The Megyn Kelly Show - Scott Pelley's Smug Bias, and Why Trump Was Right to Leave NBC Interview, Plus Entrepreneur and Horse Racing Owner Mike Repole | Ep. 1334

Episode Date: June 8, 2026

Megyn Kelly discusses Scott Pelley’s dramatic and emotional New York Times interview, his absurd comparison between getting fired by CBS News and his spouse being murdered, Pelley literally crying d...uring the interview, Pelley's smug and elitist attitude about journalism, the real reason CBS staffers are furious about Bari Weiss' changes, why Pelley's liberal bias is exactly why Americans don't trust the corporate media, his ridiculous remarks about President Donald Trump not serving America but Pelley serving America by covering wars, why Trump was right to walk out of his NBC News interview with Kristen Welker, how Welker was showing her bias, the newly-released 9-1-1 call from the brother of Henry Nowak's attacker, the lies and inconsistencies in the call, the lack of accountability from the police for their mistakes, the latest on the Karmelo Anthony trial, and more. Then Mike Repole, serial entrepreneur, joins to talk about his journey from humble beginnings to building major brands like Vitaminwater, lessons learned from winning and losing in horse racing including coming just short in the Kentucky Derby this year, the importance of family and true friendships, how he'd fix horse racing, his experience building Vitaminwater and working with Kobe Bryant, his philosophy that led to helping his employees become millionaires, and more.   Repole- https://nobullproject.com/   Brooklyn Bedding: Upgrade your sleep with Brooklyn Bedding—Visit https://brooklynbedding.com and use promo code MEGYN for 30% off sitewide! Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Ethos Life Insurance: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at: https://ethos.com/MK Byrna: Go to https://Byrna.com or your local Sportsman's Warehouse today.     Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKelly Twitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShow Instagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShow Facebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at:https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to The Megan Kelly Show, live on Sirius XM Channel 111 every weekday at New East. Hey, everyone, I'm Megan Kelly. Welcome to The Megan and Kelly Show and happy Monday, where over the weekend, all outstanding hope that Spencer Pratt might make the runoff in LA for this mayor race, slipped away. Literally unbelievable. Sure, Jan. Sure. Nithia Rahman came from third place, and in all these outstanding jurisdictions, not only beat the Republican, which, okay, you could see that potentially, but, beat Karen Bass, too? Like, not only did the Democrat come from behind, but this Democrat? Okay, sure. Coming in just a bit, we'll talk about it a little bit more. And then in our second hour, we're going to bring on a first-time guest with an incredible story. His name is Mike Rapoli.
Starting point is 00:00:54 And not only, this is where, let me just quickly tell you why I wanted to talk to this guy. Do you guys remember of the Kentucky Derby when the Golden, what's his name, one tempo. I always want to call it Golden Dome. I don't know why. Golden Tempo won. And he came from behind. He was like out of nowhere. And he just won the Belmont stakes, too. By the way, so cool. But remember he had a jockey on him who had a brother who was also a jockey. And his brother at the Kentucky Derby was riding the horse that was the favorite. But they didn't win. Thanks to Golden Tempo. And anyway, the two brothers held hands as they crossed the finish line because they were proud of each. I was so sweet. The owner of the horse that was the favorite but lost,
Starting point is 00:01:40 the moment between this guy and his jockey was caught on camera. And you expect him to be like, good try. Nice job. No, he was like, you lost to your brother. Your brothers, that's what matters. You know, he was like this sweetheart with the thick New York accent. And even though he had just suffered this big loss at the Derby and his horse was a favorite. He was, he had such the right messaging when he talked to his horse's jockey and like he understood there's like a moment of unity for the country and this family and like I was so impressed by the guy I wanted to meet him. His name is Mike Rapoli. It turns out he's worth two and a half billion dollars and I'll tell you what he, how he made his money, you're going to know the product very well, but totally
Starting point is 00:02:25 self-made guy, totally like humble, hardworking, true blue, red white and blue American. I can't wait to talk to him. So that's the second hour. There's something refreshing about a company that focuses on integrity and hard work. With Brooklyn betting, I know they built my Aurora Lux mattress in the USA with high quality materials and real attention to detail. And I know that because when I sleep on it, I sleep like a dream. Thanks to these guys. It's that classic American ethos, do the job right, stand behind your product, and build something that lasts. And they delivered it right to my doorstep. I mean, who wants to think about how to go get a mattress. Brooklyn bedding knows sleep is not one size fits all. That's why they
Starting point is 00:03:09 offer mattresses for everyone, every sleep style, even in hard-to-find sizes. Sleep hot, Brooklyn Bedding uses copper-infused foams and temperature-regulating materials to keep you cool and comfy all night long. Plus, they get a 120-night comfort trial with easy returns or swaps. They have earned awards from CNET and wirecutter, proving they deliver real high-quality sleep that you can trust and enjoy like I do. Go to Brooklynbetting.com. Use my promo code Megan at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. That's Brooklynbetting.com and promo code Megan for 30% off site wide. Let them know we sent you after checkout. Brooklyn betting.com promo code M-E-G-Y-N. First though, we have got to talk about what's going on at 60 minutes, specifically with the firing of longtime CBS correspondent Scott
Starting point is 00:03:59 Pelly. We told you last week that CBS fired Pelley for cause. It said on Tuesday after reports that he confronted newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton in a heated staff meeting the day prior. Before he did that, Barry Weiss, who's, she calls herself editor-in-chief of CBS News, had fired the top three women at, well, three of the top women at 60 minutes. Sharon Alfonci, another gal whose name I can ever remember, and the woman who, O'Sus Celia Vega, that was her name, and also the new and not that long in charge editor, or executive producer. She had fired all three of them. And the staff of 60 minutes was reeling.
Starting point is 00:04:51 And I get it. That would be jarring because very rarely do people get fired at these network positions. and 60 minutes even less so. But they were fired. And Scott Pelley's position was everybody was reeling. I was like the senior most person. And so I felt the need to confront the brand new editor or executive producer who none of us knew at all. This guy who was dropped on us out of the New York Times documentary unit.
Starting point is 00:05:19 Like who are you? This guy Blinton. So he wasn't happy. And he went, we got up in this guy's grill, Bill. I should say. And it didn't go well. Scott Pelly tried to play the tough guy. Sure, sure, Scott. He was, look up the, I'm going to look, I've been calling him a prig. Just for kicks, I looked up that definition. You tell me, I mean, I think, I got to be honest, Scott Kelly is the walking definition of that word. Here's the definition. A self-righteous, annoying person who demands
Starting point is 00:05:55 rigid conformity to rules and propriety. They often look down on others, acting as though they are morally superior and fussing endlessly over trivial formal details while ignoring the feelings of those around them. Okay. That's his picture should be there. There's no love between us and Scott Pelly. I said last week, I don't think this is well handled, and I stand by that. But like, today's story is about Scott Pelley. Because he decided to sit down with our friend Lulu Garcia Navarro over at the New York Times The Daily Show.
Starting point is 00:06:32 And it was his first interview. It was posted online yesterday. It was a lot. And we're going to go through some of it. First. Here is how... Scott has been at 60 and CBS for 37 years. That's a long time.
Starting point is 00:06:47 He spent his career there quite clearly. He feels very connected to the organization. Don't begrudge him one second of that. But there are some dramatics going on in this interview like this. Take a listen to how he described his emotional state right now. I want to actually start by just asking you how you're feeling in this moment. Well, if we want to talk about it at an emotional level, the best thing that I can imagine in terms of describing it is that it's like your spouse was murdered.
Starting point is 00:07:21 Whoa. There's some moments of the day I feel fine. There are some moments of the day that I just frankly fall apart when I least expect it. But I do want to be clear that I do not feel sorry for me. I don't care about me. I'm fine. I care about these people that I left behind, the people who are still trapped there. Okay, so first of all, I don't believe that he doesn't care about me the way he says. I don't care about me. You do care about yourself. Like, let's be honest. You are so self-important. You are at the forethought of everything you do. And we need only to watch you and listen to you to know that. So whatever. This is him cloaking himself in this sort of self-righteousness. He's the avenger. He's there for Sharon, what's her name, and the other? other gal, Cecilia, okay. He's like, they fired one third of our staff. It's like, I think there's
Starting point is 00:08:31 only six correspondence. So it's like, I don't, they fired two. So I guess the math tracks, but like, sounds kind of dramatic. You don't have that many people. So he, he there compares his firing to his wife being murdered. Now, I just, I ask you, just sit for one second, please, I forgive me, but like with the unpleasant thought of that actually happening in your life. Do you think you'd be like, you know, some days I was fine. I was fine. But other days I fell apart. And who, like, what could happen to you in your professional life?
Starting point is 00:09:07 And I've had some negative things happen to me that would compare to the murder of your smell. I'm like, this is not the right analogy. This is, this is not where we should have gone, Scott. But, like, it does show you how important he thinks 60 Minutes is, CBS News is. And honestly, one of my overall takeaways of this whole interview was how out of touch he is. Okay, but he did not stop there when it comes to the murder comparisons. Watch.
Starting point is 00:09:40 That's a family at 60 Minutes. my former boss and former producer Bill Owens saved my life in a firefight in Iraq. So Lulu, these bonds are pretty tight. And when somebody wipes out murders a large number of your family members, people are hurt and shocked in disbelief and just desperate for some explanation. Okay. So Bill Owens, that's, that is a compelling story. Bill Owens was the executive producer of 60, but he stepped down last year. He wasn't there and he's not involved in all this. And so I'm sure you feel grateful to him, but, you know, he's not there and he's not involved. So I'm not sure what this is about. I also have to be honest, it's not a family. It's a news organization. And Barry was brought in to revamp it.
Starting point is 00:11:01 And some revamping is going to trample across 60 minutes, Scott, because of you and Sharon and Leslie and people like you. Like, no one can step in to your family and rejigger it. No one can step in and say, there are some weak members of the family who are going to have to go. because people like the family less than they could. This is a news organization. That's why it was possible for a new boss to come in and start moving chess pieces around and changing the way you play the game altogether. That's okay. It's allowed.
