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While covering Night One of the Democratic convention from Chicago, PBS News Hour reporter Laura Barron-Lopez was as energized as a Democratic delegate (or PBS’s introductory voiceover to its coverage), gushing over a “Kamala Cake” featured by a local bakery and relaying the “palpable enthusiasm” from the convention floor. Anchor Amna Nawaz: Laura Barron-Lopez is here on the convention floor. She's been reporting on Harris' surge in polling. Barron-Lopez, who usually covers the White House, was quite enthused with the “new sense of hope around Vice President Harris's nomination,” both in and outside the arena, like at the Brown Sugar Bakery owned by Stephanie Hart. Barron-Lopez: At the Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago's South Side, a new item has generated a lot of excitement. Sixty-eight-year-old Robert Hawkins Jr. showed up an hour before the bakery even opened to make sure he got a taste of what's called the Kamala Cake.…. Barron-Lopez: Hart created the Kamala cake based on what Vice President Harris ordered when she paid a visit to the bakery in 2021. Stephanie Hart: And I'm so excited that we have a woman, that we have a black woman, but that we have somebody that can actually get into a ring and shut them the hell up…. Barron-Lopez: For Democrats, that excitement is now being felt across the country. Enthusiasm for Harris among Democratic voters has climbed dramatically compared to before President Biden dropped out of the race last month…. She talked to Chicago bartender Michelle Centanno at “the city's first bar to employ all female bartenders in the 1970s,” who said, “I am really excited about this upcoming election because it's just a testament for how far we have come.” University of Illinois-Chicago student Skye Vera loved Harris’s stands on what Barron-Lopez called “LGBTQ rights and women's access to abortion” but not so much Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Lopez only found concerns on that pro-Hamas left, emphasizing the “thousands of protesters to show up this week to make their voices heard outside the DNC.” Anchor Geoff Bennett pivoted to policy, while Barron-Lopez, back live on the convention floor, made a brief mention of the “mostly peaceful” pro-Hamas protesters having broken through a security barrier, before talking some more about the bakery. Pro-Harris bakery owner Stephanie Hart somehow featured again. Geoff Bennett: Democrats have greeted the Harris nomination with a lot of enthusiasm. What are those voters telling you about how they feel about the policies she's put forward so far? Barron-Lopez: Geoff, Harris and her running mate have really leaned into their middle-class credentials. And Harris has recently been highlighting the fact that she worked at McDonald's during college in both a campaign ad and on the trail, and Tim Walz has gone after J.D. Vance and President -- former President Trump for their Ivy League background. And that -- Stephanie Hart, that bakery business owner that I spoke to here in Chicago, specifically mentioned Harris coming from the middle class is something that really resonates with her. Other voters said that as well. Stephanie Hart employs more than 40 people, many of them women with children and she said that she really likes Kamala Harris's childcare proposals…. She went on to say that “There's a palpable excitement here, Geoff.” And clearly within Barron-Lopez herself. This segment was brought to you in part by Consumer Cellular. A transcript is available: PBS News Hour 8/19/24 7:02:57 p.m. (ET) Amna Nawaz: Democrats will kick off their convention tonight here in Chicago, a very different event than was being planned just one month ago. Geoff Bennett: Vice President Kamala Harris is set to formally accept her party's nomination for president later this week. But tonight we will culminate with a speech from the current occupant of the White House — that's President Joe Biden — who ended his own campaign for reelection last month, clearing the way for Harris. Amna Nawaz: Laura Barron-Lopez is here on the convention floor. She's been reporting on Harris' surge in polling — Laura. Laura Barron-Lopez: Amna and Geoff, from business owners to college students, Democrats have a new sense of hope around Vice President Harris' nomination. And I have been speaking to voters here in Chicago to see if Harris can maintain that energy from now until November. Stephanie Hart, Owner, Brown Sugar Bakery: If he can make more of these, because people are coming. Laura Barron-Lopez: At the Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago's South Side, a new item has generated a lot of excitement. Sixty-eight-year-old Robert Hawkins Jr. showed up an hour before the bakery even opened to make sure he got a taste of what's called the Kamala Cake. Robert Hawkins Jr., Chicago Resident: I had to come and get this particular cake because my wife wanted it. I wouldn't have been able to sleep all night.   