Stephen A. Smith

I mean, the New York Times is the only major publication in the country that is independent in that sense. You know, the Murdoch Press, for all the many problems I have with them, are at least in the news business in a real way and have some experience in dealing with power and not just caving.

I mean, the New York Times is the only major publication in the country that is independent in that sense. You know, the Murdoch Press, for all the many problems I have with them, are at least in the news business in a real way and have some experience in dealing with power and not just caving.

And then lots of smaller outlets like ours, like yours and mine, and if the Trump administration decided to try to damage your business and go after your advertisers, it could probably do a lot of damage. But you're not dealing with a sister company that is heavily regulated.

And then lots of smaller outlets like ours, like yours and mine, and if the Trump administration decided to try to damage your business and go after your advertisers, it could probably do a lot of damage. But you're not dealing with a sister company that is heavily regulated.

And I think that, to me, is actually kind of the scary thing, is the way in which ownership is really being brought to bear for the first time in my career.

And I think that, to me, is actually kind of the scary thing, is the way in which ownership is really being brought to bear for the first time in my career.

It is – there's just this ultimate irony that like the ABC settlement actually goes to the Trump Library where it won't ever be built. It's going to be in Newt Greenland. That's right. Or it could be in Gaza.

It is – there's just this ultimate irony that like the ABC settlement actually goes to the Trump Library where it won't ever be built. It's going to be in Newt Greenland. That's right. Or it could be in Gaza.

Somebody in Trump's orbit described it to me as the Trump Library and Casino.

Somebody in Trump's orbit described it to me as the Trump Library and Casino.

I'm sure that is the case, or an amusement park or whatever else it'll be. But it's just there's a tremendous irony. So Walt Disney and ABC have given Trump money for the library. If Paramount settles his suit, CBS will give Trump money for his library. Mark Zuckerberg just settled a suit with Facebook against Trump that will go to the library.

I'm sure that is the case, or an amusement park or whatever else it'll be. But it's just there's a tremendous irony. So Walt Disney and ABC have given Trump money for the library. If Paramount settles his suit, CBS will give Trump money for his library. Mark Zuckerberg just settled a suit with Facebook against Trump that will go to the library.

And Trump is going to end up with a library built by the legacy media and big tech. It's just sort of a wild thing.

And Trump is going to end up with a library built by the legacy media and big tech. It's just sort of a wild thing.

You see why he finds that really satisfying.

You see why he finds that really satisfying.

I can imagine. I can imagine that he's quite satisfied to him. In the first Trump term, fact-checking was a very important part of how the press was thinking about holding Trump accountable, right? He is telling all these lies. It is our job to sort reality for our readers. We're going to fact-check him. We're going to do it. Bring on people like Daniel Dale and CNN right afterwards. And it –

I can imagine. I can imagine that he's quite satisfied to him. In the first Trump term, fact-checking was a very important part of how the press was thinking about holding Trump accountable, right? He is telling all these lies. It is our job to sort reality for our readers. We're going to fact-check him. We're going to do it. Bring on people like Daniel Dale and CNN right afterwards. And it –

I'm curious how that's going to happen this time. Here, I want to have you listen to this clip from Trump's recent press conference where Peter Alexander tries to question the reality of what Trump just said. Let's take a listen.

I'm curious how that's going to happen this time. Here, I want to have you listen to this clip from Trump's recent press conference where Peter Alexander tries to question the reality of what Trump just said. Let's take a listen.