Eric Cowden

youtu.be/LKOEEVNgRdU My friend @ZitoSalena is having a moment. Salena was four feet from Donald Trump when the shots rang out in Butler, PA, nearly one year ago. She was immediately thrown to the ground by security and caught up in the ensuing chaos. I was watching on TV when it happened and recognized the lady face down on the ground by her signature boots, as did many others. I was so relieved to see she was safe. A lot has happened since then to the country, to the President, to Pennsylvania, and to Salena. For starters, she appears to be the only member of the media that Trump doesn’t affirmatively despise. After the attempt on his life, he called her seven times to check in. What they discussed during those calls is fascinating. She’s since written a book called Butler, which is also fascinating. It’s out this week, and I can’t recommend it enough. And now, they’re making a movie about her! That’s right—the unassuming grandmother who befriended me several years ago is going to be the subject of a major motion picture. What a country! I’m so proud of what Salena has accomplished, and so happy to have her back on the pod. If there’s a more honest, more authentic journalist working today, I don’t know who that is. She’s also a hell of a lot of fun to talk to, as this conversation will once again proves. Enjoy! Mike PS. If you're wondering if Salena is biased, she is. She's biased toward the people who live and work in the place she calls home. She's biased toward the people she writes about. People who live and work in America's Rust Belt. She's biased about the dignity of work, the importance of reinvigorating the trades, and the daily struggles and challenges facing everyday Americans. In other words, we share the same bias. I only mention this because her connection to the President will no doubt render her a partisan to some, but she is not. She's pissed him off on several occasions and earned his public disapproval by writing what she believes to be true. She's also accepted an offer from The Washington Post, (the polar opposite of a Trump-friendly publication) to write a regular column on the significance of Pennsylvania in the coming elections. The Keystone State will likely play a huge role in determining the fate of a great many issues, including energy independence, data center construction, and the race to control artificial intelligence. No one is better positioned to inform Post readers about all that than Salena. You can get her book here. bit.ly/SalenaZitoBook Our conversation is below. It's a good one.