On Thursday’s CNN This Morning, host Audie Cornish casually threw Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt’s viral campaign videos into the same bucket as Iranian regime propaganda. Pratt’s offense that led to this comparison? Using A.I.-generated images to lampoon California politicians as Batman villains and dark side force users from Star Wars. Cornish tried to make the absurd comparison only to receive bipartisan pushback from her three fellow panelists. “From reality TV villain to elected office, we’ve seen this show before,” Cornish started the segment, then played a few seconds from one of Pratt’s A.I.-generated political advertisements. The ad portrayed Pratt as Batman in a burning Los Angeles standing up to comical villains Governor Gavin Newsom, current LA Mayor Karen Bass, and a vodka-swigging Kamala Harris on behalf of the citizens wanting to rebuild their homes after the disastrous wildfires of early 2025 but hindered by California bureaucracy.     Pratt’s own house in the Pacific Palisades was one of the ones totally destroyed by the fires, and according to reports from NBC News and Politico, only about 34 out of 13,000 homes have been rebuilt in the area.  With the panel on CNN This Morning, Cornish drew a comparison between Pratt’s ads and the propaganda of the Iranian regime, which also uses some A.I.-generated videos: These A.I.-generated ads that have sort of taken off, I mean, we're in a moment, obviously, Iran's A.I.-generated ads have also taken off.  Mike Dubke, President Trump’s former White House Communications Director, immediately interjected laughing, “That's a way to connect Spencer Pratt to Iran!” To Cornish, Pratt’s ads and Iranian propaganda were effectively one and the same: “Don’t you think that’s the whole point? The Iran propaganda has also gotten people's attention.” While Dubke conceded that “propaganda is the right word,” he and the other panelists did not assent to Cornish’s absurd claim that the Iranian propaganda was the “same as this” political advertisement.  “Yeah, it's very zeitgeisty,” Elena Schneider, reporter for Politico, said, though unlike Cornish, she did not imply that Pratt was the only political candidate who used or will use A.I.-generated ads: I mean, I think this is a preview of what we can expect also in a 2028 presidential primary, in which we're going to be confronted with this prospect of nonstop A.I.-generated ads. I mean, that's a real question of how we're going to parse through what's real and not.  In the case of Pratt’s ads versus the Iranian regime’s propaganda, though, the line between “what’s real and not” was clear as day. The Iranian propaganda used A.I. videos of bombed-out buildings and dying LEGO characters to portray the reality that they are willing to sacrifice every last man, woman, and child to keep power; and to claim battlefield victories that were completely fabricated to lower American morale. On the other hand, Pratt’s advertisements were not meant to convince viewers that he was literally a vigilante, but rather to present to voters his political stance against the administration that effectively fiddled while Los Angeles burned.  As Democrat strategist Meghan Hays said to the rest of the panel, Pratt was just “tapping into how voters feel.” The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read: CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish May 21, 2026 6:51:19 a.m. Eastern AUDIE CORNISH: From reality TV villain to elected office, we've seen this show before. Spencer Pratt now taking a page from Trump's playbook. But can he go from being the villain on The Hills to being the hero of the hills? See what I did there? [Spencer Pratt campaign ad] CORNISH: His campaign is starting to see real momentum from these fake images. This is an A.I.-generated Batman ad. Pratt, of course, mirroring the showmanship that got President Trump elected. And even Trump’s taking notice. (...) 6:52:35 a.m. Eastern CORNISH: Okay, the group chat is back. So, I wanted to talk about this. Number one, because of these A.I.-generated ads that have sort of taken off, I mean, we're in a moment, obviously, Iran's A.I.-generated ads have also taken off. But I remember when Zohran Mam-  MIKE DUBKE: That's a way to connect Spencer Pratt to Iran! CORNISH: Look at it! Don't you think that's the whole point? DUBKE: No, no I just- CORNISH: The Iran propaganda has also gotten people's attention. DUBKE: We're, yes. Propaganda is the right word and we're- CORNISH: Yeah! It's same as this! DUBKE: - we're in that moment right now. CORNISH: Exactly! DUBKE: We are in that moment. CORNISH: But Zohran Mamdani for a time was called the internet's mayor by Wired. And there is something to be said for capturing public attention that way. ELENA SCHNEIDER: Yeah, it's very zeitgeisty. I mean, I think this is a preview of what we can expect also in a 2028 presidential primary. CORNISH: Oh, great. SCHNEIDER: In which we're going to be confronted with this prospect of nonstop A.I.