Spend any time on YouTube, and you’ll be forced to watch Sen. Jon Ossoff begging for dollars, underlining he’s the only Democrat Senator up for re-election that’s in a state Trump won in 2024. He’s no shoo-in. So The New York Times sought to shore him up in Georgia by touting his presidential timber. Here’s the gooey headline: This Senator Is an Internet Sensation. Is He Running for President? The 39-year-old senator has become an internet sensation for Democrats seeking a 2028 contender. He says he’s focused on winning a second term in November. Reporters Reid Epstein and Patricia Mazzei began by noting he’s vulnerable, but everything’s coming up roses: As the most vulnerable Democratic senator seeking re-election this year, Jon Ossoff of Georgia would rather do most other things than talk about whether he wants to run for president in 2028. A lot has gone right for Mr. Ossoff over the last 19 months. The first-term senator has proved to be a formidable fund-raiser. His fiery rhetoric accusing President Trump of corruption has drawn an online audience of millions. Gov. Brian Kemp, the state’s most popular Republican, passed on running against him. In three different passages, The Times insisted the Ossoff message is “resonating,” like this: Mr. Ossoff has repeatedly denied any desire to run for president — “zero interest,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Yet his argument — that the Trump administration is fundamentally corrupt and threatens American democracy — is resonating on the ground and online, with a helpful boost from his Senate campaign.... Yet his singular idea for what his party’s direction should be is resonating: Take the country back from Mr. Trump. And he delivers his searing critiques in a way that few other Democrats have been able to do, with crisp lines that travel well on social media.... Back home, voters say Mr. Ossoff’s focus on how the Trump administration is hurting their daily lives is resonating. Say it often enough, and maybe people will believe it. The Times even suggests that far-left extremists who favor Hamas and who think America deserved 9/11 favor this “moderate.” Even Hasan Piker, the left-wing, pro-Palestinian streamer, recently ranked Mr. Ossoff, a moderate Jewish senator, third on his presidential wish list, behind only progressive Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ro Khanna of California. So it's a little shocking when in the next paragraph, Ossoff is touted for calling his Republican opponent Mike Collins a “a notorious bigot, antisemite, and extremist." That sure sounds like Hasan Piker, but The Times is very soft on the leftist extremists and antisemites.  Ossoff is NOT a moderate. He gets perfect 100-percent scores from the AFL-CIO, the League of Conservation Voters, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL), and the LGBTQ lobbying group the Human Rights Campaign. It's quite an act of journalistic chutzpah to push a 100-percent liberal pol as a "moderate."

After the Obama Presidential Center’s opening on Thursday was met with loving coverage from most news outlets, Friday’s Morning Joe joined in fawning over the event. MS NOW reporter Nnamdi Egwuonwu called the event “jubilant” and even said he was “heartbroken” when he found tickets were sold out. Co-host Willie Geist continued the love fest and was joined by Rev. Al Sharpton and fellow co-host Jonathan Lemire, who related the event to Juneteenth. Geist introduced the segment and stated, “President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered speeches focused on shared American values that transcend party politics.”   On Morning Joe, MSNOW's Nnamdi Egwuonwu fawned over the "jubilant" Obama Center Opening. In response to Obama's subtle jabs, like the importance of "independent judiciary," he said it was among "things that we know with this administration have felt like they're under attack" pic.twitter.com/V9iuTDW3rG — Nick (@nspin310) June 19, 2026   Egwuonwu then reported live from the Obama Center and called the entire ceremony “jubilant, to say the least.” He was also enamored with the star power at the event, as he listed attendees like “Stephen Colbert, who we know has sparred with President Trump.” He continued his love of the Obama speeches and agreed with the sentiment of a portion regarding the importance of things “like a peaceful transfer of power, free and fair elections, an independent judiciary.” He added that, “all things that we know with this administration have felt like they're under attack.”   After Egwuonwu proclaimed he was heartbroken to hear Obama Center tickets had been sold out, Willie Geist started his own fawning over the event, as Geist said it was a "contrast to what we've been hearing for the past decade." Sharpton then said Obama showed he was "humble."… pic.twitter.com/vnvoszmpxf — Nick (@nspin310) June 19, 2026   Before he turned the show back over to Geist, Egwuonwu lamented, “But to my personal heartbreak, tickets are sold out for that museum and through November, which is just another sign of the excitement that's being felt here.” Geist followed and talked about the “contrast” of the ceremony to the past decade, an ode to the Trump era: It does strike you, watching former President Obama especially, speak publicly, the contrast to what we've been hearing for the last decade. There were no grievances. There were no petty insults. There were no threats. There was no looking back on things he thought should have been different or the way he should have been treated(...) Sharpton agreed, “President Obama not only did not have grievances and blame, he even said he made mistakes. And it was a real contrast to the present occupant of the White House that he was humble.”   