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By Geoffrey Dickens
[LANGUAGE WARNING]
 If there was a fancy Malibu rehab center for Trump Derangement Syndrome it would be jam packed with celebrities right now. Ten months into Trump’s first term Hollywood actors, directors, comedians and singers are STILL having trouble coping with life under President Trump.
Comedian Rosie O’Donnell confessed her sick obsession: “I spend like pretty much 90 percent of my waking hours tweeting hatred” towards Trump. And for some celebs Trump became a literal nightmare they can’t wake up from. Actor Rob Reiner whined: “I’m in a nightmare that doesn’t ever stop,” and hippie-singer David Crosby wailed about the “orange nightmare in Washington.”
There were also the typical “crazy” comparisons. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong compared the president to Saddam Hussein and called him “Batshit crazy.” And Netflix host Chelsea Handler wanted to trade Trump for the “more sane” Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Many celebrities also admitted to being ashamed of America. Prophets of Rage guitarist Tom Morello cursed the “same flag that flew over slavery and the genocide of the Native American population, the napalming of the Vietnamese children, the destruction of Afghanistan’s civilian hospitals.” Actress Jane Fonda told a British interviewer that she was not proud to be an American and would eagerly join NFL players’ National Anthem protests: “I would take a knee. I would take two knees. I’d get on all fours if necessary.”
The following are the craziest examples of celebrities attempting to cope with Trump from the past few months:
Celebrities Still Can’t Cope with Trump Presidency
“I spend like pretty much 90 percent of my waking hours tweeting hatred towards this administration.”
— Comedian/actress Rosie O’Donnell on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, November 2.
“I just want him to go away. This is a satire that you can’t make it up. It’s like you don’t have to change anything....I feel like I’m in a nightmare that doesn’t ever stop...It’s sad. I worry for the health of democracy.”
— Actor Rob Reiner in October 24 interview for The Hollywood Reporter.
“It has taken me a full year to integrate the reality of him being a president in a way that I don’t come across as either so full of rage that no one can hear my words, or so sad that I can’t articulate the level of pain....I seriously worry whether I personally will be able to live through [Trump presidency] and whether the nation will be able to live through it and survive. It’s a terrifying concept, on the brink of nuclear war with a madman in charge.”
— Comedian/actress Rosie O’Donnell in October 24 interview for W magazine.
Hippie Singer Wails About “Orange Nightmare” Trump
“Part of our [musicians] job has always been to be the – the one who carries the news from town to town. The, the – you know – the troubadours. That’s where we come from. The town crier. It’s 12:30am and you guys elected an imbecile [Donald Trump] to run the country....One of the only good things that’s happening from having the orange nightmare in Washington is....it’s that it’s generating some good art....one of the only good things about this disaster is that it will generate good art.”
— Singer David Crosby of the folk band Crosby, Stills & Nash on PBS’s Tavis Smiley, September 13.
Batsh*t Crazy” Trump Like Saddam Hussein, Satan
“The first time I heard of [Donald] Trump legitimately running for president, the first thing I thought of was fascism. I was just thinking of all the buildings he’s got his name on. That type of narcissism – wow, that’s not that much different from Saddam Hussein. He’s batshit crazy. This isn’t just a Republican that you’re dealing with. He’s no longer the leader of the free world. I’ve never seen a president that was no longer that....[My sons] look at it and they’re like, ‘We have Satan as the President of the United States.’ And I was like, ‘We’ve had Satan before, and we voted Satan out. Just remember that.”
— Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong at liberal filmmaker Michael Moore’s Broadway show, as reported in September 21 RollingStone.com article.
“Trade” Trump for “More Sane” Korean Dictator
“Uhhhh. Kim Jung’s letter to @realDonaldTrump is a little bit more sane than @realDonaldTrump. Maybe we trade?”
— September 21 tweet from Netflix host Chelsea Handler.
“Kim Jong Un is right: ‘Far from making remarks that can be viewed as helpful to defusing tension, [Trump] made unprecedented rude nonsense.’”
— September 22 tweet from former MSNBC host Toure.
Never Let a Crisis Get In the Way of Trashing Trump and GOP
“As we send our thoughts, donations and love to victims of Irma, we must never forget Donald Trump is the worst POTUS in US history.”
— September 11 tweet by actor/director Rob Reiner.
“As a massive hurricane bears down on us, please remember that one American political party literally does not believe in science.... And they will never stop justifying their own bullshit. People are going to die in Florida in the next few days and they’re going to offer thoughts and prayers and go back to raping the country they claim to love in the name of Jesus fucking Christ on high. Fuck them. And if you support this bullshit, fuck you too.”
