HOWARD KURTZ AND THIS IS MEDIA
BUZZ.
♪ ♪
>> AS DEMOCRATS ON THE HILL GEAR
UP FOR PUBLIC IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS THIS WEEK, PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS AGAIN DENOUNCING THE
PROCESS AND THE PRESS.
>> JOE BIDEN IS A CROOK, HE'S A
100% CROOKED AND THE FAKE NEWS
WHICH IS YOU AND YOU, YOU DON'T
WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE CROOKED MEDIA HAVE LAUNCHED
THE DERANGE DELUSIONAL,
DESTRUCTIONAL AND HYPERPARTISAN
IMPEACHMENT WITCH HUNT.
>> JOINING US FROM NEW YORK,
STEPHANIE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY, WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THE PRESIDENT AS WE JUST HEARD
THE CROOKED MEDIA HAVE LAUNCHED
THE DELUSIONAL DERANGED
IMPEACHMENT WITCH HUNT, IS HE
SAYING THAT THE WHOLE HOUSE
INVESTIGATE EXISTS BECAUSE OF
THE MEDIA?
>> I THINK THE MEDIA HAS DONE A
LOT TO HELP PROMOTE IT AND
PROMOTE WHAT THE DEMS ARE DOING
AND -- AND THEY'RE IGNORING KEY
PARTS.
I MEAN, THEY WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT
ARE BEING PUT OUT THERE ARE
SELECTIVELY LEAKED AND I ALSO
MIND IT INTERESTING THAT IT JUST
CAME OUT, THOUGH, THE LAWYER FOR
THE WHISTLEBLOWER ON DAY ONE OF
THE PRESIDENT TAKING OFFICE WAS
TALKING ABOUT A COUP AND WAS
SAYING THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE
HIM DOWN.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE
NOT TALK ABOUT THAT, THE LAWYER
FOR THE WHISTLEBLOWER, THINK
ABOUT THAT HAS SAID OPENLY THAT
THIS PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT BE IN
OFFICE AND HE DID THAT IN
JANUARY 2017.
HOWIE: RIGHT.
SELECTIVE LEAKING, WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT THAT IN THE PROGRAM AND
WILL CHANGE TO SOME EXTENT WHEN
IT'S IN FRONT OF TELEVISION
CAMERAS, WHY THE PRESIDENT
CALLING WHISTLEBLOWER FAKE AND
WHY IS HE INSISTING THAT THE
WHISTLEBLOWER'S IDENTITY MADE
PUBLIC WHEN THAT COULD SEND
CHILLY MESSAGE TO OTHER
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO MAY
WANT TO EXPOSE CORRUPTION
WITHOUT BEING EXPOSED
THEMSELVES?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY THIS,
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS ARE
IMPORTANT, BUT YOU CAN WANT JUST
NOT QUESTION THE MOTIVATION OF
THIS WHISTLEBLOWER AND IT IS
SHOWN NOW THAT ADAM SCHIFF SPOKE
WITH THIS WHISTLEBLOWER, AGAIN,
THE HIRING OF AN ATTORNEY WHO
HAS ACTIVELY AND PUBLICLY GONE
AFTER THIS PRESIDENT, HAVING THE
TITLE WHISTLEBLOWER PUT UPON YOU
DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD --
SHOULDN'T HAVE SCRUTINY AS TO
WHAT YOUR MOTIVES ARE SO I'M
STARTING TO WONDER MYSELF, YOU
KNOW, WHO IS THIS PERSON, WHO IS
THIS PERSON WHO PURPORTS TO WANT
TO HELP THE COUNTRY BUT WON'T
TALK TO ANYBODY BUT THE DEMS,
THAT'S CONCERNING.
HOWIE: WE DO KNOW IT IS A CIA
OFFICER WHO WAS ASSIGNED FOR A
TIME TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS IN TALKING TO
REPORTERS THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE
HAVE BASICALLY ROUNDED UP A
BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE
HIM AND MADE THEM WITNESSES IN
THE CLOSED-DOOR IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS BUT SOME ARE HIS
APPOINTEES AND DESCRIBING
UKRAINE MATTER AND OBVIOUSLY TO
TELL THE TRUTH BEFORE CONGRESS,
SO ARE THEY ALL BIASED?
