>> Stephen: OH, HI. WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST IS THE FORMER
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY WHO IS NOW ANCHORING
HER OWN SHOW ON MSNBC. PLEASE WELCOME JEN PSAKI.
HELLO, JEN PSAKI. HELLO.
>> Jen: I'M PRETTY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: I'M EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> Jen: IT'S MUTUAL. >> Stephen: YOU HAVE THE NEW
SHOW ON MSNBC, "INSIDE WITH JEN PSAKI."
WHAT -- HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE
PERSON ASKING THE QUESTIONS AS OPPOSED TO THE PERSON WHOSE
GETTING GRILLED BY THE PRESS? >> Jen: [LAUGHS]
I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT. THE THING THAT HAS --
THAT THE TWO JOBS HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT WHEN I WAS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE THE THING THAT I LOVE THAT THE MOST ABOUT IT IS
WHEN I HAD TO GO FIGURE OUT, GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF AN ISSUE
AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEN EXPLAIN IT TO
THE PUBLIC. THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO DO
SOMETHING SIMILAR. >> Stephen: IT IS "INSIDE WITH
JEN PSAKI." YOU'RE AN INSIDER.
>> Jen: WE ARE GOING TO GO INSIDE OF ISSUES AND INSIDE
PEOPLE'S LIVES. >> Stephen: BUT YOU ARE ALSO
AN INSIDER IN THIS ADMINISTRATION.
YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE. >> Jen: THAT'S TRUE, YES.
>> Stephen: IT'S BEEN SAID THE VALUE OF THE PRESSES TO COMFORT
THE AFFLICTED AND AFFLICT THE COMFORTABLE.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO THROW SOME PAINT MAKERS OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TO PROVE THEY ARE INDEPENDENT OF YOUR OLD BOSS?
>> Jen: I DON'T KNOW IF I AM A GOOD HAYMAKER THROWER.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS.
BUT WHAT I DO COMMIT TO DOING. ONE, I WILL START WITH THIS.
I THINK IT'S AN ADVANTAGE FOR THE VIEWERS OF MY SHOW THAT I'VE
ACTUALLY BEEN SITTING IN THE ROOM FOR 20 YEARS.
I'VE SAT IN THE SITUATION ROOM, IN THE OVAL OFFICE FOR TWO
PRESIDENTS, BY THE WAY. I HAVE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD
WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND BENT ON CAMPAIGN BUSES SO I CAN
ACTUALLY CALL OUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
YOU DON'T -- AND WHEN YOU DON'T NEED TO FREAK
OUT. BUT I'M ALSO NOT AFRAID TO CALL
BALLS AND STRIKES. WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN AND OTHERS
DESERVE THAT, I'LL DO THAT BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GRATUITOUSLY
ATTACK THEM EITHER. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE CAN EXPECT.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY HAD A
COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH POWER AND THAT'S FOX NEWS.
>> Jen: I HEARD THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPMENTS.
>> Stephen: INTERESTING STUFF. WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES OVER THERE.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING, BUT IT IS UNSETTLING.
TO HEAR ABOUT -- >> Jen: IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN UNSETTLING, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?
I HAVE WATCHED YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE MORE THAN
UNSETTLED. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Stephen: IT'S EMOTIONALLY DESTABILIZING.
>> Jen: YEAH, THAT'S FAIR. >> Stephen: WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR
YOU OR SOMEONE WHO WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE QUESTINS I
SUPPOSE A JOURNALIST WHEN THEIR CLEAR HYPOCRISY IS EXPOSED LIKE
THIS? THERE CAN'T BE ANYBODY WHO WORKS
OVER THERE AND GOES "YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A CLEAN ORGANIZATION THAT'S
GOOD TO WORK FOR." >> Jen: FIRST OF ALL, WHY
DON'T THEY GETS A SHOCK TO ME OR WASN'T A SHOCK TO ME THAT THEY
WERE STARING INACCURATE INFORMATION.
WE KNOW THAT WITH OUR OWN EYES. >> Stephen: THEY WERE GIVING
ACCURATE INFORMATION AND THEN ASKING IT TO BE WITHDRAWN
BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID OF THEIR AUDIENCE.
>> Jen: THAT AND THEY WERE KNOWINGLY SHARING INACCURATE
INFORMATION. I HAD ABOUT 20 SECONDS MY
THOUGHT TUCKER CARLSON MAYBE IS ONE OF US AND THEN LIKE
5 MINUTES. I THOUGHT NO WAIT, HE'S
INTENTIONALLY SHARING DISINFORMATION WITH HIS AUDIENCE
AND TREATING THEM LIKE THEY'RE STUPID, FRANKLY SO HE CAN SAVE
HIS JOB, SAVE VIEWERS AND MAKE MONEY.
