WEBVTT 00:00.833 --> 00:01.766 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% - Dan. - Do you think 00:01.766 --> 00:02.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% at some point we'll finally see 00:02.566 --> 00:03.700 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% those tax records? 00:03.700 --> 00:05.300 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - The tax returns. 00:05.300 --> 00:07.200 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Whether Mueller does it, or someone else? 00:07.200 --> 00:09.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Between now and the end of time, I think we will see 00:09.200 --> 00:10.033 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Donald Trump's tax returns. 00:10.033 --> 00:11.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughs) 00:11.466 --> 00:13.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - There is a theory, of course, you know, you'll hear 00:13.233 --> 00:15.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% people say, with regard to the Mueller investigation 00:15.166 --> 00:16.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and stuff that people have wanted to 00:16.866 --> 00:18.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% get access to, but haven't. 00:18.566 --> 00:21.666 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Mueller already has blank. 00:21.666 --> 00:23.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And one of those things people say, well Mueller 00:23.433 --> 00:25.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% must have, already has those tax records. 00:27.100 --> 00:30.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - We have no insight into this, but if you talk to 00:30.533 --> 00:33.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% experts on white collar investigations, they say the 00:33.566 --> 00:35.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% first thing that a prosecutor would do is 00:35.333 --> 00:36.500 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% would go and get the tax records. 00:36.500 --> 00:37.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Get the tax records. - And they can 00:37.533 --> 00:39.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% easily get them. - And he has the 00:39.033 --> 00:40.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% ability to get them in the context of his investigation. 00:40.266 --> 00:41.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Correct, and he has the ability to get 00:41.966 --> 00:42.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% pretty much... - Pretty much anything 00:42.933 --> 00:44.100 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% he wants. - Pretty much 00:44.100 --> 00:45.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% anything he wants. - Correct. 00:45.100 --> 00:45.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Sir. - Thank you for coming. 00:45.933 --> 00:46.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Welcome to Austin. 00:46.800 --> 00:48.366 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% - [Mike] Thank you. 00:48.366 --> 00:51.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I really appreciate the series of interviews 00:51.800 --> 00:53.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% with people from the New York Times, 'cause it's 00:53.833 --> 00:56.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% giving us more insight. 00:56.100 --> 00:58.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And thanks for having the series here. 00:59.766 --> 01:02.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% When I read the article this morning, I was wondering 01:02.700 --> 01:07.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% why you and Maggie Haber added the stuff about 01:07.400 --> 01:12.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the internal drama and intrigue, rather than just 01:12.133 --> 01:15.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% sticking with the top three quarters? 01:15.866 --> 01:17.333 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - That context? 01:17.333 --> 01:20.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I think that to understand what's going on inside 01:20.100 --> 01:22.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the White House, and what people are telling the president, 01:22.900 --> 01:26.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and how that may be impacting his decisions are as 01:26.866 --> 01:29.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% important as the simple fact of him going out and looking 01:29.666 --> 01:31.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% for a new lawyer. 01:31.133 --> 01:34.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I think that the more sunlight that we can bring to that, 01:34.033 --> 01:36.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the more that we understand the president, what may 01:36.400 --> 01:38.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% be motivating him, and what may be going on. 01:38.800 --> 01:41.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% One of the things that goes on with the president, that 01:41.733 --> 01:45.866 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% we try and capture is that he will speak with anyone, 01:45.866 --> 01:47.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% take advice from anyone, and has a lot of friends, 01:47.933 --> 01:49.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and spends a lot of time on the phone. 01:49.600 --> 01:53.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% He would, whether it's someone that was a security guard, 01:53.200 --> 01:55.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% or someone that he's known in business for 25 years, 01:55.666 --> 01:56.900 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% he will listen to them. 01:56.900 --> 01:58.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And those people have an enormous amount 01:58.166 --> 02:00.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of influence on him, in a way that 02:00.166 --> 02:02.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% previous presidents probably relied more on 02:02.333 --> 02:03.633 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% the staff around them. 02:03.633 --> 02:05.766 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Do we know more about the palace intrigue 02:05.766 --> 02:07.266 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% in this administration? 02:07.266 --> 02:09.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Do we know more about the principles, the players? 02:09.933 --> 02:14.933 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I'm remembering that chance meal at BLT Prime, 02:16.266 --> 02:17.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that Ken Vogel, your colleague at the Times had, 02:17.766 --> 02:19.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and he's sitting there having lunch and looks over 02:19.966 --> 02:22.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and there's John Dowd and Ty Cobb having lunch, 02:22.300 --> 02:25.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% talking about the president, in full view, 02:25.166 --> 02:29.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and more importantly in full ear, of anybody who could be 02:29.133 --> 02:30.633 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% sitting there having... 