1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:23,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Special 2 00:00:23,275 --> 00:00:27,595 Speaker 1: Council Jack Smith is clearly pursuing a theory of Donald 3 00:00:27,675 --> 00:00:32,115 Speaker 1: Trump's stolen documents conspiracy, in which Trump ignored a subpoena 4 00:00:32,195 --> 00:00:37,035 Speaker 1: to return every classified document, committed obstruction of justice, and 5 00:00:37,195 --> 00:00:40,875 Speaker 1: violated the Espionage Act by hiding the documents from his 6 00:00:41,075 --> 00:00:45,715 Speaker 1: own attorney search in order to retain them, and then 7 00:00:45,875 --> 00:00:51,195 Speaker 1: somehow utilize them in post presidential business deals with one 8 00:00:51,235 --> 00:00:56,635 Speaker 1: of seven countries, including China and Saudi Arabia. And as evidence, 9 00:00:57,155 --> 00:01:00,675 Speaker 1: Jack Smith now has in his hands nothing less than 10 00:01:00,715 --> 00:01:07,635 Speaker 1: the real time handwritten notes of Trump's own lawyer. For 11 00:01:07,755 --> 00:01:10,435 Speaker 1: the first time, we have a hint at how far 12 00:01:10,555 --> 00:01:13,435 Speaker 1: Trump was willing to go to keep those documents and 13 00:01:13,555 --> 00:01:17,275 Speaker 1: what the Special Council prosecutors think Trump's motive was. And 14 00:01:17,395 --> 00:01:22,875 Speaker 1: it is breathtaking, and it broke in two separate source stories, 15 00:01:23,235 --> 00:01:25,915 Speaker 1: first in England's The Guardian and then in the New 16 00:01:25,995 --> 00:01:30,595 Speaker 1: York Times a startling discovery of his attorney's notes. One 17 00:01:30,635 --> 00:01:35,435 Speaker 1: analyst describes it as Special Counsel Smith strikes Gold could 18 00:01:35,475 --> 00:01:38,155 Speaker 1: be enough to put Trump in prison for ten years 19 00:01:38,515 --> 00:01:43,675 Speaker 1: per count for not just wilfully retaining classified documents but 20 00:01:43,955 --> 00:01:48,395 Speaker 1: deliberately hiding them to keep his own lawyer from finding 21 00:01:48,435 --> 00:01:51,635 Speaker 1: them and giving them back to the authorities, a brazen 22 00:01:51,795 --> 00:01:56,075 Speaker 1: violation of a key part of the Espionage Act. And 23 00:01:56,155 --> 00:01:59,155 Speaker 1: from that separate source story in The Times, and even 24 00:01:59,195 --> 00:02:02,595 Speaker 1: more astonishingly, it's clear that Special Counsel is also pursuing 25 00:02:02,635 --> 00:02:06,635 Speaker 1: evidence that Trump may have given or traded or sold 26 00:02:07,115 --> 00:02:12,755 Speaker 1: classified documents and or information to China, to France, Kuwait, Oman, 27 00:02:13,155 --> 00:02:18,035 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and or the United Arab Emirates. Whether 28 00:02:18,155 --> 00:02:20,715 Speaker 1: the evidence can be obtained in fact, whether it even 29 00:02:20,835 --> 00:02:25,275 Speaker 1: exists is not clear. On the other hand, I am 30 00:02:25,275 --> 00:02:28,435 Speaker 1: willing to stake a lot on this theory. Jack Smith 31 00:02:28,555 --> 00:02:31,315 Speaker 1: did not pick the names of seven countries out of 32 00:02:31,355 --> 00:02:36,355 Speaker 1: a hat. The biggest developments in the Mari Lago documents 33 00:02:36,395 --> 00:02:38,875 Speaker 1: case in months came within hours of each other, via 34 00:02:38,915 --> 00:02:42,235 Speaker 1: two leaks that route back directly to the testimony that 35 00:02:42,275 --> 00:02:46,035 Speaker 1: a court forced from the Trump attorney, Evan Corcoran. Because 36 00:02:46,035 --> 00:02:51,355 Speaker 1: Corcoran did not just talk, he brought receipts fifty pages 37 00:02:51,675 --> 00:02:55,835 Speaker 1: five zero of handwritten notes in which Corcoran warned Trump 38 00:02:56,115 --> 00:02:59,995 Speaker 1: he could not keep classified documents after the subpoena arrived 39 00:02:59,995 --> 00:03:03,075 Speaker 1: that demanded their return, and which Corcoran writes that after 40 00:03:03,195 --> 00:03:06,395 Speaker 1: he warned that to Trump, Trump still wanted to know 41 00:03:06,515 --> 00:03:10,075 Speaker 1: how to fight it and keep the documents. Corkoran's notes 42 00:03:10,155 --> 00:03:13,195 Speaker 1: show he told Trump, no, you can't do that. We 43 00:03:13,275 --> 00:03:15,635 Speaker 1: already know. Trump decided to fight it by keeping some 44 00:03:15,755 --> 00:03:20,435 Speaker 1: classified documents anyway, and at that disastrous town hall last week, 45 00:03:20,475 --> 00:03:23,715 Speaker 1: which may yet wind up being more disastrous for Trump 46 00:03:23,795 --> 00:03:27,115 Speaker 1: than it was for CNN, Trump publicly admitted he deliberately 47 00:03:27,155 --> 00:03:30,195 Speaker 1: took and kept classified documents and claimed he had the 48 00:03:30,275 --> 00:03:35,235 Speaker 1: right to do so. The Special Council clearly believes he 49 00:03:35,315 --> 00:03:39,635 Speaker 1: has evidence that Trump hid classified documents deliberately, wilfully, and 50 00:03:39,795 --> 00:03:42,275 Speaker 1: after his own attorney had warned him it was a 51 00:03:42,315 --> 00:03:46,795 Speaker 1: criminal act. He has the lawyer's notes, He has security 52 00:03:46,915 --> 00:03:50,875 Speaker 1: video from the infamous Mari Lago storage room and surrounding environs, 53 00:03:51,235 --> 00:03:55,475 Speaker 1: and the previous testimony of Trump vallet Walt Nauta that 54 00:03:55,675 --> 00:03:58,115 Speaker 1: after Corcoran told Trump that his only course of action 55 00:03:58,275 --> 00:04:01,475 Speaker 1: was to return everything, Trump and Corcoran agreed Corcoran should 56 00:04:01,555 --> 00:04:06,435 Speaker 1: search for classified documents, but in dead Trump ordered now 57 00:04:06,515 --> 00:04:11,155 Speaker 1: to move specific boxes so Trump could hide those boxes 58 00:04:11,235 --> 00:04:14,355 Speaker 1: during Corcoran's search, or so Trump could go through those 59 00:04:14,395 --> 00:04:18,435 Speaker 1: boxes and pull individual classified documents he insisted on keeping 60 00:04:18,955 --> 00:04:23,795 Speaker 1: from Corcoran. As Hugo Loll writes in The Guardian, now 61 00:04:23,915 --> 00:04:26,795 Speaker 1: To told the Justice Department that Trump told him to 62 00:04:26,875 --> 00:04:31,035 Speaker 1: move boxes out of the storage room before and after 63 00:04:31,355 --> 00:04:38,475 Speaker 1: the subpoena. The activity was captured on subpoenaed surveillance footage. 