 Speaker 1: calling up this Alex Sherman fella and telling him off 162 00:11:35,355 --> 00:11:40,395 Speaker 1: the record what Pasteboy said. The reason I know that 163 00:11:40,435 --> 00:11:43,955 Speaker 1: this all came from Lickt or via an intermediary with 164 00:11:44,155 --> 00:11:47,755 Speaker 1: licked approval. The way I know they also think this 165 00:11:47,835 --> 00:11:51,035 Speaker 1: went well. The way I know all this is the 166 00:11:51,075 --> 00:11:53,995 Speaker 1: simple fact that deep in the piece, it switches. It 167 00:11:54,035 --> 00:12:02,035 Speaker 1: goes from microscopic grudging, brain dead, maya culpa weak, pointless, 168 00:12:02,355 --> 00:12:08,875 Speaker 1: stupid but vaguely looking like introspection and verging on regret. 169 00:12:09,675 --> 00:12:13,035 Speaker 1: It goes from that to something else, which Lickt has 170 00:12:13,075 --> 00:12:20,875 Speaker 1: always been magnificently skilled at blaming other people. Quote, Lickt 171 00:12:20,875 --> 00:12:23,515 Speaker 1: said he wished that after the town hall, he'd had 172 00:12:24,035 --> 00:12:30,035 Speaker 1: the network anchors focus on the news Trump made. Say 173 00:12:30,115 --> 00:12:32,755 Speaker 1: the real problem here isn't Chris licks utter lack of 174 00:12:32,835 --> 00:12:36,755 Speaker 1: minimal journalistic standards and morality and the decisions he made 175 00:12:36,755 --> 00:12:41,195 Speaker 1: that burned CNN to the ground in seventy minutes. No no, no, no, no, 176 00:12:41,195 --> 00:12:45,355 Speaker 1: no no. It's the others, the others who did not 177 00:12:45,595 --> 00:12:50,115 Speaker 1: do what they should have telepathically known. Chris Lickt wanted. 178 00:12:52,595 --> 00:12:55,635 Speaker 1: The example in the CNBC story is Trump's claim that 179 00:12:55,675 --> 00:12:58,315 Speaker 1: he could have settled Ukraine in twenty four hours. Quote 180 00:12:58,515 --> 00:13:01,275 Speaker 1: CNN could have gone live to a reporter in Ukraine 181 00:13:01,315 --> 00:13:03,955 Speaker 1: as an example, which would have reminded the audience of 182 00:13:03,955 --> 00:13:08,475 Speaker 1: the network's journalistic range. Well, yes, that would have been 183 00:13:08,475 --> 00:13:13,035 Speaker 1: an interesting alternate option. A stupid one, but an alternate. 184 00:13:13,715 --> 00:13:16,715 Speaker 1: What is the reaction there in key of Charlie to 185 00:13:16,915 --> 00:13:20,955 Speaker 1: Trump lying, tell me, you know, in between those Russian 186 00:13:21,035 --> 00:13:25,555 Speaker 1: bombs dropping on your head. On the other hand, it 187 00:13:25,755 --> 00:13:28,955 Speaker 1: or anything else, would have reduced the time spent post 188 00:13:29,075 --> 00:13:33,395 Speaker 1: Trump rally in which Trump prostitutes like Congressman Byron Donald's 189 00:13:33,435 --> 00:13:37,355 Speaker 1: got to spew his own fire hose of lies on CNN, 190 00:13:37,835 --> 00:13:40,475 Speaker 1: a happenstance, by the way, which Chris Christie said was 191 00:13:40,555 --> 00:13:42,915 Speaker 1: also part of Chris Lick's offered to Trump when he 192 00:13:43,115 --> 00:13:45,715 Speaker 1: went in the tank to get Trump on CNN. We'll 193 00:13:45,755 --> 00:13:52,275 Speaker 1: put your surrogates in the postgame show better graphics. 194 00:13:52,595 --> 00:13:53,635 Speaker 2: Holy crap. 195 00:13:56,235 --> 00:14:00,515 Speaker 1: So now what if you waghe through all the Chris 196 00:14:00,555 --> 00:14:05,155 Speaker 1: Licked off the record comments praising Chris Licked. There is 197 00:14:05,195 --> 00:14:09,475 Speaker 1: a frightening germ of news in there. Quote. Other networks 198 00:14:10,155 --> 00:14:15,075 Speaker 1: will likely follow CNN's lead in booking Trump interviews. NBC 199 00:14:15,275 --> 00:14:17,875 Speaker 1: and its news networks have been in contact with many 200 00:14:18,195 --> 00:14:22,995 Speaker 1: of the US presidential candidates, including Trump. NBC isn't likely 201 00:14:23,075 --> 00:14:28,955 Speaker 1: to do a Trump town hall given how CNNs went unquote, 202 00:14:29,115 --> 00:14:31,155 Speaker 1: but there is the implication, as there has been for 203 00:14:31,195 --> 00:14:35,435 Speaker 1: the last week, that other Trump town halls are under 204 00:14:35,475 --> 00:14:41,675 Speaker 1: consideration actively inside American television networks. More town halls after 205 00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:44,835 Speaker 1: that the Titanic was not enough, You're going to launch 206 00:14:44,835 --> 00:14:52,235 Speaker 1: another one? Well where then Fox Newsmax one American News 207 00:14:52,635 --> 00:14:55,755 Speaker 1: like he hasn't already done infomercials for each in every 208 00:14:55,795 --> 00:15:01,075 Speaker 1: possible format. So what networks? NBC is a no from 209 00:15:01,155 --> 00:15:04,795 Speaker 1: this story CBS for a Trump town hall ABC on 210 00:15:04,795 --> 00:15:08,635 Speaker 1: their broadcast channels, I don't think so on their news 211 00:15:08,915 --> 00:15:13,995 Speaker 1: streaming services. Trump would not give those streaming services seventy seconds, 212 00:15:14,075 --> 00:15:18,035 Speaker 1: let alone seventy minutes. The terrifying thing is if you 213 00:15:18,155 --> 00:15:22,035 Speaker 1: accept this and other reporting that some executives looked at 214 00:15:22,075 --> 00:15:25,995 Speaker 1: the hinden Trump CNN disaster and saw only the three 215 00:15:26,035 --> 00:15:30,075 Speaker 1: