Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Dive into a satirical critique of today's media landscape! From Jeff Bezos' game plan reshaping journalism to a false narrative surrounding personnel changes at MSNBC, the conversation unveils disturbing trends in corporate media. Mixed with humor, they highlight the blunders of public figures and explore the eerie connection between politics and white supremacy. The discussion calls for economic resistance to corporate control while celebrating cultural impact and diversity, all woven with personal anecdotes from the chaotic world of politics.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 102: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN BULLETIN A-Block (1:44) BULLETIN: Now FIVE different anchors of color have been dismissed, demoted, or had their shows cancelled in an MSNBC purge so brutal and racist that it makes you think the place is being run by Elon Musk. The newest victims? Katie Phang, gone. Jonathan Capehart, loses his show. Ayman Mohyeldin, who was held up as the example of "we're not racist, we're giving him the show" when Mehdi Hasan was fired? HE'S lost the show. There wasn't even a non-anchor of color fired as cover (Katy Tur?) If this sounds familiar it's the same playbook used at CNN three years ago. Destroy the product, drive away the audience, claim it's about business and not fascism. And it's something GE wanted to do with MSNBC in 2009 when our success was too much trouble for Chairman Jeff Immelt. And where by the way are the protests from Maddow, Hayes, or O'Donnell? (9:00) ON JOY REID'S FIRING: repeated from today's full episode of the podcast. Feel free to not listen again, it's half an hour. Yes, firing her is racist and maybe worse yes it is designed to keep out people who might think differently and it is designed to reward professional political salespeople like party chairmen and press secretaries. But most of all, since they also fired Alex Wagner, it means that four women of color have solo hosted prominent shows ON MSNBC and all four of them have now been fired.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 101: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT: Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and replaced him with a junior officer he brought back from retirement whom HE claims once wore a MAGA cap in his presence. Then he fired the Judge Advocate of the army, the Judge Advocate of the Navy, and the Judge Advocate of the Air Force. What you have been told by news organizations – even ones that still have good reporters – that this is part of the Trump Racism Orgy. The fired Joint Chiefs Chairman Charles Q. Brown is black. The Chief of Naval Operations was a woman. Their identities are cover stories and red meat for the Trump cult. Trump looked at the top lawyers at the Army, Navy and Air Force, the ones who would tell him, no, you can’t have the Army shoot civilians, and you can’t have the Navy blockade Vancouver and Greenland and the Panama Canal, and you can’t bomb the next Democratic convention… and he fired them. At least six different reporters and commentators on the military beat said the same thing. Firing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is bad and a red flag. Firing the T-JAGS, the Judge Advocates, the lawyers who tell you when something you are going to do with the military is illegal… can mean only one thing… you are planning to do something with the military that is illegal. You fire the people who would SAY it’s illegal and replace them with people who would say it ISN’T illegal. There are degrees of nightmare ahead. They all amount to different versions of Trump's plot to permanently take over the government by using the military. B-Block (26:20) THE FIRING OF JOY REID: Yes, firing her is racist and maybe worse yes it is designed to keep out people who might think differently and it is designed to reward professional political salespeople like party chairmen and press secretaries. But most of all, since they also fired Alex Wagner, it means that four women of color have solo hosted prominent shows ON MSNBC and all four of them have now been fired.  C-Block (58:00) SPORTSBALL CENTRAL: I could not have been more wrong about hockey's Four Nations Faceoff. But at least I wasn't as wrong as Wayne Gretzky, now under deserved attack in Canada as a remorseless Trumpist, and rapidly becoming The Man Without A Country. (1:11:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Senator Thom Tillis begins to suck up to Trump. Jared Polis, "Democratic" governor of Colorado, should resign. So too should Phil Murphy, "Democratic" governor of New Jersey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 100: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: Trump thinks we are not vulnerable to attack because the Atlantic Ocean separates us from Europe. He literally wrote this yesterday. This illusion of oceanic walls was shattered no later than the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 and more likely the first time a German craft was seen off the shores of this country during the First World War. It's madness. It's disqualifying. And it got lost amid the madness about calling Zelensky a dictator and threatening Ukraine and Trump describing himself as "King" and and and... "This war is far more important to Europe than it is to us. We have a big beautiful ocean as separation.”  