The Loudest Voice (2019) s01e04 Episode Script
2009
1 [DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[GRUNTING.]
[BREATHING ERRATICALLY.]
[GASPS.]
What? What? [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
I-I can't.
I can't.
What? I can't.
I I ca I can't.
I can't do this.
I can't do this anymore.
I can't do it anymore, Roger.
I can't.
We can talk about that later.
Now, finish.
Come on.
[MOANING.]
[GRUNTS.]
I have to get back to FOX.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe this has just run its course.
On one condition.
You find your replacement.
Fine.
Fine.
BARACK OBAMA: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.
MIKE PENCE: Congress just adopted the most fiscally irresponsible budget in American history today.
What we are looking at is a conspiracy.
receiving taxpayer bailouts He wants to transform private-enterprise America - into neo-socialist - I feel like we are talking to the Germans after Hitler comes to power.
- The "Overthrow America" movement.
- Terrorists.
fact that Obama is working from within to bring down the U.
S.
capitalist system.
I mean, we uncover in the book Obama's extensive ties to Alinsky, including during the campaign, by the way, where his first trainers were trained by those from the Midwest Academy, which is an Alinsky academy JUDY: Happy birthday.
[STATIC.]
ROGER: Thank you, Judy.
What a beautiful cake.
Hmm.
69 years old.
[CHUCKLES.]
You know, my doctor tells me I'm old and I'm fat and I'm ugly, but none of those things are gonna kill me straightaway.
[LAUGHS.]
And none of those things are true.
Mm, well Time for the candles.
Well, I'm gonna have to make a wish.
- Hmm.
- Hmm.
BETH: What a lovely cake.
That's very thoughtful of you, Judy, but we already celebrated at home.
- BETH: He's here.
- ROGER: Okay.
Okay.
ROGER: Joe Lindsley.
[STATIC.]
Mr.
Ailes.
It's an honor.
This is my wife, Beth.
Mrs.
Ailes, pleasure.
Now, I bet you're sitting there thinking, "What the hell am I doing here?" Uh, the thought had crossed my mind, sir.
Well, now, you see, Joe, recently, Beth and I purchased a local newspaper upstate.
BETH: In Garrison, where we live.
ROGER: The Putnam County News and Recorder.
Now, I'm a TV guy.
Don't know a damn thing about newspapers, so I reached out to Marty Singerman, and in turn, he reached out to you, and you put together that list of conservative editors that might run the paper.
I liked that list a lot.
Thank you, sir.
And you went to Notre Dame? That's right.
I started my own paper there because I felt the Notre Dame Observer skewed too liberal.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
- Catholic? - Yes, ma'am.
My faith is very important to me.
Joe, I grew up in small-town America.
I knew the names of all my neighbors.
Never even thought to lock the door at night.
I want Garrison to be that kind of town.
But the people who live there BETH: Liberals.
- Balding hippies.
- [LAUGHS.]
Let's just say, you know, they need to be educated.
Thomas Jefferson said, "Education is the only sure alliance for the preservation of our liberty.
" Oh, I love that.
ROGER: So? BETH: Are you interested? In? Becoming our editor in chief.
ROGER: Garrison is a microcosm of America.
In these dark times, with this present, we got to rebuild America from the ground up.
I am honored to help in any way that I can.
ROGER: Well, I think it's settled, then.
Roger, we have a situation.
All right, Joe, why don't you, uh, go up to Garrison with Beth, get the lay of the land.
Right now? No time like the present.
First of all, I've got, uh, one television station, and it's entirely devoted to, uh, uh, attacking my administration.
He's calling us out publicly.
Yeah, good.
That means we're getting into his head.
We've just got to intensify the pressure.
Roger, this is not CNN, okay? This is the White House.
We have to be strategic here.
Rupert was very clear Come on, come on.
Fuck Rupert.
Fuck this White House.
I fought for editorial control, and I intend to use it.
If this Barry guy, Barry O.
, my bro, whatever the fuck his name is, if he wants a fight, okay, I'm good.
All right, we'll We'll war-game it later, see how it plays.
Want some cake? No, I'm fine.
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
[SIGHS.]
BETH: That's Our Lady of Loretto.
I play organ there on Sundays.
It's a wonderful congregation.
You'll have to come to Mass with us.
It would be my pleasure, Mrs.
Ailes.
[CHUCKLES.]
Joe, we're going to be working together.
Call me Beth.
Okay.
Beth.
It's beautiful here, but you know, there needs to be a strong conservative voice in this town.
Roger and I have high hopes that you and the paper can be that voice.
I'll do my best, Mrs.
, um Beth.
Beth.
[EXHALES.]
Good.
BETH: There it is.
We're gonna turn this little paper into a top-flight operation worthy of the Ailes name.
[BETH CLAPPING.]
BETH: Everyone, I want to introduce Joe Lindsley.
Joe is an old family friend, and we have just hired him to be the new editor in chief.
Joe's gonna be implementing some changes and taking the paper in a new direction.
We're very excited to have him on board.
And you should be, too.
[WEAK, SCATTERED APPLAUSE.]
Uh, uh, I just want to say, um, I'm excited to be here, and I'm-I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you so, uh, so that we can work together and make this paper into something great.
BETH: What a fine sentiment.
Thank you, Joe.
JOE: So The staff work for you, Joe, not with you.
I just I thought, um I'll remember that, Mrs.
Ailes.
- Beth.
- [SIGHS.]
After all, I'm not that much older than you.
This is exciting.
Like the first day of something special.
Uh, Fox News was undertaking a war against the White House and said, "The White House will treat Fox the way we would an opponent.
" They're right.
Fox isn't a news network.
It's an opinion organization.
A very one-sided opinion organization.
This is bullshit.
This White House hates America, hates capitalism, hate's anyone who's not in lockstep with their way of thinking.
We're not gonna put up with them.
We're not gonna roll over for these fuckers.
Every time they bring up a talking point, we're gonna counter it.
They say "progressive," we're gonna say "socialist.
" They say "safety net," we're gonna say "welfare cheat.
" They say "health care," we're gonna say "fucking death panels.
" Just push the message.
Socialist.
Muslim.
Un-American.
Just keep hitting those things over and over again, keep hitting them.
You know, we don't even have any fucking proof that Obama is a citizen.
SHINE: Did you feed that to Trump? He was just on The View questioning Obama's birth certificate.
We might have had a dinner.
Which reminds me, get Donald a spot on Fox & Friends.
He's always good for ratings.
You know he's been making noises about - running for president again.
- [LIGHT LAUGHTER.]
Well, that makes it even better.
Fuck you, Axelrod.
Fuck that guy.
- JOE: This place is amazing.
- BETH: Thank you.
Roger and I spent a lot of time and effort making it just so.
Will he drive me back into the city, or should I get a train? BETH: Oh, don't be silly.
You'll stay with us for the weekend, and that way you'll have a head start for your first day Monday.
JOE: Uh, I-I couldn't possibly impose.
Nonsense.
It We'd be delighted.
You're around back.
Down the stairs.
The pool house.
[BIRD CAWING.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
- [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
- LAURIE: Roger? I wanted to introduce you to my new assistant, Carrie.
I'm honored to meet you, Mr.
Ailes.
- Just call me Roger.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Laurie tells me that you're a star on the rise.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, I've always dreamed of being on air.
