Donna Brazile on campaign tell-all: ‘I wanted the American people to see what happened’

Donna Brazile: My book tells some hard truths

Part 1: Former interim DNC chair addresses claims that the Democratic National Committee slanted the nomination in favor Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders, dysfunction in the Clinton campaign and more. #Tucker

Former interim head of the Democratic National Committee Donna Brazile appeared to back away Wednesday from some of the most sensational claims made in her recently released tell-all about last year’s presidential election.

In an interview on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Brazile described her book as a “forensic examination” of the failures of the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

“I wanted to write this book to tell my story,” Brazile told host Tucker Carlson of her memoir, called “Hacks.” “I wanted the American people to see what happened.”

During a wide-ranging interview, Brazile said she leaked questions at a Democratic primary town hall to members of Hillary Clinton’s campaign because she didn’t want the candidates to be “blindsided.”

“That’s the greatest spin I’ve ever heard” Carlson laughed in response. “I didn’t want them blindsided? That’s so good, you should do this for a living. That is hilarious.”

“Wikileaks sought to divide us,” Brazile responded. “These were active measures where you got to see the things I gave to Hillary. You never got a chance to see the things I gave to [Sen.] Bernie [Sanders] or [former Maryland Gov.] Martin O’Malley.”

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Previously released excerpts from Brazile’s book accused Clinton’s top male campaign staffers of sexist treatment. But on Wednesday night, Brazile ascribed her conflicts with campaign manager Robby Mook to “generational” differences.

“Remember, I come from the old school,” Brazile said. “I come from the school [where] you actually knock on doors, you talk to people, you try to get their support [and] then you try to get them out on Election Day. Robby comes from a school that is a lot different … they do algorithms, they do data modeling.”

Brazile called the Clinton campaign “condescending and dismissive” toward her and complained that she didn’t have total control of the party’s resources.

Another excerpt from Brazile’s book that has been made public accused her predecessor as DNC chair – Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz – of indulging in costly perks, including a “chief of staff and a body woman,” even as the party wrestled with a cash crunch that left it dependent on the Clinton campaign.

But on Wednesday, Brazile defended Wasserman Schultz’s handling of the DNC’s hacking that resulted in the release of a trove of emails by Wikileaks last summer.

“When [the hack] was brought to her attention, she immediately reached out to get cybersecurity experts on board … along with our cyber attorney, they provided the FBI with everything that they requested.”

When Carlson pressed her on why the DNC did not turn over its servers to the FBI, Brazile answered, “we were still running a party,” adding that the party spent “over $60,000” to assist the hacking investigation.

“After I received my FBI briefing in August, do you know what I wanted to do?” Brazile asked Carlson. “I wanted to go over to the Pentagon. I didn’t want to go back to the DNC. I wanted somebody to put yellow tape around the DNC. I was scared. We were under attack.”

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Watch Sturgill Simpson Busk, Take Questions Outside CMA Awards

Sturgill Simpson was at the CMA Awards, but he didn’t actually attend, per se. Instead, he went rogue outside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, soliciting questions from fans and busking for donations to the ACLU via Facebook Live.

The artist was flanked by an open guitar case, his Grammy award for Best Country Album, and a couple signs that read, “I don’t take requests, but I take questions about anything you want to talk about … because fascism sucks” and another sign that read, “Struggling country singer… Anything helps (all donations go to the ACLU). God Bless America.”

Simpson took questions from someone off-camera who was reading Facebook Live comments and the singer also answered queries from passers-by. Over the course of 48 minutes, several fans stopped by to give him props, chat and take selfies. More than a dozen people had gathered by the end of his chat, but there were more than 79,000 who viewed the video online by the time it concluded, with a steady stream of more than 4000 watching live. “I’m just hanging out, I’m just down here being an asshole,” he quipped when asked what he was doing.

And while his sign welcomed controversial topics, he appeared diplomatic when it came to the CMA Awards, stating that while he wasn’t up for an award, it might’ve been because he didn’t submit for any categories. “I wouldn’t say I was snubbed,” he said.

His feelings for Donald Trump, on the other hand, were unequivocal. “He’s a fascist fucking pig and I’m not afraid to say that,” he said.

Beyond politics, he discussed myriad subjects, including what he’s been listening to lately (among them was ELO, La Roux, Run the Jewels and Angel Olsen. “I think she’s badass,” he said).

He was also asked if being discovered ruined him. “I probably will never let that happen…I’m a weird musician, my music’s weird,” he contended and added that he’d likely never make a record that goes mainstream. Later, he mentioned he’d like to cut a bluegrass record.

Simpson also discussed his five-album plan, remarking that the project has a cohesive theme. “Next one’s gonna be about life and sin and we’re literally going to hell,” he revealed. The last one he said would focus on light.

In the wide-ranging conversation, questions came at random: he picked Kanye West over Drake when someone asked about whom he preferred, and he called “encores the new moshpit,” adding that he had a low tolerance for bullshit. He talked about how fellow Grammy winner Merle Haggard’s Grammy award was used as a doorstop. “That put a lot of things in perspective,” he said, but added that the award meant a lot to him personally because it was voted on by peers. “That’s not something I take lightly at all, and my grandfather lived long enough to see that,” he said.

And despite Simpson using social media as a forum, he commented that the medium is “simultaneously the best and worst thing that happened to the human race.”

Of course, fans were also awaiting him playing music and he did oblige, performing “Turtles All the Way Down” and “Water in a Well.”

As his battery on his phone died out, he wrapped his charming, humorous and entertaining discussion. “Well, we made $13 for the ACLU tonight, so it was all worth it,” he said.

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