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Google’s no-whites-allowed artificial intelligence chatbot went to great lengths to cover for President Biden’s mismanagement of the U.S. economy.  In response to questions from MRC Business researchers about former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s economies‚ Gemini twice led with incorrect information in bold that served to denigrate the former while bolstering the latter. Americans' average personal savings rate rose from 5.6 percent to 12.8 percent from Feb. 1‚ 2017 to Feb. 1‚ 2021‚ but suffered a bruising fall from 12.8 percent on Feb. 1‚ 2021 to 3.8 percent on Jan. 1‚ 2024. As these numbers don’t reflect well on Biden‚ who was inaugurated in late Jan. 2021‚ Gemini worked hard to avoid embarrassing the president by twisting the numbers. Ultimately‚ Gemini apologized twice for providing incorrect information.  Why does Gemini go out of its way to defend the president? The person overseeing it could provide some insight. Jack Krawczyk‚ Google's Senior Director of Product over Gemini‚ is on the record in 2020 fawning over then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and later praising the president for acknowledging America’s supposed “systemic racism” during his inauguration speech. As the old saying goes: Garbage in‚ garbage out. MRC Business asked the following question for both presidents: “How did Americans' average personal savings rate change between” February 1‚ 2017 – February 1‚ 2021 under Trump’s policies and February 1‚ 2021 – February 1‚ 2024 under Biden’s policies. For both Biden and Trump‚ Gemini offered astoundingly inaccurate responses. For Biden‚ Gemini claimed‚ “The average personal savings rate in the United States went through a significant increase between February 1‚ 2021‚ and January 1‚ 2024 .” But the evidence that it cited actually reflected a significant decrease in personal savings; the complete opposite of what Gemini argued. “So‚ the rate went from around 7.38% to 3.8%‚ representing a substantial decrease‚” Gemini wrote. [No emphasis added.] But the ridiculousness didn’t end there. The Google chatbot committed the same error in reverse when asked about Americans’ personal savings under Trump: “How did Americans' average personal savings rate change between February 1‚ 2017 and February 1‚ 2021‚” MRC Business researchers asked.  Gemini responded‚ “The average personal savings rate in the United States actually went through a slight downward trend between February 1‚ 2017‚ and February 1‚ 2021‚” before once again disclosing data indicating that its argument was an outright falsehood. [No emphasis added.] This time‚ Gemini provided statistics showing Americans’ savings actually grew but begged readers not to give former President Trump much credit. Gemini wrote‚ “While there was a slight increase [5.76 percent to 7.38 percent]‚ it's important to consider: The overall increase was modest compared to significant jumps seen in other periods.” So‚ in other words‚ no “downward trend.” Yes‚ you read the contradictory responses right. When MRC Business probed Gemini on the glaring contradictions‚ the AI chatbot admitted its so-called “mistake[s].” For Biden‚ Gemini conceded‚ “You are correct. The text in the image says that the personal savings rate went from 7.38% to 3.8%‚ and this represents a substantial decrease. I apologize for the mistake. I am still under development and learning to perform many kinds of tasks‚ including interpreting data and images.”  Gemini also admitted that the trajectory of Americans’ savings under Biden “represents a substantial decrease‚” while the trajectory of Americans’ savings under Trump showed a slight increase. For the Trump contradiction‚ Gemini apologized: “You're absolutely right‚ my response regarding the personal savings rate contained contradictory information and used bold text for emphasis in a misleading way. Let me apologize for the confusion.” “Confusion‚ or baked in bias? I think we all know the answer to that question‚” said MRC Business Director Michael Morris. “Time and time again Google has shown its unwillingness to maintain political neutrality‚ instead favoring leftist ideology over all else. There’s little reason to suggest that Google — with the numerous examples from Google Search bias in election contests to Gemini’s no whites allowed DEI pandering — is doing anything different here.” In its responses and even in its corrections‚ Gemini significantly understated the heights that Americans’ savings reached under former President Trump and consequently obscured the percentage drop under President Biden. In both cases‚ Gemini reported that Americans’ average personal savings rate on Feb. 1‚ 2021 was 7.38 percent‚ when in fact it was 12.8 percent. Even when Gemini tried to tell the truth after admitting its initial contradictions‚ the Google product used minimizing language that looked even more absurd in light of the real percentages. Gemini referenced an alleged rise from 5.76 percent to 7.38 percent under former President Trump in order to claim a “slight increase.” But this is incorrect. The percentage increase was actually much more significant. Americans’ personal savings increased from 5.6 percent to a sizable 12.8 percent (not just 7.38 percent) during Trump’s term in office‚ reflecting a 129 percent spike. Gemini’s numbers for Biden were just as bad. Despite later conceding that personal savings actually decreased during Biden’s administration after MRC Business called it out‚ the data it disclosed downplayed the impact. Gemini later conceded that personal savings decreased under Biden from 7.38 percent to 3.8 percent. However‚ the actual drop was more drastic than what Gemini suggested. Personal savings dropped from 12.8 percent to 3.8 percent‚ reflecting a whopping 70 percent decrease. Gemini has demonstrated obscene bias in the past‚ casting doubt on atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on and after the Oct. 7th genocidal attack on Israel. In response to prompts by MRC Staff‚ Gemini also demonstrated racism against white men. The chatbot willingly generated prompts of black‚ Hispanic and Asian people in various fields‚ but refused to generate images of white men in those same fields.  Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Somehow‚ New York Times economics propagandist Paul Krugman managed to one-up himself on his really bonkers Bidenomics hot takes. Millions of illegal border crossings? Humanitarian crisis? No problem‚ suggested Krugman in his March 19 piece‚ “Are Immigrants the Secret to America’s Economic Success?” In his wild logic (if you even want to call it that)‚ Krugman blathered how supposedly “the very surge in immigration that has nativists so upset has played a big role in increasing the economy’s potential.” Yes‚ he actually wrote that. Never mind the fact that foreign born employment is up at least 3.3 million above its pre-pandemic levels while native-born employment is 1 million beneath its pre-pandemic level. That’s apparently a win in Krugman’s view. Not once does the word “border” appear anywhere in his half-cocked column.   Krugman downplayed the epidemic of crimes being committed by illegal immigrants crossing the border‚ and tried to spin one of President Joe Biden’s most damning indictments on his national security policies into a positive. “I’d still say that even if the migrant crime wave Trump and his allies harp on were real‚ and not a figment of their imagination (violent crime has in fact been plummeting in many cities) [sic].” Ah‚ but Krugman bypassed key context. The Council on Criminal Justice released a study in January 2024 showing that “Most violent offenses remained elevated in 2023 compared to 2019‚ the year prior to the outbreak of COVID and the widespread social unrest of 2020. There were 18% more homicides in the study cities in 2023 than in 2019‚ and carjacking has spiked by 93% during that period.” If that wasn’t telling enough‚ The Center Square also reported that “Hundreds of thousands of the migrants caught entering the U.S. have criminal records often including violent offenses.”  But Krugman‚ staying true to form‚ spewed that “even if there weren’t growing evidence that immigration is helping the U.S. economy — indeed‚ that it may be a major reason for our surprising economic success.” To say his argument is utterly ridiculous would be an understatement. The Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni wrote in a Feb. 22 analysis‚ “With millions of such illegal aliens pouring across the southern border due to Biden administration policies‚ it makes sense that this would augment the workforce of foreign-born people here legally and boost employment numbers.” However‚ said Antoni‚ “That native-born Americans have made no progress in terms of job numbers in four years is a key reason why they view the economy so poorly‚ but it isn’t the only one.” Inflation-adjusted weekly earnings have plummeted at least 4.2 percent under Biden’s term in office‚ Antoni noted.  What Krugman’s argument amounts to is essentially as follows‚ as Antoni described: “The benefits of ‘Bidenomics’ go to a few‚ and Americans as a whole come last.” But Krugman attempted to get ahead of this fact too by cherry-picking a Goldman Sachs chart allegedly showing no rise in native-born unemployment during the "immigration surge" to claim “that there is no good evidence that immigrants are taking away jobs from workers born in America.” He must have missed the fact millions of workers are still missing from the labor force. Krugman even mischaracterized former President Donald Trump’s recent Ohio comments: “When we accuse a politician of dehumanizing some ethnic group‚ we’re usually being metaphorical. The other day‚ however‚ Donald Trump said it straight out: Some migrants are ‘not people‚ in my opinion. Well‚ in my opinion‚ they are people.’” Fact-check: Trump was specifically referring to MS-13 gang members‚ but Krugman’s not exactly known for including mitigating context when the ensuing narrative doesn’t fit his agenda. That held true even for the data Krugman plastered in his piece to — ONCE AGAIN — gaslight readers into believing that Biden’s economy is a wonderland filled with heavenly-scented marigolds and daffodils. Krugman argued that post-pandemic‚ “real G.D.P. has risen by about a percentage point more than expected‚ while employment exceeds its projected level by 2.9 million workers.” But Krugman didn’t disclose that much of the so-called growth in GDP is being buoyed by the federal government taking on trillions of dollars in new debt (at least $6.6. trillion). Additionally‚ as Antoni told MRC Business‚ “There are a variety of ways to measure how” far the labor market is below its pre-pandemic trend‚ “but each of them shows that we’re missing at least 4.8 million jobs.” In fact‚ Antoni argued that “it seems more accurate to say Biden is short jobs than he has added them.” But Krugman wasn’t finished. He proceeded to praise the Biden administration for its absurd policy stance of going “big on spending‚ probably contributing to a temporary burst of inflation but also helping to ensure rapid recovery — and at this point the inflation has largely faded away while the recovery remains.”  Yes‚ Krugman is still blue-pilling himself with his long-since debunked “transitory” inflation argument despite admitting he got inflation wrong nearly two years ago. Add to the mindless drivel the fact that inflation-driven prices are over 17.6 percent higher than they were since Biden took office‚ and Krugman’s assertion that “inflation largely faded away” also blows up. A recent MarketWatch headline also undercuts Krugman’s position: “Inflation here to stay? U.S. could face unstable inflation for next decade‚ top investment pro says.”  Hang it up‚ Krugman. No amount of gaslighting on America’s immigration crisis will get citizens to treat Biden’s economy like anything other than the decrepit monstrosity that it is.  Conservatives are under attack. Contact The New York Times at 800-698-4637 and demand it distance itself from Krugman’s awful takes on Bidenomics in the midst of America’s immigration crisis.  

