1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,915 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,995 --> 00:00:26,275 Speaker 1: New York Times has to fire Maggie Haberman, and Justice 3 00:00:26,355 --> 00:00:28,915 Speaker 1: Juan mer Shaan of the New York State Supreme Court 4 00:00:28,955 --> 00:00:32,635 Speaker 1: has to jail Trump and order into his courtroom in 5 00:00:32,675 --> 00:00:35,955 Speaker 1: New York City to testify under oath the Speaker of 6 00:00:35,995 --> 00:00:40,555 Speaker 1: the House, Mike Johnson, Senators Tuberville and Vance, Congressman Byron 7 00:00:40,635 --> 00:00:44,395 Speaker 1: Donald's and Corey Mills, Governor Bergram of North Dakota, and 8 00:00:44,555 --> 00:00:48,595 Speaker 1: Vivek Ramaswami, who is some kind of I don't know, 9 00:00:48,835 --> 00:00:54,835 Speaker 1: TV infomercial guy. Because Tuberville has spilled the beans, all 10 00:00:54,955 --> 00:00:58,195 Speaker 1: of those Trump whorees who have shown up the first 11 00:00:58,195 --> 00:01:01,715 Speaker 1: two days of his trial in New York City did 12 00:01:01,795 --> 00:01:05,675 Speaker 1: so as part of some kind of plan to help 13 00:01:05,995 --> 00:01:11,915 Speaker 1: Trump subvert the gag order. Tuberville says this. Tuberville said 14 00:01:11,995 --> 00:01:17,115 Speaker 1: this on the Newsmax propaganda network. So we'll talk about 15 00:01:17,115 --> 00:01:20,835 Speaker 1: the gag order plot first, And I apologize if this 16 00:01:20,875 --> 00:01:22,755 Speaker 1: is a little ragged, but as I said, there is 17 00:01:22,795 --> 00:01:25,955 Speaker 1: a sinus infection in progress, and this is the most 18 00:01:25,995 --> 00:01:28,195 Speaker 1: I could let the doctors or get from the doctors 19 00:01:28,235 --> 00:01:31,315 Speaker 1: to let me do. We're sort of blowing through the headlines. 20 00:01:31,555 --> 00:01:34,755 Speaker 1: Once again. Let me turn to my cliche of cliches. 21 00:01:35,115 --> 00:01:38,795 Speaker 1: Democracy survives less because of our efforts to preserve it 22 00:01:39,195 --> 00:01:42,995 Speaker 1: than because of the stupidity of those trying to destroy it. 23 00:01:44,035 --> 00:01:48,835 Speaker 1: They were there yesterday, Mike Johnson at a trial showing 24 00:01:48,915 --> 00:01:52,395 Speaker 1: loyalty and fealty to Trump, just in time to see 25 00:01:52,675 --> 00:01:57,075 Speaker 1: what happened to Mike Cohen, who showed loyalty and fealty 26 00:01:57,115 --> 00:02:01,195 Speaker 1: to Trump, just as Johnson saw or should have seen, 27 00:02:01,675 --> 00:02:04,955 Speaker 1: or has now evidently forgotten what happened to Mike Vents 28 00:02:05,835 --> 00:02:10,635 Speaker 1: when he showed loyalty and fealty to Donald Trump. Loyalty 29 00:02:10,675 --> 00:02:13,835 Speaker 1: and fealty to Trump is weakness. He will use you, 30 00:02:14,475 --> 00:02:17,555 Speaker 1: exploit you, and then try to get a crowd to 31 00:02:17,755 --> 00:02:23,635 Speaker 1: hang you, Speaker Johnson. Johnson, who attended the trial yesterday, 32 00:02:23,675 --> 00:02:26,475 Speaker 1: stood behind Trump in the background, did not go into 33 00:02:26,515 --> 00:02:29,075 Speaker 1: the court, and simply held a news conference at which 34 00:02:29,075 --> 00:02:34,795 Speaker 1: he declared Trump was innocent. Is particularly dishonorable, even for 35 00:02:34,915 --> 00:02:39,315 Speaker 1: a Republican Speaker of the House, even for a Louisiana 36 00:02:39,475 --> 00:02:43,515 Speaker 1: congressman from the Republican Party, even for a tiny Johnson 37 00:02:43,995 --> 00:02:51,195 Speaker 1: responding flacidly about a porn star Johnson is interfering with 38 00:02:51,275 --> 00:02:55,835 Speaker 1: a defendant and with a prosecution, a defendant who has 39 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:59,075 Speaker 1: been indicted by a grand jury, and he has declared 40 00:02:59,155 --> 00:03:05,235 Speaker 1: him innocent. It is borderline obstruction of justice legally, Ethically, 41 00:03:05,275 --> 00:03:08,795 Speaker 1: it is utter obstruction of justice. Mike Johnson should have 42 00:03:08,915 --> 00:03:14,595 Speaker 1: resigned already. A responsible Republican party, even a somewhat non 43 00:03:14,715 --> 00:03:19,635 Speaker 1: corrupt Republican party, would have thrown him out yesterday. Somewhere 44 00:03:19,835 --> 00:03:22,955 Speaker 1: there must be, in a parallel universe a kind of 45 00:03:23,075 --> 00:03:26,835 Speaker 1: ethical Marjorie Taylor Green who takes umbrage at the Speaker 46 00:03:26,835 --> 00:03:29,315 Speaker 1: of the House using taxpayer money to go to New 47 00:03:29,395 --> 00:03:32,955 Speaker 1: York and declare the biggest criminal in the history of 48 00:03:32,955 --> 00:03:36,675 Speaker 1: the United States innocent without hearing any of the evidence, 49 00:03:36,875 --> 00:03:39,515 Speaker 1: or of course caring about any of the evidence, because 50 00:03:39,675 --> 00:03:43,195 Speaker 1: all it is to them now is power. They don't 51 00:03:43,235 --> 00:03:45,475 Speaker 1: care how they get it, they don't care what it 52 00:03:45,555 --> 00:03:48,355 Speaker 1: costs them to maintain it, and frankly, once they are 53 00:03:48,355 --> 00:03:52,035 Speaker 1: in office, they will kill all of us to maintain it. 54 00:03:52,115 --> 00:03:54,955 Speaker 1: An hour longer. That is what Mike Johnson and the 55 00:03:54,995 --> 00:03:58,875 Speaker 1: other ones, particularly this Ignoramus Tubberville, who looks like he 56 00:03:59,075 --> 00:04:04,395 Speaker 1: escaped from a mausoleum, somewhere and is still somehow talking. 57 00:04:05,115 --> 00:04:08,995 Speaker 1: These guys are revealing to us how far they will 58 00:04:09,035 --> 00:04:12,835 Speaker 1: go to show that they are behind Trump because Trump 59 00:04:12,875 --> 00:04:15,675 Speaker 1: can win them power, and all that matters to them 60 00:04:15,715 --> 00:04:19,315 Speaker 1: in the world is power. The world itself can go 61 00:04:19,435 --> 00:04:24,875 Speaker 1: to hell, and obviously under Trump it will. When Charles 62 00:04:24,955 --> 00:04:30,435 Speaker 1: Manson was arrested and indicted and I believe about to 63 00:04:30,515 --> 00:04:34,715 Speaker 1: go on trial in the Sharon Tate murders of nineteen 64 00:04:34,795 --> 00:04:38,675 Speaker 1: sixty nine, and my exact memory of this and the 65 00:04:38,715 --> 00:04:41,355 Speaker 1: precise timeline is a little vague because I was ten 66 00:04:41,435 --> 00:04:43,915 Speaker 1: or eleven years old at the time. But as the 67 00:04:44,075 --> 00:04:47,955 Speaker 1: trial was about to begin, perhaps just before jury selection, 68 00:04:48,675 --> 00:04:52,195 Speaker 1: or maybe even after the jury had been selected, President 69 00:04:52,315 --> 00:04:58,795 Speaker 1: Richard Nixon intimated that he believed that Manson was guilty. Well, 70 00:04:58,835 --> 00:05:03,395 Speaker 1: they nearly declared a mistrial, They nearly sent Charles Manson 71 00:05:03,835 --> 00:05:07,755 Speaker 1: home for a because Nixon had said something publicly suggesting 72 00:05:07,915 --> 00:05:11,235 Speaker 1: that Manson probably was guilty. I don't think there is 73 00:05:11,915 --> 00:05:16,075 Speaker 1: a parallel legally the other way, in which because Mike Johnson, 74 00:05:16,475 --> 00:05:21,075 Speaker 1: a tiny idiot, a corrupt Speaker of the House, a Republican, 75 00:05:21,475 --> 00:05:24,555 Speaker 1: these things all mean the same thing. Just because he 76 00:05:24,635 --> 00:05:27,355 Speaker 1: said Trump is innocent. That does not mean a judge 77 00:05:27,355 --> 00:05:30,835 Speaker 1: somewhere can declare Trump guilty, although I wish it worked 78 00:05:30,875 --> 00:05:36,155 Speaker 1: that way. There's nothing I don't think that Judge Merschawn 79 00:05:36,315 --> 00:05:41,715 Speaker 1: can do to Johnson, or to Tuberville or that weasel jd. 80 00:05:41,915 --> 00:05:47,315 Speaker 1: Vance or Byron Donald's who is simply a prostitute, or 81 00:05:47,355 --> 00:05:51,795 Speaker 1: Corey Mills, or this god awful burghum from North Dakota 82 00:05:51,875 --> 00:05:54,835 Speaker 1: or Ramaswami. Ramaswami we let off because he did one 83 00:05:54,875 --> 00:05:57,675 Speaker 1: of the funniest Freudian slips of all time, which I'll 84 00:05:57,675 --> 00:05:59,995 Speaker 1: get to in a moment. I don't think they can 85 00:06:00,035 --> 00:06:03,595 Speaker 1: do anything legally to them except to bring them into 86 00:06:03,595 --> 00:06:06,955 Speaker 1: his courtroom and say, what did President Trump tell you 87 00:06:07,035 --> 00:06:10,115 Speaker 1: to say? What did don Trump tell you to say? 88 00:06:10,235 --> 00:06:13,875 Speaker 1: What did this asshole Trump tell you to say? And 89 00:06:13,915 --> 00:06:16,515 Speaker 1: he certainly can do something to Trump, even if he 90 00:06:16,635 --> 00:06:19,515 Speaker 1: has no hard and fast evidence in front of him 91 00:06:19,875 --> 00:06:22,475 Speaker 1: other than what Tubberville said, which I'm about to play 92 00:06:22,475 --> 00:06:26,075 Speaker 1: for you. He can say you are in contempt of 93 00:06:26,115 --> 00:06:28,355 Speaker 1: court and you are going to Rikers Island. Do not 94 00:06:28,515 --> 00:06:31,395 Speaker 1: pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Because if 95 00:06:31,435 --> 00:06:35,035 Speaker 1: Trump went further and literally asked them to say the 96 00:06:35,115 --> 00:06:38,875 Speaker 1: things he is forbidden from saying by the gag order. 97 00:06:39,755 --> 00:06:44,275 Speaker 1: This would be contempt of court by Trump. The gag 98 00:06:44,395 --> 00:06:47,235 Speaker 1: order says not only that he may not talk about 99 00:06:47,275 --> 00:06:50,155 Speaker 1: the jury, talk about the case, talk about the witnesses, 100 00:06:50,195 --> 00:06:54,355 Speaker 1: talk about their honesty, insult the judge's daughter, which several 101 00:06:54,395 --> 00:06:57,915 Speaker 1: of them did. Not only he can't do those things, 102 00:06:57,995 --> 00:07:02,835 Speaker 1: but he cannot instruct others to do so, because if 103 00:07:02,915 --> 00:07:06,355 Speaker 1: Trump asked them to say the thing he is forbidden 104 00:07:06,395 --> 00:07:10,235 Speaker 1: from saying by the gag order, its contemptive court. And 105 00:07:10,355 --> 00:07:18,155 Speaker 1: guess what, Senator Dumbo himself. Tubberville went on Newsmax and 106 00:07:18,235 --> 00:07:20,515 Speaker 1: basically said, oh yeah, Trump did ask us to say 107 00:07:20,515 --> 00:07:22,875 Speaker 1: the things he's forbidden from saying by the gag order. 