CBS ran a news special on Sunday night after President Biden’s remarks in the Oval Office. CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell interviewed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and dragged him right back to January 6 to discuss how rhetoric has grown hotter. Typically, CBS didn’t include itself in the atmosphere of overheated rhetoric. Kevin McCarthy came on CBS, and Norah O'Donnell went right to January 6. McCarthy said it was important to tone down the rhetoric, so Norah asked TWICE if he pushed Trump around on that point. pic.twitter.com/W2ZkX5ZiCr — Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) July 15, 2024 O’DONNELL: You were speaker of the house on January 6th. We spoke that day. We were live on the air for more than ten hours or so, and I remember our conversation vividly, because you called on the president, to come forward, come before the cameras, and ask for the violence to stop. And you said, this should be a moment that brings us together, not divides us. But it's almost like the rhetoric's gotten hotter since then. McCARTHY: It seems as though, from all campaigns. I've never seen something like this, where they go after somebody even through the Department of Justice and others. I hope all Americans reflect on this moment. Have you pushed something too far where a 20-year-old kid – we don’t know his background, but he’s gotta have something mental -- that would take an opportunity to try to assassinate somebody in a race. You would question whether you're safe to go to affiliate with any political party that you're fearful of your life. That's not America. That's not democracy. I will tell you today, I had other leaders from other countries call me about what transpired, that they're concerned about democracy, even in their own country, what they're hearing coming back. And this is a moment in time all parties should reflect and know that they should tone it back. We've got to start respecting individuals that we disagree with. You can respect somebody, at the same time disagree with them and debate in a manner that's respectful. O’Donnell turned it right back on Trump, a day after he was shot: “Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for that? Does he need to change his rhetoric?” McCarthy was taken aback by the question, and its timing, but he said he meant everyone: McCARTHY: You know it's odd. This is a man that came less than an inch from losing his life, and the question is you're worried about him? I think when I look at all Americans, I mean, I don't know that -- I look at our current president that less than two weeks ago said, you put a bullseye on Donald Trump. What I'm trying to be is a fair American to tell everybody to dial back. I think anyone that gave any rhetoric has some responsibility to where this country has gotten in the last couple of years when it comes to politics. O’Donnell wasn’t letting up on Trump, like she hadn’t heard the answer: “Did you say that to Donald Trump today? Did you say, look, we need to think about the kind of rhetoric we have here? We can set a standard here.” McCarthy replied: “My call today with the president, with a man that came so close to losing his life, wasn't about that. It was a concern for him personally. And I'm amazed he's here today. He doesn't push anything back. What it shows to me is what Donald Trump really values. It's not about him. It's what he wants to do for the country. And think about it. Anybody who runs for president, though, the fear that they could have. He could do a lot more in life. He could be very happy at Mar-a-Lago, but he's willing to risk that, even when his own family is concerned.” McCarthy suggested Trump would have a new tone in the coming days. But when will the pro-Biden media hold Biden to account for his rhetoric? Or hold themselves responsible for their apocalyptic Democracy Dies in Darkness tone about Trump?

Jim Rice never did like talking to the press. During his 15-year career (all of it spent with the Boston Red Sox) the power-hitting left fielder preferred to keep his head down and do his job. It wasn't so much that reporters asked questions as it was the kind of questions they asked. "This was a very private guy from a small town in South Carolina who just wanted to play ball," retired Boston Herald sportswriter Joe Giuliotti told the New York Times in 2003. "At a time when he was the only black player on the team, he made it known that he was not getting into the black-white issues, but when he said he didn't want to talk about it, writers just kept coming after him.''Rice's chilly, taciturn nature didn't endear him to the journalists who covered him — would it kill him to chat a bit after the game? These same journalists would have their revenge once Rice became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1994. Baseball writers decide which players get this honor; Rice didn't make it in until his 15th and final year of eligibility. "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played," reads the Hall of Fame election rules. It's certainly feasible that sportswriters dinged Rice for not being an easy interview.But if character counts, then an incident at Fenway Park 42 years ago this August 7 should've made Rice a shoo-in. The Red Sox were hosting the White Sox; Tom Keane was taking in the game two rows above the Red Sox dugout with his 4-year-old son Jonathan and his 2-year-old brother. Red Sox second baseman Dave Stapleton hit a foul that rocketed toward the family, hitting Jonathan square in the face. As blood gushed from the screaming boy's forehead and people called for help, Rice jumped into the stands and grabbed Jonathan, cradling him in his arms as he rushed him to the dugout, where the Sox team doctor was waiting to rush him to the hospital. Jonathan's skull was fractured, and he was unresponsive. But after emergency surgery and five days in Boston's Children's Hospital, he made a full recovery. To this day, both Jonathan and his father credit Rice with saving Jonathan's life. As usual, Rice didn't want to make a big fuss about it. "If it was your kid, what would you do?” he said. “The baby was crying and there was a lot of blood. I think he was more in shock than anything.” Spoken like a true team player.