Starting point is 00:11:36 The way he is behaving is like a child, like a petulant child. It's fine if you feel like your family in your workplace or you feel like you have this bond of loyalty and so on that transforms everything and, and, and, and, tramples any commercial concerns, trumps. But it doesn't. You need to retain the knowledge that it doesn't, actually. Actually, it's a place of business and business decisions are going to be made accordingly. The entire interview shows somebody who doesn't seem to understand that.
Starting point is 00:12:13 And this is one of the reasons why I've said, some others have said before me, it is not a good idea to spend your whole career in news? It's not. It is so much better. I think for you as the consumer of news and for the news people, the newsrooms, higher people who have had another life before they get into news so that they understand what real life is like, right? Like, the newsroom, he talks about it. It's this revered place where we're all family. We're risking our lives every day. Okay, that you have gotten too self-important. The news is important. The First Amendment is important, but let's be honest, it's not brain surgery. Okay?
Starting point is 00:12:54 We don't actually have people's lives in our hands. We have information that's important to them that we should give responsibly and truthfully. But you don't understand, Scott Pelley, that to the right half of the country, we think you left that business a long time ago. You don't think that, but we think you left that business a long time ago. And we don't look at you the way you see yourself at all. Okay, there's going to be more on this in one second. So Pelly then explained to Lulu why he was so aggressive with this new guy, the show's new executive producer, who I have to be honest, seems utterly clueless.
Starting point is 00:13:32 How they're making the executive producer of 60 Minutes, a guy who's never done television before, is beyond me. It is an insult. It is to the 60 Minutes staff and to CBS News. what the F. He's never done television before. So what do you say? How can you put this guy in charge of 60 minutes? Well, who did it? Barry Weiss. Barry Weiss has also never done television before. These utter novices when it comes to broadcast journalism are trying to say, like, how hard could it be? I guess it's just exactly the same as print journalism like I did
Starting point is 00:14:06 at the New York Times or at the free press. It's not. It isn't. There actually are multiple layers of doing broadcast and communicating with an audience visually through moving pictures that you obviously don't understand. And some of what Scott Pelley said about Barry trying to make changes to a cooked 60 show, like it was already in the books and it was just all they had to do was hit play, like an hour or two before air, did make sense. And I give them those points. You can't come in.
Starting point is 00:14:40 I know this just from being at a dateline, you know, for a little bit and doing some date lines. Like my Putin interview was aired in the dateline time slot. And I think one other, I did one other in-depth piece that was aired in the primetime dateline spot. But my point is simply, and then I had my own 60, 60 minutes type show on their Sunday night air at NBC for about two minutes. It didn't do very well. But my point is simply, I understand like the deadline situation. You can't mess with it that close to air. It's not like the live Kelly file on Fox or this show. You can't. Like once that, it has, it's on tape. Every element has been combed over.
Starting point is 00:15:17 It's been run through legal standards and practices. Every line has been looked over it to prevent you from getting sued because these tend to deal with heavy, headier stuff. You cannot open up the product two hours or an hour before Aaron start messing with it. I mean, unless there's a serious, serious reason to do it. And he was complaining that she, but my takeaway on that is it does matter whether you've had experience in broadcasting. It does. So you cannot have both an editor. and chief over there and now an executive producer of 60 with no television experience. I get it.
Starting point is 00:15:50 I give him that point and I understand why the staff is eye rolling at this guy. However, you do have to afford him some level of respect as a colleague who has, for better or worse, been placed in this position. Your new owners over at CBS, David Ellison, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, believes in him and thinks he's the man for the jobs. So you can't be a total asshole when the guy has his first big staff meeting, no matter how mad you are about the people getting fired. Okay, but here in this clip, he's explaining why he, Pelly, was so aggressive with this new executive producer. He talked about how the first thing that ticked him off was this guy gets in front of the staff. And instead of just speaking like a human to them, like, which honestly would have been the right thing to do.
Starting point is 00:16:41 Just like, I know it's been a rough week. I know people are feeling unsteady. You know, we fired the EP, we fired two top correspondents. Let me tell you what we have in store, what we have in mind. You know, I can't comment on personnel decisions, but I can't tell you that. He took out his phone and started reading something. He had written, which is humiliating. I think it would be humiliating in most businesses, but in a business where we're all paid
Starting point is 00:17:10 communicators. it's especially humiliating and, I mean, way to insist that the staff disrespect you. The thought of Roger Ailes ever needing to read his little remarks to the newsroom at Fox is a joke. You're a leader or you're not or you're not. You speak from the heart about your leadership vision and this show you've taken over or you don't. I mean, honestly, there is no doubt in my mind that they recoiled when they saw, they as broadcasters, saw this guy needing his little notes on his phone to read to them what was going on. Even if legal has said, this is the way you need to say X, you start off the top of your head, you speak from the heart. And when you get to the part that's dicey legally, you pick up your phone and say, sorry, I have to read this part.
Starting point is 00:18:09 and then you do it. Broadcasters also understand that. News, men and women also understand that. This was someone who was scared. And you know what happens in the workplace setting when someone who's already not respected and not wanted projects fear. Right?
Starting point is 00:18:26 Well, here's Scott Pelly on that moment. I felt that somebody had to stand up for the broadcast, not just the broadcast, but the people. There are people in that room who go to war zones when they are pregnant. It is a life-threatening job in many instances. And very strong bonds, very emotional bonds are found or are developed in that kind of setting. Okay. It's not untrue that you develop close bonds in the newsroom, and there are people who go to the war zones while they're pregnant. It's not unique to 60 minutes. It happens at CNN. It happens at Fox. It happens across news media. And these are the journalists we respect. And we remember because bad things do happen to them. I mean, there have been just look what's happening over now in Lebanon. I mean, multiple, multiple journalists are being killed by Israeli bombs.
Starting point is 00:19:33 and we're in Gaza as well, some connected to Hamas and some not. And you do risk your life as a journalist when you embed with the troops and you put yourself in harm's way. In fact, my husband and I were just in D.C. over the weekend and we went to Arlington National Cemetery, which is very moving, very moving. I'm looking at my phone next. I just want to tell you about this plaque that we saw when we were walking through Arlington. It's on the ground. And it's one small homage, which is the size of the homage that it should be, not big in Arlington, to journalists. And it reads, U.S. correspondent, this tree grows in memory of journalists who died while covering wars or conflicts for the American people, covering the conflicts for the American people.
Starting point is 00:20:31 one who finds a truth lights a torch. One who finds a truth lights a torch. And it goes on from there. And it's a beautiful tree right in the middle of Arlington to honor the journalists who have given their lives while covering the news. And honestly, as much as we, most people on the right can't stand the media, there are definitely honest, great journalists who are really lucky to have. And it is an important job.
Starting point is 00:20:58 It's one of the reasons why some of us stay in it. stay with it, even though we find it toxic and difficult and disappointing, because it is an important job to keep the public informed. So I'm with him on the sacrifices that people make, but again, it does not insulate your newsroom from overhaul, from tweaks, from accusations of bias that have to be addressed. And if you really wanted to save those jobs, Scott Pelley, you would try listening. You would try listening. Right? I mean, the audience knows, like, Barry and I are in this negative place. Unfortunately, she attacked me. I did not attack her. She drew first blood. And look, I've been honest that I don't think this is the job for her. She has no television
Starting point is 00:21:48 experience. However, she isn't wrong that 60 has lost its way. It is biased, noticeably, toward Democrats and progressives. We know that. Most of the people listening to this show do not need to be convinced of that. But Scott Pelly clearly has no clue. Barry is a liberal, but she's a non-woke liberal. So she's seen enough with her eyes to know how this show, and frankly, the news organization, is perceived by,
Starting point is 00:22:28 the other half of the country. The side she's not on, but she's not woke, so she understands where most of us are coming to it from. And she's trying at the direction of her bosses to correct for some of that in the programming there, and it's going about as well as you might expect. They're accusing her. They're mad at her because they think she's trumpifying the newsroom, which is a joke. You can inject more fair and balanced coverage and make changes around the edges without trumpifying the news. That's a joke you couldn't trumpify CBS or 60 if you tried. Honestly, that would not be possible.
Starting point is 00:23:05 Literally everybody would quit. So it's something that's being done around the edges. These are very minor changes. And they're being treated like earthquakes. Now, there's another segment that's looking at the changes happening at CBS, which also happened to be almost universally pro-Israel at a time when Israel's for the first time doesn't have majority support amongst the American people. And they're objecting to that because that's Barry's own set of biases that she's injecting into the coverage.
Starting point is 00:23:33 And it's obvious. And the Ellison's apparently share it. So there are like all sorts of issues about what's happening at CBS. However, I want to stick on the Pelly piece of it because that's today's story. All right. So he talks about people go to war. So I got it. Now, this, however, is not really how Scott Pelley these days is. spending his day job, right? He's been to conflicts over the years. I get it. What he's really doing these days is ripping apart moms for liberty. Like, that's his thing now. Or giving sanctimonious
Starting point is 00:24:09 graduation speeches. Do we have that? We had it here the other day. I didn't play it. It probably didn't pull it over. But my God, the sanctimony of Scott Pelly when he spoke not long ago at a graduation speech, not this year, but I think it was last or the one before him. that's what he's really doing. And the cluelessness is obvious as the nose on your face to anybody who take the time to listen. In this next clip, you will hear him compare himself to heroes who risk their lives for our country. Lulu did challenge Pellie a bit on his choice of the violent language, like the murdering of your spouse. And Pellie, well, here's how he answered. Watch.