point three million viewers, and that somebody is considering another 216 00:15:30,235 --> 00:15:33,035 Speaker 1: live Trump town hall, and that it's not NBC or 217 00:15:33,075 --> 00:15:37,755 Speaker 1: ABC or CBS or CNBC or MSNBC, and Chris Licht 218 00:15:37,835 --> 00:15:41,955 Speaker 1: has all these stupid ideas about how he could have 219 00:15:42,075 --> 00:15:46,555 Speaker 1: made his Trump town hall go better. That if there 220 00:15:46,595 --> 00:15:51,315 Speaker 1: really is a network considering another live Nuremberg rally with Trump, 221 00:15:51,435 --> 00:15:54,595 Speaker 1: if all that is true, there is only one inevitable 222 00:15:54,675 --> 00:15:59,715 Speaker 1: conclusion quote. Lickt continues to stand by the concept of 223 00:15:59,755 --> 00:16:04,595 Speaker 1: the town hall, telling people both inside and outside CNN 224 00:16:04,995 --> 00:16:09,835 Speaker 1: that history will look kindly on the network's decision. Well, 225 00:16:09,875 --> 00:16:15,835 Speaker 1: if he really believes that it is sadly, tragically, unavoidably 226 00:16:15,955 --> 00:16:20,075 Speaker 1: true that the network that must be thinking about televising 227 00:16:20,355 --> 00:16:32,115 Speaker 1: another Trump town hall is CNN. Lauren Bobert getting divorced 228 00:16:32,195 --> 00:16:35,075 Speaker 1: husband furious, God, why would you be furious about that? 229 00:16:35,155 --> 00:16:38,155 Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor, Karen Green wants to talk to the manager, 230 00:16:38,235 --> 00:16:41,875 Speaker 1: all the managers. She proposed three impeachments in one day. 231 00:16:42,275 --> 00:16:45,475 Speaker 1: And they asked Dianne Feinstein about her absence from the Senate, 232 00:16:45,595 --> 00:16:52,195 Speaker 1: and Dianne Feinstein's answer was basically, what absence? Uh oh, 233 00:16:52,395 --> 00:16:53,875 Speaker 1: that's next. This discountdown. 234 00:16:55,555 --> 00:16:59,875 Speaker 2: This is countdown with Keith Oberman. 235 00:17:03,755 --> 00:17:06,995 Speaker 1: Postscripts to the new use some headlines, some updates, some snarks, 236 00:17:07,035 --> 00:17:09,675 Speaker 1: some predictions. Dateline, New York. A follow off to the 237 00:17:09,715 --> 00:17:13,835 Speaker 1: lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani yesterday, not the work naked part, 238 00:17:13,915 --> 00:17:17,915 Speaker 1: nor the anti semitic part, the selling presidential pardons for 239 00:17:17,995 --> 00:17:20,275 Speaker 1: two million dollars a piece in splitting the dough with 240 00:17:20,355 --> 00:17:23,955 Speaker 1: Trump part. Nobody seemed to notice this yesterday. 241 00:17:24,035 --> 00:17:24,555 Speaker 2: I didn't. 242 00:17:25,155 --> 00:17:29,235 Speaker 1: My friend since nineteen seventy four, the great columnist from Philadelphia, 243 00:17:29,315 --> 00:17:32,595 Speaker 1: Will Bunch, he noticed it from the New York Times 244 00:17:32,595 --> 00:17:35,955 Speaker 1: of January seventeenth, twenty twenty one, a story about the 245 00:17:35,995 --> 00:17:39,915 Speaker 1: former CIA agent John Kiriaku, who had been convicted of 246 00:17:39,955 --> 00:17:44,315 Speaker 1: a legally disclosing classified information about twenty twelve, and who 247 00:17:44,315 --> 00:17:48,395 Speaker 1: gave a Trump ally fifty thousand dollars to lobby Trump 248 00:17:48,755 --> 00:17:52,435 Speaker 1: for a pardon before Trump left office. There was a 249 00:17:52,475 --> 00:17:56,275 Speaker 1: PostScript to this quote. Mister Kiriaku was separately told that 250 00:17:56,355 --> 00:18:01,195 Speaker 1: mister Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Juliani, could help him 251 00:18:01,235 --> 00:18:06,475 Speaker 1: secure a pardon for two million dollars. Mister Kiriaku rejected 252 00:18:06,475 --> 00:18:09,435 Speaker 1: the offer, but an associate, fearing that mister Giuliani was 253 00:18:09,475 --> 00:18:16,835 Speaker 1: illegally selling pardons, alerted the FBI Special Counsel's Office. Mister Smith, 254 00:18:16,955 --> 00:18:22,195 Speaker 1: please thank you. I'll wait Dateline Washington. As we discovered 255 00:18:22,235 --> 00:18:25,315 Speaker 1: during the Trump administration, if you impeach somebody in the House, 256 00:18:25,595 --> 00:18:28,515 Speaker 1: but the other party is running the Senate, your impeachment 257 00:18:28,595 --> 00:18:32,995 Speaker 1: can be just a performative act, a stunt. Having said that, 258 00:18:33,035 --> 00:18:37,515 Speaker 1: it is still pretty impressive. Marjorie Taylor Barney Rubble getting 259 00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:42,355 Speaker 1: divorced from Taylor. Karen Green announced yesterday she was introducing 260 00:18:42,475 --> 00:18:46,395 Speaker 1: articles of impeachment against the FBI Director Christopher Ray, and 261 00:18:47,075 --> 00:18:49,915 Speaker 1: she introduced articles of impeachment against the US Attorney in 262 00:18:49,955 --> 00:18:53,755 Speaker 1: the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves. And she continued to 263 00:18:53,795 --> 00:18:57,275 Speaker 1: press for articles of impeachment against the Secretary of Homeland 264 00:18:57,315 --> 00:19:03,515 Speaker 1: Security Alejandro majorcis because well, because three performative stunts gets 265 00:19:03,715 --> 00:19:08,675 Speaker 1: three times thelicity that just one will. Dayline Washington something 266 00:19:08,755 --> 00:19:11,795 Speaker 1: slightly more substantial