In a report devoted to complaining about President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the imposition of woke ideology at the Smithsonian, Univision made a huge and puzzling omission: the fledgling National Museum of the American Latino. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have an absurd soundbite for you, though. Here’s D.C. correspondent Edwin Pitti bemoaning the fact that Trump wants to remove men, “trans women” as they are called here, from the Smithsonian American Women’s Museum. EDWIN PITTI: The president wants museums to be aligned with his government. For example, in the case of the American Women's History Museum, Trump does not want them to recognize transgender women.  As I’ve often said with regards to Spanish-language news media: if your business model depends on a continuously broken border, your enterprise will align with politicians that can deliver that and you will eventually fall in line on everything else. This is how Univision ends up championing not just a broken border but abortion, gun confiscation, euthanasia, and now the Smithsonian’s inclusion of exhibits featuring “trans women” (or, to be more precise, MEN) in a women’s museum.  What is left out of these reports is often substantial- more so than what actually makes it in. Like in freshman year art class, when you get taught to look at the empty spaces. In this case, from the executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”: The forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum plans on celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women’s sports.  The report is also critical of what Trump wants to change at the National Museum of African American history. Again, from the executive order: The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”  These omissions strongly suggest that Pitti didn’t read the executive order prior to running with the story, instead going off of some activist’s one-pager. That reasonable theory gains credence when also considering that at no point does the executive order make reference to “progressive left ideology”. Throughout the EO we have references to ideology as “improper”, “improper partisan”, “corrosive”, and “divisive race-centered”, but none as “progressive left.” Either Pitti didn’t read the order or he thinks his viewers are morons. Or both. Missing from the report is the monstrosity derisively known as the “National Latinx Museum”, an absurdity intended to radicalize Hispanics and permanently alienate them from Mainstream America. None of that makes it into the report, intended to inflame and aggrieve but not actually inform.  Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on Noticiero Univision on Friday, March 28th, 2025: ILIA CALDERON: For more than 175 years, Smithsonian museums have documented American history in all its nuance, but now they are in the government's crosshairs. Edwin Pitti tells us why. EDWIN PITTI: “Restoring Truth and Sanity in American History.” That's the name of the executive order President Trump signed to purge the Smithsonian museums of a culture he says is divisive and anti-American. JUAN ELIEL GARCIA: No one can deny that the United States lived a very dark time when we were allowing and living with slaves. But we also have to recognize that this history is from the past. PITTI: The order asks Vice President JD Vance to eliminate from the 21 museums and 14 study centers an ideology that the White House calls “progressive left.” MARIBEL BALBIN: History is history. You can't erase history. The fact that those things are not happening in the horrible way that they were happening at that time does not mean that they do not, do not have to be studied. PITTI: The president wants museums to be aligned with his government. For example, in the case of the American Women's History Museum, Trump does not want them to recognize transgender women. And in the museum that tells the harsh history of African Americans, not to use narratives that divide the country. A very close source who holds a high position here at the National Museum of African American History tells me that what President Trump criticizes them for is something they published on their website, but he also tells me that they are not obligated to implement the changes that The White House wants, and it is for two reasons. The first is that many of the Smithsonian's employees do not work for the federal government, and also that much of its funding comes from private donations. SULMA ACEVEDO: No, I believe that museums should be preserved because that is the history of humanity at any time, so that should be preserved. No matter what.  CONSTANZA ZAMBRANO: Those who do not know their history will not be able to live correctly for the future. PITTI: The order says the Interior Secretary must repair federal property, parks and monuments, including statues of Confederate generals that had been removed. In Washington, D.C: Edwin Pitti. Univision. CALDERON: With all its nuances, but it is the history of this country.  

