Bonus: An interview with The Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt
Next Question with Katie Couric
Katie Couric Media
4.4 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 16 September 2020
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt. While Schmidt might not be a household name, his reputation looms large in the GOP universe -- he’s helped run campaigns for everyone from President George W. Bush to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and he was the senior campaign strategist and advisor to Sen. John McCain during his 2008 presidential bid. But then, in June 2018, he walked away from the Republican party, citing it as “fully the party of Trump” and “a danger to our democracy and our values.” Now he’s channeling.all of his energy into defeating President Trump in November as co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by current and former Republicans. In this urgent and timely conversation, Schmidt shares with Katie what led him to renounce the party he had pledged loyalty to for 30 years, what to expect during this final sprint to election day, and how he thinks Trumpism will impact our political system for many years to come.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Picture Miami. Picture its beaches. Picture three radio journalists assassinated in cold blood. |
| 0:09.2 | This is silenced, the radio murders. |
| 0:12.4 | You left the body there for reason. It was the calling card. It's like the mafia used to do. |
| 0:17.2 | The mastermind has never been caught. To find him, we had to go deep into a world of drugs and darkness. |
| 0:24.4 | And there were these hints of a much bigger conspiracy. |
| 0:30.8 | I'm Osvalotian. Listen to silenced, the radio murders. On the iHart radio app, Apple podcasts, |
| 0:37.5 | or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:40.5 | Things are getting spooky at iHeartland in fortnight. Then Matt and Noll, the hosts of stuff they |
| 0:45.6 | don't want you to know, are going to investigate paranormal day. State Farm Park will be the |
| 0:49.6 | epicenter of all things ghosts, Ouija boards, crazy scientific tools, and maybe a visit from the |
| 0:55.1 | Great Beyond. Don't miss the spooky event starting Wednesday, May 3rd at 7pm Eastern, |
| 0:59.6 | and available for limited time. Get to iHeartRadio.com slash iHeartland to start playing today. |
| 1:04.6 | Whose bump's not included. Head to State Farm Park right in the middle of iHeartland for the |
| 1:08.5 | biggest events happening in the metaverse. America loves its founding fathers, but that's a |
| 1:13.1 | tough act to follow as a founding son. I'm Bob Crawford. Join me, Patrick Warburton, and Nick |
| 1:20.0 | Offerman, as we bring the sixth president to life. Was there ever witnessed such a barefaced |
| 1:25.1 | corruption in any country before? Let justice be done, though the heavens fall. |
| 1:31.9 | Listen to Founding Son, a curiosity podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, |
| 1:38.5 | or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Katie Curric and welcome to next question. |
| 1:44.4 | So, I'm back in the city for a few days and away from my usual recording setup, so I apologize if |
| 1:51.5 | I sound a little bit like I'm underwater, but I just had such a fascinating conversation with |
| 1:57.4 | Steve Schmidt, and I wanted to get this episode out into the world as quickly as possible. |
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