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Former President Donald Trump has quite a bit working against him as he seeks the presidency for a second term.
Rampant lawfare, biased media and a sudden change in chief political rival (Vice President Kamala Harris overtook the Democratic ticket from incumbent President Joe Biden in late July) have all presented their own unique challenges to Trump.
But there’s also plenty working in favor of the former president.
Twenty-four of the things working in favor of Trump were chronicled by noted pollster Nate Silver, who noted that the former president has erased Harris’ lead.
“Donald Trump has been gaining ground,” Silver assessed.
The prominent data guru took to his site and listed out 24 factors — “factors that have historically determined elections,” per Silver — favoring Trump in the lead-up to the Nov. 5 general election, and it’s a fascinating read if for only how apolitical all of the observations are.
The first factor Silver called out was the fact that while Harris is enjoying a slim lead in the popular vote, the far more meaningful electoral college vote does her no such favors. He noted that “Electoral College bias favors Republicans by about 2 percentage points.”
The second factor involved the still-high inflation levels and how “sensitive” voters generally are to the issue of it.
The third factor piggybacked off of the second point and was basically Silver saying that while the data may show a recovering economy, consumers are not feeling it practically.
Factors four and five were also related, as they had to do with how incumbents are generally doing poorly across global elections and the role that growing populism played in those elections.
Factor six was a familiar cry: illegal immigration and all the ways that the Biden-Harris administration has seen numbers surge under its watch.
Factor seven was how Harris doesn’t have enough time (or an inability) to explain why she has flip-flopped on a number of critical issues, such as fracking.
Factors eight, nine, ten and eleven all involved societal sentiment, as Silver noted that “cultural vibes” are shifting right, voters are waxing nostalgic for Trump’s presidency, and that Democrats are losing their once-dominating grip on black voters. Silver added that many young male voters, in particular, are feeling lost and drifting away from voting Democrat.
The twelfth factor called out that one of Harris’ best attacks against Trump — namely, attacking his age — is completely neutered because of her predecessor’s previous commitment to seeking re-election (Biden would’ve been 86 had he seen a second presidential term through).
Interestingly, the thirteenth factor was actually viewed as an advantage for Harris by some. Specifically, Silver said that Harris’ truncated presidential election season means that she has less time to fix any issues with her campaign. Many of Harris’ staunchest critics have actually argued that the shortened period of time benefits Harris, as she simply has less time to make errors.
Factor 14 noted that Harris was a woman (an apparent detriment to the voting bloc), and factor 15 noted that the highly polarized nature of the media makes it virtually impossible for any good faith criticism of Trump to rise above the static.
The sixteenth factor was a bit of a backhanded compliment, as Silver effectively stated that Trump was a good conman, which obviously would have its uses in a political election.
Factors 17 and 18 both continued the focus on Trump, as those two factors noted that the former president had been better at cultivating “weird” or oddball electorate groups, while concerns about the Jan. 6 Capital incursion continue to fall on deaf ears.
Factors 19 and 20 involved foreign relations, as Silver noted that the world has inarguably gotten more unstable under Biden’s regime. The data guru added that the Israel-Hamas conflict has also divided the Democratic voter base like very little before it.
Factors 21 and 22 involved powerful endorsements that Trump has gotten, including from heavyweight third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and tech mogul Elon Musk.
The final two factors were a bit more abstract.
First, Silver recounted how Trump has generally maximized the political potential of a failed assassination attempt, of which the president has survived two of recently. That’s one issue that Harris can literally do nothing about.
Finally, Silver called out Harris for mostly “running on vibes” and noting that she has “failed to articulate a clear vision for the country.”
Laid out in this fashion, it’s clear that both Harris and Trump have quite a bit of work cut out for them ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Prominent Polling Analyst Nate Silver Lists 24 Factors Pointing to a Trump Victory appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
There’s no crying or whining in football.
… Unless your coach is Democratic vice presidential nominee and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (whose football coaching career appears to be one of the few things the factually-challenged Walz has been honest about).
Walz — the oddball running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris — appeared on screeching daytime talkshow “The View” on Monday and pontificated in much the way one would expect him to.
Namely, he spewed half-truths, outright lies, and regurgitated talking points.
But Walz unveiled a new ploy from his bag of tricks, as well: He unveiled an impressive bit of whining that would belie his age (60).
In this particular instance of a fully-grown man channeling his inner sniveling child, Walz took issue with, of all things, a rather harmless campaign stunt from the team of former President Donald Trump — the GOP presidential nominee.
On Sunday, Trump donned the iconic apron of McDonald’s fast food workers and helped serve some fries to appreciative customers in Pennsylvania.
It was, quite literally, as benign of a campaign “stunt” imaginable — the kind that countless other campaigns have done beforehand — but that didn’t stop Walz from whining over barely comprehensible reasons on “The View.”
The show shared the viral clip below, and please keep in mind that Walz is ostensibly a fully-grown adult:
Gov. @Tim_Walz: “[Vice Pres. Harris] actually worked in a McDonald’s. She didn’t go and pander and disrespect McDonald’s workers by standing there in your red tie and take a picture. [Trump’s] policies are the ones that undermine those very workers that were in that McDonald’s.” pic.twitter.com/axYqbAOILo
— The View (@TheView) October 21, 2024
Walz, after trotting out the exhausted talking point that Trump’s family is wealthy (as if that somehow precludes a person from empathizing with others), tried to pivot to compare how both he and Harris are actually blue-collar.
“Vice President Harris and I grew up middle-class. We understand [the struggle],” Walz said without a hint of irony. “She actually worked at a McDonald’s. She didn’t go and pander and disrespect McDonald’s workers by standing there in your tie and take a picture.”