Sunday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend featured a clip from a town hall in Indiana's 5th Congressional District. In November, Trump and Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz carried the district handily: by 16 and 18 points, respectively. Yet the crowd overwhelmingly and raucously cheered the suggestion that the congresswoman should demand Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's resignation, given the Signal chat that mistakenly included a journalist.   Co-host Symone Sanders claimed the cheering people were district "constituents," and co-host Michael Steele took it a step further, saying they were Republicans. The show provided no evidence to support either statement. Did MSNBC make any effort to confirm the residence or registration of the crowd members? Hypocrisy-proof Steele concluded the segment by saying: "This sets up additional narratives, I think, for voters as well as journalists to dig a little bit deeper and find out a little bit more." Amen, Michael! Why don't you "dig a little deeper" and report back what percentage of the crowd were, as you and Sanders claimed, Republican constituents of the 5th district? Was this an authentic grassroots outpouring? Cause we're getting a whiff of astroturf! Here's the transcript.MSNBC The Weekend 3/30/25 8:00 am EDT SYMONE SANDERS: Donald Trump's Signal debacle is taking hold beyond the beltway. Everyday Americans are demanding action from Republican members of Congress, even as the president dismisses their concerns.  At a fiery town hall on Friday, voters urged Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz to demand the resignations of cabinet officials who discussed sensitive military movements on the unsecured messaging app Signal.  TOWNHALL AUDIENCE MEMBER: Won't you demand the resignation of Pete Hegseth? [The overwhelming majority of the crowd goes wild, cheering the suggestion.] SANDERS: I mean, Indiana's 5th Congressional District is not a bastion of a Democratic stronghold, if you will. Very red place.  Despite that spirited response from her constituents, though, Spartz said she would not call for resignations over the administration's recklessness. That falls right in line with what Trump just exclusively told our NBC News colleague Kristen Welker. Quote, I don't fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts.  What is the fake news and what is the witch hunt?  MICHAEL STEELE: [Laughs] Well, they're all the same. Look, we're in the childish game portion of all of this where, you know, Trump gets out and whines and stamps his feet and pouts and stomps and stamps, you know. And Republicans, you know, they wind up doing the same thing and looking very silly.  But the audience, that room of Republican voters in a red district have a different understanding of what they're seeing and witnessing from this administration, and they don't like it.  ALICIA MENENDEZ: It's interesting to me, too. I mean, the decision to talk about it at the town hall, obviously it came from the fact that voters brought it up, but the NRCC has issued guidance saying, don't touch this thing, stay on message. And and while she was not willing to call for his resignation, she also did not carry the water on the idea that this is this is trivial or unimportant.  SANDERS: Yes. Because people can again, the administration is asking you to ignore what you can see with your own eyes. STEELE: Right. SANDERS: And to ignore what what you believe in your own understanding. They're asking you to defy logic. And I think people should push back.  STEELE: And they are. And that's the best part of this.  And I think as this next week unfolds, this sets up additional narratives, I think, for voters as well as journalists to dig a little bit deeper and find out a little bit more. 

A Brennan-less Face the Nation means that there is a reduced potential for fireworks á la “I don’t care, Margaret”. But this doesn’t mean that Democrat talking points won’t get free reign, as demonstrated by substitute host Major Garrett’s interview of United Auto Workers Union president Shawn Fain. Watch as Garrett sets Fain up to bash President Donald Trump’s executive order curtailing or ending the unionization of federal employees: Hosting @FaceTheNation, @MajorCBS cues up a left-wing guest to agree with a left wing attack on a Trump policy: “Regards an effort by the Trump administration, through the President, to stop or certainly dramatically slow collective bargaining for federal workers. Randy Erwin,… pic.twitter.com/1RG1Vu1NoR — Brent Baker ???? ?? (@BrentHBaker) March 30, 2025 MAJOR GARRETT: I'll get back to the tariffs and autos in a second. But since you brought up this executive order, it regards an effort by the Trump administration, through the President, to stop- or certainly dramatically slow collective bargaining for federal workers. Randy Ervin [sic], who is currently the president of the National Federation of the Federal Employees, called it "the biggest assault on collective bargaining" he has ever seen. Do you agree with those sentiments? SHAWN FAIN: Exactly. I mean, spot on. Look, I remember when I was 12 years old when Reagan busted the PATCO workers, you know that was a massive issue back then and we've heard a lot of people talk about the labor-- GARRETT: The air traffic controllers union, yes-- FAIN:  Yes, yes. And you know that- that, you know, labor should have done more then. Look, this is 100 times worse than PATCO ever dreamed of being. The interview opened with discussion of the impact of tariffs on the domestic auto industry. Fain came out in support of these in principle, but lamented the idea that the jobs growth might come in states with right-to-work laws. This led to the histrionic exchange with Fain comparing Trump’s executive order to President Ronald Reagan’s firing of the striking air traffic controllers in 1980. Garrett then prompted Fain to comment on whether auto tariffs were an acceptable tradeoff to the rest of the parade of horribles that might be enacted by Trump, tiptoeing right to the edge of that language: GARRETT: So for those listening to you, Shawn, do you want them to conclude, well, if we get the tariffs and there are a few more auto jobs, it's worth all the other terrible- or maybe terrible- that's too strong a word, but all the other things you just talked about: Medicaid, free speech, collective bargaining, is that a deal that's