[CHUCKLES.]
Uh, Laurie says I should give you my demo.
We should watch this together.
Let's have a little look at what you got.
[CHUCKLES.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[STATIC.]
[PANTING.]
[DOG BARKING NEARBY.]
[VEHICLE DOOR CLOSES.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
ROGER: This is my property, my land.
I know my rights.
Why don't you just drive the hell away before I let go of this leash.
I'm just doing my job, Mr.
Ailes.
- [BARKING.]
- ROGER: Yeah? Well, that's what the guards in the concentration camps said.
Good morning, Mr.
Ailes.
Zoning bullshit.
Can you believe this crap? Trying to tell me what I can do with my land, how I can't cut down trees.
God made trees for two reasons: build houses and baseball bats.
[LAUGHS.]
"Upon the foundation of private property, great civilizations are built.
" Russell Kirk.
Why don't you come up to the house for dinner tonight, Joe? - I'd be honored, sir.
- Good.
Good boy.
Well, you know, we were the first to bring politicians onto daytime TV with The Mike Douglas Show.
We had Lady Bird Johnson do a tour of the White House.
Nixon was a hard get, but I got him.
Same day I booked him, I booked Little Egypt, the exotic dancer, her and her boa constrictor.
- No way.
- [LAUGHING.]
Yeah, yeah.
I didn't want to scare Nixon.
I didn't want to scare the snake, either, so I put him in my office for 15 minutes.
You know, who knows? If I put Little Egypt in the office, maybe I'd be managing belly dancers today.
- [LAUGHING.]
Oh, Roger.
- It's true.
It's true.
[LAUGHS.]
Nixon made a crack about TV being a gimmick, and I I don't know, I just sucked up my courage and I said, if he didn't understand television, he would never win another election.
And that was the beginning of my path to the White House.
BETH: And you were spot-on.
I read The Selling of the President.
Joe McGinniss gives you most of the credit for Nixon's win.
ROGER: Wow.
You know, what can I say? For once in his life, McGinniss was right.
No, no.
[LAUGHS.]
No.
Joe was a good friend.
Yeah.
And despite everything that came after, I still believe Nixon was a good man.
He was a little uncomfortable under the lights, but he understood this country.
And he knew there was no route to power without throwing a punch.
Come in, Joe, come in.
Look at this.
Town Supervisor Richard Shea.
He sells himself as a moderate, but he's a radical environmentalist, which means he's a communist.
He is trying this zoning scam, which is stealing from us to give to the poor.
It's scandalous, Joe.
Scandalous.
You think the paper should look into it? That is a great idea.
It's exactly the kind of thing the paper should be doing.
Well, then that's what we'll do.
GRETCHEN CARLSON: Welcome back to Fox & Friends, where we have a very special guest.
Someone we're really looking forward to having.
A very, very, very special guest.
Our good friend Glenn Beck is joining us.
And here he is.
Glenn! So happy to see you.
Tell us what's going How are your biceps, Glenn? Not good.
This one's pudding, and that one's Jell-O.
Well, because you're gonna need them.
I hear they're having a beer fest on Thursday night at the White House.
BECK: That is unbelievable.
- Why? - Why? For a teaching lesson for the working class? Some sort of a Who needs to learn what here? This president, I think, has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has deep-seated hatred for white people - or the white culture.
- Whoa! You can't say he doesn't like white people.
David Axelrod is white.
Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, he's white.
70% of the people he sees every day are white.
I'm not saying he doesn't like white people.
I'm saying he has a problem.
He has a This is a guy, I believe, is racist.
Fuck.
BRIAN: Okay, we say Beck's views do not represent the views of Fox News or News Corp, and then we figure out what the fuck to do with him.
Have you seen his numbers? We should give him more airtime.
What's all the ruckus? BRIAN: Beck straight up called Obama a racist on Fox & Friends.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, he's not wrong.
[SCOFFS.]
Jesus Christ, Roger.
We can't just say that.
Okay, we have to put out a statement.
- We have to get ahead of this.
- Okay, fine.
But, you know, l-let's just not rise to the occasion when there's no occasion.
Just be clear we're fully committed to Glenn, we're fully committed to his show.
"Fair and balanced" doesn't mean a whole lot when one of your stars calls the president a racist.
Okay, it makes it a little hard to protect the brand.
I'll decide what the brand is.
You put out the fires.
I'll talk to Glenn.
Racist? He just called him a racist? Yeah, that's what he said.
He's a funny guy.
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.
A.
.]
Well, you certainly know how to get people's attention.
BECK: Well, it needed to be said.
People can look at the evidence and decide for themselves.
You gonna fire me? Not even close.
But we do have to put out a statement saying that your views are not necessarily the opinions of Fox News, yada yada yada, but don't worry, I've got your back.
I appreciate that.
I got a new video from Breitbart which will totally blow the lid off Obama's attempt [LAUGHS.]
Slow down, Glenn.
One crisis at a time.
Just let's let this silly racist thing blow over and hmm? Oh.
Hey, Roger.
Can I have a minute? Did you see that downstairs? Doocy's out of control.
He grabbed my arm on air, to try to get me to shut up.
And you know this isn't an isolated incident.
He's been doing it for years, - and I'm sick of it.
- [ROGER GRUNTS.]
Good morning, Gretchen.
Perhaps he was just trying to get a word in.
You know, you are more than capable of rising above this.
Yeah, but, Roger, this is Gretchen, Gretchen, you're Miss America.
How would Miss America handle this? - With grace, charm.
- [SIGHS.]
You'd smile, give a little twirl, wouldn't you? So let's see it.
Why don't we see a little Miss America twirl.
[SIGHS.]
The high road, Gretchen.
Always the high road.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Joe Lindsley.
- ROGER: Read me what you got.
- Um "Richard Shea and his proposed scenic protection overlay "is actually an assault on property rights.
"His misguided attempt at sustainable living "is nothing more than socioeconomic cleansing, "driving out local businesses at the behest of outside environmental activists.
" That's pretty good.
Write this down, write this down.
Um "One aggrieved resident said," "My family and my business are threatened "by a special-interest group interfering with my private property rights.
'" Who said that? - I did.
- Mr.
Ailes, it's unethical to-to make up quotes.
You're not making it up, Joe.
I just said it.
I said it.
I'm a resident.
I'm aggrieved.
It's really close to the line.
Joe, lines - are for suckers.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Throw the punch, put in the quote, and publish.
Yes, sir.
Yeah? Uh, the White House is furious about Beck.
They're freezing out Chris Wallace from Sunday's presidential interviews.
Fuck these people.
You know what? Tell Beck we're gonna run that fucking video.
Will do.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: And we're back in three, two The activist group with strong ties to President Barack Obama, ACORN The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Reform? Government-funded radicals who take your hard-earned tax dollars and hand it out like candy.
In fact, we've got proof of them encouraging prostitution and covering it up so the government never knows.
Let's take a quick look, and then we'll break it down.
This was captured by some hard-working, brave journalists who went undercover to ACORN at great risk.
JAMES O'KEEFE: She is in a situation where she has - a unique line of work.
- I like that.
- Because it's against the law.
- I'm gonna make sure - there's a code for it, okay? - A code for prostitution? ACORN WORKER: You need to pay taxes on the money you make.
O'KEEFE: Is there any way around that, though? Yeah, don't file.