64 00:04:38,715 --> 00:04:43,795 Speaker 1: That all adds up to not just forgetting some classified 65 00:04:43,835 --> 00:04:50,235 Speaker 1: documents or misplacing them, or misunderstanding what was required, or 66 00:04:50,315 --> 00:04:53,875 Speaker 1: even defying the regulations that you had to return them. 67 00:04:54,115 --> 00:04:57,155 Speaker 1: That is a written record of dates and times of 68 00:04:57,275 --> 00:05:00,435 Speaker 1: warnings from an officer of the court not to commit 69 00:05:00,475 --> 00:05:04,155 Speaker 1: a crime, then committing the crime anyway, then covering up 70 00:05:04,155 --> 00:05:07,035 Speaker 1: the committee of the crime, and then having the crime discovered, 71 00:05:07,235 --> 00:05:10,475 Speaker 1: and then trying to blame the crime on an inefficient 72 00:05:10,555 --> 00:05:16,275 Speaker 1: search by the attorney Corcoran. That is an almost textbook 73 00:05:16,355 --> 00:05:20,915 Speaker 1: definition of not one but two crimes. First obstruction of 74 00:05:21,075 --> 00:05:26,275 Speaker 1: justice in all big bright red capital letters, and also 75 00:05:26,435 --> 00:05:30,675 Speaker 1: violation of eighteen US Code seven ninety three E inside 76 00:05:30,715 --> 00:05:34,355 Speaker 1: the Espionage Act quote willfully retaining documents relating to the 77 00:05:34,435 --> 00:05:37,195 Speaker 1: National defense and failing to deliver them to the officer 78 00:05:37,435 --> 00:05:40,075 Speaker 1: or employee of the United States entitled to receive them 79 00:05:40,675 --> 00:05:49,115 Speaker 1: a fine or ten years, or both per document. The notes, writer, 80 00:05:49,275 --> 00:05:53,275 Speaker 1: Lowell added, revealed how Trump and Naouda had unusually detailed 81 00:05:53,315 --> 00:05:58,755 Speaker 1: knowledge of the botched subpoena response, including where Corcoran intended 82 00:05:58,755 --> 00:06:03,395 Speaker 1: to search and not search for classified documents at mary Lago, 83 00:06:03,555 --> 00:06:06,355 Speaker 1: as well as when core Kren was actually doing his search, 84 00:06:08,035 --> 00:06:10,995 Speaker 1: and then just for color Hugo. Lowell added that in 85 00:06:11,035 --> 00:06:17,195 Speaker 1: his notes quote Corcoran described Trump's facial expressions and reactions 86 00:06:17,915 --> 00:06:25,195 Speaker 1: whenever they discussed the subpoena, I'll bet he did. That 87 00:06:25,475 --> 00:06:28,835 Speaker 1: document version of a game of deadly Hide and Seek 88 00:06:28,875 --> 00:06:31,595 Speaker 1: had already reignited the story of the Special Council's attempt 89 00:06:31,715 --> 00:06:35,435 Speaker 1: to put Trump away when the second, more vague but 90 00:06:35,675 --> 00:06:38,435 Speaker 1: potentially more dangerous story broke in The New York Times, 91 00:06:38,835 --> 00:06:42,315 Speaker 1: the part of Smith's office handling the marri Lago stolen 92 00:06:42,355 --> 00:06:45,555 Speaker 1: documents has now quoting the paper issued a subpoena for 93 00:06:45,675 --> 00:06:50,555 Speaker 1: information about mister Trump's business dealings in foreign countries since 94 00:06:50,595 --> 00:06:54,195 Speaker 1: he took office. According to two people familiar with the matter, 95 00:06:55,235 --> 00:06:58,275 Speaker 1: this is the first indication that there could be tangible 96 00:06:58,315 --> 00:07:01,075 Speaker 1: evidence or even that there's reason to suspect there may 97 00:07:01,115 --> 00:07:04,115 Speaker 1: be such evidence connecting the stealing and retaining of the 98 00:07:04,155 --> 00:07:07,915 Speaker 1: classified documents and the possibility that the documents or information 99 00:07:08,195 --> 00:07:11,075 Speaker 1: could have been sold or bartered or given away by 100 00:07:11,115 --> 00:07:15,075 Speaker 1: Trump to a foreign nation or nationals. And that is 101 00:07:15,315 --> 00:07:20,315 Speaker 1: far more ominous even than wilful retention or obstruction of justice. 102 00:07:20,435 --> 00:07:23,835 Speaker 1: The Time says the subpoena seeks details on any Trump 103 00:07:23,955 --> 00:07:28,595 Speaker 1: organization quote, real estate, licensing and development dealings in seven 104 00:07:28,675 --> 00:07:33,555 Speaker 1: countries China, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab 105 00:07:33,595 --> 00:07:40,595 Speaker 1: Emirates and Oman, anything since twenty seventeen. Anything. The crime 106 00:07:40,715 --> 00:07:43,275 Speaker 1: does not have to have been committed while Trump was 107 00:07:43,475 --> 00:07:46,995 Speaker 1: in office, only while he was in office or afterwards. 108 00:07:48,955 --> 00:07:52,395 Speaker 1: We know Trump made a deal to license his name 109 00:07:53,155 --> 00:07:56,075 Speaker 1: to promoters of a hotel, housing and golf complex in 110 00:07:56,075 --> 00:08:00,595 Speaker 1: Oman last fall, and on a bigger scale, he made 111 00:08:00,595 --> 00:08:03,275 Speaker 1: a deal with the Saudi Back Live Golf League the 112 00:08:03,355 --> 00:08:05,875 Speaker 1: year before, which is hold some of its tournaments at 113 00:08:05,875 --> 00:08:10,355 Speaker 1: Trump golf facilities in this country. Among the government documents 114 00:08:10,395 --> 00:08:13,715 Speaker 1: discovered in mister Trump's Possession Rights The Times were some 115 00:08:13,875 --> 00:08:17,835 Speaker 1: related to Middle Eastern countries, and when the FBI executed 116 00:08:17,875 --> 00:08:20,675 Speaker 1: a search warrant in August twenty twenty two at Mary Lago, 117 00:08:20,995 --> 00:08:25,595 Speaker 1: among the items recovered was material related to Resident Emmanuel 118 00:08:25,715 --> 00:08:31,595 Speaker 1: Macrone of France, according to court records. It is important 119 00:08:31,595 --> 00:08:35,115 Speaker 1: here to remember that the motive that the possibility that 120 00:08:35,155 --> 00:08:41,035 Speaker 1: the impossibly narrow minded money grubbing Trump traded our classified 121 00:08:41,115 --> 00:08:44,955 Speaker 1: documents to get a better deal on a golf tournament 122 00:08:45,835 --> 00:08:50,035 Speaker 1: could elevate this case to genuine international espionage and something 123 00:08:50,075 --> 00:08:52,995 Speaker 1: far more dangerous for Trump than ten years in jail. 124 00:08:53,955 --> 00:08:58,115 Speaker 1: But none of the motive is necessary to prove the 125 00:08:58,115 --> 00:09:00,675 Speaker 1: first half of the crime, that he not only kept 126 00:09:00,715 --> 00:09:03,395 Speaker 1: and hid the classified documents, but had been told by 127 00:09:03,435 --> 00:09:06,355 Speaker 1: his own attorney that to do so was to break 128 00:09:06,355 --> 00:09:11,995 Speaker 1: the law. So now that there is at least the 129 00:09:12,035 --> 00:09:15,435 Speaker 1: outlines of a theory of the case. He took records, 130 00:09:15,515 --> 00:09:18,395 Speaker 1: he refused to return records when the records were subpoened. 131 00:09:18,435 --> 00:09:21,235 Speaker 1: He made sure his own attorney would not find certain records. 132 00:09:21,435 --> 00:09:23,955 Speaker 1: He may have used or planned to use records in 133 00:09:23,955 --> 00:09:28,555 Speaker 1: international business deals. Let me just fold these stories into 134 00:09:28,675 --> 00:09:32,275 Speaker 1: the whole marri Lago document timeline as we think we 135 00:09:32,435 --> 00:09:35,995 Speaker 1: know it. About May sixth of twenty twenty one, more 136 00:09:36,035 --> 00:09:39,475 Speaker 1: than two years ago. Now, the National Archives realized some 137 00:09:39,955 --> 00:09:44,755 Speaker 1: classified documents from Trump's reign of Error were missing from 138 00:09:44,755 --> 00:09:48,435 Speaker 1: their files, and they asked him to give them back. 139 00:09:49,195 --> 00:09:52,795 Speaker 1: Throughout the summer, Trump stalled, as the Archives kept asking 140 00:09:52,875 --> 00:09:57,835 Speaker 1: politely and relatively informally. By the way late spring or 141 00:09:57,835 --> 00:10:00,235 Speaker 1: early summer twenty twenty one, Trump concluded a deal with 142 00:10:00,275 --> 00:10:04,555 Speaker 1: the new Live Golf enterprise, reportedly ninety three percent own 143 00:10:04,835 --> 00:10:08,915 Speaker 1: by the government of Saudi Arabia. Late December twenty twenty one, 144 00:10:08,955 --> 00:10:11,355 Speaker 1: a Trump repp told the Archives that about a dozen 145 00:10:11,435 --> 00:10:14,315 Speaker 1: boxes of records that should have not been removed from 146 00:10:14,355 --> 00:10:17,435 Speaker 1: the White House were at Mari Lago and they could 147 00:10:17,475 --> 00:10:21,555 Speaker 1: be retrieved. January eighteenth, twenty twenty two, the Archives wound 148 00:10:21,635 --> 00:10:24,795 Speaker 1: up picking up fifteen boxes, all but one of which 149 00:10:24,835 --> 00:10:29,675 Speaker 1: contained some classified documents, one hundred and eighty four classified 150 00:10:29,715 --> 00:10:33,195 Speaker 1: documents in all, including some which had details about sensitive 151 00:10:33,275 --> 00:10:37,755 Speaker 1: human sources or electronic signals or stuff from the FISA courts. 