Toobin Returns to CNN: ‘There Is No Defense for My Conduct’

CAMEROTA You ll remember ░░░░░░░░ judge Roger Benitez compared ░░░░░░░░ 15 rifles used in ░░░░░░░░ mass shootings to Swiss ░░░░░░░░ knives Let s bring ░░░░░░░░ CNN chief legal analyst ░░░░░░░░ Toobin to talk about ░░░░░░░░ and more Hi Jeffrey ░░░░░░░░ Hello Alisyn CAMEROTA It ░░░░░░░░ been a while TOOBIN ░░░░░░░░ has been a while ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA I feel like ░░░░░░░░ should address what s ░░░░░░░░ in the months since ░░░░░░░░ ve seen you since ░░░░░░░░ of our viewers may ░░░░░░░░ know what has happened ░░░░░░░░ I guess I ll ░░░░░░░░ I ll do the ░░░░░░░░ TOOBIN Help yourself CAMEROTA ░░░░░░░░ In October you were ░░░░░░░░ a Zoom call with ░░░░░░░░ colleagues from the New ░░░░░░░░ magazine Everyone took a ░░░░░░░░ for several minutes during ░░░░░░░░ time you were caught ░░░░░░░░ on camera You were ░░░░░░░░ fired from that job ░░░░░░░░ 27 years of working ░░░░░░░░ and you since then ░░░░░░░░ been on leave from ░░░░░░░░ Do I have all ░░░░░░░░ right TOOBIN You got ░░░░░░░░ all right Sad to ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA Okay So let ░░░░░░░░ start there TOOBIN Okay ░░░░░░░░ To quote Jay Leno ░░░░░░░░ the hell were you ░░░░░░░░ TOOBIN Well obviously I ░░░░░░░░ t thinking very well ░░░░░░░░ very much and it ░░░░░░░░ something that was inexplicable ░░░░░░░░ me I think one ░░░░░░░░ I wouldn t exactly ░░░░░░░░ in my defense because ░░░░░░░░ is really in my ░░░░░░░░ I didn t think ░░░░░░░░ was on the call ░░░░░░░░ didn t think other ░░░░░░░░ could see me CAMEROTA ░░░░░░░░ thought that you had ░░░░░░░░ off your camera TOOBIN ░░░░░░░░ I thought that I ░░░░░░░░ turned off the Zoom ░░░░░░░░ Now that s not ░░░░░░░░ defense This was deeply ░░░░░░░░ and indefensible But I ░░░░░░░░ that that is part ░░░░░░░░ that is part of ░░░░░░░░ story And you know ░░░░░░░░ have spent the seven ░░░░░░░░ months miserable months in ░░░░░░░░ life I can certainly ░░░░░░░░ trying to be a ░░░░░░░░ person I mean in ░░░░░░░░ trying to do some ░░░░░░░░ service working in a ░░░░░░░░ bank which I certainly ░░░░░░░░ going to continue to ░░░░░░░░ working on a new ░░░░░░░░ about the Oklahoma City ░░░░░░░░ but I am trying ░░░░░░░░ become the kind of ░░░░░░░░ that people can trust ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA I m sure ░░░░░░░░ ve replayed that embarrassing ░░░░░░░░ over and over many ░░░░░░░░ Have you ever thought ░░░░░░░░ what it must have ░░░░░░░░ like to be on ░░░░░░░░ receiving end of that ░░░░░░░░ call TOOBIN Well I ░░░░░░░░ t just thought about ░░░░░░░░ I ve spoken to ░░░░░░░░ of my former colleagues ░░░░░░░░ the New Yorker about ░░░░░░░░ and they were shocked ░░░░░░░░ appalled I think they ░░░░░░░░ that this was not ░░░░░░░░ for them I think ░░░░░░░░ realized that this was ░░░░░░░░ that I would immediately ░░░░░░░░ as I certainly did ░░░░░░░░ it was then it ░░░░░░░░ that day that I ░░░░░░░░ apologizing and that is ░░░░░░░░ that I have tried ░░░░░░░░ continue to do both ░░░░░░░░ and privately You know ░░░░░░░░ ve covered a lot ░░░░░░░░ political scandals and we ░░░░░░░░ heard what I like ░░░░░░░░ think of as the ░░░░░░░░ apology which is you ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry if ░░░░░░░░ were offended Which always ░░░░░░░░ to me like I ░░░░░░░░ the words now get ░░░░░░░░ my back That s ░░░░░░░░ what I have tried ░░░░░░░░ to do I mean ░░░░░░░░ have tried and I ░░░░░░░░ trying now to say ░░░░░░░░ sorry I am sincerely ░░░░░░░░ all seriousness Above all ░░░░░░░░ am sorry to my ░░░░░░░░ and to my family ░░░░░░░░ I m also sorry ░░░░░░░░ the people on the ░░░░░░░░ call I m sorry ░░░░░░░░ my former colleagues at ░░░░░░░░ New Yorker I m ░░░░░░░░ to my current fortunately ░░░░░░░░ colleagues at CNN and ░░░░░░░░ m sorry to the ░░░░░░░░ who read my work ░░░░░░░░ who watched me on ░░░░░░░░ who thought I was ░░░░░░░░ better person than this ░░░░░░░░ so you know I ░░░░░░░░ a lot to rebuild ░░░░░░░░ I feel very privileged ░░░░░░░░ very lucky that I ░░░░░░░░ going to be able ░░░░░░░░ try to do that ░░░░░░░░ I mean one of ░░░░░░░░ ironies of this whole ░░░░░░░░ is that for decades ░░░░░░░░ have covered the bad ░░░░░░░░ and sexual proclivities of ░░░░░░░░ figures and politicians like ░░░░░░░░ Clinton and Anthony Weiner ░░░░░░░░ Elliot Spitzer and Donald ░░░░░░░░ and I could go ░░░░░░░░ And so you know ░░░░░░░░ course it begs the ░░░░░░░░ Why didn t you ░░░░░░░░ better judgment TOOBIN Because ░░░░░░░░ didn t have better ░░░░░░░░ Because I m a ░░░░░░░░ human being who makes ░░░░░░░░ And you know there ░░░░░░░░ no defense for my ░░░░░░░░ The only issue is ░░░░░░░░ should be the consequences ░░░░░░░░ the New Yorker made ░░░░░░░░ decision about the consequences ░░░░░░░░ made a different decision ░░░░░░░░ for which I m ░░░░░░░░ grateful but I am ░░░░░░░░ going to come up ░░░░░░░░ and like split you ░░░░░░░░ split hairs and try ░░░░░░░░ come up with justifications ░░░░░░░░ explanations It was wrong ░░░░░░░░ was stupid And I ░░░░░░░░ trying to be a ░░░░░░░░ person.”