Welcome to a Special Thanksgiving Edition Of Th Show to what i am coming the Mehdi Hassan Book Club via oprah. Bucks and all have been mainstay of the show giving me a chance to dive deep into a subject. Book segments helping me understand the male strip of this relentless news cycle so we will revisit some of our famous conversations wit authors this year. How the media needs to cover elections when one party i campaigning against democrac how Marjorie Taylor greene has gone from the fringe to th center of the Republican Party and how outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi consequentially one o the most consequential speaker of our lifetimes may have bought the Opportunit To Convict president donal trump. We start the day about books particularly the endless strea of tellall books about donald trump. What was to all of them was no the what or the when if that i with so many crucial whereas relations wait for a Boo Publishing date . I want to show you an old news we cover from almost 40 year ago. Exclusive, the untold story of campaign 1984. In there you can read th magazine Fly On The Wall reporting from the reaga versus mondale president ia race including the scope that president reagans adviser were reporting attacks lik after the election that they hadnt told reagan about. Alluding tax heights does seem like something voters should know about that. So definitely the 2. 50 cent news price for the magazine. But that newsweek did not come out until after the election part of the newsweek reporters to get their access they would keep what they learn under wraps until after the election a lot of journalists wer unsurprisingly mad at newsweek saying it was an ethical breac to withhold such information the public [inaudible] until today, when weve been getting bugs from d. C. s top reporters that reveal stark ne details about the trump whit house about alleged crimes about unpresident ial behavio and more in 2020 it was revealing how trump kne how Serious Covid was early in the pandemic, when h downplayed it to the America Public we have the president on tap from early february, but chose not to disclose it until his book rage came out i september. Its gotten even worse since the 2020 election. One book, one bombshel revelation after another about the former president and his various lies, scandals, an abuses of power. Maggie haberman, the famed New York Times trump whisper, sh sometimes called for the past seven years i finally out with her new trump book its called confidence man and its out this week, and that t reveal some inside that migh have been useful to know a lon time ago like how donald trump may have stolen government documents. He may have stolen governmen documents when he left offic in january 2021. This is from the epilogue of confidence man, he demurre when i asked if he had taken any documents of notes upo departing the white house. Nothing of great urgency, no he, said before its showing the letter that kim jongun had sent hi that he showed off to all of his visitors that advisers were concerned that he would being careless with sensitive materials you keep this with you i asked. He kept talking, and didn register the surprise. And he said, i think thats in the archives most of it is in the archives. But the kim jongun thing, w have incredible things seems important out, tha conversation with trump almost a year before the fbi search a maralago habermans is just the lates trump look to raise th question why do so many dc journalist want to sit on huge revelations, especially trump related revelations until theyr published in the book . Instead of putting them ou immediately . Newspapers are dying, faith in the media is at an alltim normal and the best positio journalists are holding thei cards until the lucrative book launch thats how it looks and sounds too many there is been a lot of scrutin on haberman, and it has an added dimension. Her years and access to trump. And reporting, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes devastating. Has gotten a lot of criticis from liberals and conservative alike. According to gop strategist, steve schmidt, who cofounded the trump lincoln project. It is a single totem o corruption, just like Trum Chasing Money over justice thats nonsense, says msnbc Michael Cohen. He says that none of thi infos new or groundbreaking and he adds that reporters als get that in from front services, by promising to wait to publis it it if a reporter tells a perso one thing, and does another. Who will trust them in the future so in the trusted age of division, distress, an disinformation how should these reporters obligate the reactions to thei sources . Their bosses and to the American Public joining me now, steve schmidt, former adviser to the George W Bush and john mccain president ial campaigns also a cofounder of the lincol project. In the Morning Newsletter on substack and michael a cohen, msnbc columnist. S Speech Writer during th obama years, and the truth and consequences letter on substack thank you for joining me steve, lay out your case for what you think reporters are doing wrong with their books and why. And if they were really holdin back from the publications tha they were. Will rerehearing it from their top editors . I think that when thi argument evolves into whethe reporters are writing a book i a good thing, or not, it i evidence that we are in fact living in an idiot greasy. Here is what the issue is, the reporter what is their responsibility when we