PBS NewsHour anchor Geoff Bennett awarded six minutes of book publicity to liberal author Joshua Green‚ and his new book The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren‚ Bernie Sanders‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‚ and the Struggle For a New American Politics. Bennett was right about one thing: the Democrats have a "far left."  Bennett: Between the House GOP's government funding fight and former President Donald Trump's hold on the Republican Party‚ much has been made of the far right's strong sway over the GOP and its agenda. But what doesn't get nearly as much attention is the far left's influence in the Democratic Party…. But unlike myriad pieces on the dangers of the “far right” that have aired for years on the tax-funded channel PBS‚ the Green interview that aired Tuesday evening skipped controversies and any sense of danger posed by radical left politicians in America like Warren‚ Sanders‚ and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. There was no use of the word "extreme‚"  no rehashing of old controversies and embarrassments (a ripe field for Warren and AOC in particular). The segment contented itself with a single “far-left” label‚ and even that was countered by a “far-right” label. Green traced the rise of the populist left to the 2008 financial crash: Green: Yes‚ Warren is a fascinating figure. I got to know her just after the crisis. She was still a Harvard law professor‚ but she had just been appointed one of the overseers of the government's bailout of Wall Street after the crash. And she used that fairly obscure position as a platform to really go after the Obama administration‚ the banks‚ and articulate this version of left-wing populism that really hadn't had a voice in recent American political history. It wound up catching fire‚ really starting a movement…. Green’s presence drew out a little media truth-telling: Could Biden actually be pushing leftism under the guise of moderation‚ validating a conservative argument? Geoff Bennett: And fast-forward to the current moment. How do you view the progressive influence on President Biden's agenda? Because you could argue that he has governed like an economic populist and in many ways far less than the centrist Democrat that he was expected to be‚ given his long track record. Biden also underwent a “remarkable evolution” into a left-wing populist‚ albeit on the sly‚ by the over-stimulus to counter the government-imposed shutdowns related to COVID. Green: Which is really a remarkable evolution….I think Biden's evolution in particular has been an interesting one‚ because he was in the White House with Barack Obama as his vice president when that first crash hit‚ and then‚ when he was elected president‚ inherited another great economic crash that followed the COVID pandemic….He shows up on union picket lines. He does things that would have been fairly unimaginable for a centrist Democrat to do 10‚ 15 or 20 years ago. The two were careful to differentiate Democratic populism from “the kind of populism that Trump supporters prefer‚” in Bennett’s phrase. Green contrasted Warren‚ Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez’s “economic populism” with the right’s “cultural populism‚ a lot of anger toward immigration‚ America first nationalism….” Bennett did question Green about a potential “ceiling of support for progressive candidates.” Green agreed and also suggested Biden had smuggled leftist populism under the “code” of D.C. centrism. Green: …..I think there is a ceiling on candidates who are explicitly described -- defined as left-wing progressives in Democratic primaries. It's really only in deep blue places like Ocasio-Cortez's district in New York and a few other places where these true left-wing progressives‚ democratic socialists‚ have been able to get themselves elected. But we have seen in a lot of races since then‚ in Democratic primaries and general elections‚ that they try and they fail. So‚ one of the arguments I make in the book is‚ the future of this brand of progressivism may not be through these particular politicians‚ but through politicians like Joe Biden‚ who kind of code as more moderate‚ as more centrist‚ but who still take up and put into place a lot of the politics that my characters gave rise to. Will the press pick up on the idea of Joe Biden‚ secret leftist? Not during an election year. This segment was brought to you in part by Fidelity. A transcript is available‚ click “Expand.” PBS NewsHour 1/16/24 7:44:30 p.m. (ET) Geoff Bennett: Between the House GOP's government funding fight and former President Donald Trump's hold on the Republican Party‚ much has been made of the far right's strong sway over the GOP and its agenda. But what doesn't get nearly as much attention is the far left's influence in the Democratic Party. I sat down last week with Joshua Green to discuss just that. It's the focus of his latest book called "The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren‚ Bernie Sanders‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‚ and the Struggle For a New American Politics." Joshua Green‚ welcome to the "NewsHour." Joshua Green‚ Author‚ "The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren‚ Bernie Sanders‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‚ and the Struggle For a New American Politics": Good to be with you. Thanks. Geoff Bennett: In the book‚ you trace the rise of the modern-day progressive movement to the 2008 financial crisis. How was that a clarifying moment and a catalyst for progressive politics and progressive politicians? Joshua Green: I mean‚ to me‚ the 2008 crash in its aftermath was the defining event in recent U.S. political history. And then it gave rise to this furious populist backlash on the right‚ which eventually gave rise to Donald Trump‚ but also on the left‚ which gave rise to my characters‚ first Elizabeth Warren‚ then Bernie Sanders‚ who nearly succeeded in winning the Democratic nomination in 2016‚ and then ultimately to this new generation of younger progressives‚ such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the cohort around her in Congress. Geoff Bennett: You mentioned Elizabeth Warren. And in the book‚ you explore how she ultimately emerged at the center of the government's response to the financial crisis. And‚ at the time‚ she was an unlikely voice in that regard. Walk us through her evolution‚ based on your reporting. Joshua Green: Yes‚ Warren is a fascinating figure. I got to know her just after the