in the case of Congressman George if 267 00:19:11,795 --> 00:19:16,155 Speaker 1: that is your real name, Santos, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia 268 00:19:16,195 --> 00:19:20,795 Speaker 1: of California has introduced a privileged motion to expel Santos 269 00:19:20,835 --> 00:19:24,155 Speaker 1: from the House. Making it privileged means it still needs 270 00:19:24,195 --> 00:19:27,635 Speaker 1: a three quarters vote to eject Katara Ravacha's alter ego, 271 00:19:28,555 --> 00:19:32,075 Speaker 1: but it has to be voted upon within two days 272 00:19:32,355 --> 00:19:36,155 Speaker 1: of being introduced, and it will at least get Republicans 273 00:19:36,155 --> 00:19:38,955 Speaker 1: on the record like they care, even the ones who 274 00:19:39,035 --> 00:20:14,275 Speaker 1: already said he should resign. 275 00:20:13,435 --> 00:20:26,555 Speaker 2: He he, thank you. 276 00:20:26,715 --> 00:20:31,155 Speaker 1: Nancy Faus. Dateline Washington. Reporters Benjamin Orescus of the La 277 00:20:31,275 --> 00:20:34,555 Speaker 1: Times and Jim Newle of Slate say they ran into 278 00:20:34,675 --> 00:20:38,635 Speaker 1: Senator Dianne Feinstein after she voted yesterday at the Capitol. 279 00:20:39,355 --> 00:20:42,755 Speaker 1: I'll just read a combination of their two stories. Quote. 280 00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:45,875 Speaker 1: When a fellow reporter asked her what the response from 281 00:20:45,875 --> 00:20:49,635 Speaker 1: her colleagues had been like since her return, the conversation 282 00:20:49,755 --> 00:20:53,075 Speaker 1: took an odd turn. Quote, what have I heard about? 283 00:20:53,115 --> 00:20:57,995 Speaker 1: What she asked about your return. The reporter replied, I 284 00:20:58,115 --> 00:21:02,075 Speaker 1: haven't been gone. She said, you should follow the I 285 00:21:02,115 --> 00:21:05,715 Speaker 1: haven't been gone. I've been working. When asked whether she 286 00:21:05,795 --> 00:21:09,555 Speaker 1: meant that she'd been working from home, she turned feisty. No, 287 00:21:10,155 --> 00:21:14,475 Speaker 1: I've been here. I've been voting, she said, please, you 288 00:21:14,595 --> 00:21:23,155 Speaker 1: either know or don't know. So Senator Feinstein thinks she's 289 00:21:23,235 --> 00:21:26,995 Speaker 1: been in Washington the last three months. And when she 290 00:21:27,075 --> 00:21:31,275 Speaker 1: got mad with two reporters for questioning about about that, 291 00:21:31,515 --> 00:21:34,475 Speaker 1: the phrase that she used to reply to them was 292 00:21:35,555 --> 00:21:41,995 Speaker 1: you either know or don't know. Truer words have never 293 00:21:42,035 --> 00:22:02,915 Speaker 1: been spoken. Still, Ah boy, oh boy. Coming up a 294 00:22:02,915 --> 00:22:05,795 Speaker 1: little more on Licked and CNN and Deja vu all 295 00:22:05,835 --> 00:22:09,475 Speaker 1: over again. Twenty years ago, another cable news outlet suddenly 296 00:22:09,515 --> 00:22:13,155 Speaker 1: decided to go hard right that did not go well 297 00:22:13,955 --> 00:22:19,475 Speaker 1: MSNBC and the day it fired Michael Savage and pretty 298 00:22:19,555 --> 00:22:23,395 Speaker 1: much everybody in church. First, the daily round up of 299 00:22:23,395 --> 00:22:25,875 Speaker 1: the Miss Grant's morons and Dunn Kruger effects specimens who 300 00:22:25,915 --> 00:22:30,755 Speaker 1: constitute today's worst persons in the world. The brons. South 301 00:22:30,795 --> 00:22:34,595 Speaker 1: Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, like the old Bob and Ray 302 00:22:34,715 --> 00:22:36,355 Speaker 1: character who announced he was not going to make the 303 00:22:36,395 --> 00:22:39,555 Speaker 1: mistake most political candidates did. He was going for the 304 00:22:39,555 --> 00:22:43,915 Speaker 1: nomination of both parties. Mace just blah blah blah about 305 00:22:43,915 --> 00:22:47,035 Speaker 1: the Bull Durham investigation and then said, I am the 306 00:22:47,075 --> 00:22:49,675 Speaker 1: furthest thing from a Trump shill, but what the FBI 307 00:22:49,835 --> 00:22:54,715 Speaker 1: did to him is ft. Yeah. Last February, after he 308 00:22:54,835 --> 00:22:59,235 Speaker 1: endorsed her primary opponent, Mace flew to New York and 309 00:22:59,355 --> 00:23:04,155 Speaker 1: stood outside Trump Tower and videoed herself pledging fealty to 310 00:23:04,235 --> 00:23:07,755 Speaker 1: the fuery. She is, in fact the definition of a 311 00:23:07,795 --> 00:23:13,235 Speaker 1: Trump shill. The runner up, Ron DeSantis, who has joined 312 00:23:13,275 --> 00:23:17,955 Speaker 1: the chorus insisting that New York's alleged subway strangler Daniel Penny, 313 00:23:18,435 --> 00:23:21,755 Speaker 1: is in fact the real victim here after he put 314 00:23:21,755 --> 00:23:25,475 Speaker 1: a disturbed man in a choke hold for fifteen minutes 315 00:23:25,835 --> 00:23:28,835 Speaker 1: until the man died, when he simply could have restrained 316 00:23:28,915 --> 00:23:32,595 Speaker 1: him or subdued him until the police came, like a 317 00:23:32,595 --> 00:23:36,715 Speaker 1: normal person and not a potential murderer. DeSantis has called 318 00:23:36,755 --> 00:23:41,395 Speaker 1: Penny quote a good Samaritan. And here is a reminder, anybody, 319 00:23:41,395 --> 00:23:44,515 Speaker 1: including Ron DeSantis, who calls him a good Samaritan, has 320 00:23:44,555 --> 00:23:47,075 Speaker 1: never read a Bible in their life, because in the 321 