Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/markwayne-mullin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Markwayne Mullin</a> (R-OK) blew up Tuesday morning&#8217;s Armed Services Committee hearing, torching his colleagues — and taking some of the blast himself — for their hypocrisy as they criticized Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth.
Mullin argued that even as they sat in judgment of Hegseth — his qualifications to lead the Pentagon and his admitted struggles — many of them were ignoring their own failings while demanding that Hegseth meet the standards they themselves could not.
WATCH:
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MUST WATCH: Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkwayneMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkwayneMullin</a> just called out the hypocrisy of every single Democrat who have spent the hearing wagging their fingers at Pete Hegseth. <a href="https://t.co/jq8fvaHA42">pic.twitter.com/jq8fvaHA42</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1879224487981486263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot about qualifications,&#8221; Mullin said, referencing his colleagues who had raised questions regarding whether or not Hegseth had the necessary experience to run the Pentagon. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s so hypocritical of senators, especially on the other side of the aisle, to be talking about his qualifications to not be able to lead — to be the Secretary of Defense, and yet, your qualifications aren&#8217;t any better.&#8221;
&#8220;You guys aren&#8217;t any more qualified to be a senator than I&#8217;m qualified to be the senator, except we&#8217;re lucky enough to be here,&#8221; Mullin continued, after which he read aloud the qualifications upon which a Defense Secretary was to be judged.
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&#8220;In general, the U.S. Secretary of Defense position is filled by a civilian,&#8221; Mullin said. &#8220;That&#8217;s it. And if you have served in the U.S. Army forces and have been in the service for — you have to be retired for at least seven years and Congress can waive that. And then there&#8217;s questions that the senator from Massachusetts brought up about serving on a board inside the military industry, and yet your own secretary that you all voted for, Secretary Austin, we had to vote on a waiver because he stepped off the board of Raytheon. But I guess that&#8217;s okay because that&#8217;s a Democrat Secretary of Defense. But we so quickly forget about that.&#8221;
Mullin then pivoted to questions raised by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) regarding Hegseth&#8217;s previous marital woes, adding, &#8220;And then Senator Kaine — I guess I&#8217;d better use &#8216;the Senator from Virginia&#8217; — starts bringing up the fact that &#8216;what if you showed up drunk to your job?'&#8221;
&#8220;How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night?&#8221; Mullin asked after a brief pause, prompting laughter throughout the chamber.
&#8220;Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? And don’t tell me you haven’t seen it because I know you have. And then how many senators do you know have gotten a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;No, but it’s for show. You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man&#8217;s made a mistake.&#8221;
&#8220;And you want to sit there and say that he&#8217;s not qualified?&#8221; Mullin kept at it. &#8220;Give me a joke. It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard and you forget you got a big plank in your eye. We&#8217;ve all made mistakes. I&#8217;ve made mistakes.&#8221;
Mullin turned to Hegseth&#8217;s wife, Jennifer, crediting her with standing by her husband through difficulties.
&#8220;The only reason why I&#8217;m here and not in prison is because my wife loved me, too,&#8221; Mullin said to a few more laughs and a smattering of applause. &#8220;I have changed, but I&#8217;m not perfect — but I found somebody who thought I was perfect. And for whatever reason, you love Pete, and I don&#8217;t know why. But just like our Lord and Savior forgave me, my wife&#8217;s had to forgive me more than once, too, and I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve had to forgive him, too. And so, thank you.&#8221;

Sen. Markwayne Mullin

Senator Mullin Blows Up Hegseth Committee Hearing, Tells Senators They’re Not Qualified To Judge

Senator Mullin Blows Up Hegseth Committee Hearing, Tells Senators They're Not Qualified To Judge

Department of Defense

General

Markwayne Mullin

Military

Pete Hegseth

Politics

U.S. Senate

Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth put a quick stop to Senator Elizabeth Warren&#8217;s (D-MA) line of questioning during Tuesday morning&#8217;s Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing, prompting laughter from around the room.
Warren — who spent the majority of her time falsely conflating Hegseth&#8217;s comments criticizing the placement of women in direct combat roles with opposition to women serving in the military in any capacity — attempted to corner the decorated Army veteran with a hypothetical question about what he might do, assuming he is confirmed, after eventually leaving the Defense Department.
WATCH:
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WARREN: &quot;You are quite sure every General who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years but you&#39;re not willing to make that same pledge?&quot;
HEGSETH: &quot;I&#39;m not a General, Senator.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lGJQGhUWdS">pic.twitter.com/lGJQGhUWdS</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1879218380164792563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Noting that Hegseth has previously supported the notion that retired generals should wait ten years before seeking employment in the defense industry, Warren pressed him on whether he would impose a similar waiting period on himself once he left the Defense Department.
&#8220;But the question I have for you on this is will you put your money where your mouth is and agree that when you leave this job you will not work for the defense industry for 10 years?&#8221; Warren asked him.
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&#8220;Senator, it&#8217;s not even a question I&#8217;ve thought about,&#8221; Hegseth replied, but indicated that he would review the applicable law before making any such decision.
&#8220;You can think about it right now,&#8221; Warren suggested.
&#8220;I would consult with the president about what the policy should be,&#8221; Hegseth replied.
&#8220;In other words, you are quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years, but you&#8217;re not willing to make that same pledge?&#8221; Warren challenged him a second time.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not a general, Senator,&#8221; Hegseth shot back, prompting laughter around the room.
Warren appeared flustered as she paused, collected herself, and continued: &#8220;You&#8217;ll be the one, let us just be clear, in charge of the generals.&#8221;

