1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,275 --> 00:00:24,235 Speaker 1: words were barely out of my mouth before they came 3 00:00:24,275 --> 00:00:28,155 Speaker 1: out of President Biden's mouth. A former president that is 4 00:00:28,235 --> 00:00:33,075 Speaker 1: a convicted felon, is now seeking the office of the presidency, 5 00:00:33,155 --> 00:00:36,155 Speaker 1: Biden said at a fundraiser ten minutes from my high school. 6 00:00:36,835 --> 00:00:40,315 Speaker 1: He added that after the twenty twenty election, something snapped 7 00:00:40,395 --> 00:00:45,315 Speaker 1: in this guy. For real, it's literally driving him crazy. 8 00:00:46,635 --> 00:00:50,635 Speaker 1: Call crazy Donald Trump, a convicted felon. Mission accomplished. Call 9 00:00:50,755 --> 00:00:55,075 Speaker 1: convicted felon Donald Trump. Literally crazy, mission accomplished. Now do 10 00:00:55,155 --> 00:01:01,435 Speaker 1: it on camera. I want sound bites, because now there 11 00:01:01,515 --> 00:01:05,675 Speaker 1: is more evidence it's working at It cannot be said 12 00:01:05,715 --> 00:01:08,355 Speaker 1: too often, and it cannot be said by too many 13 00:01:08,435 --> 00:01:11,595 Speaker 1: different democratic leaders, and it needs to be said by 14 00:01:11,635 --> 00:01:15,195 Speaker 1: the President of the United States loudly and confidently and repeatedly. 15 00:01:15,835 --> 00:01:20,755 Speaker 1: He's convicted felon Donald Trump. And oh, by the way, 16 00:01:21,435 --> 00:01:28,475 Speaker 1: he is literally insane. I am not betting democracy on 17 00:01:28,595 --> 00:01:31,395 Speaker 1: one poll, on any poll, and particularly this one. It's 18 00:01:31,395 --> 00:01:35,155 Speaker 1: conducted by a Canadian firm called Lege. Much of the 19 00:01:35,275 --> 00:01:39,315 Speaker 1: sampling was before the guilty verdicts. Even if Leger is 20 00:01:39,435 --> 00:01:42,155 Speaker 1: right on the money, it's not conclusive, but it is 21 00:01:42,195 --> 00:01:47,995 Speaker 1: an indicator, another indicator, another big neon read letters flashing 22 00:01:48,115 --> 00:01:53,275 Speaker 1: kind of indicator to keep calling him convicted felon. Leger's 23 00:01:53,435 --> 00:01:58,395 Speaker 1: polls says one out of three Republicans wishes they were 24 00:01:58,435 --> 00:02:03,155 Speaker 1: nominating somebody else. Among Republicans under the age of thirty five, 25 00:02:03,195 --> 00:02:08,835 Speaker 1: it's nearly half wishing they were nominating somebody else. The 26 00:02:08,915 --> 00:02:12,315 Speaker 1: actual numbers are outliers. The point is not, like the 27 00:02:12,355 --> 00:02:15,235 Speaker 1: thirty four convictions of Trump shattered at least part of 28 00:02:15,275 --> 00:02:18,115 Speaker 1: the baseline assumption in his cult that all but a 29 00:02:18,155 --> 00:02:23,875 Speaker 1: handful of Americans, those evil Demo socia fascia commucrats, all 30 00:02:23,915 --> 00:02:29,715 Speaker 1: but them, they all support God Trump. The fact that 31 00:02:29,795 --> 00:02:36,075 Speaker 1: he is a convicted felon hits Trump cultists viscerally. It may, 32 00:02:36,115 --> 00:02:38,915 Speaker 1: in fact be the closest they ever come in their 33 00:02:39,075 --> 00:02:43,155 Speaker 1: entire lives to an honest understanding that they are in 34 00:02:43,355 --> 00:02:48,675 Speaker 1: thrall to a criminal. It costs them sleep, it makes 35 00:02:48,755 --> 00:02:54,475 Speaker 1: them angry, it makes them uncertain. Now there is other 36 00:02:54,595 --> 00:02:58,275 Speaker 1: polling suggesting that Trump's apologists are far more fired up 37 00:02:58,475 --> 00:03:02,395 Speaker 1: about these convictions than are the Democrats and the Independents, 38 00:03:02,675 --> 00:03:06,715 Speaker 1: that their fantasies of nowen gunning all of us may 39 00:03:06,715 --> 00:03:10,235 Speaker 1: be as stupid as they sound, but their desire to 40 00:03:10,515 --> 00:03:14,075 Speaker 1: symbolically machine gun all of us is being reflected in 41 00:03:14,115 --> 00:03:16,435 Speaker 1: the pressure they are putting on the House and their 42 00:03:16,435 --> 00:03:21,195 Speaker 1: state attorney's general to do something, anything, to strike back. 43 00:03:21,755 --> 00:03:25,235 Speaker 1: And ultimately that boils down to more donations, more soft 44 00:03:25,355 --> 00:03:28,995 Speaker 1: voters going to the polls after all, more oomph, and 45 00:03:29,115 --> 00:03:32,275 Speaker 1: more of a need for Democrats to pressure their electeds 46 00:03:32,595 --> 00:03:36,075 Speaker 1: to hammer home the fundamental point here. So, once again, 47 00:03:36,115 --> 00:03:39,195 Speaker 1: I cannot say this too often. Biden cannot say this 48 00:03:39,235 --> 00:03:44,715 Speaker 1: too often because even the concept of Trump as convicted 49 00:03:44,755 --> 00:03:49,955 Speaker 1: fellon Donald Trump is only a component of a bigger issue. 50 00:03:49,995 --> 00:03:55,155 Speaker 1: The President has sat down with Newsweek. Why who knows 51 00:03:55,955 --> 00:03:59,155 Speaker 1: who in the White House still thinks Newsweek is some 52 00:03:59,195 --> 00:04:03,235 Speaker 1: sort of access route to undecided voters or to anybody 53 00:04:03,275 --> 00:04:06,715 Speaker 1: for that matter, But he sat down with two of 54 00:04:06,755 --> 00:04:09,315 Speaker 1: their writers and they published the transcript, and in it 55 00:04:09,435 --> 00:04:11,875 Speaker 1: the President comes as close as he ever has to 56 00:04:11,955 --> 00:04:15,755 Speaker 1: an admission that the whole mindset of his incoming administration 57 00:04:17,155 --> 00:04:21,915 Speaker 1: was wrong, maybe even naive, and that a lot of 58 00:04:21,915 --> 00:04:26,315 Speaker 1: that mindset remains in place, and that it is as 59 00:04:26,395 --> 00:04:30,395 Speaker 1: much an obstacle to him defeating Trump again and saving 60 00:04:30,395 --> 00:04:36,315 Speaker 1: democracy again, as Trump himself is an obstacle. Biden recounted 61 00:04:36,355 --> 00:04:42,115 Speaker 1: for Newsweek his first G seven meeting quote, I said, well, 62 00:04:42,475 --> 00:04:47,155 Speaker 1: America's back. Macron of France, by the way, looked at 63 00:04:47,155 --> 00:04:50,515 Speaker 1: me and he said for how long? For how long? 64 00:04:51,115 --> 00:04:53,915 Speaker 1: And then Schultz and bill off Schultz of Germany said 65 00:04:53,915 --> 00:04:56,795 Speaker 1: to me, what would you say, mister President, if tomorrow 66 00:04:56,875 --> 00:04:59,355 Speaker 1: you pick up the London Times and found out that 67 00:04:59,435 --> 00:05:03,155 Speaker 1: thousands of people stormed the British Parliament, broke down the doors, 68 00:05:03,635 --> 00:05:07,435 Speaker 1: killed two Bobby to prevent the implement the swearing in 69 00:05:07,595 --> 00:05:10,195 Speaker 1: of a prime minister, a choice of prime minister. And 70 00:05:10,315 --> 00:05:13,715 Speaker 1: it made me realize just how fundamentally what he allowed 71 00:05:13,755 --> 00:05:17,275 Speaker 1: to happen, sitting in this room looking at that television 72 00:05:17,315 --> 00:05:20,195 Speaker 1: for three hours and didn't do a damn thing said 73 00:05:20,675 --> 00:05:25,595 Speaker 1: about America, and how much confidence people lost in America. 74 00:05:26,315 --> 00:05:29,315 Speaker 1: There's not a I'm going to say, be careful what 75 00:05:29,395 --> 00:05:33,115 Speaker 1: I say. There's not a major international meeting. I attended 76 00:05:33,155 --> 00:05:35,715 Speaker 1: that before it's over, and I've attended many, many more 77 00:05:35,755 --> 00:05:37,715 Speaker 1: than most presidents have in three and a half years. 