worth them taking? FAIN: Not at all. Let me be clear about this, you know, because I think this is being misconstrued here, there's been no change in where we stand politically as a union, and where, you know, what our stance is. Look, we've been very clear since day one of my administration. You know, we have expectations. Endorsements are earned, but at the end of the day, like we're not, we know we're not partisan to any one- any one party here. This exchange requires viewers to suspend all disbelief, and pretend they didn’t see Fain acting like the Temu Hulk Hogan at the 2024 Democratic National Convention- where he quoted Nelly (“it’s getting hot in heeerrrrre”) took off his jacket mid-speech to reveal a “Trump is a Scab” t-shirt. Fain’s claims of nonpartisanship are a joke, eclipse only by Garrett’s absence of interest in challenging or pushing back on a liberal delivering liberal talking points. Brennan’s weekend off meant no fireworks at Face the Nation, but there was still plenty of cringe and pro-liberal solicitude. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, March 30th, 2025: MAJOR GARRETT: We go now to the president of the United Auto Workers Union, Shawn Fain. Shawn, it's great to have you with us. I appreciate the time. Let's start very simply on the question of tariffs on autos and auto parts. Fundamentally, and quite simply, why do you believe those are helpful for your membership? FAIN: Thanks for having me. Look, all you have to do is look at the history of the United States, especially in auto manufacturing in the last 30 years, with the inception of NAFTA and unfair trade laws. We've seen over 90,000 manufacturing facilities leave the United States. We've seen- in the Big Three alone, in the last 20 plus years, 65 plants have closed. You know- And so look, tariffs aren't the total solution. Tariffs are a tool in the toolbox to get these companies to do the right thing, and- and the intent behind it is to bring jobs back here. And, you know, invest in the American workers. The American working class people have been left behind for decades, and they're sick of it. You know, it's a massive struggle. People are struggling just to get- to survive right now, to get by. And so, you know- you know- you know, there's two parts to the tariffs though. I mean, the tariffs are a motivator. We have to fix the broken trade laws. And the other thing to me is, you know, these can't just be just, you know, as with the Biden administration, when they did the stuff for battery work and EV work, we had to come in and say, no, these can't just be union jobs or- or jobs. They got to be good paying union jobs that set standards. So the big part of this that gets left out a lot of times is, if they're going to bring jobs back here, you know, they need to be life sustaining jobs where people can make a good wage, a living wage, have adequate health care and have a retirement security and not have to work seven days a week or multiple jobs, just a scrape to get by, paycheck to paycheck.  GARRETT: Do you have assurances from the Trump administration as you dialogue with it about those things you just laid out, not just jobs, but a substantial wage, healthcare and the like? FAIN: I mean that- I mean that is the conversation we're having naturally. I mean, we, you know, that's- that's the part of this. I mean, look, I'll be honest with you, it's- every time we speak, we talk about bringing jobs back, about bringing the manufacturing base back in this country, you know. But you know, it doesn't do any good if they're going to locate them in places and they're not going to have the opportunity to have a union, you know. And so naturally, we have concerns. We have great concerns after- after what happened last night. You know, with the stroke of a marker, you know, Trump eliminated bargaining- or eliminated contracts for 700,000 federal workers. You know, we have- we have concerns with what's going on with our higher education sector that we represent. We have members who are being detained, you know, their right to free speech being violated. We have workers at the National Institute of Health that provide vital research, and that- that is for the betterment of the people. So, you know, we have big concerns with that. So naturally, yes, every time we talk about trade, talk about tariffs, it's an integral part of that, these have to be good paying union jobs.  GARRETT: I'll get back to the tariffs and autos in a second. But since you brought up this executive order, it regards an effort by the Trump administration, through the President, to stop- or certainly dramatically slow collective bargaining for federal workers. Randy Ervin [sic], who is currently the president of the National Federation of the Federal Employees, called it "the biggest assault on collective bargaining" he has ever seen. Do you agree with those sentiments? FAIN: Exactly. I mean, spot on. Look, I remember when I was 12 years old when Reagan busted the PATCO workers, you know that was a massive issue back then and we've heard a lot of people talk about the labor-- GARRETT: The air traffic controllers union, yes-- FAIN:  Yes, yes. And you know that- that, you know, labor should have done more then. Look, this is 100 times worse than PATCO ever dreamed of being. When you're talking, you know, 700,000 people, their contracts just being taken away. And so, you know, as I said, you know, free speech is under attack. Unions are under attack. You look at the changes to the NLRB, you look at the situation at the Department of Labor, Department of Education, you know, Veterans Affairs. I mean, why are all these things under attack? Medicare, Social Security. It's because, you know, billionaires want more tax cuts for themselves, and that we- it's been proven time and again that's not what works for America. That's not good for the American people. The working class people in America, they want their fair share. They're not asking to be rich. They just want a decent standard of living. And again, that goes back to what we call our four core issues. You know, living wages, adequate health care, retirement security and having some quality of life other than just everything revolving around work.  