crisis. She was still a Harvard law professor‚ but she had just been appointed one of the overseers of the government's bailout of Wall Street after the crash. And she used that fairly obscure position as a platform to really go after the Obama administration‚ the banks‚ and articulate this version of left-wing populism that really hadn't had a voice in recent American political history. It wound up catching fire‚ really starting a movement. And within a few years‚ even before she ran for Senate in 2012‚ people in Washington would talk about the Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party. So it helped give rise to this new brand of progressivism that we saw rise up in the wake of the crisis. Geoff Bennett: And fast-forward to the current moment. How do you view the progressive influence on President Biden's agenda? Because you could argue that he has governed like an economic populist and in many ways far less than the centrist Democrat that he was expected to be‚ given his long track record. Joshua Green: Which is really a remarkable evolution. I mean‚ when I first came to Washington as a reporter in 2000‚ Biden was a senator from Delaware‚ was known as a great friend of business‚ was sometimes jokingly referred to as the senator from corporate America. I think Biden's evolution in particular has been an interesting one‚ because he was in the White House with Barack Obama as his vice president when that first crash hit‚ and then‚ when he was elected president‚ inherited another great economic crash that followed the COVID pandemic. And the response to those two crashes‚ I think‚ illustrates what an effect these populists have had. After COVID‚ Biden put in place multiple rounds of stimulus‚ unemployment benefits‚ student loan freezes‚ small business loans‚ but all of it focused on the middle class in a way that hadn't necessarily been true of the response to the '08 crisis. And so‚ when you hear Biden speak today about the economy‚ he talks about building it from the middle out. He shows up on union picket lines. He does things that would have been fairly unimaginable for a centrist Democrat to do 10‚ 15 or 20 years ago. Geoff Bennett: What is it about the Democratic brand of populism that's different from the kind of populism that Trump supporters prefer? Joshua Green: Well‚ the populism that I write about with Warren‚ Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez is really focused on economic populism. And I think my last book‚ "Devil's Bargain‚" was about the rise of Steve Bannon and Donald Trump in right-wing populism. And mostly‚ I think that's focused on a kind of cultural populism‚ a lot of anger toward immigration‚ America first nationalism. Certainly‚ there are some economic components. Trump is very hawkish toward trade. He's put in place — he put in place steel tariffs the Biden administration has kept in place. There are areas of overlap. But‚ to me‚ it's the cultural element that distinguishes the right-wing populism from the left-wing populism that I write about in this book. Geoff Bennett: What about the politicians themselves? Is there a ceiling of support for progressive candidates? Democrats who might support progressive policies‚ there hasn't been enough support from the Democratic base to propel one of the progressive politicians into the White House. Joshua Green: You know‚ it's an interesting question‚ because‚ if you go back to 2019‚ I was embedded with Warren and with Sanders for a time during the Democratic primaries‚ when they were both running for president. It seemed like in the moment that progressive politics was really taking off‚ and yet neither one of them emerged as the Democratic nominee‚ partly because there were two of them running and they split the progressive vote. But‚ really‚ I think there is a ceiling on candidates who are explicitly described — defined as left-wing progressives in Democratic primaries. It's really only in deep blue places like Ocasio-Cortez's district in New York and a few other places where these true left-wing progressives‚ democratic socialists‚ have been able to get themselves elected. But we have seen in a lot of races since then‚ in Democratic primaries and general elections‚ that they try and they fail. So‚ one of the arguments I make in the book is‚ the future of this brand of progressivism may not be through these particular politicians‚ but through politicians like Joe Biden‚ who kind of code as more moderate‚ as more centrist‚ but who still take up and put into place a lot of the politics that my characters gave rise to. Geoff Bennett: The book is "The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren‚ Bernie Sanders‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‚ and the Struggle For a New American Politics." Joshua Green‚ thanks for coming in. Good to talk to you. Joshua Green: Thanks so much‚ Geoff. Appreciate it.

Wednesday’s edition of CNN This Morning assembled a panel to discuss Former U.N. Ambassador and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s recent comments that America has had moments of racism‚ but has never been a racist country. Commentator Natasha Alford didn’t just disagree with the historic assertion‚ but also tried to pin 2022 and 2023 mass shootings by white supremacists in Buffalo and Jacksonville on the entire country. Before making the divisive comments‚ Alford asserted that Haley’s remarks prove she cannot be president during a time of deep division‚ “You do not deserve to be president of this country if you don't have a coherent‚ consistent message about race. It is just 101‚ right? If you're going to lead this country through a time of division and partisanship‚ you have to have a consistent message.”     