Melania didn't want none of this.
Melania thought she was going to marry a rich dude who would sit in a corner and eat McDonald's while she goes and spends his money and bangs yacht bros in Monaco on the side.
Hi everyone, this is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher and I'm kicking off yet another week of Got Bree August.
I literally, I would play that all year if I could. Scott is still away, missing me terribly. Of course, he hasn't been in touch at all. He of course fancies himself a comedian, but for today's episode, I brought in the real deal, Roy Wood Jr., Emmy-winning comedian, actor, and producer, and host of CNN's satirical news quiz, which I've been on and will be on very soon, actually. Have I Got News for You. Welcome, Roy.
Thank you for having me. You know, and I know that Scott is listening to us in Meta Jail in the wait room right now, and I just want to say to him, we only do two days, the day in, day out, you know, tell the truth.
Well, he's allegedly on vacation, but I don't know. I think he's posting a lot more recently, so he obviously has to weigh in on the news. Like, he's dying because Natalie Harp is happening right now, which is a problem.
How do you think I feel? CNN's had me dark for three months.
I know that's true. You got Trump tapping dead people's caskets. You've got the... It's been a lot. It's been a lot.
Explain the show. I love your show. I've been on it several times. I'll be on it really soon in a couple of weeks, I think.
For the people who haven't watched it, for 30 years the show has run in Britain, where the way they disseminate the news is they ask panelists... It's a fake quiz show about current events, and you don't have to know. In fact, it's funnier if you don't. And by the end of the hour, you, me, Amber Ruffin, and Michael Ian Black, we have figured out everything this week. The way I try to differentiate where Have I Got News sits in the Oliver Daily Show verse of political satire is that we are here to simply tell you what happened. We don't have the time to get into why and who and what is the solution and the deep dive, but then you also need to know that a dude got himself kicked out of a WNBA game.
And there was a green dildo. Like, we want to cover the gamut.
Yeah. Explain the green dildo.
I don't think as a man I can explain. I don't know why green.
I don't know. Well, no. You know what? As a man, probably it is my responsibility.
Yeah, it is the women throwing them. Like everyone's like, men and trans people in the WNBA. There's no trans people in the W. There's just straight men throwing dildos. So that's the problem.
Even then, run and stand on it.
Yeah. Stand on it. Stand.
Throw a dildo. Just say, 'Hey, it was me.'
I'd like to have a conversation about politics then.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Would you ever throw a dildo?
Have you? I don't know if I'd ever touch a dildo.
Like, they just, they all look used, you know? It's just a hygiene thing. It's like if you saw a naked straw, I just assume it's been in somebody's mouth.
Okay. But question, why would a man do that? I mean, it's just like the ladies are having a good time. Lots of people are having a good time. Have you ever been to a WNBA game? They're fun.
Yeah. I've gone to a couple of Liberty games with my son, and it's always a great time. It's packed. They're chanting. They're yelling. I mean, I was going back when they were still at Madison Square before they even made the move out to Barclays. It's a great time. It's great basketball. It's great competition. I don't understand why people are trying to use that sport at its rise, but they're going to get the new CBA. Caitlin Clark just put up 37 earlier this week. Angel Reese is doubling her ass off. You got the young woman up in Minnesota, the Spectacle, which is one of the dopest nicknames right now. Uh, Madam Miles. Much respect to the Spectacle up there with the Lynx. I just think that it's just dudes trying to get attention.
Yeah. For liberals. Why is it that liberals, and I'll include myself in this bucket, why have we not learned that not reacting is probably a more effective way? Now, dildo is a totally separate thing, dildo throwing. But in the sense of a lot of people that are trying to make a name for themselves by bathing themselves in liberal outrage, we supply the outrage in which they bathe themselves, which makes themselves a right-wing martyr, and then they're able to build whole media empires off of that.
