Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) attempted to lay a trap for one of the witnesses at a hearing earlier this week and nabbed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) by mistake.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee&#8217;s hearing titled, &#8220;Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions,&#8221; Klobuchar raised the question of publicly attacking judges on social media because they issue an unfavorable ruling.
Clearly jabbing at Trump and his administration — as well as Republican lawmakers who have moved to impeach the judges issuing blanket nationwide injunctions from their perches in district courts — Klobuchar directed the question to attorney Jesse Panuccio, who previously served as the Acting Associate Attorney General of the United States.
WATCH:
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🔥DANG! Senator Amy Klobuchar was NOT expecting that answer! <a href="https://t.co/zlNoHr5BUH">pic.twitter.com/zlNoHr5BUH</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1908154264020492536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Not in a partisan way, just normal, as a partner in a law firm, would you ever — have you ever taken to social media to personally attack a judge who ruled against you? That&#8217;s all my question is,&#8221; Klobuchar said.
&#8220;Senator, thanks for the question,&#8221; Panuccio replied. &#8220;I think that attacking judges personally, and not their reasoning, well, let me just give you a quote: &#8216;I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price —'&#8221;
Klobuchar attempted to interrupt and regain control of the situation as soon as she realized where he was going, but Panuccio kept going: &#8220;&#8216;— you won&#8217;t know what hit you if you go forward with those awful decisions.&#8217; That was something that Senator Schumer said, and I thought it was awful, and it unleashed a wave of violent threats against Supreme Court Justices. I do think that&#8217;s problematic, that kind of language.&#8221;
&#8220;Of course it is,&#8221; Klobuchar replied, shrugging off Panuccio&#8217;s statement. &#8220;I have no doubt the language is a problem on the left or right.&#8221;
During that same hearing, Panuccio advised the committee to find a way to stop judges from overreaching, or lawmakers on both sides of the aisle could continue the pattern of judge-shopping in favorable districts to tie the hands of the executive branch.
&#8220;I think the incentive for forum shopping is that you think you can get a judge who can be a ruler for the whole nation. So, fix the problem of judges overreaching,&#8221; he explained.
Panuccio also raised the topic in mid-March in an X post, saying: &#8220;Rule by district judges repeatedly overreaching to impose relief beyond parties to a case is not &#8216;rule of law.&#8217; Congress should eliminate the nonparty injunction &amp; make SCOTUS jurisdiction *mandatory* for any injunction certified as an emergency by DOJ.&#8221;
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Rule by district judges repeatedly overreaching to impose relief beyond parties to a case is not “rule of law.” Congress should eliminate the nonparty injunction &amp; make SCOTUS jurisdiction *mandatory* for any injunction certified as an emergency by DOJ.
&mdash; Jesse Panuccio (@JessePanuccioFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/JessePanuccioFL/status/1902402828812927088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Judiciary Confirmation Hearing For Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett

Amy Klobuchar Lays A Trap For Witness On ‘Attacking’ Judges, Nabs Chuck Schumer By Mistake

Amy Klobuchar Lays A Trap For Witness On 'Attacking' Judges, Nabs Chuck Schumer By Mistake

Amy Klobuchar

Charles Schumer

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Politics

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/amy-klobuchar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amy Klobuchar</a> (D-MN) attempted to walk FBI Director-designate Kash Patel into a rhetorical trap during Thursday&#8217;s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but Patel appeared to be more than ready for her line of attack.
In one instance, the Minnesota senator raised a question about a supplement — that she said Patel had promoted — that was advertised as minimizing the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
WATCH:
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SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: &quot;You did promote this supplement and told people that it would reverse or mitigate the side effects from COVID vaccine?&quot;
KASH PATEL: &quot;Did I give people an opportunity to make an independent choice for what&#39;s best for their families? Yes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VdkL3kXTjC">pic.twitter.com/VdkL3kXTjC</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1885000055209263565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Klobuchar noted that doctors had said the supplement in question did not reverse or mitigate the effects of the COVID vaccines — and then she asked whether Patel himself had run any &#8220;clinical trials&#8221; before promoting it.
Patel&#8217;s response was simple: &#8220;I am not a doctor, so no.&#8221;
&#8220;You did promote this supplement and told people that it would reverse or mitigate the side effects from COVID vaccine?&#8221; Klobuchar asked.
&#8220;Did I give people an opportunity to make an independent choice for what&#8217;s best for their families? Yes,&#8221; Patel replied.
Klobuchar tried again with a different topic, asking Patel about exiting FBI Director Chris Wray. She pointed out the fact that Wray had taken the job under difficult conditions, and that the Bureau is still seeing large numbers of applicants — and then argued that if the people did not trust the FBI, it was unlikely that so many would be signing up to work there.
WATCH:
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HERE THEY GO AGAIN: Unhinged Sen Amy Klobuchar starts hyperventilating and goes over her time, has to be reigned in by Patel and Grassley.
KASH: &quot;If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is… <a href="https://t.co/DRLDsdevaS">pic.twitter.com/DRLDsdevaS</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1885000607368429887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Applications to the FBI has in fact tripled,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Do you think people would be applying to that agency like — in those numbers — if they thought it was so corrupt?&#8221;
&#8220;American public&#8217;s trust in it is at 40%, that&#8217;s an all-time low,&#8221; Patel replied.
Klobuchar then asked whether Patel had suggested shutting down FBI headquarters and turning it into &#8220;a museum of the deep state.&#8221;
Patel asked Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for extra time, after which Klobuchar interrupted and repeatedly demanded that Patel answer her question.
Instead, Patel was given a moment to speak his mind — and he did: &#8220;If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI. I stood with them here in this country, in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation, and any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.&#8221;

Kash Patel’s Judiciary Hearing in Washington DC

Amy Klobuchar Attempts To Set A Trap For Kash Patel. It Does Not Go Well.