Stephanie Hart: So, on the inside, it's a traditional German chocolate cake, but the whipped cream has caramel and chocolate in it Laura Barron-Lopez: Sixty-two-year-old Stephanie Hart is the owner of the bakery. How did you feel about this election before she jumped into the race, when it was a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden? Stephanie Hart: Scared, nervous, worried. Laura Barron-Lopez: Have the vibes changed in your neighborhood and your community since the race has changed? Stephanie Hart: Absolutely. People are talking. People are engaged. People are hopeful. People are getting involved. Laura Barron-Lopez: Hart created the Kamala cake based on what Vice President Harris ordered when she paid a visit to the bakery in 2021. Stephanie Hart: And I'm so excited that we have a woman, that we have a Black woman, but that we have somebody that can actually get into a ring and shut them the hell up. Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it? Laura Barron-Lopez: For Democrats, that excitement is now being felt across the country. Enthusiasm for Harris among Democratic voters has climbed dramatically compared to before President Biden dropped out of the race last month. Trying to build on that momentum over the weekend, Harris campaigned across Southwestern Pennsylvania with her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, before heading to Chicago. Kamala Harris: And we will win. And we will win. Laura Barron-Lopez: Several recent polls have shown Harris now slightly leading former President Trump nationally and continuing to gain ground among voters in crucial battleground states. Michelle Centanno, Bartender: You let me know if you want to keep that tab open. Laura Barron-Lopez: Inside She-nannigans on Chicago's North Side, the city's first bar to employ all female bartenders in the 1970s, Michelle Centanno says the historic nature of Harris' candidacy is inspiring. Michelle Centanno: I am really excited about this upcoming election because it's just a testament for how far we have come. Skye Vera, University of Illinois, Chicago: She embodies a couple of different identities, and with that, I feel like comes a different approach intrinsically. Laura Barron-Lopez: Another crucial demographic Harris has made inroads with, young voters. Skye Vera, a student at University of Illinois, Chicago. Skye Vera: It feels kind of like, OK, someone is in the running that looks like my neighbor or sounds like my aunt or reminds me of one of the teachers that I had when I was growing up. It's refreshing and it's empowering. Laura Barron-Lopez: Vera says two of the issues that resonate with her are LGBTQ rights and women's access to abortion. She also says the Harris campaign has done a good job of reaching young voters on social media. But the Biden administration's handling of the war between Israel and Hamas has her concern. Skye Vera: Because she is coming from an administration that wasn't very quiet about the support for one side, the side being Israel, that a lot of young voters don't see that changing, unfortunately. Laura Barron-Lopez: That's led thousands of protesters to show up this week to make their voices heard outside the DNC Sahian Sotelo, Protester: This year, I will be voting, but not for a presidential candidate. Laura Barron-Lopez: And why not? Sahian Sotelo: Harris, I believe she's still complicit. I'm happy for her that she's running, but I'm not happy with the things that she's been doing. Laura Barron-Lopez: Alex Otten, a Michigan voter, is open to supporting Harris if she changes her policy toward Israel. Alex Otten, Protester: I'm a single-issue voter in this regard. The situation in Gaza and how the U.S. supports it ties into a lot of the problems we have at home. And I can't ignore it. It's not something I can say, oh, well, at least she will support gay marriage or at least she will support trans people. Laura Barron-Lopez: While protests remain peaceful today, author Craig Sautter still remembers what Chicago looked like when Democrats gathered here in 1968. Craig Sautter, Author: There were helicopters overhead. There were jeeps, army jeeps with barbed wires on them. They come not to arrest people, but they're coming swinging their clubs, firing tear gas into the crowd. Laura Barron-Lopez: Sautter was one of thousands