78 00:05:37,875 --> 00:05:40,075 Speaker 1: That a world leader doesn't pull me aside as I'm 79 00:05:40,155 --> 00:05:44,715 Speaker 1: leaving and say he can't win. You can't let him win. 80 00:05:45,715 --> 00:05:52,955 Speaker 1: My democracy and their democracy is at stake. Exactly You're 81 00:05:53,035 --> 00:06:00,675 Speaker 1: goddamned exactly right. Say that. Say it again. Say it 82 00:06:00,675 --> 00:06:03,875 Speaker 1: at rallies, say it in speeches, say it in tiktoks, 83 00:06:04,075 --> 00:06:07,395 Speaker 1: say it in case campaign commercials, say it in TV interviews, 84 00:06:07,595 --> 00:06:10,075 Speaker 1: say it in photo ops. And when you say it, 85 00:06:10,395 --> 00:06:14,675 Speaker 1: when you say the world needs America to save its 86 00:06:14,715 --> 00:06:17,875 Speaker 1: own democracy and thus to save all the other democracies, 87 00:06:18,315 --> 00:06:20,915 Speaker 1: say that the first step to doing that is to 88 00:06:21,035 --> 00:06:51,955 Speaker 1: defeat convicted felon Donald Trump. Two further convictions. All right, 89 00:06:52,035 --> 00:06:54,115 Speaker 1: a step back in Georgia, but a step forward in 90 00:06:54,155 --> 00:06:57,675 Speaker 1: Wisconsin now, in which the fake Elector's prosecution has just 91 00:06:57,875 --> 00:07:02,915 Speaker 1: grazed Senator Ron Johnson and may yet nail him felony 92 00:07:03,035 --> 00:07:06,835 Speaker 1: charges of forgery against Kenny the Cheese, the Trump attorney 93 00:07:06,915 --> 00:07:11,515 Speaker 1: Ken Chesbro and attorney and ex judge Jim Troopis, and 94 00:07:11,635 --> 00:07:14,675 Speaker 1: the Trump muscleman Michael Roman, who started the landslide against 95 00:07:14,715 --> 00:07:18,155 Speaker 1: Fonnie Willis in Georgia. This is the fake Elector's scheme 96 00:07:18,515 --> 00:07:21,475 Speaker 1: as it played out in Wisconsin. They did not indict Trump, 97 00:07:21,675 --> 00:07:24,475 Speaker 1: They did not name him as an unindicted co conspirator. 98 00:07:24,675 --> 00:07:27,115 Speaker 1: On the other hand, the Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Call 99 00:07:27,195 --> 00:07:30,315 Speaker 1: told a news conference yesterday that the investigation is ongoing 100 00:07:30,755 --> 00:07:34,715 Speaker 1: and he may seek further indictments. The key here is 101 00:07:34,715 --> 00:07:37,955 Speaker 1: that while this has not been specified in those charges 102 00:07:39,075 --> 00:07:44,875 Speaker 1: just says forgery, but the charging documents indicate that Chesbrote, Troopus, 103 00:07:44,875 --> 00:07:48,915 Speaker 1: and Roman were attempting to get the fake elector's documents. 104 00:07:49,235 --> 00:07:56,515 Speaker 1: The forgeries to Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson on January sixth. Johnson, 105 00:07:56,595 --> 00:08:00,555 Speaker 1: you will recall, initially admitted somebody tried to get him something, 106 00:08:02,955 --> 00:08:05,955 Speaker 1: but having the intelligence of a hairbrush, he was too 107 00:08:05,995 --> 00:08:09,635 Speaker 1: stupid to realize that the trying part there was illegal 108 00:08:10,395 --> 00:08:14,635 Speaker 1: and he was one of the illegals. And then somebody 109 00:08:14,675 --> 00:08:19,155 Speaker 1: told him so he denied everything as it is again 110 00:08:19,355 --> 00:08:24,235 Speaker 1: optics visceral reactions. The first court appearance in Wisconsin will 111 00:08:24,275 --> 00:08:28,075 Speaker 1: be September nineteenth, And if further reporting on this begins 112 00:08:28,115 --> 00:08:30,795 Speaker 1: to dirty up Trump and Johnson, it can only help. 113 00:08:30,835 --> 00:08:34,235 Speaker 1: In a vital swing state unlikely to have a trial 114 00:08:34,235 --> 00:08:37,035 Speaker 1: before the election, you may not need one. Just get 115 00:08:37,075 --> 00:08:40,675 Speaker 1: it in the headlines. And also on the subject of 116 00:08:40,715 --> 00:08:44,115 Speaker 1: the law, I will report this and only this from 117 00:08:44,115 --> 00:08:47,755 Speaker 1: the Hunter Biden trial in Delaware on charges of possessing 118 00:08:48,435 --> 00:08:52,395 Speaker 1: the name Biden. You may recall that the little Peter 119 00:08:52,515 --> 00:08:56,555 Speaker 1: Navarro Aaron Boys scumbag Garrett Ziegler was one of the 120 00:08:56,635 --> 00:09:01,195 Speaker 1: lynch pins in the laptop scam. Garrett Ziegler showed up 121 00:09:01,195 --> 00:09:04,675 Speaker 1: to the courtroom in Wilmington yesterday and Hunter Biden's wife, 122 00:09:04,755 --> 00:09:08,275 Speaker 1: Melissa Cohen Biden, later explaining that Ziegler has called her 123 00:09:08,355 --> 00:09:12,275 Speaker 1: quote the most horrific Jewish slurs, went up to Ziegler 124 00:09:12,275 --> 00:09:16,235 Speaker 1: and said, quote, you have no right to be here, 125 00:09:16,915 --> 00:09:23,755 Speaker 1: you Nazi piece of shit. Mister chairman, I'd like to 126 00:09:23,795 --> 00:09:29,995 Speaker 1: nominate Melissa Cohen Biden for whatever office she's willing to 127 00:09:30,195 --> 00:09:41,755 Speaker 1: run for. Speaking of the Garrett Zieglers and the Ron 128 00:09:41,835 --> 00:09:44,555 Speaker 1: Johnsons and the Kenny the Cheeses, why have they done it? 129 00:09:46,995 --> 00:09:50,755 Speaker 1: Why have they sold out this nation? For convicted fellon 130 00:09:50,835 --> 00:09:55,795 Speaker 1: Donald Trump? At least we may have an answer. It 131 00:09:55,875 --> 00:10:01,195 Speaker 1: may be the answer if you're like me. That has 132 00:10:01,275 --> 00:10:04,275 Speaker 1: been the drum beat behind all of these crises, whatever 133 00:10:04,275 --> 00:10:06,755 Speaker 1: the latest crisis is, whatever the motives specific to that 134 00:10:06,835 --> 00:10:10,275 Speaker 1: crisis might be, that's the drum beat in the background. 135 00:10:10,555 --> 00:10:15,675 Speaker 1: Why why do they sell their souls for an idiot 136 00:10:15,715 --> 00:10:18,195 Speaker 1: like Trump? Why do they sell out their country to 137 00:10:18,355 --> 00:10:21,915 Speaker 1: lie to take the fall for an idiot like Trump? 138 00:10:22,435 --> 00:10:29,475 Speaker 1: Why do they wore themselves out and do so for 139 00:10:29,555 --> 00:10:33,435 Speaker 1: a guy who started as a moron and has since 140 00:10:33,475 --> 00:10:37,155 Speaker 1: worked his way down to near total mental incapacitation. Why 141 00:10:37,995 --> 00:10:41,075 Speaker 1: why do they buy his excuses and then sell his 142 00:10:41,195 --> 00:10:47,075 Speaker 1: excuses and ultimately provide his excuses? Why were they willing 143 00:10:47,115 --> 00:10:49,435 Speaker 1: to try to steal an election for him, and when 144 00:10:49,475 --> 00:10:52,155 Speaker 1: that didn't work, to try to foment a revolution for him, 145 00:10:52,155 --> 00:10:54,355 Speaker 1: and when that didn't work, to simply put their own 146 00:10:54,355 --> 00:10:57,635 Speaker 1: asses in jail, to try to interrupt the peaceful transfer 147 00:10:57,675 --> 00:11:04,755 Speaker 1: of power? Why? And behind that? Why for this guy? 148 00:11:05,555 --> 00:11:08,875 Speaker 1: For this guy, a guy Hitler would have been embarrassed 149 00:11:08,875 --> 00:11:11,955 Speaker 1: by a guy Stalin wouldn't have given two minutes to 150 00:11:13,075 --> 00:11:24,035 Speaker 1: And finally, finally, finally, finally we have an answer why Cash. 151 00:11:24,275 --> 00:11:28,675 Speaker 1: The Pulitzer Prize winning journalism nonprofit Pro Publica is now 152 00:11:28,715 --> 00:11:31,475 Speaker 1: reporting that for at least eight of Trump's witnesses in 153 00:11:31,515 --> 00:11:34,155 Speaker 1: the criminal cases against him, and the daughter of one 154 00:11:34,155 --> 00:11:38,995 Speaker 1: of those eight, the look is bad, real real bad. 155 00:11:39,955 --> 00:11:43,115 Speaker 1: Can't yet prove cause and effect in court can't yet 156 00:11:43,155 --> 00:11:46,275 Speaker 1: prove the witness tampering side of this, can't yet prove 157 00:11:46,355 --> 00:11:49,875 Speaker 1: Trump ordered anything here or even knew about these let's 158 00:11:49,995 --> 00:11:52,995 Speaker 1: use the word emoluments, that he even knew anything about 159 00:11:52,995 --> 00:11:57,035 Speaker 1: these emoluments. But these nine people have to quote the 160 00:11:57,115 --> 00:12:03,795 Speaker 1: Pro Publica seminal report received significant financial benefits, including large 161 00:12:03,915 --> 00:12:08,635 Speaker 1: raises from him campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a 162 00:12:08,635 --> 00:12:14,835 Speaker 1: grant of shares and cash from Trump's media company unquote. 