More than two years after the New York Post broke the news of crack addict-turned-first son Hunter Biden’s laptop, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/forensic-analysis-of-copy-of-hunter-biden-laptop-data-shows-no-tampering/ar-AA14nXIG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> reported that the laptop is authentic — just days after the second election day in which it might have made a difference.
CBS said it commissioned experts at a Minneapolis-based firm called Computer Forensics Services to evaluate the hard drive. It used a variety of digital techniques, but in the end, it leaned heavily on a common-sense judgment that was available to even non-technical viewers of the laptop: &#8220;Just the sheer volume of what we&#8217;re dealing with it would be difficult, if not impossible, to fabricate,&#8221; Sean Lanterman, the company&#8217;s incident response director, told CBS.
The report was by CBS’s Catherine Herridge. Before the 2020 election, the network&#8217;s Lesley Stahl sat down with then-President Donald Trump, who asked her why she wasn’t covering the laptop. Stahl rebuked him: “Because it can&#8217;t be verified.&#8221;
But for anyone with basic computer programming knowledge, it needed to take only minutes to conclusively say that emails on the laptop are authentic. An anti-spam measure called DKIM lets the possessor of an email ask the sender’s server whether it really sent a message with the given text in order to prevent spammers from impersonating others. Your email provider likely runs this check instantaneously anytime you open an email.
The Daily Wire’s investigative unit verified the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/collections/the-hunter-biden-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laptop’s emails</a> using this method, with no outside expert required. A DKIM check could not be performed for all emails for a variety of typical reasons, such as that the sender’s email client didn’t use the technology. But for the large portion in which the DKIM signature was present, it showed that they were real and unaltered.
DKIM was not present on one of the most sensational emails, which proposed earmarking 10% of the proceeds of a Chinese business venture as “held by H for the big guy.” But remarkably enough, one of the recipients of that email — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-laptop-whistleblower-tells-tucker-carlson-fbi-ghosted-him-before-2020-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Bobulinski</a>, a former military officer with impeccable intelligence credentials and bipartisan bona fides — confirmed that email’s authenticity in a press conference before the election.
Reporters had reason to be familiar with technology tools for verifying emails, because the same technique was used to prove the authenticity of <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2016/10/21/heres-cryptographic-proof-that-donna-brazile-is-wrong-wikileaks-emails-are-real/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democratic National Committee emails</a> after Democrats claimed during the 2016 election that emails published by Wikileaks might be fake. Wikileaks later incorporated DKIM results in its online tool.
The slow-walking is part of a pattern in which legacy media outlets appear to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-finally-admits-hunters-laptop-is-real-more-than-two-years-after-the-fact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopt farcically slow timelines</a> in what is ordinarily a frenetic business when they are faced with an inconvenient truth that can’t be rebutted.
On October 14, 2020, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-reveals-how-hunter-biden-introduced-ukrainian-biz-man-to-dad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> reported on the existence of the laptop, and how it showed Hunter name-dropping his father in his lucrative international ventures. It was a classic &#8220;October surprise&#8221; that stood to roil the presidential election — if people saw it, that is. Twitter blocked the New York Post’s account, and Facebook throttled the story. On October 19, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/19/hunter-biden-story-russian-disinfo-430276">Politico</a> ran a story headlined “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.”
For the most part, however, major news outlets ignored the laptop. Publicly-funded NPR wrote on Twitter before the election that it was enforcing a blackout because “We don’t want to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/npr-were-not-covering-biden-laptop-scandal-because-its-not-really-a-story-pure-distractions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waste our time</a> on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” NPR later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/npr-admits-major-error-after-claiming-hunter-biden-laptop-reports-discredited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">falsely reported</a> in April 2021 that the laptop&#8217;s contents had been &#8220;discredited by U.S. intelligence and independent investigations by news organizations.&#8221; It later issued a correction, saying U.S. intelligence “has not issued a statement to that effect.”
It wasn&#8217;t until March 16, 2022, that The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/us/politics/hunter-biden-tax-bill-investigation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times</a> casually admitted that it knew the laptop was real, writing in the 24th paragraph of a story about Hunter&#8217;s tax woes that &#8220;emails were obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop. The email and others in the cache were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation.&#8221;
As if embarrassed by its rival, weeks later on March 30, 2022, The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Post</a> reported that &#8220;Thousands of emails purportedly from the laptop computer of Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, are authentic communications,&#8221; citing &#8220;two security experts who examined the data at the request of The Washington Post.&#8221; Those security experts primarily relied on DKIM.
The Washington Post apparently felt more comfortable ignoring the reports of other outlets, which spelled out the technique on which its expert eventually relied. The <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/29/cybersecurity-expert-authenticates-hunter-biden-burisma-email/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Caller</a> on October 29, 2020, got a cybersecurity expert to say that a key email was authentic, relying on DKIM. The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9445105/What-Hunter-Biden-left-tell-memoir-revealed.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> later had an outside forensics expert authenticate the laptop, as did the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/hunter-bidens-laptop-is-100-authentic-forensic-examination-concludes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Examiner</a>.
Jack Maxey, a former sidekick of Steve Bannon who got a copy of the drive from Rudy Giuliani — who in turn got it from John Mac Isaac, the repairman at whose shop Hunter abandoned the machine — told The Daily Wire that he provided it to the Washington Post early on and had been pressuring them to cover it to no avail.
In September 2021, <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/09/21/double-trouble-for-biden-494411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> acknowledged that one of its reporters had authenticated key emails on the laptop by speaking with others who were parties to the correspondence, but that information was held for the reporter&#8217;s book which was published that month.
Initially, the justification for ignoring evidence of international influence-peddling was that the emails might be fake. But since corroborating them, major news outlets appear to have done little with them. With thousands of emails, texts, photos and videos raising questions about the Biden family and prominent Democrats to work with, the Post eventually settled on writing a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/19/look-time-tucker-carlson-asked-hunter-biden-favor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy story</a> attacking Tucker Carlson as a hypocrite because the Fox News host had exchanged polite emails with Hunter when they were neighbors.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-laptop-reveals-disturbing-information-about-presidents-son-underage-relative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden Laptop Reveals Disturbing Information About President’s Son, Underage Relative</a>