00:23:47,155 --> 00:23:51,635 Speaker 1: story in there about the good Samaritan, spoiler alert, The 322 00:23:51,675 --> 00:23:57,155 Speaker 1: good Samaritan doesn't kill anybody but our winner. Jason Bobert, 323 00:23:57,835 --> 00:24:01,915 Speaker 1: husband of the congresswoman and former MacDonald's night manager. It 324 00:24:01,995 --> 00:24:05,195 Speaker 1: was revealed yesterday she has filed for divorce from him. 325 00:24:05,755 --> 00:24:08,115 Speaker 1: They met when she was sixteen and he was just 326 00:24:08,155 --> 00:24:11,115 Speaker 1: about to be arrested for exposing himself to other young 327 00:24:11,155 --> 00:24:14,355 Speaker 1: women in a bowling alley. Apparently this is the way 328 00:24:14,395 --> 00:24:17,835 Speaker 1: of all Congressional Karens. The Taylor Greens are getting divorced too. 329 00:24:17,875 --> 00:24:22,115 Speaker 1: As I mentioned, the punchline here is Jason Bobert was 330 00:24:22,155 --> 00:24:25,635 Speaker 1: reported to be furious when he was served with her 331 00:24:25,675 --> 00:24:26,595 Speaker 1: divorce papers. 332 00:24:27,835 --> 00:24:29,075 Speaker 2: Good God, why. 333 00:24:30,355 --> 00:24:34,315 Speaker 1: Jason? In memory of the marriage, flags and fly zippers 334 00:24:34,395 --> 00:24:38,995 Speaker 1: will be lowered to half staff. Bobert two days worst 335 00:24:39,915 --> 00:24:42,395 Speaker 1: person had another word that starts. 336 00:24:42,075 --> 00:24:46,275 Speaker 2: With pee in the world. 337 00:24:55,875 --> 00:24:58,915 Speaker 1: Still ahead on countdown. Let's circle back to Chris Licht's 338 00:24:59,035 --> 00:25:02,555 Speaker 1: insistence as recently as yesterday that history will look kindly 339 00:25:02,595 --> 00:25:05,195 Speaker 1: on his career ending, network ending decision to let Trump 340 00:25:05,395 --> 00:25:07,875 Speaker 1: take the wheel a week ago tonight in the now 341 00:25:07,915 --> 00:25:12,115 Speaker 1: immortally infamous Trump town hall. Well it won't. And I 342 00:25:12,155 --> 00:25:15,115 Speaker 1: know this because what Licked is trying to do. I've 343 00:25:15,115 --> 00:25:18,115 Speaker 1: already lived through this once twenty years ago, when MSNBC 344 00:25:18,315 --> 00:25:21,355 Speaker 1: tried to swerve hard right. It's centered on a skunk 345 00:25:21,435 --> 00:25:25,155 Speaker 1: named Michael Savage, and no history did not look kindly 346 00:25:25,235 --> 00:25:28,195 Speaker 1: on it. The history of it, in fact, was everybody 347 00:25:28,275 --> 00:25:32,635 Speaker 1: got fired except me. First. Once again, every dog has 348 00:25:32,675 --> 00:25:35,635 Speaker 1: its day. Shiloh was thrown from a car in Atlanta, 349 00:25:35,995 --> 00:25:39,675 Speaker 1: nine month old puppy, run of the mill, mutt, soulful eyes, 350 00:25:39,755 --> 00:25:43,555 Speaker 1: big ears, and now a broken jaw because somebody threw 351 00:25:43,635 --> 00:25:47,915 Speaker 1: him from a car. Rescue Dog's Rock is fundraising for 352 00:25:47,995 --> 00:25:51,155 Speaker 1: the surgery via giving Grid. You can find Shiloh there 353 00:25:51,195 --> 00:25:54,795 Speaker 1: on giving Grid or on my Twitter feeds. Your donations 354 00:25:54,795 --> 00:25:59,395 Speaker 1: and retweets are humbly solicited. I thank you, and Shiloh 355 00:25:59,395 --> 00:26:20,035 Speaker 1: thanks you. I'll repeat my point. This is no voting accident. 356 00:26:21,355 --> 00:26:24,515 Speaker 1: The reason Lick is in charge of CNN is virtually 357 00:26:24,555 --> 00:26:27,475 Speaker 1: every mainstream media organization in this country has already had 358 00:26:27,475 --> 00:26:31,155 Speaker 1: the meeting they had at CNN. Let's discuss how if 359 00:26:31,195 --> 00:26:34,755 Speaker 1: America goes fully fascist in twenty twenty five or earlier, 360 00:26:35,195 --> 00:26:38,835 Speaker 1: we can still protect this company's profits. I say this 361 00:26:38,955 --> 00:26:41,635 Speaker 1: not merely because I know most of the people running 362 00:26:41,675 --> 00:26:46,995 Speaker 1: the mainstream media organizations. But because these conversations have already happened, 363 00:26:46,995 --> 00:26:51,635 Speaker 1: and they happened long ago, largely because the first not 364 00:26:51,835 --> 00:26:54,635 Speaker 1: white guy president was elected just seven years and two 365 00:26:54,715 --> 00:26:58,115 Speaker 1: months after nine to eleven, we forget how seriously and 366 00:26:58,235 --> 00:27:01,675 Speaker 1: terrifyingly we already have teetered on the edge of full 367 00:27:01,675 --> 00:27:04,675 Speaker 1: fledged fascism here after the attacks on the World Trades Say, 368 00:27:04,915 --> 00:27:08,835 Speaker 1: and the Pentagon. Nine to eleven happened between my two 369 00:27:08,915 --> 00:27:12,355 Speaker 1: tenures at MSNBC, but I returned a year and a 370 00:27:12,435 --> 00:27:15,555 Speaker 1: half after it happened, and by then the place I 371 00:27:15,595 --> 00:27:17,595 Speaker 1: went back to work had already hired a sort of 372 00:27:17,995 --> 00:27:22,515 Speaker 1: Alex Jones prototype radio host named Michael Savage, and it 373 00:27:22,595 --> 00:27:24,835 Speaker 1: was slowly trying to build him into the host of 374 00:27:24,875 --> 00:27:29,475 Speaker 1: a weeknight show. Savage was a homophobe plus an equal 375 00:27:29,515 --> 00:27:33,075 Speaker 1: opportunity bigot. His real name was Michael Wiener, and all 376 00:27:33,115 --> 00:27:34,475 Speaker 1: you need to know about him is