Jim Acosta Challenges Trump to a Sit-Down

Summary

The Daily Beast Podcast: "Jim Acosta Challenges Trump to a Sit-Down"
Release Date: February 20, 2025

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Introduction and Hosts' Banter
Timestamp: [01:33] - [07:09]

The episode kicks off with co-hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee engaging in their characteristic light-hearted banter. They discuss their outfits for the episode, highlighting a playful argument over Samantha's cardigan print—with Joanna suspecting it to be a giraffe pattern and Samantha affirming it's a cheetah print (02:00). Their conversation gradually shifts to topics of survival and preparedness. Joanna shares a humorous anecdote about her "prepper bag" from the 2016 election, filled with moth-eaten rice crackers and tins of tuna, emphasizing her belief in being prepared for any situation (05:37). Samantha complements this by mentioning her multiple "go bags" stocked with similar essentials, reinforcing the hosts' personas as resourceful and resilient individuals (06:51).

Highlighting the Current Media Landscape
Timestamp: [07:09] - [22:33]

Joanna introduces the "Beast of the Week," Jim Acosta, lauding his tenure as CNN's White House correspondent and his reputation for challenging presidents, especially Donald Trump. They briefly touch upon Acosta's recent departure from CNN to pursue independent journalism, hinting at upcoming discussions about his new ventures (07:09). The hosts share their excitement about the interview, with Joanna expressing curiosity about Acosta's experiences covering both Trump and Biden (08:05). The conversation veers into discussions about Melania Trump's potential documentary, mocking the corporate influences in the fashion industry and media (09:41). Joanna and Samantha engage in a humorous role-play imagining a dialogue between Melania and Jeff Bezos, critiquing the commercialization of influential figures (12:50). The segment concludes with light-hearted jokes about fashion choices and preparations for the upcoming interview with Acosta (17:34).

Introduction of Jim Acosta
Timestamp: [22:33] - [25:11]

The podcast transitions seamlessly to the main interview segment as Joanna and Samantha welcome Jim Acosta. Joanna provides a comprehensive overview of Acosta's career, highlighting his confrontations with Trump and his commitment to journalistic integrity. She mentions Acosta's recent farewell message urging listeners not to succumb to lies, setting the stage for a candid discussion (25:11).

Interview with Jim Acosta
Timestamp: [25:11] - [48:32]

a. Departure from CNN and Starting Independent Journalism
Jim Acosta begins by clarifying his new role as an independent journalist. He discusses his decision to leave CNN amidst the turbulent political climate, emphasizing his dedication to truth-telling without the constraints of a major network (26:35). Acosta expresses his hope that his independent platform will address the overwhelming influx of misinformation and provide clear, unvarnished news coverage (27:34).

b. Challenges Facing Media and Press Freedom
Acosta delves into the current threats to press freedom, particularly focusing on how the Trump administration has handled dissenting media voices. He recounts specific instances, such as the revocation of his press pass and the targeted harassment of the Associated Press for factual reporting (32:49). Acosta argues for collective action among journalists, suggesting legal challenges and strategic non-cooperation with the administration to uphold journalistic standards (33:08).

c. Covering Trump and Biden’s Presidencies
Comparing his experiences covering Trump's first and second presidencies, Acosta highlights a more aggressive assault on democracy in the current term. He critiques Trump's handling of the January 6th insurrection pardons and the perceived delegation of presidential duties to corporate figures like Elon Musk (35:55). Joanna raises questions about Acosta's perceptions of Biden's administration, to which Acosta responds by emphasizing the persistent challenges and threats to democratic institutions (35:55).

d. Current Political Climate and Recommendations for Press
Acosta discusses the rising influence of figures like Elon Musk in governmental roles and the implications for media independence. He suggests that traditional media must resist being co-opted by populist agendas and continue to hold power to account. Acosta also touches on the role of social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) in spreading propaganda, advocating for a united front among independent media outlets to combat misinformation (42:34).

e. Media’s Role in Truth-Telling and Democracy
Throughout the interview, Acosta underscores the importance of media integrity in maintaining democracy. He proposes the formation of a "NATO alliance for the truth," calling for a coalition of media professionals committed to factual reporting and decency. Acosta shares personal anecdotes about his interactions with revered journalists like April Ryan, illustrating the enduring value of respectful and courageous journalism (45:03).

Conclusion of the Interview
As the interview wraps up, Joanna and Samantha express their gratitude to Acosta for his insights and resilience. Acosta hints at future topics and encourages continued vigilance and integrity in journalism. The conversation ends on a humorous note with playful banter about fitness and appearance, maintaining the episode's engaging and personable tone (48:19).

Final Segment and Teasers
Timestamp: [48:32] - [70:02]

Post-interview, the hosts briefly mention upcoming segments, including a discussion with Ben Sherwood about air travel safety. The episode concludes with additional advertisements and sponsor messages, which are outside the scope of this summary.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jim Acosta on Press Freedom:
  "[He] considers himself an independent journalist now... There's so much news going on. There's just no time for bullshit." (26:35)

• Jim Acosta on Trump's Media Tactics:
  "Donald Trump was knocked out of his shoes in Butler, Pennsylvania, which slip on shoes because those are not tied tightly around his feet." (57:40)

• Jim Acosta on Media Integrity:
  "The American way of life... We cannot have a situation in this country where the White House is going after the press because they refuse to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America." (32:36)

• Jim Acosta on Survival:
  "The chance of dying on your next airplane flight... is 1 in 25 million." (56:57)

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Key Insights and Conclusions:

• Media Independence: Jim Acosta's transition to independent journalism highlights the growing need for unbiased news sources free from corporate and political pressures.

• Press Freedom Under Threat: The discussion underscores the increasing challenges journalists face in maintaining integrity and objectivity, especially under administrations that actively undermine the media.

• Survival and Preparedness: The preliminary conversation between the hosts serves as a metaphor for navigating the chaotic media landscape, emphasizing the importance of being prepared and resilient.

• Future of Journalism: Acosta advocates for a unified front among media professionals to safeguard truth and democracy, suggesting collaborative efforts akin to strategic alliances.

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Overall, this episode of The Daily Beast Podcast offers an in-depth exploration of current media challenges through the lens of Jim Acosta's experiences and perspectives. The blend of serious discourse with the hosts' engaging banter provides a comprehensive and relatable narrative for listeners navigating the complexities of modern journalism and political reporting.

Transcript

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[Joanna Coles]

Welcome to the Daily Beast podcast. I'm Joanna Coles, chief content officer of the Daily Beast.

[Samantha Bee]

And I am Samantha Bee, chief operating officer of the Melania K. Trump center for the Performing Arts in beautiful Washington.

[Joanna Coles]

D.C. are you gonna do a gig there?

[Samantha Bee]

Am I going to do a gig there? Absolutely not. All forthcoming invitations, I think, have been rescinded.

[Joanna Coles]

I think before we go anywhere else, I just need to discuss the print on your cardigan and ask, what animal is that? Is it giraffe?

[Samantha Bee]

Obviously, it's a very rare polyester cheetah, that Polyester cheetah.

[Joanna Coles]

They can run faster than regular cheetah.

[Samantha Bee]

They're so slippery and aerodynamic. I did remark just before we started recording that our outfits clash as hard as two outfits can clash.

[Joanna Coles]

They're clashing. They're making noises, actually, for people who can't hear. We're both in the studio. They're actually screaming at each other.

[Samantha Bee]

It's so cold here. We're looking into our closets and going, what can I come up with today? I need to live.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, I am dressed up today because I am wounded by comments which said I looked homeless because I Wore a hoodie with a blazer.

[Samantha Bee]

The blazer, yeah.

[Joanna Coles]

And actually it was a cashmere hoodie from Bloomingdale.

[Samantha Bee]

That is a classic combination. I don't understand.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah. What do you mean you don't understand? How can you not understand? It's the most fantastic combination.

[Samantha Bee]

No, no, I'm saying I don't understand the negativity.

[Joanna Coles]

Oh, then. Well, it just said I looked aimless, so. Point taken.

[Samantha Bee]

Wow.

