The granddaughter of a 92-year-old woman who was allegedly murdered in New York City by an illegal alien gave a powerful speech with President Donald Trump on Friday about how the Democrat-controlled city shielded the illegal alien with its sanctuary policies.
&#8220;ICE revealed it had filed a detainer for [Reeaz] Khan in November 2019, when he had been arrested on assault and weapons charges,&#8221; Fox News reported. &#8220;But crucially, that detainer was ignored and Khan was released onto the streets.&#8221;
Daria Ortiz, granddaughter of Maria Fuentes, spoke alongside the president at the National Border Patrol Council where she pointed out how her grandmother would still be alive if it wasn&#8217;t for the Democrat policy.
&#8220;Hello everyone. My name is Daria Ortiz. I&#8217;m the granddaughter of Maria Eusebia Fuertes, the 92-year-old woman who was raped and murdered in Queens,&#8221; Ortiz said. &#8220;I&#8217;d like to take this moment to say my grandmother was very generous and educated. She was a woman who dedicated her time to taking care of others. Before coming to America, she worked as a secretary for the president of her native country, the Dominican Republic.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s a shining example of when people come legally to this country, work hard, and do the right thing, and are law-abiding citizens,&#8221; Ortiz continued. &#8220;My grandmother raised her children and her grandchildren while working hard to give us a future. Unfortunately, my grandmother had to be the example of why something like this horrific crime should never happen.&#8221;
&#8220;Our family&#8217;s hope is that her death was not in vain, and that preventative measures are put into place to ensure that nothing like this ever happens to anyone again,&#8221; Ortiz continued. &#8220;The tragedy in all of this is the fact that this could have been avoided had there been no sanctuary law. The tragedy is my grandma is not ever going to be here again.&#8221;
&#8220;The man that is responsible for this should have never had the opportunity to do this had his multiple offenses not been ignored,&#8221; Ortiz concluded. &#8220;The system not only failed our family, but it failed our city. Our family would like to thank the administration for acknowledging my family&#8217;s tragedy and extending their concerns in this tragic time. Thank you very much.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Absolutely heartbreaking.
Democrats&#39; lawless policies have real and devastating consequences.
ICE issued an active detainer against this illegal alien with previous criminal offenses. NYC didn&#39;t honor it.
We will remember Maria Fuertes. Her death should not be in vain. <a href="https://t.co/obU6KcxiED">pic.twitter.com/obU6KcxiED</a>
&mdash; Elizabeth Harrington (@LizRNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LizRNC/status/1228417248391553025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>TRUMP: Only five weeks before the murder, the criminal alien had been arrested for assault. ICE asked for the criminal to be turned over but, instead, he was ordered released under New York City&#8217;s sanctuary laws.
If New York had simply honored ICE&#8217;s detainer request &#8212; very simple thing to do &#8212; Maria Fuertes could be with her family right now. And we&#8217;re deeply moved to be joined this afternoon by Maria&#8217;s grieving granddaughter, Daria. Where is Daria? Daria Ortiz. Daria. Please come up, Daria. Please. Daria is joined by her beautiful 5-year-old son.
Thank you, Daria. It&#8217;s a great honor. Thank you very much.
ORTIZ: Hello everyone. My name is Daria Ortiz. I&#8217;m the granddaughter of Maria Eusebia Fuertes, the 92-year-old woman who was raped and murdered in Queens. I&#8217;d like to take this moment to say my grandmother was very generous and educated. She was a woman who dedicated her time to taking care of others. Before coming to America, she worked as a secretary for the president of her native country, the Dominican Republic.
She&#8217;s a shining example of when people come legally to this country, work hard, and do the right thing and are law-abiding citizens. My grandmother raised her children and her grandchildren while working hard to give us a future. Unfortunately, my grandmother had to be the example of why something like this horrific crime should never happen.
Our family&#8217;s hope is that her death was not in vain and that preventative measures are put into place to ensure that nothing like this ever happens to anyone again. The tragedy in all of this is the fact that this could have been avoided had there been no sanctuary law. The tragedy is my grandma is not ever going to be here again.
The man that is responsible for this should have never had the opportunity to do this had his multiple offenses not been ignored. The system not only failed our family but it failed our city. Our family would like to thank the administration for acknowledging my family&#8217;s tragedy and extending their concerns in this tragic time. Thank you, very much.
TRUMP: Thank you very much, Daria. So beautiful. Not one more American life should be stolen by sanctuary cities. They&#8217;re all over the place and a lot of people don&#8217;t want them. Many, many communities &#8212; they don&#8217;t want them in California. You hear &#8220;California,&#8221; but they don&#8217;t want them. The politicians want them for whatever reason.
That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re calling on Congress to pass legislation giving American victims the right to sue sanctuary cities and hold them accountable for the suffering and the damages that they&#8217;ve caused. American citizens are entitled to safe neighborhoods and safe streets that, really, the people in this room have provided where they&#8217;re given the opportunity.
With sanctuary cities, they&#8217;re really not given that opportunity. You&#8217;re the noble guardians who protect our loved ones, and you keep America safe and you do an incredible job of doing it. Nobody could do it like you do. Under my administration, we know that border security is national security &#8212; very much the same thing.
And that&#8217;s why I&#8217;m so honored to work hand in hand with the National Border Patrol Council and all of my friends. Some of you I know very well &#8212; very, very well. We love our Border Patrol agents. We love our law enforcement. And we want to thank you for doing an incredible job. God bless you all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Brandon.</blockquote>

President Trump Speaks To National Border Patrol Council Members

WATCH: Granddaughter Of Immigrant Allegedly Killed By An Illegal Alien Gives Powerful Speech With Trump

Crime

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigration

Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf refuted claims made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday after the far-left lawmaker suggested that the Trump administration was using DHS to target New York residents for personal and political gain.
DHS is currently barring New York residents from participating in Global Entry and Trusted Traveler Programs [TTP] because &#8220;applicants are supposed to be subjected to checks and those with criminal records would be disqualified from the program, but New York was not letting CBP check DMV databases in order to vet the applicants,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chad-wolf-global-entry-new-york-ttp-defense">reported</a>.
In a letter, Wolf wrote, &#8220;New York is the only state, that bears repeating, the only state that restricts CBP access to their DMV data across the board, not only for immigration purposes, but for law enforcement purposes, for customs purposes, but also for trade and travel facilitation purposes.&#8221;
On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez responded to President Donald Trump tweeting, &#8220;I’m seeing Governor Cuomo today at The White House. He must understand that National Security far exceeds politics. New York must stop all of its unnecessary lawsuits &amp; harassment, start cleaning itself up, and lowering taxes. Build relationships, but don’t bring Fredo!&#8221;
&#8220;Trump is publicly admitting that he is holding Global Entry for New Yorkers hostage in exchange for dropping lawsuits against him and his family’s lawbreaking behavior,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez claimed without evidence. &#8220;This is corrupt, illegal, and authoritarian. Hope Collins and Murkowski are proud of their vote.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump is publicly admitting that he is holding Global Entry for New Yorkers hostage in exchange for dropping lawsuits against him and his family’s lawbreaking behavior.
This is corrupt, illegal, and authoritarian.
Hope Collins and Murkowski are proud of their vote. <a href="https://t.co/I49Ksj7VAm">https://t.co/I49Ksj7VAm</a>
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1228052247289921538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wolf responded to Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s tweet during an interview on Fox News on Thursday night when asked what he had to say about her tweet.
&#8220;I think this is their talking point. They keep bringing it back to politics,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with security. The president understands that; I believe the governor understands that, which is why he’s now allowing access, or at least providing that option for us to vet Trusted Travelers.&#8221;
&#8220;So, it&#8217;s beyond politics. It&#8217;s about security and whether DHS has the ability to do their job or not. And, again, we see a number of states. We have five other states that are withholding information from DHS,&#8221; Wolf continued. &#8220;So, it&#8217;s a very dangerous precedent that we&#8217;re setting here.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="DHS secretary on Trump, Cuomo meeting: This is about security, not politics" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kL4f6ZSgG3o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>ED HENRY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Here now exclusively, Chad Wolf, he is the acting secretary of Homeland Security.
Mr. Secretary, thanks for coming.
CHAD WOLF, ACTING SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Thank you, Ed.
HENRY: You just heard the Democratic governor. He says you’re guilty of extortion.
WOLF: Well, I think that&#8217;s just totally inaccurate. This is about security, and it&#8217;s not about politics. And I’ve been absolutely clear with the governor and any other New York state individual or lawmaker that I talk with.
CBP needs access to this database to run their security checks on our Trusted Travelers. It&#8217;s that plain and simple.
There’s no politics about it. They cut off access. We need it back to totally vet these individuals.
HENRY: And, in fact, the sheriff&#8217;s association here in New York State seems to be backing you, I want to point out.
They say to the governor, our inability under the law to share this DMV data with federal immigration officers jeopardizes the safety of those police officers. We find it offensive that in order to avail our own deputies of this DMV data that they need for their own safe operations, we were coerced into signing a nondisclosure agreement which jeopardizes the safety of our federal partners.
We’ve seen police officers, as you know, law enforcement all around this country targeted. We see it all the time.
Is this adding to that? How desperate is the situation?
WOLF: I believe &#8212; yes, I believe it is. I think what we’ve seen over the last week or so is a number of law enforcement associations and officials in the state of New York come out against this law because of how dangerous it is.
Again, it restricts information-sharing with DHS across the board. Again, that&#8217;s not only for that we’re talking about here. It’s also for customs enforcement. It’s also for national security and law enforcement purposes.
An individual coming into the country, CBP officers need this information to determine is this a legitimate person coming in or do we need to take a closer look at that? And we only &#8212; we’re only able to do that if we share information.
So, after 9/11 &#8212; this is what 9/11 was all about. One of the lessons learned was &#8212;
HENRY: Yes.
WOLF: &#8212; we need to share information. We need to tear down these silos. We don&#8217;t need to be building these up to keep information from law enforcement officials. So &#8212;
HENRY: We &#8212; we mentioned, pardon me, that the president was tweeting about how he wants to get rid of these lawsuits. New York state coming after him in various ways.
The governor did an interview where he went further and not just attacking the president but going after you. Listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): You are knocking on the door saying I’ll burn down the house if you don&#8217;t give me entry? I’ll give you entry for the TTP enrollees on the case-by-case basis. Don&#8217;t burn down the house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CUOMO: They said, I’m burning down the house anyway. All right? So, now, they&#8217;re just arsonists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: How do you respond to that?
WOLF: Well, I would say, I’m not sure why you passed the law to begin with.
So, they passed the law back in July of ’19. It took effect in December. And so, they clearly knew what they were doing. They clearly knew the impacts of this, and I’m not sure that they really fully understood it.
So we continue to work with them. Look, we want to find a solution to this.
HENRY: Yes.
WOLF: The solution requires them to turn on access so that we can vet Trusted Travelers. I’ve been very clear about that. I’ll continue to be very clear about that.
This is about law enforcement. This is about security.
HENRY: Uh-huh.
WOLF: This is about the ability to connect those dots and to share that information.
And, again, it&#8217;s particularly interesting coming from New York, again, from where 9/11 occurred. We want to make sure that we share information and not continue to withhold information.
HENRY: Safety paramount, no doubt.
You might also be interested in &#8212; when you talk about New York officials coming after you, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the congresswoman, is tweeting tonight.
Trump is publicly admitting that he is holding Global Entry for New Yorkers hostage in exchange for dropping lawsuits against him and his family’s law-breaking behavior.
Those are her words.
This is corrupt, illegal and authoritarian. Hope Collins and Murkowski are proud of their votes.
She’s, of course, referring to the impeachment trial not guilty and the rest. Susan Collins saying the president learned his lesson about quid pro quos.
How do you respond to that one?
WOLF: I think this is their talking point. They keep bringing it back to politics.
It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with security. The president understands that, I believe the governor understands that, which is why he’s now allowing access, or at least providing that option for us to vet Trusted Travelers.
So, it&#8217;s beyond politics. It&#8217;s about security and whether DHS has the ability to do their job or not. And, again, we see a number of states. We have five other states that are withholding information from DHS.
HENRY: Yes.
WOLF: So, it&#8217;s a very dangerous precedent that we&#8217;re setting here.
And the department, again, needs this information. New York is the only state &#8212; and I think that bears repeating &#8212; the only state that prohibits information-sharing with both ICE and CBP officials trying to do their job, with (ph) law enforcement, customs, and vetting Trusted Travelers &#8212; the only state.
HENRY: Those officials have an important job of keeping this country safe. You do as well, Mr. Secretary. That’s why we appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.
WOLF: Thank you.</blockquote>