— From September 9 tweet thread by actor Michael Ian Black.
“Don’t be fooled by @ScottPruittOK he is a full blown Climate Denialist and he is making it harder to protect ourselves and families from it.”
— September 10 tweet by actor Mark Ruffalo
“While another storm heads r way, craven republican sock puppets in service of shameless greed, try AGAIN 2 ravage healthcare. #sickening.”
— September 19 tweet by actor Jim Carrey.
Trump Election Was “Last Primal Scream of White Males”
“I think we’re looking at a moment which is the last primal scream of white males in this society, that last moment of ‘I just lived through eight years of a president of color, you are now asking me to buy in on a female president, and I’m going to go kicking and screaming because what was mine, what I perceived to be my status and privilege within the culture is now being laid bare as entirely vulnerable, and I’m fighting back.’ And I don’t think you can divorce that from the phenomenon that is Donald Trump.”
— Creator of HBO’s The Wire David Simon on PBS’s Charlie Rose show, September 11.
Trump’s “Entire Appeal” is the “Logical End” of Reagan’s Racist Revolution”
Author Salman Rushdie: “It seems pretty goddamn obvious that what happened on November 8th was a racist backlash against eight years of a black man in the White House.”
Host Bill Maher: “You’re not saying that all Trump voters – ”
Author Fran Lebowitz: “All Trump voters, Trump’s entire appeal was racism.”
Maher: “Every single Trump voter? That’s not true.”
Lebowitz: “Okay, maybe two, two no. Those rallies, you know, for someone our age, what did they remind you of? George Wallace rallies....He allows them to express their bigotry and that’s why they’re so ecstatic at those rallies.”
— HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, September 15.
“You kind of have to overlook the fact that Trump isn’t a virus from space. He came from the Republican Party, he’s the kind of logical end of the Reagan revolution. He’s not an anomaly, he’s not an aberration. It started long ago. All the things that are in Trumpism were there: The racial dog whistles, the anti-intellectualism, the anti-science. He’s just the end of the road for that. And so when I hear the anti-Trumpers, I applaud, but at the same time I go ‘yeah, but there’s something in there that we’re not really saying.’”
— Host Bill Maher on HBO’s Real Time, September 22.
Thankful That Trump Too Much of an “Imbecile” to Get “Cruel” Legislation
“You know, and we may have to struggle, like other civilizations have. Like you know, people did during the czar, and things like that. We may have to struggle, because we deserve it, frankly...Trump is a fucking imbecile, and I’m kind of glad he is, because if he were somewhat efficient, he’d actually be passing some of this sadism that passes as legislation. I swear to God. I don’t like him, and I think he’s poisonous, an egomaniac and a lunatic, but I know that there’s another side to the story that balances everything, and it’s keeping people like Paul Ryan from taking everybody’s healthcare away, or passing initiatives that are devoid of compassion. Cruel, you know? Absolute cruelty.”
— Actor Jim Carrey in a September 9 Facebook Live video with Michael Moore before appearing in Moore’s Broadway show.
Remove Trump For His “War On Our Ovaries”
“This has been cool and fun and you guys were so right about her e-mails and thank God we went your way but I think we are ready for mom to pick us up from this slumber party because we have kind of had enough and because we love Puerto Rico and our LGBTQ friends and we kneel with our brothers and sisters who choose to and because we don’t want WW3 on our ovaries or for our soldiers so you can make more money and a golden gun with your name on it. So what do you say? #25thamendment.”
— October 12 Instagram post by actress/comic Amy Schumer.
Subtle
“Trump, you dumb motherfucker, you talking shit about the [NBA star Steph Curry] Currys? Everybody loves the Currys. Ayesha Curry, Riley Curry, Steph Curry, Dell Curry, even the pretty ass moms, you dumb motherfucker don’t you even know who the Currys are? That’s like talking shit about Mickey Mouse! You took away his invitation to the White House to come meet you? Motherfucker, no one from the NBA is fucking with you! KD (Kevin Durant), LeBron, Steve Kerr, Greg Popovich, Yao Ming, Larry Bird, nobody is coming to fuck with you man. No one wants to meet your ass. And then you was talking shit about Kaepernick. Saying ‘get that son of a bitch off the field.’ No! You fat motherfucker, get that son of a bitch out of the motherfucking White House. Get him the fuck out! So now what’s going to happen is we gonna take a knee to you. You bloated motherfucker you. You have any idea how uncomfortable this is for a 47-year-old Jewish man with a bad back and shin splints? We taking a knee to you, motherfucker.”
— Actor Michael Rapaport in September 23 video tweet.
