Naomi Biden lashed out at the forthcoming book from CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson — which explores the extent of her grandfather&#8217;s obvious cognitive and physical decline while in the White House — and claimed it amounted to little more than &#8220;uninspired lies.&#8221;
Naomi, whose father is Biden&#8217;s embattled son Hunter Biden, responded to a post on X that claimed Tapper and Thompson were publishing the book in an effort to make themselves the &#8220;center of attention&#8221; — and that they would be better served to focus on President Donald Trump and his &#8220;daily assaults on our constitution.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Tapper and Thompson want to be the center of the conversation because it will help them sell books. But with daily assaults on our constitution by the current inhabitant of the WH, the rest of us have, or should have, more important things to focus on.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/RPleruhgwI">https://t.co/RPleruhgwI</a>
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1924490418760130704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Just read a copy of this silly book, and if anyone is curious for a review from someone who lived it first-hand: this book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,&#8221; Naomi Biden wrote in response. &#8220;The ones who rarely enter the arena, but profit from the spectacle of those that do.&#8221;
&#8220;Put simply, it amounts to a bunch of unoriginal, uninspired lies written by irresponsible self promoting journalists out to make a quick buck,&#8221; she complained. &#8220;It relies on unnamed, anonymous sources pushing a self-serving false narrative that absolves them of any responsibility for our current national nightmare. All of this at the expense of a man so completely good and honest that it is impossible for these people to ever understand the why or how of it all. There are real stories to be told and one day they will be. I suspect history will reward the truth.&#8221;
The book, set for release on May 20, will hit shelves just two days after the former president&#8217;s office announced that he was diagnosed with an &#8220;aggressive form&#8221; of prostate cancer that had already metastasized to his bones. That announcement led to some — even some who had been critical of Biden&#8217;s fitness and his decision to run again in 2024 — to say that perhaps he should be left alone.
David Axelrod, who served as chief campaign strategist to former President Barack Obama, said that the conversation about Biden&#8217;s cognitive fitness &#8220;should be more muted and set aside for now as he’s struggling through this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidaxelrod</a>: Conversations about Biden’s mental acuity “should be more muted and set aside for now as he’s struggling through this.”<a href="https://t.co/ULDkqRS9O9">https://t.co/ULDkqRS9O9</a>
— Adam Wren (@adamwren) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamwren/status/1924250863373083055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-DIPLOMACY-MUSIC

Naomi Biden Trashes Book On Her Grandfather’s Cognitive Decline: ‘Uninspired Lies’

Naomi Biden Trashes Book On Her Grandfather's Cognitive Decline: 'Uninspired Lies'