O'KEEFE: We've got a couple girls overseas coming over, you know what I mean, and they're very young, and we don't want to We don't want to put them on the on the books.
You can always claim them as dependents.
[CHUCKLING.]
I tell you, Joe, this story is gonna be huge.
Yes, but is it news? It's newsworthy.
We report, they decide, remember? But it's been manipulated.
We can't even see the journalist in the room, it's selectively edited Ah, maybe this is one of those moments when your idealism runs into a wall called knowledge.
You trying to tell me you don't think The New York Times is selectively edited every single goddamned day? Hmm? Bias is everywhere.
That's the way it works.
And we try and shine a light on corruption anywhere we find it.
- I guess.
- No.
No guessing.
No equivocation.
That's the way it is.
It's like your work with the paper.
You've expanded that conversation.
Now everybody in the town knows about Shea and his zoning issues.
That's down to you.
You got a big future in this business, son.
[SIREN WAILING, HORNS HONKING.]
BOOKING STAFFER: Laurie, this whole ACORN thing is a nightmare.
Yeah, nobody left of Mussolini wants to come on any of our shows.
Well, I made a list of second and third-tier guests we can book.
No top names, but they'll do for now.
Roger doesn't seem worried.
Carrie, can you pass the list around? Sure.
And as you all know - I'm going on a little vacation, so - We'll be fine.
- Carrie, that's not what I - CARRIE: Laurie, we get it.
You're tired, and you need a break.
We've got everything covered.
Don't we, guys? Definitely.
[EXHALES SOFTLY.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
[TENSE, DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[GASPING.]
[EXHALES.]
[LINE RINGING.]
[LINE RINGING.]
What are you doing? You're not supposed to call me at home.
Roger I'm not doing anything wrong.
I'm just going on vacation.
I didn't break any of the rules.
So, why why do you have these people following me? What are you talking about? I'm not running away.
I'm just going on a vacation.
But you need to stop.
Stop, Roger.
Please stop.
Because you make me want to scream.
I just want to stand here and scream, Roger.
Stay where you are.
Do not get on the plane.
I will have someone come and pick you up.
WOMAN OVER P.
A.
: Attention, all passengers.
[ANNOUNCEMENT CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY.]
[LINE RINGING.]
Bill we have a situation.
I need you to go and pick up Laurie Luhn from the airport.
Yeah.
Now, now.
I'll call you from the car.
It's like you're in my head, Roger.
Telling me what I should do.
How I should act.
Laurie, I I think you should just get some sleep.
Fuck you! [SHUDDERING BREATHS.]
[WHISPERS.]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
It's okay.
I don't know what's going on with me.
I'm I'm sorry.
Hey.
Listen to me.
Laurie.
Listen to me.
I have always looked after you.
Haven't I? So just lie down, get some sleep, and know you're in good hands.
All right? [TENSE, DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[WHISPERING.]
She needs some serious help.
We can't check her into rehab or an institution without her consent.
- Look into that, Bill.
- Yeah.
She can stay here until we figure out where she belongs.
Until then, just keep her quiet.
No phone.
No e-mail.
Just lock it all down.
Thank you, Suzanne.
Thank you, Bill.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Give yourself a pat on the back, son.
I just heard that Richard Shea is scheduling a town hall to discuss zoning issues.
The whole town is up in arms, apparently, [CHUCKLING.]
and that's all thanks to you.
I think we should go and make sure we have our voices heard.
- What do you think? - Yes, sir.
- Oh, fuck! - You okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's just a little nick.
Hey, can you just get me those little pills? The pills, just, uh, on the sink.
Just the little ones.
Yeah.
Fuck.
- Just a couple.
- Just two? Yeah, I probably don't need them, but, you know you never know.
Goddamn it.
- What are those for? - Uh clotting factor.
I'm a hemophiliac.
Seriously? I wasn't supposed to live past my teens.
Spent a lot of my childhood in hospitals.
[EXHALES.]
Hanging upside down trying to get the blood to flow.
[CHUCKLES.]
But my dad wouldn't hear it.
Pushed me just as hard as any other kid.
What about you? How do you get on with your old man? My dad wasn't into bonding.
Sometimes he would come home Everything was just wrong.
And I I had to deal with that.
My dad would reach for his belt at the drop of a hat.
I'd cry and cry.
It took me a long time to realize that crying wouldn't make him stop.
He would keep going until I stopped crying.
Know what it looks like when you beat a hemophiliac kid? It's not good.
Eh.
All for the best.
Made me tough.
Life is struggle, Joe.
Never forget that.
It's a fight, it's a con, it's a grudge match, and it's a game.
The only important thing is that you win.
Why don't you get some sleep? You and I we got a lot of work to do.
- Good night.
- Good night.
[QUIET CHATTER.]
MAN: At least you used a flattering photograph.
Richard Shea.
Um - Joe Lindsley.
- Oh, I know.
This is my son Bobby.
Well, your boss knows how to raise a stink.
It doesn't seem to matter if it's true or not.
I stand by our reporting.
I'm doing what's right for our community.
The zoning statutes are a simple An infringement on property rights.
Did you know that the original draft of the Declaration of Independence talked about life, liberty and the pursuit of property? And then they rewrote it.
The Look, my job is to report the issues.
Your job is to carry water for your boss.
Ailes is just mad at me 'cause I wouldn't give him - a zoning exemption.
- That's not true.
This is This is an issue of Ask him.
[EXHALES.]
Proud of yourself? You're tearing this town apart.
- Miss, I'm - MAN: Maybe the kid's right.
Who is Shea to tell us what we can do with our land? Bullshit.
You think this kid has your rights MAN: Well, I want to hear what he has to say.
WOMAN: You can turn a blind eye, but I am not going to turn a blind eye.
JOE: And it escalated from there.
Other people joining in, folks getting heated.
- [LAUGHING.]
- [CHUCKLING.]
I thought I thought they were gonna call the cops.
That Shea is such a drama queen.
He seemed like a nice guy.
Oh, yeah, nice guy, like Stalin was a nice guy.
Hey, he's got kids of his own.
Didn't stop him butchering 40 million people.
- That's a lot of people.
- BETH: Roger.
What? It happened.
I'm supposed to say it didn't happen? Stalin, Russian.
Bad people.
JOE: Shea seems to think that, um, the zoning issue is personal with you.
Yeah, just like it is for every single citizen in this town.
It's personal.
You're shaking things up, Joe.
Just like a newsman is supposed to.
That's great.
[SIREN WHOOPING.]
LAURIE: Ugh.
Yes.
Mom, it's-it's fine.
No, the apartment's nice.
No, I-I can't talk about it.
No, not on the phone.
It's not secure.
You know, people listen.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
I, uh I have to go.
I have to go.
[KNOCKING CONTINUES.]
[KNOCKING CONTINUES.]
Ah.
Bill.
Hey.
I-I didn't know you were coming today.
Mondays and Thursdays, right? How is everything? Well, um, it's-it's great.
It's-it's really great.
I You know, Bill, I-I'd really love to get back to work.
I really feel like I'm up for it.
Look, Laurie, uh you've been under a lot of pressure, huh? So let's just take things one step at a time.
Just-just rest, okay? [DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
OBAMA: As an elected official, I've had interactions with them, but that was my relationship and is my relationship to ACORN.
This is not the biggest issue facing the country.
It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.
