The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever: Choosing Trump for America’s Future

posted by Joseph Ford Cotto at American Thinker 

As we approach the pivotal moment of the November election, and the Republican National Convention unfolds in the wake of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the choice before us could not be more significant. The stakes are higher than ever, as our nation grapples with the consequences of leadership that has failed to prioritize the interests of everyday Americans.

In this crucial election, it is clear that Trump stands out as the candidate deserving of our unwavering support, not just from working-class individuals but also from business leaders who understand the economic implications of his policies. In stark contrast to Joe Biden, Trump has demonstrated a unique ability to restore American leadership on the global stage while advancing a vision for economic growth and security.

Under Trump’s administration, the United States regained its standing in the world. His policies were rooted in the belief that a strong America leads to a stronger global community. By prioritizing our allies’ fair contributions to collective defense, Trump effectively advocated for peace through strength. 

His administration emphasized that the United States would no longer shoulder the financial burden alone, thereby ensuring a more equitable distribution of military costs among NATO allies. This not only strengthened our alliances but also allowed for a more sustainable military presence that ultimately benefits American taxpayers.

Consider the economic impact of these decisions. A robust defense posture reduces the likelihood of conflict, fostering an environment conducive to investment and growth. Businesses thrive in stable environments, and Trump’s approach significantly contributed to that stability. By restoring American leadership abroad, he created conditions for both the working man and the businessman to prosper.

One of the hallmark achievements of Trump’s foreign policy was the recognition of Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel and the subsequent relocation of the American Embassy. This bold move not only reaffirmed America’s long-standing commitment to Israel but also demonstrated an unwavering resolve to support our allies. Such a stance sent a clear message that the United States stands firm in its alliances, fostering trust and collaboration in the region.

Moreover, Trump’s administration acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and clarified that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are consistent with international law. By doing so, he challenged long-standing diplomatic norms that had hindered progress in the Middle East, thereby opening new avenues for peace and stability.

The economic implications of these moves cannot be understated; a stable Israel is crucial for regional security, which, in turn, facilitates economic partnerships and investments in the broader Middle Eastern landscape.

Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council was a courageous stand against the blatant anti-Israel bias that permeated the group. This action was not merely a political statement; it was a strategic maneuver that aligned with American values and interests. By standing up against organizations that undermine our allies, Trump reinforced the principle that America will not be swayed by unjust criticisms.

This commitment to defending our allies has significant economic ramifications. When countries perceive the United States as a reliable partner, they are more likely to engage in trade and investment agreements that foster mutual growth. By backing Israel unequivocally, Trump positioned America as a steadfast ally in a volatile region, enhancing opportunities for economic collaboration.

Perhaps one of Trump’s most impressive accomplishments was brokering historic peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan. These agreements not only normalized relations but also opened up vast economic opportunities for collaboration and trade. By fostering peace in the region, Trump demonstrated that diplomacy could yield tangible benefits for both American interests and our allies.

The economic vitality stemming from these agreements is profound. Peace leads to stability, which in turn creates a fertile ground for investments and economic partnerships. A thriving Middle East directly benefits American businesses, as it paves the way for increased trade and investment opportunities in the region.

Trump’s administration did not shy away from addressing the complex issue of Palestinian statehood. His Vision for Peace plan proposed a pragmatic two-state solution that balanced Israel’s security needs with the aspirations of the Palestinian people. By releasing an economic plan aimed at empowering the Palestinian populace through private investment, Trump sought to create conditions that fostered governance and stability.

Trump’s administration also made strides in addressing terrorism in the Middle East. His historic address to an assembly of over 50 Muslim nations highlighted the importance of united action against terrorism in all its forms. By establishing the Etidal Center in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian government, Trump underscored the necessity of cooperation in combating extremist ideologies.

This proactive approach to security not only fosters regional stability but also protects American interests abroad. A secure Middle East is vital for maintaining global supply chains and economic interests, ultimately benefiting American businesses and workers alike.