[Joanna Coles]

I'm now wearing an etre jacket, which is smart and which I got in the sale. I like to get my Etro jackets because they are very expensive.

[Samantha Bee]

That's very. A very smart jacket. I do. You know, I took a lot of flack over the years on full frontal for a lot of my different jackets. And I got called Sergeant Pepper a lot of times.

[Joanna Coles]

Sergeant Pepper.

[Samantha Bee]

Once you try to do something different, everybody just goes bonkers.

[Joanna Coles]

They do.

[Samantha Bee]

Today I'm doing a lot different because I hate everything in my closet and I want to take a flamethrower and burrow.

[Joanna Coles]

Now, don't do that. I'll come in and burrow through your closet. I'll find things in there. But we've got so much to discuss. I mean, it's just coming at us and everyone week. Obviously. We talk about the people and the stories that we're all obsessed with. And this week in the Download, where we dive into some of the best Beast stories, we're talking to our very own CEO of the Daily Beast, Ben Sherwood, about this recent trend, straight from hell, the uptick in plane crashes. And Ben is not only my partner at the Beast, he's the author of a book called the Survivors Club. Timely. Timely in so many ways. Are we going to survive America? Because he's going to reveal to us from his book the number one thing you can do to survive a plane crash.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, my God. I need to know that so badly. That plane crash in Toronto hit me very close to home.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, that was scary. And also the way it flipped upside down and then the flames poured out of the bag.

[Samantha Bee]

I know, but I was impart. You know what I was like, if ever there was going to be a crash at Pearson International Airport. Where from I hail. Touch wood. Hope it never happens again. And everybody was belted in and safe and nobody was really overly injured. And so I'm very glad for that. Everybody listening to their following the rules. A plane from Minneapolis going to Toronto.

[Joanna Coles]

Everybody's belted in. Everybody's belted in.

[Samantha Bee]

Everybody's belted in.

[Joanna Coles]

But I want to know they're doing the brace position. I'm sure. I don't mean to make light of it because actually two people were critically injured, I think.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay, well then scrap everything I just said. It's terrible, girls.

[Joanna Coles]

You're just a faultless bitch.

[Samantha Bee]

God, God, you know what? But I do, I'm so excited to talk about any survival because I feel like I read a lot of survival things, of course, little handbooks. I'm always like, how do you start a fire again when you don't have any matches? And I feel, and I said in our, in our comment thread this morning that I feel that you and I are two scrappy rats. We can, we're.

[Joanna Coles]

We can survive anything. Did I tell you about my prepper bag at the last election? I can't remember if I told you this 2016.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes.

[Joanna Coles]

Election. I got sort of involved in this group called the East Village Preppers. They sor. Co opted me and they were like, you must have a bag with food. It's coming. So they were like, you need $5,000 in singles. I mean, who even has cash anymore? And so I put this bag together. I thought, well, just in case they're right. Put this bag together. And then about two months ago, I found the bag and it was full of moth eaten rice crackers and rice cakes and it was just horrible. And then tons of tins of tuna, which of course are perfect. Cause I'm a huge believer in hoarding tins of tuna in case of the apocalypse.

[Samantha Bee]

I. You know what? This is why we do a podcast together. Because I have multiple go bags in my home.

[Joanna Coles]

Of course you do.

[Samantha Bee]

And they're honest to Christ, filled with tuna.

[Joanna Coles]

I know. It's like tuna is. It's a superpower. Having a tin of tuna is a superpower at all times.

[Samantha Bee]

I thought the tins were too heavy and I didn't want to lug them for the hundreds and hundreds of miles it would take to hike to Canada. So I got little Seth.

[Joanna Coles]

I was going to say I have sachets of tuna. I have tins of tuna. I have big cans of mackerel. It's just like fish, bony fish, oily fish. It's very, very good.

[Samantha Bee]

And I have a bonesa in case I need to kill every single person on the way to Canada.

[Joanna Coles]

I have a bone saw.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, I have so many weapons in it anyway, so interesting.

[Joanna Coles]

Okay, Moving swiftly on, just to let people know, we have a beast of the week and the unshakable, unflinching former CNN anchor turned independent media entrepreneur, Jim Acosta. Who clearly has very stiff knees because he's refused to bend them.

[Samantha Bee]

They are locked.

[Joanna Coles]

They are locked. As CNN's White House correspondent, he made headlines grilling presidents, clashing with Trump and getting his press pass temporarily revoked for asking too many inconvenient questions. And in 2021, he took over as CNN's chief domestic correspondent and anchor. But after nearly two decades at the network, he walked away turning down a late night time slot. And he's gonna be here to tell us what he's doing now.

[Samantha Bee]

I'm so excited to speak with him. I've never spoken to him before. We've never met.

[Joanna Coles]

I haven't met him either. I have watched his new show.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay, great.

[Joanna Coles]

And I am curious. I really want to ask him about what it was like actually covering Biden as much as it was covering Trump, because Trump, for all his faults, is ever present. Biden was never present.

[Samantha Bee]

Right, right. Well, I want to ask him what it's like when he's just casually taking an airplane somewhere and they need to do a passport check and they announce his name to the entire airport looking for him. I just wonder how many people look up and give him the evil eye. Cause I was just in Florida, so I got the evil eye a lot.

[Joanna Coles]

We can ask him that. But first I think we need to discuss Melania.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, sure.

[Joanna Coles]

Will Melania be on the COVID of Vogue? I was very intrigued by Amy o' Dell's excellent substack where she chronicles in myopic detail the fashion world and in particular the comings and goings of Vogue because she wrote a very good biography of Anna Wintour. But obviously the question on people's lips in fashion because they're all stepping forward to dress Melania now, not all of them, but many of them, is will Melania, like Jill Biden and Michelle Obama, grace the COVID of Folk?

[Samantha Bee]

My guess is yes. But what does the article mean? I mean, there's no one can know.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, I think the article points to the fact that Anna Winter was a huge fundraiser for the Democrats. And this is a problem. And she's taken Vogue very Democratic. And so if you're Melania, do you actually want to be on the COVID of Vogue? She was on the COVID when she got married to Donald Trump. In fact, Anna Winter helped make Melania, as she's helped make many, many dubious celebrities.

[Samantha Bee]

Is the feud between the two of them overstated or overblown? Do you know the nature of that? Because they obviously had a falling out. But it was a. Wasn't it before he became president. I don't really know much about the details of it.

[Joanna Coles]

I don't know the details either. But I'm just curious as to whether or not Vogue will pull itself into the center, knowing that the fashion industry is now leaning into Melania and also sort of stepping back from its somewhat superior position of we're not going to dress her, because the truth is, she is a fabulous clothes source. I mean, you may not like what she stands for, but in terms of showing off and out, you yourself got very excited over her skinny jeans look.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, I like that skinny jeans. The skinny jeans and the skinny jeans was good, but as we discussed with Isaac Mizrahi, we are in a paper doll situation, so I don't know. But, I mean, my guess is yes, because I don't know. Everybody's getting pulled into this orbit in one way or another, including Amazon making that documentary.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, let's discuss that. I mean, I was fascinated. Piece in the Wall Street Journal, which discusses how when Jeff Bezos goes down to Mar a Lago to bend his knee, Melania has dinner with him and raises the subject of her documentary, which she's excited to do. And then three weeks later, according to the Journal, Amazon coughs up 40 million.

[Samantha Bee]

$40 million.

[Joanna Coles]

$40 million.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, the level of grift is.

[Joanna Coles]

So can you just give us your impression of what it would be like to be Melania? I'll be Jeff Bezos, you be Melania. And you. Hello, Melania.

[Samantha Bee]

Hello, Jeff. I would like to make a documentary about my life and the transition into the White House of the Trump family. Not so much in the past. They're not doing anything about her, like, her life leading up to it. It's all about moving into the White House, what it's like to be in the spotlight.

[Joanna Coles]

I mean, literally, that's okay, but you're taking me out. You're out of character now. Because I want to respond as Jeff Bezos. Oh, yes, that sounds fascinating, Melan. I like the sound of it very much. I wonder if we could, in fact, come up with a line of clothes around the documentary. We could put Amazon fashion with that. We could do some supplements for you.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay. Big surprise, Jeff. Brett Ratner is already living next door. I will ask him.