GARRETT: So for those listening to you, Shawn, do you want them to conclude, well, if we get the tariffs and there are a few more auto jobs, it's worth all the other terrible- or maybe terrible- that's too strong a word, but all the other things you just talked about: Medicaid, free speech, collective bargaining, is that a deal that's worth them taking? FAIN: Not at all. Let me be clear about this, you know, because I think this is being misconstrued here, there's been no change in where we stand politically as a union, and where, you know, what our stance is. Look, we've been very clear since day one of my administration. You know, we have expectations. Endorsements are earned, but at the end of the day, like we're not, we know we're not partisan to any one- any one party here. We expect, no matter what party someone comes from, to stand up for what we believe in. So just because we find common ground on tariffs or on trade doesn't mean that everything else goes out the window. It's despicable what happened last night. It's despicable some of the other things that are going on. Like I said, some of our members have been detained. You know, their jobs are being threatened, and it's unacceptable. So no, there is no trade off here, you know. So we- we continue to do what we do, and we have integrity. When we can- when we can work with a politician on an issue, and we get traction, we're going to work with them, but where we can't, we're going to be just as vocal.  GARRETT: Understood. Let's get back to the tariffs and the auto industry. Peter Navarro, a top adviser to the president on trade, says currently, automobile manufacturing plants are at about 60% capacity. He argues that there's lots of untapped capacity, meaning jobs could be created relatively easy, and you didn't have to need- you wouldn't need to spend two or three or maybe five years building new factories. Is that your understanding? Is that your belief? FAIN: It's- he's spot on. Look, we have a situation right now in Warren, Michigan where 2,000 workers were laid off this past year. They- they built the Ram truck there for years under Stellantis, and Stellantis made a decision to shift that production to Mexico. They could shift that work back in- in very short order and be producing Ram trucks right back there and put those people back to work. I was just at Volkswagen this week, you know, talking with workers down there that are trying to get their first contract, and the company announced a reduction of a shift. Meanwhile, you know, Volkswagen is the biggest violator of all. They- 75% of their production for the North American market is made in Mexico, so they can shift product there overnight. There's excess capacity. You know, we- people forget this lesson in World War II. The way that we- we formed the Arsenal of Democracy that won the war was, they took the excess capacity of all the automotive manufacturing plants in the country, and produced tanks and planes and bombs and engines and all those things. And it's no different right now. We have excess capacity. They could bring work back in very short order. And yes, they're- in a situation where they need to build a new plant, yeah, that's going to take a couple years, but- but there is plenty of opportunity for these companies to do the right thing and bring work back here overnight, just as quick as they shifted out of here.  GARRETT: And Shawn, for people who are listening to you, how do tariffs make that happen? How do- what is the relationship between a 20 or 25% tariff and getting that capacity back up to where you'd like it to see- you'd like to see it? FAIN: Well, because, like everything, the companies abuse the process. I mean, they- you know, they- they- they're in the pursuit of driving a race to the bottom. I mean, the tariffs are- you know, there was a major promise when NAFTA- and we go back to when NAFTA happened in 1992, the big debate, and- and Ross Perot talked about the giant sucking sound, that our manufacturing base was going to disappear. He was spot on, you know. And- and we saw what happened in the- in the ensuing 30 years. We see 90,000 plants leave. You know, like I said, we've seen 65 plants in the Big Three close. Look, right now, as we speak, in- in- in Wisconsin, we have a Deere plant threatening to be closed, and their work being- being threatened to go to Mexico. We have a heavy truck plant in- at Volvo, and Mack Truck in Pennsylvania being threatened to be taken to Mexico. There is plenty of opportunity, and that's the reality that- that we've seen here in America. So, tariffs are a tool in the toolbox. They're not the end all solution. We have to fix the broken trade system. But- but the way tariffs work, I mean, it's a motivator, because there's going to be a penalty for everything the companies ship in here, and I've had companies tell us, point blank, that they're going to have to bring product back here if those tariffs are implemented.  GARRETT: You mentioned NAFTA. Of course, NAFTA has been replaced by USMCA. And I well remember, and you might remember this, Shawn, January 2020, President Trump in the Rose Garden said the following: "USMCA is the largest, fairest, most balanced modern trade agreement ever achieved. It will add another 1.2% to our GDP, create countless new American jobs." Again, I'm quoting, "It will make our blue collar boom." Is USMCA a part of this problem, negotiated by President Trump? FAIN: Well, yes. I mean, USMCA, I mean, obviously there were changes made, there were- there were some improvements, but it didn't go far enough. There were still a lot of loopholes in it. And, you know, we- as a result of the- of the renegotiated NAFTA, you know, we still saw an increase in the deficit we have, especially with Mexico. But at the end of the day it's up for renegotiation next year. So nothing stops them from- from getting to work, you know, and we're right here. We're here every day. We've been very open with them about, we want to work with them. We want to find ways to fix the USMCA and- and fix the atrocities of NAFTA that the working class in this country have suffered and the communities in this country have suffered for decades.  