108 00:07:22,875 --> 00:07:25,235 Speaker 2: Hopefully we have more and more senators and Congressmen go 109 00:07:25,315 --> 00:07:27,395 Speaker 2: up every day to represent him and be able to 110 00:07:27,435 --> 00:07:29,795 Speaker 2: go out and overcome this gag order. And that's one 111 00:07:29,795 --> 00:07:31,475 Speaker 2: of the reasons we went is to be able to 112 00:07:31,475 --> 00:07:33,795 Speaker 2: speak our peace of for President Trump. 113 00:07:33,995 --> 00:07:36,275 Speaker 1: It is a sobering time to consider that we have 114 00:07:36,315 --> 00:07:41,035 Speaker 1: elected one of the stupidest college football coaches to ever 115 00:07:41,115 --> 00:07:44,995 Speaker 1: live into the Senate, that we have put him there, 116 00:07:46,795 --> 00:07:51,195 Speaker 1: and despite those ears, he never listens. The good news 117 00:07:51,315 --> 00:07:55,035 Speaker 1: is we have put into the Senate one of the 118 00:07:55,075 --> 00:07:58,875 Speaker 1: stupidest college football coaches who ever lived. And he gives 119 00:07:58,915 --> 00:08:01,875 Speaker 1: away the plot in this case that is meant literally 120 00:08:02,115 --> 00:08:05,915 Speaker 1: the plot for Trump to get around the gag order. 121 00:08:05,955 --> 00:08:10,355 Speaker 1: You heard what he just said. And Justice Merschaan, who 122 00:08:10,395 --> 00:08:14,675 Speaker 1: has not been aggressive about the penalty phase of contemptive court, 123 00:08:15,275 --> 00:08:18,675 Speaker 1: but has been aggressive about dealing with this issue and 124 00:08:18,955 --> 00:08:21,195 Speaker 1: telling people he wants them to act in a certain 125 00:08:21,235 --> 00:08:26,155 Speaker 1: way and holding hearings. He should hold a hearing, and 126 00:08:26,235 --> 00:08:28,595 Speaker 1: he should bring in Tommy Tupperville, and he should bring 127 00:08:28,635 --> 00:08:32,115 Speaker 1: in all the rest of them and Johnson. He should 128 00:08:32,115 --> 00:08:34,555 Speaker 1: bring them in and swear them in and have them testify, 129 00:08:36,635 --> 00:08:39,915 Speaker 1: and vivek Ramaswami and see if you can get vivek 130 00:08:40,035 --> 00:08:46,315 Speaker 1: Ramaswami to repeat this Freudian slip, the Freudian slip of 131 00:08:46,355 --> 00:08:49,955 Speaker 1: the trial, and perhaps so far the Freudian slip of 132 00:08:49,995 --> 00:08:51,555 Speaker 1: the year. May God bless our country. 133 00:08:51,595 --> 00:08:53,915 Speaker 2: I pray for our future, and let's pray for our 134 00:08:53,955 --> 00:08:57,035 Speaker 2: country being stronger on the other side of this disgusting 135 00:08:57,435 --> 00:08:59,115 Speaker 2: sham politician prosecution. 136 00:08:59,795 --> 00:09:02,835 Speaker 1: This once again proves that just because you talk fast 137 00:09:03,475 --> 00:09:08,955 Speaker 1: does not mean you are talking true. Ah, thank goodness 138 00:09:08,955 --> 00:09:13,635 Speaker 1: for vivike Ramaswami. A psychology friend of mine once explained 139 00:09:13,635 --> 00:09:16,275 Speaker 1: that the faster you talk, the more likely it is 140 00:09:16,635 --> 00:09:20,035 Speaker 1: that something true will sneak out before you even realize 141 00:09:20,075 --> 00:09:24,195 Speaker 1: you've said it. And particularly that's true, she said, if 142 00:09:24,955 --> 00:09:28,915 Speaker 1: you are lying at high speed, and if you are 143 00:09:28,995 --> 00:09:31,835 Speaker 1: lying at high speed and the truth comes out like 144 00:09:31,875 --> 00:09:35,915 Speaker 1: that about the scam politicians, it is comforting to know 145 00:09:35,995 --> 00:09:40,395 Speaker 1: that when I call vivike Ramaswami a Trump whore, Okay, 146 00:09:40,395 --> 00:09:45,995 Speaker 1: there's your evidence. He's a Trump whore. He is deliberately 147 00:09:46,075 --> 00:09:50,195 Speaker 1: telling things that are not true, saying them aloud, participating 148 00:09:50,195 --> 00:09:55,435 Speaker 1: in plots, and he doesn't even believe that there's anything 149 00:09:56,675 --> 00:10:01,915 Speaker 1: worthwhile in Trump. He is too. Vivike Ramaswami a scam. 150 00:10:05,155 --> 00:10:09,075 Speaker 1: This obscured to some degree the actual cross examination of 151 00:10:09,075 --> 00:10:12,875 Speaker 1: Michael Cohen. And again, I am just amazed by how 152 00:10:12,875 --> 00:10:16,755 Speaker 1: many stupid people there are attempting to overthrow this government, 153 00:10:16,835 --> 00:10:21,995 Speaker 1: Todd Blanche, Trump's lawyer being one of them. Todd Blanche's 154 00:10:22,035 --> 00:10:25,995 Speaker 1: first question to Michael Cohen, you went on TikTok and 155 00:10:26,075 --> 00:10:29,195 Speaker 1: called me a crying little shit just before this trial began, 156 00:10:29,555 --> 00:10:32,555 Speaker 1: and Cohen calmly said, sounds like something I would say. 157 00:10:32,875 --> 00:10:34,795 Speaker 1: And it went on and on and on and on 158 00:10:34,875 --> 00:10:38,715 Speaker 1: from there, just trying to get Cohen on the record 159 00:10:38,755 --> 00:10:41,715 Speaker 1: saying all the nasty things he said about Trump and 160 00:10:41,755 --> 00:10:44,395 Speaker 1: about others, and then all the other nice things he 161 00:10:44,475 --> 00:10:47,075 Speaker 1: had said about Trump, to indicate that he said one 162 00:10:47,115 --> 00:10:50,195 Speaker 1: thing once and something else the other time. But where 163 00:10:50,195 --> 00:10:54,555 Speaker 1: did they start. They started with the insult to Todd 164 00:10:54,595 --> 00:11:00,075 Speaker 1: Blanche and the question from Todd Blanche about Todd Blanche. 165 00:11:01,795 --> 00:11:04,355 Speaker 1: They thought this would impeach Michael Cohen as a witness, 166 00:11:04,395 --> 00:11:09,715 Speaker 1: because us here's the shocking thing. Trump's world consists of 167 00:11:09,795 --> 00:11:15,035 Speaker 1: people who, to some degree, unlike vivid Ramaswami, actually believe 168 00:11:15,155 --> 00:11:19,315 Speaker 1: the bullshit, their own bullshit. They believe the first piece 169 00:11:19,355 --> 00:11:22,035 Speaker 1: of Trump World, that apparently everybody who gets sucked into it, 170 00:11:22,395 --> 00:11:26,835 Speaker 1: actually believes that the world agrees with them, almost unanimously, 171 00:11:27,155 --> 00:11:30,275 Speaker 1: that they are the victims here, that they are being crucified, 172 00:11:30,555 --> 00:11:33,675 Speaker 1: that he is some sort of Christ with bad hair. 173 00:11:34,795 --> 00:11:39,555 Speaker 1: They believe this somewhere in the back of this moron 174 00:11:39,675 --> 00:11:43,235 Speaker 1: Blanche's mind when he said that, and God calling to 175 00:11:43,395 --> 00:11:47,075 Speaker 1: confirm that he had called Blanche a crying little shit 176 00:11:48,115 --> 00:11:51,035 Speaker 1: that the trial should have ended right there. That is 177 00:11:51,075 --> 00:11:56,075 Speaker 1: how these people now think, Wow, you got him to 178 00:11:56,115 --> 00:11:58,995 Speaker 1: admit he wants to see Trump in jail and that 179 00:11:59,075 --> 00:12:02,235 Speaker 1: he lied for Trump and then told the truth about Trump. Wow, 180 00:12:02,795 --> 00:12:06,475 Speaker 1: great lawyer. I hope it's a flat rate than rather 181 00:12:06,515 --> 00:12:11,835 Speaker 1: than per hour. There's one other thing about reading all 182 00:12:11,875 --> 00:12:14,715 Speaker 1: of these quotes, or confirming all of these quotes that 183 00:12:14,835 --> 00:12:18,635 Speaker 1: touched a nerve with me. I have never testified, but 184 00:12:18,755 --> 00:12:22,955 Speaker 1: I did undergo one of the worst ordeals of my life, 185 00:12:22,995 --> 00:12:26,275 Speaker 1: and compared to the ordeals of others in similar situations, 186 00:12:26,355 --> 00:12:29,275 Speaker 1: it wasn't that bad. But I did two days of 187 00:12:29,315 --> 00:12:34,395 Speaker 1: a deposition in twenty thirteen in my lawsuit against al 188 00:12:34,515 --> 00:12:39,675 Speaker 1: Gore and Company, and it turned out later that the 189 00:12:39,795 --> 00:12:44,595 Speaker 1: attorney was somewhat friendly to me and literally pulled punches 190 00:12:44,675 --> 00:12:48,715 Speaker 1: legally could have hit me a little bit harder, did not. 191 00:12:49,355 --> 00:12:56,715 Speaker 1: We had friendly conversations afterwards. In any event, one thing 192 00:12:56,875 --> 00:13:00,195 Speaker 1: my attorneys did, and my attorneys were the best, and 193 00:13:00,275 --> 00:13:03,155 Speaker 1: they prepared me with one thousand wonderful pieces of advice 194 00:13:03,275 --> 00:13:06,355 Speaker 1: to take into a deposition, and one of the best 195 00:13:06,395 --> 00:13:10,475 Speaker 1: of them was if they ask you to read your 196 00:13:10,515 --> 00:13:14,315 Speaker 1: own emails or your own words, and they're filled with 197 00:13:14,475 --> 00:13:21,235 Speaker 1: insults and obscenities about anybody in the organization. Don't say well, 198 00:13:21,275 --> 00:13:24,635 Speaker 1: what I meant was, don't equivocate, don't say well I 199 00:13:24,675 --> 00:13:27,555 Speaker 1: was a little angry at the time. Don't say embrace them, 200 00:13:28,195 --> 00:13:34,755 Speaker 1: sing them, especially the obscenities. And I was handed an 201 00:13:34,795 --> 00:13:37,995 Speaker 1: email about fifty of them they handed me at various 202 00:13:38,035 --> 00:13:40,915 Speaker 1: times through these two days, and I was asked to 203 00:13:40,955 --> 00:13:44,755 Speaker 1: read this, and I suddenly remembered it. The nicest thing 204 00:13:44,955 --> 00:13:47,875 Speaker 1: in this email, which was probably about one hundred words long, 205 00:13:48,235 --> 00:13:51,875 Speaker 1: was when I called one of the executives a jiminy 206 00:13:51,955 --> 00:13:55,955 Speaker 1: cricket passed bastard. That was the nicest, most polite thing. 