Donald Trump

kash patel

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) said on Tuesday that he will be receptive to President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s nominees to serve in top roles during the next administration.
&#8220;I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump&#8217;s nominees,&#8221; Fetterman said in a post to X. &#8220;That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon.&#8221;
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I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump&#39;s nominees. 
That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon.
My… <a href="https://t.co/Vli5tr8XSr">pic.twitter.com/Vli5tr8XSr</a>
&mdash; U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1869102650102550638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is Trump&#8217;s pick to serve as director of national intelligence. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is the nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Pete Hegseth is Trump&#8217;s pick for secretary of defense.
&#8220;My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it&#8217;s my job,&#8221; Fetterman added.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
Fetterman also posted a screenshot of a post to X from Hegseth last week showing the senator talking to CNN&#8217;s Manu Raju about not ruling out the nomination to lead the Department of Defense.
&#8220;Thank you [Fetterman] for your fairness, courage &amp; hospitality. I appreciate our time together — and your commitment to the troops, American defense &amp; our ally Israel,&#8221; Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/1867354650766127109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in at the post, adding: &#8220;And, from a Vikings fan…go Steelers.&#8221;
Stefanik shared a photo on X last week showing herself and Fetterman smiling and flashing thumbs up.
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Always was a hard YES for <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliseStefanik</a> but it was a pleasure to have a conversation.
I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views. <a href="https://t.co/DvyYIYCd0h">https://t.co/DvyYIYCd0h</a>
&mdash; John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnFetterman/status/1866940579193688423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Thank you to [Fetterman] for hosting a very productive meeting where we discussed our shared commitment to standing with Israel and combating antisemitism,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/EliseStefanik/status/1866903686300971358" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Senator Fetterman shared his ideas for strong national security leadership and I highlighted my ideas on implementing President [Trump&#8217;s] America First peace through strength national security agenda.&#8221;
In response, Fetterman <a href="https://x.com/JohnFetterman/status/1866940579193688423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;Always was a hard YES for [Stefanik] but it was a pleasure to have a conversation.&#8221; He added, &#8220;I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the [United Nations] accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views.&#8221;
Another nominee that Fetterman has indicated he would consider supporting is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dr-oz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a>, Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-oz-picked-for-spot-in-trump-admin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick</a> to become administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
&#8220;If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1858997358346072159" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Fetterman, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-defeats-dr-oz-in-pa-senate-race-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beat</a> Oz in a hotly contested 2022 U.S. Senate race.
Fetterman may not be the only Democrat who is open to the possibility of voting for at least some of Trump&#8217;s nominees.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) joked during a joint appearance with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on CNBC that his Democrat colleague would back all of Trump&#8217;s picks.
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TED CRUZ: &quot;Senator Amy Klobuchar told me she&#39;s voting for all of Trump&#39;s nominees.&quot;
AMY KLOBUCHAR: &quot;Stop! Last time, I voted for half his nominees because I carefully reviewed each one.&quot;
👀<a href="https://t.co/RHXa2u1aAe">pic.twitter.com/RHXa2u1aAe</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1869071959499374742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Amy told me she&#8217;s voting for all of Trump&#8217;s nominees,&#8221; Cruz said.
&#8220;Stop!&#8221; Klobuchar said with a smile. &#8220;The last time, I voted for half his nominees on the Cabinet because I carefully reviewed each one and made decisions.&#8221;