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) called out biased “disinformation” researchers’ efforts to undermine Americans’ First Amendment rights. Jordan was having none of it when a charged “60 Minutes” interview hostile CBS News co-host Lesley Stahl tried to get him to agree that the so-called "misinformation" and "disinformation" research industry is necessary. Jordan argued that the research has a “chilling impact on speech” by pressuring tech companies to censor speech that the left does not approve of. Even worse‚ some of these researchers coordinate with government to increase censorship on social media‚ per the House Judiciary Committee‚ which Jordan chairs. The “60 Minutes” segment featured both Jordan and Kate Starbird‚ the researcher whose Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) acted as a government surrogate to ensure election-influencing censorship in the 2020 and 2022 elections.  Starbird mourned that Facebook and Twitter only took action on about a third of flagged content‚ arguing for more censorship but Jordan highlighted that the nefarious work of researchers like Starbird nonetheless has a negative impact. “[W]hat they're doing is chilling First Amendment free speech rights‚” he said. A 2023 Harvard survey found that so-called “misinformation” experts “leaned strongly toward the left of the political spectrum‚” indicating heavy bias in the industry. Stahl attempted to defend the industry during her interview with Jordan. She seemingly made the argument that posts questioning the integrity of the 2020 election should be shut down because “[m]ost people don't question the result‚” implying that a right to free speech is dependent on majority opinion. Jordan had a different suggestion: “I think you let the American people‚ respect the American people‚ their common sense‚ to figure out what's accurate‚ what isn't.” Stahl seemed most concerned about the First Amendment rights of the so-called misinformation researchers. She tried to argue that Congress's investigation of government coordinating with researchers and tech companies to censor Americans can "chill the research" and violate the researchers' free speech. Jordan later challenged Stahl. “So us pointing out‚ us doing our constitutional duty of oversight of the executive branch-- and somehow we're censoring? That makes no sense‚” he said. Would-be censors are allowed to research what they choose‚ but when they coordinate with government to take down differing opinions‚ that is a different situation‚ Jordan noted. “They can do their research‚” Jordan countered‚ “but they can't take it down” without violating another person’s right to free speech. Indeed‚ “when they're coordinating with government‚ that's a different animal‚” he added. Stahl responded by again defending the censorship industry taking researchers like Starbird at their word without being critical of their motivations. “[Researchers] deny they're coordinating” with government‚ she said‚ despite extensive evidence from the free speech case Murthy v. Missouri and the Twitter Files.  Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

MSNBC’s Rich‚ White‚ Liberal‚ Wine Mom Story Hour (aka Deadline: White House) made sure Monday afternoon to add its voice to the shrieking‚ almost infantile-like meltdown across the liberal media over parent company NBC’s decision to hire former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor. Over three segments‚ host Nicolle Wallace melted down over McDaniel (or‚ to be honest‚ any Trump supporter) polluting “our sacred airwaves.” By Tuesday afternoon‚ the outrage worked as Puck’s Dylan Byers first reported she’d be dropped from the company.     From the get-go‚ the queen of apocalyptic‚ hiding-under-the-covers but pious rhetoric went straight to a ten: “The times in which we do this — when we meet‚ you and us at the table are — I don’t have tell you this‚ dire. This show has dedicated itself to a jarring pursuit of the uncomfortable truth about our politics and our political leaders and our justice system and yes‚ the media.” Wallace wrapped herself in the flag of democracy: “For our part here‚ we’re going to cover this story as part of our ongoing series of conversations about American autocracy‚ asking the question or positing the theory that it could happen here.” She even framed the idea Trump supporters should be allowed to have a paid voice in the media as some existential threat to democracy with “NBC News...either wittingly or unwittingly is teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches way well beyond appearing on our air” and‚ worse yet‚ would tarnish the Comcast-owned network’s “sacred airwaves”. To underline this comical doom and gloom‚ Wallace turned to On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder and quoted from the first page‚ saying it gave her “chills” that appeasing tyranny had come to her workplace (click “expand”): I’m going to read you an excerpt from Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny. Tim is standing by to talk to us. This from the first page of the first chapter of On Tyranny: “Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these‚ individuals think ahead of what a moral repressive government will want‚ and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.” In this instance‚ NBC News is either wittingly or unwittingly is teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches way well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections[.] (....) [W]hat we have also said to election deniers is not just they can do that on our airwaves‚ but that they can do that as one of us‚ as badge carrying employees of NBC News‚ as paid contributors to our sacred airwaves. Joining us now‚ Yale University history professor‚ author of the aforementioned and quoted from best-selling book On Tyranny: 20 Lessons for the 20th Century‚ Timothy Snyder. One of my colleagues sent me a screenshot of that first page and it — it gave me chills and I thought if I have an opportunity‚ I have to say — nobody at this company stopped me from having this conversation with you and I’m grateful for that — this was the part of the story that I found most haunting. That — what you write is that authoritarianism doesn’t come in and take things‚ but what they — they do is learn and operate in the spaces that they’re given and I wondered through that lens how you see this development and what warnings