1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,715 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Maybe 2 00:00:21,755 --> 00:00:24,875 Speaker 1: not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the 3 00:00:24,915 --> 00:00:28,275 Speaker 1: rest of your life. The White House correspondent for the 4 00:00:28,355 --> 00:00:32,675 Speaker 1: UK newspaper The Independent, Andrew Feinberg, reports that Special Counsel 5 00:00:32,755 --> 00:00:36,195 Speaker 1: Jack Smith will ask his Washington Grand jury to indict 6 00:00:36,635 --> 00:00:40,955 Speaker 1: Donald Trump for violating the Espionage Act and for obstruction 7 00:00:41,035 --> 00:00:44,155 Speaker 1: of justice no later than a week from today and 8 00:00:44,315 --> 00:00:47,955 Speaker 1: as early as today. And not just that, but The 9 00:00:48,035 --> 00:00:51,715 Speaker 1: Independent also reports that Smith has been rather clever. The 10 00:00:51,835 --> 00:00:55,235 Speaker 1: anticipated indictment of Trump about the stolen documents would be 11 00:00:55,275 --> 00:01:00,755 Speaker 1: for violating eighteen US Code seven nine to three gathering, transmitting, 12 00:01:00,875 --> 00:01:04,795 Speaker 1: or losing defense information, which does not require the let 13 00:01:04,835 --> 00:01:10,475 Speaker 1: any actual documents in question be classified. It merely requires 14 00:01:10,475 --> 00:01:13,315 Speaker 1: that there is defense information involved, and that the accused 15 00:01:13,315 --> 00:01:15,915 Speaker 1: stole it, or told others about it, or lost it. 16 00:01:16,635 --> 00:01:20,035 Speaker 1: That in turn means that the cornerstone of Trump's specious 17 00:01:20,075 --> 00:01:23,795 Speaker 1: defense that a president can declassify whatever he wants whenever 18 00:01:23,835 --> 00:01:26,275 Speaker 1: he wants to, doesn't have to tell anybody he's done it, 19 00:01:26,555 --> 00:01:29,275 Speaker 1: just does it by thinking about it with his superior mind. 20 00:01:29,555 --> 00:01:36,715 Speaker 1: That entire defense is irrelevant classified sh maassified if it's 21 00:01:36,835 --> 00:01:40,035 Speaker 1: national defense information, you can't gather it, transmit it, or 22 00:01:40,115 --> 00:01:42,595 Speaker 1: lose it. And if you do, you quote shall be 23 00:01:42,675 --> 00:01:46,075 Speaker 1: fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, 24 00:01:46,715 --> 00:01:51,315 Speaker 1: or both. The timing caveat. Quoting the Independent, it is 25 00:01:51,435 --> 00:01:55,435 Speaker 1: understood that prosecutors intend to ask Grand jurors to vote 26 00:01:55,435 --> 00:01:58,915 Speaker 1: on the indictment on Thursday today, but that vote could 27 00:01:58,915 --> 00:02:01,435 Speaker 1: be delayed as much as a week until the next 28 00:02:01,475 --> 00:02:03,635 Speaker 1: meeting of the Grand Jury, to allow for a complete 29 00:02:03,715 --> 00:02:07,515 Speaker 1: presentation of evadence, or to allow investigators to gather more 30 00:02:07,555 --> 00:02:12,515 Speaker 1: evidence for presentation if necessary. On quote, the caveat from 31 00:02:12,555 --> 00:02:16,795 Speaker 1: a news consumer's POV should be this. As of recording time, 32 00:02:16,835 --> 00:02:20,795 Speaker 1: there is no separate reporting yet confirming what the Independent 33 00:02:20,875 --> 00:02:23,755 Speaker 1: published that the indictment vote could come as early as today, 34 00:02:24,115 --> 00:02:26,795 Speaker 1: nor that it might be delayed until next Thursday, nor 35 00:02:26,835 --> 00:02:30,275 Speaker 1: that Smith's first shot at Trump will have eighteen USC 36 00:02:30,355 --> 00:02:34,635 Speaker 1: seven nine three written on it. However, Feinberg's rival Hugo 37 00:02:34,715 --> 00:02:37,515 Speaker 1: Lowell of The Guardian says Trump's lawyers were told last 38 00:02:37,515 --> 00:02:41,275 Speaker 1: week by Smith's office that he is a prosecutorial target 39 00:02:41,275 --> 00:02:44,475 Speaker 1: on the stolen documents and the obstruction of justice. The 40 00:02:44,515 --> 00:02:47,195 Speaker 1: new York Times says Trump's legal team was notified he 41 00:02:47,355 --> 00:02:49,875 Speaker 1: is the target on the handling of the documents, but 42 00:02:49,915 --> 00:02:52,955 Speaker 1: no idea when that happened. CNN says the lawyers were 43 00:02:52,955 --> 00:02:56,835 Speaker 1: sent a target letter. Politico reports the target letter as well. 44 00:02:57,195 --> 00:03:01,635 Speaker 1: ABC News reports the target letter. The Times adds quote, 45 00:03:01,715 --> 00:03:04,395 Speaker 1: aids and advisors to mister Trump spent the day in 46 00:03:04,475 --> 00:03:08,955 Speaker 1: a state of high tension. I bet they did. The 47 00:03:09,075 --> 00:03:12,155 Speaker 1: Trump response to all this on social media, No one 48 00:03:12,195 --> 00:03:16,395 Speaker 1: has told me I'm being indicted. Ah. The felon is 49 00:03:16,475 --> 00:03:20,155 Speaker 1: always the last to know. It had been Trump lapdog 50 00:03:20,275 --> 00:03:23,835 Speaker 1: John Solomon, ironically, one of Trump's official representatives to the 51 00:03:23,955 --> 00:03:27,235 Speaker 1: National Archives where all this began, who published a piece 52 00:03:27,395 --> 00:03:31,555 Speaker 1: yesterday claiming that federal prosecutors had just notified Trump's team 53 00:03:31,555 --> 00:03:34,435 Speaker 1: that he was a target of their investigation and had 54 00:03:34,475 --> 00:03:38,435 Speaker 1: told them an indictment in the document's case was imminent. 55 00:03:39,155 --> 00:03:42,035 Speaker 1: Trump then posted to social media quote, no one has 56 00:03:42,075 --> 00:03:44,195 Speaker 1: told me I'm being indicted, and I shouldn't be. I've 57 00:03:44,235 --> 00:03:46,155 Speaker 1: done nothing wrong. But I have assumed for years that 58 00:03:46,195 --> 00:03:48,715 Speaker 1: I'm a target of the blah blah blah blah. And 59 00:03:48,755 --> 00:03:52,675 Speaker 1: how could that statement also be true? Maga Haberman got 60 00:03:52,675 --> 00:03:54,955 Speaker 1: hold of Trump, and she says he would not answer 61 00:03:54,995 --> 00:03:57,155 Speaker 1: when he was asked if he was told he was 62 00:03:57,195 --> 00:03:59,275 Speaker 1: a target, and he insisted he had not been told 63 00:03:59,315 --> 00:04:02,555 Speaker 1: he was being indicted, and then he reminded her that 64 00:04:02,635 --> 00:04:05,995 Speaker 1: he was not in direct touch with pro secutors, so 65 00:04:06,035 --> 00:04:12,555 Speaker 1: it could be legally true but not factually true. We 66 00:04:12,635 --> 00:04:15,435 Speaker 1: know for a fact that Trump spokesman and apologist Taylor 67 00:04:15,515 --> 00:04:19,435 Speaker 1: Budowitch testified to the Miami grand jury yesterday because he 68 00:04:19,475 --> 00:04:22,515 Speaker 1: immediately self martyred on Twitter about it and then claimed 69 00:04:22,555 --> 00:04:25,915 Speaker 1: Trump was being persecuted and had to be reelected, and 70 00:04:26,035 --> 00:04:28,075 Speaker 1: all the usual stuff you have to say to keep 71 00:04:28,115 --> 00:04:32,075 Speaker 1: getting a Trump paycheck. The Times seemed to explain why 72 00:04:32,115 --> 00:04:34,555 Speaker 1: such a low wrung, low life as boodo Witch would 73 00:04:34,555 --> 00:04:37,395 Speaker 1: have been called. He may have been asked about a 74 00:04:37,435 --> 00:04:40,755 Speaker 1: statement that Trump allegedly ordered his staff to put together 75 00:04:40,835 --> 00:04:44,675 Speaker 1: in January of last year, twenty twenty two. This would 76 00:04:44,675 --> 00:04:47,635 Speaker 1: have been after he returned fifteen boxes of material to 77 00:04:47,675 --> 00:04:50,955 Speaker 1: the National Archives. In the original draft of the statement, 78 00:04:50,995 --> 00:04:54,235 Speaker 1: Trump said he had returned all the presidential material he 79 00:04:54,355 --> 00:04:58,155 Speaker 1: had that was in the draft. The actual Trump statement 80 00:04:58,195 --> 00:05:00,755 Speaker 1: of January twenty twenty two did not claim he had 81 00:05:00,755 --> 00:05:04,115 Speaker 1: returned all the presidential material he had. The Times reports 82 00:05:04,115 --> 00:05:08,155 Speaker 1: prosecutors are fascinated by the email chain within Trump world 83 00:05:08,515 --> 00:05:11,675 Speaker 1: about the draft statement. And I'm just guessing here, but 84 00:05:11,715 --> 00:05:14,675 Speaker 1: there could be some extraordinary admissions in that email chain, 85 00:05:14,795 --> 00:05:17,835 Speaker 1: like what the hell we didn't return everything or something 86 00:05:17,875 --> 00:05:22,755 Speaker 1: similar that