207 00:13:56,115 --> 00:14:00,035 Speaker 1: The rest of it was just a string of adjectival 208 00:14:00,075 --> 00:14:04,235 Speaker 1: curse words. And I started to hedge and hesitate, and 209 00:14:04,235 --> 00:14:06,915 Speaker 1: then I rem I heard my lawyer's advice, and I 210 00:14:07,035 --> 00:14:12,155 Speaker 1: yelled it, do I have your permission to call this? 211 00:14:14,315 --> 00:14:16,475 Speaker 1: And they actually asked me if I would quiet down 212 00:14:16,475 --> 00:14:18,395 Speaker 1: a little bit. And it was the last time that 213 00:14:18,435 --> 00:14:20,875 Speaker 1: they actually thought they were going to threaten me by 214 00:14:20,875 --> 00:14:26,435 Speaker 1: getting me to read my own words aloud. And now 215 00:14:26,475 --> 00:14:32,955 Speaker 1: to the other topic. I asked yesterday for a Walter 216 00:14:33,195 --> 00:14:40,075 Speaker 1: Cronkite moment from The New York Times, some awareness that 217 00:14:40,235 --> 00:14:44,435 Speaker 1: everything we know in this country, every freedom, every piece 218 00:14:44,475 --> 00:14:50,675 Speaker 1: of history, every law rests on Donald Trump or any 219 00:14:50,715 --> 00:14:55,995 Speaker 1: other Republican not becoming president next January twentieth. It is 220 00:14:56,195 --> 00:15:00,995 Speaker 1: a black and white choice. It is binary. If Trump 221 00:15:01,075 --> 00:15:04,475 Speaker 1: gets elected, the democracy is over. We may never have 222 00:15:04,515 --> 00:15:07,755 Speaker 1: an election again. We may not get out from under 223 00:15:07,755 --> 00:15:11,875 Speaker 1: the yoke of Trump until he dies. He may try 224 00:15:11,995 --> 00:15:14,475 Speaker 1: to stay in office forever and turn it into a 225 00:15:14,555 --> 00:15:17,755 Speaker 1: kind of monarchy, or make the presidency of the United 226 00:15:17,795 --> 00:15:23,435 Speaker 1: States much like the presidency of Russia. It's a nice word, 227 00:15:23,475 --> 00:15:26,155 Speaker 1: but it really doesn't have anything to do in terms 228 00:15:26,195 --> 00:15:30,995 Speaker 1: of describing the job. You get that, I get that, 229 00:15:31,795 --> 00:15:35,035 Speaker 1: Trump gets that. The New York Times, the New York Times, 230 00:15:35,035 --> 00:15:37,075 Speaker 1: does not get that. What I want from them is 231 00:15:37,155 --> 00:15:42,355 Speaker 1: some sudden awareness, as in the examples I gave yesterday. 232 00:15:42,355 --> 00:15:44,595 Speaker 1: Walter Cronkite had in nineteen sixty eight, after a trip 233 00:15:44,635 --> 00:15:47,795 Speaker 1: to Vietnam, as Walter Cronkite had very early on in 234 00:15:47,915 --> 00:15:51,555 Speaker 1: the Watergate scandal in October of nineteen seventy two, to 235 00:15:51,635 --> 00:15:56,155 Speaker 1: come out and take a stance in defense of this 236 00:15:56,275 --> 00:16:00,795 Speaker 1: nation and in defense of this nation at an imperiled time, 237 00:16:01,755 --> 00:16:04,635 Speaker 1: as the New York Times did during the Civil War, 238 00:16:06,795 --> 00:16:14,315 Speaker 1: and not often since. I asked for a Walter Cronkite moment, 239 00:16:14,475 --> 00:16:19,075 Speaker 1: and I got a Judith Miller moment for the second 240 00:16:19,075 --> 00:16:22,795 Speaker 1: time in this trial, but apparently the first time anybody noticed. 241 00:16:23,515 --> 00:16:27,555 Speaker 1: There were texts introduced as part of the People's case 242 00:16:27,675 --> 00:16:34,515 Speaker 1: against Trump. People's exhibit to sixty texts from February thirteenth, 243 00:16:34,555 --> 00:16:40,755 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen from witness Michael Cohen to Maggie Haberman of 244 00:16:40,795 --> 00:16:45,155 Speaker 1: The New York Times. Quote, Big Boss, just to prove 245 00:16:45,275 --> 00:16:49,675 Speaker 1: my responding to complaint and statement, Please start writing and 246 00:16:49,795 --> 00:16:55,395 Speaker 1: I will call you soon. Big Boss just approved my 247 00:16:55,635 --> 00:16:59,075 Speaker 1: responding to complaint and statement. Well, what did Maggie Haberman 248 00:16:59,155 --> 00:17:03,955 Speaker 1: write on February thirteenth, twenty eighteen? What was she texting 249 00:17:04,115 --> 00:17:06,995 Speaker 1: off the record with Michael Cohen about on February thirteenth, 250 00:17:06,995 --> 00:17:10,835 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. While there it is on the internet. February thirteenth, 251 00:17:10,835 --> 00:17:15,875 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, New York Times by Maggie Haberman. Quote Michael D. Cohen, 252 00:17:15,955 --> 00:17:19,555 Speaker 1: President Trump's longtime personal lawyer, said on Tuesday that he 253 00:17:20,315 --> 00:17:22,595 Speaker 1: paid one hundred and thirty thousand dollars out of his 254 00:17:22,675 --> 00:17:25,955 Speaker 1: own pocket to a pornographic film actress who had once 255 00:17:25,995 --> 00:17:27,835 Speaker 1: claimed to have had an affair with mister Trump. In 256 00:17:27,875 --> 00:17:30,955 Speaker 1: the most detailed explanation of the twenty sixteen payment made 257 00:17:30,995 --> 00:17:33,115 Speaker 1: to the actress, mister Cohen, who worked as a counsel 258 00:17:33,195 --> 00:17:35,635 Speaker 1: to the Trump organization for more than a decade, said 259 00:17:35,675 --> 00:17:40,115 Speaker 1: he was not reimbursed for the payment. Neither the Trump 260 00:17:40,195 --> 00:17:42,635 Speaker 1: Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the 261 00:17:42,635 --> 00:17:46,235 Speaker 1: transaction with miss Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, 262 00:17:46,315 --> 00:17:49,875 Speaker 1: either directly or indirectly. Mister Cohen said in a statement 263 00:17:49,915 --> 00:17:52,715 Speaker 1: to The New York Times, the payment to miss Clifford 264 00:17:52,755 --> 00:17:55,315 Speaker 1: was lawful and was not a campaign contribution or a 265 00:17:55,315 --> 00:18:01,915 Speaker 1: campaign expenditure by anyone. She printed it. There are no caveats, 266 00:18:01,915 --> 00:18:05,155 Speaker 1: There are no questions about the authenticity of the statement. 267 00:18:06,515 --> 00:18:10,075 Speaker 1: She printed it. She printed it as if the only 268 00:18:10,155 --> 00:18:15,595 Speaker 1: thing that were a fact in here that mattered was 269 00:18:15,635 --> 00:18:21,315 Speaker 1: that Cohen said this, not whether or not it was true. 270 00:18:21,355 --> 00:18:25,395 Speaker 1: February fourteenth, twenty eighteen, by Maggie Haberman. Oh, he got 271 00:18:25,435 --> 00:18:29,155 Speaker 1: two articles in which she lied for him and Trump 272 00:18:29,675 --> 00:18:32,835 Speaker 1: and The New York Times lied for Michael Cohen and 273 00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:37,115 Speaker 1: Trump February fourteenth, twenty eighteen by Maggie Haberman The New 274 00:18:37,155 --> 00:18:40,475 Speaker 1: York Times. The admission by President Trump's longtime personal lawyer 275 00:18:40,475 --> 00:18:44,195 Speaker 1: that he sent one hundred thirty thousand dollars to a 276 00:18:44,195 --> 00:18:48,035 Speaker 1: pornographic film actress blah blah, blah, blah blah, has raised 277 00:18:48,075 --> 00:18:54,315 Speaker 1: potential legal questions ranging from breach of contract to ethics violations. 278 00:18:54,795 --> 00:18:57,795 Speaker 1: That's the range. Breach of contract to ethics violations. Not 279 00:18:58,235 --> 00:19:02,395 Speaker 1: an attempt to subvert the twenty sixteen presidential election. Not 280 00:19:02,675 --> 00:19:05,755 Speaker 1: lies on behalf of the then president of the United States. 281 00:19:05,795 --> 00:19:09,875 Speaker 1: Not hush money being paid to a pornographic actress so 282 00:19:09,915 --> 00:19:13,755 Speaker 1: that her story would not come out and sink his campaign. No, 283 00:19:15,795 --> 00:19:19,715 Speaker 1: has raised potential legal questions. That's all she wrote. That's 284 00:19:19,755 --> 00:19:24,915 Speaker 1: where that phrase comes from. That's all she wrote. The 285 00:19:24,995 --> 00:19:27,315 Speaker 1: lawyer Michael D. Cohen told The New York Times, well, 286 00:19:27,315 --> 00:19:30,435 Speaker 1: therefore it must be true on Tuesday that he had 287 00:19:30,515 --> 00:19:34,995 Speaker 1: used his own funds to facilitate the payment, adding that 288 00:19:35,035 --> 00:19:38,355 Speaker 1: neither the Trump organization nor the Trump campaign had reimbursed 289 00:19:38,395 --> 00:19:40,515 Speaker 1: him for the payment. He insisted that the payment was legal, 290 00:19:40,755 --> 00:19:44,435 Speaker 1: So she lied for Cohen, and Cohen lied for Trump 291 00:19:44,515 --> 00:19:46,755 Speaker 1: and Trump lied to the American people to get elected. 292 00:19:47,195 --> 00:19:51,875 Speaker 1: And there it is still online, not even a correction 293 00:19:51,995 --> 00:19:53,955 Speaker 1: note at the bottom of it by the New York Times. 294 00:19:54,955 --> 00:19:57,555 Speaker 1: Nothing better than a New York Times correction note, We're sorry, 295 00:19:57,595 --> 00:20:01,715 Speaker 1: we destroyed the country. We got this one small detail wrong. 296 00:20:05,675 --> 00:20:09,355 Speaker 1: When this came out, that these texts to Maggie Haberman 297 00:20:09,435 --> 00:20:14,275 Speaker 1: from Michael Cohen indicated that she was an accessory after 298 00:20:14,315 --> 00:20:17,115 Speaker 1: the fact to the Michael Cohen bullshit story on behalf 299 00:20:17,155 --> 00:20:20,195 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump, for which he is now on trial, 300 00:20:21,275 --> 00:20:24,595 Speaker 1: for which Cohen went to jail. When this came out, 301 00:20:24,915 --> 00:20:27,555 Speaker 1: surprisingly enough, there was a lot of criticism of Maggie 302 00:20:27,555 --> 00:20:29,395 Speaker 1: Haberman and The New York Times, and in fact, in 303 00:20:29,435 --> 00:20:33,475 Speaker 1: some quarters, Maggie Haberman was defended. She was defended by, 304 00:20:33,915 --> 00:20:37,035 Speaker 1: for one, the editor in chief of Mother Jones, which 305 00:20:37,075 --> 00:20:41,115 Speaker 1: is not exactly a conservative organization. I read this defense 306 00:20:41,195 --> 00:20:44,635 Speaker 1: with great interest and took it quite seriously and said, well, 307 00:20:45,515 --> 00:20:49,435 Speaker 1: you got this one wrong. The editor in chief said, Look, 308 00:20:49,835 --> 00:20:53,435 Speaker 1: there are transactions in any relationship with any source, and 309 00:20:53,475 --> 00:20:56,675 Speaker 1: that's true. I've had them. I've had them in sports, 310 00:20:56,715 --> 00:20:58,635 Speaker 1: have had them in news. Often you will help a 311 00:20:58,715 --> 00:21:01,675 Speaker 1: source by quoting them. On a story that maybe you 312 00:21:01,675 --> 00:21:06,795 Speaker 1: wouldn't have otherwise, quoted them in, or paraphrasing something they said, 313 00:21:06,915 --> 00:21:09,275 Speaker 1: or emphasizing what they said as opposed to what somebody 314 00:21:09,275 --> 00:21:11,995 Speaker 1: else said, or in some other way making a story 315 00:21:12,035 --> 00:21:18,195 Speaker 1: easier for them. You can even ethically shade a story 316 00:21:18,235 --> 00:21:22,075 Speaker 1: towards them or their point of view in areas of dispute. 