1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:29,395 --> 00:00:32,835 Speaker 1: So now we know why Trump has been silent for 3 00:00:32,955 --> 00:00:39,355 Speaker 1: nearly two days. Lordy there are tapes, and lordy, Lordy, 4 00:00:39,915 --> 00:00:44,475 Speaker 1: there is an informant. Of course, Trump is silent. He 5 00:00:44,515 --> 00:00:47,035 Speaker 1: doesn't know what to do next, and given his paranoia 6 00:00:47,115 --> 00:00:49,675 Speaker 1: and his psychosis, he doesn't know how to stop thinking 7 00:00:49,875 --> 00:00:54,395 Speaker 1: about who has sold him out. Amid the continuing right 8 00:00:54,475 --> 00:00:57,715 Speaker 1: wing rage, the collective karen ing, the don't you know 9 00:00:57,795 --> 00:01:00,795 Speaker 1: who we are? Trump is now in at least his 10 00:01:00,915 --> 00:01:05,635 Speaker 1: second month wondering what the FBI has not in those boxes, 11 00:01:05,875 --> 00:01:10,035 Speaker 1: but on the Marilago surveillance video they subpoenaed and collected. 12 00:01:10,235 --> 00:01:12,395 Speaker 1: And more importantly, Trump is now in at least his 13 00:01:12,475 --> 00:01:17,115 Speaker 1: second day wondering who the FBI has in his family, 14 00:01:17,275 --> 00:01:19,675 Speaker 1: or in his staff, or in his companies, or in 15 00:01:19,755 --> 00:01:23,755 Speaker 1: his trusted management at his Florida compound. Late last night, 16 00:01:23,915 --> 00:01:27,235 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone quoted two sources close to Trump is saying, 17 00:01:27,315 --> 00:01:30,395 Speaker 1: quote he has asked me and others do you think 18 00:01:30,435 --> 00:01:34,195 Speaker 1: our phones are tapped? And has wondered aloud if there 19 00:01:34,195 --> 00:01:38,035 Speaker 1: were any Republicans visiting his clubs who could be quote 20 00:01:38,675 --> 00:01:44,195 Speaker 1: wearing a wire. This all started with Axios writing vaguely 21 00:01:44,195 --> 00:01:47,395 Speaker 1: that paranoia was rising at Marilago and on Fifth Avenue, 22 00:01:47,475 --> 00:01:50,795 Speaker 1: quoting them, trump World is a buzz with speculation about 23 00:01:50,795 --> 00:01:55,275 Speaker 1: which close aid or AIDS has flipped and provided additional 24 00:01:55,355 --> 00:01:58,715 Speaker 1: sensitive information to the FBI about what former President Trump 25 00:01:58,795 --> 00:02:02,555 Speaker 1: was keeping at Marilago. Sources tell Axios the keyword in 26 00:02:02,595 --> 00:02:08,395 Speaker 1: there is flipped. Newsweek, now sometimes bizarrely far right shell 27 00:02:08,435 --> 00:02:11,115 Speaker 1: of its former great self, got to it first in 28 00:02:11,195 --> 00:02:14,075 Speaker 1: a piece by William Arkin, who was a trusted figure 29 00:02:14,115 --> 00:02:17,595 Speaker 1: at NBC News until three years ago. Newsweek reporting that 30 00:02:17,635 --> 00:02:20,835 Speaker 1: the FBI execution of its search warrant for mari Lago 31 00:02:20,995 --> 00:02:26,155 Speaker 1: was quote based largely on information from an FBI confidential 32 00:02:26,235 --> 00:02:30,715 Speaker 1: human source, one who was able to identify what classified 33 00:02:30,755 --> 00:02:34,675 Speaker 1: documents Trump was still hiding and even the location of 34 00:02:34,715 --> 00:02:38,635 Speaker 1: those documents, two senior government officials told Newsweek, and the 35 00:02:38,715 --> 00:02:42,755 Speaker 1: key word in there is hiding. Finally, the Wall Street 36 00:02:42,835 --> 00:02:46,475 Speaker 1: Journal wrapped it up, quoting someone familiar with the stored 37 00:02:46,595 --> 00:02:50,915 Speaker 1: papers told investigators there may be still more classified documents 38 00:02:50,915 --> 00:02:54,355 Speaker 1: at the private club after the National Archives retrieved fifteen 39 00:02:54,395 --> 00:02:58,195 Speaker 1: boxes earlier in the year, Justice Department officials had doubts 40 00:02:58,475 --> 00:03:01,955 Speaker 1: that the Trump team was being truthful regarding what material 41 00:03:02,075 --> 00:03:05,595 Speaker 1: remained at the property, and the keyword in there keywords 42 00:03:06,115 --> 00:03:11,675 Speaker 1: doubts that the Trump team was being truthful. Donald Trump 43 00:03:12,155 --> 00:03:17,155 Speaker 1: has his own deep throat put all of these stories together, 44 00:03:17,275 --> 00:03:21,115 Speaker 1: and they are l Douche's biggest nightmare. Somebody close to him, 45 00:03:21,315 --> 00:03:24,395 Speaker 1: somebody who knows where the bodies and the stolen documents 46 00:03:24,395 --> 00:03:29,115 Speaker 1: are buried. Is an FBI informant, a mole, a rat, 47 00:03:29,515 --> 00:03:33,835 Speaker 1: a snitch who flipped. You want to know, I want 48 00:03:33,835 --> 00:03:35,915 Speaker 1: to know. Imagine how much he wants to know. Is 49 00:03:35,955 --> 00:03:39,195 Speaker 1: it Jared Kushner, even though for every minute of kushner 50 00:03:39,315 --> 00:03:42,515 Speaker 1: six years in the public eye, he has projected guilt 51 00:03:42,755 --> 00:03:45,515 Speaker 1: and he has looked like the slightly weird guy in 52 00:03:45,555 --> 00:03:48,075 Speaker 1: every horror movie who turns out to be a cannibal. 53 00:03:48,635 --> 00:03:51,555 Speaker 1: He has apparently distanced himself from his father in law 54 00:03:51,555 --> 00:03:54,195 Speaker 1: in the last year and is doubtful as a suspect. 55 00:03:54,595 --> 00:03:57,555 Speaker 1: I don't think it's Kelly Ann Conway, though she was 56 00:03:57,635 --> 00:04:01,835 Speaker 1: the primary league for most major newspapers and news networks, 57 00:04:01,915 --> 00:04:05,155 Speaker 1: especially NBC, which, if you had not figured doubt, is 58 00:04:05,195 --> 00:04:08,235 Speaker 1: why they kept giving her platforms to bleat her pro 59 00:04:08,395 --> 00:04:12,195 Speaker 1: Trump stuff. Because it helped tamp down any suspicions that 60 00:04:12,275 --> 00:04:16,115 Speaker 1: she was anybody's source. We could keep up the guessing 61 00:04:16,115 --> 00:04:19,195 Speaker 1: game for hours. Rolling Stone quoted one of its sources 62 00:04:19,275 --> 00:04:21,875 Speaker 1: is saying, I'm getting a lot of messages saying this 63 00:04:21,915 --> 00:04:24,915 Speaker 1: guy must be the informant, and others calling for Trump 64 00:04:24,995 --> 00:04:28,595 Speaker 1: to start doing phone checks on his staff. And Trump 65 00:04:28,675 --> 00:04:31,075 Speaker 1: is never short of staff. It could be some low 66 00:04:31,155 --> 00:04:34,315 Speaker 1: level manager at Mari Lago, somebody whose name we don't know, 67 00:04:34,435 --> 00:04:37,275 Speaker 1: somebody whose cloak and dagger work for the FEDS began 68 00:04:37,435 --> 00:04:40,155 Speaker 1: and ended with the tip that there were more stolen 69 00:04:40,195 --> 00:04:43,995 Speaker 1: documents where those came from. Regardless, you can be certain 70 00:04:44,035 --> 00:04:46,915 Speaker 1: that Trump has gone over every name of everybody he 71 00:04:46,955 --> 00:04:49,595 Speaker 1: can think of, and has probably decided he has figured 72 00:04:49,635 --> 00:04:51,995 Speaker 1: it out at least a dozen separate times with a 73 00:04:52,075 --> 00:04:56,075 Speaker 1: dozen separate names. The only human emotions Trump seems to 74 00:04:56,155 --> 00:05:00,275 Speaker 1: have understood in his life are greed, fear, and what 75 00:05:00,355 --> 00:05:04,035 Speaker 1: he considers loyalty, which is actually just the self interest 76 00:05:04,075 --> 00:05:07,475 Speaker 1: of others that merely happens to coincide with what he wants. 