'Republicans keep making things worse for themselves': Joe reacts to Hillary Clinton's deposition

What this episode is about

Hillary Clinton faced six hours of questioning, including fringe topics like Jeffrey Epstein, PizzaGate, and UFOs, while the discussion highlighted partisan friction and perceived missteps in the deposition. The segment argues Republicans used the deposition to pressure Clinton and misdirect attention from real questions about President Clinton.

Key takeaways

• Conspiracy baiting backfires: dredging Pizzagate and UFOs near Hillary exposed how low-sway chatter amplifies false credibility.
• Ambush deposition theater: six hours with Clinton revealed how political theater often substitutes for substantive accountability.
• Flattery as leverage: Trump-era media flattery tricks showmanship can unlock policy leverage more than policy merit.
• Ask the one smart person: Arnold the Pig’s quip highlights how a lone skeptic can outpace a chorus of hot takes.
• Media cycle contagion: appetite for sensational headlines accelerates, while real accountability slips through the back door.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Hillary Clinton (Guest) · 2 min speaking
• Willie (Host) · 3 min speaking
• Mika (Host) · 2 min speaking
• Jeff Mason (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• David Ignatius (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Jennifer Lamire (Host) · 1 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Hillary Clinton, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, Pizzagate
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Attorney General, Washington, Republicans, Hillary Clinton
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump
4. 9:00 – 10:01: Jeffrey Epstein, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Attorney General

Notable quotes from "'Republicans keep making things worse for themselves': Joe reacts to Hillary Clinton's deposition"

• I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Hepstein.

  about Hillary Clinton · at 0:01

• THE ONE SMART PERSON ON COMMERCE COMMITTEE, NOT EVEN A PERSON, ARNOLD THE PIG, THE CHIEF DEPOSITION STARTED, SAYING I WANT NO PART OF THIS SHIT.

  about Arnold the Pig · at 1:19

• Well, and all it did, Mika, was it OPENED UP QUESTIONS WHICH HILLARY CLINTON, YOU OPEN THE DOOR, HILLARY IS GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT.

  about Mika Brzezinski · at 2:39

• AGAIN, THE REPUBLICANS, THEY ASK FOR THIS.

  about Republicans · at 3:37

• And we're going to get into the story, but it was perhaps that newspaper headline and that flattery that led to the release of a Columbia University College student who was…

  about Columbia University · at 4:59

• LEAK PICTURES TO GUYS THAT GET PAID BY HAPPENED INVESTIGATION TO APPEAR IN ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER.

  about Jeffrey Epstein · at 6:14

• After the hearing you just see their frustration that they want to ask questions they're prepared to ask some tough questions today of bill clinton but they kept insisting how…

  about Bill and Hillary Clinton · at 9:13

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Hillary Clinton — Person · Core referenced figure (deposition witness) · 6 mentions · first at 0:03
  The segment centers on her closed-door deposition about Jeffrey Epstein, her denial of ever meeting him, and her criticism that investigators should focus on the current administration instead.
• Jeffrey Epstein — Person · Core topic (subject of investigation) · 6 mentions · first at 0:03
  Epstein is the focus of the committee investigation discussed; Clinton denies knowing him, and commentators argue the probe should target people with closer ties to him.
• Bill and Hillary Clinton — Person · Core referenced figure (upcoming deposition witness) · 9 mentions · first at 1:07
  The discussion previews his deposition and contrasts scrutiny of a former president with calls to question current officials allegedly connected to Epstein.
• Donald Trump — Person · Core referenced figure (contrasted target of investigation) · 2 mentions · first at 4:13
  Commentators argue investigators should question him and Trump administration figures about Epstein; later he is discussed as responsive to flattery and as a 'fake news' target.
  WHY DO YOU HAVE ME HERE INSTEAD OF DONALD TRUMP?
• David Ignatius — Person · Panelist / referenced expert commentator · 2 mentions · first at 5:42
  He is introduced as a Washington Post columnist and is asked to assess the political and investigative implications of the Clinton depositions.
  JEFF MASON IS WITH US AND COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR AT THE WASHINGTON POST DAVID IGNACIUS JOINS US AS WELL.
• Mika Brzezinski — Person · Host / co-host (on-air interlocutor) · 2 mentions · first at 2:39
  Addressed directly during the discussion as the panel reacts to the deposition and committee tactics.
• J.D. Vance — Person · Referenced government official (upcoming meeting participant) · 1 mention · first at 3:58
  Mentioned as the Vice President meeting the Omani Foreign Minister in Washington to try to stave off war with Iran.
  ALSO AHEAD, THE OMANI FOREIGN MINISTER IS HEADED TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH VICE PRESIDENT J.D.
• Jennifer Lamire — Person · Panelist (staff writer) · 1 mention · first at 5:30
  Introduced as a staff writer at The Atlantic and co-host of the 9 a.m. hour, contributing to the panel format.
  HOUR, STAFF WRITER AT THE ATLANTIC, JENNIFER LAMIRE.
• James Mason — Person · Panelist (journalist) · 1 mention · first at 5:38
  Introduced as a Bloomberg White House correspondent participating in the roundtable discussion.
  JEFF MASON IS WITH US AND COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR AT THE WASHINGTON POST DAVID IGNACIUS JOINS US AS WELL.