would go directly to obstruction of justice. If 87 00:05:22,915 --> 00:05:25,435 Speaker 1: like me, you are trying to digest all this and 88 00:05:25,475 --> 00:05:29,635 Speaker 1: you are now saying, wait, that's it. One charge for 89 00:05:29,835 --> 00:05:32,555 Speaker 1: fine or a maximum term in the pen for ten years, 90 00:05:32,595 --> 00:05:35,755 Speaker 1: I want Trump breaking rock set sings saying same, saying 91 00:05:35,835 --> 00:05:39,035 Speaker 1: until the year twenty five, twenty five. Wait back to 92 00:05:39,075 --> 00:05:42,955 Speaker 1: the Independent. Its report emphasizes that an indictment on one 93 00:05:43,155 --> 00:05:45,715 Speaker 1: charge from eighteen US Code seven to nine three by 94 00:05:45,755 --> 00:05:49,515 Speaker 1: Jack Smith's Washington grand jury, plus whatever they're doing on 95 00:05:49,555 --> 00:05:52,435 Speaker 1: obstruction of justice, is far from all of it. That 96 00:05:52,515 --> 00:05:55,315 Speaker 1: Trump may also be indicted on other counts within the 97 00:05:55,475 --> 00:05:59,715 Speaker 1: espionage umbrella and potentially for obstruction of justice, and that 98 00:05:59,835 --> 00:06:03,875 Speaker 1: Jack Smith's mysterious Florida grand jury is still operating separately, 99 00:06:04,195 --> 00:06:07,875 Speaker 1: and further the indictments could emanate from there. The Washington Post, 100 00:06:07,915 --> 00:06:11,235 Speaker 1: in fact, reports that the bulk of indictments could come 101 00:06:11,315 --> 00:06:14,275 Speaker 1: from the Miami Grand jury, which could give us a 102 00:06:14,315 --> 00:06:17,435 Speaker 1: scenario in which there is one indictment in Washington today 103 00:06:17,595 --> 00:06:20,435 Speaker 1: or next week, and many more in Florida in the 104 00:06:20,435 --> 00:06:23,835 Speaker 1: weeks to come. Obstruction of justice, by the way, could 105 00:06:23,875 --> 00:06:28,035 Speaker 1: get you almost anything. Federal cases have ranged from probation 106 00:06:28,275 --> 00:06:32,515 Speaker 1: to a twenty year sentence to they don't even prosecute. 107 00:06:32,555 --> 00:06:36,035 Speaker 1: The Guardian had one more relevant nugget to report at 108 00:06:36,035 --> 00:06:39,435 Speaker 1: the Miami Grand jury. An unexpected face popped up. That 109 00:06:39,515 --> 00:06:43,315 Speaker 1: newspaper spotted Jay Bratt, the chief of Counterintelligence for the 110 00:06:43,435 --> 00:06:47,635 Speaker 1: Justice Department, arriving in Miami day before yesterday. It reported 111 00:06:47,675 --> 00:06:50,355 Speaker 1: that Bratt was expected to be leading the questioning of 112 00:06:50,395 --> 00:06:55,555 Speaker 1: witnesses in Miami like this pr Phlak Budowitch. Bratt's presence 113 00:06:55,715 --> 00:06:58,715 Speaker 1: is fascinating on many levels, not the least of which 114 00:06:58,795 --> 00:07:01,395 Speaker 1: is the fact that he was the first one at 115 00:07:01,435 --> 00:07:05,155 Speaker 1: the Justice Department to see Trump's foot dragging on returning 116 00:07:05,195 --> 00:07:08,475 Speaker 1: documents more than a year ago as worthy of prosecution. 117 00:07:09,395 --> 00:07:11,595 Speaker 1: More importantly, to the point of what's to come, I 118 00:07:11,635 --> 00:07:15,875 Speaker 1: will repeat his title, Jay Bratt, Chief of the Counterintelligence 119 00:07:15,915 --> 00:07:20,075 Speaker 1: and Export Control Section of the National Security Division of 120 00:07:20,115 --> 00:07:23,635 Speaker 1: the Justice Department, unless they've got it wrong. And he 121 00:07:23,715 --> 00:07:25,995 Speaker 1: was there as a witness to tell the grand jurors 122 00:07:25,995 --> 00:07:29,675 Speaker 1: his experiences dealing with Trump and his crowd. He is 123 00:07:29,715 --> 00:07:32,635 Speaker 1: not there unless this is an espionage act case, or 124 00:07:32,715 --> 00:07:35,555 Speaker 1: even worse, an espionage case in the more familiar sense 125 00:07:35,555 --> 00:07:38,595 Speaker 1: of the phrase, as in the defendants sold our secrets 126 00:07:38,595 --> 00:07:43,715 Speaker 1: to another country. There is one other detail reported here, 127 00:07:43,755 --> 00:07:46,075 Speaker 1: and I'll give myself a one second pat on my 128 00:07:46,155 --> 00:07:48,035 Speaker 1: own back, because the way I saw it, the question 129 00:07:48,235 --> 00:07:51,235 Speaker 1: was which of these animals is bigger? Your choice is 130 00:07:51,275 --> 00:07:55,835 Speaker 1: this mouse or this elephant? Back to the Independent quote, 131 00:07:56,275 --> 00:07:59,195 Speaker 1: Mark Meadows has already given evidence before the grand jury 132 00:07:59,195 --> 00:08:01,755 Speaker 1: and is said to be cooperating with the investigations into 133 00:08:01,795 --> 00:08:05,275 Speaker 1: his former boss. It is understood that the former North 134 00:08:05,275 --> 00:08:08,595 Speaker 1: Carolina congressman testified as part of a deal for which 135 00:08:08,595 --> 00:08:12,555 Speaker 1: he has already received limited immunity in exchange for his testimony. 136 00:08:12,875 --> 00:08:15,155 Speaker 1: A source who was briefed on the agreement claimed that 137 00:08:15,195 --> 00:08:17,955 Speaker 1: the alleged agreement will involve the ex chief of staff 138 00:08:18,355 --> 00:08:23,995 Speaker 1: entering please of guilty to unspecified federal crimes. The Independent 139 00:08:24,075 --> 00:08:27,755 Speaker 1: then says the Meadows attorney, George Terwilliger, said the guilty 140 00:08:27,795 --> 00:08:31,915 Speaker 1: please story is quote complete bullshit, un quote, but that 141 00:08:32,035 --> 00:08:36,115 Speaker 1: Terwilliger would not then answer any questions about meadows and 142 00:08:36,155 --> 00:08:41,275 Speaker 1: immunity or meadows and testimony. Oddly, Chwilliger was not asked 143 00:08:41,315 --> 00:08:44,115 Speaker 1: if he is related to baseball infielder and coach Wayne 144 00:08:44,155 --> 00:08:48,395 Speaker 1: Terwiliger or to Robert under Dunk Terwilliger Junior, which is 145 00:08:48,435 --> 00:08:53,315 Speaker 1: the real name of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons. It's 146 00:08:53,355 --> 00:08:56,595 Speaker 1: been a long week. And on that note, I have 147 00:08:56,675 --> 00:09:00,995 Speaker 1: no sympathy for Mike Pence none, but maybe maybe I 148 00:09:01,075 --> 00:09:04,515 Speaker 1: have a sliver of empathy for him. He finally announces 149 00:09:04,515 --> 00:09:08,755 Speaker 1: his candidacy for the Republican nomination. He finally blasts Trump 150 00:09:08,835 --> 00:09:11,955 Speaker 1: by name. He says, on January sixth, Trump demanded that 151 00:09:11,995 --> 00:09:14,875 Speaker 1: I choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution. 152 00:09:14,995 --> 00:09:17,035 Speaker 1: I always will. And then he goes on CNN for 153 00:09:17,075 --> 00:09:19,955 Speaker 1: a presidential town hall and they asked him about Trump 154 00:09:20,155 --> 00:09:21,835 Speaker 1: and he says, no one is above the law. And 155 00:09:21,835 --> 00:09:26,595 Speaker 1: then he says they shouldn't prosecute Trump, and the story 156 00:09:26,675 --> 00:09:32,275 Speaker 1: breaks that Trump might be indicted in the morning, might 157 00:09:32,395 --> 00:09:36,195 Speaker 1: be indicted in the wait. I feel another song coming 158 00:09:36,275 --> 00:09:47,955 Speaker 1: on mine be indicted in the morning. Dan Lockser gonna charm, 159 00:09:48,355 --> 00:09:52,035 Speaker 1: pinch me and jail me, mak me and bail me, 160 00:09:52,435 --> 00:09:57,755 Speaker 1: but get me to the trial on time. Thank you, 161 00:09:57,875 --> 00:10:06,915 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust. Also event here, Tucker Carlson may be sued 162 00:10:06,915 --> 00:10:10,275 Speaker 1: by Fox, and Chris Lickt got fired by CNN, and 163 00:10:10,355 --> 00:10:13,635 Speaker 1: he got fired like five hundred feet from my house. Yes, 164 00:10:13,795 --> 00:10:16,835 Speaker 1: I share sang a few songs about that too, but 165 00:10:16,955 --> 00:10:19,275 Speaker 1: the real issue isn't. Chris Lickt was a guy who 166 00:10:19,355 --> 00:10:22,435 Speaker 1: at MSNBC we used to think eight paste. It said. 167 00:10:22,435 --> 00:10:24,395 Speaker 1: He was a guy who at MSNBC we used to 168 00:10:24,395 --> 00:10:27,755 Speaker 1: think eight paste, and who wasted thirteen months of the 169 00:10:27,755 --> 00:10:32,275 Speaker 1: collective life of CNN at a time when democracy is imperiled. 