[Joanna Coles]

I would love to invite Brett Ratner to, in fact, direct the documentary.

[Samantha Bee]

This sketch is very good.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, what's fascinating is Netflix and Apple. I think ref refused to bid for it.

[Samantha Bee]

Sure.

[Joanna Coles]

Disney offered. And again, according to the Journal, 15 million. And Jeff came in over the top. Just over the Top Melania. So we'll get back to our role play. Melania. I like this idea so much, I'm going to talk to our people at Amazon Originals and we're going to come back to you with an offer you cannot refuse.

[Samantha Bee]

The price is $40 million.

[Joanna Coles]

It's cheap.

[Samantha Bee]

My impression is getting worse over time. It's actually.

[Joanna Coles]

I think it's a special prime.

[Samantha Bee]

Good God.

[Joanna Coles]

They should make it only available.

[Samantha Bee]

It's going to be. How am I going to watch it without watching it in my own Amazon?

[Joanna Coles]

I'm gonna come and watch it with you. We're going to watch it together. And I'm going to bring vodka.

[Samantha Bee]

I will only watch a bootleg version of it. I will not watch it. I'm not going to give you able to avoid it.

[Joanna Coles]

I think they're going to blast it.

[Samantha Bee]

Of course they're going to. I can avoid. I can avoid anything. Joanna.

[Joanna Coles]

I don't think so. I think we're going to see the Kim John UN School of promotion for this particular documentary.

[Samantha Bee]

I'm not falling for it. I'm not weak.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, you say that now. What did you think of my impression of Jeff Bezos?

[Samantha Bee]

I thought it was really good.

[Joanna Coles]

Thank you.

[Samantha Bee]

That was really, really good.

[Joanna Coles]

Not bad at all, but not as good as yours. Okay. And then we've got the Pope getting sick.

[Samantha Bee]

I know the Oscar campaign for a conclave is out of control.

[Joanna Coles]

This is a campaign as good as Harvey Weinstein would do, even from a jail cell.

[Samantha Bee]

But I think I did. I feel okay making that joke because he apparently, he was up and doing meetings today.

[Joanna Coles]

Oh, well, I saw he was reading the newspapers yesterday, so I thought, well, he must be feeling better.

[Samantha Bee]

He must be. He's rebounding.

[Joanna Coles]

And he said that he wants his successor to have similar values to him and be, you know, speak for illegal immigrants as they, you know, as the war against them heats up.

[Samantha Bee]

Just ask me. Ask me directly Pope, and I'll do it.

[Joanna Coles]

I found conclave, which I quite enjoyed. 20 minutes too long. As I find everything.

[Samantha Bee]

I find everything to be 20 minutes. If not, it's 45 minutes too long.

[Joanna Coles]

Okay, you find it 45 minutes too long. It didn't have any women in it. They keep saying, oh, it's Stanley Tucci and Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini. Isabella Rossellini was in it for, like, less than four minutes. And everything she said was in service of the wannabe Popes.

[Samantha Bee]

You know what I am very good at in life and actually probably should have done this as a Career. If I really looking at things, I'm very good at editing time out of movies. I'm very good at editing television shows.

[Joanna Coles]

You could have taken a scalpel to this.

[Samantha Bee]

I think I would take a scalpel to just about God damn everything.

[Joanna Coles]

Excellent news.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes.

[Joanna Coles]

Can you take a scalpel to this jowlie bit around here?

[Samantha Bee]

I can't. That's the one scalpel I can't do. Look at this. Oh, it's just like a little change.

[Joanna Coles]

What we should do is have facelifts together and then we can do before and after on the podcast.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, I'm sure that people will chime in with their opinions about it, the type of work that we both need, and the fashion overhaul.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, we know that you use skincare from Clearance. Oops, no, that's Clarins. And then Elon Musk has had another baby since we last saw each other.

[Samantha Bee]

Ah, great. Just great stuff. Great work.

[Joanna Coles]

13Th baby.

[Samantha Bee]

13Th baby. And didn't one of his children say that they found out about it on Reddit?

[Joanna Coles]

Yes, I think she said if she had a nickel for every time she found out she had a new sibling on Reddit, she would have two nickels.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I've had it with these people.

[Joanna Coles]

And then what was kind of wonderful was that a text or a Twitter exchange then surfaced with the baby mama asking someone if they could introduce her because she really wanted to have a child with Elon, which five years ago might have looked a better idea than it does now. Cause now the child will be put to work, obviously, instantly, either in the White House or at Doge.

[Samantha Bee]

I feel sad for the child that was in the White House the other day because he's going to be usurped. Usurped. I mean, his time in the sun is over. Now he just goes back to being a regular child.

[Joanna Coles]

If I were born, I would strap the new baby in a papoose around his chest, and that way he can stroll through the White House and everybody will be admiring of him again.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, my God, these people. It's too much. It's too much. Much. It's too much. It is.

[Joanna Coles]

And I also loved the fact that Donald Trump called out the teenagers, the lost boys of Doge, for wearing T shirts and saying they might have IQs of 180, but he wished they could dress better.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, I approve that message. I mean, look at us right now. Print, knocking it out of the park.

[Joanna Coles]

Paisley with a little line of. I know, little line of gold.

[Samantha Bee]

Very genteel on it.

[Joanna Coles]

Did Prompt someone to say, is he the white Nick Cannon? Elon Musk?

[Samantha Bee]

Well, you know, just spreading his seed as God intended.

[Joanna Coles]

Just. Does God intend that? I don't think God intended that.

[Samantha Bee]

Not my God.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, at least you have a God. I'm still looking. I would say I'm still looking. Now listen, you're back from Florida.

[Samantha Bee]

I am. I did a big Planned Parenthood. I did the main fundraiser for Planned Parenthood of central and Southern Florida last week and it was an incredible event. They raised a lot of money and I met just some of the best people and I closed out the night. I am not a person who goes to parties. I leave parties early. Like if I go to a party.

[Joanna Coles]

I'm amazed you can go to a party.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, If I go to a party, the beginning part is my part and then I leave, I do a little Irish exit and it's over. And I closed that party out. Just talking to everybody in the world, just the most interesting people and they are under siege there in Florida are just surrounded by really anti abortion activists and believers. They are, they really are truly under siege. I was fascinated to learn that in a state with a six week ban, the state is very present in the clinic at all times.

[Joanna Coles]

How do you mean?

[Samantha Bee]

My understanding is that they, you know, they hire like retired nurses and they are present in the clinics monitoring, monitoring. The timing to really get it exactly. Like once the clock starts on that six weeks, if you miss that six weeks by 30 seconds, that person, that client has to go all the way to North Carolina to get the services they need.

[Joanna Coles]

It's so shocking.

[Samantha Bee]

It's shocking. Yeah, it's shocking. So anyway, it was really fun event, raised a ton of money and I met some of the best, just the most amazing people who I want to have deeper conversations with.

[Joanna Coles]

You think of these doctors who are so brave. There's now the doctor in New York who is being called for extradition to Louisiana because she sent abortion to a 17 year old girl.

[Samantha Bee]

I know, I know.

[Joanna Coles]

It's just terrible.

[Samantha Bee]

I was happy that Kathy Hochle was like, are you effing joking?

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, absolutely. But this doctor can't leave New York state.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, I know. Yeah, it's very threatening. It's very, very threatening out there. It's quite dire.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, it's extraordinary. And it's a sort of war on sex. I mean, the thing I find so weird is that men would support this against women because men like having sex too. The thing that's so extraordinary, I think for a European or a Canadian Looking at, at the abortion laws in America is how it's all pushed onto women as if somehow women have sex on their own. It's as if they're stuck in the kind of Christian version of the, you know, the immaculate conception where somehow men weren't involved in this.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh yeah. And additionally, when you really, when you think about, well, okay, if you don't want unintended pregnancies happening, you would think that the educational system would kind of like bolster people's knowledge of their own bodies and people's knowledge of. You would think that you want to would have a companion educational sex education system that would support people making choices in their lives that you personally approve of. But in fact we're just basically, you know, giving kids a Mrs. Potato Head and saying like, find the clitoris, good luck.