Starting point is 00:24:49 In that meeting, you said Weiss was, and I'm quoting here, murdering 60 Minutes, language that you've used here. Can you explain to me what you mean by that? One of the things Nick Billton said in that ill-fated email to the staff was that he was excited to tell, I'm paraphrasing here, he was excited to tell the staff about the new crop of correspondence. And when I saw that, I thought, okay, they're going to fire all of us eventually. That's the plan. He put it in writing for all of us to see. And so that's why I use these admittedly for a journalist hyperbolic terms. Okay. I get it. So you may be unsteady feeling like everyone's going to get fired. But again, you have no right to your job. You have no right to that position. There's no right. If you have a
Starting point is 00:25:48 contract and they fire you without cause, you have a right to your salary until the end of that contract term. That's it. That's it. That's it. it's the way it goes. Every on-air person in news understands this. So Scott Pelly gets in the face of his new boss. He confronts him. By the way, that new boss was zero television experience, who nobody respected, who had to read his little statement off of his phone. He's reportedly making $2.3 million a year. That's a joke. That's a joke. That's a joke. joke. Anyway, Scott Pelly confronts him in front of the entire staff and in very dismissive terms,
Starting point is 00:26:37 like suggesting that this guy, Bilton, is not going to make it. What the hell is his name? I mean, nobody even knows him, Bilton, Nick Bilton. But he's not going to make it over the long haul. And Pelley is showing open disdain for him, which is by any definition in subordination. and despite all of this, Pellie tells Lulu he never in a million years thought that they would fire him. Watch. Tell me about that meeting and if you were at that point going and expecting to be fired?
Starting point is 00:27:11 Oh, gosh, furthest thing from my mind. It hadn't occurred to me. So I walk in the door and I see Barry Weiss is sitting in there and I think this is terrific of her. she's come to this meeting and now I'm going to be able to ask her these questions she's going to be able to explain what happened But it really didn't occur to you that you could be fired after so many of your colleagues
Starting point is 00:27:40 had been let go after you'd had this very contentious interaction with your new boss? You know, some reporter I turned out to be. I just didn't connect the dots. Why not? because he thought he was untouchable. He didn't think it could ever happen to him and what you need to realize, pretty much in every job,
Starting point is 00:28:02 but certainly in a television job is no one is irreplaceable. No one. It doesn't matter who you are, how big your star is, how badass you were. You are replaceable and they will replace you and the organization will go on. It will. It's especially something like 60,
Starting point is 00:28:21 which is about the institution. and not the individual correspondence. I mean, I, for one, would love to see 60 go back to the way it was during the Ed Bradley, Mike Wallace, years, the murderers row 60, and not Scott Pelley's 60. I would love to see Barry Fire everyone there. I would. Those last three correspondents, they're ridiculous, too. They just issued a statement over the weekend.
Starting point is 00:28:43 Leslie Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and John Wortham. Bill Whitaker was the one who interviewed Kamala Harris, remember, when they edited her soundbite to make it look and sound better than it. did. Leslie, you know, the laptop can't be verified. And then there's this other guy, John Worthheim, who apparently is in sports. I don't, obviously, you're shocked to hear. I don't know him. They issued a statement saying they're going to stay at 60. I guess 60 wants them to stay. Barry wants them to stay. And they're going to stay. But this is what they say. Nevertheless, we have decided to stay on. We fear that our returning might be construed
Starting point is 00:29:22 as an endorsement of our overlords across the street, meaning Barry and this guy Blinton and others. That is simply categorically not the case. Newsrooms are not supposed to be run like dictatorships. Collaboration and argument are the way we have always worked at 60. And then they go on to say, here's why we are staying. We don't want to see 60 minutes die.
Starting point is 00:29:49 We've been grieving because this whole mess has been, has wounded and damaged the, broadcast. We want to stay and fight, try to repair and preserve our reputation. We're staying for our teams and all the teams. We work for you guys. The thought of abandoning you became unbearable. And of course we're staying because this is home. They are staying because they will never get another job in television. They're not special and they cannot stand the thought of not seeing themselves on camera. That's why they're staying. It has nothing to do with those things they said. Nothing. Nothing whatsoever. Give me a break. I mean,
Starting point is 00:30:22 No one's ever even heard of most of them. So that's them trying to cloak themselves in glory as they hold on to their jobs and refuse to walk. Why would you? You have a deal. Do the best you can. Maybe keep an open mind on the suggested changes. But here are a pair of sound bites I really want to show you that really, in my mind, tell you what you need to know. Okay? I'm going to tie them together. Here's the first one, SOT 7 from Pelley. I was not familiar with her name. So I did some research and discovered those things that you just outlined. What concerned me was that she had zero television experience and had never managed a large global operation like CBS News.
Starting point is 00:31:16 Those were red flags to me. but I thought, you know, David Ellison thinks she's the right person for the job. We are absolutely going to welcome her, listen to her, and give her the benefit of the doubt. I mean, I'm surprised that you hadn't heard of her. She's a lightning rod in journalism. You know, she just hadn't crossed my radar. And if I hadn't heard of Barry Weiss at that point in time, It probably tells you more about me than it does her.
Starting point is 00:31:52 Yes, it does, which leads me to SOT 8. Watch this. What was the feeling about that particular opening salvo to the team? Uh-oh. She, I am told, said something to the effect of why do you think the country thinks you're biased? but she didn't offer any kind of a metric. You know, what's your metric? Why do you think so?
Starting point is 00:32:22 Do you have a poll? Is there market research? What are you talking about? Because we certainly didn't believe that. There it is. Right there, in a nutshell. He didn't know who Barry Weiss was because he only operates
Starting point is 00:32:40 in this rarefied airspace way above it all. He doesn't spend time on digital media or independent media. I guarantee you he thinks that's way beneath him. Why would he familiarize himself with the free press and this low life Barrywise? It's an irrelevant person until she became his boss's boss. So he had absolutely no idea who she was. And I believe him. And he has absolutely no idea that half the country thinks 60 minutes has lost its way
Starting point is 00:33:12 and is incredibly biased against right-leaning conservative or Republican people. No idea. So this is why it's all part of the same ignorance that has confused Scott Pelley about who this person is and why she would come in without evidence and say, why does half the country think that you're biased? Why do people think you're biased? And he's offended. He doesn't know what she's talking about. And you heard him there, like explicitly defending the charge.
Starting point is 00:33:46 He had nothing to back it up. Get out of your Upper East Side Circles, Scott Pelly, and go to flyover country. Spend some time in Iowa, in Montana, in Arkansas, in Texas. Go anywhere. Go to Ohio where people are hurting right now. and ask them whether 60 minutes celebrating Germany's crackdown on free speech rights with criminal charges is as funny as Sharon Alfonci thought it was. Okay, go figure out through contacting real live Americans who don't share your politics.
Starting point is 00:34:36 Figure it out for yourself why Barry came in with that. knowledge, not opinion, knowledge, and was trying to do you a favor by telling you this, by saying, I actually have been out there. I, Barry is a liberal lesbian living in California at this point. She is not, she's not of flyover country. She's from, I think, New York. She went to good schools. She went to Columbia for college. All leftist, leftist, leftist. Okay, but she's been out there. She reads, she talks to real live people. She has her finger on the pulse of what people want and what they don't want when it comes
Starting point is 00:35:19 to identity politics. I mean, unfortunately, as of late, she's apparently trying to expand the definition to include people who are Jewish, which we've had arguments about this for years now. They answer to fighting DEI is not to put more groups into it. So like, we're all in there. The answer is to demolish DEI, or now they call it belonging. Note to parents out there. That's the new way they're getting away with DEI in your kids' school. Now it's belonging. Who could be against that? In any event, he didn't know her and he doesn't know her information
Starting point is 00:35:50 because he doesn't care. He doesn't fraternize with people like you and me. He thinks we're gross. He thinks we're Nazis. He thinks we're, you know, these dumb, Trump supporting Neanderthal deplorables. So he wouldn't have any idea that what she's saying, is true. Here's the Moms for Liberty clip. We've shown it before. But this is the guy now. This is the guy who says she had no, she had no support for her accusations. She had no evidence to back up her bias accusations. Watch. Parents send their children to school to be educated, not indoctrinated into ideology. What ideology are they being indoctrinated into? Let's just say, children in America cannot read. dodged questions with talking points.
Starting point is 00:36:41 You're being evasive. 21% of Hispanic students are reading on great level. What ideology are the children being indoctrinated into? What is your fear? I think parents' fears are realized. They're looking at these books where sexual discussions are happening with their children at younger and younger ages. Tiffany Justice read from sexually explicit books written for older teens, but found in a few
Starting point is 00:37:07 lower schools. Most people wouldn't want them in a lower school. But in a tactic of outrage politics, moms for liberty takes a kernel of truth and concludes these examples are not rare mistakes, but a plot to sexualize children. Oh my God, so infuriating. So infuriating. It's just It's not like Okay, every time one of these books winds up in a kids library It's a plot to sexualize children But there's no question that there is a general school of thought
Starting point is 00:37:46 That talking about inappropriate sexual acts to children Is an okay thing to do for many academic leftists. It has to be. Otherwise these books wouldn't keep showing up in K through eight libraries in schools. Scott Pelley, shame on you. You shamed warriors for children who are trying to protect them against grooming, which is happening, whether that's the intent or not.
Starting point is 00:38:20 It's happening. That's the relevant point that should have been made on 60 minutes, you asshole. The way you groomed children into wanting to have. sexual relations with adults is you inappropriately discuss matters that should never be in front of a child first. And then you graduate the child to doing it. Pay attention. That's one of the main reasons why moms for liberty object to this smut winding up in our children's classrooms. It's not Bob and Jane had a hot night together between the sheets. This is not what's happening. It's talking about anal sex and exactly how to do it. It's talking about incest, these books do.
Starting point is 00:39:05 Honestly, we've gone through them many times. Shame on this guy. And now he has the nerve to say, this Barry, she's so clueless. She came in here and accused us of not being fair to conservatives and dismissing them. She didn't need a poll, Scott. She'd been watching you. She knows how half the country can't stand you. Never mind Leslie Stahl, the laptop can't be verified when a presidential election was on the line. Or Bill Whitaker changing with his editing team, the Kamala Harris answer when an election was on the line. This is why it's very hard to listen to his little lectures on the journalists who were dying in the field. They deserved better. than what you've given them at 60.
Starting point is 00:39:56 You besmirch them with these pieces and this so-called journalism. It's yellow. You besmirch them. So don't get all high and mighty with me or Barry or this guy, Nick Bilton, who I've never heard of before. You shamed your newsroom. You did, sir. And Sharon Alfonsey and Leslie Stahl. You are the ones to blame for the 60 Minutes problems.