Republicans and NRA Members At Fault for Mass Shootings
“Innocent people go to church on Sunday to honor their God, and while doing so, get shot in killed. What country? America. Why? Republicans.”
— November 5 tweet after Texas church shooting by Netflix host Chelsea Handler.
“The murderous members of the NRA should face a firing squad.”
— October 3 tweet after Las Vegas concert shooting by singer Nancy Sinatra.
Second Amendment Was About Slavery
“The Second Amendment shows just how far the poison of slavery pervaded the Constitution. It was intended to protect slave holders who used militias to keep a firm grip on their slaves. It wasn’t meant to let individuals prevent federal tyranny. How could it? It was meant to guarantee the legality of well-regulated militias to handle the states’ internal problems, especially the problem of a large slave population.’ Says a lot, doesn’t it?”
— Host Bill Maher quoting a New York Times column by Gary Wills, on HBO’s Real Time, October 6.
Love For Everyone...Except For “Unintelligent” Climate Change Deniers
“We’ve come together today to love on the people that have been devastated by the hurricanes. When love goes into action, it preferences no color of skin, no ethnicity, no religious beliefs, no sexual preferences, and no political persuasions. It just loves. As we should begin to love and value our planet, and anyone who believes that there is no such thing as global warming must be blind or unintelligent. Lord, please save us all.”
— Singer Stevie Wonder on telethon for hurricane victims Hand In Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief, September 12.
The Anti-Lee Greenwood? Not Proud to Be An American
BBC Hardtalk host Stephen Sackur: “Let me ask you a simple question: Are you proud of America today?”
Actress Jane Fonda: “No! But I’m proud of the resistance. I’m proud of the people who are turning out in unprecedented numbers and continue over and over and over again to protest what Trump is doing. I’m very proud of that core....[If I were in the NFL] I would take a knee. I would take two knees. I’d get on all fours if necessary.”
— BBC Hardtalk, October 16.
American Flag Represents Racism and “Genocide”
“It’s the same flag that flew over slavery and the genocide of the Native American population, the napalming of the Vietnamese children, the destruction of Afghanistan’s civilian hospitals and it’s on the uniform of every police officer who’s killed an innocent African-American person. It’s also a flag that’s in the courtroom of every judge who’s let those cops go free.”
— Musician Tom Morello on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, September 29.
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By Nicholas Fondacaro
 The portion of former interim Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile’s book exposing ethically questionable behavior by the Clinton campaign surprisingly got a lot of play on the network Sunday morning shows. But during NBC’s Meet the Press, former anchor Tom Brokaw was not pleased with Brazile for shedding light on how the Clinton campaign bought the DNC and added it to their campaign arsenal. And towards the end of the program, he criticized her for doing so.
As the program was coming back from a commercial, Todd looked to veteran reporter Eugene Robinson and jokingly wondered, “What did the Clintons do to her? … I don't know what other way to ask this question.”
“No, it's a good question. She just said this morning on another network, you know, anybody that didn't like her telling her story can go to hell,” Robinson explained, quoting her appearance on ABC’s This Week from earlier in the day. “So, she's determined to tell her story and I too think there must have been some interaction between her and the Clinton campaign, between her and Clinton, some interaction that left a very sour taste in her mouth.”
Brokaw chimed in as he set his sights on Brazile. “Well, I think this is a manifestation of all that is wrong with the Democratic Party, frankly,” he chided. “I mean, this is a time they ought to be talking about the future and they ought to be organizing themselves about what they want to do with the country.”
He dismissed Clinton’s shady dealings with the DNC as something that people didn’t need to worry about anymore because the 2016 election was in the past. “Donna is well-known, as you all know, for kind of ready, fire, aim on a lot of the stuff she does,” he sneered, to Todd and one other panelist’s laughter. “But to go back over this now when they're trying to win congressional races and trying to get ready for '18 seems to me to be beyond counter-productive.” Todd then shifted the conversation to the gubernatorial race in Virginia.
But NBC White House Correspondent Kasie Hunt brought it back around when she connected the Virginia race with Clinton’s, arguing that if the Democratic candidate lost it would be because of the same reasons Clinton lost as well. She added:
Look, this DNC controversy, I’m sitting there and watching it. Every Democrat I ask about it tries to ignore questions about it. They pretend they're not even seeing it. They have their heads in the sand about the state of their own liberal base and they can watch the Republicans self-emulate and so they're ignoring their own problems. It's going to come back to bite them.
“But that’s exactly it. So, I can make this counterargument about the Brazile book and the allegations, which is that this was going on beneath the surface,” Robinson responded. “Whether or not, you know, it wasn't clearly visible, but perhaps it was a boil that had to be lanced at some point and a fight that Democrats have to have.”