Elizabeth Warren

‘I’m Not A General’: Pete Hegseth Tomahawks Sen. Warren’s Attempted Smear With Just 4 Words

'I'm Not A General': Pete Hegseth Tomahawks Sen. Warren's Attempted Smear With Just Four Words

Congress

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) launched a bizarre line of questioning during Tuesday morning&#8217;s Armed Forces Committee hearing, suggesting that she believed Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth — a decorated Army veteran — was ready to mount up and use military force to take over Greenland on day one.
Hirono referenced recent claims by President-elect Donald Trump about the strategic value of Greenland—currently controlled by Denmark—and whether or not he would move to put it under the United States&#8217; control. Her interpretation of the president-elect&#8217;s remarks and similar comments about control of the Panama Canal appeared to be that Trump was ready to send in the troops immediately.
WATCH:
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🚨 BREAKING: Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) accuses Pete Hegseth of planning to use the military to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Lmao.
HIRONO: Would you use the military to take over Greenland or an ally?
HEGSETH: Trump never strategically tips his hand. I would… <a href="https://t.co/36a5Y88ZXv">pic.twitter.com/36a5Y88ZXv</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1879206202585882830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Would you use the — our military — to take over Greenland or an ally&#8230; Denmark?&#8221; Hirono asked.
&#8220;Senator, one of the things that President Trump is so good at is never strategically tipping his hand,&#8221; Hegseth responded, noting that Trump was notorious for not telling anyone exactly what he planned to do despite any signals he might send leading up to such action.
&#8220;And so I would never in this public forum give one way or another direct what orders the president could give me in any context,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;So that sounds to me like you are contemplating carrying out such an order to basically invade Greenland and take over the Panama Canal,&#8221; Hirono responded.
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Hirono also referenced an off-the-cuff remark that former Defense Secretary Mark Esper claimed that Trump made during the 2020 George Floyd protests, during which Secret Service agents and Capitol Police were attacked in the vicinity of the White House as they stood to protect it: &#8220;Can&#8217;t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?&#8221;
Esper, in his memoir, criticized Trump&#8217;s comment and suggested he&#8217;d refused the &#8220;order&#8221; to take action. &#8220;The good news — this wasn’t a difficult decision. The bad news — I had to figure out a way to walk Trump back without creating the mess I was trying to avoid.&#8221;
Hirono turned to Hegseth then, quoting Esper&#8217;s words as gospel: &#8220;In June of 2020, then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C. An order Secretary Esper refused to comply with. Would you carry out such an order from President Trump?&#8221;
&#8220;Senator, I was in the Washington DC National Guard unit that was in Lafayette Square during those events carrying a riot shield on behalf of my country,&#8221; Hegseth replied.
&#8220;Would you carry out an order to shoot protesters in the legs as directed to by the president?&#8221; Hirono asked again.
&#8220;I saw 50 Secret Service agents get injured by rioters, trying to jump over the fence, set the church on fire and destroy it,&#8221; Hegseth said.
&#8220;You know what? That sounds to me that you will comply with such an order. You will shoot protesters in the leg,&#8221; Hirono concluded by cutting him off and substituting her own response instead.

Senate Dems

Hawaii Senator Is Convinced Pete Hegseth Personally Plans To Help Trump Storm Greenland

Donald Trump

Greenland

Mazie Hirono

Panama Canal

Decorated U.S. Army veteran Pete Hegseth completely dismantled legacy media during his Tuesday confirmation hearing, exposing the slanted and anonymously-sourced attacks on his character for exactly what they were.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) opened the hearing by giving Hegseth a chance to address the accusations — which he also noted were anonymously-sourced and quickly amplified by a breathless media.
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🚨 HOLY SH*T!
Pete Hegseth just totally dismantled the left-wing media smears against him in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
&quot;Our left-wing media doesn&#39;t CARE about the truth. All they want to do is destroy ME &#8211; because I am a change agent, a threat to them.&quot;… <a href="https://t.co/JqcgzafC4p">pic.twitter.com/JqcgzafC4p</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1879187806293045602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;From story after story in the media, left-wing media, we saw anonymous source after anonymous source, based on second-or-third-hand accounts,&#8221; Hegseth began. &#8220;And time and time again, stories would come out and people would reach out to me and say, you know, &#8216;I&#8217;ve spoken to this reporter about who you really are and I was willing to go on the record — but they didn&#8217;t print my quote, any of my quotes!'&#8221;
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&#8220;Or &#8216;I&#8217;ve worked with you for ten years,&#8217; or &#8216;I was your accountant,&#8217; or &#8216;I was your Chief Operating Officer,&#8217; or &#8216;I was your board member,&#8217; or &#8216;I was with you on a hundred different tour stops for Concerned Veterans for America. No one called me,'&#8221; Hegseth continued. &#8220;&#8216;No one asked about your conduct on the record or off the record.'&#8221;
&#8220;Instead, a small handful of anonymous sources were allowed to drive a smear campaign, an agenda about me, because our left-wing media in America today, sadly, doesn&#8217;t care about the truth,&#8221; Hegseth took direct aim at legacy media then. &#8220;All they were out to do, Mr. Chairman, was destroy me. And why do they want to destroy me? Because I am a change agent, a threat to them.&#8221;
&#8220;I am willing to endure these attacks,&#8221; Hegseth said. He went on to add that he would continue to stand up against them: &#8220;What I will do is stand up for the truth and for my reputation. False attacks. Anonymous attacks. Repeated ad nauseam, printed ad nauseam as &#8216;facts.'&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not a perfect person, as has been acknowledged,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Saved by the grace of God. By Jesus and Jenny. I&#8217;m not a perfect person, but redemption is real and God forged me in ways that I know I&#8217;m prepared for &#8230; I look forward to leading this Pentagon on behalf of the warfighters.&#8221;