This writer would be remiss not to mention that plenty of McDonald’s managers — people in the daily grind — can also wear ties to work, but that’s neither here nor there.
What is more relevant is this absurd notion that Walz is some arbiter of respect and deference when it comes to routine campaign trail stops. Everyone, from Walz’s own Democrats to Trump’s Republicans to whomever’s Green Party/Libertarian grift, does this sort of token photo-op appearance. It’s a total non-issue that Walz is throwing a bizarre tantrum over.
Who is he to call this “disrespect” when it appeared that everyone involved in the stop seemed cool with it?
But perhaps more importantly — and perhaps unsurprisingly — it appears Walz was caught parroting a highly dubious talking point again.
Namely, the talking point that Harris is some middle-class hero who worked her way up from a humble McDonald’s fry cook.
As The Washington Free Beacon broke down in late August, Harris’ sudden claims on the presidential campaign trail that she had to “toil beneath the Golden Arches” is based on very little actual evidence. In fact, she had never mentioned it until Joe Biden was forcibly removed from power stepped down from his re-election bid.
So the factually challenged Walz was peddling a dubious talking point from an even more dubious presidential candidate? Something something birds of a feather, right?
Thankfully, based on some new polling, it appears the American public is starting to catch on to this diabolical duo’s serpentine lies. Good.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Tim Walz Can’t Help but Whine About Donald Trump’s McDonald’s Visit While on ‘The View’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Many blessings to the Trump family!
In the midst of a hotly contested presidential election, former President Donald Trump — the Republican nominee for president — shared some big family news about his least visible child.
While Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and even Barron have generally been up-front and center in various capacities for their father, Tiffany Trump hasn’t been nearly as public as her half-siblings.
(The eldest of Trump’s children, Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka, are from his first marriage with Ivana Trump. Tiffany came from Trump’s second marriage to Marla Maples, while Barron — the youngest — comes from Trump’s current marriage to Melania.)
That’s not to say that she’s completely stayed away from politics, but Tiffany has never been quite as involved in her father’s politics as Trump’s other children — and it’s probably going to stay that way for a while.
And that’s because Tiffany Trump is pregnant with her first child, according to the former president himself.
Donald Trump made the celebratory announcement while speaking in Detroit.
“Trump was delivering remarks at the Detroit Economic Club when he recognized several guests in the crowd, including businessman Massad Boulos, who is Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law,” reported The Hill.
Trump casually dropped the news while lauding Tiffany’s marriage to Boulos’ son, Michael.
“He happens to be the father of Tiffany’s husband, Michael, who’s a very exceptional young guy,” Trump said. “And she’s an exceptional young woman.
“And she’s going to have a baby. So that’s nice.”
That is nice, but little else is known about the first child of Tiffany Trump, 30, and Michael Boulous, 27. The two married in 2022, well after Tiffany’s brief stint in the public political eye was over.
(Tiffany Trump’s only political appearance of note was speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention, according to The Hill.)
Tiffany’s child will be Donald Trump’s 11th grandchild. Don Jr. and his ex-wife have five children, Ivanka and Jared Kushner have three children, and Eric and Lara Trump have two children.
It is worth noting that while Tiffany Trump has been the least associated with her father’s politics, that doesn’t mean the father isn’t still fiercely protective of his daughter.
One of Tiffany Trump’s most viral headlines actually had very little to do with her, but in late 2019, it was reported that Trump actually fired a personal assistant who disparaged his daughter.
Specifically, the assistant claimed that Trump didn’t want to take public photos with Tiffany because she was “overweight.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Trump Drops Major Announcement Regarding His Daughter During Detroit Speech appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Turns out that even in the face of unmitigated disaster and tragedy, good men can still step up — and with some humor in their hearts, as well.
As the American southeast continues to grapple with the debilitating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many eyes have turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see how the government organization would respond to this catastrophe.
Helene’s damage was a multi-state affair, starting in Florida and moving up the east coast through Georgia and Tennessee, ending up in North Carolina.
And it’s in the Tar Heel State that this story of good men with a sense of humor originates.
Asheville, North Carolina, continues to grapple with the cataclysmic fallout from Helene, with much of the city still looking like a ravaged war zone, weeks after the devastating storm hit.
“I’ve never seen devastation like this.” Cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in Asheville, North Carolina, after catastrophic flooding from Helene. pic.twitter.com/4wA33g7VLB
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 30, 2024
Compounding matters, the scrutinized FEMA appears too overwhelmed to offer consistent, expedited assistance to the swathes of Americans who need it.
Money and other issues appear to have hamstrung the government arm — prompting everyday Americans to pick up the slack.
Which brings this story back to North Carolina, where a group described by the New York Post as a “homegrown rescue and supply operation” is doing what FEMA is apparently incapable of doing.
The operation is running out of a Harley-Davidson dealership and is being overseen by people with some impressive military backgrounds.
Take retired Green Beret Adam Smith, for instance, who had a biting two-word response when asked by the Post about FEMA.
“Who’s FEMA?” Smith responded.
A clearly unsatisfied Smith added, “This disaster has definitively proven without a shadow of a doubt FEMA’s incompetence and incapability.”
Smith and crew are reportedly using “a fleet of 35 helicopters that have flown hundreds of rescue, reconnaissance and resupply sorties.” The aircraft are privately owned.
The Post noted that FEMA arrived nearly a week after a storm that had killed at least 232 people — with nearly half of that total coming from North Carolina.