152 00:10:38,835 --> 00:10:43,195 Speaker 1: February ninth, twenty twenty two, the Archives Inspector General told 153 00:10:43,235 --> 00:10:45,795 Speaker 1: the Justice Department, Hey, you guys had better have a 154 00:10:45,835 --> 00:10:49,355 Speaker 1: look into this. He had classified stuff down there he 155 00:10:49,475 --> 00:10:53,235 Speaker 1: may have more. May tenth, twenty twenty two, after a 156 00:10:53,275 --> 00:10:57,115 Speaker 1: series of delays, the Archives informed Trump's lawyers that they 157 00:10:57,155 --> 00:11:00,035 Speaker 1: were now going to provide the FBI access to the 158 00:11:00,075 --> 00:11:04,475 Speaker 1: boxes that Trump had already returned. May eleventh, twenty twenty two, 159 00:11:04,475 --> 00:11:08,795 Speaker 1: the Justice Department subpoened additional records. Also May eleventh, twenty 160 00:11:08,835 --> 00:11:13,195 Speaker 1: twenty two, Evan Corkoran's handwritten notes of his conversations with 161 00:11:13,275 --> 00:11:18,915 Speaker 1: his client Trump about the stolen documents begin sometime in 162 00:11:18,995 --> 00:11:22,395 Speaker 1: the ensuing month. There is closed circuit video of this guy, 163 00:11:22,475 --> 00:11:27,595 Speaker 1: Walt Nauta moving documents, or at least moving boxes in 164 00:11:27,835 --> 00:11:32,035 Speaker 1: and out of the storage room, and Evan Corkoran searching 165 00:11:32,395 --> 00:11:35,755 Speaker 1: for classified documents or the boxes they were supposedly In 166 00:11:37,035 --> 00:11:40,235 Speaker 1: June third, twenty twenty two, three FBI agents and a 167 00:11:40,315 --> 00:11:44,115 Speaker 1: DOJ attorney go to Mari Lago to collect more materials. 168 00:11:44,115 --> 00:11:49,195 Speaker 1: Trump had quote found unquote thirty eight classified documents, seventeen 169 00:11:49,235 --> 00:11:52,235 Speaker 1: of them top secret, saying that they'd all been in 170 00:11:52,275 --> 00:11:55,715 Speaker 1: one area and one area only, the storage room at 171 00:11:55,795 --> 00:11:58,635 Speaker 1: Mari Lago, and the agents and the attorney were permitted 172 00:11:58,675 --> 00:12:01,115 Speaker 1: to look at the storage room and the storage area, 173 00:12:01,155 --> 00:12:05,115 Speaker 1: but nowhere else. In the entire club, and Trump attorneys 174 00:12:05,155 --> 00:12:07,915 Speaker 1: wrote and gave them a document verifying that, to the 175 00:12:07,915 --> 00:12:11,275 Speaker 1: best of their knowledge, everything classified that Trump had ever 176 00:12:11,355 --> 00:12:15,875 Speaker 1: had was now back in the government's hands. Sometime in 177 00:12:15,955 --> 00:12:20,995 Speaker 1: the ensuing two months, more CCTV video shows more boxes move, 178 00:12:21,155 --> 00:12:27,035 Speaker 1: plus perhaps unknown events that led to August fifth, twenty 179 00:12:27,075 --> 00:12:30,155 Speaker 1: twenty two, the DOJ application for a subpoena to search 180 00:12:30,195 --> 00:12:34,595 Speaker 1: and sees any classified records at mari Lago, and August eighth, 181 00:12:34,675 --> 00:12:38,075 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, the search executed and nearly one hundred 182 00:12:38,075 --> 00:12:42,675 Speaker 1: more classified documents found around the club, including in Trump's 183 00:12:42,715 --> 00:12:47,715 Speaker 1: pretend presidential office. Around November thirteenth, twenty twenty two, the 184 00:12:47,755 --> 00:12:51,035 Speaker 1: Trump organization signed a deal with a Saudi real estate 185 00:12:51,075 --> 00:12:53,235 Speaker 1: company to put the Trump brand on a hotel and 186 00:12:53,315 --> 00:12:56,395 Speaker 1: golf course in a four billion dollar development that it 187 00:12:56,435 --> 00:13:00,755 Speaker 1: is building in and with financial support by the Nation 188 00:13:00,955 --> 00:13:06,275 Speaker 1: of Oman. And May fourth, twenty two, twenty three, Trump's 189 00:13:06,275 --> 00:13:13,315 Speaker 1: security hanchos Matt Kalamari and Matt Kalamari Junior, two servings 190 00:13:13,315 --> 00:13:17,275 Speaker 1: of Calamari, testify in front of the Jack Smith Grand 191 00:13:17,355 --> 00:13:21,035 Speaker 1: Jury about problems with the security video system at mari 192 00:13:21,035 --> 00:13:27,915 Speaker 1: A Lago and reportedly about problems with Nauta's testimony. I 193 00:13:27,915 --> 00:13:31,595 Speaker 1: should add this caveat that timeline is what has been 194 00:13:31,635 --> 00:13:35,515 Speaker 1: publicly revealed in court records or by reporting from reliable 195 00:13:35,555 --> 00:13:39,995 Speaker 1: news organizations. I am now left wondering about these questions. 196 00:13:40,915 --> 00:13:44,915 Speaker 1: Exactly what is on the security video at marri A 197 00:13:44,955 --> 00:13:49,075 Speaker 1: Lago and what's missing from it? How do prosecutors know 198 00:13:49,235 --> 00:13:54,315 Speaker 1: there has been an erasure or an accidental deletion, and 199 00:13:54,395 --> 00:13:58,595 Speaker 1: what do they think was deleted? We know why Jack 200 00:13:58,595 --> 00:14:03,115 Speaker 1: Smith wants records about Saudi Arabia, live golf and Oman, 201 00:14:03,715 --> 00:14:07,435 Speaker 1: the Trump bill there and France. He stole documents about 202 00:14:07,475 --> 00:14:11,555 Speaker 1: Macron and China, the documents that included details of our 203 00:14:11,595 --> 00:14:16,475 Speaker 1: intel work there. But what about Kuwait and the UAE? 204 00:14:16,715 --> 00:14:20,075 Speaker 1: Could be more golf, could be Trump has sold them 205 00:14:20,075 --> 00:14:25,195 Speaker 1: documents about Iran's missile program to one of them, or 206 00:14:25,235 --> 00:14:31,675 Speaker 1: again back to the Saudis. But then there's the seventh nation, Turkey. 207 00:14:32,475 --> 00:14:36,275 Speaker 1: Why does Jack Smith want records of any Trump licensing 208 00:14:36,555 --> 00:14:41,955 Speaker 1: or real estate deals in Turkey? What does Turkey have 209 00:14:42,035 --> 00:14:44,875 Speaker 1: to do with all of this? There does not seem 210 00:14:44,915 --> 00:14:50,675 Speaker 1: to be a hint about this anywhere yet. And then 211 00:14:51,275 --> 00:14:54,235 Speaker 1: there is the juiciest question of them all to ponder. 212 00:14:55,115 --> 00:14:59,115 Speaker 1: They produced these two bombshells in one day. They produced 213 00:14:59,155 --> 00:15:02,595 Speaker 1: evidence that Trump lied to his own attorney to hide 214 00:15:02,675 --> 00:15:06,915 Speaker 1: documents from his own attorney. They produced the first tangible 215 00:15:07,075 --> 00:15:14,875 Speaker 1: possible overall motive, the handwritten notes by Trump attorney Evan Corcoran. 216 00:15:15,275 --> 00:15:22,875 Speaker 1: What else do they include? I mean fifty pages? Have 217 00:15:22,995 --> 00:15:28,075 Speaker 1: you ever handwritten fifty pages? They are not all about 218 00:15:28,195 --> 00:15:35,155 Speaker 1: boxes of documents? What else is in there? And how 219 00:15:35,235 --> 00:15:41,275 Speaker 1: many years in prison could Donald Trump serve. 