After claiming Haley’s remarks show “why people don't trust her‚ Alford got to Buffalo and Jacksonville‚ “This will not work in a general election‚ Okay? You want to say that America was not a racist country to voters who are in Buffalo‚ right‚ and just saw people killed in the Top shooting‚ or in Jacksonville‚ Florida. I mean‚ all of these voters are out there‚ and they want to know that you are going to tell the truth‚ but also that you have a message of hope for the future. Flip-flopping on that doesn't earn you any respect.” Co-host Poppy Harlow then reported on the campaign’s attempt to clarify or perhaps clean up the initial remarks‚ “Her campaign later yesterday put out a statement that said America has always had racism‚ but America has never been a racist country.” Alford quickly responded‚ “That’s even worse” and after co-host Phil Mattingly asked why‚ she continued‚ “I mean‚ it's just -- it's talking out of both sides of your mouth. And again‚ we cannot trust leaders who don't actually have a vision around this‚ right? People are tired of the division. They are tired of the sort of pain and gaslighting around racism.” She also added‚ “And so if you come with a message that says‚ you know‚ we're not racist‚ but you know‚ I had a couple of experiences with racism‚ but -- it's just not cohesive‚ it's not coherent‚ and it undermines any sense of belief that this person actually stands on what they believe.” Mattingly then claimed that “I would venture that I don't know anybody in the Republican Party who would give that different of a message. In fact‚ Ron DeSantis agreed with it last night. I think Senator Tim Scott has said similar things.” Fellow panelist Scott Jennings then got the conversation back on a more level-headed plane‚ “Noted Republican‚ Vice President Kamala Harris has said‚ ‘This is not a racist country‚’ when she and Tim Scott had a conversation about this a while back. I do think you can make a distinction between saying an entire country is racist versus saying that there have been individual people or moments of racism.” Jennings is‚ of course‚ correct and that has nothing to do with Haley’s comments as he would proceed to argue that Haley was wrong by pointing to the rise of the KKK after the Civil War. It is not gaslighting to claim that Buffalo and Jacksonville are not representative of the entire country. Here is a transcript for the January 17 show: CNN This Morning 1/17/2024 6:18 AM ET NATASHA ALFORD: You do not deserve to be president of this country if you don't have a coherent‚ consistent message about race. It is just 101‚ right? If you're going to lead this country through a time of division and partisanship‚ you have to have a consistent message. And I think this is why people don't trust Nikki Haley. They can't trust that she actually says what she means and she believes‚ but they -- they can count on her saying whatever sounds good to the audience that she's speaking to. This will not work in a general election‚ Okay? You want to say that America was not a racist country to voters who are in Buffalo‚ right‚ and just saw people killed in the Top shooting‚ or in Jacksonville‚ Florida. I mean‚ all of these voters are out there‚ and they want to know that you are going to tell the truth‚ but also that you have a message of hope for the future. Flip-flopping on that doesn't earn you any respect. POPPY HARLOW: Especially on this issue. ALFORD: Especially. HARLOW: It just -- one note‚ in case people miss it. Her campaign later yesterday put out a statement that said America has always had racism‚ but America has never been a racist country. ALFORD: That's even worse. PHIL MATTINGLY: Why? ALFORD: I mean‚ it's just -- it's talking out of both sides of your mouth. And again‚ we cannot trust leaders who don't actually have a vision around this‚ right? People are tired of the division. They are tired of the sort of pain and gaslighting around racism. And so if you come with a message that says‚ you know‚ we're not racist‚ but you know‚ I had a couple of experiences with racism‚ but -- it's just not cohesive‚ it's not coherent‚ and it undermines any sense of belief that this person actually stands on what they believe. MATTINGLY: I would -- at the same time‚ I would venture that I don't know anybody in the Republican Party who would give that different of a message. In fact‚ Ron DeSantis agreed with it last night. I think Senator Tim Scott has said similar things. SCOTT JENNINGS: Noted Republican‚ Vice President Kamala Harris has said‚ "This is not a racist country‚" when she and Tim Scott had a conversation about this a while back. I do think you can make a distinction between saying an entire country is racist versus saying that there have been individual people or moments of racism.

Fox Business host Charles Payne bodied MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and legacy media setting themselves up as the gatekeepers of facts. After playing a sanctimonious lecture by Maddow on why the media refuses to give Trump “an unfiltered live platform‚” Payne derided this strategy as both wrong and ineffective on the Jan. 16 edition of Making Money with Charles Payne. Payne said‚ “No one ever gave them the job of deciding what was true or false.”  Earlier this week‚ both MSNBC and CNN opted to silence former President Donald Trump during his victory speech following the Republican Iowa caucuses. CNN Anchor Jake Tapper opted to censor Trump at the first mention of immigration. Notably‚ Tapper has been known to freak out when Trump is given a chance to speak uninterrupted or portrayed in a positive light.  On MSNBC‚ Maddow’s explanation of her network’s decision to silence a president upset Payne. Maddow told MSNBC’s viewers‚ “There is a reason that we and other news organizations have generally stopped giving an unfiltered‚ live platform to remarks by former President Trump. It is not out of spite; it is not a decision that we relish; it is a decision that we regularly revisit. And‚ honestly‚ earnestly‚ it is not an easy decision.” While Maddow struggled to get these phrases out without laughing‚ Payne was not amused. Payne dove into the historical power of the press as “the fourth estate” and its corruption in the present. Payne added‚ “In recent years‚ the fourth estate has become honorary‚ has become contemptuous. The avalanche of negative headlines in stories‚ folks‚ are mindboggling. And here’s the weird thing about it‚ the irony about it… All this negativity has created a public that news organizations say they now decry.” It’s not a huge surprise that the public‚ who the media seem to loathe‚ would loathe the media back. Payne concluded by mocking the media’s failed attempt to silence the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination. “The Media should push back when they have to to protect the audience‚ but this is something entirely different what we’re watching. When you don’t allow someone with power and influence to speak on your platform‚ you actually give them a louder voice and you give other platforms more importance. Let the people hear‚ let the people decide‚” Payne said. Conservatives are under attack! Contact CNN at 404-827-1500 and MSNBC at (800) 952-5210 and demand they do their jobs by broadcasting important events to the American people. 