Companies & orgs

• Republicans — Organization · Primary political actor being criticized · 2 mentions · first at 3:37
  They are portrayed as driving an unproductive, politically motivated deposition and asking about conspiracies like Pizzagate and UFOs.
• Columbia University — Organization · Referenced institution (context for ICE incident) · 1 mention · first at 5:03
  Mentioned in a separate news item about a Columbia student taken from a university-owned apartment by ICE agents.

Concepts & topics

• Pizzagate — Concept · Referenced conspiracy theory (criticized) · 2 mentions · first at 0:22
  Raised as an example of 'vile, bogus' questioning used to portray the deposition as unserious and politically motivated.
  Being asked about UFOs, and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet.
• UFOs — Concept · Referenced topic used to criticize questioning · 2 mentions · first at 0:19
  Mentioned as an 'unusual' line of questioning in the deposition, reinforcing the claim the committee wasted time.
  It then got, at the end, quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs, and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet.
• Attorney General — Concept · Government role (context for diplomacy segment) · 8 mentions · first at 2:28
  Used to frame the diplomatic meeting in Washington involving J.D. Vance and the Omani Foreign Minister.
  ALSO AHEAD, THE OMANI FOREIGN MINISTER IS HEADED TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH VICE PRESIDENT J.D.

Places & events

• Washington — Place · Setting (political/diplomatic hub) · 3 mentions · first at 3:02
  Referenced both as the destination for the Omani Foreign Minister and as shorthand for national political/media attention.
  YOU HAVE HILLARY CLINTON DOING THAT INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT WASHINGTON SO MANY TIMES, THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING WHY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS COVERING UP, WHY THE PRESIDENT HAS MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES.
• Meridian — Place · Anecdotal location · 1 mention · first at 0:53
  Appears in the same anecdote as the origin point for a drive to Jackson, Mississippi.
  WHEN I WAS A KID, MY DAD I WOULD SAY WHEN WE LIVED IN MERIDIAN, HEY, THE GLOBETROTTERS ARE COMING TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
• Jackson Mississippi — Place · Anecdotal location · 1 mention · first at 0:58
  Used in a personal anecdote about traveling from Meridian to Jackson, illustrating 'we knew how this was going to go.'
  WHEN I WAS A KID, MY DAD I WOULD SAY WHEN WE LIVED IN MERIDIAN, HEY, THE GLOBETROTTERS ARE COMING TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.