Brokaw’s assertion that Brazile’s accusations shouldn’t be discussed because they’re in the past was ridiculous because that could just be applied to Trump. As a journalist, he should be interested in holding all politicians accountable for their actions and not just the Republican. But this is also coming from the same man who earlier in the program claimed he couldn’t think of a President who put more blame on other people than Donald Trump.
Transcript below:
NBC
Meet the Press
November 5, 2017
11:21:57 AM Eastern
CHUCK TODD: Back now with end game. Gene, Donna Brazile, what did she -- what did the Clintons do to her?
EUGENE ROBINSON: That's a good question I'd like to know. Maybe I'll give her a call.
TODD: I don't know what other way to ask this question.
ROBINSON: No, it's a good question. She just said this morning on another network, you know, anybody that didn't like her telling her story can go to hell. So, she's determined to tell her story and I too think there must have been some interaction between her and the Clinton campaign, between her and Clinton, some interaction that left a very sour taste in her mouth.
TOM BROKAW: Well, I think this is a manifestation of all that is wrong with the Democratic Party, frankly. I mean, this is a time they ought to be talking about the future and they ought to be organizing themselves about what they want to do with the country. Except we go back and we've got this intermeshing fight going on about something that happened some time ago. Donna is well-known, as you all know, for kind of ready, fire, aim on a lot of the stuff she does. [Chuck Todd laughs] But to go back over this now when they're trying to win congressional races and trying to get ready for '18 seems to me to be beyond counterproductive.
(…)
11:24:48 AM Eastern
KASIE HUNT: Look, this DNC controversy, I’m sitting there and watching it. Every Democrat I ask about it tries to ignore questions about it. They pretend they're not even seeing it. They have their heads in the sand about the state of their own liberal base and they can watch the Republicans self-emulate and so they're ignoring their own problems. It's going to come back to bite them.
ROBINSON: But that’s exactly it. So, I can make this counterargument about the Brazile book and the allegations, which is that this was going on beneath the surface.
TODD: Yep.
ROBINSON: Whether or not, you know, it wasn't clearly visible, but perhaps it was a boil that had to be lanced at some point and a fight that Democrats have to have.
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By Nicholas Fondacaro
 After exposing how the Hillary Clinton campaign bought out the Democratic National Committee for her own gain at the expense of a fair election, former interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile appeared on ABC’s This Week with Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos. While at times Stephanopoulos was cordial, but he often was clearly hitting his guest with the Clinton talking points. “ But do you think this helps for the book to come out,” he seriously asked at one point.
The very first thing Stephanopoulos wanted to know about Brazile’s claims against the Clinton campaign was whether or not she actually had the power to replace her ticket. “Let’s get some facts on the table first. As DNC chair, you didn't have the power on your own to replace Hillary on the ticket” he stated. “No, But as you well know the charter and the convention rules say that the chairperson, shall, in consultation with the leadership in Congress and others,” she responded while also noting she approved of Clinton as the nominee.
Stephanopoulos read to Brazile from an open letter published and signed by roughly 100 members of Clinton’s campaign team condemning her accusations: “It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health.”
According to Brazile, her concerns for Clinton’s health after she fainted at a 9/11 event weren’t secret and she apparently shared them with Clinton staffer Charlie Baker (and not the Republican Governor from Massachusetts).
“From the sound of it, it sounds like you had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with the high command in Hillary's campaign,” Stephanopoulos noted with a tinge of condescension. And although she was grateful the Clinton campaign bailed out the DNC of its debt, Brazile unleashed:
Oh, George, let me tell you something. I could not control the purse string of the Democratic Party. And I had to figure out what was going on within the party that the chair of the party, remember, I wasn't just the chair. I'm also a vice chair. I was an officer for eight years. Eight years under President Obama. I knew what was going on within the party. I become chair, and I'm trying to write a check for something, I raised the money, and now they're like: “You have to get signed off from Brooklyn.” I said: “Brooklyn?” This wasn't a standard joint fundraising agreement. They had a separate memorandum of understanding.
“I have gotten e-mails from Democrats, passionate Democrats who say they feel betrayed by all this,” Stephanopoulos said. “But do you think this helps for the book to come out?” A fiery Brazile struck back saying: “You know what I tell them, go to hell! I’m going to tell my story!” She then knocked the Clinton campaign for micromanaging the DNC while never actually coming by to coordinate with them. “They told us to shut up and basically let them win the election.”
The longtime Clinton lackey continued to defend his patron and pushed claims Sanders had a similar offer. “But I have seen the e-mail traffic and it appears from at least one e-mail that the Sanders campaign was offered the exact same term. They could offer an agreement of their own if they raised more money. They chose not to,” he asserted.