Special ops vets form homegrown ‘Redneck Air Force’ to ferry aid into NC mountains after feds come up short: ‘Who’s FEMA?’ https://t.co/O7L2NncY2y pic.twitter.com/g2NbBp0w9s
— New York Post (@nypost) October 7, 2024
While these men are operating with deadly efficiency — as is warranted — they’re also doing so with a smile on their faces, mostly due to the nickname bestowed upon the group.
While referred to by some as the “Savage Freedoms Relief Operation,” Smith and others enjoy a different name given to the outfit: the “Redneck Air Force.”
Of course, the “Redneck Air Force” is hardly the only civilian-run operation doing charitable work.
Retired NASCAR star Greg Biffle was lauded for piloting aid to people in need with his own “ceaseless heroic efforts.”
FEMA or no, the American spirit of camaraderie is alive and well, if men like Biffle and Smith are anything to go by.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post ‘Redneck Air Force’ Reportedly Steps Up After FEMA’s Lackluster Response to Helene appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Regardless of how connected the matters actually are, critics of artificial intelligence are going to have a field day with this one.
According to a Monday report from Deadline, major Hollywood heavyweight Lionsgate Studios is offering its U.S.-based employees “voluntary severance” and early retirement options as the company continues to restructure amid a turbulent industry landscape.
Deadline obtained a memo from Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, confirming the news.
“We are offering Lionsgate U.S.-based employees a voluntary severance and early retirement program that will allow us to adapt our workforce to the disrupted business environment,” Feltheimer wrote in the memo.
As to just how “voluntary” these severance options are, Deadline noted, “as these things go, layoffs could be a next step depending upon how many staffers take up the packages, which are focused at Lionsgate Studios.”
Deadline attributed a number of reasons for why the Hollywood studio — known for some blockbuster franchises like “John Wick,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Saw” — decided to start down this path.
A “contracting media and entertainment landscape” is one reason given, as is the studio’s business dealings, like when it “absorbed” eOne (now Lionsgate Canada).
Another recent business dealing that Lionsgate was in the headlines for? An unprecedented deal with Runway, a “first-of-its-kind”deal that was reported on by the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 18.
That deal, which gave Runway’s generative AI models nebulous and wide-reaching powers over Lionsgate’s content library, was met with a less-than-enthused response from onlookers.
One common critique is that Hollywood isn’t as worried about AI stealing copyrighted material as it is of having its own AI doing its bidding.
Over a year ago, I told you that I assumed the studios were NOT sending lawyers to the #AI companies over their models injesting their copyrighted films, because they wanted their own custom versions.
Well, here you go. https://t.co/t21mtqEGT8 pic.twitter.com/eucJw709sK— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) September 18, 2024
Others, perhaps presciently, were more worried about whatever jobs that AI would take from workers in the entertainment industry.
Ok people, tell me generative AI won’t take filmmaking jobs again now Lionsgate has a deal with Runway AI. This isn’t going to stop and it is only going to speed up.
— Gavin Michael Booth (@GavinBooth) September 18, 2024
“This isn’t going to stop and it is only going to speed up,” filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth lamented on social media shortly after the WSJ report came out.
Now, it is worth mentioning that Deadline is reporting that these severance options have reportedly “been in the works for some time and are not related to the company’s recent bum box office run — although that likely hasn’t helped.”
That, in turn, does beg the question: If these weren’t spontaneous reactions, were the AI deal and other similar business dealings meant to help mitigate the inevitable transition from “voluntary severance” options to involuntary ones?
The truth of the matter may never come to light, but the timing of these reports naturally lends itself to murmurs and hearsay.
And that’s the last thing an already struggling studio needs.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Major Hollywood Studio Offering US Workers ‘Voluntary Severance’ and Early Retirement After AI Deal Announced: Report appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Considering the laundry list of historic NBA accomplishments under his belt, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James still faces plenty of criticism.
From whining to referees about missed calls, to treating fans poorly, to fostering a reputation for himself as a “coach–killer,” James’ critics often have no shortage of things to point to when condemning the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
And that assessment is completely ignoring James’ off-the-court political takes.
One particular criticism that has dogged James since he was a standout high school phenom in Ohio? James is a bit of a narcissist.
The root of those accusations stems from things like James christening himself “King James” and “The Chosen One” as basketball nicknames.
(As is the case in real life, nicknames are better accepted when bestowed upon you, not self-anointed.)
Those criticisms were dredged up anew after James gave an interview with Esquire magazine that was published Sept. 26.
The wide-ranging interview covered a number of topics, including James’ partnership with famed cognac maker Hennessy, the forthcoming NBA season and James’ fashion sense.
The interview also broached the supernova stardom of WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark.
The precocious Indiana Fever star was just recently eliminated from the WNBA playoffs (battle scars and all), but James had nothing but complimentary things to say about her … and himself.
“One thing I like about your social-media presence is that you come across as a real sports fan, like a regular guy in a lot of ways,” Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe told James. “I’ve seen you tweeting in appreciation of Caitlin Clark.
“What’s your take on her rookie season and watching the WNBA this year?”
James responded, but it didn’t take long for him to pivot the answer back to glorifying his own career.
“I have a great deal of respect for Caitlin Clark because I know exactly what it means to be drafted, be the face of a franchise, and also get the scrutiny from a lot of people that don’t believe you’re ready for the next jump, don’t believe you’re ready for the big leagues, and just don’t think that you belong,” James answered.
“And I remember that when I came into the league at 18 years old, how many people doubted me and hoped and prayed that I’d fail,” James said, comparing Clark’s critics to his own.
Note that James again pivoted from “because” to “I” as he continued to discuss Clark.
“And so, me watching Caitlin and seeing what she’s doing, I’ve been in support of her since day one, because I remember myself going through that, and she has my support 100 percent,” James said. “She’s a transcendent player.”
