Topic: Steve Schmidt

The hosts continue their seating analysis, noting that Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon occupied the "other side of the power coin" directly across from Trump. They categorize Satya Nadella and Elon Musk as being in "weak" positions, suggesting they were treated as tokens rather than primary advisors. They criticize the Wall Street Journal's interpretation of the "children's table," which Dvorak claims was actually the most powerful end of the room.

The book Game Change by John Heilman and Mark Halperin reveals behind-the-scenes details of the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign. Campaign strategist Steve Schmidt describes Sarah Palin's struggle during debate prep, specifically her habit of calling Joe Biden "O'Biden." The strategy to ask "Can I call you Joe?" was reportedly a tactic to prevent her from mispronouncing his name on national television.