President-Elect Trump’s Cabinet Nominees Meet With Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

WATCH: Pete Hegseth Dismantles Legacy Media In Under 3 Minutes

Media

CNN reporter Alex Marquardt took the stand on Monday, marking the <a href="https://x.com/NickFondacaro/status/1878829916864893255" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sixth day</a> of the network&#8217;s Florida defamation trial, brought by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young over a report about his efforts to aid in the evacuation of Afghan citizens.
Marquardt <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2025/01/13/marquardt-refuses-apologize-alleged-defamation-doubles-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated on the stand</a> that he had pitched a story to the network about desperate Afghans fleeing the Taliban — which resulted in a piece that went to air with claims that Young had &#8220;preyed&#8221; on the people and &#8220;exploited&#8221; their desperation to make a quick buck.
During Young&#8217;s testimony late last week, the Navy veteran explained that he had only worked with Afghans who had corporate sponsors who were able to pay the costs associated with the evacuations — which were often complicated and dangerous — but Marquardt still went ahead with a story that suggested he was essentially extorting individual citizens.
Despite Young&#8217;s insistence that he only did corporate-sponsored evacuations, Marquardt testified that &#8220;the story was not about Bloomberg and Audible. The corporate evacuations were not something I was interested in.&#8221;
Marquardt made Young the face of the story after getting the go-ahead from &#8220;top brass&#8221; within the network. Young&#8217;s attorney, Devin Freedman, shared internal messages from CNN, including one from Marquardt stating, &#8220;We gonna nail this Zachary Young mf**ker.&#8221;
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Marquardt is confronted fronted with his message about how he was going to &quot;mail this Zachary Young mfucker.&quot; Marquardt doubles down. <a href="https://t.co/XeSGakfTRZ">pic.twitter.com/XeSGakfTRZ</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1878838317170741516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Marquardt also admitted during testimony that he had found reports of Afghans being scammed as they attempted to flee the country but that he had not included them in the story about Young. He also admitted that he did not have direct evidence of Young exploiting any Afghan citizen.
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Marquardt admits he had &quot;no evidence&quot; of Mr. Young taking advantage of an Afghan.
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1878829916864893255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Judge William Scott Henry, who has already ruled that Young did not exploit any Afghan citizens during his time working to coordinate evacuations, read one of the juror&#8217;s questions aloud to Marquardt to clarify some of his comments.
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&#8220;Why, after several examples of Mr. Young cut off communication with people without [corporate] funds, did you still feel as if he was still exploiting Afghans? … Do you and your colleagues believe that Mr. Young should have evacuated anyone who requested help without charging? … How do you feel knowing that Mr. Young can no longer work in the space that he is trained in as a result of your piece?&#8221;
Throughout his testimony, Marquardt repeated that he was &#8220;proud&#8221; of his story and said he did not believe CNN should apologize to Young.

‘We Gonna Nail This Zachary Young MF**ker’: CNN Reporter’s Text Read Aloud In Court

'We Gonna Nail This Zachary Young MF**ker': CNN Reporter's Text Read Aloud In Court

Afghanistan

Joe Biden

trial

U.S.