Even then, James wanted to make sure to point out that he knew Clark was going to be great.
“And obviously we all saw that at Iowa, and I knew that it would translate to the big leagues,” James said. “And she’s an unbelievable talent. It’s great to watch.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Vintage LeBron: Boastful NBA Star Makes a Caitlin Clark Compliment All About Himself appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
It’s not fair to the hard-working women — emphasis on that last word — in the highly competitive world of collegiate volleyball, but progress sometimes requires sacrifice.
It’s just wild that, in 2024, “progress” involves putting mediocre men into women’s sports.
On Tuesday, the University of Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team announced that it would not face off with San Jose State University in a scheduled match-up slated for Saturday.
“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San José State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5,” the Tuesday announcement read. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming.”
While the school didn’t state why, the 9-4 Cowgirls are almost assuredly eating that loss on Saturday to protest the fact that San Jose State deploys a transgender female, Blaire Fleming.
Fleming, born a male, has been a dominant star in women’s volleyball, helping lead San Jose to a perfect 9-0 record.
Here’s the San Jose state university “women’s” volleyball team. Take a close look at the muscle development of the legs in this picture. Boise State is doing the right thing refusing to play. pic.twitter.com/fk9pH6NRM0
— Justin (@justin323032) September 28, 2024
But that stardom and perfect record have come under intense scrutiny for obvious reasons.
Look, whatever one may think of transgenderism, it’s difficult to make any sort of cogent argument about how it’s fair for men — who are naturally stronger, bigger and faster — to compete with women.
In fact, there’s ample evidence that men facing women in sports is outright dangerous for the latter.
Given all that, how can anyone fault Wyoming for joining two other schools in refusing to play San Jose State?
As OutKick noted, Wyoming now joins Boise State and Southern Utah as institutions of higher learning who actually exhibited higher learning in refusing to acknowledge this sham of a debacle. All three schools willingly ate losses just to (probably) make a statement about men competing in women’s sports.
San Jose State, for its part, is whining about the decision — not exactly a shocker for a school that thinks men can cosplay women via drugs and surgery.
“It is disappointing that our SJSU student athletes, who are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations, are being denied opportunities to compete,” the school emailed to OutKick.
“We are committed to supporting our student-athletes through these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment,” the school added, in a genuine “Sure, Jan”-meme moment.
One prominent figure who supports Wyoming’s decision (and use of language skirting the actual matter)? The Equality State’s Republican governor, Mark Gordon:
I am in full support of the decision by @wyoathletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State. It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics.
— Governor Mark Gordon (@GovernorGordon) October 1, 2024
“I am in full support of the decision by [the Wyoming volleyball team] to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State,” Gordon posted to social media platform X on Tuesday. “It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics.”
Indeed, it is very important — but that doesn’t make it any more fair.
At the end of the day, it’s utterly indefensible and ridiculous that the lady volleyball players of Wyoming, Boise State and Southern Utah are actively paying a price to denounce delusion. It feels entirely backwards that these (actual) ladies are suffering because a school wants to entertain and glorify gender dysphoria.
And yet, this may be the only way to truly affect change. More and more women need to outright refuse to compete in these sham events allowing men to masquerade as women.
Don’t indulge that nonsense and ignore it for what it isn’t.
It’s absolutely outrageous that these brave women and schools have to eat a technical loss for doing so.
But in the court of public opinion, this is a mighty fine win.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post NCAA Women’s Volleyball Team Becomes Third to Refuse to Face Undefeated Team Led by Trans Player appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Some may dismiss this as little more than a son’s frustration, but Donald Trump Jr. is spot-on with his critique of a “reckless” decision from President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.
In a Monday report from the Daily Wire, Trump excoriated the DOJ’s decision to release a deranged letter from would-be presidential assassin, Ryan Wesley Routh.
On Sept. 15, Routh was apprehended after he was spotted laying in wait in golf course shrubbery for former President Donald Trump.
When fired upon, Routh fled the scene before local law enforcement ultimately took him into custody.
Routh faces a potential 20 years in prison on gun charges alone.
Given Routh’s well-documented, anti-Trump sentiments, most people could probably assume why the clearly disturbed man was trying to kill the former president.
And that’s probably where it should’ve been left: as assumptions.
But no, Biden’s DOJ apparently decided that it was actually a good idea to publish what amounts to a bounty letter from Routh.
After apologizing for failing in his endeavor, unsealed documents revealed that Routh’s letter also included a curious tidbit about offering $150,000 for anyone who was successful in assassinating Trump.
It’s all deeply disturbing stuff made all the more bewildering by the DOJ’s way of handling it — and Donald Trump Jr. is calling it out.
“For the life of me, I do not understand why the Kamala-Biden DOJ is publicly releasing a letter from Ryan Wesley Routh announcing a $150,000 bounty on my dad’s head,” Trump Jr. told the Daily Wire.
Trump’s son added: “They’re putting his life even more at risk with this reckless decision.”
Now, in total fairness to the DOJ, there is a close-to-zero chance that Routh actually has $150,000 in money just laying around to be claimed.
Of course, close-to-zero is still not zero, so there is certainly some culpability that falls at the feet of the DOJ.
But perhaps more to Trump Jr.’s point, why is the DOJ even releasing this to begin with?
It’s clear that Routh is a mentally disturbed man, and you’re really putting his drivel out there, like a flame for his fellow mentally disturbed moths? With or without $150,000 dangling there, “reckless” doesn’t even begin to describe this behavior.
And it’s not Trump Jr. is just being alarmist.
