howie: on the buzz meter this sunday a gusher of leaks as michael cohen claims president trump knew in advance of the meeting with the russian lawyer. rudy giuliani called cohen a pathological liar. this follows a tape where he talks about a payoff with a "playboy" model. >> donald trump, jr. hired cohen -- >> the fact that it's been released and we are talking about it.

this is a game changer. this is a complete flip by michael cohen. >> there is nothing illegal about paying somebody who wants money next change for remaining silent. >> you have to decide whetherrer you believe the d decide whether you believe the cnn reporting. then if it's correct you have to decide whether you believe mr. cohen now. >> mr. he could be was trusted by president trump for a long time. but sometimes when you are squeezing someone you not only make them sing, you make them compose. howie: are news outlets jumping to conclusions on the news tower meeting without hard evidence. >> the new york per magazine is reporting six women have accused

cbs chairman and ceo less moon versus o --ceo lerks s moonves l harassment. facebook stock plunges. the biggest one day drop in history. twitter draws a presidential rebuke after being caught shadow-banning prominent conservatives. i'm howard kurtz and this is "mediabuzz." president trump is denying he knew in advance of the meeting

with a russian lawyer. >> sources tell cnn the president's former lawyer may tell robert mueller the president knew about that meeting with the russian agent. howie: fake news doesn't waste time with dumb questions. no, i did not know of the meeting with my son don junior. a tape with cone and trump discussing karen mcdougal. the talk of paying in cash or check but the cross talk is a bit hard to follow. >> when it comes time for the financing. >> what financing. >> we'll have to pay a settlement. >> no, no, no, no, no, i got -- howie: the president tweeting this. what type after lawyer would tape a client. and the tape was so abruptly

terminated when he was supposedly saying positive things. rudy giuliani and lanny davis using the airways to snipe at each other. >> whatever spin rudy giuliani is trying to spin it says cash. why is giuliani dips marriaging michael cohen? because they fear him. >> i don't see how he has any credibility. which lie do you want to pick. the first lie, the second lie or the third lie? howie: joining us is guy benson. sara fischer, a media report for axios. and adrienne elrod. we'll drill down to the details in a minute.

does this warrant the intensity of media coverage? guy: i think the president's trusted flipper and lawyer apparently flipping on him is a big story. him telling mueller something, is that a big story? we have to see evidence. if it's michael cohen making a claim about something he thinks mueller wants to hear now that he's in the cross-hairs and he has skin to save. cohen has always been loyal to trump so for him to say this about trump is important. howie: sara, the media loves this particular story because it's sex, lies, and audiotape.

sara: the concept of betrayal is something that's always going to grip viewers. but could there be more to come. every time something new comes out from a tape the media can latch on to the story that this isn't over. howie: rudy giuliani says their experts have looked at this, and he says he waived his attorney-client privilege by speak inaccurately on the tape. his campaign denies to the "wall street journal" that the candidate knew anything about this. is that media issue? >> this is someone who has been seriously loyal to the president. now he's flipping. he's trying to save himself from

jail time which he faces. howie: does he have credibility? adrienne: he has credibility because more tapes are coming out. more tapes exist. guy: i'm open to more evidence and we should follow the evidence. but there has been whiplash on the credibility of michael cohen. they dismissed him as a lackey loyal to president trump but now that he's criticizing him, we should listen to him. howie: you have rudy giuliani three months ago, the guy is an honest lawyer and a good man now he says he learned what a liar he is. lanny davis is drawing media fire. he comes back and says giuliani

was lying about this tape. before we heard the snippets of the tape giuliani said it was exculpatory for the president. adrienne: i have known lanny davis for a long time. but he's also a good spi spinmeister. howie: he's a lawyer hired to represent a client. adrienne: there are not have much people in this business who have the legal background and p.r. background. when you get to a small group of people, lanny davis will be someone cone would hire. howie: the company is run by a close pal.