-generated ads. I mean, that's a real question of how we're going to parse through what's real and not. And in the years to come, in terms of electioneering and ad making. And look, it works because it is eye catching. It's viral. It tells a story. I mean, all these things are valuable ways to run, run, run a campaign. CORNISH: And even with the sound off they work. DUBKE: The other interesting part about this is getting people engaged. A number of these ads aren't actually created by the campaign. They're promoted by the campaign. CORNISH: Right. DUBKE: But this is almost the equivalent of years ago where you had people doing signs themselves and taking them to sporting events and, you know, just an authentic up swell of support. And that's to me, that's what's interesting about what's happening in New York City, in L.A., and other places is that it is the democratization of the political process. (…) 6:55:21 a.m. Eastern MEGHAN HAYS: (…) but he's talking to people. These people haven't been in their homes for over a year. They can't even build. They can't even get permits to do anything. And like that's - that's detrimental. Also, it's an affluent area. So that also plays into there's a lot of money involved that people are really pissed. And I just, I think he's tapping into how people feel. (…)

Six years after the racially-charged George Floyd protests ravaged U.S. cities, Americans doubt that the weeks of often destructive and riot-plagued unrest in 2020 actually brought about improvement in the lot of African Americans, a national Rasmussen survey reveals. In a survey of likely U.S. voters conducted May 13-17, Rasmussen asked the following question: “Did the protests over George Floyd’s death make life better for most African Americans?” Only one in four Black voters (24%) report that the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 made life better for most African Americans - less than half the 51% who say the protests did not help. Ironically, a higher percentage of Hispanic voters (33%) think the protests improved the lives of African Americans, more than any other racial demographic. Just one in five (20%) of all those surveyed say the protests improved the lives of African Americans, while more than half (54%) say they didn’t. Contrary to the liberal, legacy media’s continued narrative, the riots and civil disorder during the 2020 protests were destructive on a historic scale. More than $1 billion of riot damage was done – the most in insurance history – much of it to minority-owned businesses and property. Younger voters are far more optimistic than older voters about the effects of the protests. Fully 39% of 18-29 year-olds say the protests improved African Americans’ lives, but that view declines steadily by age group to just 13% of those 65 and older. Democrat voters (28%) are more likely than either Republicans (17%) or Independents (13%) to think the protests were beneficial to African Americans. Democrats are also the most prone to believe that there will be “more racial protests as widespread as those over George Floyd’s death” in the next few years, with 68% calling it either “very likely” (34%) or “somewhat likely” (34%). In contrast, 61% of Republicans expect more protests, including 24% who think they’re very likely. Among unaffiliated voters, 62% say it’s at least somewhat likely that there will be racial protests in the next few years as widespread as the protests sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was ultimately found guilty of murder. Among all voters surveyed, nearly two-thirds (64%) expect more protests equaling those in 2020, including 34% who think it’s very likely they’re in the nation’s future.

It takes a place as progressively backwards as Colorado to decide school children are safer around accused child molesters than other children who espouse the wrong beliefs.  Colorado's perverse politics makes it just fine to read smut in public schools, but you'll get kicked out of class for believing abortion is murder. Video by @Justine_Brooke pic.twitter.com/FPysToUsPS — MRC Video (@mrcvideo) May 21, 2026 A thirteen year old girl who attends Drake Middle school in Jefferson County’s school district was temporarily banned from her classroom, because she submitted a pro-life poem for a recent assignment.  Students were asked to write a slam poem about a global conflict they are passionate about.  “I chose life,” said the girl in an interview with Libs of Tik Tok.  Her mother explained that her own mom became pregnant with her at only fourteen, but chose to value life, despite the harsh circumstances. Neither the mother nor daughter would be here, otherwise.  But the school considers their heartwarming family story “offensive material,” rendering it “too political” to even allow the thirteen year old inside the room while her classmates were presenting their own poems.  They apparently prefer their "appropriate material" to be riddled with pornography and placed in the hands of little kids.  After all, this is the same state that works overtime to keep "children's" books detailing sexual kinks on school library shelves, and cuts off the microphone at board meetings when parents complain.  Jefferson County is also the same district that hired Patricio Illanes to teach English after he was investigated for inappropriately touching, filming and removing clothing off children in a nearby district. He would later be arrested for allegedly distributing child pornography.   