Sen. John Fetterman

Fetterman Says He’ll Have An Open Mind About Trump’s Nominees

Executive

John Fetterman

Presidential nomination

Ted Cruz

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.
With less than two weeks to go before Christmas — and just over a month before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated to serve a second term in the White House — the news cycle is as jumbled as ever. Some of the focus remains overseas, as unrest continues to to rule the day in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad — but things at home are also quite literally &#8220;up in the air&#8221; as rumors swirl about mysterious drone sightings over states along the east coast.
After multiple reports of the strange aerial phenomena — many of which seem to be concentrated in northern New Jersey — local officials have admitted to being completely baffled and federal authorities have done little to dispel fears that all is not exactly what it seems.
During the week, the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-fbi-release-statement-about-drone-sightings-in-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> alongside the Department of Homeland Security, claiming that the majority of the sightings had likely been manned aircraft operating in a lawful manner — and while they could not give a definitive answer on what the people were seeing, they were certain that the public was not at any risk.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that some of the sightings were, in fact, drones — but again said that he did not believe anyone was in danger.
&#8220;There’s no question that drones are being sighted…There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States — recreational drones, commercial drones,&#8221; Mayorkas said, apparently suggesting that the things people were seeing were not really anything out of the ordinary.
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“There’s no question that drones are being sighted…There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States — recreational drones, commercial drones.&quot;
DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas responds to numerous aerial sightings reported across East Coast. <a href="https://t.co/VM1aZSe1W6">https://t.co/VM1aZSe1W6</a> <a href="https://t.co/7v5CSSjzbe">pic.twitter.com/7v5CSSjzbe</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868300474199253481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Mayorkas also responded to claims that the drones were potentially being sent or operated by foreign adversaries, saying that he did not have any information leading him to believe that. Mayorkas told ABC host George Stephanopoulos that he had heard of &#8220;no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast.&#8221;
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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells <a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GStephanopoulos</a> that his agency knows “of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast” of aerial drones. 
“We are vigilant in investigating this matter.” <a href="https://t.co/EyuPQmaS8n">https://t.co/EyuPQmaS8n</a> <a href="https://t.co/KiLQoU8pgU">pic.twitter.com/KiLQoU8pgU</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868306745950425331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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But former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) also weighed in on the issue, and he pointed out the fact that the longer the American people went without any definitive answers, the more likely it was that conspiracy theories would run wild about what they could be seeing.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve lived in New Jersey my whole life,&#8221; the former governor explained. &#8220;This is the first time that I&#8217;ve noticed drones over my house.&#8221;
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“I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life. This is the first time that I’ve noticed drones over my house.”
Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie warns that conspiracy theories will grow if the federal government does not address reported aerial sightings. <a href="https://t.co/MkRObTfDiQ">https://t.co/MkRObTfDiQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/e206NSI4Se">pic.twitter.com/e206NSI4Se</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868313041911050312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Many local officials don&#8217;t appear convinced but the explanations offered thus far, either:
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Sheriffs and other local officials in New Jersey are demanding more action from the federal government following a spate of drone sightings that has confused authorities and sparked alarm among residents. <a href="https://twitter.com/GioBenitez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GioBenitez</a> has the latest: <a href="https://t.co/yTqK0GprGa">https://t.co/yTqK0GprGa</a> <a href="https://t.co/ULsbf3Zx8U">pic.twitter.com/ULsbf3Zx8U</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1868298476666208532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Rp. Michael Waltz (R-FL) joined CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; to discuss the issue as well, and he argued that the failure to address the situation showed the obvious gaps in the official capacity to handle such things.
&#8220;We need to get to the bottom of it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I think the Biden administration is working to do that.&#8221;
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Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaelgwaltz</a> says drones being spotted above some East Coast states demonstrate “gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities,” saying, &quot;We need to get to the bottom of it, and I think the Biden administration is working to do that.&quot;
But Waltz, President-elect Trump&#39;s… <a href="https://t.co/VUtPlqpAcj">pic.twitter.com/VUtPlqpAcj</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868339235394400700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also joined host Margaret Brennan on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; and she called for &#8220;more transparency&#8221; on the issue.
&#8220;This just can&#8217;t be, no one knows why this huge drone is over their house,&#8221; she said, promising to work with the incoming administration to get to the bottom of it.
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) says senators &quot;need a briefing&quot; and &quot;more transparency&quot; on the mysterious drones seen over the East Coast, though she notes the Biden administration &quot;has repeatedly assured people that they are safe.&quot; She said she plans to work with the incoming… <a href="https://t.co/cAXsNuBuyJ">pic.twitter.com/cAXsNuBuyJ</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868343536820617238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Klobuchar also took some time to discuss a slew of pardons and commutations issued by President Joe Biden as his presidency nears its end.
While Biden&#8217;s Thanksgiving weekend pardon for his embattled son Hunter Biden certainly raised the most eyebrows — on both sides of the political aisle — Klobuchar noted that just by sheer volume, Biden was testing the limits of what she found to be acceptable.
Klobuchar first said that she was among those who did not like the fact that Biden had pardoned his son — but then said she also worried about the some 1500 sentence commutations he issued in the past week.
She proposed an &#8220;outside board&#8221; to aid the president in selecting cases for pardons or sentence commutations &#8220;instead of people just doing it in the middle of the night, and people in the White House — this makes no sense to me.&#8221;
&#8220;This whole process cries out for reform, because otherwise you undermine the justice system,&#8221; she added.
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) says she&#39;s not comfortable with some of President Biden&#39;s decisions when he commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people last week, and also &quot;didn&#39;t agree&quot; with Biden&#39;s pardon of his son, Hunter. 
She says there should be &quot;some kind of an outside… <a href="https://t.co/KQELzzydm7">pic.twitter.com/KQELzzydm7</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1868343326040023273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told NBC anchor Kristen Welker on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; that Biden had set a &#8220;dangerous&#8221; precedent when he pardoned Hunter — and he urged the president to consider the possibility of preemptive pardons &#8220;very seriously.&#8221;
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BERNIE SANDERS: The pardon of Hunter Biden sets a dangerous precedent. 
 <a href="https://t.co/6PjpwQtSjO">pic.twitter.com/6PjpwQtSjO</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1868365660092613044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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But on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; retiring Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) said that despite having often been at odds with Trump himself, he was not overly concerned that the president-elect might use the Justice Department to attack those who had opposed him.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not particularly worried about criminal investigations,&#8221; he told anchor Jake Tapper. &#8220;I think President Trump is likely to try and focus on the future.&#8221;
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&quot;I&#39;m not particularly worried about criminal investigations.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorRomney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorRomney</a> shrugs off concerns he could face retribution from Trump, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a>, &quot;I think President Trump is likely to try and focus on the future.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wtExtxZ1kN">pic.twitter.com/wtExtxZ1kN</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1868296795446497514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio De Janeiro