170 00:10:32,715 --> 00:10:35,715 Speaker 1: Wasted it by searching for a great white whale of 171 00:10:35,875 --> 00:10:40,075 Speaker 1: utterly neutral cable news that does not exist, and will 172 00:10:40,115 --> 00:10:43,515 Speaker 1: never exist, and has never existed in more than a 173 00:10:43,595 --> 00:10:47,635 Speaker 1: quarter of a century. That's next. This is countdown. This 174 00:10:47,835 --> 00:10:56,555 Speaker 1: is countdown with Keith Olbe. Postscripts to the news, some headlines, 175 00:10:56,595 --> 00:11:01,075 Speaker 1: some updates, some snarks, some predictions. Dateline, CNN headquarters, Hudson Yards, 176 00:11:01,115 --> 00:11:08,235 Speaker 1: New York. Last Lickts cans Chris. If you hear anywhere 177 00:11:08,235 --> 00:11:12,355 Speaker 1: that Chris licked left CNN don't believe it he was fired. 178 00:11:12,915 --> 00:11:15,315 Speaker 1: Even The New York Times says he was fired seven 179 00:11:15,355 --> 00:11:19,755 Speaker 1: am Wednesday morning oft by Warner Bros. Discovery boss David 180 00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:23,995 Speaker 1: Zaslav in the middle of a walk through Central Park 181 00:11:24,675 --> 00:11:28,715 Speaker 1: near my house, which explains all the smoke we got 182 00:11:28,795 --> 00:11:32,755 Speaker 1: here during the day. Times also says two CNN anchors 183 00:11:32,755 --> 00:11:37,475 Speaker 1: recently gave Licked votes of no confidence, Anderson Cooper and 184 00:11:37,675 --> 00:11:42,675 Speaker 1: Jake Tapper. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, 185 00:11:42,715 --> 00:11:46,395 Speaker 1: but bluntly, I never thought Chris Licked was a good 186 00:11:46,555 --> 00:11:52,035 Speaker 1: choice to run CNN. Just between you and me, Okay, 187 00:11:52,115 --> 00:11:56,675 Speaker 1: enough with the self abnegating disingenuousness. I first mentioned Chris 188 00:11:56,715 --> 00:12:00,155 Speaker 1: Lickt here on August nineteenth of last year, the fifteenth episode, 189 00:12:00,155 --> 00:12:03,235 Speaker 1: and this is episode two hundred and twenty two, because, 190 00:12:03,275 --> 00:12:06,075 Speaker 1: as I suggested, if they had inducted a nationwide search 191 00:12:06,115 --> 00:12:08,955 Speaker 1: for the worst person to run CNN and they found 192 00:12:09,035 --> 00:12:11,595 Speaker 1: him or her and they were about to introduce that 193 00:12:11,675 --> 00:12:13,435 Speaker 1: person to the world and then said, oh wait, we 194 00:12:13,475 --> 00:12:16,195 Speaker 1: forgot Chris Lickt, they would have switched to Lickt at 195 00:12:16,195 --> 00:12:18,875 Speaker 1: the last minute because he would have been worse, and 196 00:12:19,635 --> 00:12:23,675 Speaker 1: he was, so it was assumed that my reaction to 197 00:12:23,715 --> 00:12:27,435 Speaker 1: this would be glee or at least relief, And as 198 00:12:27,475 --> 00:12:31,195 Speaker 1: a CNN alum who had his first job interview there 199 00:12:31,475 --> 00:12:34,435 Speaker 1: before they signed it on in nineteen eighty and who 200 00:12:34,435 --> 00:12:37,435 Speaker 1: worked there from years two through five in sports and 201 00:12:37,595 --> 00:12:39,675 Speaker 1: years twenty two and twenty three in news, I guess 202 00:12:39,715 --> 00:12:43,155 Speaker 1: I am relieved because the first of my points from 203 00:12:43,195 --> 00:12:46,515 Speaker 1: the beginning was, yes, Licked was at MSNBC when I was, 204 00:12:46,555 --> 00:12:49,115 Speaker 1: and I also dealt with him briefly on Colbert and 205 00:12:49,195 --> 00:12:54,595 Speaker 1: he was an absolutely irredeemable bastard. And worst yet, I've 206 00:12:54,635 --> 00:12:57,795 Speaker 1: worked with a lot of those, he was an absolutely irredeemable, 207 00:12:57,875 --> 00:13:02,195 Speaker 1: unqualified bastard. And I'm going to rerun my comment from 208 00:13:02,235 --> 00:13:04,195 Speaker 1: August nineteenth of last year just to give you a 209 00:13:04,235 --> 00:13:08,075 Speaker 1: real time flavor of my experiences and predictions. I'll run 210 00:13:08,155 --> 00:13:11,995 Speaker 1: that later. But my second and more important point was 211 00:13:12,355 --> 00:13:14,555 Speaker 1: that Chris Lick should never have been hired in the 212 00:13:14,595 --> 00:13:17,635 Speaker 1: first place by CNN because he was not only pursuing 213 00:13:17,675 --> 00:13:20,555 Speaker 1: a white whale, he was pursuing a white whale that 214 00:13:20,635 --> 00:13:25,115 Speaker 1: clearly does not exist, and everybody else in his industry 215 00:13:25,675 --> 00:13:30,315 Speaker 1: knows it does not exist. Chris Lick was fired at 216 00:13:30,395 --> 00:13:34,635 Speaker 1: least he was fired yesterday because of that magazine piece 217 00:13:34,675 --> 00:13:36,635 Speaker 1: in the Atlantic, and to a lesser degree because of 218 00:13:36,675 --> 00:13:40,395 Speaker 1: the Titanic like bad publicity of the Trump town hall. 219 00:13:42,315 --> 00:13:44,595 Speaker 1: He was fired because he made the company look bad 220 00:13:44,635 --> 00:13:46,595 Speaker 1: and got it bad publicity. If you have any doubt 221 00:13:46,595 --> 00:13:48,715 Speaker 1: of that, please note that two of the other three 222 00:13:48,715 --> 00:13:53,595 Speaker 1: people off by CNN were CNN's communications chief and its 223 00:13:53,675 --> 00:13:57,995 Speaker 1: publicist who infamously directed a screeching Twitter screed against Jennifer 224 00:13:58,035 --> 00:14:00,635 Speaker 1: Ruben of The Washington Post in defense of the town hall. 225 00:14:00,995 --> 00:14:05,155 Speaker 1: They were fired, and lickt was fired, and they were 226 00:14:05,155 --> 00:14:08,795 Speaker 1: all fired only because of bad publicity that reflected badly 227 00:14:08,795 --> 00:14:13,675 Speaker 1: on bosses. The point is that Chris lick believed two 228 00:14:13,715 --> 00:14:17,595 Speaker 1: plus two equals five. His bosses may still believe that 229 00:14:17,835 --> 00:14:21,195 Speaker 1: it turned out it does not equal five. I am 230 00:14:21,235 --> 00:14:23,155 Speaker 1: confident that Licked will spend the rest of his life 231 00:14:23,155 --> 00:14:25,555 Speaker 1: believing then it does equal five, and that he just 232 00:14:25,795 --> 00:14:28,995 Speaker 1: somehow failed to convince everybody else of that, or didn't 233 00:14:29,115 --> 00:14:35,235 Speaker 1: use the right graphics. It may still exist somewhere in 234 00:14:35,275 --> 00:14:38,155 Speaker 1: other media. It may be like those periodic reports over 235 00:14:38,195 --> 00:14:41,835 Speaker 1: the last century, that there really still is a passenger 236 00:14:41,955 --> 00:14:44,915 Speaker 1: pigeon somewhere out there, and the species has not been 237 00:14:44,955 --> 00:14:49,115 Speaker 1: extinct since the year nineteen fourteen. But there is no 238 00:14:49,795 --> 00:14:54,875 Speaker 1: middle in American cable news, and the pursuit of that 239 00:14:55,035 --> 00:14:58,035 Speaker 1: middle was doomed from the beginning, and it could not 240 00:14:58,115 --> 00:15:01,915 Speaker 1: have been successful under some other kind of Chris licked 241 00:15:01,915 --> 00:15:05,595 Speaker 1: from a different dimension who wasn't a schmuck and didn't 242 00:15:05,835 --> 00:15:09,835 Speaker 1: know what he was doing. One can argue that the 243 00:15:09,835 --> 00:15:12,035 Speaker 1: premise of going to the middle by people who think 244 00:15:12,075 --> 00:15:14,955 Speaker 1: Brett Baar of Fox was the middle, was a cover 245 00:15:15,075 --> 00:15:17,595 Speaker 1: story for throwing CNN hard right, And I think that's true, 246 00:15:17,595 --> 00:15:20,395 Speaker 1: but it's not really central to the key point. There 247 00:15:20,755 --> 00:15:25,235 Speaker 1: is no middle. There's no real middle in cable television news, 248 00:15:25,355 --> 00:15:29,315 Speaker 1: and there is no pretend middle. Nobody wants to watch that. 249 00:15:30,995 --> 00:15:34,995 Speaker 1: Ask the folks at News Nation formerly WGN America, which 250 00:15:35,035 --> 00:15:39,835 Speaker 1: claims quote, unbiased US news is its pretext, and which 251 00:15:39,835 --> 00:15:41,555 Speaker 1: has been on the air for more than two years 252 00:15:41,555 --> 00:15:43,675 Speaker 1: now with a lineup I have previously described as the 253 00:15:43,755 --> 00:15:48,035 Speaker 1: nick at night of cable news, Chris Cuomo, Ashley Banfield, 254 00:15:48,355 --> 00:15:54,915 Speaker 1: Dan Abrams, Elizabeth Vargas, and occasionally Bill O'Reilly. The audience 255 00:15:54,955 --> 00:15:57,595 Speaker 1: for a given half hour or hour on News Nation 256 00:15:57,795 --> 00:16:00,355 Speaker 1: is smaller than the audience for the podcast you are 257 00:16:00,395 --> 00:16:03,875 Speaker 1: listening to right now. And thank