WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK TO OUR LIVE "LATE SHOW" ALREADY IN PROGRESS.
AND NOW FOR A LITTLE MORE ON THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS,
JOINING ME IS FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY, JOSH EARNEST.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I'M GLAD YOU GOT THE SAME MEMO PENCE AND RYAN GOT.
>> THIS IS THE LAST TIME I GO SHOPPING WITH PAUL RYAN.
>> Stephen: GOOD.
NOW, LISTEN, THE PRESIDENT THIS MORNING ON TV IN AN INTERVIEW,
HE SAID HE GIVES HIMSELF AN "A" FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR.
BUT A "C" OR A "C-"PLUS" FOR COMMUNICATION.
AS SOMEONE WHO PROFESSIONALLY COMMUNICATED FOR AN
ADMINISTRATION, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT ASSESSMENT?
ARE THEY-- ARE THEY GETTING THEIR MESSAGE OUT THERE
EFFECTIVELY?
>> WELL, IT'S NOT A GENTLEMAN'S "C," I'LL TELL THAT YOU.
I DO THINK, IN TERMS OF THE SPEECH TONIGHT, I DO THINK THEY
SET A COUPLE OF GOALS FOR THEMSELVES.
THE FIRST IS I THINK THEY WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP COULD GIVE A SPEECH OTHERL THAN BERATING PEOPLE AT A
CAMPAIGN RALLY.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: THEY CROSSED THAT BAR.
>> THEY DID, THEY DID.
>> Stephen: HE MIGHT HAVEID FALLEN, YOU KNOW--
>> HE MIGHT HAVE.
>> Stephen: HE MIGHT HAVE.
HE COULD HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE TRENCH THEY HAD TO DIG TO LOWER
THE BAR INTO, BUT HE CROSSED THAT BAR.
>> BUT HE STILL DID NOT TRIP OVER IT.
THAT'S TRUE.
THE SECOND THING IS, THEY ALSO CLEARLY WERE AIMING THAT SPEECH
AT CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS WHO 40 DAYS INTO THE NEW PRESIDENCY
ARE ALREADY WORRIED ABOUT THE PRESIDENT IN THEIR OWN PARTY.
>> Stephen: IS THAT TRUE?
DO YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON THAT THEY'RE FEELING
A LITTLE SHAKY?
>> I THINK THAT'S EVIDENT,BL PARTICULARLY THOSE REPUBLICANS
THAT ARE ON THE BALLOT IN 2018.
THEY KNOW THEY'RE ON THE BALLOT AND TRUMP'S NOT SO I THINK THEY
HAVE A REASON TO BE CONCERNED.
AND I THINK THE RANDOM TWEETS ABOUT NORDSTROM AND THE BOTCHED
ROLL OUT OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS I THINK GIVE THEM SOME CAUSE FOR
CONCERN.
BUT LOOK, IN TERMS OF LOWERING THE BAR, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN
LOWER THE BAR ANY FARTHER THAN HOAMG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN YOUR
PARTY, WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE, LIKE THE SPEECH YOU'VE JUSTOR
GIVEN BUT -- >> Stephen: HE GAVE THEM SOME
EXERCISE WITH ALL THE UPPING AND DOWNING THEY DID.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A PERFECTLY GOOD SPEECH, YOU KNOW.
HE-- HE-- HE SALUTED OUR TROOPS, THOSE WHO HAVE TACK FIESED FOR
OUR NATION.
THAT WAS VERY MOVING.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HE CERTAINLY ADDRESSED HIS OWN PARTY'S
CONCERNS.
DO YOU THINK HE REACHED OUT TO THE DEMOCRATS IN ANY WAY?
>> I THINK HE WAS TRYING.
I THINK THAT HE WAS TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE TO PEOPLE THAT HE
HAD HEARD SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAD BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE
WAY THAT HE DOES COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO HIM STARTING THE SPEECH BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE TERRIBLE
SHOOTING IN MY HOME TOWN OF KANSAS CITY, YOU KNOW A WEEK OR
SO AGO, I THINK WE WAITED ENTIRELY TOO LONG FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THAT TERRIBLE
ACT OF VIOLENCE.
( APPLAUSE ) T BUT TO HIS CREDIT, TO HIS
CREDIT, HE USED THE LARGEST STAGE IN AMERICAN POLITICS TO DO
SO, AND THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU MUST HAVE SOME SYMPATHY FOR SEAN SPICER
BECAUSE IT'S A SMALL CLUB, IT'S A SMALL CLUB OF MEN AND WOMEN
WHO HAVE BEEN UP THERE ON THE PODIUM IN THE PIRANHA PIT THAT
IS THE PRESS POOL.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM SINCE HE'S BEEN IN THAT JOB?
HAS HE CALLED YOU UP AND SAID, "AM I ALLOWED TO PUNCH THEM?"
DID YOU EVER FEEL THE WAY HE LOOKS?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES.
THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE FRICTION
AND TENSION BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS AND THE WHITE
HOUSE.