This DOJ decision would be dubious enough on its own, in a vacuum, but the fact that it came just months after a more deadly assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, makes it stick out all the more.
That terrible incident saw Thomas Matthew Crooks fire several shots at Trump while he was giving a speech at some fairgrounds. Trump’s ear was struck, as were several rally goers, with one tragically dying.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Donald Trump Jr. Unleashes on DOJ for Putting His Father’s Life ‘Even More At Risk’ with ‘Reckless’ Ryan Routh Move appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Former Speaker of the House and top Democratic figurehead Nancy Pelosi is under fire after some demonstrably false statements were made — to uproarious approval.
To wit, Pelosi spoke to Semafor on Wednesday, according to The National Desk.
As part of a bigger interview, Pelosi was eventually asked a relevant question: What happened to Pelosi’s prior calls for an open primary after incumbent President Joe Biden stepped down from seeking re-election?
As she was reminded of at the Semafor forum, Pelosi had previously advocated for having an actual primary contest post-Biden.
Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris was basically just slotted into the top spot of the Democratic presidential ticket.
When pressed on that fact, Pelosi didn’t offer much of an explanation.
“You had reportedly said you wanted a sort of an ‘open primary’ if Joe Biden stepped down,” the interviewer began. “Did you change your mind because you saw all the excitement around Kamala Harris?”
“No, I didn’t change my mind,” Pelosi said. “We had an open primary, and she won it. Nobody else got in the race.”
(Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did attempt to run against incumbent President Joe Biden in a primary when the latter was still seeking re-election.)
Pelosi continued: “Because she was politically astute and …”
At this point, the California representative trailed off as a receptive audience clapped for her.
The viral moment was captured by the Trump campaign:
Crazy Nancy: “We had an open primary and [Kamala] won it. Nobody else got in the race.”
Yes, it totally was an open primary and definitely not a coup. pic.twitter.com/akjU8zPM8W
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 18, 2024
While the Semafor audience may have appreciated Pelosi’s lie, others across social media did not.
Conservative commentator Drew Hernandez blasted the whole thing.
“Nancy Pelosi is just straight up lying now claiming Democrats had an open primary after Joe Biden was pressured to step out of the race,” Hernandez posted to X. “She’s claiming Kamala Harris won the open primary.
“Not one person voted for Kamala Harris to be the 2024 nominee.”
Some big names, like tech mogul Elon Musk, seemed to agree with the sentiment that Pelosi’s remarks were dishonest.
“Maybe she’s just trying to illustrate what misinformation means,” Musk jokingly posted to X.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Nancy Pelosi Accused of ‘Straight Up Lying’ When Confronted About How Kamala Actually Came to Power appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
If there was any lingering doubt that Hollywood has a decidedly liberal slant, this new report should quash them.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the members of the modern entertainment industry appear to be collectively turning their backs on tech mogul Elon Musk — and it’s all got to do with politics.
The Reporter opened the report by mentioning unconfirmed plans for Musk and one of his companies, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, to unveil a self-driving taxi.
However, the event to reveal that vehicle — tentatively titled “CyberCab” — has been indefinitely postponed.
“But, if it does move forward, the global launch of a new Tesla at Warners is certain to raise eyebrows in Hollywood and draw scrutiny toward the chummy relationship between the carmaker’s increasingly controversial CEO, Elon Musk, and Warner’s embattled chief executive, David Zaslav,” the Reporter noted.
After noting that Warner Bros. refused to comment on this report, The Hollywood Reporter pivoted to some curious editorializing of Musk’s unique politics.
(It’s not entirely fair to call Musk “liberal” or “conservative.”)
“As Musk has continued his trajectory into the MAGA-verse — pledging allegiance to right-wing conspiracies, amplifying racist and antisemitic messages, disparaging trans people, including his own daughter, and endorsing Donald Trump — his stock in Hollywood, and that of his brand, has plummeted,” the report states.
“Elon is very outspoken, and his political views are not as popular in the entertainment industry,” a Hollywood CEO (in charge of making movies more eco-friendly) told the Reporter.
That CEO, Debbie Levin, continued by explaining how Hollywood often ties their conscience to money.
“The Tesla became the ‘It’ car in terms of electrification,” Levin told the outlet. “If you could spend $100,000 on a car, that was sort of the way to go to show that you care about the environment.”
Ed Kim, president and chief analyst of Auto Pacific, a Southern California-based mobility research firm, told the Reporter that even beyond sentiment and popularity, the numbers aren’t in Musk’s favor.
“Certainly we have seen sales drop significantly at Tesla this year,” Kim said, before further explaining that Tesla was losing market share in the very field it helped pioneer: commercially available electric vehicles.
“Despite all the headlines, EV sales are still growing,” Kim said. “They’re just not growing at the same speed that they were before. But Tesla is actually losing sales.”
Alexander Edwards, president of a California-based consultancy firm, made it clear that politics were a part of this.
“Rejection of Tesla recently spiked and continues among Democrats. They want nothing to do with Tesla,” Edwards said, before adding that Republicans just generally aren’t that interested in electric vehicles to begin with.
For Musk’s part, the eccentric billionaire generally seems imperturbed by all the outside noise.
Musk has made it clear that he wants as little to do with California (and therefore Hollywood) as possible, moving his major businesses out of the Golden State while decrying the Democrat leadership in the state.
It is worth noting that, despite growing resentment from the left, Musk — who has come out in support of former President Donald Trump in the forthcoming election — still offers Vice President Kamala Harris the same platitudes as he did Trump.