>> I DON'T THINK THAT THE BIAS
IS THE QUESTION, I THINK THAT
THIS IS ALL THEIR OWN
SPECULATION, THIS IS ALL THEIR
OWN INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID, BUT THE
PRESIDENT BEING THE MOST
TRANSPARENT PRESIDENT IN HISTORY
RELEASED A TRANSCRIPT SO THAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN MAKE UP
THEIR OWN MINDS AND AT THE
BOTTOM OF THIS WHOLE THING IS
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO VOTED
THE PRESIDENT INTO OFFICE, WHO
HAVE THE RIGHT TO LOOK AT THIS
TRANSCRIPT, WHO WILL SEE THAT HE
DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG,
THE PRESIDENT JUST SAID
YESTERDAY HE'S HOPING TO GET THE
SECOND TRANSCRIPT RELEASED.
AGAIN, THIS PRESIDENT IS
ABSOLUTELY TRANSPARENT IN THAT
THERE WAS NOTHING THAT HE DID
THAT WAS WRONG.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH
WANTING TO ENSURE A COUNTRY IS
NOT CORRUPT BEFORE WE SEND OUR
HARD-WORKING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO
ANOTHER COUNTRY.
>> RIGHT.
>> HE MAKES NO SECRET OF THAT
AND TALKS ABOUT IT WITH MANY,
MANY COUNTRIES AND NOT UKRAINE.
HOWIE: YOU ARE RIGHT THEY
HAVEN'T TALKED DIRECTLY WITH THE
PRESIDENT AND DESCRIBING
CONVERSATIONS WITH RUDY GIULIANI
AND OTHERS.
REPUBLICANS MAKE OUT YESTERDAY
WANTING HUNTER BIDEN TO BE PUT
ON THE WITNESS LIST FOR
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS, DOES THE
PRESIDENT BELIEVE THAT THE
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN'S SON SHOULD TESTIFY?
>> THE PRESIDENT SPOKE QUITE
STRONGLY YESTERDAY TO THE PRESS
ON HIS WAY OUT TO MARINE ONE,
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE
CONCERNED THAT WHEN THERE'S A
POLITICIAN, BIDEN, VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN AT THE TIME IN
OFFICE, HIS SON WAS POTENTIALLY
PROFITING OFF OF THAT, SO HE --
I'M SURE WOULD ENJOY SEEING THEM
UP THERE AND I WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR WHAT HUNTER BIDEN HAS TO
SAY, ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO THE WHITE HOUSE IS SAYING
THAT HUNTER BIDEN SHOULD
TESTIFY, WHITE HOUSE IS AGREEING
WITH CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS
THAT THEY SHOULD PUT HIM UP
THERE?
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIN
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIG
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIT
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIH
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIT
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIS
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIO
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEIL
>> I'M AGREEING AGREEING AGREEID
HAPPEN.
HOWIE: YOU PUT OUT A STATEMENT,
LET ME READ IT, COORDINATING
SMEAR CAMPAIGN FROM RADICAL
UNLIKE THE BUREAUCRATS WAGING
WAR ON THE CONSTITUTION, WHY
WOULD YOU SAY RADICAL
BUREAUCRATS, WHY WOULD WE THINK
TAYLOR AND THE OTHERS ARE
RADICALS?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THIS GOVERNMENT, YOU TO REMEMBER
THE GOVERNMENT IS HUGE AND THERE
ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS
GOVERNMENT AND THIS HAS BEEN
PROVEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I
WOULD POINT YOU TO THE ANONYMOUS
BOOK THAT'S COMING OUT, THERE
ARE PEOPLE WORKING INSIDE OUR
GOVERNMENT ACTIVELY AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD
CONCERN THIS COUNTRY, IT'S NOT
OKAY AND I WILL CONTINUE TO PUT
STATEMENTS OUT SAYING JUST THAT.
HOWIE: ALL RIGHT.
NOW, THE PRESIDENT IS KNOWN TO
BE BLUNT IN HIS LANGUAGE, HE
TOOK SOME FLAG FROM THE
PRESIDENT WHEN HE REFERRED TO
NEVER-TRUMPERS AS HUMAN SCUM AND
YOU TOOK HEAT FOR DEFENDING
THAT, ANY SECOND THOUGHTS?
>> NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY SECOND
THOUGHTS, IT'S FUNNY THAT I
WOULD GET CRITICIZED FOR DOING
MY JOB, I SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT
AND I SPEAK FOR THE PRESIDENT
AND I WILL SUPPORT THE THINGS
THAT HE SAID.
I'M NOT SURE WHY I GOT
CRITICIZED FOR IT AND MY OWN
PERSONAL BELIEF, I DON'T THINK
PEOPLE SHOULD BE WORKING WITHIN
OUR GOVERNMENT THAT ARE ACTIVELY
TRYING TO WORK FOR THE PRESIDENT
THAT HAVE DONE SO MUCH IN THE
COUNTRY, THE MAN HAS HAD SO MANY
RESULTS AND HE'S CONTINUING TO
WORK DESPITE ALL OF THIS SHAM, I
WOULD ALSO WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE
THAT WE COULD GO INTO A
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THAT'S
BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WON'T WORK, SO
I DO STANDBY MY LANGUAGE, I
DON'T THINK IT'S OKAY FOR
ANYBODY IN MY GOVERNMENT TO BE
WORKING AGAINST OUR GOVERNMENT
AND OUR AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HOWIE: ALL RIGHT, I'VE KNOWN
DONALD TRUMP HINS 1987 WHEN HIS
FIRST BOOK CAME OUT AND HE'S
RIGHT THAT LARGELY HE GOT PRESS
AS BUSINESSMAN AND AVALANCHE
NEGATIVE COVERAGE SINCE THE DAY
HE GOT INTO THE RACE, BUT WHEN
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES TALKS ABOUT THE CORRUPT
MEDIA, YOU DEAL WITH JOURNALISTS
ALL OF THE TIME IN THIS JOB, DO
YOU BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THE
JOURNALISTS WHO ARE TALKING AND
WRITING AND REPORTING ON DONALD
TRUMP ARE CORRUPT?
>> I'M NOT GOING TO USE ALL, I
THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO
SALUTE, I THINK THAT THERE ARE
SOME GOOD JOURNALISTS OUT THERE
BUT I WILL SAY THAT JOURNALISM
TODAY HAS TURN INTO ADVOCACY
JOURNALISM AND THAT'S DETRIMENT
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AMERICAN
PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS, THEY WANT
TO TURN ON THE NEWS AND THEY
WANT TO GET AN HONEST ACCOUNTING
OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE
COUNTRY AND THAT'S NOT IS WHAT
IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN EVEN LOOK AT SMALL
THINGS LIKE THE GAME YESTERDAY,
WE HAD REPORTERS SAYING THE
PRESIDENT GOT BOOED, I WAS IN
THE STADIUM AND THAT CROWD WENT
CRAZY AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
AL-BAGHDADI WAS TAKEN DOWN, WE
HAD SOME PEOPLE SAYING SAYING TA
HAD SOME PEOPLE SAYING SAYING TT
HAD SOME PEOPLE SAYING SAYING TH
HAD SOME PEOPLE SAYING SAYING TE
WAS THIS RELIGIOUS CLERIC, THEY
WON'T GIVE HIM A FAIR SHAKE,
EXCUSE ME.
[LAUGHTER]
>> I HAVE TO SAY TOUGH REPORTING
IS OKAY, THAT'S FINE WITH US BUT
IT'S GOT TO BE FAIR AND IT IS
NOT FAIR ACROSS THE LINE FOR
THIS PRESIDENT.
HOWIE: PRESS USES MADE UP
SOURCES WHEN THE SOURCES ARE NOT
NAMED, DO YOU BELIEVE THE
SOURCES ARE MADE UP AS OPPOSED
TO THE SOURCES COULD BE WRONG OR
OUT OF CONTEXT OR WHATEVER?
