[ static ] i think you need to look at the enquirer in terms of the realm of Popular Culture rather than in the realm of journalism. I think this is a bad time not just for the press. But its a bad time for the truth. I just want to start a flame in your heart i dont want to Set The World On Fire i just want to start a flame in your heart in my heart, i have but one desire and that one is you no other will do ba, da, da ive lost all ambition for worldly acclaim i just want to be the one you love and with your admission that youd feel the same ill have reached the goal im dreaming of, believe me in my heart, i have but one desire that one is you no other will do lantana, florida, population 7,126, according to the last census, an undistinguished South Florida town on us 1 about 10 miles south of palm beach, florida, an unlikely place, youd think, to be the home of one of americas most successful publishing enterprises, and yet lantana, florida, is the home of the National Enquirer. Cald
Erin Burnett stays ahead of the headlines, delivering a show that is indepth and informative. We know this president does not likes to talk about money but doesnt like to talk about his personal finances. Tax returns a perfect example. And the president s tax returns, talked about it this could be significant . And significant is a key word you just used. Donald trump spent his life accumulating secrets and Spending Energy on nothing so much as keeping those things hidden, uncultivating and managing his image. Looking around, people who know Different Things intntimately. Know him well and are talking to investigators, prosecutors, he has no control. Alarming is when donald trump feels this vulnerable, impotent, he lashes out, bites back. I think the next couple days and weeks will be scary and utterly unpredictable. The reporting weve seen,
too. In the Washington Post, the new york times, when backed into a corner, everyone around will tell you its when he lashes out. Seen the tweets.
It will be a beauty. with a smile co-barely contain. what do you make of that? at one point you told us president trump was a silent editor of the national enquirer. do you think he knew anything about this in advance? well, this whole bunch of guys brings to mind the old movie, the gang that couldn t shoot straight. the president can t keep his mouth shut, gloating over this bezos story. the story that brought, you know, david pecker and dylan howard back under the scrutiny of, you know, prosecutors. and then they came out with this incredible salacious story on bezos divorce which was basically written for an audience of one.
National enquirer have just as a matter of course about donald trump, jerry? well, erin, this could well be the smocking gun that the president alluded to a couple weeks ago. i mean, this firmly entrenches him in a huge campaign finance scandal, and it totally backs up michael cohen s testimony, and it says a lot, also, about the loyalty of his friends. right. and obviously, in this case, we re talking about david pecker. i mean, let s be clear. you worked there for 28 years. david pecker was a friend of donald trump s. i mean, you know, there was you know, in some case, they said, what, donald trump was the silent editor of the national enquirer. that s true. david pecker had given the trump organization free reign to dictate the coverage, and of course, you know, cover up any unflattering stories about the candidate during the election.
It all still exists. why would they have been interested in making a deal. michael cohen there said formulate a company, found a company to make the purchase there. why were they so concerned. we know they paid a lot of money to stormy daniels, to karen mcdougal to buy their stories. what to your understanding was so incendiary about this information? i think it, you know, based on president trump and david pecker s friendship, the trump organization was comfortable in probably making the approach to saying hey, why don t you sell us everything you have on the president and we ll make a deal on that. understood. last time you were on the show i know you talked about how close trump and pecker were, that he was essentially a silent editor, trump that is, of the enquirer. if trump trusted pecker on tape, it sounds like he and cohen