Starting point is 00:40:22 Not Barry. Shame on this guy. I'm not buying it. And I said, I told you last week, I don't think she's handling the tumult well. And I think there was definitely a better way of not preventing this from spilling into a scandal that's in the news every day. But that does not excuse his terrible behavior. I'm going to end, which is this one, SOT 11. President Trump reacted to you or being fired.
Starting point is 00:40:56 Did he? He went on a podcast and called you a stiff. I'm surprised that the president of the United States would bother to notice, but okay. Please tell me, I'm not aware of this. He also said you were part of this gang of stupid, crooked people that don't care about your country. Stupid, I can take that. Stiff, yeah, probably. Don't care about the country?
Starting point is 00:41:27 I've never worn the uniform, but I've been in combat for this country in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kuwait, been shot at, spent nights in foxholes filling up with water in the desert. I'm not aware that the president of the United States has ever done any of those things for his country. You know what, Scott Pelly, there are a lot of ways to serve as you yourself seem to be intimating. You didn't dumb the uniform. Those acts were in service of journalism. That's why you did them. I don't begrudge you any moment of it. How dare you begrudge Donald Trump the sacrifices he's made? Honestly, like, Trump literally took a bullet for this country. So fuck off, Scott Pelley. the absolute arrogance and nerve of that asshole to suggest that because Trump didn't wear the military uniform, he's done nothing for America. Donald Trump could be sitting in Balmoral, Scotland at his golf course, enjoying what's soon to be his 80s.
Starting point is 00:43:00 He decided to come back and run again after having been impeached twice. besmirched, called a Nazi at every turn, seen his sons become the most subpoenaed presidential children in U.S. history and arguably the most subpoenaed civilians in America. He, at that point he ran for reelection and, like, in November of 2024, had been nearly assassinated twice and had actually almost taken a bullet in the head. One did hit his head, his ear. He's served. You may not like him, but he's served. And even now, I'm not, as you know, in favor of this war in Iran, but it's a call that our commander-in-chief made. And while you may not like the call, his command is to be respected. Once the call is made,
Starting point is 00:43:57 you root for the American troops, as we have been here, too. It's not an easy job. He's got a lot to balance. He's got a lot on his plate. How dare you? How dare you besmirch him because he never actually had a military uniform on while aggrandizing yourself for going over to cover wars as a journalist? It's unbelievable. This is the same thing we're seeing with some leftists now or ripping on J.D. Vance because he was in the Marines, but he was a correspondent. Like he was updating the troops and others on what was happening in the war as opposed to like on the front lines firing a gun. Who cares? Did you go? Most people didn't go to Iraq. All right? Most people didn't go to Afghanistan. Stop. Just stop. It just sums up Scott Pelley's arrogance. He wants to elevate himself over Donald Trump,
Starting point is 00:44:51 who, by the way, not only has he literally endangered himself in an effort to serve in a job he doesn't have to do and doesn't need, but he actually is the sitting commander-in-chief. So stop. Don't try to compare yourself to him and don't suggest he hasn't served. It isn't true. He's serving right now as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Starting point is 00:45:14 And you know that and we're at war. I just, this is your problem. Scott Pelley, this is your problem. Your problem is actually not Barry Wyss. How about starting to show some of that care and family-like protection for the country instead of just some staffers over at CBS News.
Starting point is 00:45:37 All right, I want to switch to NBC because Kristen Welker got yet another opportunity to interview the president. It was in Wisconsin, and it didn't go well to the point where Trump got up and ended it early. Here are some highlights. Watch.
Starting point is 00:45:53 You think it's appropriate that they have an election and five days later, they're nowhere close to picking State local officials acknowledge they are slow. They're urging. No, they're crooked. They're urging the votes to be counted quickly.
Starting point is 00:46:05 That's how they vote in California. They're crooked. Just like you're crooked. Your press is crooked. And meet the press is crooked. To be fair, I'm not crooked. But let's continue. Well, you play right into their hands in.
Starting point is 00:46:13 Let's continue. You're either crooked or you're stupid. Let's continue. You play right into their hands with a trap. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they're rigged. And you're crooked. And meet the press is crooked.
Starting point is 00:46:27 And so is ABC. and CBS and CNN. But Mr. President. You're one-sided crooked networks. So I, let's call it quits because I've had it up. Thank you, darling. Have a good time. Mr. President, let's please, I traveled all the way
Starting point is 00:46:39 to Wisconsin. I've traveled all the way to Wisconsin. I've sat in the rain with you for an hour, on and off in the rain, and I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest. Okay.
Starting point is 00:46:57 Okay. I don't blame him. I got to be honest. I don't blame him. He sat there with her for quite some time. Reportedly, they were together for an hour. And the problem for Kristen Welker is she made that moment about Kristen Welker and about the vaunted reputation of NBC News. When you are interviewing the president of the United States, especially Donald Trump, you're going to have to give him a little. You've got to give him something.
Starting point is 00:47:28 It's, there's a back. and forth in an interview where you can't just keep battering him over the head at every turn. Look at that exchange. He says, is it appropriate? They're talking about California. To have an election. And five days later, they're nowhere close to picking. She says, state and local officials acknowledge they're slow.
Starting point is 00:47:48 They're urging the votes to be counted quickly. He says, no, they're crooked. That's how they vote in California, she says. Now, why wouldn't you, as the news anchor, give him that fucking point? I'm sorry. Why wouldn't you say, I understand it does undermine the confidence for many? That is such a gimmie. Give them that. Give him anything. Instead, she's got to take every point on because, you know, otherwise you're an election denier. I've never said the 2020 election was stolen. A lot of my audience would love for me to say that. I can see what's happening in California stinks to high heaven. And you know what? I have credibility to say that because I didn't jump on every election denial, denier claim.
Starting point is 00:48:29 and so on. Kristen Welker, you undermine your own credibility. You think you're boosting it for NBC by not giving him what everybody can see, which is, it's suspicious as hell that this woman came out of third place, a distant third in all the days after the actual vote and is now going to be the second to make it into the general election contest over the one Republican Spencer Pratt, who coincidentally happens to be very Trumpy. Who do they think they're kidding? It's It smells. We don't believe it. But again, just like Scott Pelly, she doesn't understand. Like, what I mean? Anybody who would be questioning that would be an election denier. So I have to come out and say, oh no, that's how they vote in California. And he's getting frustrated. They're crooked. Just like
Starting point is 00:49:17 you're crooked. The press is crooked. To be fair, I'm not crooked. Would you stop? Again, don't make, he, this is Trump's tactic. He's angry with you. Don't take the beat. You don't have to, You don't have to respond to the personal attack in the moment just because he makes it, whatever. Or maybe try to be playful. Maybe try to lighten the mood because you can see he's getting agitated. He's got a lot on his plate. The whole thing was very antagonistic. And so if you watch the whole thing, there was a lot of this prior to the moment we just showed you.
Starting point is 00:49:48 And I honestly, by the time you got up and walked, I didn't blame him. And I wasn't surprised. She was rude. He has allowed you to interview him. There's a lot going on in the country right now. I flew all the way to Wisconsin. Now, who gives us shit? No one cares.
Starting point is 00:50:02 You got out of plane? Oh, boo-hoo. You have one hour of television. You have to do a week. No one cares you had to fly to Wisconsin. Please, Mr. President, you're so desperate to save the interview? Why don't you treat him more respectfully as it goes on? And there's a way of challenging him without being so whiny and nasty.
Starting point is 00:50:19 Work on that. Try to be a little bit more likable. Try to telegraph to the president that you don't hate him and you don't think everything he's saying is a bunch of nonsense. No, you wanted to perform. for your audience. You had to perform for them, for your bosses at NBC. That's why he got up and walked out, which you deserved. And I'm sorry to hear that you're allegedly getting another interview because you don't deserve that. We'll be right back. For the first time since World War II, our national debt has exceeded the gross domestic product. America's reckless government spending keeps catching up with us,
Starting point is 00:50:51 higher inflation, higher prices, higher cost of living expenses, and higher interest payments on the national debt. Every dollar Washington spends on interest is a dollar it has to tax, borrow, or print. Smart retirement planners prepare for potential setbacks, and they can do that by diversifying with a time-tested asset known for weathering the storm. Consider physical gold from Birch Gold Group. Text MK to the number 9-8-9898 and Birch Gold will send you a free info kit on converting an existing IRA or 401k into a tax-sheltered IRA and physical gold. You don't pull the rip cord on your parachute once you've already hit the ground. Don't wait for economic turbulence to diversify. Text MK to the number 9-8-9-8 and consider owning some gold from Birch Gold. We are going to be
Starting point is 00:51:43 joined by Mike Rapoli in a minute, but I want to start with just two quick updates on two legal matters that we've been following closely here at the MK show. First of all, Henry Novak, this young man who was murdered in London as he walked home by a man named Vikram Degwa, who is Sikh, who happens to have brown skin, relevant because Henry was white. And Vikram and his brother told the police that Henry was the aggressor, that Henry was attacking them based on some sort of discriminatory grounds, that they were Sikh, that he ripped off their turbans, called them names, and that he needed to be in trouble criminally
Starting point is 00:52:24 for these behaviors. The cops showed up, treated every word of that like it was true, slapped cuffs on Henry who lay dying, argued with Henry when he told them he'd been stabbed that he hadn't. In fact, he had been stabbed five times, including in the back of his legs as he tried to run away from this villainous pair and paid the ultimate price for it, for no one believing him and for his white skin. It was absolutely detestable, deplorable, and it was both the fault of these two Digwa brothers, their mother, who helped hide the murder weapon for them, who also was found guilty by a jury in the UK, and of the police who, in the moments they had to assess this
Starting point is 00:53:07 situation, saw one brown man and one white man and immediately assumed the white man was the evil doer. This is just as evil and wrong as when back in the day, 75, 80 years ago here in America, we would look at a white man and a black man and assume the opposite, just as evil and wrong. We have so overcorrected for a prior history of racism that we are now openly discriminating against whites and white men in particular. And that's what this case is, an example of it. Now we've just gotten our hands on Vikram Digwa's brothers 911 call. Over there, it's 999. He called 999. He called 999 after the the stabbing. And the number of lies in this phone call, I mean, I'd love to know more because
Starting point is 00:54:03 I don't know why he called 911 at all. I can only think that they wanted this guy arrested or they knew that they thought he was going to live and they thought he was going to point the finger at them and they wanted to sort of get the jump on looking like you're the victim. That's my guess. but the number of lies in the brothers 911 call is astonishing. This is the first we've heard it, and here it is. Police emergency. Yeah, we've just been attacked by someone racially. Yeah, this fucker.