But if this report is anything to go by, it’s clear Musk should expect no platitudes from the left.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Hollywood Reportedly Ready to Kick Tesla to the Curb as Elon Musk Becomes More Conservative appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving may have a litigious bone to pick with the city he used to play in.
That’s because Dr. Jay Varma — described by the New York Post as “the man behind New York City’s draconian COVID response under Bill de Blasio” — was recently caught on camera, almost gleefully admitting he targeted Irving for being an “a**.”
The videos were shared by conservative pundit and content creator Steven Crowder, who described Varma as the former “NYC Covid Policy Architect.”
You can watch the relevant video below:
WARNING: The following video contains language that some viewers may find offensive.
BREAKING: Former NYC Covid Policy Architect Dr. Jay Varma Bragged About Being The Person Responsible For Blocking @KyrieIrving From Playing Basketball For The @BrooklynNets After Irving Refused To Take The Covid Vaccine
“He refused to get vaccinated.”
“He’s an ass.”
“Because… https://t.co/ttZ77QdU2k pic.twitter.com/3VGV3LdAqd
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) September 19, 2024
“There was a basketball player named Kyrie Irving,” Varma began in the clip.
“Who?” asks the undercover journalist.
“Kyrie Irving,” Varma repeated, removing all doubt about who he was talking about. “He refused to get vaccinated. But because he played for the team in Brooklyn, because of the vaccine mandates that I passed, he was not allowed to play.”
Irving played for the Brooklyn Nets from 2019 until a blockbuster 2023 trade that saw him go to the Mavs, due in part to the controversy he stirred over his vaccine refusal.
“And so it became this huge national issue about why Kyrie Irving wasn’t allowed to play basketball, because he was refusing to get vaccinated,” Varma continued.
The seemingly proud doctor added: “So, like, this is a fun part of my life. So I got to be on… The Wall Street Journal wrote a whole story about me being the one that blocked Kyrie Irving from playing basketball.”
The undercover video then cut to a different clip of Varma, in which the doctor denigrated Irving’s character.
“I just think he’s asinine,” Varma is seen saying. “He’s an a**.”
Varma then made a curious equivalency that he wouldn’t tell Irving how to dribble or shoot a basketball.
“Don’t tell me, like, how the science works,” Varma complained.
While the Irving video is unseemly enough (no public health officials should be targeting private citizens, “a**” or not), Varma may face much larger consequences, thanks to Crowder’s sleuthing.
The other video captured by Crowder shows Varma bragging about how he wasn’t beholden to any of the “draconian” measures implemented by him, when the doctor basically admitted to partying at drug-fueled parties during lockdowns, according to the Post.
“I did all this deviant, like sexual stuff while I was like, you know, like on TV and stuff. People were like, ‘Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you embarrassed?’ and I was like, ‘No, actually, I’m like, I love being my authentic self,” Varma said.
The Post absolutely excoriated Varma.
“That he will stay out of prison, where he belongs like all corrupt public servants, is obscene; that he will keep his medical license is an enormity,” the article from the New York Post’s editorial board read.
It continued: “But Dr. Varma has nonetheless done America a massive favor.
“He’s shown yet again that our progressive public health ‘experts’ are duplicitous narcissists who deserve eternal condemnation, not trust.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post NBA Superstar Kyrie Irving Was Gleefully Targeted by Vaccine Fanatic: New Video appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
The high-profile Hollywood endorsements for Vice President Kamala Harris just keep on coming.
And it’s a somber reminder that Hollywood is almost gleeful in its disdain for any American who doesn’t identify as a “deep blue, far-left Democrat.”
Harris, who has already enjoyed support from the likes of pop star Charli XCX and music czarina Taylor Swift, is set to get even more support — this time from a decidedly political show featuring decidedly liberal television stars.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, a number of stars from the hit ABC drama “Scandal” will be reuniting as part of the Harris campaign’s swing through Michigan.
According to the Reporter, the stars include Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Guillermo Díaz, Bellamy Young, Katie Lowes, Dan Bucatinsky, Scott Foley, Portia de Rossi, George Newbern, Jeff Perry and Cornelius Smith Jr.
Washington and Goldwyn, in particular, were the two top-billed actors on the show. Those two also appeared and spoke glowingly about the blue donkeys at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Now, Washington, Goldwyn and the rest of that cast will be stumping for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, when the campaign swings through Michigan Sunday.
And they won’t just be pushing any bit of Democratic propaganda.
They’re pushing perhaps the most sinister bit of Democratic propaganda in existence.
The cast of “Scandal” will be specifically be reuniting for the Harris campaign’s “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour.”
That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s seen a second of the Democrats’ attack plan against the Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump.
By hook and mostly crook, Harris and her team are very much framing the coming election as a matter of great female bodily importance.
According to Harris, Trump is a sinister dictator who wants complete control over women (which, just to fact-check in real time, is not true, as the former president simply wants to make abortion a state’s issue), while she portrays herself as the shining beacon of freedom and hope.
It’s all saccharine nonsense — but nonsense being amplified by influential voices in Hollywood.
Look, whatever one may think of the Kerry Washingtons or Taylor Swifts of the world, the sad truth of the matter is that their voices do sway swaths of people.
It would be nice if that wasn’t the case, but people are dumb.
(One of the most underrated lines in all of cinema comes from the seminal 1997 sci-fi film “Men in Black”: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals.”)
Given that, this sort of shameless shilling needs to be called out.
It especially needs to be called out when “Scandal” — a show that ran from 2012 to 2018 — is already a pretty vile vehicle for rank leftism itself. The show is a classic example of how the left caricatures the right.