Yeah. I think that that's nearing an end, I have to say, because I think what's interesting is I was just thinking about this. It's the right that whines all the time now and is very like, what's the... they're like anti-woke woke, if that makes sense. And I think the dildos and the throwing is, you know, this is a successful group of women, and there's some controversy, like in all sports, right? Men's basketball has had all kinds of controversy. They just can't stand it, and so they have to say, look at me. And just, you know, it depends. This issue feels like one that you could kind of starve the people who are starved for attention.
Just kick them out of the arena they throw, right? Yeah. Just kick them out and that's the end of it. Not talking about... Go back to your show. So you're just... So this is what, your third season, fourth season?
This will be number five back in September. This will be the fifth cycle of the show again. So it's doing really well, if they wouldn't bring it back if it wasn't. But how do you... why... what do you attribute that to?
I think that we... Number one, I think CNN is the right network for the show because we get to exist on a Saturday night, and they pair us with Bill Maher, or there's usually like a special interest story or something else going on on that day. I think that we are light, we are fun, we are fast through the topics, so you don't necessarily feel like you're consuming an entire meal.
Yeah. But I do think comedy has been a lot more pointed, whether it's Oliver or the Daily Show or you guys, than news programs to get to the point of the idiocy surrounding people.
Yeah. Because I think comedians are given a little bit more leeway than the average news anchor. You know, god forbid you call a spade a spade and you just work for a Sinclair outlet or something, you know, you're working in market 12 or market 20, they're not going to give you that leeway. And I think also it's understood that it's comedy because, you know, what's really funny is that I have said stuff on Friday night on Abby Phillip that gets me stared at. And then I'll do the same joke on Saturday at Have I Got News and it gets an applause break. So, I think it's also the comedic expectation. You know, when Abby, they do the show down at the cooking... Food Network. I want to be respectful to the place. And also, you're with four people who are dead ass serious and they've written notes down all day. And he's a real journalist. And I'm sitting here looking goofy in a Curves hat. Trying to crack a joke and they're not with it.
No, some of them are not journalists and they just say things off the top of their head.
That is very nice suits though.
Nice suits and something. All right, one last question about your show. Who do you like better, Amber or Michael?
Don't turn this into a race war, because you know I'm going to pick the black woman. Yeah, you're going to set me up and then they're going to clip this little section and Roy Wood hates black women and never... No. Michael I've always known from the standup circuit. Amber I've known, you know, I've had a longer, deeper relationship with Amber than I have Michael. So, there's definitely like a synergy. What's funny on the show is that a guest will say something. We had Tim Burchett on, right-wing Tennessee man, and Burchett says something over to this side of me, and in my peripheral on the other side I see Amber just move... it's the slightest scooch of a move, and I go, oh no, she's going to get him. Oh no, she did. Just stay out of the way, Roy, just stay out of the way. And I just literally leaned back so her words could fly across the disc. My hope this year is to have you and Bomani Jones on the same episode. That's dream episode number one. Dream episode number two is you with any sitting Republican elected official.
Please, please. Why? Why am I good with that?
And Mom Donnie, because you're just supposed to say that because New York... Maybe I should tweet. That's how he shows up.
Yeah, he won't do an interview with me. He does an interview with everybody. He won't do an interview with me. I don't know.
Really? You got to tweet about it. You got to go, Mom D, I bet you won't show up to this pothole.
I called him months and months and months before he won, like six, seven months before he was a thing. And I just thought he was so interesting, and I'm just telling you, crickets. I don't know what it is.