163 00:12:15,435 --> 00:12:17,955 Speaker 1: From reading the report, and I encourage you to read 164 00:12:17,995 --> 00:12:20,995 Speaker 1: it and reading the reaction to it, the story not 165 00:12:21,075 --> 00:12:24,795 Speaker 1: only obviously hit the nerve in Trump world, but it's 166 00:12:24,795 --> 00:12:29,635 Speaker 1: also obviously the string to pull on because, in advance 167 00:12:29,675 --> 00:12:33,995 Speaker 1: of publication, one of Trump's infinite number of lawyers, all 168 00:12:34,035 --> 00:12:38,275 Speaker 1: whom suck, warn that if Pro Publica quote continue their 169 00:12:38,355 --> 00:12:43,235 Speaker 1: reckless campaign of defamation, Trump will evaluate all legal remedies. Ooh, 170 00:12:43,355 --> 00:12:47,595 Speaker 1: that'll stop them. All of Trump's legal remedies, the ones 171 00:12:47,635 --> 00:12:51,635 Speaker 1: that have so far all turned out to be snake oil. Ooohoo. 172 00:12:53,555 --> 00:12:56,515 Speaker 1: Here's the nine and what they got either connected to 173 00:12:56,515 --> 00:12:59,795 Speaker 1: what they did for him or just an incredible coincidence 174 00:12:59,835 --> 00:13:04,955 Speaker 1: of timing. Boris Epstein the timeline Pro Publica reports twenty 175 00:13:04,995 --> 00:13:09,755 Speaker 1: twenty two Georgia case grand jury. He testifies favorably about 176 00:13:09,795 --> 00:13:12,715 Speaker 1: Trump April twenty twenty three interviews with the Special Council. 177 00:13:12,995 --> 00:13:16,595 Speaker 1: August twenty twenty three, Trump's campaign goes from paying Epstein 178 00:13:16,635 --> 00:13:19,435 Speaker 1: on average of twenty six thousand dollars a month to 179 00:13:19,515 --> 00:13:23,475 Speaker 1: a new high of fifty three thousand, five hundred a 180 00:13:23,515 --> 00:13:30,275 Speaker 1: month last October. Susie Wiles, Trump campaign manager, daughter of 181 00:13:30,795 --> 00:13:35,995 Speaker 1: high I'm Pat Summer All. She's on the tape when 182 00:13:36,035 --> 00:13:38,995 Speaker 1: he's showing off the top secret military maps. Remember that 183 00:13:40,075 --> 00:13:42,795 Speaker 1: warns her she should not get too close to the maps, 184 00:13:42,875 --> 00:13:46,595 Speaker 1: like they had cooties or something. From Pro publica May 185 00:13:46,635 --> 00:13:51,555 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, she gets a twenty percent raise. June eighth, 186 00:13:51,635 --> 00:13:54,315 Speaker 1: news of the tape comes out same month, or political 187 00:13:54,355 --> 00:13:57,155 Speaker 1: consulting firm got a record high payment from the Trump 188 00:13:57,235 --> 00:14:02,075 Speaker 1: campaign seventy five thousand dollars. And then later the Trump 189 00:14:02,155 --> 00:14:05,475 Speaker 1: campaign hired somebody and made her the four highest paid 190 00:14:05,475 --> 00:14:08,595 Speaker 1: staff around the campaign and twenty two thousand dollars a year. 191 00:14:08,755 --> 00:14:12,835 Speaker 1: Her name Caroline Wiles. Well, that's a coincidence. It's not 192 00:14:12,915 --> 00:14:15,715 Speaker 1: a coincidence. What do you mean, it's not a coincidence. Oh, 193 00:14:15,755 --> 00:14:22,475 Speaker 1: she's Susie Wiles's daughter. Margo Martin, also an alleged witness 194 00:14:22,475 --> 00:14:26,075 Speaker 1: to Trump, showing people how big his classified document cash 195 00:14:26,155 --> 00:14:29,715 Speaker 1: really was. The Pro Publica report making one hundred and 196 00:14:29,715 --> 00:14:31,955 Speaker 1: fifty five thousand dollars a year, and then called to 197 00:14:31,995 --> 00:14:35,115 Speaker 1: testify to the grand jury, and then suddenly making one 198 00:14:35,195 --> 00:14:38,795 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty five thousand dollars a year. Dan Scavino, 199 00:14:39,435 --> 00:14:45,475 Speaker 1: Trump's anti social media guy. Pro Publica's timeline for Dan Scavino. 200 00:14:45,835 --> 00:14:50,555 Speaker 1: Congressional investigators call him in August twenty twenty one. He stalls. Later, 201 00:14:50,635 --> 00:14:53,715 Speaker 1: they give him a subpoena. He keeps stalling half a 202 00:14:53,795 --> 00:14:57,395 Speaker 1: dozen extensions. Later there's a subpoena to go talk to 203 00:14:57,435 --> 00:15:02,355 Speaker 1: the criminal grand jury. After that, Dan Scavino has given 204 00:15:02,355 --> 00:15:06,555 Speaker 1: a seat on the board of Trump's Truth. Stalls again 205 00:15:06,595 --> 00:15:09,715 Speaker 1: until May twenty twenty three, and according to SEC filings, 206 00:15:10,755 --> 00:15:14,515 Speaker 1: then he gets a four million dollar executive promissory note 207 00:15:14,955 --> 00:15:21,395 Speaker 1: paid in shares and a six hundred thousand dollars retention bonus. Yeah, 208 00:15:21,395 --> 00:15:25,995 Speaker 1: I wonder what he was retaining. Jennifer Little, a Trump lawyer, 209 00:15:26,475 --> 00:15:28,475 Speaker 1: called to the grand jury to talk about when she 210 00:15:28,635 --> 00:15:31,555 Speaker 1: was there and they wanted the documents back, and Trump said, 211 00:15:31,555 --> 00:15:34,275 Speaker 1: shouldn't they just not play ball? And wouldn't it be 212 00:15:34,275 --> 00:15:37,235 Speaker 1: better if we just told them we don't have anything here? Little, 213 00:15:37,275 --> 00:15:42,075 Speaker 1: according to ABC News, testifies and says she didn't remember 214 00:15:42,155 --> 00:15:45,515 Speaker 1: him saying anything about not playing ball before she testified. 215 00:15:45,595 --> 00:15:48,795 Speaker 1: Per Pro Publica, she'd never been paid higher than one 216 00:15:48,875 --> 00:15:51,915 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five thousand dollars in one month March 217 00:15:51,955 --> 00:15:55,995 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty three, two hundred and eighteen thousand since 218 00:15:56,315 --> 00:16:00,555 Speaker 1: she testified, at least a million three in total. Evan Corcoran, 219 00:16:00,995 --> 00:16:04,315 Speaker 1: the other Trump lawyer at the Don't Play Ball meeting. 220 00:16:04,475 --> 00:16:07,555 Speaker 1: He testifies in March twenty twenty three. Pro Publica reports 221 00:16:07,795 --> 00:16:11,395 Speaker 1: just days later his firm gets quote two payments to 222 00:16:11,475 --> 00:16:14,915 Speaker 1: his firm, totaling seven hundred and eighty six thousand dollars. 223 00:16:15,635 --> 00:16:17,595 Speaker 1: The firm brought in a total of one point four 224 00:16:17,635 --> 00:16:20,235 Speaker 1: million in that four week span, more than double its 225 00:16:20,235 --> 00:16:25,995 Speaker 1: payments from any other comparable period. Steve Whitkoff, expert witness 226 00:16:26,035 --> 00:16:29,875 Speaker 1: for Trump defending Trump's real estate valuations in the Trump 227 00:16:29,955 --> 00:16:34,995 Speaker 1: Organization real estate fraud trial last year from Pro Publica 228 00:16:35,915 --> 00:16:39,995 Speaker 1: quote two months after Wittcoff's testimony, Trump's campaign for the 229 00:16:39,995 --> 00:16:43,595 Speaker 1: first time started paying his company for air travel three 230 00:16:43,675 --> 00:16:49,395 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy thousand dollars. Alan Weiselberg, Oh you know 231 00:16:49,435 --> 00:16:53,075 Speaker 1: who Alan Weisselberg is and where he is right now? 232 00:16:53,955 --> 00:16:56,395 Speaker 1: Four months after the New York Attorney General sued Trump 233 00:16:56,475 --> 00:17:00,395 Speaker 1: for financial fraud in his real estate business, Pro Publica reports, 234 00:17:00,795 --> 00:17:05,355 Speaker 1: Weisselberg got a two million dollars severance agreement with a 235 00:17:05,475 --> 00:17:10,755 Speaker 1: non disparagement clause and language keeping him from voluntarily cooperating 236 00:17:10,795 --> 00:17:19,875 Speaker 1: with investigators. Wow. Justin incredible coincidence, well, actually nine nine 237 00:17:19,955 --> 00:17:24,875 Speaker 1: incredible coincidences, and they kind of dovetail into this other 238 00:17:24,915 --> 00:17:27,795 Speaker 1: story about the Epoch Times. Did you see this? A 239 00:17:27,875 --> 00:17:31,075 Speaker 1: pretend news organization that spent more money promoting Trump on 240 00:17:31,115 --> 00:17:34,715 Speaker 1: Facebook than any other group, that says, yeah, there'll be 241 00:17:34,755 --> 00:17:38,035 Speaker 1: a rapture, and in the rapture, all non Trump supporters 242 00:17:38,075 --> 00:17:42,835 Speaker 1: will die, one of whose reporters breached Whitehouse security and 243 00:17:42,955 --> 00:17:48,955 Speaker 1: handed Trump a still unexplained envelope in twenty eighteen. The 244 00:17:48,995 --> 00:17:52,155 Speaker 1: Epoch Times that funded Larry Elders race for president this 245 00:17:52,235 --> 00:17:55,515 Speaker 1: year up to five million dollars, and elder got approximately 246 00:17:55,835 --> 00:18:02,435 Speaker 1: how many primary votes approximately approximately none Okay, the chief 247 00:18:02,515 --> 00:18:05,715 Speaker 1: financial officer of the Epoch Times has now been indicted 248 00:18:05,715 --> 00:18:09,275 Speaker 1: and charged with participation in an international money laundering scheme 249 00:18:09,475 --> 00:18:13,195 Speaker 1: worth at least sixty seven million dollars. All you need 250 00:18:13,315 --> 00:18:20,635 Speaker 1: is cash. Just a coincidence. Oh and one other incredible coincidence. 