Milwaukee — The Republican National Convention opens Monday in a very different world from the one we all expected when we left work on Friday. Republicans are in complete and total unity. Even former governor, professional Trump critic, and perennial neocon Nikki Haley is getting in on the action, squeezing into a speaking slot at the last minute. Blaze News has learned that rapper and businessman 50 Cent started making calls this weekend to see if he can join the festivities. “We’re trying to make it happen,” a person involved with the talks told me on the way to Wisconsin. On the other side of the aisle, the Democrats are in total disarray. Calls went out suspending campaign advertising shortly after the deadly attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump Saturday evening. Much to worried donors’ chagrin, the entire campaign strategy had focused on demonizing Trump as a “threat to the nation,” an “enemy of democracy,” and “a threat to the very soul of this country.” That isn’t going to work any more. Meanwhile, Republicans stand ready to rule the news, with Trump’s vice presidential announcement coming any moment now. The former president even flew into Milwaukee Sunday night (far earlier than normal for a secured nominee) to ride the wave of party excitement. Democrats' day-to-day plans, on the other hand, are a mess. Joe Biden canceled a planned speech at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, where he was set to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Rumors ricocheted around the capital Friday that former President Barack Obama had pressured him to use the speech to announce he was stepping aside as the presidential candidate in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, but that Aaron Sorkin-style Democratic fantasy will have to be put on the back burner. The White House apparently didn’t think it was worth it to commemorate the legislative landmark if it would have to be done in a dignified and nonpartisan manner. Corporate media will likewise have to tamp down on the rhetoric, if only due to how little time has passed since the Republican candidate dodged a bullet to the brain by mere millimeters, a 5mph wind, and the hand of God. Other innocents in the crowd were less fortunate. Since the shots rang out in Butler County, Pennsylvania, Democratic Party politicians have called for a new sense of unity that few of them have practiced over the past half-century. They’re saying political violence has no place in American society after cheering on race riots, demagoguing opponents, and repeatedly denying the existence of the left-wing terror group Antifa. Even the last political shooting — when a left-wing would-be-assassin opened fire on the Republican congressional baseball practice, nearly killing Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) — barely dented their rhetoric. If Democrats were remotely serious this time, they’d drop the lawfare against Trump. They won’t, because they are only serious about destroying Trump. Any delay in the Democrats’ plot to force Biden aside will cost them dearly, and they know it. But to quote former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “What difference, at this point, does it make?” The assassination attempt might lead to renewed calls for a change of candidates for a historically changed race but is far more likely to cool political rhetoric across the board. Americans aren’t used to seeing their candidates’ faces smeared with blood. It's been more than 56 years since former Attorney General Bobby Kennedy was shot on TV while celebrating his win in the California Democratic primary. His assassination, a few months after war-weary Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson's shocking decision not to run for re-election, helped fuel the tears, tumult, and tear gas that consumed the party’s fateful August convention in Chicago. “The presidential contest ended last night,” one person NBC News described as a senior Democratic operative said after the instantly iconic photos were released of a bloodied and defiant Trump, surrounded by Secret Service and pumping his fist in the air beneath the American flag. “Now it’s time to focus on keeping the Senate and trying to pick up the House. The only positive thing to come out of last night for Democrats is we are no longer talking about Joe Biden’s age today.” “We are so f***ed,” a “longtime Democratic insider” added. When Congress returns next week, lawmakers will have just two weeks until the long August recess — and less than a month until the Democratic National Convention, where they’ll tempt the fates by returning to Chicago. Don't count on less chaos. Blaze News: Biden makes another brief statement about 'assassination attempt' against Trump Blaze News: Shadow of infamous 1912 assassination attempt still looms over Milwaukee Blaze News: Christian father killed in attempted Trump assassination lived and 'died a hero' Spectator World: Milwaukee readies itself for Trumpmania Blaze News: DEI professor fears black men might identify with Trump following deadly assassination attempt Glenn Beck: Pray for Donald Trump, our leaders, and our republic Sign up for Bedford’s newsletter Sign up to get Blaze Media senior politics editor Christopher Bedford's newsletter. IN OTHER NEWS ‘Blaze News Tonight’ heads to Milwaukee Julio Rosas and I landed in Milwaukee Sunday night for what’s sure to be a historic event. We’ll be running around Brew City, chasing down politicians, covering protests, and reporting details to bring to you every night on “Blaze News Tonight.” Tune in each night at 8 p.m. ET at BlazeTV.com, on YouTube, or