Pretty much every antagonist on the show is a sinister white person who’s comically bigoted in some way. Oh, and one of the show’s overarching storylines — the ongoing affair between Washington’s Olivia Pope and Goldwyn’s President Fitzgerald — goes to great lengths to make it clear that the white man is far more in the wrong here.
Yes, you can and should separate art from artist in most instances. Another simple fact of life is that some of the best artists in the world will invariably differ from your ideologies — left or right.
But when these artists are gleefully shilling for the murder of unborn children and sowing racial division? That’s a bridge (a long, long, long bridge) too far.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Hollywood Hates You: All-Star Cast of Popular Show Reportedly Reunite Just to Stump for Harris and Walz appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
You truly don’t despise the establishment media enough.
That holds especially true when you’re dealing with a shamelessly liberal rag like USA Today.
The latest reminder about the stark decline of American journalism came on Sept. 13, when USA Today’s Nancy Armour penned one of the most inane, pathetic and infantilizing articles imaginable — the kind you actually have to read to believe.
The opening line alone deserves a hearty guffaw.
“Not every athlete can be LeBron James or Megan Rapinoe,” Armour wrote.
(And thank God for that. Those two are insufferable enough on their own.)
Armour then took a jab at NBA legend Michael Jordan, who infamously stayed away from politics, even to the chagrin of fellow prominent Chicagoan Barack Obama.
“Remember Michael Jordan’s comment about Republicans buying shoes?” Amrour continued. “There’s a long history of athletes putting as much space as possible between themselves and controversy, and what Caitlin Clark and Patrick Mahomes did this week was no different.”
Oh, brother.
For the blissfully unaware, in the week leading up to Armour’s hit piece, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes both declined to offer any sort of statement on who people should vote for in the forthcoming election.
Clark was dragged into this conversation when she liked a social media post from pop czarina Taylor Swift (Clark is a noted fan) touting her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, the topper of the Democratic presidential ticket. Clark has since declined to actually endorse a candidate.
Similarly, Mahomes was dragged into this cultural handwringing by virtue of his wife, Brittany Mahomes. She, not unlike Clark, liked a social media post, but in this case, it was a post in support of former President Donald Trump, the top of the Republican presidential ticket. When pressed on the backlash to that, Mahomes — just like Clark — effectively said he doesn’t care about a person’s politics, just how they treat other people.
These mature, thoughtful responses from Clark and Mahomes, however, don’t quite cut the mustard for Armour, who went seeking validation from David Niven, an associate professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati who teaches a course on sports and politics.
“It’s more than nothing, but it doesn’t put them on the front lines of the discussion,” Niven said.
“If you look at all this by the LeBron James standard, somebody who could not have been more outspoken … this looks like a little bit of a retreat,” Niven explained. “If you look at it by Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan’s standards, you’d say there’s still an awful lot of political activism out there.”
And that’s exactly where political activism should stay in sports, “out there,” because by definition, partisan politics will divide, or “part,” which is literally in the word.
Why is USA Today trying to encourage pro athletes to drive division?
Oh right, USA Today hates Trump and everything he stands for. Armour is trying so desperately to shame people for maybe-or-maybe-not supporting Trump, it’s actually somewhat embarrassing for her.
(And if there’s any question about where Armour’s politics stand, she dedicated entire paragraphs excoriating Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance in her asinine piece.)
“Elite athletes are born with unique physical gifts and singular dedication,” Armour wrote at the end of her idiotic thesis. “Moral courage is something they have to find for themselves, and this week was a reminder that not many do.”
Oh, bugger off, Nancy. If Clark and Mahomes are missing “moral courage,” you’re missing “moral intellect” for jeering athletes who want nothing to do with divisive politics.
As the great Charles Barkley once said, “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models.”
As long as Clark and Mahomes keep playing the way they do, that’s what matters most.
Leave the ideological and political equivocations out of sports. It’s really that simple, no matter how USA Today screeches about it.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post USA Today Attacks Caitlin Clark and Patrick Mahomes for Not Being Political, Jabs MJ for Good Measure appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
A war of words between two very public figures (and former friends) is escalating.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate going into the forthcoming November general election, has never had any problem defending himself.
But Trump is also one to swiftly shield his supporters and MAGA voters from establishment media drivel — even if that drivel comes from a former friend.
The former president appeared on a historic episode of the Fox News late-night show “Gutfeld!” for a conversation covering a number of topics.
One of those topics?
The less-than-kind remarks made by former friend and noted shock jock Howard Stern.
On Monday’s episode of Stern’s eponymous show, the longtime radio personality and provocateur offered a blistering take on both Trump and anyone who would dare to support him.
“This whole idea [of] if you like me, you’re good, and if you don’t, you’re bad, I mean, I’ve been the victim of this,” Stern said on his show.
Then came the part where Stern directly declared war on Trump supporters.
“I don’t hate the guy,” Stern said of Trump. “I hate the people who vote for him.”
Stern would go on to call Trump supporters “stupid” and not worthy of any respect whatsoever.
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of “Gutfeld!” (with Fox News funnyman Greg Gutfeld), Trump rebuked the attacks Stern launched on the former president’s supporters.
After broaching the topic, Gutfeld offered his take first: “My theory is that famous people don’t like it when their fame is put in proper perspective, [especially] when it’s dwarfed by someone with more fame.”
Gutfled then opined that Stern’s attacks on Trump were an “emotional response” that came from a place of insecurity, given that Trump is currently, quite possibly, the most famous last name in the world.
The former president agreed with Gutfeld and then some.
“I was on Howard Stern’s show as much as anybody,” Trump told Gutfeld. “ And he was great at that time. And then he went woke.”
Trump, ever the fan of television ratings, then took another shot — this time where it may hurt Stern most professionally.