Brazile schooled Stephanopoulos on his Clinton-esque claims. “When I found out, the reason the chair of the party, the chair of the Democratic National Committee could not spend the funds, I found the agreement myself. This is the agreement they put out. This is the agreement I found,” she said while holding up the physical documents. She clarified that Sanders was offered a joint fundraising account which he agreed to, but let the DNC control the funds unlike Clinton who controlled the whole DNC.
Interestingly enough, while Stephanopoulos was trying to protect his precious Hillary Clinton, NBC’s Chuck Todd was on Sunday Today saying Brazile’s book could be an attempt to finally push the Clinton wing out of the party.
Transcript below:
ABC
This Week
November 5, 2017
9:03:15 AM Eastern
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s get some facts on the table first. As DNC chair, you didn't have the power on your own to replace Hillary on the ticket?
DONNA BRAZILE: No, But as you well know the charter and the convention rules say that the chairperson, shall, in consultation with the leadership in Congress and others. And so, I had to put it on the table George because I was under tremendous pressure after Secretary Clinton fainted to have a quote-unquote “plan B." I didn't want a “plan B." “Plan A" was great for me. I supported Hillary and I wanted her to win, but we were under pressure.
(…)
 STEPHANOPOULOS: As you can imagine, there's been quite a reaction to this, including this open letter from the Hillary for America 2016 team signed by about 100 people. They say they are shocked to learn that you were considering this. And they go on to say: “It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health.”
BRAZILE: Well George, like I said, I talked with Charlie Baker.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you mention this to him?
BRAZILE: I kept my own counsel. I’m the chair of the party, George. And I decided I wanted to be upfront with someone inside the campaign. (…) But let me address what my former colleagues-- I wasn't a staff person. I didn’t work for the Hillary Clinton campaign. I was not on their daily strategy calls. I had nothing to do with their data analytics. I was the chair of Democratic National Committee. I was concerned about the entire party. Not just the presidential.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: From the sound of it, it sounds like you had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with the high command in Hillary's campaign. You even talk about telling them at some point: “I'm not Patsy the slave?”
BRAZILE: Oh, George, let me tell you something. I could not control the purse string of the Democratic Party. And I had to figure out what was going on within the party that the chair of the party, remember, I wasn't just the chair. I'm also a vice chair. I was an officer for eight years. Eight years under President Obama. I knew what was going on within the party. I become chair, and I'm trying to write a check for something, I raised the money, and now they're like: “You have to get signed off from Brooklyn.” I said: “Brooklyn?”
This wasn't a standard joint fundraising agreement. They had a separate memorandum of understanding. And I had to break it. But in order to break it, I would cause a great commotion. So yeah, I'm not Patsy the slave because I got sick and tired of people trying to tell me how to spend money when all I was trying to do-- I wasn't getting a salary. I was basically volunteering my time. And what I was trying to do, George was to increase the level of enthusiasm and passion for Hillary Clinton and the rest of the ticket all across the country.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s not just the Clinton campaign, there's traffic on Twitter right now. I have gotten e-mails from democrats, passionate Democrats who say they feel betrayed by all this. Any regrets?
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you think this helps for the book to come out?
BRAZILE: Well, George, I mean, this is a lesson of 2016. If I released it next year, they would say: “Donna, you're impacting our 2018.” If I released the following: “Donna, you're impacting--” George, for those who are telling me to shut up, they told Hillary that a couple of months ago. You know what I tell them, go to hell! I’m going to tell my story!
(…)
They don't know what it's like because they're -- the high command of Brooklyn. The people making the decisions, even for the DNC, they didn't come and work with us. They told us to shut up and basically let them win the election. And when we tried to intervene, we had to spend money we raised to try to help them win. And that was my job as chair of the party.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But I have seen the e-mail traffic and it appears from at least one e-mail that the Sanders campaign was offered the exact same term. They could offer an agreement of their own if they raised more money. They chose not to.
BRAZILE: The Sanders campaign set up a joint fund-raising as well, but they chose not to put money in it. But they also chose to allow the DNC to control what little funds they did put in it. This was a separate. What this was was an additional memorandum.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But they were offered the same thing.
(…)
BRAZILE: George, when I went, when I found out, the reason the chair of the party, the chair of the Democratic National Committee could not spend the funds, I found the agreement myself. This is the agreement they put out. This is the agreement I found. And what I tried to do, George, was to work within the parameters of this agreement so that I could to hire staff, so that I could spend money-- money that we raised, and so that I could help Hillary and Tim Kaine and all the other Democrats win. As for any agreements or side agreements with Senator Sanders. I’ve never seen that before, George.
