Seth Meyers, NBC’s host of Late Night, solemnly reacted on Monday to the Saturday attempted assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump by appropriately denouncing political violence, but inappropriately blaming the situation on the lack of gun control in America and accusing Republicans of making things worse in the aftermath of the shooting. During a monologue, Meyers urged gun control as a solution, “An attack that thankfully spared him but tragically, tragically killed one spectator and injured two others. I think it's important to say that the easy availability of dangerous weapons has made tragedies like this all too common. Schools, shopping malls, grocery stores, movie theaters, houses of worship, and now political rallies have all been infected by this scourge of everyday violence. We cannot accept that. There are too many guns. They're too easy to get. We must work to change that.”     After the shooting, some Republicans blamed Democrats for Saturday’s events, which deeply upset Meyers, “At a time when things are bad, you are choosing to make things worse. You are choosing to inflame the national mood at a dangerous moment rather than show the leadership and basic decency it would take to calm things down. You should be ashamed. Please stop.” While it is true that the shooter’s motive remains unknown, Meyers did not want to look inward: You’re also wrong. Engaging in the work of democracy and peaceful persuasion is the opposite of inciting violence. It's what we need more of, not less. Accurately describing the dangers of autocracy and warning of attempts to dismantle our democracy have nothing to do with political violence. Speaking plainly about the specter of authoritarianism is not only our democratic right, it's our civic duty. We must all continue to do it. That's where we will continue to do here on this show. We will keep talking about protecting democracy. Elsewhere on the late night circuit, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest of the week, Anthony Anderson, recalled that, “a lot has been written about the attack, but the award for worst article about it goes to Forbes, who retracted this dumbass story: "Will surviving gunfire be Donald Trump's next appeal to black voters?" What? Getting shot at doesn't make you popular in the black community. If it did, then the most famous man in the hood would be Liam Neeson.”   Jimmy Kimmel guest host Anthony Anderson recalls "the award for worst article about it goes to Forbes, who retracted this dumbass story: 'Will surviving gunfire be Donald Trump's next appeal to black voters?' Unfortunately, he cropped out the fact the author was a "DEI expert" pic.twitter.com/mGRDUj87RD — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 16, 2024   That would have been an even better joke if Anderson and ABC had not cropped out the information that the author of that article, Shaun Harper, did not have “I am a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expert” written underneath his byline. Anderson moved on to add, “Today [Trump] chose Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Vance has everything Trump is looking for in a running mate. He's white, he's—well, that's pretty much it. He also looks like Eric and Don Jr. had a baby.” CBS’s Stephen Colbert was more appropriate than Meyers, at least initially, “I'm old enough that one of my earliest memories is sitting in a dark room with my sister watching my parents' little black and white TV, and seeing Bobby Kennedy's coffin on that slow train from New York down to Washington. And whether the result of extremist politics or mental illness, that violence is with us still.”   After the assassination attempt on Trump, Colbert reflects on his memory of RFK's assassination and mourns "whether the result of extremist politics or mental illness, that violence is with us still" pic.twitter.com/ZVKnWbQYwP — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 16, 2024   He added, “Our job, as American citizens, is to reject violence and violent rhetoric in this time of crisis, however hard we fight for our ideas. And in that regard, not only is violence evil, it is useless. As I quoted when Representative Scalise was shot, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Violence or even calls for violence invalidate any ideas.”  Unfortunately, Colbert would later welcome former Rep. Adam Kinzinger to suggest Trump could help turn down the temperature by stepping down and that January 6 means any talk of left-wing violence is nonsense. NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, somehow, did not even mention the assassination attempt. Fallon was scheduled to have MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Tuesday’s edition of The Tonight Show, but that appears to have changed. Such a move looks especially odd after MSNBC’s decision to yank Morning Joe off the air on Monday out of fear someone would say something stupid. Finally, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show did not air on Monday after ultimately deciding to return to New York, citing "logistical issues and the evolving situation in Milwaukee." Here are transcripts for the July-15 taped shows: NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers 7/16/2024 12:38 AM ET SETH MEYERS: An attack that thankfully spared him but tragically, tragically killed one spectator and injured two others. I think it's important to say that the easy availability of dangerous weapons has made tragedies like this all too common. Schools, shopping malls, grocery stores, movie theaters, houses of worship, and now political rallies have all been infected by this scourge of everyday violence. We cannot accept that. There are too many guns. They're too easy to get. We must work to change that. … At a time when things are bad, you are choosing to make things worse. You are choosing to inflame the national mood at a dangerous moment rather than show the leadership and basic decency it would take to calm things down. You should be ashamed. Please stop. You’re also wrong. Engaging in the work of democracy and peaceful persuasion is the opposite of inciting violence.  