In continuation of Morning Joe's Obama Center love, Jonathan Lemire framed a question to Sharpton that focused on the center's opening on Juneteenth weekend as part of an "injection of hope" that "the page could be turned on the Trump era." Sharpton then compared the freedom of… https://t.co/v0LRY1eM6z pic.twitter.com/0PAH1yDXa6 — Nick (@nspin310) June 19, 2026   Lemire then asked Sharpton a question that framed the Obama ceremony to the Juneteenth holiday and a “hope” that “the page could be turned from the Trump era.” Sharpton responded with a seeming comparison of Juneteenth and the freedom of slaves to the impending possible end of the Trump era: Juneteenth was when slaves in Texas did not know they were free until two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. And the Union army went in and said, ‘you're free.’ And I think it was that kind of combination of saying, we're free to fight people like Trump.  We cannot act as though we're weak and don't have an ability to confront this. We're not going to be bullied. And that monument in Obama's name, unveiled yesterday, does that. From a reporter who left NBC News in the Versant divorce in order to stay with the now clearly progressive network, to all of Morning Joe fawning over the Obama center, MS NOW really could not contain themselves in their framing of Obama as an idol to their viewers. The transcript is below. Click "expand": MS NOW’s Morning Joe June 19, 2026 6:48:24 AM Eastern (...) WILLIE GEIST: Former presidents Biden, George W. Bush, and Clinton all in attendance, while former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered speeches focused on shared American values that transcend party politics. (...) 6:52:34 AM Eastern NNAMDI EGWUONWU: Well, you know, that ceremony yesterday was jubilant, to say the least. It was also a reminder of the political and cultural weight the Obamas still hold. Seeing the likes of not just all the former living presidents, but also 2028 contenders like Josh Shapiro, Gavin Newsom, the former Vice President Kamala Harris. Also, several celebrities: David Letterman, Stephen Colbert, who we know has sparred with President Trump. The performances we saw: Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera. It's a reminder of just how much Obama meant to the thousands of people who came here, but also the cultural figures that were in the room.  The capstone, though, was, of course, those speeches from the Obamas, which included subtle and sometimes not so subtle references to the current president. Michelle Obama, for her part, describing immigrants as the beating heart of America, saying that no one has the right to judge who is more American than the other. Also praising her husband for always letting science lead his decisions. You know, the former president, during his remarks emphasizing the importance of things like a peaceful transfer of power, a free and fair elections and independent judiciary, all things that we know with this administration have felt like they're under attack. Though the core of the remarks from both of the Obamas, though, was that they want this center, this museum, to serve as a source of hope and inspiration for not just for the country, but also specifically Chicago and the south side, an area that historically has faced social and financial economic challenges for the residents of the south side that I spoke to, that message meant a lot and carried weight.  (...) 6:54:50 AM Eastern EGWUONWU: So, the bulk of the 19 acres that this campus sits on will open to the public in about 15 minutes here. People will be able to access the big park that they renovated, that basketball court, the public library that's on the campus. The museum opens at ten.  But to my personal heartbreak, tickets are sold out for that museum and through November, which is just another sign of the excitement that's being felt here. We still expect thousands to come here today. And ultimately, the center says they expect upwards of 600,000 people to visit this museum every year. GEIST: MS NOW’s Nnamdi Egwuonwu live for us from Chicago this morning. Nnamdi, thanks so much.  Joining us now, the host of PoliticsNation on MS NOW, reverend Al Sharpton. He's the president of the National Action Network. He attended yesterday's grand opening and dedication of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Rev, great to see you. I'm interested to hear your thoughts from the day. It does strike you, watching former President Obama especially, speak publicly, the contrast to what we've been hearing for the last decade. There were no grievances. There were no petty insults. There were no threats. There was no looking back on things he thought should have been different or the way he should have been treated. He's talking about a grand vision of the country. What did you see at that ceremony yesterday? REV. AL SHARPTON: President Obama not only did not have grievances and blame, he even said he made mistakes. And it was a real contrast to the present occupant of the White House that he was humble.  He came to a community that he said he first drove from New York when he was a student at Columbia and moved to Chicago rght on that corner. His wife, Michelle, who made I think probably the speech of the day, was born and raised there on the South Side, which is a mostly black working-class community. I know it well as I was a protege of Reverend Jesse Jackson, whose building - his office is only about three blocks from there, so I know the area.  They did not only build this huge 19-acre edifice, they built it in the middle of the South Side. So, people that would say, ‘well, I don't know if I've got a fair share in life. Where can I go? Where can I plan? I have no hope,’ will look at that edifice and say, ‘yes, I can be somebody. Look at what Michelle and Barack, who came from around the corner, became the President of the United States, First Lady of the United States. And as she mentioned, also Nobel Prize winner, which was another veiled shot at President Trump. And I think that that was important. And it is an economic engine. Imagine the jobs that they're providing right there on those 19 acres, and then the tourism that it brings in. So, it was a win-win, and it contrasts the present president.    And it was interesting to me that on this day that President Trump yesterday was having to try to explain what he did with his deal and Iran, which fell far short of what he promised and really weakened a lot of relations with Israel. He had attacked Obama for the deal Obama made, and he was having a bad day, worst day of his international aspect of presidency while Obama was being raised back up. It was a contrast that I couldn't resist thinking about sitting there as one of the. JONATHAN LEMIRE: Yeah, certainly Trump remains obsessed with Obama.  So, Rev., obviously president Obama and the First Lady mean so much to so many people. And, in particular, for the black community in the United States, the opening of the center was timed for Juneteenth weekend. You know, but this is certainly - I think there are a lot of people in your community, you speak about this a lot, who feel very disillusioned and disheartened right now because of the rollbacks, because of voting rights, because we've seen from the Supreme Court and the policies from this administration. Do you think that this is a moment where the opening of this and talking about this again could inject more hope for the things could change - the page could be turned on the Trump era. SHARPTON: I think it absolutely does, because what it does is, yes, there's a lot of despair, a lot of discouragement, particularly in the black community and brown communities. But this opening reminds us, but wait a minute, we beat these kind of forces before. We elected and reelected a black president. What are we talking about what we can't do?  And Obama represents that ‘Yes, we can ' spirit. And for that to be front and center again on Juneteenth weekend. Juneteenth was when slaves in Texas did not know they were free until two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. And the Union army went in and said, ‘You're free.’ And I think it was that kind of combination of saying, we're free to fight people like Trump.  We cannot act as though we're weak and don't have an ability to confront this. We're not going to be bullied. And that monument in Obama's name unveiled yesterday, does that. (...)

Over the last few days, the focus of the media shifted entirely towards the grand opening of the Obama Center in Chicago. The grand opening made such a buzz that the media even forced themselves to slow down the endless abuse of the current president to instead focus on this obelisk of nostalgia constructed in honor of their beloved former President Obama. On this Friday’s CBS Mornings, co-host Gayle King and congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns defied the idea that CBS is now MAGA-coded and discussed their visits to the center’s opening ceremony with King in particular gushing over Obama’s use of the word “we.” Of course, Huey-Burns immediately poked fun at Donald Trump for not being invited to the event: I don't know about you but I was completely blown away by some of those musical performances. This event drew some of the biggest names in entertainment and politics including all the living American presidents except for one. In her report, she repeated the idea: HUEY-BURNS: Joining in on the celebration, all the living former presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden. But President Donald Trump was not invited. Former president Obama criticized his successor without mentioning him by name. BARACK OBAMA: A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections.   The Obama obelisk had its grand opening yesterday, so of course the media were all over it this morning. More than a decade since this guy was in office and they're still drooling over him. I guess if he's their only success in 25 years they have to stick with him. pic.twitter.com/y5X9yXCG2U — James Waterman (@jwatermaniv) June 19, 2026   After getting their digs in against the sitting president, CBS began their adoring praise of Obama, marveling at the self-serving celebrations of the opening ceremony. Eventually, Gayle King brought up how moved she was by Obama’s allegedly brilliant orations: I took a tour on Wednesday, three hours, and it wasn't enough time…But what got me yesterday were the performances, and Michelle Obama and Barack Obama’s speeches. We all know what great speakers they are, but I think it came flooding back to so many people, how much their words, and how powerful they are. Barack Obama said the most important words in the English language are ‘we’. And I think that speaks volumes for who they are and what they represent. ‘We.’   The CBS Mornings hosts drooling over Obama's use of "we". It's not actually that profound, but Obama said it, so its really one of the greatest rhetorical instruments in history. pic.twitter.com/TnKw5QOco9 — James Waterman (@jwatermaniv) June 19, 2026   Gayle King, of course, is a very close friend of the Obamas, being a massive donor to the Democratic Party and going on vacation with the ex-presidential family herself. With that background, it’s unsurprising that she plays off this fairly basic quote by Obama as a rhetorical masterpiece.  This is, however, part of a greater movement by the media, especially CBS, to pass Obama off as some kind of “virtuoso” miracle child who is unifying and non-partisan. Being their only real political success in the last 20 years, without him the media have nothing to work off of. Of course, they could have more to talk about if they just dedicated themselves to fair news coverage, but that would undermine their whole goal as partisan organizations. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read. CBS Mornings June 19, 2026 07:13:00 AM Eastern GAYLE KING: The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago opens to the public today on this Juneteenth holiday. Talk about timing. The former president led Thursday's dedication ceremony calling for Americans to defend democracy. Caitlin Huey-Burns was there and she is outside the Obama center right now. Caitlin, I was there too, boy, it was such a beautiful tribute to this president. Good morning to you. CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: And good morning to you, Gayle. I don't know about you but I was completely blown away by some of those musical performances. This event drew some of the biggest names in entertainment and politics including all the living American presidents except for one. [Cuts to video] BARACK OBAMA: Hello Chicago. HUEY-BURNS: It was a homecoming ten years and $850 million in the making. On a brilliant sunny day, the south side of Chicago officially welcomed the Obama Presidential Center. B. OBAMA: We wanted it to be a vibrant, living celebration of community. HUEY-BURNS: Joining in on the celebration, all the living former presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden. But President Donald Trump was not invited. Former president Obama criticized his successor without mentioning him by name. B. OBAMA: A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections. HUEY-BURNS: Obama seemed emotional as wife Michele recounted his legacy. MICHELLE OBAMA: And you did it all with such grace and class and cool that you made the hardest job in the world look like a walk in this beautiful park. NARRATOR: While the 500 invited guests included famous faces, a nearby park attracted an overflow crowd from near and far. AUDIENCE MEMBER: I just came all the way from Africa yesterday for this event. NARRATOR: The event honored the former president in words… MARTIN NESBITT: How y’all like my tan suit? NARRATOR: …and in song. STEVIE WONDER: ♪ Signed, sealed, and delivered. I'm yours ♪. HUEY-BURNS: Now, much of this was funded through private donations and much of the space is free to the public, including all of these gardens. But to visit this behind me you have to buy a ticket, and they're already sold out until November. The center is expecting up to a million guests per year, Gayle. KING: I know, Caitlin, I want to go back. Thank you so much. I took a tour on Wednesday, three hours, and it wasn't enough time. VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: A three-hour tour! KING: A three-hour tour, because I wanted to see and hear everything. I mean, the tickets are $30, which I think is reasonable, most of it is free. But what got me yesterday were the performances, and Michelle Obama and Barack Obama’s speeches.  We all know what great speakers they are, but I think it came flooding back to so many people, how much their words, and how powerful they are. Barack Obama said the most important words in the English language are “we”. And I think that speaks volumes for who they are and what they represent. “We”. DUTHIERS: I also loved seeing the living presidents all there— KING: Yes, yes, yes, yes. DUTHIERS: —for this opening. And the Bush Center also tweeted they were looking forward to working with the Obamas.

On his Fox News Channel show Thursday, Greg Gutfeld explained why one effect of socialism may well be the worst tax of all - and it's not financial. With socialism on the rise in the Democrat Party, the “Gutfeld!” host contrasted the difference between socialism and capitalism, noting that “One depends of enterprise and the other on envy.” “Socialism ignores human nature by taking away the incentive to do stuff for yourself. You start expecting, and then demanding, others do stuff for you,” Gutfeld explained: “This might be the worst tax of all. It’s not on your paycheck, but on your own individual ambition.”

Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s approval in his own state has fallen to a record low - a level that’s beneath that of Republican President Donald Trump, results of a new survey of voters reveal. Walz’s 39% voter approval in the blue state is the lowest of his tenure as governor and nearly half the 65% approval he enjoyed in May of 2020, according to a new KARE 11-Minnesota Star Tribune-U of M Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication Minnesota Poll conducted June 8-10. Walz’s popularity is down 10 percentage points, when his net approval dipped into negative territory for the first time. More than half (53%) disapprove of Gov. Walz, according to the latest statewide survey. Meanwhile, 41% of Minnesotans voiced approval of President Donald Trump in June, the survey finds. The governor’s mishandling of the rampant social program fraud in his state is, in large part, fueling his unpopularity, as KARE 11 reports: “Fraud in Minnesota’s social service programs is an important topic for a majority of voters, according to the new Minnesota Poll. The survey found 54% said they are very concerned about the level of fraud in state programs, 27% are somewhat concerned, 12% said they are not too concerned, 6% said they’re not at all concerned, and 2% said they’re not sure.” “Handling of fraud could present an opening for Republicans in the midterm elections,” the story reports, noting that more Minnesotans trust Republicans (45%) than trust Democrats (38%) to reduce fraud in their state. Another 3% said they weren’t sure who to trust. Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ running mate in Democrats’ failed presidential ticket in the 2024 elections, is not seeking a third term as governor in November’s election.