BACK.

MY NEXT GUESTS ARE JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE BEEN COVERING NATIONAL

POLITICS FOR OVER A DECADE.

NOW THEY'RE CO-FOUNDERS OF "PUNCHBOWL NEWS" AND HOSTS OF

"THE DAILY PUNCH" PODCAST.

PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," ANNA PALMER AND JAKE

SHERMAN.

ANNA, JAKE, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> Stephen: BEFORE WE GET INTO ANYTHING ELSE, YOU BOTH REPORTED

ON CONGRESS FOR OVER A DECADE.

I WANT TO ASK YOU-- I'VE HEARD THAT'S KIND OF A CRAZY BEAT,

THAT THAT'S LIKE A SEVEN-DAYS-A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR.

YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY ALWAYS WORKING.

IS THAT TRUE?

>> IT IS, UNFORTUNATELY.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: AND YOU-- AND YOU HAVE ESSENTIALLY NO SOCIAL LIFE

OUTSIDE OF THE JOB BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TIME TO GO OUT FOR

DRINKS, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT WITH SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE A SOURCE

FOR YOU ON CAPITOL HILL.

IS THAT TRUE?

>> IT'S NOT UNTRUE.

( LAUGHTER ) REPUBLICAN.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE NOT UNDER OATH.

IT'S OKAY.

YOU CAN-- YOU CAN FUDGE IF YOU WANT.

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

BUT THEN-- OKAY, SO, BUT, THEN, ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE THE PEOPLE

WHO ARE YOUR SOURCES, AND THEN YOU'RE THE PEOPLE WHO THEY WANT

TO PLANT, YOU KNOW, STORIES WITH.

DO YOU GUYS EVER, LIKE, GET MAD-- DO YOUR FRIENDS ON CAPITOL

HILL EVER GET MAD AT YOU FOR WRITING ABOUT THEM?

AND DO YOU EVER GET MAD AT THEM FOR PLANTING STORIES WITH YOU,

LIKE THIS MUTUAL SORT OF CODEPENDENCY?

>> WELL, I HAVE-- I HAVE A "NO FRIEND ZONE" ON CAPITOL HILL PB

SO I TRY NOT TO BE FRIEND WITH ANYBODY WHO I WRITE ABOUT, WILL

WRITE ABOUT, MIGHT WRITE ABOUT, OR MIGHT EVEN THINK ABOUT.

SO IT'S A GOOD RULE-- IT'S A GOOD RULE OF THUMB WHEN YOU'RE

COVERING CONGRESS.

>> Stephen: ANNA, DO YOU HAVE A "NO FRIEND ZONE."

>> NO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.

I THINK OUR JOB IS CHARM, DISARM, GET PEOPLE TO TELL YOU

INFORMATION THAT COULD GET THEM FIRED.

( LAUGHTER ).

>> Stephen: AND HOW MANY TIMESES HAVE YOU HAD TO PUNCH

MONORAJU IN THE THROAT TO GET TO MITCH McCONNELL BEFORE HE CAN?

>> IT'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.

WE WORKED WITH HIM FOR A VERY LONG TIME AT POLITICO, AND HE

IS-- HE IS KNOWN TO JUMP OUT OF BUSHES AND BE AROUND A CORNER

WHEN YOU LEAST WANT TO SEE HIM.

I MEAN, HE IS OUR FRIEND.

WE DON'T REPORT ON HIM.

HE DOESN'T JUMP OUT OF BUSHES ON US --

>> Stephen: I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BEAT HIM TO THE CONGRESSMEN.

YOU HAVE TO BEAT HIM.

>> RIGHT.

BUT WE ALSO DON'T PUNCH HIM.

>> Stephen: ANNA, DO YOU PUNCH HIM?

>> NO THE PUNCHBOWL IS THE ONLY PUNCHING I'M DOING THESE DAYS.

>> Stephen: JAKE, YOU WERE IN THE CAPITOL DURING THE ATTACK.

WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?

>> IT WAS VERY SEARING.

IT'S LIKE-- NOT TO MINIMIZE IT AT ALL-- BUT IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY

COMING INTO YOUR HOUSE-- I MEAN, WE BASICALLY LIVE IN THE

CAPITOL.