It's what we need more of, not less. Accurately describing the dangers of autocracy and warning of attempts to dismantle our democracy have nothing to do with political violence. Speaking plainly about the specter of authoritarianism is not only our democratic right, it's our civic duty. We must all continue to do it. That's where we will continue to do here on this show. We will keep talking about protecting democracy. We will keep telling jokes if for no other reason than we already paid the license this picture of Rudy Giuliani for the rest of the year. *** ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! 7/15/2024 11:38 PM ET ANTHONY ANDERSON: Now, a lot has been written about the attack, but the award for worst article about it goes to Forbes, who retracted this dumbass story: "Will surviving gunfire be Donald Trump's next appeal to black voters?" What? Getting shot at doesn't make you popular in the black community. If it did, then the most famous man in the hood would be Liam Neeson.  I mean, no one gets shot at more than that dude. He's the Irish 50 Cent. Speaking of 50, 50 would have been a good running mate for Trump, but instead, today he chose Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Vance has everything Trump is looking for in a running mate. He's white, he's—  well, that's pretty much it. He also looks like Eric and Don Jr. had a baby. *** CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 7/15/2024 11:36 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: My immediate reaction when I saw this on Saturday were horror at what was unfolding, relief that Donald Trump had lived, and frankly grief for my beautiful country, and then fresh horror as we learned that attendees had also been shot, one of whom died at the rally. So, as we've done many times in the past when some tragic event has shocked the nation, I'm starting the show tonight talking at the desk, though I just could easily start the show moaning on the floor, because how many times do we need to learn the lesson that violence has no role in our politics, that the entire objective of a democracy is to fight out our differences with, as the saying goes, "Ballot, not a bullet"? Now, right after the attack, a young friend of mine, he texted me, saying "How is this happening in America in 2024?" And I understood his shock, but I'm old enough that one of my earliest memories is sitting in a dark room with my sister watching my parents' little black and white TV, and seeing Bobby Kennedy's coffin on that slow train from New York down to Washington. And whether the result of extremist politics or mental illness, that violence is with us still, from the shooting of a GOP baseball practice that seriously injured Steve Scalise, to the plot to kidnap and kill governor Gretchen Whitmer, to the hammer attack that nearly killed Paul Pelosi, to the horrors of January 6th, to this most recent attack.  And the man who fired the shots seems to have conflicted and confusing motivations, by the standards of today's stark left and right divide: someone barely out of boyhood who reportedly donated to a Democratic group in 2021, then registered as a Republican that same year. So, we may never understand his motivation, nor is that necessarily our job. Our job, as American citizens, is to reject violence and violent rhetoric in this time of crisis, however hard we fight for our ideas. And in that regard, not only is violence evil, it is useless. As I quoted when Representative Scalise was shot, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Violence or even calls for violence invalidate any ideas.

If there’s one thing we know about the failed assassination attempt against Donald Trump, it’s that the Secret Service did not appear up to the challenge in footage of the incident. In a recently resurfaced clip of the head of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, it becomes increasingly apparent why that is. “As I sit in this chair now, of making sure that we need to attract diverse candidates and ensure that we are developing and giving opportunities to everybody in our workforce, and particularly women,” Cheatle told a CBS News reporter. “We will always ensure the safety of all the protectees that we have,” she added. Dave Rubin is not impressed. “It’s deeply connected to everything that’s been wrong with our politics and our culture and everything else,” Rubin explains, adding, “The head of the Secret Service saying we need more diversity, we need more women.” “How about just more qualified people? Wouldn’t that be good? And we wouldn’t care about their genitals or their skin color or anything else,” he continues. But the left does care, which is why in one clip from the shooting, a female Secret Service agent struggles to holster her gun under the pressure. “That woman being unable to holster her gun, and the other one fiddling around, and that she has time to put on her sunglasses," Rubin scoffs. "It's all the big, jacked guys that are basically doing the work." 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.