The Washington Post&#8217;s longtime &#8220;conservative blogger&#8221; Jennifer Rubin announced on Monday that she had resigned from the paper, effective immediately, to launch a new outlet that was &#8220;not owned by anybody.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservatives-washington-post-jennifer-rubin-not-joseph-curl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubin</a>, who became an outspoken <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wapos-jen-rubin-blasted-for-wild-claim-republicans-want-to-kill-your-kids-its-actually-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advocate for Democrats</a> in her efforts to &#8220;resist&#8221; Donald Trump, lionized President Joe Biden until the very end, and then went so far as to fawn over Vice President Kamala Harris even before she was foisted on the Democratic Party as their de facto nominee.
But the media landscape has begun to change with Trump&#8217;s re-election — and even some legacy media personalities and outlets have started to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-what-was-discussed-in-meeting-with-scarborough-brzezinski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show signs of coming around</a>, resigning themselves to the fact that if they don&#8217;t at least attempt to speak to Trump and his allies in good faith, they may find themselves ousted by podcasters, citizen journalists, and other less traditional media outlets.
Rubin, according to her Monday announcement, is having none of that — in addition to launching her new outlet, she declared her intention to leave X altogether in protest of Trump&#8217;s alliance with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
&#8220;BIG NEWS. I have left the Post. Corporate and billionaire media are failing to meet the moment,&#8221; she claimed in her post to X. &#8220;With @normeisen.bsky.social I&#8217;m launching @contrariannews.bsky.social. We&#8217;ll have politics but also cooking, humor, film and even pets. Please subscribe and join the fight. And because I want to be true to my values I am leaving X. I refuse to enable the Elon-Trump presidency.&#8221;
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BIG NEWS. I have left the Post. Corporate and billionaire media are failing to meet the moment. With <a href="https://twitter.com/NormEisen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@normeisen</a>.bsky.social I&#39;m launching <a href="https://twitter.com/contrariannews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@contrariannews</a>.bsky.social. We&#39;ll have politics but also cooking, humor, film and even pets. Please subscribe and join the fight.…
&mdash; Jen &#39;now @jenrubin9&#39; Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1878810056596111658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a lengthier post via her <a href="https://contrarian.substack.com/p/i-have-resigned-from-the-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">substack</a> page, Rubin offered more by way of explanation — specifically blaming WaPo&#8217;s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, for bending the knee to Trump and Musk.
<blockquote>Corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed their audiences’ loyalty and sabotaged journalism’s sacred mission — defending, protecting and advancing democracy. The Washington Post’s billionaire owner and enlisted management are among the offenders. They have undercut the values central to The Post’s mission and that of all journalism: integrity, courage, and independence. I cannot justify remaining at The Post. Jeff Bezos and his fellow billionaires accommodate and enable the most acute threat to American democracy—Donald Trump—at a time when a vibrant free press is more essential than ever to our democracy’s survival and capacity to thrive.</blockquote>
Rubin went on to name a number of her collaborators at the new outlet — George Conway and Laurence Tribe, among others — before taking another swing at Bezos on her way out the door.
<blockquote>In closing, I want to reiterate that I have been honored to work for over fourteen years alongside the finest writers and editors in journalism. Above all, I was blessed to work for The Post under the Graham Family ownership and Fred Hiatt’s leadership of the editorial section. My admiration for their collective integrity, dedication to craft, courage, patriotism, and decency is boundless. But when new leaders sully the reputation of institutions entrusted to them and the fate of democracy is in the balance, we all must reevaluate our careers and our obligations to the world’s most essential nation.</blockquote>
&#8220;History calls us all,&#8221; she claimed.
Rubin signaled the coming move in December when she criticized elected Democrats — who are in the minority in both the Senate and the House — for suggesting that they might work with Trump during the coming administration.
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&#8220;A depressingly high number of elected Democrats are declaring their intent to find &#8216;common ground&#8217; with President-elect Donald Trump and his crackpot Cabinet picks. Their naive, tone-deaf declarations epitomize an infatuation with bipartisanship for bipartisanship’s sake. Sometimes, it’s better not to bend the knee before the bidding even gets underway,&#8221; she complained.
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A depressingly high number of elected Democrats are declaring their intent to find “common ground” with President-elect Donald Trump and his crackpot Cabinet picks. Their naive, tone-deaf declarations epitomize an infatuation with bipartisanship for bipartisanship’s sake.…
&mdash; Jen &#39;now @jenrubin9&#39; Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1871195157153849354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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She also whined loudly — and often — about the fact that her own outlet was among those that had refused to offer an outright endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
&#8220;If a news organization offers up financial tribute or shies from endorsing an opponent, readers and viewers have every right to question its impartiality, aggressiveness and spine. The sort of behavior we have witnessed from many legacy outlets will not help win back audiences who have lost faith in them. (Progressives are horrified; right-wingers will never patronize them.) Maintaining financial and personal distance from the president, whom news organizations are obligated to investigate and hold accountable, should not be difficult,&#8221; she said. &#8220;If people in positions of public trust, whether in elected office or in media, do not demonstrate — in deed and word — sufficient courage, fidelity to democracy and resistance to authoritarian manipulation, we will tip into a kakistocracy without much of a fight. Sadly, the past few weeks have not been encouraging.&#8221;
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If a news organization offers up financial tribute or shies from endorsing an opponent, readers and viewers have every right to question its impartiality, aggressiveness and spine.
The sort of behavior we have witnessed from many legacy outlets will not help win back audiences…
&mdash; Jen &#39;now @jenrubin9&#39; Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1870121385801998359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Her insistence on absolute opposition to Trump led to repeated demands of absolute fealty to Democrats — despite the fact that for years, she had claimed to be the WaPo&#8217;s &#8220;conservative&#8221; voice.
&#8220;The idea we have to understand how or why Trump won to prepare to fight him is a category error,&#8221; Rubin said just after the 2024 election.
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The idea we have to understand how or why Trump won to prepare to fight him is a category error.
&mdash; Jen &#39;now @jenrubin9&#39; Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1854734804257800370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Jen Rubin

WaPo’s Pretend Conservative Resigns — And Rage-Quits X — Over Trump-Musk Alliance

WaPo's Pretend Conservative Resigns — And Rage-Quits X — Over Trump-Musk Alliance