Ironically, the man who disproved the "separation" was Charles Lindbergh with his solo crossing of the Atlantic and it is Lindbergh's America First Isolationists of the '30s whom Trump is now emulating. If you've ever wondered what it would have been like had Lindbergh become president and done a deal with Hitler, stop wondering. We're living through it now - only with Putin. AND DON'T DISMISS THE "KING" STUFF: “Congestion Pricing Is Dead. Manhattan and all of New York is saved. Long live the king.” I don’t know who the king could BE in this construction if Trump doesn’t mean Trump. I do know a Tea Party slob Trump made Deputy White House Chief of Staff promptly tweeted it with an AI image of Trump in fetching king’s robes that like his suits was clearly cut to hide his belly. The official White House account then put out a fake magazine cover with him wearing a crown two or three sizes too small. It is tempting to dismiss this as trolling but at minimum this is part of the effort to make him look omnipotent and mandated instead of a president with 49-point-eight percent of the vote and a disapproval poll rating that went from 41 percent on inauguration day to 51 percent last week. B-Block (31:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Markwayne Mullin makes everybody really uncomfortable at a Senate hearing. The NHL somehow thinks Trump's threats against Canada are an excellent marketing tool for their little hockey game tonight. And Stephen A. Smith thinks it's an embarrassment that people keep saying he should run for president and by people he means himself and by embarrassment he means please somebody say it. C-Block (42:20) COMIC RELIEF: Two lighter stories. There's the weirdest thing ever said to me by an athlete in an interview, by the late hockey great Bobby Hull, who is posthumously in the news. And there was a flashback to my original MSNBC show at of all places The Animal Medical Center. And the flashback involved making fun of Wolf Blitzer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The discussion dives into Trump's controversial notion that supporters are above the law to 'save' the country, revealing dangerous societal implications. There's a critique of how Trump's legacy poses threats to America, alongside the media's role in enabling or confronting these issues. Innovative strategies for Democrats to reclaim the narrative are explored, emphasizing a daily press briefing. Finally, the absurdity of political advertising restrictions and the critique of hyper-masculine portrayals in leadership, particularly with figures like Trump and Musk, are humorously examined.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 98: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: Many Americans will not stop lying to themselves about Trump’s insanity. But the rest of us have to. The rest of us: every politician who steps in front of a microphone, every news producer who begins a newscast with some other story made trivial in contrast, every columnist who writes about alarm or some quarters or this Ohio diner, every commentator tempted to say this was the moment Trump truly became president. Trump is manifestly insane and this week he has entered that stage of whatever it specifically IS that’s wrong with him, that is characterized by mania: the conviction that something that is impossible WILL happen simply because he SAYS it is going to happen. HIS mania happens to be about Gaza. The next one could be about the sun rising in the west. Or about how Americans would survive a nuclear war because he’s leading them and he’s immortal. Mania doesn’t have to be MANIC. It doesn’t require hyperbolic words nor unsuppressed rage nor vivid hallucinations. He’s insane. He believes in things that aren’t true and can’t be true and he has a rationalization ready for whenever somebody tells him that they can’t be true. There is nothing of the cliched crazy man in his voice as he talks about Gaza. Nevertheless this guy is metaphorically about one inch away from having conversations with invisible gophers. He says the land is beautiful and he will "cherish" it. His language matches what someone would say if they were having sex with the land. It's a form of what film-maker Billy Wilder allegedly told Nancy Reagan when she quizzed him about why the character played by Gloria Swanson had a pet chimp in their movie “Sunset Boulevard”: "that's because she was f'ing the monkey." Trump talks about Gaza like he is f'ing the monkey. B-Block (30:04) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Fox's Emily Compagno knows how to reform the media. Literally have them just republish Trump press releases. Well, it works for Fox. Dinesh D'Souza celebrates an Army Base NOT being re-re-named after a Civil War General, and Eric Adams, polling at 10% to be renominated for Mayor of New York, has not only sold out his city but now he is actively toying with switching to the GOP, where he will probably poll at LESS than 10%. C-Block (41:10) IN SPORTS: Oh man do I hate it when leagues shut down their seasons so the players can play made-up international tournaments. Wait, only the National Hockey League does that? As part of its marketing strategy to make this great game even LESS prominent? And by the way its new tournament unfolds as the 45th anniversary hits of a truly great international tournament: the 1980 Olympic Hockey medal competition. I covered it, and I'm still cold. Memories, and one of my radio reports, included.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast dives deep into the unsettling alliance of Trump, Musk, and Vance, hinting at a growing civil war against the U.S. government. Loyalty tests for FBI candidates raise red flags about political influence over law enforcement. There's a critique of media negligence and alarming echoes of authoritarianism unfold as officials flirt with undermining democratic principles. The chaotic landscape of political hypocrisy and misinformation is examined, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and a stronger Democratic strategy.

