It's a brand new year, and we want to take a moment to introduce our new presenting sponsor on General Zip recruiter. As we all know, zip recruiter is the smartest way to hire an get hired. It's a fantastic company I'm really happy to have them, as our presenting sponsor in twenty eighteen sure are John. They sound like six hundred cookies, so many cookies different routers help hundreds of thousands of businesses across all industries, an sizes hire the right people and they've helped millions of people find the right jobs. Zip recruiter has really been a game changer for the hiring industry, if essentially taking a process, that's extremely challenging and efficient and created a smarter, simpler, more effective way to do it. Only zip recruiter has technology that scans. Thousands of resumes immediately identifies qualified candidates and prompt them to apply. It also learns, which If you like and find you more like that, so you only get the good candidate that's or looking for either the only not good about had it. It's you know not the kind that you

so, let's say you have a comms team in one of the people on the com. Steen said yeah, let's have creep era. Order. Michael Wolff live at the White House. That's a great idea. You say that was the wrong candidate. Get rid of them find somebody else. Maybe don't hire the right guy that runs Ray Rice's website. The race is seen guy, don't hire him because he's gonna screw you over later yeah Carter is one of the fastest growing job sites in the world January is always a busy time for hiring. Don't we know it and right now, if your company is trying to bring on some talent to new people, you can try as a recruiter for free, that's right, free good. As ever did I come such cricket and start creating your job post once again, if you're hiring as a precursor for free today, your broker dot com, slash. You know what two thousand seventeen get out of here. Alright, you've made a things and you refuse to leave the party. The news this week has been absurd and we're trying something different. Krooked

welcome to blood save America, I'm John Fabric, I'm Dan Pfeiffer, on the pod today we'll be talking to a friend of the pod for the first time host this Sunday's golden Globes, Seth Meyers will be doing that a little bit later, we're going to go meet Seth at his hotel in Beverly Hills here. So that's going to be our little trip after the pod. We have a lot of updates to hand. Let's do it. Alright, pod save the world this week, Tommy an Ben Rhodes talk about IRAN. I don't know if you've heard this one yet, but there is an outstanding cricket conversations this with Erin Ryan and our friend Alyssa Master Monaco. So they talk about me too, and looking ahead in twenty eighteen and obviously it's a serious and important discussion as it should be, but the to them also managed to make it entertaining and at times hilarious, because they are awesome, so you should go. There is a vast. They are so good

but yes, natural chemistry with Erin and Alyssa on the spot. Chasing candor tackles gun violence on majority. Fifty four that drops tomorrow Friday also it is positive. The world does, and also on Friday, ANA Marie talks to such a cold about Logan Paul's, disturbing you to posting and she does her monthly Rick Wilson check in lots of content out there. Also shows events love. It is a striking out on his own with love it or leave it shows in Portland on January, twenty fifth, and they just added a second Seattle show on the twenty six so check that out, Tommy is hosting his first, live pod, save the world here Wallace at the El Rey on January, 17th, yeah Dan, you should come for it. I would love to do that is going to be, talking to Ben Rhodes, Samantha Power and the filmmaker behind the documentary the final year, which is

but the last year of the Obama administration focused on foreign policy and tickets are going to go on sale. This week it. Maybe the last year before America went in the toilet, that's it so check it out, have some nostalgia, speaking of nostalgia, check out on cricket dot com, Chris Liddell Westerfield's piece on the Iowa caucuses, which were ten years ago. Yes, today, Chris worked in Iowa on the campaign. He later worked in the White House and he did like a Multi year oral history of the caucuses he got to speak with Barack Obama, so there's some new Barack Obama stuff in there, which is great, but more importantly, I think he spoke too. So many of the organizers and activists that I possible- and it's just it's a fantastic read. I was because I'm a softie a little teary by the end when I read it, but it was it's a fantastic. You should go check it out. Yeah, it's really great. It's not often that so opposed to peace.

Barack Obama is not the most interesting part of it that here it is the things that people who if you've, never heard of but or absolutely critical to making Brock Obama. President say it's really: it's really a wonderful powerful thing. And, of course this will be our last LOS Angeles based POD for a week, job and Tommy, and I are headed off to Europe. But as far as schedules of the pod go you'll just be hearing some of our live pod shows in Europe. They will be our regular pods and they will still, All about everything. That's going on the United States, we're not going to make them! You know pods about things that are going on in Europe, so just your regular pod, except the audience, will be european, so we'll see how that goes and Dan you're holding down the fort here. Just in case we don't make it back. Yeah, yes I'll come back, then I was Erin Ryan and in the rest of us, will just start popping all around her.

In case were in because we're not allowed back into the country to be possible all right- and this is what I Thursday to kick off twenty eighteen on pods of America When we last left our hero, Donald Trump, he was, he was leaving in the adulation of republican politicians and pundits for passing the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern history. If you remember that press conference right before the holidays, yet Orrin Hatch, saying the Trump may go down as the greatest president of all time, Paul Ryan said he showed exquisite. Presidential leadership Mitch Mcconnell called it a year of extraordinary accomplishment and said he was warming up to Trump's tweets Accius said he ended the year. On the high note of his presidency and the New York Times wrote quote: prison Trump has brought a reality, show accessibility tool once aloof presidency, Trump celebrated over Christmas by playing golf for seven days in a row, flew back to

Washington over new years turned on Fox NEWS and reacted to those yapping morons with more than a dozen public statements released to the world via twitter dot com on Tuesday worth some great tweets Dan. Well, I think we know for a fact that one of trust resolutions was not fewer crazy, tweets if it really like to see what most people's first day back to work after the holidays, and usually it's like a slow transition back yeah were at ease into about each it yeah. I The first is kind of slow you're catching up on email. There's, not a lot of immediate deadlines and projects and trump decided fuck that and just brought us right back into politics without a break in the span of twelve hours. The press

and called for the imprisonment of a top aide to Hillary Clinton, accused his own justice department of being complicit in a deep state. Conspiracy threaten to cut off aid to Pakistan, and the Palestinians took credit for the fact that no one died in a plane crash last year. Said that will be announcing the most dishonest and corrupt media of the year awards on Monday and the coup de grace Trump taunted, hello, madman, Kim owned by saying that he has a bigger nuclear button. That's It was a toward to four stand like I was sitting there and I just like another one like who what is he doing today and then, of course, you know the folks at media matters and Daniel Dale or Porter from the Toronto star start all the people who keep track of these things soon showed us that every tweet followed a Fox news segment over the course of the day, which meant that all Trump was doing on his first Tuesday, back in Washington was watch. Fox NEWS, big surprise about that. You know we had this cover you and I had a conversation with Tommy and love it and others about how

like mid morning. On Tuesday we were sort of laughing the trump tweets. It's we weren't worked up about them. Yes, Maybe we had grown numb to Trump's insanity and You know there is some debate about whether that's a good thing or bad thing, but by the afternoon I was no longer number. She got into a button measuring contest with Kim Jong in then I was concerned yeah and you know, come people made what I thought was very good point, which is you know it you can you can look at that tweet and say: oh well, it's just Trump being tromp, which some Republican Congress did actually say we'll get to that soon and he doesn't mean anything and he's just you know, mouthing off and doing his twitter thing, but the whole point of like nuclear deterrence and when there's two nuclear powers staring each other down, especially when

to you know, sort of unstable mad at the helm is North Korea and Kim Jong Moon doesn't know that he's joking, they don't know what his intentions are. Just as we don't know what Kim Jong UN's intentions are, and so, when you have two people with their fingers over the fucking nuclear button, you know it's pretty dangerous to just mouth off like that, which is why you know presidents and administration's of both these for as long as there have been nuclear weapons, haven't done shit like that. I know the nearest times told us and one of the most infuriating stories in modern american history that true it's really shaken up the norms of Washington, and maybe that's true. Maybe we've now decided that lying is fine or corruption is fine or anything's, better than being aloof. Any better than all Presidency Dan! That's what's really dangerous! Now that we have he did the great scorch of aloofness. But can we just decide all together? You