Media & podcasts

• Arnold the Pig — Character · Comedic reference / metaphor · 1 mention · first at 1:21
  Used humorously as a 'smartest' figure to mock the committee process and predict it would go badly.
• Green Acres — Media · Pop-culture reference · 1 mention · first at 1:38
  Referenced to contextualize the joke about Arnold the Pig being the 'smartest' character.
  AND AS ALWAYS, WILLIE, ARNOLD THE PIG, THE BEST HE WAS THE SMARTEST IN GREEN ACRES AND OBVIOUSLY THE SMARTEST WITH COMER BECAUSE HILLARY CLINTON YESTERDAY, MAN.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:01 I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Hepstein. So it's on the record numerous times. It then got, at the end, quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs, and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet. THAT WAS SERVING AS THE BASIS OF A MEMBER'S QUESTIONS TO ME. THEN IT GOT QUITE UNUSUAL, JUST A LITTLE UNUSUAL THERE AT BIT OF A LITTLE BIT AT THE END. WELL, I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING, WE KNEW HOW THIS WAS GOING TO GO.

0:53 WHEN I WAS A KID, MY DAD I WOULD SAY WHEN WE LIVED IN MERIDIAN, HEY, THE GLOBETROTTERS ARE COMING TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. SO, YEAH, WE'LL TAKE THE DRIVE OVER FROM MERIDIAN TO JACKSON. THAT'S NICE. WE KNEW HOW IT WAS GOING I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO END. YOU KNEW JAMES COMER AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON, THIS WASN'T GOING TO GO WELL. THERE WERE REPORTS, MECA, AND THEY'RE UNCONFIRMED ON X, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE SMART PERSON ON COMMERCE COMMITTEE, NOT EVEN A PERSON, ARNOLD THE PIG, THE CHIEF DEPOSITION STARTED, SAYING I WANT NO PART OF THIS SHIT.

1:29 THIS IS GOING TO GO BAD. AND AS ALWAYS, WILLIE, ARNOLD THE PIG, THE BEST HE WAS THE SMARTEST IN GREEN ACRES AND OBVIOUSLY THE SMARTEST WITH COMER BECAUSE HILLARY CLINTON YESTERDAY, MAN. HILLARY CLINTON BY BY ALL ACCOUNTS, JUST, I MEAN, OWNED THE PLACE. HE WAS SMART, LEFT OUT THE BACK DOOR, HE WAS ON THE SAWMILL BEFORE THE QUESTIONING WAS EVEN OVER. BACK TO HIS SWANKY HOTEL IN MIDTOWN. YEAH. ARNOLD THE SHE'S CALLED IN HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN. SHE SAID THEY NEVER EVEN MET THE MAN THAT PERHAPS SHE COULD SHED SOME LIGHT ON HER HUSBAND THAT'S THE TIME TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.

2:19 AND THEN BECAUSE THEY HAD NOWHERE TO GO, STARTED ASKING HER ABOUT PIZZA-GATE AND UFOs, JUST AN UTTER WASTE OF TIME. THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS TODAY FOR PRESIDENT Clinton, but to drag Secretary Clinton in yesterday for six hours of questioning ended, as you said, exactly how most people thought it would end, in embarrassment for the committee. Well, and all it did, Mika, was it IT OPENED UP QUESTIONS WHICH HILLARY CLINTON, YOU OPEN THE DOOR, HILLARY IS GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT. WAIT A SECOND, YOU'RE ASKING ME? EXACTLY.

2:51 BUT YOU'RE NOT ASKING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED SHE HAS MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. SHE RAISED MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. YOU HAVE HILLARY CLINTON DOING THAT INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT WASHINGTON SO MANY TIMES, THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING WHY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS COVERING UP, WHY THE PRESIDENT HAS MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES. AND THE SAME THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN SAY WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY. BILL CLINTON IS GOING TO COME IN AND SAY, WAIT A SECOND, SO I WAS PRESIDENT 25 YEARS AGO?