you for your confidence 258 00:16:03,915 --> 00:16:05,315 Speaker 1: in me. And don't get me wrong, but if a 259 00:16:05,355 --> 00:16:09,155 Speaker 1: TV news network cannot outdraw me on a podcast, there's 260 00:16:09,155 --> 00:16:14,515 Speaker 1: something wrong with the premise. You may lament the passing 261 00:16:14,555 --> 00:16:17,755 Speaker 1: of utter political neutrality in cable news, and given my history, 262 00:16:17,795 --> 00:16:19,395 Speaker 1: I think you would be surprised at how much I 263 00:16:19,435 --> 00:16:22,315 Speaker 1: am in sympathy with your viewpoint. But it is the reality, 264 00:16:22,915 --> 00:16:24,635 Speaker 1: and it has been the reality since the day in 265 00:16:24,715 --> 00:16:28,515 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six when first MSNBC and then Fox signed on, 266 00:16:28,915 --> 00:16:31,955 Speaker 1: and it is not going to change. You can have 267 00:16:32,115 --> 00:16:35,075 Speaker 1: all the town halls you want and all the new graphics, 268 00:16:35,115 --> 00:16:39,035 Speaker 1: and it's not going to change. There is one neutral 269 00:16:39,235 --> 00:16:43,515 Speaker 1: news outlet on cable, and unfortunately it is a monopoly, 270 00:16:44,035 --> 00:16:46,355 Speaker 1: and it is a monopoly in large part because it's 271 00:16:46,435 --> 00:16:50,115 Speaker 1: nonprofit and it never really could succeed as for profit, 272 00:16:50,355 --> 00:16:53,675 Speaker 1: and it's called c Span, and other than one phone 273 00:16:53,675 --> 00:16:56,115 Speaker 1: in show, it just runs live coverage of hearings and 274 00:16:56,155 --> 00:16:58,835 Speaker 1: press conferences, and sometimes I watch just that and I 275 00:16:58,835 --> 00:17:04,595 Speaker 1: think that's biased. And yet there continues this quick sotic 276 00:17:04,755 --> 00:17:08,635 Speaker 1: pursuit of the illusion that some numerical formula of balance, 277 00:17:08,875 --> 00:17:12,835 Speaker 1: some calibrated both sides ism will eventually vanquish networks that 278 00:17:12,955 --> 00:17:19,995 Speaker 1: have a point of view. It won't happen. You could 279 00:17:20,595 --> 00:17:24,835 Speaker 1: take over Fox or MSNBC or CNN tomorrow and apply 280 00:17:24,995 --> 00:17:28,835 Speaker 1: that kind of rigor and calculation to the vetting process 281 00:17:29,115 --> 00:17:33,275 Speaker 1: to make sure that every statement of opinion is written first, 282 00:17:33,875 --> 00:17:37,395 Speaker 1: is based on fact, and is beholden to accuracy and 283 00:17:37,515 --> 00:17:41,275 Speaker 1: checking and rechecking. And you could clean up the propagandizing 284 00:17:41,315 --> 00:17:45,835 Speaker 1: that has consumed Fox and infected MSNBC and is the 285 00:17:45,875 --> 00:17:49,235 Speaker 1: founding principle of Newsmax and the like. And I think 286 00:17:49,275 --> 00:17:52,635 Speaker 1: that would make an unexpectedly enormous improvement in quality in 287 00:17:52,715 --> 00:17:58,315 Speaker 1: cable news, and maybe maybe an enormous improvement in audience, 288 00:17:59,235 --> 00:18:05,475 Speaker 1: or even just stop the hemorrhaging quality that are concept 289 00:18:05,475 --> 00:18:08,035 Speaker 1: that is so often overlooked in assessments of any form 290 00:18:08,075 --> 00:18:14,115 Speaker 1: of news or television or both. Quality. Mike Goose a 291 00:18:14,115 --> 00:18:19,755 Speaker 1: given network's ratings a little, but the cult of imaginary 292 00:18:19,795 --> 00:18:23,195 Speaker 1: objectivity is deeply seated in the management of television news 293 00:18:23,275 --> 00:18:26,115 Speaker 1: even to this day. They all want to go back 294 00:18:26,155 --> 00:18:29,635 Speaker 1: to Cronkite and Huntley Brinkley because they were young then 295 00:18:30,475 --> 00:18:32,595 Speaker 1: they want to go back to Cronkite and Huntley Brinkley, 296 00:18:32,635 --> 00:18:35,475 Speaker 1: without remembering that Cronkite and Huntley Brinkley and the various 297 00:18:35,515 --> 00:18:39,635 Speaker 1: ABC anchors of their eras were on the only national 298 00:18:39,675 --> 00:18:42,195 Speaker 1: television channels in the country, and if you wanted not 299 00:18:42,315 --> 00:18:44,795 Speaker 1: to watch any of them, your choice was usually either 300 00:18:44,875 --> 00:18:50,115 Speaker 1: cartoons or reruns of McHale's Navy. For the younger group 301 00:18:50,195 --> 00:18:52,915 Speaker 1: running TV news, it's a dream of returning to, say's 302 00:18:52,915 --> 00:18:56,275 Speaker 1: CNN nineteen ninety one and the Gulf War. And that's great, 303 00:18:56,315 --> 00:18:58,595 Speaker 1: and it's not a bad aspiration to keep in your heart. 304 00:18:58,675 --> 00:19:01,355 Speaker 1: It might help you rigorously check your sources and the 305 00:19:01,395 --> 00:19:05,075 Speaker 1: information on which you base your opinions. But in nineteen 306 00:19:05,115 --> 00:19:07,715 Speaker 1: ninety one, not only was CNN the only cable news 307 00:19:07,715 --> 00:19:10,395 Speaker 1: network in America, but it had been for eleven years, 308 00:19:10,915 --> 00:19:13,355 Speaker 1: and it would be for another five years. And it 309 00:19:13,475 --> 00:19:17,515 Speaker 1: had in fact destroyed rivals launched and then quickly killed 310 00:19:17,515 --> 00:19:23,595 Speaker 1: off by ABC and CBS. Yet seven and a half 311 00:19:23,675 --> 00:19:26,475 Speaker 1: years ago, on the off day of the twenty fifteen 312 00:19:26,515 --> 00:19:29,435 Speaker 1: World Series here in New York, I went to the 313 00:19:29,595 --> 00:19:32,475 Speaker 1: Essex House hotel and had a secret meeting with the 314 00:19:32,475 --> 00:19:35,515 Speaker 1: then chairman of NBC News Andy Lack, and the then 315 00:19:35,595 --> 00:19:38,555 Speaker 1: president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, and they offered me a 316 00:19:38,595 --> 00:19:42,155 Speaker 1: new show on MSNBC. I think the idea was ten 317 00:19:42,195 --> 00:19:47,355 Speaker 1: pm weeknights for half an hour with a co host, 318 00:19:47,595 --> 00:19:53,235 Speaker 1: on one important premise that I would never do another 319 00:19:53,515 --> 00:19:59,875 Speaker 1: political commentary on MSNBC in my life. You know those 320 00:20:00,115 --> 00:20:02,475 Speaker 1: what did you call them? Special comments? Those are the 321 00:20:02,515 --> 00:20:05,715 Speaker 1: worst things that ever happened to MSNBC. Andy Lack said, 322 00:20:06,115 --> 00:20:08,195 Speaker 1: you know that, right. I mean, what America wants is 323 00:20:08,235 --> 00:20:10,915 Speaker 1: the cable news version of The New York Times. I 324 00:20:10,995 --> 00:20:12,755 Speaker 1: mean I saw you once on there, and you were 325 00:20:12,755 --> 00:20:15,075 Speaker 1: so loud and angry about Bush that I thought you'd 326 00:20:15,115 --> 00:20:17,275 Speaker 1: lost your mind. I literally thought you'd lost your mind. 327 00:20:17,315 --> 00:20:18,755 Speaker 1: And I said to my wife, Betsy, I think he's 328 00:20:18,755 --> 00:20:20,915 Speaker 1: lost his mind. And I called all my friends. I said, 329 00:20:20,915 --> 00:20:22,875 Speaker 1: you have to watch MSNBC right now. Turn it on 330 00:20:22,995 --> 00:20:25,555 Speaker 1: right now. I think Alderman has lost his mind. And 331 00:20:25,635 --> 00:20:28,115 Speaker 1: everybody tuned in, and then we all tuned in again 332 00:20:28,155 --> 00:20:29,755 Speaker 1: the next night to see if they'd fired you. Yet. 333 00:20:29,835 --> 00:20:34,875 Speaker 1: We watched every night after that. Just in case I 334 00:20:34,955 --> 00:20:39,195 Speaker 1: did not explain to Andy Lack, I stopped myself. I 335 00:20:39,235 --> 00:20:41,515 Speaker 1: did not explain to him that although I disagreed with 336 00:20:41,555 --> 00:20:44,635 Speaker 1: his out of your mind terminology, he had not only 337 00:20:44,715 --> 00:20:49,155 Speaker 1: just described what success in cable news television now looked like, 338 00:20:49,315 --> 00:20:51,915 Speaker 1: but he had just proven my point that I was 339 00:20:52,035 --> 00:20:55,715 Speaker 1: right about it and he was wrong. He will never 340 00:20:55,755 --> 00:21:00,875 Speaker 1: believe otherwise. But the point he made was people watched. 