talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ howie: on our "buzzfeed," president trump and steve bannon in a war of words. the president denowrnsing the book saying his former chief strategist has lost his mind. >> i'm struck by steve bannon's instinct that we finally understand from someone inside that orbit that we are not the crazy ones. >> these statements bannon has given basically gree credence te worst conspiracy forces.

they are hoping for nothing more than your mutually assured destruction? >> this isn't steve bannon versus donald trump battle. this appears to be the entire white house and even fire world versus donald trump's ability to be president of the united states. >> it's a salacious book. president trump: i talk about fake news and the fake news media. so many of the people i talk about in terms of fake news actually came to the defense of this great administration and pen myself because they note author and they know he's a fraud. howie: is the press turning on

wolff? anthony scaramucci who clacked with steve bannon will be here. >> it makes him seem demeant and der ranked and our allies and adversaries around the world don't think he's a serious person. >> this guy has been an international punk and bully forever. >> trump has to be medicated or hospitalized or he's going to kill all of us. howie: is trump going too far or is that just the verdict by the pundits. why does he keep doing

interviews with the "times"? trump about to hand out fake news award. >> nothing gives you more credibility than being called a liar by donald trump and i don't want to get snubbed. first president trump responded to steve bannon's harsh rhetoric in the michael wolff book says his former chief strategist only pretends to have had access. in a twitter taunt the president said michael wolff is a total loser.

now sloppy steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. too bad. >> i support him day and day out. >> he said it's full of lies. >> my credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point. president trump: i guess sloppy steve brought him into the white house quite a few times. that's why sloppy steve is now looking for a job. howie: shannon pettypiece, gayle trotter and mo elleithee. the president's denunciation of steve bannon is a juicy story,

but is it a politically important story? >> i guess it will be up to voters in 2018. it's hard to know how much life and legs this one book will have. there will be one tell-all book after another coming out. this dominated the news cycle this week. i think it reaffirmed some people have of the president. maybe it raised questions with other people. it will only take time to tell whether this or anything else is enough to change people's minds if that's what people care about. howie: the media has been painting the president as president svengali.

it seems the media were embracing him. shelby: there was a charge the media built up steve bannon. there was so much publicity about him before he left the white house now the media is embracing him and using him as a foil against the president. howie: bannon is a smart guy who knows how to build his brand. but do you think the media coverage he has gotten could have emboldened him to think he was untouchable? mo: i think it's wrong to say the media built him up. the president built him up. he made him the chief strategist of his white house. go back through history.

people that hold that position in the might house are serious people. if the president gives you that title of course you are going to be taken seriously. howie: was it a dumb idea for donald trump's lawyer to send and cease and desist letter to the publisher? shannon: it didn't work. it fueled if the flames of this story, is the president trying to suppress the book? is it a free speech issue? howie: the president is saying the libel laws are too week. shannon: many publications have received letters from trump the businessman about things we didn't like, threatening legal action. one of my colleagues wrote a book that businessman strum used him over. that's what he does.

howie: it's not just the white house, gayle trotter. a number of journalists say over the years sources say he has used material off the record. in wolff's own book in his business career he admitted he tried bankers, so he's taking some hits as the press scrutinized him. gayle: this is a surprising change to this story. because as you know he does not have a good rep case by the media base hung out at a hot spot pat new york and got the gossip from other journalists. his reporting has bern very salacious. he has a prologue saying he took conflicts points of view from other stories. he's doing a case of telephone

operator, just reporting stuff and not doing a job of a journalist. howie: steve bannon hasn't disputed many of the particularly inflated quotes about him. that he spent him time in the white house leak together media. if that's the case, he was part of the leakiest white house in history. mo: there is no question this is the leakiest white house in history. a lot of the leaks need to come out. it's coming from somewhere in the white house. steve bannon has not disputed any of the things he has said.

as most journalists are saying you should look at this book sceptically and take it with a grain of salt. bannon has not disputed any of the quotes. howie: the president arriving back at the white house after the weekend in camp david. we'll continue our discussion while we look at president trump. there he is getting off marine one. there is an advance person. this happened just a few short moments ago. another tweet from the president. the fake news mainstream media taking out the old ronald reagan playbook screaming amendments talscream d screamingmental sta.