3:18 AND YOU'VE GOT A GUY RIGHT I DON'T THINK IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COVERING UP FOR. SO WHY ARE YOU ASKING A PRESIDENT WHO WAS AROUND MENTIONED 25 YEARS AGO, BUT NOT THE ONE IN OFFICE NOW THAT'S MENTIONED MORE THAN ME AND THAT HAS A REALLY SERIOUS CHARGE LEVEL AGAINST HIM RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, THE REPUBLICANS, THEY ASK FOR THIS. THE REPUBLICANS, THEY ASK FOR THE REPUBLICANS KEEP MAKING THINGS WORSE FOR THEMSELVES. I WISH THE REPUBLICANS WOULD LISTEN TO ME AND STOP PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON THE HOT STOPE.

3:52 THEY CANNOT HELP IT. IT WAS SOMETHING. ALSO AHEAD, THE OMANI FOREIGN MINISTER IS HEADED TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE TODAY IN AN EFFORT TO STAVE OFF WAR WITH IRAN. WE'LL DIG INTO WHETHER THE MEETING SIGNALS A POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGH ON THE HORIZON. AND LATER, MAYOR ZORAN THE PRESIDENT MAMDANI SEEMS TO HAVE CRACKED THE CODE FOR DEALING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP. FAKE NEWS ARTICLES, IT WORKS. YEAH. A FLATTERING NEWSPAPER HEADLINE AND EMERGED FROM FROM THE WHITE HOUSE WITH A PAIR OF UNEXPECTED VICTORIES.

4:22 I MEAN, WILLIE, COME ON. LOOK AT THAT. I MEAN, IT'S INGENUITY, HE MAKES UP, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SOME HAVE SAID THAT DONALD TRUMP FROM TIME TO TIME WOULD MAKE UP TIME MAGAZINE COVERS WITH HIS FACE ON IT. WHO AMONG US I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO RELEASE WHO YOU WANT TO RELEASE AND GIVE YOU WHATEVER MONEY YOU WANT. YOU NEED MONEY, I GOT IT FOR YOU ZORHAN. HEADLINE AND THAT NEWSPAPER HEADLINE. EVEN IN THE EARLY STAGES OF HIS TIME IN OFFICE, THE MAYOR UNDERSTANDS IMMEDIATELY THAT FLATTERY WILL GET YOU EVERYWHERE WITH THIS President, and we're going to get into the story, but it was perhaps that newspaper headline and that flattery that led to the release of a Columbia University College student who was taken from her university-owned apartment yesterday morning by ARE TALKING ABOUT THEM BY ICE AGENTS.

5:14 WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE THEY APPARENTLY LIED TO GET IN THERE. I MEAN, COME ON. YEAH. FLATTERY BUT NEVER BENDING. I THINK SOME REPUBLICANS STILL DON'T GET IT. THEY'RE ALL FLATTERY AND THEN THEY COWER. ALONG WITH JOE, WILLIE, AND ME, WE HAVE THE CO-HOST OF OUR 9 A.M. HOUR, STAFF WRITER AT THE ATLANTIC, JENNIFER LAMIRE. ALSO SMARTER THAN ARNOLD PAGE. NO CAP, HE'S AWESOME. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT THANK YOU FOR BLOOMBERG. JEFF MASON IS WITH US AND COLUMNIST AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR AT THE WASHINGTON POST DAVID IGNACIUS JOINS US AS AS WELL.

5:44 LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT THIS MORNING, FOMER SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON HE'S NOT GOING TO BE DEPOSING HER INSTITUTION, DENIED EVER MEETING JEFFREY EPSTEIN. YOU MEAN SHE NEVER MET SHE DOESN'T, YEAH. SHE DOESN'T, AND NEVER MET HIM, BUT THEY'RE DEPOSING HER INSTEAD OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE IN IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. FOR SIX HOURS. SPENT TIME. IN A CLOSED DOOR DEPOSITION, NO TRANSPARENCY. THEY DID HAVE TO BREAK THE RULES, LEAK PICTURES TO GUYS THAT GET PAID BY

6:30 HAPPENED INVESTIGATION TO APPEAR IN ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER. THE PAIR BATTLED FOR MONTHS WITH COMMITTEE CHAIR CALLING THE SUBPOENAS INVALID AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. THE MEETING QUICKLY BECAME CONTENTIOUS AFTER CLINTON STOPPED THE SESSION AFTER LEARNING REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN THE FRIENDS OF COURT AND LAUREN LEAKED AN IMAGE FROM INSIDE THE ROOM. RIGHT-WING PODCASTER, IMPRESSED THE IMAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. CLINTON EXPRESSED HER FRUSTRATION WITH THE LEAK DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE NOTING THAT SHE REQUESTED HER TESTIMONY BE MADE PUBLIC.