NFL: JAN 29 Super Bowl LIV &#8211; Public Safety Press Conference

WATCH: Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf Debunks AOC Talking Point

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne Tha God slammed Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg during a CNN interview on Wednesday night, saying that they had &#8220;the most racist policies toward black people.&#8221;
Charlamagne Tha God made the remarks when asked by CNN&#8217;s Erin Burnett about whether Biden will be able to turn his campaign around in South Carolina.
&#8220;Possibly. I mean, old black people in South Carolina do love Joe Biden,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But I mean, I would have to ask black voters the question, like, why do old white men who have the most racist legislation toward black people, why are they, you know, the top two front runners when it comes to black support, you know, Joe Biden and Bloomberg?&#8221;
&#8220;You know, I would ask that question especially now if I was a black voter, and nobody likes a loser, right? he continued. &#8220;We saw what happened to him in Iowa, you know?&#8221;
When asked about why he thought Biden was maintaining his lead with black voters, he said, &#8220;I think that it is the Barack Obama effect. I think it&#8217;s the fact that he was, you know, Barack Obama&#8217;s vice president.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Charlamagne tha God: Biden, Bloomberg Have the &#039;Most Racist Legislation Towards Black People&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qK-IpXId7fY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BURNETT: Tonight, Joe Biden reassuring supporters that his campaign is still on track after fourth and fifth place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden telling donors in a conference call today that his campaign will gain ground once black and Latino voters have had their say in Nevada and South Carolina. OUTFRONT now, Charlamagne Tha God, host of the radio show &#8220;The
Breakfast Club&#8221;. It is a must stop for candidates on the campaign trail.
And also, you are a South Carolina native.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO HOST: Yes.
BURNETT: As you were saying, you&#8217;re just there. You&#8217;re going down again this weekend.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: So Joe Biden is telling &#8212; gets on the phone today with donors and says, look, don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;re in a good position, we&#8217;re going to turn things around once black voters have had their say in South Carolina, right?
He keeps talking about South Carolina.
Do you think he&#8217;s right?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Possibly. I mean, old black people in South Carolina do love Joe Biden. But I mean, I would have to ask black voters the question, like, why do old white men who have the most racist legislation toward black people, why are they, you know, the top two front runners when it comes to black support, you know, Joe Biden and Bloomberg?
You know, I would ask that question especially now if I was a black voter, and nobody likes a loser, right? We saw what happened to him in Iowa, you know?
BURNETT: Well, that&#8217;s &#8212; people like &#8212; right.
(CROSSTALK)
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: What happened to him in New Hampshire. I don&#8217;t know. Fourth and fifth place finishes? Eh.
BURNETT: So the question is how that will change the polls. I mean, obviously, the latest poll from Quinnipiac, he is leading overall with black voters by 27 percent.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: Obviously, you&#8217;re making it clear you are not supporting Biden at this point.
But what do you think it is about him as to why he is maintaining that hold, Charlamagne?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I think that it is the Barack Obama effect. I think it&#8217;s the fact that he was, you know, Barack Obama&#8217;s vice president. But I think that lot of younger voters have been &#8212; a lot of younger black voters have been doing their due diligence, doing their research and they are aware of the &#8217;94 crime bill and they&#8217;re aware of the &#8217;86 crack laws.
BURNETT: Yes.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: And I think that is a big strike against him, and it&#8217;s a strike that he hasn&#8217;t really apologized for, you know? It&#8217;s more of, well, the national crime bill didn&#8217;t cause mass incarceration, you know? He still holds on to those things.
And we all know the best apology is changing behavior, but more importantly, best for Biden or Bloomberg is to me a black agenda. The same way that they sat around and they systemically created things to oppress and marginalize black people, they should sit around with some black folks and create a black agenda to up lift those same communities they once hurt.
BURNETT: So, you know, you have Biden doing well and then you got Pete Buttigieg. Now, he is ramping up in South Carolina. He has struggled with the African-American community. He has his first endorsement though from a black lawmaker in the state of South Carolina. You sat down with him in South Carolina and you pushed him on his record, you know?
You come from South Bend, 25 percent of your community is black. They have not been supporting you. How come?
I wanted to play part of your conversation with him. Here you are.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A lot of black folks have gotten the feeling that Democrats running for president take black folks for granted.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: You all feel that way? OK, make more noise. That is not &#8212; y&#8217;all are kind of quiet. You feel that way and let&#8217;s hear it.
BUTTIGIEG: Or they talk about the black vote like it&#8217;s some guy, like it&#8217;s a monolith, right? And everybody thinks the same.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Absolutely.
BUTTIGIEG: And so what we&#8217;re having right now I think is a conversation that is going to a deeper level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, you know, you and I have talked a lot through this election already. You had originally called him authentic and honest. That was even before you had obviously that chance to talk to him. He is getting 4 percent in the latest national poll among black voters, right? He is doing terribly.
Are they missing something?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I definitely think that they are missing something. I think that they need to check out the Douglass Plan, because Mayor Pete was one of the first people to step up, you know, and actually say, look, I have a black agenda and I think that is what you have to do when either you have done things to oppress and marginalize people, like Biden and Bloomberg, or you haven&#8217;t done enough, like Mayor Pete has done.
You have to systematically sit down and come up with an agenda, come up with a plan to uplift those same people that you kept your foot on.
BURNETT: So I would give another look at him. And I have to ask you about Tom Steyer, OK, and I got to ask you about Tom Steyer, Charlamagne, because he is polling very well. The latest Fox News poll has him at 14 percent among black voters in South Carolina. There are other polls who have &#8212; which have had him even higher. He talked about this, he brought up the issue of reparations on his own in the last debate.
Here is a couple things he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unless you can appeal to the diverse parts of the Democratic Party, including specifically the black community, and I am doing that right now with 25 percent of blacks down in South Carolina.
I am for reparations to African-Americans in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You know, I was in that room, I was in the spin room next to that. It was an awkward moment. You have a bunch of white people up there talking about blacks.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: What was your reaction when you hear what he is saying? And, obviously, you see how he&#8217;s doing in South Carolina and the polls do show that he has resonated.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: So, guys like Tom Steyer, he&#8217;s a billionaire, so he got a lot of money, so he is cutting a lot of checks, you know? And also &#8212;
BURNETT: Eighteen million bucks in South Carolina in advertising.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes. And I know that is also dream (INAUDIBLE) so people are telling us exactly what we want to hear. So, the conversation about reparations is great, but, you know, I would love to see him come up with, like I said, a tangible solution to the things that are affecting the black community.
You know, I&#8217;m not saying that reparations isn&#8217;t a tangible solution because it is, but I mean, can they really get that passed through a Republican Senate, you know? So I would rather see something that I know can directly impact my community right now happen. I think reparations is just a good talking point for a lot of the Democrats.
BURNETT: Would you give Mayor Bloomberg another look? You just heard the mayor of Washington, she&#8217;s talking about housing and things that he has done, that is sort &#8212; his actions and his commitment post stop- and-frisk to her are what matter.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I mean, listen, once again, the best apology is change of behavior.
But in this case the best behavior is a black agenda. So a guy like Mayor Bloomberg who had a racist policy like stop-and-frisk, he has to sit around with some constituents and come up with an agenda that can uplift the black community the same way stop and frisk policy hurt the black community, you know?
Listen, I&#8217;m definitely going to vote, you know, this year. But I&#8217;m not &#8212; you know, fear of Donald Trump is not enough for me to vote. I&#8217;m voting for the president who is doing something that&#8217;s going to directly empower black people.
BURNETT: In a word, yes or no, have you decided?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: No, I haven&#8217;t decided yet.
BURNETT: All right.</blockquote>

Black History Month

Charlamagne Tha God: Democrats’ ‘Top Two Front Runners’ Have ‘Most Racist Legislation Toward Black People’