Jennifer Rubin

Washington Post

For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On Sunday, as multiple wildfires still rage out of control in California, what to do about them and how to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future was top of mind on many of the political talk shows. As one might expect, media personalities were quick to jump to the aid of Democrats — who are often only too happy to politicize natural disasters when they occurred in red states — were desperate to put a stop to the criticism being leveled at California&#8217;s leadership (or lack thereof) with regard to the fires.
Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), joined host Jonathan Karl on ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week&#8221; to discuss the &#8220;dangerous situation&#8221; still unfolding in Southern California.
&#8220;The red flag warnings have been reissued, the winds are coming back, and we still want to make sure that people are in a safe place,&#8221; Criswell said. The winds had abated enough to allow for air support to fly in water and fire retardant over the last day, but they are expected to pick up again and the situation is still extremely volatile.
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FEMA&#39;s Deanne Criswell tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the wildfires in California are still creating a “dangerous situation.” 
“The red flag warnings have been reissued, the winds are coming back, and we still want to make sure that people are in a safe place.” <a href="https://t.co/DaiAqGdfIK">https://t.co/DaiAqGdfIK</a> <a href="https://t.co/E6hxHKtpFs">pic.twitter.com/E6hxHKtpFs</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878450715128975494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Criswell, fresh off her agency&#8217;s scandalous behavior in the southeast — refusing to knock on doors and offer federal assistance where signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump were visible — assured Karl that the federal government was prepared to handle the aftermath of the devastating fires in addition to what was already on their plate.
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FEMA&#39;s Deanne Criswell tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the agency has funding to support the wildfire response in California, as well as “recoveries from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the other 179 declarations that we had last year alone across the United States.” <a href="https://t.co/9L2wIzgR1g">https://t.co/9L2wIzgR1g</a> <a href="https://t.co/anOvr3S7Ko">pic.twitter.com/anOvr3S7Ko</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878458844906508571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) also spoke to Karl about the fires ravaging his home state, praising firefighters and likening the devastation to that seen in war zones. &#8220;The heartbreak is just overwhelming,&#8221; he said.
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“The heartbreak is just overwhelming.” 
California Sen. Adam Schiff tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the level of devastation in his home state due to the wildfires reminds him of visiting war zones, praises firefighters for the “extraordinary job they’re doing.” <a href="https://t.co/ztBCpzSppZ">https://t.co/ztBCpzSppZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/XL43g6Prb4">pic.twitter.com/XL43g6Prb4</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878466548186104113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schiff suggested that the best response to the fires would be to put forth an independent commission to review what had transpired. &#8220;What went right in our response? What went wrong in it?&#8221;
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Sen. Adam Schiff calls for an independent commission to review the response to the California wildfires. 
“What went right in our response? What went wrong in it?” <a href="https://t.co/nf9CAUZ2iH">https://t.co/nf9CAUZ2iH</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pj3azIxjvm">pic.twitter.com/Pj3azIxjvm</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878469879013023760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The new California senator, elected to fill the seat that was initially vacated when the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) passed away, also called on President-elect Trump to join with California in an effort to prevent future disasters.
Schiff, who spent the majority of Trump&#8217;s last term attempting to either impeach him or simply smear him as a Russian asset, claimed on Sunday, &#8220;It’s going to be really important for the incoming president to work with all of us in California to make sure that we get the resources we need to put out these flames &#8230; to get the relief to get back on our feet.&#8221;
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“It’s going to be really important for the incoming president to work with all of us in California to make sure that we get the resources we need to put out these flames &#8230; to get the relief to get back on our feet,” California Sen. Adam Schiff says. <a href="https://t.co/ANK2epHI2F">https://t.co/ANK2epHI2F</a> <a href="https://t.co/ygCxGG6ESk">pic.twitter.com/ygCxGG6ESk</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1878472726098120968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; FEMA&#8217;s Criswell also spoke with host Margaret Brennan — and she argued that despite the growing evidence to the contrary, California had been adequately prepared to confront the massive blaze.
&#8220;I think that they were very prepared,&#8221; Criswell said — despite multiple reports of budget cuts to local fire departments, empty reservoirs, and empty fire hydrants. She went on to blame the excessive winds — which are a common problem in Southern California — for the difficulties first responders have faced in battling the fires. &#8220;[They] have never seen 100 mph winds that are fueling the fire.&#8221;
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When asked why the Los Angeles area was so unprepared for these wildfires, <a href="https://twitter.com/FEMA_Deanne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FEMA_Deanne</a> says, &quot;I think that they were very prepared.&quot; But she adds the firefighters &quot;have never seen 100 mph winds that are fueling the fire.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JELhORdFoE">pic.twitter.com/JELhORdFoE</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878468188821709048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) echoed Schiff&#8217;s sentiments in calling for bipartisan efforts in helping California to rebuild.
&#8220;These wildfires don&#8217;t have any political affiliation,&#8221; she told Brennan. &#8220;They don&#8217;t belong to any political party. This devastation has affected thousands upon thousands of people who just ran out of their homes with nothing in their hands, and are trying to rebuild, and they need help.&#8221;
She called on President-elect Trump and newly re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to visit the affected area, saying that they need to &#8220;witness the devastation for themselves.&#8221;
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There are plans to invite President-elect Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to the areas of California afflicted by the wildfires and &quot;witness the devastation for themselves,&quot; says Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).
&quot;These wildfires don&#39;t have any political affiliation,&quot; she says.… <a href="https://t.co/Lhb9U7F7M8">pic.twitter.com/Lhb9U7F7M8</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878471777275216065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) also weighed in, noting that if the federal government was going to assist California after obvious failures in preparation, that there would be &#8220;strings attached&#8221; to any funding provided.
&#8220;It has to do with being ready the next time because this was a gross failure this time,&#8221; he said.
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&quot;There will be strings attached&quot; to any disaster and recovery aid Congress will &quot;ultimately&quot; approve for the California wildfires, says Senate Majority Whip <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenJohnBarrasso</a>.
&quot;It has to do with being ready the next time because this was a gross failure this time,&quot; he tells… <a href="https://t.co/ym9WvXaDoa">pic.twitter.com/ym9WvXaDoa</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878474881836220742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom joined NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — where he said that Trump had not yet responded to an invitation to tour the damaged areas of his state.
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Trump has not responded to invitation to survey L.A. wildfire damage, Gov. Newsom says <a href="https://t.co/OP9KQebWTM">https://t.co/OP9KQebWTM</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1878455402188128749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Saying that the fires would be viewed as one of the worst natural disasters to be recorded in American history, Newsom also claimed that he still had complete confidence in the leadership in place — including L.A.&#8217;s Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, who was on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa when the fires began.
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Gov. Newsom says he has ‘faith in our leaders’ as L.A. Mayor Karen Bass faces scrutiny <a href="https://t.co/l6WlHoYtdP">https://t.co/l6WlHoYtdP</a>
&mdash; Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1878474534153506999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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TOPSHOT-US-WEATHER-FIRE