341 00:21:01,795 --> 00:21:08,595 Speaker 1: That's the first stop on the process. So yes, Chris 342 00:21:08,635 --> 00:21:11,995 Speaker 1: Licht was a venomous worm who deserved everything that's happened 343 00:21:11,995 --> 00:21:14,555 Speaker 1: to him in the last year. And the bottle of 344 00:21:14,635 --> 00:21:17,635 Speaker 1: champagne opened at CNN headquarters yesterday was matched by an 345 00:21:17,635 --> 00:21:21,475 Speaker 1: imaginary one here at Olderman HQ. But he could have 346 00:21:21,515 --> 00:21:24,955 Speaker 1: been a prince. And the ultimate point is the idea 347 00:21:25,115 --> 00:21:29,835 Speaker 1: didn't work, couldn't work, and won't work. And there is 348 00:21:29,875 --> 00:21:33,115 Speaker 1: a larger issue that actually dwarfs all this comparative minutia. 349 00:21:33,195 --> 00:21:37,035 Speaker 1: Of course, exactly what are the two sides you are 350 00:21:37,075 --> 00:21:40,675 Speaker 1: presenting in the political news of this country? What are 351 00:21:40,755 --> 00:21:43,755 Speaker 1: you being objective about in the cultural news, in the 352 00:21:43,995 --> 00:21:50,635 Speaker 1: scientific news. One side is flawed, bumbling, self obsessed aging. 353 00:21:51,515 --> 00:21:55,515 Speaker 1: The other side it's trying to end democracy and replace 354 00:21:55,555 --> 00:21:59,195 Speaker 1: it with any flavor of authoritarianism it can get away with, 355 00:21:59,275 --> 00:22:01,275 Speaker 1: and Oh, by the way, one of the side effects 356 00:22:01,315 --> 00:22:04,955 Speaker 1: of that authoritarianism will be the elimination of places like 357 00:22:05,035 --> 00:22:08,595 Speaker 1: CNN by violence, whether it is run by this Chris 358 00:22:08,635 --> 00:22:13,715 Speaker 1: Lickt or some perfected Chris Lickt or me. When people 359 00:22:13,715 --> 00:22:17,355 Speaker 1: have asked me about balance and not taking sides and 360 00:22:17,475 --> 00:22:20,635 Speaker 1: advocacy networks and opinion, I asked them, how would you 361 00:22:20,715 --> 00:22:24,715 Speaker 1: have wanted me to cover Joe McCarthy, How would you 362 00:22:24,755 --> 00:22:28,595 Speaker 1: have wanted me to cover World War Two? The Civil War? 363 00:22:29,315 --> 00:22:32,755 Speaker 1: The American Revolution? Hey, yes, that may be true. On 364 00:22:32,795 --> 00:22:38,035 Speaker 1: the other hand, General corn Wallace insists. Lickt insisted to 365 00:22:38,115 --> 00:22:41,075 Speaker 1: The Atlantic that when his words, we are not an 366 00:22:41,155 --> 00:22:44,155 Speaker 1: advocacy network, we are providing something different. And when the 367 00:22:44,195 --> 00:22:47,075 Speaker 1: shit hits the fan in this world, you're not gonna 368 00:22:47,115 --> 00:22:51,595 Speaker 1: have time for that advocacy anymore. Well, the shit has 369 00:22:51,675 --> 00:22:55,635 Speaker 1: hit the fan. Its name is Trump, and to oppose 370 00:22:55,875 --> 00:23:01,635 Speaker 1: Trump shit, you must be an advocacy network. I guess whatever. 371 00:23:01,875 --> 00:23:04,035 Speaker 1: I'm just doing a job here. You can call what 372 00:23:04,075 --> 00:23:10,755 Speaker 1: you want. But practically speaking, just as newspapers lost their 373 00:23:10,795 --> 00:23:13,915 Speaker 1: monopoly on breaking news, and radio lost its monopoly on 374 00:23:13,995 --> 00:23:17,475 Speaker 1: breaking news, and broadcast television lost its monopoly on breaking news, 375 00:23:17,515 --> 00:23:22,035 Speaker 1: so cable news has lost its Cable news can be 376 00:23:22,075 --> 00:23:25,315 Speaker 1: a factor, maybe even a decisive factor, in coverage of 377 00:23:25,435 --> 00:23:29,075 Speaker 1: live events, but that is no longer enough. And if 378 00:23:29,115 --> 00:23:32,915 Speaker 1: you are internally rigorous about exactly what your commentators say 379 00:23:33,235 --> 00:23:35,995 Speaker 1: and how much they have to back up their opinions, 380 00:23:36,355 --> 00:23:40,315 Speaker 1: you can be both. You can be a pure news organization, 381 00:23:41,595 --> 00:23:46,635 Speaker 1: you can advocate for, you know, a non totalitarian America, 382 00:23:47,155 --> 00:23:50,795 Speaker 1: and you can also make money doing both these things 383 00:23:50,835 --> 00:23:54,875 Speaker 1: at the same time. Back when I was at MSNBC 384 00:23:55,115 --> 00:23:57,915 Speaker 1: doing those special comments, the ones that made Andy Lack 385 00:23:57,955 --> 00:23:59,875 Speaker 1: think I'd lost my mind, but he and his friend 386 00:23:59,915 --> 00:24:06,275 Speaker 1: started watching every night just to check that role that 387 00:24:06,355 --> 00:24:09,955 Speaker 1: special comments, Guy Roll was kind of balanced by another 388 00:24:09,995 --> 00:24:13,555 Speaker 1: guy at MSNBC who handled all the MSNBC breaking news, 389 00:24:13,595 --> 00:24:17,955 Speaker 1: the Pope dying, the bridge collapsing in Minnesota, the elections, 390 00:24:17,955 --> 00:24:21,955 Speaker 1: the blackouts, the inaugurations, the death of Michael Jackson. He 391 00:24:21,995 --> 00:24:24,595 Speaker 1: even had a side hustle doing football on Sunday nights. 392 00:24:24,675 --> 00:24:28,195 Speaker 1: He was the painfully objective face of that painfully objective 393 00:24:28,275 --> 00:24:31,875 Speaker 1: breaking news side of MSNBC and all that stuff, the 394 00:24:31,915 --> 00:24:36,915 Speaker 1: breaking news stuff that used to make money too, And 395 00:24:37,035 --> 00:24:46,355 Speaker 1: his name was Check's Notes Me there is no middle, 396 00:24:47,395 --> 00:24:51,155 Speaker 1: and more importantly, for cable news to be a success 397 00:24:51,275 --> 00:25:12,835 Speaker 1: financially and journalistically, there does not have to be a middle. So, 398 00:25:12,955 --> 00:25:15,875 Speaker 1: as I've mentioned, I have been talking about Chris Licked 399 00:25:15,995 --> 00:25:20,715 Speaker 1: and CNN since the fifteenth episode of this podcast last August, 400 00:25:21,355 --> 00:25:24,315 Speaker 1: I want to play again what I said then first, 401 00:25:24,435 --> 00:25:26,955 Speaker 1: So as if there weren't enough fun stuff for just 402 00:25:27,035 --> 00:25:30,195 Speaker 1: one day, Fox has notified Tucker Carlson that he has 403 00:25:30,275 --> 00:25:34,355 Speaker 1: breached their contract. They may sue him. This is about 404 00:25:34,395 --> 00:25:36,875 Speaker 1: the thing he uploaded to Twitter on Tuesday night, which 405 00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:40,795 Speaker 1: he identified as episode one of his new series. It 406 00:25:40,955 --> 00:25:44,715 Speaker 1: was sad anyway. I don't often take the employer's side 407 00:25:44,795 --> 00:25:47,395 Speaker 1: in stuff like this. In fact, I can't remember if 408 00:25:47,435 --> 00:25:49,875 Speaker 1: I've done so in this century or a previous one. 409 00:25:50,155 --> 00:25:52,715 Speaker 1: But Carlson says a Fox executive has told him they 410 00:25:52,755 --> 00:25:55,835 Speaker 1: want to sideline him until twenty twenty five, and bluntly, 411 00:25:55,875 --> 00:25:59,275 Speaker 1: they can do that with rare exceptions. And I know 412 00:25:59,315 --> 00:26:01,595 Speaker 1: what those exceptions are. I had one in my contract 413 00:26:01,595 --> 00:26:05,595 Speaker 1: at NBC. Television contracts basically require the network to do 414 00:26:05,835 --> 00:26:11,515 Speaker 1: only one thing. Pay you, not play you, just pay you. 415 00:26:11,635 --> 00:26:14,835 Speaker 1: That's all. So if Tucker Carlson's contract reads that he 416 00:26:14,915 --> 00:26:19,915 Speaker 1: can't appear elsewhere, even on Twitter videos. Fox can enforce 417 00:26:19,955 --> 00:26:22,955 Speaker 1: that as long as they send him the check. They 418 00:26:23,115 --> 00:26:26,395 Speaker 1: could negotiate a deal in which Carlson forfeits some or 419 00:26:26,435 --> 00:26:28,115 Speaker 1: all of the money and then is free to do 420 00:26:28,195 --> 00:26:30,675 Speaker 1: whatever he wants, but Fox does not have to do that. 421 00:26:30,715 --> 00:26:34,515 Speaker 1: They have total control of this situation. Carlson's lawyer has 422 00:26:34,555 --> 00:26:37,715 Speaker 1: responded to Axios that Fox is violating his client's First 423 00:26:37,715 --> 00:26:40,755 Speaker 1: Amendment rights, which is nonsense. I mean, if they stopped 424 00:26:40,835 --> 00:26:43,595 Speaker 1: him or tried to stop him from tweeting, that would 425 00:26:43,675 --> 00:26:47,115 Speaker 1: be probably violating his First Amendment rights. But doing videos 426 00:26:47,195 --> 00:26:50,595 Speaker 1: for profit or planned profit for another company that is 427 00:26:50,635 --> 00:26:55,115 Speaker 1: technically a rival to Fox, No, sorry, Tucky, you lose 428 00:26:55,995 --> 00:27:00,115 Speaker 1: plus as somebody who uploaded my GQ Resistance series to Twitter, 429 00:27:00,115 --> 00:27:02,635 Speaker 1: and then my Olderman versus Trump series to Twitter, and 430 00:27:02,675 --> 00:27:06,395 Speaker 1: then the promos for this