may be baker from the New York Times, the republican leadership, maybe and the focus on Fox NEWS at the one norm that we're going to here, too, is in general idea that nuclear arms is something that we should not joke about. We should not taught people we should have extra caution in a public statements and tweets about that, like This is you know. Yes, if Trump was to take credit for the sun coming up kudos to him. That's weird, but this is one thing that is not really funny and the consequences are very serious right, like we have two crazy people. Both with access to weapons of mass destruction, having a war of words that mean

is alarming and concerning the fact that no one in the Republican Party seem concerned about this is worrisome to say the least. Meanwhile, the South Koreans, who clearly have the most to lose since they are closest to North Korea and can be you know completely dis Droid with almost conventional weapons that are pointed at Seoul. The S Koreans in North Koreans are about to open up talks for the first time in years to try to uh, avoid war, because they're, seeing the situation developed in such a frightening and serious way, and so you have that going on. You have a sort of a diplomatic solution going on between the South Koreans the North Koreans, or at least the attempt another last attempt at a diplomatic situation. Well, the president I'd states, you know so

his closest ally when suckers closes allies is just taunting, the north korean leader, yeah. It's it's it's it's insane! That's still not what made me angriest and I I think, like the my theme of the last, two days is not that I'm like even angrier with Trump or even angry, with all the fucking morons that he's hired to run his government. It is there is a nother branch of government whose constitutional duty it is to check the executive branch to make sure the trump doesn't do crazy and may once again as they have since the day that he came into office have fallen down on the job reporter went to out from having to post, went to ask various republicans. What their responses were in from a bunch of

let's you know they tried to ask different congressman what they thought about. The nuclear tweet Susan Collins quote. I'm going to vote, responded tersely and walked away. Bob Corker laughed hero about the big hero. Bob Corker give his big speech and talking about child adult daycare centers in the Whitehouse laughed Thom, Tillis Senator Senator trumping Trump Raw, Johnson laughed Rand Paul. Well, what he said was you know it was it just hasn't been done by tweet before, but other presidents have said something like that: yeah sure, okay, John Thune! Oh that's just from being the only one who had even modest disapproval of this was their microns, who said it certainly doesn't help. I'm almost speechless with, like this is the easiest thing to critique the easiest right, we're not asking you to do your duty to stop the rampant corruption that is happening within as Trump in assembly in rich themselves with the public dime. We

I'm not asking you where we are said at the end. Well, we are crash gallery of those things, but if you be released very the very least just have a mildly critical statement about the President threatening war with N Korea via tweet and also get the button metaphor correct. Like the size of the button is not what matters here. Just fy I like what is Trump think he's got some like giant desk size button that he hits with like a sledgehammer like at the state fair. What is he doing understand. These people- you all empowered him he they're the only like I was saying this, I did in an interview in his reclined podcast before the break, and I will you know he's asking what surprised me most about the first year, and I said you know, I think, the

but in general, are institutions have held up better than I thought they would because Trump is seems like a unstable authoritarian everything. His personality says that but he hasn't been able to do everything he's wanted, because the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the press and especially US citizens have held them to account and, as we said, yeah well, that my problem is that Congress has abdicated its responsibility and, I said, yeah what Congress has because of the Republican Party, because the Republican Party in Congress, that's controlling con, Chris is so fucking rotten to its core that all they want is to get tax cuts and to get Medicare cuts in health care it's out of this guy. They want him to sign the legislation that they want and because they want that stuff so badly. They just don't give a shit about any of the other, very scary, dangerous, frightening things that he is doing on a day to day basis and none of them it used to be there might be some whore look like

you had Mccain and Corker and flake, and maybe they were making critical statements and had Susan Collins stopping the ac. A repeal- and you saw some bravery here and there you don't see any of it now any of it anymore. All of them deserve to lose their seats every last one of them. I think this is all correct, and I think the secret here is not that Trump made the Republican Party a joke, it's the republican Party with such a joke. That Trump became president like like I'll get to the Michael Wolff book. But there is a section in there about how Trump theoretically did know who John Baynor was. Right, and so someone tweet it out thinking. This is going to look really good for banner and trump a picture of baynor and Trump together. When banner was speaker of the house in twenty thirteen, I was in the middle of Trump's massive racist birther campaign, and then

we will also maybe to talk about soon to be Utah, Senate, candidate and current hero of men in their resistance, Mitt Romney, and, let's not forget that Mitt Romney who to his credit, has been very critical of trump at times in his. Who is stronger than most in this party in twenty twelve, when he was seeking the republican nomination, he went That in hand to Trump Tower to beg for the endorsement of the birther in chief, the Republican Party has been riding this wave of craziness for a very long time and they were terrible at their jobs before Trump as president, and they are terrible at their jobs. Now Did they do real oversight into Barack Obama when he was president? No, what they do instead was let their overload. Is it Fox news tell them which fever dreams that they should dedicate taxpayer resources to investigate? So like? I think Maybe I also had similar hopes that you that they would do anything, but we are wrong. They stand for doing nothing other than

Maintaining the power they currently have in may be enriching some donors, while they're at it full stop. This is not Paul Brian's dream of enacting some and Randy and vision he likes being SP. And being nice to Trump is a necessary component of that job. Yeah I mean like this. We need a healthy opposition party in this country. I don't believe that one party democratic rule for the next two thousand and thirty years is a healthy thing for this country. But this version of the Republican Party that we're seeing right now needs to be completely wiped out. They need to spend a lot of time in the wilderness, thinking about what they did and they need to be a whole bunch of new Republicans with different views and different concert. You know different ideas and real conservative principles, not the ship that we're seeing now that you know come of age in five ten years from now, because this group, this group is just they need to be completely wiped out of office. I actually think democratic rule for the next twenty to

thirty years, is exactly what we need. I mean like. I also believe you need a healthy opposition party. I believe we are decades away from that. Maybe today I don't know what the time at, but I'm just saying, is certainly a long time from now yeah kids have shown they are incapable of governing. They have no desire, no ability to coherent policy agenda, nothing there, partisan, an serious institution and, frankly dead. That should be in charge into Republican, get their shit together and there is no evidence that they are in any danger it's actually because the younger it's not like they're a bunch of old, crazy republican senators and Representatives is there's like a bunch of young, really genuine series. People behind the young ones are the fucking craziest ones. They are the ones who are raised. They were basically he's inside the cerebellum of Sean Hannity, and they are,

Play like Matt Matt Gate, whatever that guys are the ones out there who there they were medical. I mean they're. Just the party is a disaster, and I really don't understand how the DOW this a nother conversation with our friend. I don't I don't really under. I understand how you can believe in and republican principles as they are written on paper. I don't really stand how you can do with self respect, continue to enable Trump Sean Hannity Breitbart, the birthers, the races. I don't. I don't understand that. No, I know that you can walk you walk away. People you could like. I said I don't agree with you that a whole bunch of tax cuts and cutting government spending is a good idea. I think it's a horrible idea, but it's a legitimate believed to have. If you want to have it, then let's have a debate about it and, let's see who wins the debate, let's see you you know who votes for who great? I don't, but you know. I don't believe that I think that we should try diplomacy more than we do. You know, try military force.