02:30.633 --> 02:32.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And so, like, Vogel's like, do-de-do, do-de-do, do-de-do. 02:32.833 --> 02:35.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You know like, gets out his phone, does one of these deals 02:35.133 --> 02:36.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and takes a picture. 02:36.533 --> 02:38.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I mean, I feel like these guys have all been 02:38.433 --> 02:40.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% characters in the play, and I don't know that in 02:40.433 --> 02:42.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% previous administrations we've known the characters 02:42.833 --> 02:44.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% as well as we know these characters. 02:44.300 --> 02:46.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - I think that people tend to emulate their boss, 02:46.833 --> 02:50.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and this is a boss who likes drama, and he likes conflict, 02:50.366 --> 02:53.233 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and because of that, you learn a lot about them. 02:53.233 --> 02:55.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - The fish emotes from the head down. 02:55.000 --> 02:56.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Correct. - Sorta how it goes. 02:56.066 --> 02:57.466 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Okay, ma'am. 02:57.466 --> 03:01.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Hi, a lot of the articles lately, seem to be 03:01.900 --> 03:04.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% co-written, like you're doing with Maggie. 03:05.566 --> 03:08.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Could you talk just, if it doesn't take long, 03:08.266 --> 03:11.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% a little bit about the process, about who does what, 03:11.666 --> 03:14.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% who writes what, and how the final product evolves? 03:14.766 --> 03:16.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - It's a great, I love process questions. 03:16.366 --> 03:17.833 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Good. 03:17.833 --> 03:20.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - I think in journalism, when you're working on a story, 03:20.633 --> 03:22.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% one plus one equals three. 03:22.500 --> 03:25.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You can move at a much faster pace working 03:25.366 --> 03:26.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% with someone else. 03:26.833 --> 03:31.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And given the amount of pressure and competition 03:31.533 --> 03:35.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that we have, we need to move as quickly as possible. 03:35.200 --> 03:37.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And it enables us to move very quickly. 03:37.166 --> 03:40.166 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% One thing that is a huge, sort of, technology changer 03:40.166 --> 03:42.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% for us, that's a big deal, is Google Docs, 03:42.866 --> 03:46.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because we're able to all work in the same file, 03:46.300 --> 03:47.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% on the same thing, at the same time. 03:47.900 --> 03:49.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We're not passing drafts back and forth, 03:49.566 --> 03:51.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% we're doing it together. 03:51.033 --> 03:53.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Recently we were all, there was like, three or four 03:53.466 --> 03:56.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% reporters in a Google Doc, writing separate parts 03:56.366 --> 03:59.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of the story while it was being edited. 03:59.033 --> 04:03.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And that just enables us to go at a speed, 04:03.900 --> 04:06.566 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and to work more quickly. 04:06.566 --> 04:08.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The other thing is that we all have different sources, 04:08.633 --> 04:12.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% and if you're really doing this the right way, 04:12.033 --> 04:14.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% you're using folks from here to find out what's going on 04:14.466 --> 04:16.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% over here, to playing over here, to get to there. 04:16.666 --> 04:19.966 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And, if you have someone like Maggie, it's kinda like 04:19.966 --> 04:22.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% if you're playing baseball and you have a great hitter 04:22.566 --> 04:24.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% hitting behind you. 04:24.033 --> 04:25.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% They, you know, she makes you look a lot better 04:25.466 --> 04:27.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% because she can take the dribs and drabs that you have 04:27.833 --> 04:29.266 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and turn them into text. 04:29.266 --> 04:30.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Is she the best sourced of the group of you? 04:30.733 --> 04:32.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Definitely, and she understands the president 04:32.233 --> 04:33.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% better than anyone else in Washington. 04:33.666 --> 04:35.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Well he called her a Hillary flunky today, which, 04:35.900 --> 04:38.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% whatever the criticisms of Maggie Haberman can be, 04:38.533 --> 04:42.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% the Hillary people might take issue with the suggestion 04:42.333 --> 04:45.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% that she somehow is carrying Secretary Clinton's water. 04:45.766 --> 04:48.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I mean, so, well anyway, Maggie has become 04:48.900 --> 04:50.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% kind of a character. 04:50.133 --> 04:51.866 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - Totally, and she deserves every, 04:51.866 --> 04:53.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - In, in her own way. - every amount of praise... 04:53.533 --> 04:55.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Is there a literal division of labor? 04:55.800 --> 04:58.466 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You know, it's like, I write, you do this? 04:58.466 --> 05:01.366 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Sometimes one of us writes, sometimes, you know, 05:01.366 --> 05:03.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% it goes back and forth. 05:03.333 --> 05:07.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% If it's usually your, you started with the tip, 05:07.133 --> 05:09.