Joe Biden

Michael Bloomberg

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News&#8217;s Bret Baier on Thursday night that there is little difference between the socialist Bernie Sanders and the other Democratic presidential candidates.
&#8220;As you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role,&#8221; Baier said. &#8220;What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a President Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?&#8221;
&#8220;You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War,&#8221; McConnell responded. &#8220;He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. Some of them call themselves moderates.&#8221;
&#8220;If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Mitch McConnell On Bret Baier" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGufGkFz0H4?start=592&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRET BAIER: You heard about the attorney general and his concerns about the president’s tweeting, saying it&#8217;s making it impossible to do his job. Your reaction to that?
MITCH MCCONNELL: My reaction is, the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general, I think the president should listen to his advice.
BAIER: You have a problem with the president&#8217;s tweeting as well?
MCCONNELL: I think that if attorney general says it&#8217;s getting in the way of doing his job maybe the presidential listen to the attorney general.
BAIER: Do you think his tweet about his opinion on the Roger Stone sentencing is inappropriate political interference?
MCCONNELL: The attorney general said it’s making him difficult to do his job. I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general, whose an outstanding law enforcement officer, he&#8217;s a top person in the country. The president made a wide selection in picking Bill Barr pair they got to listen to him.
BAIER: You precedent. Are you concerned at all that President Trump in his mind has some how politicized of the department of justice or this is become the new normal for him?
MCCONNELL: I hate to keep saying the same thing. &#8230; I think the attorney general knows what he’s talking about. I’m not the attorney general but I have confidence in Bill Barr. I think he’s doing a good job and I think he’s told the president, this is not helpful, making it difficult for him to do his job. I think the president will listen to it.
BAIER: If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?
MCCONNELL: Let me remind you what I said in 2016. I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020. I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it.
&#8230;
BAIER: Will there be any judicial vacancies left unfilled?
MCCONNELL: I hope not. I hope not.
BAIER: Do you risk criticism if you do the judges but you don’t get those other big things done like prescription drugs, infrastructure.
MCCONNELL: I risk criticism every day. My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility. We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.
BAIER: Last thing, as you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role. What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a president Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?
MCCONNELL: You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War. He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. They may call themselves moderates. If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine. I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.
BAIER: You have to have an answer for the health care attack, right? That is coming up time and time again in Iowa, New Hampshire, and there is not a Republican answer yet.
MCCONNELL: You mean on prescription drugs?
BAIER: No, I&#8217;m saying overall. You&#8217;re fighting in court against ObamaCare and against pre-existing conditions. The president on the State of the Union says he’s going to fight for pre-existing conditions all time. There’s a dichotomy and not a way forward.
MCCONNELL: Look, let&#8217;s put it this way, you saw that the Democrats couldn&#8217;t even put on a caucus in Iowa, I do not think the country would be better off to put them in charge of our healthcare.</blockquote>

U.S.-WASHINGTON D.C.-SENATE-TRUMP-ACQUITTAL

McConnell: There Is Little Difference Between Bernie Sanders, Other Democrat Candidates

Bernie Sanders

Mitch McConnell

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News&#8217;s Bret Baier on Thursday night that his top priority is confirming as many pro-law judges to the judicial system to the courts and that it is the most important long-term thing that Republicans can do for America.
&#8220;If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?&#8221; Baier asked.
&#8220;Let me remind you what I said in 2016,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it,&#8221; McConnell continued, later adding that he hopes to have filled all vacancies this year.
&#8220;My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility,&#8221; McConnell added. &#8220;We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Mitch McConnell On Bret Baier" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGufGkFz0H4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRET BAIER: You heard about the attorney general and his concerns about the president’s tweeting, saying it&#8217;s making it impossible to do his job. Your reaction to that?
MITCH MCCONNELL: My reaction is, the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general, I think the president should listen to his advice.
BAIER: You have a problem with the president&#8217;s tweeting as well?
MCCONNELL: I think that if attorney general says it&#8217;s getting in the way of doing his job maybe the presidential listen to the attorney general.
BAIER: Do you think his tweet about his opinion on the Roger Stone sentencing is inappropriate political interference?
MCCONNELL: The attorney general said it’s making him difficult to do his job. I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general, whose an outstanding law enforcement officer, he&#8217;s a top person in the country. The president made a wide selection in picking Bill Barr pair they got to listen to him.
BAIER: You precedent. Are you concerned at all that President Trump in his mind has some how politicized of the department of justice or this is become the new normal for him?
MCCONNELL: I hate to keep saying the same thing. &#8230; I think the attorney general knows what he’s talking about. I’m not the attorney general but I have confidence in Bill Barr. I think he’s doing a good job and I think he’s told the president, this is not helpful, making it difficult for him to do his job. I think the president will listen to it.
BAIER: If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?
MCCONNELL: Let me remind you what I said in 2016. I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020. I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it.
&#8230;
BAIER: Will there be any judicial vacancies left unfilled?
MCCONNELL: I hope not. I hope not.
BAIER: Do you risk criticism if you do the judges but you don’t get those other big things done like prescription drugs, infrastructure.
MCCONNELL: I risk criticism every day. My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility. We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.
BAIER: Last thing, as you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role. What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a president Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?
MCCONNELL: You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife and him went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War. He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. They may call themselves moderates. If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine. I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.
BAIER: You have to have an answer for the health care attack, right? That is coming up time and time again in Iowa, New Hampshire, and there is not a Republican answer yet.
MCCONNELL: You mean on prescription drugs?
BAIER: No, I&#8217;m saying overall. You&#8217;re fighting in court against ObamaCare and against pre-existing conditions. The president on the State of the Union says he’s going to fight for pre-existing conditions all time. There’s a dichotomy and not a way forward.
MCCONNELL: Look, let&#8217;s put it this way, you saw that the Democrats couldn&#8217;t even put on a caucus in Iowa, I do not think the country would be better off to put them in charge of our healthcare.</blockquote>

Senate Republicans And Democrats Meet For Respective Policy Luncheons

McConnell: My Top Priority Is ‘The Most Important Long-Term Thing We Can Do’ For U.S.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and President Donald Trump may not agree on much, but they agree on one-thing: Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is trying to buy the 2020 election.
Trump took aim at Bloomberg on Wednesday afternoon, <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/02/12/trump_id_rather_run_against_bloomberg_than_bernie_because_he_has_real_followers_bloomberg_is_buying_his_way_in.html">saying</a> that he would rather face Sanders &#8220;because Sanders has real followers, whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not. I happen to think it&#8217;s terrible what it says. But he has followers.&#8221;
&#8220;Bloomberg is just buying his way in. We&#8217;re going to find out what happens,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Our country doesn&#8217;t need that kind of leadership.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, he&#8217;s a lightweight. He&#8217;s a lightweight,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;You&#8217;re going to find that out. He&#8217;s also one of the worst debaters I have ever seen and his presence is a zero. So he&#8217;ll spend his $3-, 4-, 5-hundred-million dollars. Maybe he will take it away.&#8221;
Sanders attacked Bloomberg later on Wednesday evening during an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper.
&#8220;There was a national Quinnipiac poll this week. It showed Mike Bloomberg leading you among African-American voters 22 percent to 19 percent. Again, a lot of people haven&#8217;t actually seen Mike Bloomberg in the flesh. They&#8217;ve just seen his TV commercials,&#8221; Cooper said. &#8220;But does that concern you?&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I think at the end of the day when people, A, learn about Mr. Bloomberg&#8217;s record of stop-and-frisk in New York City, I think that will change some minds,&#8221; Sanders responded. &#8220;But, second of all, I think when people understand that in our democratic society, we have an individual worth some $60 billion who in an unprecedented way, Anderson, is literally trying to buy the elections. He didn&#8217;t compete in Iowa where all the Democratic candidates did, nor in New Hampshire, nor in Nevada, nor in South Carolina.&#8221;
&#8220;He didn&#8217;t hold town meetings. He didn&#8217;t talk to people, answer questions. All he did is take a small part of his $60 billion, put it into TV commercials, and I guess that can get you votes,&#8221; Sanders continued. &#8220;But at the end of the day, it is my firm belief that our kind of grassroots coalition, it&#8217;s a multigenerational, multiracial coalition, with millions of people knocking on doors, volunteering, making small campaign contributions, we&#8217;re going to defeat a billionaire.&#8221;
When later pressed about his multi-trillion proposals and whether people would be forced off of their private insurance plans, Sanders responded, &#8220;Well, first of all, I think if you look at the issues that we are talking about, raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour — enormously popular.&#8221;
&#8220;Demanding that the wealthy and the powerful and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes — enormously powerful and popular. Making public colleges and universities tuition-free,&#8221; Sanders continued. &#8220;As I said earlier, Medicare-for-All was one of the reasons we won in New Hampshire. It is very popular in New Hampshire and I suspect among Democrats all over this country.&#8221;
&#8220;Criminal justice reform. Immigration reform. These are issues that the American people, in fact, support,&#8221; Sanders added. &#8220;And we&#8217;re going to win this election because we are prepared to stand up to Wall Street and the corporate elite and finally do what the American people want.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Bernie Sanders: Bloomberg is trying to buy the election" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6i_vGQllwI0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Presidential Candidate Mike Bloomberg Holds Campaign Rally In Nashville

