♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."
HE IS THE CHIEF GENERAL NEWS ANCHOR FOR CNBC AND THE HOST OF
"THE NEWS WITH SHEPARD SMITH."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW" SHEPARD SMITH!
SHEP.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> STEVE!
GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, SHEP, AND I'M NOT
JUST BLOWING SECONDHAND SMOKE UP YOUR ASS, HERE.
I TIVO YOUR SHOW.
>> TIVO?
>> Stephen: WHATEVER.
I DVR IT.
I'M GRANDPA.
YOU YOUNG KIDS WITH YOUR NEW TERMS I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I DID NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH I MISSED SHEPARD SMITH UNTIL
SHEPARD SMITH WAS BACK, BABY.
>> HEY!
IT'S NICE TO BE BACK OVER ON A DIFFERENT CHANNEL.
I LIKE IT HERE.
>> Stephen: CNBC.
>> FIRST IN BUSINESS WORLDWIDE!
>> Stephen: IT'S THE FIRST NAME IN SHARK TANKS.
WE HAVE A SLEW OF TANKS FILLED WITH SHARKS OVER THERE.
YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
YOU WERE ON THE AIR LAST NIGHT UNTIL HOW LATE?
>> ABOUT 4:00 EASTERN.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BATHED SINCE THEN?
>> UH, SPIT SHINED, A LITTLE SPONGY THING.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> THERE'S NO TIME.
YOU GOTTA DO THE NEWS.
>> Stephen: A LITTLE WATER ON THE BACK OF THE NECK, A COUPLE
OF ROSE PEDALS, READY TO GO.
>> BOOM.
>> Stephen: LAST NIGHT WAS NOT THE NIGHT THAT THE DEMOCRATS
WERE NECESSARILY HOPING FOR.
THERE WAS A LOT OF HOPE FOR ANOTHER BLUE WAVE, EVEN
SOMETHING LIKE THE BLUE WAVE IN 2018.
BUT THE DELAY IN THE REPORTING ITSELF, LIKE, NOT KNOWING
EVERYTHING YET, THAT'S NOT ABNORMAL, RIGHT?
WE'RE IN A-- >> NO!
>> Stephen: IT'S A PERFECTLY NORMAL SITUATION, ESPECIALLY
NORMAL FOR COVID.
>> WELL, IT IS, BUT IT'S NORMAL-NORMAL, NORMAL.
YOU VOTE AND THEN YOU COUNT.
IT'S JUST IN THE PAST WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT MUCH ATTENTION TO THE
FACT THAT IN SOME PLACES IT TAKES LONGER.
>> Stephen: TELL ME THAT AGAIN, YOU VOTE.
>> AND THEN COUNTING.
>> Stephen: I THOUGHT IT WAS VOTE, DECLARE WHO WON, AND THEN
STOP COUNTING.
>> THAT'S THE COVID NEW.
>> Stephen: WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT LAST NIGHT?
ANYTHING?
WHAT WERE YOU PAYING MOST ATTENTION TO?
>> I WASN'T PAYING THAT MUCH ATTENTION TO THE POLLS EXCEPT,
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT AND ON THE
LEFT BEFORE TO KIND OF GET READY TO PREPARE FOR WHAT'S GOING TO
GO ON.
AND THEY-- THEY HAD THEIR OWN POLLING AND THEY KNOW THEIR
THINGS.
AND, REALLY, BOTH SIDES WERE SAYING THIS MAY BE AN EARLIER
NIGHT THAN WE THOUGHT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING AND HOPE IT GOES
SHORT, BUT IT DIDN'T.
IT WENT LONG, AND WE'RE A NATION DIVIDED, NOT NEW INFORMATION.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE POLLS?
LIKE, I-- I THINK THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED THAT THERE
WASN'T A BROADER SWEEP BY THE DEMOCRATS, BASED ON WHAT THE
POLLS WERE.