Spin Cycle: Here Come The Drones … And The Pardons

Spin Cycle: Here Come The Drones ... And The Pardons

ABC News

Alejandro Mayorkas

Bernie Sanders

CBS News

Chris Christie

George Stephanopoulos

Jake Tapper

Media

Mike Waltz

Mitt Romney

MSNBC

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) chuckled on Sunday when asked if it was appropriate for President Joe Biden&#8217;s son, Hunter Biden, to attend a state dinner where Attorney General Merrick Garland was also present just days after Hunter Biden was charged with tax crimes.
The segment came after news broke last week that Hunter Biden will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-reaches-plea-deal-over-tax-crimes-report">plead guilty</a> to failing to pay about $100,000 in taxes for 2017 and for failing to pay a similar amount for the following year. The tax charges Hunter faces are misdemeanors.
The 53-year-old will reportedly enter a diversion program upon admitting the illegal purchase of a firearm in 2018. The gun charge could be revoked from his record upon completion.
Klobuchar was asked the question during an interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with host Chuck Todd.
&#8220;Do you think it was appropriate for Hunter Biden to be at the same event as the attorney general, Merrick Garland, was in the same week he accepted a plea deal?&#8221; Todd asked.
&#8220;You know, I think, as the president explains, that&#8217;s his son,&#8221; Klobuchar responded after chuckling. &#8220;That&#8217;s a separate thing. And I would like to say about that: that decision was made by an independent prosecutor who is a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney who had ten years of experience, well respected.&#8221;
&#8220;Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he was a registered Republican,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;He looked at the facts and evidence and made that decision.&#8221;
Klobuchar said that she understood the &#8220;perception issue&#8221; of having Hunter Biden attend the event when Garland was there.
&#8220;You always wish there were different perceptions, but that&#8217;s not reality,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Reality is whether or not someone is going to be able to get their insulin. And the president has made changes.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar starts laughing and scoffs when asked if it was appropriate for deadbeat Hunter Biden to attend a state dinner — where the attorney general was present — in the same week he accepted a plea deal for multiple federal crimes. <a href="https://t.co/7eyq4ZuAL1">pic.twitter.com/7eyq4ZuAL1</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1672970853334781953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Klobuchar Chuckles When Asked About Hunter Biden Going To Event Attended By Merrick Garland

Senator Klobuchar Chuckles When Asked About Hunter Biden Going To Event Attended By Merrick Garland

Chuck Todd

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Meet the Press

Merrick Garland

A pair of Senate Democrats on Sunday defended President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> after a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/opinion/editorials/biden-age.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times editorial</a> raised concerns about the commander-in-chief&#8217;s age.
&#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; moderator Chuck Todd asked Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, if Biden should be doing more to assure Americans he is up to the job as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 election</a> approaches.
&#8220;I think his schedule reflects an active person, mentally and physically, who is engaging with the American people on a regular basis,&#8221; Durbin said during the NBC News interview.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Should President Biden be doing more to show Americans that he&#39;s up to the job?&quot;
Democrat Senator Dick Durbin: &quot;I think his schedule reflects an active person, mentally and physically, who is engaging with the American people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SkdrwdryZa">pic.twitter.com/SkdrwdryZa</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1650138024402100225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Todd asked the question after sharing an excerpt from the editorial about Biden, published on Saturday following reports saying the president is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/20/biden-reelection-announcement-next-week/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to announce</a> his re-election campaign this week. Already the oldest person to be president at 80, Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term.
&#8220;Concerns about age — both in terms of fitness for office and being out of touch with the moment — are legitimate, as Mr. Biden acknowledged in an interview in February <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intention-run-biden-tells-abcs-muir-reelection-decision/story?id=97447706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with ABC News</a>. His standard line, repeated in that interview, is: “The only thing I can say is, ‘Watch me,’” the editorial says.
&#8220;But Mr. Biden has given voters very few chances to do just that — to watch him — and his refusal to engage with the public regularly raises questions about his age and health,&#8221; the editorial adds.
Durbin went on to explain how he has seen evidence first-hand that assures him that Biden is still a capable president.
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&#8220;I don&#8217;t know what more they&#8217;re asking for, but I&#8217;ve been in meetings with him time after time,&#8221; Durbin said of Biden. &#8220;His performance tells me he&#8217;s up to the job, and does it well.&#8221;
Durbin <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-april-23-2023-n1304542" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>: &#8220;Let&#8217;s concede the obvious, what his age is. But let&#8217;s look at the obvious. He&#8217;s an active president who is meeting the challenges of America every day.&#8221;
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/02/klobuchar-to-drop-out-of-2020-campaign-endorse-biden-118823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed Biden in 2020</a> upon ending her own presidential bid, faced similar questions about Biden&#8217;s fitness to serve during an appearance on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;How do you think President Biden could overcome [concerns about his age and mental stamina]?&quot;
Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar: &quot;Biden has such a strong record to run on!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uv4kLbRFFz">pic.twitter.com/uv4kLbRFFz</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1650151320979136512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“President Biden has such a strong record to run on,&#8221; Klobuchar said.
After reciting aspects of Biden&#8217;s record, Klobuchar argued the incumbent offers Americans a &#8220;steady hand&#8221; in the White House, comparing him to former President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election.
&#8220;People don&#8217;t want that chaos back again,&#8221; Klobuchar added.

President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Dem Senators Play Defense After NYT Editorial On Biden’s Age