77 00:05:07,875 --> 00:05:11,035 Speaker 1: The absence of quote loyalty unquote, really the absence of 78 00:05:11,275 --> 00:05:16,555 Speaker 1: servitude must be eating him alive and then there is 79 00:05:16,595 --> 00:05:20,995 Speaker 1: this Marilago surveillance video. We don't know if the FBI 80 00:05:21,115 --> 00:05:23,515 Speaker 1: went and got a subpoena for that on its own, 81 00:05:24,275 --> 00:05:29,115 Speaker 1: or because the flipped snitch mole rat informant tipped them 82 00:05:29,115 --> 00:05:33,435 Speaker 1: off about that too, or most delightfully, if maybe there's 83 00:05:33,475 --> 00:05:36,435 Speaker 1: more than one flipped snitch mole rat informant and this 84 00:05:36,515 --> 00:05:40,635 Speaker 1: one and the boxes guy are different people. We also 85 00:05:40,715 --> 00:05:43,555 Speaker 1: don't know how much video the FBI has. The New 86 00:05:43,595 --> 00:05:47,075 Speaker 1: York Times had that element first, saying the Trump organization 87 00:05:47,155 --> 00:05:52,155 Speaker 1: turned over quote a copy of Marilago's surveillance tapes, which 88 00:05:52,155 --> 00:05:56,395 Speaker 1: could be anything or everything. I lived in a Trump 89 00:05:56,435 --> 00:05:59,435 Speaker 1: building in New York for many years and they had 90 00:05:59,675 --> 00:06:04,275 Speaker 1: twenty four cameras just on the lobby alone. The Wall 91 00:06:04,315 --> 00:06:08,035 Speaker 1: Street Journal seems more narrow focused, reporting that the subpoena 92 00:06:08,195 --> 00:06:12,315 Speaker 1: was received on jan at June two for quote surveillance 93 00:06:12,315 --> 00:06:15,635 Speaker 1: footage from cameras at mari Lago and was turned over 94 00:06:15,755 --> 00:06:19,275 Speaker 1: around Then that's six seven weeks ago, and that too 95 00:06:19,355 --> 00:06:22,875 Speaker 1: must be eating away at Trump's makeup soaked brain. Who's 96 00:06:22,915 --> 00:06:25,155 Speaker 1: on the tapes? What are they doing on the tapes? 97 00:06:25,435 --> 00:06:28,115 Speaker 1: Is the snitch on the tapes? Is he Trump? Himself 98 00:06:28,155 --> 00:06:32,995 Speaker 1: on the tapes, and over arching all this, the FEDS 99 00:06:33,595 --> 00:06:37,755 Speaker 1: have a source near Trump, and news organizations have a 100 00:06:37,835 --> 00:06:42,875 Speaker 1: source almost certainly a different source in law enforcement who 101 00:06:42,875 --> 00:06:48,075 Speaker 1: has snitched on the snitch because Bill Arkin had even 102 00:06:48,115 --> 00:06:51,675 Speaker 1: more details in Newsweek that Attorney General Garland knew of 103 00:06:51,715 --> 00:06:54,795 Speaker 1: the grand jury looking into Trump violating the Records Acts, 104 00:06:55,115 --> 00:06:57,635 Speaker 1: but Garland did not know of the timing of the 105 00:06:57,715 --> 00:07:01,275 Speaker 1: FBI search and was not asked for his approval of it. 106 00:07:01,915 --> 00:07:04,555 Speaker 1: Arkin also quotes one of his own sources, who he 107 00:07:04,675 --> 00:07:08,235 Speaker 1: identifies as quote a senior Justice Department official who is 108 00:07:08,275 --> 00:07:11,795 Speaker 1: a thirty year veteran of the FBI, as adding that 109 00:07:11,915 --> 00:07:14,955 Speaker 1: the bureau timed its search of Marilago to be certain 110 00:07:14,995 --> 00:07:17,675 Speaker 1: Trump would not be there, would not be able to 111 00:07:17,675 --> 00:07:19,715 Speaker 1: try to stop the search, and would not be able 112 00:07:19,715 --> 00:07:25,035 Speaker 1: to turn it into a public circus. This whole secret mailstrom, 113 00:07:25,035 --> 00:07:27,235 Speaker 1: which sounds like it could have fallen out of a 114 00:07:27,315 --> 00:07:31,715 Speaker 1: John Lacaraine novel or maybe Tom Clancy, is of course 115 00:07:32,355 --> 00:07:36,475 Speaker 1: a joy, and I really think it has accomplished the impossible. 116 00:07:36,795 --> 00:07:40,275 Speaker 1: It has shut Trump up, even for only a couple 117 00:07:40,315 --> 00:07:42,875 Speaker 1: of days, when he would like nothing better than to 118 00:07:42,955 --> 00:07:47,075 Speaker 1: be paraded across America, lashed to a phony cross and 119 00:07:47,115 --> 00:07:51,715 Speaker 1: speaking for seventeen hours without a breath. All of this, though, 120 00:07:51,795 --> 00:07:55,075 Speaker 1: is not only shut up his endless self pitying diarrhea, 121 00:07:55,195 --> 00:07:58,315 Speaker 1: but it has kept him from making the search warrant public. 122 00:07:58,515 --> 00:08:01,355 Speaker 1: He has the perfect right to make the search warrant public. 123 00:08:01,755 --> 00:08:04,195 Speaker 1: He has the perfect right to quote only the parts 124 00:08:04,275 --> 00:08:06,675 Speaker 1: of the war aren't that spent it in his favor? 125 00:08:06,835 --> 00:08:09,515 Speaker 1: And yet he has done nothing like that. And last 126 00:08:09,635 --> 00:08:13,955 Speaker 1: night his Florida Attorneys spokesmodel Christina bob was asked, I 127 00:08:14,035 --> 00:08:16,315 Speaker 1: assume you've seen the warrant, will you make it public? 128 00:08:16,355 --> 00:08:19,915 Speaker 1: And she answered, that's not my call to make. I 129 00:08:20,075 --> 00:08:24,955 Speaker 1: have seen the warrant. We all know whose call it 130 00:08:25,155 --> 00:08:28,755 Speaker 1: is to make. And he can't say a word because 131 00:08:28,755 --> 00:08:36,315 Speaker 1: he doesn't know who around him is now informing on him. Certainly, 132 00:08:36,435 --> 00:08:39,355 Speaker 1: some of the pressure was relieved on Trump when Trump 133 00:08:39,395 --> 00:08:41,875 Speaker 1: got to a New York City courtroom and could play 134 00:08:41,875 --> 00:08:45,515 Speaker 1: the martyred beloved king of all the universe. Trump has 135 00:08:45,555 --> 00:08:49,875 Speaker 1: no shame, and the concepts of hypocrisy or inconsistency only 136 00:08:49,955 --> 00:08:52,635 Speaker 1: bother those around him. So what if he took the 137 00:08:52,675 --> 00:08:56,395 Speaker 1: fifth more than four hundred times in his as it 138 00:08:56,435 --> 00:09:00,075 Speaker 1: was beautifully phrased by the Washington Post question and non 139 00:09:00,155 --> 00:09:03,555 Speaker 1: answer session his deposition in front of the staff of 140 00:09:03,595 --> 00:09:06,955 Speaker 1: New York State Attorney General Leticia James. In short, she 141 00:09:07,075 --> 00:09:10,315 Speaker 1: is trying to convict his company on charges of misstating 142 00:09:10,315 --> 00:09:13,835 Speaker 1: the value of its key assets like it's skyscrapers and 143 00:09:13,955 --> 00:09:16,995 Speaker 1: golf courses, in order to mislead the tax men and 144 00:09:17,035 --> 00:09:20,675 Speaker 1: the bankers. It is I think noteworthy that the New 145 00:09:20,755 --> 00:09:24,435 Speaker 1: York prosecution is a civil case, and as an expert 146 00:09:24,475 --> 00:09:27,395 Speaker 1: in the fifth Amendment noted in the Washington Post, while 147 00:09:27,475 --> 00:09:29,835 Speaker 1: in a criminal case, the judge has to tell the 148 00:09:29,915 --> 00:09:32,915 Speaker 1: jury they cannot hold it against a defendant if he 149 00:09:33,035 --> 00:09:36,795 Speaker 1: uses the fifth. Quote, a decision to take the fifth 150 00:09:36,955 --> 00:09:41,195 Speaker 1: maybe used against a party in a civil case if 151 00:09:41,195 --> 00:09:44,395 Speaker 1: the party is the witness who refuses to testify or 152 00:09:44,515 --> 00:09:49,235 Speaker 1: is closely enough connected to the witness. Plus, if you 153 00:09:49,395 --> 00:09:54,235 Speaker 1: take the fifth four hundred times four hundred times, you 154 00:09:54,395 --> 00:10:00,595 Speaker 1: take five. Somebody is going to make the obvious musical 155 00:10:01,275 --> 00:10:16,995 Speaker 1: joke Nancy Faust and the Dave Brubeck Quartet classic take 156 00:10:17,115 --> 00:10:21,995 Speaker 1: five Trump. So we watch for more about what the 157 00:10:22,075 --> 00:10:25,235 Speaker 1: FBI found and more about the Mari Lago snitch or 158 00:10:25,235 --> 00:10:28,275 Speaker 1: at least more Trump self destruction because of the Mari 159 00:10:28,395 --> 00:10:32,635 Speaker 1: Lago snitch. He doesn't get any more self satisfying diversions 160 00:10:32,635 --> 00:10:35,075 Speaker 1: this week, at least like the rationalizations about the New 161 00:10:35,155 --> 00:10:39,155 Speaker 1: York deposition, Trump did come up with some typical self 162 00:10:39,155 --> 00:10:43,595 Speaker 1: serving bull crap about his inconsistency, referencing his infamous quote 163 00:10:43,635 --> 00:10:47,955 Speaker 1: about Hillary Clinton staffers in two thousand sixteen. I once asked, 164 00:10:48,115 --> 00:10:51,155 Speaker 1: he said, after meeting with the Attorney General's office, if 165 00:10:51,195 --> 00:10:53,995 Speaker 1: you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? Now 166 00:10:54,035 --> 00:10:57,715 Speaker 1: I know the answer to that question, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, 167 00:10:57,755 --> 00:11:00,555 Speaker 1: And then he took the Fifth Amendment four hundred times. 