On Thursday's Morning Joe, co-host Mika Brzezinski and analyst Richard Haass turned to Ronald Reagan's optimistic vision of America to paint the current administration as a betrayal of American ideals. Here's how it began: JONATHAN LEMIRE: I think the theme that's really emerging right now is that even some in the GOP are seeing that Trump is putting his own interests ahead of the party's. Now, that's probably always been the case, but this is the most extreme example, where he's doing nothing to help them ahead of November, trying to turn around the economy, which most voters are gonna judge them on. And instead, he's taking care of himself, his family, and those who've committed violent acts in his name. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: The IRS reportedly urged the Justice Department to fight President Trump's lawsuit over leaked tax records, but the administration settled the case anyway. And according to The New York Times, IRS lawyers drafted a twenty-five page memo arguing Trump's lawsuit had major flaws and should be dismissed, but Justice Department lawyers never challenged the case in court. Instead, the administration struck a deal, creating that nearly $1.8 billion dollar anti-weaponization fund.  The Times is probably not your ideal source, since they are the outlet accepting the IRS leaks. But here's where it turns to Reagan:  Mika Turns Reagan 'Shining City' Fan Girl To Trash Trump pic.twitter.com/KlAcUIbXGh — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) May 21, 2026 MIKA: So, Richard Haass, just kind of a big picture about, number one, the importance of American exceptionalism, thinking of Ronald Reagan's 1989 farewell speech, Shining City on the Hill, tall, proud city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity and doors open to anyone who will get there.To this, as some would say, corruption, what do we look like, as opposed to the way Ronald Reagan saw this country and the way other presidents tried to create for an example to the world. RICHARD HAASS: Well, the one word answer, Mika, would be unrecognizable. What we're seeing is the personalization of America, of American government. There used to be clear lines, and the lines don't exist anymore. Mika's warm embrace of Reagan's "Shining City on a Hill" as a symbol of American exceptionalism stands in stark contrast to how leading liberals treated the exact same rhetoric in real time. He was treated as a scandalous figure, not an honorable one. Mario Cuomo's 1984 DNC Keynote — one of the most celebrated liberal speeches of the era — directly mocked Reagan: "The President said that he didn't understand that fear. He said, 'Why, this country is a shining city on a hill.' And the President is right. In many ways we are a shining city on a hill. But the hard truth is that not everyone is sharing in this city's splendor and glory... In fact, Mr. President, this nation is more a 'Tale of Two Cities' than it is just a 'Shining City on a Hill.'... There is despair, Mr. President, in the faces you don't see, in the places you don't visit in your shining city." Cuomo's address was hailed as eloquent and powerful by Democrats and the liberal media. It framed Reagan's optimism as elitist blindness to poverty and inequality. And liberals have often treated strong declarations of American exceptionalism as arrogant or dangerous. Here was President Obama in 2009, dismissing American exceptionalism as nothing more than national pride, something common to many countries: "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." Howard Zinn, the influential left-wing historian, devoted talks and writings to debunking American exceptionalism as a "myth": "American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States alone has the right... to bring civilization, or democracy, or liberty to the rest of the world, by violence if necessary." In the 1980s: Reagan's "Shining City" and exceptionalism rhetoric = divisive, out-of-touch, ignoring the "other America." Today (when useful against Trump): Suddenly, a noble ideal that Trump has made "unrecognizable." Note: Mika's father, the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, had been Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor until he lost that prestigious position when Carter was defeated in 1980 by... Ronald Reagan. So hard to imagine that Mika has been much of a Reagan fan — until now. Here's the transcript. MS NOW Morning Joe 5/21/26 6:08 am EDT JONATHAN LEMIRE: He was gonna seek thirty million dollars from this fund. Now we—I have no idea if that's gonna happen, but that shows you the door that's been opened here, that people see this as an opportunity.  And again, you know, Mika, it is a moment where there are Republicans who are willing to say, "Ah, we're not really sure we're for this." But to the—I think the theme that's really emerging right now is that even some in the GOP are seeing that Trump is putting his own interests ahead of the party's. Now, that's probably always been the case, but this is the most extreme example, where he's doing nothing to help them ahead of November, trying to turn around the economy, which most voters are gonna judge them on. And instead, he's taking care of himself, his family, and those who've committed violent acts in his name. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: The IRS reportedly urged the Justice Department to fight President Trump's lawsuit over leaked tax records, but the administration settled the case anyway. And according to The New York Times, IRS lawyers drafted a twenty-five page memo arguing Trump's lawsuit had major flaws and should be dismissed, but Justice Department lawyers never challenged the case in court. Instead, the administration struck a deal, creating that nearly one point eight billion dollar anti-weaponization fund. The Justice Department hasn't explained why it chose to settle. So, Richard Haass, just kind of a big picture about, number one, the importance of American exceptionalism, thinking of Ronald Reagan's 1989 farewell speech, Shining City on the Hill, tall, proud city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity and doors open to anyone who will get there. We're gonna get to some ICE and immigration stories a little later in the show, but to this, as some would say, corruption, what do we look like, as opposed to the way Ronald Reagan saw this country and the way other—the president tried to create for an example to the world. RICHARD HAASS: Well, the one word answer, Mika, would be unrecognizable. What we're seeing is the personalization of America, of American government. There used to be clear lines, and the lines don't exist anymore.