THAT'S THE PART THAT'S MOST I AM HORRIFIED BY THE
DISINFORMATION WITH THE FACT THAT THEY KNOWINGLY DID IT,
THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS IN MY VIEW THE MOST PROBLEMATIC.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: INTERNALLY, WE ARE
SEEING THAT THERE WERE DIRECT MEDICATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AT
FOX AND PEOPLE AT THE PREVIOUS WHITE HOUSE AND PUSHING A
PARTICULAR NARRATIVE AND ASKING THEM NOT TO REPORT ON SOME
THINGS HAD TO TRY TO THE INVESTIGATIONS QU QUOTE-UNQUOTE.
>> Jen: SHARING OF BIDEN CAMPAIGN ADS.
>> Stephen: IF YOUR BOSS IS MSNBC WHICH IS SOMETIMES CALLED
A LIBERAL FOX. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENTIRELY
FAIR. IF YOU ARE ASKED TO DO ANY OF
THAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? >> Jen: I WOULD SAY NO BUT I
WOULD NEVER BE ASKED THAT. >> Stephen: IT'S A
HYPOTHETICAL. >> Jen: I DON'T DO
HYPOTHETICALS, A. B, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT
PIECE TO DIVE INTO BECAUSE MSNBC HAS A VERY HIGH STANDARD OF WHAT
IS FACTUAL. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS
BEFORE YOU REPORT THINGS ON AIR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE FACTUAL
AND YOU HAVE SOURCES. THAT'S HOW NEW SHOULD WORK.
NOW, YOU COULD HAVE INFORMED OPINION, WHICH IS WHAT I WILL
SHARE IN WHAT OTHERS WILL SHARE. INFORMED EXPERIENCES, INFORMED
PERSPECTIVE. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF
REPORTING AS WELL BUT THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING
OUT THERE, REPORTING THINGS THAT ARE INACCURATE, KNOWINGLY
REPORTING THEIR INACCURATE ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE.
>> Stephen: RECENTLY YOU WERE AT THE GRIDIRON DINNER ON
SATURDAY NIGHT. >> Jen: I WAS.
>> Stephen: PENCE TALKED OUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT ATTENDED
THE BLAME FOR JANUARY 6TH IS ON HIS DOORSTEP.
WHAT WAS THE REACTION IN THE ROOM?
>> Jen: WE NEED TO SCENES SET FOR A SECOND ON WHAT THIS ROOM
IS LIKE. HAVE YOU BEEN TO A GRIDIRON
DINNER? YOU'RE IN A DARK BASEMENT WITH
600 PEOPLE. EVERYBODY IS WEARING A LONG
LITERALLY WHITE TAILS. WHITE TAILS ON MEN'S SUITS.
IT WAS ABOUT 9:30 AT NIGHT, PEOPLE WERE ON THE CHOCOLATE,
CAKE AND WINE PORTION OF THE EVENING.
THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT PENCE GOT UP.
HE WAS KIND OF FUNDING THE BEGINNING.
HE MADE SOME JOKES. AND THEN HE GAVE HIS LONG RIFF
THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN ABOUT HOW TRUMP WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
>> >> Stephen: HEARD, NOT SEEN. >> Jen: THANK YOU FOR THE
CORRECTION. WE HELP EACH OTHER.
IN THE ROOM, PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I FELT LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING NEW THAT WE ARE HEARING.
IT WAS. AND HE DID GET AROUND OF
APPLAUSE, IT WAS STRONG IN THE MOMENT.
HOWEVER, AS YOU ALLUDED TO, HE DID THIS IN A DARK BASEMENT AT
AN OFF THE RECORD DINNER WHERE THERE IS NO CAMERA.
NO CAMERA, NO VIDEO COVERAGE. AND NO RECORD OF IT ASIDE FROM
JOURNALISTS REPORTING IT FROM THE ROOM.
>> Stephen: NO ONE CAN USE THAT CLIP IN AN AD AGAINST HIM.
>> Jen: NO ONE CAN USE THAT CLIP IN AN AD AGAINST HIM.
HE ALSO HAS NOT PARTICIPATED IN ANY ASPECT OF THE JANUARY 6
PROCESS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE INSURRECTION ON OUR NATION'S
CAPITAL. HE'S ALSO NOT AGREED TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS WHEN HE WAS ISSUED A SUBPOENA.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE READY TO GIVE HIM A PROFILE IN
COURAGE LIFETIME AWARD AT THIS POINT TIME.
BUT IT WAS A MOMENT. WE'LL SEE WHAT HE DOES FROM
HERE. >> Stephen: JEN, LOVELY TO
HAVE YOU ON. GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW SHOW.
"INSIDE WITH JEN PSAKI" PREMIERES THIS SUNDAY.
THAT'S JEN PSAKI, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH
A PERFORMANCE BY ROBERT GLASPER.