As we evaluate the economic landscape over the past four years, the differences between the Trump and Biden administrations become starkly apparent. Under Biden, the American economy has faced numerous challenges, including rising inflation and supply chain disruptions. These economic strains have placed an undue burden on working families and businesses alike. In contrast, Trump’s policies fostered an environment of economic growth and stability, which is desperately needed once again.

Trump’s track record proves that he understands the pulse of the American economy. His emphasis on deregulation and tax cuts catalyzed unprecedented growth and job creation. By championing policies that prioritize the working man and business interests, Trump embodies the spirit of American resilience.

As we stand on the precipice of this November’s crucial election, it is essential for every American to recognize the transformative potential of a Trump presidency. His commitment to restoring American leadership abroad and advocating for policies that benefit both the working class and the business community positions him as the clear choice for our future.

In contrast to Biden’s administration, which has often succumbed to divisive rhetoric and ineffective policies, Trump represents a beacon of hope for those who believe in a prosperous America. His approach to international relations, economic stability, and unwavering support for our allies demonstrates that he is the leader we need to navigate the complexities of our time.

As we head toward the polls this November, let us unite in support of Donald Trump. Together, we can restore American leadership, bolster our economy, and pave the way for a brighter future for generations to come. The time is now to make our voices heard and reaffirm our commitment to the principles that have made America great.

Vote for Trump and stand for a strong, prosperous, and united America. The guy who pumped his fist into the air after getting shot in the ear—surviving a bullet meant for his brain—is definitely the one you want answering tough phone calls about international relations, upon which economic fortunes hinge, at 3:00 AM.

Trump assassination attempt: Sorry. Rather lengthy. Many new details

 In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of President Trump, federal law enforcement can’t figure out a motive for the shooter, and they can’t get into all the details of his phone, but they’re 100% sure that he acted alone.

Thomas Crooks, accused by the FBI of being the Trump sniper

What does not make sense is how a 20-year-old nursing home food attendant managed to find one spot with a direct line of sight to President Trump and how Thomas Crooks managed to know of all the ongoing security lapses and failures that day, including the reassignment of the Secret Service to Jill Biden, who had a function in Pittsburgh the same day.

Another part of the story that makes no sense is that 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who lived an hour away before he went to the rally, knew that he would need a ladder in order to scale the walls and take a shot at President Trump. According to federal authorities, Crooks stopped at Home Depot on his way to the rally in his hometown of Bethel Park and bought a 5-foot ladder.

Initially, the pictures leaking out from the rally’s aftermath showed a ladder that was in place near where Crooks’ body was found, on top of the American Glass Research manufacturing company warehouse near the Butler Farm Show Airport.

(Ladder now identified as SWAT's to access roof after shooting)

But pictured above is a ten-foot ladder, and one that large would not fit in Crooks’ car, so there would be no way for him to get it from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to Butler, Pennsylvania.

It also makes no sense how Crooks would have been able to do enough advance research and investigation beforehand to know the security protocols of the Trump rally, and know the details of which building to get on top of, to take sniper shots at Trump.

Here’s the exact quote from USA Today on this point: “Hours before the shooting, Crooks stopped at a Home Depot in his hometown of Bethel Park and purchased a ladder, CNN and NBC reported, citing unnamed law enforcement officials.”

Here is CNN describing the ladder purchase and sourcing it to unnamed law enforcement officials, “On Friday, he went to a shooting range where he was a member, and practiced firing, a law enforcement official told CNN. The next morning, Crooks went to a Home Depot, where he bought a five-foot ladder, and a gun store, where he purchased 50 rounds of ammunition, the official said.”

Bethel Park is 45 miles, and 60 minutes, south of Butler, Pennsylvania. Bethel Park only has one Home Depot location, at 4000 Oxford Dr, Bethel Park, PA 15102.

Hyundai Sonata

It is claimed by mainstream media that Crooks bought a 5-foot ladder for the rally. The lightest 5-foot ladder sold by Home Depot weighs 12 pounds. Crooks’ height and weight are not released. But assuming he is an average male of average build, he likely weighs around 190 pounds and is 5’9.