>> the very stable genius is a new line. there has been this increasing criticism mostly by democrats and in to cases by members of his own party about his mental stability. people in the book are questioning his fitness for president. that could mean anything from mental to physical. it's an argument that will continue to be made. he has a physical at walter reed friday. howie: a very cold morning in washington as we see the president walking from the helicopter. comments, psychologically unbalanced, unhinged, 25th amendment. you can say the president says

he's a genius and is stable and it extends it several news cycles. gayle: his ability to turn around and dominate the news cycle, this is reported all weekend, it goes into next week. and when you think president donald trump you think genius. the discussion is whether or not he's a genius, it's not whether all these things swirling around last week. so he has been able to change it. howie: on the subject, smoking mo of the television watching television. earlier today a white house official was on cnn talking to jake tapper. he turned on steve bannon calling his remarks grotesque

and vindictive. president trump tweets, jake tapper of fake news cnn got destroyed in his interview with steven miller of the trump administration. mo elleithee what he just -- mo: what he just guaranteed is a re-airing of that interview. there was a clip at the end where capper was trying to ask admiral several questions and all miller would do is lavish the president with he fusive personal praise where tapper said you are only speaking to an audience of one right now and the president verified that with his tweets. howie: there is a white house campaign to hit began noon, hit

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howie: sometimes i say the press is going nuclear against president trump, and that's particularly true when he responded to kim jong-un about a nuclear button on his desk. many journalists and commentators depicting that presidential tweet as inflammatory and dangerous.

gayle: why is it so shock and appalling to tweet something that's so undeniably true? i think the objection is to the tone of the tweet. it's when the president went toot u.n. and -- went to the u.n. and called him rocket man. the media missed the message. yet the media foreign policy experts who were satisfied with the status quoaf our policy in north korea the last two decades decide a tape that's undeniably true is outrageous. howie: usually every statement is vetted and scrutinized and sanitized. is he being cite sides for taking a street fighter approach? mo: when you are dealing with

someone as volatile and narcissistic at the north korean dictator, i don't know that -- i think the tone is important. and i think that setting a foreign -- the trump doctrine is size matters and i don't think that will be productive in trying to turn things around with the north koreans or if it will provoke them even more. howie: there has been a whole series of tough tweets. there has been a lot of media criticism or my button is bigger than your button. does size matter? shannon: you have so many foreign policy experts, people who study north korea and understand the issues here who

are raising big alarm bells. and i'm certainly not a north korea or foreign policy expert. but when i talk to people who are foreign policy experts, they are the ones who react in shock and outrage. when i talk to "politicos," they laugh and say it's funny. howie: we talked in the last segment about cnn's jake tapper getting criticized or his interview with -- with steve miller. he tweeted, just for yourself.

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howie: the new york types said trust in the media is declining as technology platforms elevate clickbait. joining us from new york, shelby holliday, reporter for the "wall street journal." what do you make of president trump responding to a.g.

salzburger's letter? shelby: he's greatly concerned about how he's covered. he talks a lot about his hometown newspaper. what the president does in tweeting these things is drive more people to subscribe to the "new york times." when he slams books or publications for being fake, they get a trump bump. so the president is free to say whatever he wants to say. he can slam the "times" any time he wants, but he gives them more readers. howie: he's highly interested in that particular newspaper. even as he criticizes the "new

york times," where does he keep giving interviews to michael schmidt like he did in mar-a-lago. shelby: he told that reporter that he thought that particular reporter treated him fairly. the reporter who trump spoke to at mar-a-lago released a bombshell report about the russian investigation this week. while he does tell individual reporters they treat him fairly, just other day in criticizing this new book he's quoting a "new york times" reporter. howie: this business about made up phoney sources, he has don't with the "washington post" and other organizations. the sources might be wrong.

but they are not fabricated in the sense except in the case of extreme fraud, somebody is telling these reporters about what's going on in the administration. >> he tend to when this happens criticize the sources but lash out at leakers which confirms the information is true when he gets so upset with the leakers. when he does criticize books or reports for being fake, that drives the news cycle. so we are talking about "fire and fury" and the "new york times" instead of the tax agenda. howie: or the fact that dow just broke 25,000. he's entitled the complain about leaking. but as you say, it does tend to shine a spotlight on these news organizations.

shelby holliday, thanks for joining us. ahead on the program, stephen colbert is campaigning for the award donald trump is handing out for dishonest journalism. anthony scaramucci is on deck. he has been through the media wars. with 5 times more ethnic regions... ancestrydna can pinpoint where your ancestors are from... and the paths they took to a new home. could their journey inspire yours? order your kit at ancestrydna.com