Joe Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States At U.S. Capitol Inauguration Ceremony

It Takes 5 Minutes To Verify Hunter’s Emails. These Journalists Waited Two Years

It Takes 5 Minutes For Tech-Literates To Verify Hunter's Emails. News Outlets Waited Two Election Cycles 

CBS News

Hunter Biden

Legacy Media

New York Times

Washington Post

Readers know that when you watch CBS News, much of what you see is spin, but a report regarding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/collections/the-hunter-biden-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden&#8217;s infamous laptop</a> from the legacy media network on Monday really takes the cake.
On November 21, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-news-mocked-for-pausing-their-use-of-twitter-out-of-an-abundance-of-caution-the-tantrum-is-epic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> finally aired a segment &#8220;confirming&#8221; that it &#8220;independently verified&#8221; the contents of the president&#8217;s son&#8217;s computer which he left behind at a Delaware repair shop. This &#8220;news&#8221; came nearly two and a half years after the laptop first popped up during the 2020 election cycle.
Conservatives on Twitter quickly let the network have it for the Johnny-come-lately reporting.
&#8220;Two years after anyone with a functional brain realized the Hunter Biden laptop was 100% real @CBSNews has finally gotten around to reporting the Hunter Biden laptop is 100% real,&#8221; Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Two years after anyone with a functional brain realized the Hunter Biden laptop was 100% real <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSNews</a> has finally gotten around to reporting the Hunter Biden laptop is 100% real. <a href="https://t.co/zbOnJaaiEi">pic.twitter.com/zbOnJaaiEi</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1594701364969590785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Raheem Kassam of The National Pulse, one of the first outlets to report on the actual contents of the laptop, added, &#8220;SURPRISE!!! Two years after many of us broke much news and independently authenticated Hunter Biden’s laptop, CBS news says &#8216;Yep, it’s real, and it’s bad!&#8217; They even regurgitate stories we did 2 years ago! Can’t make this up!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
SURPRISE!!! 
Two years after many of us broke much news and independently authenticated Hunter Biden’s laptop, CBS news says “Yep, it’s real, and it’s bad!”
They even regurgitate stories we did 2 years ago! Can’t make this up! <a href="https://t.co/StUzcZOelY">pic.twitter.com/StUzcZOelY</a>
&mdash; Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1594687580250972160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As pointed out by Travis, CBS&#8217;s Lesley Stahl even told President Donald J. Trump to his face that the issue was essentially fake news.
&#8220;Two years ago Donald Trump told CBS’s Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes the Hunter Biden laptop was real and should be covered by the media. Stahl said it couldn’t be verified,&#8221; Travis tweeted. &#8220;Two years later @cbsnews has finally verified it. Trump was right. Again.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Two years ago Donald Trump told CBS’s Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes the Hunter Biden laptop was real and should be covered by the media. Stahl said it couldn’t be verified. Two years later <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cbsnews</a> has finally verified it. Trump was right. Again. <a href="https://t.co/o7a3cMQ4Jn">pic.twitter.com/o7a3cMQ4Jn</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1594739678426587136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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CBS wasn&#8217;t alone in its willful ignorance.
Adding to the madness is the fact that The New York Post — which broke the story — was suspended from tweeting the article because the geniuses at the social media complex determined it was Russian disinformation. Evidence indicates other social media networks followed suit, and other Democrat-media-complex propagandists on TV and in newspapers downplayed or dismissed the story altogether.
Worse, many claimed experts had proof that it was an election ploy by nefarious actors.
Why would they think that?
Well, because in October 2020, 51 intelligence community officials <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/19/its-been-two-years-since-51-intelligence-agents-interfered-with-an-election-they-still-wont-apologize/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a letter saying that Hunter Biden&#8217;s infamous laptop was Russian disinformation.
The lapdog media ate it up and broadcast that letter through the airwaves. If you even discussed the laptop in a serious manner, you were accused by some leftists of working hand-in-hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Now, we all know that the laptop was real. Many knew it at the time. The signatories are still seen as reputable sources. &#8220;Vaunted&#8221; journalists never issued apologies.
They probably never will admit their mistakes. If goes against the Democratic Party, they&#8217;ll simply report &#8220;last year&#8217;s news today&#8221; — or whenever it&#8217;s politically appropriate so that negative stories do the least amount of damage to the Left.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/struggling-artist-hunter-biden-asks-for-lower-child-support-payments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Struggling Artist Hunter Biden Asks For Lower Child Support Payments</a>