you have for the media? Snyder’s highfalutin exercise served as feeding the doom-and-gloom projection of wine moms everywhere that McDaniel being hired was some sort of hinge moment (click “expand”): What NBC has done is they’ve invited into what should be a normal framework‚ someone who doesn’t believe that that framework should exist at all. What — what NBC has done of its own volition is bring into a very important conversation about democracy‚ one which is going to take place for the next seven months or so‚ is Ronna McDaniel‚ who tried to disassemble our democracy‚ who personally took part in an‚ attempt to undo the American system. And so‚ bringing that in without questioning it is obeying the advance. Because what NBC is doing is saying‚ “well‚ could be that in ‘24‚ our entire system will break down‚ could be we’ll have an authoritarian leader — oh‚ but look‚ we’ve made this adjustment in advance because we’ve brought into the middle of NBC somebody who — who has already taken part in an attempt to take our system down.” So yeah‚ I think this is pretty bad. (....) [I]t doesn’t at all have to do with what party you belong to‚ although you might say that what McDaniel did was help transform the Republican Party into a kind of personality cult‚ which is where we’re heading now‚ right? That’s essentially where she’s — she’s left it. But that’s another issue. The lines for me would be things like if you are going to be on American media‚ you should be somebody who believes that there is something called truth‚ that there are things called facts and you can pursue them. You shouldn’t have been someone who has over and over and over again pushed the idea of fake news‚ educated Americans away from the facts‚ away from a belief from the facts. And a second red line would be something like this: If — if we’re going to be putting people on the news who have participated in an attempt to overthrow the system‚ then we have to ask‚ at the very beginning‚ why did you do that? Why is that legitimate? And we have to ask yourselves‚ why are we bringing these people into the middle of our discussions‚ so my two red lines would be you should be somebody who is at least trying for the facts and you shouldn’t be somebody who has taken part in an attempt to undo the system‚ which is — which is what we’re talking about here. We shouldn’t mince words about it. When she was — what she took part of from December of 2020 at the latest in attempt to change the American system by knowingly bringing in‚ by knowingly bringing in these — these — these false — these false electoral slates‚ that’s really something like extraordinary. (....) If everybody gives up on factuality‚ at the end of the day‚ there won’t be an NBC or an MSNBC. There won’t — there won’t be media in the sense that we believe in them. And so‚ people — so then it should be — an alarm bell should ring if you’re dealing with people have said fake news‚ fake news‚ fake news over and over again. And the other thing people should think about is they make a distinction between — again‚ it’s not about Democrats or Republicans or conservatives or liberals or progressives or whatever it might be. It’s about people who sincerely believe that we have a Constitution which allows us‚ which gives us a framework for discussion‚ a framework for this section of power or are we talking about people who really believe that this system is done for‚ that we should have one-person rule — right — and it’s perfectly fine so long as you have that one person to put him in power against the rules and just let him sit there. Bidding farewell to Snyder‚ Wallace whined this was “a scary thing to cover your own place of employment.” The second segment featured Wallace alongside fellow former Republican-turned-Democrat-turned-pompous prick David Jolly. Wallace huffed how “[t]hese conversations are hard to have‚ but I think if you don’t have them‚ what are we doing here.” Jolly insisted this was “a conversation about the role of media‚ about decisions of news enterprises” before bragging with impressive pomposity that “the viewers of this platform in particular for at least eight years have found a home here for conversations around protecting democracy and what they saw in the hiring of Ronna McDaniel is a decision to bring on-board someone who’s a liar.” Doubling down on how McDaniel shouldn’t be allowed on NBC because she “undermin[ed] democracy”‚ Jolly proclaimed that‚ unlike some “media outlets” (i.e. Fox News or anyone to the right of Jolly) who have “abandon[ed] critical thinking”‚ MSNBC would remain steadfast in “being the backstop...protecting democracy”. Following Wallace disingenuously claiming this wasn’t “about the ideological spectrum”‚ Jolly agreed with the cartoonish proclamation they were true Republicans as they‚ unlike the dumb rubes out there‚ have stood for what’s right (click “expand”):  Shared set of facts‚ which speaks to the line and shared set of values‚ which is the advancement of democracy in the United States for all people. And‚ as you and I have discussed‚ it’s a little intriguing because we each have participated in a party that ultimately produced Donald Trump‚ but where I would suggest this is radically different‚ not asking for forgiveness for my own sins as a Republican‚ but — but it is important. You participated in the McCain camp to push back and try to stop the Tea Party emergence that ultimately led to Donald Trump. Michael Steele participated in the autopsy that tried to create a bigger tent Republican party to speak to more people. As a member of Congress‚ I opposed Donald Trump‚ denounced him. I cited with Democrats on marriage and guns and a lot of other issues.  We understood this journey is not always a fight against each other‚ but it is a fight for the future of the country. Ronna McDaniel sees this as a fight against each other and that is a — a zero sum game where Republicans must win. That’s reason to question her voice in this conversation. In the third block‚ Wallace read from a Liz Cheney tweet lambasting NBC before giving way to Jolly whining that‚ given what happened on January 6‚ “[t]here is a reason that Liz Cheney‚ who saw all of this up front...is angry and I think she’s as angry as many viewers who are watching right now.” Someone get Jolly and Wallace fainting couches. No one should ever confuse them as free thinkers. To see the relevant MSNBC transcript from March 25‚ click here.