O'REILLY: Even though we try to be fair to the president, he doesn't seem to like us very much.
On Sunday, he's doing all the chat shows except for Fox News Sunday.
The White House has labeled Fox what it is.
the communications arm of the Republican Party.
There's even a posting on the White House website where they talked about the lies of Fox News.
CHRIS WALLACE: I got to tell you, they are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington.
And the White House wanted to offer up an administration official for interviews with all the major news organizations with the exception of Fox.
[SIGHS.]
- David.
- AXELROD: Roger.
- Let's call a truce.
- Why? We're winning.
Mmm, I don't think so.
Well, I think you fucked it up.
I think you pushed too hard and you did us a favor.
We got every news organization on our side.
Even Jake Tapper is defending us.
[LAUGHS.]
Journalists look after their own.
When you met with the president during the election, you promised you weren't out to get him, gave I didn't meet with the president that day.
Don't mistake me for Rupert Murdoch.
I've never said we won't cover what's there, like this ACORN thing.
Exactly my point.
You created that out of thin air.
Spun a web of controversy where none existed.
We didn't create ACORN.
We covered it.
ACORN is an organization riddled with corruption, and it's about time that Congress and the American people heard about it.
- You really believe that? - Not a matter of what I believe.
- It's the truth.
- [SIGHS.]
Look, we can work together on this.
Quid pro quo.
You promise to back off, we'll reinstate - your press access - With an apology.
grant you a couple of exclusive interviews with the president, but we select the reporters.
Does your guy not understand that he doesn't get to pick and choose his coverage? That a free press does not necessarily mean a favorable press? - Does he get that? - And you get Hannity, O'Reilly and Beck to ease up.
Especially Beck.
That man is unhinged.
Unhinged? You're the one who works for the guy who wants to create a national police force.
Y-You can't be serious.
[LAUGHS.]
Where did you hear that? - He spoke about it.
- Roger, he's never said anything like that ever.
That's what I heard.
I'm asking you as a friend to pull back.
And I'm telling you as a friend no.
HANNITY: President as social engineer, president as bioethicist, the government deciding who will live, who will die.
ANN COULTER: He would be impeached if he weren't America's first black president.
TUCKER CARLSON: I think he is using racial anxiety - for political gain.
- So, of course, you're gonna get a socialist-style medical system.
Uh, death panels, that sort of thing.
- Is that proper? Is that right? - Guys, when are we gonna wake up and start fighting the fascism that seems to be permeating this country? - I feel like President Obama - WOMAN: I want to know if it's coming out of my paycheck.
Yes or no.
They've decided that we're just stupid.
Afro-Leninism! - WOMAN: Our cries - [PEOPLE SHOUTING.]
NEWSWOMAN: And these loud cries are now setting off completely different kinds of fireworks.
MAN: We're gonna take back our country.
We're gonna fight for it.
We will not let them take our country! [GAVEL BANGING.]
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
- SHEA: All right, let us let us observe let us observe civility above all.
Now, I-I would ask that citizens limit their remarks to two minutes each.
WOMAN: I just want to say that if it weren't for Roger Ailes, this town would be the peaceful enclave it was when I moved here - 20 years ago! - [MURMURING, BOOING.]
I'm Peter Johnson.
Can everyone quiet down? [CHATTER QUIETS.]
Good afternoon.
I represent Mr.
Ailes.
Why are you here? You're not a property owner in this town.
Because in America, you're allowed to have an attorney represent you - who understands the law.
- [CROWD MURMURING.]
- [APPLAUSE.]
- Th-This isn't a legal hearing.
[MURMURING, BOOING.]
I would just like to start by saying it is about time that private property owners like myself got to have a say.
- [MURMURING.]
- All right, now, this this is a this is a civil meeting, Mr.
Ailes, so our community can come together to discuss the No, no, no, no.
You have overlooked the private citizens.
You've ignored us.
This is not about me.
[SCOFFS.]
I'm afraid this is all about you, Mr.
Ailes.
[CROWD MURMURING.]
Civility above all, Mr.
Shea.
Your sarcasm is not useful here.
I'm here for them.
I'm here for you guys! [CHEERING, APPLAUSE.]
[GAVEL BANGING.]
Please! - Please.
- [GAVEL BANGING.]
Please! Now, may we have order? Answer me this, Mr.
Shea: Is it true that your referendum puts institutional interest above businesses and private citizens? M-Mr.
Ailes, the purpose of this plan is to help nonprofits keep their open space out of the hands of real estate developers.
Why would everybody not be equal under the law? They are.
You're putting these institutions above the law and private interests.
You just said so yourself.
- No, no, no one no - [APPLAUSE, SHOUTING.]
No.
No one, no one, no one is ab getting special They're trying to regulate the size of our windows, - the color of our houses - That's not true.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
You're depriving me of my property rights.
You are misinformed, sir.
George Washington himself once said, "A violation of my land is a violation of my being.
" You work for the citizens, Mr.
Shea.
If you can't do that, we will find someone who can! [APPLAUSE, SHOUTING.]
[GAVEL BANGING.]
Find someone who can! [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
[SCREAMING, WHISTLE BLOWING.]
[STATIC.]
[QUIET CHATTER.]
[SOFT JAZZ PLAYING.]
ROGER: You can eat anything you want.
Lobster here, prime rib, fried chicken.
Desserts are over there.
I've outlined a great editorial for this week.
- It'll punch Shea in the nuts.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Yeah.
Well, you know, I admire your fire, Joe, but I think we can give that a rest.
Uh, you see, Peter Johnson, he talked to Shea, and my house is now outside the rezoning tract, so I'm exempt.
But what about the rest of the town? Hey, you got to pick your battles, Joe.
We got what we wanted, so we move on.
BRIAN: Look at this.
Hot off the press: tomorrow's edition.
Listen to this.
"Some stories, lacking facts, never catch fire, "but others do.
"And a newspaper like The Times "needs to be alert to them, lest it wind up looking clueless, or worse, partisan.
" [LAUGHS.]
You son of a bitch.
You did it.
What? Well, it's like a game, Joe.
It's like baseball.
See, first base, we find the ACORN story.
- Right? We put it out there.
- Uh-huh.
Second base, everyone else picks up the story.
Our story.
But it's-it's a fake story.
- There is - Who said it was fake? Doesn't matter if it's real or fake.
Third base, The New York Times, the paper of record, says that if a lot of people are talking about a story, it has to be important.
And, real or not, they have to cover it.
[LAUGHS.]
Finally, a Democratic Congress just defunded ACORN without a single investigation - because of us.
- [ROGER SNICKERS.]
That's a home fucking run.
We created that, Joe.
We don't follow the news.
We make the news.
We're changing the world.
I don't know about you guys, I'm getting a drink.
Listen to me, Joe.
There is a whole world of people out there who don't know what to believe.
They're so twisted up by the liberal media, they don't even know who the good guys are anymore.
Now, you tell those people what to think, you've lost them.
But if you tell them how to feel, they're yours.
I started this network with nothing.
Everybody just going around saying, "Roger Ailes, he's not a news guy, Roger Ailes is gonna fail," just laughing at me.
Take a good look around this room.
These people, they keep us on the air.
They're laughing all the way to the bank.
- But journalism - Is history.
Yes, son.
And history gets written by the winners.
["TV SET" BY SPOON PLAYING.]