Starting point is 00:54:38 Not true. He's just an attack. Cook is the start off. Hey? Huh? Sorry, we just got attacked racially by some white person. You're talking about verbally or physically? No, no, he's physically attacked my brother.
Starting point is 00:54:51 We're Sikhs. We wear a tiger. and he's just attacked my brother. No, he didn't. Have any weapons been involved? No, no, no. No. Leave him one second.
Starting point is 00:55:03 I'm calling the police. I'm calling the police. I'm calling the police. We're restraining police. He's verbally attacked my brother racially. He's attacked my brother and took his turban off. Then he's recorded it on his phone thinking he was going to do something. So I need someone here.
Starting point is 00:55:18 Okay. I hear you. I'm restraining him, so I'm not letting him. I can't let him go until this. I'm not being racially attacked and letting me get away with him. He said this and he said that. What did he specifically say? So he said to my brother, your whatever, like, obviously, racial...
Starting point is 00:55:35 Vic, did he, Vic? Sorry, let me just ask him. Vic! Vic! Did he racially say anything to you? Huh? Did he racially say anything to you? He called me a packy as well.
Starting point is 00:55:43 He called him apaki. Okay. That's what I needed to know. Then he's grabbed my brother's hair and started yanking his hair. Obviously, his feet have really long hair. as you may be aware and he started pulling my brother's hair to which then my brother
Starting point is 00:55:56 grabs him as well Has anyone seen any weapons? No, there's no weapons Is this guy fighting and struggling trying to get away? At the minute now he's lying on the floor He was trying to get away
Starting point is 00:56:08 He jumped over some bins and stuff On the other neighbour side He jumped over the bins And tried to leave for the binway He's left the shoe here as well So he doesn't have any injuries He's high at his face I think he's fallen
Starting point is 00:56:21 because when you try to climb over the bin, he's fell on, he's falling from the one side of the bin over the gates to the other side. Okay, when you're saying injury to his face, can you just tell me a bit more about that? Yeah, give me a second, and let me go back to him. So he's hurt his face from his mouth, and he's bleeding from the mouth. I think he needs medical attention? Does he need medical attention, you reckon? He will, yeah, I believe, yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:48 He's jumped. Yeah. So he's jumped. over the gates. He's falling onto a car on the other side. And he's obviously very drunk as right the minute. Just to confirm, no one's seen any weapons? No, no. Such a lie. Such a lie. Vikram had at least two knives on him, reportedly, and one was used to stab Henry Novak five times in an altercation that lasted. He stabbed him. Henry ran. He stabbed him. Henry ran. He stabbed. He he caught up with him as he tried to run away
Starting point is 00:57:23 and stabbed him repeatedly in the back of the legs as he tried to go over that fence. The brother was right there. So the brother calls up and says he's been attacked physically because of his race and verbally because of his race. What did he say?
Starting point is 00:57:37 I don't know. Vikram, were you attacked verbally because of your race? So what are you doing? Why are you calling 911? She's making things up. And then when asked for the specifics, decided to let Vikram do these specific lies.
Starting point is 00:57:48 And Vikram then offers that he called him that word which over in the UK, my information is, it's treated like the N-word. You don't say that word, that P-A-K-I. And so he drops this incendiary allegation, none of which was true. None of this, this was true.
Starting point is 00:58:07 Henry had been videotaping part of the confrontation. Not a word of that is on there. And in fact, what we now know is that there was a recording, a recording two days after the murder in the police's presence, where detectives secretly recorded these two brothers speaking in Punjabi to one another. And in this discussion, Digua, Vikram Digua, admitted to his brother that he had stabbed Novak and made no mention of his earlier allegation of racial abuse. Instead, he agreed with the brother that he would claim that this was self-defense.
Starting point is 00:58:51 These two brothers knew all along what had happened. For some reason, they decided to confront Henry Novak, who was alone. It was two to one. They were the aggressors, not Henry. And they murdered him. Vikram Digwa murdered him. And the mother wound up being an accessory after the fact. That's what happened.
Starting point is 00:59:10 There was no racial abuse. If there was any racial abuse, it was by the Digwood brothers against Henry. who may have been targeted just because he was a white man walking home alone. And that's the 911 call in which you hear the brother lie repeatedly. Over and over and over, he lies. There were so many lies in there. And most specifically, there were no weapons involved. Really?
Starting point is 00:59:31 How did he get stabbed? What happened there? Walk me through it. He attacked us racially. No, he didn't. He physically attacked us. No, he didn't. Did he racially say anything to you?
Starting point is 00:59:43 No. The answer is no, but we heard a lie on there about that slur. He grabbed my brother's hair and pulled off his turban. Zero evidence of that. If Henry did any of that, it was in self-defense as he was getting stabbed five times. And then he tells him there are no weapons. And he knows full well. That the brother has been stabbing Henry Novak. Now this comes out at the same time we learned that the police in London had an initial plan to portray Henry as the aggressor. The Sunday Times of London revealed that the police force designed to do this. in an official statement that they had put together three days after his death,
Starting point is 01:00:18 but they changed their wording after Henry's family got word of it and objected. An initial police statement they report read as follows. It was reported two men had been assaulted by an unknown man. Henry's the unknown man. The Digwa brothers are the two men. It has been reported two men had been assaulted by an unknown man. The Novak family raw with grief, became concerned that a false narrative was being pushed about their son and pressured the officers
Starting point is 01:00:48 to drop it. And by that point, the police knew that Digwa was a liar because this was after they had heard the two brothers in Punjabi talking to each other about the fact that Vikram had stabbed Novak and had made no mention of the earlier claim of racial abuse. So this has been a lie and a cover-up and a conspiracy to further lie from the beginning and still no accountability for those police officers at all. Now, the latest number I saw was this could take until September of 27 for the cops to get back to us with whether there's going to be discipline. It's an outrage. Everyone in the UK is outraged. America has taken notice of this. It's all over social media accounts.
Starting point is 01:01:39 Now people understand how wrong this is. And that's not going to get it done. A year from now is insufficient. We'll stay on it in the meantime. Then I want to tell you what's happened in the Carmelo Anthony case where it's not going well for team defense at all. They had a rare Saturday court session in which they had multiple witnesses come forward. The prosecution ultimately would rest on Saturday after calling 21 witnesses, 21.
Starting point is 01:02:05 The most emotional over the weekend was the chief medical examiner, Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who warned that it was going to be graphic testimony, and poor Austin Metcalf's family got up and left the room. Just a quick line for those of you not familiar with the case. Austin Metcalfe 17 was at a track meet where he was participating. His twin brother, Hunter, was there too. Carmelo Anthony from a neighboring school, also 17, went into Austin Metcalf's team tent where the track athletes would hang and their fans would hang, some of whom, and wouldn't leave. Carmelo didn't go to their school. There was no reason for him to be in their tent. He was
Starting point is 01:02:45 asked apparently by several people to leave. He didn't. And then Carmelo Anthony, who's black, took out a knife and stabbed Austin Metcath, who had apparently placed hands on Carmelo in some way that's reportedly described by many as not aggressive. In fact, one guy said I was sitting right next to Carmelo when Austin at Carmelo's urging did put his hands on Carmelo saying you've got to leave. And he said, the push was so gentle, Carmelo didn't even bump into me. And I was next to him. So this was not some shove, something aggressive. Carmel, kept saying, make me, make me, make me. And Austin placed hands on him and the response was instantaneous. He was stabbed in the heart. The medical examiner testified.
Starting point is 01:03:33 that the wound was gaping, two and a half inches in length, end quote, not survivable. The prosecutor showed four autopsy photos to the jury. Several jurors appeared emotional, covering their mouths in horror. Hunter held his twin in his arms as he lay dying. The witness accounts of the incident
Starting point is 01:03:56 have been almost identical, but all in favor of Austin's version or I guess the hunter's version, to be fair. Austin is no longer here. 18-year-old Eddie Parra, a teammate of Austin's at Memorial High School, took the stand. He was in the tent.
Starting point is 01:04:14 Carmelo was there. I dabbed him up, Parra said. I think he just means like there was a greeting of some sort. I don't know what dabbed him up means. I mean, dabbing is like the arm motion. In any event, he says, he was asked who he noticed in the tent. Carmelo was there.
Starting point is 01:04:31 He was asked if he thought, it was weird that Anthony was in the tent. Yes, because teams are supposed to be at their own tent. He broke down on the stand when describing the stabbing, saying he noticed blood and a hole in Austin's chest, and that Austin started screaming. The prosecutor asked Parra if the case was about race or self-defense, and Parra said, no. He was then asked, who was in the wrong that day? He responded, Carmelo. One team witness disputed the claims of self-defense being raised by Carmelo Anthony. He's not being identified because he's underage. But he said he did not believe this was a stabbing that was in self-defense. That was lethal force against non-lethal force, he said.
Starting point is 01:05:14 When the prosecution rested, the defense moved for a directed verdict, which is a matter of course for these cases. You say, the prosecution hasn't met its burden. Please direct the verdict my way right now. The judge says no in 99.99% of those cases, as happened here as well. And they certainly have made their burden. Then the defense began presenting its case. They called Centennial High School track coach Adam Linwood to the stand. He said Anthony's teammates nominated him to be captain, trying to paint him as a choir boy, that athletes often go into other teams tense to mingle.
Starting point is 01:05:48 Please. The prosecutor asked, is there any reason an athlete should have a knife that attract me? This was on cross. Linwood replied, no. Anthony's defense team argued he acted in self-defense. I point out that this town had no policy borrowing athletes from going into other teams' tents. But, of course, there's testimony now that this was the standard practice not to. Just FYI, there were multiple witnesses on Friday and multiple more on Saturday.