podcast series to Twitter. Boy, 431 00:27:06,635 --> 00:27:11,235 Speaker 1: was that Tucker Carlson Twitter video underwhelming? He just isn't 432 00:27:11,355 --> 00:27:14,995 Speaker 1: good enough to stare into a camera and carry a 433 00:27:15,035 --> 00:27:19,075 Speaker 1: static shot for two minutes, let alone ten. He needs 434 00:27:19,075 --> 00:27:22,675 Speaker 1: to be doing those interviews with the reaction shots to 435 00:27:22,715 --> 00:27:25,115 Speaker 1: the guest comments where he looks like a dog who 436 00:27:25,275 --> 00:27:28,715 Speaker 1: was just shown a card trick, Tucker. I know you 437 00:27:28,755 --> 00:27:30,635 Speaker 1: don't care about my advice, and I don't care if 438 00:27:30,635 --> 00:27:32,075 Speaker 1: you take it or not. But if this is what 439 00:27:32,115 --> 00:27:35,875 Speaker 1: the Twitter series is going to look like, take Fox's 440 00:27:35,915 --> 00:27:39,995 Speaker 1: money and go on around the world, cruise through next 441 00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:50,035 Speaker 1: year at their expense. Yesterday, CNN canceled its weekly show 442 00:27:50,035 --> 00:27:53,155 Speaker 1: reviewing the media, Reliable Sources, the only such program in 443 00:27:53,235 --> 00:27:57,435 Speaker 1: mainstream television. CNN also fired its host Brian Stelter after 444 00:27:57,555 --> 00:28:00,355 Speaker 1: nine years at the network. I've had problems with some 445 00:28:00,395 --> 00:28:03,435 Speaker 1: of Brian's work since he founded the TV newser blog 446 00:28:03,475 --> 00:28:05,155 Speaker 1: while he was in college and two two thousand and 447 00:28:05,195 --> 00:28:08,075 Speaker 1: four later at The New York Times, but I've never 448 00:28:08,115 --> 00:28:10,995 Speaker 1: had any problem with his intent nor his work ethic, 449 00:28:11,595 --> 00:28:14,435 Speaker 1: and his stuff on CNN made him such a target 450 00:28:14,475 --> 00:28:17,115 Speaker 1: from the far right that you would have thought he 451 00:28:17,315 --> 00:28:20,355 Speaker 1: was me, or that he was on the air seventeen 452 00:28:20,435 --> 00:28:22,995 Speaker 1: hours a day on CNN rather than once a week. 453 00:28:23,515 --> 00:28:27,155 Speaker 1: The reason was simple. After MSNBC cut a deal to 454 00:28:27,155 --> 00:28:31,395 Speaker 1: stop calling out Fox News, pretty much nobody in television 455 00:28:31,915 --> 00:28:34,875 Speaker 1: called out Fox News and the rest of the lunatic 456 00:28:34,955 --> 00:28:39,875 Speaker 1: right propaganda machine except Stelter. His firing was no surprise. 457 00:28:40,315 --> 00:28:42,595 Speaker 1: You may not know it, but CNN was recently taken 458 00:28:42,635 --> 00:28:45,755 Speaker 1: over by a company owned by billionaire Trump donor John Malone, 459 00:28:46,155 --> 00:28:49,515 Speaker 1: and Malone intends to very gradually reduce CNN to at 460 00:28:49,555 --> 00:28:52,635 Speaker 1: best twenty four hours a day. Of both sides ism 461 00:28:53,075 --> 00:28:57,675 Speaker 1: think Michael Smerconish on a loop, Stelter did the most 462 00:28:57,715 --> 00:28:59,995 Speaker 1: damage to the right. Therefore, Stelter was the first to go. 463 00:29:00,035 --> 00:29:03,595 Speaker 1: He will not be the last. CNN's new president. Chris 464 00:29:03,675 --> 00:29:08,595 Speaker 1: licked is there to dismantle the liberal parts of CNN. 465 00:29:09,475 --> 00:29:12,435 Speaker 1: I know this because I worked with him at MSNBC, 466 00:29:12,915 --> 00:29:15,235 Speaker 1: where he decided that part of his job was to 467 00:29:15,275 --> 00:29:20,835 Speaker 1: try to dismantle the liberal parts of MSNBC. When Stelter 468 00:29:21,035 --> 00:29:24,595 Speaker 1: was fired, the Daily Beast's impeccable media guy Lachland Cartwright 469 00:29:24,715 --> 00:29:28,555 Speaker 1: reported that quote everything about this rollout points to Discovery 470 00:29:28,595 --> 00:29:32,235 Speaker 1: board member John Malone and Discovery CEO David Zaslov. A 471 00:29:32,275 --> 00:29:35,115 Speaker 1: source familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast, Chris 472 00:29:35,195 --> 00:29:38,515 Speaker 1: lickt did not want to do this. I'm sure the 473 00:29:38,595 --> 00:29:41,755 Speaker 1: quote is accurate, and I'm sure whoever told Kartwright that 474 00:29:41,875 --> 00:29:45,795 Speaker 1: believes the quote to be true, but it misses the point. 475 00:29:46,115 --> 00:29:49,395 Speaker 1: What Chris Lick wants to do is whatever John Malone 476 00:29:49,395 --> 00:29:52,595 Speaker 1: and David Zaslov tell him to do. He is a 477 00:29:52,675 --> 00:29:58,275 Speaker 1: corporate lackey. Worse, he's a corporate henchman. So here's the 478 00:29:58,315 --> 00:30:02,235 Speaker 1: story I promise not to tell. Perhaps the most amazing 479 00:30:02,315 --> 00:30:05,315 Speaker 1: thing about my ten years at MSNBC was the fact 480 00:30:05,595 --> 00:30:10,075 Speaker 1: that Joe Scarborough and his producers, especially his chief henchmen, 481 00:30:10,635 --> 00:30:14,515 Speaker 1: ever got their own show on the air. Because nobody 482 00:30:14,635 --> 00:30:18,155 Speaker 1: I have ever worked with in radio or television, in 483 00:30:18,235 --> 00:30:21,595 Speaker 1: sports or news in the twentieth century or the twenty 484 00:30:21,635 --> 00:30:26,195 Speaker 1: first ever spent more time trying to screw with other 485 00:30:26,275 --> 00:30:30,715 Speaker 1: programs on the same network than did Joe Scarborough. And 486 00:30:30,915 --> 00:30:33,715 Speaker 1: until just about the time I left in twenty eleven, 487 00:30:34,075 --> 00:30:36,235 Speaker 1: the guy he sent in to do most of the 488 00:30:36,275 --> 00:30:40,995 Speaker 1: sabotage for him was this henchman guy. The reason this 489 00:30:41,035 --> 00:30:45,675 Speaker 1: should matter to you now is Scarborough's henchman was Chris Licked, 490 00:30:46,195 --> 00:30:48,955 Speaker 1: the new president of CNN. And if they scoured the 491 00:30:49,075 --> 00:30:53,315 Speaker 1: nation to find the worst person to run CNN in 492 00:30:53,395 --> 00:30:56,835 Speaker 1: a time when democracy is threatened by one political party 493 00:30:57,115 --> 00:31:02,235 Speaker 1: and tepidly defended by another, it's Chris Licked. I know, 494 00:31:02,435 --> 00:31:04,235 Speaker 1: I know, you turn on the TV and you see 495 00:31:04,275 --> 00:31:09,635 Speaker 1: Joe's Barborough and you see exactly what I see, a blank, dazed, darting, paranoid, 496 00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:15,035 Speaker 1: no soul, stupid check engine light. Look. But if you 497 00:31:15,035 --> 00:31:19,915 Speaker 1: don't trust me, trust my Scars. My Joey Scars behind 498 00:31:19,995 --> 00:31:26,315 Speaker 1: that vapid face is a master saboteur. Early in two 499 00:31:26,355 --> 00:31:28,395 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, the late Tim Russert called me and 500 00:31:28,435 --> 00:31:31,275 Speaker 1: warned me that the GOP had upped its pressure on me. 501 00:31:31,435 --> 00:31:33,875 Speaker 1: He said he had heard from somebody in New York 502 00:31:34,875 --> 00:31:37,075 Speaker 1: that somebody in New York was going into the office 503 00:31:37,075 --> 00:31:39,675 Speaker 1: of the president of NBC News saying that Joe Scarborough 504 00:31:39,715 --> 00:31:42,715 Speaker 1: couldn't get his friend John McCain to come on to 505 00:31:42,835 --> 00:31:46,595 Speaker 1: his new morning show because I was so critical of 506 00:31:46,675 --> 00:31:50,195 Speaker 1: McCain on Countdown. Tim was not sure it was Scarborough, 507 00:31:50,435 --> 00:31:53,275 Speaker 1: but if it wasn't, who else could have gotten in 508 00:31:53,395 --> 00:31:57,035 Speaker 1: to see the president of NBC News other than Scarborough 509 00:31:57,155 --> 00:32:02,115 Speaker 1: or his executive producer. The evidence for the new CNN president, 510 00:32:02,155 --> 00:32:05,435 Speaker 1: mister Lickt, being directly involved in interfering with programming to 511 00:32:05,435 --> 00:32:09,315 Speaker 1: benefit somebody else's friends or political cronies, was vague in 512 00:32:09,355 --> 00:32:12,075 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, but not at all vague. Two 513 00:32:12,155 --> 00:32:16,835 Speaker 1: years later, early in January twenty ten, the Republican candidate 514 00:32:16,875 --> 00:32:19,195 Speaker 1: to fill the Senate seat of a late Ted Kennedy, 515 00:32:19,515 --> 00:32:23,875 Speaker 1: Scott Brown, the former semi nude model, was at a 516 00:32:23,955 --> 00:32:27,475 Speaker 1: rally when one of his supporters talked about quote shoving 517 00:32:27,555 --> 00:32:31,275 Speaker 1: a curling iron up the backside of the Democratic Senate 518 00:32:31,315 --> 00:32:35,475 Speaker 1: candidate Martha Cokeley. Scott Brown clearly heard the remark from 519 00:32:35,475 --> 00:32:39,275 Speaker 1: the crowd and responded, quote, we could do that. On 520 00:32:39,395 --> 00:32:42,395 Speaker 1: January eighteenth, on Countdown, I did a brief commentary about 521 00:32:42,395 --> 00:32:45,075 Speaker 1: how unsuitable Brown was for public office. I said he 522 00:32:45,155 --> 00:32:50,555 Speaker 1: was quote and irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex nude model, 523 00:32:50,795 --> 00:32:54,795 Speaker 1: t bagging, supporter of violence against women and against politicians 524 00:32:54,795 --> 00:32:58,875 Speaker 1: with whom he disagrees unquote. I had quotes from Brown. 