168 00:11:01,355 --> 00:11:04,315 Speaker 1: But of course Trump is lying even inside his public 169 00:11:04,435 --> 00:11:08,755 Speaker 1: rah realization. Per the impeccable reporting of the late Wayne Barrett, 170 00:11:09,475 --> 00:11:12,515 Speaker 1: Trump took the fifth long before he mocked others for 171 00:11:12,635 --> 00:11:15,715 Speaker 1: doing so, and there is a lesson in here somewhere. 172 00:11:16,395 --> 00:11:22,555 Speaker 1: Barrett reported that Trump invoked the Fifth ninety seven times 173 00:11:23,275 --> 00:11:27,675 Speaker 1: during just one deposition about his divorce from Ivana. In 174 00:11:29,555 --> 00:11:33,835 Speaker 1: Yet we all know how that has turned out. Trump 175 00:11:33,915 --> 00:11:39,435 Speaker 1: is still out here ruining everybody's life. And Ivanna, she's 176 00:11:40,515 --> 00:11:43,075 Speaker 1: buried near the ball washer at the first tea at 177 00:11:43,075 --> 00:11:55,555 Speaker 1: the Trump Golf Course in Jersey. In Jersey, still ahead 178 00:11:55,595 --> 00:11:57,875 Speaker 1: on Countdown things I promised not to tell. On the 179 00:11:57,995 --> 00:12:02,115 Speaker 1: day Chuck Todd and I had our final showdown. The 180 00:12:02,155 --> 00:12:05,115 Speaker 1: baseball player whose phone came flying out of his pants 181 00:12:05,235 --> 00:12:07,715 Speaker 1: as he slid into third base. Well, that was funny enough, 182 00:12:08,195 --> 00:12:11,115 Speaker 1: But there's a whole history of baseball players with stuff 183 00:12:11,115 --> 00:12:14,435 Speaker 1: in their pockets during games that shouldn't be there. I 184 00:12:14,475 --> 00:12:17,355 Speaker 1: think you'll enjoy this. And how long does a human 185 00:12:17,355 --> 00:12:21,355 Speaker 1: pregnancy last? And how could a U. S. Senator possibly 186 00:12:21,355 --> 00:12:24,275 Speaker 1: be wrong with the answer to that? By three months? 187 00:12:25,595 --> 00:12:39,755 Speaker 1: All that is next. This is Countdown, you know, This 188 00:12:39,955 --> 00:12:47,755 Speaker 1: is Countdown with you know, Keith Olberman, Thank you. Richard 189 00:12:47,835 --> 00:12:50,715 Speaker 1: Lewis just ahead of us, A little Chuck Todd story, 190 00:12:51,275 --> 00:12:53,995 Speaker 1: plus the news, the sports, and worst persons in the world, 191 00:12:54,475 --> 00:12:58,515 Speaker 1: including the Washington Post. First, in each edition of Countdown, 192 00:12:58,555 --> 00:13:00,715 Speaker 1: we feature a dog in need whom you can help. 193 00:13:00,755 --> 00:13:04,315 Speaker 1: Every dog has its day. Great news. Wally in l A, 194 00:13:04,475 --> 00:13:07,915 Speaker 1: the thirteen year old we mentioned last Friday, has been rescued, 195 00:13:07,955 --> 00:13:11,835 Speaker 1: pulled out by a local rescue group. Amen Today. Back 196 00:13:11,875 --> 00:13:15,155 Speaker 1: to California and Lucien, who was a handsome four year 197 00:13:15,195 --> 00:13:19,155 Speaker 1: old shepherd mixed shiny brown and black coat, neutered, big smile, 198 00:13:19,715 --> 00:13:23,835 Speaker 1: gorgeous eyes. Found on the streets near Duvore, California, outside 199 00:13:23,875 --> 00:13:26,835 Speaker 1: San Bernardino and in the shelter there. If you're interested, 200 00:13:26,915 --> 00:13:29,955 Speaker 1: go to my account for dogs in Need Tom jumbo 201 00:13:30,035 --> 00:13:33,035 Speaker 1: Grumbo on Twitter to see a video of Lucien and 202 00:13:33,075 --> 00:13:35,075 Speaker 1: get the links that will take you to the website 203 00:13:35,395 --> 00:13:38,515 Speaker 1: where he is. Look for my tweet about Lucien at 204 00:13:38,555 --> 00:13:42,955 Speaker 1: tom Jumbo Grumbo on Twitter and remember, shelter pets are 205 00:13:42,955 --> 00:14:06,395 Speaker 1: the best. Thanks. Coming up on countdown the Chuck Todd story, 206 00:14:06,435 --> 00:14:08,795 Speaker 1: as I mentioned, plus the latest on the player whose 207 00:14:08,875 --> 00:14:12,515 Speaker 1: phone flew out of his pocket during a baseball game 208 00:14:13,315 --> 00:14:16,395 Speaker 1: and the long history of ball players and the stuff 209 00:14:16,435 --> 00:14:19,155 Speaker 1: in their pockets that should not have been there and 210 00:14:19,275 --> 00:14:22,075 Speaker 1: in worse persons. How long does a human pregnancy last? 211 00:14:22,595 --> 00:14:26,595 Speaker 1: Don't ask Senator Tim Scott, he was off by three months. 212 00:14:27,195 --> 00:14:30,915 Speaker 1: But now postscripts to the news, some headlines, some thoughts, 213 00:14:31,315 --> 00:14:38,355 Speaker 1: and some snark. Thank Lion Washington News last night that 214 00:14:38,395 --> 00:14:41,075 Speaker 1: a week ago today, on the fourth, President Biden was 215 00:14:41,155 --> 00:14:44,355 Speaker 1: briefed at the White House by five historians who warned 216 00:14:44,435 --> 00:14:48,635 Speaker 1: him that the American democracy is imperiled for two hours. 217 00:14:48,675 --> 00:14:52,635 Speaker 1: Michael besh Lost, John Meetcham, Shawn Willentz, Alida Black, and 218 00:14:52,715 --> 00:14:56,115 Speaker 1: Ann Apple Boum compared the current moment to the Buchanan 219 00:14:56,195 --> 00:14:59,355 Speaker 1: presidency before the eighteen sixty election, and of course the 220 00:14:59,395 --> 00:15:02,995 Speaker 1: Civil War, and before the nineteen forty election as well, 221 00:15:03,075 --> 00:15:08,635 Speaker 1: when Republicans were siding with Hitler and Mussolini or best isolationism, 222 00:15:08,675 --> 00:15:11,675 Speaker 1: and Franklin D. Roosevelt was about to break all historical 223 00:15:11,755 --> 00:15:14,555 Speaker 1: precedent by running for a third term because he saw 224 00:15:14,595 --> 00:15:18,075 Speaker 1: what was ahead. The two hours session was accompanied by 225 00:15:18,075 --> 00:15:22,635 Speaker 1: a massive thunderstorm that sent lightning bolts crashing. To punctuate 226 00:15:22,715 --> 00:15:26,515 Speaker 1: the historian's warnings, I'm glad this meeting happened, but if 227 00:15:26,515 --> 00:15:29,675 Speaker 1: the President needs reminding of where we are historically, he 228 00:15:29,715 --> 00:15:32,715 Speaker 1: has previously taken me to lunch to tap my supposed 229 00:15:32,755 --> 00:15:37,315 Speaker 1: expertise in speaking with righteous indignation, and on this topic, 230 00:15:37,835 --> 00:15:40,635 Speaker 1: my phone is on twenty four hours a day. Joe 231 00:15:41,275 --> 00:15:45,755 Speaker 1: Dateline Savannah that Georgia's Senate debate that the confused Bull 232 00:15:45,835 --> 00:15:49,355 Speaker 1: in a China Shop candidate herschel Walker has agreed to 233 00:15:49,835 --> 00:15:53,315 Speaker 1: he will get the topics in advance. Of course, he will. 234 00:15:53,555 --> 00:15:57,035 Speaker 1: Georgia Public Broadcasting reported this last week, where it lay 235 00:15:57,075 --> 00:16:00,235 Speaker 1: flat until the Daily Beast picked it up yesterday. The 236 00:16:00,275 --> 00:16:04,395 Speaker 1: topics in advance, if you have forgotten somehow, the well 237 00:16:04,715 --> 00:16:08,635 Speaker 1: formed lie about debating, pushed by Trump and the Republicans 238 00:16:08,675 --> 00:16:11,675 Speaker 1: for six years now, has been that the Democrats are 239 00:16:11,755 --> 00:16:16,515 Speaker 1: cheaters because they always get the questions in advance. Now 240 00:16:16,555 --> 00:16:19,955 Speaker 1: Here Senator Raphael Warnock will also get the topics too, 241 00:16:20,035 --> 00:16:23,835 Speaker 1: but the obvious advantages to Herschel Walker, because well, I 242 00:16:23,835 --> 00:16:26,315 Speaker 1: don't know how else to say this, but he's a moron. 