Topic: 1998

Chuck Todd warns on Meet the Press that campaigns focusing heavily on trials often lose, citing the 1998 Republican focus on the Bill Clinton impeachment as a failed strategy. He argues that voters had already factored Trump's moral failings into their decisions years ago. Todd suggests that if Joe Biden celebrates the verdict too much, he risks turning off middle-of-the-road voters.

A look back at August 1998 reveals President Bill Clinton's orders to strike terrorist facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan linked to Osama Bin Laden. The hosts discuss the long history of U.S. involvement in the region and the rebranding of Bin Laden over two decades.

Archival audio from the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton reveals a reversal in political and media rhetoric compared to the 2020 proceedings. Figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Jerry Nadler are heard arguing against the removal of a president based on partisan votes or the overturning of the popular will.

A former journalist's donation note sparks a debate on whether the profession of journalism has truly deteriorated or if its long-standing flaws have simply become more visible due to the internet and social media. The hosts compare current coverage to the 1998 era to suggest the quality has remained consistently poor.

A recording of Maxine Waters' 1998 speech defending Bill Clinton during his impeachment is played. In the speech, she calls the impeachment a "Republican coup d'etat" and an "abuse of power" driven by "unbridled hatred." The hosts point out the irony of her current stance on Donald Trump, noting that her 1998 arguments against impeachment could be applied almost verbatim to the current political climate.

A 1998 clip features Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney criticizing the Department of Defense for requesting $50 million to $100 million for Viagra. McKinney argued that the military should focus on readiness rather than "sex drugs," especially in the wake of various sexual scandals within the administration and the armed forces.