Spin Cycle: Wildfires Rage, And Politicians Fan The Blame

ABC News

Adam Schiff

California

CBS News

FEMA

Fires

Fox News Sunday

MSNBC

NBC News

Video captured at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) captured the earliest moments off the still-raging <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palisades fire</a>, showing just how quickly it grew into a massive blaze.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared by @airlinevideos footage via X, along with key details to watch for in the clip.
“NEW: My former @FOXLA colleague Kevin Horton captured video of the moment the #PalisadesFire first broke out on Tuesday morning. He runs @airlinevideos at LAX, where he has live cameras set up,” Melugin said.
He went on to lay out the key timestamps that showed the start of the Palisades fire and its rapid growth into the blaze that has thus far devastated hundreds of homes, businesses, and schools. The latest estimates suggest more than $50 billion worth of property has been damaged or destroyed.
“At 10:26 AM, as a Delta flight lands, you see the first small plume of smoke in the hills in the background,” Melugin said of the included video. “At 10:28 AM, as a United flight lands, the smoke plume can be seen growing larger.”
“At 10:30 AM, Kevin notices the fire and active flames, and begins talking about it,” he noted. “By 10:42 AM, the fire is fully established and the flames begin moving toward homes. Video credit: @airlinevideos.”
WATCH:
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NEW: My former <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXLA</a> colleague Kevin captured video of the moment the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a> first broke out on Tuesday morning. He runs <a href="https://twitter.com/airlinevideos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airlinevideos</a> at LAX, where he has live cameras set up. 
At 10:26 AM, as a Delta flight lands, you see the first small plume of smoke in the hills… <a href="https://t.co/UwkEhwfuvJ">pic.twitter.com/UwkEhwfuvJ</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1877482448914887047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Palisades fire is just one of at least three fires currently raging in the vicinity of Los Angeles, which combined have resulted in tens of thousands of evacuations. At least five people have been killed.

California fires

SEE IT: The Moment The Palisades Fire Erupted Caught On Airport Video Feed

Los Angeles

Wildfires

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> news anchor Melvin Robert had just finished claiming that he had heard no reports of firefighters running out of water when his reporter on the scene directly contradicted him.
Robert, an anchor with FOX 11 Los Angeles, mentioned the claims made by developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso regarding the firefighters who have been attempting to battle the multiple blazes — namely that hydrants were running dry — and Robert stated that he had heard no such claims directly from the firefighters.
WATCH:
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This news anchor tried to come to the defense of elected Democrats by claiming that Rick Caruso was wrong about firefighters not having water to put out fires but then the reporter on the ground jumps in to confirm that there’s NO WATER.
This is criminal. <a href="https://t.co/dzDMrXIy00">pic.twitter.com/dzDMrXIy00</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1877210995468239038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Robert began with an audio clip of Caruso, who had called in to an earlier broadcast:
<blockquote>
The real issue to me is twofold. We’ve had decades to go to remove the brush in these hills that spread so quickly. And the second is you’ve got to have water. And my understanding is the reservoir was not refilled in time and in a timely manner to keep the hydrants going.
So that’s a failure whether on DWP’s part or another city agency. But this is basic stuff, this isn’t high science here. And it’s all about leadership and management that we’re seeing a failure of. And all of these residents are paying the ultimate price for that.”
</blockquote>
&#8220;Despite what you have heard from Caruso, no firefighters have told us that they are running out of water,&#8221; Robert said once the clip ended.
Just a few seconds later, however, Robert went live to reporter Gigi Graciette in Pacific Palisades — and she immediately rebutted his claim.
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&#8220;Well, firefighters have told me they have no water on this block. And you may be able to make out the ember storm that we’re in the middle of right now. This house is going to be a total loss. They have no water to put on this fire. They are standing by because they’re trying to save the home that is next to it. That home is going to be a total loss,&#8221; Graciette said.
&#8220;Firefighters here telling me they have no water. Why? They don’t know. They’ve heard that there may be broken mains. There may be broken pipes. They don’t know, but what they’ve been doing to save the house next to it is actually putting — pulling water from the swimming pool,&#8221; she said.