of protesters fighting for civil rights and against the Vietnam War. Scenes of violent clashes with police were broadcast around the country. And fights amongst Democrats broke out on the convention floor. Craig Sautter: I don't think we will see that at this convention. It's going to be somewhat of a pep rally for Harris. So the party's totally unified and ready to go. Laura Barron-Lopez: But back at the Brown Sugar Bakery, Stephanie Hart says there's still a lot of work to do before November. Stephanie Hart: I think it's important for us to not be fooled by polls, because I'm so glad she's up. But let's not play any games. There's a whole lot riding on this. And we need to make sure every day we're talking to somebody about what's at stake in this race and get out and vote. Laura Barron-Lopez: Geoff, while protests were mostly peaceful earlier today, protesters have now broken through the security barrier just outside the Democratic National Convention. But, also, as you heard there, we spoke to two key constituencies, Black voters and young voters. Harris will need both of them in order to win in November. Geoff Bennett: Democrats have greeted the Harris nomination with a lot of enthusiasm. What are those voters telling you about how they feel about the policies she's put forward so far? Laura Barron-Lopez: Geoff, Harris and her running mate have really leaned into their middle-class credentials. And Harris has recently been highlighting the fact that she worked at McDonald's during college in both a campaign ad and on the trail, and Tim Walz has gone after J.D. Vance and President — former President Trump for their Ivy League background. And that — Stephanie Hart, that bakery business owner that I spoke to here in Chicago, specifically mentioned Harris coming from the middle class is something that really resonates with her. Other voters said that as well. Stephanie Hart employs more than 40 people, many of them women with children and she said that she really likes Kamala Harris' childcare proposals. And just this past week, Harris unveiled more proposals on that, saying that she wants to expand the child tax credit to some $6,000 for parents with newborn children, as well as $3,600 for parents the rest of their children's upbringing. Geoff Bennett: Well, let's shift our focus to tonight. You have spent the last few hours here inside this arena speaking to delegates. Give us a sense of the mood, Laura. Laura Barron-Lopez: There's a palpable excitement here, Geoff.   And in many ways, right now inside of the arena, despite what we know what's happening on outside, this is a celebration of the Harris/Walz ticket, because they have already been formally nominated and clinched the nomination. Geoff Bennett: You have also been speaking to those uncommitted delegates. These are Democrats who cast their vote in protest of the Democrats' pro-Israel policies. What have they been telling? Laura Barron-Lopez: So there are some 30 uncommitted delegates here, Geoff, and the uncommitted movement held a press conference this morning where they said that they are happy that Harris, they believe, is more empathetic to their cause, but they are waiting for a clear policy change. Specifically, they want to see an arms embargo and an immediate cease-fire. Now, Kamala Harris has said that she is working towards a cease-fire with President Joe Biden, and the administration believes that they're close. But we also spoke to an uncommitted delegate in Michigan, and he said that they are still waiting to hear from the DNC on whether or not they will be able to have a Palestinian-American speak on the main stage this week. That is still an outstanding ask, and they warned that they believe that if Kamala Harris doesn't speak directly to them and if her policies don't change, that she could lose the 100,000 voters in Michigan who voted uncommitted during the primary. Geoff Bennett: And, lastly, Laura, what can we expect tonight as this convention gets under way day one? Laura Barron-Lopez: We're going to be hearing from — from some big names tonight in Democratic politics, Geoff, House Democrats like Jim Clyburn, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jamie Raskin. We're also going to be hearing from first lady Jill Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And, of course, tonight, the big keynote address is coming from President Joe Biden himself, and he's going to be introduced by his daughter Ashley. And this is a marking of his legacy, Geoff, very different than what the president initially expected, but tonight is going to be honoring his legacy and also a passing of the torch from him to Kamala Harris.