Starting point is 01:06:22 and the six teens who were on the stand on Friday, four of them were black, all testified on behalf of Austin Metcalf because Carmelo Anthony's family and their spokespeople have tried to make this a racial thing. There's zero evidence race had anything whatsoever to do with it. Nothing. Nothing has been submitted by anybody. And four of the teens who testified that this was Carmelo's fall and not in self-defense were black. don't know what percentage of the ones who testified on Saturday, if any, were black. But they're all telling the same story that Carmelo was not known or wanted under the Memorial High School tent because he didn't go there. That multiple kids asked him to leave and he refused.
Starting point is 01:07:08 That Austin Metcalf took the lead, something that kids say was normal for him. That Carmelo challenged Austin to a fist fight. That's actually the first time we've heard that claim. That was one witness who said that. That Austin responded, I'm not going to fight you at a track meet, bro. And when asked, let's see, by the defense attorney,
Starting point is 01:07:31 did Austin grab hold of Carmelo? Teen number four said he didn't get the chance to. He was already stabbed. Teen 6 described watching the verbal back and forth between Austin and Carmelo. Well, Carmelo had his hands in his backpack and claimed he had something in his bag. The vein in his arm was visible, said,
Starting point is 01:07:49 teenager or number six, it looked like he was grabbing something. And then there's this from some of the shit-stirring supporters outside of the courthouse or and beyond. This was, I think, it was this at a turning point event, SOT 16, or just a turning point table near the proceeding? I'm not sure exactly where this comment was made. it was to a turning point correspondent outside of the court. Listen to this nonsense.
Starting point is 01:08:20 Sot 16. If evidence does come out that Carmelo was not in fact fighting for his life when he stabbed and killed Austin Metcalf, do you think that the black community will accept that? If evidence shows that he did not, no, we're going to stand by ours regardless. They stand by theirs. We're going to stand by ours regardless. I'm a mother first. I'm a black mother.
Starting point is 01:08:41 Let me put that on there. I'm an African-American mother. I have to put away my color first and step into the motherhood. Nobody wants to see their child slained. So I do want to send prayers to Austin Medcaf, their family. But at the end of the day, I got to think like, okay, what did you do to them or whatever to cause this to happen to reaction? We got to start taking accountability for our kids.
Starting point is 01:09:05 Because then again, if my kid, that's why I said, Catch 2nd 2, if my kid was Carmelo, and I feel like his back was against the while, I'm going to tell you straight up, Better mind than yours. Better mind than yours. So either way it go, everybody loses. Unbelievable. I mean, first of all, that made no sense. If we're going to start taking accountability for our kids, that means Carmelo should own up to what he did like he did on the spot. I'm not alleged I did it. And he should pay the price for it. I'm sorry for Carmelo Anthony and his family, but he should spend the rest of his life in prison. Sorry. That's what needs to happen here.
Starting point is 01:09:39 He took a man's life in cold blood for no reason. Absolutely no reason. The kid seems like a sociopath. We're going to protect ours. Really? That's what some of the prospective jurors were saying that got them bounced. And then he had some faction out there saying it was racist to bounce them. That's somehow the prosecution should be fine putting on black jurors who were like,
Starting point is 01:10:06 I would never vote against one of ours. Oh, okay. This is an absurd attitude. She's a racist. That's what she is. She's a raging racist. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. And it's disturbing that if she's some sort of representative of the community down there in Frisco, Texas.
Starting point is 01:10:28 God help the wheels of justice. If somebody like this, black or white, would ever wind up on this jury. It's not going well for the defense, and I predict that Carmelo Anthony will be found guilty. And this woman and others who have that kind of attitude will claim racism, and we will cover it for a day, and then we will promptly move on with our lives. While Carmelo Anthony spends the rest of his life in prison, that's the way it works here. I hope it was worth it. To feel like a tough guy in the moment, Rob Dostin, met half of his entire life, his twin brother, of his brother's companionship, his poor parents who now will spend every anniversary and Christmas and birthday wondering what
Starting point is 01:11:11 might have been. It's the callousness with which some people talk about this, the cavalier nature of, we've got to stand by ours. What are you talking about? What if yours does this again? What if the victim happens to be black? Would that play on your heartstrings at all? There's an insane person there.
Starting point is 01:11:32 in any event, I'm heartened by the fact that the trial's not going well for the defense. No one's buying this bullshit claim of self-defense. There's been no evidence of it. In fact, just as we came to air, my team just sent me this update. This happened. The defense is obviously grasping at straws. They, per independent journalist Brianna Morello, who's reporting from inside the courthouse, the defense witness took the stand.
Starting point is 01:11:56 He's a teen will not be identified. According to prosecutors, this teen told police that Carmelo Anthony was surrounded There's a videotape of it, people. It's not very good, apparently. It's pretty grainy, but you can see bodies. You can see where people were. And prosecutors replayed the video of the stabbing. This must have been on cross, obviously,
Starting point is 01:12:15 because the prosecution is rested. We're in the middle of the defense case now. The teen admitted he actually couldn't tell if they had surrounded Carmelo from the footage. They hadn't. They hadn't. There's been multiple eyewitnesses to say no. The teen earlier said that they ganged up on him.
Starting point is 01:12:31 Now the teen says, he doesn't want to use the term surrounded to describe the scene, right? Because the video taped evidence belies it. So yeah, not going well for team defense. And that is a good thing. Because this defendant happened to admit it on the spot. I'm not alleged. I did it. And he doesn't seem particularly sorry. There's been no expression of remorse whatsoever. So he's a threat not only obviously in this case to Austin Metcalf whose life he took. but to society. And what do we do with people like that?
Starting point is 01:13:05 We lock them up. We lock them up. That's what should happen to him, in my view. Up next, Mike Rapoli is here on his fascinating life story. The Derby loss. What happened just yesterday or two days ago at the Belmont Stakes? And the product he came up with that changed America. Okay.
Starting point is 01:13:30 Time for an uncomfortable reality. quickly. What happens financially to our loved ones once we are no longer here? We put off thinking about it because who wants to think about it. But the best thing we can do for our family is to ensure they are not left with a financial burden of a mortgage, tuition, medical bills, and all the rest of it. And it's so simple. Fortunately, taking steps to financially protect your family is truly easier nowadays than it used to be. And this is where ethos comes in. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and even get same-day coverage. This could be no longer a headache or a concern for you by this evening.
Starting point is 01:14:11 There's no medical exam. All you need to do is just answer a few simple health questions, and you could get up to $3 million in coverage. You'll get the lowest rate from their network of trusted carriers with some policies as low as $30 a month. It's no wonder why Ethos has 4.8 out of five stars on Trust Pilot with over 4,000 reviews. Take 10 minutes to get covered today with life insurance through ethos. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash mk. That's ethyos.com slash mk. Application times may vary. Rates may vary too. You might already own a firearm, but what if you could start with less lethal methods to avoid the financial and mental repercussions of pulling the trigger? This is where Berna comes in. That's B-Y-R-N-A.
Starting point is 01:14:58 And Berna's less lethal launchers are equipped with tear gas and kinetic ammunition designed to incapacitate an attacker for up to 40 minutes. Burna is excited to introduce the all-new compact launcher, too. It's sleek, it's slim, and it hits like a sledgehammer. The same size as a smartphone allowing women to conceal carry everywhere comfortably and with confidence. It fires at 400 feet per second. That's a lot of power to stop aggressors in their tracks. Their pistols are American made and hand-assembled in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with over 80% of the components in the compact launcher being sourced in the USA.
Starting point is 01:15:35 Burna is legal in all 50 states, requires no background checks, and can be shipped directly to your door. And Burna is trusted by hundreds of police departments, too. Try, before you buy, visit burna.com to find a burner partner near you. That's b-y-r-n-a.com. Hey everyone, it's me, Megan Kelly. I've got some exciting news. I now have my very own channel on Sirius XM. It's called the Megan Kelly Channel, and it is where you will hear the truth, unfiltered, with no agenda, and no apologies. Along with the Megan Kelly show, you're going to hear from people like Mark Halperin, Link Lauren, Morin Callahan, Emily Dysh, Jesse Kelly, Real Clear Politics, and many more. It's bold, no BS news. Only on Megan Kelly channel, Sirius XM 11, and on Sirius XMette. Now we turn to the world of horse racing with a man who caught our attention following Golden Tempo's stunning victory in the Kentucky Derby last month. Mike Rapoli is a serial entrepreneur, an owner of Rapoli Stable, which has more than 300 race horses. His horse, Renegade, was all the buzz at the Derby.
Starting point is 01:16:51 It was the favorite. But it came in second, notwithstanding a great race, to Golden Tempo at the Kentucky Derby that day, came from behind and blew everybody away and renegade and Golden Tempo back in action over the weekend for the Belmont Stakes. We'll get to that in a second. But it was Mike Rapoli's reaction to his horse losing the Kentucky Derby that made me fall in love with him from afar. His horse, the favorite, had just lost. That's a disappointing moment for any owner.
Starting point is 01:17:22 His jockey, who also was very well respected and expected to win, came over to him. Did he berate the jockey? Did he say, how did you lose that race? We're the favorites. What do you mean? It was your fault. No, no, because you see, that jockey happened to be brothers with the jockey who was on Golden Tempo, the winner. Both brothers coming in one and two.
Starting point is 01:17:49 And when they crossed the finish line, they held hands together. It's such a sweet moment. But you'd think that Mike Rapoli is the owner. of renegade, the horse is the favorite that didn't actually manage to win that one, might have been in a little bit in a bad mood that day or in that moment. And instead, when his jockey, again, the losing brother that day, came back to speak to him, this is what happened. Are you fucking kidding me with a run of it?
Starting point is 01:18:22 Fuck you, brunt. Fuck you, brunt. I'm not a little bit of him, man. It's just a. I'm fucking believe. That's why you're the best rider in the principal. That's why you're the best rider in the country. You're the best.
Starting point is 01:18:36 You're the best, okay? You're the fucking animal. If you're ever going to fucking lose, you're leased to your brother. Family one for you, okay? All right? Let's go beat them up, believe me. I'm upset about you.