And we we are winning.
[GRUNTING.]
[BREATHING ERRATICALLY.]
[GASPS.]
What? What? [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
I-I can't.
I can't.
What? I can't.
I I ca I can't.
I can't do this.
I can't do this anymore.
I can't do it anymore, Roger.
I can't.
We can talk about that later.
Now, finish.
Come on.
[MOANING.]
[GRUNTS.]
I have to get back to FOX.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe this has just run its course.
On one condition.
You find your replacement.
Fine.
Fine.
BARACK OBAMA: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.
MIKE PENCE: Congress just adopted the most fiscally irresponsible budget in American history today.
What we are looking at is a conspiracy.
receiving taxpayer bailouts He wants to transform private-enterprise America - into neo-socialist - I feel like we are talking to the Germans after Hitler comes to power.
- The "Overthrow America" movement.
- Terrorists.
fact that Obama is working from within to bring down the U.
S.
capitalist system.
I mean, we uncover in the book Obama's extensive ties to Alinsky, including during the campaign, by the way, where his first trainers were trained by those from the Midwest Academy, which is an Alinsky academy JUDY: Happy birthday.
[STATIC.]
ROGER: Thank you, Judy.
What a beautiful cake.
Hmm.
69 years old.
[CHUCKLES.]
You know, my doctor tells me I'm old and I'm fat and I'm ugly, but none of those things are gonna kill me straightaway.
[LAUGHS.]
And none of those things are true.
Mm, well Time for the candles.
Well, I'm gonna have to make a wish.
- Hmm.
- Hmm.
BETH: What a lovely cake.
That's very thoughtful of you, Judy, but we already celebrated at home.
- BETH: He's here.
- ROGER: Okay.
Okay.
ROGER: Joe Lindsley.
[STATIC.]
Mr.
Ailes.
It's an honor.
This is my wife, Beth.
Mrs.
Ailes, pleasure.
Now, I bet you're sitting there thinking, "What the hell am I doing here?" Uh, the thought had crossed my mind, sir.
Well, now, you see, Joe, recently, Beth and I purchased a local newspaper upstate.
BETH: In Garrison, where we live.
ROGER: The Putnam County News and Recorder.
Now, I'm a TV guy.
Don't know a damn thing about newspapers, so I reached out to Marty Singerman, and in turn, he reached out to you, and you put together that list of conservative editors that might run the paper.
I liked that list a lot.
Thank you, sir.
And you went to Notre Dame? That's right.
I started my own paper there because I felt the Notre Dame Observer skewed too liberal.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
- Catholic? - Yes, ma'am.
My faith is very important to me.
Joe, I grew up in small-town America.
I knew the names of all my neighbors.
Never even thought to lock the door at night.
I want Garrison to be that kind of town.
But the people who live there BETH: Liberals.
- Balding hippies.
- [LAUGHS.]
Let's just say, you know, they need to be educated.
Thomas Jefferson said, "Education is the only sure alliance for the preservation of our liberty.
" Oh, I love that.
ROGER: So? BETH: Are you interested? In? Becoming our editor in chief.
ROGER: Garrison is a microcosm of America.
In these dark times, with this present, we got to rebuild America from the ground up.
I am honored to help in any way that I can.
ROGER: Well, I think it's settled, then.
Roger, we have a situation.
All right, Joe, why don't you, uh, go up to Garrison with Beth, get the lay of the land.
Right now? No time like the present.
First of all, I've got, uh, one television station, and it's entirely devoted to, uh, uh, attacking my administration.
He's calling us out publicly.
Yeah, good.
That means we're getting into his head.
We've just got to intensify the pressure.
Roger, this is not CNN, okay? This is the White House.
We have to be strategic here.
Rupert was very clear Come on, come on.
Fuck Rupert.
Fuck this White House.
I fought for editorial control, and I intend to use it.
If this Barry guy, Barry O.
, my bro, whatever the fuck his name is, if he wants a fight, okay, I'm good.
All right, we'll We'll war-game it later, see how it plays.
Want some cake? No, I'm fine.
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
[SIGHS.]
BETH: That's Our Lady of Loretto.
I play organ there on Sundays.
It's a wonderful congregation.
You'll have to come to Mass with us.
It would be my pleasure, Mrs.
Ailes.
[CHUCKLES.]
Joe, we're going to be working together.
Call me Beth.
Okay.
Beth.
It's beautiful here, but you know, there needs to be a strong conservative voice in this town.
Roger and I have high hopes that you and the paper can be that voice.
I'll do my best, Mrs.
, um Beth.
Beth.
[EXHALES.]
Good.
BETH: There it is.
We're gonna turn this little paper into a top-flight operation worthy of the Ailes name.
[BETH CLAPPING.]
BETH: Everyone, I want to introduce Joe Lindsley.
Joe is an old family friend, and we have just hired him to be the new editor in chief.
Joe's gonna be implementing some changes and taking the paper in a new direction.
We're very excited to have him on board.
And you should be, too.
[WEAK, SCATTERED APPLAUSE.]
Uh, uh, I just want to say, um, I'm excited to be here, and I'm-I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you so, uh, so that we can work together and make this paper into something great.
BETH: What a fine sentiment.
Thank you, Joe.
JOE: So The staff work for you, Joe, not with you.
I just I thought, um I'll remember that, Mrs.
Ailes.
- Beth.
- [SIGHS.]
After all, I'm not that much older than you.
This is exciting.
Like the first day of something special.
Uh, Fox News was undertaking a war against the White House and said, "The White House will treat Fox the way we would an opponent.
" They're right.
Fox isn't a news network.
It's an opinion organization.
A very one-sided opinion organization.
This is bullshit.
This White House hates America, hates capitalism, hate's anyone who's not in lockstep with their way of thinking.
We're not gonna put up with them.
We're not gonna roll over for these fuckers.
Every time they bring up a talking point, we're gonna counter it.
They say "progressive," we're gonna say "socialist.
" They say "safety net," we're gonna say "welfare cheat.
" They say "health care," we're gonna say "fucking death panels.
" Just push the message.
Socialist.
Muslim.
Un-American.
Just keep hitting those things over and over again, keep hitting them.
You know, we don't even have any fucking proof that Obama is a citizen.
SHINE: Did you feed that to Trump? He was just on The View questioning Obama's birth certificate.
We might have had a dinner.
Which reminds me, get Donald a spot on Fox & Friends.
He's always good for ratings.
You know he's been making noises about - running for president again.
- [LIGHT LAUGHTER.]
Well, that makes it even better.
Fuck you, Axelrod.
Fuck that guy.
- JOE: This place is amazing.
- BETH: Thank you.
Roger and I spent a lot of time and effort making it just so.
Will he drive me back into the city, or should I get a train? BETH: Oh, don't be silly.
You'll stay with us for the weekend, and that way you'll have a head start for your first day Monday.
JOE: Uh, I-I couldn't possibly impose.
Nonsense.
It We'd be delighted.
You're around back.
Down the stairs.
The pool house.
[BIRD CAWING.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
- [KNOCK ON DOOR.]
- LAURIE: Roger? I wanted to introduce you to my new assistant, Carrie.
I'm honored to meet you, Mr.
Ailes.
- Just call me Roger.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Laurie tells me that you're a star on the rise.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, I've always dreamed of being on air.
[CHUCKLES.]