But if you think military forces a better way to go, then let's debate it. Let's argue button, let's see who wins but, like those are all debates, I'm fine having and if there's a whole bunch of Republicans. I face that. Have those debates great, but that's not this republican Party, this Republican Party is made up of grievance and conspiracy. Theory, it's a joke. It's Carmen clowns, that's the party! What do you think One quick question before we move on to the Michael Wolff book Trump: does this nuclear tweet and then We see another round of all these folks on Twitter, like Baking Jack Dorsey, to ban trump from the platform. Going to save us all from nuclear annihilation banning Trump from Twitter. No, I think that's a I understand the emotions of you just want to get a win against Trump and I understand anger at Twitter, one hundred percent. There are a lot of reasons to be angry at twitter. How they've handled the verification process for known white supremacists? How the in a

how to deal with abuse, and things like that. So I totally get that, but twitter is not the problem with Trump. The tweeter is the problem, some of the crazy things Trump said he has not said on Twitter and it's like if we just took the this is not a matches, baby situation or if you take the matches away, the baby cannot start a fire truck, has multiple access to things that could and the world, and so I just think one so that doesn't solve a problem into. I actually don't even think it's a good idea give me is that Trump written violence against the nation state North Korea and therefore that violates the twitter terms and conditions around threatening violence, and I don't think that's the same thing as random and stroll threatening violence against a person be present states like you. It's said that at a cabinet meeting and then

White House that tweeted the video from saying that on under cabinet meeting is that if I just something that's an actual violations from services, just like one think I've seen particularly in the early days of of twenty eighteen is there is an unquenchable amount of outrage within progressives for very good reasons, but it's not always being directed in the right place, and I don't think this is the right place. But we have plenty of places. To channel that entry doesn't have to be around this. What do you have? No, I mean I, I agree with you. Look you take his phone away, you or You know you kick him off twitter, the guys going to walk five feet to the briefing room where there's every you know, news channel and reporter in the country and he's going to say the same shit. It's going to the exact same so you're not going to stop him. He uses twitter because it's easier and more com will form, and you can just like run around the White House tweeting here and there, but the guys, the most powerful person in the country. He can literally say anything

he wants to whoever he wants whenever he wants and reach. Over an audience as he wants. Whenever that's what the property, like you said, it's the tweeter, it's not the treating, so I don't. Hi I'm going to spend my energy on other on other issues? So I guess the question is: whenever Trump goes off like this, you know he's he's clearly off his fucking rocker. Why is Trump off his rocker is always a various number possibilities, often times it's the fact that he is under federal investigation for obstruction of justice and other potential crimes- and you know perhaps some of this is bearing down on him- we should talk about? How over the break? There was quite a New York Times story about how the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign started, which was basically when form

policy adviser George Papadopoulos got drunk in London and told the australian ambassador that Russians had told them that they stole emails from the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton that they planned on using to influence the election. Did Papadopoulos tell anyone in the campaign about this that yeah, probably if he was getting drunk at a bar in London, in telling a random australian, diplomat yeah, it's a pretty good chance. He told the campaign. So there was that story and then Tuesday, I believe the founders of the firm fusion GPS, which is the firm that commissioned the infamous Steele dossier, published in New York Times, Op Ed, saying that they testified before Congress that the reason the FBI took the dossier seriously is because it corroborated reports the bureau had received from other sources, including a source inside the Trump campaign which many have speculated to believe is Papadopoulos, since he is the one who has pled guilty to lying

to the FBI and is now a cooperating witness stand. What do you think about that? Well, the story, the nearest Sarah Papadopoulos is in gigantic deal be It undermines the fundamental argument against the mall or investigation, which you know. As it's been pointed out, was the wood was based on? The still does he have just paid for sort of kind of in part by people associate with the Clinton campaign, but now it's now we know why a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign was opened. It was for very good is the other part that sort The argument when Papadopoulos played guilty was he was a quote. Unquote. Coffee boy, I think, is the term that Trump used to describe and many reporters Jonathan Swan of Axios, most notably's pointed out that he was not an influential player in the campaign. We now know from this that why, problem is definitely not Steve, Bannon or Kellyanne, Conway or Jerry.

For anyone else, but he was not a coffee boy actually set up a meeting between Trump and the head of Egypt LCC, which is not something that coffee, boys or unknown volunteers deal with something that foreign policy advisors do, and so he, was more. He edited Trump speeches, which is not something a coffee boy does. Even though I got people coffee and edited speeches too in fact he was editing a speech who is editing a foreign policy speech and having making sure Trump was saying nice things about Russia, which the Russians too, is a sign that Trump did want to meet with them yeah. It is worth noting for reporters who cover campaigns that the most famous people on the campaigns, the ones who are public facing to the press, Rr left in the most important people, but there are lot of people you've never heard of never met. Don't want to talk to her

or who are influential. Certainly, there are large people who played very important roles in our foreign policy development in the Obama campaign, that most reporters had no idea who wore or what role they played, because they just they just did their work right since it true with all of our policy other things. So, just because he was not on fox and friends does not mean the palace was not important and so we need to not have this binary choice if he was either the campaign manager or no one, and he fit somewhere in the middle and maybe a little closer to campaign manager, then no one that we originally thought right. So just because he was in an experience, do first doesn't mean he was in was an influential within the Trump campaign. It was you. Who else do you do also? it was an inexperienced, doofus, Donald Trump which which we're finding out from this wolf book as well. No, yeah. So it's like this whole thing were like well pop it up who the fuck was this guy? He was, he didn't, have the credentials to be in this campaign. Yet no one did including the guy running. That's not the point. The point was, you know fucking anyway,

So the other interesting thing I thought from that Op Ed from fusion GPS? Is there the got? The the founders basically said? Look the Republicans in Congress should publish our testimony, which they won't do because in those transcripts of their testimony, they also suggested to Congress. The Congress look into the bank records of Deutsche Bank and others that were funding trumpet his organs, because they had found evidence that Mister Trump and his organization had worked with a wide array of dubious Russians that often raise questions about money laundering and Congress was not interested in pursuing those leads of course, and of course that brings us to yesterday and the release of Michael Wolfe's new book about the Trump White House, which had a number of blow sieve revelations and salacious gossip, but I think none more salacious and explosive than Steve Bannon, describing the June two thousand and sixteen meeting between russian spy

guys in Don Junior Jared and Paul Manafort as treasonous and predicting that investigation will focus on money laundering and end up taking down Kushner and Don Junior. Would you think about that? I never know what to think about the things Steve Bannon says right here, He's like a artist? he's completely full of shit. It's also not entirely clear why he said these things, although I think he probably does believe them, and he believes that, because it's fairly common sense like it is obvious like he has access to grind, he thinks Donald Trump is a moron. Does everyone in probably included including his father? But his point is very very obvious, right, which is actually there's a nice nexus between the fusion GPS off Adan, want band and said which is where this is headed? Is a money laundering and b

if you meet with Russians who offer dirt on a US citizen, your is not to have a follow up meeting it's to call the FBI, and it is penalty, obviously did the wrong thing, and we know this 'cause. You know who called the FBI when they learned about this. The australian diplomat that Papadopoulos told this to that that diplomat immediately told australian intelligence in australian intelligence immediately shared it with the United States, which is why the FBI open the investigation into the first place. When you hear something that alarming that there's a foreign power that has hacked and stolen documents. You know from another country in order to influence the countries political campaign and that's an ally You immediately alert that ally. Certainly you should do it. If you're, a citizen of the country, that's being targeted, you know, and you hear some of the arguments in defense of Donald Trump, Junior and Kushner, and it basically boils down to. They are dumb and naive right, which is bad.

Some abandons arguments in the book are basically like they didn't. Do the Colu smart enough any offered a real plan for how he would have done the collusion. If he'd been invited to the meeting yeah- and he said he would have leaked a lot of the information, the best part of this very uh. Reported so we would have leaked some of this information to Bright Bart, or am I legitimate news organization, do something I might retreat everyday basis. We've been admitting. The bright Bart is not actually legitimate news organization, the chairman of bright bar, a man, but the fact they are dumb and naive that this is not scope. Atory right, dumb, naive people commit crimes all the time and they go to jail. It's like you always see those videos of the people who like post on on social media like them committing crimes and they get arrested like basic that, basically the that's who Donald Trump, Junior, Manafort and Kushner are.