Do you think that you, of all the people that have ignored your request for interviews, do you think they are... is there any common theme? Do you think they're intimidated by you? I don't know. Some people like... yes, I think some, like Tim Scott, turned me down a hundred million times, and I get it. I get it. I also have not a huge amount of regard for how he behaves. But I say it, I guess I've said it. But I would have been fair. I had Tom Tillis on. I thought he was great, and we disagreed completely, but he had the guts to come on, and he actually made some very good points, and it was a very good... I thought it was a great discussion. Even though we didn't agree, I think the commonality is they think I'm going to get them, when in fact I end up having much more substantive discussions with people, and I'm not a gotcha person. What I do is I say things out loud, and I suppose with Mom Donnie I won't slather him with idolatry. I guess a lot of... I find a lot of interviews do that, or even the right-wing ones when he goes on those shows, sometimes they sort of are like... they like Trump, they find him charming, right? He's super charming and has got a lot of star power. So maybe he thinks I'm... maybe it's Scott Galloway, he doesn't like Scott Galloway. I don't know.
I'll blame Scott for everything anyway. Let's go, we got a lot to get to. A great show, the show is great. I'm excited to come on. Put me on with whoever you want. Um, Mom, and pardon the bicycles in the background if there's any. I'm in Amsterdam, so I don't... I just want you to know.
Oh, nice. I love... There's a lot of bicycles there. They're very aggressive with the bicycles, actually. When you ride... I got to the airport, and like at the airport, they have like literally as you're headed to customs, there's just a black dude and a black woman on a... like as you come down the escalators, like, welcome to Amsterdam, and it's black people riding tandem.
Yeah, I would try it for you. I had a great time doing it, but they're super aggressive. But let's get to the things.
Speaking of other countries, Donald Trump is lashing out at Canada, saying they are among the worst nations in the world to deal with and will no longer be treated like... will be treated like a state. No longer. They are not a state. This outburst comes after US-Canada trade talks collapsed late last week when Canada walked away. And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the US introduced last-minute demands that were unfair and uneconomic. And he would know, he's a banker, he's run treasuries, everything else. With no deal, Trump's 50% tariffs went into effect on a range of Canadian goods, including dairy products, alcohol, and hockey equipment. Trump is also now threatening to increase tariffs on all cars, car parts, and steel from Canada to 50% starting January 1st. Mark Carney says Canada will retaliate dollar for dollar with tariffs of its own. And spoke to Canada about where the relationship between the two countries stand. Let's listen. Why does it feel like today Mark Carney is going to war? Trade war. The tone...
Because we're attacked. Like, you're at war when you get attacked. We got attacked.
Is Canada really a country we want to be going to war with right now? Or trade war? War. Trade war.
No, they aren't. And I think the US has really established themselves as, you know, we're the country without a country. Like, do we have any allies left that aren't begrudging and have no choice but to be with us because it's an economic disadvantage to not rock with us? I like Crown Royal. I hate that it's more expensive. I know there's bigger issues at stake here when we're talking.
No, but it's part of the thing. It's part of... Yeah. Kind of sucks. But I think that... I think we live in a time now where just Trump is just a... like our government is just going to bully other nations for no reason, even if they don't... even if it doesn't make any sense. And so it does not help us. It also decimates small businesses that do a lot of business across the border. So both ways, you know what I'm saying? So I just... I don't know. But I think if you're Canada at this point, there's no sense in bending the knee. You may as well just ride this out for the next two years if you're really going to be serious about it, right?
Well, maybe just a few months. You may not have the power to do much of anything in November after.
Yeah. Come November. I also love that he's rescinded the thing that they didn't even want in the first place, which was statehood. You were no longer invited to my party. All right. They, you know, they do have a conservative movement there, but they have not yet won elections. They have in certain areas, but it's not Trump conservatism. One or two people are like that.
But even with the conservative movement, even with the way that American conservative politics have influenced international conservatism, I don't think that anyone in any of these other nations has a desire to be America. Like, they're still prideful people, Canadians regardless. So they're not dying to run with us and do everything. Like, even if you got a full-blown conservative, you know, parliament or whatever in Canada, I don't know if that fixes Trump's desire to want to still kind of, you know, put his pinky on the scale of foreign trade with Canada.
Why is he doing it? Why do you think he's doing it this time? Did he get mad? I mean, to push back.