251 00:18:21,035 --> 00:18:25,475 Speaker 1: You didn't see any of this from pro Publica in 252 00:18:25,595 --> 00:18:31,275 Speaker 1: newspapers this week because the new editorial level at most 253 00:18:31,315 --> 00:18:35,875 Speaker 1: of our newspapers a they are British. If the president 254 00:18:35,915 --> 00:18:38,955 Speaker 1: would like to issue an order on immigration, they should 255 00:18:38,955 --> 00:18:42,195 Speaker 1: stop British newspaper men from showing up in this country. 256 00:18:42,675 --> 00:18:47,035 Speaker 1: I think we would have learned that with Murdoch. The 257 00:18:47,075 --> 00:18:49,995 Speaker 1: new editorial level of all the newspapers think it's not 258 00:18:50,155 --> 00:18:52,915 Speaker 1: worth it to run the news if their paper can't 259 00:18:52,915 --> 00:18:57,035 Speaker 1: take credit for that news, or it's not worth it 260 00:18:57,075 --> 00:18:59,315 Speaker 1: if taking credit for the news could get them in 261 00:18:59,315 --> 00:19:04,275 Speaker 1: trouble with somebody, you know, like how the Washington Post 262 00:19:04,755 --> 00:19:16,115 Speaker 1: broke and then hid the Alito flag scandal. And as always, 263 00:19:16,115 --> 00:19:20,315 Speaker 1: where possible, a little comic relief, speaking of newspapers screwing 264 00:19:20,355 --> 00:19:23,155 Speaker 1: themselves into the ground of The New York Times printed 265 00:19:23,155 --> 00:19:26,555 Speaker 1: a focus group about the campaign, evidently under the mistaken 266 00:19:26,595 --> 00:19:29,115 Speaker 1: belief that this is nineteen eighty eight and we all 267 00:19:29,155 --> 00:19:32,835 Speaker 1: want to know what the focus groups are thinking. Worse yet, 268 00:19:32,875 --> 00:19:36,315 Speaker 1: it was a focus group moderated by Frank Lunz. The 269 00:19:36,395 --> 00:19:38,675 Speaker 1: Times evidently under the mistaken belief that it has not 270 00:19:38,835 --> 00:19:43,115 Speaker 1: been alleged that Frank's hair is not his own. Anyway, 271 00:19:43,115 --> 00:19:45,515 Speaker 1: I'm just going to read these excerpts, which I'll remind 272 00:19:45,555 --> 00:19:49,635 Speaker 1: you were commissioned by and printed in the New York Times. 273 00:19:50,435 --> 00:19:53,315 Speaker 1: And I just hope somebody did this in hopes of 274 00:19:53,395 --> 00:19:56,515 Speaker 1: slipping it past an editor so that the rest of 275 00:19:56,595 --> 00:19:59,915 Speaker 1: us would conclude that you know, we're doomed if we 276 00:19:59,955 --> 00:20:05,035 Speaker 1: don't get out and vote, raise money, convict Trump. We 277 00:20:05,075 --> 00:20:10,315 Speaker 1: don't do that, democracy is dead, and that if we 278 00:20:10,315 --> 00:20:13,075 Speaker 1: want to start worrying about twenty twenty eight, we better 279 00:20:13,115 --> 00:20:15,835 Speaker 1: start giving all voters a ten question sanity test before 280 00:20:15,915 --> 00:20:24,155 Speaker 1: letting them vote. Ahem. Quoting moderator Frank Luntz, Ben Europe, 281 00:20:24,275 --> 00:20:30,715 Speaker 1: can you explain why undecided? Ben forty two, Texas White 282 00:20:31,315 --> 00:20:35,755 Speaker 1: college advisor. A couple of people have mentioned a massive 283 00:20:35,835 --> 00:20:39,555 Speaker 1: judicial conspiracy of everybody going after him. Okay, let's talk 284 00:20:39,595 --> 00:20:42,795 Speaker 1: conspiracy math. Here. The sheer number of people who would 285 00:20:42,835 --> 00:20:44,995 Speaker 1: have to be working together to get something like this 286 00:20:45,115 --> 00:20:48,515 Speaker 1: working just boggles the mind. And have you ever tried 287 00:20:48,555 --> 00:20:50,675 Speaker 1: to get four people to agree on what to order 288 00:20:50,715 --> 00:20:54,475 Speaker 1: for pizza? I just don't see this working out. And 289 00:20:54,555 --> 00:20:57,235 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, Okay, fine, okay, I'm 290 00:20:57,275 --> 00:21:00,115 Speaker 1: going to side with Jonathan on this one, saying, what's 291 00:21:00,155 --> 00:21:04,475 Speaker 1: the big deal about bribing Stormy Daniels? But I want 292 00:21:04,515 --> 00:21:07,155 Speaker 1: to president, who's going to be able to cover up 293 00:21:07,155 --> 00:21:09,515 Speaker 1: a one hundred and thirty thousand dollars bribe to Daniels. 294 00:21:09,755 --> 00:21:12,435 Speaker 1: If he can't pull that off, I'm not gonna trust 295 00:21:12,515 --> 00:21:15,115 Speaker 1: him with the nuclear football. This seems like such an 296 00:21:15,155 --> 00:21:18,435 Speaker 1: easy thing for him to screw up. I'm kind of 297 00:21:18,515 --> 00:21:26,955 Speaker 1: leaning towards Biden. Now, Ben continued, We're all regular people 298 00:21:26,955 --> 00:21:30,035 Speaker 1: with regular jobs. If any of us all did like 299 00:21:30,195 --> 00:21:33,995 Speaker 1: one thousandth of what this guy did for being on trial, 300 00:21:34,035 --> 00:21:36,915 Speaker 1: the financial stuff, the forms, the bribes, the meeting with people, 301 00:21:37,155 --> 00:21:39,635 Speaker 1: we all would have been fired. We all would have 302 00:21:39,635 --> 00:21:42,555 Speaker 1: been out on our butts applying for jobs at grocery 303 00:21:42,595 --> 00:21:47,195 Speaker 1: stores or driving uber or whatnot. You're saying it's all 304 00:21:47,275 --> 00:21:50,635 Speaker 1: like a political theater and farce and whatnot. But he 305 00:21:50,755 --> 00:21:54,035 Speaker 1: was having an affair with a porn star, and not 306 00:21:54,235 --> 00:21:58,155 Speaker 1: a particularly attractive one at that. There are so many 307 00:21:58,315 --> 00:22:12,675 Speaker 1: wonderful porn stars out there. End quote. Ben advises college students, 308 00:22:13,555 --> 00:22:20,235 Speaker 1: we are doomed. Last note, Hey, Frank Lenz, did you 309 00:22:20,235 --> 00:22:24,155 Speaker 1: ask Ben his opinion of the phrase convicted fellon Donald Trump, 310 00:22:24,155 --> 00:22:26,875 Speaker 1: who did not get away with covering up his scandal 311 00:22:26,915 --> 00:22:35,715 Speaker 1: with a not so wonderful porn star out there too wordy, 312 00:22:36,635 --> 00:22:40,755 Speaker 1: not enough pictures for Ben. Also of interest here, sure, 313 00:22:40,835 --> 00:22:43,795 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball just banned a twenty four year old 314 00:22:43,915 --> 00:22:48,355 Speaker 1: utility infielder for life for betting on baseball games involving 315 00:22:48,395 --> 00:22:50,875 Speaker 1: his own team. But of course that has nothing to 316 00:22:50,955 --> 00:22:55,035 Speaker 1: do with the main advertising on all baseball broadcasts now 317 00:22:55,155 --> 00:23:01,315 Speaker 1: being for betting on baseball games. But more importantly, anybody 318 00:23:01,395 --> 00:23:04,955 Speaker 1: noticed that Baseball also suspended for a year for gaming 319 00:23:04,995 --> 00:23:07,875 Speaker 1: on baseball games a guy who pitched in three of 320 00:23:07,915 --> 00:23:12,155 Speaker 1: the five World Series games last year. Anybody