IS IT TIME JUST TO HOLD POLLSTERS DOWN IN THE BATH TUB
UNTIL THE BUBBLES STOP COMING UP?
( LAUGHTER )
POLLING ANYMORE?
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THIS.
PEOPLE-- I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYBODY I KNOW WAS CHECKING
FIVE30EIGHT, TWO MINUTES SITTING RIGHT HERE WITH ME.
YOU DON'T KNOW, SHEPPARD, BUT MY WIFE IS SITTING HERE.
DO YOU WANT TO SAY HI.
>> HI!
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
WHAT'S POLLING WORTH, SHEP, FOR THE NEWS PEOPLE?
NOT FOR CAMPAIGNS, BUT FOR NEWS PEOPLE.
>> WELL, WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOST INTERESTED IN
THROUGH THE POLLING.
AND THEN WE CAN COVER THOSE THINGS AND TRY TO GIVE THEM MORE
CLARITY, MORE INFORMATION, MORE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF REPORTING.
THE PART ABOUT WHEN WE COVER WHO IT IS THEY'RE INTO, THAT'S A
HORSE RACE AND I FEEL THAT'S MORE FOR US THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
IT DOESN'T SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE IN THE END.
THE ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO KNOW KNOW.
HOW THEY'RE FEELING EVERY MINUTE IS PROBABLY JUST OUR OWN
SELF-INDULGENCE.
WE OUGHT TO JUST SKIP IT.
>> Stephen: SPEAKING OF WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON AND WHAT WE
SHOULDN'T FOCUS ON, ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT WATCHING
"THE NEWS WITH SHEPARD SMITH" WEEK NIGHTS ON CNBC.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: IT FEELS LIKE THE NEWS.
LIKE, I REALLY FEEL LIKE I'M JUST GETTING SORT OF-- I DON'T
WANT TO SAY BASIC FACTS BECAUSE YOU GO IN-DEPTH ON CERTAIN
STORIES.
BUT IT FEELS LIKE COMFORT FOOD IN THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M
BEING SOLD WHEN I WATCH YOUR NEWS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK-- WHAT'S YOUR MANDATE, SELF-IMPOSED, FOR HOW
YOU WANT TO DO THE NEWS?
>> IT'S OUR WHOLE-- IT'S OUR WHOLE TEAM, AND IT REALLY COMES
THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY.
WE WANT TO FIND THE FACTS, PRESENT THE NEWS WITHOUT THE
PUNDITS, AND GIVE IT SOME DEPTH AND BREADTH IN AREAS WHERE WE'RE
FOCUSING, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TALK DOWN TO PEOPLE, AND
REMEMBER THAT THERE'S MORE HAPPENING BESIDES WHATEVER'S
COMING OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE IT OR
HATE IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S COVID.
THERE'S RACIAL INJUSTICE.
THERE'S SOCIAL TENSION.
THERE'S THE HAVES AND HAVE THE-NOTES, INCOME DISPARITY.
AND THEN THERE IS CLIMATE WHICH IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO MAKE THE
SCIENTISTS SAY ALL OF THIS LOOKS LIKE A CAKEWALK.
WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF THAT.
WE'RE STILL YOUNG.
WE'RE A START-UP WITHIN AN ESTABLISHED COMPANY, BUT WE'RE
ROLLING LIKE A START-UP, AND WE'RE JUST GETTING BETTER EVERY
DAY.
I FEEL LIKE WHAT JOURNALISTS DO IS IMPORTANT, IF WE DO IT WELL.
>> Stephen: DO YOU GET ALONG WELL WITH OTHER PEOPLE AT CNBC.
BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE GUYS LOOK LIKE REAL TOOLS.
>> NO, THEY'RE JUST REALLY SMART.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
THEY ACT LIKE THEY'RE REALLY SMART.
PEOPLE THINK I'M SMART AND I MOSTLY JUST HAVE A GOOD MEMORY.