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and you usually would take the lead. 05:09.100 --> 05:09.933 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% - Yeah. - But, you do go 05:09.933 --> 05:11.400 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% back and forth. 05:11.400 --> 05:12.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% You know, we were doing this yesterday on this story. 05:12.900 --> 05:14.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - You all have pride of authorship and ownership, 05:14.400 --> 05:16.066 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% regardless of who did what. 05:16.066 --> 05:17.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - Yeah, at the end of the day, our names are in the story. 05:17.766 --> 05:19.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - And you own it. - Correct. 05:19.400 --> 05:20.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - More importantly, you own it. 05:20.733 --> 05:22.233 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Sir. 05:22.233 --> 05:23.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - What political issue did you care the most about 05:23.833 --> 05:24.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% these days, and why? 05:26.266 --> 05:29.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - In terms of politics, I'm not like, I don't wake up 05:29.000 --> 05:31.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% in the morning thinking like, oh, man, like, you know, 05:31.533 --> 05:34.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% immigration is something that I'm, you know. 05:34.300 --> 05:36.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I'm just really just trying to figure out what 05:36.400 --> 05:39.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Bob Mueller is doing, and how that relates to the president. 05:39.700 --> 05:42.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And that's just sort of the day to day mission 05:42.333 --> 05:43.800 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% that I have. 05:43.800 --> 05:45.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I don't have like, I'm not sitting around worried 05:45.733 --> 05:47.933 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% about the taxes. 05:47.933 --> 05:49.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I actually don't even focus a lot on the policy 05:49.666 --> 05:51.166 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% of my coverage. 05:51.166 --> 05:53.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's just simply just trying to figure out what's going on. 05:53.566 --> 05:55.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Where's this investigation headed? 05:55.300 --> 05:56.700 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% How serious is it? 05:56.700 --> 05:58.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% What has the president done in the past? 05:58.800 --> 06:00.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% What does that mean, and how can we get 06:00.333 --> 06:01.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% that in the newspaper? 06:01.800 --> 06:03.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% - But of course, I'd come back to the fact that 06:03.300 --> 06:04.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% before there was a Trump beat, formal or informal, 06:04.633 --> 06:07.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% your vertical focus was federal law enforcement 06:07.500 --> 06:09.066 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and national security. 06:09.066 --> 06:10.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Now those things have become the Trump beat 06:10.933 --> 06:13.733 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% by virtue of the Mueller investigation and everything else, 06:13.733 --> 06:16.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but those are the things that still kind of motivate 06:16.566 --> 06:18.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and drive you, right? 06:18.033 --> 06:19.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% That's kind of the angle that you come at this from. 06:19.100 --> 06:20.366 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% - Correct. - You're not a 06:20.366 --> 06:21.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% political reporter as far as it goes? 06:21.300 --> 06:22.800 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - Correct, no. 06:22.800 --> 06:24.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I'm a national security reporter, covered the FBI 06:24.600 --> 06:26.600 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% for five years, covered the Pentagon for a year, 06:26.600 --> 06:28.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% or four or five, whatever. 06:28.000 --> 06:31.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And it, that's the stuff that I've focused on, 06:31.066 --> 06:32.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and tried to understand best. 06:32.533 --> 06:35.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And I find most interesting at this point. 06:35.600 --> 06:37.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - You looking forward to the Comey book? 06:37.733 --> 06:38.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% (laughs) 06:38.966 --> 06:40.566 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Comey. 06:40.566 --> 06:42.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Sure, it'll be interesting. 06:42.000 --> 06:43.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% - Comey, he said with a laugh. 06:43.266 --> 06:44.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Everybody tweet that. 06:44.333 --> 06:46.633 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience laughs) 06:46.633 --> 06:49.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% I mean, you think you're gonna learn anything? 06:49.366 --> 06:50.900 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% - I don't know. 06:50.900 --> 06:53.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% In a sense, you had Comey for several hours in front 06:53.133 --> 06:55.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of the Senate last summer, in which we learned 06:55.433 --> 06:56.866 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% an enormous amount. 06:56.866 --> 07:00.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Is there more there in more details? 07:00.000 --> 07:00.900 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% I'm not sure. 07:00.900 --> 07:02.000 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% - Okay. 07:02.000 --> 07:03.266 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Let's let Mike Schmidt... 07:03.266 --> 07:04.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% You're hopping a plan back to New York today? 07:04.533 --> 07:05.666 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% - I am. - Hop a plane back. 07:05.666 --> 07:06.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (audience applauds) 07:06.833 --> 07:08.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Give him a big hand. Thank you all. 07:08.000 --> 07:09.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Thanks for sticking with us today. 07:09.166 --> 07:10.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% We'll see you again soon. 07:10.400 --> 07:11.233 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% All right.