Starting point is 01:18:52 That was a fucking unbelievable rat. Chair. I'd rather be seconded to you. He got fucking hit right away. He did everything fucking right. I love you. I love that.
Starting point is 01:19:11 I love that so much. It's just an example in great sportsmanship, in understanding what matters, in kindness, support, love. It's a little tough to hear. I know the audio is a little tough, but here's what he said. Jokingly, he says at the top,
Starting point is 01:19:28 F your brother. because he just lost to him. He's hugging and kissing him, which you can't see if you're just listening to our program, but he's hugging and kissing the jockey the whole time saying, you're the best rider. You're the best. He says, if you're ever going to lose, you lose to your brother. You lose to your brother. He said, you did everything right, everything right as he's hugging and kissing him.
Starting point is 01:19:48 So he's making his jockey feel better about the loss and saying that's what matters. Family. What really matters here? Family. Good for your brother. I love that moment so much I needed to meet him, and he's here right now. Mike Rapoli, welcome to the show. Hey, Megan. How are you?
Starting point is 01:20:06 I'm great. All right, tell me everything. How were you able to find that magnanimous spirit in that moment? Well, I think you have to go back a little bit. I fell in love with horse racing 40 years ago. As a kid from Queens, who used to cut out of school and go to Aqueduck, and I think my first entree into being an entrepreneur was taking money from my mom and dad and sneaking out of the track and trying to make an investment back
Starting point is 01:20:31 because if I didn't make my money back at the end of the day, I'd be in big trouble. So I've been blessed to have so many special horses, been in the game for about 20 years. For people who don't know, I'm now 0 for 12 in the Derby. That two of the favorites scratched. And, you know, you fall in love with,
Starting point is 01:20:50 you know, my trainer, Todd Pletcher, I have a great relationship with. Johnny Velasquez, they're used to where IRATs. You know, that's the team. I know Irat and Jose since they were 19, 18 year old kids. They came from Puerto Rico. I have a brother who's 15 months younger. He was a New York City cop.
Starting point is 01:21:07 I'm a serial entrepreneur. My dad's a waiter from France and my mom's a seamstress from Italy. And, you know, I'm a first generation kid like these two. And neither one won the derby. But IRAD and both Renegade, obviously, together, gave it their all. The horse could not have been more courageous. I rat to be in that one post, get banged the way he did at the beginning, to fight through that
Starting point is 01:21:32 adversity, to make every single possible move correct for two minutes, and to get to the lead and three or four seconds right before the finish to get caught at the wire, you know, it wasn't just Mike Rupoli the owner. I always have those kids called me Uncle Mike, and, you know, I just went down there and I just, you know, I'm in my mid-50s, and I saw a young kid who's the best Jockey in the country that hasn't won the Kentucky Derby. It's like that great Super Bowl, and he's won every other big race. And all I saw there was a nephew that was gave it as all. And I just looked at him as just who he is, just a great kid who, you know, Megan,
Starting point is 01:22:11 I have a think dream big, think big, dream bigger philosophy. And, you know, of course, the Derby is important to me, but I'm so blessed with so many dreams I've already accomplished. I just wanted that so bad for him. I can't believe you had the presence of mine in the moment because I mean, I know some people in horse racing and like the moment right after you lose when you're, you know, you had a shot at winning is a very tough moment. It's like the disappointment is pretty acute. But in that moment, you were building him up. You were there for him. And technically you're way above him on the totem pole. But like there wasn't a moment of reproach. There wasn't like keep him away from me. I can't talk to him right now. There was only you. hugging and kissing him, telling him what a great job he did, what a badass he was, and like getting the sentiment exactly right, which is like, but your brother, your brother had this moment and we're all happy for your brother. It brings a tear to my eye. I just, so you know Jose
Starting point is 01:23:09 as well, who was on Golden Tempo and actually did get the W that day. Yeah, and we've gone to dinner together as they have grown up in this game. I knew them before they're married. They're both married. They both have three kids under 10 years old. I'm an older parent. I've been married to my wife, Maria for 26 years, but we went through some personal hurdles. I have a 10-year-old daughter, Joy Amia, which means my joy in Italian. So, you know, I know this feeling about having young kids and what they've done. And, you know, again, you know, you said something, the totem pole. I mean, you know, my grandmother passed away five years ago at 90 years old. She was a 42-year-old grandmother. My dad was a waiter in a French restaurant,
Starting point is 01:23:50 and then he was a banquet waiter at Lexington Marriott, and my mom was a seamstress. So I'm pretty low on the totem pole, too, and I'm always going to be Mike from Queens no matter what I've accomplished. I love that attitude. I mean, the audience knows because I told him at the top of the first hour
Starting point is 01:24:05 that you're worth over $2 billion now, two and a half or so, reportedly, and yet you still have that attitude. You're still a kid from Queens. You still are the guy who grew up in that apartment that if it was a thousand square foot, it was a lot. That's key, wouldn't you say? I mean, that's one of the main.
Starting point is 01:24:20 reasons you became so successful? You know, listen, you can never forget where you came from, but not only do I know where I came from, I know what my parents came from, and I know what my grandmother came from. And someone told me that you grew up in the suburbs of Saratoga. So I'm sure wherever you live now and wherever I live now, our homes are a little bit different than the homes that we grew up with. And, you know, I shared a room by my brother for 28 years, and I only got my own room because he got married first, so I got my own room for a year. and, you know, families, everything and your friends. And, you know, I had 75 family and friends member there.
Starting point is 01:24:56 You know, when they crossed the line, I mean, I put my head down for a good 45 seconds. And I could just hear people, my daughter crying, my wife crying, people in agony. And once I put my head up, you know, it was about them. And they wanted it for me more than I wanted it for myself. And then it was very easy for when I saw I read it in that moment. just to, it was just about him, man. And, you know, there's no one that loves winning more than me, Megan, but no one who accepts and learns from losing more than me.
Starting point is 01:25:28 And I think you can learn, you actually learn more than losing in life than actually winning. And some people forget about that message. It takes a big man, though. I have to say, again, I don't, I don't know you at all. I don't, now I know. Now I've learned that you invented, came up with smart water and vitamin water. Got it. Yes, very familiar.
Starting point is 01:25:48 but I didn't know you at all. And then I just thought you were into horse racing. Then I realized you're this very successful entrepreneur. But I was so impressed by it, Mike. I got to say, it's like, there's so many examples in the news, and I've heard your mouth, so I know you're not going to be offended. So many douchebags out there. It's like great to see somebody who just makes you feel good about our country, our athletic events, you know, winning and losing, who projects the right attitude to the kids. I was watching that with my kids. I'm like, you see that? Look at him. Look what he did. You know, you were an example in the moment. We have two few heroes out there.
Starting point is 01:26:21 So thank you for being one of them. And along with IRAD showing my kids and others across the country how to lose gracefully. Yeah. And you said the word that I'll use. You can still be a likable douchebag. You know, you don't have to be. It doesn't always have to be controversial. I mean, you know, trust me, if you ask me my wife for, you know, 26 years, if you ask her, if I'm an asshole, she'll say yes.
Starting point is 01:26:43 If you ask you, do you love me, she'll say more than anything. So, you know, the biggest thing I try to portray to my daughter who's 10 years old and even others. I mean, I'm always going to be Mike from Queens. I always try to tell kids, just be yourself, just be you. We live in this society where we worry more about what people think or what people want us to say. And at the end of the day, I think it's really why we have so many unhappy children, unhappy people. They go through life faking it. I mean, be yourself, be proud.
Starting point is 01:27:13 and, you know, listen, you can agree to disagree. The reason why I have the same friends for 45 years is they can complain to me about anything they want. We've had this incredible life, incredible journey taken together. And, you know, once in a while, my friends of 45 years have to have tough conversations with me recently. They came to me with a very serious subject, and they weren't happy with the food on the private plane. It's a very, very serious subject, you know, considering we used to go to McDonald's and pizza every Friday, the private plane didn't meet their stand. And so I had to work on that.
Starting point is 01:27:45 But it's the ability to be real. I like that they're leaning in. Yeah, they have to. They have to feel. I have to make them happy, man. That's my goal in life, right? So. Why shouldn't they have the best?
Starting point is 01:27:56 Let's go back to that moment if you'll permit me at the Kentucky Derby. Then we'll get to what happened this past weekend. But at the Derby, we were all, we weren't at the Derby, but we were watching it at home because we always get dressed up in my home in Connecticut. And we watch as a family. We have our version. virgin mint juleps, and we watch and enjoy. And here was that incredible come-from-behind moment by Golden Tempo Renegade right there. It's not 52. Renegade is in behind that group. He's on the rail. He's got 10 legs to make up as six-speed into non-verbiter one-two on the far turn. Mike Smith
Starting point is 01:28:30 is so happier their turn. They're outside. Two and a half back. And then down toward the inside comes emerging market as they make their way to the top of the stretch. Further ado. is getting going on the far outside with commandment. They're both putting in their runs as they arrive into the final furlong. Oh, Sally is also gaining ground on the far outside as they come to the last 16th of a mile. DeNan, Burman and Fred, both selling a huge long shot. Renegade and Golden Tempo are closing two. Here's final time of 202.27 seconds.
Starting point is 01:29:16 Oh, the two brothers held the hands. It was just so sweet. So can I, can you just spend a minute on this horse golden tempo because, spoiler alert, Golden Tempo also just won the Belmont Stakes. He did not race in the Preakness, which was too close in time to the derby. A lot of horse owners decide to make that same choice for the health and goodness of their own horse. But can you describe this horse golden tempo because he did it again at the Belmont Stakes coming from behind to win the whole thing? And he beat me again. We were the favorite, and he beat us again. I didn't want to mention that, Mike. We came in third. We had the lead at the top of the stretch, and two horses got outside us. And they had the momentum. And then I think when Golden Tempo got by us, the other horse commandment,
Starting point is 01:30:04 just went with Golden Temple, who actually came in sixth, I think, in the derby. And, you know, when you see that moment, you know, I've been blessed. I mean, you know, the biggest race I've ever won in my life was in terms. 2022, this Belmont Steaks that just was this weekend, I came in first and second with both my horses. And I've always said as a kid, I've wanted to win the Belmont Stakes more than the Kentucky Derby. But now that I've won the Belmont Stakes, I want to win the Kentucky Derby, right? So, you know, there's a moment in the stretch that you really might be a 15 second spot where you think you're going to win this. You think you're going to win this. And you think about
Starting point is 01:30:41 dreaming about this race for 40 years. And here it comes and it's so close. And here you go. And you You can vision it just for 15 seconds and then it ends like that and you get caught at the wire. And then you got to regroup. And, you know, listen, you learn more about people through adversity. Anybody's a great friend, a great family member. Things are going great. Everybody's winning. Everybody's happy.