that he was 377 00:27:34,475 --> 00:27:37,555 Speaker 1: a Wiener who pretended he was a Savage. What happened 378 00:27:37,595 --> 00:27:39,755 Speaker 1: to him when they tried to stick him into primetime 379 00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:42,355 Speaker 1: and what he said that led to his firing and 380 00:27:42,395 --> 00:27:45,195 Speaker 1: the blowing up of the Let's out Fox Fox News 381 00:27:45,275 --> 00:27:48,515 Speaker 1: plan of the then NBC chairman and CEO, Bob Wright 382 00:27:49,155 --> 00:27:51,635 Speaker 1: is a great story. I will relish telling you in 383 00:27:51,675 --> 00:27:57,195 Speaker 1: a moment, but first a little context to this. MSNBC 384 00:27:57,395 --> 00:28:00,555 Speaker 1: and Fox Nudes launched within weeks of each other in 385 00:28:00,635 --> 00:28:04,475 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six, and for a while, in fact, until 386 00:28:04,515 --> 00:28:07,435 Speaker 1: I left MSNBC in December nineteen ninety eight, we were 387 00:28:07,555 --> 00:28:12,195 Speaker 1: ahead of Fox in many time periods, though CNN crushed 388 00:28:12,275 --> 00:28:15,955 Speaker 1: us both. Then Fox ascended, then came nine to eleven, 389 00:28:16,235 --> 00:28:19,395 Speaker 1: and then Bob Wright thought he saw his opportunity. All 390 00:28:19,435 --> 00:28:21,435 Speaker 1: you need to know about him is that after he 391 00:28:21,595 --> 00:28:26,275 Speaker 1: left the position of running NBC, he became a contributor 392 00:28:26,315 --> 00:28:31,355 Speaker 1: to Fox Business. At MSNBC, right gave Oliver North his 393 00:28:31,355 --> 00:28:34,835 Speaker 1: own show and Laura Ingram her own show. He had 394 00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:38,355 Speaker 1: given a program to Alan Keyes, a Republican who somehow 395 00:28:38,355 --> 00:28:41,515 Speaker 1: managed to lose Senate races in two different states and 396 00:28:41,795 --> 00:28:46,355 Speaker 1: washed out three different times in Republican presidential primaries. His 397 00:28:46,515 --> 00:28:50,115 Speaker 1: MSNBC show consisted of him giving speeches. Though he was 398 00:28:50,155 --> 00:28:53,275 Speaker 1: alone in a studio with no audience, Alan Keys could 399 00:28:53,275 --> 00:28:56,275 Speaker 1: not break himself up his habit of spraying the room 400 00:28:56,315 --> 00:28:59,235 Speaker 1: with his eyes. The viewer at home would see him 401 00:28:59,275 --> 00:29:02,515 Speaker 1: looking off camera to his left, then looking at the camera, 402 00:29:02,795 --> 00:29:05,475 Speaker 1: then looking off camera to the right. He went back 403 00:29:05,475 --> 00:29:08,395 Speaker 1: and forth like a sprinkler. I remember once looking at 404 00:29:08,475 --> 00:29:11,515 Speaker 1: him and yelling at the TV, hey, hell over here, 405 00:29:11,555 --> 00:29:14,995 Speaker 1: I'm the one in the middle. Bob Wright also brought 406 00:29:14,995 --> 00:29:17,955 Speaker 1: in Joe Scarborough, long before Scarborough knew how to disguise 407 00:29:18,035 --> 00:29:22,795 Speaker 1: much of his fascism. Bob Wright fired Phil Donahue, although 408 00:29:22,795 --> 00:29:24,555 Speaker 1: to be fair, that was really more about money than 409 00:29:24,595 --> 00:29:27,195 Speaker 1: it was about politics. But he replaced Dona Hughes's show 410 00:29:27,195 --> 00:29:30,235 Speaker 1: with what was supposed to be a high speed, slightly 411 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:33,915 Speaker 1: right leaning newscast produced by a Fox News refugee. It 412 00:29:33,955 --> 00:29:40,155 Speaker 1: was called Countdown with Sam Donaldson, and needless to say, 413 00:29:40,155 --> 00:29:43,315 Speaker 1: the right leaning idea went horribly horribly wrong after they 414 00:29:43,395 --> 00:29:48,875 Speaker 1: changed it to Countdown with Keith Olberman. MSNBC's lineup was 415 00:29:48,995 --> 00:29:52,795 Speaker 1: remarkably unstable at that time. I had hosted its eight 416 00:29:52,795 --> 00:29:56,115 Speaker 1: pm show from October first, nineteen ninety seven, through the 417 00:29:56,115 --> 00:29:58,275 Speaker 1: beginning of December nineteen ninety eight, and then I left 418 00:29:58,315 --> 00:30:02,475 Speaker 1: to go back to sports and baseball at Fox. Then 419 00:30:02,555 --> 00:30:05,555 Speaker 1: the eight pm hour was hosted by John Hawkin for 420 00:30:05,675 --> 00:30:09,715 Speaker 1: three months. Then Ali North got his shot a month later. 421 00:30:09,715 --> 00:30:12,635 Speaker 1: They started having rotating liberals co host with Ali North 422 00:30:13,115 --> 00:30:15,355 Speaker 1: in April nineteen ninety nine, and it became North and 423 00:30:15,355 --> 00:30:18,995 Speaker 1: Paul Bagala. That was five shows in five months. In 424 00:30:19,035 --> 00:30:21,395 Speaker 1: May they cut North and Begala to half an hour. 425 00:30:21,715 --> 00:30:24,155 Speaker 1: In June they canceled them and replaced them with a 426 00:30:24,155 --> 00:30:28,395 Speaker 1: half hour An Curry documentary. In early two thousand, Curry 427 00:30:28,595 --> 00:30:31,315 Speaker 1: was expanded to an hour, but then in May Curry 428 00:30:31,395 --> 00:30:34,515 Speaker 1: was replaced by Lori Doo. In August two thousand, they 429 00:30:34,555 --> 00:30:38,995 Speaker 1: started their version of Dateline called MSNBC Investigates. In September, 430 00:30:39,035 --> 00:30:42,195 Speaker 1: they cut that show to four days a week and 431 00:30:42,275 --> 