WE SPEND ALL OF OUR DAYS THERE, 12 HOURS A DAY FOR THE LAST

DECADE OR SO.

AND IT'S LIKE SOMEONE COMING INTO YOUR HOUSE AND INVADING IT.

IT WAS VERY SCARY.

I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE BANGING ON THE DOORS, WHEREAS AT A CERTAIN

POINT OUR OFFICE AND THE CAPITOL IS JUST, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF

HUNDRED FEET OR SO FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR, WHERE KIND OF THE

CENTER STAGE OF THE INSURRECTION, WHERE SOMEONE WAS

SHOT AND KILLED.

AND WE WERE-- WE TURNED TO EACH OTHER AT SOME POINT IN THIS ROOM

AND SAID TO OURSELVES, "HOW DO WE MAKE SURE NO ONE FINDS US?"

THERE'S A BIG SIGN ON THE DOOR THAT SAYS "PRESS," "PERIODICAL

PRESS," WHICH IS NOT COMFORTING.

WE DIDN'T GET EVACUATED UNTIL SEVERAL HOURS INTO THE

INSURRECTION.

IT WAS SOMETHING I'VE NEVER FORGET.

IT WAS VERY-- VERY ALARMING AND VERY FRIGHTENING.

>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT VIOLATION OF YOUR

WORKSPACE, AND OF COURSE OF THE SORT OF DEMOCRATICALLY SACRED

SPACE FOR AMERICANS, WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE REPORTING ON

CONGRESS RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE LIKE TED CRUZ AND JOSH

HAWLEY OUT THERE STROKING THEIR CHINS AND GOING, "OH, GOSH, I

WONDER HOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAVE COME ABOUT?"

>> I THINK IT'S DIFFICULT, RIGHT.

I MEAN, WE ALL EXPERIENCED IT.

WE SAW THAT IT WAS AN ARMED INSURRECTION.

THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE MEMBERS GASLIGHLIGHTING AND KIND OF SAYI

THAT THEY WEREN'T ARMED, IT'S JUST FALSE.

AND I USED TO ALWAYS TELL ME MOM, "DON'T WORRY.

WE'RE IN THE CAPITOL.

WE'RE IN THE SAFEST PLACE THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN.

D.C. HAS SO MANY PROTESTS."

AND TO SEE IT TOTALLY DESECRATED LIKE THAT WITH SO MUCH DISREGARD

AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT IT WAS REALLY PLANNED, YOU KNOW,

OUT.

IT'S VERY SCARY.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY ALARMING TO THINK THAT THESE MEMBERS--

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW OF THEM, BUT THEY ARE LOUD, AND THEY ARE

REALLY PLANTING FALSEHOODS INTO THE PUBLIC.

>> Stephen: WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE G.O.P.

BETWEEN THE FACTIONS THAT WANT TO STAY CONNECTED TO DONALD

TRUMP, AND THOSE WHO WANT TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES?

>> WE WROTE THIS MORNING THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS PERHAPS

MORE ADRIFT THAN IT HAS BEEN AT ANY POINT SINCE WATERGATE.

I MEAN, WE HAVE A SMALL MINORITY OF THE G.O.P.-- WHICH, BY THE

WAY, INCLUDES MITCH McCONNELL.

TODAY RAJU ASKED MITCH McCONNELL AT A NEWS CONFERENCE

I WAS AT BASICALLY WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE-- WHETHER HE REGRETS

SPEAKING OUT AGAINST TRUMP.

AND McCONNELL SAID, "I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ABOUT

THAT EPISODE," OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO HE'S NOT EVEN SAYING DONALD TRUMP'S NAME ANYMORE.

BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH ENERGY IS SPENT TRYING TO KEEP DONALD

TRUMP HAPPY.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST-- GOING DOWN TO MAR-A-LAGO.

, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO

DONALD TRUMP, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO WATCH THE ENERGY THAT'S

EXPENDED, THAT'S SPENT KEEPING THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAPPY.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN OF

"PUNCHBOWL NEWS."

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