In February 2021‚ liberal journalists (correctly) were crestfallen that Tribune‚ The Baltimore Sun’s parent company‚ would merge with Alden Global Capital‚ an infamous newspaper conglomerate known for stripping down newspapers to ghost status with‚ in some cases‚ only one staff writer and the thickness of a store-brand napkin.  After it was announced Monday that local businessman and Sinclair Broadcasting Group executive Chairman David Smith had rescued The Sun with plans to revitalize it to a robust status‚ the left is apoplectic. Why? Sinclair‚ the local news behemoth Smith runs‚ has been accused for years of tilting right. Based on the hissy fits pitched by the AP‚ the Baltimore Banner (an online site started after the Alden purchase)‚ CNN‚ The New York Times‚ and The Washington Post‚ it seems like journalists would rather the paper die all together than be run by someone who’s not a leftist. An initial AP story said Smith told staffer “he will focus on local news and investigations‚ and he plans to use video and social media to attract new subscribers”‚ but a follow-up warned Smith was not to be praised and instead scorned since Smith’s “an active contributor to conservative causes” (click “expand”): A local buyer taking over a struggling newspaper in the 21st century is normally cause for some celebration. But The Baltimore Sun’s newly announced owner has a very specific political background‚ and some are concerned about what the 187-year-old publication could become. David D. Smith‚ executive chairman of the Sinclair broadcasting chain and an active contributor to conservative causes‚ has bought Baltimore Sun Media from the investment firm Alden Global Capital. The purchase price was not disclosed. (....) In a Sun story announcing the sale a day earlier‚ Smith said that he was in the news business because he believes “we have an absolute responsibility to serve the public interest.” He also criticized the city’s “mainstream media” while acknowledging that he began reading the paper regularly only a few months ago. (....) The Sinclair-owned Fox station in Baltimore frequently airs coverage blaming the city’s Democratic mayor‚ Brandon Scott‚ for gun violence and failing schools. And Smith has become a prominent player in local politics. In 2022‚ he helped finance an effort to impose term limits for some Baltimore officials. Tax records show Smith’s foundation has donated to the conservative group Project Veritas‚ which is best known for making hidden camera stings on media and liberal figures. (....) History is replete with media owners who have strong political opinions; Rupert Murdoch is only a recent example. What resonates is whether they use their products to push those views. (....) While the region certainly has people with conservative views‚ turning it into a rigid conservative publication would not seem a wise business decision‚ said Medill’s Franklin‚ who was editor-in-chief of the Sun from 2004 to 2009. “One of the most important rules is to know your audience‚” Franklin said‚ “and Baltimore is not a conservative area.” CNN reacted the way you’d expect. Oliver Darcy‚ their deranged liberal media hall monitor‚ whined in his media newsletter that it’s a “deal that has set off alarm bells” since Smith’s local stations around the country “has previously inserted right-wing editorial segments into its local news broadcasts.” Writing on Threads and X‚ NPR media writer and former Sun reporter David Folkenflik huffed that “Smith was dismissive of the Sun's journalism” and “deflected questions about his own political activities.” He also seethed that “Smith has been a major funder of GOP candidates; more recently he has funded far-right outfits like Project Veritas and Turning Point USA &; financed local ballot initiatives.” Folkenflik made sure to take a swipe at Sinclair stations: “Sinclair...has pulled the news coverage and commentaries on those stations markedly to the right‚ ultimately becoming quite supportive of Trump.” “Unclear what the current moment holds‚” he added. The Banner story reeked of scorn. “In a tense‚ three-hour meeting with staff Tuesday afternoon‚ new Baltimore Sun owner David Smith told employees he has only read the paper four times in the past few months‚ insulted the quality of their journalism and encouraged them to emulate a TV station owned by his broadcasting company‚” the story began‚ written by former Sun reporters Cody Boteler‚ Lee Sanderlin‚ and Giacomo Bologna. Two paragraphs later‚ they shined that Smith said back in 2018 that print journalism was “so left-wing as to be meaningless dribble” and that he dared to stand by that statement in a meeting with Sun reporters. They were just getting started with the bitterness‚ backed by anonymous sources (click “expand”): Smith is a major political player in the region‚ having donated heavily to campaigns. He recruited candidates to run against Mayor Brandon Scott and funded ballot initiatives that altered the city charter. The in-person meeting ran nearly three hours and was full of tense exchanges‚ people at the meeting said. Smith was noncommittal about both the long-term continuation of a print edition and retention of current staff. Smith seemed to try and pit reporters against each other‚ asking them to rank who was the best in the newsroom. Several times throughout the meeting‚ he said he has “no idea what you do.” Asked about people’s job security‚ Smith said everyone “has a job today” and said he would not make wholesale changes until he better understood the operation. One newsroom member characterized the meeting as “bleak.” Another called it “very bad‚” and another said it left them feeling sick. Smith’s company owns the local station Fox45‚ and he praised its Project Baltimore‚ which focuses on the shortcomings of Baltimore City schools‚ as an example Sun reporters should follow. Oh‚ the horror! How dare a news outlet focus on the failure of a major city’s public school system! A second story was cartoonish in nature‚ down to the headline: “Meet The Baltimore Sun’s new owner: the conservative TV mogul who embraces controversy and profit.” The nearly 3‚000-word item dripped with disgust and conspiratorial zeal. The one new find? Smith gave $121‚000 to....gird your loins...Moms for Liberty! Cue the suspense sounds effects! Despite years of the profession blasting Alden as far-flung vipers‚ they flocked to a journalism professor at the University of Maryland to argue that‚ “local ownership is not always good” and “the values and the intention of the owner” are what actually matter‚ “not where they live.” Over at The New York Times‚ they warned that Sinclair stations “drew backlash” for a 2018 segment “when anchors at its stations were ordered to read an editorial about media bias.” The Post was similarly dismayed‚ claiming reporters are “wondering how involved he plans to be in editorial decision-making — especially considering his well-known support of conservative causes” and more so after having spent hours “press[ing] him on questions involving journalism ethics and how he plans to increase revenue.” “Sinclair has repeatedly defended the independence and objectivity of its local TV news reporting‚ which has a distinctive conservative flavor‚” reporter Rachel Pannett warned.