Dem Senators Play Defense After NYT Editorial On Biden's Age

2024

2024 Election

aging

Dick Durbin

New York Times

Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee discussed the collapse of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/cryptocurrency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cryptocurrency</a> exchange FTX in a Thursday hearing, during which a top regulator acknowledged that he met with former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried on multiple occasions.
FTX recently filed for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/30-year-old-billionaire-loses-entire-fortune-overnight-as-his-bahamas-based-cryptocurrency-empire-implodes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bankruptcy</a> after users discovered that trading firm Alameda Research, a company run by Caroline Ellison — a former love interest of Bankman-Fried, had allegedly been using consumer funds from FTX to make investments.
During the hearing held by the committee, which was attended virtually by The Daily Wire, lawmakers repeatedly pushed the need for regulation through the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act, a piece of legislation that would <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/dccpa_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminate</a> conflicts of interest and extend other protections to the cryptocurrency sector.
Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) emphasized that the committee should consider the regulation of cryptocurrencies because of the entity’s responsibility to execute “oversight of the nation’s commodity markets.” He said that digital assets such as bitcoin are regulated as commodities, a reality that federal courts have broadly recognized.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Rostin Behnam, a former senior counselor to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and the sole regulator offering testimony, told lawmakers in his opening <a href="https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opabehnam29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that “nominal barriers to entry for new products and new consumers” in the cryptocurrency market have “taken the place of legitimate market forces” and placed the public at “significant risk.” He expressed support for the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act as a step in the right direction toward regulating the industry.
“For years many have recognized that a patchwork of federal and state-based regulation is an unsuitable substitute for a comprehensive approach,” he remarked. “We are here today because many Americans invested in a novel product and will likely lose money because digital asset markets lack the basic protections that we have all come to expect and have made American financial markets the envy of the world.”
LedgerX, a derivatives platform acquired by FTX last year, had extensive communication with the CFTC regarding the company’s push to become a registered derivatives clearinghouse. Behnam said that he personally met with Bankman-Fried 10 times over the past 14 months to discuss the application out of a “dogged desire” to ensure that the initiative would be properly scrutinized.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a co-sponsor of the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act, denied that Bankman-Fried had an undue influence over the bill.
Bankman-Fried, a top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-dont-even-know-how-to-code-mit-grad-and-now-broke-crypto-ceo-sam-bankman-fried-tells-niche-vlogger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contributor</a> to Democratic and Republican campaigns, has repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-bankman-fried-denies-wrongdoing-in-ftx-implosion-during-live-streamed-new-york-times-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that he did not intentionally commingle funds between FTX and Alameda Research. The disgraced entrepreneur attempted with little success to raise as much as $8 billion from new investors to reimburse defrauded users of the company, which is based in the Bahamas.
FTX had received stellar corporate governance ratings from agencies considering the venture’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) qualifications, even though Bankman-Fried later admitted that his professed status as an “effective altruist” was largely a ruse to win the trust of “woke westerners.” Behnam expressed openness to discussing regulations upon ESG ratings in the cryptocurrency space when pressed on the matter by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
FTX spent extensively to recruit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-brady-steph-curry-other-celebrities-sued-for-pushing-ponzi-scheme-ftx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrity brand ambassadors</a>, such as Tampa Bay Buccanneers quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, many of whom participated in mass-market advertisements. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asserted that such marketing efforts stoke “fears of missing out” among unwitting consumers, prompting Behnam to remark that advertisements must ensure “investors understand the risk of the underlying asset.”
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) noted that the use of cryptocurrency to support <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-attorneys-bust-crypto-money-laundering-ring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal enterprises</a> has enabled the fentanyl crisis and other national security concerns, asking whether a pause on the digital asset sector in the United States would be feasible. Behnam noted that a significant number of Americans would nevertheless gain access to overseas cryptocurrency markets.

Senate Hearing Examines FTX Collapse

Top Commodities Regulator Tells Senators He Met With Sam Bankman-Fried 10 Times

Senators Call For New Regulations At FTX Collapse Hearing; Top Regulator Said He Met With Sam Bankman-Fried 10 Times

Cory Booker

Cryptocurrency

Debbie Stabenow

Sam Bankman-Fried

Senate

Tommy Tuberville

As Hurricane Ian hurtled toward Florida, packing 155 mph winds, politicians and commentators were busy bloviating, blowing out their own hot air.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) went so far as to say electing Democrats in the November midterms will help stop hurricanes.
&#8220;If the Republicans take charge, a number of them have been talking about an abortion ban, you guys know that, you featured it on the show,&#8221; Klobuchar <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/09/27/senator-amy-klobuchar-hurricane-ian-democrat-climate-change-vote-midterm-elections-senate-majority/">said</a> on MSNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Morning Joe.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s why we got to win this midterm. We just did something about climate change for the first time in decades, that’s why we got to win this as that hurricane bears down on Florida. We got to win in the midterms,&#8221; she said.
Meanwhile, Politico, a liberal website founded by two former Washington Post reporters, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/desantis-faces-the-true-test-of-any-florida-governor-00058925">sought to hit</a> Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican &#8212; even before the hurricane hit.
And it only took two paragraphs for the site to get a fact completely wrong.
&#8220;Gov. Ron DeSantis spent his first term becoming one of the most influential Republicans in the country — a likely 2024 frontrunner who’s already shaping his party’s national agenda,&#8221; reporter Matt Dixon wrote.
&#8220;But DeSantis still hasn’t faced one of the toughest challenges a Florida leader can encounter: a major hurricane.&#8221;
The site later added this at the bottom of the story (while weirdly leaving graf 2 intact): &#8220;CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to add that Hurricane Sally affected the western part of the Florida Panhandle in 2020.&#8221;
Down in Florida, a reporter asked DeSantis about remarks made by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell on Tuesday.
“FEMA Administrator Criswell said today she acknowledged concerns about Florida’s … as it was said … lax response to the storm so far &#8212; &#8221; the reporter started before DeSantis cut him off.
&#8220;Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, give me a break. That is nonsense. Stop politicizing, OK? Stop it. We declared a state of emergency when this thing wasn’t even formed. We’ve had people in here. We’ve had counties that have done a lot of hard work.&#8221;
&#8220;And honestly, you’re trying to attack me, I get it, but you’re attacking these other people who’ve worked very hard. So that’s just totally false,&#8221; DeSantis said.
For the record, the question was wrong, anyway. What Criswell said during the White House press briefing was how the Gulf of Mexico region of Florida hadn&#8217;t taken a direct hit in several years and had nothing to do with the state&#8217;s preparation.
Last year, President Joe Biden got in on the act when he said preparing for a hurricane was just one more reason to &#8230; get vaccinated?
&#8220;Let me be clear: If you&#8217;re in a state where hurricanes often strike like Florida or the Gulf Coast or Texas, a vital part of preparing for hurricane season is to get vaccinated,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/JoePCunningham/status/1574884405541216267">said</a>. &#8220;Everything is more complicated if you&#8217;re not vaccinated and hurricane preventable disaster hits.&#8221;
Joe Concha, longtime political commentator from The Hill, knew this was all coming, that the media and politicians would make the hurricane partisan.
&#8220;This is a serious time for serious journalism. But you know that there are some folks in this industry that are licking their chops, just waiting to turn this particular hurricane into Ron DeSantis&#8217;s Katrina, as if he could have done something to better prepare the state or done X-Y-Z, then he could have saved lives or saved businesses or saved homes,&#8221; Concha said on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/joe-concha-liberal-media-pundits-licking-chops-take-shots-ron-desantis-hurricane-ian">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;If we&#8217;re going to start blaming governors when hurricanes hit in these situations, when they appear to be doing everything they can to prepare their citizens, you know that it&#8217;s a midterm year. And quite frankly, you know that 2024 is ahead. And as we&#8217;ve seen time and again with Ron DeSantis, they see him as a true threat in terms of winning the presidency and will take any shot, even the cheap shots, even the shots that don&#8217;t exist, like hurricanes that actually hit states when they say it didn&#8217;t. And just to try to take him down,&#8221; he added.
Initial reports say Hurricane Ian will likely wreak havoc for several more days. Most people will send their thoughts and prayers &#8212; and money &#8212; to help the survivors, politicians and pundits will no doubt seek political gain from the misery.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