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focused on his personal brand. but i didn't think he would do something like this. so yes, i am surprised. howie: bannon gave a statement about one of the quoteds in the wolff book was about the president's son. bannon says donald trump, jr. is a patriot and a good man. i regret my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting about don, jr. has distracted from a great president and his policies. anthony: he needs to actually apologize for what he did. the unprecedented access he gave this guy, michael wolff who is a

non-fact checker and an actual liar is ridiculous. he has to flat out apologize rather than parse his words. howie: you predicted breitbart -- he needs a life coach more than a therapist. life coaches are for forward life, therapists for past life. howie: why did you predict breitbart would drop him? anthony: if he continues on this course splitting this hard from the president of the united states who literally has an agenda that should be in the sweet spot of at least the economic agenda of breitbart to help economically desperate lower class families and embrace the surging america.

thin would be shocked if they don't drop him. if he comes back into the fold. drop the steve bannon jersey. then there would be no reason to drop him. people fight all the time. howie: as a private citizen he can say what he wants. there is a lot of criticism of the michael wolff book. you a moment ago called him a liar. what do you base that on? anthony: on the "today show" he said 100% of the people in the trump orbit -- i won't repeat what he said. howie: it had to do with questioning his mental ability. anthony: they questioning his competency and judgment. that's b.s. i'm not saying that. steve miller is not saying that.

hope hicks is not saying that. this exaggerating tabloidesque nonsense that the president has to deal with, because look at the accomplishments he has had the last year. he's a combative person. he has a twitter style some of these liberals don't like. if you look at the economic and national security dashboard. the things he has done in regulations, he has had a good first year. they are going to do this tabloidesque nonsense. howie: if you were at the white house would you be advising the president in playing defense he's helping to keep the spotlight on a book -- anthony: this is where i

probably diverge with some of the people in the white house. let the president be the president. he's going to do this stuff whether you advise him to do it or not do it. there is an element of genius to his personality. this guy went from being an intelligence executive and television star to the american presidency in 16 short months. people can say what they want about him, there is a lot of genius in that. if he wants to tweet about the book and it increases the sales and the author wants to send him a box of chocolates, big deal. in a month this book will be over but his presidency won't be in terms of his accomplishments. howie: could it be said that you both have something in common which is kind of a big mouth?

>> in hindsight i regret some of the things i did while i was the communications director. i could have done things differently. but the big difference between me and steve bannon. i'm totally apologizing for that. i'm totally comfortable for admitting that. i offered my apology to general kelly and the president. i'm ready to move on. but i stayed on the team. i never broke ranks with the president or general kelly. i have known the president for a long time as a friend before he was politics. it is politics. if you make a mistake in politics and it costs you your job twhribs no sense whining about that. you get back on the field and play for the team. howie: it was the expletive laden conversation you had with the "new yorker." what was your reaction when the

"new yorker" recently fired the reporter over sexual allegations. anthony: my first reaction was good because he won't be able to do other people what he did to me. you said you have never seen a journalist do that. he used it against me. it cost me my job. but the good news is he won't be able to do that to anybody anytime soon as a result of his departure from the "new yorker." my family had a 50-year history with his family. howie: there is as constant flow of stories based on leaks from people within the white house and administration.

you wanted to crack down on leaks. and the leaks often make the president look erratic and hotheaded. they are from people who are supposed to be on his side. he says phoney sources but somebody is talking to those journalists. >> i read the book, i finished it yesterday. it's non-trump loyalists, it's people that were sort of in that quiet never trump zone that meandered into the administration more so than the trump loyalists. people who understand the president, understand his instincts, know him as a person, do not see him that way. but the people in that washington establishment crowd that have somehow crept into the administration. those are the ones you finding anonymously sourced in that book. howie: you took strong exception

to a piece in. anthony: it's more nonsense and totally inaccurate. i have a great relationship with jared and ivanka. i have a good relationship with the president. they never asked me to go back. i am focused on my own house. howie: you have no interest in go back at any time? anthony: i didn't say that. i'm an american citizen and i love the country i'm not and presumptuous person and i don't think anybody wants me back. i don't think general kelly wants me back. at the end of the day's trying to run an organized and tight ship. i'm more an entrepreneurial figure and more creative. i can be more helpful to the president, frankly, outside than

inside the white house. howie: ahead, why some pundits think a trumpian war on journalists would be a good idea. heartburn. no one burns on my watch! try alka seltzer ultra strength heartburn relief chews. with more acid-fighting power than tums chewy bites. mmmmm...amazing. i have heartburn. ultra strength from alka seltzer. enjoy the relief. my healthy routine helps me feel my best. so i add activia yogurt to my day. with its billions of live and active probiotics, activia may help support my digestive health, so i can take on my day. activia. now in probiotic dailies. at ally, we offer low-cost trades and high-yield savings. but if that's not enough, we offer innovative investing tools to prepare you for the future. looks like you hooked it. and if that's not enough, we'll help your kid prepare for the future.