220 00:15:43,355 --> 00:15:44,035 Speaker 2: Because of it? 221 00:15:49,475 --> 00:15:52,195 Speaker 1: Also of note, there's a new contender in the Republican 222 00:15:52,235 --> 00:15:55,995 Speaker 1: presidential field. The problem is in the official depiction of 223 00:15:56,075 --> 00:15:59,195 Speaker 1: him in the first merch produced by his campaign. You 224 00:15:59,195 --> 00:16:02,355 Speaker 1: can clearly see his suit. You can clearly see his 225 00:16:02,515 --> 00:16:08,315 Speaker 1: hand adjusting his tie, can clearly see his outline. How 226 00:16:08,315 --> 00:16:15,675 Speaker 1: come you can't see his face? One of our presidential 227 00:16:15,755 --> 00:16:17,875 Speaker 1: candidates faces is missing. 228 00:16:19,075 --> 00:16:22,315 Speaker 2: That's next. This is an all new edition of Countdown. 229 00:16:24,555 --> 00:16:31,635 Speaker 2: This is Countdown with Keith Olberman, PST. 230 00:16:31,635 --> 00:16:34,755 Speaker 1: Scripts to the news, some headlines, some updates, some snarks, 231 00:16:34,755 --> 00:16:37,795 Speaker 1: some predictions, dateline, Hudson Yards, New York. I would like 232 00:16:37,835 --> 00:16:42,515 Speaker 1: to congratulate CNN and Anderson Cooper on their ratings triumph 233 00:16:42,555 --> 00:16:45,755 Speaker 1: from last Friday Night, the eight PM edition of Anderson 234 00:16:45,795 --> 00:16:51,435 Speaker 1: Cooper three point sixty defeated newsmax show Eric Bowling. You 235 00:16:51,475 --> 00:16:54,555 Speaker 1: didn't really pay for that plastic surgery, did you? Hour 236 00:16:54,955 --> 00:16:57,435 Speaker 1: four hundred and eighty four thousand viewers to four hundred 237 00:16:57,435 --> 00:17:01,515 Speaker 1: and thirty eight thousand. Of course, by ten PM, Newsmax's 238 00:17:01,635 --> 00:17:06,075 Speaker 1: Greg Kelly was out rating Chris Wallace on CNN, and 239 00:17:06,155 --> 00:17:10,195 Speaker 1: at eleven pm, CNN Tonight lost two hundred and forty 240 00:17:10,275 --> 00:17:13,675 Speaker 1: thousand to two hundred and twenty two thousand to Newsmax's 241 00:17:14,235 --> 00:17:22,075 Speaker 1: Rob Schmidt Tonight. The rerun of Rob Schmidt Tonight, Well, 242 00:17:22,115 --> 00:17:25,115 Speaker 1: we're over here in ratings obscurity. The guy I told 243 00:17:25,155 --> 00:17:28,235 Speaker 1: you about yesterday, Dan Abrams, the worst TV manager I've 244 00:17:28,275 --> 00:17:31,995 Speaker 1: ever known personally. His nine PM show on the Nick 245 00:17:32,115 --> 00:17:35,675 Speaker 1: at Night of TV News Operations News Nation did not 246 00:17:35,915 --> 00:17:39,635 Speaker 1: do too well Friday in the coveted twenty five to 247 00:17:39,755 --> 00:18:08,955 Speaker 1: fifty four advertising demo five thousand viewers, five thousand, Thank you, 248 00:18:09,075 --> 00:18:12,355 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust Dateline New York. The good news for CNN 249 00:18:12,475 --> 00:18:15,475 Speaker 1: E Gene Carroll left them out of her new lawsuit 250 00:18:15,515 --> 00:18:18,395 Speaker 1: against Trump. No, not the one she already won with 251 00:18:18,435 --> 00:18:21,155 Speaker 1: an award of five million dollars for rape and defamation. 252 00:18:21,835 --> 00:18:23,715 Speaker 1: This is the one for how he defamed her on 253 00:18:24,115 --> 00:18:27,515 Speaker 1: the CNN town hall two weeks ago. Tomorrow. I'm glad 254 00:18:27,515 --> 00:18:30,275 Speaker 1: to see that town hall worked out so well for everybody. 255 00:18:30,555 --> 00:18:33,235 Speaker 1: I understand David Zaslav is still trying to finish his 256 00:18:33,275 --> 00:18:37,755 Speaker 1: commencement speech at BU dateline. The Pentagon and the White House, 257 00:18:37,795 --> 00:18:40,995 Speaker 1: neither of which was hurt yesterday or damaged, despite what 258 00:18:41,075 --> 00:18:43,515 Speaker 1: you might have seen yesterday in a series of AI 259 00:18:43,635 --> 00:18:47,515 Speaker 1: images spread by store bought eight dollars blue checks on 260 00:18:47,555 --> 00:18:52,675 Speaker 1: Twitter and then amplified by Russian state media. One of 261 00:18:52,675 --> 00:18:56,155 Speaker 1: the blue check accounts was called Bloomberg Feed and was 262 00:18:56,195 --> 00:18:58,915 Speaker 1: designed to look like it was part of Bloomberg News, 263 00:18:58,955 --> 00:19:02,515 Speaker 1: and it had a blue check mark. Twitter immediately suspended 264 00:19:02,515 --> 00:19:06,635 Speaker 1: the account eight hours later, after the stock market had 265 00:19:06,675 --> 00:19:10,435 Speaker 1: dipped and while the images were still bouncing around the internet, 266 00:19:10,555 --> 00:19:13,635 Speaker 1: and as one AI expert warned, the most important part 267 00:19:13,635 --> 00:19:16,995 Speaker 1: of this story is those crappy Pentagon and White House 268 00:19:17,195 --> 00:19:22,755 Speaker 1: fake images. All subsequent AI fakes will be far far 269 00:19:22,915 --> 00:19:39,395 Speaker 1: better than those were coming up. I still get asked 270 00:19:39,435 --> 00:19:41,755 Speaker 1: about this. The anniversary is more or less now, so 271 00:19:41,875 --> 00:19:45,875 Speaker 1: let's walk through it, why and how I quit hosting 272 00:19:45,915 --> 00:19:50,315 Speaker 1: Sports Center in nineteen ninety seven. First, the daily round 273 00:19:50,355 --> 00:19:52,955 Speaker 1: up of the misgrants, morons and Dunning Kruger effects specimens 274 00:19:52,955 --> 00:19:55,395 Speaker 1: who constitute today's worst persons. 275 00:19:55,035 --> 00:19:55,515 Speaker 2: In the world. 276 00:19:57,955 --> 00:20:01,475 Speaker 1: The brons good Old Matt Gates of Florida. It is 277 00:20:01,515 --> 00:20:03,595 Speaker 1: a sign of the madness of our times that a 278 00:20:03,675 --> 00:20:06,715 Speaker 1: kid crosses state lines to shoot two Black Lives Matter 279 00:20:06,835 --> 00:20:10,155 Speaker 1: protesters and then makes a career out of boasting about it. 280 00:20:10,635 --> 00:20:12,795 Speaker 1: And a guy shoots a teenager who had knocked on 281 00:20:12,795 --> 00:20:15,475 Speaker 1: his front door by accident, and another guy shoots a 282 00:20:15,515 --> 00:20:18,315 Speaker 1: teenager who pulled into the wrong driveway by accident, and 283 00:20:18,395 --> 00:20:20,515 Speaker 1: another guy shoots a teenager who got into the wrong 284 00:20:20,595 --> 00:20:24,155 Speaker 1: car by accident. Matt Gates has now introduced a response 285 00:20:24,195 --> 00:20:26,915 Speaker 1: to all this in Congress HR three one four to 286 00:20:26,915 --> 00:20:31,715 Speaker 1: two quote to amend Title eighteen US Code to provide 287 00:20:32,075 --> 00:20:37,195 Speaker 1: an affirmative defense for certain criminal violations and for other purposes. Yes, 288 00:20:37,755 --> 00:20:41,515 Speaker 1: the innocent are murdered for mistakes by mad men armed 289 00:20:41,555 --> 00:20:45,115 Speaker 1: to the teeth by politicians completely bought and sold by 290 00:20:45,115 --> 00:20:48,475 Speaker 1: the death industry, and the Matt Gates response is a 291 00:20:48,675 --> 00:20:52,395 Speaker 1: national stand your ground law in order to make murdering 292 00:20:52,435 --> 00:20:57,275 Speaker 1: those innocents perfectly legal. Runner up Brian Glenn, director of 293 00:20:57,355 --> 00:21:01,515 Speaker 1: programming for the RSB Network that's right Side broadcasting, a 294 00:21:01,595 --> 00:21:06,115 Speaker 1: Trump and fascist propaganda channel. Glenn has tweeted, quote, good 295 00:21:06,155 --> 00:21:08,915 Speaker 1: morning to all the men this morning, except to Britney 296 00:21:08,955 --> 00:21:13,795 Speaker 1: Griner parentheses. He him, it shouldn't surprise anyone that a 297 00:21:13,915 --> 00:21:16,875 Speaker 1: man is now the face of a women's professional basketball 298 00:21:16,955 --> 00:21:19,715 Speaker 1: league unquote, Nor should it be a surprised that somebody 299 00:21:19,715 --> 00:21:23,315 Speaker 1: who trades in homophobic and transphobic and racist hate should 300 00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:27,515 Speaker 1: tweet something like that, or that an irresponsible, brain damaged 301 00:21:27,635 --> 00:21:30,355 Speaker 1: racist like Elon Musk should do nothing about the tweet. 