7:09 AND THAT THAT REQUEST WAS DENIED, ONLY FOR A COMMITTEE MEMBER TO MAKE A PRIVATE PHOTO OF THE EVENT PUBLIC ANYWAY. CLINTON SPOKE WITH REPORTERS FOLLOWING THE DEPOSITION. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS WAS A FAIR? DO YOU WANT TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY EVEN THOUGH YOU DID THIS DEPOSITION? I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT AGAIN. THEY HAD A CHANCE TO DO IT IN PUBLIC, AND I WISH THEY HAD DONE IT IN public. I thought it was very repetitive. I thought that they asked literally the same questions over and over again. If they are going to fulfill their responsibilities to literally investigate the investigations, which is what they originally said was the scope of their work.

7:54 I think they could have spent the day more PRODUCTIVELY. WELL, AND SHE ALSO SPOKE AT LENGTH, I DON'T KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE CLIP WHERE SHE IS, ALEX, WHERE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY REALLY SHOULD BE FOCUSED WITH THE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, DO YOU HAVE THAT CLIP? OKAY, IT'S COMING UP. OKAY, SO BILL CLINTON WILL BE DEPOSED TODAY, DAVID IGNATIUS THOSE QUESTIONS AGAIN, THE QUESTIONS THAT HILLARY CLINTON HAS ASKED, THAT HILLARY CLINTON ASKED YESTERDAY, THEY OPENED THE DOOR TO IT, SHE'S LIKE, WAIT A SECOND, I'VE NEVER EVEN MET THE GUY, YOU'VE GOT A GUY SITTING IN THE OVAL OFFICE THAT'S MENTIONED THERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES AND THERE'S A REALLY SERIOUS THE D.O.J.

8:37 APPARENTLY IS TRYING TO COVER UP. WHY DO YOU HAVE ME HERE INSTEAD OF DONALD TRUMP? WHY DO YOU HAVE ME HERE INSTEAD OF DONALD TRUMP? WHY DO YOU HAVE ME HERE INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL MEMBERS OF THE EPSTEIN CLASS WHO ARE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. IT WAS A STRANGE OPENING TO THIS PHASE OF THE INVESTIGATION TO, IN EFFECT, demonstrate that it's not serious and going after the people who actually can answer the questions the public has intensely passionately watching democratic members of the committee on tv last night after after the hearing you just see their frustration that they they want to ask questions they're prepared to ask some tough questions today of bill clinton but uh they kept insisting how can it be that people like Howard Lutnick, people like President Trump himself who have a lot of knowledge about what Jeffrey Epstein did and not so far been brought before this investigation.

9:36 What kind of investigation is this to put it I'm not going to go for it.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "'Republicans keep making things worse for themselves': Joe reacts to Hillary Clinton's deposition"?

Hillary Clinton (Guest), Willie (Host), Mika (Host), Jeff Mason (Guest), David Ignatius (Guest), Jennifer Lamire (Host).

What is "'Republicans keep making things worse for themselves': Joe reacts to Hillary Clinton's deposition" about?

Hillary Clinton faced six hours of questioning, including fringe topics like Jeffrey Epstein, PizzaGate, and UFOs, while the discussion highlighted partisan friction and perceived missteps in the deposition. The segment argues Republicans used the deposition to pressure Clinton and misdirect attention from real questions about President Clinton.

What is mentioned in this MS NOW episode?

19 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Republicans, Pizzagate. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "'Republicans keep making things worse for themselves': Joe reacts to Hillary Clinton's deposition"?

The episode runs 10 min; the transcript is about 1,519 words in 15 timestamped sections.

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