Uh, Laurie says I should give you my demo.
We should watch this together.
Let's have a little look at what you got.
[CHUCKLES.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[STATIC.]
[PANTING.]
[DOG BARKING NEARBY.]
[VEHICLE DOOR CLOSES.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
ROGER: This is my property, my land.
I know my rights.
Why don't you just drive the hell away before I let go of this leash.
I'm just doing my job, Mr.
Ailes.
- [BARKING.]
- ROGER: Yeah? Well, that's what the guards in the concentration camps said.
Good morning, Mr.
Ailes.
Zoning bullshit.
Can you believe this crap? Trying to tell me what I can do with my land, how I can't cut down trees.
God made trees for two reasons: build houses and baseball bats.
[LAUGHS.]
"Upon the foundation of private property, great civilizations are built.
" Russell Kirk.
Why don't you come up to the house for dinner tonight, Joe? - I'd be honored, sir.
- Good.
Good boy.
Well, you know, we were the first to bring politicians onto daytime TV with The Mike Douglas Show.
We had Lady Bird Johnson do a tour of the White House.
Nixon was a hard get, but I got him.
Same day I booked him, I booked Little Egypt, the exotic dancer, her and her boa constrictor.
- No way.
- [LAUGHING.]
Yeah, yeah.
I didn't want to scare Nixon.
I didn't want to scare the snake, either, so I put him in my office for 15 minutes.
You know, who knows? If I put Little Egypt in the office, maybe I'd be managing belly dancers today.
- [LAUGHING.]
Oh, Roger.
- It's true.
It's true.
[LAUGHS.]
Nixon made a crack about TV being a gimmick, and I I don't know, I just sucked up my courage and I said, if he didn't understand television, he would never win another election.
And that was the beginning of my path to the White House.
BETH: And you were spot-on.
I read The Selling of the President.
Joe McGinniss gives you most of the credit for Nixon's win.
ROGER: Wow.
You know, what can I say? For once in his life, McGinniss was right.
No, no.
[LAUGHS.]
No.
Joe was a good friend.
Yeah.
And despite everything that came after, I still believe Nixon was a good man.
He was a little uncomfortable under the lights, but he understood this country.
And he knew there was no route to power without throwing a punch.
Come in, Joe, come in.
Look at this.
Town Supervisor Richard Shea.
He sells himself as a moderate, but he's a radical environmentalist, which means he's a communist.
He is trying this zoning scam, which is stealing from us to give to the poor.
It's scandalous, Joe.
Scandalous.
You think the paper should look into it? That is a great idea.
It's exactly the kind of thing the paper should be doing.
Well, then that's what we'll do.
GRETCHEN CARLSON: Welcome back to Fox & Friends, where we have a very special guest.
Someone we're really looking forward to having.
A very, very, very special guest.
Our good friend Glenn Beck is joining us.
And here he is.
Glenn! So happy to see you.
Tell us what's going How are your biceps, Glenn? Not good.
This one's pudding, and that one's Jell-O.
Well, because you're gonna need them.
I hear they're having a beer fest on Thursday night at the White House.
BECK: That is unbelievable.
- Why? - Why? For a teaching lesson for the working class? Some sort of a Who needs to learn what here? This president, I think, has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has deep-seated hatred for white people - or the white culture.
- Whoa! You can't say he doesn't like white people.
David Axelrod is white.
Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, he's white.
70% of the people he sees every day are white.
I'm not saying he doesn't like white people.
I'm saying he has a problem.
He has a This is a guy, I believe, is racist.
Fuck.
BRIAN: Okay, we say Beck's views do not represent the views of Fox News or News Corp, and then we figure out what the fuck to do with him.
Have you seen his numbers? We should give him more airtime.
What's all the ruckus? BRIAN: Beck straight up called Obama a racist on Fox & Friends.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, he's not wrong.
[SCOFFS.]
Jesus Christ, Roger.
We can't just say that.
Okay, we have to put out a statement.
- We have to get ahead of this.
- Okay, fine.
But, you know, l-let's just not rise to the occasion when there's no occasion.
Just be clear we're fully committed to Glenn, we're fully committed to his show.
"Fair and balanced" doesn't mean a whole lot when one of your stars calls the president a racist.
Okay, it makes it a little hard to protect the brand.
I'll decide what the brand is.
You put out the fires.
I'll talk to Glenn.
Racist? He just called him a racist? Yeah, that's what he said.
He's a funny guy.
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.
A.
.]
Well, you certainly know how to get people's attention.
BECK: Well, it needed to be said.
People can look at the evidence and decide for themselves.
You gonna fire me? Not even close.
But we do have to put out a statement saying that your views are not necessarily the opinions of Fox News, yada yada yada, but don't worry, I've got your back.
I appreciate that.
I got a new video from Breitbart which will totally blow the lid off Obama's attempt [LAUGHS.]
Slow down, Glenn.
One crisis at a time.
Just let's let this silly racist thing blow over and hmm? Oh.
Hey, Roger.
Can I have a minute? Did you see that downstairs? Doocy's out of control.
He grabbed my arm on air, to try to get me to shut up.
And you know this isn't an isolated incident.
He's been doing it for years, - and I'm sick of it.
- [ROGER GRUNTS.]
Good morning, Gretchen.
Perhaps he was just trying to get a word in.
You know, you are more than capable of rising above this.
Yeah, but, Roger, this is Gretchen, Gretchen, you're Miss America.
How would Miss America handle this? - With grace, charm.
- [SIGHS.]
You'd smile, give a little twirl, wouldn't you? So let's see it.
Why don't we see a little Miss America twirl.
[SIGHS.]
The high road, Gretchen.
Always the high road.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Joe Lindsley.
- ROGER: Read me what you got.
- Um "Richard Shea and his proposed scenic protection overlay "is actually an assault on property rights.
"His misguided attempt at sustainable living "is nothing more than socioeconomic cleansing, "driving out local businesses at the behest of outside environmental activists.
" That's pretty good.
Write this down, write this down.
Um "One aggrieved resident said," "My family and my business are threatened "by a special-interest group interfering with my private property rights.
'" Who said that? - I did.
- Mr.
Ailes, it's unethical to-to make up quotes.
You're not making it up, Joe.
I just said it.
I said it.
I'm a resident.
I'm aggrieved.
It's really close to the line.
Joe, lines - are for suckers.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Throw the punch, put in the quote, and publish.
Yes, sir.
Yeah? Uh, the White House is furious about Beck.
They're freezing out Chris Wallace from Sunday's presidential interviews.
Fuck these people.
You know what? Tell Beck we're gonna run that fucking video.
Will do.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: And we're back in three, two The activist group with strong ties to President Barack Obama, ACORN The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Reform? Government-funded radicals who take your hard-earned tax dollars and hand it out like candy.
In fact, we've got proof of them encouraging prostitution and covering it up so the government never knows.
Let's take a quick look, and then we'll break it down.
This was captured by some hard-working, brave journalists who went undercover to ACORN at great risk.
JAMES O'KEEFE: She is in a situation where she has - a unique line of work.
- I like that.
- Because it's against the law.
- I'm gonna make sure - there's a code for it, okay? - A code for prostitution? ACORN WORKER: You need to pay taxes on the money you make.
O'KEEFE: Is there any way around that, though? Yeah, don't file.