[Joanna Coles]

But it's also interesting to me that it's not framed through the idea, which so much is in America of men's economic issues. So you know, why don't, why isn't it reframed as. Do you want to look after a baby for the next 22 years? Here's how much it will cost you. This is why you don't want to get your girlfriend pregnant.

[Samantha Bee]

I think that there is an overwhelming support of reproductive choice in this country. It's just that the people in charge, we're just electing the wrong people over and over again.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, no, no, you're completely right. It's such a strange disconnect though from what people actually want. And as we know, the majority of people who have abortions are mothers who are responsible, who don't another child to look after because they know the money and the energy that it takes to look after a child.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, yes, and even if you're not a mother with all of these children to support, like anybody should just have access to it. It's health care, of course. Like it's just healthcare.

[Joanna Coles]

It's healthcare.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, you know what, you gotta go buy a suede jacket to just.

[Joanna Coles]

What's the deal with the thing I can do deal with the stuff, it's my self soothing habit, I know, is to buy suede right now. I don't understand what. I bought two pairs of suede shoes and two suede jackets in the last 10.

[Samantha Bee]

You've got about 13 days to really rock that suede until it's all over and then it's boiling hot. So.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, it's very strange. And I've got a friend who now just buys bar carts. She said she gets into bed, she opens her computer and she starts searching for bar carts. To be fair, she has several homes but she now has like three bar carts per home.

[Samantha Bee]

Bar carts?

[Joanna Coles]

I know. I don't even have a bar cart. Who needs a bar cart? You know what?

[Samantha Bee]

I appreciate it. I loved our conversation with Amy Klobuchar when she talked about how she goes to the Container Store and buys little boxes to soothe herself. But bar carts is kind of next level.

[Joanna Coles]

We've still got so much to get to, but let's take a quick break. We'll make some money for the podcast and then we will come back and speak to our Beast of the Week, Jim Acosta.

[Samantha Bee]

I love it.

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[Joanna Coles]

We'Re back and we're thrilled to be joined by this week's Beast of the Week, Jim Acosta. Jim, once called the White House's favorite reporter by Politico and now called by Trump a major sleazebag. Acosta built his career as a frontline journalist, press room sparring partner, and ultimate MAGA lightning rod. He spent years challenging presidents, fact checking in real time, and even had his press pass revoked after a now infamous clash with Trump. After close to 20 years at CNN, Acosta walked away last month, leaving his audience with a chilling final message. Don't give in to the lies. Sounds like a popular TV character's last words whispered to a low battery camera in a basement. Trump, of course, took the bait, firing off a truth social post, calling Acosta one of the worst, most dishonest reporters in journalistic history. So what's Jim Acosta up to now? Let's find Jim. Welcome to the podcast.

[Samantha Bee]

Welcome.

[Jim Acosta]

Great to be with both of you. Thanks for having me.

[Samantha Bee]

We're so excited to meet. I'm so excited to meet you. I don't feel like we've ever really met before. We've certainly never had a long conversation. So this is exciting.

[Jim Acosta]

All true. So let's do it. Let's, let's, let's have that conversation. Why not?

[Joanna Coles]

What do we even call you now? Are you an entrepreneur? Are you still a journalist? Are you an activist? What? What is when you.

[Jim Acosta]

I'm not a sleaze bag.

[Joanna Coles]

Are you sure you're not a sleaze bag?

[Jim Acosta]

I'll wear that. That name as a badge of honor. You know, he saves his worst nicknames for I feel like the best people, you know. So, hey, I'll put myself in that category. No, I'm still a journalist. I consider myself an independent journalist now. I've started up a podcast on Substack. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and YouTube and so on. And I'm just, you know, listen, I could have taken A few weeks off, grown a beard, you know, traveled to the Antarctic. But I decided to jump right into this. There's so much news going on. I mean, my goodness, when he comes into Office and Pardons 1600 Rioters and Insurrectionists from January 6, which was an act of aggression against American democracy, I think that was it. The gauntlet was thrown, and you just have to jump right in and keep going. And as we've seen since then, it's been sipping from a fire hose of just unbelievable news day after day.

[Joanna Coles]

I was going to say, I don't think it's true that the audience has switched off. I mean, there's a sort of common intelligence at the moment that people are overwhelmed. That's not what we're seeing. We're seeing an audience hungry to figure out what on earth is going on right now. Cause it feels like chaos.

[Samantha Bee]

It is. It's like a fire hose. And so how are you navigating that? Like, you didn't even give yourself any time off. So now you're, like, currently in transition, doing your own tech. We're all. We've all.

[Joanna Coles]

Also, why can't we see you? Why can't we see you, Jim? We should be able to see you. Can you put your camera on?

[Samantha Bee]

It should be on.

[Jim Acosta]

Is it not on?

[Joanna Coles]

No, it's not on. This is the problem. You've gone from being a police star.

[Jim Acosta]

I can see myself. Well, that's not why you should see me.

[Joanna Coles]

We can't see you as Jesse.

[Jim Acosta]

Jesse says he can. Just.

[Joanna Coles]

Jesse, our producer, is now looking in front of the camera as if I'm making up the fact that we can't see you. Oh, okay.

[Jim Acosta]

I see myself and I see you.

[Joanna Coles]

You do see us.

[Jim Acosta]

Well, I do, yes. And you both look very lovely.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, what print do you think Sam's cardigan is while we're waiting for a leopard print?

[Jim Acosta]

It's a very sexy leopard print, I.

[Joanna Coles]

Think is what I. Sam says it's cheetah. I think it's giraffe.

[H]

Giraffe.

[Joanna Coles]

Looks like a giraffe. Oh, there he is. That's better, Yo. You've joined us. Much better. Okay.

[Jim Acosta]

That's right. All of those animals would be protected by the Wildlife Service if those people weren't laid off by the government.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, I think they would be shot at, actually, by Don Jr who's up for an illegal hunting trip right in Italy at the moment.

[Samantha Bee]

When you observe this world because now you're independent. Were there times when you were working for cn, your big network, your Big network home for a long, long time. Were there times when you were observing the independent media and thinking, I. There's something there for me, like, I do that freedom looks very delicious to me.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. I mean, I can't talk at all about, you know, where I was. It's just not my style.

[Samantha Bee]

Of course not.

[Jim Acosta]

I love all my friends there. But, you know, the beautiful part about going independent and doing what we're all doing right now is that you can just tell the truth, truth in an unvarnished way, and just, you know, let her rip. And, you know, I've always done that. I've tried to always do that throughout my career. But now I'm. I'm choosing my own guests. I am writing my own scripts, doing a lot of the work that I enjoy doing as a journalist, as a reporter. And so that part of it is a lot of fun. Occasionally my dog Duke will jump into the. Into the podcast and. Because he hasn't had enough attention in the last five minutes, and he'll make a cameo appearance. And all of that is fun, too, and the audience seems to like it. My sense of it is, is that right now, and you were talking about this a few moments ago, what the public is, is really craving is for folks to just tell it like it is. Don't tiptoe around things, don't tiptoe through the tulips. We just don't have time for that. When, you know, Trump comes into office and he basically hands the presidency over to Elon Musk, who proceeds to go through various departments and agencies of the federal government, vacuuming up all sorts of private personal data and laying off thousands of people. People who are in charge of, you know, the faa, people who are in charge of cancer research, protecting our nuclear infrastructure and so on. And so, you know, there's just no time for bullshit. And, you know, just yesterday, we saw the President of the United States pick up where he left off when he was president the first time around. He accused Ukraine of starting the war in Ukraine, which is an outrageous lie. And so you just, you need people out there calling this stuff out. That's. I think that's what people want, and that's what I'm hoping to do.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, so, I guess, how do you, like, are there stories that you feel are already. I mean, we're just a few weeks in, and I feel like stories are getting lost and they're getting left behind. The wake is tremendous. So are you seeing it as an opportunity to have stories reemerge that you think we need to call attention to. Like, what in your mind, are we not kind of paying enough attention to writ large?