are talking about th top political reporters in the society . And what i would argue is. It is to hold government accountable. In an essence, what they are self declaring the power to do is to take information and harvest it like nuggets and thats going to Lead T Commoditize it commoditizing information. Putting a value on it. Some of that information i available for release tomorrow for the public, some of it i withheld for the book later. Who gets to decide that, now the New York Times specifically, in this case calls itself, the paper record now, the New York Times, as an institution, the judge begin the collapse of trust, faith and belief in the news, in the media companies. The fact that it is a powerful billion dollar company, that haberman as a celebrity, Million Dollar a yea journalist reporter. Are these people immunized but any public criticism i see an inherent Conflict O Interest i also see conflict when you have a reporter who is referre to by president xis coverin this as a psychiatry east. And what she did on a dail basis, what happens every day, is to bestow the anonymous sourcing on people that sh knows to be not credible in th white house. Everybody knew that th president read the new yor times about him. And what the white house officials david, was jockey th favor with haberman in a broad training of information, and tidbits. That as ice just said, later commoditized and i think that all of it add to a collapse of trust and faith and belief in media, which fuels the politica instability in the country okay. Case made. Michael, lets hear uterus faw to some of that . I dont know what to sa about that half of the bad things that we know about donald trump, w know because of Maggie Haberman, and the New York Times, and th Washington Post. Other needs sources. Its a crazy notion to say tha she is Holding Material in check for her book, when s many stories over the past seven years about trump or broken by haberman, and othe times reporters. And the thing about the stor that i find so bizarre was they tweeted something her keeping fed quiet of the fac that she didnt want to leav office but when did she know . That we dont know when sh knew that. If you know in november of 2020, im sure she wouldve know before that because it was a major news story finding it out after trying to anyone it is in a bigger new story. We saw that take place so most of that has come out from the book that ive seen s far is, i dont say its gossi i dont to reduce what shes written. But there is a lot of material there that we already knew, it is a story about Trump Misidentifying Democrati congressional aides who ar african american, or hispanic, as being waiters oh, Donald Trumps a racist . I mean, knock me over with a feather. We know this about donal trump. Michael let me jump in a yo a question, ill take your point. There has been an argument about when did they find out this information, when wouldv mattered let me give you a high patheti to see where you stood o principle. If rod were, from the dail beast, paid for an abortio from, and they deny it a huge story this week if he held up until after th senate election, for a biography of Herschel Walker would you be okay with that . No. But why would he do that he wants that scoop. Everyone wants that scope. And that scoop that hes got an amazing scopes, Hersche Walker is gonna possibly lead to book deal down the road fo him. I dont get the incentive here to keep this stuff quiet, mean hes not gonna sell books two years after the fact because she revealed tha donald trump said on novembe 2020, he wants to leave th white house. We knew that already, no ones buying it because of that. Theyre buying the vote coul because she has says special insight on trump that nobody else has and thats what makes it a effective reporter steve, you are very critica of the New York Times moment ago. I just had new york time correspondent peter baker, h and his wife on the show they wrote their own big trumpet, that reveals lots o things like he Considere Trading puerto rico fo greenland, white house staffer openly wrote about as one to her house. I ask about the criticisms about reporters holding back for the books. Have a listen steve. Well first of all, i want t say that all of the reporter knew after he left office. We didnt mind holding bac after you left office. And by the way he did lose the election so knowing this before the election wouldnt have changed fact that he lost. He did lose. But and all that back for a block. Steve is the wrong . Well, i think that each cas is situational, that you cant apply, you can apply generaliz standard to different cases, i the case of haberman i think that you are talking about the lead White House Correspondent for the New York Times, and wh gets to decide What Informatio Is Commoditized for later, s we begin this segment by looking at Maggie Haberman standing in front of photo o signs, celeb are finding, if that is a word, a bunch of the book, the mauve is obviously if you package a book, so some of this old news for example where she is a contributor a cnns billed as breaking new on cnn even though the news is a years old and what im sayin is its not on the level the collapse of trust and faith an belief in the media in america is a very real thing the fact that people dont believe steve when you talk about trust steve. Im just gonna jump in and ask you steve. When you talk about trust, you worked on multiple campaigns did you never do deals Wit Reporters on the side