Stelter: Conservatives Being a Threat to Democracy Is ‘Most Important’ Thing Journalists Can Report

STELTER There are tax ░░░░░░░░ Republicans and then there ░░░░░░░░ treason Republicans There are ░░░░░░░░ who think January 6 ░░░░░░░░ god awful and those ░░░░░░░░ think it was glorious ░░░░░░░░ challenge in covering the ░░░░░░░░ day GOP is to ░░░░░░░░ and show and tell ░░░░░░░░ difference I mean many ░░░░░░░░ know that the Stop ░░░░░░░░ Steal stuff is bunk ░░░░░░░░ it s still alive ░░░░░░░░ unwell nearly two years ░░░░░░░░ Some actively speak out ░░░░░░░░ it for that reason ░░░░░░░░ you know they re ░░░░░░░░ The Republicans who want ░░░░░░░░ party to be reasonable ░░░░░░░░ reality based are losing ░░░░░░░░ least if you look ░░░░░░░░ CPAC and the recent ░░░░░░░░ conference and the likes ░░░░░░░░ Mike Lindell on stage ░░░░░░░░ election lies I mean ░░░░░░░░ about it There are ░░░░░░░░ election deniers many people ░░░░░░░░ pretend or actually believe ░░░░░░░░ the 2020 election was ░░░░░░░░ despite all the evidence ░░░░░░░░ some of these deniers ░░░░░░░░ winning GOP primaries meaning ░░░░░░░░ could be running elections ░░░░░░░░ the future or at ░░░░░░░░ influencing how those elections ░░░░░░░░ run It s kind ░░░░░░░░ like picking a guy ░░░░░░░░ can t count to ░░░░░░░░ you math Suddenly you ░░░░░░░░ learning to subtract instead ░░░░░░░░ add But it s ░░░░░░░░ So how is this ░░░░░░░░ being covered How should ░░░░░░░░ be covered Some headlines ░░░░░░░░ candidates election deniers There ░░░░░░░░ other headlines let me ░░░░░░░░ you one from the ░░░░░░░░ Press calling them merely ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ really interesting difference And ░░░░░░░░ course these words matter ░░░░░░░░ language matters a lot ░░░░░░░░ let me bring in ░░░░░░░░ panel of guests to ░░░░░░░░ about this and a ░░░░░░░░ lot more Here in ░░░░░░░░ York with me Lauren ░░░░░░░░ a political scientist at ░░░░░░░░ University author of Star ░░░░░░░░ American Democracy in the ░░░░░░░░ of the Celebrity Candidate ░░░░░░░░ with me Elaine Godfrey ░░░░░░░░ writer at The Atlantic ░░░░░░░░ just penned a new ░░░░░░░░ on this subject And ░░░░░░░░ Polskin president and chief ░░░░░░░░ of TheRighting which tracks ░░░░░░░░ from across the right ░░░░░░░░ media hemisphere Welcome to ░░░░░░░░ Elaine let me start ░░░░░░░░ you because you had ░░░░░░░░ writing challenge recently choosing ░░░░░░░░ words to use There ░░░░░░░░ a big difference between ░░░░░░░░ election skeptics and I ░░░░░░░░ t know democracy destroyers ░░░░░░░░ did you think about ░░░░░░░░ writing the choice of ░░░░░░░░ for your recent article ░░░░░░░░ It s really tough ░░░░░░░░ I think you don ░░░░░░░░ want to be too ░░░░░░░░ of these folks you ░░░░░░░░ t want people to ░░░░░░░░ of assuming that they ░░░░░░░░ so crazy you shouldn ░░░░░░░░ even pay attention to ░░░░░░░░ But you don t ░░░░░░░░ also don t want ░░░░░░░░ I think calling them ░░░░░░░░ skeptics is a little ░░░░░░░░ too polite Most of ░░░░░░░░ people are beyond skepticism ░░░░░░░░ we talk about this ░░░░░░░░ the time at The ░░░░░░░░ when I m writing ░░░░░░░░ I sort of has ░░░░░░░░ mini beat of election ░░░░░░░░ and we say Stop ░░░░░░░░ Steal candidates we say ░░░░░░░░ denial I occasionally I ░░░░░░░░ at a magazine I ░░░░░░░░ of have a little ░░░░░░░░ free rein to call ░░░░░░░░ what I want I ░░░░░░░░ call them liars I ░░░░░░░░ because I think that ░░░░░░░░ are and I think ░░░░░░░░ is really important for ░░░░░░░░ to be very very ░░░░░░░░ about what s going ░░░░░░░░ here They re not ░░░░░░░░ sort of questioning they ░░░░░░░░ they are lying or ░░░░░░░░ actively sort of deluded ░░░░░░░░ Trump STELTER Being clear ░░░░░░░░ the threat to democracy ░░░░░░░░ one of the most ░░░░░░░░ things that American journalists ░░░░░░░░ do However Lauren doesn ░░░░░░░░ that turn off a ░░░░░░░░ part of the country ░░░░░░░░ t it turn off ░░░░░░░░ sizable part of the ░░░░░░░░ every time we re ░░░░░░░░ about election deniers WRIGHT ░░░░░░░░ it s the responsibility ░░░░░░░░ journalists to report the ░░░░░░░░ And I completely understand ░░░░░░░░ covering Trump s potential ░░░░░░░░ in 2024 is an ░░░░░░░░ important story I mean ░░░░░░░░ is a person that ░░░░░░░░ actively subverting American democracy ░░░░░░░░ then when there s ░░░░░░░░ reporting on how Trump ░░░░░░░░ the CPAC poll he ░░░░░░░░ 69 percent compared to ░░░░░░░░ DeSantis with 24 percent ░░░░░░░░ is utterly uninformative of ░░░░░░░░ things will be in ░░░░░░░░ years STELTER You mean ░░░░░░░░ report on that straw ░░░░░░░░ WRIGHT Yes STELTER Right ░░░░░░░░ you know as a ░░░░░░░░ scientist that s just ░░░░░░░░ it s just whoever ░░░░░░░░ to be at the ░░░░░░░░ the most hard right ░░░░░░░░ WRIGHT Yes that s ░░░░░░░░ right And we know ░░░░░░░░ there s just not ░░░░░░░░ information right now to ░░░░░░░░ anything this far out ░░░░░░░░ s too much noise ░░░░░░░░ s paying attention and ░░░░░░░░ we do need to ░░░░░░░░ these sorts of things ░░░░░░░░ a grain of salt ░░░░░░░░ ignore them altogether frankly ░░░░░░░░ We re going to ░░░░░░░░ more into your predictions ░░░░░░░░ just a moment.”