CBS Finally Admits Hunter’s Laptop Is Real…More Than Two Years After The Fact

CBS Finally Admits Hunter's Laptop Is Real...More Than Two Years After The Fact

Joe Biden

laptop computer

Media

Politics

CBS News resumed posting on Twitter Sunday after announcing the network would pause its activity on the platform two days earlier &#8220;out of an abundance of caution&#8221; as the social media company moves through an intense period of change under its new owner Elon Musk.
&#8220;After pausing for much of the weekend to assess the security concerns, CBS News and Stations is resuming its activity on Twitter as we continue to monitor the situation,&#8221; the networks communications team <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNewsPress/status/1594338983785291777">tweeted</a> Sunday morning.
CBS News reporter Jonathan Vigliotti said Friday that the network would cease sharing content on Twitter out of &#8220;uncertainty&#8221; of how the platform would perform after thousands of employees had either been forced out or chosen to resign instead of continuing to work under Musk.
Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/cbs-news-resumes-twitter-activity-security-concerns-1235438017/">reports</a> the news outlet had expressed concern about Twitter&#8217;s critical functions breakdown and if the platform would be susceptible to hacking attacks.
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald mocked the network after reversing its decision in less than 48 hours.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CBS News has decided it&#39;s once again safe to use Twitter &#8211; but only for the moment! 
They are continuing to &quot;assess security concerns&quot; and &quot;monitor the situation.&quot; 
If there are more outbreaks of free speech or hearing from people journalists dislike, they may retreat again. <a href="https://t.co/o0ZtgFshCk">https://t.co/o0ZtgFshCk</a>
&mdash; Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1594381253595332612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;CBS News has decided it&#8217;s once again safe to use Twitter &#8211; but only for the moment!&#8221; he said. &#8220;They are continuing to &#8216;assess security concerns&#8217; and &#8216;monitor the situation.&#8217; If there are more outbreaks of free speech or hearing from people journalists dislike, they may retreat again.&#8221;
Since acquiring Twitter last month, Musk has eliminated senior management officials, dubbed himself CEO, and dismissed more than half of the company&#8217;s staff.
Following significant changes made by Musk, hundreds of employees at Twitter reportedly resigned from the company last week after the new CEO demanded that to stay at the company, they would need to commit to &#8220;extremely hardcore&#8221; working conditions.
Reports from former employees, legacy media outlets, and leftist politicians about how Musk would transform the platform swayed multiple advertisers to freeze ad spending on Twitter.
Musk remains optimistic, reporting user activity has hit an &#8220;all-time high.&#8221;
Leftists and anti-Trumpers were outraged over the weekend after Musk reinstated the Twitter account of former President Donald Trump, who officials under the platform&#8217;s old guard banned in January 2021 after an unruly mob breached the U.S. Capitol.
Musk reactivated Trump&#8217;s account after 15 million Twitter users responded to a poll asking if the ex-president should return to the platform.
The people have spoken,&#8221; Musk said in a tweet. &#8220;Trump will be reinstated.&#8221;
&#8220;Vox Populi, Vox Dei,&#8221; he added, a Latin phrase meaning &#8220;the voice of the people is the voice of God.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The people have spoken. 
Trump will be reinstated.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei. <a href="https://t.co/jmkhFuyfkv">https://t.co/jmkhFuyfkv</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594131768298315777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Companies And Public Service In Chicago

CBS News Resumes Twitter Activity Less Than 48 Hours After Pausing ‘Out Of An Abundance Of Caution’

CBS News Resumes Twitter Activity Less Than 48 Hours After Pausing 'Out Of An Abundance Of Caution'

Donald Trump

Elon Musk

Twitter

U.S.

CBS News was mocked online Friday evening after announcing that the network would pause their use of Twitter &#8220;out of an abundance of caution&#8221; as the social media platform goes through an intense period of change following Elon Musk&#8217;s acquisition of the company.
The announcement comes as thousands of employees have either been forced out or chosen to resign instead of continue at Musk&#8217;s new &#8220;extremely hardcore&#8221; Twitter.
CBS News reporter Jonathan Vigliotti said on air, &#8220;In light of the uncertainty around Twitter and out of an abundance of caution, CBS News is pausing its activity on the social media site as it continues to monitor the platform.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CBS News and its owned and operated stations are “pausing” activity on Twitter; blaming “uncertainty” on the platform. <a href="https://t.co/Pv1gEQjQJH">pic.twitter.com/Pv1gEQjQJH</a>
&mdash; Jim Lokay (@LokayFOX5) <a href="https://twitter.com/LokayFOX5/status/1593828049321361410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The network was widely mocked online following the announcement.
Actor James Woods tweeted, &#8220;You’ll be missed. You and the bubonic plaque.&#8221;
&#8220;Were you as concerned when many journalists were completely shut down for reporting a true story?&#8221; former journalist and professional baseball player Adam Housley tweeted. &#8220;No..no you weren’t. This is typical self gratification and not a national or local news story. What a waste of 90 seconds…or whatever time you give stories now.&#8221;
YouTuber Tim Pool tweeted, &#8220;The tantrum is epic.&#8221;
&#8220;Silly decision,&#8221; journalist Yashar Ali tweeted.
&#8220;Once news orgs stop using Twitter most journos/media folk will too,&#8221; reporter Saman Shad tweeted. &#8220;I mostly have used this platform for work &#8211; to find out what people are taking about.&#8221;
&#8220;Pure idiocy from CBS News. Don&#8217;t whine then about why people don&#8217;t trust you when they can&#8217;t find you in the 21st century&#8217;s public square,&#8221; NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck tweeted. &#8220;CBS News quitting Twitter because they think @ElonMusk will allow hackers or something into their accounts is so weak. This is so stupid my head hurts.&#8221;
&#8220;CBS&#8217;s newscasts are firmly in third place behind ABC and NBC — @CBSMornings with Democratic donor Gayle King posing as a journalist and lead anchor plus @CBSEveningNews can&#8217;t commit to an anchor or format,&#8221; Houck added. &#8220;This won&#8217;t help them at all.&#8221;
&#8220;These terms are acceptable,&#8221; political commentator Stephen Miller mocked. &#8220;Twitter does not belong to CBS news and they are going to learn this in a very hard way.&#8221;