Trump, Bernie Agree: Bloomberg Is Trying To Buy The Election

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) told CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper on Wednesday that House Democrats could seek to impeach President Donald Trump again in the near future after he tweeted about the harsh sentencing recommendations for Roger Stone.
&#8220;Might you impeach him over this, over Roger Stone and the sentencing?&#8221; Tapper asked.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not going to take our options off table,&#8221; Swalwell responded. &#8220;We don&#8217;t wake up in the morning wanting to impeach him. We want to work with him on prescription drugs, background checks and infrastructure. But we&#8217;re not going to let him just torch this democracy because he thinks that he&#8217;s been let off once and we&#8217;re not going to do something about it.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Eric Swalwell On Jake Tapper" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JMglmDtV1W4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>TAPPER: Moments ago, President Trump said he learned lessons from impeachment. The lesson he learned? That Democrats are crooked, vicious, and they should not have pursued his impeachment.
Joining me now is Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell of California. He serves on both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.
Tell me what your take is on what President Trump said he learned in terms of the lessons learned.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): He is learning the wrong lessons.
He&#8217;s acting to now corrupt the Department of Justice.
And we&#8217;re going to act immediately. We had a meeting today on the Judiciary Committee, an emergency meeting, to decide what&#8217;s next. And so we&#8217;re going to bring the attorney general in. We&#8217;re also going to conduct oversight of what&#8217;s going on with the Stone sentencing.
But, Jake, I will just say this. He could just pardon Roger Stone. It would be wrong to do that, but to infect his corruption into the DOJ, I think that&#8217;s what&#8217;s so concerning to so many people who want independence among our prosecutions.
TAPPER: So, Barr has announced that he will come before your committee, the House Judiciary Committee, in March.
SWALWELL: That&#8217;s right.
TAPPER: You&#8217;re on the committee. What do you want to ask him?
SWALWELL: Well, we want to know, who&#8217;s making these decisions? Are
prosecutors still independent? What is going on with other investigations into Trump officials?
Because now we know, in the 2020 election, Barr has the ability to sign off on any investigation. He has to sign off on any investigation into a campaign. And so the erosion of independence among prosecutors is our chief concern.
TAPPER: The sentencing of Roger Stone will ultimately be left up to Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said &#8212; quote &#8212; &#8220;I think the judge is going to take care of all that, and nobody&#8217;s going to question the judge&#8217;s decision.&#8221;
What do you think?
SWALWELL: I agree.
She&#8217;s an independent judge. I should not be recommending a sentence. The president of the United States should not be recommending a sentence. She should be given the ability to make that decision herself, based on the facts of the case and where Roger Stone should go based on the sentencing guidelines.
TAPPER: Even some Trump critics said that the seven-to-nine-year recommendation was harsh and excessive.
Do you question that? Do you disagree?
SWALWELL: Well, it fits within the sentencing guidelines.
He should not be treated any differently than anyone else who committed so many crimes and also went to trial. Jake, remember, in our criminal justice system, you are rewarded for taking responsibility early in the proceedings.
If you go to trial, and you put up a bogus defense, or you try and mislead the court, you can be punished for that in your sentence. And that is what is going to happen here, I think.
TAPPER: The Justice Department and the White House and President Trump all deny that President Trump directly told Attorney General Barr what to do or directly coordinated with him.
As always, the president did send out a tweet. Is that enough to object to?
SWALWELL: Yes.
And, as Michael Cohen told our committee, President Trump knows, in many of the mob-like ways that he operates, that he doesn&#8217;t have to say something directly, that, indirectly, he can signal what he wants someone to do.
That was how Cohen said he would communicate with the president. And I think by tweeting out that, Attorney General Barr got the message.
TAPPER: Take a listen to Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Are you concerned that four prosecutors felt so strongly about it that they resigned?
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): No.
QUESTION: That they got off the case?
CORNYN: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Cornyn not concerned.
What do you think? Are you concerned?
SWALWELL: Yes, I&#8217;m very concerned that the independence of prosecutors, the ability of judges to just weigh the facts and the evidence is eroding, that the president&#8217;s taken a wrecking ball to that.
And he was just impeached for that. We&#8217;re not going to stop holding him accountable. We have learned, when you hold him accountable, you can actually stop the corruption, whether he&#8217;s removed or not.
And, ultimately, it&#8217;s going to be for the voters to judge in November.
TAPPER: Might you impeach him over this, over Roger Stone and the sentencing?
SWALWELL: We&#8217;re not going to take our options off table.
We don&#8217;t wake up in the morning wanting to impeach him. We want to work with him on prescription drugs, background checks and infrastructure.
But we&#8217;re not going to let him just torch this democracy because he thinks that he&#8217;s been let off once and we&#8217;re not going to do something about it.
TAPPER: Congressman Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, thanks so much.
SWALWELL: Thanks, Jake. My pleasure.</blockquote>

Eric Swalwell

Democrat Eric Swalwell: We May Impeach Trump Again Soon

Impeachment

Far-left Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA) declared on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday that women are &#8220;still shackled&#8221; and not &#8220;free&#8221; in the United States because the U.S. Constitution is &#8220;sexist by its very design.&#8221;
&#8220;The year is 2020 and here we women are still in so many ways not fully free, still shackled,&#8221; Pressley said. &#8220;Women are strong, hardworking, bright, and resilient. We are the backbones of our families, our communities, and our democracy. We do not live in checked boxes; we live in an intersectionality of lived experiences and identities. Our issues are everyone’s issues because our destinies are all tied.&#8221;
Pressley continued by promoting the myth of the gender pay gap, saying, &#8220;In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, women are paid 83 cents for every dollar paid to a man, but nationally, women are paid only 80 cents for every dollar a man is paid. Even worse, the modern day wage gap disproportionately impacts women of color with black women earning 61 cents, Native women earning 58 cents, Latin X women earning only 53 cents, and [Asian American and Pacific Islander] women making as little as 50 cents per dollar paid to a white man.&#8221;
Christina Hoff Sommers, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote in <a href="https://time.com/3222543/wage-pay-gap-myth-feminism/">TIME</a> a few years ago that the gender pay gap was a myth that has been widely debunked by economists.
Sommers wrote:
<blockquote>No matter how many times this wage gap claim is decisively refuted by economists, it always comes back. The bottom line: the 23-cent gender pay gap is simply the difference between the average earnings of all men and women working full-time. It does not account for differences in occupations, positions, education, job tenure or hours worked per week. When such relevant factors are considered, the wage gap narrows to the point of vanishing.
Wage gap activists say women with identical backgrounds and jobs as men still earn less. But they always fail to take into account critical variables. Activist groups like the National Organization for Women have a fallback position: that women’s education and career choices are not truly free—they are driven by powerful sexist stereotypes. In this view, women’s tendency to retreat from the workplace to raise children or to enter fields like early childhood education and psychology, rather than better paying professions like petroleum engineering, is evidence of continued social coercion. Here is the problem: American women are among the best informed and most self-determining human beings in the world. To say that they are manipulated into their life choices by forces beyond their control is divorced from reality and demeaning, to boot.</blockquote>
&#8220;In addition to pay discrimination, we face pregnancy discrimination, discrimination in the criminal legal system, sexual and domestic violence, and inadequate health care access,&#8221; Pressley concluded. &#8220;But this isn’t an accident, the American Constitution is sexist by its very design, this country’s laws have historically treated us like second-class citizens, depriving us of the right to vote, enter most jobs, and to own property.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/AyannaPressley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AyannaPressley</a>: &quot;The year is now 2020, and here we women are still in so many ways not fully free, still shackled.” 
“We face pregnancy discrimination, discrimination in the criminal legal system … But this isn’t an accident,” U.S. is “sexist by its very design&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EduOUz4YWF">pic.twitter.com/EduOUz4YWF</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1227758523016241153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>The great poet and pioneer righteous rage Audre Lorde once said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when our shackles are very different from my own.”
The year is 2020 and here we women are still in so many ways not fully free, still shackled. Today, I rise to affirm the humanity and the dignity of all women, I rise in strong unapologetic righteous support of HJ Res 79 which will strike the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment that should already be the law of the land.
Women are strong, hardworking, bright, and resilient. We are the backbones of our families, our communities, and our democracy.
We do not live in checked boxes; we live in an intersectionality of lived experiences and identities. Our issues are everyone’s issues because our destinies are all tied.
Tomorrow’s vote on HJ Res 79 is a vote for the preservation of our collective humanity. Despite our commitment to hard work, both within our households and on the job, we are still paid less than our male counterparts.
In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, women are paid 83 cents for every dollar paid to a man, but nationally, women are paid only 80 cents for every dollar a man is paid.
Even worse, the modern day wage gap disproportionately impacts women of color with black women earning 61 cents, Native women earning 58 cents, Latin X women earning only 53 cents, and [Asian American and Pacific Islander] women making as little as 50 cents per dollar paid to a white man.
In addition to pay discrimination, we face pregnancy discrimination, discrimination in the criminal legal system, sexual and domestic violence, and inadequate health care access.
But this isn’t an accident, the American Constitution is sexist by its very design, this country’s laws have historically treated us like second-class citizens, depriving us of the right to vote, enter most jobs, and to own property.
While some of these injustices may cease to exist, we still face tremendous barriers to our full participation in society, with tomorrow’s vote, we have an opportunity to right this country’s wrongs.</blockquote>

Marine Corps

Ayanna Pressley: ‘American Constitution Is Sexist By Its Very Design,’ Women ‘Still Shackled’

Ayanna Pressley

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren fretted on Tuesday night as her campaign appeared headed for another disappointment in the New Hampshire primary, saying that things are becoming too bitter between the Democratic candidates and that it could &#8220;burn down&#8221; the party.
“But, since we are here tonight among family and friends, I also want us to be honest with ourselves as Democrats,” Warren said. “We might be headed for another one of those long primary fights that lasts for months, we’re two states in with 55 states and territories to go. We still have 98% of our delegates for our nomination up for grabs and Americans in every part of the country are going to make their voices heard.”
“The question for us Democrats is whether it will be a long, bitter, rehash of the same old divides in our party or whether we can find another way,” Warren continued. “Senator Sanders and Mayor Buttigieg are both great people and either one of them would be a far better president than Donald Trump. I respect them both.”
“But the fight between factions in our party has taken a sharp turn in recent weeks with ads mocking other candidates and with supporters of some candidates shouting curses at other Democratic candidates,” Warren continued. “These harsh tactics might work, if you are willing to burn down the rest of the party to be the last man standing.”
“They might work if you don’t worry about leaving our party and our politics worse off than how you found it,” Warren continued. “And they might work if you think only you have all the answers and only you are the solution are the solution to all our problems. But if we’re going to beat Donald Trump in November, we are going to need huge turn out within our party and to get that turnout we will need a nominee that the broadest coalition of our party feels like they can get behind.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats in disarray: Elizabeth Warren predicts “long primary fights,” says factions may “burn down&quot; the Democrat Party <a href="https://t.co/f20OwahhSE">pic.twitter.com/f20OwahhSE</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1227419099099279363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Warren Speaks to Supporters on Primary Night

Warren Panics After NH Primary: Factions May ‘Burn Down’ Democrat Party

Elizabeth Warren

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned on Tuesday that Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg could be a &#8220;force to be reckoned with&#8221; in 2020.
Graham made the remarks when he was asked about his thoughts on the former mayor while speaking to SiriusXM’s &#8220;The Morning Brief with Tim Farley.&#8221;
&#8220;I think it was a good mayor and I think he&#8217;s gonna be a force to be reckoned with, if you got sixty billion dollars you can tell your own story,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;I think you&#8217;d be forced to be reckoned with, but the problem is I don&#8217;t know if the Bernie people would tolerate a Bloomberg.&#8221;
Graham also called Bloomberg&#8217;s decision to only attack Trump and not his Democratic rivals &#8220;smart.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s smart because you know the goal of the Democratic party&#8217;s to beat President Trump,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen Republicans this united, this never Trump, he’s at ninety percent in South Carolina, pretty much all over the country. He’s got Reagan like numbers and the Democratic Party is trying to find this identity between socialism, liberalism, and moderation and all the energy seems to be with Bernie. I just don&#8217;t believe the Bernie voter would accept a Bloomberg candidacy.&#8221;
Graham concluded, &#8220;Yeah, I mean he can do some damage to Trump to just trying to knock his numbers down, but I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s in it just to hurt Trump, I think he&#8217;s in it to win it and come Super Tuesday, if he&#8217;s already in the low-teens polling nationally, if he can grab some delegates on Super Tuesday this is probably a brokered convention and he is going to be the guy to fill the Biden lane in his own mind.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Senator Lindsey Graham Says Bloomberg will be a Force in the 2020 Election" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bmo2lFSyl4w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>TIM FARLEY: “Senator Graham, what do you think of Michael Bloomberg?”
LINDSEY GRAHAM: “I think it was a good mayor and I think he&#8217;s gonna be a force to be reckoned with, if you got sixty billion dollars you can tell your own story. I think you&#8217;d be forced to be reckoned with, but the problem is I don&#8217;t know if the Bernie people would tolerate a Bloomberg.”
FARLEY: “Well, most of the ads he&#8217;s running seem to be attacking President Trump—”
GRAHAM: “That’s smart”
FARLEY: “&#8211;not attacking any of his other Democrats”
GRAHAM: “That’s smart because you know the goal of the Democratic party&#8217;s to beat President Trump. I&#8217;ve never seen Republicans this united, this never Trump, he’s at ninety percent in South Carolina, pretty much all over the country. He’s got Reagan like numbers and the Democratic Party is trying to find this identity between socialism, liberalism, and moderation and all the energy seems to be with Bernie. I just don&#8217;t believe the Bernie voter would accept a Bloomberg candidacy.”
FARLEY: “Yeah, but if he uses his advertising money, even if he doesn&#8217;t win the nomination and continue on, that’s got to be a force”
GRAHAM: “Yeah, I mean he can do some damage to Trump to just trying to knock his numbers down, but I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s in it just to hurt Trump, I think he&#8217;s in it to win it and come Super Tuesday, if he&#8217;s already in the low-teens polling nationally, if he can grab some delegates on Super Tuesday this is probably a brokered convention and he is going to be the guy to fill the Biden lane in his own mind.”</blockquote>