Crooks was driving his Hyundai Sonata to the rally. We know he has a backpack, an AR-15-style gun, and brings himself to the roof of the AGR Building at 615 Whitestown Rd, Meridian, PA 16001 according to authorities. An AR-15 weighs 7 pounds.

So, with his body weight, ladder weight, and gun weight, Crooks is 209 pounds.

With a five-foot ladder, there is no place for Crooks to easily gain entry to the roof of the building, which is about 10+ feet tall. Crooks was allegedly observed through a window where a counter-sniper team was located inside of the building Crooks was attempting to scale.

It appears that the location where Crooks would most likely have been observed through a window and placed a ladder to have gotten access to the roof, is near the backloading bays at the AGR facility, pictured below.

Notably a ladder is laying down on the loading bay rails.

Crooks then brings the ladder, places it, and climbs up and gains access to the roof, according to the official story.

Here is CBS using anonymous law enforcement sources to tell a highly implausible story about the alleged sniper Thomas Crooks, where Crooks manages to find the one building on site with a perfect line-of-sight to President Trump, Crooks manages to pick a building with counter-snipers inside of it, and Crooks manages to alert a sniper so that he takes action but the action is only to take a picture on his phone and forward it somewhere else, and Crooks was fortunate enough to be able to walk around on the roof of a building where the counter-snipers below were too busy texting photos of the people they were there to shoot:

Details continued to emerge on Tuesday about the sequence of events leading up to the shooting. In addition to the ammunition that he purchased, the gunman also bought a ladder at Home Depot before the rally on Saturday, two law enforcement sources told CBS News, after it was first reported by CNN. Home Depot condemned the violence in a statement.

It was unclear whether the shooter brought that ladder to Trump’s event, where he ultimately ended up on the roof of a building about 410 feet from the main stage and just outside the bounds of a security perimeter established on the property, according to law enforcement sources and video analyzed by CBS News. 

Along with witnesses who recalled seeing the gunman, multiple law enforcement officers were aware of his presence on the roof just before the shooting happened.

Three snipers from local tactical teams had been deployed to assist Secret Service agents at the rally and were stationed inside the building that the shooter used in the attack, a local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the events told CBS News. The security operations plan had them stationed inside in order to face the rally and scan the crowd through the windows. Local news outlet BeaverCountain.com initially reported details about the three snipers.

One of those snipers saw the gunman outside of the building, looking up at the roof and observing the building before disappearing, according to the officer who spoke to CBS News. The sniper saw the gunman as he returned to the building, sat down and looked at his phone. 

That’s when one of the snipers took a picture of the gunman, and then saw the shooter looking through a rangefinder minutes before he tried to assassinate the former president, the officer said. The sniper radioed to the command post right away and tried to send the photo that he’d taken of the gunman up the chain of command.

Online sources have placed the ladder on top of a structure next to the backloading bay, seemingly validating the online theory that fits the federal narrative being put out by law enforcement.

Here’s a clip of one such image that is circulating online. These two images serve to validate the implausible federal version of events. It explains that the police were the ones with the 10+ foot ladder observed elsewhere, and that Crooks’ ladder could have been easily placed next to the loading bay to gain entry to the roof. This image makes the federal narrative make some bit of coherent sense as to how Crooks got onto the roof.

So when your Gateway Pundit reporters approached the AGR facility yesterday, as we were being told to leave the premises by both the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police, we snapped a quick photograph of that spot.

And we managed to identify what structure is next to the loading bay in that spot, the structure that Crooks could have placed his 5 foot ladder upon to get access to the roof.

It is a CRAFTSMAN 4-ft x 6-ft Resin Storage Shed. They retail online for $600. Here’s the manual for the Craftsman 4×6 ft Resin Storage Shed.

The manual is very clear that you should never place anything on top of the shed.

The reason one should not stand on the shed is that the roof of the resin structure is not reinforced, so it cannot support any weight. The roof is purely a decorative piece to keep rain off of the shed, it cannot support any weight.

The support for the shed can only support 20 pounds per square foot. Meaning that, every step that Thomas Crooks took on such a structure should have collapsed the roof and brought Crooks to the ground.