[H]

Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

You know, I mean, right now, a couple of weeks ago, I was saying, watch out for Ukraine. Watch out for Ukraine. And now it's here in the forefront. I mean, I do think, you know, folks might say this is inside the Beltway navel gazing, this whole controversy over what Trump and his team are doing to the Associated Press. I think it's highly important when the Associated Press makes an editorial decision to continue to call the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, and they're booted out of the Oval Office, they're booted off of Air Force One. I believe it's a test case for what Trump and his team would like to do to other members of the press corps. I mean, I think that's a highly important story that you're just not seeing, seeing enough on the evening newscasts and elsewhere. And the public needs to understand we cannot go. I talk about this on my show all the time. The American way of life. You can't have a situation in this country where the White House is going after the press because they refuse to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, which is just one of the dumbest Top five dumb things that he's ever done, is renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

[Joanna Coles]

I'm not sure it makes the top five, actually, because there are many other things he's done, too. But you've called for, for other members of the White House press corps to take a stand on this. What do you think would be an effective protest here?

[Jim Acosta]

First of all, the Associated Press, you know, has to be considering their legal options at this standpoint. Their First Amendment rights are being violated, their free press rights are being being violated. And I think they have to consider a legal challenge, as I had a legal challenge against the White House when they took my press pass. I think going beyond that, once that challenge is filed with the courts, other members of the press corps as what happened with my press pass should be filing amicus briefs with the court and saying, listen, you know, we support the Associated Press. Now, what the press could do, and I've talked about this to some extent, they could decide that there are certain parts of the president's schedule that they're not going to cover. Perhaps the press doesn't go into the Oval Office for an Oval Office photo opportunity. Perhaps the press doesn't go on a trip with the president to wherever he's going to deliver his message of the day. And I think if one of the things I try to tell people all the time is one of the most important things in the world to Donald Trump is having those cameras around him. And if those cameras are taken away, he will start to learn a lesson that he can't mess with us. Now there are folks in my profession who will say, no, no, we can't do that. How do you cover the President? I think it may be worth exploring as an option if this continues.

[Samantha Bee]

He has his own media ecosystem, though. Like, is it so important for him to be a feature player in kind of like traditional media? Like you think.

[Jim Acosta]

Just think about how much he covets the COVID of Time magazine. Remember when the Time magazine cover came out and Elon Musk was on it? Imagine the turmoil that was going on inside his mind when that came out. You know, it was so much to the point where they had to bring in Elon Musk to stand next to Trump in the Oval Office a day or two later to reassure everybody that Elon Musk wasn't the shadow president or co president. And yet that's how he, that's how he appeared during that particular episode. You're absolutely right. He does have his own house organ. He has Fox News, he has conservative media, there's no question about it. But he craves attention. He craves the recognition of the mainstream press, the legacy media, whatever you want to call it. And if that is, if that is slowly taken away from him or if the press takes a stand and says, listen, we're just not going to cover this stuff today unless you let the Associated Press back in. I think that there would be a real soul searching if they could find one inside the White House. As to whether or not they should be doing this to the Associated Press, I think it's worth a try. I know there are other folks in the press corps saying, you know what, that's going too far. But you know, listen to the way he was talking about it yesterday. He was just dismissive of the idea that they should be let back in. It's outrageous.

[Joanna Coles]

I know a letter has gone because the Daily Beast signed it alongside the New Yorker and at the Atlantic to Susie Wiles, chief of staff, asking her to reinstate the ap. I don't know if that will have any impact, but I do agree with you that he craves the respectability of the legacy meeting media. Jim, you covered Donald Trump in his first presidency. You got a week in with his second presidency. What is the difference?

[Jim Acosta]

You see, you know, I think this time around what we're seeing is perhaps even more disturbing than what we saw the first time around when he does the blanket pardons for the January 6th rioters and insurrectionists. That was, I think, an assault on our democracy. You know, the way that the Justice Department, department started to notify FBI agents and other members of the Justice Department that they're, that they needed to be identified because of their work on the January 6th case or on the criminal cases pertaining to Donald Trump. I mean, that those were acts of intimidation. And now what you're seeing across the federal government with Elon Musk and Doge, I mean, just keep in mind, just the other day, it was just a couple of days ago, in a court filing, the White House, House, the Trump administration said that Elon Musk is not technically the administrator of Doge. And then the White House press secretary, Caroline Levitt, I believe, was asked yesterday afternoon, well, who's in charge of Doge? And she couldn't say. And these are the people who are going through various agencies, they're over at the IRS right now trying to get access to sensitive taxpayer information in this country. And, you know, folks who are overseas might look at all of this and find this to be. Be highly entertaining.

[Samantha Bee]

I don't think that people overseas are regarding this with any type of amusement. I think people are really scared. I know that I have tons of family, I grew up in Canada, and Canada does not is reflecting on this with amusement.

[Joanna Coles]

China and Russia might be laughing all the way to the bank.

[Jim Acosta]

U.S. adversaries are having a field day with us right now when Trump goes out there and accuses Ukraine of causing the war in Ukraine, that. Those are Russian talking points, Right.

[Joanna Coles]

Accusing Ukraine of impeachment, fading itself, basically. Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah.

[Samantha Bee]

Do you have. Now that you're free, now that you are unleashed, are there ways that you reflect upon just kind of the media in general leading up to this election? You know, the coverage of Biden was not adequate. It does not. It was insufficient for the last mental state.

[Jim Acosta]

And so on.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes. About his, about his decline.

[Joanna Coles]

How, how difficult was it to cover Biden's actual.

[Jim Acosta]

I mean, I covered. I had David Axelrod on. I had David Gergen on. I had Douglas Brinkley came on, the historian. All three of them came on my show and said that the president should consider not running for reelection or stepping aside. And so there are folks who covered it. I think there's sort of a generalization that, you know, that this wasn't covered a whole lot. I mean, it was right in front of people's eyes. And you Know, I do think to some extent, extent, you know, if you were to do kind of a, you know, cocktail napkin political analysis of all of this, I mean, Biden had the opportunity to step aside much sooner than when he did. And he, that was what he promised to the American people. He said, I'm going to be a bridge to the next generation of Democratic leaders. And he did not uphold that promise. And I think that ended up causing a bit of a chain reaction in the Democratic Party that resulted in Kamala Harris just not having enough time to introduce herself to voters before the November election.

[Joanna Coles]

Why was the debate such a shock to people when Biden was unable to finish his sentences?

[Jim Acosta]

I was, you know, anchoring at that point, but I think it was right in front of people's eyes. I, you know, I get what you're saying. I, and others covered it. It's not like it was uncovered and it was on all the time on Fox. I mean, getting back to that, they covered it like it was like Watergate.

[Samantha Bee]

Is there a question, in all of the years that you've covered Trump, is there a question you wish that you had him, that you wish that you had had the opportunity to ask him?

[Jim Acosta]

I tried. I went to one of his events that he had, shortly after leaving the presidency, went down to, to the border with the governor of Texas. And, you know, they were, you know, doing this dog and pony show about some of the portions of the wall that he had built and how Texas was trying to defend the border during the Biden presidency and so on. And I tried to shout a question to Donald Trump and ask him if, if he was apologetic at all for January 6th. And, you know, I'll just say it right now on your program if he, I challenge him to a sit down interview. I would like to sit down with Donald Trump. And I think the thing he needs to be asked more than anything else is whether he has any remorse, any regret for what took place on January 6th. He attempted to overthrow an election in this country. He's shown no remorse for it. He continues to pedal the lie to this day that he want somehow won the 2020 election and that this was all stolen from him. I mean, this is one of the problems that we're dealing with right now, guys, is that, is that he is continuing to turn the truth upside down. And in his world, it is black is white, it's through the Looking Glass, it's Alice in Wonderland stuff. And I think it's highly destructive for, for this country. And it's all over TikTok it's all over social media, this propaganda that is, is pumped out by the right in support of him. And it is, it's highly destructive. And, and one of the things that I would like to see and one of the things I'm going to try to do on my show and moving forward is I would love to see it like a NATO alliance for the truth in this country. We need people who are committed to a sane world of reality and truth telling to kind of come together and call these guys out. And it can happen in mainstream media, legacy media, but it needs, I think it's going to happen in independent media and independent media is going to lead the way.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, you've also got in Elon Musk, the owner of X, previously known as Twitter, which is also incredibly difficult to overcome because it sets the agenda for media too. I mean, people are still using it and that's.

