Transcripts For RT The Alex Salmond Show 20240711

Welcome to the Alex Salmonds show. Last saturday some. 4 days after the election, senator joe biden became president elect joe biden. Now in line to the come, the 46 president of the United States with the highest ever popular vote in american history. I bet the Vice President elect kamel how this becoming the 1st woman and indeed 1st woman of color to ever hold that office. Dubai. The success and president trumps departure was widely welcomed across the world. However, our guest today had a very special reason for interest in the change of tenure in the white house today. Alex interviews allegedly photographer haile babysitter, who is portrait, studied every sitting american president since dwight eisenhower. Today we look at president ial politics, but with a difference through the lens of how the bateson but 1st to teach mischief. Now alex started last picture with a very personal tribute to a special friend of his. And im just says a very moving powerful and personal tribute to so sean connery by alex um, and i like to stand in our universe, but it will shine or not memories and hopes for the future. Magnificent portie. Thank you. Alex says, and you can mindsets and listen to the rest of the show which covered coverage. I really fascinating discussion. Lets talk Decision Makers are taking note of the learning. I look forward to hearing about the different approaches adopted in ireland and northern ireland. Early evidence suggests the islands 5 levels are making a positive impact, lesley says alex, thank you for your program. So informative policy regarding Public Health should never have been difficult. It should have been pursued the way dr. Bought it and professor burns are discussing. Martin says, believed to this is the way it should have been done from the start of the pandemic. Many lives could have been seed. Dece is being negative, or isolating. Symptom free is a waste of time if you can still catch or be carrying it. And finally, john, it says the mixed messages and lack of sensible destructions have been terrible. The simple solution is copy the new zealand approach as a short and sharp looked and everything is nearly back to normal. Of course, this week has brought news of exciting progress towards vaccination. However, in the months before it can be generally deployed Public Health measures will store to meet our only view protection. I get this fight this stacy and i to todays interview. How did benson c. P. E. Is glasgows most famous photographer and his long illustrious career . His lens has captured everyone from her majesty the queen to Jackie Kennedy to listen to taylor. However, one of his most notable achievements has been to photograph the last 12 american president s in office until that is donald trump brooks, the run. Alex takes up the story with heidi benson. And i dont like to be joined from florida by legendary photographer hottie benson holly. Welcome to the alex salmond. Show a pleasure waiting it all, all my life to be on here and i am yours. Its just 12 american president s photographed by you, but their outgoing pres, the new donald trump, of them have a, an all together even relationship. Are you hoping to go on much better with and coming joe biden . Thats why im not mad. Joe biden is a nice guy. You know, hes not even a ring agreeable. But donald trump brought the romney. It wouldnt let you into the white house. Will you take a nice photograph before that . Oh, im home for the graft. Maybe for 2 years. And me, so i said this to him when i ran into him some reception. I said to him, donna, id like to come on one photograph you in the white house needs to know. I said, well, you know, dont load up no need for a font. He use and you have saying no, because it didnt like the picture you were from of all the money on the stock and he was bit too happy with that picture. Only did shawn greed and he often did it. I said, because i need taken on, i cant see nights and its wonderful doll now all that money. He said, i can go in there and i can get a 1000000. 00 right now and that by and then told us, and ive never photographed that 1000000. 00 and dont think ive never seen it. We shall and you have got it. Well, we spend about half an hour piling money and dollars and he wanted it to be actually a 1000000 dollars dollar and it was so i didnt want any faith creature at the gym managed to slip any of the bundles away, hardly of that. He cut them all back into the safe. I got him and come straight over to this fella knowing glasgow he is it going to look just on the but you know, i dont, i dont think the daughter told inhabited much of his mother said sufiah may think i have is a stranger to dawdle from and also is sent north, sent him so that its good to make fun of them because he doesnt, it doesnt understand how they are going to take you right back to the actual fison home, which was your 1st president. Yeah, yeah. Dont ye start me. Were just thinking about what id spend, how i had photographed them for some all in london. It was small own mouth, and i thought it was, and a memory i arrived and clara inches in, need a limousine. He didnt want to be seen in a limousine showing, get out and basically walk towards the photographer and to show that you with faith and and thats what i think. And its true tall and he was a gentleman and id forward to grap them afterwards as well. I also photographed him playing a round of