Michael Barbaro

You're getting at something that I now want to turn to, which is a phrase that's in the title of one of these books by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which is the word cover-up. The implication being that Biden's decline was intentionally hidden from the public until it became impossible not to see and discuss it. during the first debate he had with Trump. I mean, what do we make of that word?

Does it feel like the right word? If it's not the right word, then what is the right word for what essentially was going on here?

Does it feel like the right word? If it's not the right word, then what is the right word for what essentially was going on here?

Reid, whether or not this is a cover-up or strong-arming or some form of very willful ignorance, it's all the revelations and details we're talking about here, coming out over the past week or so, that lead several high-profile Democrats to start to talk more openly, largely because they're being asked by reporters, but they start to talk more openly about...

Reid, whether or not this is a cover-up or strong-arming or some form of very willful ignorance, it's all the revelations and details we're talking about here, coming out over the past week or so, that lead several high-profile Democrats to start to talk more openly, largely because they're being asked by reporters, but they start to talk more openly about...

You know, we saw Pete Buttigieg made his return to sort of the political sphere. He did a town hall event in Iowa, of all places. And he did a town hall event in Iowa, of all places.

You know, we saw Pete Buttigieg made his return to sort of the political sphere. He did a town hall event in Iowa, of all places. And he did a town hall event in Iowa, of all places.

Before you go any further, why does it matter to the degree that it does that leading Democrats, and you use the word ambitious, and perhaps these are folks who see themselves as the next party leader president, why is it important or is it that they are saying this at all, even if they're saying it rather late?

Before you go any further, why does it matter to the degree that it does that leading Democrats, and you use the word ambitious, and perhaps these are folks who see themselves as the next party leader president, why is it important or is it that they are saying this at all, even if they're saying it rather late?

But it's a reason.

But it's a reason.

Well, we're going to go to break. And when we come back, we're going to talk about, Lisa, what you just started to mention, which is the manner in which the Trump administration decided to try to put its thumb on the scale of this moment and all the questions around Biden's decision to run for a second term and his legacy, which is the audio that was leaked in the past couple of days.

Well, we're going to go to break. And when we come back, we're going to talk about, Lisa, what you just started to mention, which is the manner in which the Trump administration decided to try to put its thumb on the scale of this moment and all the questions around Biden's decision to run for a second term and his legacy, which is the audio that was leaked in the past couple of days.

We'll do that right after the break. Lisa, Reid, Tyler, welcome back. We had understood for quite some time that when President Biden sat down with the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents after he left his role as vice president, that the interview did not go all that well.

We'll do that right after the break. Lisa, Reid, Tyler, welcome back. We had understood for quite some time that when President Biden sat down with the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents after he left his role as vice president, that the interview did not go all that well.

We knew that because the special counsel wrote a report in which he said it did not go very well for Joe Biden. But Tyler, I want you to explain why we just heard this audio at all.

We knew that because the special counsel wrote a report in which he said it did not go very well for Joe Biden. But Tyler, I want you to explain why we just heard this audio at all.

Is it clear that the Trump administration recognized that this was a moment that was fertile because of the books and the debate and the entire reexamination going on within the Democratic Party? Is that what happened here?

Is it clear that the Trump administration recognized that this was a moment that was fertile because of the books and the debate and the entire reexamination going on within the Democratic Party? Is that what happened here?

And Lisa, you've actually listened, I believe, to the entire five hours of this recording. And I'm curious what your experience of it was.