I need wins, and if you're not going to do what I want you to do, then I'm just going to take my ball and, you know what, I'll show you. And then more importantly, this is somehow rolled up into a ball in PR and sold to American voters as a win for America.
Yeah. But they're not like that anymore, which is interesting. One of the things that's really interesting is Canada is one of the few neighbors of countries that hasn't gotten into big wars with their neighbors, right? They've been excellent neighbors for a long, long, long time.
Good for him. Anyway, let's move on. The Paramount Warner Brothers merger saga continues.
California AG Rob Bonta just called off settlement talks with Paramount, accusing Paramount of acting in bad faith, leaking details of a meeting, and misrepresenting discussions. Bonta is leading the 12-state group that sued to block the merger. There's also a separate suit by WGA. Both cases are set to go to trial in March. Paramount agreed to pause the deal until the cases play out, or until June when the costs are going to start piling up. They're going to really start piling up in September with these ticking fees. But if it doesn't come to fruition by June, it's another almost $8 billion they have to pay, and the deal would probably be over. Though Paramount is now asking a judge to make the states and the WGA put up a $1.88 billion bond to cover those delay costs, which is unprecedented. Well, you probably thought you were free of Paramount when you left the Daily Show, but now you're at CNN. They're pulling you. But you're not... Your show is licensed, correct? Just like that.
Licensed, but nothing's... none of this is guaranteed. They shoot whole movies and then don't release them, as the cast of Batgirl. But it's like me and this Paramount merger. You know that movie It Follows, where that thing just, no matter where you go, it's coming for you. Because... and then before that it was the CBS Viacom Comedy Central. So I can't escape it. I'm just a merger magnet, baby. I don't know what this means for CNN as a whole, because I've also heard within this merger talk that there's kind of two scenarios. You know, there was scenario one where CNN wasn't going to be part of it. Then Ellison came out and said, 'No, no, no. We want CNN. I want it to be run right. We promise to keep it neutral and we're not going to Fox 2.0.' But then there's also a world where CNN still gets sold off, you know, somewhere else. I think that's... if we're speaking frankly, I think that's probably the inevitability of the network. In terms of Time Warner, not just CNN, I'm talking Time Warner as a whole being sold in some capacity, what the new regime wants, that becomes the thing that becomes odd. You know, I had a show... I had a sitcom on the hook over at HBO Max that was on the inside track to get a series pickup, and then the Showtime Max merger thingamajiggy happened and they cleared the slate. You know, I was at TBS when Michael Wright took over. I believe in 2012, 2013... 2013, I believe, is when he came in. And when he came into the network, he essentially cancelled everything but Conan O'Brien. And so, having been a part of these different entities where I've been on a show, same with TBS, a show that did well and a show that was very safe and the show was really loved, I don't know how much all of that really counts anymore. You know, you look at Wonder Man, that was cancelled by... I think was it Disney Plus? Yeah, it's a Marvel show. And then they put out the viewing numbers two weeks later, and it's like these numbers... clearly billions of hours viewed. This show should have gotten another season. So, you know, I don't know. I definitely... the thing that I hate the most about all of this is what it does in terms of uncertainty for staff. You know, as talent, I'm afforded a lot more leeway. I can go travel and do shows and figure out other avenues for myself. But when you are... like, these aren't just balance sheet conversations, right?
Right. You have a big staff at Have I Got News for You. It's a...
Yeah, it's very similar to Daily Show. It's almost... it's almost 100. I think we're at like probably 70 because we're not on every day. But I know at Daily Show it was over 100 people that work in that building, and you're trying to decide what to do next. And then you get a job offer, god forbid, to go join another show, and then you don't know when that show... whether or not you go do that show. If this show isn't going to happen...
What would be your solution to this? I mean, besides not merger after merger, because everyone has to, you know, pee on everything they said, cancel all the shows even if they're good, cancel them if they're doing well. It doesn't really... it has no rhyme or reason, is what you're saying.