And it is notable he said these things right that is in and of itself news. He is not denied. He said those things Michael Wolff apparently has tapes of him saying those things It is interesting that Steve Bannon for being the political genasi is he for forty to be by so many in the media and the right, it seems incapable of understanding what, on and off the record means, since he lost his job for calling up a liberal columnist and saying and saying things now, but you know there was also a apparently there's this meeting on air force, one after the Trump Tower Meeting comes to light an and remember that the initial statement from the White House was that the meeting that Trump Junior and Manafort and Kushner took, although at the time they denied the other two, were there. The meeting. Junior took was all about russian adoptions. That's the initial excuse now Of course, we know now that the White House was lying about the

in the statement. We also know that we've heard reports that leaves that Donald Trump himself was the one dictating that statement. So in the Wolf book we have more information about this. That's reported from Steve, Bannon and others and apparently while they were all on air force. One and Trump was dictating the statement that lied about the meeting in Trump Tower. None of the people wanted to be there if I trump took a pill and went to bed Jared Kushner said he didn't want his pencil anywhere near the statement and mark corral. The former spokesperson for Trump's personal legal team told Michael Wolff. He believed the meeting represented obstruction of just this and quit that's a flag for mall. Are you might want to check out that passage of the book and follow up with some questions? You also left out one key I thoroughly enjoyed is that the committee to save America I represented by Gary Cohn Andina pal for more in the senior staff cabin watching them the Fargo, which is Base

Klay about a bunch of morons who incomparably try to commit a crime. Do Powell Gary Cohn just sitting watching a movie. Well, this is all good, while they're obstructing justice in the conference room on AIR force, one what I would definitely watch in a few years, the Coen Brothers movie of the brief trump. In America, so yeah know you mention about, will support because there's a lot of other reporters are raising questions about wills reporting. Wolf is sort of a a repulsive figure in his own way. It is sort of been caught. You know not telling the truth about things before,

but usually has reporting is a mix of truth and embellishment and we'll sort of admits this in the book. He says like a lot of this is recollection of various sources. Sometimes the sources conflict and I picked- who I believe was right but, like you said he does have tapes, he has banded on tape. Apparently has Katie Walsh on tape, was deputy chief of staff of the White House who quit and the other thing is, like you said most of his reporting checks out with The way we actually see, Donald Trump behave on Twitter and on television you know it's not like a lot of it is is shocking. I mean it's, it's certainly more salacious than what we know, but it's sort of comports with his behave right. We know the idea that the Trump White House is filled with a bunch of people who don't like each other. Our particular good jobs in are not loyal to each other or Donald Trump and Donald Trump is a semi literate uninterested capricious

and child are all things we already do. Right very good reporting from the New York Times the Washington Post, politico Axios. Others have shown us that to be the case, just now have more details and it is worth pointing, as you pointed out, everyone involved here are known: Weir's Bannon in Kushner Sean Spicer Right spree, yes Donald Trump and Michael Wolff right, and so the question is: what are we supposed to believe about? This book is sort of an interesting one to think about, because it is very possible like it. A lot of people point out that there's a fait. A hundred word like very made him recitation of a conversation between Bannon and else that a lot of reporters raise questions. It's a like. Okay, yeah, that's probably the individual words are probably not right.

And maybe this is Bannon's, obviously not aliases bannons recitation of those words. But then we discovered that the host of that dinner party with conversational place was Michael Wolf, So it's it is impossible to know, but I think that the details are kind of a relevant right. It's the larger truth here and it's more important in the larger truth is from book that no one who works for Donald Trump or who has ever worked for Donald Trump believes he is capable of doing the job of president of the United States, which is a frightening conclusion. But it's the conclusion you get from this entire Michael Wolf book. All these use. It's also the conclusion you get from reading a Maggie Haberman peace reading of Washington Post piece. You know by Ashley, Parker and Phil Rucker reading an axe US piece right like most of them all of people who talk to people who work for down.

People who work for him who have worked for him, who know him, who are friends with him, think he's capable of doing this job even close. Even these people- and these are the same people who are publicly defending him, the only people who truly love Donald Trump or people who hear about him through the Filter of Fox NEWS. You know no one is actually met him and worked with him. Thinks he's capable of handling this very important job yeah hit on every dimension of what you need to be present at states or prison. The local Elks club- fails add on those measures. It's just it's. A simple fact is for other fun to bits of what some of his people have been saying about him. Rupert Murdoch, new can and writes purpose all called trump. An idiot Murdoch called a fucking Idiot, Gary Cohn, called them dumb. As Shit Mcmaster said, he's a Dope SAM Nunberg said he tried to teach Trump the constitution, but couldn't get into focus past the fourth amendment these are all these are all most advisors right, I would say, like you and I

worked in the White House in that, when several of these contemporaneous accounts were written and no one by Bob Woodward. When I run such one by Judy Cantor son by Richard Wolf formally of news we helping help hi men and I think it's worth sort of the Contemporanea accounts are always more distorted in the ones that are written long after because it is impossible to separate what people say from their own personal agenda. Ours were nothing nearly as salacious as this. Obviously right, but no there are people are worried about their own standing or trying to put their own spin on how things like weather. This is buy. Something went wrong who gets credit or something went right. And they're also very concerned about the politics of the moment. Even you know, even if you were participating as many do in a completely off

The rise way the White House decided this books happening. We can't stop so we're going to try to shape it, and so you know I ran this process for a couple of these books. We would fight we people would come to us and say we got an interview request from such and such author. Can I do it yes we tell them to think other people learn, so we can sort of try to fix problems even when you, that way, you're not just trying to knife the the man or woman, the office. Next to you, it can't be separated from what is going to be happening when the book comes out. Is the present be running for reelection? Are you trying to pass healthcare right? I'm trying to confirm it confirms screen print, I mean so it its shape by the moment. Right what it in many of the you know was out whenever these books would come out. It would always feel that our Bob was never as dramatic as the I mean, it's not you got make Some of the mundane pieces of government seem exciting yeah. I tell good story yeah. I

it looks like the latter is like I remember that conversation happening, but I don't remember it happening in such a cinematic way. If you will write like yeah, there was a day. Three and everything was cool afterwards. It wasn't a big blow up as it was portrayed in the book. It's like a Fun house mirror version of reality. Yeah the books are often true, but generally embellished yeah. They are often true on the macro level and distorted and somewhat inaccurate, the micro level right part, because it's you're relying on people's, why people who work in the White House do not take notes right right? You don't do that, because those notes will become part of the public record one day they could be subpoenaed all these other reasons and so so you're sort of forced it's often recollection recollection's can be wrong and there are Recollections are biased by your own personal perspective, but so it's even though Michael Wolf is it known. Fraud and the people talking former know liars with known agendas. I think the law the truth of this book. Is what we should take and I think

individual sort of progressives and others we shouldn't get too worked up and latch the individual things like what Ivanka Trump said about Donald Trump's, hair or individual things that people said, because those probably going to be things that we eventually get knocked down by you. Like. Someone will do research and realize that Ivanka Trump could have said that on that day, because she was in Davos or whatever the fuck. She would you know so it's like They focus on the larger truth, which we already knew and enjoy the battle between people. We don't like, like the enemy of my enemy. You know that's an enjoyable thing to watch, but like the individual stuff, it's like we can't get wrapped on the excellent yeah. No, I mean if, if the end of these two days, I tried to step back and think like okay. After all the laughs, we got about all the detail,

els and all the horrors we had about. You know trumps in due to we as like what actually matters here. What can we take from this and what I take from all of it is very frustrating which is. We know that Trump is manifestly unfit for the office which he holds dangerously so that the people who work for him believe that that the Republicans in Congress believe that, but that none of them want to do anything about it and because none of them want to or will do anything about it. We are now in a race against time, from now until November of twenty eighteen at the earliest to make sure there's a congress with people in it who will actually check Donald Trump's worst in

thanks and then we have to you know, wait till two thousand and twenty to get him out of office, and we just have to hope during that time that something really really terrifying and bad doesn't happen, and that's a very scary thought and if you feel a little helpless, but it also made me feel just like so angry because I'm like none of these people who could do something about this or doing anything about it and there's nothing. We can do about it except work as hard as we can to elect Democrats in twenty eighteen, because that will you know maybe that stop sixty percent of the damage or seventy percent of the damage. I don't know what it is, but that's our own. The Ave right now there's nothing else, nothing else. We can really do. We cannot reason with Republicans anymore. We can't just hope that Muller comes up with the smoking gun, because we pretty much have the smokey gun an right. Now, Republicans are trying as hard as they can not just ignore the investigation or ignore the conclusions of the investigation, but to actively shut down the investigation we have,