(…)
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By Brad Wilmouth
As the morning broadcast network newscasts on Friday and Saturday gave attention to former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile's charge that the DNC was rigged to favor Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy, there was a striking contrast in the way ABC's Matthew Dowd dismissed the story on Saturday whereas NBC's Chuck Todd on Fridaydescribed the revelation as a "grenade" for Democrats. The NBC host even took at jab at Barack Obama, blaming the former President for leaving the DNC's finances in such a mess.
After the evening newscasts on Thursday ignored the Brazile bombshell, the morning shows on Friday began giving it some air in reaction to President Donald Trump railing against Clinton over the issue. On Saturday's Good Morning America, when host Dan Harris asked Dowd whether the Justice Department should investigate the DNC matter, Dowd focused only on the issue of legality and downplayed the arrangement as normal while portraying other Clinton controversies as overblown.
Dowd -- who comes from a history of Republican politics -- sounded like an MSNBC-style Republican as he could find nothing untoward about the DNC arrangement:
This is total misdirection. I mean, he may as well be David Copperfield in Las Vegas with the level of misdirection he's doing in this. You look at all of the things that he's talked about. There's nothing to the uranium story -- that's all been debunked. This idea that Hillary and her campaign colluded with Russia -- that's been debunked.
 And now this thing with Donna Brazile and the DNC and everything -- all of us know that both parties rig the process in order to engage a certain kind of voters. But this is standard procedure, and what the DNC did and the agreements they had with Hillary Clinton -- it's a total misdirection in order to take the spotlight off Donald Trump and the investigations he has in order to try to direct it somewhere else.
But on Friday's Today show, Todd predicted trouble for Democrats in his analysis. After host Savannah Guthrie brought up Brazile's charges and asked about the significance, Todd began by arguing that it should have already been "obvious" that the scales were being tipped in Clinton's favor:
Well, on one hand, it was Captain Obvious, okay? She was the party insider -- he wasn't even a member of the Democratic party. Of course the DNC had a finger on the scale. And of course Bernie Sanders knew they always had a finger on the scale for Hillary Clinton. You just had to look at that debate schedule.
He then went more negative on Democrats as he added:
That said, what Donna Brazile said, to say that it was to a point that it was essentially rigged in her favor, that can't be unwrung. So while the Clinton campaign is arguing that, "Well, if you look at the details, Bernie Sanders signed the same agreement. He could have exerted similar influence -- he just didn't have big-dollar fundraisers to do that." And that all sounds fine and good, but this is a large problem, Savannah. This is a party that's barely been able to keep itself together -- the Sanders wing and sort of the Clinton-Obama wing.
As Guthrie was wrapping up and noted that "the Hillary campaign was basically bankrolling the Democratic party," Todd jumped back in to take a swipe at Obama: "Well, they were because the DNC was bankrupt because of Barack Obama."
Below are transcripts of relevant portions of the Friday, November 3, Today show on NBC, and the Saturday, November 4, Good Morning America on ABC:
#NBC's Today:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Donna Brazile is a longtime Democratic party official. She was even the acting chair for a time during the 2016 campaign. She wrote an extraordinary piece in which she basically says that Hillary Clinton -- her campaign exercised "undue and inappropriate influence over the Democratic party" in the primary such that they were pro-Hillary when they should have been a more even playing field. Do I have that right? And if that's so, what's the significance?
CHUCK TODD: Well, on one hand, it was Captain Obvious, okay? She was the party insider -- he wasn't even a member of the Democratic party. Of course the DNC had a finger on the scale. And of course Bernie Sanders knew they always had a finger on the scale for Hillary Clinton. You just had to look at that debate schedule.
That said, what Donna Brazile said, to say that it was to a point that it was essentially rigged in her favor, that can't be unwrung. So while the Clinton campaign is arguing that, "Well, if you look at the details, Bernie Sanders signed the same agreement. He could have exerted similar influence -- he just didn't have big-dollar fundraisers to do that." And that all sounds fine and good, but this is a large problem, Savannah. This is a party that's barely been able to keep itself together -- the Sanders wing and sort of the Clinton-Obama wing.
This is a grenade, and I think the current DNC chair -- he's in big trouble here. He's got to figure out how to put this together, but he was -- he had the support of Obama and Clinton. The Sanders forces supported somebody else. I have a feeling that's how it's going to play out.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, got to leave it there, but, I mean, the allegation that the Hillary campaign was basically bankrolling the Democratic party. Chuck, thank you.
TODD: Well, they were because the DNC was bankrupt because of Barack Obama.