There is no current coherent plausible way that Crooks got to the roof. The available story in the mainstream media, sourced anonymously, is not credible. If law enforcement is lying to the media about how the shooter got onto the roof, it kills the credibility of federal law enforcement in this matter.

Oddly, when the Gateway Pundit came up to the AGR building, we were quickly escorted off the parking lot, but there was a large FBI van on-site, even though Thomas Crooks’ body had been removed on Saturday night.

There should not have been any evidence left to process at that spot, and no other work to be done. If the agents were there for ‘optics’ for the public, they were working well out of view of the mainstream media.

The on-site agents referred all media questions to the Pittsburgh FBI Field Office, who very quickly informed the Gateway Pundit that they had nothing to offer us.

Law enforcement is now suggesting to friendly mainstream media outlets that Crooks got onto the roof by climbing air conditioner units. The story keeps changing as their prior stories continue to fall apart.

Christian Patriot News, And we Know, and more- July 17 (RNC Night 3)

 

The Power of Courage

Inches from death, Trump’s mind remained on his mission, and he was conscious of the way the images of him would affect the campaign. This kind of physical courage cannot be faked.

by Christopher Roach for American Greatness

The iconic photo of Donald Trump standing tall and defiantly after an attempted assassination speaks volumes. It reminds the whole world that Trump is a fighter. In his case, it is more than a metaphor, as “fighter” is for most of the political class. He showed real physical courage, and this cannot fail to impress.

As society has gotten more modern and organized, physical courage has become less necessary and less valued. Physical ability in general, such as the brawn and endurance required to be a cowboy or coal miner, doesn’t have much to do with the ability to analyze Excel spreadsheets, run a cash register, or do any number of office jobs. Softer skills are in higher demand and are rewarded accordingly.

We are a wealthy and safe society, but also an antiseptic and, in some ways, inhuman one. Our nature does best with purpose and hardship. The modern quest for comfortable self-preservation is a philosophy of life fit only for an amoeba.

The overreaction to COVID in particular was a testament to the recent, feminized obsession with safety, which downplays the value of risk-taking and enjoying life. When the virus arrived, the people in charge reminded us that they think we’re merely vulnerable and stupid toddlers. At the same time, they showed us that they themselves are cowards in the face of risk, willing to destroy the economy, religious freedoms, and our health in an impossible quest to eliminate a highly communicable disease. Schoolmarms like former CDC head Rochelle Walensky and weasels like Anthony Fauci became avatars of our decadent, dishonest, and cowardly ruling class.

While physical courage never fails to impress, during difficult times, the esteem of physical courage particularly reasserts itself. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, firemen and other first responders were back in style, displacing the wealthy and well-dressed “masters of the universe” on Wall Street. When the Twin Towers were burning, the order of things became inverted, and now brave working-class men willing to walk into burning buildings were calling the shots and saving the office workers.

This is also the reason, particularly in the era of the all-volunteer military, that our service members have always been held in high regard. Their value does not depend so much on the use to which they are put. Americans have fierce disagreements and a lot of criticism of our foreign policy. But the willingness to risk one’s life over and over again is something that onlookers admire, not least because this is a risk pursued voluntarily.

Trump’s courage extends beyond the moment caught on camera. His candidacy and post-presidency all exemplify, if not physical, then moral courage, including high levels of commitment and resilience. If other politicians come into office poor and leave wealthy, Trump’s experience has been quite the opposite.

By becoming president, he has lost a lot of money and been subject to constant attack, beginning with illegal FBI surveillance of him during his campaign in 2016, the hounding and stress of false Russian collusion allegations, insubordination by senior military and civilian leaders, and two impeachments. Not merely taking a financial loss, he has endured lawfare on a grand scale, including scurrilous attacks on his reputation, a baseless civil judgment against his businesses, and four simultaneous criminal prosecutions.