Yeah, it definitely has no rhyme or reason. I think that a lot of this is... if you want me to... I guess I kind of am like Scott, I'm a bit of a fatalist in a way, and that the world is rotten and these corporations run most everything. And even if you have a hit show, they're going to let you go past three seasons, maybe five, because they have to pay you more, and it's easier to just start a new show. For this, I personally would rather see this resolve sooner than later. If the merger does not happen and we are at this same spot next June, I think it gets stripped down and sold for parts, you know, piecemeal, you know, all over the sphere. But you're still going to be sold into the hands of people that are counting and cutting corners and trying to do as much as possible with as much less as possible.
Yeah, that's true. I think that's their threat. Of course, we'll move out of California. We'll do... They have all these sort of boneheaded threats. But that's the inevitability. Okay, you're going to move it to... we're going to move Paramount to Nashville. Okay, and then you're still going to make 20% less shows. I forget what the number is. What are we, 50% less scripted content than eight years ago or something? So it's not like you're guaranteeing jobs on the other side of this. You're just punishing people who you are already... half of whom you are already going to be trying to figure out a way to fire even if you didn't leave the state.
That's right. Yeah. Yeah. So it's easier to be independent. Hence why I'm independent, Roy. I just don't like... I don't have to depend on them. You know, I'm not loving these boneheaded moves and threats. I think that, you know, when billionaires threaten you, it's sort of... it's not the most attractive. They look villainous, actually, in that. And it's not going to get any better because when you look at what YouTube has done, and I haven't had a chance to look at the exact specifics of it, but I know that they're changing the terms of service with their creators in terms of what the floor... the bar to achieve monetization at YouTube is shot up to something... I'm not going to say astronomically, but you're going to have to be really all in to try and go independent now. So a lot of these networks are going to move the bar when it comes to monetization and making money. The same thing with analytics on Facebook and Instagram and Reels or whatever. So you're eventually going to be in a space where there's just going to be a chasm between like this mid-major media, the Vices and the Voxes of the world. Like you're going to see... Complex has had a lot of shrinkage as well. And those were the companies where you used to be able to go if Huffington Post didn't hire you or CNN didn't run with you this year. And I think that the idea of even being self-made is going to get even more competitive.
Yeah, it is. No question. No question. I mean, I think the issue is that the way they're playing this seems so juvenile. I just am like, there's ways to fix this. You know, it's interesting that Bonta just dumped it after leaking, because everybody... at least I will say Paramount leaks a lot. Bonta does not, having tried to get leaks out of Bonta. And I'm good at getting leaks out of people. Paramount doesn't stop. Different people who represent them, who purport to represent them, are very easy. They're big leakers, and they think they're very clever about it. And so I don't know if dumping settlement talks over this is... you know, it's interesting. It's definitely a power play by Bonta, who I think is probably... you know, he's doing the Meta trial, he's doing this, and he's winning here in this case at least because he got the trial moved. So why should he put up with this? I guess...
I think the leak shows that Paramount is for sure concerned. And they definitely... You don't make a play like that if you're winning.
Yeah. You don't think control of the board and, you know, part of it. What do you think about like the different unions? The WGA is against it. Certain writers are against it. The directors were for it with a certain amount of demands that were pretty heavy. Karen Bass went for it, or just went for a settlement. She's worried about Los Angeles. Gavin Newsom always plays the middle, essentially. Where do you... where would you like this to end up as a... as someone who's a writer and a performer?