317 00:21:22,515 --> 00:21:28,115 Speaker 1: It's very flexible, the relationship between a source and a reporter. 318 00:21:28,395 --> 00:21:30,635 Speaker 1: I mean, to begin with, the source is giving you 319 00:21:30,715 --> 00:21:34,315 Speaker 1: information you probably should not be having, and you are 320 00:21:34,355 --> 00:21:37,395 Speaker 1: giving them anonymity that they probably should not be getting. 321 00:21:38,435 --> 00:21:41,955 Speaker 1: But all of this is always predicated. And I was 322 00:21:42,555 --> 00:21:46,475 Speaker 1: told this, I guess in high school. I certainly was 323 00:21:46,515 --> 00:21:50,035 Speaker 1: told it at my college radio station, where we apparently 324 00:21:50,075 --> 00:21:52,995 Speaker 1: had higher ethical standards of journalism than The New York 325 00:21:53,035 --> 00:21:56,355 Speaker 1: Times does now, and definitely at my first news organization, 326 00:21:56,475 --> 00:22:01,035 Speaker 1: United Press International. The premise of any transaction between a 327 00:22:01,075 --> 00:22:03,995 Speaker 1: reporter and a source is that whatever you wind up 328 00:22:04,155 --> 00:22:11,475 Speaker 1: printing or reporting or publishing must be the truth. It 329 00:22:11,555 --> 00:22:14,515 Speaker 1: is not enough merely to be a fact that somebody 330 00:22:14,555 --> 00:22:17,395 Speaker 1: has told you something. That fact of somebody telling you 331 00:22:17,435 --> 00:22:21,555 Speaker 1: something may itself contain a lie or a series of lies. 332 00:22:21,875 --> 00:22:24,875 Speaker 1: Or enough lies to influence the outcome of a presidential election. 333 00:22:25,115 --> 00:22:26,835 Speaker 1: It's not enough to have a series of facts. You 334 00:22:26,915 --> 00:22:29,795 Speaker 1: have to tell the god damned truth. And Maggie Habrenman 335 00:22:29,915 --> 00:22:35,915 Speaker 1: does not tell the goddamned truth. This is the difference. 336 00:22:37,675 --> 00:22:42,435 Speaker 1: There are facts. Donald Trump says he's actually Jesus Christ, 337 00:22:42,475 --> 00:22:46,355 Speaker 1: only with bad hair. Well, let's just print that without 338 00:22:46,355 --> 00:22:54,995 Speaker 1: any notation that it's crazy. You could factually say, well, 339 00:22:55,035 --> 00:22:58,555 Speaker 1: Trump said that, Therefore we can print it because it's factual. 340 00:22:59,435 --> 00:23:04,515 Speaker 1: If I said the democracy is hanging by a thread 341 00:23:04,835 --> 00:23:07,675 Speaker 1: from the top of the Washington Monument right now and 342 00:23:07,755 --> 00:23:12,275 Speaker 1: we need everyone to rally towards it, to have a 343 00:23:12,315 --> 00:23:16,555 Speaker 1: Walter Cronkite moment, well it's a fact that I've said. That, 344 00:23:16,795 --> 00:23:19,875 Speaker 1: is it the truth? You have to put some effort 345 00:23:19,955 --> 00:23:24,675 Speaker 1: into it. And there are circumstances under which no amount 346 00:23:24,915 --> 00:23:28,395 Speaker 1: of digging by the reporter can verify whether or not 347 00:23:28,755 --> 00:23:33,755 Speaker 1: the facts of the statement are in fact truth. There 348 00:23:33,835 --> 00:23:36,155 Speaker 1: are occasions in which there's no way to do that. 349 00:23:36,555 --> 00:23:40,555 Speaker 1: And conceivably, when Michael Cohen texts you, big boss, just 350 00:23:40,595 --> 00:23:43,715 Speaker 1: to prove my responding to complain and statement on February thirteenth, 351 00:23:43,835 --> 00:23:46,035 Speaker 1: and you're writing on February thirteenth, you may not be 352 00:23:46,115 --> 00:23:49,595 Speaker 1: able to disprove what he has told you. But if 353 00:23:49,635 --> 00:23:52,555 Speaker 1: you're writing it again on February fourteenth, to goddamn betterwell 354 00:23:52,555 --> 00:23:55,195 Speaker 1: have checked it out. And Maggie Haberman did not do it. 355 00:23:56,715 --> 00:24:05,555 Speaker 1: She did not do it. And what happens after that? Well, 356 00:24:06,355 --> 00:24:10,875 Speaker 1: who got the Pulitzer Prize for covering Trump? Maggie Haberman 357 00:24:10,955 --> 00:24:13,755 Speaker 1: of the New York Times, who was in court the 358 00:24:13,835 --> 00:24:18,435 Speaker 1: other day dismissing Michael Cohen's testimony about what Trump told 359 00:24:18,475 --> 00:24:23,035 Speaker 1: her would happen if the stormy Daniel's story got out, 360 00:24:23,035 --> 00:24:25,595 Speaker 1: what would happen to his marriage? She dismissed it as 361 00:24:25,675 --> 00:24:30,435 Speaker 1: legal hearsay. Trump says to Michael Cohen, well, I won't 362 00:24:30,435 --> 00:24:32,875 Speaker 1: be on the market for long. And she dismisses that 363 00:24:32,915 --> 00:24:35,555 Speaker 1: at hearsay in the New York Times, and no one 364 00:24:35,595 --> 00:24:42,555 Speaker 1: corrects her. And they will sit there and twist this 365 00:24:42,755 --> 00:24:48,995 Speaker 1: and turn themselves into pretzels with so many knots to 366 00:24:49,115 --> 00:24:50,955 Speaker 1: convince themselves at the New York Times that they have 367 00:24:50,995 --> 00:24:54,235 Speaker 1: done nothing wrong, that they are the paragons of journalism, 368 00:24:54,235 --> 00:24:57,755 Speaker 1: that they have never made a mistake, despite that fellow 369 00:24:57,755 --> 00:25:00,435 Speaker 1: Blair they fired years ago just made up every story 370 00:25:00,435 --> 00:25:04,195 Speaker 1: and every source he ever had, and despite Judith Miller, 371 00:25:04,235 --> 00:25:06,755 Speaker 1: who I am, and again I will congratulate you if 372 00:25:06,755 --> 00:25:10,355 Speaker 1: you don't know who Judith Miller was. Judith Miller was 373 00:25:10,435 --> 00:25:12,955 Speaker 1: the Maggie Haberman of two thousand and two and two 374 00:25:12,995 --> 00:25:17,355 Speaker 1: thousand and three. Judith Miller was the irreproachable New York 375 00:25:17,355 --> 00:25:21,795 Speaker 1: Times reporter who actually turned out to be merely serving 376 00:25:21,835 --> 00:25:26,035 Speaker 1: the role of the person who washed the Bush governments. 377 00:25:26,315 --> 00:25:31,235 Speaker 1: Lies about the non existence of weapons of mass destruction 378 00:25:31,355 --> 00:25:36,155 Speaker 1: in Iraq, the lynchpin to the phony made up George W. 379 00:25:36,235 --> 00:25:40,075 Speaker 1: Bush will burn in hell if any of the world's 380 00:25:40,075 --> 00:25:45,275 Speaker 1: religions are correct. Bullshit. The person who sold that more 381 00:25:45,955 --> 00:25:49,115 Speaker 1: than Colin Powell sold it at the United Nations was 382 00:25:49,235 --> 00:25:53,035 Speaker 1: Judith Miller of the New York Times in other worlds, 383 00:25:53,075 --> 00:25:57,795 Speaker 1: in other markets, Judith Miller's crimes against journalism were so 384 00:25:58,115 --> 00:26:03,155 Speaker 1: profound and so many that her organization would have gone 385 00:26:03,195 --> 00:26:06,955 Speaker 1: out of business. It didn't. In fact, she got a 386 00:26:06,995 --> 00:26:09,995 Speaker 1: best seller out of it, a best seller on the 387 00:26:10,115 --> 00:26:15,155 Speaker 1: New York Times bestseller list. Judith Miller wrote story after 388 00:26:15,235 --> 00:26:19,315 Speaker 1: story simply repeating what the White House under Bush and 389 00:26:19,395 --> 00:26:23,315 Speaker 1: Rumsfeld and Cheney and Colin Powell all said. And we 390 00:26:23,395 --> 00:26:25,715 Speaker 1: put Colin Powell last because he later went out there 391 00:26:25,755 --> 00:26:29,595 Speaker 1: and said, I got it all wrong. I didn't know 392 00:26:29,715 --> 00:26:32,475 Speaker 1: I was lying. I was lying. Set it on NBC. 393 00:26:35,395 --> 00:26:39,595 Speaker 1: Still he lied. They all lied, and Judith Miller was 394 00:26:39,635 --> 00:26:41,475 Speaker 1: the one who typed the lies up and put them 395 00:26:41,475 --> 00:26:44,515 Speaker 1: in the goddamned New York Times. And when she was caught, 396 00:26:44,835 --> 00:26:49,675 Speaker 1: when they forced her to resign after she had also 397 00:26:49,875 --> 00:26:55,715 Speaker 1: outed Valerie Plame as a CIA agent on behalf of 398 00:26:55,755 --> 00:27:01,995 Speaker 1: Scooter Libby, who was another one of these Bushies. After 399 00:27:02,115 --> 00:27:05,755 Speaker 1: they destroyed Valerie Plame's intelligence career to try to discredit 400 00:27:05,795 --> 00:27:07,915 Speaker 1: her husband because her husband had written a piece in 401 00:27:07,955 --> 00:27:10,955 Speaker 1: The New York Times explaining that there were no weapons 402 00:27:10,955 --> 00:27:15,395 Speaker 1: of mass destruction because the uranium that Saddam Hussein supposedly 403 00:27:15,395 --> 00:27:20,195 Speaker 1: bought in Niger did not exist. After Judith Miller bent 404 00:27:20,315 --> 00:27:22,555 Speaker 1: the rules of the New York Times to discredit and 405 00:27:22,715 --> 00:27:25,515 Speaker 1: op ed printed in The New York Times that contained 406 00:27:25,595 --> 00:27:28,475 Speaker 1: more journalistic integrity in it than in the entirety of 407 00:27:28,515 --> 00:27:32,835 Speaker 1: her career. After they forced her out, she explained, quote, 408 00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:35,795 Speaker 1: my job isn't to assess the government's information and be 409 00:27:35,835 --> 00:27:39,715 Speaker 1: an independent intelligence analyst myself. My job is to tell 410 00:27:39,795 --> 00:27:43,475 Speaker 1: readers of the New York Times what the government thought 411 00:27:43,595 --> 00:27:52,875 Speaker 1: about Iraq's arsenal bullshit. Judith Miller wound up on Fox News, 412 00:27:53,515 --> 00:27:56,395 Speaker 1: which is where she should have been all along. People 413 00:27:56,435 --> 00:28:01,035 Speaker 1: who can contort themselves into pretzels explaining why their immorality 414 00:28:01,195 --> 00:28:05,995 Speaker 1: is morality wind up on Fox News. What is a 415 00:28:05,995 --> 00:28:10,515 Speaker 1: fact and what is the truth and what is the difference? 