US-SPACE-SPACEX

CBS News Mocked For Pausing Their Use Of Twitter ‘Out Of An Abundance Of Caution’: ‘The Tantrum Is Epic’

CBS News Mocked For Pausing Their Use Of Twitter 'Out Of An Abundance Of Caution': 'The Tantrum Is Epic'

A new CBS News poll predicted Sunday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party">Republicans</a> would likely take control of the House of Representatives after November&#8217;s midterm elections — but the economic questions were the ones that foreshadowed even worse news for President Joe Biden.
The CBS/YouGov Battleground Tracker poll <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y10gIlF03FoCRyA84leD9_OGJ9N1RGGs/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveyed</a> 2068 registered voters between October 12th and 14th, asking a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-lead-house-control-opinion-poll-2022-10-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">number of questions</a> about the upcoming elections, the overall state of the economy, and whether or not they were satisfied with the direction the country was heading.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A new CBS News poll shows Republicans are still favored to capture the House, with an estimated 224-seat majority. Democrats had been narrowing the gap, but that momentum has stalled. <a href="https://twitter.com/DebraAlfarone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@debraalfarone</a> is in Washington with details. <a href="https://t.co/cTeZ3fntvA">pic.twitter.com/cTeZ3fntvA</a>
&mdash; CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1581770141725233153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The worst news for Democrats came from the questions about the economy, as 65% of those polled said that they felt like the United States economy was getting worse compared to only 15% who believed it was getting better. Another 20% said that the economy was staying the same.
Another dramatic swing in gas prices were not helping matters either: 63% said that gas prices in their area were going up compared to only 13% who said that gas prices were going down. By comparison, in August 53% said that gas prices were going down and only 16% had said they were going up.
To make matters even worse for Democrats, the majority of those polled said that Democrats and Democrat-led policies were a part of the problem. Nearly half of the respondents (48%) said that Democratic policies had harmed the economy, and just under one-third (29%) said that they had helped.
In addition, just over two-thirds (68%) said that the Biden administration could be doing more to combat inflation — while 29% said that the administration was doing everything that it could.
Nearly two-thirds said that President Biden bore either &#8220;a lot&#8221; (45%) or &#8220;some&#8221; (26%) responsibility for the current state of the economy — and well over one-third of respondents (42%) said that Republican policies would likely help the economy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW CBS Poll: Voters hold Biden responsible for the state of the economy. 71% say he bears a lot or some responsibility for an economy that 65% of voters say is getting worse. <a href="https://t.co/Aeym2Q8vI8">https://t.co/Aeym2Q8vI8</a> <a href="https://t.co/3oK0dBOohD">pic.twitter.com/3oK0dBOohD</a>
&mdash; Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NathanBrandWA/status/1581650256193671170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite receiving another spate of bad economic news earlier in the week, President Biden <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-between-bites-of-ice-cream-brags-the-economy-is-strong-as-hell-ice-cream-prices-are-up-13-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed reporters</a> that the American economy was &#8220;strong as hell.&#8221; He insisted that inflation was a global phenomenon and that things were worse in other countries around the world than they were in the United States.
CNBC anchor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/jim-cramer-says-theres-just-nothing-good-here-about-biden-inflation-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Cramer</a> disagreed, however, saying after the latest inflation numbers came out that there was no good news to report.
&#8220;It was just plain bad. There’s absolutely nothing to say about it other than it was bad,&#8221; he said.