Revisionist history and hypocrisy were once again the theme of ABC’s The View‚ on Tuesday. So-called “comedian” Kathy Griffin was one of the special guests‚ there to pitch her new “comedy” tour‚ and she defended her infamous picture of her holding up an effigy of then-President Trump’s bloody severed head. She got raucous support from the Cackling Coven for how she was not “afraid to take on powerful men” in that way. “This is your first tour in six years‚” moderator Whoopi Goldberg falsely declared. “Six years I was out of work because of that [audio cuts out and mouth blurred]! There‚ I said what it was!” Griffin cursed and lied. In reality‚ the supposed harm to her career was either all in her broken head or part of the false narrative she was using to get sympathy and lefties to turn out to her shows. As NewsBusters reported by in August 2019‚ People magazine did a puff piece on Griffin‚ boasting about how she was “still standing” after the blowup. They noted Griffin had booked shows in 15 countries “from Iceland to Australia” including shows in Carnegie Hall and Radio City. Her IMDB page also shows she was credited with works throughout Trump’s presidency and Biden’s. There’s the obvious dropoff during the pandemic when production of many shows was put on hold and live shows really weren’t happening.     She went on to defend her so-called ‘joke’ about killing Trump: “All about a picture! A picture I took making fun of the president‚ which you're supposed to do as a comic!” “They made you pay‚” co-host Joy Behar lamented. Griffin has never adequately explained what the punchline of the picture was and she didn’t seem to like it when she was at the butt of that joke. She vented to Behar about the “hate” she received from Trump supporters who protested one of her shows with an effigy of her head: BEHAR: But you still have to deal and contend with these Trump supporters. GRIFFIN: They're crazed over me! So‚ there was an actual parade Sunday night at my show in Huntington‚ New York‚ and they had all these Trumpers organize an anti-Kathy griffin parade. It was kind of funny because they did have a bobbing redhead of me‚ an effigy and they had -- they were shouting I'm a traitor and all this other stuff. But the audience came inside so it was like hate on the outside and inclusive love and laughs on the inside and it was sold out! “Now‚ you have never been afraid to take on powerful men and billionaire Elon Musk is just no exception. Thank you very much!” staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host‚ Sunny Hostin (the descendant of slave owners) commended Griffin. Enabling Griffin's psychosis‚ Hostin begged her to recount how her insanity led her to impersonate Elon Musk on X and abuse her "dead mother's account" to troll him (Click “expand”): GRIFFIN: I love starting beefs with very powerful men. That's why I'm out of work but I can't help it. I can't help confronting them. I change my name right before the midterm elections from Kathy Griffin to Elon Musk – SARA HAINES: Oh‚ I remember this. GRIFFIN: -- and I started tweeting‚ “It's me‚ Elon. I've talked to the mothers of all my children and now I'm firmly pro-choice.” [Laughter] And he got so mad and I kept tweeting as him going #BidenHarris‚ #VoteBlueNoMatterWho. So‚ he took away my account and then I started -- this is so twisted! I started trolling him from my dead mother's account. HAINES: [Laughter] GRIFFIN: And I said‚ this is the ghost of Maggie Griffin. Vote blue. Be a Democrat. Be proud. And he was livid so his fanboys came after me and they all said‚ you're old and irrelevant and you're a man and you're ugly‚ the usual. HOSTIN: [Laughter] GRIFFIN: So‚ then I got a call from Jimmy Kimmel and he said I love that you're giving it to him. So‚ they run a sketch where I could play Elon and went on the Kimmel show the next night and played Elon‚ stuck it to him again! She suggested that Musk took personal offense and that’s why she was banned‚ but impersonating people without a "parody" notation somewhere on the account was against X’s terms of service. Other Musk parody accounts were allowed to stay on the platform because they followed the rules. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View March 26‚ 2024 11:32:44 a.m. Eastern (…) WHOOPI GOLDBERG: This is your first tour in six years. KATHY GRIFFIN: Six years I was out of work because of that [audio cuts out and mouth blurred]! There‚ I said what it was! All about a picture! A picture I took making fun of the president‚ which you're supposed to do as a comic! [Applause] JOY BEHAR: They made you pay. [Applause] GOLDBERG: So you’re feeling pretty good about being back. GRIFFIN: Oh‚ I love it! (…) 11:36:00 a.m. Eastern BEHAR: But you still have to deal and contend with these Trump supporters. GRIFFIN: They're crazed over me! So‚ there was an actual parade Sunday night at my show in Huntington‚ New York‚ and they had all these Trumpers organize an anti-Kathy griffin parade. It was kind of funny because they did have a bobbing redhead of me‚ an effigy and they had -- they were shouting I'm a traitor and all this other stuff. But the audience came inside so it was like hate on the outside and inclusive love and laughs on the inside and it was sold out! [Applause] (…) 11:37:47 a.m. Eastern SUNNY HOSTIN: Now‚ you have never been afraid to take on powerful men and billionaire Elon Musk is just no exception. Thank you very much! GRIFFIN: Yeah. HOSTIN: Can you tell us about a Twitter war? I guess it's an X war that -- apparently you started with him. GRIFFIN: Oh‚ yeah‚ I can't stand that [audio cuts out and mouth blurred]. [Laughter] But‚ come on. BEHAR: Every time you curse an angel does not get its wings and Brian has a nervous breakdown. GRIFFIN:  Hi‚ Brian. Sorry. It’s me again! BEHAR: Try to keep it down. GRIFFIN: 25 years I've been coming here swearing. Sorry‚ friend! I love starting beefs with very powerful men. That's why I'm out of work but I can't help it. I can't help confronting them. I change my name right before the midterm elections from Kathy Griffin to Elon Musk – SARA HAINES: Oh‚ I remember this. GRIFFIN: -- and I started tweeting‚ “It's me‚ Elon. I've talked to the mothers of all my children and now I'm firmly pro-choice.” [Laughter] And he got so mad and I kept tweeting as him going #BidenHarris‚ #VoteBlueNoMatterWho. So‚ he took away my account and then I started -- this is so twisted! I started trolling him from my dead mother's account. HAINES: [Laughter] GRIFFIN: And I said‚ this is the ghost of Maggie Griffin. Vote blue. Be a Democrat. Be proud. And he was livid so his fanboys came after me and they all said‚ you're old and irrelevant and you're a man and you're ugly‚ the usual. HOSTIN: [Laughter] GRIFFIN: So‚ then I got a call from Jimmy Kimmel and he said I love that you're giving it to him. So‚ they run a sketch where I could play Elon and went on the Kimmel show the next night and played Elon‚ stuck it to him again! (…)

The executive director of the largest airport in Arkansas died two days after he was shot by federal agents attempting to serve a search warrant. According to the affidavit‚ the director had been selling firearms illegally.Around 6 a.m. on March 19‚ agents with the Bureau of Alcohol‚ Tobacco‚ Firearms and Explosives attempted to serve a search warrant at the home of Bryan Malinowski‚ the 53-year-old executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock‚ Arkansas. Before the agents could get very far‚ gunfire erupted‚ leaving Malinowski gravely wounded and an unnamed agent with a "non-life-threatening" injury.Malinowski was struck in the head and lingered on life support for approximately 48 hours before succumbing to his injuries. He is survived by his wife‚ Maer‚ and at least one brother‚ Matthew Malinowski. The wounded federal agent has since been discharged from the hospital.Initial reports from ATF claimed that Malinowski fired his weapon first‚ prompting agents to return fire. The Criminal Investigation Division of the Arkansas State Police will investigate the shooting and release its findings to a state prosecutor‚ who will determine whether federal agents' use of deadly force "was consistent with Arkansas law‚" the ASP said in a statement.It appears that ATF was investigating Malinowski‚ a gun enthusiast‚ for allegedly purchasing dozens of firearms‚ claiming they were for personal use‚ and then turning around and reselling many of them at gun shows without a proper license and without conducting proper background checks. Between November 2021 and December 2023‚ when ATF first began looking into the case‚ Malinowski is believed to have purchased at least 150 guns‚ all of which were pistols. Six of those guns were later allegedly used in the commission of a crime. Three others were reportedly recovered by undercover agents.The family‚ anxiously awaiting the results of the investigation‚ appears frustrated that such a seemingly minor infraction may have led to the "unspeakable tragedy" of Malinowski's death. "Even if the allegations in the affidavit are true‚ they don’t begin to justify what happened‚" the family's statement said. "At worst‚ Bryan Malinowski‚ a gun owner and gun enthusiast‚ stood accused of making private firearm sales to a person who may not have been legally entitled to purchase the guns."Clinton National Airport also issued a statement on his passing. "Bryan was a 16-year employee of the airport‚" said Bill Walker‚ chair of the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission. "Under his leadership‚ our airport has experienced significant growth and success‚ expanding services and offerings to our community and state."At $264‚000‚ Malinowski was the highest-paid city or city-affiliated employee in Little Rock. Matthew Malinowski indicated last week that his brother's cushy paycheck and connections with powerful people‚ including U.S. senators‚ meant that he had "much to lose" and "no incentive to do anything wrong."Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. offered "prayers and condolences to [Malinowski's] family and colleagues."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! Arkansas airport executive wounded in shootout with ATF agents youtu.be

NBC News anchor Chuck Todd is doubling down. After publicly scolding his bosses for hiring former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor at NBC News‚ Todd defended his tirade by offering himself as the vanguard of journalistic integrity. "The issue isn’t about ideology‚ it's about basic truth‚" Todd claimed. "Those trying to make this a left-right issue are being intentionally dishonest‚" he charged. "This is about whether honest journalists are supposed to lend their credibility to someone who intentionally tried to ruin ours." — (@) The problem with Todd's stance is painfully obvious‚ though it's telling that Todd himself refuses to look in the mirror. For decades‚ there has been a revolving door between the media‚ government‚ and politics. The transition from campaign worker or White House staffer to paid media talking head is a "well-grooved template‚" Politico explained. It has been happening for decades‚ and both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of it.And yet‚ Todd only stands on his soapbox of principles to lecture us about "credibility" and the "basic truth" when a pro-Donald Trump Republican becomes his colleague. Meanwhile‚ it's just a typical day in the Acela Corridor when a Democrat jumps ship directly from the White House to NBC News.Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows the outrage is about ideology — McDaniel's versus the corporate media's — and that's why no one believes Todd's outrage: "Absolutely amazing that Chuck Todd really believes NBC and MSDNC have journalistic credibility and ethics — when polls show Americans overwhelmingly hate and distrust them — and Democrats now view Chuck Todd and this sh***y network as some beacon of journalistic integrity‚" journalist Glenn Greenwald said. "Given what you guys did with the Trump-Russia collusion nonsense and COVID‚ maybe your credibility deserves to be damaged. And you guys have perma-liar Jen Psaki and Simone Sanders‚ and whatever Obama press secretaries you had in the past. They spun and lied every damn day but you didn't mind hiring them‚ right?" radio host Ross Kaminsky said. "Chuck Todd has pushed the Russia collusion hoax for years. He has NEGATIVE credibility. This is hilarious‚" commentator Mollie Hemingway said. "The best thing about this controversy is that NBC News employs John Brennan who helped create Russiagate. CNN employs James Clapper who lied to America about the NSA spying on them w/o warrants. And Fox News employs Mike Pompeo who plotted to assassinate a journalist. But Mitt Romney’s niece is a bridge too far‚" another person said. "People like Chuck see plummeting trust in media and they refuse to even consider the possibility that they did it to themselves. It can’t be them. They’re perfect. They’re brave. They’re vital to 'our democracy.' They have to blame someone else. They NEED to blame someone else‚" one person said. There is a reason that public trust in the corporate media remains at record lows‚ and Todd would do himself some good by looking in the mirror. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Florida Republican and congressional candidate James Judge says that Facebook removed a post of his in which he said that illegal immigrants who stormed the United States-Mexico border and assaulted Nationals Guardsmen should have been shot.The politician referenced a story from ABC News that showed a large group of migrants tearing down border fencing and rushing through several National Guard soldiers who were attempting to hold them back.The illegal immigrants in El Paso‚ Texas‚ were referred to as a "horde of foreign invaders" in an official press release by the candidate‚ in which the campaign said Facebook had removed a post for "inciting violence.""Illegal aliens rush the southern border in El Paso. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT! This is not only criminal‚ this is literally an invasion‚" a screenshot of the alleged post shows."They would have been shot if they would have tried this in other countries. They know this administration is weak and will not do anything! This is what happens when there are ZERO consequences for breaking the law! THERE MUST BE CONSEQUENCES FOR BREAKING THE LAW AND INVADING A NATION!!!" the post added.Judge further clarified his position by stating that "based on law enforcement use-of-force continuum policies or the military rules of engagement‚" an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury justifies "deadly force.""These illegal aliens‚ which were comprised of military-age males‚ physically tore down a border barrier‚ maneuvered as a group and stormed and assaulted our armed‚ uniformed military service members. They should have been shot‚ plain and simple‚" Judge added. "That is not a call for arbitrary violence. It’s a call for our National Guard and Border Patrol agents to be able to defend themselves‚ defend our nation‚ and defend our citizens from a direct threat and uphold our border laws."Judge's official platform has stated that the federal government should enforce a complete moratorium on immigration. Once the border is secured‚ then authorities could "consider restarting legal immigration."The Florida candidate's platform also said the border wall needs to be finished while existing immigration laws should be enforced.In a 2022 then-Twitter post‚ Judge accused "establishment Republicans" of embracing a "terrible approach" by "vilifying all immigrants as criminals‚ including those who are genuinely fleeing oppression.""That’s just wrong‚" Judge added‚ while linking to a page that no longer appeared to exist. \u201cAt the same time‚ establishment Republicans have embraced a terrible approach by vilifying all immigrants as criminals‚ including those who are genuinely fleeing oppression‚ and that\u2019s just wrong‚\u201d Judge said. https://t.co/CqFjmC3iuF — (@) "Every law on the books in our nation today is enforced with the understanding that if you don’t comply‚ you face being met with force‚ or if necessary‚ violence. Why are the rules different when it comes to illegal aliens who are breaking our laws?" Judge also asked.Meta/Facebook has not yet responded to requests to verify that the post was removed and to provide details as to which terms the post allegedly violated. This article will be updated with any applicable response.