Surprisingly, NBC’s Today was the only lead broadcast network morning news show to embarrass itself on Thursday by mourning the “end of an era” with the last episode of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert set to air hours later, fretting there will no longer be a show helmed by the “devout Catholic” with “trailblazing format” that’s become defined by “politically charged humor” and a “critical eye toward President Trump.” How much did NBC love Colbert and The Late Show? They teased a preview of this “end of an era” and co-host Craig Melvin’s sit-down with original host David Letterman an astounding seven times. After reacting to co-host Craig Melvin’s commencement address at Villanova, Carson Daly said college graduates “aren’t the only ones preparing for a brand new chapter...because tonight marks the end of an era in late-night when Stephen Colbert signs off and The Late Show comes to a close after more than 30 years on the air.” NBC’s ‘Today’ was the only broadcast network morning show Thursday to preview the finale of CBS’s ‘The Late Show,’ mourning “devout Catholic” Stephen Colbert’s show ending despite a “trailblazing format” and defined by “politically charged humor” and a “critical eye toward… pic.twitter.com/hOrwaVzLVv — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 21, 2026 Entertainment correspondent and former Colbert intern Chloe Melas swooned: “[T]here’s only one more episode to go of The Late Show. Can you believe it? And in just a couple hours, that Late Show is going to start taping right here at the Ed Sullivan Theater behind me. And this farewell tour, it has been full of big moments, even bigger laughs as these lights get ready to dim.” “Tonight, Stephen Colbert will take his final bow before the curtain drops for good on The Late Show. Overnight, Bruce Springsteen performing. And a who’s who of guests turning the tables for a special Colbert questionnaire,” she continued, adding the final few episodes have included “A-listers filling out an all-star line-up to say goodbye.” Later explaining The Late Show started in 1993 with David Letterman, Melas said the nearly 33-year run had a “trailblazing format creating countless water cooler moments in a pre-viral video world.” When Colbert took over, Melas conceded the former Comedy Central host has made changes to the show “fill[ing] [it] with more politically charged humor.” That’s akin to referring to The New York Times opinion page as dominated by “viewpoints on all politics of the day” instead of heavily skewed left. The July 16, 2025 “joke” Melas used as an example was tame and didn’t even explain what it was in reference to (answer: Epstein): “Everybody I talk to is talking about what Donald Trump doesn’t want to talk about.” It certainly wasn’t the “Putin’s c***holster” or any of the other incendiary moments our Alex Christy compiled this week. Melas addressed Colbert’s cancellation by saying “questions swirled if it had anything to do with the show’s critical eye towards President Trump” despite CBS’s insistence it was “purely a financial decision.” She conveniently left out how the show had cost $150 million to run, and CBS had been losing $40 million annually. No time for that when you have your idea of fun to promote about this “institution that’s transformed the late-night landscape” and rumors of a Pope Leo appearance: But fans rallying around the beloved host after the news with hype building ahead of tonight’s final farewell as Stephen Colbert prepares to sign off from an institution that’s transformed the late-night landscape. So, as for tonight’s show, it is being kept completely under wraps. We don’t even know who the guests are going to be. But here is what we do know. We know that the finale is going to be extended, so it’s probably going to be more than its typical hour time slot. We also know that the taping is taking place more than an hour earlier at the theater behind me. And I just want to point out that Stephen Colbert has said that his white whale guest, you guys, is Pope Leo. You never know. You really never know, guys. Back live with the co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie nauseatingly reminded viewers a pope appearance would be great since “Stephen is a devout Catholic” and that it was great “Jimmy [Fallon] and Jimmy [Kimmel] on NBC and ABC are not doing live shows tonight, I think.” “Yeah, that is sort of reference to let their encourage their audiences to watch the final show as well,” Daly replied. In the show’s second hour, Melvin spoke to Letterman earlier this month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an interview largely focused on his co-ownership of an NTT IndyCar Series team and a new PSA campaign about heart valve failure. “Not far from the finish line of the Indy 500, we talked about the end of an era,” Melvin said in a voice-over ahead of his eye-roll-inducing question: “What does the end of that show say about comedy in America?” NBC’s Craig Melvin: “What does the end of [‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’] say about comedy in America?” David Letterman: “It kind of makes me sad. We always relied on it. You would read the newspaper in the morning, and at night, you would see Johnny Carson, and Johnny… pic.twitter.com/4FDNVYzd0U — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 21, 2026 The curmudgeonly Letterman groused “it kind of makes me sad” because America “always relied on” The Late Show and, in a bygone era, “[y]ou would read the newspaper in the morning, and at night, you would see Johnny Carson, and Johnny would give you a perspective, whether you agreed with it or not, but it was always funny.” “And, without that, I — I think we’re losing a valuable perspective. I think it’s very, very important to the American culture. I think it’s too bad that Stephen is gone. I think it’s a huge mistake,” he asserted. The next time the working class is sold out, a conservative icon passes away, or something of the sort, remember the groveling nonsense the liberal, elite media put forth when the antagonistic, partisan, and vile Colbert went off the air.