saying ill give you this but you cant report it yet . Really absolutely. I negotiated all the time in every conceivable status Wit Reporters off the record background, deep background. So on. And so forth all of the reporters that were Writing Books about campaign or the magazine journalist that were doing it, most o them had an understanding very specifically that i am writing for a book later, im no reporting news data day. There was no confusion about what their role was. My thing is this [inaudible they information is valuable, its valuable because there is a commercial market getting an its marketed as such. Were out of time steve, just want to give michael on last word on this. Michael, 30 seconds. Its all yours they wrote a book calle game change, with lots o revelations, and they cover th race on daytoday basis i think what minimizes trust i journalists, as when these kinds of attacks, they wer deeply unfair and people mainl understood how journalis works. There is no evidence tha Maggie Haberman even kept case of Maggie Haberman we will have to, this is great conversation, i wish w had more time but we are out o time which is very frustrating steve schmidt, Michael Cohen thanks for coming on and hav the discussion i appreciate you both. Well, the stock is bubbling in the pot just till they taste what weve got [ tires squeal, crash ] when owning a Small Business gets real, progressive gets you right back to living the dream. Now, where were we . Hey guys,ring ] detect this living with hiv, i learned that i can stay undetectable with fewer medicines. Thats why i switched to dovato. Dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv1 treatment or replacing their current hiv1 regimen. Detect this no other complete hiv pill uses fewer medicines to help keep you undetectable than dovato. Detect this most hiv pills contain 3 or 4 medicines. Dovato is as effective with just 2. Research shows people who take Hiv Treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. Dont take dovato if youre allergic to its ingredients, or if you take dofetilide. Taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or lifethreatening side effects. Hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato. Dont stop dovato without talking to your doctor, as your hepatitis b may worsen or become lifethreatening. Serious or lifethreatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. If you have a rash or other allergic reaction symptoms, stop dovato and get medical help right away. Tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. Dovato may harm your unborn baby. Use effective Birth Control while on dovato. Do not breastfeed while taking dovato. Most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. Detect this i stay undetectable with fewer medicines. Ask your doctor about switching to dovato. 1 isnt a status earned overnight. Its earned in every wash, and reearned every day. Tide. Americas 1 detergent. Incited of insurrection and th Nations Capital is running fo president again. So how should the media be covering this antidemocrati movement have we learned anything after six years . Well, a new memoir by former Washington Post media columnist, margaret osullivan, Calle Newsroom Confessional from a instate life, provides plent of answers i spoke with her in october. Take a listen. Thanks so much for coming back on the show congratulations on the book. In a Washington Post magazin hes adapted from your new memoir, you wrote, And I Quote Trump was a but the noose team couldn communicate that effectively o grasp the problem. Why was that the case . And has it gotten better o worse in your view in my view, it seems to be getting worse. I do see some progress, but i also am very disheartene that times the reason for, it i think, is that trump was seen as thi circus that we covered in a, o gosh, isnt this interesting isnt this wild way to get people very interested, he himself called himself Ratings Machine and for once h was telling the truth, you know but what we didnt do is reall communicate the consequences the meaning of trump a president. And it took us a long, lon time to even do simple thing like call ally ally. Or call a racist statement, racist statement and you have trump right now, obviously in his legal battle, still claiming he won th election, coming a comeback in his years time yet, the media is very eas distracted, has a short memory and i look at the debate thats been happening around the midterms, some of th questions seem bizarre to me in the last few weeks wev seen multiple deliberate hours in my view, would drop the ball given the pass whether its a moderator in who asking Raphael Walker abou Voter Suppression and no Herschel Walker . And listen will you serve a full fouryear term if you ar elected governor of florida . Its not a trick question. Its a fair question he wont tell you. We did not agree over the candidates asking each others governor its your turn im amazed that a journalis can see that happening, and no ask ron desantis the Juicies Question of the night. Are they letting us down i this crucial political moment, given right wing candidates in particular are passed by bot sides and Everything Thats a problem. The new medias wants to be see desperately as fair, and unbiased an impartial and you know, those are good aims, wet in order to get there, they are overly responsive t criticism from the right and they keep moving over to try to make it seem like the are fair, and in fact, they ar actually just ta