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Graham Warns Of Democratic Candidate That Will Be ‘A Force To Be Reckoned With’

Lindsey Graham

Explosive audio was released on Monday that allegedly showed Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg defending his stop-and-frisk policies at a 2015 Aspen Institute appearance by saying that law enforcement should target minorities &#8220;because that&#8217;s where all the crime is.&#8221;
The audio was released by podcast host Benjamin Dixon, who encouraged people to share it &#8220;far and wide.&#8221;
In the audio, Bloomberg allegedly says, “95% of your murders – murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. They are male, minorities, 16-25. That’s true in New York, that’s true in virtually every city and that’s where the real crime is.&#8221;
&#8220;You’ve got to get the guns out of the hands of the people that are getting killed,&#8221; Bloomberg continued. &#8220;You want to spend the money on a lot of cops in the streets. Put those cops where the crime is, which means in minority neighborhoods.&#8221;
&#8220;So, one of the unintended consequences is people say, ‘oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities.’ Yes, that’s true. Why? Because we put all the cops in the minority neighborhoods,&#8221; Bloomberg continued. &#8220;Yes, that’s true. Why do we do it? Because that’s where all the crime is. And the way you get the guns out of the kids’ hands is to throw them up against the walls and frisk them. And then they start say[ing], ‘Oh I don’t want to get caught.’ So they don’t bring the gun. They still have a gun, but they leave it at home.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Share this far and wide. Unless the mainstream media picks it up, it will be isolated to twitter. <a href="https://t.co/Fm0YCi4ZRy">pic.twitter.com/Fm0YCi4ZRy</a>
&mdash; Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenjaminPDixon/status/1227067093692055553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dixon also tweeted out a 2015 article from The Aspen Times that stated that Bloomberg blocked the footage from his speech from being released.
&#8220;Michael Bloomberg representatives have asked the Aspen Institute not to distribute footage of his recent appearance in Aspen, where the three-term New York City mayor made pointed comments concerning minorities and gun control,&#8221; The Aspen Times reported. &#8220;Both the Institute and GrassRoots TV, the organization that filmed the event, confirmed Thursday that they will not broadcast the footage online or on television as planned.&#8221;
The Aspen Institute’s chief external affairs officer Jim Spiegelman said at the time, &#8220;We basically honor the wishes of our speakers, and Mayor Bloomberg preferred that we not use the video for broadcast. He did not give a reason nor did we have any reason to ask for one. We often feature speakers who prefer that their presentations not be videotaped.&#8221;
The audio sparked intense reaction online from across the political spectrum.
Abdul El-Sayed wrote: &#8220;This is verbatim the argument that @MikeBloomberg made when I questioned him about stop and frisk in 2012 at a @PDSoros retreat. It is technocratic racism at its most virulent&#8211;the kind that hides its immorality in the veneer of amorality.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is verbatim the argument that <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeBloomberg</a> made when I questioned him about stop and frisk in 2012 at a <a href="https://twitter.com/PDSoros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PDSoros</a> retreat. It is technocratic racism at its most virulent&#8211;the kind that hides its immorality in the veneer of amorality. <a href="https://t.co/3dTBAyvRJg">https://t.co/3dTBAyvRJg</a>
&mdash; Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbdulElSayed/status/1227072681952129024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bernie Sanders&#8217; National Press Secretary responded by writing, &#8220;This should be playing on mainstream news channels as frequently as the ads with which billionaire Bloomberg has saturated the market.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This should be playing on mainstream news channels as frequently as the ads with which billionaire Bloomberg has saturated the market. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/integritybeatstrump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#integritybeatstrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/45fkMMfM84">https://t.co/45fkMMfM84</a>
&mdash; Briahna Solidarity Gray (@briebriejoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/briebriejoy/status/1227002219393961985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Real Clear Politics write Mark Hemingway wrote: &#8220;Hoo boy. This is bad&#8230;&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hoo boy. This is bad&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/lKVmBopLRO">https://t.co/lKVmBopLRO</a>
&mdash; Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) <a href="https://twitter.com/Heminator/status/1227076658437513217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Human Events Managing Editor Ian Miles Cheong wrote: &#8220;&#8216;Based and redpilled&#8217; Mike Bloomberg just won the white supremacist vote.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“Based and redpilled” Mike Bloomberg just won the white supremacist vote. <a href="https://t.co/DumHn4aPqv">pic.twitter.com/DumHn4aPqv</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1227072486237323264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.

US-POLITICS-ELECTION-BLOOMBERG

‘TECHNOCRATIC RACISM’: Bloomberg Allegedly Advocates For Targeting Minorities In Explosive Audio

The Oscars took a massive hit in the ratings after the award show promoted left-wing politics on Sunday night ranging from criticizing Republicans all the way to quoting Karl Marx&#8217;s communist manifesto.
&#8220;The ceremony, which clocked in at 3 hours and 35 minutes — up from 3 hours, 23 minutes in 2019 — could not repeat last year’s ratings turnaround, drawing 23.6 million total viewers and a 5.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, based on Nielsen’s Live+Same Day Fast National ratings ordered by ABC,&#8221; Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/02/oscar-ratings-new-all-time-low-viewership-1202854581/">reported</a>. &#8220;That is down sharply, -20% in viewers and -31% in the demo ,from last year’s 29.6 million and a 7.7 adults 18-49 rating.&#8221;
&#8220;The Oscars join the Emmy Awards in suffering steep ratings declines. The September 2019 Emmy broadcast on Fox fell by 32 percent in viewers and 29 percent in adults 18-49 from the previous year,&#8221; THR <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/oscars-hit-all-time-low-tv-ratings-sunday-feb-9-2020-1278364">reported</a>. &#8220;By comparison, the declines for January&#8217;s Golden Globes (off by 4 percent in viewers and 10 percent in the 18-49 demo) and Grammys (down 6 percent in viewers, 4 percent in the demo) were fairly slight.&#8221;
The massive decline in ratings came after the award show promoted hard-left politics throughout the ceremony.
&#8220;The first Netflix film produced by former President Obama and Michelle Obama&#8217;s production company won an award on Sunday during the Oscars and, while accepting the award, the filmmakers recited Karl Marx’s Communist manifesto,&#8221; The Daily Wire reported. &#8220;Julia Reichert of &#8216;American Factory&#8217; received the award and said: &#8216;Working people have it harder and harder these days – and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.&#8217; The term &#8216;workers of the world unite,&#8217; comes directly from the communist manifesto and was widely noticed by media critics.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How woke! How Hollywood!
Producer Julia Reichert cites the Communist Manifesto because&#8230; well, we all know why. 
“Workers of the world unite.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kl64TC0uNh">pic.twitter.com/kl64TC0uNh</a>
&mdash; (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1226701801820282880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Actor Joaquin Phoenix used his allotted time during his acceptance speech to speak out against using the resources that cows provide.
“We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity,” Phoenix continued. “I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us, what we’re guilty of, is an egocentric world view, the belief that we’re the center of the universe.”
“We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,” Phoenix continued. “We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. And I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up but human beings, at our best, are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Who had inseminated cows on their bingo card <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AcademyAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AcademyAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPCdQr4ASj">pic.twitter.com/hPCdQr4ASj</a>
&mdash; Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bmac0507/status/1226721626420441088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Actor Brad Pitt took a shot at Republicans during the ceremony, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brad-pitt-makes-political-statement-at-oscars-gets-mocked-by-critics">saying</a>, “They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.”
After accepting the award, a reporter asked Pitt, “Tonight, you did have your political reference, what kind of prompted you to go that way?&#8221;
Pitt responded, “I was really disappointed with this week and I think when gamesmanship trumps doing the right thing, it’s a sad day and I don’t think we should let it slide and I’m very serious about that.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> Moment: Brad Pitt wins Best Supporting Actor for <a href="https://twitter.com/OnceInHollywood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OnceInHollywood</a> <a href="https://t.co/TSGjMB3v8P">pic.twitter.com/TSGjMB3v8P</a>
&mdash; The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/status/1226680327835242497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

