A REPORTER MUST STAND UP TO TRUMP. NOW, NOW, NOW! - 12.11.25

Countdown with Keith Olbermann

iHeartPodcasts

Politics, News, Sports

4.7 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

SEASON 4 EPISODE 39: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN

A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: As Trump threatens the New York Times with sedition and treason charges and tells finance clowns and his government goons that he gets to choose who gets to be on CNN and what they get to say, we are at the tipping point.

The first news reporter who stands up to his insults and calls him out to his face in public will get fired - and within 48 hours get a new job paying twice as much or more, and will become a national hero.

America is crying out for somebody to take the risk that isn’t really a risk and tell him to shut the hell up and to EFF off and to SHOVE his A++++ economy and his threats and stochastic calls for destruction and violence. It is time. NOW NOW NOW.

The tragedy here of course is that it is accepted, inside the news business, without a second thought, that there is nothing reporters – even bad ones – can do about this without risking their careers and lives. Bull. The first one who gets told “You are the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place. Let me just tell you -- you are an obnoxious -- a terrible reporter” and replies “So what? What does that have to do with my question? Nothing. And, with all due respect SIR, the majority of this nation considers you a failure as a president. And what does THAT have to do with your answer? The one you DIDN’T just give? NOTHING. The majority of this nation thinks you are vindictive, stupid, hypocritical, hateful, destructive, soul-less, and quite probably losing your sanity. I’M a terrible reporter? You’re the worst government leader in the history of the western hemisphere.”

B-Block (32:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Sean Duffy wants you to wear a suit to the airport and...work out in it before you get on the plane? Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale calls for public hangings and says without irony or self-satire "If I'm in charge later..." OK, you first. And Missouri congresswoman Ann Wagner, in the middle of redistricting gerrymandering, turns out to not know the name of the third largest city in the state capitol district and thinks that city is in California.

C-Block (42:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Somebody asked me how I felt about Chris Matthews being back on MSNBCNOWWHATEVER with Joe Scarborough and I actually said I felt sorry for Scarborough. Then I told them the saga of Chris, co-anchoring a funeral with me, drooling over Jennifer Granholm. On the air. So I'll tell you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:02.6	Guaranteed Human.
0:04.4	Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of IHeart Radio.
0:19.1	The first news reporter who stands up to Trump and calls him out to his face in public will get fired,
0:24.8	and within 48 hours will get a new job paying twice as much or more and will become a national hero.
0:32.4	America is crying out for somebody to take the risk that isn't really a risk and tell him to shut the hell
0:39.2	up and tell him to F off and tell him to shove his threats and stochastic hints at destruction
0:45.5	and violence and his A plus plus plus plus up his ass. It is time. Now, now, now. Because Trump has now threatened the New York Times with
0:58.7	sedition and treason charges for committing the heinous, unpatriotic act of suggesting he's a little
1:05.9	tired for criticizing him, for criticizing him. Doesn't matter that it's just another threat that his
1:14.7	losses over Kimmel and Comey and Tish James have set back the clock on when he completely loses
1:21.3	it and tries to do any of this. Doesn't matter that legally none of this fits sedition or treason. None of it could fit in a
1:29.0	million years. This is a mentally deteriorating man. His disease or diseases, whatever they are,
1:35.2	are accelerating before our eyes. And each hour, he gets further and further convinced of his
1:40.8	omnipotence and worse that only a tiny minority in this country opposes
1:46.1	him in the slightest. He has almost unchecked power and the Republicans won't check the rest
1:52.3	and somebody has to check the rest. And if he threatens the times with treason and insists in that
1:59.1	stochastic terrorist way of his, we should do something about it,
2:04.1	I'm next, or you're next, or the guy down the street is next, or some Republican who stands up is next.
2:12.3	Two weeks ago, he wanted to hang Democratic senators and congressmen like Kelly and Slotkin,
2:17.2	and now he wants to charge
2:18.3	the New York Times with treason and sedition. And you are next. And just because this isn't enough of a
	...

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