Nowadays, Everything Is Political — Even The Weather!

Nowadays, Everything Is Political -- Even The Weather

Hurricane Ian

Morning Joe

Politico

Amid news of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation">inflation</a> reaching another record high, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democrats">Democrats</a> are circling their wagons around legislation meant to crack down on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/economy">corporations</a> purportedly engaged in price-gouging.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-reaches-8-6-setting-new-four-decade-high">rose</a> 8.6% between May 2021 and May 2022 — meaning that inflation reached its highest levels in four decades, a Friday morning report from the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> revealed. The new figure was worse than the Dow Jones estimate of 8.3% year-over-year inflation in May, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/09/may-consumer-inflation-expected-fiery-hot-as-gas-food-and-rent-rose.html#:~:text=The%20CPI%20report%20is%20released,ET%20Friday.">CNBC</a>.
President Biden characterized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine">Ukraine</a> as the main factor behind the higher prices.
“Putin’s Price Hike hit hard in May here and around the world: high gas prices at the pump, energy, and food prices accounted for around half of the monthly price increases, and gas pump prices are up by $2 a gallon in many places since Russian troops began to threaten Ukraine,” Biden said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/10/statement-by-president-biden-on-consumer-price-index-cpi-in-may/">statement</a>. “Even as we continue our work to defend freedom in Ukraine, we must do more — and quickly — to get prices down here in the United States.”
Although most social media accounts for Democratic members of the Senate discussed the January 6 protest hearings on Friday morning while remaining silent about inflation, two lawmakers — Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/amy-klobuchar">Amy Klobuchar</a> (D-MN) and Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elizabeth-warren">Elizabeth Warren</a> (D-MA) — called for Congress to pass their preferred legislation in the interest of slashing prices.
Klobuchar — pointing toward a Thursday tweet from President Joe Biden that blames high prices on “a handful of companies who control the market” for shipping — referred to her <a href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/3/klobuchar-thune-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-fix-supply-chain-and-ease-shipping-backlogs-passes-senate">Ocean Shipping Reform Act</a> as a mechanism to prevent the firms from “jacking up prices.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My bipartisan bill with Sen. Thune will help crack down on these multinational shipping conglomerates that are jacking up prices and finally help American businesses get a fair shot. Thanks for the support, President Biden, and to Rep. Garamendi and Rep. Johnson in the House! <a href="https://t.co/P8E6ftbJt8">https://t.co/P8E6ftbJt8</a>
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1535279636241866752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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If signed into law, the bill would render it harder “for ocean carriers to unreasonably refuse goods ready to export at ports,” according to Klobuchar’s office. The legislation advanced through the Senate unanimously.
Meanwhile, Warren lauded Klobuchar’s <a href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/10/klobuchar-grassley-colleagues-to-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-rein-in-big-tech">American Innovation and Choice Online Act</a> — which, according to Warren, would “promote competition and lower consumer prices” by banning technology firms from “favoring their own products.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Big Tech companies and their army of lobbyists are trying to stop bipartisan bills to promote competition and lower consumer prices—including <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAmyKlobuchar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAmyKlobuchar</a>&#8216;s bill prohibiting tech platforms from favoring their own products. We need to pass these bills.<a href="https://t.co/1oP0gSHkjP">https://t.co/1oP0gSHkjP</a>
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1535264825743482880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“The nation’s largest tech companies, such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, have faced accusations of prioritizing their own products on their platforms, using their market power to edge out competitors, and limiting consumers’ choice,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said of the legislation last year, according to Klobuchar&#8217;s office.
Before it began to climb, inflation was 1.4% in January 2021, <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category-line-chart.htm">according</a> to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Over the past year and a half, Democrats have repeatedly emphasized the alleged role of corporations in raising prices.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, for example, Warren <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dismissing-inflation-concerns-warren-asks-the-doj-to-probe-poultry-companies-for-corporate-greed-in-raising-turkey-prices">blamed</a> meat and poultry producers of “price fixing,” “excessive consolidation,” and “plain-old corporate greed” as turkey prices rose — and called for the Department of Justice to take action.
“Lack of competition in the poultry industry is allowing these massive companies to squeeze both American consumers and farmers to fuel record corporate profits and payouts to shareholders,” she argued. “When companies have monopoly power as massive suppliers, they can jack up prices of the goods they sell.”
Warren, however, rejected the possibility that firms’ price increases are related to “inflationary costs” — even as reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thanksgiving-just-got-more-expensive">indicated</a> that the high price of corn feed was causing a modest decline in turkey production.
More recently, New York Attorney General Letitia James, another Democrat, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-yorks-democratic-ag-goes-after-price-gouging-amid-formula-shortage">called</a> on baby formula retailers to “stop overcharging” for the scarce product.
“It’s unconscionable that some retailers are taking advantage of the national baby formula shortage while parents are struggling to find food for their children,” she said. “Amid this crisis, families already have enough to worry about and should not have to worry about being price gouged. We are warning all retailers that New York will not tolerate price gouging of baby formula, and I encourage anyone who sees this to continue reporting it to my office.”