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Nicaragua's Marxist-Leninist regime has once again banned public Christian activities associated with Holy Week and Easter. Instead of communal displays of Christian faith‚ Rosario Murillo‚ the power-mad wife of Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega‚ has ensured that only festivities favorable to the regime will be permitted to take over the streets. The regime's decision to continue its brutal repression of Christians‚ most notably Catholics‚ comes amid new U.S. sanctions targeting Nicaraguan Attorney General Wendy Carolina Morales Urbina for her role in executing the "regime's unjust persecution of political prisoners and civil society within the country." The U.S. State Department also announced new arms restrictions against Nicaragua on March 14‚ citing concerns "about continuing brutal repression by Ortega-Murillo authorities against the people of Nicaragua." Background The Catholic Church in Nicaragua had a fleeting flirtation with the Sandinistas in the 20th century. However‚ in the 1980s‚ Pope John Paul II cleaned house‚ suspending clergymen who supported revolutionary Marxism. The former Roman pontiff also promoted a steadfast critic of the Sandinistas‚ then-Archbishop Miguel Obano y Bravo‚ to cardinal in 1985. The church's revived defiance of leftism in Managua and frequent alliance with Nicaraguan conservatives made it an easy target for persecution. The church became an even bigger target when it supported critics of the regime during the 2018 protests‚ which Ortega turned bloody. Blaze News previously reported that at the outset of his fourth term in office in 2018‚ Ortega's paramilitaries sent a clear message‚ shooting up a church. Ortega suggested that Catholics critical of the regime or sympathetic to critics of the regime were "terrorists." Now in his fifth term‚ the leftist dictator's attacks on Catholics have worsened. The regime routinely targets Catholics with arbitrary raids‚ beatings‚ disappearances‚ deportations‚ church burnings‚ and asset seizures. Additionally‚ Ortega's regime has shuttered thousands of church-affiliated organizations and services in recent years. The Associated Press indicated that despite support for the regime among several evangelical leaders‚ the regime has also begun extending its persecution to other Christian groups‚ closing or dissolving more than 256 associations linked to the Protestant or evangelical church since 2021. This persecution has prompted an estimated 80% of the country's clergy and religious to flee. Frederick Davie‚ the vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom‚ said earlier this year‚ "USCIRF is outraged that the Nicaraguan government has chosen to continue its brutal crackdown on members of the Catholic Church for speaking out about the religious freedom and human rights violations occurring in the country." "It has become increasingly clear that President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo are intent on silencing the voice of any individual peacefully following the dictates of their conscience‚" added Davie. Holy week in the shadow of the regime Last year‚ the regime banned public Holy Week events‚ processions‚ and outdoor masses. Murillo blasted those who dared complain‚ claiming they "do not know how to be respectful or show solidarity." The Associated Press reported that extra to shutting down religious activities‚ authorities also picked up and deported clergymen. The regime has doubled down this year. Martha Patricia Molina‚ a Nicaraguan lawyer who authored the Spanish language report "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?" noted on Facebook that the regime had banned "4‚800 processions for Lent/Holy Week 2024[.] This figure includes the processions that took place/will take place on the 4 Fridays of Lent‚ Palm Sunday and those that took place directly in the Major Week itself." Molina indicated that parishes have or will hold religious activities indoors‚ but that state officials may interfere with those as well‚ reported the Catholic News Agency. "Some processions have been allowed around the block where the church is‚ but at the last minute a National Police officer shows up and gives a counter-order so the people can’t come out (of the church for the procession)‚ under threat of being imprisoned‚" wrote Molina. Molina told a Spanish-language news outfit‚ "Nicaragua is a country very given‚ as a Catholic people‚ to popular piety." As a result‚ various townships and municipalities will attempt to hold Holy Week activities even if the Catholic Church is officially barred from doing so. The Christian Post reported that Murillo‚ the dictator's wife‚ has indicated that this year‚ officials will swap out religious processions with "popular processions." These processions‚ organized by the regime's Institute of Tourism‚ will emphasize the Sandinistas' radical ideology throughout Holy Week. Rather than prayerful reflection‚ the Ortega-Murillo regime has reportedly opted for fashion shows‚ beauty contests‚ and other materialistic distractions. While the regime insists that its approved message floods the streets‚ it also promotes anti-Christian hatred on television and the radio. A new human rights report from the United Nations indicated that "led by the President and the Vice-President‚ hate speech inciting to violence and discrimination against the Catholic Church has been disseminated through pro-government media." Republican Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.)‚ Ted Cruz (Texas)‚ Tommy Tuberville (Ala.)‚ and Katie Britt (Ala.) implored President Joe Biden last week to sanction Nicaragua for its "repeated violations of religious freedom in Nicaragua." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!