JOE KERNAN'S A GOOD GUY?
>> I DON'T KNOW JOE.
WE WORK DIFFERENT HOURS.
( LAUGHTER )
WHERE DID YOU GO?
I HEAR HE'S A GREAT GUY.
I'VE NEVER COME TO A PLACE-- STEPHEN, FOR REAL-- WHERE YOU
COME IN AND THEY TREAT YOU ALREADY LIKE FAMILY.
IT'S SUCH A CLICHE THING.
THIS IS A BIG COMPANY BUT IT ROLLS SMALL.
EVERYBODY HAS EACH OTHER'S BACK.
IT'S NOT THE OLD STAB YOU IN THE BACK, LOOK AT THE NEW GUY COMING
IN.
WE'RE EXCITED AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE MISSION.
THERE'S A PLACE IN LIFE FOR JUST FINDING OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND
TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK.
I KNOW THEY DON'T CARE WHAT I THINK.
MY WHOLE FAMILY DOESN'T CARE WHAT I THINK.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: I WANT TO-- I WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT THINK ABOUT ONE
THING.
I DON'T WANT TO TALK A LOT ABOUT FOX NEWS BUT THAT'S WHERE, OF
COURSE, WHERE WE ALL GOT TO KNOW YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK-- YOU'RE AN O.G. FOX NEWS GUY FROM '95?
>> '96.
>> Stephen: '96.
IS THE MISSION OF FOX NEWS NOW AS YOU SEE IT THE SAME AS WHEN
YOU STARTED?
DO YOU RECOGNIZE IT AS THE ONE YOU STARTED AT?
>> I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THE NEWS DIVISION WHERE I WORKED.
JENNIFER GRIFFIN AND JOHN ROBERT, THEY WANT TO DO THE SAME
THING THAT JOURNALISTS I KNOW EVERYWHERE WANT TO DO.
THEY WANT TO SEEK THE TRUTH, FIND THE TRUTHING, TELL THE
TRUTH, GIVE IT CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
AS FOR THE REST OF IT, THE WHOLE MEDIA LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED.
EVERY COMPANY IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I FIRST STARTED.
WE OPERATE ON SO MANY MORE PLATFORMS.
BUT THE MISSION OUGHT TO BE THE SAME, AND OURS AT CNBC IS THE
SAME.
IT'S STICK TO THE TRUTH AND TELL IT STRAIGHT.
AND I'M REALLY LOVING IT.
>> Stephen: LET ME-- LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT
CNBC.
FOX CALLED ARIZONA FOR BIDEN EARLY.
>> YUP.
>> Stephen: I DID NOT EXPECT THAT FROM THE HANNITY NETWORK.
CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH WHAT GOES INTO A NEW NETWORK CALLING
SOMETHING?
>> YOU GET A DIVORCE FROM SOME PLACE AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP
TALKING ABOUT IT?
I WILL -- >> Stephen: WELL, WE ALL-- WE
ALL STILL KIND OF FIND YOUR EX-WIFE FASCINATING.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> WELL, I KNOW.
>> Stephen: DON'T GET ME WRONG.
SHE IS A BITCH, BUT THAT'S KIND OF FUN!
( LAUGHTER )
LOOK BACK, THEY'VE ALWAYS-- THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY GOOD.
THEY'RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
THEY'RE AGGRESSIVE.
THEY RUN THAT THING KIND OF LIKE A CAMPAIGN OPERATION.
THEY'RE GOOD AT IT.
THEY CALLED ARIZONA FIRST.
>> Stephen: IT OFTEN LOOKS LIKE A CAMPAIGN.
>> WELL...
YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOUR OBSERVATION.
I'M OVER HERE NOW.
HI!
( LAUGHTER )
IT'S YOU AND THE TANKS AND THE SHARKS.
YOU'RE GREAT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: FLORIDA IS A STATE YOU KNOW WELL.