Starting point is 01:31:05 But life isn't defined by good times and happiness. It's good. It's defined by losses and adversity. And to me, listen, I'll say it this way. toughest loss of my racing life will always be renegade to Golden Temple. One of the best accomplishments in my entire life being a kid from Queens is being second in the Kentucky Derby by ahead. I think Megan maybe six or seven more years of therapy.
Starting point is 01:31:32 I think I should be okay. I might be able to get over it. But you know what? You can't change it. And now I'm starting to look to the 2007 Derby, right? I got something to chase. Well, and also, like, you had a horse. you have Renegade in the Kentucky Derby. I didn't have that. Nobody listened to us had that.
Starting point is 01:31:50 That's such an accomplishment what you've done in racing. And it's just like a blip on your resume. It's like an extra that would be a throwaway for you, but not for most people. It would be our only accomplishment. So all of it is just really, it's incredible. And you gave us all such a thrill. Like that the horse, Renegate's amazing. And that moment between the Jockey Brothers was just something that was unforgettable. Can I ask you about the, I don't really know a lot about horse safety. I think most people who watch horse racing love the horses and they worry about, you know, whether they're being well taken care of. And this has been a bit of a scandal because there have been a lot of horses who have died in thoroughbred racing. So what's the
Starting point is 01:32:28 status of that? What's your opinion of that? Yeah. The unfortunate part of horse racing is any other sport, if a horse, if a person either breaks an ankle or sprains an ankle, you know, he's on the shelf for six weeks to 12 weeks. Unfortunately, the way these horses are built, they have these four legs that carry anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. So unfortunately, there is no science right now that if they break a leg and it can't be fixed properly, they either unfortunately have to be, you know, euthanized
Starting point is 01:33:02 or they possibly could get lemonitis, which means no blood gets to this spot and they can die from that. So it's unfortunate that that's the situation. I mean, there's been a lot of done on horse safety. And, you know, the other thing that we've been tackling and we're very close to is there's a safe act, which really is about horse slaughter where people can ship horses to Mexico or other countries where they actually eat horse as a delicacy. And we have a bill right now that just got, I think it passed one of the houses.
Starting point is 01:33:39 and if we can stop that, we can stop any horse from being shipped out for slaughter. So there's good work being done, better work being done, but I couldn't sit here and tell you that never will there ever be an injury to horse racing where,
Starting point is 01:33:53 unfortunately, they won't have to be euthanized because of the way they're built. But, you know, I mean, there's a ton of precautions, there's a ton of safety, but hey, it happens in life. It happens in, you know,
Starting point is 01:34:06 if you're driving past midnight, it's, it's, it's the saddest, part of the game that is we've gotten so much better at it, but it's not fixable unless you completely stop the sport. But we've done a very good job. Because I know you also did not race renegade in the preakness. Is the prequist just too close to the derby? And can that be fixed? Like, why is it so close that all these great horses who win or come close to winning in the derby don't race? Megan, you know, I love this sport. And I grew up with the sport for the last 40 years. I came to love it.
Starting point is 01:34:41 You know, I also have the United Football League. I'm involved in St. John's basketball. It's the worst marketed sport in the United States. It's the worst run sport in the United States. You know, there's organizations that have been around since the late 1800s that unfortunately haven't been able to let go of the sport. It reminds me, Megan, I heard the clip that you had on UFC. Well, before UFC, there was boxing.
Starting point is 01:35:08 And boxing was not regulated properly, was not run properly. And horse racing is at that stage right now. I'm sure you've gone to Saratoga being a girl from upstate New York. Many times. And if you bring people to Saratoga, it's something they fall in love with. If you've ever been to the Derby, it's an event. This year, 25 million people viewed the Kentucky Derby. But the retention of being able to hold them isn't there
Starting point is 01:35:34 because there's no one really looking at what is the best interest as a whole of the entire sport. It's one of the things I'm trying to fight for fan interaction, gambling, ownership, breeding. I mean, New York State, a lot of the breeding money comes from upstate breeders that need horse racing to succeed. California needed horse racing. Kentucky is the king estate of racing. But it's a great sport. And I think I really, for the first time in about 10 years, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel that people are now looking to work together versus staying silos and only want to fix their spoke of this 10-wheel spoke. But, you know, I'm sure you're, you love going, but when it's not a big race or a big event,
Starting point is 01:36:28 you forget about it the other 362 days a year. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, no, I grew up in a suburb of Albany, which is a stones throw from Saratoga, and we went up there all at time for all sorts of reasons. Saratoga is just charming, but the racetrack is like time travel. It's stuck in 1959 in a great way. And they're having the, they're having the Belmont stakes there now, because I guess they're redoing the racetrack over at the Belmont, so Saratoga it is. But we'll definitely be there. We try to go as often as we can in the summer, and we'll definitely be there this summer as well. Let me just expand at the time we have left to your real empire, all of your work and
Starting point is 01:37:03 Smart Water and so on. I read that one of the early business partners you coupled with was Kobe Bryant. And that is such a wonderful but tragic story. How did you come to know Kobe? And what did you make of his legacy? We started a small, we're invited one with my partner, Darius Bikoff, who was from Manhattan and I was from Queens. And we had this $100,000 company that he basically began. And it was $100,000 for three straight years. And, You know, we kind of joined together. We had two different personalities. One thing that I always talk about when you go to go into business with another co-founder
Starting point is 01:37:42 or a partner, you know, go to business with someone that adds a different point of view, not someone who thinks like you or dreams like you, but someone who's got a different skill set. I do a lot of sales in marketing. He was ops in finance. He was more visionary. I was more strategy and worked together. We built this incredible brand, smart water, Vitam Water.
Starting point is 01:38:00 I was 36 years old. And we went from two employees to 600 employees. And, you know, we sold for $4.1 billion. But the real story about that was I always believe success is best when shared. So I started a 10% option pool for all the employees because I wanted everybody to be an owner. And, you know, 10% of $4.1 billion is $410 million. And when you divide that by 600 employees, obviously presidents and VPs made more. But when the receptionist was making $45,000 back in 2007 gets a check for $400,000,
Starting point is 01:38:31 and the shipping clerk gets a check for $700,000, and you, create 250 millionaires. I mean, it really is a great feeling. And I've taken that with me with body armor, with noble, with kind bars, with Pirates Booty, just about making people owners, letting them build something with you together. And I think it's so important that, you know, oh, the stock market is doing so great. Look at this. It's 1% of the people. Why not profit share? Why not these kids are graduating college? I doubt your education is going to cost you as much because your kids' education is going to cost you or did. My parents were able to pay $5,000 a year for St. John's.
Starting point is 01:39:07 You know, I have one 10-year-old daughter. I've already paid for seven college educations, but that's okay. And I'll pay for more. But how do these kids graduate to get a $50,000 job? The math doesn't work. So how can we get these employees to really share the success with this next generation? Because I used to think they had it easier than us until about 10 years ago. And I'm not sure if Megan Kelly's Megan Kelly and Micropoli's Micropoli,
Starting point is 01:39:31 is Mike Ripoli if we were 15 years old today versus being 15 years, you know, when we were 15. So to me, that's very important. Oh, I worry about it too. Yeah. I worry about it too. It's like, I know, especially with AI, very concerned about the job prospects of our kids. But I love that you've given back to St. John because, you know, that's also not too far away from my hood.
Starting point is 01:39:52 And it's, of course, I know it from basketball. What I learn in reading up on you is one of the reasons we know it for basketball is because Mike Ripoli has given $10 million dollars to the program. You've given away tens of millions of dollars to so many different. Cancer research is Sloan Kettering. Like the list is very long. It's got to feel so good, Mike. You know what?
Starting point is 01:40:08 It's the best thing I do. I mean, I think at the end of the day, I, listen, I always know if I'm going to be successful. You know, I don't look at it like my number or my accomplishment. The ability to share it with my friends and family, the ability to share it with my Vitamorto family or my Pirates booty family or my junkless family or my noble family, all the brands, UFL, and helping people reach their dreams, to me, is more special than our, I mean, you know, listen, I didn't want to be the only rich person out of my friends and family. I wanted everyone to success. So when vitamin water sold, you know, my brother gave me
Starting point is 01:40:44 $100,000. My aunt gave me $100,000. My parents gave me their life savings. And, you know, I was crazy probably to take it, but I was a little naive. But, you know, success is best when shared. It's so important. And then quickly, you talked about my relationship. with Kobe. You know, Kobe came to me after he tore his Achilles. I was friends with him in 07-08. And the one thing he said to me is, Mike, my basketball careers at the end. I need to know how to be an entrepreneur. I got another 50 years of my life. So I spoke to Kobe in a way that nobody else spoke to Kobe. I mean, I didn't really like him in basketball. I wish that he lost every game. But when I knew Kobe, the person and, you know, the biggest compliment he gave
Starting point is 01:41:23 me and it was a compliment he probably didn't mean was there's only two people that talk to me like You and Vanessa. I said, good. I'm glad. And we built this beautiful, beautiful dream. He gave me $6 million, and he wound up, the family ended up getting $450 million in total. And Kobe knows that in heaven his great, great, great grandchildren are taken care of and still talk to Vanessa and Natalia, Capri and BB. And, you know, it's maybe my... I apologize, Mike. I got to run because we got 15 seconds to the hard break. But God bless you for helping him in so many families, if only his prediction of 15. more years have been true. All the best. We'll continue to follow it. Thanks for the memories.
Starting point is 01:42:03 We're back tomorrow. We'll see you then. Thanks for listening to The Megan Kelly Show. No BS, no agenda, and no fear.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.