they sent $150,000 to buy and bury the story of karen mcdougal. but the way they are talking about it, we'll get the rights and pay them cash or check. does that raise questions about the evethe "national enquirer"'s rights? sara: the "wall street journal" reported the doj is look into how close its relationship was with the trump campaign. protection for media outlets are strong. but if this company is doing something above and yornd with working close with the president, it could change.

howie: on this business about the trump tower meeting, i can report based on my sources it's true that michael cohen believes or claims he has evidence there was a meeting of people involved that shows the president was denied the president knew of the eating in advance with the russian lawyer. you have lanny davis denying his side leaked this trump tower story with cnn. their view is they have no interest in it coming out now. rudy giuliani said they didn't leak it. should the media be giving so much attention to that allegation. there is no tape, there is no document, it will be one person's word against another. obviously it needs to be reported, but with great caution.

guy: but the allegation is explosive. it's someone in the inner sanctum of trump world for a long time saying one of the major assertions made by the president about that trump tower meetle is false and would be a capital l lie if michael cohen is telling the truth. howie: would it be a lie that would be much more important, you could call it attempted collusion more so than his relationship with the woman? guy: definitely. howie: sara, are we headed for the kind of story the media loves, michael cohen protecting his own interest, he seems to be saying i did a lot of things for donald trump, i'm not proud of him -- he doesn't use these

words. now he's president and i have got to come clean. >> you hear cnn and some of the other outlets saying this is a complete flip. other outlets say this isn't a complete flip, he's under pressure. it's a horse race and something interesting to follow. howie: the further importance of this trump tower business, after a year investigation of russian collusion, this is the one meeting we know about where there was an attempt to get information from a russian lawyer that fizzled that she had stuff on hillary clinton. whether candidate trump or president trump knew about it then, you can see why the media are so hot about this. adrienne: they want to see if

michael cohen lied about this. if he has evidence on tape it will be very damaging. howie: there is no claim there is a tape on this. either prosecutors will find other people in the room and cohen will be able to back it up. but it's our job to follow these things. what's on tape, what's not on tape. i wonder how much it's resonating, even on this stuff with meeting with the russian lawyer with lots of people. >> you just look at polling. russia matter was polling at zero percent as a top election priority. it's not to say this stuff doesn't matter and some of the twists and turns. the granular constant attention paid to it in this d.c.-new york media corridor is totally outside what normal people care

about. howie: if it can be shown to be true that the president says i forgot about that meeting. the people who support him wouldn't care. adrienne: donald trump uses the media psych toll his advantage and creates a lot of confusion. there is a tape? is there not a tape? why does it matter if there is a tape. it's very confusing. i think it average american is letting his slide by and not paying as much attention. howie: sara, we'll see you later. a devastating "new yorker" piece about cbs chairman les moonves. when we come back. -omar, look. [ thunder rumbles ]

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and lets you control your network with the xfi app. it's the ultimate wifi experience. xfinity xfi, simple, easy, awesome. howie: there is a knew accusation being made by the "new york times" and other news outlets that the president is trying to sell his supports on an alternative reality. president trump: don't believe the fake news. what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what's happening. howie: the "new york times" headlines is trump rages against reality. he's increasingly living in a world of selective information and bending the truth. is that fair?

guy: it sounds like a politician that wants the media narrative he or she supports and looks good for them. trump is unusually aggressive in his public posturing on this, but it's not a stretch for an administration to cherry pick the story they want to tout and dismiss others. trump goes overboard frequently on this kind of stuff. but it's true a huge percentage of the mainstream media is actively rooting against him. they want him to fail, they want to bring him down and create lose-lose paradigms for him. adrienne: donald trump believes if any media coverage of him is negative, it's fake news. that's how he frames it.