GARRETT: Shawn, the market research firm Cox Automotive, for this year, is projecting 700,000 fewer cars will be produced and sold, because of consumer anxiety over sticky inflation, meaning persistent inflation, and nervousness about cost impacts of tariffs. If 700,000 cars, or trucks, fewer, are being made and sold, how does that help your workforce? FAIN: Well, it doesn't. But, you know, we need to be- we need to take a hard look at this, because those same- the same economists that are saying this now are the same ones in 1992 that said, overnight, when NAFTA was created, there would be 400,000 jobs created in America in the first year. We know what happened there. They got it wrong. And the interesting part to me- all this crying about the effects of- of tariffs, I find it interesting, because to me, this is just Wall Street. Now that Wall Street's upset about it, it's an issue. Where was Wall Street when- when all these manufacturing facilities have been leaving the country in the last 30 years? You know, interestingly enough, you know, automotive companies in the last three years, 2019- 2019 to 2023, they jacked up the price of vehicles 35% to 40% over that time frame. Not because of anything that happened, not because wages went up. It was just flat out price gouging to consumer and corporate greed. Where was the outcry then? They don't have to raise the price of vehicles a penny with these tariffs. It's a decision that the companies are making, and that lays straight in the hands of the- of the companies. GARRETT: The White House also says when it comes to the auto industry, currently, we are essentially an assembly auto industry, we don't make drive trains. We don't make the things within the car that have the most material value and the most worker involvement. A, is that true? And B, how does that change? FAIN: Well, it's somewhat true. There's been a huge shift in the last several decades, thanks to the unfair trade laws, where a lot of the, you know, the parts, the supply chain, the parts and the engines and transmissions have been sourced. But we still do produce those things. I can tell you where I come from, at Kokomo, Indiana. We still make the transmissions. We make engine blocks. We still produce engines here in Michigan, in the Big Three. So we still do some of that work. I mean, we've brought, you know, some of the battery work in thanks to the Biden administration and their plans with the IRA. I mean, so, you know, we're working on a lot of that work, you know. So that is powertrain type work, so the drive trains, things like that. But yes, a lot of that work was sourced, was casualties of NAFTA and broken trade laws. GARRETT: And when you think about the future of the auto industry for the next two or three years, does it survive without tariffs? FAIN: Like I said, I think tariffs are a tool in the toolbox. I think they're a initial motivator, but ultimately, we have to fix the broken trade laws in this country and any trade laws we have-  let's be clear about this. It has to have a social policy, and it's got to have a decent standard of living. It's got to have adequate health care for everyone. It's got to have retirement security for people when they're too old to work and too young to die, and it's got to have some quality of life initiatives into it, where people don't have to work around the clock and their life has to revolve around- around work. So, you know, there's a lot of things we have to fix to make it work. You know, and I want to make this clear. Mexican workers, they're not the enemy. They've been exploited for decades. You know, another promise of NAFTA was that it was going to raise the standard for everybody. The realization of that is the wages in America and the wages in Mexico were cut in half over the- over the last 30 years as a result of NAFTA. So it's driving a race to the bottom, and that's not going to work for anybody.  GARRETT: Shawn, your membership makes you powerful, so you associate with presidents. From your perspective, what's more valuable to your membership, a president who walks a picket line or imposes tariffs? FAIN: I mean, it's- it's- it's both. I mean, a president- ultimately, it's a president that supports organized labor and supports good working conditions and good safe jobs and good union contracts, and so that's the big concern right now. I mean, you know, while we applaud the shift with tariffs here under this administration, again, it's deplorable what happened last night with the stroke of a marker, you know, stripping away bargaining- stripping away contractual rights for hundreds of thousands of union workers, attacking the free speech of union workers. So, you know, and we can't stand for that. So like I said– (CROSSTALK) GARRETT: And how about changes at the National Labor Relations Board?  FAIN: --we do take this issue by issue.  GARRETT: How about changes at the National Labor Relations Board?  FAIN: I'm sorry?  GARRETT: How about changes at the National Labor Relations Board? Which would have to be there-- FAIN: Yeah exactly  GARRETT: --to safeguard the kind of things you want protected. (END CROSSTALK) FAIN: Yes, no. Every- everything, like I said. I mean, that's like, I've been very clear about this. Look, as I said, when we find something we agree with someone on that we can work with them on, we're going to work with them. But, but again, the list is very long, of things we don't agree on. I mean, all these attacks on Department of Labor, Department of Education, you know, the NLRB, you know, naturally with, you know, the cuts with the federal workers, the cuts with our- our higher ed workers, the attacks on our higher education workers on these college campuses, on their free speech, you know, again, on the National Institute of Health workers, those things are unacceptable. And yes, we- look, we're organizing right now, and these companies hire union busters. They break the law every day. Volkswagen's breaking the law as we speak. There's got to be mechanisms in place to hold them accountable. And when you weaken all those things, or you eliminate those things, obviously that's not going to be good.  GARRETT: Shawn, last question, our recent polling shows a five percent shift, five percent more Americans than in February fear a coming recession within the next year. Does your membership? FAIN: I mean, I think a lot of people are cautious right now. I mean, obviously there's a lot of uncertainty with what's going on. I mean, you know, when you are stripping bargaining rights and you're, you know, threatening to fire, you know, workers all over the country and fire federal workers, things like that. I mean, obviously there's a lot of concern.  GARRETT: FAIN, United Auto Workers President, thank you very, very much. FAIN:  Thank you for having us.  GARRETT: And we'll be back in just a moment.  

The late, great Andrew Breitbart forcefully and repeatedly made the case that “politics is downstream from culture.” CBS’s extended whine session over the Trump takeover of the Kennedy Center proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Breitbart was ultimately right. Watch as former CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell sits stolidly while the former artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra decries the “authoritarian instinct” compelling the Kennedy Center takeover (click “expand” to view transcript): CBS’s @NorahODonnell takes on Trump at @KenCen. Ben Folds: “There is an instinct, an authoritarian instinct, that is true in all authoritarian times in history. Take control of the culture. Take control of the arts. Early on.” O’Donnell on @CBSSunday: “What’s the hardest part… pic.twitter.com/tj1wUksCkd — Brent Baker ???? ?? (@BrentHBaker) March 30, 2025 NORAH O’DONNELL: Musician Ben Folds is among those who resigned after serving as the artistic advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra, part of the Kennedy Center. BEN FOLDS: Let's say I get in, uh, an artist that has different views than the president. Do they feel safe being themselves? Do they feel safe saying what they believe? They're not political shows, but this is, you can express what you'd like to. O’DONNELL: And you think that's no longer the case? FOLDS: Well, I suspect it's no longer the case. There is an instinct, an authoritarian instinct, that is true in all authoritarian times in history. Take control of the culture. Take control of the arts. Early on. O’DONNELL: We reached out to The White House and Kennedy Center for this story. No one responded to our request for interviews.  What's the hardest part about all this? DEBORAH RUTTER: I think the sting is the disregard for expertise and experience. And we were working towards something extraordinary. O’DONNELL: Now, Deborah Rutter says she hopes the institution's founding message isn't forgotten. RUTTER: I often go back to Eisenhower's words, and then Kennedy's words, to think about, who are we? What do we do? We believe that all of Americans should be seen and should feel welcome at the Kennedy Center. The most galling quote of the interview, undoubtedly, is that “authoritarianism” crack. The takeover of each of our institutions by the radical left concluded with the takeover of culture that championed the destructive rise of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States. What we are seeing now is the beginning of a course correction that seeks to bring culture back in line with our politics. Whining about “authoritarianism” is little more than lefty elites’ displaced mourning at the fact that their “authoritarians” are no longer in charge. Case in point: the report mentions Hamilton producers refusing to perform at the Kennedy Center subsequent to Trump’s takeover. Not mentioned: the Hamilton cast berating then-Vice President Elect Mike Pence in New York. Their whining about politics is hypocritical. O’Donnell’s platforming of this nonsense might play among the D.C. chattering classes and in Georgetown cocktail parties, but falls flat among the the rest of America that is sick and tired of having their noses rubbed in entertainment featuring elites’ fetish of the day. If only Andrew were here to see this. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on CBS Sunday Morning on March 30th, 2025: JANE PAULEY: This morning, Norah O'Donnell takes a closer look at those sweeping changes afoot for a storied Washington institution.  DONALD TRUMP: So do you want a little picture like this? NORAH O’DONNELL: President Trump is taking center stage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. TRUMP: We make a lot of changes, including the seats, the decor. Pretty much everything. Needs a lot of work. O’DONNELL: He's directing many of those changes as the new chairman of the board. Out are all of President Joe Biden's appointees, replaced with Trump allies. TRUMP: It is a very big part of the fabric of Washington, D.C. And we're going to make our capital great again, just like we're going to make our country great again. O’DONNELL: The Trump White House says an overhaul is needed because the marquee arts center is, quote, “woke and broke.”  Is the Kennedy Center broke? DEBORAH RUTTER: The Kennedy Center has the most complicated financial model, and that is true of every nonprofit arts organization. We did a lot of really great things that I really love… O’DONNELL: Last month, Deborah Rutter was fired as president of the Kennedy Center after serving for more than a decade. The institution has a budget of $268 million, with 43 million from the federal government. In 2023, it had a $6 million surplus. Is the Kennedy Center supposed to be a money making, profitable enterprise? RUTTER: Right. We're a non profit organization. The answer is no. It's not intended to make money. O’DONNELL: Its budget comes mostly from donations. Billionaire businessman and former chairman David Rubenstein has given more than $100 million. He, too, was fired last month. RUTTER: To have us both leaving at the same time does cause me some worry because of the sense of understanding of structure, decision making, how we go about interpretating(sic) our mission, um, all of those kinds of things. JOHN F. KENNEDY: Art knows no national boundaries. O’DONNELL: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was founded in 1971 as a national cultural center and memorial to president John F. Kennedy. Its annual honors ceremony, which airs on CBS, features the best in music, theater and dance. But now conservatives charge it's too liberal, highlighting three drag events last year. Was it a mistake to host drag shows? RUTTER: I don't think so. I believe that everybody in America has the opportunity to be seen, and to be seen at your national cultural center. The shows that he's referring to are three of the 2,000 performances that take place at the Kennedy Center. O’DONNELL: What do you think the focus on those three shows was about? RUTTER: I cannot actually imagine. Drag has been around for centuries. Shakespeare performed in drag. The original Shakespeare. O’DONNELL: President Trump boycotted the Kennedy Center honors during his first term, after criticism from honorees like Norman Lear. So what does the new chairman have planned now? In audio obtained by Sunday Morning, he suggests a new host. TRUMP: A king of ratings. Right. Whether we like it or not, the king of ratings. So if I was the host of the honors, and we'll go slightly more conservative, if you don't mind, with some of the people. O’DONNELL: What kind of people does President Trump want to honor? PAOLO ZAMPOLI: They were mentioning a list of people. I remember the name of Pavarotti, I remember the name of Andrea Bocelli. They wanted to do about- something about Elvis Presley. O’DONNELL: Paolo Zampoli, longtime friend of the president, has been on the board since 2020.  What kind of ideas do you have to make the Kennedy Center better? ZAMPOLI: Well, we're, uh, in the Potomac River. We could have a little marina where in the weekend, boats can come there. Nice cafes. Nice location where they can spend the weekend there and make it like a destination. Other things that I suggested is to branch franchises around the world. O’DONNELL: Another idea? Sending art to the International Space Station. ZAMPOLI: My idea was to have, um, not Michelangelo, not Picasso, but, you know, living contemporary artists to create this very small piece of art. One can be displayed inside the ISS, one can be thrown in low orbit, that can circulate in the orbit and one can be auctioned, on the ground of the Kennedy Center because they need to raise money. O’DONNELL: There are some artists who feel like they won't be welcome at the Kennedy Center. Artists who are gay or lesbian, LGBTQ. ZAMPOLI: I don't think, uh, the president have anything against these kind of people. I don't understand what this distinct inclusion or this woke- this- the Kennedy Center is acceptable for everybody and has to represent the agenda of America. O’DONNELL: Not everyone agrees. One thing you won't see is the musical Hamilton. Producers canceled shows after President Trump became chairman. TRUMP: I never liked Hamilton very much and, uh, I never liked it. O’DONNELL: There have been several other high profile cancellations and resignations. The vice president was even booed at a recent performance.  You were a part of the Kennedy Center leadership during the first Trump administration. BEN FOLDS: That's right. O’DONNELL: And was there any involvement in politics then? FOLDS: Never saw anything like this, no. This is new, and it was quite sudden. O’DONNELL: Musician Ben Folds is among those who resigned after serving as the artistic advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra, part of the Kennedy Center. FOLDS: Let's say I get in, uh, an artist that has different views than the president. Do they feel safe being themselves? Do they feel safe saying what they believe? They're not political shows, but this is, you can express what you'd like to. O’DONNELL: And you think that's no longer the case? FOLDS: Well, I suspect it's no longer the case. There is an instinct, an authoritarian instinct, that is true in all authoritarian times in history. Take control of the culture. Take control of the arts. Early on. O’DONNELL: We reached out to The White House and Kennedy Center for this story. No one responded to our request for interviews.  What's the hardest part about all this? RUTTER: I think the sting is the disregard for expertise and experience. And we were working towards something extraordinary. O’DONNELL: Now, Deborah Rutter says she hopes the institution's founding message isn't forgotten. RUTTER: I often go back to Eisenhower's words, and then Kennedy's words, to think about, who are we? What do we do? We believe that all of Americans should be seen and should feel welcome at the Kennedy Center.  