golf in unbury and strange that off, of course, somebody has no in the hands of donald trump. President eisenhower would feel about that, but you also photographed john f. Kennedy in london, testified about the kennedy visit to london. It wasnt just john f. Kennedy. It would jackie moon. And this is why you can buy sgt on because she was great luchino this guillaume and then after they have finished with its london, the noun go to paris. And the french are loved there loved clones, and that was a big deal of that. How were the french think hoshi dress because they thought every american dressed all so you were the photographer who accompanied john f. Kennedy to london and potus. Is that correct . And i mean, there were me in a few of them, you know, all of them were, you took a photograph of Jackie Kennedy in london and a car which is almost a luminosity about you took a photograph of Princess Diana with a crowd which showed the some of the empathy, which she had these people the how to have the ability to communicate visually. There must be a photographers dream. Yakked on, on jackie wall. And jackie want, she had taken london by storm. Really, imbrie moment in the day she was enjoying it. But she true paris my whole paris to who and rule of law over there love and the french were, you know, so critical, especially on women of the druggist, but not reject can work that she wipes the floor with them. But i want to ask you about your portrait of richard nixon, because you for to go after him in the final days of his presidency. Yes, i did them in berlin last me. Who is my favorite president and i was sitting next to them because the one thing about nixon was the world is not small talk. He ash and he would ask you for dinner break 1st. And if youre on the plane, the price plane, or you yeah, are your own, you are near him. He was chained to a drink. Find out where mr. Benson wants to drink. Ive found that a pleasant being with the nixon and his family. You probably have joined a glaswegian holiday when they sent you the drank. I think it will live. May of what the opposite from me i have found them can be very easy to want. That must mean very dramatic moments. You know, in these last hours as president , when you photographed him as he was a boat to demetri office under the, under the threat of impeachment that must have an extraordinary time for a photographic study of someone. It was amazing. It was terribly sad because there was also his family room with them. They were in tears. They were just devastated by it. And it absolutely was all over nick shingo. Its is elevator to go back to the room. I need just such a slumped onto is wife. Shoulder brought down. You know, it would be a day, sad moment. A photograph doesnt lie. And nixon felt safe with this. Im sure it was for history. You know, you want to recall vito . Howd he was that day . If i could take you to happier moments in a president ial town that the famous picture you took with the reagans. Astonishing picture of, of them dancing on a picture, i understand which i used to say of the, a very famous magazine. You know far, vanity fair and were going to close the magazine for im about to say to you, is it complete itself so big . Because that picture saved vanity fair. I mean mrs. Documented shy new hot of the own was going to close a magazine. And she number on me, i just tell went to him and same woman got this thing coming out of the reagans and im sure its going to sell a lot of copies. And it did. And i got the reagan to dance. And the magazine was sold out. That was a picture of a president ial couple very much in love, of course. Yet another famous picture of a president ial couple. The picture of the clintons kiss, though i have to ask you, was that put on for the camera or was that how you felt the, at the picture of the relationship thing they were in love . He was relaxing on the hammock, and hellery would be a bit 10 yards away, stretched out and she said, im not, im going to lie ahead of where your proof of this goes. She runs over basically gadson top in this case. And then the, this, then, it was over never happened again. Its a moment you really are being a photographer for a spontaneous moment that cant be repeated and will not be repeated in case because it was so high up, were all looking forward to getting the call from them coming, press that by and to to take his picture of the white house that ive been doing. So if you have a few, any thoughts of, of how you might pick them up. Is that something that could only happen when you see the sucking stances of the day circumstantially dull the day about why here is a good guy. I hear that sort of graft him before that in a different setting. And it all depends who you are. Youre representing our family, the band, e. Q. Fair, and im westlife. Im going to get much better attention than if i was with the hamilton advertiser. Stay with us for more from Harvey Benson and his thoughts are graphic exclusives. With the after the break. He has gotten quite sure you know those little sleep with their sleeves post a truth to w. Clubbable was your choice to keep the quote i can forward if it doesnt come naturally. Im a vegetable wouldve been the most of you got to go with us because all of this to do just about because those stories could be game we will see in the to be confused with the it seems the seeds of all this he was by is a must see bit some of what is in us. News comes on