Elizabeth Warren

Here’s How Democrats Are Reacting To Inflation Reaching New Highs

Democrats Blame Corporations For Record-High Inflation

Biden Administration

Democratic Party

Economy

Inflation

President Joe Biden gave a statement Sunday following the news that former Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) had passed away at the age of 88. Biden, as Vice President, presided over Hatch in 2013 as he swore in for his final term in the Senate.
Hatch, whose tenure as the longest-serving Republican senator in history (1977-2019) overlapped with Biden&#8217;s time serving in the deliberative body, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/orrin-hatch-longest-serving-republican-in-history-dies-at-88/">died on Saturday</a>. A statement from the Hatch Foundation read, in part, &#8220;Upon his retirement, Senator Hatch held the distinction of having passed more legislation into law than any other Senator alive. Through his relentless work ethic, Hatch earned a reputation as one of the most effective and bipartisan lawmakers of all time. In total, he sponsored or cosponsored more than 750 bills that became law.&#8221;
&#8220;Biden on the passing of his friend, late GOP UT Sen Orrin Hatch. Biden says Hatch “never humored a bully, or shied from a challenge … saw that energetic, sharp-elbowed Orrin in the many battles we had over tax policy, the right of workers to join a union, and many others,&#8221; Fox News Congressional reporter Chad Pergram tweeted.
&#8220;Biden: Senator Hatch was also a man of deep faith; a gentle soul who wrote songs and poems. This was the Orrin who looked out for the people who often didn’t have a voice in our laws and our country &#8230; He was, quite simply, an American original,&#8221; Pergram&#8217;s second tweet added.
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B) Biden: Senator Hatch was also a man of deep faith; a gentle soul who wrote songs and poems..This was the Orrin who looked out for the people who often didn’t have a voice in our laws and our country..He was, quite simply, an American original.
&mdash; Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1518287874784993280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Hatch, who was often praised for his willingness to work across the aisle, lamented the growing divide between the parties during his retirement announcement in 2018.
&#8220;My heart is heavy because it aches for the times when we actually lived up to our reputation as the world’s greatest deliberative body. It longs for the days in which Democrats and Republicans would meet on middle ground rather than retreat to partisan trenches,&#8221; he said.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) noted his willingness to work with her despite their political — and other — differences of opinion in a tribute posted Saturday evening, just after the news broke.
&#8220;Senator Hatch was kind to me and we worked together well. There were a lot of differences including party, height, age…you name it…but somehow we always looked for common ground. Prayers for his family today,&#8221; she tweeted.
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Senator Hatch was kind to me and we worked together well. There were a lot of differences including party, height, age…you name it…but somehow we always looked for common ground. Prayers for his family today. 🙏
Former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch dies at 88 <a href="https://t.co/WkXEGlwk8V">https://t.co/WkXEGlwk8V</a>
&mdash; Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1518042559020507137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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David Axelrod, who served in former President Barack Obama&#8217;s White House, also remembered Hatch for his kind words — offered even to those who often disagreed with him.
&#8220;At a low moment during my WH years, when a barbed piece about me had been written, I got an unexpected call from Sen. Orrin Hatch, whom I knew, but not well. &#8216;Don&#8217;t let the bastards get you down,&#8217; he said,&#8221; Axelrod tweeted. &#8220;It was a kindness, unusual in Washington, I&#8217;ll never forget. May he RIP.&#8221;
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At a low moment during my WH years, when a barbed piece about me had been written, I got an unexpected call from Sen. Orrin Hatch, whom I knew, but not well. &quot;Don&#39;t let the bastards get you down,&quot; he said. It was a kindness, unusual in Washington, I&#39;ll never forget. May he RIP.
&mdash; David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod/status/1518218103783628800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Vice President Biden Holds Senate Ceremonial Swearing In