00:30:45,355 Speaker 1: launched a vanished white Woman of the Week show actually 432 00:30:45,355 --> 00:30:50,275 Speaker 1: called Missing Persons with Diane Diamond, which they canceled after 433 00:30:50,355 --> 00:30:53,835 Speaker 1: one episode, and then they put MSNBC Investigates back on. 434 00:30:53,915 --> 00:30:55,515 Speaker 1: Then they canceled that a month later to make room 435 00:30:55,555 --> 00:30:58,635 Speaker 1: for a newscast with Forest Sawyer. Then after the uncertainty 436 00:30:58,635 --> 00:31:01,355 Speaker 1: of the two thousand election, they refocused that as Decision 437 00:31:01,395 --> 00:31:04,915 Speaker 1: two thousand with Forrest Sawyer. In January two thousand and one, 438 00:31:04,915 --> 00:31:08,155 Speaker 1: they canceled Forrest Sawyer and put MSNBC Investigates back on 439 00:31:08,235 --> 00:31:11,035 Speaker 1: for the third different time. Then in July they moved 440 00:31:11,075 --> 00:31:13,995 Speaker 1: the News with Brian Williams from nine pm to eight pm. 441 00:31:14,155 --> 00:31:17,035 Speaker 1: Then the next September they moved Brian to CNBC and 442 00:31:17,115 --> 00:31:21,155 Speaker 1: instead launched Phil Donahue's show in the eight pm MSNBC slot. 443 00:31:21,715 --> 00:31:23,915 Speaker 1: Then in March two thousand and three they off Donahue. 444 00:31:24,235 --> 00:31:27,795 Speaker 1: They started Countdown originally with Lester Holt, Pat Buchanan and 445 00:31:27,835 --> 00:31:30,555 Speaker 1: Bill Press. Then after the war started and there wasn't 446 00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:33,315 Speaker 1: anything to count Down two anymore, they hired me to 447 00:31:33,315 --> 00:31:36,915 Speaker 1: host Operation Iraqi Freedom, and after one week of that 448 00:31:36,995 --> 00:31:41,515 Speaker 1: show they launched Countdown with Keith Olrman. That's twenty different 449 00:31:41,555 --> 00:31:45,435 Speaker 1: shows or formats in four years and four months. So 450 00:31:45,595 --> 00:31:49,875 Speaker 1: Bob Wright's next primetime ideas, and you gotta give him 451 00:31:49,915 --> 00:31:52,995 Speaker 1: this much. He had a lot of primetime ideas and 452 00:31:53,075 --> 00:31:56,035 Speaker 1: virtually all of them made it onto TV. His next 453 00:31:56,115 --> 00:31:58,875 Speaker 1: set of ideas was a primetime lineup of me doing 454 00:31:58,955 --> 00:32:02,755 Speaker 1: the News at eight, then Scarborough at nine, then Jesse 455 00:32:02,875 --> 00:32:07,115 Speaker 1: Ventura at ten, and then this Michael Savage character. They 456 00:32:07,155 --> 00:32:10,115 Speaker 1: began this plot by giving Savage his own show an 457 00:32:10,155 --> 00:32:15,195 Speaker 1: hour every Saturday afternoon on March eighth, two thousand and three. 458 00:32:15,235 --> 00:32:21,555 Speaker 1: Everybody agreed it was crap. On radio, Savage sounded kind 459 00:32:21,595 --> 00:32:24,235 Speaker 1: of threatening, I guess, a kind of red meat fascist. 460 00:32:24,235 --> 00:32:28,555 Speaker 1: But on TV taking calls from viewers in a tiny, little, 461 00:32:28,635 --> 00:32:31,955 Speaker 1: cramped looking studio somewhere in the Bay Area, he looked 462 00:32:31,995 --> 00:32:35,835 Speaker 1: small and whiny and cavetchy, and he was wearing a 463 00:32:35,835 --> 00:32:38,955 Speaker 1: bad tupei and a suit that was far worse than that. 464 00:32:41,075 --> 00:32:43,675 Speaker 1: When I was negotiating my return to MSNBC in two 465 00:32:43,715 --> 00:32:45,555 Speaker 1: thousand and three, I got the executive in charge of 466 00:32:45,595 --> 00:32:48,675 Speaker 1: Primetime to put it in my contract that Michael Savage 467 00:32:48,675 --> 00:32:52,315 Speaker 1: would never appear on my newscast in any form unless 468 00:32:52,355 --> 00:32:57,195 Speaker 1: it was an obituary, open and shut. But then on Friday, 469 00:32:57,235 --> 00:32:59,435 Speaker 1: April twenty fifth, two thousand and three, I came into work. 470 00:32:59,955 --> 00:33:02,355 Speaker 1: We were about a month into the show, and there 471 00:33:02,435 --> 00:33:05,355 Speaker 1: in the computer rundown of my newscast was a pre 472 00:33:05,475 --> 00:33:09,035 Speaker 1: recorded Michael Savage commentary. As soon as he saw I 473 00:33:09,155 --> 00:33:11,315 Speaker 1: was in the office, the executive producer they had hired 474 00:33:11,315 --> 00:33:14,955 Speaker 1: from Fox, a cross eyed chainsmoker named Dennis Murray, pushed 475 00:33:14,955 --> 00:33:16,955 Speaker 1: his way into my office and said, we have to 476 00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:20,075 Speaker 1: run a Michael Savage commentary. There's also a mandatory Matt 477 00:33:20,155 --> 00:33:22,795 Speaker 1: Drudge SoundBite. This is per Phil Griffins. So don't think 478 00:33:22,835 --> 00:33:24,515 Speaker 1: you can call Phil to get it dropped. He's not 479 00:33:24,515 --> 00:33:27,995 Speaker 1: in New York, he's not reachable, and he left. I 480 00:33:28,075 --> 00:33:30,355 Speaker 1: called my agent. I told her the story, and I'm 481 00:33:30,355 --> 00:33:32,515 Speaker 1: matter of factively asked, if they don't drop it, I 482 00:33:32,555 --> 00:33:35,155 Speaker 1: have to walk out, don't I mind you? She had 483 00:33:35,235 --> 00:33:41,315 Speaker 1: just exhausted herself negotiating my extremely unlikely return to MSNBC. 484 00:33:41,955 --> 00:33:44,395 Speaker 1: She didn't flinch. Of course, you have to walk out, 485 00:33:44,595 --> 00:33:47,115 Speaker 1: but first call Philip Griffin's office and tell him you're leaving. 