The Daily Wire host Michael Knowles laid out the stakes of pursuing diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) in the airline industry. As expected‚ they are very high.  During the Jan. 16 edition of The Michael Knowles Show‚ Knowles made clear that embracing DEI always means sacrificing “candidate quality” and “merit” to other considerations‚ thus making it harder for employers‚ universities and other institutions to do quality work. “DEI in restaurants means that you value diversity more than your dinner. DEI in universities means that you value diversity more than your education. That’s not good‚ that’s a little scary. DEI in the cockpit means that you value diversity more than your life. And I do not‚” Knowles warned. He further referred to DEI initiatives in the airline industry as “actual suicide.” United Airlines CEO promises diversity in the cockpit. This is why you should be worried: pic.twitter.com/4IJyUfXr7E — The Michael Knowles Show (@MKnowlesShow) January 16‚ 2024 Knowles played some footage of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby pledging his support for DEI to a passionately woke interviewer‚ before expressing his concern about DEI in the airline industry. “I don’t care what this man does to his C-suite. I don’t care if he fills it all with a bunch of lesbian‚ pigmy‚ Muslim Zoroastrians. I don’t care. The cockpit worries me‚” Knowles explained.‚  “DEI is necessarily opposed to quality‚ necessarily. Because what DEI says is‚ ‘We’re going to make you use diversity‚ equity and inclusion standards to deprioritize merit when you hire someone‚ or admit someone into your university‚ or bring someone into your club. We’re going to deprioritize merit because we’re boosting sex or race or sexual behaviors or whatever.’” Knowles’ comments follow an airline disaster where a door fell off a Boeing jet mid-flight. Near-miss air collisions have risen 63% during the DEI-obsessed Biden administration’s time managing the Federal Aviation Administration.  Knowles panned the “logically impossible” arguments that DEI “accentuates quality and merit.” He insisted that this was not possible because DEI initiatives specifically subordinate quality and merit to other factors.  Instead‚ Knowles referred to diversity initiatives as “radical leftist politics” and “degrading to everyone.” Returning to the implementation of DEI initiatives in the airlines‚ Knowles cautioned “I certainly don’t like [diversity] more than I like my life. This is madness. This is actual suicide… I am certain that DEI policies will lower the candidate quality of the pilots and I don’t wanna on those planes.” While Knowles said that he does not personally fly on United Airlines‚ he jokingly recommended that the rest of us commend ourselves to God.  Conservatives are under attack! Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News (818) 460-7477‚ CBS News (212) 975-3247 and NBC News (212) 664-6192 and demand they report on the dangers of leftist DEI ideology infecting corporate America

With President Trump’s historic win in Iowa and President Biden’s sagging poll numbers‚ the liberal ladies of ABC’s The View were in a panic on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Vice President Kamala Harris‚ she was the point person for all of their angst and nervousness as they pelted her with pleas for the Biden campaign to perform better so that Trump didn’t get elected president again. After getting a pillow of a question tossed at her from moderator Whoopi Goldberg‚ Harris got her first frantic question from co-host Sara Haines. Haines wanted them to ditch their doom-and-gloom messaging about democracy being in peril because it wasn’t working‚ and stick to kitchen table issues: The President has made saving democracy the center of his campaign‚ and many of us‚ I think every one of us at this table understands the damage and the fear of January 6th and all that happened. But it's been three years since then and a lot of minds are already made up. Attacks on Trump are not moving the needle. In fact‚ 91 indictments are not moving the needle. Voters want to hear about issues affecting their lives like the economy and the border. Should the campaign be pivoting on its messaging? Harris refused. “I would not separate that from the issue of what is at stake in terms of our democracy and‚ frankly‚ I think most people don't think of it in the context of democracy so much as freedom‚” she proclaimed.     Surprisingly‚ co-host Joy Behar had a pretty serious question about the “heavy-hitting Democrats [who were] sounding the alarm behind closed doors” about the Biden reelection effort: President Obama reportedly has said that he thinks the Biden campaign is too complacent when it comes to Trump. Representative Jim Clyburn has said the campaign isn't breaking through the MAGA wall. Michelle Obama says she's terrified‚ as we are‚ about the potential outcome of the election. “Now‚ are you scared‚ first of all‚ what could happen if Trump ever became‚ God forbid‚ president again and what are you going to do to stop the crazies?” a concerned Behar wanted to know. Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin fired off this zinger at Harris that left her a bit speechless for a short time: “In head-to-head matchups in a number of battleground states‚ Donald Trump edges you and President Biden out. What does it say that the party is struggling to compete with an unfit man who is likely going to jail?” But don’t be mistaken‚ Farah Griffin’s question wasn’t a spiking-the-ball moment in favor of Trump. She’s staunchly anti-Trump and it came from a place of drilling into the heads of the Biden campaign action is needed to stop the bleeding. Of course‚ staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin’s question came from the far-left and was essentially a demand that Biden abandon Israel to sure up support from the extremists in the “Democratic voter base”: Many say that one of your many strengths as a surrogate is your connection to young people. I believe that to be true. Now‚ voters between 18 and 29 years old stand out as disapproving of the way the Biden administration is handling the Israel-Hamas war. They do not support sending weapons and money to Israel. They are advocating for a humanitarian cease-fire. How does the administration respond to the concerns of this very important part of the Democratic voter base? One of the biggest issues the Biden campaign was struggling with was his advanced age and failing mental state. “I've met him many times. He seems very robust. He told me he works out every day. I see him on television. I'm the same age‚ so I resent that remark‚” Behar bloviated in his defense. “But besides that‚ the other side seems doddering to me. He’s eating cheeseburgers‚ he’s overweight‚ he's always in a golf cart. I mean‚ why is Biden getting the bad rap and not Trump? I don't get it‚” she exclaimed. Much of the interview‚ which took up most of the show‚ was essentially a campaign brainstorming session put on by ABC. And embarrassingly‚ the network actually played Harris off at the end of the show as she delivered another word salad of a response. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View January 17‚ 2024 11:18:05 a.m. Eastern (…) SARA HAINES: Well‚ madam Vice President‚ thank you for being here. VP KAMALA HARRIS: Of course. HAINES: The President has made saving democracy the center of his campaign‚ and many of us‚ I think every one of us at this table understands the damage and the fear of January 6th and all that happened. But it's been three years since then and a lot of minds are already made up. Attacks on Trump are not moving the needle. In fact‚ 91 indictments are not moving the needle. Voters want to hear about issues affecting their lives like the economy and the border. Should the campaign be pivoting on its messaging? HARRIS: So‚ there's no doubt that one of the first issues that anyone will think of is the issue they think of when they're at their kitchen table trying to pay their bills‚ which is how is the economy treating them? So‚ there's no question whatsoever that that is an important issue‚ which we have been in the process of addressing. We still need to do more. I would not separate that from the issue of what is at stake in terms of our democracy and‚ frankly‚ I think most people don't think of it in the context of democracy so much as freedom. (…) 11:22:05 a.m. Eastern JOY BEHAR: Let's talk a little about how you're going to go after the other side. Because some heavy-hitting Democrats are sounding the alarm behind closed doors. President Obama reportedly has said that he thinks the Biden campaign is too complacent when it comes to Trump. Representative Jim Clyburn has said the campaign isn't breaking through the MAGA wall. Michelle Obama says she's terrified‚ as we are‚ about the potential outcome of the election. Now‚ are you scared‚ first of all‚ what could happen if Trump ever became‚ God forbid‚ president again and what are you going to do to stop the crazies? (…) 11:24:14 a.m. Eastern ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Off of that‚ Donald Trump is facing 91 felony counts across four different indictments for a variety of crimes‚ yet‚ ABC's latest poll has President Biden's approval rating at 33 percent‚ behind Donald Trump’s. In head-to-head matchups in a number of battleground states‚ Donald Trump edges you and President Biden out. What does it say that the party is struggling to compete with an unfit man who is likely going to jail? (…) 11:31:42 a.m. Eastern SUNNY HOSTIN: Many say that one of your many strengths as a surrogate is your connection to young people. I believe that to be true. Now‚ voters between 18 and 29 years old stand out as disapproving of the way the Biden administration is handling the Israel-Hamas war. They do not support sending weapons and money to Israel. They are advocating for a humanitarian cease-fire. How does the administration respond to the concerns of this very important part of the Democratic voter base? (…) 11:42:30 a.m. Eastern BEHAR: So‚ people are saying that Biden is too old. We hear it constantly. I've met him many times. He seems very robust. He told me he works out every day. I see him on television. I'm the same age so I resent that remark. But besides that‚ the other side seems doddering to me. He’s eating cheeseburgers‚ he’s overweight‚ he's always in a golf cart. I mean‚ why is Biden getting the bad rap and not Trump? I don't get it. (…)

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I came across this thread recently about Boeing from financial analyst Porter Stansberry. Here’s what he had to say: A year ago @Porter_and_Co published a dire warning about a mega-cap American stock. This was the only mega-cap stock we told investors to avoid. And it is no ordinary business. It is America’s most strategically important company. We said it would soon collapse. Our January 27th 2023 headline? COMING SOON: THE BOEING COLLAPSE. How did we know? For the last 20 years‚ there hasn’t been a company in America that’s embraced more bad ideas — from financial engineering to ESG — than Boeing… Boeing is a wonderful metaphor for our entire society. When we promote people because of their political views‚ or their race‚ or their sex‚ even if that sex is completely made-up‚ instead of what they know and who they are‚ the content of their character‚ we will continue to have planes fall out of the sky. This is just a portion of Stansberry’s scathing account of Boeing's sellout to “environmental‚ social‚ governance” and our financial overlords. I encourage you to read the whole thing. But he hit the nail on the head: "Boeing is a wonderful metaphor for our entire society." Whatever company is involved in all of this stuff‚ whether it be ESG‚ “diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion‚” or the next elitist idea to emerge out of Davos‚ anything they build will “fall out of the sky.” Unless and until our government gets away from this craziness‚ America's republic will "fall out of the sky." Better look up Let me give you a couple of things to think about. The National Institutes of Health has spent millions on “equity” and LGBTQ+ issues instead of researching cures for deadly diseases. How do you think that will work out for us? The University of Michigan is paying an estimated $85 million a year for 142 employees to promote DEI. How is it working out? Black students' experience on campus hasn't improved. Hispanic and Asian enrollments increased‚ but black enrollment dropped slightly last year from 4.3% to 3.9%. Moreover‚ the number of students who were satisfied with the overall campus climate decreased 72% to 61%. Your education plane is about to “fall out of the sky.” How about energy? Let's all go in on electric vehicles! In fact‚ let’s have a government that thinks it knows better — that thinks it is God — so officials can reduce the oil we can pump and starve us for anything that we know historically works to give us a bunch of crap that doesn't work. "Let's be more like Europe‚” our elites say. “Let's be more enlightened like France.” Did you hear that France is dropping its renewable targets to