243 00:16:27,235 --> 00:16:29,555 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's CTE from football or if 244 00:16:29,595 --> 00:16:31,995 Speaker 1: he's always been this way. I do not remember him 245 00:16:31,995 --> 00:16:35,875 Speaker 1: being thought of as especially mentally cloudy when we were 246 00:16:35,875 --> 00:16:40,675 Speaker 1: both in sports. The arrogance and the condescension and the dishonesty. Yes, 247 00:16:41,235 --> 00:16:44,875 Speaker 1: that's old, the vapor lock that's new. Topics will be 248 00:16:44,955 --> 00:16:48,995 Speaker 1: provided to the campaigns prior to the broadcast, but specific 249 00:16:49,075 --> 00:16:52,395 Speaker 1: questions will not. Reads the agreement sheet for the debate, 250 00:16:52,435 --> 00:16:55,395 Speaker 1: which Georgia Public Broadcasting got a copy of, so they 251 00:16:55,395 --> 00:16:58,515 Speaker 1: will give Herschel the topics. Of course, that doesn't mean 252 00:16:58,555 --> 00:17:01,195 Speaker 1: he's gonna remember them. Dateline New York this is not 253 00:17:01,235 --> 00:17:02,915 Speaker 1: a big deal, but I thought I've mentioned it here 254 00:17:02,955 --> 00:17:06,275 Speaker 1: because it's my podcast. The Sunday New York Times Book 255 00:17:06,275 --> 00:17:09,155 Speaker 1: Review asked me to review the new book by the 256 00:17:09,155 --> 00:17:12,395 Speaker 1: great biographer David Marinus, about the man who was almost 257 00:17:12,395 --> 00:17:16,835 Speaker 1: certainly the greatest all around athletes in at least American history, 258 00:17:17,315 --> 00:17:22,395 Speaker 1: Jim Thorpe Track and Field, Olympics, college football, the father 259 00:17:22,475 --> 00:17:25,795 Speaker 1: of pro football, played in the World Series. And he 260 00:17:25,835 --> 00:17:29,075 Speaker 1: was a swell dancer. He won prize his ballroom dancing. 261 00:17:29,515 --> 00:17:31,995 Speaker 1: Yet he was a Native American with a life reminiscent 262 00:17:32,155 --> 00:17:35,875 Speaker 1: of Sisyphus, pushing that rock up the hill for eternity. 263 00:17:36,155 --> 00:17:39,715 Speaker 1: David marinus book is called pat lit by Lightning, which 264 00:17:39,755 --> 00:17:42,355 Speaker 1: is a translation of Thorpe's native American name, and I 265 00:17:42,395 --> 00:17:44,715 Speaker 1: thought it was great. Anyway, I found out yesterday, to 266 00:17:44,835 --> 00:17:48,355 Speaker 1: my surprise, that they put my piece on the cover 267 00:17:48,595 --> 00:17:51,315 Speaker 1: of the Times book Review. Now I don't know why 268 00:17:51,315 --> 00:17:54,875 Speaker 1: the illustration is of Jim Thorpe. Well, I do know why. 269 00:17:55,235 --> 00:18:15,355 Speaker 1: It's just neat, sue me. This is Sports Center. Wait, 270 00:18:15,555 --> 00:18:23,155 Speaker 1: check that not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith Alberman. 271 00:18:23,395 --> 00:18:26,075 Speaker 1: One story and one story only from the world of 272 00:18:26,075 --> 00:18:30,595 Speaker 1: wide sports and hold the phone At last report, Major 273 00:18:30,675 --> 00:18:35,195 Speaker 1: League Baseball has yet to make the call on Pirates 274 00:18:35,195 --> 00:18:38,755 Speaker 1: infielder Rodolfo Castro. If you somehow did not hear about 275 00:18:38,795 --> 00:18:41,795 Speaker 1: this nor see it, google it. He slid into third 276 00:18:41,795 --> 00:18:44,715 Speaker 1: base in Phoenix Tuesday night and something flew out of 277 00:18:44,755 --> 00:18:48,635 Speaker 1: the back pocket of his baseball pants. The video is disappointing, 278 00:18:48,675 --> 00:18:51,355 Speaker 1: but the still photo is great. What flew out of 279 00:18:51,395 --> 00:18:55,235 Speaker 1: his pants his iPhone? He says he put it in 280 00:18:55,275 --> 00:18:57,915 Speaker 1: there long before the game and then forgot all about it. 281 00:18:57,955 --> 00:18:59,755 Speaker 1: He put it in his sliding glove and blah blah 282 00:18:59,755 --> 00:19:02,715 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. This was his first Pirates game after 283 00:19:02,755 --> 00:19:05,955 Speaker 1: being brought back from the miners. Might use last problem 284 00:19:05,995 --> 00:19:10,475 Speaker 1: is Baseball has a regulation prohibiting electronic devices on the 285 00:19:10,475 --> 00:19:14,075 Speaker 1: field or in the dugout, except for the league approved iPads, 286 00:19:14,075 --> 00:19:15,955 Speaker 1: where you can look at video of your last hit 287 00:19:16,035 --> 00:19:19,875 Speaker 1: or strikeout or whatever. Castro's phone may soon be ringing 288 00:19:19,875 --> 00:19:22,315 Speaker 1: with news that he's been fined or sent to the miners. 289 00:19:22,755 --> 00:19:25,995 Speaker 1: His career batting average is still under two hundred. Anyway, 290 00:19:25,995 --> 00:19:30,395 Speaker 1: This iteration of baseball pocket pool a phone flying out 291 00:19:30,395 --> 00:19:33,875 Speaker 1: of your pocket is new, but the game actually has 292 00:19:34,075 --> 00:19:37,195 Speaker 1: a rich history of players having things in their pockets 293 00:19:37,355 --> 00:19:40,715 Speaker 1: that they should not have, and each seems to define 294 00:19:40,795 --> 00:19:44,995 Speaker 1: the era in which it occurred. On August third, at 295 00:19:44,995 --> 00:19:49,355 Speaker 1: the height of era of pictures illegally scuffing baseballs to 296 00:19:49,435 --> 00:19:53,515 Speaker 1: get extra movement on their pitches, the umpire Tim Sheetah 297 00:19:53,635 --> 00:19:56,635 Speaker 1: saw some deep grooves in a ball that had just 298 00:19:56,755 --> 00:19:59,915 Speaker 1: been thrown by Joe Nicro picture of the Minnesota Twins 299 00:19:59,915 --> 00:20:03,395 Speaker 1: against the Angels in Anaheim. Umpire Sheeta went to the 300 00:20:03,435 --> 00:20:08,195 Speaker 1: mound and took inspected Necro's glove. Nikro cleverly stuck his 301 00:20:08,275 --> 00:20:11,675 Speaker 1: hands in his back pockets, then dramatically pulled them out 302 00:20:11,835 --> 00:20:15,555 Speaker 1: and threw his hands out as if exasperated. In fact, 303 00:20:15,915 --> 00:20:18,235 Speaker 1: that gesture was meant to help him get rid of 304 00:20:18,275 --> 00:20:23,755 Speaker 1: the evidence. Another umpire, Steve Palermo, saw stuff flying out 305 00:20:23,755 --> 00:20:27,755 Speaker 1: of Necro's pockets. It was an emery board, nail file, 306 00:20:28,155 --> 00:20:32,955 Speaker 1: and a piece of sandpaper. He was suspended two years earlier. 