In a perfect world, no merger would... production stay in Los Angeles to some degree. I do think that Los Angeles has just infrastructure and weather advantages with production. And I say that as someone who fought to shoot a sitcom in Atlanta and Alabama. Like, having known what the challenges are, you know, in some other places, I do think that if Hollywood is strong, I think entertainment across the board is strong, which then spills out to all of these other markets, be it your Louisiana with their incentives, which are starting to... they're starting to tweak theirs as well. You know, I think that's always been the dangerous thing about tax incentives in other states outside of Los Angeles. I feel like LA has always had the most consistent relationship with the entertainment industry. When you look at what Detroit had 20 years ago, where they were making television and movies in Detroit left and right, left and right. Detroit called a new governor, and he was like, 'Yeah, no, no more incentive. Sorry.' And that happens often. The same thing happened in North Carolina. So this idea of decentralizing television production, I think, would just make it just blobulous... blobulous... every 10 years... is it amalgam? I don't know. I like blobulous, it works for me. It's blobulous, where every 10 years this region's going to be the hot region. I'm old enough and been in entertainment long enough to remember when North Carolina was the place to shoot in the late night... was it Dawson's Creek and a couple Martin Lawrence movies. So it moves around. Atlanta has seen a regression in production because the big dog Marvel took everything to Europe. So there's just not as much stuff happening. And that's where I do think the indie market is going to be able to help some of the smaller cities outside of LA. But in a perfect world for me, I think LA and New York carrying a ton of production is ultimately healthier for the entertainment industry coast to coast.
Yeah, I think you're 100% right. You're absolutely right.
And it's not me hating on Texas and New Mexico. It's all great stuff, but those are all states that are very like... which way the wind blows this election, you might lose your incentive.
Or they're there because the governors are friendly to them, and that's not always good. You're right. It switches. Also, just go look at some of the state laws in Tennessee. Everybody who's thinking of moving to Nashville, it's not great for women. It's not thrilling.
As an Alabamian, I will abstain from these criticisms.
Okay. All right. In any case, no, you're right, though. It's just like California should get it together and they should settle this thing. But I'm not so sure this deal is going to happen. We'll see. Hopefully they'll figure something out that's fair. And the Ellisons... the only thing that drives me crazy, the Ellisons complaining about politics when they use politics to get where they are so far with the government, with the federal government. It's like, stop, stop, stop, stop. Anyway, let's go on a quick break. When we come back, Trump's stock trading grift. Support for this show comes from Delete Me. If you ever thought about doing something to protect yourself from stalkers, scammers, and hackers, it's time to check out Delete Me. Delete Me does all the hard work to wipe out your personal information from hundreds of data broker sites. It was named the top pick for data removal services by Wirecutter. Get an individual annual plan for a little over $8 per month. Discounts get even better with a two-year plan or when you enroll with your partner or family. I have used Delete Me for years. I think it's great. It's a great dashboard. I really do understand what's happening with my data, which is disturbing. Every week I get reports that I'm surprised by in terms of what data brokers are doing with information. A lot of it is inaccurate, actually, which is also just as dangerous. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your Delete Me plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/pivot and use the promo code pivot at checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to joindeleteme.com/pivot and enter the code pivot at checkout. That's joindeleteme.com/pivot, code pivot.
Roy, we're back. Grift alert. Donald Trump made more than a thousand stock trades in June, with transactions totaling between $78 million and $263 million, according to his latest financial disclosure. Notably, Trump bought between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of SpaceX stock just 11 days after the company's IPO. And the Iran war continues. Trump is buying and selling shares of defense contractor Palantir. But nothing to worry about here. The White House says there's no conflicts of interest because Trump's investments are independently managed. Now he has other grifts, like cryptocurrency, as you know. So this is the second shoe to drop in that regard. He made billions in cryptocurrency already. So how do you rank them among his grifts?
Well, the interesting thing about this whole stock thing was that the White House said that, oh, it's a computer algorithm that runs the trading based on the traditional trading trends and da da da, but they can't tell you who greenlit the particular trades. They go, 'Oh, it's a computer.' But somebody has to go, 'Yes, computer, I approve. Do that.' Did that person have insider information? And I think that's the thing that... at this point nothing would surprise me. And they were so beaten down with political scandals that the scandals just feel like... Yeah. All right.