[Jim Acosta]

And you were getting back to like, what, what is it like this time around versus last time around? Last time around in 2017, Twitter was Twitter. It was not this propaganda platform. And this time around it is very different. And so, you know, X or whatever you want to call it, is just essentially a propaganda arm of Donald Trump, Trump and of the right in this country. And you know, what I used to say when I covered the White House the first time around is that Fox was essentially state supported media. If you saw the interview last night with Hannity and Donald Trump and Elon Musk, it was the kind of fawning interview that you would see in autocratic countries when the state media would come in and sit down with the Dear Leader and ask a slew of questions. It is nothing remotely close to independent media. So going back to the conversation about, well, what about the press and what if they walk out and everything else, he's going to continue to do this, the state media, like performance stuff on places like Fox. And I think that, you know, it's really important at this point for folks to kind of hold the line when it comes to, you know, holding their feet to the fire and sticking to the facts.

[Samantha Bee]

Why do you think Steve Bannon's rhetoric about Elon Musk is not taking hold just yet?

[Jim Acosta]

It's a really good question. You know, I wonder what is going on there? Is it, you know, is, is it Steve Bannon is sort of jealous that Elon Musk has become the Steve Bannon of the second Trump administration? Or, you know, Steve Bannon is a populist and he sees, you know, Elon Musk perhaps in the way that tried and true conservatives used to look at tech billionaires in this country. And that is with some suspicion. Whereas Trump has sort of handed over his presidency to this guy. And it is. Steve Bannon's kind of like the OG populist part of the, you know, Trump movement. And I think he rightly sees that. I can't believe I'm saying this, that I agree with Steve Bannon on something.

[Samantha Bee]

It's hard to. It's hard.

[Jim Acosta]

It is. It's sort of like the horseshoe coming together, the ends of the horseshoe coming together with the three shirts and everything. But I think he's, he's right about Elon Musk and it. There is something sort of strangely not in keeping with the American experience in seeing somebody who looks like a shadow president, looks like a co president, looks like the presidency's been delegated to him. What the hell's going on? We haven't, you know, this is not the Captain and Tenille.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah.

[Samantha Bee]

We need you to find out.

[Joanna Coles]

So you join a caravan of refugees from cnn. There's Don Lemon, there's Chris Wallace. Don Lemon has now got a big band of followers, as have you. In fact, I think you've probably got more followers now on your own show than you had at cnn. I. Are you planning. Don said that when he hears from viewers, they want him to sort of dance around his living room. You're in your living room now or you're in a back bedroom? I don't know. Where are you, in fact?

[Jim Acosta]

The dining room.

[Joanna Coles]

The dining room has already come over.

[Jim Acosta]

A couple of times. He's trying to make some cameos.

[H]

So.

[Joanna Coles]

So are you. What are you planning to do that's extra? Are you planning to, you know, do shops?

[Samantha Bee]

Cooking segments.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, cooking segments. What are, what's going to be your differentiator?

[Jim Acosta]

That's a good question. You know, I think, you know, we could do stupid pet tricks like the old David Letterman show, perhaps, something like that. Duke only knows a few tricks. Might be a short segment. You know, I, I'm trying to figure it all out. You know, one of the things I have to tell you is that I'm sort of building the plane mid flight right now.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Joanna Coles]

I saw that when you were, when you were trying to get April Ryan on the show. You just interviewed Michael Kohner and you were like, I think April's coming. I'm just going to press this button. And I could see you looking that, that the sort of panic of the middle aged who's been supported by a great tech team. And the thing of having to do it oneself as my phone just goes off.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, no, I mean, one of the things I've been doing so far with the show and it's something that I really love doing, is I've been reconnecting with, with old friends. And April is one of those friends. She and I started working together covering the Obama White House. And as April will tell tell you, she's been doing this for 28 years. She's, I think, the longest serving black journalists in, in White House Correspondent association history. She's a living legend. And you know what, the thing that we always come back to is that it's not supposed to be like this. You know, April covered George W. Bush, pretty conservative, as conservative as it comes. And he just couldn't have been nicer to April Ryan. He was a gentleman. He showed respect to her.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Jim Acosta]

And I think that's a big part of what I have a problem with, with what I see right now. We have to get back to respecting one another as human beings. You know, for the Republicans out there who are, I think, struggling and soul searching right now, and they're waking up this morning after hearing Trump accuse the Ukrainians of causing the war and all this, there has to be an internal battle that they're waging right now. And you know, my message is like, hey, you know, there's still time for you to come out and start telling the truth and join the rest of us here and calling this stuff out. It is all about decency. It is all about respect. And that's one of the lessons I always take away from April. She has stood there and you think I've taken some stuff. She has stood there and taken so much stuff from this president and she just does it with a smile on her face and just with a stiff upper lip and just continues to do the job.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, there was a really interesting article in the Times this morning, actually about just that, about the, about Mormons and trying to restore kind of civil disorders discourse in a conservative worldview. I thought that was pretty interesting.

[Jim Acosta]

There are a lot of folks out there, as you were saying, Samantha, not just here in the US but around the world who are deeply worried about what is going on in this country. And they want, I think they want people to speak from the heart. I think they want people to tell their friends, their neighbors, their relatives, whatever, what's really on their mind. And what we're experiencing right now in this country is highly discouraged, disturbing. It is highly unusual. It is not in keeping with the American experience of the American way of life. And I think we just have to keep saying that and be unafraid in saying that. And so the, the thing I get from people is, and it's extremely humbling and extremely moving to me, and sometimes I have a tough time dealing with it. People are grateful and I'm so touched by that and so moved by that. I'm so thankful for that. Yes, there are folks who don't want to give you the time of day and so on. That's fine, fine. But as I said before, I still have hope. I think those folks are going to come back to our point of view on this. Not left or right, but in favor of the truth and the facts and decency in this country.

[Joanna Coles]

Jim, we're grateful that you joined us. We wish you luck as you create your own media empire and we look forward to watching you deliver the news and your interviews shirtless. I think that would be a good set on fire.

[Jim Acosta]

Wait a minute, I gotta get to the gym.

[Joanna Coles]

That's your differentiator.

[Jim Acosta]

I'll work on that for next time.

[Samantha Bee]

Thank you.

[Jim Acosta]

Lovely to be with you.

[Joanna Coles]

Come back and see us soon.

[Jim Acosta]

Will do. Thank you so much.

[Joanna Coles]

Okay, bye.

[Jim Acosta]

Bye. Bye.

[Joanna Coles]

We're going to take another quick break and we'll be joined next in the download by Daily Beast CEO Ben Sherwood.

[Jim Acosta]

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[Samantha Bee]

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[Jim Acosta]

Oh, sure to get your taste buds dancing. Applebee's is bringing Bourbon street to your street. Make sure to try the Big Easy menu now.

[H]

Only at Applebee's.

[Jim Acosta]

Only at Applebee's.

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[Joanna Coles]

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[Samantha Bee]

Ugh.

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[Jim Acosta]

It bottlenecks, admin rights requests.

[Joanna Coles]

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[Samantha Bee]

Huh.

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[H]

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[Jim Acosta]

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[WISP]

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[Joanna Coles]

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[H]

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[H]

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[Joanna Coles]

Welcome back. It's time for the download our deep dive into what's trending at the Daily Beast. And who better to join us than Ben Sherwood, the Daily Beast CEO and the renowned author, including the book the Survivors Club, the secrets and science that could save your life. Ben is going to tell us what the hell is happening with air travel right now and what it takes to survive a plane crash. Welcome, Ben.