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howie: the media debates involves credibility.

michael wolf, steve bannon and donald trump. here in washington, the washington examiner contributor. kristen, you worked at breitbart. you have been friendly with steve bannon. it seems his attacks on the president may jeopardize his position at "breitbart." >> i think bannon will be fine whether he stays at "breitbart." he's a skilled political strategist with a lot of deep ties in the conservative wing of the base. the media would love to see bannon crash and burn. he's perhaps more despised than donald trump himself. there is a perception in the

media that barn noon is the one controlling the narrative. the media is treating bannon like this temporary chapel "on. but i still think the media hates him. they love it when republicans fight with each other and this bannon trump feud is being used as a distraction. howie: steve bannon played a key role in the campaign and the white house. do you think the media has a seething lay tread for him? >> i don't. if you mention, his credibility is in jeopardy. there was an article in the national review talking about how steve bannon is a victim of his own -- buying his own hype. and the fact that -- never happens, never happens. i think that at this point

because of the statements he made to this "fire and fury" book, in addition to the fact he sort of crashed and burned with roy moore, both of those things caused folks like the customersers who have been the major funding behind breitbart and steve bannon to distance themselves to potentially take away the funding and put some pressure on the "breitbart" board. howie: bannon says he regrets his delay in responding to the comments. but the family that banking rolled bannon and "breitbart." that could jeopardize his role as an independent force and a media guy. >> a lot of michael wolff's

credibility has been called into question. if i were steve bannon i would explicitly apologize for the comments. i think it's best for trump if these two men bury the hatchet and move forward. when it comes to the issues that matter most of to the american voters. these men want to implement the america first agenda. if trump forces his own supporters to choose teams by being combative with steve bannon, he may risk alienating his own voters. howie: do you agree the media likes president trump more when he's criticizing bannon? >> it adds to the palace intrigue and that sells papers and gets more subscriptions to the "new york times." any time there is a little bit of acrimony between two very

colorful characters, the president of the united states and steve bannon, certainly they welcome that. the president is drawing fire for a tweet in which said the long-time hillary advisor huma abedin should be in jail. the press outlook is the president shouldn't pronounce someone guilty. >> the media seems to be more concerned about trump's tweets than they are about the actual facts. huma abedin forwarded government passwords to her private yahoo accounts, and all yahoo accounts were hacked. now the media wants a make a

scandal out of trump's tweets? howie: also in that tweet the president talked about the deep state justice department finally acts. >> he doesn't have full unfettered control over the department of justice even though he certainly said that. i think the coverage of this tweet has been relatively fair. i have seen articles from everywhere from the "new york post" to the washington times. they seem to be able to provide balance to this story. good to see you have this sunday. after the break, an alabama newspaper executive designs in disgrace. why the "today show" after the matt lauer scandal is going with two female hosts. aspirin can further reduce

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howie: an alabama newspaper leader admit as publisher he spanked two female employees. in 1975 a report was told he spanked her with a metal ruler telling her she had been a bad girl. an urn identified woman told the website he spanked her, too. he said he spanked one woman with psychological problems on the advice of a doctor. he announced he would remain as

chairman but a couple days ago he resigned. nbc replaced matt lauer. >> hoda is officially the co-anchor. >> there is nobody i would rather be sitting next to in 2018. howie: the real story is the era of the ex other an highly paid . the ratings have gown while hoda has been filling in. she has plenty of journalistic experience.

and focuses on softer stuff. so that may tell us something about the direction of network morning news. president trump is cook up some media awards. >> nothing gives you more credibility than donald trump calling you a liar. i'm hoping to be nominated in all categories. i'm hoping to receive dishonest corruption and corruptest fakeness. howie: he's trolling the press and of course they will take the bait. go to my facebook page and look

and like. and you can always dvr the show. we'll be back next sunday. see you then with the latest buzz i take pictures of sunrises,

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eric: the president is back in washington. air force one arriving at the white house an hour ago -- it was marine one that brought the president from camp david. he had the meeting with lawmakers and cabinet official as they hard out their game plan for the new year. i'm eric shawn. arthel: i'm arthel neville. the countdown is on to avoid a government shutdown. other top agenda items include rebuilding the military, immigration and a healthcare overhaul. garrett tenney is