‘American Original’: Biden Remembers Orrin Hatch As An ‘Energetic, Sharp-Elbowed’ Man Of ‘Deep Faith’

bipartisanship

David Axelrod

Orrin Hatch

U.S. Senate

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) once again called for the end of the filibuster Sunday, this time implying that it would be the solution to so many policy problems, including the recent dispute over abortions in Texas.
Speaking to CNN “State Of The Union” host Dana Bash, Klobuchar hammered the Texas “heartbeat” law, which bans most abortions at around six weeks and empowers private parties to sue those who &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-abortion-providers-request-to-stay-texas-heartbeat-law">aid and abet</a>&#8221; illegal abortion procedures, and suggested that the solution to stopping the law and similar laws was to enshrine Roe v Wade at the congressional level.
“My solution to this — which is my solution for voting rights and so many other things, including climate change, where one side of the country is in flames and the other side of the country is flooded with people dying submerged in their cars — I believe we should abolish the filibuster,” <a href="https://www.axios.com/amy-klobuchar-abortion-filibuster-6fbc3bc1-0e92-47c9-b3e7-59879efdf30f.html">said</a> Klobuchar.
She derided the filibuster, which allows for the Senate to require 60 votes to pass bills, as an “archaic rule” that prevents them from “taking action” on important issues. Notably, Klobuchar is one of a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/08/calls-end-filibuster-have-bigger-problems-than-joe-manchin/">number of Senate Democrats</a> who have embraced making changes to the filibuster or outright eliminating it.
“The challenges that are facing our country right now — now and over the next years — we just will get nowhere if we keep this filibuster in place,” said the Minnesota Democrat.
Last week, the Supreme Court refused to intervene to stop the Texas “heartbeat” law from taking effect. The law bans nearly all abortions once the earliest signs of a fetal heartbeat can be detected, specifically, the “cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac,” <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/02/texas-abortion-heartbeat-bill/">notes</a> The Texas Tribune.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the liberal-leaning justices in voting to block the law on a preliminary basis. They lost 5-4.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), an opponent of abortion, accused Democrats of misunderstanding the high court&#8217;s reasoning, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/05/texas-abortion-law-cassidy-509729">according</a> to POLITICO. &#8220;It was about if they had standing, nothing to do with constitutionality,&#8221; said Cassidy, who also suggested Democrats were trying to &#8220;gin up their base&#8221; to distract from Afghanistan and other policies.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Thursday that lawmakers will vote on the “Women’s Health Protection Act” when they return for session. In a statement, Pelosi compared the Texas law&#8217;s enforcement mechanism to a &#8220;vigilante bounty system.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/09/pelosi-vows-vote-to-enshrine-abortion-on-demand-in-response-to-texas-law/">National Review</a>, the Democratic bill would “establish a federal right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy if a single doctor asserted the abortion was necessary to protect the mental and emotional health of a woman seeking an abortion.” Even if the bill were to pass the Democrat-controlled House, however, it would still need ten Republican votes in the Senate to become law — all but a guarantee that it will fail.

Klobuchar On Abortion: Solution For ‘So Many’ Things Is Abolishing The Filibuster

Abortion

Filibuster

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a former Democratic presidential candidate and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which holds hearings on Supreme Court nominees, weighed in on the tenure of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breyer-retire-campaign-emerges-to-drive-82-year-old-liberal-off-supreme-court">Justice Steven Breyer</a> on Sunday, saying that if the associate justice plans to step down from the court for retirement, he should do it sooner rather than later. 
During an appearance on <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vfTkUgBAGHj0z7O2fizEMwxfI7jNMMuHi-3V5ANGEuo/edit">CNN</a>’s “State of the Union,” Klobuchar was asked whether Breyer, who will be 83 next month, should retire while a Democrat is in the oval office, given that the justice says that he hasn’t made a decision on when he does plan to retire. 
“Your fellow Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal says he’s very concerned about the liberal wing of the court being sustainable, so is Justice Breyer making a mistake by not retiring,” CNN host Dana Bash asked the Minnesota Democratic senator. 
“I’m not going to speculate on his retirement,” Klobuchar responded. “But in your exclusive interview, from CNN, it was very clear that he said two reasons: One is health, that he’d look at, and two, the court. Well when you look at the court, he has to be concerned about the make-up, and you have to be concerned with how you get a justice on the court, with all of the manipulation that Mitch McConnell has engaged in.”
“So that would lead me to say, sooner rather than later,” Klobuchar added. “He makes his own decision about if he’s going to retire, but if he’s going to retire, it should be sooner rather than later if you are concerned about the court, because what happens in the U.S. Senate matters.”
Breyer, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, is one of three reliably liberal votes on the Supreme Court, and his retirement — should he choose to pursue it during the Biden administration — would allow the Democrats to avoid the possibility of yet another Republican president appointing the replacement for a liberal-leaning justice. 
Demand Justice, a progressive group, has been building a pressure campaign to, in the words of the group&#8217;s leader, get liberal voters to realize the &#8220;importance of every single vacancy, and the need to start building a more enduring bloc on the court,&#8221; <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/breyer-retire-campaign-supreme-court/2021/05/24/id/1022483/">Newsmax</a> reported in May.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who notably does not vote on appointees but has one of the largest public platforms on the progressive Left, said last week that she was &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/13/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-stephen-breyer-retire-cnntv/index.html">inclined to say yes</a>&#8221; when asked whether Breyer should retire from the bench.
Notably, the late Justice Ruth Bader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ruth-bader-ginsburg-didnt-retire-because-she-wanted-hillary-clinton-to-name-her-successor-daughter-says">Ginsburg refused to step down</a> while former President Obama was in office because, according to her daughter, she wanted 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to appoint her successor. But when Clinton lost the presidential election to Donald Trump, Ginsburg could no longer step down without a Republican getting the chance to replace her. She died less than two months ahead of the presidential election. 
And only days from the election, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to replace her.

Senate Commerce Committee Considers Nominees For NASA Administrator And Federal Trade Commissioner

Klobuchar On Justice Breyer: Retirement His Decision, But ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’ Is Better

Stephen Breyer

Supreme Court

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