525 00:32:59,355 --> 00:33:02,555 Speaker 1: I had videotape of him disparaging his minority opponent in 526 00:33:02,595 --> 00:33:05,955 Speaker 1: a local election to her face. Had a debate to 527 00:33:06,075 --> 00:33:10,475 Speaker 1: back up what I said. An hour later, Joe Scarborough 528 00:33:10,515 --> 00:33:14,555 Speaker 1: commenced a tweet storm against me. Quote Olberman calls Brown 529 00:33:14,635 --> 00:33:19,195 Speaker 1: a homophobic, racist reactionary who supports violence against women. How 530 00:33:19,315 --> 00:33:23,275 Speaker 1: reckless and how sad It's no longer enough to simply 531 00:33:23,315 --> 00:33:26,075 Speaker 1: disagree with someone. I'm sorry, I just fell into my 532 00:33:26,115 --> 00:33:29,635 Speaker 1: Scarborough impression. Just as when Beck called a president racist, 533 00:33:30,155 --> 00:33:34,595 Speaker 1: this sort of rhetorical extremism must be discouraged. It chapened 534 00:33:34,635 --> 00:33:39,915 Speaker 1: the debate. End quote and impression. Now there was a 535 00:33:39,955 --> 00:33:43,915 Speaker 1: standing rule at MSNBC. You want to criticize another MSNBC personality, 536 00:33:44,395 --> 00:33:49,115 Speaker 1: go ahead, have a blast, but it must be on 537 00:33:49,275 --> 00:33:51,995 Speaker 1: the air on MSNBC, and the other person must have 538 00:33:52,035 --> 00:33:55,435 Speaker 1: an opportunity to reply in real time, in the same 539 00:33:55,515 --> 00:33:57,755 Speaker 1: show or in some kind of face to face way. 540 00:33:58,355 --> 00:34:04,435 Speaker 1: No hit and run. No Joe Scarborough tweetstorms. If you 541 00:34:04,675 --> 00:34:06,595 Speaker 1: go to signs them by name or by inference in 542 00:34:06,635 --> 00:34:09,955 Speaker 1: any other medium newspaper, interview, radio, social media, you were 543 00:34:09,995 --> 00:34:14,795 Speaker 1: to receive an automatic suspension. The next day, January nineteenth, 544 00:34:14,835 --> 00:34:17,035 Speaker 1: I called the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, and I 545 00:34:17,075 --> 00:34:20,635 Speaker 1: asked how long Joe Scarborough's automatic suspension was going to be. 546 00:34:22,195 --> 00:34:25,035 Speaker 1: Griffin asked me to come into the office a little 547 00:34:25,075 --> 00:34:28,595 Speaker 1: earlier than usual and to go see him. He said 548 00:34:28,635 --> 00:34:30,475 Speaker 1: he had already had a meeting about the tweets that 549 00:34:30,555 --> 00:34:36,595 Speaker 1: morning with Scarborough's executive producer, Chris Licht. Griffin explained that Scarborough, 550 00:34:37,155 --> 00:34:42,915 Speaker 1: according to Licht, considered Scott Brown a friend. More importantly, 551 00:34:42,995 --> 00:34:45,555 Speaker 1: Chris lickt warned Griffin that if Griffin followed through and 552 00:34:45,715 --> 00:34:49,755 Speaker 1: enforced the suspension rule, Scarborough would have no other option 553 00:34:49,875 --> 00:34:53,555 Speaker 1: than to go to the press and tell reporters, especially 554 00:34:53,635 --> 00:34:57,795 Speaker 1: reporters at right wing websites like Tucker Carlson's The Daily Caller, 555 00:34:58,875 --> 00:35:01,995 Speaker 1: that he Scarborough had been suspended because he Scarborough was 556 00:35:02,035 --> 00:35:05,835 Speaker 1: a conservative. But I I was a liberal and that 557 00:35:06,115 --> 00:35:12,995 Speaker 1: I and not Phil Griffin ran MSNBC. What can I do? 558 00:35:13,875 --> 00:35:17,555 Speaker 1: Griffin was scared. I told him he could fire Scarborough 559 00:35:17,595 --> 00:35:20,195 Speaker 1: and Licked because they had just tried to blackmail him, 560 00:35:20,355 --> 00:35:22,275 Speaker 1: and eventually he was going to have to fire them 561 00:35:22,315 --> 00:35:24,595 Speaker 1: both anyway, but that I knew he would not do this, 562 00:35:24,955 --> 00:35:27,075 Speaker 1: and that I knew now that he would not suspend 563 00:35:27,075 --> 00:35:31,315 Speaker 1: Scarborough either, And Griffin did not suspend him. Partial score 564 00:35:31,395 --> 00:35:38,715 Speaker 1: Scarborough's friends two MSNBC's rules of behavior nothing, but Phil 565 00:35:38,755 --> 00:35:42,035 Speaker 1: Griffin did send out a memo to the entire company 566 00:35:42,035 --> 00:35:46,075 Speaker 1: insisting that anybody who criticized another MSNBC show or host 567 00:35:46,315 --> 00:35:50,635 Speaker 1: in another medium would be suspended, except Scarborough, who had 568 00:35:50,715 --> 00:35:53,835 Speaker 1: just done exactly that, and then threatened his own employers. 569 00:35:55,195 --> 00:35:59,155 Speaker 1: On January twenty fifth, Brian Stelter's old blog TV newser 570 00:35:59,235 --> 00:36:02,515 Speaker 1: got a copy of Griffin's memo. They wondered why Scarborough 571 00:36:02,555 --> 00:36:05,835 Speaker 1: had not been suspended, so they called the MSNBC president. 572 00:36:05,875 --> 00:36:09,235 Speaker 1: Then they printed quote Griffin responds to TV news or 573 00:36:09,315 --> 00:36:13,155 Speaker 1: quote an important rule was broken. I spoke to Keith 574 00:36:13,235 --> 00:36:15,795 Speaker 1: and he said, in the spirit of teamwork and the 575 00:36:15,995 --> 00:36:19,515 Speaker 1: free flow of ideas, he didn't think it warranted punishment 576 00:36:19,635 --> 00:36:23,035 Speaker 1: or suspension. I also talked to Joe and he apologized 577 00:36:23,195 --> 00:36:26,555 Speaker 1: to me. That's why I made the decision that this 578 00:36:26,595 --> 00:36:28,835 Speaker 1: didn't rise to the level of punishment. But I felt 579 00:36:28,835 --> 00:36:32,835 Speaker 1: it was necessary to reiterate my long standing policy one 580 00:36:32,915 --> 00:36:36,195 Speaker 1: hundred percent bull crap. Reiterate my long standing policy which 581 00:36:36,235 --> 00:36:38,835 Speaker 1: I just did not enforce against Joe Scarborough. The whole 582 00:36:38,835 --> 00:36:42,315 Speaker 1: thing was totally fabricated. Lickt and Scarborough had threatened to 583 00:36:42,395 --> 00:36:46,195 Speaker 1: smear their own bosses in the right wing echo chamber. 584 00:36:47,275 --> 00:36:50,435 Speaker 1: Should have been both fired on the spot. In May 585 00:36:50,475 --> 00:36:53,595 Speaker 1: twenty ten, Scarborough said something on the air about a 586 00:36:53,635 --> 00:36:57,275 Speaker 1: Democrat getting away with not being investigated for something. I 587 00:36:57,355 --> 00:36:59,555 Speaker 1: forget the details. I didn't bother to look it up. 588 00:36:59,555 --> 00:37:03,475 Speaker 1: You can if you want. Then Marcos Malitsus, the editor 589 00:37:03,515 --> 00:37:06,475 Speaker 1: of the Daily coastwebs and not just a regular contributor 590 00:37:06,515 --> 00:37:09,355 Speaker 1: to Countdown, but somebody who had been promoting the show 591 00:37:09,475 --> 00:37:12,715 Speaker 1: and the MSNBC brand on that website every day for 592 00:37:12,875 --> 00:37:17,995 Speaker 1: five years. Marcos sent a snarky but legitimate tweet questioning 593 00:37:18,035 --> 00:37:21,755 Speaker 1: Scarborough's credentials to criticize others who had not been investigated 594 00:37:21,795 --> 00:37:25,435 Speaker 1: for stuff, Marcos invoked the staffer who died in an 595 00:37:25,475 --> 00:37:30,955 Speaker 1: accident in Joe Scarborough's congressional office. Scarborough then attacked Melitsus 596 00:37:30,995 --> 00:37:35,635 Speaker 1: on Twitter, inaccurately claiming Malitsus had accused Scarborough of murder. 597 00:37:37,235 --> 00:37:39,035 Speaker 1: A few days after that, I got a phone call 598 00:37:39,075 --> 00:37:41,435 Speaker 1: from the MSNBC president, Phil Griffin. And if he got 599 00:37:41,435 --> 00:37:43,275 Speaker 1: a phone call rather than a call to come into 600 00:37:43,315 --> 00:37:46,835 Speaker 1: his office, you know he was really scared. Griffin told me, 601 00:37:47,235 --> 00:37:49,515 Speaker 1: Chris lickt has been in to see me. Joe won't 602 00:37:49,555 --> 00:37:52,635 Speaker 1: put up with having Marcus Mlitzus on his network anymore. 