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Investments

CBS Poll: Majority Blame Biden For Economy — And Say It’s Getting Worse

CBS Poll: Majority Blame Biden For Economy — And Say It's Getting Worse

Economy

Polls

Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. That means his job &#8212; his one job &#8212; is to handle a severe outbreak of an infectious disease.
But Fauci now <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fauci-admits-certain-aspects-governments-covid-19-response-botched">reportedly</a> admits he and his team &#8220;botched&#8221; certain aspects of how to handle COVID after it hit the U.S. in March 2020, including his flip-flopping on the efficacy of masks and the lengthy time it took to make rapid tests available nationwide.
&#8220;We didn&#8217;t know masks worked outside of the hospital setting. available nationwide. There was supposedly a shortage of good masks for the people who were taking care of individuals,&#8221; the doctor said in an interview that aired last week at the Texas Tribune Festival, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fauci-admits-certain-aspects-governments-covid-19-response-botched">reports</a>.
And he put the blame on others for rapid tests, saying, &#8220;They did not get the commercial involvement in the tests quickly. They stuck to their own tests,&#8221; he said, not defining just who &#8220;they&#8221; are.
Back in March 2020, Fauci declared, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.”
“When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is,” the doctor said on <a href="https://youtu.be/PRa6t_e7dgI">CBS News</a>.
Then in January 2021, Fauci said wearing two masks is likely more effective than wearing one. “If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it, just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” he told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/25/dr-fauci-double-mask-during-covid-makes-common-sense-more-effective.html">NBC News</a>.
Fauci also admitted at the festival that he knew the “draconian” COVID policies he advocated for would lead to “collateral negative consequences” for the “economy” and for “schoolchildren.”
But, of course, Fauci had some blame to spread around, citing the “divisiveness” of “social media” for his flip-flopping.
“When you have a divisiveness in society where every time you say something, you have X number of people with social media looking to attack it, that adds to the understandable confusion when you’re dealing with an evolving outbreak,” Fauci <a href="https://www.johnlocke.org/fauci-knew-lockdowns-would-hurt-economy-kids/">said</a>.
“Of course, when you make recommendations, if the primary goal when you’re dealing with a situation where the hospitals were being overrun in New York, intensive care units were being put in hallways, you have to do something that’s rather draconian,” the doctor said.
&#8220;And sometimes when you do draconian things, it has collateral negative consequences, just like when you shut things down, even temporarily, it does have deleterious consequences on the economy, on the schoolchildren. You know that,&#8221; he said.
Fauci, though, said there was a method to the madness.
“If you shut things down just for the sake of it, that’s bad,” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/21/fauci-admits-he-knew-draconian-lockdowns-would-have-collateral-negative-consequences-on-schoolchildren/">said</a>, adding, “But if you do it with the purpose of being able to regroup so that you can then open up in a more safe way, that’s the best way to do it.”
In the months after the virus first hit, it became clear that children are the least endangered. Last week, the Department of Education said American students had “the largest average score decline in reading since 1990, and the first ever score decline in mathematics,&#8221; Fox News reported.
In his comments, Fauci was saying what other health officials have already said about governments&#8217; response to the pandemic.
Governments &#8220;showed themselves to be untrustworthy and ineffective&#8221; during the pandemic by failing to &#8220;adhere to basic norms of institutional rationality and transparency,&#8221; the Lancet COVID Commission of international experts <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/covid19">reported</a> last week.
And Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last month ordered a full reorganization of the agency, saying its response to COVID &#8220;did not reliably meet expectations.&#8221;
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.

Anthony Fauci

Fauci Finally Admits He And His Team ‘Botched’ Aspects Of U.S. Response To COVID

Dr. Anthony Fauci Finally Admits He And His Team 'Botched' Aspects Of U.S. Response To COVID

COVID-19

Dr. Rochelle Walensky

NBC News

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton answered speculations about a 2024 White House bid this week, saying she would never again run for president.
Clinton offered the response during an interview with Norah O&#8217;Donnell on Tuesday&#8217;s &#8220;CBS Evening News.&#8221;
“No, no,&#8221; Clinton answered regarding another run. &#8220;But I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that we have a president who respects our democracy and the rule of law and upholds our institutions.&#8221;
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EXCLUSIVE: <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HillaryClinton</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/NorahODonnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NorahODonnell</a> she does not plan to run for president again, but did vow to do everything she can to ensure a future president “respects our democracy.” Adding if Trump runs again that Republicans should “grow a backbone.” <a href="https://t.co/GMwJ6qMF5Y">pic.twitter.com/GMwJ6qMF5Y</a>
&mdash; CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1567291313392861184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The former 2016 candidate who lost to Donald Trump quickly added that he should be defeated if he runs again, calling his party members to oppose him.
“It should start in the Republican Party,” Clinton said. “Grow a backbone. Stand up to this guy.”
The former first lady was also quick to downplay recent comparisons between the FBI&#8217;s raid on Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago home and her use of a private email server in her home while serving as secretary of state.
“I think it’s a really different comparison to what’s going on here,” Clinton said, claiming that the Justice Department and FBI have been &#8220;incredibly patient&#8221; with Trump regarding the &#8220;national security&#8221; issue.
Despite recent statements that Clinton would back Biden in his re-election campaign, much speculation has circulated regarding her potential run.
Rumors circulating in December led the White House to respond that Biden intends to run for a second term with Vice President Kamala Harris returning as his running mate.
Answering to a reporter&#8217;s question about Biden&#8217;s second-term plans, then-White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-biden-will-run-again-with-kamala-harris-beside-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> a clear confirmation.
&#8220;He is planning to run for re-election in 2024. I don’t have any more to add to that,&#8221; she said.
The reporter pressed, “But just to be clear, when the President says he plans to run again, he means with Harris on the ticket?”
“Yes, he does. There’s no change,” Jean-Pierre replied. “Yes. Yes.”
In addition to Clinton, rumors continue to circulate regarding Democrats who could challenge Biden in this quest for a second term. Concerns have increased due to Biden&#8217;s health and &#8220;cognitive fitness&#8221; issues as well as his low approval rating.
A July <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-biden-2024/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN poll</a> reported that 75% of Democratic voters want someone other than Biden in the next presidential election. The poll also found that among Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters under 45, just 18% prefer Biden as the 2024 nominee.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/16/top-10-democratic-candidates-president-2024-ranked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> 10 top contenders for the Democratic nomination in 2024. In addition to Biden and Harris, mentioned potential candidates included Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Other <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3536172-five-under-the-radar-democrats-who-could-run-for-president-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rumored Democrats</a> have included Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton Says She’ll Never Run For President Again