#ABC's Good Morning America:
DAN HARRIS: Is Trump right that the DOJ should be looking at Hillary and the Democrats? Was there some sort of law-breaking here? Or do you think this is an effort to distract from the Russia story?
MATTHEW DOWD: This is total misdirection. I mean, he may as well be David Copperfield in Las Vegas with the level of misdirection he's doing in this. You look at all of the things that he's talked about. There's nothing to the uranium story -- that's all been debunked. This idea that Hillary and her campaign colluded with Russia -- that's been debunked.
And now this thing with Donna Brazile and the DNC and everything -- all of us know that both parties rig the process in order to engage a certain kind of voters. But this is standard procedure, and what the DNC did and the agreements they had with Hillary Clinton -- it's a total misdirection in order to take the spotlight off Donald Trump and the investigations he has in order to try to direct it somewhere else.
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By Nicholas Fondacaro
 The recent revelations exposed by former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile were given a surprising amount of airtime on Sunday on the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC), certainly way more than when the news first broke. While some were trying to defend Hillary Clinton or attack Brazile, others were trying to get Democrats to answer serious questions about it. One of those was CBS’s Face the Nation moderator John Dickerson, who grilled Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner on the implications it would have on his state’s gubernatorial election.
“Final question, the former DNC chairman Donna Brazile has dropped a bomb this week saying basically the Democratic National Committee was rigged for Hillary Clinton in her favor. Do you believe that's true,” Dickerson wondered.
Warner tried to deflect, claiming he was more focused on the governor’s race. “Listen, I have seen some of the press reports. What I'm a lot more focused on, we've got a really critical election coming up in two days in Virginia where we elect the governor,” he said. “I hope it's going to be Ralph Northam our Democratic candidates. That's where I'm focused.”
“The most important thing they can do is get out and vote on Tuesday and hopefully Ralph Northam the next governor,” Warner continued. But Dickerson countered by reminding his guest that the question of a corrupt party was something that could keep supports away from the polls.
“But the problem is Democrats don't want to get out and vote if they think their party is corrupt, which is the charge Brazile is making,” he exclaimed. “So if you don't address the corrupt part, how do you get people to vote for a Democratic candidate?”
Warner continued to ignore the seriousness of Dickerson’s question and kept the focus on the Virginia race. “Well, I can tell you there’s a heck of a lot of enthusiasm. I don't believe the Democratic Party is corrupt,” he said. “I believe the Democratic Party is best when it’s forward-leaning. I think we got that kind of candidate running in Virginia right now.” He also tried to make President Trump the focus of the race.
Dickerson ended the interview after the Senator finished since they appeared to be at the end of Warner’s available time.
The Big Three Network had certainly treated the Brazile scandal far more seriously than the recent Clinton-uranium and Clinton/DNC-Russia collusion scandals. Perhaps it’s because it implicates the entire Democratic Party apparatus and could further drive a wedge between the party establishment and the far-left Bernie Sanders supporters. Whatever the reason, it’s clear the networks were more concerned with quelling Democratic Party infighting while they touted and added fuel to Republican ones.
Transcript below:
CBS
Face the Nation
November 5, 2017
10:39:50 AM Eastern
(…)
JOHN DICKERSON: Final question, the former DNC chairman Donna Brazile has dropped a bomb this week saying basically the Democratic National Committee was rigged for Hillary Clinton in her favor. Do you believe that's true?
SEN. MARK WARNER: Listen, I have seen some of the press reports. What I'm a lot more focused on, we've got a really critical election coming up in two days in Virginia where we elect the governor. I hope it's going to be Ralph Northam our Democratic candidates. That's where I'm focused. And a lot of folks in Virginia are frustrated with what's going on. Particularly from this administration. The most important thing they can do is get out and vote on Tuesday and hopefully Ralph Northam the next governor.
DICKERSON: But the problem is Democrats don't want to get out and vote if they think their party is corrupt, which is the charge Brazile is making. So if you don't address the corrupt part, how do you get people to vote for a Democratic candidate?
WARNER: Well, I can tell you there’s a heck of a lot of enthusiasm. I don't believe the Democratic Party is corrupt. I believe the Democratic Party is best when it’s forward-leaning. I think we got that kind of candidate running in Virginia right now. I'm going the leave here and crisscross southwest Virginia to try to help get out the vote. And I hope on Tuesday night we're going to have great victory both from the Virginia standpoint but also sends a message that some of the actions of this president are at least not acceptable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
DICKERSON: Senator, thanks so much for being with us.
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By Scott Whitlock
MSNBC journalist Katy Tur on Friday skipped the opportunity to press Virginia’s Democratic governor about his connection to an appalling ad that linked his Republican opponent to mowing down Muslim and Hispanic children. Though Tur offered some tough questions, they were of a horse race variety, worrying that Ralph Northam might blow the election.