This emergency discussion reveals chilling questions posed to FBI applicants under the Trump administration, suggesting loyalty over truth. Applicants faced inquiries echoing authoritarian regimes, such as naming their 'real boss' and views on the January 6th incident. The podcast critiques the shift towards ideological conformity in national security roles, warning of implications for democracy and public trust. Additional themes touch on misleading political narratives surrounding budget cuts and the ethical dilemmas arising from these loyalty tests.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 95: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: Now that the Democratic Party and the nation has realized that Musk is at the center of a Trumpian coup to privatize the government, the question becomes: HOW do we arrest Elon and his Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles? The reality of the crises of the tech-bro coup and the putsch to violate the constitution and the multi trillion-dollar attempted heist and Trump’s plan to invade Gaza so he can personally own it has gotten through. Congressman Al Green has confirmed he will make a motion to impeach Trump and remember even failed impeachment bills give the impeaching party a perfect record in the next House, Senate, and Presidential elections. But until we can replace the Supreme Court, Trump is immune. However, Musk is not immune. None of his little minions are immune. Any of the officials at USAid or in the Treasury Department or OMB who admitted these little clowns into secure areas are not immune, in fact they are subject to espionage charges and they will still be subject to them four years from now. There are at least 28 lawsuits in progress against the various tentacles of Musk's cyber-version of Oceans 11 meets The Nigerian Prince who only needs your routing number. One has already stopped the destruction of birthright citizenship in its tracks. And local prosecutions are doable and reasonable. The key to putting Musk away is publicity. What he is doing a story CREATED for local television news and its older, less affluent audience: somebody sent hackers into the government where they, right now, could be stealing your medicare money and social security? It’s EXACTLY what local television producers live for: Here’s Jack Liveshot in Scarsdale with his guest Concerned Grandma. This is low-hanging fruit because everybody hates Elon Musk. EVERYBODY. And body will hate him more than all the little tech-bros after it turns out Musk is NOT omnipotent and to do his dirty work for him, ends with your ass in jail. First one to flip on Musk gets probation and a brand new Hotmail account and AOL installation disk. B-Block (29:24) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Did nobody tell Roger Goodell of the NFL that to suddenly declare yourself anti-"End Racism" is the same thing as saying you are PRO-Racism? The average Conservative who got David-and-Goliath wrong. And Rahm Emanuel is destroyed online by my pal Will Bunch with one of the most efficient burns I've ever seen. C-Block (38:40) THINGS I PROMISE NOT TO TELL: I was quoted by the Washington Post complimenting Maddow and reportedly she's pissed (that they put me in her story). Coincidentally, this is more or less the anniversary that I bypassed my bosses and hired her at MSNBC out of my own pocket.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 94: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT: Trump and Musk are, at this moment, overthrowing our form of government. And this is how to stop them: Yell. Keep yelling. Government data about religious charities – private, if not necessarily secret – has wound up in the hands of Mike Flynn, the foreign asset, General Scumbag – and he’s posted it online, and mocked the Lutheran Church in doing so. Musk’s hatchet-men are literally inside the government right now demanding leaders of the U.S. Agency for International Development turn over classified documents inside restricted areas and those that have refused have been placed on leave. Trump has started a trade war with our closest allies just to have somebody for his morons to hate. Quote: “It’s a coup. Elon Musk is running a palace coup. Musk is taking classified information. Musk has taken YOUR social security number. Everybody involved should be arrested, by local DA’s if that’s all we can do, and denied bail,” unquote. A Democratic Senator, Representative, Governor, Mayor, needs to stand in front of microphones today and say that today and say that THAT BLUNTLY today. And, quote: “Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump might as well have killed those teenaged skaters on American 5342 themselves. The DC crash was their fault. Period.” Some OTHER Democratic leader, maybe the head of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, elected Saturday, needs to say that. As it is, Martin says: “We’re taking the gloves off. I’m always viewed my role as a chair of the Democratic Party to take the low road, so my candidates and elected officials can take the high road. Meaning, I’m going to throw a punch.”Good. Start swinging. Because the FIRST step towards stopping wrong is by publicly and loudly yelling, THIS is wrong. A Minnesota colleague described the new DNC Chair: “Ken will cut you if he has to.” I’ll bring the metaphorical Ginsu set because right now where we actually ARE is: the nominal leading Democratic office-holder is Chuck Schumer and as Trump and Musk began to ransack your social security number and starting trade wars with our literally closest allies, Chuck Schumer’s social media Saturday afternoon was: “You’re worried about tomato prices…” and ten minutes later “You’re watching the Super Bowl…wait’ll Trump’s tariffs raise your guacamole and beer prices.” Useless. I need a thousand Ken Martins, throwing punches and metaphorically cutting a MAG-itch. I need them saying this is a coup, we will stop it, it will take time, we will beat them and jail them because bottom line is they are lazy and they leave half their lives to chance – just look at their haircuts. B-Block (30:00) POSTSCRIPTS TO THE NEWS: CBS, NPR, New York Times, Politico, NBC all tried to kiss Trump's ring. He just hurt them anyway. And this is not a joke: Semafor is hosting a "National Summit" on how to restore confidence in media. The speakers are Megyn Kelly, the idiot running CNN, the other idiot running NBC, and the idiot running The New York Times. No - seriously. B-Block (37:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Chuck Todd gets scooped on his own firing. Chris Licht finally gets a new job. Free-lance. Temp. At scale. And Neto-Baby Peter Doocy asks Softball Scholarship Recipient Karoline Leavitt about DEI. Also you doubted she called Hitler "Hilter?" I'll show you. C-Block (47:00) SPORTSBALL CENTER TONIGHT: A basketball trade deal so bad it must have been ordered by Trump. How many Petterssons? ALL the Petterssons. And for the last damn time: hockey's "Original 6?" They aren't original, and there aren't six of them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.