Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone and Eugene

Podcast: The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
Host: Nicolle Wallace (A), with Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels (B)
Episode Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special preview episode, Nicolle Wallace introduces the dynamic new show “Clock It” with co-hosts Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels. The conversation highlights their years-long relationship, their journey from opposing sides of the White House press-political divide to close colleagues, and their vision for “Clock It”: a show dissecting the intersection of politics and pop culture. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding not just what’s happening in political spheres, but how those events spill over into everyday culture—on the football field, the runway, and particularly, the ever-shifting landscape of social media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hosts’ Unique History & Chemistry

Symone and Eugene’s Background: Nicolle Wallace and Symone Sanders Townsend reminisce about their decade-long collaboration, with Symone’s strategic background in Democratic politics.
From White House Adversaries to Colleagues: Eugene and Symone reflect on how their once oppositional roles—Eugene as a White House reporter and Symone as staffer—gave way to a collegial and fun professional partnership.
- Quote: “Now, instead of being at odds as White House reporter and White House staffer, we're friends and colleagues dissecting what comes across our feed. Just like everybody else.” —Nicolle Wallace (A) [00:21]

2. From Traditional Politics to Cultural Crossroads

Show’s Angle: “Clock It” is envisioned as a show for people who live at the intersection of politics and pop culture, not just tracking what happens in the White House, but also how power and influence play out in surprising places.
- Quote: “While most political coverage is focused on the White House or the Hill, the real political games are being played outside on football fields, on the runways, and on TikTok.” —Nicolle Wallace (A) [01:09]
Politicians & Pop Culture: The hosts note the increasing trend of politicians borrowing cultural touchstones—music, slang, fashion—to boost their image and relatability.
- Memorable Moment: Eugene quips about politicians’ superhero-like appearances: “Superhero esque, very Tony Stark…He’s hopping out of the government vehicles.” —Eugene Daniels (B) [00:53–01:05]

3. The War for Narrative

Hijacking Culture: They plan to expose who is manipulating cultural trends for political gain, and to what effect.
- Quote: “We're positioning ourselves at the intersection of culture and politics so we can report back to you who's hijacking what for what reason, and precisely how much any of it matters.” —Eugene Daniels (B) [01:33]
Staying Informed: The hosts’ mission is to empower listeners to see through spin and “clock” what’s really going on around them.
- Quote: “Clock it is where we talk about what we see and hear in the news. So you can start to clock it too.” —Nicolle Wallace (A) [01:49]

4. Social Media Influence

Viral Reactions: The hosts reference Sabrina Carpenter’s response to a viral video as an example of how social media reactions can quickly become part of political and cultural conversations.
- Quote: “Okay, Sabrina Carpenter saw this, tweeted. This video is evil and disgusting.” —Eugene Daniels (B) [01:19]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

[00:21] Nicolle Wallace: “Now, instead of being at odds as White House reporter and White House staffer, we're friends and colleagues dissecting what comes across our feed. Just like everybody else.”
[00:53] Eugene Daniels: “Putting out where he look. Superhero esque, very Tony Stark. It's giving Tony Stark. He's hopping out of the government vehicles.”
[01:09] Nicolle Wallace: “While most political coverage is focused on the White House or the Hill, the real political games are being played outside on football fields, on the runways, and on TikTok.”
[01:19] Eugene Daniels: “Okay, Sabrina Carpenter saw this, tweeted. This video is evil and disgusting.”
[01:33] Eugene Daniels: “We're positioning ourselves at the intersection of culture and politics so we can report back to you who's hijacking what for what reason, and precisely how much any of it matters.”
[01:49] Nicolle Wallace: “Clock it is where we talk about what we see and hear in the news. So you can start to clock it too.”

Segment Timestamps

[00:00–00:20] Introductions and the hosts’ backgrounds
[00:21–00:40] Transition from opposition to collaboration
[00:41–01:09] The premise of “Clock It” and focus on politics and pop culture
[01:10–01:49] Examples of crossover between politics and culture; social media’s influence
[01:50–End] Announcement of show launch and premium offering

Summary

This episode introduces listeners to “Clock It”—a sharp, witty, and culturally fluent show committed to helping people make sense of the ever-blurring lines between politics and culture. Hosted by insiders-turned-truthtellers Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels, “Clock It” promises deep dives into how power is performed and perceived, both in government and in the cultural arena. The preview showcases the hosts’ depth of experience, playful rapport, and commitment to giving audiences tools to “clock” the realities that shape our world.

New episodes premiere every Thursday, starting February 12.

Note: Advertisements and promotional sections after [01:58] have been omitted from this summary.

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Transcript13 lines

[00:02]
A
Simone Sanders Townsend and I have known each other for more than a decade, since she was the strategic mind behind the country's top Democrats.
[00:10]
B
Y' all want to hear from Bernie Sanders. Back in the day, Eugene Daniels and I sometimes disagreed. He was, after all, reporting on my then boss, Vice President Kamala Harris.
[00:21]
A
And honestly, when you talk to people in the White House, people are starting to feel a little bit more pessimistic. And now, instead of being at odds as White House reporter and White House staffer, we're friends and colleagues dissecting what comes across our feed. Just like everybody else. This is people who are getting paid with taxpayer dollars.
[00:37]
B
He's out of taxpayer dollars. It's corny. It's corny and it's trolling and it's not funny.
[00:41]
A
Yeah.
[00:42]
B
And we'll continue to stay on top of political news, but we'll cover much more in a new show, Ms. Now presents. Clockin. We get along so well because we are both fluent in politics and culture. When we're not mic'd up for tv, we're talking about how politicians are stealing music and slang and aesthetics to make themselves seem powerful and relevant. Putting out where he look. Superhero esque, very Tony Stark. It's giving Tony Stark. He's hopping out of the government vehicles.
[01:09]
A
Because while most political coverage is focused on the White House or the Hill, the real political games are being played outside on football fields, on the runways, and on TikTok.
[01:19]
B
Okay, Sabrina Carpenter saw this, tweeted. This video is evil and disgusting. And to fight back in this crazy world, to win the war of ideas and the war for what's right, the people need to know exactly what's going on.
[01:33]
A
They gotta clock it.
[01:34]
B
Come on. Ms. Now presents Clock it. We're positioning ourselves at the intersection of culture and politics so we can report back to you who's hijacking what for what reason, and precisely how much any of it matters.
[01:49]
A
Clock it is where we talk about what we see and hear in the news. So you can start to clock it too. New episodes drop every Thursday starting February 12th.
[01:58]
B
And sign up for Ms. Now premium on Apple podcasts so you can listen to all the good stuff without ads. We'll even be dropping some VIP bonus content. Just four subscribers now. Clock that. Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kids legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids.
[02:37]
A
We only met a month ago. Angie, the one you trust. Define the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects at Angie Combination.