92nd Annual Academy Awards &#8211; Red Carpet

Oscar Ratings Worst Of All-Time After Award Show Promoted Far-Left Politics

Oscars

Actor Joaquin Phoenix gave a bizarre leftist speech as he accepted an award at the Oscars for his role in the movie &#8220;Joker,&#8221; suggesting that humans use the resources that cows provide because humans believe that they are superior to cows.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively, and I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes,&#8221; Phoenix said. &#8220;But for me, I see commonality. I think whether we&#8217;re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we&#8217;re talking about the fight against injustice.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity,&#8221; Phoenix continued. &#8220;I think that we&#8217;ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us, what we&#8217;re guilty of, is an egocentric world view, the belief that we&#8217;re the center of the universe.”
&#8220;We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,&#8221; Phoenix continued. &#8220;We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that&#8217;s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. And I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up but human beings, at our best, are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Who had inseminated cows on their bingo card <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AcademyAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AcademyAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPCdQr4ASj">pic.twitter.com/hPCdQr4ASj</a>
&mdash; Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bmac0507/status/1226721626420441088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Now, I have been &#8212; I&#8217;ve been a scoundrel in my life,” Phoenix continued. “I&#8217;ve been selfish, I&#8217;ve been cruel at times, hard to work with and I&#8217;m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance and I think that&#8217;s when we&#8217;re at our best, when we support each other, not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other toward redemption.”
“That is the best of humanity,” Phoenix continued. “I just I want to, when he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, ‘Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.’ Thank you.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
An emotional Joaquin Phoenix concludes his acceptance speech by remembering his brother River Phoenix: &quot;When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, &#39;Run to the rescue with love—and peace will follow.&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8kz7m5vtnF">https://t.co/8kz7m5vtnF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> <a href="https://t.co/rg89eYCyLK">pic.twitter.com/rg89eYCyLK</a>
&mdash; ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1226723729905987584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Far-left animal rights organization PETA praised Phoenix for his leftist speech, <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1226723427945345026">writing</a>, &#8220;JAW DROP. Sending a HUGE congratulations to #vegan Joaquin Phoenix for winning Best Actor! Joaquin has dedicated his life to ending speciesism and that speech was proof that he is never afraid to speak up for ALL beings. #Joker #Oscars #EndSpeciesism&#8221;
&#8220;THIS is why Joaquin Phoenix is a star in animals’ eyes,&#8221; PETA <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1226728239479033856">added</a>. &#8220;While the entire country was watching, Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix took his #Oscars acceptance speech to talk about the cruelty in dairy.&#8221;

US-OSCARS-ARRIVALS

Joaquin Phoenix: ‘We Feel Entitled To Artificially Inseminate A Cow,’ ‘We Steal Her Baby,’ ‘We Take Her Milk’

Hollywood

Joaquin Phoenix

Joker

The first Netflix film produced by former President Obama and Michelle Obama&#8217;s production company won an award on Sunday during the Oscars and, while accepting the award, the filmmakers recited Karl Marx&#8217;s Communist manifesto.
Julia Reichert of &#8220;American Factory&#8221; received the award and said: &#8220;Working people have it harder and harder these days – and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.&#8221;
The term &#8220;workers of the world unite,&#8221; comes directly from the communist manifesto and was widely noticed by media critics.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How woke! How Hollywood!
Producer Julia Reichert cites the Communist Manifesto because&#8230; well, we all know why. 
“Workers of the world unite.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kl64TC0uNh">pic.twitter.com/kl64TC0uNh</a>
&mdash; (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1226701801820282880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Obama praised them, writing on Twitter, &#8220;Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release. <a href="https://t.co/W4AZ68iWoY">https://t.co/W4AZ68iWoY</a>
&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1226696870292008960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Communism is an ideology of evil and was estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 100 million people last center.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/100-years-of-communismand-100-million-dead-1510011810">reported</a> in 2017:
<blockquote>Such convictions set the stage for decades of murder on an industrial scale. In total, no fewer than 20 million Soviet citizens were put to death by the regime or died as a direct result of its repressive policies. This does not include the millions who died in the wars, epidemics and famines that were predictable consequences of Bolshevik policies, if not directly caused by them.
The victims include 200,000 killed during the Red Terror (1918-22); 11 million dead from famine and dekulakization; 700,000 executed during the Great Terror (1937-38); 400,000 more executed between 1929 and 1953; 1.6 million dead during forced population transfers; and a minimum 2.7 million dead in the Gulag, labor colonies and special settlements.
To this list should be added nearly a million Gulag prisoners released during World War II into Red Army penal battalions, where they faced almost certain death; the partisans and civilians killed in the postwar revolts against Soviet rule in Ukraine and the Baltics; and dying Gulag inmates freed so that their deaths would not count in official statistics.
If we add to this list the deaths caused by communist regimes that the Soviet Union created and supported—including those in Eastern Europe, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia—the total number of victims is closer to 100 million. That makes communism the greatest catastrophe in human history.</blockquote>
Responses varied online with the far-left praises the speech and everyone else either mocking it or expressing shock or outrage.
Far-left activist Adam Best responded: &#8220;The Obamas now have a movie that won at the #Oscars and Trump is still mad over never winning an Emmy. Imagine he’s having a hissy fit right about now.&#8221;
Daily Wire podcast host Michael Knowles responded to Best by writing, &#8220;Do the Obamas also get credit for the filmmaker&#8217;s quoting the Communist Manifesto in her acceptance speech?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Do the Obamas also get credit for the filmmaker&#39;s quoting the Communist Manifesto in her acceptance speech? <a href="https://t.co/KtbN5VUG1m">https://t.co/KtbN5VUG1m</a>
&mdash; Iowa Caucus Winner Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1226701895961460736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Commentator Jordan Schachtel wrote: &#8220;The 100 million victims of communist regimes would like to have a word.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The 100 million victims of communist regimes would like to have a word.<a href="https://t.co/aKTBr4VrjA">https://t.co/aKTBr4VrjA</a>
&mdash; Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1226702366386380800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Columnist Jonah Goldberg wrote: &#8220;I love that most of my twitter feed thought the big game away from her speech was &#8216;go Buckeyes&#8217; not the opening line from the f***ing Communist Manifesto.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I love that most of my twitter feed thought the big game away from her speech was “go Buckeyes” not the opening line from the f***ing Communist Manifesto. <a href="https://t.co/zHiHVfuoCE">https://t.co/zHiHVfuoCE</a>
&mdash; Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonahDispatch/status/1226692767079858178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

92nd Annual Academy Awards &#8211; Press Room

Obama-Produced Film Wins Oscar, Producer Quotes Communist Manifesto In Acceptance Speech. Obama Praises.

Barack Obama

Netflix

Actor Brad Pitt made a political statement at the Oscars on Sunday about President Donald Trump&#8217;s Senate impeachment trial and was subsequently mocked online by critics.
Pitt, who won Best Supporting Actor for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” said during his acceptance speech, &#8220;They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.&#8221;
Referencing the director of the movie, Quentin Tarantino, Pitt continued, &#8220;I&#8217;m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it and in the end the adults do the right thing.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> Moment: Brad Pitt wins Best Supporting Actor for <a href="https://twitter.com/OnceInHollywood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OnceInHollywood</a> <a href="https://t.co/TSGjMB3v8P">pic.twitter.com/TSGjMB3v8P</a>
&mdash; The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/status/1226680327835242497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following his acceptance speech, Pitt was confronted about it by a reporter who said, &#8220;Some unkind souls have suggested that you had a writer throughout the speeches this award season, say it ain&#8217;t so.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, no, I&#8217;ve actually, historically I&#8217;ve always been really tentative about speeches, like, they make me nervous,&#8221; Pitt <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1226685290980364288">responded</a>. &#8220;So, this round I figured if we&#8217;re going to do this, like, put, like, some real work into it and try to get comfortable and, and this is a result of that. Um, no I definitely right them, I have some funny friends, I have some very, very funny friends that help me with some laughs but, but no it&#8217;s got to come from the heart.&#8221;
Another reporter asked, &#8220;Tonight, you did have your political reference, what kind of prompted you to go that way?
Pitt responded, &#8220;I was really disappointed with this week and I think when gamesmanship trumps doing the right thing, it&#8217;s a sad day and I don&#8217;t think we should let it slide and I&#8217;m very serious about that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Brad Pitt on why he chose to get political in his acceptance speech: “I was really disappointed with this week… I don’t think we should let it slide and I’m very serious about that” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> <a href="https://t.co/LGLoviQ3Xn">pic.twitter.com/LGLoviQ3Xn</a>
&mdash; Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1226689481689817088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Critics quickly responded to Pitt&#8217;s remarks online, noting his apparent lack of knowledge about the impeachment process and what happened.
British news personality Piers Morgan said, &#8220;Took 10 seconds for the first winner (Brad Pitt) to bash President Trump. Only surprised it took that long. As always, this will help Trump not hurt him.&#8221;
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Took 10 seconds for the first winner (Brad Pitt) to bash President Trump. Only surprised it took that long. As always, this will help Trump not hurt him. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars2020</a>
&mdash; Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1226677613826981888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said, &#8220;I have to hand it to Brad Pitt for coming up with that brave political statement extemporaneously, without any help from various speech-writing agencies that his people definitely did not contact.&#8221;
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i have to hand it to Brad Pitt for coming up with that brave political statement extemporaneously, without any help from various speech-writing agencies that his people definitely did not contact.
&mdash; GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) <a href="https://twitter.com/greggutfeld/status/1226677530280812544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Media personality Larry Elder responded, &#8220;Brad Pitt, winner of Best Supporting Actor &#8230; made a crack about John Bolton not testifying before the Senate during the Trump impeachment trial. Apparently, Pitt is unaware that Bolton has REFUSED to testify without a subpoena.&#8221;
Actress Alana Stewart added, &#8220;The first acceptance speech has to have a political jab? Can’t we just have one award ceremony without offending half the viewers? Newsflash, Hollywood, most people don’t care about your political views.&#8221;
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The first acceptance speech has to have a political jab?Can’t we just have one award ceremony without offending half the viewers? Newsflash, Hollywood, most people don’t care about your political views. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BradPitt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BradPitt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/CLVTGOs7Ns">https://t.co/CLVTGOs7Ns</a>
&mdash; Alana Stewart (@AlanaKStewart) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlanaKStewart/status/1226681435240587264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren tweeted, “Brad Pitt, &#8216;They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.&#8217; Look, TDS and @realDonaldTrump have now made the Left cozy up to John Bolton. Their illness knows no bounds!&#8221;
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Brad Pitt, “They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.”
Look, TDS and <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> have now made the Left cozy up to John Bolton. Their illness knows no bounds!
&mdash; Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1226685026881789952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Media personality Dana Loesch mocked Pitt, writing, &#8220;Maybe in Quentin’s movie he’ll explore why House Dems didn’t call more relevant witnesses during their investigation.&#8221;
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Maybe in Quentin’s movie he’ll explore why House Dems didn’t call more relevant witnesses during their investigation ¯_( ツ)_/¯ <a href="https://t.co/WNsYAeRIdH">https://t.co/WNsYAeRIdH</a>
&mdash; Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1226677932216782848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-OSCARS-PRESS ROOM