embrace nuclear energy fully? Why? So they have energy sovereignty. Sovereignty? How dare France separate itself from the collective! New definitions of insanity Meanwhile‚ on MSNBC last week‚ Chris Matthews claimed that rural Americans are essentially members of a “cult” who will vote in their “craziness” if Democrats don’t show up at the polls. What is the “craziness” that we want to vote in? Is it crazy to demand that the president actually go to Congress to authorize another war instead of wielding unchecked power? It’s crazy that we’re entering into yet another war in the Middle East. Is it our love for history and heritage that's so crazy? Is our passion for the mission statement in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” repulsive? Is it crazy not to believe that to be anti-racist‚ you must indeed be racist — to do the opposite of what Martin Luther King preached? No‚ I don’t think that’s crazy. I think that’s settled science. Are we crazy for demanding that our border be shut down until we can get control of it? Is it crazy to say that 10 million new people have come across our border and we don't even know who they are? We're building shantytowns and our kids are being kicked out of their own schools to accommodate them. We put illegal aliens in nice homes because we’re out of hotels. Is that crazy to say that these policies are jeopardizing the rights and safety of the American people? We don't even know who is in our country. The U.S. intelligence community recently warned that Hezbollah and Hamas probably have operatives here in the United States. They're lining up at the border‚ and we let them through. Did we learn nothing from 9/11? Is it crazy to insist the Constitution and the Bill of Rights be followed? Is it crazy that we demand our government remove secret courts‚ our intelligence agencies not spy on us‚ and the CIA does not conduct “cognitive operations” on U.S. citizens? Is it crazy to say we need to be energy-independent at a time when Iran is hijacking oil tankers? When whole fleets of electric cars are being sold and the old combustion engine is back because the tech isn't there to support mass EV production? Who’s the crazy one? Is it too much to ask in a country like ours to allow the citizens to make their own decisions on what they buy‚ what they eat‚ what medicine they inject into their own bodies? Is it really all that crazy to demand that the government rein in spending when we're $34 trillion in debt and our budget deficit in December alone was 50% higher than they said it would be? Is it really crazy to question authority when that authority has lied over and over about serious issues? We have witnessed corruption at the highest levels: Hunter Biden's laptop‚ Russia‚ Clinton’s email servers‚ January 6‚ Ray Epps‚ ESG‚ and collusion with Big Tech to silence and censor those who do question the "approved narrative."How about some accountability? Is it so crazy to ask for some answers on what happened in Afghanistan or how we lost at least a billion dollars of our hard-earned money in Ukraine? And dare I mention America’s role in the lab leak and all the lies from Anthony Fauci and companies like Pfizer? It isn't crazy for those of us who actually believe in the Constitution‚ for those of us who actually believe in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights and the rule of law‚ not to be dismissed‚ marginalized‚ and called "traitors‚" "insurrectionists‚" or "crazy." Until Chris Matthews and his leftist friends abandon their elitist attitude‚ well‚ I guess we’ll continue to be crazy in their eyes. But in our eyes‚ it is their clinical mental illness that is the real danger to freedom‚ democracy‚ and‚ the very survival of the republic. Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights‚ top stories‚ show prep‚ and more delivered to your inbox.

Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump in his Mar-a-Lago documents case provided some hints in a Tuesday night filing about how they might approach the Republican front-runner's legal defense. Trump's team appears to be gearing up to argue that the case against him was a stitch-up from the beginning — a "crusade" reliant on a myopic reading of the available facts launched by the Biden administration and antipathetic bureaucrats with the aim of kneecapping the Republican ahead of the 2024 election. What's the background? Trump‚ like President Joe Biden‚ Barack Obama and former Vice President Mike Pence‚ kept sensitive documents after leaving office. Unlike Biden‚ Obama‚ and Pence‚ however‚ Trump had his property raided by armed agents‚ was subjected to a penetrating FBI investigation‚ and now faces scores of criminal charges. The original indictment‚ filed by Biden Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith on June 8‚ 2023‚ in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida‚ listed 37 felony counts against Trump‚ including 31 counts of willful retention of classified documents; one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of making false statements and representations. Prior to the indictment‚ Smith's aide reportedly first met with Biden staffers for a "case-related interview." In July‚ Trump was slapped with a superseding indictment listing an additional three federal criminal charges. Strategy coming into focus Lawyers for Trump indicated in their Tuesday motion that the prosecution has withheld critical evidence that would serve both to contradict various claims levied against the former president and highlight the "politically motivated" nature of the case. Citing evidence obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests‚ the motion notes that "politically motivated operatives in the Biden Administration and the National Archives and Records Administration ('NARA') began this crusade against President Trump in 2021." "The FOIA releases‚ coupled with other evidence scattered throughout more than 1.2 million pages of discovery‚ reflect close participation in the investigation by NARA and Biden Administration components such as the White House Counsel's Office‚ as well as senior officials at DOJ and FBI. These revelations are disturbing but not surprising‚" continued the motion. Among the material Trump's lawyers want exposed and brought into evidence are White House records‚ especially communications between Smith's team and Biden officials. The motion underscores in particular the need for National Security Council and White House Counsel's Office documents to be brought to light. Trump lawyers Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche suggested to Judge Aileen Cannon that the NSC "was responsible for the creation and handling of many of the documents at issue‚ and the Special Counsel's Office will be required to rely on personnel from the National Security Council at trial to demonstrate that the documents it authored are classified and constitute information 'relating to the national defense.'" White House Counsel's Office records were deemed similarly of interest by the defense‚ as they "repeatedly supported the investigative activities‚" according to the motion. "Although the Biden Administration clearly took steps to create a false appearance of separation from the investigation that it was driving‚ these White House components cannot escape the import of these activities for purposes of the prosecution-team analysis. The Special Counsel's Office must produce discoverable information from the White House's files‚" said the motion. Trump's team also seeks records from deeper in the state‚ including from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and from the Department of Energy‚ the latter of which is said to have "retroactively terminate[d]" a security clearance for the former president following his June indictment. Besides drawing attention to bias on the part of NARA and a possible coordinated effort involving the White House to kneecap Biden's top rival ahead of the 2024 election‚ the legal team argued to Cannon that: Smith's office has an "affirmative obligation to collect and produce discoverable evidence in the possession of the entire prosecution team"; Smith's office must be compelled to comply with their discovery obligations; contrary to prosecutors' claims‚ the location where the records were stored — his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach‚ Florida — was secure; and there has been investigative misconduct on the part of the various elements of the prosecution. The Associated Press indicated that prosecutors will likely argue to Judge Cannon that much of the requested materials are irrelevant to the case. The trial is tentatively scheduled to kick off on May 20. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Blaze Media can now reveal that the person who discovered the pipe bomb at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington‚ D.C.‚ on January 6‚ 2021‚ was a United States Capitol Police plainclothes officer. Multiple congressional staffers familiar with the investigation confirm to Blaze Media that despite months of the FBI stonewalling congressional committees’ inquiries‚ they now know the identity of that individual — previously only identified as a “passerby.” At 1:05 p.m. on January 6‚ the then-unidentified person casually approached a D.C. Metropolitan Police vehicle parked in the DNC’s parking ramp driveway near South Capitol St.‚ reportedly to inform police officers that he’d seen what appeared to be a pipe bomb. Wearing dark clothes and a backpack‚ the individual can be seen in a video posted on Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s YouTube channel‚ first speaking to an officer on the driver’s side of the patrol car. He then casually walks around to the car’s passenger side window‚ where he leans in to chat for several seconds. Again — in no apparent hurry — the person walks around to the driver’s side of an adjacently parked black Secret Service SUV for a conversation with that vehicle’s occupants. The SUV was parked only about 15-20 feet from the location of the alleged bomb. Jan. 6‚ 2021 DNC Pipe Bomb Discovery www.youtube.com The Secret Service vehicle was part of a motorcade that delivered Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to the DNC building only about 90 minutes earlier. Despite extensive media coverage of the two pipe bombs on January 6 — the first of which was found minutes earlier at the Republican National Committee headquarters on First Street — to this day‚ no one knows why Harris was delivered to the DNC that morning rather than to the Capitol to participate in the certification of the 2020 Electoral College votes. She was still a senator on January 6. Curiously‚ Harris’ presence at the DNC building and in proximity to the alleged pipe bomb was not revealed for a full year. Politico reported on the first anniversary of January 6: Uncertainty about Harris’ whereabouts as a mob breached the Capitol building briefly bubbled up in a handful of criminal cases connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection. In dozens of indictments‚ the Justice Department had erroneously described Harris as being present inside the Capitol during the attack and only recently discovered the error. DOJ has since issued numerous superseding indictments to correct the mistake. Even more curious is why Harris has never tried to milk public sympathy for having been at the DNC headquarters less than 10 yards away from what the FBI has described as a “viable” explosive device that “could have been detonated‚ resulting in serious injury or death.” The FBI on December 17 updated members of Congress on the status of the pipe bomb investigation. A staffer who sat in on the briefing said the FBI offered "nothing more than a regurgitation of old news" and that members were "quite aggravated" about the lack of new information. As Blaze Media has learned and continues to investigate‚ the FBI's description of the device as "viable" also appears to be untrue. Despite congressional aides having given this information to Blaze Media as part of our extensive Capitol CCTV video investigations into the DNC pipe bomb incident‚ they have not yet revealed the name of the USCP plainclothes officer and how they came to know his identity. Their investigations continue‚ as do ours. Blaze Media has much more soon to come on the DNC pipe bomb story. We are pursuing the answers to the following questions: How did the Secret Service fail to find a bomb prior to their protectee’s arrival — a bomb that was seemingly purposefully placed the night before in a manner in which it was meant to be discovered? Why did operators in the Capitol Police Command Center deliberately redirect CCTV cameras away from the DNC pipe bomb investigation and detonation? Why did a Secret Service agent and MPD officer feel safe enough to finish their lunch before investigating the information about a bomb located only 15 feet away after a law enforcement officer revealed its location to them? Was the DNC pipe bomb really a “viable” device‚ despite never-before-seen video evidence to the contrary? The answers to these questions will all be part of our continuing series on “The Truth About January 6.”