Even under this degree of pressure and attack, Trump did not quit and did not waver. In times of stress, he remains cognizant that his reactions are part of a broader performance. Such self-consciousness about the performative aspect of one’s actions and reactions is, in fact, an important part of leadership. That is to say, a leader must be aware of his reactions to events and how his supporters’ morale will be affected by such reactions. Trump could have gone passively with the Secret Service, ducked on his own, or panicked. Instead, he demanded to walk out under his own power and shook his fist defiantly, blood streaming down his face, yelling, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

His supporters, understandably rattled by the incident, cheered wildly. So did his many millions of supporters around the country. It was all very in character, turning a disturbing lapse of security into a demonstration of great physical courage under fire, literally.

Trump’s reaction to the shooting reminded me of documentary footage I saw a long time ago, back when the History Channel actually taught history, involving France’s larger-than-life 20^th century leader, Charles de Gaulle. It was important for de Gaulle that his Free French Forces be the tip of the spear for the allied liberation of Paris. The Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, with his strategic and diplomatic acumen, agreed to this request.

The Free French Forces ended up capturing Paris so quickly after the breakout from the Normandy Beachhead that a handful of German forces and Vichy collaborators remained in the city. During an impromptu victory parade, de Gaulle and the crowd were subject to shots from snipers. When everyone else ducked, ran for cover, or cowered, de Gaulle stood tall, not even so much as flinching. He went on to become a popular and polarizing leader of postwar France.

In our highly regulated and rationalistic age, we sometimes forget the importance of emotions and the primitive gestures that have demonstrated leadership ability (or its absence) since time immemorial. Even today, the best leaders remain sensible of this type of language that communicates powerfully and without words.

Trump is a master of the show and a man of masculine instinct in the age of the verbose blockhead. Inches from death, Trump’s mind remained on his mission, and he was conscious of the way the images of him would affect the campaign. This kind of physical courage cannot be faked, and for a campaign that was already doing well, it now appears unstoppable.

Spare Me The Phony 'But Ronald Reagan!' Crocodile Tears Over JD Vance

posted by Kurt Schlichter at Townhall 

Donald Trump picking JD Vance as his vice-presidential running mate was a message that Trump’s second term will not be the end of what simple people call “Trumpism.” JD Vance is a true believer in the America First ideology. He feels it in his bones in a way late-adopters don’t – the Jacksonian patriotism, the concern for the little guy, the demand that the elites stop bossing us around. No wonder his selection seems to be rubbing some people the wrong way. You get the impression that his Republican critics are hoping that, after this infatuation with Trump fades away, we can all get back to business as usual, whatever the hell that means. It certainly does not mean the kind of populism that Donald Trump embodies. It’s more like the kind of flaccid conservatism Jeb Bush embodied when he got rejected eight years ago. 

A lot of the people pushing this idea claim the mantle of Reaganism, as if Ronald Reagan was their loadstar. Of course, a lot of the establishment types back then felt exactly the same way about Ronald Reagan. One difference is that Ronald Reagan selected a real establishment figure as VP to “unify” the party. George HW Bush lasted just one term of his own. So, the appeals to Reagan just won’t fly. To paraphrase The Clash’s classic “London Calling” lyric, “Phony Reaganmania has bitten the dust.”

This is no diss of the Gipper. Far from it. No one exceeds my respect for Ronald Reagan. I was commissioned an officer when he was president. He was the first president I ever voted for. I saw him at his last campaign appearance in San Diego in 1984 on the eve of his landslide defeat of Walter Mondale – all the rooftops were covered, might I add, because this was before all our institutions failed. Ronald Reagan was the defining political figure of my youth, from being the governor when I first got to then-golden California to being our President during my college and young adult days. When he passed away, it meant something to me. I have visited his library and his grave. But here’s the thing about Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was the right man for his times. But Ronald Reagan stopped being president 36 years ago.

Times change. Challenges change. Solutions change. So, it’s not surprising that JD Vance is not a political clone of Ronald Reagan, considering that he was born halfway through Ronald Reagan’s term. The fact is that American politics in 2024 are very different from American politics in 1984. The specific policies that Ronald Reagan embraced then do not necessarily apply now. Remember that Ronald Reagan signed an amnesty bill in 1986. At the time, that didn’t seem crazy. It seems crazy to us now because we’ve seen how misguided it was in practice, but at the time, most of us didn’t look at it that way. Ronald Reagan’s defining fights were against inflation and the Soviet Union. He brought the economy roaring back through supply-side economics but not through massive budget cuts. He spent a lot to rebuild our military because he needed to defeat the Soviet Union. And he defeated the Soviet Union without firing a shot.