howie: we think inaccurate. adrienne: he did something worthy of the press coverage he received. just because he does something that causes negative stories to be written about him. he's doing these actions. howie: he does sometimes exaggerate or get things wrong. but there is an automatic assumption the media narrative is right. don lemon says the trump presidency is defined by lies. adrienne: i think to a larger extent this was leading us to the point where we are where sensational outlets on the left and right in media coverage and people don't know where to go to get the truth. howie: in this story it said

donald trump was upset because all the tvs on air force one was tuned fox news and melan's was cnn. guy: they wanted to show there was tension between the first couple. interesting anecdote, we appreciate the president's viewership. i'm sure mrs. trump is happy to use the remote control as she sees fit. i do think what we are seeing is an unreliable narrator problem. trump has his trouble with the truth and the media has a credibility problem and they don't always see it. howie: the president is always talking about the failing "new york times." this morning he tweeted he had a good meeting with the "new york times."

the white house disinvites a cnn reporter from a press event after she shouted questions at the president. he'd be stopping for more pills right now. only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve. all day strong.

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high cholesterol and weight gain; high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death; decreased white blood cells, which can be fatal; dizziness upon standing; falls; seizures; impaired judgment; heat sensitivity; and trouble swallowing may occur. you're more than just your bipolar i. ask about vraylar. howie: i'm sure it seems rude when reporters shout questions at presidents. the white house pushed back hard when cnn's kaitlan collins was yelling questions at the president after a photo-op with the e.u. president. >> did michael cohen betray you? >> thank you were everybody. >> mr. president, are you worried about what michael cohen is going to say to prosecutors?

are you worried about what's on the tape? why has vladimir putin not accepted your invitation. howie: cone says press secretary sarah sanders told her this. >> that i would not be invited to an open press event at the white house because they felt the questions i posed to president trump were inappropriate for that venue. howie: shine challenged that version of the event with reporters. >> what word would you use? >> when you ask her if we used the word ban. howie: white house officials said this was a one-time

disciplinary action and she is free to shout questions in other venues. by the was disrespectful to do it in the oval office in front of a world leader. cnn said just because the white house is you be comfortable doesn't mean the question isn't relevant and shouldn't be asked. >> as a member of the white house press pool fox stands firmly with cnn on this issue of access. >> it's almost unprecedented. it's inexcusable for the white house to make this move. it won't be tolerated by members of the white house press corp. >> it was a sad moment for journalism in our country. howie: the reason reporters

routinely yell questions at the president is that trump often answers them even as his press wranglers try to sho shoo repors out of the room. twitter is accused of shadow-banning republicans. yogi is a bear. when it comes to hibernating, nobody does it better. he also loves swiping picnic baskets. hee, hee, hee yoooogiiiiiii!! but when it comes to mortgages, he's less confident. here, yogi. thank you boo boo. fortunately, there's rocket mortgage hmmm. hey. by quicken loans. it's simple, so he can understand the details and get approved in as few as eight minutes. my kind of pic-a-nic basket. apply simply. mmm-hmmm. hee, hee. understand fully. mortgage confidently.

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host of the online bill press show. morgan, this was the lead story in the "new york times," mueller scrutinizing trump's tweets. i am thinking tweets? morgan: i'm not a lawyer. but what i found interesting is three major things happened. the gdp was put at 4.1%, which is the largest economic growth since the third quarter of 2014. it added $7 trillion to the economy in new growth. what's important to me as a member of the military is the fact we got our remains home from core there are from our men who were lost their decade ago. i bring that up to say i think those things are what's important to the american

people. if you are running a small biz like lie father is in florida, having a gdp growth of 4% is important. another story about the president's tweets aren't important to him. but i have got to say he probably doesn't read the "new york times." also doesn't it suggest robert mueller doesn't have the super secret evidence you can imagine. bill: if i were in the white house i would talk about the economy and north korea. but donald trump keeps tweeting and he attacks robert mueller and michael cohen. he steps on his own story. howie: rudy giuliani says if you are going to obstruct justice