the news during the 20th century was thing in or of revolution, the Great Depression and world war, the 21st century of mental illness. Those arent my words. Thats what surfaced some psychiatrys to tell us. The only question is, should we accept it as a fact in german babies cry in a corner, much saying in french babies who run this . So there was that there actually follow the rhythmic pattern of, you know, reeses mound. So you know, show where they get. That turns out she looked into it 1st, what was happening was that the babies could actually hear their mothers speech in the room. Welcome back. Alex is in conversation with heidi benson about the icons he is known. His work has taken him to the scene of many historic moments of both triumph and tragedy since in 1960 s. So how do you ban some and that may 1000 sixties. Your career took a different time because you traveled to america, but you traveled with a very famous group of people. What happened there . I stayed in america basically because id tell you why american when very interesting then and then one of the civil rights there would judge to lot happening in america. You travel there with the beatles and your extraordinary picture of the ford in a pillow fight. Tell you have a heart attack yet we were having a drink and nice should jested. Ive held a fight. Now ive had them mention that the day before home or all just messing about in a room that like john my im saying that was a challenge. Pillow fight, we had nothing. Maybe nonbank me. Ill think im blown this. And the way our men in the room with the beatles are following night. And i said how a pile of fight and, and the rest kind of nodded. And then john lennon and sad each had no more lewd childhoods. Should you know that when theyre miserable because a woman breaking records in all of sales and, and they were becoming very rich in the few days and in way they have agreed not to do it. Then jon disappears in the room for a 2nd, and paul is sitting, sitting, having a drink, and the couch. And john comes up behind him without a pillow and the whole course, it splatters all over the place. And then theres a poll of fart. I just cant shooting the and it kept going. Great. You have to be sure of not telling them what to do. And then youre here for to graph the beatles with mohammed ali though you must add that the 5 most famous people in the world did not photograph of that. You know what someone said that to me the other day, theyre the most photographed people in the world, muhammad ali and one title, and the beatles didnt want to meet them because you know, in the end thats not all martin writing to me even the boxer and when i get in with alley, we go to if training place and the beatles are such small at the rate, taught me when glen suggests, im not shift with people they would put in the money the place not waste, ready, father of me know things like you all think youre beautiful, but youre not more beautiful or goes love me better then theyll love you. You know, youre just a little punks on the heap in their play. Its nice now lie down and never had them line on the ground. Now tom, no, but hes treating them like children. And after it was all gone, john lennon, who i was seeing was the leader of the beatles. He said, you know, when that didnt go well, he made it look like monkeys, and it all your fall. Harry reids right mohammed was went away ahead of them more and but never mind how you got the photograph of these, these were basically happy hopping moments with the beatles. Dolly. But of course, you also photographed some of the, the great tragedies that were happening in america. At that time and particular, you were present and photographing a assassination of Robert Kennedy to tell us what happened. Mark kennedy, they were and i knew bobby ally, may, i knew it and im still friendly with its family. Its awful to move from a happy situation like in one california. And he says something and on to chicago and in, in never get in the ball room. Hes walking, i would be about 5 yards behind him. And then the screaming and never saw the guy with the gun because of the crowd. But then once there was screaming and the next thing you see is, bobby is down. But ill never forget, its the screaming. It was like the show can now been dilates because it was so close to dallas. And people were just crying and bang and the hand off. And i said to my machine, the midsouth, let me mess up tomorrow, but this is too important. I got to take 14 graphs. Ive got to do it. You know, there isnt 3 cheers for the photographer and places like that. They see us and you know as an intruder and as you are and i kept taking it and shane to myself. This is for history. It isnt anything so much for the grabbing everything and around me. Then balmy, when i knew it would go on, there was removed, losing a lot of blood from the back of it. And by the end of world and no one time, i was still in a crisis in the crowd. I was only about maybe a few away from them and you knew looking up and and ethel with screaming, asking for aaron. And it seemed forever. If the 4 in that ambulance people who got to know him a little, i hear it was only about 6 minutes. Extraordinary moment and of course other assassinations of america. At the time you took a picture of Martin Luther king on their Civil Rights Campaign trail, which reflected some of the then obvious and of g. O. Of the, of the man, the of any reflections on, on Martin