O'KEEFE: We've got a couple girls overseas coming over, you know what I mean, and they're very young, and we don't want to We don't want to put them on the on the books.
You can always claim them as dependents.
[CHUCKLING.]
I tell you, Joe, this story is gonna be huge.
Yes, but is it news? It's newsworthy.
We report, they decide, remember? But it's been manipulated.
We can't even see the journalist in the room, it's selectively edited Ah, maybe this is one of those moments when your idealism runs into a wall called knowledge.
You trying to tell me you don't think The New York Times is selectively edited every single goddamned day? Hmm? Bias is everywhere.
That's the way it works.
And we try and shine a light on corruption anywhere we find it.
- I guess.
- No.
No guessing.
No equivocation.
That's the way it is.
It's like your work with the paper.
You've expanded that conversation.
Now everybody in the town knows about Shea and his zoning issues.
That's down to you.
You got a big future in this business, son.
[SIREN WAILING, HORNS HONKING.]
BOOKING STAFFER: Laurie, this whole ACORN thing is a nightmare.
Yeah, nobody left of Mussolini wants to come on any of our shows.
Well, I made a list of second and third-tier guests we can book.
No top names, but they'll do for now.
Roger doesn't seem worried.
Carrie, can you pass the list around? Sure.
And as you all know - I'm going on a little vacation, so - We'll be fine.
- Carrie, that's not what I - CARRIE: Laurie, we get it.
You're tired, and you need a break.
We've got everything covered.
Don't we, guys? Definitely.
[EXHALES SOFTLY.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
[TENSE, DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[GASPING.]
[EXHALES.]
[LINE RINGING.]
[LINE RINGING.]
What are you doing? You're not supposed to call me at home.
Roger I'm not doing anything wrong.
I'm just going on vacation.
I didn't break any of the rules.
So, why why do you have these people following me? What are you talking about? I'm not running away.
I'm just going on a vacation.
But you need to stop.
Stop, Roger.
Please stop.
Because you make me want to scream.
I just want to stand here and scream, Roger.
Stay where you are.
Do not get on the plane.
I will have someone come and pick you up.
WOMAN OVER P.
A.
: Attention, all passengers.
[ANNOUNCEMENT CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY.]
[LINE RINGING.]
Bill we have a situation.
I need you to go and pick up Laurie Luhn from the airport.
Yeah.
Now, now.
I'll call you from the car.
It's like you're in my head, Roger.
Telling me what I should do.
How I should act.
Laurie, I I think you should just get some sleep.
Fuck you! [SHUDDERING BREATHS.]
[WHISPERS.]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
It's okay.
I don't know what's going on with me.
I'm I'm sorry.
Hey.
Listen to me.
Laurie.
Listen to me.
I have always looked after you.
Haven't I? So just lie down, get some sleep, and know you're in good hands.
All right? [TENSE, DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[WHISPERING.]
She needs some serious help.
We can't check her into rehab or an institution without her consent.
- Look into that, Bill.
- Yeah.
She can stay here until we figure out where she belongs.
Until then, just keep her quiet.
No phone.
No e-mail.
Just lock it all down.
Thank you, Suzanne.
Thank you, Bill.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Give yourself a pat on the back, son.
I just heard that Richard Shea is scheduling a town hall to discuss zoning issues.
The whole town is up in arms, apparently, [CHUCKLING.]
and that's all thanks to you.
I think we should go and make sure we have our voices heard.
- What do you think? - Yes, sir.
- Oh, fuck! - You okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's just a little nick.
Hey, can you just get me those little pills? The pills, just, uh, on the sink.
Just the little ones.
Yeah.
Fuck.
- Just a couple.
- Just two? Yeah, I probably don't need them, but, you know you never know.
Goddamn it.
- What are those for? - Uh clotting factor.
I'm a hemophiliac.
Seriously? I wasn't supposed to live past my teens.
Spent a lot of my childhood in hospitals.
[EXHALES.]
Hanging upside down trying to get the blood to flow.
[CHUCKLES.]
But my dad wouldn't hear it.
Pushed me just as hard as any other kid.
What about you? How do you get on with your old man? My dad wasn't into bonding.
Sometimes he would come home Everything was just wrong.
And I I had to deal with that.
My dad would reach for his belt at the drop of a hat.
I'd cry and cry.
It took me a long time to realize that crying wouldn't make him stop.
He would keep going until I stopped crying.
Know what it looks like when you beat a hemophiliac kid? It's not good.
Eh.
All for the best.
Made me tough.
Life is struggle, Joe.
Never forget that.
It's a fight, it's a con, it's a grudge match, and it's a game.
The only important thing is that you win.
Why don't you get some sleep? You and I we got a lot of work to do.
- Good night.
- Good night.
[QUIET CHATTER.]
MAN: At least you used a flattering photograph.
Richard Shea.
Um - Joe Lindsley.
- Oh, I know.
This is my son Bobby.
Well, your boss knows how to raise a stink.
It doesn't seem to matter if it's true or not.
I stand by our reporting.
I'm doing what's right for our community.
The zoning statutes are a simple An infringement on property rights.
Did you know that the original draft of the Declaration of Independence talked about life, liberty and the pursuit of property? And then they rewrote it.
The Look, my job is to report the issues.
Your job is to carry water for your boss.
Ailes is just mad at me 'cause I wouldn't give him - a zoning exemption.
- That's not true.
This is This is an issue of Ask him.
[EXHALES.]
Proud of yourself? You're tearing this town apart.
- Miss, I'm - MAN: Maybe the kid's right.
Who is Shea to tell us what we can do with our land? Bullshit.
You think this kid has your rights MAN: Well, I want to hear what he has to say.
WOMAN: You can turn a blind eye, but I am not going to turn a blind eye.
JOE: And it escalated from there.
Other people joining in, folks getting heated.
- [LAUGHING.]
- [CHUCKLING.]
I thought I thought they were gonna call the cops.
That Shea is such a drama queen.
He seemed like a nice guy.
Oh, yeah, nice guy, like Stalin was a nice guy.
Hey, he's got kids of his own.
Didn't stop him butchering 40 million people.
- That's a lot of people.
- BETH: Roger.
What? It happened.
I'm supposed to say it didn't happen? Stalin, Russian.
Bad people.
JOE: Shea seems to think that, um, the zoning issue is personal with you.
Yeah, just like it is for every single citizen in this town.
It's personal.
You're shaking things up, Joe.
Just like a newsman is supposed to.
That's great.
[SIREN WHOOPING.]
LAURIE: Ugh.
Yes.
Mom, it's-it's fine.
No, the apartment's nice.
No, I-I can't talk about it.
No, not on the phone.
It's not secure.
You know, people listen.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
I, uh I have to go.
I have to go.
[KNOCKING CONTINUES.]
[KNOCKING CONTINUES.]
Ah.
Bill.
Hey.
I-I didn't know you were coming today.
Mondays and Thursdays, right? How is everything? Well, um, it's-it's great.
It's-it's really great.
I You know, Bill, I-I'd really love to get back to work.
I really feel like I'm up for it.
Look, Laurie, uh you've been under a lot of pressure, huh? So let's just take things one step at a time.
Just-just rest, okay? [DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
OBAMA: As an elected official, I've had interactions with them, but that was my relationship and is my relationship to ACORN.
This is not the biggest issue facing the country.
It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.