416 00:28:12,155 --> 00:28:15,435 Speaker 1: And the answer is Maggie Haberman could not tell you. 417 00:28:15,795 --> 00:28:20,195 Speaker 1: That is why the New York Times must fire her. 418 00:28:21,435 --> 00:28:29,035 Speaker 1: Getting less publicity from the New York Times. A grotesque 419 00:28:30,075 --> 00:28:33,715 Speaker 1: ass named a Steed Herndon, who is a New York 420 00:28:33,715 --> 00:28:37,275 Speaker 1: Times White House correspondent who has been in this podcast before. 421 00:28:38,155 --> 00:28:41,795 Speaker 1: Somebody writes on Twitter x about the unlikelihood that President 422 00:28:41,835 --> 00:28:44,595 Speaker 1: Biden can fix all the flaws in his presidency before 423 00:28:44,635 --> 00:28:47,595 Speaker 1: the election, and he subtweets the link to this article 424 00:28:47,675 --> 00:28:51,235 Speaker 1: and says, I've said this one hundred times, but it's 425 00:28:51,275 --> 00:28:54,355 Speaker 1: not the message. It's the messenger. That is not to 426 00:28:54,355 --> 00:28:59,835 Speaker 1: say he can't win. He can, but the msnbcfication of 427 00:28:59,955 --> 00:29:05,115 Speaker 1: National Democrats has blinded them to his problems. DEM's cleared 428 00:29:05,115 --> 00:29:08,435 Speaker 1: the field for an unpopular candidate. You do that, you 429 00:29:08,555 --> 00:29:22,555 Speaker 1: get a hard election. Astead Herndon emphasis in ass ass Also, 430 00:29:22,635 --> 00:29:27,115 Speaker 1: he continued in his thread, what I'm antagonizing the glibness 431 00:29:28,675 --> 00:29:34,555 Speaker 1: is part of the problem. While I'm antagonizing Biden's age 432 00:29:34,595 --> 00:29:38,155 Speaker 1: is overcovered from mental acuity angle and undercovered as the 433 00:29:38,235 --> 00:29:42,315 Speaker 1: filter to which voting public views this administration. Vibe killer. 434 00:29:43,075 --> 00:29:46,715 Speaker 1: If you are still saying something in public about vibes, 435 00:29:47,115 --> 00:29:51,035 Speaker 1: and it's not meant ironically like the summer hats that 436 00:29:51,075 --> 00:29:54,715 Speaker 1: were in vogue for men about fifteen years ago until 437 00:29:54,715 --> 00:29:57,755 Speaker 1: everybody went, no, they did look stupid. We're not being 438 00:29:57,795 --> 00:30:01,635 Speaker 1: ironically funny by wearing them. If you're not saying vibes 439 00:30:02,435 --> 00:30:05,595 Speaker 1: as an insult to everybody who's ever used the phrase vibes, 440 00:30:06,395 --> 00:30:13,595 Speaker 1: retire from public life. Have your brain washed. Stop using 441 00:30:14,115 --> 00:30:20,075 Speaker 1: vibe killer. Astaed Herndon contributes to sense of lack of progress. 442 00:30:20,115 --> 00:30:23,355 Speaker 1: He's still going on about Biden's age. Big reason legislative 443 00:30:23,395 --> 00:30:27,235 Speaker 1: economic wins haven't translated. Where did we hear this guy 444 00:30:27,315 --> 00:30:31,675 Speaker 1: Herndon before? Oh, in February it was Herndon of the 445 00:30:31,715 --> 00:30:36,275 Speaker 1: New York Times who posted Biden's age is very clearly 446 00:30:36,315 --> 00:30:40,195 Speaker 1: the most important non Trump issue in this elect poling 447 00:30:40,355 --> 00:30:44,635 Speaker 1: says so voters say so, it's just the White House 448 00:30:44,675 --> 00:30:48,555 Speaker 1: slash DC have had a sort of gentleman's agreement for 449 00:30:48,635 --> 00:30:51,835 Speaker 1: the last year to pretend like it's not. Maybe that 450 00:30:52,235 --> 00:30:56,635 Speaker 1: ends now. This guy Herndon was the guy who believed 451 00:30:57,075 --> 00:31:01,275 Speaker 1: that the subject of Joe Biden's age had been undercovered, 452 00:31:01,995 --> 00:31:05,515 Speaker 1: that the media was covering up for him, not unlike 453 00:31:05,555 --> 00:31:08,075 Speaker 1: it covered up for the fact that Franklin D. Roosevelt 454 00:31:08,075 --> 00:31:11,515 Speaker 1: was in a wheelchair. Now he didn't say that, I did. 455 00:31:15,635 --> 00:31:17,315 Speaker 1: Just the White House DC have had a sort of 456 00:31:17,355 --> 00:31:19,915 Speaker 1: gentleman's agreement for the last year to pretend like it's not. 457 00:31:22,555 --> 00:31:22,755 Speaker 2: Now. 458 00:31:22,835 --> 00:31:25,555 Speaker 1: Of course, the age thing while still sitting there in 459 00:31:25,595 --> 00:31:28,915 Speaker 1: the background, it's not selling as a campaign issue, not 460 00:31:29,475 --> 00:31:33,195 Speaker 1: in terms of Washington elites like this guy Herndon and 461 00:31:33,275 --> 00:31:37,035 Speaker 1: this idiot Maggie Haberman and the idiots that they work for. 462 00:31:38,155 --> 00:31:42,475 Speaker 1: But now that it's not there in public, you'll notice 463 00:31:42,475 --> 00:31:44,675 Speaker 1: that mister Herndon did not bring it up, He did 464 00:31:44,715 --> 00:31:47,155 Speaker 1: not lead with it. He mentioned it in his second 465 00:31:47,155 --> 00:31:49,275 Speaker 1: part of his thread because he's obsessed with it and 466 00:31:49,315 --> 00:31:52,155 Speaker 1: can't get over it. Biden's age is overcovered from mental 467 00:31:52,155 --> 00:31:54,915 Speaker 1: acuity angle, and undercovered is the filter to which voting 468 00:31:54,955 --> 00:32:00,675 Speaker 1: public views this administration. Vibe killer. He's looking for other 469 00:32:00,715 --> 00:32:03,955 Speaker 1: things to hit Biden with because the entire Times revenge 470 00:32:04,195 --> 00:32:07,515 Speaker 1: age porn thing against Piden for not doing the Q 471 00:32:07,675 --> 00:32:10,715 Speaker 1: and A with them is for real, and they've had 472 00:32:10,715 --> 00:32:16,755 Speaker 1: to find something new. Got a fire, Herndon, got a fire, Haberman, 473 00:32:17,675 --> 00:32:20,635 Speaker 1: the editor Joe Kahn after that interview. He has no 474 00:32:20,675 --> 00:32:23,715 Speaker 1: credibility whatsoever outside of his own office. And I wonder 475 00:32:23,715 --> 00:32:27,915 Speaker 1: how much he has inside his own office, because guess what, 476 00:32:28,275 --> 00:32:31,675 Speaker 1: I like Joe Biden, just mine. But if you told 477 00:32:31,675 --> 00:32:36,715 Speaker 1: me tomorrow that we'd have to force Joe Biden off 478 00:32:36,715 --> 00:32:46,075 Speaker 1: the ticket today in favor of Lawrence O'Donnell as the 479 00:32:46,115 --> 00:32:50,315 Speaker 1: next president of the United States to preserve the democracy, 480 00:32:50,675 --> 00:32:55,075 Speaker 1: I would say, President Biden, thank you for your service. 481 00:32:55,515 --> 00:32:58,635 Speaker 1: You will always be my friend. You're off the ticket. 482 00:33:00,955 --> 00:33:05,555 Speaker 1: This is about democracy or dictatorship. And this this mother 483 00:33:05,795 --> 00:33:12,155 Speaker 1: effort from the New York Times is talking about vibe killers. 484 00:33:14,635 --> 00:33:24,675 Speaker 1: That's where we are. Vibe killer. The Time still hasn't 485 00:33:24,675 --> 00:33:27,995 Speaker 1: figured this out yet. This is democracy or dictatorship in 486 00:33:28,035 --> 00:33:30,915 Speaker 1: the fall. The Times has not figured this out. Yet 487 00:33:31,155 --> 00:33:37,355 Speaker 1: I asked somebody there to overthrow the government of the 488 00:33:37,395 --> 00:33:40,755 Speaker 1: New York Times and get me a Walter Cronkite moment, 489 00:33:42,675 --> 00:33:44,955 Speaker 1: because as if we did not have enough going on 490 00:33:44,995 --> 00:33:49,515 Speaker 1: to suggest this is necessary. Yesterday Trump posted Fox News 491 00:33:49,875 --> 00:33:54,475 Speaker 1: should let Judge Janine cover the trial, not Eric Sean, 492 00:33:54,915 --> 00:33:58,755 Speaker 1: who has no clue what's going on, just another rhino. 493 00:33:59,555 --> 00:34:02,235 Speaker 1: I mentioned Eric Sean before I was surprised he continued 494 00:34:02,275 --> 00:34:04,035 Speaker 1: to work there. I've known him since I was in 495 00:34:04,795 --> 00:34:10,795 Speaker 1: television news at the beginning of my career at CNN, Honest, straightforward. 496 00:34:12,675 --> 00:34:16,035 Speaker 1: Somehow it worked for Fox all these years. Now Trump 497 00:34:16,075 --> 00:34:18,395 Speaker 1: is trying to get him fired. Last week, Trump tried 498 00:34:18,395 --> 00:34:22,355 Speaker 1: to give direction to Sean, told him he wanted him 499 00:34:22,395 --> 00:34:25,435 Speaker 1: to read more of Greg Jarrett's analysis of the trial 500 00:34:25,475 --> 00:34:30,915 Speaker 1: and his coverage. Understand that if Trump is elected next year, 501 00:34:30,955 --> 00:34:33,715 Speaker 1: he will not be bothering to put posts up on 502 00:34:34,275 --> 00:34:37,715 Speaker 1: truth Social or you must read this, or you go 503 00:34:37,795 --> 00:34:40,435 Speaker 1: to jail's social or whatever it would be called. Under 504 00:34:40,435 --> 00:34:44,115 Speaker 1: a Trump presidency dictatorship, he will simply have Eric Seawan 505 00:34:44,195 --> 00:34:47,315 Speaker 1: arrested if he doesn't like what Eric Seawan has reported, 506 00:34:47,315 --> 00:34:50,395 Speaker 1: and he'll have Maggie Habraman arrested too, and you'll have 507 00:34:50,435 --> 00:34:55,715 Speaker 1: Mike Johnson arrested too. If Mike Johnson displeases him. Joe Con, 508 00:34:59,555 --> 00:35:02,355 Speaker 1: Joe Con will already be inside in the camps with me. 509 00:35:02,675 --> 00:35:06,635 Speaker 1: On day one, New York Times has to fire Maggie Haberman, 510 00:35:08,915 --> 00:35:12,515 Speaker 1: Justice Wan Mshawn has to jail Trump, and he has 511 00:35:12,555 --> 00:35:15,235 Speaker 1: to bring in Mike Johnson and Tuberville and Vance and 512 00:35:15,315 --> 00:35:18,395 Speaker 1: Byron Donalds and Bergham and all the rest, and say, 513 00:35:18,715 --> 00:35:21,635 Speaker 1: tell me about the plot to get around my gag order. 