but can Jim Jordan and Mark meadows in the house calling for sessions to resign to to happen today, so that Donald Trump can replace Jeff sessions and thus replace rod, Rosen scene and thus replace Bob Muller. We have Fucking Jeff sessions because he's getting that pressure from members of Congress deciding that he's going to reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, which he announced today because again they're scared of this investigation into Donald Trump himself. So we have like a concert with not just a congress like not doing their duty. Now we have Republicans engaging in a conspiracy to cover up an investigation into the press. And and scraps. That's right, I think, just to focus, slash rant about the Jeff sessions thing it That's what I like there's a lot of disproportionate complaining about the quota normalizing if Trump right, it's like, if you write a

out of that's a little bit of are arguing against a New York Times story which you just made me mad. But that's not. The real problem is a story that, or their group calls from insanity gallery, show excess writing if I'm Phil I make this is this is the perfect example of actually normalizing? It's not the right. It's not the press who's doing this entirely. It's just the entire political world, including the rope again. I think, to some extent some Democrats, which is what has happened here, is Donald Trump, has bullied his attorney general in two launching a taxpayer, funded criminal investigation in each of Trump's chief political adversary, former political adversary, yes, in order to, among other things, may help cloud out the criminal investigation into Trump and because Trump does commit his crimes out in the open, we don't know how to respond to them. If not the habermann or some of the you know, the Washington Post had reported base

open sourcing that Donald Trump had picked up a phone in CALL Jeff sessions and said: please open this investigation or I'm going to fire you. That would be the sort of thing that would be commonly thought of. As impeachable offense, but because he did it out in the open, were ok with and we sort of there we don't take anything. Anyone does serious anymore. 'cause are all fun serious individuals, and so we therefore miss the serious crimes happening right before us. This is one of those things. Imagine if imagine if Brock Obama had called Eric holder and said: please launch criminal investigation into Mitt Romney. I mean like the entire world, would like Fox NEWS just would have imploded. I can write like even wrapped my head around that just yeah and that is to me like. That is a particularly we shouldn't

just glide by that one in the torrent of insanity. This been this week. This far, no we shouldn't, but it's a body and it's all of a piece right like there is a threat to Donald Trump's presidency. That threat is the investigation into his best potential obstruction of justice and crimes and Republicans because they not only want to just accept Donald Trump as president, but they actually want to embrace Donald Trump as president, so that he can sign their legislation are conspiring to stop that investigation that what they're working on there is. You know you say: the thing we need to do is win the election right right that it. That is one hundred percent right, but I do think it's a part of that that Democrats it's ourselves included, but also people running for actual office knee to layout an agenda of exactly what we would do if we were in power to rain trump. In writing, it's more than just we're going to subpoena the shit out of them like that's, not an actual agenda, but there are some specific laws that could be passed or we would advocate for passing

a piece of legislation that is at least at times has been bipartisan. An existed before Trump about making it require, more consultation before you can launch a nuclear attack the one Christmas letters, the yeah. That would be something we can do. You can change the law that they, it says the president is not in included in federal government conflict of interest laws. There is a set of things we could do, because we have operated as a country under the assumption that we are going to elect sane, mostly moral people like that's, been there and the walls are set up for that. People who will abide by norms will not will not out of their way to line their own pockets, and we have proven that that this is not a fail, safe system and should have an agenda. We should have it in economic agenda. We should have it how we would approve the formal Kerak put in place Medicare for all or whatever that we should have that policy number. We should also address, and how we run a set of specific steps other than just say you know we yell,

I was all do something we have to see what those things are: and it should be more than just investigation. There's some laws we could put in place which, ham in the dangerously unfit man who is currently the office. I think in general is an argument that most of what we have described here, two four as norms, should be enshrined as laws, because as we see norms, in the Trump presidency, have all been, and rules commonly held rules, beliefs, weight the way it usually works. All that stuff has been thrown out the window, and if it's not enshrined, is a lie, then it doesn't happen when someone like Donald Trump as president and people like the Republicans are in Congress. I also think back to you know in two thousand and six one of the ways that the Democrats win back. The house won. The Senate was a robust ethic

lobbying reform agenda, one of the reasons that Barack Obama won the primary in two thousand and seven and eighteen won. The presidency was a real, robust ethics and lobbying reform agenda. I think some kind of reform agenda from Democrats, both in twenty eighteen and two thousand and twenty that is quite robust- that doesn't just rain in Trump, but rains in future presidents who may act like Trump would be very important, and I think in love is made this point many times. I think there is. She has there's been too much power invested in the presidency over the years that that over the years have gone on, the presidency has taken more more power away from Congress from the state. From other I mean people, we all the conservatives be laughing at us right because they're like yeah, welcome to federalism, but I do think this is a check and balance thing. You know, and I think that we have

learn from Trump's presidency for sure that there need to be stronger checks and balances on the presidency and on Congress in certain instances to because they're, not they're, not acting too well either, but, like I said, I think you know in the It's tax returns being made public, whether it's stronger laws against corruption. You know in the president's family, Prof, ng from the presidency whether it's what you talking about with know launching nuclear war whatever it may be. I think we need a pretty robust agenda in twenty eighteen and two thousand and twenty, but those things we should talk to our friend. Normalize and and some of the other smart ethics lawyers. We know this pod Thank you, bye, Netflix's, new movie, Mudbound Mudbound guys. The cast is amazing. In this movie. John. Tell me a little bit about the cast of Mudbound. We've got Mary J Blige. What's

they've lied. Did you even know it was Mary J Blige and I had no idea. She was so good Carey, Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Garrett, Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan and Jonathan banks. I like to see that Jason Clark, you know. I remember when he started coming on the senior like hey. Who is that and then he gets to be in more things because he's good building with Carrie Mulligan Frankly, Mary J Blige, I found uh synched synopsis of this wonderful movie hit us with a sentence. Lauren Mcallen is trying to raise her children, her husband's, Mississippi Delta Pharma place. She finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family struggles, too young men returned from the war to work. The land Jamie Mcallen lowers brother in laws, everything our husbands, not charming, and handsome pretty haunted by the memories of combat Ransel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live in the Mcallen Farm now battles. Regis in the Jim Crow, South Segre movie got intense check it out, mud bound on Netflix, go into the Netflix and you search for mud downed, and then you say, POD save America sent.

You just say it aloud to anyone who listen, you watch Mountbatten, you say out loud Netflix, just tweeted them. Pod savings in America that we did Netflix saying that you watch Mudbound because of us 'cause of those fine gentleman at pod, save America Mudbound positive Merrick is Bracci by Frame Bridge John would have nothing on his walls, if not for frame bridge my whole house decked in frame bridge, but it's more frame that house at this point they make it super easy and affordable to custom frame, your favorite things from art, prints and posters to the photos on your phone. You know how it works. Please, more than anything you go to framebridge dot com. You upload your photo from your computer or directly from your instagram feed and they'll print it or. If you have a physical item ticket stubs art prints posters, you name, it will provide secure prepaid packaging, so you can mail it for free. In order for

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Okay. In the meantime, we have a big government funding battle ahead of us right now. The government is funded till January 19th, Democrats and Republic ends are currently meeting. They met yesterday, the leaders in Congress Republicans and Democrats, along with the White House, to try to hash out a deal base. Klay, where we are right now what's in the deal what's at stake here, as we talked about my She is the deadline to protect the dreamers to make sure that eight hundred thousand young immigrants who have been in America, their entire lives, are not deported, come March, and we have to make sure

or that any deal any long term funding deal for this government includes protections for those dreamers. We have to make sure that any long term deal that funds. The government includes funding for the children's health insurance program that protects nine million children and offers health insurance to nine million children. We have to make sure that any long term deal to fund the government has fund for defense for big weapons systems and military and all that other stuff at the. Mmhm levels as its funding, healthcare, education, transportation and all the other domestic spending in our country, and that we're not just spending a whole bunch more on weapons systems, while we're cutting healthcare and education and transportation in this country, and so the Democrats right now have to make sure that they all say we will not vote. We will not vote for a long term funding bill that doesn't protect the dreamers, extend health insurance to nine million kids

and make sure that we are focusing on education, healthcare, transportation and the other important priorities in this country. Yes, if you will be able to do this, what what's your? What are your thoughts on the on the negotiations? Here? I am going to choose to believe in the Democrats and I don't agree every way in which they had on this at the end of the year, but I think. Senator Schumer and leader Pelosi and the rest have based on the way they've handled themselves in twenty seventeen deserve the benefit of the doubt here right. They, I think that they stood very, very strong and very united against Trump in every way they possibly could, and there were lots of idea They would try to work with him on infrastructure package. You all these other things and they have not done that. They've been strong and so

should pressure that, yes, I was gonna say like we don't have to wait and hope that they do the right thing or worry that they're not going to do the right thing. We have agency here, and you know every single person listening to this show should be made. Make sure that you're calling every Senate Democrat and asking them you know, will you against a long term funding bill that funds deportation of eight hundred thousand young Americans that doesn't extend health insurance to ten million kids and that sacrifices spending on education and health care and transportation and science and research and medical research for more weapons systems for this country. Will you vote against that bill? that's a hard percent like we, everyone has agency, everyone can make their voice heard. I just think It is what I don't is a nap girl, assumption that our leaders will fail us yeah, That's right and look if they do not do the right thing here, then that people will be every right to have that belief, but

the evidence to date suggests that they are going to be strong unless we just have to let them know they're going to have the backing of everyone who marched, who went to airport to who up save the ACA. You have to make your voice heard, make sure they know that people care about this, and if you do that, I think they will do the right thing. Yeah! No and look I get what you're saying is: there's a lot of there's a lot of disappointed people before the break because a lot of us included yeah, that's included, because too many Democrats voted for the short term funding bill, and you know I think that that the b battle is yet to come here, but I think you were right to be upset about that, because I don't think the Democrats still good enough job explaining their strategy before the break. Part of reason was. Everyone was focused on the tax bill and then suddenly there was two days to get the rest of it done, but part of it is you know these government

and in battles are really complicated, and I think that when you're in Washington a long time, you don't do a very good job explaining what the strategy is, and I think Democrats need to be honest and transparent about exactly what they're thinking and what they're planning on doing in the lead up to the strategy. I lead up to this to this vote before the 19th, when the government runs out of money, but I mean well, we need to know in what we can do is basically making sure that all these Senate Democrats, like you, said, know that if they hold strong, if they say that you know we're not going to vote for this bill it in less it we're not going to vote for any deal that doesn't include these priorities. We behind you and will be, will be fighting right there with you. That's right! Ok, I think that's that way. Is there anything we missed anything else now. I know you're excited about Mitt Romney in Utah. I ok, I will save Mitt Romney for another day will talk to TIM Miller, but that, since I know he's going to be excited, that'll be actually I'd like to debate. Mitt Romney's, Ronnie's moral, not moral core, his political principles with with ten

I think Mitt Romney has a moral core, be very clear on that. Jeff sessions this morning said that he's going to resign policy that allows legal marijuana to flourish without federal intervention. So that's troubling. I saw Cory Gardner this order from Colorado. Pretty upset about that this morning will see if he actually does anything about it will see what this actually means from sessions. Of course, this like is right when California equalizes marijuana in Colorado and a couple other states already have so two points on that jet Russians himself said during his confirmation hearing would do nothing to right undermined the states advantage decision, and then I said some snarky tweet about how I think he said you. Take all necessary steps to push back on this and I said on Twitter. That was something based on previous history, that's basically a couple of angry tweets before going back to covering up Trump's crimes and Lachlan Marquee, the daily beast reporter pointed out to me that Cory Gardner, unlike others, has stood up to Trump by refusing

into back more more yeah. I was like I mean that is true, but uh I have to say. No one gets a fucking Gold STAR Ford refusing to endorse an accused child, molester and known racist like their friend TIM Miller, says: TIM Miller doesn't think he deserves a gold star for that. So it's that's a pretty low bar. Yes, some Republicans did not abide by that tripped over that very low bar. But no profiles in courage for that step will see what Cory Gardner she does here, hope he does the right thing. I really do alright when we come back we'll have Seth Meyers on his golden globe hosting the Sunday part of America what you by Squarespace Squarespace Destiny's, calling Tommy what is Hank. It says you need a new website. Okay, could you go ahead? Make it with square space? Sure me having to make yourself easily create a website by yourself,

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call? May all these pop ups MIKE? Where is broken? What is this? What is this virus factory? I hate it. Now we had a square space. Just a few clicks, nothing. The patch for upgrade ever ever ever is cricket. Ten percent Gratuit. And, as always, POD save America is brought to you by the cash app cash. Okay, only thing on me saying you know it's not a year with the next verse of that song. I don't think you know I shop at two dozen eighteen, a lot of you. Switching to thousand seventeen and a lot of you frankly didn't all right. We see the numbers we know who signing up and using the code pod save to get five dollars for you, five dollars for hurricane relief that hose and races been doing in Puerto Rico, which still needs help. We know that the vast majority of you haven't done shit you're, just sitting here like freeloaders, enjoying this

contents. You've made it this far in the episode, and yet you have not downloaded the cash app it takes about twenty seconds. You download it we're switching to the cash app or not using the other apps anymore. That's it through it. On the plus. Today we are welcoming back Seth Meyers welcome, so I'm so happy to be here what a year. What are you so you on one of our first interview, I know in twenty seventeen I thought you guys got so big that I wouldn't be good enough guest. So I'm really, happy thirty year into it, you will still have me on the pot. Of course we moved around so much stuff to be here at the Beverly Hills This is important to them. This is we've now been bi coastal because you guys came to the office the first time yeah. We will follow you la New York, that's it you are hosting the golden globes for the first time. I am. Does the monologue coming it's coming

pretty well, we are writing. Staff will all be here as of tonight, and we will read through all the jokes this evening and that will give us some way better sense of where we're at with the as a slick right. I was lucky enough to have been on the writing staff when it means he did it so at least I've been through before, and it really is obvious. He once you say: yes, you think about it a lot and then you start put stuff down on paper, but will read through like forty or fifty pages of jokes from not just the right on my show, but other writers that I've known over the years that have all sort of chipping in. Do you have any hesitation in saying yes like? What do you think when you get an invite to something like this is just like it's the golden globes. Course I go or do you think is this going to be a useful platform? I definitely, You always have hesitation about saying us anything mostly from place of self doubt I would say more than anything else

but you know I think we went through a cycle of oh. This is a terrible year to do it, and then maybe this is an interesting year to do it or a year, where you'll actually be able to talk about stuff that you wouldn't talk about in previous globes and then also you just don't get to choose. When you get asked to do these things, you sound like and go back to him and say you know, I'd love to pencil in twenty nineteen I feel like I'd, be really good, and so you say if this is something that you always. To do just do it when the time comes we were talking before, but I was a weird week to not have a show like we didn't Thursday felt like there's a life. News, you've been off or point where bothers you you're, like God, I gotta get into this or you like, okay to let one pass. I think Okay, Levin has mostly because this isn't the first off we got had during the Trump Administration with crazy stuff. That's happened and it's amazing how often they'll be healthy off we yeah, but then on Monday the will, I will be back as will fly back on Monday, we'll do a show Tuesday this off. I believe this will feel like old news to some degree and always us yeah who man when the gloves were.

