Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. Click here to listen.
1. Trump Pleads Not Guilty In Georgia
Former President Trump pleaded not guilty in Georgia on Thursday. Trump was charged in Fulton County earlier this month on 13 felony counts related to his alleged efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. Trump also waived his right to appear in person at his arraignment hearing next week. The GOP frontrunner released a video Thursday morning, blasting Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis for her case against him and 18 other co-defendants:
“Why is there so much murder? I mean, murder in Atlanta. Why is there so much violent crime in Atlanta? People are afraid to go outside to buy a loaf of bread. One big reason is that failed district attorney Fani Willis, who is campaigning and fundraising off ‘Get Trump,'” the former president said in the video. “‘We’re gonna get Trump, not the murderers. We’re gonna get Trump.’ And she is like, frankly, she’s like others that are also in her position.”
We are going to MAKE ATLANTA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/PRvVuo1zQC
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 31, 2023
Rapid Reaction: After four indictments, two impeachments, years worth of Russiagate hoaxes, and so much more baloney thrown at him, it’s hard not to agree that the Left and their loyal foot soldiers, like DA Fani Willis, do indeed want to “get Trump” — and anybody else who goes against the Biden administration (See Elon Musk).
2. Impeachment Inquiry Any Day Now…
House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer said on Wednesday that an impeachment inquiry into President Biden was likely “imminent” as some Republicans have asked for the impeachment process to move forward after months of investigations. Comer, who has led the investigations into the Biden family’s overseas business dealings, spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday:
The Oversight Committee on Wednesday called on the National Archives to produce records detailing when and where Hunter Biden had access to Air Force Two, the plane that transports the vice president. According to recent reports, Hunter accompanied then-Vice President Biden on more than a dozen foreign trips on Air Force Two.
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Rapid Reaction: Democrats are working around the clock to throw their political opponents in jail. Republicans are maybe, someday, any minute now going to start an impeachment inquiry into Biden.
In Georgia, GOP Governor Brian Kemp threw cold water on the Peach State GOP using any political power against Willis for her arguably political abuse of power. Per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he doesn’t even think it’s wise for elected Republicans to use the power of the purse.
“These rules and laws work both ways for all parties – Republican, Democrat or otherwise,” he said of potential measures against Willis. “And you have to be very careful when you’re in power in government not to abuse that power because if you do, you set the precedent for the other side using what you did in the future against them.”
None of this imbues much confidence that Republicans are acting with a sense of urgency and resoluteness to stop the weaponization of government.
3. We Finally Have An End Goal In Ukraine. Viktor Orban Has Other Ideas.
As Ukraine continues to fight against Russia, new reporting sheds light on what the U.S. objectives are as it continues to support the Eastern European nation militarily and financially.
An anonymous State Department official told reporters Wednesday, “It’s very important that Ukraine win this war. And by ‘win,’ I mean as President Biden said, Russians leave all of Ukraine.” Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Ukraine counter-offensive has pierced Russia’s defensive line several hundred miles northeast of Crimea after months of struggling to make any advances.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had choice words for Ukrainian critics, telling them to “shut up.”
“Criticising the slow pace of the counter-offensive equals to spitting into the face of a Ukrainian soldier.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, told critics of Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russia to “shut up”. pic.twitter.com/bDJfcb3PGJ
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 31, 2023
And then there’s Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who told Tucker Carlson he has a different plan to help bring an end to the war.
“So if you were in charge of NATO, if you were, say, Joe Biden, what would your next move be in the war in Ukraine?” Carlson asked. “What would you do?”
“Peace. Immediately. Call back Trump,” Orban said with a laugh. “That’s, that’s, that’s the only way out.”
You may or may not like @realDonaldTrump , but his foreign policy was good for the US and good for the world. He didn’t start a war, he strengthened NATO and brought peace to the Middle East. Bring him back, so he can bring us peace! pic.twitter.com/5j3qNLuTOT
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) August 31, 2023
Rapid Reaction: That’s quite the endorsement for the GOP frontrunner. Orban also explained that Trump had “the best foreign policy of the recent several decades” despite critics’ protestations that Trump is too uncouth for the job. Indeed, it’s hard not to look at the chaos the world is in under Biden — which began with his horrendous Afghanistan withdrawal — and yearn for Pax Trumpana. We’ll see if American voters agree with Orban.
4. Don’t Tread On Jaiden
A Colorado school board has sided with a middle schooler, saying he is allowed to wear a patch of the Gadsden flag at school after initially being told he could not display it. The yellow Gadsden flag depicts a coiled rattlesnake with the words “Don’t Tread On Me,” and was flown during the Revolutionary War.
Twelve-year-old Jaiden Rodriguez was pulled out of class at the Vanguard School for displaying the flag on his backpack. Rodriguez told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro that an anonymous teacher at the school claimed that the flag was associated with slavery, which led to him being punished. After the talk, Shapiro told him, “You have a very early endorsement from the Ben Shapiro show in your first primary, so good luck with that.”
Watch here:
Rapid Reaction: And that’s quite the endorsement for Jaiden! Believe it or not, there are millions of kids just like Jaiden. How do I know? Well, because there are millions of parents focusing on raising their kids right. America isn’t lost yet. Don’t listen to the doomsayers.
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