Tucker Grills BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith for Publishing Trump-Russia Dossier

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Tucker Good ░░░░░░░░ and welcome to Tucker ░░░░░░░░ Tonight President Trump announced ░░░░░░░░ inauguration crack town But ░░░░░░░░ it enough Someone says ░░░░░░░░ s already betraying his ░░░░░░░░ campaign promises One of ░░░░░░░░ chief architects is going ░░░░░░░░ join us to discuss ░░░░░░░░ decline and fall and ░░░░░░░░ defend but first a ░░░░░░░░ Street Journal report reveals ░░░░░░░░ the tenacious but unverified ░░░░░░░░ page dossier published by ░░░░░░░░ news It had been ░░░░░░░░ opted by Russian intelligence ░░░░░░░░ hardly proves the documents ░░░░░░░░ to have its claims ░░░░░░░░ from a businessman instead ░░░░░░░░ intelligent sources Why did ░░░░░░░░ publish it in the ░░░░░░░░ plates Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ Ben Smith editor in ░░░░░░░░ of the Buzzfeed news ░░░░░░░░ of only presenting known ░░░░░░░░ they left it to ░░░░░░░░ to reckon with a ░░░░░░░░ reality I know you ░░░░░░░░ taken a lot of ░░░░░░░░ for this Let me ░░░░░░░░ ask the obvious question ░░░░░░░░ is let s say ░░░░░░░░ had an unverified document ░░░░░░░░ to me by one ░░░░░░░░ your enemies claiming that ░░░░░░░░ had committed a crime ░░░░░░░░ s say that was ░░░░░░░░ the hands of law ░░░░░░░░ but they did not ░░░░░░░░ charges against you We ░░░░░░░░ no evidence at all ░░░░░░░░ it was true but ░░░░░░░░ did know that releasing ░░░░░░░░ would greatly damage your ░░░░░░░░ Should I release it ░░░░░░░░ course I would never ░░░░░░░░ a lot because it ░░░░░░░░ be unfair You re ░░░░░░░░ asking questions Tucker I ░░░░░░░░ it That s a ░░░░░░░░ way to frame it ░░░░░░░░ a great question I ░░░░░░░░ appreciate you having me ░░░░░░░░ because I don t ░░░░░░░░ we agree on this ░░░░░░░░ the show but I ░░░░░░░░ to make my case ░░░░░░░░ the audience You should ░░░░░░░░ publish that document if ░░░░░░░░ have it I think ░░░░░░░░ was briefed to the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ members of the Senate ░░░░░░░░ sending out press releases ░░░░░░░░ making dark intimations about ░░░░░░░░ but not saying anything ░░░░░░░░ then it was reported ░░░░░░░░ there was a document ░░░░░░░░ it referred to certain ░░░░░░░░ but we are not ░░░░░░░░ to show the the ░░░░░░░░ I would probably say ░░░░░░░░ people see the thing ░░░░░░░░ is being referred to ░░░░░░░░ is certainly how we ░░░░░░░░ our decision If you ░░░░░░░░ at my at replies ░░░░░░░░ Twitter right now you ░░░░░░░░ probably see people making ░░░░░░░░ like that about me ░░░░░░░░ you right now all ░░░░░░░░ everyday I think most ░░░░░░░░ of information right now ░░░░░░░░ the avatar may not ░░░░░░░░ the truth but but ░░░░░░░░ something you have nailed ░░░░░░░░ and has nailed down ░░░░░░░░ under journalism and American ░░░░░░░░ information that is being ░░░░░░░░ over at the highest ░░░░░░░░ of journalism politics I ░░░░░░░░ there are reasonable arguments ░░░░░░░░ a way made these ░░░░░░░░ about Monica Lewinsky years ░░░░░░░░ What you say this ░░░░░░░░ that is being fought ░░░░░░░░ by the way except ░░░░░░░░ public has seen we ░░░░░░░░ t have any special ░░░░░░░░ What point does the ░░░░░░░░ say we can see ░░░░░░░░ too and we can ░░░░░░░░ with the fact that ░░░░░░░░ s clearly labeled as ░░░░░░░░ Which is what we ░░░░░░░░ Tucker I kind of ░░░░░░░░ it What you re ░░░░░░░░ is because famous people ░░░░░░░░ gossiping about it and ░░░░░░░░ The president of United ░░░░░░░░ Tucker A famous person ░░░░░░░░ gossip too A document ░░░░░░░░ the way is if ░░░░░░░░ public document Tucker The ░░░░░░░░ between what you did ░░░░░░░░ it s not true ░░░░░░░░ hear stuff like this ░░░░░░░░ the time Eight years ░░░░░░░░ there is some guy ░░░░░░░░ Chicago who claim to ░░░░░░░░ committed creepy and illegal ░░░░░░░░ with then senator Barack ░░░░░░░░ He went and filed ░░░░░░░░ sworn statement with law ░░░░░░░░ Most of us chose ░░░░░░░░ to repeat those charges ░░░░░░░░ we didn t want ░░░░░░░░ amplify them because we ░░░░░░░░ t know if they ░░░░░░░░ true and by repeating ░░░░░░░░ we would do grave ░░░░░░░░ to a man s ░░░░░░░░ In this case Barack ░░░░░░░░ who have never liked ░░░░░░░░ he was a Muslim ░░░░░░░░ crazy thing you referred ░░░░░░░░ and then later the ░░░░░░░░ about his birth certificate ░░░░░░░░ are the same because ░░░░░░░░ weren t secret they ░░░░░░░░ out there People were ░░░░░░░░ hearing them In a ░░░░░░░░ it is an analogy ░░░░░░░░ think because for reporters ░░░░░░░░ come from traditional newspaper ░░░░░░░░ the instinct is what ░░░░░░░░ just said Don t ░░░░░░░░ spreading if nobody hasn ░░░░░░░░ heard this before why ░░░░░░░░ you tell them I ░░░░░░░░ we moved into a ░░░░░░░░ moment What I found ░░░░░░░░ I was covering Iowa ░░░░░░░░ 2007 2008 While the ░░░░░░░░ had heard this stuff ░░░░░░░░ it was on the ░░░░░░░░ or talk radio We ░░░░░░░░ being to scr squeamish ░░░░░░░░ refer to This seems ░░░░░░░░ insane and here s ░░░░░░░░ bunch of reasons to ░░░░░░░░ it s insane but ░░░░░░░░ m not going to ░░░░░░░░ the clean enhancing hands ░░░░░░░░ of saying I won ░░░░░░░░ touch it That was ░░░░░░░░ with the Muslim stuff ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump started talking ░░░░░░░░ the birth certificate but ░░░░░░░░ media did not say ░░░░░░░░ are going to cut ░░░░░░░░ portion of what he ░░░░░░░░ Here s all the ░░░░░░░░ it s nonsense but ░░░░░░░░ will restate the claim ░░░░░░░░ s not an exact ░░░░░░░░ but we are living ░░░░░░░░ this world where there ░░░░░░░░ tons of unverified information ░░░░░░░░ we have to figure ░░░░░░░░ ways to help our ░░░░░░░░ navigate and reckon with ░░░░░░░░ Rather did them just ░░░░░░░░ ignore it Tucker Point ░░░░░░░░ fact he didn t ░░░░░░░░ them navigate you just ░░░░░░░░ it Here s what ░░░░░░░░ me about your explanation ░░░░░░░░ m for openness and ░░░░░░░░ But by setting yourself ░░░░░░░░ as a champion of ░░░░░░░░ freedom York slightly just ░░░░░░░░ done U S Disingenuous ░░░░░░░░ is online and I ░░░░░░░░ this from Buzzfeed We ░░░░░░░░ believe that for a ░░░░░░░░ of issues including civil ░░░░░░░░ LGBT equality there are ░░░░░░░░ two sides It struck ░░░░░░░░ is that almost a ░░░░░░░░ statement instead of journalism ░░░░░░░░ is third always another ░░░░░░░░ Anyone who disagree should ░░░░░░░░ ignored That is a ░░░░░░░░ of activism isn t ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely not I doubt ░░░░░░░░ Fox News has a ░░░░░░░░ that there are two ░░░░░░░░ on whether you should ░░░░░░░░ racist or not I ░░░░░░░░ that is in some ░░░░░░░░ a lot of news ░░░░░░░░ don t put out ░░░░░░░░ make explicit that implicit ░░░░░░░░ that you are not ░░░░░░░░ to cover racists like ░░░░░░░░ have a legitimate point ░░░░░░░░ view Tucker I will ░░░░░░░░ you exactly how Clearly ░░░░░░░░ news has a pretty ░░░░░░░░ political agenda Masquerading as ░░░░░░░░ Is it open or ░░░░░░░░ it masquerading Tucker It ░░░░░░░░ open and obvious for ░░░░░░░░ of us were trying ░░░░░░░░ pay attention I think ░░░░░░░░ are hiding behind journalistic ░░░░░░░░ The day the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ ruled on gay marriage ░░░░░░░░ wrote this The Supreme ░░░░░░░░ ruling today astonishing to ░░░░░░░░ as much as we ░░░░░░░░ knew it was coming ░░░░░░░░ the story that has ░░░░░░░░ define Buzzfeed as we ░░░░░░░░ grown and one that ░░░░░░░░ should be proud of ░░░░░░░░ a big part in ░░░░░░░░ sounds like a press ░░░░░░░░ not something a journalist ░░░░░░░░ write What I was ░░░░░░░░ there was that we ░░░░░░░░ the hill out of ░░░░░░░░ story We took it ░░░░░░░░ before it was a ░░░░░░░░ If you talk to ░░░░░░░░ on other sides we ░░░░░░░░ a central voice on ░░░░░░░░ big story I think ░░░░░░░░ s interesting We can ░░░░░░░░ the stories extremely fairly ░░░░░░░░ think I would in ░░░░░░░░ refer you to there ░░░░░░░░ a moment a couple ░░░░░░░░ years ago a reporter ░░░░░░░░ international gay rights in ░░░░░░░░ traditional backlash against him ░░░░░░░░ barred from a Vatican ░░░░░░░░ for writ of her ░░░░░░░░ a man named Steve ░░░░░░░░ wrote an article about ░░░░░░░░ on his web site ░░░░░░░░ How can anybody s ░░░░░░░░ that anyone is for ░░░░░░░░ That was an editorial ░░░░░░░░ you made a totally ░░░░░░░░ on political Tucker Here ░░░░░░░░ some recent Buzzfeed articles ░░░░░░░░ in the headlines White ░░░░░░░░ are a plague to ░░░░░░░░ planet 29 things white ░░░░░░░░ ruined Join the revolution ░░░░░░░░ the white people I ░░░░░░░░ this is kind of ░░░░░░░░ PC Brooklyn way Don ░░░░░░░░ blame Brooklyn for this ░░░░░░░░ is a joke and ░░░░░░░░ is you being humorless ░░░░░░░░ I feel like as ░░░░░░░░ thing that Fox News ░░░░░░░░ not known for Refusing ░░░░░░░░ take a joke and ░░░░░░░░ a joke in making ░░░░░░░░ am really sorry that ░░░░░░░░ are offended by that ░░░░░░░░ Tucker You are not ░░░░░░░░ comedian you don t ░░░░░░░░ to retreat into comedian ░░░░░░░░ This isn t part ░░░░░░░░ Buzzfeed news Buzzfeed entertainment ░░░░░░░░ Let me ask you ░░░░░░░░ that it is You ░░░░░░░░ in open position for ░░░░░░░░ journalism fellowship Before he ░░░░░░░░ that your practices were ░░░░░░░░ by employment law you ░░░░░░░░ it open only to ░░░░░░░░ of color You barred ░░░░░░░░ based on the color ░░░░░░░░ their skin Maybe you ░░░░░░░░ every educate me on ░░░░░░░░ racism is It was ░░░░░░░░ at people of color ░░░░░░░░ think lots of companies ░░░░░░░░ to recruit as I ░░░░░░░░ workforce Including Buzzfeed There ░░░░░░░░ very clear legal restrictions ░░░░░░░░ how exactly you can ░░░░░░░░ about recruiting Tucker You ░░░░░░░░ The law stopped you ░░░░░░░░ doing what you tried ░░░░░░░░ do which is exclude ░░░░░░░░ from the job on ░░░░░░░░ basis of your screen ░░░░░░░░ I m not suggesting ░░░░░░░░ re being humorless here ░░░░░░░░ Why is that not ░░░░░░░░ racism If you exclude ░░░░░░░░ for their skin color ░░░░░░░░ is that not racist ░░░░░░░░ you did I understand ░░░░░░░░ is a broad debate ░░░░░░░░ affirmative action I guess ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ or trying to bring ░░░░░░░░ a device workforce is ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ think that either Tucker ░░░░░░░░ m not talking about ░░░░░░░░ obviously them for that ░░░░░░░░ am talking about boring ░░░░░░░░ on the basis of ░░░░░░░░ skin color from a ░░░░░░░░ it s really clear ░░░░░░░░ is that not racism ░░░░░░░░ didn t think it ░░░░░░░░ Ethically why is that ░░░░░░░░ with you Recruiting a ░░░░░░░░ workforce is something that ░░░░░░░░ and all the big ░░░░░░░░ action cases there is ░░░░░░░░ argument about does bringing ░░░░░░░░ one group mean that ░░░░░░░░ people are getting excluded ░░░░░░░░ are tons of complicated ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Just give me ░░░░░░░░ straight answer I do ░░░░░░░░ see that as racist ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Let s have ░░░░░░░░ and kind of hammer ░░░░░░░░ the definition Great to ░░░░░░░░ you.