>> I WILL TELL YOU THIS, I GET
HUNDREDS OF EMAILS A DAY AND I
HAVE REPORTERS TELLING ME I'VE
GOT THIS ANONYMOUS SOURCE THAT'S
TELLING ME X, Y OR Z AND I
ALWAYS SAY TO THEM I WILL GO ON
THE RECORD AND TELL YOU IT'S
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE AND THEY
WILL JUST SAY TO ME WE STANDBY
OUR SOURCES, THAT'S CONCERNING
TO ME WHEN SOMEBODY LIKE ME WILL
PUT MY NAME TO SOMETHING TO SAY
THAT A SOURCE IS WRONG OR JUST
ABSOLUTELY WRONG, THAT'S NOT
OKAY.
>> ARE YOU AT LEAST QUOTED IN
THE STORY?
>> HALF OF THE TIME.
HALF OF THE TIME, NOT ALWAYS.
>> OKAY.
>> ONE OF THE PUBLICATIONS SAYS
DEMOCRACY DIES IN THE DARKNESS
AND WHAT I'VE NOTICED IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ESPECIALLY
THAT ONLY MATTERS WHEN IT COMES
TO THE PRESIDENT, THEY'RE FINE
WITH ALL THE CLOSED DOORS
HEARINGS ON THE HILL AND
SOMEBODY WRITING AN ANONYMOUS
BOOK, YOU KNOW, THE RULES SEEM
TO CHANGE FOR THIS PRESIDENT.
HOWIE: THAT'S THE WASHINGTON
POST LOGO IN CASE PEOPLE ARE NOT
FAMILIAR, THE DAILY PRESS
BRIEFINGS ARE A THING OF THE
PAST AND WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK THE
JOB YOU WEREN'T MUCH ON TV AT
THE BEGINNING AND YOU TOOK HEAT
FROM THE PRESS FOR NOT HAVING
VISIBLE ENOUGH, YOU SOMETIMES
FEEL THAT THE FLAK THAT YOU GET
IN THE JOB, THAT YOU'RE
FOLLOWING BEING TREATED AS A
SYMBOL AS OPPOSED TO AS A
PERSON?
>> DEFINITELY EVITABLE AND I
KNEW FROM MY PREDECESSORS SEAN
AND SARAH IT WOULD BE A TOUGH
JOB TO TAKE AND THAT'S OKAY, I
MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT I WANTED
TO GET TO KNOW MY TEAM, YOU HAVE
TO REMEMBER I HAVE 3 ROLES IN
THE WHITE HOUSE, I WANTED TO SEE
IF THERE WOULD NEED TO BE ANY
RESTRUCTURING AND SO I DID THAT
AND NEEDED TO TAKE TIME AND I
HAD AN ILLNESS IN MY FAMILY THAT
HAS BEEN TAKING UP A LOT OF MY
TIME, I'VE HAD TO FLY ACROSS THE
COUNTRY QUITE OFTEN AND SO WHEN
PEOPLE SAY I'M, YOU KNOW,
DISAPPEARING OR I POP MY HEAD
EVERY SO OFTEN IS I LIKE
EVERYBODY HAVE LIFE ISSUES TO
DEAL WITH AND DOING THE BEST I
CAN.
ABSOLUTELY.
HOWIE: WHEN YOU FIRST WERE
APPOINTED SOME REPORTERS DUG
INTO YOUR DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU
MIGHT HAVE, DID THAT SURPRISE
YOU TO GET THAT KIND OF
SCRUTINY?
>> NO, BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE
THIS TO EVERY PERSON IN OUR
ADMINISTRATION, YOU LOOK AT
SOMEBODY LIKE KAVANAUGH AND THE
THINGS THAT THEY DID TO HIM, I
WAS EXPECTING, WE'VE ALL MADE
MISTAKES IN OUR LIVES, THEY'VE
DONE IT TO EVERYBODY
UNFORTUNATELY WHO HAS WORKED FOR
THIS PRESIDENT, HE'S GOT GREAT
PEOPLE AROUND HIM AND SO IT IS
WHAT IT IS.
HOWIE: JUST A FEW SECONDS, DO
YOU THINK THEY'LL EVER BE IF NOT
A TRUCE MAYBE A CEASE FIRE
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRESS AND BOTH SIDES ARE DUG OUT
NOW?
>> I THINK IF THE PRESS CAN
ADMIT THAT HE DOES A FEW THINGS
RIGHT, THEN PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE