Cspan radio app. Joining us from the d. C. Bureau of abc news is Jonathan Karl chief white housewh correspondent for abc news. His new book, truck front row at the trump show last year he served as the president of the White House Correspondents Association thank you for coming back to cspan we appreciate it. It want to begin what you wrote with the Washington Post for this last weekend you wrote the following, as a reporter and president of the White House Correspondents Association ive often advocated a return of regular briefings by the White House Press secretary which lasted early 18 america over the years can be debated by think the white house spokesperson has an obligation to regularly answer questions aboutha the policies and pronounces of the executive branch for the whiteus House Press Secretary differs fundamentally from that of a spokesperson for a candidate or Political Party the White House Press secretary serves at the pleasure of the president but also a Public Servant whose salaries paid by taxpayers the job is to inform thery public. So from your standpoint were not getting that from the podium, correct . Ion am glad to see there are briefings taking place, if you actually look at the briefings they are very short events, they are almost always less than a half an hour. Sometimes not more than 15 minutes theres an opening monologue that is meant to is meant to attack the people in the room the News Reporters or other news organizations or promote a political issue the president is harping on. And then they close in precisely the same way. It almostay seems to me that the purpose of the briefing is one, to promote the president s political prospects and to to go on the attack against reporters instead of trying to inform the reporters in that room. In your article, in your acacia point out one exchange in which you are asking the White House Press secretary at with the tweets with nascar bubble wallace what is your reaction . So what is your position does he think nascar made a mistake by banning the Confederate Flag . I spoke with her this morning about this hes not making a judgment one way or the other he was standing up for the men and women of nascar, the fans and have rush to judgment of the media to call something a hate crime when the fbi report included is not an intentional racist acts. Het very much mirrors other have been a rush to judgment. Lets drill down on the Confederate Flag does he think it was a mistake for nascar to ban it . The president said is not making a judgment one way or the other you are focusing on one word at the bottom of the tweet thats taken completely out of context and neglecting with a rush to judgment. So you think the ratings are down because they ban the flag . So its in aggregate notion that nascar men and women who have gone and are being demeaned and called racist at her being accused in some venues of committing a hate crime those allegations are dead wrong. So Jonathan Karl, what is going on there . So whats not going on there is the press secretary in good faith answering a question. He hadnt heard me ask a very simple question i was only asking because the president himself had raised it with a tweet. So what is the president s position on nascar in the Confederate Flag . Fisher looks like in black and white twitter feed that it was a mistake to band the flag and it caused nascars ratings to goto down. So she said im taking the president s words out of context focusing on one word at the end of the tweets. First of all it was not one word and i was not taking anything w out of context i was asking a question. I was simply asking what the a president s position on this. And then she went into an elaborate explanation of the president s to eat that really bore little resemblance to what was said and that tweet. The press secretary is there to answer questions, good and bad. Gives a semblance of truth to what is happening cant just go in there and make things up because it sounds better for the president. To me, thats what was going on there. It is just one example. I did not even mention in the article, as you played again, its frankly shocking that even after all of the controversy generated by the president accusing Bubba Wallace of being behind a hoax somehow she compares him to jesse some mullets who actually did who was involved in a hoax. Bubble wallace did not do anything. Somebody on his team found a noose operating as you know the story, as a garage pole. The fbi investigated, nascar investigated, bubble wallace did not do anything wrong at all. This is in a campaign person, this is not a political talking head on the cable tv show. This is a spokesperson for the president of the United States for the executive branch of our government to go out and suggest that Bubba Wallace is equivalent to jesse, i dont know. It leaves me a little speechless. As youou know, mid afternoon on tuesday we received were the president was going to have a rose garden press secretary we keep it live in its entirety. These folks were 54 minutes in an Opening Statement and took about nine minutes ofnt q a. What was your reaction to that . My reaction was i was sitting in the rose garden watching a political rally. A political stump speech and id never seen that before. We often talk about a rose garden o strategy running for reelection that usually means the president does a series of official acts that will ultimately help him in reelection because the people see that the president is out there doing work on behalf of the American People. Thats usually about avoiding the messiness of a campaign by being above