486 00:33:47,155 --> 00:33:50,955 Speaker 1: Give him a chance. It'll help when you sue them. 487 00:33:51,275 --> 00:33:54,835 Speaker 1: It was breach of contract. I find dramatic, life changing 488 00:33:54,835 --> 00:33:58,275 Speaker 1: and potentially costly stuff like that is usually way easier 489 00:33:58,315 --> 00:34:01,195 Speaker 1: if you have the high moral ground. So I called 490 00:34:01,195 --> 00:34:04,075 Speaker 1: Griffin's office. His assistant said he was in Washington and 491 00:34:04,115 --> 00:34:05,715 Speaker 1: meetings and could not be reached. I said, well, you 492 00:34:05,715 --> 00:34:08,475 Speaker 1: should reach somebody there. Tell them I just called a 493 00:34:08,515 --> 00:34:10,875 Speaker 1: car to take me home because my contract says you 494 00:34:10,915 --> 00:34:13,795 Speaker 1: can't put Michael effing Savage on my newscast, and somebody 495 00:34:13,915 --> 00:34:16,075 Speaker 1: just did nice working with you all, and tell Phil 496 00:34:16,115 --> 00:34:21,395 Speaker 1: to give me a call sometime sometime. Was three minutes later. 497 00:34:21,875 --> 00:34:25,915 Speaker 1: Griffin who frequently panicked outdid himself on this call. You 498 00:34:26,195 --> 00:34:28,515 Speaker 1: would really walk out, buddy, I said, it was in 499 00:34:28,555 --> 00:34:31,155 Speaker 1: the contract. I was putting my pens and books in 500 00:34:31,195 --> 00:34:35,275 Speaker 1: a box as we spoke. I told him he was 501 00:34:35,315 --> 00:34:40,675 Speaker 1: repeating himself. Finally, he said, okay, okay, okay, buddy. Can 502 00:34:40,715 --> 00:34:42,875 Speaker 1: you look at the commentary and find me a reason, 503 00:34:43,875 --> 00:34:47,515 Speaker 1: a reason it isn't about politics, why it shouldn't run. 504 00:34:47,715 --> 00:34:51,795 Speaker 1: I said, you mean, like video quality, or racist language 505 00:34:51,995 --> 00:34:57,395 Speaker 1: or something. Phil Griffin's voice brightened. Yeah, good racist language 506 00:34:57,475 --> 00:34:58,595 Speaker 1: or something that'd be great. 507 00:34:58,755 --> 00:34:59,395 Speaker 2: Call me back. 508 00:35:00,955 --> 00:35:03,675 Speaker 1: The executive producer and I went to the video edit suite, 509 00:35:03,715 --> 00:35:05,915 Speaker 1: where a guy named Brenda o'melia was cutting out the 510 00:35:05,955 --> 00:35:09,115 Speaker 1: time Savage had stumbled or flubbed while recording this nonsense. 511 00:35:09,675 --> 00:35:12,555 Speaker 1: First of all, I said to the Xbox guy who 512 00:35:12,555 --> 00:35:16,635 Speaker 1: was the producer, Michael Savage is wearing a brown shirt 513 00:35:17,555 --> 00:35:20,475 Speaker 1: and a brown tie on top of his brown shirt. 514 00:35:20,635 --> 00:35:25,195 Speaker 1: He is literally dressed like a Hitler brown shirt. The 515 00:35:25,355 --> 00:35:27,755 Speaker 1: editor Omelia played the whole video for me, and as 516 00:35:27,755 --> 00:35:31,475 Speaker 1: I dialed Phil Griffin's cell, I started laughing. I said, 517 00:35:31,555 --> 00:35:34,795 Speaker 1: even for racist, homophobic crap, this thing makes no sense. 518 00:35:34,835 --> 00:35:37,315 Speaker 1: He just keeps saying George W. Bush is right, because 519 00:35:37,395 --> 00:35:40,995 Speaker 1: George W. Bush, because he's right. He looks small and 520 00:35:41,035 --> 00:35:43,075 Speaker 1: whiny and convecchy, and he's got a bad tupe in 521 00:35:43,115 --> 00:35:45,875 Speaker 1: a worse suit. We wouldn't run this as a SoundBite 522 00:35:45,955 --> 00:35:48,955 Speaker 1: in his obituary. And the lighting is terrible and he's 523 00:35:49,035 --> 00:35:55,155 Speaker 1: dressed as a brown shirt. Apparently that was enough. Phil 524 00:35:55,195 --> 00:35:58,035 Speaker 1: Griffin ordered the piece dropped from My show. I think 525 00:35:58,555 --> 00:36:00,835 Speaker 1: they ran it on Scarborough Show at nine pm. In fact, 526 00:36:00,875 --> 00:36:03,635 Speaker 1: I think I might be wrong. They ran two or 527 00:36:03,755 --> 00:36:07,995 Speaker 1: three Savage commentaries on Scarborough shows. I know they intended to, 528 00:36:08,315 --> 00:36:12,715 Speaker 1: God knows. I never watched Scarborough Show. Happily, this was 529 00:36:12,755 --> 00:36:15,755 Speaker 1: about the time Michael Savage ended his own TV career. 530 00:36:16,355 --> 00:36:20,355 Speaker 1: On Saturday July fifth, two thousand and three, show fifteen 531 00:36:20,435 --> 00:36:25,755 Speaker 1: out of a series of Chex's Notes fifteen, Michael Savage 532 00:36:25,795 --> 00:36:28,555 Speaker 1: was on the air live on MSNBC when a caller 533 00:36:28,755 --> 00:36:33,155 Speaker 1: baited him about gaze. Savage replied, quote, so you're one 534 00:36:33,155 --> 00:36:37,395 Speaker 1: of them sodomists. You a sodomite. The caller said, yes, oh, 535 00:36:37,395 --> 00:36:40,315 Speaker 1: you're one of them sodomites, continuing the quote, you should 536 00:36:40,355 --> 00:36:42,955 Speaker 1: only get aids and die, you pig how's that. Why 537 00:36:42,955 --> 00:36:44,795 Speaker 1: don't you see if you consume me, you pig, you 538 00:36:44,875 --> 00:36:47,195 Speaker 1: got nothing better to put me down, you piece of garbage. 