Hillary Clinton Says She'll Never Run For President Again

2024 Election

Democrats

The ongoing effort to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/second-amendment">ban so-called assault weapons</a> is similar to America’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/civil-war">bloody fight to end slavery</a>, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cbs-news">CBS</a> contributor and chief proponent of Critical Race Theory (CRT) said Sunday.
In a segment commemorating Juneteenth, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ibram-x-kendi">Ibram X. Kendi</a> <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/mark-finkelstein/2022/06/19/cbss-kendi-gun-rights-advocates-are-people-who-fought-slavery?utm_source=SocialDog">told</a> &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan he teaches his young daughter that the struggle for emancipation continues today. Kendi, the network’s &#8220;Racial Justice Contributor,&#8221; said “freedom” today means liberation from poverty and guns.
&#8220;I&#8217;m actually going to teach her that &#8230; throughout this nation&#8217;s history, there&#8217;s [sic] been two perspectives on freedom, really two fights for freedom,” Kendi said. “Enslaved people were fighting for freedom from slavery, and enslavers were fighting for the freedom to enslave.&#8221;
“And in many ways that sort of contrast still exists today,” he continued. “There are people who are fighting for freedom from assault rifles, freedom from poverty, freedom from exploitation. And there are others who are fighting for freedom to exploit, freedom to have guns, freedom to maintain inequality.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Do you support the Second Amendment freedom to keep and bear arms? If so, you are akin to people who fought for the… <a href="https://t.co/1eCnfPnwhD">https://t.co/1eCnfPnwhD</a>
&mdash; Sophie Nouveau (@sophienouveau_) <a href="https://twitter.com/sophienouveau_/status/1538687764807438337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Kendi, the author of controversial books including “How to Be an Antiracist,” believes America is plagued by systemic racism and white privilege. He argues that whites must acknowledge their privilege and implicit bias, as well as America’s systemic racism, to oppose racism.
Kendi said he is raising his daughter to believe the effort to purge America of racism is like the fight to end slavery.
“I really want to get her to understand there are multiple kinds of freedom, and she should be fighting for and joining with those who are fighting for freedom from something like slavery,” he said. “And the way kids can understand it is, kids understand bad rules. My daughter understands what&#8217;s not fair. And we can teach children that there&#8217;s [sic] bad rules in society. There are things that are not fair in society. And that&#8217;s why, let&#8217;s say black people, have less. It&#8217;s not because they are less.”
Gun control has been thrust back into the spotlight following mass shootings last month in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buffalo-mass-shooting-suspect-had-been-flagged-as-troubled-a-year-ago-report">Buffalo</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/uvalde">Uvalde, Texas</a>. While <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/">most firearms killings</a> in the U.S. involve handguns, both mass shootings from last month&#8217;s attacks used AR-15-style weapons. They are often referred to as &#8220;assault weapons,&#8221; but that term is not used by the industry, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-democrat-floats-1000-tax-on-ar-15-style-rifles">lawmakers have struggled to define</a> what it means in order to draft legislation.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/support-for-banning-semi-automatic-long-guns-hits-all-time-low-left-of-center-poll">recent poll</a> by Quinnipiac University found that support for banning semi-automatic long guns was at an all-time low and that Americans do not support limiting the number of guns someone can own. It also concluded that Americans do not expect Congress to do anything on gun control.
“In today’s poll, 50 percent of registered voters support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, while 45 percent oppose it,” the poll <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3848">said</a>.

Celebrities Visit Build – March 10, 2020

Push To Ban ‘Assault Rifles’ Like Fight To End Slavery, CRT Backer Ibram X. Kendi Tells CBS News

Push To Ban 'Assault Rifles' Like Fight To End Slavery, CRT Backer Ibram X. Kendi Tells CBS News

American Civil War

Civil War

Critical Race Theory

Guns

Ibram X. Kendi

Second Amendment

On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, announced that he has tested positive for COVID.
Fauci, age 81, is fully vaccinated and twice-boosted. He also serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
&#8220;Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from his home,&#8221; the National Institute for Health <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/niaid-director-fauci-tests-positive-covid-19">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials. Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative.&#8221;
Fauci has previously defended the COVID vaccine&#8217;s efficacy against critics who wonder how some folks can get infected with the virus and require hospitalization despite being vaccinated.
Recently, Fauci was interviewed on a podcast hosted by CBS&#8217; Major Garrett, who was forced to record the discussion from his home due after testing positive for COVID even though he was double-vaxxed and boosted, Eat This, Not That <a href="https://www.eatthis.com/news-dr-fauci-just-issued-this-important-covid-update/">reported</a>.
&#8220;This is a highly transmissible virus, and it is very likely that if you were not vaccinated and double boosted, that you would&#8217;ve had a much more severe outcome than you have right now,&#8221; Fauci told Garrett. &#8220;And you and I very unlikely would be speaking to each other right now.&#8221;
In April, Fauci <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-dont-want-to-pooh-pooh-getting-infected-fauci-is-says-americans-should-consider-precautions">criticized</a> those who believed getting infected was not something to worry about.
&#8220;We don’t want to pooh-pooh getting infected. I think people sometimes say, ‘Well, it’s OK to get infected.’ No, it’s not,” Fauci told ABC&#8217;s Jonathan Karl at the time. Fauci also relayed that while people should be able to assess their own risk level, they should not consider getting infected to be an acceptable risk because of the potential for long COVID or for significant illness.
“They may be at home, they may require a doctor consultation, but they don’t get hospitalized,” Fauci said. “That’s not something to pooh-pooh.”
In early June, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot-infection-rate/">reported</a> that &#8220;federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans — though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted.&#8221; But, CBS noted that that does not necessarily &#8220;mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk.&#8221;
John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told CBS News that &#8220;one of the dynamics here is that people feel, after vaccination and boosting, that they&#8217;re more protected than they actually are, so they increase their risks.&#8221;
&#8220;That, I think, is the major driver of these statistics,&#8221; Moore explained.
For his part, Fauci is experiencing mild symptoms with his first case of COVID.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.