[Samantha Bee]

Hello.

[Joanna Coles]

Obviously we're not talking about something like Lockerbie. I was watching the CNN documentary on it. It was one of the first stories I ever covered. That story speaks to me. It was such an extraordinary story. But we are talking about about the types of air accidents that just happened this week in Toronto.

[Samantha Bee]

Many. What is going on?

[Joanna Coles]

What the hell's going on?

[Samantha Bee]

Ben, we have so many flights coming up. Please make us feel good.

[H]

I can make you feel good and I can also tell you that obviously any loss of life like the tragedy in Washington, D.C. terrible, painful and very upset setting. But the the fact is that there is just a series of coincidences right now in terms of the most recent accidents. And while people want to blame DEI or people want to blame FAA or people want to blame the air traffic system, the simple truth about air travel is that it has never been safer and that every decade we've seen almost a doubling of air safety. And so the most meaningful statistic that I found in all of my research on aviation safety when I was working on that book years ago, I went to the FAA's airplane crash survival School in Oklahoma City where they teach you how to get off a burning jet in 90 seconds. And then I went to the Navy's Aviation Safety and Aviation Training and Survival School in Miramar, the famous top Top Gun School in Miramar, California, where they dunk you in a swimming pool in a simulated helicopter and teach you how to get out of a helicopter a lot.

[Joanna Coles]

And did they make you wear a Very sexy sort of leather jacket while you're doing it. How Top Gun is it? Is it really Top Gun?

[H]

It was very Top Gun. There was no sexy leather jacket. We wore these big, giant aviation suits to simulate being in a helicopter. But back to the statistic that's interesting. There are lots and lots of statistics about aviation safety. There is safety per billion miles, fatalities per 100,000 hours in the air. There are all these different statistics. But there is one statistic that is the most meaningful. It was developed by a statistician at mit, a guy named Arnold Barnett, a professor at the Sloan School, and it's the most relevant statistic. What is your chance of dying on your next airplane flight? And that statistic today in 2025, is 1 in 25 million. So on your next flight in the United States, the chances of perishing are 1 in 25 million, which means that you could fly statistically every day for the next 60,000 years before you would end up in a fatal crash. That's the same odds as flipping a coin 24 to 25 times in a row and getting heads. It's very safe. Comparing that to the previous decade and the previous decade and the previous decade decade. It just gets. It keeps getting safer to fly, despite the sense that, oh, there's a plane that flipped upside down in Toronto, and there's a plane that went into the Potomac after crashing into a helicopter. These are terrible. But overall, for all of us, the 9.68 billion passengers worldwide, flying is getting safer.

[Joanna Coles]

But, Ben, if you are, God forbid, one of those people in a plane that flips and you suddenly see flames pouring out of the back, what should you do to ensure your chances of survival? I would be hopeless, because as a British person, I'd obviously have to be very polite and let everybody else go first. And Sam would just say, I'll just sit here until the plane.

[Samantha Bee]

I don't feel safe until we come to a complete stop. I actually disagree. I think that Joanna and I are survivors. Don't you? What do you.

[Joanna Coles]

What are the key things to do.

[Samantha Bee]

In the 90 seconds that you have. Have to get off a plane that may be on fire? What are the key elements?

[H]

So there are a few things to know. First thing is that every second counts. You have to get off and be able to get off the plane in 90 seconds. And so how do you do that? There are a number of things to remember. The first thing is to remember the rule of plus three, minus eight. The first three minutes of a flight and the last eight minutes. Of the flight are when almost all of the incidents are happen and 95% of the incidents are survivable. So 95% of the time, if you do the right things, you can get off and get out safely. The first thing to remember, besides fastening your seat belt and all the basics that are obvious and that they tell you over and over, the most important thing to do is to pick your seat wisely. Now, some people think that it's the front of the plane that's the safest. Other people, people think it's the back of the plane that's the safest. Other people think it's the wing. Professor Ed Galea of the University of Greenwich in England, who is an expert on fire safety and evacuations, has studied the seating charts of airplane crashes. And he says that the safest seat is not in the front and the back. The safest seat is within five rows of any emergency activity exit.

[Joanna Coles]

Okay, that's useful to me.

[H]

If you can pick your seat, Pick a seat within five rows of an emergency exit, front, back. Because the chance of being able to get to the exit under duress and fast, your chances within five rows are greater than outside of five rows. And they've actually just looked at who has been able to get off of planes and who hasn't been able to get off within that 90 second period that's so critical. Why 90 seconds? Because in that period of time, something called a flashover effect can happen. That's where the plane and the fuel and everything turn the cabin of this aluminum cylinder into a very, very hot, 2000 degree burning inferno. And so you've got to get off really fast.

[Joanna Coles]

Wow. Is that what you do? Because, Ben, you come back and forth all the time from la, where you're based, to the Daily Beast headquarters in New York, and you often send a picture of yourself sitting in your seat. Seat. Do you book your ticket five rows from an exit?

[H]

Always. And I book my seat within five rows. And I also for many years carried a smoke hood in my carry on bag.

[Samantha Bee]

Really?

[H]

And a smoke hood is a little hood that's folded up in a little pack. It's the size, a little bit bigger than a cigarette. Cigarette box. And a smoke hood is something that again, in an emergency, if there were smoke, it might give you another few seconds to be able to navigate the smoke. It's a thing that you put over your head. It's got this breathing thing. It's not the equivalent of like a little mask. It's actually a thing that goes all the Way over your head. And so my. My rules are. And there are a couple other rules that are relevant for you, JoJo, and they're irrelevant for you. Samantha. When you get on the plane, do not immediately pop a sleeping pill. Do not immediately have a cocktail. Do not immediately put on your headset and dive into that great book that you're reading. The first three minutes and the last eight minutes of the flight, you want to be alert and paying attention and be ready. Not with a mask on, not already medicated and out and sleeping on your flight because you want to catch those that sleep across the the country. You want to be alert and ready so that in the event that you have to move quickly, you can move quickly. And again, when they've studied passenger manifests and when they've studied seating charts and when they've actually looked at the wreckage of airplanes, they find that people blindfolded, people who have been medicated, those people sometimes don't even get off the plane and don't do anything.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, I assure both of you that I'm the only person who listens to the flight attendant when they give the little speech. I watch, I pay attention, I put a smile on my face, and I say thank you for this performance of these safety measures. And yes, I will read the card.

[Joanna Coles]

Well, I would never, ever take a sleeping tablet on a plane because my sister worked for an airline at one point. And, Ben, one of the things she said, and I'm interested to see if you corroborate this, is that you should also fly wearing natural fibers, because if you're wearing something that melts on your skin, it can be, A, incredibly painful. And B, again, if you've got three seconds, if it comes down to three, three seconds, you will last longer if you're wearing cotton and wool than you will if you're wearing acrylic. Oh, boy.

[H]

So in all of my years of research, I never encountered that piece of advice, but I encountered a related piece of advice, which is to wear shoes with laces, not to wear sandals or flip flops or shoes that can fly off, because if you have to run, you. You may have to run across glass, you may have to run across a heated wing, you may have to run across burning jet fuel, and you don't want to be barefoot. And so one of the things that has been a rule in our family since we started flying as a family is that everybody wants to wear flip flops on the plane or everybody wants to wear that. Everybody has to wear shoes with laces.

[Samantha Bee]

What about what can I take? But how can I take my flip flops off and paint my toenails on the headrest of the person in front of me?

[Joanna Coles]

Thank God I've never sat next to you on a plane. I would pass out if someone did that. What about stilettos running in heels? We could do that. We could totally do that.

[Samantha Bee]

Always laced, laced shoes are vital. Even I know that.

[Joanna Coles]

So sit within five rows of an exit. Have a smoke hood in your pocket.

[Samantha Bee]

Love that.

[Joanna Coles]

Wear shoes that are not going to fly off. Can you wear fairly tight fitting slip ons? I've got some new sneakers.