302 00:21:30,715 --> 00:21:34,315 Speaker 1: The surprise is that Glenn is going there about Britney Griner, 303 00:21:34,355 --> 00:21:37,995 Speaker 1: a biological woman, given that he is now dating Marjorie 304 00:21:38,035 --> 00:21:43,115 Speaker 1: Taylor Barney rubble, white supremacist Karen Green. I'd like to 305 00:21:43,155 --> 00:21:47,675 Speaker 1: observe one thing about Green and Griner and this Brian Glenn. 306 00:21:48,315 --> 00:21:52,475 Speaker 1: Clearly none of them are men. But our winner, Senator 307 00:21:52,475 --> 00:21:55,395 Speaker 1: Tim Scott of South Carolina, who actually is going through 308 00:21:55,435 --> 00:21:59,755 Speaker 1: with this, has actually announced he's running for president. Nobody 309 00:21:59,795 --> 00:22:02,595 Speaker 1: knows why. You don't know who I'm talking about. He 310 00:22:02,635 --> 00:22:07,035 Speaker 1: looks exactly like and sounds partic, exactly like everybody whoever 311 00:22:07,115 --> 00:22:11,075 Speaker 1: auditioned to host every game show in American TV history 312 00:22:11,075 --> 00:22:15,995 Speaker 1: but just missed getting the job. What's amazing is whatever 313 00:22:15,995 --> 00:22:18,555 Speaker 1: the point of his candidacy really is, and the speculation 314 00:22:18,635 --> 00:22:21,795 Speaker 1: has been he's a stalking horse for Trump. His marketing 315 00:22:21,835 --> 00:22:26,475 Speaker 1: people decided to give handheld fans to the crowd at 316 00:22:26,475 --> 00:22:30,035 Speaker 1: the obviously warm hall in which they held the announcement. 317 00:22:30,435 --> 00:22:34,155 Speaker 1: The fans showed an image of a sort of Tim Scott. 318 00:22:34,795 --> 00:22:37,515 Speaker 1: It shows him straightening his tie. It shows his bald 319 00:22:37,635 --> 00:22:43,595 Speaker 1: head and he has absolutely no face whatsoever. It's just 320 00:22:44,635 --> 00:22:49,115 Speaker 1: a head with no face, just the outline of his head. 321 00:22:49,435 --> 00:22:52,315 Speaker 1: It's clearly his head looks like his hand looks like 322 00:22:52,395 --> 00:22:55,475 Speaker 1: his tie in a suit looks like his suit. Like 323 00:22:55,595 --> 00:22:58,435 Speaker 1: this will protect him if Trump gets mad at him 324 00:22:58,515 --> 00:23:02,355 Speaker 1: later for running or something. Senator Tim, I may go 325 00:23:02,435 --> 00:23:06,595 Speaker 1: directly from the presidential campaign to the wit this relocation program, 326 00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:24,475 Speaker 1: Scott Today's worst Parson, and to the number one story 327 00:23:24,515 --> 00:23:26,955 Speaker 1: on the countdown on my favorite topic, me and things 328 00:23:26,955 --> 00:23:29,195 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell. And I tripped over this 329 00:23:29,395 --> 00:23:32,875 Speaker 1: over the weekend, and there it was filed under late 330 00:23:33,035 --> 00:23:35,835 Speaker 1: May nineteen ninety seven, and the light bulb went off 331 00:23:35,835 --> 00:23:39,275 Speaker 1: and I thought, wait, this is also late May, a 332 00:23:39,275 --> 00:23:42,595 Speaker 1: few years later, and it's all about the micro details 333 00:23:42,595 --> 00:23:47,395 Speaker 1: of how I quit ESPN. Now this math can't be right, 334 00:23:47,475 --> 00:23:52,195 Speaker 1: can it now? Twenty six years ago? And how I 335 00:23:52,275 --> 00:23:54,595 Speaker 1: left there to go to NBC to do the World 336 00:23:54,635 --> 00:23:56,515 Speaker 1: Series in the Super Bowl and anchoring the elections and 337 00:23:56,555 --> 00:23:59,355 Speaker 1: the inaugurations and the special comments and stuff. There is 338 00:23:59,395 --> 00:24:03,195 Speaker 1: a huge oral history of ESPN from twenty eleven by 339 00:24:03,275 --> 00:24:05,835 Speaker 1: Jim Miller, and most of it is pretty good, but 340 00:24:05,835 --> 00:24:09,275 Speaker 1: there's one line in it that triggered this recollection. The 341 00:24:09,355 --> 00:24:12,195 Speaker 1: executive vice president of the company in nineteen ninety seven 342 00:24:12,275 --> 00:24:14,635 Speaker 1: was named Howard Katz, and in this ESPN book he 343 00:24:14,715 --> 00:24:17,595 Speaker 1: was quoted as saying, I didn't fire Keith. I just 344 00:24:17,755 --> 00:24:21,635 Speaker 1: chose not to renew his contract. And then there's a 345 00:24:21,635 --> 00:24:23,715 Speaker 1: couple of quotes from guys I never heard of who said, no, 346 00:24:23,795 --> 00:24:26,875 Speaker 1: we fired him. None of it's true. Howard and I 347 00:24:26,915 --> 00:24:30,355 Speaker 1: got along surprisingly well at ESPN and even better since. 348 00:24:30,355 --> 00:24:32,715 Speaker 1: So I'm just going to assume he misremembered all this, 349 00:24:33,115 --> 00:24:36,475 Speaker 1: and he's right, I mean, legally, he chose not to 350 00:24:36,515 --> 00:24:39,195 Speaker 1: renew my contract early in nineteen ninety seven, and a 351 00:24:39,235 --> 00:24:41,835 Speaker 1: couple of weeks later, instead, he offered me a new 352 00:24:42,475 --> 00:24:45,235 Speaker 1: four year contract which would have basically doubled my salary. 353 00:24:45,515 --> 00:24:47,715 Speaker 1: And even after I had said no thanks and I 354 00:24:47,755 --> 00:24:51,395 Speaker 1: signed with NBC, the then president of ABC, Bob Eiger 355 00:24:51,995 --> 00:24:54,595 Speaker 1: whatever happened to him, tried to get me to back 356 00:24:54,635 --> 00:24:57,435 Speaker 1: out of the NBC deal, to renege on it, and 357 00:24:57,515 --> 00:25:00,595 Speaker 1: then sign a new deal at ESPN. So they offered 358 00:25:00,595 --> 00:25:05,995 Speaker 1: me two new deals after they didn't renew my old contract. 359 00:25:06,115 --> 00:25:08,955 Speaker 1: See how this works. In ninety six and ninety seven, 360 00:25:08,995 --> 00:25:10,795 Speaker 1: it was no secret that my first choice was to 361 00:25:10,915 --> 00:25:14,555 Speaker 1: leave ESPN. I had come within hours of asking to 362 00:25:14,595 --> 00:25:16,275 Speaker 1: be let out of my deal. In the summer of 363 00:25:16,355 --> 00:25:20,715 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six, a radio station in Chicago WMVP had 364 00:25:20,755 --> 00:25:23,475 Speaker 1: wanted me to go do the afternoon drive show there, 365 00:25:23,515 --> 00:25:26,635 Speaker 1: a mix of news and sports, and they were offering 366 00:25:26,635 --> 00:25:29,875 Speaker 1: me twice the money I was getting to host SportsCenter, 367 00:25:30,435 --> 00:25:32,715 Speaker 1: and I was ready to go. Loved it. Had a 368 00:25:32,715 --> 00:25:35,435 Speaker 1: great week there. They wined me, they dined me, and 369 00:25:35,475 --> 00:25:38,955 Speaker 1: everybody offered me a free beer. Welcome to Chicago, you're 370 00:25:38,955 --> 00:25:42,835 Speaker 1: from out of town. And then ownership of the radio 371 00:25:42,835 --> 00:25:45,355 Speaker 1: station simply pulled the plug on the station it was 372 00:25:45,435 --> 00:25:48,435 Speaker 1: in thirty first place, and said they could save a 373 00:25:48,435 --> 00:25:51,875 Speaker 1: lot more money by simply rebroadcasting what was on FM radio. 