Screen Shot 2022-04-15 at 9.41.44 AM

Fauci, 81, Tests Positive For COVID And Is Experiencing Symptoms

Dr. Anthony Fauci, 81, Tests Positive For COVID And Is Experiencing Symptoms 

Biden Administration

COVID-19 Vaccine

CBS reporter Janet Shamlian said Wednesday that, from her vantage point in the third row of Governor Gregg Abbott&#8217;s (R-TX) press conference, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Beto O&#8217;Rourke appeared to have &#8220;staged&#8221; his interruption of the event.
Shamlian described the scene that played out, noting that O&#8217;Rourke had apparently sent &#8220;seat holders&#8221; in to sit in seats near the front — which they vacated when he made his entrance to disrupt Abbott&#8217;s address.
&#8220;@JanetShamlian reports on Beto O&#8217;Rourke confronting Gov. Abbott during presser: &#8220;There were two people across the aisle from me and a moment before the press conference started, they got up from their seats when Beto walked in &#8230; This seems something very clearly staged,&#8221; CBS News tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JanetShamlian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JanetShamlian</a> reports on Beto O’Rourke confronting Gov. Abbott during presser: &quot;There were two people across the aisle from me and a moment before the press conference started, they got up from their seats when Beto walked in &#8230; This seems something very clearly staged.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eaAxrZP6Gt">pic.twitter.com/eaAxrZP6Gt</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1529536949370888194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Upon being asked whether she could make out what exactly O&#8217;Rourke had said, Shamlian said that she had gotten a much better view of what had transpired before the press conference actually began.
&#8220;Well, I did see what happened just before the press conference started,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I was in the third aisle — row — third row on the aisle, rather, and there were two people across the aisle from me and a moment before the press conference started, they got up from their seats when Beto walked in.&#8221;
&#8220;So they were seat holders for him,&#8221; Shamlian continued. &#8220;And then he sat down, so his presence wasn&#8217;t really noticed in the 15 or 20 minutes that people were gathering inside because he was not in the room. So this seems something very clearly staged by Beto O&#8217;Rourke and his campaign wanting to confront the governor at this moment.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke walked up to the stage while Abbott was updating grieving family members and reporters on the situation following Tuesday&#8217;s tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and he <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/youre-a-sick-son-of-a-b-beto-orourke-crashes-greg-abbott-press-conference-on-uvalde-shooting/">confronted the governor</a> directly.
&#8220;You are doing nothing,&#8221; O’Rourke said. &#8220;You said this was not predictable; this was totally predictable, and you choose not to do anything.&#8221;
&#8220;Sir, you are out of line. Please leave this auditorium,&#8221; Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin reprimanded O&#8217;Rourke, adding, &#8220;I can’t believe you’re a sick son of a b**** who would come to a deal like this to make a political issue.&#8221;
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who was on the stage alongside McLaughlin and Governor Abbott, could be heard telling O&#8217;Rourke to &#8220;sit down.&#8221;

A City Mourns As Texas Shooter Kills 18 Elementary School Children, One Teacher

‘Very Clearly Staged’: CBS Reporter Says Beto Used ‘Seat Holders’ To Slip Into Abbott Presser Unnoticed

CBS Reporter Says Beto Used 'Seat Holders' To Slip Into Abbott Presser Unnoticed

Beto O'Rourke

Greg Abbott

Gun Control

School Shooting

Texas

On Twitter, President Joe Biden&#8217;s White House chief of staff is flaunting a poll that shows the American people approve of the way Biden is handling COVID-19 and jobs, but a look at the details of said poll shows that most Americans would describe his actions as president to be &#8220;incompetent&#8221; and &#8220;distracted.&#8221;
On Sunday, Axios tweeted about <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWY7hHC9P_4uG7js0THppA1bG5CDFYfW/view">a recent CBS poll</a> that shows most Americans believe that the economy is bad, Biden is &#8220;slow to react,&#8221; and the state of the country is &#8220;uneasy&#8221; and &#8220;worrying.&#8221;
Ron Klain defended his boss by saying, &#8220;I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows  <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@potus </a>approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs.&#8221;
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I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@potus</a> approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs. <a href="https://t.co/OPrkWPZxYO">https://t.co/OPrkWPZxYO</a>
&mdash; Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHCOS/status/1528418302812471298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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While that might be true, Biden&#8217;s approval rating is still underwater. Only 44% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president, according to the CBS poll. Furthermore, a look at the descriptions Americans provide for Biden may explain why the majority of people, or 56%, disapprove of Biden&#8217;s job performance.
The poll was conducted May 18-20 and featured a nationally representative sample of 2,041 Americans.
CBS asked respondents to state whether or not certain words would &#8220;describe&#8221; or &#8220;not describe&#8221; Biden&#8217;s &#8220;actions as President so far.&#8221; While 53% of Americans said that the term &#8220;divisive&#8221; does not describe the president&#8217;s actions, 62% of Americans also said that the word &#8220;unifying&#8221; would not be an accurate description either.
Likewise, 62% of Americans said the word &#8220;effective&#8221; does not apply, while 57% of Americans said the word &#8220;distracted&#8221; describes Biden&#8217;s actions.
According to the poll, most respondents don&#8217;t believe that the president is all that interested in the problems facing them, either. When asked, &#8220;How much do you think Joe Biden cares about the needs and problems of people like you,&#8221; 56% of respondents said &#8220;not much&#8221; or &#8220;not at all.&#8221;
On Sunday, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-scott-midterms-are-all-about-inflation-biden-is-slow-to-react-behind-the-problem">reported</a> that the same CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-economic-concerns-grow-opinion-poll-2022-05-22/">poll</a> that found 65% of Americans believe Biden has been “slow to react” to multiple crises like inflation, illegal immigration, soaring gas prices, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-scott-midterms-are-all-about-inflation-biden-is-slow-to-react-behind-the-problem">Rick Scott: Midterms Are All About Inflation, Biden Is ‘Slow To React’, ‘Behind The Problem’</a>

