Michael Wolff Rips CNN’s Stelter: You Can Be ‘Quite a Ridiculous Figure’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT STELTER Welcome ░░░░░░░░ to RELIABLE SOURCES Taking ░░░░░░░░ look at some of ░░░░░░░░ magazine covers from the ░░░░░░░░ week really striking images ░░░░░░░░ one from the New ░░░░░░░░ out tomorrow protesting the ░░░░░░░░ ban with this image ░░░░░░░░ that s nothing compared ░░░░░░░░ Germany s Ders Spiegel ░░░░░░░░ Trump beheading the Statue ░░░░░░░░ Liberty asserting that he ░░░░░░░░ an extremist like an ░░░░░░░░ fighter The Economist went ░░░░░░░░ as far suggesting he ░░░░░░░░ an insurgent here I ░░░░░░░░ that s a Molotov ░░░░░░░░ in his hands tossing ░░░░░░░░ Trump continues to denounce ░░░░░░░░ press as fake news ░░░░░░░░ media types continue to ░░░░░░░░ how best to cover ░░░░░░░░ My next guest says ░░░░░░░░ s a mutual obsession ░░░░░░░░ that s actually bad ░░░░░░░░ both sides Joining me ░░░░░░░░ is Michael Wolff columnist ░░░░░░░░ The Hollywood Reporter and ░░░░░░░░ for Newsweek Good to ░░░░░░░░ you MICHAEL WOLFF THE ░░░░░░░░ REPORTER Nice to see ░░░░░░░░ STELTER You wrote in ░░░░░░░░ most recent column that ░░░░░░░░ media keeps losing to ░░░░░░░░ Trump How so Is ░░░░░░░░ a trap that the ░░░░░░░░ are falling into WOLFF ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ is a trap and ░░░░░░░░ think they we re ░░░░░░░░ this unusual position of ░░░░░░░░ we think is covering ░░░░░░░░ Trump turns out to ░░░░░░░░ you know in a ░░░░░░░░ actually what we think ░░░░░░░░ debunking Donald Trump turns ░░░░░░░░ to be supporting Donald ░░░░░░░░ STELTER So when we ░░░░░░░░ check misstatements he says ░░░░░░░░ helps him WOLFF I ░░░░░░░░ it does I mean ░░░░░░░░ think we re doing ░░░░░░░░ in every situation seems ░░░░░░░░ be provoking an overreaction ░░░░░░░░ we go into a ░░░░░░░░ of apoplexy And what ░░░░░░░░ set up is as ░░░░░░░░ try to go after ░░░░░░░░ credibility our credibility becomes ░░░░░░░░ a problem STELTER I ░░░░░░░░ heard other people made ░░░░░░░░ argument that there s ░░░░░░░░ from the national news ░░░░░░░░ right now I don ░░░░░░░░ see individual journalists acting ░░░░░░░░ but maybe the abundance ░░░░░░░░ coverage comes across that ░░░░░░░░ WOLFF Well first thing ░░░░░░░░ think that s not ░░░░░░░░ I think individual journalists ░░░░░░░░ in many cases having ░░░░░░░░ nervous breakdown Good example ░░░░░░░░ New Yorker The New ░░░░░░░░ has 100 years had ░░░░░░░░ style of journalism very ░░░░░░░░ very close reporting Since ░░░░░░░░ election David Remnick the ░░░░░░░░ of The New Yorker ░░░░░░░░ gone off in fits ░░░░░░░░ bloviation never seen in ░░░░░░░░ New Yorker before No ░░░░░░░░ No nothing he knows ░░░░░░░░ knows nobody in this ░░░░░░░░ administration has done no ░░░░░░░░ and yet the world ░░░░░░░░ coming to an end ░░░░░░░░ his view STELTER Remnick ░░░░░░░░ you re watching Come ░░░░░░░░ the program debate Michael ░░░░░░░░ But let me channel ░░░░░░░░ for a moment He ░░░░░░░░ to me on a ░░░░░░░░ panel discussion this is ░░░░░░░░ emergency Journalists have to ░░░░░░░░ differently It sounds like ░░░░░░░░ just disagree with that ░░░░░░░░ Totally What s what ░░░░░░░░ the emergency other than ░░░░░░░░ fact that he is ░░░░░░░░ offended and upset and ░░░░░░░░ STELTER You also made ░░░░░░░░ point about reporting You ░░░░░░░░ been doing reports on ░░░░░░░░ administration interviewing Kellyanne Conway ░░░░░░░░ recently for a THR ░░░░░░░░ What did you takeaway ░░░░░░░░ your conversation with Kellyanne ░░░░░░░░ Well I mean I ░░░░░░░░ actually I mean I ░░░░░░░░ a famous bloviator for ░░░░░░░░ years and I think ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ this new circumstance and ░░░░░░░░ new administration is that ░░░░░░░░ got to get in ░░░░░░░░ got to meet these ░░░░░░░░ You ve got to ░░░░░░░░ to these people You ░░░░░░░░ to see what s ░░░░░░░░ on STELTER Are you ░░░░░░░░ sucking up to get ░░░░░░░░ to the White House ░░░░░░░░ If I m sucking ░░░░░░░░ a bit to get ░░░░░░░░ but I m also ░░░░░░░░ to I am the ░░░░░░░░ person it would seem ░░░░░░░░ is actually having this ░░░░░░░░ and then my conversations ░░░░░░░░ these people then get ░░░░░░░░ throughout the media chain ░░░░░░░░ Your columns do get ░░░░░░░░ lot of pick up ░░░░░░░░ s true But is ░░░░░░░░ appropriate to be writing ░░░░░░░░ pieces that are attempting ░░░░░░░░ maybe go a little ░░░░░░░░ on them in order ░░░░░░░░ gain access WOLFF Well ░░░░░░░░ don t think they ░░░░░░░░ necessarily I don t ░░░░░░░░ what that going easy ░░░░░░░░ them means in this ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ and saying what do ░░░░░░░░ think What do you ░░░░░░░░ Tell me This is ░░░░░░░░ we want know What ░░░░░░░░ going on here STELTER ░░░░░░░░ s valuable to have ░░░░░░░░ quote to have that ░░░░░░░░ WOLFF This is what ░░░░░░░░ have done in every ░░░░░░░░ administration STELTER Yes WOLFF ░░░░░░░░ is the time through ░░░░░░░░ transition in these first ░░░░░░░░ weeks in which the ░░░░░░░░ is in all past ░░░░░░░░ in all past administrations ░░░░░░░░ asking should has asked ░░░░░░░░ questions which I m ░░░░░░░░ trying to ask Who ░░░░░░░░ you What do you ░░░░░░░░ for What are you ░░░░░░░░ to do STELTER Talking ░░░░░░░░ this this war with ░░░░░░░░ media that s what ░░░░░░░░ calls it You seem ░░░░░░░░ think the media is ░░░░░░░░ at war with Trump ░░░░░░░░ that fair WOLFF Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ That s what you ░░░░░░░░ Can I read from ░░░░░░░░ WOLFF Yes I mean ░░░░░░░░ don t think there ░░░░░░░░ be anybody who would ░░░░░░░░ disagree with this STELTER ░░░░░░░░ journalists say absolutely not ░░░░░░░░ is not a war ░░░░░░░░ Trump WOLFF You know ░░░░░░░░ it s just like ░░░░░░░░ And also the interesting ░░░░░░░░ is then you can ░░░░░░░░ them on Twitter where ░░░░░░░░ are having a very ░░░░░░░░ war with Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ very clearly STELTER Or ░░░░░░░░ war against lying and ░░░░░░░░ WOLFF Very clearly at ░░░░░░░░ center of this is ░░░░░░░░ new grail that we ░░░░░░░░ How are we going ░░░░░░░░ take this guy down ░░░░░░░░ Let me read from ░░░░░░░░ Newsweek column Let s ░░░░░░░░ part of it on ░░░░░░░░ here You said The ░░░░░░░░ strategy is to show ░░░░░░░░ as an inept and ░░░░░░░░ sociopath The Trump strategy ░░░░░░░░ to show that the ░░░░░░░░ people are hopeful prigs ░░░░░░░░ of touch with the ░░░░░░░░ And you mentioned me ░░░░░░░░ said The media correspondent ░░░░░░░░ CNN turns to the ░░░░░░░░ every Sunday morning and ░░░░░░░░ a pious sermon about ░░░░░░░░ s perfidiousness I hope ░░░░░░░░ pronounced that right Tell ░░░░░░░░ about that particular issue ░░░░░░░░ you feel that my ░░░░░░░░ is wrong or my ░░░░░░░░ is wrong trying to ░░░░░░░░ check the president WOLFF ░░░░░░░░ think it s and ░░░░░░░░ mean this with truly ░░░░░░░░ disrespect but I think ░░░░░░░░ can border on being ░░░░░░░░ of quite a ridiculous ░░░░░░░░ It s not a ░░░░░░░░ look to repeatedly and ░░░░░░░░ righteously defend your own ░░░░░░░░ interest The media should ░░░░░░░░ be the story Every ░░░░░░░░ in this religious sense ░░░░░░░░ make it the story ░░░░░░░░ are not the story ░░░░░░░░ There s room for ░░░░░░░░ hour a week on ░░░░░░░░ for this WOLFF Listen ░░░░░░░░ love your show I ░░░░░░░░ wish you wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ to the camera and ░░░░░░░░ America about the virtues ░░░░░░░░ the media and every ░░░░░░░░ trying to attack it ░░░░░░░░ media will be fine ░░░░░░░░ The media doesn t ░░░░░░░░ defending at this moment ░░░░░░░░ The media does not ░░░░░░░░ defending by the media ░░░░░░░░ You know and so ░░░░░░░░ the media is I ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ page looks like it ░░░░░░░░ 1938 in Germany every ░░░░░░░░ STELTER No it does ░░░░░░░░ Give me a break ░░░░░░░░ The New Yorker as ░░░░░░░░ say has left all ░░░░░░░░ its standards behind and ░░░░░░░░ become you know an ░░░░░░░░ vehicle constantly STELTER You ░░░░░░░░ think this is an ░░░░░░░░ presidency or you don ░░░░░░░░ right Isn t that ░░░░░░░░ divide You either think ░░░░░░░░ is a highly unusual ░░░░░░░░ fact free world or ░░░░░░░░ don t It seems ░░░░░░░░ you think this is ░░░░░░░░ of normal like any ░░░░░░░░ presidency CROSSTALK WOLFF I ░░░░░░░░ all presidencies all new ░░░░░░░░ are unusual I think ░░░░░░░░ is unusual and I ░░░░░░░░ it s actually a ░░░░░░░░ story which is why ░░░░░░░░ m like all of ░░░░░░░░ spending every day on ░░░░░░░░ So but there s ░░░░░░░░ very interesting distinction here ░░░░░░░░ make And many people ░░░░░░░░ not making this We ░░░░░░░░ time on this story ░░░░░░░░ it s so interesting ░░░░░░░░ True True WOLFF Everybody ░░░░░░░░ is saying we spend ░░░░░░░░ on this story because ░░░░░░░░ s so appalling So ░░░░░░░░ is the where is ░░░░░░░░ reality there The truth ░░░░░░░░ we really like this ░░░░░░░░ really want to be ░░░░░░░░ it We are really ░░░░░░░░ s a kind of ░░░░░░░░ media age right now ░░░░░░░░ That we can agree ░░░░░░░░ for sure.