374 00:25:52,355 --> 00:25:54,755 Speaker 1: And eventually, and this would have been interesting had I 375 00:25:54,795 --> 00:26:01,795 Speaker 1: gone to Chicago. Eventually, the owners sold WMVP to ESPN. Anyway, 376 00:26:02,115 --> 00:26:04,915 Speaker 1: my ESPN deal was set to expire on decent Umber 377 00:26:04,955 --> 00:26:08,155 Speaker 1: thirty first, nineteen ninety seven, but they had the option 378 00:26:08,275 --> 00:26:11,915 Speaker 1: to extend it for I can't remember either either for 379 00:26:11,955 --> 00:26:14,795 Speaker 1: a year after that or two years, but they had 380 00:26:14,835 --> 00:26:18,595 Speaker 1: to notify me really early in ninety seven, and instead, 381 00:26:19,515 --> 00:26:22,755 Speaker 1: on February eighteenth, nineteen ninety seven, Howard Katz proposed to 382 00:26:22,755 --> 00:26:25,555 Speaker 1: my then agent that we tear up the contract and 383 00:26:25,635 --> 00:26:28,515 Speaker 1: do a new four year deal that started at seven 384 00:26:28,635 --> 00:26:32,115 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars a year and covered a radio show 385 00:26:32,155 --> 00:26:35,195 Speaker 1: with Dan Patrick and the Sunday edition of Sports Center 386 00:26:35,555 --> 00:26:39,155 Speaker 1: and the sp Awards ceremonies and the Internet and everything else. 387 00:26:39,515 --> 00:26:43,035 Speaker 1: This was a lot of money for ESPN in nineteen 388 00:26:43,115 --> 00:26:47,355 Speaker 1: ninety seven, seven hundred thousand dollars a year, so we 389 00:26:47,395 --> 00:26:50,355 Speaker 1: played around with that for a while, but I didn't 390 00:26:50,355 --> 00:26:53,395 Speaker 1: really want to go into radio full time, not then 391 00:26:54,155 --> 00:26:56,875 Speaker 1: when I still had dark hair, so On April fourth, 392 00:26:56,995 --> 00:26:59,595 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety seven, Howard Katz came back with another offer, 393 00:26:59,755 --> 00:27:03,435 Speaker 1: three sports centers a week plus some radio, starting at 394 00:27:03,435 --> 00:27:06,755 Speaker 1: five hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. I noticed 395 00:27:06,795 --> 00:27:09,515 Speaker 1: that this was less than the first offer, so two 396 00:27:09,595 --> 00:27:12,835 Speaker 1: weeks later, at the first ever Jackie Robinson Night at 397 00:27:12,915 --> 00:27:15,435 Speaker 1: Chase Stadium in New York, Howard came up to me 398 00:27:15,635 --> 00:27:17,955 Speaker 1: and asked me. In front of everybody in our booth, 399 00:27:18,475 --> 00:27:21,875 Speaker 1: ranging from Chris Berman to Robin Roberts, to all the producers, 400 00:27:21,915 --> 00:27:25,435 Speaker 1: and briefly to President Bill Clinton, he asked me if 401 00:27:25,475 --> 00:27:28,115 Speaker 1: we were close on this new deal that he'd offered me. 402 00:27:28,915 --> 00:27:30,955 Speaker 1: I got angry at him. He got angry at me 403 00:27:30,995 --> 00:27:32,635 Speaker 1: for getting angry at him, and I said, you know, 404 00:27:32,715 --> 00:27:34,475 Speaker 1: forget it. And what's more, it makes no sense for 405 00:27:34,515 --> 00:27:37,835 Speaker 1: me to hang around here as a lame duck. Howard wait, 406 00:27:37,915 --> 00:27:40,995 Speaker 1: Howard the duck, and he calmed down. He said I 407 00:27:41,035 --> 00:27:43,635 Speaker 1: could look at other jobs and we'd let things cool 408 00:27:43,715 --> 00:27:45,555 Speaker 1: off and talk again about a new deal in a 409 00:27:45,595 --> 00:27:47,435 Speaker 1: few weeks after. I looked around to see if it 410 00:27:47,515 --> 00:27:49,835 Speaker 1: was something I'd rather do than be at ESPN, and 411 00:27:49,955 --> 00:27:52,155 Speaker 1: if it still wasn't going anywhere. We would agree on 412 00:27:52,195 --> 00:27:54,075 Speaker 1: a date early in the summer and I could leave 413 00:27:54,395 --> 00:27:58,075 Speaker 1: six months before the contract officially ended. And then three 414 00:27:58,315 --> 00:28:01,275 Speaker 1: huge things happened about this that most people still don't 415 00:28:01,275 --> 00:28:04,995 Speaker 1: know to this day, even after all that. When I 416 00:28:05,035 --> 00:28:07,715 Speaker 1: called Phil Mushnick of the New York Post and Richard 417 00:28:07,755 --> 00:28:09,675 Speaker 1: Sandomir of the New York Times, and I told them 418 00:28:09,675 --> 00:28:12,715 Speaker 1: I would be leaving ESPN, and it appeared I would 419 00:28:12,715 --> 00:28:15,475 Speaker 1: be going to go to Court TV to be the 420 00:28:15,475 --> 00:28:17,915 Speaker 1: host and executive producer of my own sports show, four 421 00:28:18,035 --> 00:28:23,035 Speaker 1: nights a week. I almost stayed at ESPN once it 422 00:28:23,115 --> 00:28:25,435 Speaker 1: got out that I was leaving. I got a letter 423 00:28:25,435 --> 00:28:28,075 Speaker 1: from a viewer who told me that his son, who 424 00:28:28,075 --> 00:28:31,915 Speaker 1: had autism, had been at his other son's little league game, 425 00:28:32,555 --> 00:28:35,435 Speaker 1: and when his brother banged out a base hit, this kid, 426 00:28:35,915 --> 00:28:41,475 Speaker 1: who had rarely ever spoken in his life, suddenly shouted 427 00:28:41,475 --> 00:28:46,275 Speaker 1: out one of my catchphrases. This guy said, he hit 428 00:28:46,355 --> 00:28:49,875 Speaker 1: the ball real hard. Then there was a flyball, and 429 00:28:49,955 --> 00:28:52,675 Speaker 1: the boy said it's deep, and I don't think it's playable. 430 00:28:53,595 --> 00:28:57,795 Speaker 1: Then they went home, and this virtually noncommunicative child began 431 00:28:57,955 --> 00:29:04,395 Speaker 1: to draw illustrations of my catchphrases. For whatever reason, I 432 00:29:04,435 --> 00:29:08,515 Speaker 1: had triggered some kind of blossoming by this child and 433 00:29:08,635 --> 00:29:12,635 Speaker 1: his brother and his father sent me a book of 434 00:29:12,755 --> 00:29:17,835 Speaker 1: the child's illustrations of my catch phrases. I am not 435 00:29:17,875 --> 00:29:20,315 Speaker 1: trying to suggest I really had anything to do with this. 436 00:29:20,795 --> 00:29:24,395 Speaker 1: It was good fortune and circumstance and probably something to 437 00:29:24,435 --> 00:29:26,995 Speaker 1: do with the tone of my voice, nothing more. But 438 00:29:27,115 --> 00:29:29,475 Speaker 1: I was very moved by this, and I remain so 439 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:32,475 Speaker 1: and by other things. People wrote to me or wrote 440 00:29:32,475 --> 00:29:34,475 Speaker 1: in the press about how much the show Dan and 441 00:29:34,515 --> 00:29:36,555 Speaker 1: I did meant to them. And I went back to 442 00:29:36,555 --> 00:29:39,435 Speaker 1: Howard Katz and I said, look, I know I've been impossible. 