307 00:20:32,995 --> 00:20:35,555 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer Tim Raines, the base stealer of the 308 00:20:35,595 --> 00:20:39,395 Speaker 1: Montreal Expos, admitted in a Pittsburgh courtroom that he had 309 00:20:39,515 --> 00:20:43,835 Speaker 1: been sliding head first on his stomach on stolen base 310 00:20:43,875 --> 00:20:48,155 Speaker 1: attempts because in his back pocket he was keeping a 311 00:20:48,355 --> 00:20:53,275 Speaker 1: vial of cocaine. And in the Bernard Malamud baseball novel 312 00:20:53,355 --> 00:20:57,235 Speaker 1: The Natural and the Robert Redford movie about it, fictional 313 00:20:57,275 --> 00:21:01,515 Speaker 1: manager Pop Fisher choose out outfielder Bump Bailey for not sliding, 314 00:21:01,755 --> 00:21:04,715 Speaker 1: and Bailey explains he couldn't slide and he had a 315 00:21:04,715 --> 00:21:08,315 Speaker 1: are in his pocket. Almost everything in the Malamud book 316 00:21:08,355 --> 00:21:12,995 Speaker 1: The Natural was actually drawn from baseball mythology or baseball facts, 317 00:21:13,035 --> 00:21:17,995 Speaker 1: including that story. Babe Herman was a lifetime hitter who 318 00:21:18,035 --> 00:21:20,955 Speaker 1: was such a bad fielder that he was traded seven 319 00:21:20,995 --> 00:21:23,435 Speaker 1: times and sent to the miners at the age of 320 00:21:23,515 --> 00:21:27,715 Speaker 1: thirty four. The legendary baseball writer Frank Graham swore that 321 00:21:27,875 --> 00:21:30,835 Speaker 1: during an interview with Herman, the player pulled a cigar 322 00:21:30,995 --> 00:21:33,155 Speaker 1: out of his own pocket and stuck it in his 323 00:21:33,235 --> 00:21:36,995 Speaker 1: mouth and immediately blew out some smoke because it had 324 00:21:37,035 --> 00:21:40,515 Speaker 1: already been lit when it was in Babe Herman's pocket. 325 00:21:41,275 --> 00:21:45,195 Speaker 1: So on iPhone falling out of the back pocket, not 326 00:21:45,355 --> 00:21:48,195 Speaker 1: very impressive, Radolpho Castro. In fact, I'd have to be 327 00:21:48,315 --> 00:22:07,075 Speaker 1: judgmental here and say you just phoned it in. Still 328 00:22:07,115 --> 00:22:10,315 Speaker 1: ahead on countdown. Remember when that one baseball player slapped 329 00:22:10,355 --> 00:22:13,075 Speaker 1: the other baseball player before a game on the field, 330 00:22:13,075 --> 00:22:15,075 Speaker 1: and it turned out it was over an argument about 331 00:22:15,115 --> 00:22:18,195 Speaker 1: their fantasy football league. Did I ever tell you I 332 00:22:18,275 --> 00:22:20,595 Speaker 1: used to be in the same fantasy football league with 333 00:22:21,435 --> 00:22:24,835 Speaker 1: Chuck Todd from Meet the Press Things I promised not 334 00:22:24,955 --> 00:22:28,315 Speaker 1: to tell? Coming up first, the daily roundup of the miscreants, 335 00:22:28,355 --> 00:22:33,075 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute today's worst 336 00:22:33,435 --> 00:22:38,555 Speaker 1: persons in the world. Le Bronze the Trump non campaign campaign. 337 00:22:39,115 --> 00:22:42,995 Speaker 1: It is issued a video to rally the stormtroopers. I'm sorry, 338 00:22:42,995 --> 00:22:45,475 Speaker 1: I can't read my own writing. It's issued a video 339 00:22:45,515 --> 00:22:50,275 Speaker 1: to rally the troops. Media Matters for America discovered that 340 00:22:50,315 --> 00:22:54,035 Speaker 1: there is an instrumental musical bed to it, and it 341 00:22:54,155 --> 00:22:57,715 Speaker 1: is from a song called w w G one w 342 00:22:57,995 --> 00:23:01,995 Speaker 1: G A that is a song about the Q and 343 00:23:02,195 --> 00:23:05,195 Speaker 1: On movement. The Trumpets are using q and On theme 344 00:23:05,355 --> 00:23:09,835 Speaker 1: music for their non campaign campaign videos. Now, I don't 345 00:23:09,835 --> 00:23:12,395 Speaker 1: know why this stuff still shocks me, but it do 346 00:23:13,315 --> 00:23:16,155 Speaker 1: our silver the Washington Post, the article was one thing, 347 00:23:16,155 --> 00:23:20,955 Speaker 1: but the headline quote Garland vowed to deep politicized justice. 348 00:23:21,355 --> 00:23:24,315 Speaker 1: Then the FBI searched Mari Lago. If you missed the 349 00:23:24,315 --> 00:23:27,435 Speaker 1: implication there, they repeated it under the photo. In the 350 00:23:27,515 --> 00:23:31,795 Speaker 1: subheadline quote Garland vowed to deep politicized justice. Then the 351 00:23:31,875 --> 00:23:37,515 Speaker 1: FBI rated Trump's safe. After seemingly every American journalism professor 352 00:23:37,635 --> 00:23:41,835 Speaker 1: and obviously people at the Washington Post objected strenuously to 353 00:23:41,915 --> 00:23:44,915 Speaker 1: this crap, the Post changed the headline to the story 354 00:23:45,555 --> 00:23:48,995 Speaker 1: FBI search of Mari Lago lands Merrick Garland in a 355 00:23:48,995 --> 00:23:54,035 Speaker 1: political firestorm, and that subhead about rating became the partisan 356 00:23:54,035 --> 00:23:56,835 Speaker 1: outcry was the opposite of what Garland, a former federal judge, 357 00:23:56,915 --> 00:23:59,235 Speaker 1: has sought in his seventeen months on the job. Just 358 00:23:59,315 --> 00:24:03,955 Speaker 1: a reminder here that every major American news outlet is 359 00:24:03,995 --> 00:24:08,715 Speaker 1: owned by a corporation, and by definition, corporations are conservative. 360 00:24:09,195 --> 00:24:12,875 Speaker 1: And right now, every major American news outlet, even the 361 00:24:12,875 --> 00:24:17,915 Speaker 1: Washington Post, is postulating a Republican Congress and wondering how 362 00:24:17,995 --> 00:24:24,235 Speaker 1: it the corporation can protect its profits under fascism. But 363 00:24:24,435 --> 00:24:27,955 Speaker 1: our winner, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, I'm not 364 00:24:27,995 --> 00:24:31,035 Speaker 1: gonna say he's not smart. Of course he's not smart. 365 00:24:31,515 --> 00:24:34,435 Speaker 1: He's a Republican. But Senator Scott is trying to fund 366 00:24:34,515 --> 00:24:38,675 Speaker 1: raise off abortion and his latest claim is Democrats want 367 00:24:38,715 --> 00:24:42,715 Speaker 1: women to be eligible for abortions up to the fifty 368 00:24:42,835 --> 00:24:49,635 Speaker 1: two week mark of pregnancy. Uh, Senator, full term human 369 00:24:49,675 --> 00:24:55,275 Speaker 1: pregnancy lasts forty weeks for zero, then the stork comes. 370 00:24:55,315 --> 00:24:58,355 Speaker 1: Then then mommy and daddy go home with Junior Senator 371 00:24:58,435 --> 00:25:02,835 Speaker 1: forty weeks. Fifty two weeks would would mean that there's 372 00:25:02,875 --> 00:25:06,395 Speaker 1: a three month old infant. Senator Scott must be thinking 373 00:25:06,395 --> 00:25:10,235 Speaker 1: of dolphins. See dolphin pregnancies last fifty two weeks. We're 374 00:25:10,315 --> 00:25:13,395 Speaker 1: donkeys about fifty two weeks, zebras fifty three weeks some 375 00:25:13,515 --> 00:25:17,875 Speaker 1: of them anyway, Senator Tim, you know walrus mothers carry 376 00:25:17,915 --> 00:25:20,075 Speaker 1: their babies for sixty five weeks. Why don't you say 377 00:25:20,075 --> 00:25:22,875 Speaker 1: the Democrats want to have Walrus abortions as late as 378 00:25:22,875 --> 00:25:31,395 Speaker 1: sixty five weeks? Scott, Today's worst person and the world 379 00:25:53,155 --> 00:25:55,475 Speaker 1: now our number one story in the countdown. And back 380 00:25:55,475 --> 00:25:59,755 Speaker 1: to my favorite topic, me things about my career. Things 381 00:25:59,875 --> 00:26:03,115 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell. You may be one of 382 00:26:03,115 --> 00:26:06,475 Speaker 1: the many, many listeners who have complaints about Chuck Todd 383 00:26:06,595 --> 00:26:10,275 Speaker 1: of NBC's Meet the Press. I know this because I 384 00:26:10,275 --> 00:26:13,355 Speaker 1: can read. But it is unlikely that you have ever 385 00:26:13,395 --> 00:26:16,435 Speaker 1: been able to do anything about Chuck Todd. So I 386 00:26:16,475 --> 00:26:18,875 Speaker 1: wanted to tell you of the day that I did 387 00:26:18,915 --> 00:26:21,555 Speaker 1: do something about him. That day was August eleven, two 388 00:26:21,555 --> 00:26:26,195 Speaker 1: thousand nineteen. I knew Chuck for about fifteen years early 389 00:26:26,275 --> 00:26:27,915 Speaker 1: in his career, when he was with the d C 390 00:26:28,155 --> 00:26:32,235 Speaker 1: Insider publication the Hotline. He was a frequent guest on Countdown, 391 00:26:32,715 --> 00:26:35,035 Speaker 1: and in two thousand seven, when Tim Russert was thinking 392 00:26:35,035 --> 00:26:37,755 Speaker 1: of hiring him at NBC News, mine was one of 393 00:26:37,795 --> 00:26:41,835 Speaker 1: dozens of temperatures Tim took. As Chuck later wrote to me, quote, 394 00:26:42,035 --> 00:26:44,755 Speaker 1: you certainly were a tremendous advocate and cheerleader for me 395 00:26:44,835 --> 00:26:48,235 Speaker 1: over the years, and I don't forget that. Yeah, well 396 00:26:48,275 --> 00:26:50,155 Speaker 1: that wasn't true. He forgot it, all right, But I'm 397 00:26:50,235 --> 00:26:53,675 Speaker 1: veering away from the main story. In two thousand and eight, 398 00:26:53,675 --> 00:26:57,875 Speaker 1: a couple of Washington political types started a fantasy football league. 