Tuesday on ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos tag-teamed with chief White House correspondent and unofficial Biden-Harris official Mary Bruce showed they understood the assignment in fawning over the Democratic National Convention. In this case, it was hailing President Biden’s speech “passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris” to cap “jam-packed and emotional first night.” Stephanopoulos’s tease wasn’t what one could consider a Notable Quotable, but it instead read like a staid press release: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos understood the assignment for 'GMA'. This was his tease recapping night one of the DNC: "President Biden keynotes the DNC, calls VP Kamala Harris the next president. Passing the torch...President Biden at the Democratic National Convention greeted by… pic.twitter.com/ziUxOWFzIA — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 20, 2024 His opening to Bruce’s report upped the ante, stating as fact that the nominee for a party representing nearly half the country is a threat to democracy (and one could then extrapolate to the voters being a threat as well): The Democratic National Convention started last night. Presiden Biden took the stage in Chicago just before midnight, passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her tough, experienced with enormous integrity. He also warned of the danger posed by Donald Trump, saying that democracy must be preserved. Bruce laid on thick as yet another clip for what would be an impressive highlight reel for an application to work in the press office of a hypothetical Harris administration: What is this? North Korea or the United States? ABC’s Mary Bruce, laying it on thick for Biden like she’s a co-host of ‘The View’ “Well, this was a jam packed and emotional first night. The President speaking for nearly an hour, going well past midnight and, in many ways, this… pic.twitter.com/Z6R2kMbHqW — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 20, 2024 After that “jam-packed and emotional” line, Bruce further swooned as though it weren’t a issue that Biden’s speech went “well past midnight” because “this was his swan song” with Biden “ touting and defending his record and making a forceful case for Kamala Harris to carry his legacy forward.” “Overnight, a teary-eyed Joe Biden taking the convention stage to a rousing standing ovation over four minutes long. The crowd chanting thank you, Joe,” she added. Bruce made Biden seem cuddly and not the kind of person whom CNN’s Scott Jennings diagnosed hours earlier as “one of the orneriest, angriest presidents we’ve ever” had. Instead, we had lines like this: “The President, ticking through his accomplishments, but arguing it’s Harris, not him, who is best suited to finish the job.” Following a detour to showcase Harris’s appearance on stage hours before Biden and a primetime speech by Hillary Clinton, Bruce boasted that “the last word belonging to Biden”, a man “eager to cement his legacy and deliver the White House to Harris.” “The party’s past and future embracing on the stage. Harris appearing to tell Biden, I love you so much,” Bruce giddily proclaimed before concluding with a preview of speakers for Tuesday. Turning to chief Washington correspondent and three-time anti-Trump author Jonathan Karl, Stephanopoulos proclaimed that Biden “seemed to make the most of” his situation. Karl agreed, gushing he “soaked in the adulation of this crowd, the gratitude of this crowd” for “not just for a career in public service, but for that decision that was largely forced on him at the end, to bow out of the race.” As a throwaway line, Karl conceded Biden’s “speech was a little long” and “obviously late” but joined Bruce in seeing no issue with lines such as when he equated Israelis (including those who had loved ones kidnapped by terrorists on October 7) and supporters of Hamas protesting in Chicago. Stephanopoulos and Karl dragged on with even more lame talking points before a few seconds on what Donald Trump was up to on Monday (click “expand”): STEPHANOPOULOS: No questions. It’s pretty clear that one of the key themes for the Democrats this week is going to be unity. KARL: Yeah. Absolutely, unity and you see unity here. This is such a contrast from the2016 campaign where you had all the bitterness of the Bernie Sanders supporters. The entire Democratic Party here is unified behind Kamala Harris and energized in a way that, frankly, they were not energized under Joe Biden. And make no mistake, George. There is nobody here — for all the bitterness that is still there, that Biden was forced out of this race, he clearly believes he could have won if he had stayed in, but he really had no choice. There is nobody more vested in a Kamala Harris victory than Joe Biden. If she wins his legacy is preserved. If she loses, he will largely take the blame and Donald Trump has made it clear that he will doing everything he can to pick apart everything that — that Joe Biden accomplished over the past three and a half years. STEPHANOPOULOS: No question about that. Let’s bring in Rachel Scott. We do know Donald Trump was campaigning in Pennsylvania. Typically, a mixed message. SCOTT: It really was, George. And look, the challenge for vice president Kamala Harris ahead of the election will be defining her own message. The challenge for former President Trump will be staying focused on his message. So, his campaign this week has been hitting all these different battleground states. Every day is focused on a different theme from the economy to the border to law and order. The former President largely stayed on script, but he also veered off and he portrayed Harris as foreign. He questioned if Democrats know where she came from. And also, on social media, he’s still fuming that President Biden is no longer in this race. A sign the former President knows that this is a race that’s now neck and neck, but almost every Republican that I talk to, they cannot deny Harris has gained some momentum since she entered the race, but they also still point out that Donald Trump does have a slight advantage on some of these key issues — the economy, crime, inflation. The question is whether or not Donald Trump can stay focused on those issues heading into the election, George. STEPHANOPOULOS: It sure is a big question. For good measure, ABC brought Bruce back for the second hour to rerack many of these laugh lines. To see the relevant ABC transcript from August 20, click here.