443 00:29:39,875 --> 00:29:42,275 Speaker 1: You have to understand that from my perspective, the company 444 00:29:42,315 --> 00:29:45,355 Speaker 1: has also been impossible. But Dan and I created too 445 00:29:45,355 --> 00:29:48,035 Speaker 1: good a show to let it die. When I go 446 00:29:48,115 --> 00:29:50,275 Speaker 1: here to Court TV, I'm only going to work Monday 447 00:29:50,275 --> 00:29:53,035 Speaker 1: through Thursday on this new thing. If you will send 448 00:29:53,075 --> 00:29:56,355 Speaker 1: a car to take me to and from Bristol every 449 00:29:56,395 --> 00:29:59,755 Speaker 1: Sunday and give me some token, soal give me fifty 450 00:29:59,755 --> 00:30:02,195 Speaker 1: thousand dollars or something. I'll just do the Sunday night 451 00:30:02,235 --> 00:30:05,795 Speaker 1: show for you every week. You'll never see me, I'll 452 00:30:05,795 --> 00:30:08,675 Speaker 1: never see you. It's the show that has the highest 453 00:30:08,755 --> 00:30:13,035 Speaker 1: factor of management control. It's basically coloring in by numbers, 454 00:30:13,875 --> 00:30:17,075 Speaker 1: and it reruns all morning on Monday. So forty percent 455 00:30:17,115 --> 00:30:18,675 Speaker 1: of the people who see Dan and I during the 456 00:30:18,675 --> 00:30:21,475 Speaker 1: week they see this one show. That's it. If you 457 00:30:21,475 --> 00:30:24,395 Speaker 1: want some other stuff for me to do, like radio commentaries, great, 458 00:30:24,395 --> 00:30:27,715 Speaker 1: we can negotiate that, but we should not let this die. 459 00:30:28,075 --> 00:30:31,235 Speaker 1: At least let's have it on once a week. And 460 00:30:31,275 --> 00:30:34,355 Speaker 1: Howard Katz said, Okay, let me think about this. It 461 00:30:34,795 --> 00:30:37,275 Speaker 1: sounds really good. And he got back to me the 462 00:30:37,275 --> 00:30:38,955 Speaker 1: next day and he said it was the most difficult 463 00:30:38,955 --> 00:30:41,315 Speaker 1: decision he had ever made in this business, but he 464 00:30:41,515 --> 00:30:45,795 Speaker 1: just couldn't do it. It established too much of a precedent, 465 00:30:45,915 --> 00:30:49,195 Speaker 1: especially the idea that somebody could work at ESPN and 466 00:30:49,395 --> 00:30:54,595 Speaker 1: also at some other TV operation. He put it very bluntly. 467 00:30:55,155 --> 00:30:58,555 Speaker 1: If ESPN was not the sole employer of its people, 468 00:30:58,915 --> 00:31:02,195 Speaker 1: it could not control them by threatening to fire them. 469 00:31:02,435 --> 00:31:05,315 Speaker 1: And he looked at me and he said, special you, 470 00:31:06,635 --> 00:31:08,675 Speaker 1: and in the same sentence he said, look, we'd love 471 00:31:08,715 --> 00:31:10,875 Speaker 1: to continue the relationship, though we see lots of ways 472 00:31:10,875 --> 00:31:13,915 Speaker 1: you could fit into ESPN Classic, like once a week 473 00:31:13,995 --> 00:31:15,795 Speaker 1: or once a month or whatever, and we'd like to 474 00:31:15,835 --> 00:31:18,875 Speaker 1: get in on the bidding for these radio commentaries that 475 00:31:18,915 --> 00:31:21,995 Speaker 1: you're going to do on the side. Well, it all 476 00:31:22,075 --> 00:31:26,355 Speaker 1: ended surprisingly amicably. I decided to go to MSNBC and 477 00:31:26,515 --> 00:31:30,195 Speaker 1: NBC Sports instead of Court TV, and as I signed 478 00:31:30,195 --> 00:31:34,035 Speaker 1: the contract, I called the ESPN president, Steve Bornstein and 479 00:31:34,075 --> 00:31:36,595 Speaker 1: the head of Sports Center, John Walsh. I called them 480 00:31:36,635 --> 00:31:39,515 Speaker 1: from the office of the head of NBC Sports, Dick Eversol, 481 00:31:40,475 --> 00:31:42,075 Speaker 1: And in my diary, I can't tell if that was 482 00:31:42,155 --> 00:31:45,555 Speaker 1: June nineteenth, nineteen ninety seven or June twentieth, nineteen ninety seven, 483 00:31:45,595 --> 00:31:48,155 Speaker 1: but I made the calls, and it was Eversall's idea, 484 00:31:48,755 --> 00:31:51,195 Speaker 1: call them now, call them right now, it'll matter later. 485 00:31:53,195 --> 00:31:56,875 Speaker 1: The funniest thing was the following Monday, June twenty third, 486 00:31:57,235 --> 00:32:00,195 Speaker 1: I was packing up my stuff in my house in Connecticut. 487 00:32:00,835 --> 00:32:03,155 Speaker 1: I am all set, and I am officially beginning my 488 00:32:03,195 --> 00:32:06,595 Speaker 1: first week not working for EAP and instead working for NBC, 489 00:32:06,995 --> 00:32:11,315 Speaker 1: and the phone rings and it's John Walsh in Los 490 00:32:11,355 --> 00:32:14,395 Speaker 1: Angeles for something, and he has to talk to my 491 00:32:14,555 --> 00:32:17,715 Speaker 1: agent immediately. Do you know where she is right now? 492 00:32:18,075 --> 00:32:20,475 Speaker 1: Howard Katz and I have just spoken with Bob Iger 493 00:32:20,915 --> 00:32:24,035 Speaker 1: and he wants to present a primetime proposal to you 494 00:32:24,395 --> 00:32:28,835 Speaker 1: for ABC and until you can continue at ESPN. And 495 00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:31,715 Speaker 1: I laughed, and I said, John, I signed with NBC 496 00:32:31,915 --> 00:32:35,435 Speaker 1: last week the World Series and the news show and 497 00:32:35,715 --> 00:32:40,115 Speaker 1: Super Bowl stuff. Remember I called you from Dick Ebersoll's office. 498 00:32:40,115 --> 00:32:42,555 Speaker 1: Do you remember it was Friday or Thursday, whatever it was. 499 00:32:43,195 --> 00:32:48,635 Speaker 1: We're having the news conference today. And he is dead serious. 500 00:32:48,755 --> 00:32:53,275 Speaker 1: And he says to me, oh, oh oh, and there's 501 00:32:53,275 --> 00:32:55,555 Speaker 1: a long pause. Well, well, I still need to talk 502 00:32:55,595 --> 00:32:59,635 Speaker 1: to your agent. Well. I had known Bob Iger, who 503 00:32:59,635 --> 00:33:02,235 Speaker 1: had apparently precipitated this phone call, since I was in 504 00:33:02,275 --> 00:33:04,395 Speaker 1: college in nineteen seventy nine. He had given me an 505 00:33:04,395 --> 00:33:07,715 Speaker 1: hour of his time just for career advice, because I 506 00:33:07,715 --> 00:33:10,195 Speaker 1: had interned at the TV station for which his first 507 00:33:10,195 --> 00:33:12,635 Speaker 1: wife had been a news producer, Channel five in New York. 508 00:33:12,795 --> 00:33:15,155 Speaker 1: I told that story, I think two weeks ago, and 509 00:33:15,235 --> 00:33:18,435 Speaker 1: Bob was wonderful to me. So I called Bob and 510 00:33:18,475 --> 00:33:21,595 Speaker 1: I explained what had happened, and he said, Steve Bornstein 511 00:33:21,675 --> 00:33:24,075 Speaker 1: only told me that you were leaving this morning. I'm 512 00:33:24,195 --> 00:33:27,115 Speaker 1: very very sorry. I knew there were contentious negotiations about 513 00:33:27,115 --> 00:33:28,915 Speaker 1: a new deal for you, but I had no clue 514 00:33:28,915 --> 00:33:31,035 Speaker 1: it was at the point where you might actually leave. 515 00:33:31,275 --> 00:33:33,315 Speaker 1: I should have known. That's my fault. That's why I 516 00:33:33,355 --> 00:33:34,395 Speaker 1: told John to make the call. 517 00:33:34,435 --> 00:33:34,755 Speaker 2: He did. 518 00:33:34,755 --> 00:33:37,075 Speaker 1: Trust me. If I had known, would have been totally different. 519 00:33:37,275 --> 00:33:38,875 Speaker 1: I would have made it right by you. You would 520 00:33:38,915 --> 00:33:41,715 Speaker 1: have wanted to stay, and if it doesn't work at NBC, 521 00:33:41,795 --> 00:33:44,275 Speaker 1: you call me directly and I'll bring you back here myself. 