you do it quietly and secretly. bill: traditionally you would. but donald trump doesn't do anything the way everybody has has already done it. in the press room. sean spicer. we didn't know how to deal with these tweets. we asked sean spicer should we take things seriously or not. spicer said every tweet is a presidential statement, take them seriously. the president of the united states is going after sessions or comey, i think it does raise an issue. howie: another story there was a lot of coverage of. 11 house republicans introducing impeachment for rod rosenstein for allegedly slow-walking requests for documents. it got a lot of coverage to compete with the 4.1% jump in

the gdp. morgan: i think the tea party wanted that coverage. they are frustrated with a slow-walking effort by the doj getting these documents out. and they were frustrated with the amount of redactions. howie: particularly like the "new york times" lead story on trump's tweets, why don't you view that as a distraction. they don't have the votes in the house to impeach rosenstein. morgan: this is what the tea party wanted. you saw jim jordan announce for speaker this week. for republicans in vulnerable districts, i don't think though love this story at all. but for the past 7 years, the

loudest people in your party on either side, the people heart loudest are the ones who get the microphone shoved right in -- right in their face. howie: given it was never going anywhere should it have been covered as a p.r. stunt? bill: "mediabuzz." they wanted some media buzz before they left for the break. they wanted to help jim jordan and his impossible quest for speaker. there ain't going to be an impeachment and there ain't going upon a speaker jordan. paul ryan will not bring this up for a vote in the house. it was not even a hail mary pass, it was a stunt. howie: it worked because they

got a lot of coverage. if the president wants to get rid of rosenstein he can fire him tomorrow. coming up. cbs chairman les moonves is facing allegations of sexual conduct and harassment. paying too much for insurance you don't even understand? well, esurance makes it simple and affordable. in fact, drivers who switched from geico to esurance saved an average of $412. that's auto and home insurance for the modern world. esurance. an allstate company. click or call. paying too much for insurance that isn't the right fit? well, esurance makes finding the right coverage easy. in fact, drivers who switched from geico to esurance saved an average of $412. that's auto and home insurance for the modern world. esurance. an allstate company. click or call.

howie: a report of sexual misconduct in the "new yorker" against les moonves. a woman said he pinned her down so she couldn't breathe and kid her. and then he called her and removed her from a sitcom in which she had already been cast. this accountly douglas is revolting and underscores based on ronan farrow's reporting, and cbs which followed charlie rose for similar allegations also has a problem.

>> if this is the behavior of the chairman of cbs, other executives. there are a lot of things we have to look at whether this culture needs to be dismissed. howie: there are questions whether he tolerated what other people were doing. the writer janet jones said after les moonves locked the door and threatened her. he locked the door. he said you will never get another writing job and i will fire you. and she threw up. these are harvey weinstein-type allegations. >> it could be physical

harassment as well which is another level. these people feel their careers were destroyed are impacted by some of these victimizing allegations. howie: cbs confirms in the case of douglas that moonves kissed her, but denies other stuff. not since the late roger ails was forced out of fox news have they faced these times of accusations. >> in other instances or other industries. once the allegations come out

there is immediate action. les moonves is still the chairman and chief executive at the company. howie: i credit cbs for saying there will be an investigation. and i credit cbs for reporting on this. but can you immediately suspend the head of the company? >> he did at mitt to some unwarranted -- he did admit to some unwanted advances. and to me that's a cultural problem. how are's involved in a corporate battle with some of the controlling stockholders who want to combine it with viacom. could these sexual misconduct allegations be related to that battle?

>> it doesn't mean that people around her aren't leak. there is an ugly battle happening with sherry redstone. some say maybe she was involved in this and she can take advantage of this situation. but there is no proof she had anything to do with this. howie: all these women on the record, you would have to say there are questions about les moonves. >> absolutely. they are investigating. more to come on this. sara fischer, thanks for your reporting. coming up. mark zuckerberg loses billions. charlie gasparino is on deck. hawaii?! nice! yeah i'm excited. finally earned enough rewards points. so jealous. yeah i can't wait to get that shave-ice! what's shave-ice? it's like a hawaiian snow-cone. why not just say snow-cone? i don't know, they call it shave-ice.