The Latino Victory Fund has now pulled a hostile ad in which an Ed Gillespie-supporting lunatic attempted to murder minority children. On Thursday, it was revealed that the Northam campaign listed the commercial as a campaign contribution and valued the ad at $60,000.
Friday saw multiple polls showing Gillespie tied or leading Northam. So, it may not be a coincidence that she chose to focus on worries that the Democrat might lose: “I know you're talking about unity. I know you’re talking about enthusiasm, but again I find it hard to believe you're not slightly concerned about this [Donna] Brazile book and this division between the progressive wing and the more establishment wing?”
She continued:
Are you not concerned at all that there might be some voters out there who look at this and say, “I don’t want anything to do with anyone that establishment Democrats are supporting? I want to have a radical change”? Are you not concerned about that at all and if your not concerned about it, what would you say to voters who say that they do want radical change? Can you deliver that radical change for them?
At one point in the segment, Northam blasted Gillespie for HIS ads: “Ed Gillespie is a Washington lobbyist. He’s now Donald Trump’s chief lobbyist. He’s running ads like the MS-13 ad.”
Wouldn’t this have been a good time to question Northam on his connection to an ad accusing Gillespie supporters of being murderers?
A partial transcript is below:
 MSNBC Live11/3/17 2:53
KATY TUR: Tuesday is election day. President Trump is not on the ballot, but he is playing a major role in the Virginia governor's race. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam is facing off against Republican Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chair and counselor to President George W. Bush. Polls show a tight race. The Real Clear political polling average gives Northam just a three and a half point lead over Gillespie, and that is why the last thing Democrats need now is to rehash the divisive 2016 battle between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton but that is exactly what's happening thanks to a new explosive book by Donna Brazile claiming the DNC rigged the primary for Hillary Clinton. Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam joins us now from Washington. Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate your time. I know you probably don't want to dwell on this, but it is in the news, the President is talking about it, the controversy with Donna Brazile’s new book alleging that Hillary Clinton and her campaign had a secret takeover. As somebody who is more of the establishment Democrat in Virginia, the one in the race, does this story hurt you and your party ahead of Tuesday’s election
....
TUR: Lieutenant Governor, I know that's the message you want to get out there but that's not quite the question I asked, which is the new allegations in Donna Brazile's book, expose a pretty big rift in the Democratic Party between the progressive wing, the Bernie Sanders wing, the Elizabeth Warren wing and the more establishment wing that you are a part of, voters out there were — aren't happy with the Democratic Party in general when you look at polling. Democratic Party is not very popular and there is concern the progressive wing will rip apart from the establishment wing and don't feel like they're talking to each other. Are you concerned you could be the first potential victim of that rift after this book?
LT. GOV. RALPH NORTHAM: No, Katy. Like I said, we're unified in Virginia, focused on this election.
TUR: You say you're unified but at the same time Doug Wilder isn't endorsing you. There's — there's some division within Virginia. Are you really that confident?
NORTHAM: I am confident, and you know, Doug wild sir a good friend of mine. He was a great governor.
TUR: So, why is he not endorsing you?
NORTHAM: Well, that's up to Governor Wilder and he'll make that decision at the appropriate time.
TUR: All right. So — talking about Ed Gillespie.
NORTHAM: Yes.
TUR: He has that ad out basically calls northern Virginia enemy territory.
NORTHAM: Right.
TUR: Let's take a listen to that ad. Not that ad. Caught on tape. Take a listen to the tape. I'm sorry.
...
TUR: Sorry about that. Initially we were playing an ad against you, then we played the right sound. Ed Gillespie talking about northern Virginia being enemy territory. What's your response?
NORTHAM: Ed Gillespie is a Washington lobbyist. He’s now Donald Trump’s chief lobbyist. He’s running ads like the MS-13 ad.
...
TUR: I know you're talking about unity. I know you’re talking about enthusiasm, but again I find it hard to believe you're not slightly concerned about this Brazile book and this division between the progressive wing and the more establishment wing? Perriello was endorsed by — your opponent in the primary, was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Are you not concerned at all that there might be some voters out there who look at this and say, “I don’t want anything to do with anyone that establishment Democrats are supporting? I want to have a radical change”? Are you not concerned about that at all and if your not concerned about it, what would you say to voters who say that they do want radical change? Can you deliver that radical change for them?
...
TUR: Quickly, if you were to lose what would it mean for the Virginia Democratic Party?
NORTHAM: Well, we're going to win November the 7th and we have they enthusiasm and excitement.
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