So I think you probably getting a lot is like this is obviously been a weird year. In Hollywood, there have been a lot of men who have behave. Horribly done illegals are evil things They deserve to be mocked and criticized and just destroyed at every word ceremony in perpetuity, but the uh half of the room is women who were the victims of their behavior. They deserve support and sympathy. How do you as a comedian man, a challenge like that you, I have so many conversations with the writing staff and we're really lucky to have. Women are writing staff who have very strong opinions about this and getting the tone right. We're hopeful if there's a way to make jokes about this, that is cathartic as opposed to just reminding everybody, the litany of all things that have happened, and hopefully the night will have this sense of optimism as far as what things will be

moving forward, I so I'm hoping the solitary then I'll be, and that would be lovely. So one of the things I think, Hollywood in the broader culture is grappling with it's, not just the man who conducted themselves horribly, you're, committed crimes, sexually harassed women for decades and got away with it, it's the complicity in the rest of the industry in the rest of our society. You know and that's been set you the Hollywood been looking at and people like Harvey Weinstein and others for a long time. For example, the golden globes gave. Now on the Cecil B Demille Award in award in twenty fourteen. How do you address, what's happening in Hollywood and address the hypocrisy and the failings that came before I have? To be honest? I don't know I think we can address how awful the behavior was this year. I think addressing that hypocrisy might be too big of a thing for us to handle Anna Golden Globes Monologue. I think it's an excellent point, but You know we ultimately going have eight to ten minutes where you want to address.

You know the issues that we've talked about this year, but you also want to make sure that you also to start talking and making jokes about the movies and the people in the room and try to remind people that it's also a celebration that people did excellent work, despite all the awfulness that they had to get through to do it every day. How much of the meat to revelations that have come to light over the last couple of months have have been shocked? Surprise, is. Have you known? This was going on just been asking people in different industries. Obviously we have a political viewpoint I mean. I was aware. I certainly heard rumors about a lot of these people. I don't think I realize the extent of it how many unique situation I'm lucky to be in this situation. You know my wife was a sex crime prosecutor. You know she now works for basically a victims, rights, advocacy and sexual crimes, sexual harassment, and so you know when this first are happening, and especially when it was names of people whose work you really respected, both in politics and in comedy

and in films like when that happened. I remember one point saying to her: this is all such a bummer and her perspective of is is this is great like this. She so happy. This is happening and view no in, and so I'm really lucky to to be with somebody who has this different perspective on it. And laid like none of it surprises her at all. You know that she he is aware that people that women can ride the subway in New York City without a stranger doing this, so she's not surprised that people with power have been doing it for years. Let me ask you the what is the Hollywood Foreign Press association? Who are these people I have you may have no, I met some of them. Think there's nothing is is, anyone at this point could walk up to me in this hotel with a cartoon foreign accent, and I would buy it yeah. Just

just a friendship somewhere. The big get a piece of paper with the office is right by where you live: yeah yeah, yeah, let's walk by and I'm like it's a small little office in West Hollywood, you're like what is that it will come from their wielding this power, and I think it's only ninety three voting this that right, I'm getting on ninety three right and we think about it. They it and people are upset that sometimes it's weird nominations that it's based like when you watch like what the UN does again they when they get something wrong like. Why would anybody expect there to be ninety? Three foreign people from different countries would come to some weird consensus that we as a country would say that. Great. That's why they love the taurus with Johnny Depp real shot at the UN So, let's talk about you It's been now a year of his presidency and you've been making fun of him quite a bit yeah. What surprised you about Trump's presidency in the first,

here any I don't know everything, I'm embarrassed to say that I feel like this is all been very much in line with what people thought would happen that were warning people about Trump right, you know every everyone he said this is not a man who's fit for this job. This seems to be very much in step with it I guess I'm a little surprised at the people who have decided it's all. Ok right, but by the way that Republicans in Congress effects, but then I then I don't know why I would be surprised by id. So anytime. I think I don't know, I guess it feels foolish to be surprised by any of it yeah I don't have I'm just yeah. It is so shit. It's the last week of news has been so incredible and yet not it's Trump's, this ability to shock you by not doing anything surprising by be exactly who you thought he was going to be, but it is, I think, still good thing that were heartbroken by republican failures to stand up for him Yeah. It's like I don't know it's like a pie is coming at our faces and even though we know it's coming still feels weird to get hit in the face with a

yeah analogy. I I can't even picture what it would look like for to stand up. Like I don't even see how that now we is that would be. The most shocking thing is like rose enough's enough, like I can't see what how that starts or what it looks like. I don't know that this is treated as a hero either. I think there savaged, by the same people who have been co, plus it all along the way and the mainstream press kind of takes on what say for twenty four hours and then we move on to the next week. Yeah, that's why I don't know that the system is set up to manage. This, like I feel, like you've, got a friend who breaks up with someone who all your friends have known, is horrible for like two or three years and get to them and you're finally, Qf Stock home syndrome for real, like? I do worry that? That's us, that's us are we the boyfriend? Are we there are near the person who are we

with the person they've been treated poorly and it's been overtime, gotten worse and worse and worse, were like Paul Ryan. Here, we're like Paul. We love you get out. Paul were your friends so, but then the other thing they we forget, you know I do think it's you could argue. This is much more republican agenda. The Trump agenda right and so 'cause, what is the Trump agenda right, and so you kind of have to look. Didn't say you know as angry as we are that nobody standing up. I think they would just say we're getting exactly what we want yeah. So Do you guys talked about this in the show about what is the Trump equivalent and that you would support as a democrat like that, what who would be the demo rat in office that we would have to stand up and say to people five for used to set in for is it was kind of a that's about it. Yeah yeah, which is good too I've been trying.

I think, though, now what would we do since Donald Trump doesn't really have any principles? Ideology agenda anyway, like what would we be doing if Donald Trump woke up tomorrow and said, I want to pass single payer healthcare We have universal healthcare yeah, that's a better way, but I want to do all these like big time. Liberal priorities and I'll pass them. But of course I am a criminal John John John he's changing Washington just not used to it he's got a reality, show assess ability and everybody calm down. The bias in the media is out of control yeah, and I guess I would hope that we would. The Democrats would still stand up and say: okay, these are important priorities for us, but right tone. Please leave divorce but priorities in the legislature, from the person who's leading the country is so we have. He said I am it's up to you: I'm either gonna pass single payer or minute Resign and MIKE Pence is going to take over that's how I think we have.

The numbers. I think it's to the N Korea tweet like every once in awhile. More often now than not you set, a reminder of why his presidency is dangerous in a bigger way than just the legislation he might pass right. I mean your world mean N North Korea. Tweet is insane It's needlessly antagonizing a nuclear armed dictator, but I also think the Michael Wolff revelations that are most can- to me. Are the May and repeating the same three stories in ten minutes over and over and over again rinse repeat like we're? Finally, having a conversation about whether he's an actual cognitive decline and now it's coming from inside the house, and that feels like an important conversation.

I mean that could help us if Americans we interview each other, just hang out when did Myers gonna contest was here the whole time very funny. So funny tell you, I mean it's so much different, be here in person thanks wearing the teacher, by the way, so look up with a question to you, then you can get keep trump with the incompetence and craziness and small probability of incredibly dangerous event, or he can step down and you get pence and pence is lower chance of total devastation lower chance of the horrible long small risk things that we're all living under, but he will be more successful at passing the agenda that Paul right once in the arm. You know if we say that Trump is truly unique in a danger. We have to say that we prefer pants, but yet do you? Yes, I think, based on what you just said, if we're, if we're saying now, there is something wrong with his brain, you have to have somebody yeah who has a working for

in the justice agrees with him. It's also the time when I have to remember. Okay, my orientation is a white guy. That's not threatened by having a racist president or man is like such results at all these women, like I for any one. That is an awesome, probably in an obvious, no brainer pence, yeah right well, yeah I mean, except pens, poses a great deal. You know pens will keep the Justice Department as it is currently running, he's not to see, doesn't disagree with Jeff sessions on marijuana immigration. Mike Pence is Anti Gay, MIKE Pence like Paul Ryan's agenda. MIKE Pence is dangerous and a lot of the same way. It's all trump is, but I think the temperament argument is enough.