worried about that? 321 00:23:12,475 --> 00:23:18,995 Speaker 1: By any chance? That's next? This is Countdown. This is 322 00:23:19,115 --> 00:23:43,475 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Overman stell ahead of us on this 323 00:23:43,555 --> 00:23:46,515 Speaker 1: all new edition of Countdown. Well, hell, I just mentioned 324 00:23:46,515 --> 00:23:50,595 Speaker 1: Frank Luntz before the break. Why not take this opportunity 325 00:23:50,675 --> 00:23:56,595 Speaker 1: to tell you all of my Frank Luntz stories, from 326 00:23:56,635 --> 00:23:59,315 Speaker 1: the story in which he inadvertently got me the job 327 00:23:59,395 --> 00:24:03,835 Speaker 1: anchoring Countdown on MSNBC to the story where he inadvertently 328 00:24:03,835 --> 00:24:08,315 Speaker 1: got the president of CNN fired in things I promised 329 00:24:08,315 --> 00:24:11,595 Speaker 1: not to tell coming up, but first, as ever, there 330 00:24:11,635 --> 00:24:14,515 Speaker 1: are still more new idiots to talk about. The daily 331 00:24:14,555 --> 00:24:17,515 Speaker 1: roundup of the misgrants, morons and Dunning Kruger effect specimens 332 00:24:17,875 --> 00:24:23,675 Speaker 1: who constitute two days worse person in the world. The 333 00:24:23,835 --> 00:24:28,475 Speaker 1: runner up worse the Republican National Committee Lara idiot, daughter 334 00:24:28,515 --> 00:24:33,675 Speaker 1: in law Trump proprietor. The Boston Globe reported yesterday realized 335 00:24:33,795 --> 00:24:36,995 Speaker 1: is probably a better term that for days. For weeks, 336 00:24:37,555 --> 00:24:42,315 Speaker 1: four months. The website for the rnc's Republican convention in 337 00:24:42,395 --> 00:24:45,955 Speaker 1: Milwaukee next month, you know the thing that's on convicted 338 00:24:45,955 --> 00:24:51,435 Speaker 1: fellon Donald Trump's schedule right after the sentencing. That website 339 00:24:51,515 --> 00:24:55,355 Speaker 1: has used a beautiful background image depicting the skyline of 340 00:24:55,435 --> 00:25:00,635 Speaker 1: Milwaukee where they're going to have the convention Milwaukee. Except 341 00:25:01,595 --> 00:25:05,155 Speaker 1: Globe reporter Sam Brody noted, hey, that you don't look 342 00:25:05,195 --> 00:25:07,475 Speaker 1: a thing like Milwaukee, And he did a little googling, 343 00:25:07,515 --> 00:25:10,915 Speaker 1: and boy was he right. The backdrop photo of Milwaukee 344 00:25:10,955 --> 00:25:14,715 Speaker 1: being used by the Republican Party was actually a photo 345 00:25:14,835 --> 00:25:24,115 Speaker 1: of Ho Chi Min's city in Vietnam, Ho Chia Min's city. Now, 346 00:25:24,195 --> 00:25:27,475 Speaker 1: if you post a photo of Milwaukee and somebody screws 347 00:25:27,595 --> 00:25:31,115 Speaker 1: up and it's actually not Milwaukee, but it's Minneapolis or 348 00:25:31,315 --> 00:25:36,715 Speaker 1: Miami or something else that fits alphabetically near Milwaukee, Okay, 349 00:25:36,755 --> 00:25:39,275 Speaker 1: I get it. You didn't get enough sleep, you screwed up. 350 00:25:39,315 --> 00:25:44,355 Speaker 1: You typed in them, and you got Miami instead of Milwaukee. 351 00:25:44,355 --> 00:25:47,315 Speaker 1: But you googled Milwaukee and your computer memory corrected it 352 00:25:47,315 --> 00:25:51,915 Speaker 1: to men as in Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam, 353 00:25:52,515 --> 00:25:55,115 Speaker 1: and so you get a variety of great photos of 354 00:25:55,195 --> 00:25:59,235 Speaker 1: the place they no longer call Saigon. What exactly have 355 00:25:59,315 --> 00:26:04,555 Speaker 1: you been googling, Lara Trump and why they've changed it now? 356 00:26:04,795 --> 00:26:06,915 Speaker 1: It is really Milwaukee? My god, how great would it 357 00:26:06,955 --> 00:26:09,115 Speaker 1: be if all the Republicans left next month for Ho 358 00:26:09,235 --> 00:26:14,835 Speaker 1: Chi Minh City? The runners up my old employers. I know, 359 00:26:14,955 --> 00:26:17,755 Speaker 1: like that gives you anything resembling a clue about what 360 00:26:17,915 --> 00:26:21,915 Speaker 1: network I'm talking about? Well, I mean ESPN. Look, I 361 00:26:21,995 --> 00:26:24,795 Speaker 1: understand that the boys are really really invested in this. 362 00:26:24,915 --> 00:26:28,475 Speaker 1: Pat McAfee, the challenged guy they have on the air 363 00:26:28,515 --> 00:26:31,635 Speaker 1: every day. Now, he's the latest thing that they think 364 00:26:31,675 --> 00:26:34,355 Speaker 1: will prove that, No, the network isn't going to have 365 00:26:34,435 --> 00:26:38,835 Speaker 1: to accept smaller audiences and older demographics for everything except 366 00:26:38,875 --> 00:26:42,955 Speaker 1: live games forever and ever and ever to come, even 367 00:26:42,995 --> 00:26:49,835 Speaker 1: though that's the reality. Lower the profit expectations. Boys, But honestly, 368 00:26:49,875 --> 00:26:52,075 Speaker 1: anybody else who ever worked there, if they had called 369 00:26:52,075 --> 00:26:54,675 Speaker 1: the brand new savior of one of the few growth 370 00:26:54,715 --> 00:26:58,875 Speaker 1: sports there is, the WNBA, if they had called quote 371 00:26:59,155 --> 00:27:02,755 Speaker 1: one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a 372 00:27:02,795 --> 00:27:07,475 Speaker 1: superstar unquote, that person would have been at minimum suspended 373 00:27:08,035 --> 00:27:13,155 Speaker 1: or fired or suspended then fired. Trust me, talk about 374 00:27:13,315 --> 00:27:17,395 Speaker 1: ESPN suspensions, I know what I'm talking about, especially with 375 00:27:17,475 --> 00:27:20,675 Speaker 1: this guy Pat McAfee's record of platforming that's psycho Aaron 376 00:27:20,755 --> 00:27:25,755 Speaker 1: Rodgers and attacking executives. I don't know how long has 377 00:27:25,795 --> 00:27:28,835 Speaker 1: he been there, a year. He's got a longer rap 378 00:27:28,875 --> 00:27:32,235 Speaker 1: sheet at ESPN than I did in three different tenures. 379 00:27:33,875 --> 00:27:37,515 Speaker 1: But now McAfee went on and he said that calling 380 00:27:37,555 --> 00:27:40,955 Speaker 1: the Indiana fever rookie Caitlin Clark the B word, well, 381 00:27:40,955 --> 00:27:43,235 Speaker 1: he meant that as a compliment about how she and 382 00:27:43,515 --> 00:27:47,195 Speaker 1: nobody else has invigorated the league, but the use of 383 00:27:47,195 --> 00:27:49,235 Speaker 1: the word was a massive f up by him. He 384 00:27:49,275 --> 00:27:51,715 Speaker 1: said he meant it as a compliment, which is look 385 00:27:53,075 --> 00:27:55,635 Speaker 1: a lie. There's no other word for it. You can't 386 00:27:55,715 --> 00:27:58,155 Speaker 1: drop the B word into a discussion about the WNBA 387 00:27:58,675 --> 00:28:05,155 Speaker 1: and mean it complimentarily. But management said, okay, now he's 388 00:28:05,155 --> 00:28:08,195 Speaker 1: made it worse. McAfee says he said a personal apology 389 00:28:08,235 --> 00:28:12,195 Speaker 1: to Caitlin Clark via her team's media department, and he 390 00:28:12,195 --> 00:28:15,755 Speaker 1: heard back at quoting him who was all good, amended 391 00:28:15,795 --> 00:28:19,675 Speaker 1: as a compliment. Those are my attentions. Caitlin Clark did 392 00:28:19,675 --> 00:28:22,875 Speaker 1: not fail disrespected, but a lot of people said I 393 00:28:23,035 --> 00:28:27,555 Speaker 1: was disrespecting her. So McAfee has now used the B 394 00:28:27,755 --> 00:28:31,155 Speaker 1: word on the air as part of his coverage of 395 00:28:31,235 --> 00:28:36,195 Speaker 1: women's basketball on a network that carries women's basketball that 396 00:28:36,435 --> 00:28:39,755 Speaker 1: was the original home of national coverage of women's college 397 00:28:39,875 --> 00:28:43,275 Speaker 1: national basketball. Then he has insisted it was a compliment. 