522 00:33:46,275 --> 00:33:50,035 Speaker 1: I mean, the ending was so unexpectedly and surprisingly pleasant 523 00:33:50,315 --> 00:33:53,755 Speaker 1: that even when my new bosses at MSNBC suddenly announced 524 00:33:53,795 --> 00:33:56,195 Speaker 1: I think it was in newsweek that they were going 525 00:33:56,275 --> 00:33:59,675 Speaker 1: to call my program The Big Show, which was our 526 00:33:59,755 --> 00:34:02,635 Speaker 1: nickname for Sports Center at ESPN, the Big Show. But 527 00:34:02,715 --> 00:34:04,915 Speaker 1: they hadn't told anybody at ESPN that were going to 528 00:34:04,955 --> 00:34:08,195 Speaker 1: call our MSNBC show the Big Show. It was me 529 00:34:08,635 --> 00:34:10,475 Speaker 1: who got on the phone with Howard Katz and a 530 00:34:10,515 --> 00:34:13,715 Speaker 1: couple of other people at ESPN to apologize and to 531 00:34:13,755 --> 00:34:17,115 Speaker 1: make sure they were okay with it. So, even after 532 00:34:17,435 --> 00:34:20,595 Speaker 1: my ESPN career was officially over and all chance of 533 00:34:20,635 --> 00:34:23,955 Speaker 1: my returning was dead, we tried to revive it, both 534 00:34:23,955 --> 00:34:27,075 Speaker 1: of us, Howard Katz and me, in good faith. And 535 00:34:27,115 --> 00:34:29,315 Speaker 1: I don't think Bob Eiger was blowing smoke at me. 536 00:34:29,315 --> 00:34:32,635 Speaker 1: He had no reason to, and even after all that 537 00:34:33,315 --> 00:34:36,875 Speaker 1: the parting was non nuclear. I think they sent me 538 00:34:36,915 --> 00:34:40,035 Speaker 1: a fruit basket for my first night at MSNBC on 539 00:34:40,075 --> 00:34:45,075 Speaker 1: October first, and then it all blew up. John Walsh 540 00:34:45,115 --> 00:34:49,755 Speaker 1: called the TV sports columnist at USA Today, Rudy Martski, 541 00:34:50,595 --> 00:34:53,715 Speaker 1: and gave him my first set of ratings from MSNBC, 542 00:34:54,115 --> 00:34:57,195 Speaker 1: just to try to make me look like I couldn't 543 00:34:57,195 --> 00:35:02,235 Speaker 1: succeed without ESPN. Marski told me that direct quote, they 544 00:35:02,275 --> 00:35:05,315 Speaker 1: want to punish you publicly. Walsh has been pressuring me 545 00:35:05,395 --> 00:35:08,115 Speaker 1: to run the very poor ratings, and he said, I'm 546 00:35:08,115 --> 00:35:09,595 Speaker 1: going to finally do it. I just wanted to give 547 00:35:09,595 --> 00:35:12,795 Speaker 1: you a little warning and maybe you have a comment. Well, 548 00:35:12,835 --> 00:35:15,515 Speaker 1: that set the tone for the next five years of warfare, 549 00:35:16,755 --> 00:35:20,195 Speaker 1: and it was nuclear pretty quickly. But this impression that 550 00:35:20,435 --> 00:35:23,275 Speaker 1: ESPN chose to dismiss me or not renew me or 551 00:35:23,315 --> 00:35:26,915 Speaker 1: not bring me back, its nonsense. Howard did not not 552 00:35:27,155 --> 00:35:29,475 Speaker 1: renew me. Instead, he offered to double my salary if 553 00:35:29,515 --> 00:35:33,715 Speaker 1: I stayed. If I had signed with NBC. Iiger was 554 00:35:33,715 --> 00:35:35,755 Speaker 1: still trying to get me to back out after I 555 00:35:35,755 --> 00:35:38,435 Speaker 1: had signed with NBC and stay at ESPN and ABC. 556 00:35:40,275 --> 00:35:43,555 Speaker 1: The irony of this minor detail from about nineteen ninety seven, 557 00:35:44,475 --> 00:35:47,315 Speaker 1: printed in twenty eleven. I think is that I had 558 00:35:47,315 --> 00:35:50,515 Speaker 1: already returned to ESPN by the time it was printed. 559 00:35:50,995 --> 00:35:53,195 Speaker 1: I took an hour out of my day at MSNBC 560 00:35:53,315 --> 00:35:55,635 Speaker 1: to go on with Dan Patrick on his ESPN radio 561 00:35:55,675 --> 00:35:57,795 Speaker 1: show from two thousand and five through two thousand and seven. 562 00:35:58,915 --> 00:36:01,395 Speaker 1: A year after that book came out with that quote 563 00:36:01,435 --> 00:36:04,195 Speaker 1: in it, twenty twelve, I was talking to the executives 564 00:36:04,235 --> 00:36:07,075 Speaker 1: at esp IN about going back full time, and a 565 00:36:07,155 --> 00:36:09,715 Speaker 1: year later I did to launch a nightly show on 566 00:36:09,955 --> 00:36:12,915 Speaker 1: ESPN two, and that ended when they laid off like 567 00:36:13,315 --> 00:36:16,635 Speaker 1: one hundred million dollars worth of talent salaries in twenty fifteen. 568 00:36:16,675 --> 00:36:20,195 Speaker 1: But then I went back again in twenty eighteen, and 569 00:36:20,235 --> 00:36:22,555 Speaker 1: I did Sports Center, and I did baseball games on 570 00:36:22,715 --> 00:36:25,115 Speaker 1: radio and on TV, and I did reports, and I 571 00:36:25,155 --> 00:36:27,795 Speaker 1: did commentaries. I did the not top ten plays of 572 00:36:27,835 --> 00:36:30,435 Speaker 1: the week, and on and on and on, and finally 573 00:36:30,475 --> 00:36:33,475 Speaker 1: we parted happily in the late summer of twenty twenty 574 00:36:33,515 --> 00:36:36,035 Speaker 1: so I could return to political coverage. And I knew 575 00:36:36,035 --> 00:36:37,875 Speaker 1: they wouldn't want that, and I didn't want to put 576 00:36:37,875 --> 00:36:42,355 Speaker 1: it on ESPN, And the unlikely result of that my 577 00:36:42,555 --> 00:36:46,515 Speaker 1: parting happily in twenty twenty. On the books at Disney, 578 00:36:47,155 --> 00:36:54,635 Speaker 1: I am listed as a Disney and ESPN retiree. I 579 00:36:54,955 --> 00:37:00,915 Speaker 1: get benefits. I retired from ESPN. I mean, they didn't 580 00:37:00,915 --> 00:37:03,115 Speaker 1: give me a gold watch or anything, but I'm technically 581 00:37:03,155 --> 00:37:06,235 Speaker 1: a retiree. And if you had predicted that in nineteen 582 00:37:06,315 --> 00:37:10,315 Speaker 1: ninety seven or twenty eleven, well you know the cliche. 583 00:37:10,715 --> 00:37:12,915 Speaker 1: I bring all this up again because I don't know 584 00:37:12,955 --> 00:37:15,195 Speaker 1: how often I have thought of that father and his 585 00:37:15,275 --> 00:37:18,355 Speaker 1: two boys, and the one who started speaking, but only 586 00:37:18,395 --> 00:37:22,315 Speaker 1: in my catch phrases. I would guess it's at least 587 00:37:22,355 --> 00:37:25,715 Speaker 1: once a month. Those boys would have to be in 588 00:37:25,755 --> 00:37:30,155 Speaker 1: their thirties by now or nearly, and I wonder often 589 00:37:31,035 --> 00:37:34,475 Speaker 1: of what has become of them, and I sure hope 590 00:37:34,475 --> 00:37:50,515 Speaker 1: they are well. I've done all the damage I can do. 591 00:37:50,595 --> 00:37:50,795 Speaker 2: Here. 592 00:37:50,875 --> 00:37:53,235 Speaker 1: Here are the credits. Most of the music arranged, produced 593 00:37:53,235 --> 00:37:55,875 Speaker 1: and performed by Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, the 594 00:37:55,915 --> 00:38:00,955 Speaker 1: Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shanelle, guitars, 595 00:38:00,955 --> 00:38:04,235 Speaker 1: bass and drums by Brian Ray and produced by Tko Brothers. 596 00:38:04,835 --> 00:38:07,675 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by No 597 00:38:07,835 --> 00:38:11,235 Speaker 1: Horns allowed. The sports music is the Olderman theme from 598 00:38:11,475 --> 00:38:15,435 Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 599 00:38:16,355 --> 00:38:21,035 Speaker 1: From which I am a retiree. Musical comments from Nancy Fauss, 600 00:38:21,075 --> 00:38:24,675 Speaker 1: the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer was, fittingly 601 00:38:25,395 --> 00:38:30,515 Speaker 1: Tony Kornheiser from ESPN. Not a retiree. Everything else is 602 00:38:30,555 --> 00:38:32,715 Speaker 1: pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for this the 603 00:38:32,755 --> 00:38:35,155 Speaker 1: eight hundred and sixty eighth day since Donald Trump's first 604 00:38:35,155 --> 00:38:38,915 Speaker 1: attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 605 00:38:38,915 --> 00:38:42,115 Speaker 1: Don't forget to keep arresting him while we still can. 606 00:38:43,035 --> 00:38:46,115 Speaker 1: The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Until then, I'm Keith Olderman. 607 00:38:46,235 --> 00:39:03,315 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with 608 00:39:03,435 --> 00:39:08,755 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman is duction of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 609 00:39:08,915 --> 00:39:12,955 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 610 00:39:12,995 --> 00:39:13,915 Speaker 1: your podcasts.