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howie: it was the largest charlie gasparino is with us. wasn't this market plunge in part due to facebook admitting it will have to spend more money to protect people's privacy? charlie: don't you feel sorry for mark zuckerberg? the bottom line is all these social media platforms are essentially free. but you do pay in other ways. you pay in the lack of privacy.

anything that will cut back -- they use your user information. anything that sort of limits, that helps privacy and limits the amount of user growth that goes on to these platforms, you can sell ads to them as well. the ad metric will hurt the stock price. it happened to facebook and twitter in the same week. howie: it seems to me the company is projecting slowing growth. younger people think it's uncool so they go to snapchat. but is the market punishing facebook and twitter'. charlie: i don't believe it's political. you're user growth if you police bots and fake russian accounts

and other metrics will go down, the ad revenue will go down therefore your stock is not worth where it is now. this may change. facebook may come up with a new app that increases user growth. i can say the same thing about facebook and twitter. it's all about user growth. if you can't grow it, the ad revenues come down. howie: alex jones was find and they changed their mind and now some videos have been banned and jones has been suspended for 30 days for hate speech. i want to get to twitter. on friday the stock was down 21%. a lot of it has to do with

twitter purging one million fake accounts. and we have controversy where twitter was shadow-banning the rnc chairwoman, top gop lawmakers and donald trump's spokesperson. the dnc chairman. they said they would look into the discriminatory practices. charlie: i spoke with twitter senior management that they are anti-conservative. they are extremely sensitive to this. that doesn't mean they don't have human beings that create algorithms that can shadow-ban conservatives. but the company said they are taking extreme measures to be equal for conservatives as well as liberals. we had interesting conversations

about president trump. this is a guy who essentially drive traffic to twitter. some of his tweets go close to the lines of violating the terms of service. i said did you ever think about banning donald trump. they said they seriously considered that in the megyn kelly tweet tboolg she asked him during the debate. but they are saying we are not going after trump. we believe he's a vital voice. he's the president, he uses twitter. they say they are trying to be equal here. now, it's imperfect equal, we know that. they did fix that shadow-banning problem. howie: i take the company at its word. facebook has also been accused.

silicon valley is biased against conservatives. charlie: mostly people on the right. that's kind of weird. who creates the algorithms that creates the discrimination? some silicon valley left-leaning kid. right? howie: the tech giants are having a hard time this year. the president denounces an fcc decision that went against sinclair tv. and roseanne says she is sorry again. there's little rest for a single dad,

and back pain made it hard to sleep and get up on time. then i found aleve pm. the only one to combine a safe sleep aid, plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back. aleve pm for a better am. howie: the fcc sidelined and derailed a merger that would have created a tv giant that

would have led to national conservative programming that would have competed with fox news. trump said the decision was disgraceful. he said it would have been a great and much-needed conservative voice of and for the people. the fcc said the news was misleading. roseanne barr got an apology do-over after the racist tweet about jal are you jarrett. reeseian who said she thought jarett was white. said this. if you are watching i'm so sorry you thought it was racist and you thought my tweet was racist because it wasn't. it was political. i'm sorry for the misunderstanding that causedy

ill-worded tweet. and i'm sorry that you feel harmed and hurt. but she has got to get a new haircut, seriously. howie: that's better than the youtube video she posted where she called jarett the b word. herself-humiliation was pretty sad. this is pretty sad, but maybe it stops the bleeding. i'm howard kurtz. check out my new podcast. you can subscribe at apple itunes or foxnewspodcasts.com. i post my daily columns.

we are back here next sunday. we'll see you then for the latest buzz. [♪] eric: a fox news alert. fresh fallout over that secretly recorded conversation between michael cohen and president trump. rudy giuliani is calling into question the legitimacy of that recording. he says experts believe someone tampered with that tape and he's demanding to get the original. reporter: president trump taking aim at his former lawyer on twitter as more reaction rolls in over that leaked recording.