I think you know, and also we live in a world you guys more than me half the time. Probably it's going to be someone who completely disagrees with you, and so I you you're like okay, it's somebody please disagrees me, but at least they at their core aren't like dangerous need. Jerky yeah, and so you said that when you're trying to make jokes about Trump, you don't just want to make fun of trump. You wanna talk about what matters and what the consequences of his actions, which I think is, is wise. We try to do that too. Do you think the media has done a good job of that in this first year of like making sure That they're focused on the consequences of his actions will how I don't know if you know. I think that there's really good stuff, that I have the cable news and also cable news- is built to work a certain way in right. I do think that sometimes investigative reporters will take to twitter to criticize what cable news is talking about, and it seems like complaining to some degree like what color the sky is like. It's going to be that I feel like it's done a lot of good stuff, but it's also a limited

by being cable news right, I feel, like I don't know it's like with everything. Some people are doing great work and some who do you like who thinks in a great job. I mean I really like watching Jake Tapper, I feel like as far as cable. I also realized that now, like four in the afternoon, is the best like that. Now is time, it is good is like so much happens that by I feel bad for you actually, prime time, cable news 'cause, it's like I know we all know it was so strange, all of us keeping so tightly in's by the news. It try waking up on West Coast, the worst brutal. Well, I will say the best thing about being at work. Is I don't actually have time to follow the minute by minute of it? We have today we had to shut down production per day and double tape on a Tuesday because of the tree lighting at thirty rock. So we had to do two, on Tuesday and Wednesday off and then Wednesday was the. I want to say, Flynn

deal yeah and, and then she just watch CNN all day and you realize like how, basically you can give up eight hours and get two minutes of information, but just fed three different filters and different people and that it's a colossal waste of time yeah. How do you deal with the fact that when Trump NEWS breaks there's a million jokes, they go out on Twitter, so it's like every angle has been covered within my the hour or two and then you guys have to come up with jokes for that night. Like you take a different angle, writing staff. We follow enough comedians that I think we try to catch stuff. We certainly if anyone's seen it. We don't do it, it's possible that someone died and we haven't seen it yeah. You know the other thing is I'm guessing that most of the people to watch my show aren't as married

twitter, as I am right, is that really a good yeah? So, Chris this year you you've gone after Trump. You outspoken in bear. Has every time that happens. You know a lot of critics, mostly conservatives right, wingers, say stay in your lane, they're not supposed to political yeah. Do you take any of that seriously? Do you what do you now? I don't it's not a bad intellectual argument like I get the people say that, but I feel like everything changes and when people talk about Johnny Carson, you know everything's, that's like I've feel like it's like. You know. The super bowl used to be in standard definition, yeah that stuff differently everything changes now, there's too much detail. I don't need to see. I don't need to see the dimples on the pigskin. You just saw the colors this all the colors of the helmets. Do you personally feel fatigue there like there's some days, I wake up on Monday mornings and I think who

to go in and sit in that box unless he and a and shot about Trump again like well, there's how many important things that we want to be talking about? Yes, it sometimes don't get on well. That I do feel is that unfair criticism, the media- I don't know how you do an again. I don't think he's playing three dimensional chess, but it's impossible. I do feel like he's Chuckin chess pieces at us. I would love for someone to ask him. How does the queen move one of the rules of the three dimensional channels? That would be the only reason I believe you place international test. Is he doesn't understand to dementia moved it off the board? Just like this, like picking up some characters, I'm a castle, I eat your crown man, but not like it? Some way, if you were throwing stuff at you like, I feel like you, have to duck or get on the way like that's what I feel like we need more of that how you react to Trump news like that. Almost self defense- and so it's this- you want to say, like oh I'd, love to be talking about this. You know that would be like now

you know, there's no way to ignore the North Korea tweet, nor should be real, yes and but yet you know we only everybody only have so much band with, and we only have so much time on our show and we try to do. Things about step back and talk about things the v or other issues that are happening. While this happening. But it is hard- and I don't know I don't know if it benefits of now so in part because of trump- and I think in part because of a bunch of different trends, I think there's a few different political comedy shows are shows that take on politics from the daily show to John Oliver, your show to Samantha Bee and others that I think we would all admit to come from perspective and take on Democrats and take on Republican take on the media, but it is

a similar world view that were all tackling. Do you see anyone out there that you like that's coming at it from a totally different direction? I mean, I think there are some stand up comedians, who do a really good job of of not approaching it from the same conventional wisdom of the liberal minded talk shows, but I do think it's a different. You know that's like sort of an hour a year, an hour every six months, which is a different thing, and I think that there are you know: people like burger or Patrice that started a who he was very good at taking something the opposite side of of what may be his audience thought approach approaching it that way. But it's like a day to day deconstructing the news I don't know if there's anybody out there is doing that. Yeah, I mean I'm, I'm not it's sort of a it's like. How do you challenge liberals at a time in which we

Let's have plenty of we're talent from the outside. It's like one of these little gonna get some perspective. I think. Actually, you know, maybe liberals are missing some ships, but right now we have a crisis yeah right, but so, but, like you ever worry about that, I mean I think we worry about that about like. Are we not challenging people enough on our own because we're dealing with this emergency? Yes, absolutely and we again much like we'd love to time to talk about other issues. I would love to find time to drill down on that too. But again that goes back to you know. I we had the instinct of leading up to the election, or are we do enough about Hillary. We Because I think Hillary enough, for we talking enough about Hillary's emails, I mean those are conversations we are having, and now I feel like there is it's a it's still being there still getting it on on twitter? As far as like? Did you hey, where you guys did that and that you

too much about that. You know we're here, yeah, that was you know there, but for the grace of God, we would have done that to like we were very close to talking more about you know it's like you, said, you're coming letter. I want to make any letter I had mine written who are you wearing well you know, is that correct? great great. We do. Do you see your role as purely trying to entertain your audience every now, Are you trying to get people to think differently about politics? Even if it's not a purely part, like do you see? Is there any other location or role that you see that you have right now weird. When I went into it, I just wanted to really entertaining show. I then found I liked it was waiting for me to talk about politics. I felt more engaged in the show. It seems as though our audience then more engaged? I think the best we probably provide is information in a way that is maybe more cathartic than getting it through dimensional news.

I've always stress that I were a better second or third means source than the first one. But if you can listen to the news, disagree hard, no us first and last second: do you ever feel pressure from corporations to not be political, like sponsors pulling out of things like that, because now we're we're in the process of having conversations with people about whether parts of America could be on a video format and like it's a thing we think about in here, I we have been very lucky. I can say that NBC was really supportive of the move to more politics. Never heard a word from them about anything. We've talked about politics on the show and that's been really nice and certainly nothing you know again. I feel like we here. If sponsors were pulling out, you know, I don't think based on politics, I doubt I'll be in national spokesman and Comma

all for anything that of the nation wide yeah, anything that bid that both red and blue American eight yeah no answer on their character out the window. Let me ask you this great and thank you by the way nobody's so Lumia questions forthcoming coming at me without any preamble, don't wanna! Do that too now. Look, we wrote jokes. Fifty thousand limit correspondents dinner. You wrote! Yes, he does not a car spot in center. The jokes we're so good that it caused. I try to run to become president yeah. Are you going to attack anyone at the go love so thoroughly that they've been run for president? Are you going to focus on Hank's market Billy Street would be good. Is there someone your own, interesting Caesar, saying attacks, someone that you think could be a good at another I'll, have a super power right, yeah, full that it's not like once the Intel back, two thousand yeah? I would be very rough so with this is your I just sort of let's get ahead of the saying whether your mental, it is the only way to be there.

Hello, I'm going to be there so go hard at Oprah very hard and you'll never be President Oprah. No one would buy it you're too much of a joke for that. Your ego can take it. This is actually going to ask you guys to edit this out. This is actually a pretty good monologue. This is a good idea back to the drawing board staff. Will let it out as long as I could take credit later, Seth Meyers. Thank you joining us is always thanks. Good luck on Sunday appreciate it and I'm sure you'll do perfectly all right, thanks, bye partner in a weird way, leaving all this as well as genuine sure he gets up. He says it's, you know he's trying very nice, it's a very it's! It comes from a good pizza Congress. Genuine, I don't know,

Seth Meyers for joining the pod today. Thank you, Dan Good, to be back with you on here on pod, save America and I'll talk to him. We come back from Europe. Yeah good luck in Europe. There's anything! I wouldn't do that! That's a good rule! That's a good rule! I'm very serious about that. Actually, alright will talk to you later bye, bye, everyone.