Presidential hopeful Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) pushed back on an MSNBC panel led by Symone Sanders Townsend — former chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris — as they attempted to grill him on the heels of his decisive loss in the South Carolina Democratic primary. Sanders‚ who worked on Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) 2016 presidential campaign‚ began by pointing to the numbers — Phillips took third place behind President Joe Biden and fellow Democratic challenger Marianne Williamson — and asked Phillips to explain how he could possibly hope to win a general election when he could not win the Democratic primary. WATCH: Grateful for the invitation from @SymoneDSanders and MSNBC to discuss why Democrats must use invitation – not condemnation – and promote a new generation of common sense leaders like @GovWhitmer and @RepJeffries. We will not succeed by coronating leaders of the past when… pic.twitter.com/4Fbavkqwyw — Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) February 4‚ 2024 Phillips pointed to the fact that his name recognition nationally was practically non-existent — something he attributed to the fact that the Democratic Party appeared to be more interested in simply coronating Joe Biden than in encouraging healthy debate and competition. “I think I probably have 5% name recognition now in the country. No voters know me‚” Phillips said. “In fact‚ this is my first invitation to your network in four months. So I’m grateful to all of you — sincerely‚ I mean that.” “That’s my whole point‚” he continued. “The GOP has had a competition. They’re on TV‚ they’re consuming hundreds of hours of primetime television‚ debates‚ town halls. CNN has given every GOP candidate a one-hour town hall. At least there’s energy on the GOP side. We don’t get energy unless there’s competition. So when you coronate someone — especially a man like Joe Biden …” Phillips went on to explain that he respected Biden but that his goal was to encourage more competition — a move that he said would ultimately help Democrats to put forth the best and strongest candidates. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele weighed in next: “So the Chairman in me says‚ ‘What the hell you doing?'” Steele went on to argue that the Democratic Party had had a chance to choose someone different in 2020 — and they had chosen Biden. He argued that the fact that Biden was not stepping down — which Phillips said was a “big mistake” — meant that the primary was his to lose.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) slammed the Biden administration on Sunday over its response to attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East. Turner made the remarks during a CBS News interview while speaking about the strikes that administration launched late last week in response to three U.S. troops being killed in an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. Turner pushed back on the administration’s claims that they will respond any time an attack is made on U.S. forces‚ saying that it was “not true.” “They’ve tolerated over 160 of these attacks‚” he said‚ later adding: “They keep saying that they want to retaliate‚ but then they say it’s about deterrence‚ then they say it’s about diminishing capabilities. Those are all different goals and objectives. And they’re not doing any of those. We all know that this is just about Iran. These are all franchises of Iran. And the administration has no policy with respect to Iran‚ how to diminish their capability‚ diminish these attacks and diminish their nefarious activities in the Middle East.” Turner said that the administration’s “incredibly poor” responses to the attacks has sent the message to Iran that the U.S. will tolerate the attacks and thus will tolerate having casualties. “And the problem here is that the administration‚ back to goals and objectives‚ has no goal and objective‚” he said. “Iran pays no price when militias are attacked; the militias don’t care. And when you diminish their capability for the moment that you’ve struck them‚ you haven’t diminished their overall capability‚ these attacks are still going to happen. The administration needs two things: a real plan with respect to Iran and countering Iran in the area. But secondly‚ diminishing capacity to stop these attacks. We can’t play defense forever. Our systems to protect our troops and our ships cannot continue to respond to these attacks with 100% success. Tolerating the attacks‚ tolerates casualties. We need to diminish their capability and we need to take this problem to Iran.” WATCH:

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley walked back comments she made last week when she suggested that the state of Texas could secede from the U.S. if it wanted to. During an interview with The Breakfast Club on Wednesday‚ Haley said that “if Texas decides they want to do that‚ they can do that.” “If that whole state says‚ ‘We don’t want to be part of America anymore‚’ I mean‚ that’s their decision to make‚” she continued‚ later adding: “Let’s talk about what’s reality. Texas isn’t going to secede.” During a Sunday interview with Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union‚” Haley walked back those comments when asked if she really believed that “individual states have the right to leave the USA.” “No one is talking about seceding. That’s not an issue at all‚” she responded. “What we are talking about the fact is‚ here you have Governor Abbott and the people of Texas‚ who just want to be kept safe. They’re putting up barbed wire to keep people coming in. And the idea that the federal government is wanting to sue them and cut that barbed wire‚ when we’re trying to make sure that we keep people out‚ that’s a huge mistake.” Bash again pressed Haley on the issue after she did not answer the question: “You want to be president of the United States. Do you think that any state has a right to secede?” “No. According to the Constitution‚ they can’t‚” Haley responded. “What I do think they have the right to do is have the power to protect themselves and do all that. Texas has talked about seceding for a long time. The Constitution doesn’t allow for that. But what I will say is‚ where’s that coming from? That’s coming from the fact that people don’t think that government is listening to them.” WATCH:

Former President Donald Trump named two people during an interview over the weekend when asked about who he is considering to be his vice presidential running mate. Trump mentioned Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem when asked during a Sunday interview with Maria Bartiromo about who he was considering. “Well‚ I have a lot of good people. We have a lot of really good people‚” Trump said. “I have a lot of good ideas‚ but I haven’t — and there’s no reason to do that quickly.” He said that he would not make the decision for “a while‚” adding that the top thing that he wants in his vice president is someone who would be a good president. “I speak to everybody‚” he said. “I called Tim Scott … and I said‚ ‘you’re a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself.’ When I watched Tim‚ he was fine‚ he was good‚ but he was very low-key‚ et cetera‚ et cetera.” “I watched him in the last week defending me and sticking up for me and fighting for me‚” he continued. “I said‚ man‚ I said‚ ‘you’re a much better person for me than you are for yourself’‚ because‚ for himself‚ he was low-key. For me‚ he’s been a real tiger. He’s been incredible. And others have too.” Trump said that it “could be” Scott as he championed having received Scott’s endorsement before saying that getting an endorsement was a requirement for being selected. “Kristi Noem has been incredible fighting for me‚” Trump added. “She said‚ I’d never run against him because I can’t beat him. That was a very nice thing to say.” WATCH: Trump brings up Tim Scott and Kristi Noem when asked about his pick for Vice President pic.twitter.com/V0XVJBEKjl — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 4‚ 2024

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) mocked President Joe Biden on Sunday for the ineffectiveness of the strikes that he launched against Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria late last week. Graham made the remarks during a “Fox News Sunday” interview while responding to the strikes the administration launched a week after three U.S. soldiers were killed during a terrorist attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. Graham said that under the Trump administration the Iranians were “the weakest they’ve been” and now they are the “strongest and most provocative” they’ve ever been since President Joe Biden lifted sanctions on them and has unfrozen billions of dollars in their assets. “Here’s what we need to do. We need to hit something that the Ayatollah values‚ his leadership team‚ like a Soleimani‚ or take him out of the oil business‚” he said. “If we hit their oil infrastructure‚ you don’t need manned aircraft‚ they got four refineries‚ you can see from space‚ if you knock one of them out‚ they would stop this.” “Our American troops are in harm’s way‚” he said. “If the goal is to deter Iran‚ you’re failing miserably. If the goal is to protect American troops‚ you’re not achieving your goal. If you’ve convinced Iran we don’t want a wider war‚ they believe you. ‘Oh‚ I don’t want a war with you.’ They got the message. They’re not afraid of us. They were afraid of Trump. They’re not afraid of us.” “We need to change our policy‚” he later added. “People are not afraid of us‚ this idea of hitting hundreds of targets that don’t matter. The only Iranian we killed in Syria or Iraq is some dumba*s that don’t know to get out of the way. We gave them a week’s notice. So‚ if there’s another round of strikes coming‚ I hope they they really will hurt Iran in their pocketbook or kill their leadership. Because if you don’t‚ nothing changes.” WATCH:

Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman took the stage to perform a duet of Fast Car at the 66th annual Grammy Awards‚ and fans of both the new and old versions can’t stop talking about it. Luke dropped a cover of Tracy’s 1988 hit in April of 2023. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts‚ and the feat made Chapman the first black woman to ever get a chart-topping country song with a solo composition. The Fast Car remake went on to win Single of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. Now it’s up for Best Country Solo Performance at the Grammys. Tracy Chapman joins Luke Combs on stage to perform "Fast Car" at the 2024 #Grammys pic.twitter.com/9vJnQ4IUHY— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 5‚ 2024 The year Tracy debuted the original‚ she had similar success. She earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year‚ Song of the Year‚ and Best Female Pop Performance‚ which she ended up winning. So when the 33-year-old country crooner dusted off her single‚ he proved that it was timeless. Social Media Praises Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” Duet When Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman took the stage‚ fans knew they would wow the crowd. But they ended up impressing everyone more than expected. “Luke Combs and Traci Chapman singing Fast Car together is so right in every way.” one person wrote. “This is the stuff #GRAMMYs are made of.” “Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs dueting fast car on live tv… there is still hope in this world‚” a fan swooned. “Tell me why I am sitting on my couch in absolute tears because of how beautiful this performance is between Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs‚” wrote another. “Perfection.” Luke Combs on Why He Covered the Tracy Chapman Classic Luke Combs credits his father for giving him a well-rounded appreciation for music. In an Instagram video‚ he explained that his dad “listens to everything‚” and he introduced Luke to countless songs when Luke they drove around in a 1988 Ford F-150 when Luke was a kid growing up in Charlotte‚ North Carolina. “I think his first concert was Pink Floyd and The James Gang the night we landed on the moon‚ which I thought was a lot cooler than my first concert‚” he shared.” “He played me all kinds of music‚ and one of the first songs [Fast Car] that I remember hearing‚ he popped a cassette in‚ and I loved this whole album.” Luke Combs said Tracy Chapman’s song has “meant a lot” to him for his “whole life‚” not only because of the meaningful lyrics and unique composition‚ but because it makes him think about “spending time” with his dad. “It opened up new doors for me that I had never had opened before‚” he admitted. “But I’m honestly just glad the song moved back in the spotlight and got introduced to a new audience that may have never heard it before” “It’s one of those songs that should be around forever‚” he added. “So I’m thankful it got a new life.” Share this story with the music lovers in your life! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Luke Combs Joins Tracy Chapman For Dazzling “Fast Car” Duet At Grammys. appeared first on InspireMore.

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