Things are different now. The cultural battles of Reagan’s era have changed. Abortion is still there, but under Reagan, we were on the way to eliminating racism as a meaningful issue in society. Now, it’s a huge one because Democrats have pumped it up. We have a new set of bizarre liberal pathologies, from DEI to the trans insanity, that Reagan never had to deal with. In fact, he couldn’t conceive of them. If Reagan came back today, he would look around and gasp, “What the hell?” and he’d be as hardcore as any of us.

It’s weird that people expect policies not to change, but the essence of Reaganism has not changed. Ronald Reagan embodies an optimism about America and a dedication to faith and patriotism that provides a powerful contrast from the anti-American gloom and doom of the left. And JD Vance has that too. He is the American dream. This is a guy who was born into poverty. He wrote a best-selling book about it. He joined the Marines and served his country here and overseas. Then he came back and went to school. He worked hard, and he was talented, and he managed to go to what, at the time, was the most prestigious law school in America and graduate after being editor of the law review. This is a guy who grew up around social pathologies and drug abuse. He went into high tech, did very well, married a wonderful and accomplished wife, and had a beautiful family. He found faith and became a confirmed Catholic. 

Does JD have different policy prescriptions in 2024 than Reagan had in 1984 – again, the year that JD Vance was born? Of course. But ask yourself WWRD – What Would Reagan do – in 2024? The fact that Ronald Reagan was an implacable enemy of the Soviet Union does not, for example, somehow imply that he would have bought into the disastrous strategy prescription the establishment has scribbled out for Ukraine. The specific policies may be slightly different, but the underlying foundation – the optimistic belief that America is great, that we must be strong, and that Americans can succeed if allowed the opportunity to do so – is the same.

JD Vance is not a departure from Ronald Reagan. He is Ronald Reagan’s heir. This guy is the American dream. Ronald Reagan wouldn’t have rejected him. Ronald Reagan would have loved him. JD Vance did what Ronald Reagan wanted to make possible for every American. And he’ll make a fantastic vice president.

🎭 𝐖𝟑𝐏 𝓓𝓐𝓘𝓛𝓨 𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓸𝓻, 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬, 𝓐𝓻𝓽, 𝓞𝓟𝓔𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓

Welcome to 

The 𝐖𝟑𝐏 𝓓𝓐𝓘𝓛𝓨 𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓸𝓻, 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬, 𝓐𝓻𝓽, 𝓞𝓟𝓔𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓 

Here’s a place to share cartoons, jokes, music, art, nature, 

man-made wonders, and whatever else you can think of. 

No politics or divisive posts on this thread. 

This feature will appear every day at 1pm mountain time. 

The Legacy Media Has Passed the Point of No Return

posted by Steve McCann at American Thinker 

Joe Biden’s one major accomplishment during his calamitous tenure as president is to abet the legacy media in their head-first dash into permanent and irretrievable disrepute. The legacy media’s self-prostitution in concealing and downplaying Biden’s accelerating senescence, and mindlessly promoting and justifying the assassination of Donald Trump are the final straws that have sealed their fate.

The Trump-Biden debate on June 27, 2024 exposed that for nearly five years the legacy media has deliberately obfuscated, excused, and outright lied about what was obvious to the bulk of the American citizenry: Biden’s unmistakably accelerating mental infirmity.  Thus, they chose to place the well-being of the nation and its citizens in jeopardy by promoting an obviously compromised and feeble-minded president at the helm.

Concurrent with the cover-up of Biden’s mental deterioration was the legacy media unquestioningly following the lead of Biden and the Democrat party in their incessant drumbeat of maliciously accusing Donald Trump of being another Hitler, an existential threat to democracy, a satanic reprobate, and a budding dictator who would never relinquish power.  Thereby sending a not so subtle message to an army of addled left-wing radicals that assassinating Trump is justified in order to save the country.