399 00:26:58,195 --> 00:27:01,435 Speaker 1: If you don't think fantasy football leagues are important, you 400 00:27:01,475 --> 00:27:05,475 Speaker 1: should know that last spring, a major league baseball player 401 00:27:05,995 --> 00:27:09,755 Speaker 1: in uniform walked up to another major League baseball player 402 00:27:09,995 --> 00:27:13,955 Speaker 1: in uniform on a Major League baseball field with thousands 403 00:27:13,955 --> 00:27:17,475 Speaker 1: of people already in the stands, and he slapped him 404 00:27:17,515 --> 00:27:21,755 Speaker 1: in the face over a roster move that the second 405 00:27:21,755 --> 00:27:25,475 Speaker 1: player had made in their fantasy football league. The second 406 00:27:25,475 --> 00:27:28,835 Speaker 1: guy had managed to retain the rights to an injured player, 407 00:27:28,915 --> 00:27:30,955 Speaker 1: and the first guy was upset about this. So six 408 00:27:30,995 --> 00:27:34,395 Speaker 1: months after their fantasy season ended, this major league baseball 409 00:27:34,395 --> 00:27:37,715 Speaker 1: player walked up and slapped the other Major League baseball player. 410 00:27:39,755 --> 00:27:44,235 Speaker 1: If slaps or duels or kidnappings are not everyday occurrences 411 00:27:44,275 --> 00:27:47,435 Speaker 1: in fantasy football, they do represent the kind of baseline 412 00:27:47,475 --> 00:27:50,475 Speaker 1: intensity of the thing. So when I and others were 413 00:27:50,515 --> 00:27:53,795 Speaker 1: approached about this Washington centric league in two thousand eight, 414 00:27:53,795 --> 00:27:56,555 Speaker 1: it was already a big deal, even before we were 415 00:27:56,595 --> 00:28:00,355 Speaker 1: all sworn to secrecy, because a spot in the league 416 00:28:00,435 --> 00:28:04,515 Speaker 1: was being held open for some DC guy named Barack Obama. 417 00:28:05,195 --> 00:28:07,835 Speaker 1: It turned out he did not join our league, some 418 00:28:08,035 --> 00:28:11,395 Speaker 1: excuse about too much work, when obviously he was just 419 00:28:11,515 --> 00:28:15,355 Speaker 1: afraid of my fantasy football skills. But some people in 420 00:28:15,435 --> 00:28:17,675 Speaker 1: his White House did join the league, and I still 421 00:28:17,715 --> 00:28:20,195 Speaker 1: will not identify them because the premise of this league 422 00:28:20,355 --> 00:28:22,875 Speaker 1: was the first rule of Fantasy football club is you 423 00:28:22,955 --> 00:28:25,915 Speaker 1: do not talk about fantasy football club. I will say 424 00:28:25,915 --> 00:28:28,515 Speaker 1: that Chuck Todd, like me, was an original player. We 425 00:28:28,595 --> 00:28:32,155 Speaker 1: call ourselves owners because we are nuts and it's a 426 00:28:32,195 --> 00:28:35,915 Speaker 1: fantasy It's in the title fantasy football fantasy football owners, 427 00:28:36,755 --> 00:28:39,755 Speaker 1: and one year, I think it was I had assembled 428 00:28:39,755 --> 00:28:42,235 Speaker 1: in this league, mostly by accident, a team that was 429 00:28:42,475 --> 00:28:46,795 Speaker 1: almost perfect. It literally lost one game all season, and 430 00:28:46,835 --> 00:28:48,955 Speaker 1: that was in the middle of the year to Chuck 431 00:28:49,035 --> 00:28:51,955 Speaker 1: Todd's team. And the night after I lost to Chuck 432 00:28:51,995 --> 00:28:54,635 Speaker 1: Todd's team, he was giving a speech I think at 433 00:28:54,635 --> 00:28:58,275 Speaker 1: the University of Virginia, and witnesses called to tell me 434 00:28:58,555 --> 00:29:01,715 Speaker 1: that he began his speech by saying, I have much 435 00:29:01,755 --> 00:29:03,395 Speaker 1: to tell you, but first I have to tell you 436 00:29:03,395 --> 00:29:05,155 Speaker 1: that I am in a fantasy foot all league with 437 00:29:05,235 --> 00:29:07,315 Speaker 1: Keith Alderman, and he has a great team this year, 438 00:29:07,315 --> 00:29:09,595 Speaker 1: and this week I upset him by a final score 439 00:29:09,635 --> 00:29:12,595 Speaker 1: of hun hundred forty one or whatever the score was. 440 00:29:13,475 --> 00:29:17,675 Speaker 1: I thought it was pretty dumb. But by Chuck was 441 00:29:17,715 --> 00:29:21,715 Speaker 1: the NBC News White House correspondent. We all cringed whenever 442 00:29:21,795 --> 00:29:23,555 Speaker 1: we saw he was going to be on with one 443 00:29:23,595 --> 00:29:27,555 Speaker 1: of us on MSNBC. See, some people respond well to 444 00:29:27,755 --> 00:29:31,235 Speaker 1: pressure and success, and some people do not, and some 445 00:29:31,275 --> 00:29:35,355 Speaker 1: people become entirely different people. So when Chuck violated the 446 00:29:35,395 --> 00:29:38,555 Speaker 1: prime directive of this fantasy football league and talked about it, 447 00:29:39,035 --> 00:29:42,035 Speaker 1: I shrugged. The other guys in the league did not. 448 00:29:42,555 --> 00:29:46,035 Speaker 1: Chuck was actually punished. The commissioner of the league ordered 449 00:29:46,035 --> 00:29:48,115 Speaker 1: that he had to skip his fourth choice in the 450 00:29:48,115 --> 00:29:53,275 Speaker 1: following years player draft. Chuck was bereft. He believed this 451 00:29:53,315 --> 00:29:57,755 Speaker 1: would destroy his chances. He apologized to me like every week, 452 00:29:57,795 --> 00:29:59,875 Speaker 1: and finally I said, you know, guys, maybe this is 453 00:29:59,915 --> 00:30:02,955 Speaker 1: too much. And as the supposed victim in the equation, 454 00:30:02,995 --> 00:30:05,995 Speaker 1: I got final say and Chuck got to keep his 455 00:30:06,115 --> 00:30:11,835 Speaker 1: fourth draft choice. Chuck was because Tim Russer died, Tom 456 00:30:11,835 --> 00:30:15,235 Speaker 1: Brokaw retired, and David Gregory flamed out. Chuck was the 457 00:30:15,235 --> 00:30:18,235 Speaker 1: host of Meet the Press. He was also political director 458 00:30:18,235 --> 00:30:21,075 Speaker 1: of NBC News, another part of russer It's old portfolio. 459 00:30:21,515 --> 00:30:25,035 Speaker 1: But whereas Tim was a master who could convince the Republicans, 460 00:30:25,075 --> 00:30:27,835 Speaker 1: he was ordering that I'd be punished for what I said, 461 00:30:28,315 --> 00:30:30,395 Speaker 1: when in fact he would be calling me and asking 462 00:30:30,435 --> 00:30:32,915 Speaker 1: me what stupid, meaningless thing I could think of to 463 00:30:32,995 --> 00:30:35,995 Speaker 1: tell the Republicans. He was punishing me with or four. 464 00:30:37,275 --> 00:30:42,195 Speaker 1: He was sublime, subtlety. Not Chuck. No subtlety. There. In 465 00:30:42,235 --> 00:30:45,235 Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen, Chuck was preparing to not name my 466 00:30:45,355 --> 00:30:48,915 Speaker 1: ex lib in girlfriend Katie Turre as the new NBC 467 00:30:49,035 --> 00:30:52,035 Speaker 1: White House correspondent, even though she had suffered as the 468 00:30:52,075 --> 00:30:56,155 Speaker 1: primary NBC correspondent covering the Trump campaign. And out of nowhere, 469 00:30:56,235 --> 00:30:58,155 Speaker 1: Chuck emails me that he's going to be in New 470 00:30:58,235 --> 00:31:01,075 Speaker 1: York and he wants to take me to dinner. I 471 00:31:01,195 --> 00:31:03,315 Speaker 1: had known him more than a decade by then. We 472 00:31:03,355 --> 00:31:05,995 Speaker 1: had never as much as shared pieces of the same pizza. 