On today'sCNN This Morning, the panel from Kate Bedingfield to Bakari Sellers, to Shermichael Singleton, to host Kasie Hunt herself, all praised Joe Biden for being "selfless" in stepping aside.  It's all a tired repeat of fervent over-praise of the president after he  was dragged kicking and screaming to the door, with Nancy Pelosi threatening to publicly humiliate him if he refused to go.  As the New York Post reported [emphasis added]: "Pelosi reportedly threatened to publicly trash her longtime friend and political ally if he continued to ignore thunderous calls to drop out of the 2024 election over fears for his cognitive abilities, four sources close to the campaign told the outlet. Pelosi threatened to go public with her belief that her fellow Democrat wouldn’t beat the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, in a rematch — and threatened to release humiliating polling data to back it up, the sources alleged." The two Republican-ish people on the panel were of the Trump-critic variety.  Shermichael Singleton, who joined in the praise of Biden's supposed selflessness, was fired as a Trump administration aide when his writings deeply critical of Trump came to light. He subsequently quit the GOP. And then there was Alyssa Farah Griffin. This New York Times article about her says it all: "A Former Trump Aide Becomes a Liberal Favorite." Just weeks ago, our Nicholas Fondacaro caught Farah Griffin on The View claiming that Kamala Harris is no longer a leftist, but is advancing a "centrist-Democratic message." Because nothing says centrist like proposing price controls over a huge portion of the economy! So there was nothing "selfless" in Biden's decision to step aside.  Nor, contrary to Beningfield's claim, did he "put his ego aside." He quit to salvage whatever legacy he might have, and to avoid a very public humiliation. Imagine the funereal atmosphere at the DNC if he had stubbornly decided to tough it out! Here's the transcript. CNN This Morning 8/20/24 6:05 am EDT KATE BEDINGFIELD: Watching him last night, and as somebody whow orked for him for a long time and saw him up close, in the way that he conducts himself in public service. It was such an ode to the idea that public service is about being bigger than ourselves. And that there is reason for optimism and that people should want to participate in the process. I think and so many people look at politics today and say, why would I want any part of that?  And I just thought he did such a moving job as somebody who's dedicated his life to public service. I thought he did such a moving job of making the case for the fact that working in politics is about serving something bigger than yourself. It is about country. There just aren't that many moments in our politics where somebody stands up and says what's best for me, the thing that I want, is not what I think is best for the country. And so I'm going to take a step back. And that is a huge, huge selfless thing to do.  So I was, it was really moving, it was obviously emotional for those of us who worked for him. but I think it was emotional for a lot of people who are invested in politics and public service in this country, and I thought it was just a really powerful night. BAKARI SELLERS: I agree with Kate wholeheartedly. I mean, I think that he put -- the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump could not be more clear. You have someone who is clinically an egomaniac, versus someone who is as selfless as Joe Biden really is.  . . .  SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON: I want to just touch on President Biden quickly here. I mean, it does take a certain level of magnanimity to be in a very, very powerful position and be willing to give it up. And I really just hope the American people as we are in this divided time, really take the opportunity to just reflect on that. I know there are a lot of differences about the president. There are differences on some of his policy positions. But at the end of the day, we do look to our leaders, Kasie, to give us examples of who we can be under the worst conditions. And even in the best conditions. And I think President Biden has certainly exuded that as a leader.  KASIE HUNT: Certainly it is not, I wouldn't say, Kate, something that we see a lot of in Washington. People being willing to put aside their own ego. BEDINGFIELD: It is really not. It is a very ego-driven town, and to watch  somebody put their ego aside and do what's best for the country, or what he believes is best for the country. It is a really powerful thing.