The legacy media is overwhelmingly complicit in the assassination attempt of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.  The vile immediate reaction among many in the legacy media further confirms this complicity.

These two media fiascos have revealed premeditated duplicity and mendacity in what can only be described as the two greatest media scandals in American history.  The legacy media will never recover from these debacles as they were already held in extraordinarily low esteem before they chose to place their parochial interests above that of the nation.

A massive poll of 20,000 participants undertaken by the Knight Foundation and Gallup found that Americans’ hope for and trust in an objective media was all but lost by 2020.  They saw not only an ever-growing partisanship in news reporting but a determination by the legacy media to push a political agenda instead of honestly disseminating the news.

This poll was one of the most devastating indictments of the media in polling history.  Some highlights:

84% of surveyed Americans laid either a moderate or a great deal of the blame for partisan hostility at the feet of the media.

Further, 82% believed news outlets are either deliberately “misrepresenting the facts” or are “making them up entirely”.

This is further amplified as 79% of those surveyed said media outlets are trying to persuade people to adopt a certain opinion about an issue or an individual.

Similarly, while the respondents in the poll believed that the media is “critical” or “very important” to democracy, 86% say they have witnessed either a fair amount or a great deal of bias in news reporting.   Damningly, 78% feel that this bias is reflected in the spread of fake news which “is a major problem” that exceeds all others in the legacy media environment.

While generic faith in the media has been gradually declining over recent decades, this precipitous drop in trust and questions about what motivates the legacy media can be traced to June 2015 and Donald Trump’s entry into the presidential sweepstakes.

Donald Trump’s entry into the presidential field was a godsend to the legacy media which had been hemorrhaging red ink for many years.  The denizens of the media hierarchies knew that unremitting coverage of Trump, a global celebrity, would dramatically increase viewership, clicks on the internet, newspaper readership, and thus their bottom line.

Since they were certain Trump had little chance of winning the presidency, as his foray into politics was, in all likelihood, a publicity stunt, they thought there was no downside.  Moreover, virtually everyone in the legacy media was convinced Hillary Clinton would be the next president, regardless of the overwhelming volume of attention they paid to Trump.  

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, during the campaign, continuously pointed out the left-wing bias and misreporting in the legacy media and popularized a phrase that is now part of the American lexicon: “fake news.”  With his ridicule and mockery, he succeeded in making the media a potent campaign issue and a focal point of voter resentment.

No entity in the United States was more devastatingly affected by the 9.0 magnitude political earthquake that took place on November 8, 2016 than the legacy media.  Not only had they foolishly contributed to the election of Donald Trump, a man they loathed, but they had willingly allowed him to make them the target of national derision and contempt.

After the election, the anger and single-minded determination of the legacy media to seek revenge and prove they could still remove or destroy a president was palpable.  Since November 9, 2016, the groupthink mandated that Donald Trump must be destroyed regardless of the fallout, or potential destruction of trust in the media, or the future well-being of the country.

The opening salvo of this undeclared war was their complicity, as co-conspirators, with the Obama administration in the egregious Russian collusion hoax.  Followed by endless falsehoods, unproven allegations, and character assassination directed at Trump, his family, and members of his administration.

While it has long been a subject of debate, it is now an unquestioned fact that the legacy media, by throwing away any pretense of objectivity, has overtly and unabashedly allied itself with the dominant wing of the Democrat party—the Marxists/socialists.  The George Floyd inspired riots in the spring of 2020 awakened many Americans to the reality the current legacy media will not honestly report on or criticize any Democrat or avowed militant Marxist organizations such as Antifa or Black Lives Matter.

Also in 2020, it became evident that the legacy media had no reluctance in fomenting unfounded fear and anxiety after their deliberate malfeasance in covering the coronavirus pandemic.  They unquestioningly promoted and regurgitated the pronouncements of the agenda-driven federal medical bureaucracy, ignored or buried any opposing viewpoints, and fanned the flames of collective hysteria.  All to make certain that Trump would be defeated in the 2020 election.

