The Press Box Wolf Blitzer on Covering Mideast Wars, Monica Lewinsky, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump
Mar 4, 2026
Wolf Blitzer, veteran CNN anchor known for decades of international and U.S. reporting. He recounts covering the Pentagon during the Gulf War. He revisits reporting on the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He reflects on the chaos of 9/11. He walks through anchoring Obama’s historic 2008 win and the surprises of the 2016 Trump night.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Breaking The Masada Helicopter Exclusive
- Wolf Blitzer broke a global exclusive at Masada when a gust nearly pushed Willy Brandt's helicopter over the cliff and he raced to a payphone to wire the scoop for Reuters.
- He convinced soldiers to let him ride the cable car, used tokens to call his mentor Colin Bickler, and Reuters led worldwide coverage, launching his career.
Staying In Baghdad During Desert Storm
- As CNN's Pentagon correspondent in 1990, Wolf covered Desert Shield/Storm live and CNN stayed the only network with reporters in Baghdad.
- Ted Turner kept crews there despite Pentagon warnings, making CNN a global source and boosting Wolf's visibility.
Hiding In An Alley To Get The Lewinsky Tip
- Wolf cultivated a source when Monica Lewinsky's lawyer Bill Ginsburg flew to D.C., then hid from paparazzi in an alley to talk privately about the Clinton–Lewinsky story.
- That direct access and later dinner with Lewinsky put him deep inside the scandal's reporting.