THE DAY THAT THERE IS NOT FRICTION AND TENSE BETWEEN THE
WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS AND THE WHITE HOUSE IS THE DAY THAT THE
PRESS CORPS HAS STOPPED DOING THEIR JOB.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WELL WHAT, ABOUT-- WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT FIRST
DAY, HIS VERY FIRST FULL DAY ON THE JOB WHEN HE GOES OUT AND HET
BERAITS THE PRESS FOR HAVING THE TEMERITY TO POINT OUT THAT THERE
WEREN'T AS MANY PEOPLE AT TRUMP'S INAUGURAL AS OBAMA'S
EIGHT YEARS AGO.
WHEN YOU SAW THAT, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> WELL, IT SEEMED LIKE A STRANGE WAY TO START.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK HE WROTE THAT?
OR DID THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING HE HAD TO READ HANDED TO HIM BY
SOMEBODY WITH TINY HANDS.
>> IT DID SEEM LIKE HE MAY NOT HAVE WRITTEN HIS REMARKS
ENTIRELY HIMSELF.
I THINK THAT IS CERTAINLY LIKELY.
BUT, LISTEN, IT-- ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
ABOUT BEING THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY IS YOUR JOB IS
TO GO OUT THERE EVERY-- IT'S NOT A JOB UNLIKE YOURS.
YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND SPEAK TO THE
PRESS CORPS ON LIVE TELEVISION DISPP YOUR RESPONSIBILITY --
>> Stephen: WELL, WE DON'T LET THE PRESS IN HERE.
WE DON'T LET THE PRESS IN HERE.
>> THEY HAVE TO WAIT OUTSIDE.
>> Stephen: WE'VE SHUT THEM OUT OF THIS GAGGLE.
>> SO, LISTEN, YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO SPENDING ALL THE CREDIBILITY HE SPENT ON THE VERY FIRST DAY,
I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE SHORTSIGHTED.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT ABOUT THIS LITTLE DUST-UP LAST FRIDAY
WHEN THEY DIDN'T LET IN "NEW YORK TIMES," "LOS ANGELES
TIMES," BUZZFEED, POLITICO, ANDE ONE OTHER-- I FORGOT WHAT IT
WAS.
CNN.
I'VE HEARD OF THAT ORGANIZATION, CNN.
INTO THE PRESS GAGGLE.
PEOPLE SAID THAT WAS A VIOLATION OF THE NORMS.
YOU GUYS WERE ACCUSED OF DOING THE SAME THING TO FOX NEWS BACK
WHEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STARTED.
IS IT FAIR TO CRITICIZE THEM FOR HAVING DONE THIS?
>> IT IS ENTIRELY FAIR TO CRITICIZE THEM.
>> Stephen: WAS IT FAIR TO CRITICIZE YOU GUYS FOR KEEPING
FOX OUT?
>> WE HAD OUR DIFFERENCES WITH FOX, AND THERE WERE CERTAIN
SITUATION WHERE'S WE HAD SOME DUST-UPS, BUT THERE WAS NEVER A
SITUATION STEPHEN, WHERE WE PREVENTED FOX FROM PAYMENTING IN
THE DAILY WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING.
IN FACT WE DIDN'T JUST LET THEM ATTEND THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING.
EVERY DAY THAT I WAS PRESSVER SECRETARY I CALLED ON FOX NEWS
AND I TOOK QUESTIONS FROM FOX NEWS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT--
( APPLAUSE ) IT'S RISKY.
>> Stephen: >> Stephen: I'LL TELL YOU
THIS, THAT'S NOT-- THAT'S NOT WHAT I HEAR ON FOX NEWS.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> NO, IT'S NOT BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP FAKE NEWS-.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) OH, THERE YOU GO.
OH, THANK YOU.
THIS IS A COMEDY SHOW, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: SURE, MOST OF THE TIME.
MOST OF THE TIME.
>> IT'S COMEDY.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT FAKE NEWS AND ALTERNATIVE FACTS?
THOSE ARE GREAT TOOLS THE ADMINISTRATION IS USING TO SORT
OF DELEGITIMIZE THE PRESS, WHICH IS LIKE THE REF, ROUGHING UP THE
REF.
>> IT'S NOT NEW.
THEY TRIED THE SAME THING OVER LAST EIGHT YEARS BY TRYING TO
DELEGITIMIZE PRESIDENT OBAMA ABOUT NOT BEING BORN IN THE
UNITED STATES.
THIS IS NOT A NEW THING.
THIS IS SOMETHING REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN, AND ONE
REPUBLICAN IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON FOR A LONG
TIME.
WE TRIED A DIFFERENT STRATEGY.
OUR STRATEGY WAS TO TELL THE TRUTH.
OUR STRATEGY WAS TO MARSHAL FACTS AND TO PRESENT EVIDENCE.
( APPLAUSE ) AND TO MAKE A CASE.
AND HERE'S THE THIENG IF YOU BELIEVE PASSIONATELY THAT YOU'RE
DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, THEN WHY WOULDN'T
YOU HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO GO UP ON THE THERE IN FRONT OF THE
PUBLIC AND MAKE YOUR CASE AND PRESENT SOME AND HE WAS SAY,
"LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IT WORKS."
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHAT HE DID TONIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT HE DID TONIGHT.
>> WELL, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S WHAT HE DID TONIGHT BECAUSE I
DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN ANY RESULTS YET.
>> Stephen: NO, HE SAID THERE'S A WIND SWEEPING ACROSS
AMERICA AND EVERYBODY FEELS BETTER.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: JOSH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: JOSH EARNEST, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH LISA KUDROW.