it all and acting as president. But in this case all the messiness of the Campaign Came right into the rose garden. Back to the briefings, my good friend, george i know you know well a reporter for national journal, a historian of the house and press relations, juste a really true great reporters in washington asked a very simple question the next day about that speech noting, is there any place at the white house the president would not engage in politics . Its sacrosanct that he would bring politics into it. The press secretary attacked george and said that exempts the president and the Vice President he had not mention a word about that it was not his question. And wrapped it up by saying you are just upset because the president gave such a great speech in the rose garden. You cant just say things because you think it makes it some better for the president. But that was quite an event in the rose garden. He think it might have been surpassed the following day s when the president held the event on the south lawn, steps away from the rose garden featured a red pickup truck and a blue pickup truck with massive waits in the back and a big crane lifting the weights off of the red pickup truck, get it . And the crane had a sign saying trump administration. It was this elaborate, again an elaborate political event on, white house grounds. President sat running for reelection engage in politics there politician. But you dont usually see such a blatantly political events on the white house grounds as you know someonewh who spent a lot of time in the white house. So will turn to our book and then get to our calls you explain in great detail when you first met donald trump. You included a photograph and then at, headline for the New York Post reviewer employed at the time inside Michael Jacksons honeymoon hideaway explain. So i go way back with donald trump thats wire wrote this book it was been an extraordinary series of interactions and a relationship that goes back 26 years now. That first meeting was in 1994. I was a young reporter for the New York Post. I had been on the job a matter of months. I was working as a very junior person, Rudy Giuliani was the mayor had just gotten elected. Michael jackson had just gotten married to Elvis Presleys daughter, Lisa Marie Presley in secret. It was revealed there new couple was actually staying at trump tower. In new york with our fifth avenue. So it was all consuming story in new york as you can imagine. Theres so many people that went to trump tower to try to get a glimpse of these famous newlywedsd. Michael jackson was it at the absolute peak of his popularity. The policeki had to put police tape all around and push people to the other side of the block camera crews, paparazzi, news organizations everybodys there. I called up donald trump and he definitely did not know me. I want to do a story about why the most famous newlyweds and the planet decide to start their honeymoon in trump tower and he invited me over and we spent an hour Walking Around trump towery show me where they were staying, introduced me to the body guy guards showed me secret passageways or we could get out he showed me his own apartment. I put that photograph in a box like 20 years ago when i moved down to washington from new york. When donald trump got elected president , i went frantically trying to find it and i was amazed at how little he has changed. My memory of that instance use of the headline in the post, i wrote like five stories about what was transpiring. His approach to the media, his approach to promotion and selfpromotion okay will take a few phone calls mary is joining us from new york. Good morning. Caller thank you good morning. I watch all of the present briefings and i see what goes on and i see how you act in today you were acting so nicely nice. Why cant you say anything positive pretty come on this show and you cut this poor woman down. She gives facts which the media does not. They do not like that. So yep smile, you know i am right. Why dont you stop this and negative, negative stuff. Speech it well mary i do appreciate the question. I have been in that Briefing Room under think now 15 different presspr secretaries. Our job is to ask hard questions i certainly did that with the last administration you watch the questions asked of barack obama we are not there to sit and praise the president talk about what a great job is doing whether to ask questions and report whats happening. Reporting on successes as well as failures. I will Say Something nice i think Kayleigh Mcenany is the most Effective Campaign spokesperson that donald trump us had ever. I think she comes into that room she is very well prepared, shes a very effective spokesperson for donald trump my criticism as i outlined it so heavily political and not always being more to the facts which you mention, facts are very important. We are there to report the facts. I that is what i do. I asked those questions and i do not shy away from asking tough questions. Not of this president or spokesperson for this president i certainly did not shy away from asking tough questions of the previous president and the previous president and their spokespeople thats our job should be doing focused on the facts without fear you said some have not held a single press briefing and she did meet with reporters whats called goggles we are saying the Current Press secretary is more effective than shawn spicer or sarah . So i think in terms of making the political point i think she is extremely effective she is very well spoken she is quick on herer feet. Certainly more effective at that than shawn spicer. But i think again did the briefings have as i outlined in the article the press secretary, the reason it is a different job is because you are the spokesperson for the executive branch of our government you are somebody who gets paid by taxpayers. You are somebody that people rely on for information, not skewed by politics. It can be information in a time of crisis. I have been in that Briefing Room during some really weighty times. I remember being there in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing for instance. Being in their after terrorist attacks in france and in london. And during the whole rise of isis. Some very tense times where people are relying on the information they are getting from that person. They need to know is not just about putting the president and the best light. Its providing the American People with facts, unvarnished facts. I was in the during the a ebola crisis under obama and now the current pandemic. The information that comes from that podium has to be reliable and of course its going to put the president the best light, every press secretary does that. But it must do more than that. So effective phone calls doug is joining us from boston, democrats lingered morning. There. Should blatant acts of choreography between Kayleigh Mcenany and. [inaudible] the last questions asked of the press conference directed to chanel it gives Kayleigh Mcenany an event to vent on this im surprised nobodys caught onto this especially you guys i thought perhaps she would comment on this thanks a lot have a nice day. Guest im not going to report on what other people in that room make the strategy of what theyre doing with organization. I fully understand the callers point. He questioned often seemed designed to give the press secretary and opportunity to tea something up. Sometimes they are a little out there and they surprise the press secretary. For the president when he calls on them. M. I fully understand what the callers sink. Another moment about dr. Anthony fauci okay or just about perspective the white house trashing doctor fauci and sending out documents to reporters. As its gone off sources in the past why not have the guts to trash turned on with your own name . So president trump, i will refer you back theres no Opposition Research being dumped onto supporters we were asked a very important question he had mistakes and had a direct answer to a direct question. They inject themselves with disinfectants that sort of thing. Why not send out these notes to reporters about what fauci said in the past with your name on i it . Were sending out notes to reporters on i would note that in terms of the president his record on the coronavirus as actions and its historical spot you have doctor fauci who has been with the record of this president anyone could be doing more and those of the words of fauci. We provided direct response that cannot be further from the truth doctor fauci of the president have had a good working relationship john karl what is your reaction the notion theress Opposition Research on that could not be further from the truth. Again, you cannot just say it because it soundss better for the president , it has to be based in fact. And the facts were the White House Press office he was one 100 correct in that question the white house put out information with faith that was critical it was a series of quotes, some of them taking wildly out of context theres Opposition Research there has been hours before that briefing, the deputy chief of staff since the beginning of the trunk campaign is close to donald trump is anyone in that white house and accrued cartoon ridiculing and mocking Anthony Fauci. We did not know it at the time but we had peter navarro, the trade advisor, i submitted about the time the press conference was going on, to usa today saying fauci had been wrongng about anything hed ever talked to her dealt with him about. So yes, there is a lot going on and that white house, trying truth, for some reason, take on Anthony Fauci and question his credibility. So is not the furthers thing from truth it was the truth. And jim acosta a very pointed question near very good reason for asking it looking at the Washington Post of the Daily Briefing at Available Online from its newest book front row at the trump show he writes the following it is reporters job to be skeptical of those in power. The disregard for the truth that i witnessed at the Trump White House is qualitatively differen different. I have seen senior officials taking a cue directly from the president directly making things up. I have waged a sustained Campaign Making people think the truth is a lie whenever he does not like the truth. This is an untruth itself. That from the new book, front row at the trump show john is on the phone from maryland. Caller hi, good day. First i want to thank cspan i have become addicted to cspan in 30 plus years starting with the reagan days. Second this is to the point of his work, facts do matter in your last guest for example when he opens by saying that Democrat Party was for slavery and so forth, he totally distorts the shifting of parties and positions in a way that is useful if youre trying to to see people for political purpose. Your shows have historically focused on history and knowledge in that so important straight in the same we will people talk about the flag they have to be truthful about what it represents meeting the Confederate Flag and how it is reintroduced as a part of proactive support of jim crow and actual terrorism. When i heard of mr. Carls book i was quite happy because faxes