Luther king and the civil rights movement. Very quiet. The mood is no chatting with some that was he allowed you to do your job, but he wasnt. He wasnt talkin and dont hate the yankees. Youre going to beat the yankees or the you know, none of that small talk there. How they are going to take you right back to your origins as a photographer, and 2 things, the peter manual story to fix blame to international viewers. He was a serial killer, was the 2nd last person to be behind Capital Punishment in scotland. This is the, late 1950 s. , and you amazingly, as a very young photographer managed to get 10 to barlinnie person. And you were the only journalist who was able to photograph and speak to the mass murderer before his execution. That was a, was an extraordinary struck a lot where youre just in the right place at the right time. But this amazing story. I knew the right people at the right, the right man, the rate turn the right man would be boxing promoter calls me daugherty. He knew individuals who knew manual and it was for what Sammy Daugherty said. When he said to these guy, im one you can get big hairy into me man young because another criminal should get a chance of knowing another one. I went down to pictures a picture of a very famous picture you took of children in the gorbals and the early sixtys, i think. And also a picture you took of the black communities in america, judah, the civil rights movement. Give us a force, wanted to ask, did you see any similarities between the conditions in your, your homeland and the deprived areas of glasgow . And this situation you found in the, in the put of communities in america during the civil rights movement. Listen, if some of the people from glad to go were living in what in california they wouldnt be of rioting. Really it would be the reader may have been umbrello skins sheltered from them from the sun. And in really your condition. I mean, id seen much, much wants conditions in glasgow. I mean, and, and didnt story. A member. There were 14 living in one room. Youre cutting a holly benson took you from photographing the slums of the law school to the photographing president of the white house and the start of a writ of, of photographs out. Good us of the most difficult question of all. Do you have of all that . A ray of photographs, do you have an absolute favorite . The one you look at occasionally say, im glad that holly benson took that picture. Ive always seen the beatles. I dont think its one paper, but its lucky that i was the me, it was i lucky i got close with the reagans. Weve been doing them a favor to that. We keep memory me john live. I keep waiting to take my best picture. I dont think ive taken it along with a canny nias. Has a nation. I couldnt, im wrong any fall because there were other people shot iran, maybe very close to me. And im thinking, im wondering where i could. Im done, done better, you know, owners of pew. Im looking to the future holly. Whats the picture you still want to take as that are at every instant still light to capture for history. I would like to she more on the royal family. And like to see them have mean a break than breakfast, i would like to see them having dinner because a lot of information there of how the little table manners to like move out of the of the i actually got a dog in a coup. Sion beside them, you know, you want to stick a picture of the jug of a bit of a, a toilet roll coming down and, and everybody, you know, vastly that if i try to say what about when that was a major for digraphs in my life. Because it was born in delhi skates and they brought me to london because i was doing well up in scotland. One things harvey have never lost, said either Harvey Benson or allegedly a photographer. Thank you so much for joining me on the alex ivan chill. Thank you very much and thank you very much. They say the camera never lies. And if thats too, then it follows the taliban. Since president ial stories from behind the lens have a unique creating a path into the city. His poor taste certainly have kept to some essential white house truths from the grace of the reagans to the crassness of trump, from the clintons and love to nixon in despair in his final hours as president. How did ben since work has taken him to some of the great moments which if it, history of both triumph im tragedy. How many of us would have wanted to be there when the beatles that mohammad ali or dreaded being present when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated . How do bensons work is a story of our times, and among the many changes expect a President Biden is to distort the oath to access by quickly commissioning the benson portrayed and did. I think it may even be mentioned somewhere in the constitution, but for now, for myself, alex and all that issue is goodbye stacey. I mean hope to see all the good next to me. The at the add to the in a tit for tat move. Russia draws up sanctions against a france and germany over the alleged nerve agent poisoning of alexina, thats as russias foreign minister suggests. The kremlin critic may have been given a toxin outside of the country where we have every reason to believe what happened to him in terms of Chemical Warfare agents getting into his body. Could have happened in germany or on the plane and she was flown to charity hospital. Prodemocrat Media Outlets try to play down any doubt about the president ial election. Branding reports about probes into voter for