473 00:31:06,115 --> 00:31:07,835 Speaker 1: I had not seen him in the flesh in more 474 00:31:07,875 --> 00:31:10,315 Speaker 1: than five years. And I knew as we sat down 475 00:31:10,315 --> 00:31:13,835 Speaker 1: that Chuck's idea was to get me to tell Katie 476 00:31:14,475 --> 00:31:16,355 Speaker 1: that she was not gonna be White House correspondent so 477 00:31:16,395 --> 00:31:18,675 Speaker 1: he did not have to. He kept bringing it up, 478 00:31:19,075 --> 00:31:21,395 Speaker 1: what do you think Katie would think? And then I'd 479 00:31:21,435 --> 00:31:25,235 Speaker 1: switched the topic to uh, fantasy football, And then he'd say, 480 00:31:25,395 --> 00:31:26,995 Speaker 1: but let me ask you about Katie in the White 481 00:31:27,035 --> 00:31:30,115 Speaker 1: House job. We did this for ninety minutes, and finally 482 00:31:30,155 --> 00:31:34,435 Speaker 1: I said, Okay, Chuck, I've avoided it long enough. Maybe 483 00:31:34,435 --> 00:31:36,835 Speaker 1: I could call her and soften the blow for her. 484 00:31:36,915 --> 00:31:39,515 Speaker 1: And that's when he said, well, I'm going back to 485 00:31:39,595 --> 00:31:41,155 Speaker 1: d C tonight, so if I want to catch that 486 00:31:41,235 --> 00:31:46,155 Speaker 1: last train, I better leave Fie. Chuck is not subtle. 487 00:31:47,155 --> 00:31:49,675 Speaker 1: I'll spare you the other crap from the fantasy league. 488 00:31:49,715 --> 00:31:52,035 Speaker 1: Suffice to say, I was reminded of how annoyingly and 489 00:31:52,075 --> 00:31:54,435 Speaker 1: obviously he used to conduct himself when I read that 490 00:31:54,555 --> 00:31:57,915 Speaker 1: last May, one of Chuck's guest bookers for the now 491 00:31:58,275 --> 00:32:01,795 Speaker 1: no longer on TV Meet the Press Daily show had 492 00:32:01,835 --> 00:32:04,955 Speaker 1: emailed the office of Alaska Congressman Don Young hoping to 493 00:32:04,995 --> 00:32:06,835 Speaker 1: get Young to appear the next day, which would have 494 00:32:06,835 --> 00:32:10,355 Speaker 1: been the ultimate great guest get because Don Young had 495 00:32:10,395 --> 00:32:15,075 Speaker 1: died two months earlier. Anyway, this fantasy football league was 496 00:32:15,115 --> 00:32:17,555 Speaker 1: fun and unique in that there had only been one 497 00:32:17,675 --> 00:32:21,355 Speaker 1: change in its composition in all that time. Chuck's team 498 00:32:21,435 --> 00:32:24,235 Speaker 1: defeated mine and the Fantasy Football super Bowl one year. 499 00:32:25,515 --> 00:32:28,795 Speaker 1: And mostly he was just annoying, like he was on 500 00:32:28,835 --> 00:32:33,315 Speaker 1: the air. Nothing worse than that. And then on June nineteen, 501 00:32:33,395 --> 00:32:39,675 Speaker 1: Representative Alexandria Occasio Cortez AOC ripped the Trump administration's migrant policies. 502 00:32:39,995 --> 00:32:42,955 Speaker 1: She said, quote, the United States is running concentration camps 503 00:32:42,955 --> 00:32:44,875 Speaker 1: on our southern border, and that is exactly what they are. 504 00:32:44,995 --> 00:32:49,075 Speaker 1: They are concentration camps. End quote. Chuck went on MSNBC 505 00:32:49,235 --> 00:32:51,995 Speaker 1: and said the following in response, quote you can call 506 00:32:52,035 --> 00:32:54,755 Speaker 1: our government's detention of migrants many things, depending on how 507 00:32:54,795 --> 00:32:57,555 Speaker 1: you see it. It's a stain on our nation, maybe, 508 00:32:57,875 --> 00:33:02,155 Speaker 1: a necessary evil to others to deal with an untenable situation, perhaps, 509 00:33:02,515 --> 00:33:04,875 Speaker 1: But do you know what you can't call it? Chuck 510 00:33:04,915 --> 00:33:07,875 Speaker 1: then played the clip of AOC calling it concentration camps, 511 00:33:08,075 --> 00:33:10,755 Speaker 1: and Chuck resumed, if you want to criticize the shameful 512 00:33:10,795 --> 00:33:13,035 Speaker 1: treatment of people at our southern border, fine, you'll have 513 00:33:13,075 --> 00:33:17,155 Speaker 1: plenty of company, but be careful comparing them to Nazi 514 00:33:17,355 --> 00:33:21,115 Speaker 1: concentration camps, because they're not at all comparable. In the 515 00:33:21,155 --> 00:33:26,515 Speaker 1: slightest A lot of people me included, were stunned. Kazio 516 00:33:26,595 --> 00:33:30,915 Speaker 1: Cortes never mentioned the Nazis, and concentration camps did not 517 00:33:31,035 --> 00:33:33,875 Speaker 1: begin with the Nazis or Hitler. They began with the 518 00:33:33,915 --> 00:33:36,715 Speaker 1: British in the Boer War in South Africa at the 519 00:33:36,755 --> 00:33:39,155 Speaker 1: turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Yet here was 520 00:33:39,235 --> 00:33:41,835 Speaker 1: Chuck putting a word in her mouth, and that word 521 00:33:41,875 --> 00:33:44,595 Speaker 1: was Nazi, and then he attacked her for something she 522 00:33:44,675 --> 00:33:48,115 Speaker 1: never said. He lied about her. He lied, Chuck Todd 523 00:33:48,195 --> 00:33:52,195 Speaker 1: made it up on the news. I was furious enough 524 00:33:52,235 --> 00:33:55,075 Speaker 1: to email him that night. I thought by now somebody 525 00:33:55,115 --> 00:33:58,755 Speaker 1: at NBC would have pointed out that concentration camps and 526 00:33:58,875 --> 00:34:02,035 Speaker 1: Nazi death camps are not the same thing. But no, 527 00:34:02,395 --> 00:34:05,635 Speaker 1: NBC had simply tweeted out the clip, but Chuck lying 528 00:34:05,675 --> 00:34:08,475 Speaker 1: about the congress woman and putting the word Nazi in 529 00:34:08,555 --> 00:34:12,275 Speaker 1: her mouth as if it were something NBC News should 530 00:34:12,315 --> 00:34:18,435 Speaker 1: be proud of. Chuck was furious at me. He emailed back, quote, 531 00:34:18,555 --> 00:34:20,715 Speaker 1: come on, own up, that she invoked the wrong image 532 00:34:20,715 --> 00:34:22,875 Speaker 1: and should have simply walked the imagery back. And I 533 00:34:22,915 --> 00:34:24,555 Speaker 1: wrote him back that the person who had to walk 534 00:34:24,595 --> 00:34:28,115 Speaker 1: back imagery here was him, since he had said Nazi 535 00:34:28,475 --> 00:34:32,075 Speaker 1: and she had not said Nazi. On my angriest day, 536 00:34:32,155 --> 00:34:34,235 Speaker 1: he now replied, I'd like to think I treated you 537 00:34:34,275 --> 00:34:37,075 Speaker 1: with more respect than this, sad. I feel like we 538 00:34:37,235 --> 00:34:39,715 Speaker 1: won't recover from this, and we had recovered from a lot. 539 00:34:40,875 --> 00:34:42,595 Speaker 1: I wrote back to Chuck that we were going to 540 00:34:42,595 --> 00:34:45,875 Speaker 1: recover from anything if he insisted that all concentration camps 541 00:34:45,875 --> 00:34:48,875 Speaker 1: were Nazi death camps and that somebody who never said 542 00:34:48,995 --> 00:34:54,275 Speaker 1: Nazis owed somebody else an apology for what not saying Nazis. 