O'REILLY: Even though we try to be fair to the president, he doesn't seem to like us very much.
On Sunday, he's doing all the chat shows except for Fox News Sunday.
The White House has labeled Fox what it is.
the communications arm of the Republican Party.
There's even a posting on the White House website where they talked about the lies of Fox News.
CHRIS WALLACE: I got to tell you, they are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington.
And the White House wanted to offer up an administration official for interviews with all the major news organizations with the exception of Fox.
[SIGHS.]
- David.
- AXELROD: Roger.
- Let's call a truce.
- Why? We're winning.
Mmm, I don't think so.
Well, I think you fucked it up.
I think you pushed too hard and you did us a favor.
We got every news organization on our side.
Even Jake Tapper is defending us.
[LAUGHS.]
Journalists look after their own.
When you met with the president during the election, you promised you weren't out to get him, gave I didn't meet with the president that day.
Don't mistake me for Rupert Murdoch.
I've never said we won't cover what's there, like this ACORN thing.
Exactly my point.
You created that out of thin air.
Spun a web of controversy where none existed.
We didn't create ACORN.
We covered it.
ACORN is an organization riddled with corruption, and it's about time that Congress and the American people heard about it.
- You really believe that? - Not a matter of what I believe.
- It's the truth.
- [SIGHS.]
Look, we can work together on this.
Quid pro quo.
You promise to back off, we'll reinstate - your press access - With an apology.
grant you a couple of exclusive interviews with the president, but we select the reporters.
Does your guy not understand that he doesn't get to pick and choose his coverage? That a free press does not necessarily mean a favorable press? - Does he get that? - And you get Hannity, O'Reilly and Beck to ease up.
Especially Beck.
That man is unhinged.
Unhinged? You're the one who works for the guy who wants to create a national police force.
Y-You can't be serious.
[LAUGHS.]
Where did you hear that? - He spoke about it.
- Roger, he's never said anything like that ever.
That's what I heard.
I'm asking you as a friend to pull back.
And I'm telling you as a friend no.
HANNITY: President as social engineer, president as bioethicist, the government deciding who will live, who will die.
ANN COULTER: He would be impeached if he weren't America's first black president.
TUCKER CARLSON: I think he is using racial anxiety - for political gain.
- So, of course, you're gonna get a socialist-style medical system.
Uh, death panels, that sort of thing.
- Is that proper? Is that right? - Guys, when are we gonna wake up and start fighting the fascism that seems to be permeating this country? - I feel like President Obama - WOMAN: I want to know if it's coming out of my paycheck.
Yes or no.
They've decided that we're just stupid.
Afro-Leninism! - WOMAN: Our cries - [PEOPLE SHOUTING.]
NEWSWOMAN: And these loud cries are now setting off completely different kinds of fireworks.
MAN: We're gonna take back our country.
We're gonna fight for it.
We will not let them take our country! [GAVEL BANGING.]
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
- SHEA: All right, let us let us observe let us observe civility above all.
Now, I-I would ask that citizens limit their remarks to two minutes each.
WOMAN: I just want to say that if it weren't for Roger Ailes, this town would be the peaceful enclave it was when I moved here - 20 years ago! - [MURMURING, BOOING.]
I'm Peter Johnson.
Can everyone quiet down? [CHATTER QUIETS.]
Good afternoon.
I represent Mr.
Ailes.
Why are you here? You're not a property owner in this town.
Because in America, you're allowed to have an attorney represent you - who understands the law.
- [CROWD MURMURING.]
- [APPLAUSE.]
- Th-This isn't a legal hearing.
[MURMURING, BOOING.]
I would just like to start by saying it is about time that private property owners like myself got to have a say.
- [MURMURING.]
- All right, now, this this is a this is a civil meeting, Mr.
Ailes, so our community can come together to discuss the No, no, no, no.
You have overlooked the private citizens.
You've ignored us.
This is not about me.
[SCOFFS.]
I'm afraid this is all about you, Mr.
Ailes.
[CROWD MURMURING.]
Civility above all, Mr.
Shea.
Your sarcasm is not useful here.
I'm here for them.
I'm here for you guys! [CHEERING, APPLAUSE.]
[GAVEL BANGING.]
Please! - Please.
- [GAVEL BANGING.]
Please! Now, may we have order? Answer me this, Mr.
Shea: Is it true that your referendum puts institutional interest above businesses and private citizens? M-Mr.
Ailes, the purpose of this plan is to help nonprofits keep their open space out of the hands of real estate developers.
Why would everybody not be equal under the law? They are.
You're putting these institutions above the law and private interests.
You just said so yourself.
- No, no, no one no - [APPLAUSE, SHOUTING.]
No.
No one, no one, no one is ab getting special They're trying to regulate the size of our windows, - the color of our houses - That's not true.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
You're depriving me of my property rights.
You are misinformed, sir.
George Washington himself once said, "A violation of my land is a violation of my being.
" You work for the citizens, Mr.
Shea.
If you can't do that, we will find someone who can! [APPLAUSE, SHOUTING.]
[GAVEL BANGING.]
Find someone who can! [INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
[SCREAMING, WHISTLE BLOWING.]
[STATIC.]
[QUIET CHATTER.]
[SOFT JAZZ PLAYING.]
ROGER: You can eat anything you want.
Lobster here, prime rib, fried chicken.
Desserts are over there.
I've outlined a great editorial for this week.
- It'll punch Shea in the nuts.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Yeah.
Well, you know, I admire your fire, Joe, but I think we can give that a rest.
Uh, you see, Peter Johnson, he talked to Shea, and my house is now outside the rezoning tract, so I'm exempt.
But what about the rest of the town? Hey, you got to pick your battles, Joe.
We got what we wanted, so we move on.
BRIAN: Look at this.
Hot off the press: tomorrow's edition.
Listen to this.
"Some stories, lacking facts, never catch fire, "but others do.
"And a newspaper like The Times "needs to be alert to them, lest it wind up looking clueless, or worse, partisan.
" [LAUGHS.]
You son of a bitch.
You did it.
What? Well, it's like a game, Joe.
It's like baseball.
See, first base, we find the ACORN story.
- Right? We put it out there.
- Uh-huh.
Second base, everyone else picks up the story.
Our story.
But it's-it's a fake story.
- There is - Who said it was fake? Doesn't matter if it's real or fake.
Third base, The New York Times, the paper of record, says that if a lot of people are talking about a story, it has to be important.
And, real or not, they have to cover it.
[LAUGHS.]
Finally, a Democratic Congress just defunded ACORN without a single investigation - because of us.
- [ROGER SNICKERS.]
That's a home fucking run.
We created that, Joe.
We don't follow the news.
We make the news.
We're changing the world.
I don't know about you guys, I'm getting a drink.
Listen to me, Joe.
There is a whole world of people out there who don't know what to believe.
They're so twisted up by the liberal media, they don't even know who the good guys are anymore.
Now, you tell those people what to think, you've lost them.
But if you tell them how to feel, they're yours.
I started this network with nothing.
Everybody just going around saying, "Roger Ailes, he's not a news guy, Roger Ailes is gonna fail," just laughing at me.
Take a good look around this room.
These people, they keep us on the air.
They're laughing all the way to the bank.
- But journalism - Is history.
Yes, son.
And history gets written by the winners.
["TV SET" BY SPOON PLAYING.]
And we we are winning.