US-WEATHER-FIRE

News Anchor Claims L.A. Firefighters Aren’t Out Of Water, Reporter Immediately Contradicts Him

News Anchor Claims L.A. Firefighters Aren't Out Of Water, Reporter Immediately Contradicts Him

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) confirmed on Thursday that he intended to take a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with President-elect Donald Trump, making him the first Senate Democrat to do so.
Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram reported the news, sharing a statement Fetterman issued on the topic.
&#8220;Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet Senator Fetterman’s statement: &#8216;President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania. I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.'&#8221;
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Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet
Senator Fetterman’s statement:    “President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania.    “I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a…
&mdash; Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1877426689598239218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Yes, we are going to have a conversation,&#8221; Fetterman said in a statement given to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fetterman-trump-mar-a-lago/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>. &#8220;I think that one, he’s the president, or he will be officially…and I think it’s pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it.&#8221;
&#8220;I have no idea what&#8217;s going to exactly come up. So, I mean, regardless of whatever comes up, that&#8217;s going to be part of the conversation,&#8221; he added.
Fetterman was also the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-is-first-senate-democrat-to-step-up-sponsor-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first Senate Democrat</a> to sign on and sponsor the Laken Riley Act — named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien who had been arrested for theft, but not deported — which would compel federal officials to take action against illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft.
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He has also signaled a willingness to vote in favor of and work with at least a few of President-elect Trump&#8217;s nominees, saying that is simply part of the way &#8220;democracy works.&#8221;
Fetterman may not have much company among his Democratic colleagues, however, according a recent video made for social media. After first promising to work for the people, they also promised to fight against any Trump policies that they did not like.
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Senate Democrats release cringe video promising to FIGHT Donald Trump and stand in his way. <a href="https://t.co/HuOyyiDX5D">pic.twitter.com/HuOyyiDX5D</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1877418497120084308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The date and time of any such meeting between Fetterman and Trump has not yet been finalized. Trump has already met with at least one prominent Democrat ahead of his second inauguration and the start of his second term in office: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Challenges in Preserving the U.S. Housing Stock

John Fetterman Will Be First Senate Democrat To Take A Meeting With Trump

Executive

John Fetterman

Pennsylvania

Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Bass</a>, a Democrat, got testy with CBS reporter Jonathan Vigliotti during a Thursday morning press conference regarding the multiple wildfires still blazing in the area.
Vigliotti and others have pressed Bass, who returned from a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa only after the fires began, to account for her absence when weather services had warned that the conditions were ripe for massive fires and also for the fact that the Los Angeles Fire Department has reported a lack of necessary resources to fight the fires.
WATCH:
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REPORTER: What explains this lack of preparation and rapid response?
LA MYOR KAREN BASS: My number one focus&#8230;is that we have to protect lives, we have to save lives, and we have to save homes. Rest assured —
REPORTER: But that did not happen.
BASS: Let me finish! <a href="https://t.co/A7tojlbORL">pic.twitter.com/A7tojlbORL</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1877401148723810646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Mayor, L.A. County is in a panic state. It began two days ago with the Palisades fire. My crew and I arrived shortly after it started and for several hours, we watched as hundreds of homes in the neighborhood burned to the ground and we did not see a single fire engine,&#8221; Vigliotti began. &#8220;We watched as good samaritans guided traffic.&#8221;
&#8220;There was fear and there was a lot of confusion. You were out of the country at the time. Shortly after the fire started, a press release was put out warning of this fire behavior,&#8221; he continued, turning to question Bass directly. &#8220;My question to you is, what explains this lack of preparation and rapid response?&#8221;
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&#8220;Let me just say first and foremost my number one focus and the focus of all of us here with one voice is that we have to protect lives, we have to save lives, and we have to save homes. Rest assured that —&#8221; Bass replied.
Viglioti objected: &#8220;But that didn’t happen.&#8221;
&#8220;Rest assured! Let me finish!&#8221; Bass protested. &#8220;Rest assured, when that is done, when we are safe, and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn’t work, and to correct or to hold accountable anybody, department, individual, etc. But my focus right now is on the lives and on the homes.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you think your leadership was effective while responding to this disaster?&#8221; Vigliotti pressed again.
&#8220;I just said what I believe is the most important thing for us to do right now,&#8221; Bass replied. &#8220;And that is going to continue to be my focus. Thank you.&#8221;

Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area

‘Let Me Finish!’: Karen Bass Snaps At Reporter Who Dares To Question Her Leadership