on X for exclusive interviews with top Republicans, presented by anchor Jill Savage and worked over by editor in chief Matthew Peterson. And if you’re in town, let us know! We’d love to buy you a Pabst. The fire rises: Unherd: The terrible echo of 1968 A nation divided, an unpopular president stepping down, a chaotic Democratic convention in Chicago, and political assassinations caught on camera. If you had managed to miss comparisons between 2024 and 1968 until the weekend, Saturday’s deadly violence will have changed that. Emily Jashinsky reports on a wound that hasn’t healed: “I was 10 years old when my uncle was assassinated and I remember it like it was yesterday,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Fox News, hours after a bullet skimmed the side of Donald Trump’s head. Kennedy recalled the days after that tragedy in 1963. “There was a healing that took place,” he said. Not five years later, Kennedy’s father lost his life at the hands of an assassin, just months after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Andy Warhol took a bullet the day before. More than half a century later, the Smithsonian describes 1968 as “the year that shattered America.” Anti-war protests rocked campuses. Democrats planned to convene in Chicago. A man named Robert F. Kennedy was on the ballot. It may seem like we’ve been here before, but what if we never actually left?

America almost had, but providentially dodged, yet another Franz Ferdinand moment with the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend. Here are the big ideas I have in the aftermath.Pray for Donald Trump personally I sincerely hope and pray that Trump uses this moment as the impetus to fully turn his life over to God as Ronald Reagan did 43 years ago when he was almost assassinated. What a testimony that would be, and right at the time when not just us but the whole world needs America to have a leader like that. That would be a true Romans 8:28 moment. Many years ago, I was nearly killed in a car accident. I wasn't a believer, I flunked out of college, and I was working at a temp agency. And even at 22 (let alone 78, like Trump is now), that prompted me to radically reassess where I was with my life, and God used that as the first step toward moving me where I am now. Trump’s statement Sunday morning was one of the best he’s ever released. Truly inspiring and presidential. Pray this wakes us up to the real threat we are facing I sincerely hope and pray that God uses this moment to awaken His people in this country to the urgency of the times. If Trump hadn't turned his head and that shot had landed had just centimeters differently, it would have instantly made all our current (and very important) differences seem trivial. Moreover, if Trump had brought his family or other VIPs on stage, as he often does, they could have been the targets instead. Please pray for God’s protection, because these next few months before Trump returns could become even more hectic and chaotic than they already are. This shot wasn’t just across Trump’s bow but everyone’s bow. Darkness is growing ever more. Grandmothers in Tennessee face prison sentences for prayerfully protesting barbarism. Patriots who committed no violent acts on January 6 still rot away in D.C. gulags or live as outcasts in their own country. We’ve seen the attempted character assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the actual assassination attempts on the Family Research Council and GOP lawmakers playing baseball. The "other" rhetoric injected by the Spirit of the Age into the water table and the soul of the Democratic Party is, as Obama's former pastor once said, “coming home to roost.” As I’ve been saying for the last couple of years, we are running out of time to peaceably but aggressively use the political process to meaningfully push back against this darkness. I don’t know how many more warning shots it will take or how many more we have left. But pray that now is the time to overcome our fear of woke wives, our own cowardice, or losing a job we hate and become citizens who refuse to lose the country we love while we still have that chance. This opportunity won’t last forever. Pray for our country As I said after the presidential debate in June, when the world saw Joe Biden’s diminishing capacity and the likelihood of the return of the guy who signs Abrahamic Accords and drops MOABs, our enemies must know they are on borrowed time. How might they react? Might they accelerate their plans while they still can? The world has become even more dangerous since June 27, and this is increasingly true now. They must realize this near miss will rally people to Trump even more. Additionally, the Democrats are currently mired in turmoil due to Biden's unfitness for office. Please pray for God’s protection, because these next few months before Trump returns could become even more hectic and chaotic than they already are. Pray for our enemies Finally, Democrats have mocked thoughts and prayers for years. Now they have a chance to set an example. Please pray that God uses this moment to urge that party and its media industrial complex to seriously reconsider their tactics, such as never-ending gaslighting and memory holes, un-American lawfare against opponents, and dehumanizing anyone who disagrees by labeling them as racist, insurrectionist, literally Hitler, Nazi, fascist, etc. Otherwise, anything the party's leaders or media say about this is empty rhetoric. They need self-reflection if they truly want us to continue being E pluribus unum. If the weekend’s events don’t prompt that change, then we know what many of us have already suspected — they don’t.