398 00:28:43,635 --> 00:28:45,835 Speaker 1: Then he apologized to the player for it even though 399 00:28:45,875 --> 00:28:48,475 Speaker 1: he insisted it was a compliment. Now he's insisting the 400 00:28:48,515 --> 00:28:51,875 Speaker 1: player is not offended by it. So who knows how 401 00:28:51,915 --> 00:28:55,755 Speaker 1: this Pat McAfee will change the story today or what 402 00:28:55,875 --> 00:28:59,675 Speaker 1: he will do next. Time to embarrass ESPN and the 403 00:28:59,715 --> 00:29:03,235 Speaker 1: people who hired him there, one of whom will eventually 404 00:29:03,275 --> 00:29:07,595 Speaker 1: get fired for hiring him, fired by the other two 405 00:29:07,595 --> 00:29:11,195 Speaker 1: people who hired him. I got a track record knowing 406 00:29:11,235 --> 00:29:14,435 Speaker 1: about this stuff do over there, But our winners the 407 00:29:14,675 --> 00:29:20,595 Speaker 1: worst Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, we all accept him. 408 00:29:20,635 --> 00:29:25,315 Speaker 1: I guess saw this coming once baseball embraced legalized gambling. 409 00:29:26,155 --> 00:29:29,675 Speaker 1: It's new advertising when there ain't much new advertising. And again, 410 00:29:30,115 --> 00:29:32,955 Speaker 1: there isn't a corporation in the world, particularly in sports, 411 00:29:32,995 --> 00:29:35,995 Speaker 1: that's willing to say, hey, maybe the growth period is 412 00:29:36,035 --> 00:29:39,755 Speaker 1: over for now. But for those of us who really 413 00:29:39,755 --> 00:29:43,755 Speaker 1: didn't see this coming when baseball embraced legalized gambling, maybe 414 00:29:43,755 --> 00:29:47,475 Speaker 1: that story of Shohei Otani and his interpreter and the 415 00:29:47,515 --> 00:29:51,395 Speaker 1: interpreter's quarter billion dollars worth of bets on other sports 416 00:29:52,195 --> 00:29:55,435 Speaker 1: that his interpreter got Otani to partially pay for, maybe 417 00:29:55,475 --> 00:29:57,795 Speaker 1: that made the rest of us see it coming. Except 418 00:29:57,915 --> 00:30:01,755 Speaker 1: Rob Manfred. Baseball has now banned twenty four year old 419 00:30:02,155 --> 00:30:07,035 Speaker 1: Venezuelan infielder outfielder took apeda Marcano of the Padres for 420 00:30:07,275 --> 00:30:10,715 Speaker 1: life because he placed just a few bets with a 421 00:30:10,795 --> 00:30:15,355 Speaker 1: legal sports book, a legal sports book bets legal bets 422 00:30:15,355 --> 00:30:18,915 Speaker 1: on baseball, and baseball rules are you can bet on 423 00:30:19,035 --> 00:30:21,595 Speaker 1: the other sports, but you can't ever bet on baseball. 424 00:30:21,795 --> 00:30:24,115 Speaker 1: But just a few, only two hundred and thirty one 425 00:30:24,155 --> 00:30:26,915 Speaker 1: of them in October twenty twenty two, and then the 426 00:30:26,955 --> 00:30:29,035 Speaker 1: back half of last year more than one hundred and 427 00:30:29,075 --> 00:30:32,315 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars in bets in totals, and the reason 428 00:30:32,355 --> 00:30:34,635 Speaker 1: he was banned for life. Twenty five of the bets 429 00:30:34,675 --> 00:30:37,395 Speaker 1: were on the Pittsburgh Pirates, and at that time he 430 00:30:37,795 --> 00:30:43,475 Speaker 1: was also on the Pittsburgh Pirates automatic lifetime ban. But 431 00:30:43,515 --> 00:30:47,235 Speaker 1: Baseball also suspended yesterday three other players for one year 432 00:30:47,275 --> 00:30:51,995 Speaker 1: each for betting on games legally not involving their own teams. 433 00:30:52,555 --> 00:30:54,875 Speaker 1: And I swear I am way more disturbed by one 434 00:30:54,915 --> 00:30:58,115 Speaker 1: of those stories than I am about Marcano. Last year, 435 00:30:58,115 --> 00:31:02,075 Speaker 1: in the postseason, on eleven different occasions, the Arizona Diamondbacks 436 00:31:02,355 --> 00:31:04,915 Speaker 1: called in a rookie lefty relief pitcher out of India 437 00:31:05,035 --> 00:31:09,755 Speaker 1: University named Andrew Salfrank, and the commentators were extolling him, 438 00:31:09,995 --> 00:31:12,835 Speaker 1: and he registered holds in four of his first eight 439 00:31:12,835 --> 00:31:15,195 Speaker 1: postseason appearances. And you'd only come to the majors a 440 00:31:15,195 --> 00:31:17,755 Speaker 1: month earlier, and he got a hold in the game 441 00:31:17,795 --> 00:31:20,075 Speaker 1: that sent Arizona to the World Series. And then he 442 00:31:20,115 --> 00:31:23,435 Speaker 1: pitched in three straight games out of the five games 443 00:31:23,475 --> 00:31:25,475 Speaker 1: they played in the World Series, and he didn't give 444 00:31:25,555 --> 00:31:27,075 Speaker 1: up a run, he only gave up one hit. And 445 00:31:27,155 --> 00:31:30,715 Speaker 1: he's banned for a year now because in twenty twenty 446 00:31:30,755 --> 00:31:32,915 Speaker 1: one and twenty twenty two, when he was still in 447 00:31:32,915 --> 00:31:36,435 Speaker 1: the minor leagues, he bet once on a college ball game, 448 00:31:36,475 --> 00:31:39,555 Speaker 1: and he made four bets on his big league teams games. 449 00:31:40,195 --> 00:31:44,115 Speaker 1: His baseball bets totaled four hundred and forty five dollars 450 00:31:44,115 --> 00:31:48,435 Speaker 1: and eighty seven cents. I'm not making excuses for him, 451 00:31:48,475 --> 00:31:50,955 Speaker 1: No betting on baseball four hundred and forty five dollars 452 00:31:51,035 --> 00:31:53,515 Speaker 1: and eighty seven cents four hundred forty five million dollars 453 00:31:53,555 --> 00:31:56,755 Speaker 1: in eighty seven cents doesn't matter. But why did he 454 00:31:56,795 --> 00:32:00,755 Speaker 1: bet on these games? Until this guy Marcano got banned 455 00:32:00,795 --> 00:32:02,915 Speaker 1: for life yesterday, there had not been an active player 456 00:32:02,995 --> 00:32:06,475 Speaker 1: banned for wagering or even talking about wagering on his 457 00:32:06,515 --> 00:32:09,475 Speaker 1: own team since Jimmy O'Connell of the New York Giants 458 00:32:09,515 --> 00:32:12,355 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty four. Why has there been a sudden 459 00:32:12,475 --> 00:32:16,915 Speaker 1: explosion of betting by baseball players on sports on baseball. 460 00:32:17,515 --> 00:32:20,275 Speaker 1: Why did this poor idiot, Salve Frank just lose a 461 00:32:20,395 --> 00:32:23,195 Speaker 1: year because he legally bet four hundred and forty five 462 00:32:23,235 --> 00:32:25,915 Speaker 1: dollars and eighty seven cents. Do you think it might 463 00:32:25,995 --> 00:32:27,995 Speaker 1: have something to do with the fact that I am 464 00:32:28,075 --> 00:32:31,915 Speaker 1: every other commercial on every sports telecast at every baseball 465 00:32:31,955 --> 00:32:36,715 Speaker 1: telecast tells you bet on this game. Right now, here's 466 00:32:36,835 --> 00:32:40,155 Speaker 1: how you will win. You will win, you will win. 467 00:32:40,555 --> 00:32:43,995 Speaker 1: Marcano's done for life, Salve Frank. He should be okay 468 00:32:43,995 --> 00:32:47,595 Speaker 1: in a year. But next time, when it isn't a 469 00:32:47,675 --> 00:32:50,155 Speaker 1: utility infielder, or it isn't a guy who bet four 470 00:32:50,235 --> 00:32:52,235 Speaker 1: hundred and forty five dollars and eighty seven cents while 471 00:32:52,235 --> 00:32:55,195 Speaker 1: he was in the minors, When it's a star, or 472 00:32:55,195 --> 00:32:58,275 Speaker 1: it's an umpire, or it's a World Series umpire, what 473 00:32:58,395 --> 00:33:03,955 Speaker 1: do they do? Then? Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob I said, 474 00:33:03,995 --> 00:33:08,715 Speaker 1: bet on game games, not baseball games, Manfred two days, 475 00:33:09,435 --> 00:33:15,635 Speaker 1: worst person in the world that hods up sixty five? 476 00:33:31,475 --> 00:33:33,475 Speaker 1: All right? Since I brought up Frank Lunz and his 477 00:33:33,555 --> 00:33:35,315 Speaker 1: focus group for The New York Times at the end 478 00:33:35,355 --> 00:33:37,955 Speaker 1: of the A Bloc today, It's probably a good day 479 00:33:37,995 --> 00:33:42,275 Speaker 1: to assemble my best Frank Lunz stories in one place, 480 00:33:42,315 --> 00:33:46,075 Speaker 1: because Frank's gift and he's like one step removed from 481 00:33:46,115 --> 00:33:51,395 Speaker 1: practicing alchemy without a license. Frank's gift actually turned out 482 00:33:51,395 --> 00:33:56,515 Speaker 1: to be accidentally essential in putting me on a new 483 00:33:56,555 --> 00:34:01,755 Speaker 1: show called Countdown on MSNBC twenty one years ago and 484 00:34:01,915 --> 00:34:07,115 Speaker 1: everything that followed at MSNBC and Yeah, you're welcome things 485 00:34:07,155 --> 00:34:09,275 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell our number one story on 486 00:34:09,315 --> 00:34:14,915 Speaker 1: the Countdown and all my Frank Lunz stories. Let's flash 487 00:34:14,995 --> 00:34:18,475 Speaker 1: back to that article by the writer Tim Alberta in 488 00:34:18,555 --> 00:34:22,955 Speaker 1: The Atlantic that ended the Chris Licked presidency at CNN 489 00:34:23,675 --> 00:34:28,115 Speaker 1: in early June twenty twenty three, although the damage will 490 00:34:28,115 --> 00:34:32,115 Speaker 1: continue to shrink that network, and one of the moments that, 491 00:34:32,315 --> 00:34:35,075 Speaker 1: had the piece been a video, would have gone viral 492 00:34:35,995 --> 00:34:38,355 Speaker 1: was the scene in which Tim Alberta, the writer, is 493 00:34:38,355 --> 00:34:41,595 Speaker 1: in the apartment of a USC professor who has convinced 494 00:34:41,675 --> 00:34:47,275 Speaker 1: Chris Licked, head of CNN, to talk to sixteen students. 495 00:34:48,395 --> 00:34:52,955 Speaker 1: What follows is both maudlin and terrifying. To quote the piece, 496 00:34:54,035 --> 00:34:58,035 Speaker 1: Chris was absolutely, positively, without question the right choice for CNN. 497 00:34:58,275 --> 00:35:01,435 Speaker 1: The teacher told his students, motioning them toward the man 498 00:35:01,595 --> 00:35:04,075 Speaker 1: seated in front of them. There is nothing more important 499 00:35:04,075 --> 00:35:08,715 Speaker 1: in America to than trust. I'm praying that Chris is successful. 500 00:35:08,995 --> 00:35:11,835 Speaker 1: I want him to have this job for ten years, 501 00:35:12,395 --> 00:35:14,835 Speaker 1: because anything less than ten years will not give him 502 00:35:14,835 --> 00:35:17,595 Speaker 1: the opportunity to make the most important changes to the 503 00:35:17,595 --> 00:35:19,995 Speaker 1: most important news source on the face of the earth. 504 00:35:20,595 --> 00:35:22,995 Speaker 1: Now I have every faith that he will succeed, and 505 00:35:23,115 --> 00:35:26,555 Speaker 1: every fear for this country if he doesn't. He turned 506 00:35:26,555 --> 00:35:31,995 Speaker 1: to face licked. The teacher's eyes were watery. His voice 507 00:35:32,115 --> 00:35:37,715 Speaker 1: was joked with emotion. My hopes and dreams are embodied 508 00:35:37,755 --> 00:35:43,675 Speaker 1: in you, he said. This was quite an introduction, especially 509 00:35:43,715 --> 00:35:56,355 Speaker 1: considering the man who gave it, Frank Lunce unquote, Frank Lunce, 510 00:35:57,995 --> 00:36:00,995 Speaker 1: Frank Lunz, Frank Lunz. Could there be somebody else out 511 00:36:01,035 --> 00:36:05,835 Speaker 1: there named Frank Lunz besides that? Frank Lunz, The rabbit biased, subjective, 512 00:36:05,875 --> 00:36:09,395 Speaker 1: Republican pollster who can make a focus group defend any 513 00:36:09,435 --> 00:36:12,195 Speaker 1: conservative idea and then get up and sing, who let 514 00:36:12,195 --> 00:36:16,195 Speaker 1: the dogs out? The mercenary who has worked for every 515 00:36:16,315 --> 00:36:19,115 Speaker 1: news organization, The man who every eighteen to twenty four 516 00:36:19,115 --> 00:36:22,315 Speaker 1: months goes through a phase or an act in which 517 00:36:22,315 --> 00:36:24,355 Speaker 1: he pretends to not be a conservative but just a 518 00:36:24,395 --> 00:36:27,515 Speaker 1: middle of the road surveyor of the American landscape and 519 00:36:27,595 --> 00:36:36,675 Speaker 1: a professor at USC close USC. Immediately that was Chris 520 00:36:36,715 --> 00:36:43,355 Speaker 1: Licht's mentor, the great flaming fraud that is Frank Lunz, 521 00:36:45,155 --> 00:36:49,195 Speaker 1: the whore that is Chris LICKT Well, that's the missing piece, 522 00:36:49,235 --> 00:36:51,955 Speaker 1: I guess in the Chris licked story, adored by beholden 523 00:36:52,035 --> 00:36:55,835 Speaker 1: to one of the great confidence tricksters of America media 524 00:36:56,275 --> 00:36:58,955 Speaker 1: and American politics. And let me tell you how I 525 00:36:59,035 --> 00:37:01,635 Speaker 1: know that Frank Lunz once did his horror act on 526 00:37:01,715 --> 00:37:04,995 Speaker 1: my behalf, or at least ultimately for my bade of it. 527 00:37:07,315 --> 00:37:09,435 Speaker 1: In two thousand and three, I had gone back to 528 00:37:09,475 --> 00:37:12,115 Speaker 1: work for NBC Sports for a second time. I was 529 00:37:12,155 --> 00:37:14,715 Speaker 1: going to do the Olympics for them from Greece the 530 00:37:14,755 --> 00:37:18,515 Speaker 1: next year, and as a peace gesture towards my still 531 00:37:18,675 --> 00:37:22,435 Speaker 1: angry ex employers at MSNBC, the head of NBC Sports, 532 00:37:22,435 --> 00:37:25,755 Speaker 1: Dick Eversol, said, Look, they're having problems over there filling 533 00:37:25,755 --> 00:37:28,435 Speaker 1: their shifts. They've got a couple of sick anchors and 534 00:37:28,475 --> 00:37:31,315 Speaker 1: the guys are too stretched with the war coming up, 535 00:37:31,475 --> 00:37:33,675 Speaker 1: Why don't you go over there and fill in for 536 00:37:34,515 --> 00:37:39,875 Speaker 1: the poor guy who's sick. While I was there February 537 00:37:39,875 --> 00:37:42,435 Speaker 1: two thousand and three, absolutely no belief that I would 538 00:37:42,475 --> 00:37:46,035 Speaker 1: stay at MSNBC for more than a week, they told 539 00:37:46,115 --> 00:37:48,355 Speaker 1: me about a new show they were going to launch 540 00:37:48,435 --> 00:37:52,795 Speaker 1: called Countdown. And Phil Griffin, who had produced my original 541 00:37:52,875 --> 00:37:55,355 Speaker 1: MSNBC show in nineteen ninety seven at nineteen ninety eight, 542 00:37:55,355 --> 00:37:57,635 Speaker 1: who was my first producer in television at CNN in 543 00:37:57,715 --> 00:38:00,555 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one, who is now pretty much running primetime 544 00:38:00,675 --> 00:38:03,475 Speaker 1: at MSNBC, in two thousand and three, he told me 545 00:38:03,515 --> 00:38:07,955 Speaker 1: they were deep in negotiations to buy from ABC News 546 00:38:07,995 --> 00:38:11,235 Speaker 1: the contract of their ideal host for this new show, Countdown, 547 00:38:12,435 --> 00:38:19,835 Speaker 1: Sam Donaldson. I blanched. Apparently, I was at the time 548 00:38:19,875 --> 00:38:23,635 Speaker 1: working at ABC News in radio, and although I loved 549 00:38:23,635 --> 00:38:26,755 Speaker 1: Sam Donaldson's work, especially when he was the White House correspondent, 550 00:38:27,075 --> 00:38:31,155 Speaker 1: I knew firsthand that ABC was so desperate to get 551 00:38:31,195 --> 00:38:34,355 Speaker 1: Sam Donaldson to quit that they had taken him completely 552 00:38:34,435 --> 00:38:37,635 Speaker 1: off TV and they had stuck him on ABC Radio, 553 00:38:38,155 --> 00:38:40,435 Speaker 1: and when that had not worked, they had just relegated 554 00:38:40,435 --> 00:38:44,115 Speaker 1: his radio show to internet only. This is two thousand 555 00:38:44,115 --> 00:38:49,675 Speaker 1: and three, Internet only radio. I knew this because I 556 00:38:49,715 --> 00:38:52,315 Speaker 1: had filled in for him on his Internet only radio 557 00:38:52,395 --> 00:38:56,275 Speaker 1: show where we took calls for two hours, or should say, 558 00:38:56,275 --> 00:38:59,555 Speaker 1: where we took call for two hours one person called in. 559 00:39:00,795 --> 00:39:03,395 Speaker 1: The producer said that was about half the normal total. 560 00:39:05,635 --> 00:39:10,235 Speaker 1: Now it was Phil Griffin who had told me this story. 561 00:39:10,395 --> 00:39:14,115 Speaker 1: He blanched the job offers on Sam Donaldson's desk and 562 00:39:14,235 --> 00:39:18,835 Speaker 1: on my bosses. He looked around the room. Would you 563 00:39:18,915 --> 00:39:21,395 Speaker 1: do the show? Would you ever do another nightly show 564 00:39:21,435 --> 00:39:26,195 Speaker 1: for us? Would you do this this countdown thing? I shrugged. 