Poll Finds Most Americans Describe Biden’s Actions As ‘Incompetent’ And ‘Distracted’

Poll Finds That Most Americans Describe Biden's Actions As 'Incompetent' And 'Distracted'

Poll

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain tried to downplay President Joe Biden&#8217;s collapsing approval ratings Sunday, after just one poll showed Biden with a slight improvement in approval rating.
&#8220;I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows @potus approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs,&#8221; Klain tweeted from his official Twitter account Sunday afternoon. Klain was referring to a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-economic-concerns-grow-opinion-poll-2022-05-22/">CBS News poll</a> which showed that Biden&#8217;s approval rating ticked up slightly, and that a slight majority of voters are optimistic about the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and the job prospects in their community.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@potus</a> approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs. <a href="https://t.co/OPrkWPZxYO">https://t.co/OPrkWPZxYO</a>
&mdash; Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHCOS/status/1528418302812471298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
There are a number of problems with Klain&#8217;s analysis of the poll. First, while Biden&#8217;s approval ticked up two points from April to May, the poll has a margin of error of 2.5%, which means that increase is negligible.
Second, the majorities who were optimistic about COVID and jobs were very slight. Meanwhile, the worst of the COVID pandemic has been over for months, and according to <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22014966-nbc-news-may-poll">other recent polls</a>, the pandemic as an issue is at the very bottom of voters&#8217; minds.
Digging deeper, the CBS poll contains other numbers that spell trouble for the Biden administration. Large majorities of Americans described the state of the country as &#8220;uneasy&#8221; (63%), &#8220;worrying&#8221; (63%), or &#8220;frustrating&#8221; (61%); 69% of Americans said the economy was bad, the highest number on record; nearly three-quarters of Americans, 74%, said things in America are going badly: 77% of Americans said they were concerned about the cost of goods and services; 68% were concerned about the national economy, and 67% about the stock market; 57% were concerned about their plans for retirement.
Respondents also soured on Biden&#8217;s handling of key issues: his approval rating on the economy stood at just 36%, with 64% disapproval; on inflation, just 30%, with 70% disapproval; on Russia-Ukraine, 47% approval, 53% disapproval; on immigration and on crime, 40%-60%.
Furthermore, a majority of Americans, 65% said that Biden is &#8220;too slow to react&#8221; when important issues come up; another majority, 55%, said that Biden does not fight hard to address the country&#8217;s problems; and just 19% of respondents said that Biden cares about their needs and problems &#8220;a lot.&#8221; In contrast, 25% said Biden only cares &#8220;some&#8221; about their problems, 22% said &#8220;not much,&#8221; and a plurality, 34%, said Biden does not care about their needs and problems at all.
Furthermore, contrary to Klain&#8217;s assertion, the CBS poll does not &#8220;spoil the narrative&#8221; around Biden&#8217;s approval rating, which continues to collapse. A growing number of polls are showing that Biden&#8217;s approval has dropped below 40%: an Associated Press/NORC poll conducted last week had Biden&#8217;s approval at just 39%, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-approval-rating-drops-ap-norc-poll-d41bce85e1b062b588a32908b2affa65">lowest of his presidency</a>; an <a href="https://www.investors.com/politics/ibdtipp-poll-presidential-approval-direction-of-country/">IBD/TIPP</a> poll earlier this month also had his approval at 39%, as did a <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_US_051222/">Monmouth</a> poll; recent polling from <a href="https://civiqs.com/results/approve_president_biden?uncertainty=true&amp;annotations=true&amp;zoomIn=true">Civiqs</a> showed Biden at just 34%, and underwater in 47 out of 50 states; a <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3846">Quinnipiac</a> poll showed him with an approval rating of just 35%, while also showing that his support among <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-cratering-with-hispanics-support-less-than-half-of-2021-poll">Hispanics</a> is less than half of what it was in 2021. According to <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/">FiveThirtyEight</a>, Biden&#8217;s average approval rating is at the lowest of his presidency, at 40.7%. Biden is also slightly below former President Trump&#8217;s approval rating at the same point in their respective presidencies.

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Ron Klain

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