Guest Tells CNN’s Brian Stelter: You are… One of the Reasons People Can’t Stand the Media’

CNN’s Brian Stelter got a slice of humble pie this morning from guest Michael Wolff, who appeared on his show “Reliable Sources” this morning and told Stelter that he was “one of the reasons people can’t stand the media.”

The appearance by Wolff was to promote his new book, “Landslide, the Final Days of the Trump Presidency” and also follows a back and forth the two had on Twitter over claims about Fox News made in the book.

Stelter confronted Wolff over the claims in the interview and wrapped things up by recalling the last time Wolff was on the program in 2017.

At that time, Wolff critiqued Stelter, “I mean this with truly no disrespect, but I think you can border on being sort of quite a ridiculous figure. It’s not a good look to repeatedly and self-righteously defend your own self-interest. The media should not be the story. Every week in this religious sense you make it the story. We are not the story.”

One day later, then-President Donald Trump called Wolff, which led Stelter to ask Wolff if he got White House access “by coming on CNN and making fun of us.”

Wolff denied the accusation and said his agreement predated that segment, but confirmed Trump called him the next day and thanked him.

Mediaite transcribed part of the interview:

“I don’t want you to think that what I said at that point was in any way inauthentic,” he continued. “I think the media has done a terrible job on this. I think you yourself — you’re a nice guy, you know, you’re full of sanctimony. You become one of the parts of the problem of the media.”

“You come on here and you have a monopoly on truth, you know exactly how things are supposed to be done. You are why — one of the reasons — people can’t stand the media,” he added.

Stelter laughed and asked what he should do differently.

“Don’t talk so much, listen more,” Wolff responded.

He told Stelter he’s “incredibly repetitive” and even said, “You’re the flip side of Donald Trump. ‘Fake news,’ and you say ‘virtuous news.’”

“No, we just figure out what is real,” Stelter said.

“Figuring out what is real is not so easy. And most people don’t want to turn to Brian Stelter to tell us what’s real. I’m sorry,” Wolff shot back.

Stelter asked with a laugh why, then, he’s been on CNN a few times this past week.

“You know, I’m a book salesman,” Wolff said.

Stelter concluded by telling Wolff that he loves talking to him and that he was grateful that he came on. “I guess let’s do it again in four years,” Stelter added.

LMAO Brian Stelter getting called out by his own guest. pic.twitter.com/slFO3zNQfy

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) July 18, 2021