Yeah. He made more money. All right. Oddly, the one trade that he made, President Trump, that I was curious about was Home Depot. I'm like, what do you know? You know, like, okay, Griffin, SpaceX, and AI. All right. What's going on with Home Depot, man? What do you know?
Well, you know, the guy who was the chairman was super conservative. That might just be it. It's a conservative company.
Yeah. What do you think happened?
I don't know. And where are we building these houses? Or would there be some destruction that you're playing? Like... I don't know. I don't want to get into my conspiracy land with you, but that was the one that was a bigger red flag than most of the other companies.
Do you think he's ever been in a Home Depot?
No, because he would have told you. If Trump ever built some in his life, he would have said it.
He builds everything, right? He's a builder. He just said that. Are you offended by his scripts or just exhausted by them?
Uh, we're... I'm past offended. Like, it doesn't... I feel bad that I'm not... that I'm desensitized in a way that speaks to just how exhausting so much of the scandals are. Like, it's just...
That is a really good point. Would there be a grift he could do that you'd be like, okay, that's the end of it. That is it. That is it. I think sports betting would be one that would like in favor with his base.
Uh-huh. Sports, which sounds crazy, but there's something about the understood purity and sanctity of sport that if he threw a game, like if you found out that he knew the lineup card for a particular game and this guy wasn't going to start, and you know, like the weird fantasy football thing.
Yeah. Black Sox type, throw the game, please strike out. Like the scandals that MLB is dealing with right now where the pitchers are betting on themselves to not throw a strike on the first pitch and then they deliberately don't throw a strike. Like if Trump was in on something like that, maybe that would be one.
Oh god, he probably... Sports is so American and it's pure and you're supposed to be honest and you're supposed to do it the right way and...
Now you're giving him an idea of where to go next. That's the thing.
Go buy some stock in FanDuel right now.
Go Home Depot. Go to Home Depot. [laughter] Um, so speaking of things that they're doing that exhaust me as a journalist, the Pentagon has fired three top staffers at Stars and Stripes, a government-funded news outlet that reports on the US military. The Pentagon cited insubordination as the reason for the firings. Two of the staffers had recently spoken publicly about protecting the paper's editorial independence, which it has had forever, pointing to the legal right to be free from news management and censorship. The third has already announced his retirement, citing fundamental disagreements over the paper's values and mission. The firings have come as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes to reshape the paper with more focus on war fighting and less on woke distractions. If he is making editorial decisions here, what kind of stories will we see now?
I don't know what we're going to see. What war? What propaganda do you want? Like, they won't print what we need to print the right way. And good for those journalists for having a little bit of backbone and some teeth about themselves.
Yeah. Stars and Stripes has a pretty good reputation among the military. I have a lot of family in the military and it actually is considered... I mean, no Defense Department official has tried to do this. Like, it is run relatively independently. Obviously, it's funded by the Pentagon, but they've never tried to meddle in it before. And what they were writing about was the conditions on the USS Lincoln. Um, and they didn't like that. They didn't like Stars and Stripes pointing out that it's a mess, which it is. The carrier's been out way too long. They're undersupplied. Everything's backing up and expected to. So, yeah, you have it. It's probably one of the best ways you could ever honor the military. I think the problem now is for the journalists that are going to be hired and put in there now. Like, this is one of those cases where you almost support AI reporting. Like, just print up what you want, bro.
Just have AI reporting. Conjure up whatever it is. Don't involve me and my integrity in this. Um, I think that the Stars and Stripes issue is... that one is a little more effed up to me simply because this is a piece of journalism that goes to the people who serve this country. And so when you're telling them what is going on within their world like that, and you know, like the... was it AFN, like the Armed Forces Network, where you're showing them, and you know, here's the content we have decided to expose you to, how much of that then becomes mental manipulation?