539 00:36:47,395 --> 00:36:49,075 Speaker 1: You have nothing better to do today. Go eat a 540 00:36:49,155 --> 00:36:52,755 Speaker 1: sausage and choke on it. Get trick and noteses end 541 00:36:52,955 --> 00:36:58,155 Speaker 1: quote and Michael Savage. And by the way, that quote 542 00:36:58,155 --> 00:37:00,275 Speaker 1: that I just read that was way better than the 543 00:37:00,315 --> 00:37:05,915 Speaker 1: commentary they had him record for countdown. Days later, on Monday, 544 00:37:06,515 --> 00:37:09,195 Speaker 1: Eric Sorenson the president of MSNBC, and he was president 545 00:37:09,195 --> 00:37:11,115 Speaker 1: of all the boring things Bob Wright didn't want to 546 00:37:11,115 --> 00:37:16,395 Speaker 1: be bothered with. At MSNBC. Eric Sorenson fired Michael Savage. Sorenson, 547 00:37:16,755 --> 00:37:19,035 Speaker 1: for whom I worked in Los Angeles in local news 548 00:37:19,035 --> 00:37:21,755 Speaker 1: and who consulted on my show on Current TV as 549 00:37:21,835 --> 00:37:24,675 Speaker 1: recently as twenty eleven, took me for a drink because 550 00:37:24,675 --> 00:37:28,115 Speaker 1: he needed to tell somebody what happened next after he 551 00:37:28,195 --> 00:37:32,675 Speaker 1: fired Michael Savage. As soon as the Savage firing was announced, 552 00:37:32,715 --> 00:37:35,355 Speaker 1: Sorenson said, the phone rang in his office and it 553 00:37:35,435 --> 00:37:39,315 Speaker 1: was Bob Wright, the chairman of NBC. Did you have 554 00:37:39,395 --> 00:37:42,995 Speaker 1: to fire americ? Wright asked in his nasal long Island accent, 555 00:37:43,635 --> 00:37:47,915 Speaker 1: and Sorenson said he answered yes, I literally had to 556 00:37:47,995 --> 00:37:49,995 Speaker 1: I had to fire him. Remember the clause in his 557 00:37:50,115 --> 00:37:53,515 Speaker 1: contract there are forty phrases he's not allowed to use 558 00:37:53,555 --> 00:37:55,915 Speaker 1: on the show. It literally says, if you say any 559 00:37:55,915 --> 00:37:59,275 Speaker 1: of the following forty things, you will be automatically fired 560 00:37:59,315 --> 00:38:02,795 Speaker 1: for cause and get no money. Remember remember what number 561 00:38:02,795 --> 00:38:05,555 Speaker 1: four on that list is number four or is quote 562 00:38:05,835 --> 00:38:09,355 Speaker 1: I hope you get AIDS and die unquote, And then 563 00:38:09,395 --> 00:38:12,395 Speaker 1: he said, I hope you get AIDS and die. Bob, 564 00:38:12,475 --> 00:38:16,155 Speaker 1: I literally had to fire him. I had to fire him. 565 00:38:16,635 --> 00:38:20,915 Speaker 1: It's in the contract. Eric Sorenson told me. There was 566 00:38:20,955 --> 00:38:23,475 Speaker 1: a long pause on the other end of the phone, 567 00:38:24,195 --> 00:38:27,595 Speaker 1: and then Bob Wright said, in anticipation of all that 568 00:38:27,635 --> 00:38:30,875 Speaker 1: we have seen in television news since all the meetings 569 00:38:30,915 --> 00:38:34,115 Speaker 1: about what happens if the country goes fully fascist, and 570 00:38:34,275 --> 00:38:37,995 Speaker 1: NBC and CNN and CBS and ABC all want to 571 00:38:38,035 --> 00:38:42,035 Speaker 1: protect their profits and do the devil's work, Bob Wright said, 572 00:38:42,075 --> 00:38:46,195 Speaker 1: after a long pause to Eric Sorenson, who had just 573 00:38:46,275 --> 00:38:49,035 Speaker 1: fired Michael Savage because it was in the contract. Bob 574 00:38:49,075 --> 00:38:53,755 Speaker 1: Wright said, softly and sadly, but Eric, did you have 575 00:38:53,915 --> 00:39:10,315 Speaker 1: to fire him? I've done all the damage I can do. 576 00:39:10,395 --> 00:39:10,595 Speaker 2: Here. 577 00:39:10,715 --> 00:39:13,195 Speaker 1: Here are the credits. Most of the music arranged, produced 578 00:39:13,235 --> 00:39:16,035 Speaker 1: and performed by Brian Ray and John Phillip Schhanelle. They 579 00:39:16,075 --> 00:39:19,675 Speaker 1: are the Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by 580 00:39:19,755 --> 00:39:23,155 Speaker 1: John Phillip Schanel, guitars, bass and drums by Brian Ray, 581 00:39:23,315 --> 00:39:27,315 Speaker 1: produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged 582 00:39:27,355 --> 00:39:31,275 Speaker 1: and performed by No horns allowed. The sports music Whenever 583 00:39:31,315 --> 00:39:33,755 Speaker 1: We actually do sports Again is the Olderman theme from 584 00:39:33,955 --> 00:39:36,835 Speaker 1: ESPN two and it was written by Mitch Horren Davis 585 00:39:36,875 --> 00:39:40,955 Speaker 1: courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments from Nancy Faust. The 586 00:39:40,955 --> 00:39:44,155 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer was my friend 587 00:39:44,235 --> 00:39:47,835 Speaker 1: Stevie van zandt everything else was pretty much my fault. 588 00:39:48,235 --> 00:39:50,355 Speaker 1: So that's countdown for this, the eight hundred and sixty 589 00:39:50,395 --> 00:39:53,435 Speaker 1: second day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the 590 00:39:53,435 --> 00:39:57,115 Speaker 1: democratically elected government of the United States. Don't forget to 591 00:39:57,395 --> 00:40:01,035 Speaker 1: keep arresting him while we still can. The next scheduled 592 00:40:01,035 --> 00:40:04,035 Speaker 1: countdown is tomorrow. Until then, I'm Keith Olberman. Good morning, 593 00:40:04,035 --> 00:40:13,715 Speaker 1: good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith 594 00:40:13,755 --> 00:40:18,795 Speaker 1: Oldreman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 595 00:40:18,955 --> 00:40:22,995 Speaker 1: Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 596 00:40:23,035 --> 00:40:23,955 Speaker 1: your podcasts.