'Let Me Finish!': Karen Bass Snaps At Reporter Who Dares To Question Her Leadership

Karen Bass

Los Angeles Fire Department

Natural Disaster

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> is under fire as Navy veteran Zachary Young testifies in his $1 billion lawsuit against the network, telling judge and jury that a CNN report that aired November 11, 2021, had &#8220;destroyed his reputation and business.&#8221;
Young&#8217;s suit alleges that the segment — which aired on &#8220;The Lead&#8221; with anchor Jake Tapper and featured reporting by correspondent Alex Marquardt — incorrectly implied that he had profited illegally from his efforts to aid in the evacuation of &#8220;desperate Afghans&#8221; who were trying to flee the country in the wake of President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous military withdrawal from Afghanistan months earlier.
As <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cia-trained-navy-veteran-details-very-devastating-impact-cnn-segment-had-his-life-labeled-criminal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by Fox News Digital, &#8220;14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry, who is presiding over the trial in Bay County, Florida, has already ruled that Young &#8216;did not act illegally or criminally&#8217; despite what the network reported on air. Judge Henry has also declared the court found Young &#8216;did not take money from Afghans.'&#8221;
CNN&#8217;s reporting painted a very different picture, however. Twice before the November 11 segment even aired, Tapper had teased a story about &#8220;desperate Afghans still trying to escape the country being preyed on by folks demanding that they pay up big time to get out.&#8221;
Tapper then introduced Marquardt&#8217;s report, saying, &#8220;Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.&#8221;
Marquardt&#8217;s report focused on Young, claiming that the Navy veteran had asked for &#8220;prices well beyond the reach of most Afghans&#8221; in exchange for his efforts to help them escape the Taliban-controlled country.
&#8220;In a text message, he told CNN that Afghans trying to leave are expected to have sponsors pay for them,&#8221; Marquardt explained, also noting that Young had attributed the &#8220;volatile&#8221; high costs attached to evacuation to &#8220;environmental realities.&#8221;
Marquardt went on to say that Young had declined to share a detailed explanation of the costs, adding, &#8220;In another message, that person offering those evacuations, Zachary Young, he wrote, ‘Availability is extremely limited, and demand is high’… he goes on to say, ‘That’s how economics works, unfortunately.'&#8221;
The segment concluded with interviews of two anonymous Afghans — with whom Young says he never had contact — who told CNN that they hoped to evacuate family members from the country, but were afraid they could not afford to do so.
<a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2025/01/07/facts-didnt-matter-testimony-cnn-defamation-trial-begins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young&#8217;s defense</a> is set to focus on a number of text messages that his attorneys say make it clear that some at the network were aware prior to airing the story that it was &#8220;full of holes.&#8221;
Young&#8217;s attorney Kyle Roche, during Tuesday&#8217;s opening statements, claimed that the CNN report was &#8220;reckless&#8221; and that the network had &#8220;set out to destroy Zach’s reputation.&#8221;
&#8220;They didn’t care about the truth. They cared about theater and they cared about ratings,&#8221; he said, previewing internal messages from CNN editors who stated that Marquardt&#8217;s report was &#8220;full of holes like Swiss cheese&#8221; and &#8220;80 percent emotion and 20 percent obscured fact.&#8221;
During Young&#8217;s testimony, which began Tuesday and continued on Wednesday, a series of messages between Marquardt and Young were presented as evidence. The exchange showed that Marquardt had told Young he planned to go ahead with the story, but then only gave him a two-hour window in which to respond to multiple questions.
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That message came in the night, Vienna-time. Young responded 5-minutes later: &quot;I will need some time to review and provide comment.&quot; Marquardt told Young that the story was &quot;running this afternoon DC time.&quot; This would be in just a couple of hours. <a href="https://t.co/RoAnDsV99t">pic.twitter.com/RoAnDsV99t</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877019355956822089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Young replied, saying that the story&#8217;s claims were not accurate and the deadline was not reasonable — and threatened legal action against the network if they ran with it anyway.
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&quot;That&#39;s definitely not a realistic deadline. In any case, I can tell you for sure, some of your facts/assertions for not accurate, and it they are published, i will seek legal damages,&quot; Young warned CNN&#39;s Alex Marqardt. The warning was not heeded. <a href="https://t.co/fLwCNb3M9K">pic.twitter.com/fLwCNb3M9K</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877020492948770889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Following the report, Young said on the stand that he had been in therapy and placed on medication after suffering multiple panic attacks a day. He also said that he&#8217;d not been able to work since the report came out — and that when he&#8217;d tried to offer his assistance with evacuations in Sudan, his posts were &#8220;flooded&#8221; with &#8220;hate echoing what CNN said&#8221; in the reports about him.
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Young testified that he tried to offer evacuations during the crisis in Sudan, but people flooded his LinkedIn post with hate echoing what CNN said about him.
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877078103391895686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When CNN attorney David Axelrod (no relation to the CNN commentator/former Obama staffer) got up to cross-examine Young, one of the first questions he asked referenced an old resume in which Young had cited his ability to &#8220;deal with stress.&#8221; Some speculated that line of questioning would later be used to attack his claims that the CNN report was damaging to his mental health.

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