In their eagerness to play up the recent Signal chat affair for all they possibly could, CNN News Central made what just might have been the worst available choice on Capitol Hill to pontificate on national security. On Friday, they invited Rep. Eric Swalwell (D- CA), to do so, ignoring the fact that he himself had been the subject of a humiliating national security scandal, and also revealed a hypocritical double standard regarding the use of Signal specifically for sensitive communications. After the two indulged in some stock accusations of Trump treating the world like a “Risk board,” John Berman then raised the subject of the Signal group chat affair, which for the previous few days had been almost all the liberal media had wanted to talk about. He asked Swalwell, “As you look to the future- and you serve on all kinds of committees that deal with the military, and in the past, in intelligence- what do you think the impact will be from this going forward?” Swalwell had indeed served on the House Intelligence Committee, but the elephant in the room that Berman completely ignored was that while on that committee Swalwell himself had been responsible for a high-profile national security breach, when it turned out that he was dating a woman named Fang Fang who was exposed as a spy for Communist China. Nevertheless, as though Swalwell was well-qualified to get high and mighty about national security, Berman let him vent about the current matter: [E]very member of Congress- at least on our side- should ask every intelligence official and every military official when they appear under oath before Congress, ‘are you using signal chat?’... This was a military strike with no security awareness as to who was in the chat. And by the way, John, the American people are not going to be gaslit about this. They know that anyone else… if they had done this, they'd be gone. They'd lose access to any classified information. They'd never be able to work in the government again. And that's why Pete Hegseth and Mike Waltz should no longer be in the government, and it's just a complete lack of accountability that Donald Trump is showing by keeping them.     True to form for CNN, Berman seemed completely oblivious to the irony of someone like Swalwell feeling entitled to run his mouth about “lack of accountability,” but, in fact, the reference to gaslighting in this very context was rich for CNN as well. In the defamation case of Zachary Young v. CNN, which CNN had lost earlier that year, CNN’s own reporter Katie Bo Lillis had testified that she herself used the Signal app, with a one-week deletion timer installed, as a security precaution. This illustrated the point that, at very least, the use of apps such as Signal was not itself an extreme or unusual thing for persons responsible for sensitive information. The network’s chief national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt also used Signal to communicate. It was a point which also came up during the trial. CNN had suffered a spectacular defeat in that case as the world looked on, but that had seemingly done nothing to boost their self-awareness.  To view full transcript, click "expand" to read: CNN News Central 03/28/2025 9:10: AM [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: VP VANCE, SECOND LADY USHA VANCE ON CONTROVERSIAL TRIP TO GREENLAND] JOHN BERMAN: With us now is Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us.  REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D- CA.): Yeah. BERMAN: And just one quick question on Greenland. One other thing that happened since when this trip was originally announced, when it was just the second lady, and now- SWALWELL: Yeah- BERMAN: -Is the whole Signal scandal.  SWALWELL: Yep. BERMAN: And I wonder if the vice president's decision to go, if you think that was somehow affected by that? [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: VP VANCE LEADS TRIP TO GREENLAND AMID SIGNAL CHAT FALLOUT] SWALWELL: Why is J.D. Vance in Greenland?  Greenlanders don't want J.D. Vance in Greenland, and Americans don't want him there.  I mean, he should go to Greensboro, or Green Bay, and go to a supermarket and see what is really- you know- crunching and hurting everyday Americans right now.  This is just so insulting to the rest of the world. And we're losing alliances the way we treat other countries like some Risk- you know- game board.  And I've met in the last couple of weeks with Canadians, with members of the European Parliament, and they're telling me, it may take generations and- in our lifetime, we may not see the damage undone that this kind of nonsense is doing to us in the world. BERMAN: I do want to talk about Signal and the group chat and the continued fallout from that. As you look to the future- and you serve on all kinds of committees that deal with the military, and in the past, in intelligence- what do you think the impact will be from this going forward? SWALWELL: Well, I want to know, are they going to continue to use this type of chat environment for future operations? No one has answered that.  And every member of Congress- at least on our side- should ask every intelligence official and every military official when they appear under oath before Congress, ‘are you using signal chat?’  And by the way, DOGE- these guys are obsessed with deleting jobs. Maybe there's one job they should create- someone to monitor who's in the group chat. BERMAN: You know, it's interesting, when the Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, was on TV last night, and [sic.] she actually said that she thinks Signal is secure and that maybe there will be chats- she didn't specify chats dealing with military attacks- but there would be government-related chats that take place on it going forward. SWALWELL: That's fine. There's a lot of- you know- different apps that you can use to make us efficient. This was a military strike with no security awareness as to who was in the chat.  [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: AG PAM BONDI DOWNPLAYS SIGNAL CHAT ON YEMEN STRIKES] And by the way, John, the American people are not going to be gaslit about this. They know that anyone else in the military, anyone else in the intelligence community- if they had done this, they'd be gone. They'd lose access to any classified information. They'd never be able to work in the government again.  And that's why Pete Hegseth and Mike Waltz should no longer be in the government, and it's just a complete lack of accountability that Donald Trump is showing by keeping them. BERMAN: Roger Wicker, the Senate chair of the Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed, the minority ranking member there, have written a letter, asking for an inspector general report at the Pentagon into this- SWALWELL: Going nowhere- BERMAN: -Is that enough? SWALWELL: It will go absolutely nowhere. And Republicans will do nothing. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: AG SUGGESTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL WIN CASES BEFORE SUPREME COURT] They're just going to shrink, hide under the bed, just like they always do.  And by the way, inspectors general were completely fired by Donald Trump. So these are his people, who will investigate him.  So it's going to really be on Democrats in Congress to hold them accountable as much as possible, people like Democracy Forward and Mark Elias in the courts, who are pressing- you know- to get as much information about this- hold on tight, keep democracy alive until the midterms, win in the midterms, and cut our hell in half. That's the plan for the next year-and-a-half.