514 00:35:22,115 --> 00:35:23,755 Speaker 1: And when you tell me the truth, that's when I 515 00:35:23,755 --> 00:35:28,395 Speaker 1: will let Trump out of rikers. I have talked far 516 00:35:28,475 --> 00:35:32,875 Speaker 1: longer than my doctors would permit. The rest of the 517 00:35:32,875 --> 00:35:35,715 Speaker 1: show will be a rehash of yesterday's Oddly enough, it 518 00:35:35,755 --> 00:35:37,075 Speaker 1: will be the one in which I asked the New 519 00:35:37,155 --> 00:35:40,235 Speaker 1: York Times to give me a Walter Cronkite moment. But 520 00:35:40,475 --> 00:35:44,435 Speaker 1: I will close with one humorous anecdote, just to leven 521 00:35:44,515 --> 00:35:47,675 Speaker 1: the moment, so that you don't jump off anything right 522 00:35:47,715 --> 00:36:15,515 Speaker 1: after this amortization of Brian Ray's theme and thus also 523 00:36:15,595 --> 00:36:18,795 Speaker 1: of interest here and the last new thing in this podcast, 524 00:36:18,795 --> 00:36:20,435 Speaker 1: and if you turn it off, I will have no 525 00:36:20,475 --> 00:36:24,995 Speaker 1: offense whatsoever. Is something Laura Ingram said last night, because 526 00:36:25,075 --> 00:36:27,235 Speaker 1: it is turned into one of those weeks in which 527 00:36:27,275 --> 00:36:29,755 Speaker 1: every time I go on social media, there is something 528 00:36:29,755 --> 00:36:32,035 Speaker 1: that Laura Ingram, who I went out with for a while, 529 00:36:32,995 --> 00:36:35,755 Speaker 1: has said that is insane, or something that Katie Turr, 530 00:36:35,795 --> 00:36:38,035 Speaker 1: who I lived with for three years has said that 531 00:36:38,155 --> 00:36:41,715 Speaker 1: is insane. Or there's another one whose name I don't 532 00:36:41,715 --> 00:36:44,635 Speaker 1: bring up because not many people know about their relationship. 533 00:36:44,715 --> 00:36:47,115 Speaker 1: Apparently got herself kicked out of the coverage of the 534 00:36:47,115 --> 00:36:51,235 Speaker 1: Trump trial for violating the rules from the judge. Oh 535 00:36:51,315 --> 00:36:55,315 Speaker 1: my god, I lived with her too. I make bad choices. 536 00:36:56,995 --> 00:36:59,075 Speaker 1: I've only been dating fifty years. Why would I get 537 00:36:59,075 --> 00:37:01,915 Speaker 1: it right? But Laura Ingram said something last night that 538 00:37:01,995 --> 00:37:06,075 Speaker 1: actually made me smile. Didn't intend to make me smile 539 00:37:06,115 --> 00:37:08,715 Speaker 1: when she said this, but she made me smile. Nonetheless, 540 00:37:09,115 --> 00:37:11,715 Speaker 1: when do you get to the point, she said, and 541 00:37:11,755 --> 00:37:14,795 Speaker 1: I'm paraphrasing here, when do you get to the point 542 00:37:15,235 --> 00:37:19,755 Speaker 1: where you would believe a Michael Cohen or a Stormy 543 00:37:19,835 --> 00:37:28,235 Speaker 1: Daniels instead of a Donald Trump? And I thought, well, 544 00:37:31,155 --> 00:37:33,955 Speaker 1: when I completed the second grade and they graduated me 545 00:37:34,035 --> 00:37:39,315 Speaker 1: up to the third grade, I suppose Laura, why The 546 00:37:39,315 --> 00:37:42,235 Speaker 1: New York Times owes us a Walter Cronkite moment. That's next, 547 00:37:42,235 --> 00:37:59,075 Speaker 1: this accountant. We need a Walter Cronkite moment from the 548 00:37:59,115 --> 00:38:03,115 Speaker 1: New York Times. The New York Times needs one day, 549 00:38:03,315 --> 00:38:07,715 Speaker 1: one day soon, one day now, to devote the entirety 550 00:38:07,795 --> 00:38:13,075 Speaker 1: of the front page to one headline and one editorial 551 00:38:13,835 --> 00:38:16,555 Speaker 1: signed by the publisher Sealzburger, and the editor Cohn, and 552 00:38:16,595 --> 00:38:22,875 Speaker 1: the key columnists, and the important correspondence headlined Trump Imperils 553 00:38:22,915 --> 00:38:32,195 Speaker 1: Democracy sub headlined your life at Stake and he is insane. 554 00:38:32,315 --> 00:38:34,155 Speaker 1: I'll get to the trial and Michael Cohen and how 555 00:38:34,195 --> 00:38:35,995 Speaker 1: they got what they needed from him, which was a 556 00:38:36,035 --> 00:38:39,915 Speaker 1: headline in the Washington Post with the word calmly in it. 557 00:38:40,435 --> 00:38:43,875 Speaker 1: But first we need a Walter Cronkite moment from the 558 00:38:43,875 --> 00:38:49,475 Speaker 1: New York Times. And instead we get the backup, backup, backup, backup, 559 00:38:49,515 --> 00:38:54,475 Speaker 1: election reporters, backup, trying to be witty as Trump crashes 560 00:38:54,515 --> 00:39:00,515 Speaker 1: and burns intellectually, morally and phonetically, and as his whorees 561 00:39:00,715 --> 00:39:04,035 Speaker 1: like Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott try to erase the 562 00:39:04,035 --> 00:39:06,795 Speaker 1: bright lines of democracy while they think we are not 563 00:39:06,955 --> 00:39:11,515 Speaker 1: watching them, and as his jihadists try to sabotage the 564 00:39:11,555 --> 00:39:16,395 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four election. The Times needs its Walter Cronkite 565 00:39:16,435 --> 00:39:20,275 Speaker 1: moment too, like Cronkite shocking the nation out of much 566 00:39:20,275 --> 00:39:24,435 Speaker 1: of its Vietnam delusion, Like Cronkite personally moving Watergate to 567 00:39:24,555 --> 00:39:28,115 Speaker 1: the front burner, the Times needs its Cronkite moment to 568 00:39:28,275 --> 00:39:33,595 Speaker 1: save itself. We need a Times Cronkite moment to just 569 00:39:33,715 --> 00:39:39,115 Speaker 1: add to our dwindling chances of saving this democracy. Saturday, 570 00:39:39,555 --> 00:39:43,835 Speaker 1: Trump went to a Philadelphia area seaside resort called Wildwood, 571 00:39:44,235 --> 00:39:50,635 Speaker 1: drew maybe ten thousand cultists, eleven thousand lied, and had 572 00:39:50,675 --> 00:39:54,515 Speaker 1: the Republican mayor there lie and say it was eighty thousand. 573 00:39:55,195 --> 00:39:58,995 Speaker 1: He talked, he complained, He complained that immigrant students don't 574 00:39:58,995 --> 00:40:03,555 Speaker 1: speak English, and immediately afterwards he said something like bordenin Riviv, 575 00:40:04,755 --> 00:40:07,795 Speaker 1: and he said something else like Carrie Daudite. By right, 576 00:40:09,795 --> 00:40:12,195 Speaker 1: he claimed the president between Ford and Reagan was named 577 00:40:12,275 --> 00:40:17,195 Speaker 1: Jimmy Conners. He said the Chinese were preparing to invade Beijing, 578 00:40:17,475 --> 00:40:21,115 Speaker 1: which is their own capital. He insisted the entire country 579 00:40:21,195 --> 00:40:24,675 Speaker 1: was grateful that he killed off Roe v. Wade. He 580 00:40:24,795 --> 00:40:28,955 Speaker 1: thanked by name the Supreme Court justices who gutted Roe V. Wade. 581 00:40:29,035 --> 00:40:34,435 Speaker 1: He suddenly invoked the fictional Cannibal character Hannibal Lecter, seemed 582 00:40:34,555 --> 00:40:39,115 Speaker 1: to praise Hannibal Lector, claimed the character Hannibal Lecter was 583 00:40:39,235 --> 00:40:43,795 Speaker 1: dead and got the name of the movie wrong, and 584 00:40:43,835 --> 00:40:47,515 Speaker 1: then insisted all immigrants are Hannibal Lecter. And all of 585 00:40:47,515 --> 00:40:50,755 Speaker 1: that was after he was introduced by some immigrant who 586 00:40:50,835 --> 00:40:56,755 Speaker 1: called him President Chump, and the New York Times story 587 00:40:56,795 --> 00:41:01,875 Speaker 1: by a sixth stringer named Michael Gold mentioned none of that. 588 00:41:03,475 --> 00:41:07,235 Speaker 1: This was what Joe Conn's writer told consumers of the 589 00:41:07,275 --> 00:41:11,515 Speaker 1: most influential news organization in America. Quote. After a long 590 00:41:11,555 --> 00:41:14,195 Speaker 1: and often tense week in his criminal trial in Manhattan, 591 00:41:14,235 --> 00:41:18,075 Speaker 1: Trump took part in a time honored ritual enjoyed by 592 00:41:18,155 --> 00:41:20,955 Speaker 1: countless New Yorkers. In need of a break, he went 593 00:41:21,195 --> 00:41:29,075 Speaker 1: to the shore. Oh oh, how clever, Michael Gold. The 594 00:41:29,115 --> 00:41:30,915 Speaker 1: New York Times could save a lot of money by 595 00:41:30,955 --> 00:41:33,835 Speaker 1: firing all of its political reporters and simply asking the 596 00:41:33,835 --> 00:41:37,915 Speaker 1: fictional Twitter writer Doug J. Balloon of New York Times 597 00:41:37,995 --> 00:41:41,995 Speaker 1: pitchpot fame to write all of its leads because they 598 00:41:42,035 --> 00:41:45,915 Speaker 1: are now sounding exclusively like the Times pitch bot clunky 599 00:41:45,955 --> 00:41:50,875 Speaker 1: attempts at wit that don't quite land. Trump has renounced 600 00:41:50,875 --> 00:41:53,275 Speaker 1: his New York residence. He is thus not a New Yorker, 601 00:41:53,315 --> 00:41:57,115 Speaker 1: Michael Gold. Wildwood is not a destination for New Yorkers anyway, 602 00:41:57,275 --> 00:42:00,715 Speaker 1: It's for Philadelphians. And he is the greatest criminal in 603 00:42:00,715 --> 00:42:03,675 Speaker 1: the nation's history. Michael Gold. He is not in need 604 00:42:03,835 --> 00:42:07,195 Speaker 1: of a break. He is in need of a lifetime 605 00:42:07,275 --> 00:42:12,795 Speaker 1: prison sentence. This occurred over a weekend in which three 606 00:42:12,875 --> 00:42:17,595 Speaker 1: of Trump's most fierce, most dishonest, most anti democracy supporters 607 00:42:17,675 --> 00:42:21,075 Speaker 1: in the Senate went on national television and said, sure, 608 00:42:21,155 --> 00:42:23,995 Speaker 1: they would accept the outcome of the election so long 609 00:42:24,075 --> 00:42:30,515 Speaker 1: as Trump won. The Times headline about that was Vance 610 00:42:30,675 --> 00:42:34,995 Speaker 1: says he would accept the election results with a caveat, 611 00:42:35,515 --> 00:42:38,515 Speaker 1: which sounds like he's wearing a tie with a caveat, 612 00:42:38,715 --> 00:42:43,315 Speaker 1: a lovely floral caveat. Yet it was also a weekend 613 00:42:43,355 --> 00:42:46,235 Speaker 1: in which a small newsroom called the Bucks County Beacon 614 00:42:46,915 --> 00:42:50,915 Speaker 1: wrote about how Trump's sewer rats are openly subverting the 615 00:42:50,955 --> 00:42:55,515 Speaker 1: election today, not twenty twenty, not twenty twenty two, but 616 00:42:55,555 --> 00:42:59,835 Speaker 1: one in November quote. The RNC and its allies have 617 00:42:59,915 --> 00:43:04,795 Speaker 1: already sued in five states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada 618 00:43:04,835 --> 00:43:10,195 Speaker 1: to challenge their voter roles, accuracy, and in turn, voter's credentials. 