565 00:39:27,635 --> 00:39:30,355 Speaker 1: I guess sure. I mean it's so far it hasn't 566 00:39:30,355 --> 00:39:32,915 Speaker 1: been as bad as it was five years ago. But 567 00:39:33,115 --> 00:39:35,555 Speaker 1: you know, they're gonna have me go to the Olympics 568 00:39:35,555 --> 00:39:39,395 Speaker 1: and do other sports stuff. I'll need the time off 569 00:39:39,435 --> 00:39:41,155 Speaker 1: for the Olympics. You'll have to have a guest host. 570 00:39:41,275 --> 00:39:43,275 Speaker 1: It's not till next year, right, It's like, yeah, not 571 00:39:43,795 --> 00:39:48,035 Speaker 1: till next year. Oh oh god? Thanks? Okay, all right, well, 572 00:39:48,035 --> 00:39:51,035 Speaker 1: well I know how to make this happen. Rainy, get me, 573 00:39:51,075 --> 00:39:55,035 Speaker 1: Frank Lunz. I only heard Phil Griffin's end of the 574 00:39:55,035 --> 00:39:59,115 Speaker 1: Frank Lunz conversation. He told Frank Lunz and again I 575 00:39:59,155 --> 00:40:01,075 Speaker 1: could not swear that it was Frank Luntz on the 576 00:40:01,115 --> 00:40:04,995 Speaker 1: other end, But why would he make it up? Say 577 00:40:04,995 --> 00:40:11,315 Speaker 1: you're calling I don't know Uma Thurman, just to pick 578 00:40:11,355 --> 00:40:15,195 Speaker 1: a name out of a hat. Rain you get me, 579 00:40:15,275 --> 00:40:18,555 Speaker 1: Uma Thurman, He told Frank Lunz of the crisis, He 580 00:40:18,595 --> 00:40:20,715 Speaker 1: invoked the name of the then president of NBC News, 581 00:40:20,715 --> 00:40:23,915 Speaker 1: Neil Shapiro. You know Neil loves focus groups. Frank, give 582 00:40:23,915 --> 00:40:26,195 Speaker 1: me a focus group that says it hates Sam Donaldson, 583 00:40:26,275 --> 00:40:28,715 Speaker 1: that we should never hire Sam Donaldson. Give me another 584 00:40:28,715 --> 00:40:30,995 Speaker 1: focus group that says it loves Keith Overman. Can you 585 00:40:31,035 --> 00:40:37,435 Speaker 1: do it? By day after tomorrow? Great Frank Neil Shapiro's 586 00:40:37,475 --> 00:40:40,715 Speaker 1: office called my agent to offer me the job as 587 00:40:40,755 --> 00:40:45,475 Speaker 1: the host of Countdown, with the word with Sam Donaldson 588 00:40:45,555 --> 00:40:48,915 Speaker 1: crossed out and with Keith Overman written in in crayon. 589 00:40:50,555 --> 00:40:56,675 Speaker 1: Three days later, Frank Luntz has lingered in American politics 590 00:40:56,795 --> 00:41:00,435 Speaker 1: like a rash that won't quite go away. Remember the 591 00:41:00,475 --> 00:41:03,515 Speaker 1: time Trump inadvertently revealed that when he says he believes 592 00:41:03,555 --> 00:41:07,115 Speaker 1: in God, if he isn't just making that up. What 593 00:41:07,195 --> 00:41:09,755 Speaker 1: he believes in basically is a god who works for 594 00:41:09,795 --> 00:41:13,755 Speaker 1: Trump as a vice president. Vice President of I don't know, 595 00:41:13,875 --> 00:41:20,035 Speaker 1: vice President of Creation something. When they asked Trump about 596 00:41:20,035 --> 00:41:23,675 Speaker 1: his faith at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa 597 00:41:23,675 --> 00:41:27,475 Speaker 1: in July twenty fifteen. The moderator of the Family Leadership 598 00:41:27,515 --> 00:41:36,355 Speaker 1: Summit in Ames, Iowa was Frank Lunz. He's ubiquitous. Trump said, 599 00:41:36,755 --> 00:41:39,395 Speaker 1: people are so shocked when they find out I am Protestant. 600 00:41:39,555 --> 00:41:42,035 Speaker 1: I am Presbyterian, and I go to church, and I 601 00:41:42,075 --> 00:41:46,155 Speaker 1: love God and I love my church. Frank Lunz then 602 00:41:46,195 --> 00:41:52,115 Speaker 1: followed up with a softball of literally biblical proportions. He 603 00:41:52,195 --> 00:41:55,755 Speaker 1: asked whether Trump had ever asked God for forgiveness for 604 00:41:55,835 --> 00:42:00,715 Speaker 1: his own actions. I'm not sure I have, Trump answered, 605 00:42:00,875 --> 00:42:02,435 Speaker 1: I just go on and try to do a better 606 00:42:02,515 --> 00:42:05,235 Speaker 1: job from there. I don't think so. I think if 607 00:42:05,275 --> 00:42:07,595 Speaker 1: I do something wrong, I think I just try and 608 00:42:07,635 --> 00:42:10,595 Speaker 1: make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. 609 00:42:10,675 --> 00:42:18,195 Speaker 1: I don't. Trump then explained to Frank Lunce that Holy 610 00:42:18,315 --> 00:42:22,315 Speaker 1: Communion would suffice such situation. When I drink my little wine, 611 00:42:22,435 --> 00:42:24,355 Speaker 1: which is about the only wine I drink, and I 612 00:42:24,355 --> 00:42:26,995 Speaker 1: have my little cracker, I guess that is a form 613 00:42:27,035 --> 00:42:29,355 Speaker 1: of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often 614 00:42:29,395 --> 00:42:38,115 Speaker 1: as possible. Because I feel cleansed, cleansed. I think he's 615 00:42:38,155 --> 00:42:43,875 Speaker 1: mistaken the Holy Wafers for colon cleans. I think in 616 00:42:43,995 --> 00:42:46,195 Speaker 1: terms of let's go on and let's make it right, 617 00:42:46,435 --> 00:42:53,435 Speaker 1: the art of the deal. Indeed, Frank Luntz was there, 618 00:42:55,155 --> 00:42:58,715 Speaker 1: polls and focus groups and research. They are the balloon 619 00:42:58,915 --> 00:43:03,835 Speaker 1: animals of politics, and Frank Lunz he's just the balloon 620 00:43:04,035 --> 00:43:08,195 Speaker 1: animal guy, guy who has seniority in the park. Right 621 00:43:08,235 --> 00:43:24,275 Speaker 1: about now, I've done all the damage I can do here. 622 00:43:24,315 --> 00:43:27,475 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Please send this edition of Countdown 623 00:43:27,515 --> 00:43:32,075 Speaker 1: to somebody who doesn't listen. Don't send it to Frank Luntz. 624 00:43:32,395 --> 00:43:35,395 Speaker 1: Countdown musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip Schanel Arrange 625 00:43:35,435 --> 00:43:38,715 Speaker 1: produced and performed most of our music. Mister Ray on guitarist, 626 00:43:38,755 --> 00:43:42,715 Speaker 1: based in drums, Mister Chanelle on orchestration and keyboards. It's 627 00:43:42,755 --> 00:43:45,595 Speaker 1: produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including some of the 628 00:43:45,635 --> 00:43:49,435 Speaker 1: Beethoven compositions, arranged unperformed by the group No Horns Allowed. 629 00:43:49,915 --> 00:43:52,795 Speaker 1: Sports Music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two. It 630 00:43:52,835 --> 00:43:55,675 Speaker 1: was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of v ESPN inc. 631 00:43:56,195 --> 00:43:59,355 Speaker 1: Our satirical and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Faust, 632 00:43:59,515 --> 00:44:02,795 Speaker 1: the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today is 633 00:44:02,795 --> 00:44:05,395 Speaker 1: my friend Howard Feineman. Everything else this is pretty much 634 00:44:05,395 --> 00:44:07,955 Speaker 1: my fault. So that's countdown for this the one hundred 635 00:44:07,995 --> 00:44:11,835 Speaker 1: and fifty fifth day until the twenty twenty four presidential election, 636 00:44:12,195 --> 00:44:17,035 Speaker 1: the forty sixth day since convicted felon Donald Trump's first 637 00:44:17,075 --> 00:44:20,155 Speaker 1: attempt at coup against the democratically elected government of the 638 00:44:20,195 --> 00:44:24,195 Speaker 1: United States. Let's do what we can now to stop 639 00:44:24,275 --> 00:44:30,875 Speaker 1: him from doing it again while we still can. The 640 00:44:30,915 --> 00:44:34,155 Speaker 1: next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Bulletins as the news warrants 641 00:44:34,675 --> 00:44:37,915 Speaker 1: until next time, I'm Keith Olreman. Good morning, good afternoon, 642 00:44:37,995 --> 00:44:59,235 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Ouldreman is 643 00:44:59,275 --> 00:45:04,075 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 644 00:45:04,115 --> 00:45:07,835 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 645 00:45:07,875 --> 00:45:08,755 Speaker 1: your podcasts.