Andrea Mitchell is theoretically an MSNBC journalist and anchor, but on Tuesday she was the president of the Hillary Clinton Fan Club as she gushed over the “star,” her clothes, and the “history and progress” she allegedly represents. At the top-of-the-show preview, Mitchell oozed, “And Hillary Clinton in a star performance, hoping her loss in 2016 may have paved the way for America to finally accept a woman as president.” A few minutes later, Mitchell teed up a clip of Clinton’s speech, “Hillary Clinton also handed off the baton after staying largely out of the spotlight since losing her own presidential bid to Donald Trump in 2016. Clinton, dressed in suffragette white, said that Harris is now the one to break that ultimate glass ceiling.”     When it came time to discuss the matter more fully, Mitchell turned to Washington Post senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker, “She talked, not ruefully, but, you know, as a matter of history and progress that she did not break the glass ceiling, but she feels and other women feel and male analysts, that she paved the way, she made it more acceptable for men and women to think of a woman as commander-in-chief.” As hard as it may be for Mitchell to believe, the history of female leaders is bigger than the United States. Once, a British reporter grilled Clinton about why her book, The Book of Gusty Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience, omitted Margaret Thatcher, who served as a wartime prime minister. Clinton essentially said it was because she was a conservative. Likewise, nobody on MSNBC would give a Republican, such as Nikki Haley, this kind of hero worship. As Parker demonstrated when she recalled, “Oh, absolutely. And I was on the floor when she came out, and I was struck by so many things. The first is just how much she represents good and bad to so many people. I turned and there was a young man with tears in his eyes, ebullient as she took the stage. And there was a woman, slightly older, middle-aged woman, as she took the stage who said, ‘No, thank you.’ And it, sort of, encapsulated everything she grappled with.” Parker “was also reminded again of just what a professional she is. I mean, you have to think, it's Hillary Clinton, she is coming out at a convention where she wanted to be. She wanted to break that glass ceiling.” With even more praise, Parker continued, “I mean, it has to be so bittersweet to appear before this crowd not as the nominee, not as the one poised to do it. She also experienced, I was wondering if it was for the first time, the ‘Lock him up’ chants that she was subject to on the reverse side for so many years. And she was just calm and eloquent and unruffled in a way that I think it would be difficult for any other politician, male or female, to maintain.” Really? Parker makes it seem like no politician had to face insults or ethical or legal questions before Hillary Clinton ran in 2016. That’s, of course, preposterous, but that is what MSNBC has to do to force the “historic” narrative into the discourse.  Here is a transcript for the August 20 show: MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 8/20/2024 12:00 PM ET ANDREA MITCHELL: And Hillary Clinton in a star performance, hoping her loss in 2016 may have paved the way for America to finally accept a woman as president. … 12:03 PM ET Hillary Clinton also handed off the baton after staying largely out of the spotlight since losing her own presidential bid to Donald Trump in 2016. Clinton, dressed in suffragette white, said that Harris is now the one to break that ultimate glass ceiling. … 12:09 PM ET And she talked, not ruefully, but, you know, as a matter of history and progress that she did not break the glass ceiling, but she feels and other women feel and male analysts, that she paved the way, she made it more acceptable for men and women to think of a woman as commander-in-chief. ASHLEY PARKER: Oh, absolutely. And I was on the floor when she came out, and I was struck by so many things. The first is just how much she represents good and bad to so many people. I turned and there was a young man with tears in his eyes, ebullient as she took the stage. And there was a woman, slightly older, middle-aged woman, as she took the stage who said, "No, thank you." And it, sort of, encapsulated everything she grappled with.  But I was also reminded again of just what a professional she is. I mean, you have to think, it's Hillary Clinton, she is coming out at a convention where she wanted to be. She wanted to break that glass ceiling. I mean, it has to be so bittersweet to appear before this crowd not as the nominee, not as the one poised to do it. She also experienced, I was wondering if it was for the first time, the "Lock him up" chants that she was subject to on the reverse side for so many years. And she was just calm and eloquent and unruffled in a way that I think it would be difficult for any other politician, male or female, to maintain.