603 00:37:53,235 --> 00:37:55,915 Speaker 1: Not only that, but Lick says many of Joe's friends 604 00:37:56,555 --> 00:38:00,035 Speaker 1: who also appear in Dayside and Primetime won't come on 605 00:38:00,515 --> 00:38:06,195 Speaker 1: if Marcos Malitsus is permitted to continue. Here, Chris is 606 00:38:06,235 --> 00:38:10,675 Speaker 1: insisting that Marcos be banned from MSNBC immediately. Chris says 607 00:38:10,715 --> 00:38:12,955 Speaker 1: he's afraid that if we don't do that, Joe won't 608 00:38:12,995 --> 00:38:16,755 Speaker 1: come into work tomorrow. Upon hearing that, I laughed and 609 00:38:16,795 --> 00:38:19,995 Speaker 1: I congratulated Phil Griffin on the clear win win he'd 610 00:38:20,035 --> 00:38:24,435 Speaker 1: just been given. But Phil was very bad at enforcing 611 00:38:24,555 --> 00:38:28,315 Speaker 1: MSNBC's rules, but very good at creating new ones on 612 00:38:28,395 --> 00:38:31,995 Speaker 1: the spot to protect Joe Scarborough and Chris Lickt and 613 00:38:32,035 --> 00:38:37,115 Speaker 1: their friends, I'm banning Thelitzes from any further appearances on MSNBC, 614 00:38:37,435 --> 00:38:40,595 Speaker 1: I said, Phil. He's a contributor to my show. You 615 00:38:40,635 --> 00:38:45,275 Speaker 1: are suspending my contributor who has driven hundreds of thousands 616 00:38:45,275 --> 00:38:48,515 Speaker 1: of viewers to count Down at MSNBC, and I don't 617 00:38:48,515 --> 00:38:51,955 Speaker 1: have any say in it. You are owned by Joe 618 00:38:51,955 --> 00:38:54,875 Speaker 1: Scarborough and Chris Lickt. What you now have to worry 619 00:38:54,875 --> 00:38:56,475 Speaker 1: about is whether I tell this story on the air 620 00:38:56,515 --> 00:39:00,555 Speaker 1: tonight or I just wait and tell it later. Phil 621 00:39:00,595 --> 00:39:04,075 Speaker 1: now got conciliatory because he was scared again and said 622 00:39:04,075 --> 00:39:08,675 Speaker 1: it could be just a suspension if I cooperated, So 623 00:39:08,795 --> 00:39:12,275 Speaker 1: I called Marcos. He said he enjoyed his contributions to Countdown. 624 00:39:12,315 --> 00:39:15,315 Speaker 1: He also did occasional appearances on the old Ed Schultz 625 00:39:15,435 --> 00:39:18,675 Speaker 1: MSNBC show, and he said if there were chants at 626 00:39:18,675 --> 00:39:22,075 Speaker 1: resuming them, he'd preferred to at least try that. So 627 00:39:22,595 --> 00:39:25,835 Speaker 1: Marcus and I went along with Griffin suspending Marcus Malitzus, 628 00:39:25,875 --> 00:39:28,915 Speaker 1: and to my knowledge, Marcus Malitzus has not been seen 629 00:39:28,995 --> 00:39:34,155 Speaker 1: on MSNBC since. I wish I had better notes on 630 00:39:34,195 --> 00:39:36,915 Speaker 1: some of my conversations from the two thousand and eight, nine, 631 00:39:37,155 --> 00:39:41,995 Speaker 1: ten eleven era about those conversations with the hosts and 632 00:39:41,995 --> 00:39:44,355 Speaker 1: the producers of the other shows like Schultz and Rachel 633 00:39:44,355 --> 00:39:47,355 Speaker 1: Maddow's Show, and even Chris Matthews and Hardball. I must 634 00:39:47,355 --> 00:39:49,875 Speaker 1: have heard a variation of this statement a dozen times 635 00:39:49,915 --> 00:39:52,755 Speaker 1: from these people. Guess who was in Griffin's office explaining 636 00:39:52,755 --> 00:39:54,835 Speaker 1: that such and such as Joe's friend and Phil really 637 00:39:54,835 --> 00:39:57,795 Speaker 1: needs to make sure we lay off him. Chris licked 638 00:39:58,235 --> 00:40:00,395 Speaker 1: It was usually an expletive in the middle between Chris 639 00:40:00,395 --> 00:40:03,275 Speaker 1: and Lickt. I remember one of my producers at the 640 00:40:03,355 --> 00:40:05,875 Speaker 1: MSNBC version of count Down telling me that one of 641 00:40:05,875 --> 00:40:08,755 Speaker 1: the other producers told him that Lickt had gone to 642 00:40:08,995 --> 00:40:13,635 Speaker 1: NBC News President Steve Cappus with an actual list of 643 00:40:13,715 --> 00:40:17,675 Speaker 1: Republicans that Mattow and Oberman needed to stop criticizing because 644 00:40:17,675 --> 00:40:23,115 Speaker 1: they were Joe's here's the word again friends, and we 645 00:40:23,115 --> 00:40:28,915 Speaker 1: were hurting morning Joe. What's amazing is that, setting aside 646 00:40:28,955 --> 00:40:32,595 Speaker 1: the issues of unrevealed torrid love affairs, when CNN fired 647 00:40:32,595 --> 00:40:36,035 Speaker 1: its nine PM host Chris Cuomo, president Jeff Zooker, and 648 00:40:36,115 --> 00:40:39,595 Speaker 1: senior vice president Alison Gollist, they fired them in essence 649 00:40:39,635 --> 00:40:43,755 Speaker 1: because they interfered with CNN content and practices in order 650 00:40:43,795 --> 00:40:49,115 Speaker 1: to do favors for people who were their friends or, 651 00:40:49,115 --> 00:40:54,755 Speaker 1: in Cuomo's case, they're relatives at MSNBC. Interfering with MSNBC 652 00:40:54,915 --> 00:40:59,155 Speaker 1: content and practices to do favors for friends was seemingly 653 00:40:59,195 --> 00:41:04,035 Speaker 1: the only reason Chris Lickt had a job. So CNN 654 00:41:04,035 --> 00:41:06,315 Speaker 1: got rid of left wingers for a terrible violation of 655 00:41:06,395 --> 00:41:10,635 Speaker 1: journalistic ethics and then hired as president a right wing 656 00:41:10,715 --> 00:41:14,595 Speaker 1: henchman who had committed exactly the same journalistic ethical problems 657 00:41:15,075 --> 00:41:18,395 Speaker 1: and who, for his act the first one of his 658 00:41:18,475 --> 00:41:21,875 Speaker 1: career at CNN, killed off the only national television show 659 00:41:22,235 --> 00:41:25,635 Speaker 1: that regularly held up Fox News, Newsmax and all the 660 00:41:25,675 --> 00:41:29,435 Speaker 1: rest to the world to show that they were the 661 00:41:29,515 --> 00:41:50,755 Speaker 1: threats to democracy that they are. This is CNN, and 662 00:41:50,835 --> 00:41:54,395 Speaker 1: now he belongs to the ages. I've done all the 663 00:41:54,475 --> 00:41:56,195 Speaker 1: damage I can do here. Countdown has come to you 664 00:41:56,275 --> 00:41:58,755 Speaker 1: from the Vin Scully Studio at the world Headquarters of 665 00:41:58,755 --> 00:42:02,635 Speaker 1: the Alderman Broadcasting Empire in New York. Here are the credits. 666 00:42:02,675 --> 00:42:04,995 Speaker 1: Most of the music was arranged, produced and performed by 667 00:42:05,035 --> 00:42:07,675 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanel, who are the Countdown 668 00:42:07,795 --> 00:42:12,355 Speaker 1: musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shanel, Guitars, 669 00:42:12,355 --> 00:42:15,235 Speaker 1: bass and drums by Brian Ray, produced by Tko Brothers. 670 00:42:15,635 --> 00:42:18,235 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by the 671 00:42:18,235 --> 00:42:21,675 Speaker 1: group No Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Olberman 672 00:42:21,755 --> 00:42:24,035 Speaker 1: theme from ESPN two and it was written by Mitch 673 00:42:24,075 --> 00:42:28,955 Speaker 1: Warren Davis Curtis CBESPN Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Faust, 674 00:42:29,075 --> 00:42:32,155 Speaker 1: the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was 675 00:42:32,155 --> 00:42:34,595 Speaker 1: my friend Larry David, And everything else is pretty much 676 00:42:34,595 --> 00:42:37,075 Speaker 1: my fault. So that's countdown for this the eight hundred 677 00:42:37,115 --> 00:42:40,155 Speaker 1: and eighty fourth day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup 678 00:42:40,555 --> 00:42:43,995 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Don't 679 00:42:44,035 --> 00:42:47,515 Speaker 1: forget to keep arresting him while we still can, like 680 00:42:47,635 --> 00:42:51,795 Speaker 1: today and every day for the rest of his life. 681 00:42:52,155 --> 00:42:54,795 Speaker 1: The next schedule Countdown is tomorrow. Till then, I'm Keith Olberman. 682 00:42:54,995 --> 00:43:04,555 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown 683 00:43:04,795 --> 00:43:08,475 Speaker 1: with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 684 00:43:08,555 --> 00:43:13,515 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 685 00:43:13,555 --> 00:43:15,355 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.