This same media cabal also worked hand in glove with Democrat party operatives to: a) promote mass mail-in voting and ballot harvesting, b) obfuscate Democrat voter fraud and manipulation,  and c) white-wash the Hunter Biden laptop story.

The legacy media has also been the primary promoters and cheerleaders of the unconstitutional lawfare being directed at Trump, and many average Americans, including those who have been caught up in the unjustifiable web of January 6th prosecutions by the Biden Justice Department.  There has been no effort to offer any fair and balanced reporting.

The overt concealing of Biden’s accelerating mental frailty and their tacit promotion of assassinating Donald Trump has eventuated in a vast majority of Americans believing that since the agenda-driven legacy media is incapable of any honest reporting, they are principally responsible for the current state of the nation.

Because of the legacy media’s incestuous relationship with the Democrat party and determination to destroy one person, they have fallen off the edge of the precipice and past the point of no return.

Unity? No Thanks!

Keep your unity, Mr. President, and just stop calling everyone a fascist. Or not.

David Harsanyi reporting for The Federalist

Joe Biden’s calls for “unity” might sound reassuring, but political harmony is usually an ugly, authoritarian goal that undermines the entire purpose of a free nation and “democracy.” Other than occasional moments of national tragedy or exultation, we don’t need it. Unity is for dictatorships. In an ideologically, culturally, and religiously diverse country, we just need Americans to accept that their neighbors are going to disagree with them.

And, yes, appeals to “unity” have historically been little more than euphemistic calls to accept left-wing cultural mores. One never achieves “unity” in American politics by respecting socially conservative values. One does so by finally opening his closed mind and soul to ever-evolving progressive standards.

Recall the pseudo-patriotic “unity” sloganeering and accompanying hero worship surrounding Barack Obama. When the late Rush Limbaugh — on whom Democrats had once blamed the Oklahoma City bombing — had the audacity to say he wanted Obama to “fail,” it became a national story. Then came the wave of feigned anger about his lack of patriotism. Because Democrats would be, of course, clamoring for Donald Trump to succeed, right?

Many of us wanted Obama to fail because his ideas undermined the constitutional order and important norms in America. Why would anyone unify around the idea that we need to “change” our foundational principles? To be fair, those on the left don’t really view their positions as being partisan. It’s all just good, moral common sense.

Anyway, when you get old enough, you start noticing that whenever Democrats win an election, Americans are called to unify and heal the moral fabric of a nation that endured a Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush or Donald Trump. Obama was all about healing. When Biden vanquished the Orange Dragon, the country again needed mending. Remember that Time magazine cover featuring Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with the words “A Time To Heal”? It reflected the tone of coverage across the media.

This time around, the call for unity came on the heels of eight years of hysterics, conspiracizing, hyper-smearing of opponents — and only after an assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate. The president who now wants unity was not long ago pounding on the podium in front of a crimson background accusing half the country of being semi-fascists. No thanks.

Unlike many on the right, I view the “threat to democracy” stuff, in and of itself, as relatively normal hyperbole. I mean, I believe Biden’s a threat to “democracy.” The problem is that it’s paired up with the paranoiac “Trump is Hitler” stuff and the “Trump is going to put our kids in concentration camps” stuff and the “Trump is going to execute reporters” stuff and the “Trump is a clandestine asset for a foreign adversary” stuff.

Biden says, “We’re neighbors or friends, coworkers, citizens. Most importantly, we are fellow Americans, we must stand together.” Sure. Outside of the political arena. Most of my neighbors seem OK, I guess, but I definitely don’t “stand with them,” because a bunch of them subscribe to insane notions about the world.

The only political unity we have is an agreement over shared rights and protections — the right to speak freely; to worship freely; to defend ourselves, our family, and property; and to rely on due process and equal protection. And I’m unhappy to report that progressives aren’t on board. I have zero interest in standing in unity with “democratic” socialists, for example, who want to dismantle everything that makes this country special.

And why would Democrats want to unify with fascists who use The Handmaid’s Tale as a blueprint? Perplexing. Unless the left doesn’t really believe its rhetoric.

Whatever the case, keep your unity and just stop calling everyone a fascist.

Or don’t.