Iconic sports announcer and vocal Democrat Bob Costas accused the Democratic Party of "gaslighting" its voters by pretending that President Biden was not going through an obvious mental decline.Costas has been adamantly anti-Trump in recent years but has also called out some of the more obvious flaws of the Democrats. Keeping with that theme, the announcer spoke to CNN's Michael Smerconish and reflected on Biden's infamous presidential debate performance that had Democrats calling for him to step out of the race."That one atrocious night was simply writ-large what could be seen for years and years, that he is in serious decline," Costas told Smerconish. "Nobody should be president when they're 85 or 86, including the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, but this guy is clearly in decline at this point," he continued."And part of the job, leaving aside whether he can do it for the next four years, is winning the job. And as you just laid out, that seems to be nearly impossible at this point."'It makes you wonder whether we've been gaslit by the Democrats.'Costas then explained that Democrats have continued to defend Biden despite the obvious cognitive issues he has had."Many Democrats are still saying this ... they lay out all the reasons why Donald Trump is loathsome and a threat to democracy and an existential threat, and they say that's why we have to get behind Joe Biden. No, that's exactly why Joe Biden must be ushered out," he clarified, per Awful Announcing."Biden had a chance to be seen by history as a statesman and a patriot. He spared the nation a second Trump term, he could have gone out in a gracious fashion. Now, we can no longer indulge his delusions," Costas said firmly.The sports broadcaster was definitely ahead of the curve in terms of Democrats who have called for Biden's replacement. Costas came out in February 2024 and said that the president was too frail to complete a second term.He said at the time that "at best" President Joe Biden could "squeak by" to beat Trump in 2024, but even if he was re-elected, "It's very likely that he cannot complete his second term." "He'd be 86 at the end of it," he added.The announcer has made sure, however, to include a jab at Republicans whenever he criticizes his own party. When he first said Biden was too old to continue, he added that MAGA supporters were in a "toxic cult" and under a "toxic delusion" to think that Trump was ever "emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, or ethically fit" to serve as America's president.Weeks earlier, he called it "crazy" for men to compete in women's sports but also said Trump supporters are in a "cult" and a "coalition of the brainless and ... the spineless."Costas indeed took a shot at Republicans in his most recent appearance on CNN, as well, when he accused Democrats of gaslighting their voters:"It makes you wonder whether we've been gaslit by the Democrats," he said. "The Republicans major in gaslighting everybody with Trump as their standard-bearer, but this had to have been obvious to people surrounding the president, people who observed the president. Wouldn't it have been an act of patriotism, if that's not too overblown a word in this case, to lay that out before the American public?"Blaze News contributor T.J. Moe responded to Costas' comments by saying that the announcer's views will soon be a thing of the past."Thank God the attitude of the country is leaving guys like Costas behind," Moe wrote on X.Thank God the attitude of the country is leaving guys like Costas behind.— T.J. Moe (@TJMoe28) July 15, 2024 Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a private phone conversation — captured on video — during which the two discuss vaccines, Joe Biden, and Trump's prospects in the November election.On Tuesday morning, a video emerged of RFK Jr. standing in a hotel room and talking to Trump on speakerphone, though in the clip, Kennedy says almost nothing.The clip never clarifies what 'it' is, but since the video went viral, some on social media have speculated that Trump and RFK may have previously discussed some sort of alliance.In the first 45 seconds or so of the 1:40 video, Trump speaks about childhood vaccinations, particularly combination vaccinations. Based on his statements, Trump is troubled by the amount and the effectiveness of the synthetic chemicals injected into America's babies.Trump claimed these vaccinations attempt to address "38" different illnesses but in reality provide little inoculation against infectious disease. "It doesn't have an impact," he said.Even worse, the vaccinations sometimes even cause harm, Trump asserted. Babies injected with chemicals seemingly fit for "a horse ... all of a sudden ... change radically," Trump claimed. "I've seen it too many times."Instead of these high-volume injections, Trump claimed he has always favored "small doses."After shifting away from vaccinations, Trump then shared with RFK Jr. some details about his recent phone call with Biden. On Saturday night, hours after Trump had been shot and nearly killed at a rally in Pennsylvania, Biden called Trump to extend his best wishes.According to Trump, Biden was amazed that Trump managed to turn his head just enough to avoid a kill shot to the head. "How did you choose to move to the right?" Biden reportedly asked Trump.Trump described the phone call as "very nice" but also claimed Biden has almost no chance of prevailing in the election this November. "We're gonna win. We're gonna win," Trump reiterated, "and we're way ahead of the guy."Just before this point in the conversation, though, Trump tells RFK Jr., "I would love you to do so. I think it'll be so good for you and so big for you."The clip never clarifies what "it" is, but since the video went viral, some on social media have speculated that Trump and RFK Jr. may have previously discussed some sort of alliance as Trump openly states on the video that his relationship with RFK Jr. extends back "a long time."Blaze News reached out to the Trump and RFK Jr. campaigns for comment but did not receive a response.After the video of the conversation leaked, RFK Jr. took to social media to give a statement that implied that the video is authentic and apologized for its release. "When President Trump called me I was taping with an in-house videographer. I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately," he wrote on X around 9 a.m. on Tuesday."I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president."The phone call between the two presidential candidates comes on the heels of the news that RFK Jr. will now have Secret Service protections. Biden had reportedly denied him such protections on five separate occasions, but Trump advocated strongly that RFK Jr. be given them in the wake of the assassination attempt on Saturday.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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