Brad Pitt Makes Political Statement At Oscars, Gets Mocked By Critics

Brad Pitt

Chris Rock and Steve Martin mocked Democrats during the 2020 Academy Awards on Sunday over the disastrous Iowa caucuses and the homeless problem in Los Angeles.
&#8220;A couple of years ago there was a big disaster here at the Oscars where they accidentally read out the wrong name, and it was nobody’s fault, but they have guaranteed that this will not happen this year because the Academy has switched to the new Iowa caucus app,&#8221; Martin said. &#8220;But what a night!&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, I don’t know Steve,&#8221; Rock responded. &#8220;I’m a little conflicted, you know. I was driving here tonight and seeing the terrible homeless problem in L.A.—&#8221;
Martin immediately cut him off, yelling, &#8220;Thank you, Chris! So many stars! Oh my God, there’s Brad Pitt. It’s like looking at a mirror.&#8221;
The homeless problem in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-homeless-crisis-worsens-16-paul-bois">Los Angeles</a> and in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homelessness-is-on-the-rise-in-the-u-s-and-one-state-is-driving-it">California</a> as a whole – both controlled by the Democratic Party – has gotten significantly worse in recent years.
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SteveMartinToGo</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisrock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chrisrock</a>, presenting together at the Oscars, mock the Iowa caucuses fiasco, LA homelessness, Jeff Bezos … <a href="https://t.co/guAW5e8CSV">pic.twitter.com/guAW5e8CSV</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1226676034445205509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>CHRIS ROCK: While we were backstage watching it, Steve says to me, J Lo’s killing it two weeks in a row.
STEVE MARTIN: You know, I was thinking today Chris that we both have hosted the Oscars before and this is such an incredible demotion. They don’t really have hosts anymore. Why is that?
ROCK: Twitter. Hey, everybody’s got an embarrassing tweet somewhere. I know I do.
MARTIN: A couple of years ago there was a big disaster here at the Oscars where they accidentally read out the wrong name and it was nobody’s fault but they have guaranteed that this will not happen this year because the Academy has switched to the new Iowa caucus app. But what a night!
ROCK: Yeah, I don’t know Steve. I’m a little conflicted, you know. I was driving here tonight and seeing the terrible homeless problem in L.A.—
MARTIN: Thank you, Chris! So many stars! Oh my God, there’s Brad Pitt, it’s like looking at a mirror.
ROCK: … Jeff Bezos is here. Jeff Bezos—
MARTIN: Wow, great actor.
ROCK: He’s got cash, when he writes a check the bank bounce. Jeff Bezos is so rich, he got divorced and he’s still the richest man in the world. He saw Marriage Story and thought it was a comedy. Steve, do you have anything that you want to add about Mr. Bezos?
MARTIN: No, I like getting my packages on time.</blockquote>

Chris Rock Steve Martin

Chris Rock, Steve Martin Mock Democrats Over Iowa Caucuses, L.A. Homeless Problem

2020 Election

Chris Rock

Democrats

Homelessness

Iowa Caucuses

Los Angeles

Steve Martin

Comedian Ricky Gervais took shots at Hollywood on Sunday with jokes that he said he would have used if he had been chosen to host the Academy Awards.
Gervais dropped the lines on Twitter in response to being asked, &#8220;[If] you were hosting the Oscars tonight, what’s your first best joke?&#8221;
Gervais responded, “I can’t wait to hear all your inspirational speeches about equality, and it’s great that the 3 hours you’re here tonight is the only time your badly paid migrant house staff will get some time off to sleep this week.”
Several minutes later, Gervais added, “It’s great to see such diversity in the room tonight. Rich sex pests of all shapes and sizes.”
Gervais&#8217;s remarks come after his speech at the 2020 Golden Globes went viral and was widely praised after he brutally mocked Hollywood.
WATCH:
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Ricky Gervais kicks off The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a>. <a href="https://t.co/ZSdqiWMudx">pic.twitter.com/ZSdqiWMudx</a>
&mdash; NBC Entertainment (@nbc) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbc/status/1214008610667155456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/never-gonna-happen-ricky-gervais-responds-to-reaction-over-golden-globes-performance">TRANSCRIPT</a>:
<blockquote>You’ll be pleased to know this is the last time I’m hosting these awards, so I don’t care anymore. I’m joking. I never did. I’m joking, I never did. NBC clearly don’t care either — fifth time. I mean, Kevin Hart was fired from the Oscars for some offensive tweets — hello?
Lucky for me, the Hollywood Foreign Press can barely speak English and they’ve no idea what Twitter is, so I got offered this gig by fax. Let’s go out with a bang, let’s have a laugh at your expense. Remember, they’re just jokes. We’re all gonna die soon and there’s no sequel, so remember that.
But you all look lovely all dolled up. You came here in your limos. I came here in a limo tonight and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman. No, shush. It’s her daughter I feel sorry for. OK? That must be the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to her. And her dad was in Wild Hogs.
Lots of big celebrities here tonight. Legends. Icons. This table alone — Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro … Baby Yoda. Oh, that’s Joe Pesci, sorry. I love you man. Don’t have me whacked. But tonight isn’t just about the people in front of the camera. In this room are some of the most important TV and film executives in the world. People from every background. They all have one thing in common: They’re all terrified of Ronan Farrow. He’s coming for ya. Talking of all you perverts, it was a big year for pedophile movies. Surviving R. Kelly, Leaving Neverland, Two Popes. Shut up. Shut up. I don’t care. I don’t care.
Many talented people of color were snubbed in major categories. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about that. Hollywood Foreign press are all very racist. Fifth time. So. We were going to do an In-Memoriam this year, but when I saw the list of people who died, it wasn’t diverse enough. No, it was mostly white people and I thought, nah, not on my watch. Maybe next year. Let’s see what happens.
No one cares about movies anymore. No one goes to cinema, no one really watches network TV. Everyone is watching Netflix. This show should just be me coming out, going, “Well done Netflix. You win everything. Good night.” But no, we got to drag it out for three hours. You could binge-watch the entire first season of Afterlife instead of watching this show. That’s a show about a man who wants to kill himself cause his wife dies of cancer and it’s still more fun than this. Spoiler alert, season two is on the way so in the end he obviously didn’t kill himself. Just like Jeffrey Epstein. Shut up. I know he’s your friend but I don’t care.
Seriously, most films are awful. Lazy. Remakes, sequels. I’ve heard a rumor there might be a sequel to Sophie’s Choice. I mean, that would just be Meryl just going, “Well, it’s gotta be this one then.” All the best actors have jumped to Netflix, HBO. And the actors who just do Hollywood movies now do fantasy-adventure nonsense. They wear masks and capes and really tight costumes. Their job isn’t acting anymore. It’s going to the gym twice a day and taking steroids, really. Have we got an award for most ripped junky? No point, we’d know who’d win that.
Martin Scorsese made the news for his controversial comments about the Marvel franchise. He said they’re not real cinema and they remind him about theme parks. I agree. Although I don’t know what he’s doing hanging around theme parks. He’s not big enough to go on the rides. He’s tiny. The Irishman was amazing. It was amazing. It was great. Long, but amazing. It wasn’t the only epic movie. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nearly three hours long. Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere and by the end his date was too old for him. Even Prince Andrew was like, “Come on, Leo, mate. You’re nearly 50-something.”
The world got to see James Corden as a fat p****. He was also in the movie Cats. No one saw that movie. And the reviews, shocking. I saw one that said, “This is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs.” But Dame Judi Dench defended the film saying it was the film she was born to play because she loves nothing better than plunking herself down on the carpet, lifting her leg and licking her [expletive]. (Coughs) Hairball. She’s old-school.
It’s the last time, who cares? Apple roared into the TV game with The Morning Show, a superb drama about the importance of dignity and doing the right thing, made by a company that runs sweatshops in China. Well, you say you’re woke but the companies you work for in China — unbelievable. Apple, Amazon, Disney. If ISIS started a streaming service you’d call your agent, wouldn’t you?
So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.
So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*** off, OK? It’s already three hours long. Right, let’s do the first award.</blockquote>

NBC&#8217;s &#8220;77th Annual Golden Globe Awards&#8221; &#8211; Red Carpet Arrivals

Ricky Gervais Blasts Hollywood With Jokes He Would Have Told If He Hosted The Oscars

Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called a female voter in New Hampshire on Sunday a &#8220;lying dog-faced pony soldier,&#8221; which sparked a flurry of comments online.
The remark came after the woman asked Biden, &#8220;How do you explain the performance in Iowa, and why should the voters believe that you can win a national election?&#8221;
&#8220;You ever been to a caucus?&#8221; Biden replied.
After the voter apparently indicated that she had, Biden fired back, &#8220;No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier.&#8221;
&#8220;You gotta be honest,” he continued. “I’m gonna be honest with you. It was a little bit confusing in Iowa. But let’s assume it was all exactly right.&#8221;
WATCH:
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After a New Hampshire voter asks <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> why they should trust he can turn his campaign around, he asks if she’s ever been to a caucus before; when she says yes, Biden snaps: &quot;No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3uxOAu0Ues">pic.twitter.com/3uxOAu0Ues</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1226577362562752513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Donald Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1226602245602586625">responded,</a> &#8220;If he can’t handle a simple question from one of his own supporters, how can Joe Biden possibly take on Donald Trump one on one for six months? #NewHampshirePrimary.&#8221;
Newsmax host John Cardillo <a href="https://twitter.com/johncardillo/status/1226623241009213447">responded,</a> &#8220;Weirdest part about the Biden soundbite, the way it rolled off his tongue. She not the first ‘lyin’ dog-faced pony soldier’ he’s come across.&#8221;
Campus Reform Editor in Chief Cabot Phillips <a href="https://twitter.com/cabot_phillips/status/1226609783190556673">responded,</a>: &#8220;Joe Biden is competing with Joe Biden to see who can lose supporters faster. Joe Biden is winning.&#8221;
Another Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/derrickokeefe/status/1226591887814873089">commented,</a> &#8220;Getting reports that Joe Biden&#8217;s campaign has entered the self-parody stage of its downward spiral.&#8221;

Joe Biden Attends New Hampshire GOTV Event

WATCH: Joe Biden Calls A Female Voter A ‘Lying Dog-Faced Pony Soldier’

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg confirmed to Fox News&#8217; Chris Wallace on Sunday that he supports the decriminalization of hardcore illicit drugs, including meth and heroin.
&#8220;Mayor, you not only want to decriminalize marijuana, you want to decriminalize all drug possession,&#8221; Chris Wallace said. &#8220;You say that the better answer is incarceration – I mean, it’s rather treatment, not incarceration –&#8221;
&#8220;That’s right,&#8221; Buttigieg interjected.
&#8220;But isn’t the fact that it’s illegal to have, to possess meth and heroin, doesn’t that, at least in some way, the fact that’s illegal, act as some deterrent to actually trying it in the first place?&#8221; Wallace pressed.
&#8220;Well, I think the main thing we need to focus on is where you have distribution and the kind of harm that’s done there,&#8221; Buttigieg responded. &#8220;[Where] yeah, of course it’s important that it remain illegal but –”
&#8220;But you would decriminalize it, so it wouldn’t be illegal,&#8221; Wallace responded.
&#8220;Possession should not be dealt with through incarceration,&#8221; Buttigieg responded.
&#8220;But you would say that possession of heroin is not illegal?&#8221; Wallace pressed.
&#8220;Is not going to be dealt with through incarceration,&#8221; Buttigieg responded.
&#8220;But your website says ‘decriminalize,’” Wallace pressed. &#8220;It will not be illegal.&#8221;
&#8220;Yes. Or it could be a misdemeanor,&#8221; Buttigieg said in an apparent attempt to deflect. &#8220;The point is, not the legal niceties. The point is that we have learned through 40 years of a failed war on drugs that criminalizing addiction doesn’t work.&#8221;
WATCH:
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This is totally bonkers. 
Pete Buttigieg: decriminalize all drugs, including heroin and meth<a href="https://t.co/f2NiFOCmy7">pic.twitter.com/f2NiFOCmy7</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1226534275077623810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS SUNDAY ANCHOR: And joining us now, one of the co-winners of the Iowa caucuses, Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Welcome back to Fox News Sunday.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, 2020 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to be back.
WALLACE: So how much did your win, I’ll put it slightly in quotes, in Iowa transform the credibility of your campaign to show voters that you can actually beat this deal?
BUTTIGIEG: Well I think it was critically important. For the last year, presidential candidates have been saying that &#8212; claiming that we’re the ones who can put the campaign together that’s going to ultimately go on to defeat Donald Trump. And the process of proving that began in Iowa. I was especially pleased that we had a coalition of suburban and rural and urban voters &#8212; caucus goers. We had older and younger caucus goers supporting us. And did particularly well in some of those counties that had swung from President Obama to vote for Trump. But that’s one state and it’s one day.
New Hampshire is a state that thinks for itself with a very strong independent streak and we know that we’ve got to earn every vote here. And so I will continue to be on the ground doing events, taking questions, spending time with voters, making sure that they hear our vision and that I hear their concerns, and we think that’s how we’re going to succeed here too.
WALLACE: Now the flipside of that is &#8212; I don’t have to tell you, you’re more of a target, among others. Joe Biden has come out with a new ad specifically targeting you. Let’s take a look.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Joe Biden helped lead the passage of the affordable care act, giving healthcare to 20 million people. And when park goers called on Pete Buttigieg he installed decorative lights under bridges, giving citizens of South Bend color-free, illuminated rivers.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WALLACE: Now you say that Biden is mocking people in small towns. He says the point he’s making is you just have too little experience on too small a scale. You like to say that the Democrats who win are the ones who push for generational change &#8211;John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama. He says &#8212; and this is his quote, he’s no Barack Obama. When you &#8212;
(CROSSTALK)
BUTTIGIEG: &#8212; I’m not and neither is he. Neither is any of us.
WALLACE: And this isn’t 2008, this is 2020.
BUTTIGIEG: This is about how we’re going to turn the page and deliver a better future in the country. I’ll also say there’s so many communities &#8212; cities like mine in the industrial Midwest, rural areas, and even neighborhoods in our biggest cities that are tired of being treated as a punchline or not feeling that our voices are heard in Washington. And a big part of this campaign is about making sure that we carry those voices to the Capitol instead of thinking that the answers are somehow going to come from Washington as we know it. In order to win, but also in order to govern, we need to be ready to look to the future and that’s what my campaign is about.
WALLACE: Let’s talk about some of the issues that have come out recently. In the debate on Friday night, you were asked about the fact that African Americans in South Bend were four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than Whites were. Here was part of that exchange.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: How do you explain the increase in Black arrests in South Bend under your leadership for marijuana possessions?
BUTTIGIEG: And again the overall rate was never &#8212;
UNKNOWN: No. There was an increase. The year before you were in office it was lower.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WALLACE: I’m less interested in the statistic than the fact it seemed to me that you weren’t straight. That you, at first, you ducked the question and then when she pressed it again, you seem to deny it. And, you know, you have a reputation as a straight talker. The fact is Blacks were four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana arrests in your town when you were mayor.
BUTTIGIEG: No, that disparity is there. It is there in our city and it’s there across the country. So one of the things I wanted to make sure got across was that that was only part of the story. That in my city Black residents were less likely to be arrested on drug charges than in the state or in the country. But still, the disparity is real. It’s a problem and it’s one of the reasons why I’m proposing that we legalize marijuana outright and when we do we have a process of expungements and looking backwards at the harm that drug policy has caused.
We have seen time and time again racial disparities in the enforcement not just in drug laws, but across the criminal legal system. And we need reform. No one mayor is going to be able to resolve it. This is a national process that I’m pleased to see there is more and more bipartisan energy around doing something about, but it’s got to happen now.
WALLACE: Mayor you not only want to decriminalize marijuana, you want to decriminalize all drug possession. You say that the better answer is incarceration – I mean, it’s rather treatment, not incarceration &#8212;
BUTTIGIEG: That’s right.
WALLACE: &#8212; but isn’t the fact that it’s illegal to have &#8212; to possess meth and heroin doesn’t that &#8212; at least in some way, the fact that’s illegal, act as a – some deterrent to actually trying it in the first place?
BUTTIGIEG: Well I think the main thing we need to focus on is where you have distribution and the kind of harm that’s done there. [Where], yes, of course it’s important that it remain illegal but &#8212;
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: But you would decriminalize it so it would not be illegal.
BUTTIGIEG: Possession should not be deal with through incarceration and &#8212;
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: But you would say that possession of heroin is not illegal?
BUTTIGIEG: Is not going to be dealt with through incarceration.
WALLACE: But your &#8212; your website says decriminalize. It will not be illegal.
BUTTIGIEG: Yes. Or it could be a misdemeanor. The point is, not the legal niceties. The point is that we have learned through 40 years of a failed war on drugs that criminalizing addiction doesn’t work. Not only that, the incarceration does more harm than the offense it’s intended to deal with. This is not saying that these substances are OK. It’s saying that when somebody develops that kind of addiction, throwing them in jail or being in a situation where jail is the closest thing they’ll ever get to inpatient treatment, shows a profound failure in our country’s mental health and addiction treatment system. And I don’t think that comes as a surprise. The American people know that we’ve got to do a better job. And, frankly, expecting the law enforcement system, first responders in jails, to be the frontlines of mental health is just no way to run the United States of America.
WALLACE: In our Town Hall in Des Moines two weeks ago, you had an interesting discussion with a Democrats for Life woman &#8212; a woman who was pro-life who said that all she wants is for the party &#8212; the Democratic Party to make an explicit statement that people like her are welcomed into the party. Here’s a bit of that exchange.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Do you want the support of pro-life Democrats &#8212; pro-life Democratic voters, there are about 21 million of us?
BUTTIGIEG: I respect where you’re coming from &#8212; and I hope to earn your vote, but I’m not going to try to earn your vote by tricking you.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WALLACE: For someone who talks so much about inclusion, that struck a lot of people as sounding like you were trying to keep people out.
BUTTIGIEG: Well I was trying to show her the respect of being honest with her. Look, she is very welcome to join this effort. I hope that voters like her do, but I’m not going to turn around and support the criminalization of women and doctors as a way to get her vote because I don’t believe it’s right. I know that this is a tough and a sensitive issue. I’m from South Bend, Indiana. A lot of people I know &#8212; a lot of my own supporters don’t view this the way that I do. But at the end of the day, it is very important to me and, I think to most Americans, to respect a woman’s right to choose.
WALLACE: I think that you’re roughly saying that you would have to change your views, she was saying is the tent big enough in the Democratic Party that people like her who are against abortion &#8212; who are pro-life, are they welcomed into the party if they want to support them?
BUTTIGIEG: Here’s what I would say, to me being pro-life means also making sure that children can grow up and be healthy and succeed. It means making sure that there’s maternal care. It means making sure that there’s nutrition. And if we can agree on that much, than perhaps she can support me. And if not, I respect that.
WALLACE: You have made it clear you want some structural changes, not just specific issue changes. One of them is to end the Electoral College. But doesn’t that mean, in a general election, if it was just about the popular vote nobody would come to a state like New Hampshire because they’d be too busy going to population centers like New York and Los Angeles?
BUTTIGIEG: No, I don’t think that would be the effect and the reason is we run every other election in this country in the traditional fashion, in other words, you know, the person who gets the most votes gets to win the election. And when you’re running for governor of a state of any size, you go to the big cities and you go to the small towns. We don’t run Governors races with some Electoral College system where certain counties count more than certain other counties. And if you want to earn that office you campaign everywhere. I think the same is true for the country.
And at the end of the day it’s not clear to me why a rancher in Texas should not count because they are in a state that’s overwhelmingly Conservative. Or if somebody living in Brooklyn shouldn’t count because the community’s overwhelmingly Liberal. Or they’re my city, a midsize city in the industrial Midwest, doesn’t have much of a voice because I’m part of a state that’s not considered a swing state. It doesn’t even benefit small states. It just benefits some states. And at the end of the day I think it’s fair for everybody’s vote to count the exact same, like we do in every other election that we run in this country.
WALLACE: Finally, Bernie Sanders, who is going to be our next guest after the commercial, is going after you hard right now especially about the issue of some of your campaign donors. Take a look.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike some of the folks up here I don’t have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign. Let me – from the pharmaceutical industry, coming from Wall Street and all the big money interests.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WALLACE: You said, look to beat Donald Trump we need all the help, all the money, all the support we can get. No qualms about accepting contributions from what he calls big money interests?
BUTTIGIEG: We’ve gotten two million contributions in this campaign, I think the average is under 40 bucks. And we are building the movement that is going to defeat Donald Trump. I want everybody to help out. I want everybody who shares that vision to be at our side. I think Donald Trump is &#8212; and his allies raised 25 million bucks in one day. I’m building a campaign that’s not defined by who we reject. It’s defined by belonging. It’s defined by inclusion. It’s defined by pulling together the coalition to get the job done. And at the end of the day whether somebody goes to [website] and chips in the five bucks &#8212;
WALLACE: OK.
BUTTIGIEG: You know I got to say the website &#8212;
(CROSSTALK)
BUTTIGIEG: But also this is how we built the campaign. Or whether somebody comes to an event and may be a surgeon who can contribute $2,000 or whatever being much skin off their back. I want all of them to be part of this effort.
WALLACE: Mayor Buttigieg thank you. Thanks for your time sir.
BUTTIGIEG: Thank you.
WALLACE: And we’ll be watching for your final push before Tuesday.
BUTTIGIEG: Sounds good.</blockquote>

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