In a rare moment, CNN, one of the most liberal, propaganda-driven news outlets, acknowledged that Kamala Harris has reversed course on several different issues, including defunding the police, illegal border crossings, Medicare, and drilling for oil. Dave Rubin plays the clip of Dana Bash asking California’s newest senator, Laphonza Butler, about how voters should respond to Harris’ flip-flopping. - YouTube www.youtube.com “In the 2020 primary, the vice president praised the defund-the-police movement; now she says she doesn’t support defunding the police. She called for decriminalizing crossing the border illegally; now she supports President Biden’s policies for clamping down at the border. She supported Medicare for all at one point, eliminating private insurance, and her campaign says she doesn’t support that now. She’s reversed herself on a fracking ban,” Bash laid out. “What do you think that voters should think when she’s reversed herself on several issues just in the last four years?” she asked Butler. Butler’s response was typical. “I think that voters should think that she's a human being who learns new things every single day and has the ability to take the time and effort to hear the concerns of all people. I think that they should be certain that she is a fighter and a leader who’s going to do the work on their behalf to ensure that there is an economy that ensures that no one is left behind … that we’re going to continue to address the climate crisis in a way that ensures that there is an earth here for young people and for next generations of leaders. I think that they should absolutely believe that she is a leader who cares about people and who’s going to put them first, as she has done her entire career,” Butler said. To see the footage of the CNN segment, watch the clip above. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A recent House report revealed that Columbia University has failed to discipline the vast majority of students who participated in the disruptive pro-Hamas protests that took over the school's campus.The Committee on Education & the Workforce issued a press release Monday that claimed Columbia University has not expelled any of the students responsible for the volatile demonstrations and encampment takeover in April.'Columbia has waved the white flag in surrender while offering up a get-out-of-jail-free card to those who participated in these unlawful actions.'According to information provided by Columbia University to the committee, 40 students were arrested by New York Police Department officers on April 18 for allegedly participating in the unauthorized encampment. The police ultimately dropped the charges. The university allowed 18 of the students to remain in "good standing" in exchange for signing an "alternative resolution." As of early August, 38 were in good standing, with some waiting for a hearing and others on conditional disciplinary probation. On April 29, 35 students were initially placed on interim suspension after they were accused of refusing to leave the makeshift encampment despite multiple warnings from the university, the panel analysis found. However, those suspensions were lifted for 29 students, and charges were dismissed, citing "not enough information to substantiate participation." Thirty-one of the students who were accused of participating are in good standing with the university.Only four of the 22 students who were arrested on April 30 after locking themselves inside Hamilton Hall are "not in good standing" with the university, the report read. Three of those students are facing interim suspension, and one is "currently on disciplinary probation from a prior hearing."On May 1, the NYPD arrested 27 students at various locations around campus, but all of the cases were later dismissed, citing "insufficient evidence," according to the committee's report. Those cases did not impact the students' standing with the school.Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) stated, "The failure of Columbia's invertebrate administration to hold accountable students who violate university rules and break the law is disgraceful and unacceptable." "More than three months after the criminal takeover of Hamilton Hall, the vast majority of the student perpetrators remain in good standing," she continued. "By allowing its own disciplinary process to be thwarted by radical students and faculty, Columbia has waved the white flag in surrender while offering up a get-out-of-jail-free card to those who participated in these unlawful actions." "Breaking into campus buildings or creating antisemitic hostile environments like the encampment should never be given a single degree of latitude — the university's willingness to do just that is reprehensible," Foxx added.A Columbia University spokesperson told the New York Post that the school "is committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination and taking sustained, concrete action toward a campus where everyone in our community feels valued and is able to thrive.""Following the disruptions of the last academic year, Columbia immediately began disciplinary processes, including with immediate suspensions. The disciplinary process is ongoing for many students involved in these disruptions, including some of those who were arrested, and we have been working to expedite the process for this large volume of violations," the spokesperson said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

DRAAAG HIM! JD Vance Tears Andy Beshear a NEW 1 for Wishing Rape on His Wife and It's GLORIOUSLY Brutal