619 00:43:10,875 --> 00:43:15,315 Speaker 1: In Georgia, a Republican bill empowering mass challenges of voter 620 00:43:15,435 --> 00:43:20,875 Speaker 1: registrations was signed into law on May seventh. More importantly, 621 00:43:20,915 --> 00:43:23,395 Speaker 1: the Beacon also reveals the existence of something on the 622 00:43:23,435 --> 00:43:28,195 Speaker 1: right wing social media site Telegram called the Election Education Channel, 623 00:43:28,675 --> 00:43:32,715 Speaker 1: which is encouraging and setting the stage for legal and 624 00:43:32,915 --> 00:43:38,955 Speaker 1: extra judicial challenges to every single stage of every presidential 625 00:43:39,075 --> 00:43:44,995 Speaker 1: vote count in conceivably every single precinct in this country. 626 00:43:45,155 --> 00:43:49,395 Speaker 1: The kind of Sidney Powell Jenna ellis legal quicksand we 627 00:43:49,475 --> 00:43:52,715 Speaker 1: saw after the twenty twenty election, only while the votes 628 00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:58,315 Speaker 1: are still being counted, and immediately thereafter in every county 629 00:43:58,395 --> 00:44:05,435 Speaker 1: in this country, to create chaos and genuine danger. The Times. 630 00:44:07,435 --> 00:44:10,555 Speaker 1: The Times has reported none of that. It has instead 631 00:44:10,635 --> 00:44:15,515 Speaker 1: let Maggie Haberman dismiss as hearsay Michael Cohen's first hand 632 00:44:15,555 --> 00:44:18,235 Speaker 1: recounting of what Trump told him about not being on 633 00:44:18,355 --> 00:44:23,475 Speaker 1: the market for long. If Millennia dumped him, and if 634 00:44:23,515 --> 00:44:25,915 Speaker 1: Haberman doesn't know the legal definition of here, say get 635 00:44:26,035 --> 00:44:30,475 Speaker 1: rid of her. And The Times made room for an 636 00:44:30,475 --> 00:44:34,995 Speaker 1: op ed bashing Joe Biden written by Mark Penn, a 637 00:44:35,075 --> 00:44:37,555 Speaker 1: dishonest right wing polster who has been posing as a 638 00:44:37,595 --> 00:44:40,155 Speaker 1: Democrat for at least twenty years, and it made room 639 00:44:40,235 --> 00:44:44,595 Speaker 1: for a report on the upcoming attempts to sabotage the 640 00:44:44,635 --> 00:44:47,395 Speaker 1: election by the Republicans. No, a radio shock jock named 641 00:44:47,595 --> 00:44:51,755 Speaker 1: Charlemagne the God, a reactionary who does nothing but take sides, 642 00:44:52,595 --> 00:44:55,275 Speaker 1: and they pronounced he is someone The Times fell for 643 00:44:55,355 --> 00:45:00,915 Speaker 1: it quote who won't take sides? We need a Walter 644 00:45:01,115 --> 00:45:04,635 Speaker 1: Cronkite moment out of the New York Times. If the 645 00:45:04,675 --> 00:45:08,435 Speaker 1: the reference eludes you, First of all, congratulations on your youth. 646 00:45:09,355 --> 00:45:13,555 Speaker 1: Then to explain briefly for all of the almost biblical 647 00:45:13,595 --> 00:45:17,955 Speaker 1: invocations of his supposed impartiality and the use of the 648 00:45:18,035 --> 00:45:22,715 Speaker 1: name Walter Cronkite as a substitute for complete impartiality in reporting. 649 00:45:22,995 --> 00:45:25,755 Speaker 1: The three biggest moments in the career of the great 650 00:45:25,755 --> 00:45:30,115 Speaker 1: CBS newsman were when he barely stopped himself from crying 651 00:45:30,635 --> 00:45:34,355 Speaker 1: while reporting the assassination of President Kennedy. When he burst 652 00:45:34,515 --> 00:45:37,155 Speaker 1: through the constraints of his job as the anchor of 653 00:45:37,195 --> 00:45:41,115 Speaker 1: the CBS Evening News to present fully informed, but fully 654 00:45:41,115 --> 00:45:46,195 Speaker 1: opinionated commentaries, first on Vietnam, and then four years later 655 00:45:46,275 --> 00:45:51,315 Speaker 1: on Watergate. In February of nineteen sixty eight, Walter Cronkite 656 00:45:51,355 --> 00:45:54,635 Speaker 1: went to Vietnam, and he spent a week there talking 657 00:45:54,715 --> 00:45:58,275 Speaker 1: to people on the record and off, and he went 658 00:45:58,315 --> 00:46:00,915 Speaker 1: back to his desk, and on February twenty seventh, nineteen 659 00:46:00,955 --> 00:46:05,115 Speaker 1: sixty eight, he delivered an extraordinary closing editorial after a 660 00:46:05,235 --> 00:46:10,035 Speaker 1: long report on our status in Vietnam. His editorial began with, 661 00:46:10,795 --> 00:46:13,955 Speaker 1: we have been too often disappointed by the optimism of 662 00:46:13,995 --> 00:46:17,355 Speaker 1: the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington to have 663 00:46:17,435 --> 00:46:21,355 Speaker 1: faith any longer in the silver linings they find in 664 00:46:21,395 --> 00:46:27,315 Speaker 1: the darkest clouds. His commentary ended with it is increasingly 665 00:46:27,355 --> 00:46:30,595 Speaker 1: clear to this reporter that the only rational way out 666 00:46:30,635 --> 00:46:34,835 Speaker 1: then will be to negotiate not as victors, but as 667 00:46:34,875 --> 00:46:37,755 Speaker 1: an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to 668 00:46:37,875 --> 00:46:44,235 Speaker 1: defend democracy and did the best they could. President Lyndon 669 00:46:44,315 --> 00:46:47,155 Speaker 1: Johnson was not watching Walter Cronkite live that night, but 670 00:46:47,235 --> 00:46:51,715 Speaker 1: Bob Scheffer insists Johnson told him he did see clips, 671 00:46:52,275 --> 00:46:54,955 Speaker 1: and Schaefer and Bill Moyers insist the President did then 672 00:46:54,995 --> 00:46:58,515 Speaker 1: say something like if I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America, 673 00:46:59,275 --> 00:47:02,075 Speaker 1: and Johnson soon after then announced he was not going 674 00:47:02,115 --> 00:47:06,475 Speaker 1: to run for reelection in October nineteen seventy two. Cronkite 675 00:47:06,515 --> 00:47:08,635 Speaker 1: may have topped himself at a time when only the 676 00:47:08,715 --> 00:47:13,515 Speaker 1: Washington Post was giving Nixon's Watergate scandal daily coverage. Yes, 677 00:47:13,555 --> 00:47:16,035 Speaker 1: the New York Times was largely asleep at the switch 678 00:47:16,115 --> 00:47:20,715 Speaker 1: then too. At that point, Walter Cronkite devoted roughly half 679 00:47:21,035 --> 00:47:25,795 Speaker 1: of the editorial content time of two editions of the 680 00:47:25,835 --> 00:47:29,275 Speaker 1: CBS Evening News just to the one story to Watergate, 681 00:47:29,715 --> 00:47:32,955 Speaker 1: fourteen minutes out of what was basically a twenty two 682 00:47:32,995 --> 00:47:36,915 Speaker 1: minute newscast on Friday, October twenty seventh, and what was 683 00:47:36,995 --> 00:47:40,275 Speaker 1: cut down to eight minutes due to the threats of 684 00:47:40,315 --> 00:47:43,955 Speaker 1: the Nixon administration and the pleas of Walter Kronkite's terrified 685 00:47:43,995 --> 00:47:49,795 Speaker 1: bosses on Tuesday, October thirty first, Walter Cronkite did not 686 00:47:50,555 --> 00:47:55,315 Speaker 1: f around. We need that out of the New York Times, 687 00:47:55,355 --> 00:47:59,355 Speaker 1: and we need it now. And if the Times does 688 00:47:59,395 --> 00:48:02,515 Speaker 1: not have a Walter Cronkite moment in it, they need 689 00:48:02,555 --> 00:48:05,115 Speaker 1: to get everybody out of their building and then fload 690 00:48:05,355 --> 00:48:08,555 Speaker 1: that building because the Times is simply now mocking the 691 00:48:08,675 --> 00:48:13,635 Speaker 1: idea of responsible American journalism. And also, I know that 692 00:48:13,795 --> 00:48:16,315 Speaker 1: area I used to work a block away at sixth 693 00:48:16,355 --> 00:48:19,275 Speaker 1: and fortieth. The City of New York could really use 694 00:48:19,355 --> 00:48:26,715 Speaker 1: that lot for parking. And no, I'm not expecting a 695 00:48:26,795 --> 00:48:30,475 Speaker 1: Walter Cronkite moment from the New York Times. The New 696 00:48:30,515 --> 00:48:35,155 Speaker 1: York Times does not make mistakes, let alone correct them. 697 00:48:35,715 --> 00:48:41,795 Speaker 1: Don't you know that, by the way, if you missed 698 00:48:41,795 --> 00:48:45,275 Speaker 1: it as the Times did, what follows is a mashup 699 00:48:45,795 --> 00:48:52,675 Speaker 1: of Trump's now constant indecipherability and Trump on President Jimmy 700 00:48:52,675 --> 00:48:57,675 Speaker 1: Conners and Trump on the late great Hannibal Lecter, and 701 00:48:57,715 --> 00:49:01,075 Speaker 1: then Trump walking away from the microphones yesterday when an 702 00:49:01,115 --> 00:49:06,475 Speaker 1: astute reporter at the trial asked him, Hannibal Lector, we'll 703 00:49:06,515 --> 00:49:07,755 Speaker 1: play this and then we'll go to court. 704 00:49:12,955 --> 00:49:16,235 Speaker 2: We're going to evict this man, the worst president by far. 705 00:49:17,035 --> 00:49:22,955 Speaker 1: Jimmy Connors is Jimmy. Jimmy Connors is good. He's also happy. 706 00:49:23,875 --> 00:49:27,035 Speaker 1: Jimmy is a very happy man, both of them. And 707 00:49:27,075 --> 00:49:30,395 Speaker 1: they don't speak English. They're sitting in chairs listening to a. 708 00:49:30,395 --> 00:49:33,595 Speaker 2: Teacher talking English, and they don't speak English, and. 709 00:49:33,595 --> 00:49:37,235 Speaker 1: They won't mean Biden's burden silence of the lamb. 710 00:49:37,275 --> 00:49:39,355 Speaker 2: Has anyone ever seen the silence of the lymps? 711 00:49:40,155 --> 00:49:43,715 Speaker 1: The late Great Hannibal Elector, He is a wonderful man. 712 00:49:44,155 --> 00:49:47,435 Speaker 1: He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner. Remember the 713 00:49:47,515 --> 00:49:49,795 Speaker 1: last saying, excuse me, I'm about to have a friend 714 00:49:49,835 --> 00:49:53,035 Speaker 1: for dinner. Is this poor doctor walk by? I'm about 715 00:49:53,075 --> 00:49:54,275 Speaker 1: to have a friend for dinner. 716 00:49:54,755 --> 00:49:58,995 Speaker 2: But Hannibal Elector, congratulations, the late Great Hannibal Lector. 717 00:50:02,395 --> 00:50:05,595 Speaker 1: No reason to put any of that madness in the times. 718 00:50:06,595 --> 00:50:11,915 Speaker 1: What I'd have to leave out the Jersey Shore references. 