543 00:34:55,235 --> 00:34:57,475 Speaker 1: There was no getting past the reality that Chuck had 544 00:34:57,475 --> 00:35:00,995 Speaker 1: no idea that he was one dent in the wrong here, 545 00:35:01,275 --> 00:35:05,995 Speaker 1: historically wrong, factually wrong, ethically wrong, not a leg to 546 00:35:06,115 --> 00:35:10,515 Speaker 1: stand on. So I of course began to contemplate the 547 00:35:10,595 --> 00:35:15,715 Speaker 1: year ahead in fantasy football. I couldn't face it. I'm sorry, 548 00:35:16,035 --> 00:35:18,875 Speaker 1: I let real life and fantasy sports mix, and I 549 00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:22,795 Speaker 1: just I just couldn't spend another autumn having to deal 550 00:35:22,915 --> 00:35:26,635 Speaker 1: with Chuck Todd. Chuck had often said that he was 551 00:35:26,675 --> 00:35:28,955 Speaker 1: now just too busy to play in the league anymore, 552 00:35:29,595 --> 00:35:32,355 Speaker 1: and he would have to leave it this year. So 553 00:35:32,435 --> 00:35:35,835 Speaker 1: on August eleven, two thousand nineteen, more in sadness than 554 00:35:35,875 --> 00:35:38,635 Speaker 1: an anger, I asked the commissioner of the league if 555 00:35:38,795 --> 00:35:41,355 Speaker 1: Chuck was coming back for the two thousand nineteen season. 556 00:35:41,875 --> 00:35:45,515 Speaker 1: I don't know, Maybe not, was the answer. I said, Look, 557 00:35:45,555 --> 00:35:48,435 Speaker 1: this is not him or me. I'm not asking you 558 00:35:48,475 --> 00:35:50,995 Speaker 1: to not let him come back. It's not like that. 559 00:35:51,275 --> 00:35:52,915 Speaker 1: But if he tells you one way or the other, 560 00:35:52,995 --> 00:35:55,435 Speaker 1: let me know, because I just can't stand another year 561 00:35:55,475 --> 00:35:57,835 Speaker 1: of him. He takes all the fun of it out 562 00:35:57,835 --> 00:36:00,915 Speaker 1: of it for me. I understand, said the commissioner. It's 563 00:36:00,915 --> 00:36:02,835 Speaker 1: a shame, but why do it if it's not fun? 564 00:36:04,355 --> 00:36:07,315 Speaker 1: At eight a m. On the morning of August two, nineteen, 565 00:36:07,355 --> 00:36:10,475 Speaker 1: the official email notifying everybody of the new fantasy football 566 00:36:10,475 --> 00:36:13,475 Speaker 1: season went out. I was not listed among the players. 567 00:36:13,755 --> 00:36:17,475 Speaker 1: Nineteen minutes later, I got an email from Chuck Todd's 568 00:36:17,515 --> 00:36:21,755 Speaker 1: subject line, it's just a game content quote just play. 569 00:36:21,795 --> 00:36:23,875 Speaker 1: I won't speak to you, and please do me the 570 00:36:23,915 --> 00:36:26,275 Speaker 1: same courtesy. Grow the f up, and no, I am 571 00:36:26,275 --> 00:36:30,515 Speaker 1: not editing this. He really wrote, grow the f up. 572 00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:33,515 Speaker 1: I wrote back that I thought he'd become part of 573 00:36:33,515 --> 00:36:36,275 Speaker 1: the problem that imperils our nation and I didn't want 574 00:36:36,275 --> 00:36:38,355 Speaker 1: to have anything more to do with him. I ended 575 00:36:38,395 --> 00:36:42,275 Speaker 1: it with quote, do not contact me again. At ten 576 00:36:42,555 --> 00:36:46,475 Speaker 1: thirteen am, he contacted me again. Amazing, how you believe 577 00:36:46,515 --> 00:36:48,875 Speaker 1: what you believe about me. I'm sorry for ever helping 578 00:36:48,915 --> 00:36:53,155 Speaker 1: you get credibility, and I did not reply. At ten 579 00:36:53,235 --> 00:36:56,875 Speaker 1: eighteen he wrote me again again, I'm happy to never 580 00:36:56,875 --> 00:36:58,995 Speaker 1: speak with you again. I'd prefer to pretend you don't exist. 581 00:36:59,155 --> 00:37:03,995 Speaker 1: Don't make me care about you. No, boy, when Chuck 582 00:37:04,035 --> 00:37:06,555 Speaker 1: Todd asked you to not make him care about you, 583 00:37:06,555 --> 00:37:10,875 Speaker 1: you're in deep and dangerous waters. Boy. Another Chuck email 584 00:37:10,875 --> 00:37:13,955 Speaker 1: at nine, you are truly a tiny little man. I 585 00:37:13,995 --> 00:37:16,275 Speaker 1: don't even feel sorry for you. Anymore, you have done 586 00:37:16,275 --> 00:37:19,875 Speaker 1: this to yourself. And here I made a mistake. I 587 00:37:19,915 --> 00:37:22,275 Speaker 1: did not ask him what he felt sorry for me 588 00:37:22,315 --> 00:37:25,755 Speaker 1: about and what I had done to myself. I assume 589 00:37:26,195 --> 00:37:30,435 Speaker 1: it was about losing the Fantasy Football super Bowl to him. 590 00:37:30,475 --> 00:37:34,035 Speaker 1: At eleven o nine, another email quote, you deliberately misinterpreted 591 00:37:34,075 --> 00:37:37,035 Speaker 1: what I said, shot first, and then rationalize the mistaken 592 00:37:37,075 --> 00:37:42,835 Speaker 1: shot with some convoluted, full of belief explanation. This presumably 593 00:37:42,955 --> 00:37:46,435 Speaker 1: was the silly little detail about him lying and saying 594 00:37:46,435 --> 00:37:50,635 Speaker 1: Representative Accio Cortez had referred to Nazi concentration camps. Then 595 00:37:50,635 --> 00:37:54,795 Speaker 1: he wrote that what she said quote evokes Gash Chambers, 596 00:37:55,395 --> 00:37:58,595 Speaker 1: and I think that's where we should leave it. A 597 00:37:58,635 --> 00:38:02,035 Speaker 1: fantasy sports league is just a fantasy sports league, and 598 00:38:02,075 --> 00:38:05,315 Speaker 1: having been in various kinds of them since nineteen good God, 599 00:38:06,795 --> 00:38:09,875 Speaker 1: I often wonder if they aren't a kind of therapeutic, 600 00:38:09,955 --> 00:38:14,595 Speaker 1: cathartic pressure valve for our inner demons. I do know this. 601 00:38:15,275 --> 00:38:18,115 Speaker 1: You find out a lot about the other people in 602 00:38:18,155 --> 00:38:22,635 Speaker 1: a fantasy sports league. So when that baseball players slapped 603 00:38:22,675 --> 00:38:25,355 Speaker 1: the other baseball player over the reserve running back that 604 00:38:25,395 --> 00:38:28,275 Speaker 1: he kept on his roster, and most people said, I 605 00:38:28,435 --> 00:38:31,995 Speaker 1: just don't understand why he slapped him. I said, Oh, 606 00:38:32,515 --> 00:38:42,395 Speaker 1: I understand why he slapped him. I've done all the 607 00:38:42,475 --> 00:38:44,555 Speaker 1: damage I can do here for another day. This is 608 00:38:44,555 --> 00:38:47,075 Speaker 1: where I ask you to rate and review the podcasts. 609 00:38:48,115 --> 00:38:51,955 Speaker 1: Lie tell them it's great. The Countdown theme from Beethoven's 610 00:38:51,995 --> 00:38:55,555 Speaker 1: Ninth arranged, produced and performed by Countdown musical directors Brian 611 00:38:55,595 --> 00:38:59,235 Speaker 1: Ray and John Philip Channel All orchestration and keyboards by 612 00:38:59,315 --> 00:39:02,635 Speaker 1: John Philip Chanelle, guitars, bass and drums by Brian Ray. 613 00:39:02,755 --> 00:39:06,555 Speaker 1: Produced by t k O Brothers. The other Beethoven selections 614 00:39:06,555 --> 00:39:09,835 Speaker 1: have been arranged and performed by No Horns allowed. Our 615 00:39:09,955 --> 00:39:13,915 Speaker 1: sports music the theme from The Olderman Show, written by 616 00:39:13,955 --> 00:39:18,235 Speaker 1: Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments by 617 00:39:18,355 --> 00:39:22,595 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust, the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer 618 00:39:22,635 --> 00:39:26,315 Speaker 1: today was my dear friend Richard Lewis. Everything else is 619 00:39:26,355 --> 00:39:29,395 Speaker 1: my fault. And let's countdown for this the five eight 620 00:39:29,555 --> 00:39:32,715 Speaker 1: second day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the 621 00:39:32,755 --> 00:39:36,715 Speaker 1: democratically elected government of the United States. I'm Keith Alderman. 622 00:39:36,915 --> 00:39:56,035 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with 623 00:39:56,155 --> 00:39:59,275 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman is a production of I heart Radio. For 624 00:39:59,435 --> 00:40:02,435 Speaker 1: more podcast from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 625 00:40:02,515 --> 00:40:06,595 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.