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is the poster child for the (un)talented tenth — the black progressives who use race to secure opportunities for themselves while avoiding the responsibility that comes with leadership. The mayor’s latest allergic reaction to accountability occurred recently when discussing a wave of shootings and homicides in his city. “Black death has been unfortunately accepted in this country for a very long time,” he said, before implying that Richard Nixon — who died in 1994 — was somehow responsible for the violence in Chicago. This is on-brand for the Windy City politician. He has a long history of making excuses for looters, carjackers, and anyone else he sees as a victim of society.The problem with black Democrats like Brandon Johnson is that they are spin doctors, not competent cultural physicians.Johnson is the second consecutive black mayor of Chicago, the country’s third largest city. On paper, he epitomizes everything people associate with the term “talented tenth,” a phrase W.E.B. DuBois coined to describe black elites in the early 20th century who would help elevate the race. One of the key roles he believed leaders should play was to guide the masses away from the “contamination and death” of destructive influences “in their own and other races.”Many people have a visceral distaste for this type of thinking because it feels elitist. I understand this perspective, but every community, culture, and country has people who educate children, manage resources, administer the government, control the flow of information, and influence public sentiment. I simply prefer the people doing so to be godly, competent, and wise.In some ways, leaders — of any ethnic background — are supposed to behave like physicians. Doctors study the human body for years. They are trained to observe symptoms, make a diagnosis, recommend a treatment, and give a prognosis. They understand how the physical environment, individual choices, and family history interact to produce specific health outcomes. Some may not have the ideal bedside manner, but this doesn’t mean they have ill will toward their patients. In fact, the opposite is true. The entire point of their work is to see their patients get healthy. The problem with black Democrats like Brandon Johnson is that they are spin doctors, not competent cultural physicians. They use their advanced education, political power, media platforms, and cultural influence to excuse self-destructive behaviors, not correct them. The spin doctors among the (un)talented tenth are no different. They use distraction, blame shifting, and deflection to explain away obvious symptoms or hide them altogether. Racial spin doctors give the impression they care about their community, but they are far more concerned with not perpetuating negative stereotypes about black people than finding a cure for what ails us. The (un)talented tenth seems to think that the worst part of having “dirty laundry” is airing it, not wearing it. These elites are wrong. Homicide is both the leading cause of death for young black men and the second leading cause of black male incarceration. No amount of spin is going to change the fact that the racial disparity in homicide victimization is so large that the rates for whites and blacks can’t be shown on the same graph. The moral decay that manifests itself in senseless violent crime cannot be fixed by politicians and bureaucrats. Elected officials cannot force people to value their lives or the lives of others. More recreation centers are not the answer to young men who open fire on their adversaries in broad daylight without any consideration for innocent bystanders, including children, women, and senior citizens. Those types of acts are evidence of criminals completely unrestrained by any sense of ethical responsibility. Children learn their values from their parents, so we should not be surprised by the chaotic energy that has been unleashed on a society as the nuclear family has become more unstable.Any of the black leaders W.E.B. DuBois had in mind conceived the term “talented tenth” would have said this 100 years ago. But instead of speaking honestly about these issues, Brandon Johnson brings up Richard Nixon, past Chicago mayors, and “white supremacy” to explain the death and dysfunction that plague his city. The only thing he didn’t do was ask, “Why don’t we talk about white-on-white crime?” Spin doctors want all the attention on black people when they believe we are the victims of external forces but deflect it for any social outcome that requires us to change.Black leaders of old knew how to balance external critiques of racism and discrimination with internal rebukes of sloth and intemperance. Black elites today, in contrast, direct their moral appeals, attempts at cultural correction, and demands to improve the material condition of African Americans outside the community — most frequently at white people and politicians.Nothing could be less masculine than a man who runs from responsibility, whether as a father or a chief executive. It’s unfortunate that this has become part of Brandon Johnson’s brand. The mayor loves to brag about having the “blackest” administration in his city’s history, but this fact hasn’t done anything to make Chicago safer for law-abiding residents of every background. Leaders can’t cosplay as revolutionaries one minute then act like damsels in distress the next. Johnson and his fellow spin doctors in the (un)talented tenth are proof that no amount of melanin can compensate for a lack of testosterone.

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