>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS THE CO-ANCHOR
OF THE "TODAY SHOW" AND NBC'S CHIEF LEGAL CORRESPONDENT.
SHE'S NOW WRITTEN A NEW BOOK CALLED "MOSTLY WHAT GOD DOES."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW,"
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE. ♪ ♪
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] LOVELY.
THAT'S A LOVELY FIRST BRING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> Savannah: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M SO DELIGHTED I DIDN'T TRIP. I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS.
>> Stephen: MILLIONS OF PEOPLE KNOW YOU, HAVE SEEN HUMAN DAILY
ON "THE TODAY SHOW." I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT YOUR
FIRST TV GIG WAS NOT AS SUCCESSFUL.
>> Savannah: HE DIDN'T GO AS& PLANNED.
I STARTED IN BUTTE, MONTANA. I GREW UP IN TUCSON, ARIZONA.
I NEVER LIVED AWAY FROM HOME AND AFTER I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE I
GOT A JOB IN THE TELEVISION MARKET IN BUTTE, MONTANA, ONE OF
THE SMALLEST MARKETS IN THE COUNTRY.
I WAS HIRED SIGHT UNSEEN FOR THE TIDY SUM OF $13,000 A YEAR.
THIS WAS 25 YEARS AGO. I BROUGHT ALL MY STUFF UP THERE,
I WAS MY OWN CAMERA PERSON, MY OWN EDITOR.
I WOULD LOVE THE STUFF AROUND I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE IT WAS MY
BIG BREAK. I WAS BUTTE, MONTANA,'S DIANE
SAWYER. >> Stephen: YOU HAVE BEEN
CALLED. >> Savannah: FOR TEN DAYS WHEN
THEY CALLED A STAFF MEETING WHICH WAS LIKE FOR PEOPLE IN THE
NEWSROOM BECAUSE IT WAS SO SMALL AND THEY CLOSE THE STATION.
>> Stephen: SO YOU DIDN'T LOSE YOUR JOB.
EVERYONE LOST THEIR JOB. >> Savannah: OFFERED KO OF US,
YES, AND THE NEWSROOM. I WAS DEVASTATED.
IT'S KIND OF AS CRAPPY IS THAT JOB WAS I WAS SO LUCKY TO GET
IT. I THOUGHT MAYBE THIS IS THAT,
I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT. I DROVE HOME, TRAGICALLY AND I
STARTED SENDING TAPES AROUND AGAIN AND MOVED UP GETTING
ANOTHER JOB AND LOCAL NEWS. A SHORT 25 YEARS LATER, HERE WE
ARE. >> Stephen: ONE OF THE BIG
STORIES ABOUT NBC AND ABOUT NBC NEWS RECENTLY WAS THE HIRING
OF AND FIRING OF RONNA McDANIEL.
IT USED TO BE HEAD OF THE RNC. MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS WHY DID
YOU, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, PERSONALLY MAKE THAT DECISION TO
HIRE HER? I WANT YOU TO ANSWER FOR YOUR
CRIMES. WHY DID YOU THINK THAT WAS THE
BEST IDEA? >> Savannah: I'M GLAD YOU HAVE
GIVEN ME THIS PLATFORM HEY LET ME SEE IF I CAN MAKE THIS AS
BORING AS POSSIBLE. THIS ANSWER.
I DO STILL WORK THERE, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?
DO YOU HAVE ANY OPENINGS AROUND HERE?
I MEAN, LOOK, IT WAS AN UNPLEASANT FEW DAYS IN OUR
NETWORK. >> Stephen: DID YOU KNOW THIS
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? >> Savannah: ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> Stephen: NO COMPANY-WIDE EMAIL SITE HEADS-UP WE'RE GOING
TO ANNOUNCE THIS? >> NO, I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
THE BOSSES MADE THE DECISION, REVERSED THE DECISION,
ACKNOWLEDGE THE MISTAKE AND WEú. AT THEIR OWN THING I'LL SAY
ABOUT IT IS NUMBER ONE I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.
BUT LOOK, I THINK THE INSTINCT TO TRY TO HAVE A DIVERSITY OF
OPINIONS AND A DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES AND VOICES AS WE
COVER AN ELECTION IS THE RIGHT INSTINCT.
AND IT'S COMPLEX AND IT'S MADE MORE COMPLEX BY THE POLITICS
THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. BUT I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL.
IN LAW SCHOOL, WE LEARNED THAT IF YOU DIDN'T ENGAGE THE COUNTER
ARGUMENT, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ALL SIDES WERE SAYING, YOUR
OWN POSITION WAS QUITE WEAK. SO I FEEL THAT PARTICULARLY IN
MAINSTREAM MEDIA, WE NEED TO INCLUDE AN ARRAY OF VOICES.
BUT THERE'S A LINE IN THE LINE IS TRUTH.
THE LINE IS FACTS. THE LINE IS YOU HAVE TO BE
SOMEONE UPHOLDING OUR DEMOCRACY. THAT IS TO ME WHERE THE LINE IS.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW ABOUT
YOU BUT I MEAN, I'M NOT A JOURNALIST BUT I'VE BEEN MAKING
JOKES ABOUT THIS KIND OF STUFF SINCE 2000.
THIS IS THE SEVENTH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THAT I'VE GONE THROUGH.
ARE YOU ALWAYS EXCITED FOR THE PRIMARIES?
YOU GET TO MEET ALL THESE NEW CHARACTERS AND THERE IS ALL THE
SURPRISES. IN THIS STATE OR THAT CAUCUS OR
SOMETHING AND THIS YEAR, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO REPORT IT LIKE YOU
DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S KIND OF A FEE TO COMPLETE WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN. >> Savannah: DO YOU THINK SO?
YOU KNOW WHO'S GOING TO WIN THE ELECTION?
>> Stephen: NO, THE PRIMARIES. >> Savannah: I WAS LIKE WOW
HIM HE SHOULD TELL EVERYONE IF YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: I GET EXCITED FOR THE PRIMARIES.
>> Savannah: WE DIDN'T GET A PRIMARY WHERE THERE WAS A TIGHT
RACE AND YOU WONDERED WHO WAS GOING TO PREVAIL.
HAVE AN INCUMBENT PRESIDENT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THAT'S NOT
EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE A CONTESTED PRIMARY NOW WE HAVE
THIS REMATCH PRETTY SLICK HOLLYWOOD
THEY JUST KEEP REBOOTING. WE ARE GETTING THE SEQUEL.
THE SEQUEL MOST AMERICANS DIDN'T WANT BUT HERE WE ARE.
IT'S A REMATCH BUT WE CAN'T TREAT IT LIKE A REPLY OR HAVE AN
ARROGANCE THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT WILL GO.
THAT THE SAME FORCES WILL BE AT PLAY.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN FOUR YEARS.
I THINK AS REPORTERS WE HAVE TO COVER IT WITH CURIOSITY, WITH
CURIOSITY ABOUT REAL HUMANS. FRANKLY, IF YOU ARE TALKING
HEADS WOULD BE A GOOD THING. MORE REPORTING, MORE POLICY,
MORE SUBSTANCE, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
I KNOW THESE ARE IDYLLIC NOTIONS BUT I STILL HAVE THEM, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WONDERFUL. WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK
BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, EVERYBODY. STICK AROUND.