[H]

So remember Donald, President Trump was knocked out of his shoes in Butler, Pennsylvania, which slip on shoes because those are not tied tightly around his feet. So I would recommend shoes with laces. There's one other thing that's just a really good nugget about airplane safety. 80% of the injuries on airplanes happen because people aren't wearing their seat belts. And so your chances of actually getting hurt on a plane, as I said, 1 in 25 million. Your chances of getting hurt on the plane from just everyday turbulence. Turbulence are actually significantly higher. And so if you really want to be safe when you're flying, don't worry really about what's going to happen in terms of takeoff or landing. That's going to be okay statistically. But do pay attention to the fact that there is a lot of turbulence and people get banged up and so keep your seatbelt on. That's actually the simple and most important tip. But the other tip is to relax. There's a bunch of data about airplane safety that people understand stress, people who are anxious in the air, that there are many more health complications from the anxiety and the stress that people have about flying than the actual flying itself. And so find some way to relax with a good movie or, or Netflix or read the Daily Beast.

[Samantha Bee]

My mother in law was on a flight and someone had a heart attack right beside her and died on the flight beside her.

[Joanna Coles]

Yeah, I have a cousin that died on a. Oh God. Yeah. Well, well, well. I feel so much safer. This makes total sense, especially the bit about you may have to run across burning tarmac or broken glass and keep shoes on that won't fly off. And your point about Donald Trump is a really good one that he refused to get off the podium until he got his shoes back.

[Samantha Bee]

This is very specific and helpful information and I will never forget it.

[H]

Smokehoods.com I wrote this Survivor's Club book in 2010. It's 300 pages long. It's got everything about surviving every imaginable situation. And the one fact that endures across 15 years. And whenever I bump into someone who's read the book or someone who heard about the book, the one fact that endures and that people remember is get on the plane, sit within five rows and if, if you're anywhere on the plane, count the rows to the nearest exits, both the one in front of you and the one behind you. Because in the disorientation of smoke or spinning or a sudden stop deceleration as they call it, you may actually not know entirely where you are. It may be dark, the lights may go out. So if you've counted the rows to the nearest exit, you can feel your way to five rows forward, six rows back. And that sort of situational awareness is actually the most important thing of all in any of these situations is to know where you are and to know what you need to do. And so, Sam, you're right to listen to the briefing. You're right to listen and look at the card. Aviation safety experts say that frequent flyers are actually often the least safe because they aren't paying any attention attention. And in fact, all planes are different, exits are different. The way the emergency exit is different, the number of rows, all of that. And so being vigilant actually makes a difference in these situations.

[Samantha Bee]

Keep that seat belt on.

[Joanna Coles]

What about, what about pushing people out of the way? Just get out of my way.

[Samantha Bee]

You know what, I'm going to climb over you because you're going to be all tangled up in all your suede jackets.

[Joanna Coles]

I am. Oh, it's.

[H]

You joke about this, guys, but they call these people, There's a certain kind of person on an airplane called a cork, and that cork is a person who's going to get stuck in the emergency exit. And so at the airplane safety school in Oklahoma City, they actually say to you, when you get on a plane, if you're not in the emergency exit, look at the emergency exit row. And if you see someone that you think may get stuck getting out of the emergency exit or may not be a so called able bodied person, a person who can handle it in an emergency, to bring it to the attention of the flight attendant and say, I'm worried. And they will move that passenger out of the emergency exit if they make the same judgment about them. Because when they've studied who gets off airplanes in emergencies, there are sometimes people who actually get stuck in the exit or, or don't behave properly in those moments and can slow down everybody and can actually be the difference between life and death. So you joke about trying to get out and who's going to be in front of you, but it actually matters.

[Samantha Bee]

You know what, that's so interesting because I was in an exit row recently and they came and they gave me the quiz and they were like, do you, are you, do you feel able to fulfill the duties of the exit row person? And then they said the door is 35 pounds. And I went, yes, I think I can do that. But there's no world.

[Joanna Coles]

Of course you could do £35.

[Samantha Bee]

£35.

[Joanna Coles]

In a panic, of course. But yeah, definitely in a panic. You get all that rush of adrenaline.

[Samantha Bee]

I'm not gonna be a cork. I'm not gonna be a damn cork.

[Joanna Coles]

I'm just upset I'm gonna have to wear lace up shoes like sneakers onto the plane.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes, you have to.

[Joanna Coles]

Oh, it's not a fashion statement, Ben. It's not a fashion statement.

[Samantha Bee]

I am breathless.

[Joanna Coles]

I am survive or look good.

[Samantha Bee]

I'm breathless.

[Joanna Coles]

What would that cheetah do? Actually you could run very fast with that cheetah print.

[Samantha Bee]

Very fast.

[Joanna Coles]

Very fast. Ben, final quiz for you. What animal do you think Sam's sweater is?

[H]

Leopard.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, thank you.

[Joanna Coles]

Interesting.

[Samantha Bee]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Joanna Coles]

So Sam said it was cheetah. Jim Acosta said it was leopard. You said it was leopard. I say it's giraffe.

[Samantha Bee]

Giraffe. That's. I only wear giraffe skins on an airplane and that will save my life one day.

[Joanna Coles]

It's all good. Ben Sherwood, one of the reasons I love working with you is you are a fan. Amount of all sorts of incredibly useful and now it turns out life saving information.

[Samantha Bee]

Life saving. I'm never going to forget this. And then I'm gonna go and buy smoke hoods for myself and all of my loved ones.

[Joanna Coles]

Smokehoods.com I'm flying on Sunday to LA. I am going to approach it in a whole new way. I've gotten total blase about it. Totally. Blah, blah, blah. This is excellent advice, Ben.

[H]

And next time, guys, we can talk about which day is the right day to go to the hospital.

[Joanna Coles]

Okay? You're totally coming back for that. And of course, because you are really within the company known as Bernadez, you can come back and tell us about the Menendez brothers resentencing coming up in March because we'll see you back here shortly. Thank you very much.

[Samantha Bee]

Thank you so, so much.

[H]

Bye guys.

[Samantha Bee]

Capacious bags and a, and a lace up sneaker.

[H]

Yep.

[Joanna Coles]

I think you'd look good in this way could. Maybe I should just get a hoodie and turn the hood into a smoke hood. Just where it would excite my YouTube critics.

[Samantha Bee]

Wear it while you're sleeping on the plane and then gently suffocate as you sleep. Now that I know it's giving giraffe, I have to sell it.

[Joanna Coles]

You don't have to. I like it.

[Samantha Bee]

I love survival tips. What is the worst day of the week to go to the hospital?

[Joanna Coles]

Well, we're going to find out. Well, if you have been, thank you for listening. I think that was a very useful podcast this week. And if you've been watching on YouTube, keep your comments, especially about what we look like and our outfits and our makeup coming. If you enjoyed this episode, please, like subscribe, comment and share it with everyone you know. Everyone you don't know. Strangers on the subway. Just share it. Be sharing.

[Samantha Bee]

Please be sharing. Watching on YouTube. You can comment on YouTube. If you'd like to tell Joanna what you think about this week's blazer, you can reach her directly at beastpod, the dailybeast.com she reads all comments over her morning tea and then she does a spit taken. It's really cute.

[Joanna Coles]

I do, I do. Although it's morning coffee, I would say, oh wow. If you're not a subscriber to the Daily Beast, why not? Duh. It's easy to sign up. Just go to thedailybeast.com yes, and as.

[Samantha Bee]

My muse, my glorious muse once said, be best everyone.

[Joanna Coles]

I don't think that's what she said. I think she said that will be $40 million. What she really said was be beast.

[Samantha Bee]

Do it. I'm wearing my beast sweater.

[Joanna Coles]

You are wearing a be sweater but be giving giraffe.

[Samantha Bee]

That's so less.

[Joanna Coles]

I'm just saying don't go out when Don Jr. Is in the hood because he'll think you're an animal.

[Samantha Bee]

If Don Jr was around, I wouldn't go out at all. Ever.

[Joanna Coles]

Anyway, the Daily Beast podcast is produced by Sarah Demakoff, Svea Beren Reinstein and Jesse Cannon, Writing by Sasha Seinfeld, edited by Deanna Chapman and engineered by Johnny Simon.

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