“And since he’s gone woke, his ratings have gone down the tubes,” Trump continued. “And he sort of went anti-Trump for a couple of reasons.”
“We had good shows,” Trump said of his past relationship with Stern. “He was good. But he’s changed, and, you know, he doesn’t do the ratings anymore.”
You can watch the whole episode below:
The topic of Stern was mostly left at that, as Trump was then asked if he had any desire to return to reality television.
(Trump oversaw the reality television series “The Apprentice” for over 10 years, and is also a WWE Hall of Famer.)
For his part, Trump doesn’t seem at all interested in returning to the world of serialized television.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Trump Fires Back at Howard Stern After Shock Jock Goes Too Far with Republican Voters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
He’s been a popular name bandied about to fill a role in the potential future administration of GOP presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump.
But is Vivek Ramaswamy taking a page out of a different Trump playbook instead?
According to a Fox News release, Ramaswamy — a tech entrepreneur-turned-GOP presidential hopeful and staunch Trump ally — does indeed appear to be leaning more towards “The Apprentice” than POTUS.
For the unfamiliar, long before Trump was a political tour de force, he was a television star who enjoyed his own reality television series and appearances in WWE, among other notable roles.
“FOX Nation has tapped former Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to host a new series for the platform, announced Lauren Petterson, president of the streaming service,” the Monday Fox News release read.
Planned to premiere in a matter of days on Sept. 22, this new venture between Ramaswamy and Fox is called “Truths with Vivek Ramaswamy.”
It will be a part of the aforementioned Fox Nation streaming platform and will air on Sundays.
A “condensed version” of Ramaswamy’s new show will subsequently air on Fox News proper.
Condensed or not, Fox made it clear that Ramaswamy would be wading into some contentious topics.
“Over the course of the series, Mr. Ramaswamy lays out a positive alternative to the left’s vision for the future by presenting hard ‘truths’ that the American conservative movement must embrace with topics, including American national identity, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and the protests on U.S. college campuses, religion and more,” the release stated.
“We are excited to launch this new series showcasing Mr. Ramaswamy’s thoughtful and unique perspective on the state of American politics after his meteoric rise over the last year,” Petterson stated as part of the release.
That “meteoric rise” largely came when Ramaswamy burst onto the scene of the Republican primaries last year, where many viewed the now-39-year-old firebrand as a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stodgy-feeling GOP.
So impressive was Ramaswamy’s brief foray into GOP politics, he was linked to Trump as a possible vice presidential candidate (which eventually went to J.D. Vance), as well as a possible future role in a second potential Trump administration.
Now, however, Ramaswamy’s immediate future will include a more literal spotlight and a lot more television makeup — and transparent questions.
Apart from the debut of “Truths,” Fox also noted that prior to that show’s Sept. 22 debut, Ramaswamy would be taking questions from viewers in a different show.
“In the lead up to the premiere, FOX Nation will also release ‘Just Ask: Vivek Ramaswamy’ on Friday, Sept. 20, in which Mr. Ramaswamy answers questions from an audience, with nothing off the table,” Fox noted. This event will take place in Philadelphia and be an hour-long.
Ramaswamy did note that he had a book coinciding with these new digital ventures.
“Today conservatives know what we’re against,” Ramaswamy said. “But what exactly do we stand FOR? To answer that question, we need to talk to every American, not just those who agree with us. That’s the subject of my new book ‘TRUTHS: The Future of America-First,’ and I enjoyed partnering with FOX Nation to host provocative dinner table conversations that we rarely have in our country anymore.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Vivek Ramaswamy Lands His Own Fox Show appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Any time there’s an attempt on a presidential candidate — of which there has been an alarming increase in frequency in 2024 — pundits, law enforcement and everyday Americans will inevitably search for the “why” or “how.”
After Sunday’s alleged assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Course near West Palm Beach, Florida, the answer to “how” may very well infuriate Americans, law enforcement and pundits alike.
According to an ominous report from the New York Post, alleged gunman Ryan Wesley Routh was able to get dangerously close to shooting Trump thanks to a glaring — and known — issue on that Trump International Golf Course.
To wit, on Sunday, Routh was ultimately stopped and apprehended after he lay in wait in shrubbery on the golf course.
Secret Service authorities reportedly saw Routh’s weapon and engaged, forcing the would-be assassin to flee.
Routh was eventually apprehended by local law enforcement and is currently facing charges of possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number.
That is all concerning enough on its own.
But as the Post noted, Routh only got that close because of a security gap that the “Secret Service has known about for years.”
“News photographers — including those hired by The Post — have had no problem repeatedly securing spots around the perimeter of the course to snap pictures of Trump playing golf or driving around in a golf cart,” the Post reported. “They have even taken images — which require a clear line of sight to the 45th president — unnoticed through the bushes with telephoto lenses.
“Some have gotten as close as 75 yards — without so much as a sideways glance from the Secret Service.”
Routh reportedly got within 300 to 500 yards of Trump, which is well within the range for a well-trained marksman with a scope.
“They’re always amazed how close they can get to Trump and his entourage,” one photo agency told the New York Post.
The agency added: “[I]t’s easy for them.”
This latest report comes amid swirling questions about the competency of the Secret Service — especially given that the last attempt on Trump’s life came just about two months ago.
Back in July, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at the former president during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in a shockingly simple plot that required getting onto a nearby roof.
Trump was injured in that attempt, having his ear hit by Crooks.
One rallygoer, firefighter Corey Comperatore, died after being shot by Crooks.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Trump Golf Course Gunman Exploited Security Gap That’s Been Known for Years: Report appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Vaunce News 