HOW LONG DID YOU LIVE THERE, SHEP?
>> MY MOM WAS THERE 35 YEARS.
I WORKED THERE FOR EIGHT OR NINE.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES NO ONE GET ABOUT FLORIDA, SHEP?
>> THAT IT'S NOT ONE THING.
FLORIDA-- YOU KNOW, THE FARTHER SOUTH YOU GO IN FLORIDA, THE
FARTHER NORTH OF ARE, THERE ARE THE NORTHEASTERNER WHO LIVE
SOUTHEAST.
THERE ARE THE PEOPLE FROM ATLANTA AND NASHVILLE AND NEW
ORLEANS WHO LIVE IN THE NORTHWEST AND THE PEOPLE IN
JACKSONVILLE.
THERE'S THE I-FOUR CORRIDOR.
IN SOME WAYS IT'S LIKE AMERICA-- IT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE--
IT IS ROLLING A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS COAST TO COAST TO COAST.
>> Stephen: IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEMOCRATS ARE LESS LIKELY TO
FLIP THE SENATE.
AND REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE PICKED UP A FEW SEATS IN THE HOUSE.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OUTSTANDING.
IT'S HARD TO KNOW AT THIS POINT.
HAS, HAS-- WE DON'T KNOW WHO IS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT YET.
BUT IF IT IS GOING TO BE JOE BIDEN, HAS TRUMP, IN YOUR
OPINION, PROVEN THAT YOU ACTUALLY DON'T NEED A CONGRESS
ON YOUR SIDE TO GET THINGS DONE?
BECAUSE HE HAS MADE SUCH EXTENDED USE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS
THAT I KNOW OBAMA AND BUSH USED THEM, TOO, BUT TRUMP HAS RAISED
IT TO A NEW ART.
IS THE PRESIDENCY, IN YOUR OPINION, TOO POWERFUL?
>> I-- WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT EVERYTHING ABOUT SOCIETAL NORMS
WAS NOT WRITTEN DOWN, AND THERE WAS A WAY THAT POLITICIANS AND
LEADERS SORT OF FOLLOWED AND ALWAYS HAD FOR OVER TWO
CENTURIES.
AND THOSE NORMS STARTED TO BREAK DOWN AND STARTED TO GET
EXPLOITED IN SOME WAYS.
SOME OF THE POPULATION WAS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
AND SOME OF THE POPULATION WAS REALLY PISSED.
BUT IT HAPPENED.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO EVALUATE WHETHER WE WANT THAT TO CONTINUE
AND WHETHER AS A SOCIETY WE WANT TO TWEAK SOME OF THOSE RULES AND
WRITE A FEW MORE THINGS DOWN.
THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO DECIDE BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE
PART OF THE NARRATIVE GOING FORWARD GLI KNOW YOU HAVE TO DO
YOUR OWN BROADCAST IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT
YOUR STORY IS GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
ANYTHING IN THE NEWS THAT'S BIG RIGHT NOW?
>> WE'LL LIKELY COUNT, WILL COUNT, WE'LL WATCH THEM COUNT
THE VOTES.
WE'LL ADD UP THE COVID NUMBERS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIND ANYONE OUT THERE DOING GOOD
STUFF AND INSPIRING.
AND WE'LL NOW KNOW THAT YOU'RE WATCHING.
SO MAYBE A CAROL BURNETT SORT OF A PULL OF THE EAR OR SOMETHING,
IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
>> Stephen: SHEP, GOOD TOY SOO YOU YOU.
WE'LL BE WATCHING "THE NEWS WITH SHEPARD SMITH," ON CNBC.
IT JUST SAYS SHEPPARD.
>> IT'S VERY OPRAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S ALL IT SAYS, SHEPPARD.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I'LL EXPLAIN ONE REASON OUR ELECTIONS ARE
SUCH A MESS.
STICK AROUND.
THANKS, SHEP.