719 00:50:36,395 --> 00:50:42,475 Speaker 1: Michael Cohen calmly describes Trump's hush money instructions, reads the 720 00:50:42,475 --> 00:50:46,835 Speaker 1: headline in the Washington Post today. The sub headline quotes, Trump, 721 00:50:47,675 --> 00:50:51,915 Speaker 1: just do it. That's what the prosecution needed out of Cohen, 722 00:50:52,395 --> 00:50:54,595 Speaker 1: and it needs it again out of him today and 723 00:50:54,995 --> 00:50:58,795 Speaker 1: especially whenever the cross examination begins. It needs him making 724 00:50:58,835 --> 00:51:04,235 Speaker 1: more self abnegating jokes about angry even for me. It 725 00:51:04,275 --> 00:51:06,595 Speaker 1: needs him testifying, as he did yesterday, that he was 726 00:51:06,595 --> 00:51:10,715 Speaker 1: there in Trump Tower days before Trump was sworn in 727 00:51:10,835 --> 00:51:15,555 Speaker 1: as President of the United States, with Alan Weiselberg reviewing 728 00:51:15,675 --> 00:51:20,315 Speaker 1: a handwritten document with Trump to repay Cohen for the 729 00:51:20,355 --> 00:51:23,555 Speaker 1: stormy Daniel's hush money and how they would hide it 730 00:51:23,675 --> 00:51:28,275 Speaker 1: amid legal fees, and testimony that Trump said smart individuals 731 00:51:28,275 --> 00:51:30,315 Speaker 1: had told him Trump to pay the one hundred and 732 00:51:30,315 --> 00:51:34,075 Speaker 1: thirty thousand dollars to Stormy Daniels, and that Trump told 733 00:51:34,115 --> 00:51:36,475 Speaker 1: him he knew if the Daniels story got out it 734 00:51:36,515 --> 00:51:40,275 Speaker 1: would be a disaster for the campaign that it needs 735 00:51:40,275 --> 00:51:45,075 Speaker 1: Michael Cohen producing one outstandingly sleazy quote from Trump per 736 00:51:45,155 --> 00:51:48,395 Speaker 1: day on the stand, like he did yesterday about the 737 00:51:48,435 --> 00:51:51,035 Speaker 1: time Cohen asked Trump about the impact on his wife, 738 00:51:51,075 --> 00:51:54,195 Speaker 1: Milania if the story got out, and Trump said, don't worry. 739 00:51:54,795 --> 00:51:56,915 Speaker 1: How long do you think I'll be on the market for? 740 00:51:57,355 --> 00:52:02,955 Speaker 1: Not long? That's the quote Haberman of The Times falsely 741 00:52:03,035 --> 00:52:07,475 Speaker 1: dismissed as hearsay, and the quote that underscores all of 742 00:52:07,555 --> 00:52:09,595 Speaker 1: us who have viewed the latest of the many Trump 743 00:52:09,795 --> 00:52:13,835 Speaker 1: quote marriages unquote as exactly what Trump clearly viewed it 744 00:52:13,915 --> 00:52:21,395 Speaker 1: as a contract negotiated with terms dictated by the market. 745 00:52:21,435 --> 00:52:23,875 Speaker 1: How long do you think I'll be on the market for? 746 00:52:25,115 --> 00:52:28,395 Speaker 1: And all of it that Cohen testified to and testifies 747 00:52:28,435 --> 00:52:33,595 Speaker 1: to today and in the cross examination accompanied by receipts, 748 00:52:34,195 --> 00:52:47,555 Speaker 1: metaphorical receipts and literal ones trial notes. In passing, Trump 749 00:52:47,635 --> 00:52:51,835 Speaker 1: wanted some distinguished Republicans to show up and show solidarity, 750 00:52:52,595 --> 00:52:55,315 Speaker 1: but he could only get Tommy Tuberville, JD. Vance, and 751 00:52:55,355 --> 00:53:00,075 Speaker 1: Nicole Mally attackus OH and Brenna Bird. Brenna Bird is 752 00:53:00,075 --> 00:53:04,555 Speaker 1: the Attorney General of Iowa who was there in court, 753 00:53:05,595 --> 00:53:08,275 Speaker 1: who should be disbarred, because whatever you think of this 754 00:53:08,395 --> 00:53:10,795 Speaker 1: case or this defendant, you cannot be the head of 755 00:53:10,875 --> 00:53:14,515 Speaker 1: criminal enforcement in any state and show up in court 756 00:53:14,715 --> 00:53:17,595 Speaker 1: to kiss the ass of a defendant in another state. 757 00:53:17,835 --> 00:53:24,035 Speaker 1: It is disqualifying. Senators Vance and Tubberville do not have 758 00:53:24,075 --> 00:53:28,395 Speaker 1: to worry about that. They have long since disqualified themselves. 759 00:53:29,715 --> 00:53:32,395 Speaker 1: They caught Trump sleeping again in court, and somebody finally 760 00:53:32,435 --> 00:53:36,915 Speaker 1: aptly compared this to his alertness during the Egene Carroll trial. 761 00:53:38,155 --> 00:53:40,755 Speaker 1: Vance stayed only for the morning session yesterday, and then 762 00:53:40,795 --> 00:53:44,955 Speaker 1: he and Tubberville blew town and Vance, violating court rules, 763 00:53:44,955 --> 00:53:48,955 Speaker 1: evidently was tweeting from his phone in the courtroom. I 764 00:53:49,035 --> 00:53:51,435 Speaker 1: saw a media report a few days ago. He wrote 765 00:53:51,635 --> 00:53:53,755 Speaker 1: that Trump looked like he was falling asleep or board 766 00:53:53,835 --> 00:53:56,355 Speaker 1: or something. The obvious narrative they're trying to sell is yeah, 767 00:53:56,395 --> 00:53:58,835 Speaker 1: Biden is mentally unfit, but this other guy's bad too. 768 00:53:59,035 --> 00:54:01,955 Speaker 1: It's an absurd narrative. I'm thirty nine years old and 769 00:54:01,995 --> 00:54:04,355 Speaker 1: I've been here for twenty six minutes and I'm about 770 00:54:04,395 --> 00:54:09,395 Speaker 1: to fall to sleep. Unquote. I'm sorry, Sonny, but how 771 00:54:09,395 --> 00:54:14,675 Speaker 1: does your failed mental health help Trump. It's like saying 772 00:54:14,715 --> 00:54:18,515 Speaker 1: I'm jd Vance and I have multiple chins that shows 773 00:54:18,555 --> 00:54:23,195 Speaker 1: that Trump is in the best possible health. This scumbag 774 00:54:23,355 --> 00:54:27,235 Speaker 1: Tubberville meanwhile went out to a propaganda conference with the 775 00:54:27,275 --> 00:54:29,915 Speaker 1: media and said that the people in the court were quote, 776 00:54:29,955 --> 00:54:36,675 Speaker 1: supposedly American citizens. Supposedly American citizens. He segued right from 777 00:54:36,675 --> 00:54:39,515 Speaker 1: that into an insult towards the district attorney, and of 778 00:54:39,555 --> 00:54:44,355 Speaker 1: course what he was saying was now that was code for, hey, 779 00:54:44,435 --> 00:54:50,475 Speaker 1: this Alvin Brad guy is black. Today, Vivek Ramaswami will 780 00:54:50,475 --> 00:54:53,795 Speaker 1: be there with Trump if Ramaswami can get his hair 781 00:54:53,835 --> 00:54:57,875 Speaker 1: done in time. And ABC News reports that Junior Trump 782 00:54:57,995 --> 00:55:01,475 Speaker 1: has gone to visit Peter Navarro in federal prison, and 783 00:55:01,635 --> 00:55:05,235 Speaker 1: I look at it this way, good practice for Junie 784 00:55:05,355 --> 00:55:10,395 Speaker 1: for once Dad goes there. Last point, the nice thing 785 00:55:10,395 --> 00:55:13,115 Speaker 1: about this nightmare is that Trump and his defense team 786 00:55:13,355 --> 00:55:16,155 Speaker 1: and his cultists and his Republican supporters have so little 787 00:55:16,195 --> 00:55:19,915 Speaker 1: to work with that they always telegraph their response because 788 00:55:20,515 --> 00:55:23,675 Speaker 1: generally speaking, they can only find one response per crisis. 789 00:55:23,715 --> 00:55:26,195 Speaker 1: And the response to Michael Cohen is He's a liar. 790 00:55:27,035 --> 00:55:30,515 Speaker 1: He lied, He's a convicted liar. The jury can't trust 791 00:55:30,515 --> 00:55:36,035 Speaker 1: a liar. America can't trust a liar. Leave aside that 792 00:55:36,515 --> 00:55:40,035 Speaker 1: liar might as well be Trump's actual middle name. But 793 00:55:40,235 --> 00:55:42,515 Speaker 1: say this long enough to Cohen and they expect him 794 00:55:42,555 --> 00:55:44,635 Speaker 1: to blow up in the witness box. Say this long 795 00:55:44,715 --> 00:55:47,275 Speaker 1: enough to the fascists and they'll forget that Cohen was 796 00:55:47,315 --> 00:55:53,795 Speaker 1: convicted of lying on Trump's behalf. Say this long enough, 797 00:55:54,395 --> 00:55:57,315 Speaker 1: and maybe we'll all forget that. If we disqualified everybody 798 00:55:57,355 --> 00:55:59,955 Speaker 1: who has ever lied for Donald Trump, we had to 799 00:55:59,995 --> 00:56:02,915 Speaker 1: wipe out about ninety nine percent of the Republican Party, 800 00:56:02,955 --> 00:56:23,915 Speaker 1: wouldn't we. I've done all the damage I can do here. 801 00:56:23,955 --> 00:56:26,715 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Countdown. Musical directors Brian Ray and 802 00:56:26,755 --> 00:56:30,595 Speaker 1: John Phillips Chanel arranged, produced, and performed most of our music. 803 00:56:31,035 --> 00:56:33,435 Speaker 1: Mister Ray was on the guitars, the bass, and the drums, 804 00:56:33,435 --> 00:56:36,355 Speaker 1: and mister Shanelle handled the orchestration and the keyboards. It 805 00:56:36,435 --> 00:56:39,595 Speaker 1: was produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including some of 806 00:56:39,595 --> 00:56:43,315 Speaker 1: the Beethoven compositions, arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. 807 00:56:43,755 --> 00:56:46,675 Speaker 1: The sports music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two, 808 00:56:46,715 --> 00:56:50,555 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Our 809 00:56:50,675 --> 00:56:53,875 Speaker 1: satirical and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Fauss. The 810 00:56:53,915 --> 00:56:57,155 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was my 811 00:56:57,155 --> 00:56:59,915 Speaker 1: friend Howard Fineman, and everything else was pretty much my fault. 812 00:57:00,635 --> 00:57:03,155 Speaker 1: Let's countdown for this the one hundred and seventy sixth 813 00:57:03,275 --> 00:57:08,395 Speaker 1: day until the two twenty four presidential election, but twenty 814 00:57:08,475 --> 00:57:12,795 Speaker 1: fifth day since Dictator Jay Trump's first attempted coup against 815 00:57:12,835 --> 00:57:16,195 Speaker 1: the democratically elected government of the United States. Use the 816 00:57:16,275 --> 00:57:19,595 Speaker 1: legal system such as it is, use the mental health system, 817 00:57:20,035 --> 00:57:23,795 Speaker 1: Use presidential immunity if it happens, use the not regularly 818 00:57:23,835 --> 00:57:29,155 Speaker 1: given elector objection option. Use the campaign to stop him 819 00:57:29,515 --> 00:57:34,955 Speaker 1: from doing it again while we still can. The next 820 00:57:34,995 --> 00:57:37,195 Speaker 1: scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Again. I'm going to label that 821 00:57:37,235 --> 00:57:40,275 Speaker 1: as probable game time decision till the next one. I'm 822 00:57:40,355 --> 00:57:44,955 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. 823 00:57:57,475 --> 00:58:01,475 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For 824 00:58:01,635 --> 00:58:06,555 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 825 00:58:06,795 --> 00:58:08,755 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.