Axios

Jake Tapper

Joe Biden

Media

Politics

With just days to go before the release of &#8220;Original Sin&#8221; — a book exploring former President Joe Biden&#8217;s obvious cognitive decline from Jake Tapper (CNN) and Alex Thompson (Axios) — everyone on the Sunday political shows was talking about Biden, who knew what, and when they knew it.
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.
If one were to simply watch those interviews cold, not having lived through four years of a Biden presidency or seen dozens of speeches and interviews even from midway through his single term, one might be inclined to believe the pundits and elected Democrats when they insisted that Biden was absolutely fine at least until his disaster of a televised debate with President Donald Trump — and, according to at least one, he might even still be fine.
But Democrats and pundits said those things to an audience made up of Americans who did watch Biden as he repeatedly got lost on stage, tripped up the stairs of Air Force One, alternately shouted and whispered at awkward times, and lost his train of thought on a regular basis. Still, they committed to the narrative — Biden was definitely at his best until maybe the debate, and there was no reason for anyone to suggest otherwise or believe that anyone was covering up Biden&#8217;s condition.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Rep. Ro Khanna insisted that there was no cover-up, but also said that the people who had been closest to President Biden during the last year or so of his presidency owed the American people &#8220;an explanation — but he did not clarify why they needed to explain if they were not covering anything up.
&#8220;It’s painfully obvious President Biden should not have run,&#8221; Khanna said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“It’s painfully obvious President Biden should not have run.”
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said there wasn&#8217;t a cover-up of former Pres. Biden mental fitness ahead of the 2024 election, but added those close to Biden and his advisers “owe an explanation.” <a href="https://t.co/MTbOVJxR88">https://t.co/MTbOVJxR88</a> <a href="https://t.co/9UJQqpL4gF">pic.twitter.com/9UJQqpL4gF</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924122551883645008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a panel discussion later on in the broadcast, former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile claimed that since she had lost a step or two with age, it was totally fine for the same thing to have happened to Biden.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to stick by Joe Biden. And look, we all — I don&#8217;t have the pep in my step that I used to have,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On questions of former Pres. Biden’s mental fitness ahead of the 2024 election, former DNC chair <a href="https://twitter.com/donnabrazile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonnaBrazile</a> says, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to stick by Joe Biden. And look, we all — I don&#8217;t have the pep in my step that I used to have.”<a href="https://t.co/KJmZwLyqkW">https://t.co/KJmZwLyqkW</a> <a href="https://t.co/yPGHteC3gZ">pic.twitter.com/yPGHteC3gZ</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924134592497271104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus pushed back, noting that conservatives had been repeatedly mocked and gaslighted — not to mention shut down by legacy media hosts — when they stated the obvious about the president&#8217;s declining faculties.
&#8220;People were put to shame — me and others out there — that talked about Joe Biden&#8217;s mental acuity &#8230; The fact is they were managing his decline in a nursing home in the White House,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former RNC chair <a href="https://twitter.com/Reince?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reince</a> Priebus: &#8220;People were put to shame — me and others out there — that talked about Joe Biden&#8217;s mental acuity &#8230; The fact is they were managing his decline in a nursing home in the White House.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/mEq24OQYpx">https://t.co/mEq24OQYpx</a> <a href="https://t.co/glQtYP9iwY">pic.twitter.com/glQtYP9iwY</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924136867680735338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) took time out from defending criminal illegal alien gang members to address the recently released audio from Biden&#8217;s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur — which he said shed light on a problem that no one had been aware of at the time.
&#8220;Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again, we would do things differently,&#8221; Van Hollen said. &#8220;I think we can acknowledge that this was a — people overlooked a serious problem or were just not aware.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Hindsight is 20/20,&#8221; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says of the audio tapes that have been released of then-President Biden&#8217;s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, highlighting Biden&#8217;s memory lapses at the time.
&#8220;Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again,… <a href="https://t.co/iITJ2PC9aH">pic.twitter.com/iITJ2PC9aH</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1924134615121375425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) took a similar approach on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; saying that Democrats might have encouraged Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race sooner if only they had known. Murphy also said that Democrats had been wrong to brush off voters&#8217; concerns about Biden&#8217;s acuity during the 2024 election cycle.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) says that former President Biden should have exited the 2024 race earlier as newly released audio tapes renew concerns over Biden&#8217;s health and fitness while in office. <a href="https://t.co/KU1cqLKcHR">https://t.co/KU1cqLKcHR</a> <a href="https://t.co/mTJHsYG5rI">pic.twitter.com/mTJHsYG5rI</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1924102792177725590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. James Clyburn took things to a whole different level on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; telling anchor Jake Tapper that he wasn&#8217;t even sure Biden would be incapable of serving a second term in the White House.
&#8220;Yes, I thought [he could serve another term] back then. I still think that, but I don&#8217;t know that,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesClyburn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesClyburn</a> on whether he still believes President Biden could have served another term: &#8220;Yes, I thought that back then. I still think that, but I don&#8217;t know that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/hfRtH5REyl">pic.twitter.com/hfRtH5REyl</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924123561721000190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As to Biden&#8217;s disastrous debate performance, Clyburn continued to play defense. &#8220;Whether or not that was just an incident or whether that was a condition that was being kept from people, we have no way of knowing which one was true,&#8221; he claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesClyburn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesClyburn</a> reflects on Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance: “Whether or not that was just an incident or whether that was a condition that was being kept from people, we have no way of knowing which one was true.” <a href="https://t.co/Sso7mSltX0">pic.twitter.com/Sso7mSltX0</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924100037597884572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Jones and David Axelrod were less magnanimous to Biden, his White House, and the party that enabled him.
&#8220;There are people who knew and said nothing, and that is a crime against this Republic,&#8221; Jones said.
&#8220;I blame the people around him,&#8221; Axelrod added. &#8220;Real loyalty demanded that they say, &#8216;Mr. President, it&#8217;s just not there and it&#8217;s not in your interest&#8217; [to run again].&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Longtime Democratic strategists react to new reporting that top Biden aides hid signs of decline from the public.<a href="https://twitter.com/VanJones68?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VanJones68</a>: &#8220;There are people who knew and said nothing, and that is a crime against this Republic.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidaxelrod</a>: “I blame the people around him&#8230; real loyalty… <a href="https://t.co/Obz2wpk3Jm">pic.twitter.com/Obz2wpk3Jm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924101934442569760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio De Janeiro

Spin Cycle: The Fix Is In, And There Was No Fix

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

NBC News

Democrats, left-leaning pundits, and legacy media outlets are all talking about the &#8220;bombshells&#8221; included in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson&#8217;s forthcoming book on the last days of the Biden campaign, &#8220;Original Sin.&#8221;
Tapper, a CNN anchor, and Thompson, an Axios reporter, interviewed more than 200 people to catalogue Biden&#8217;s obvious cognitive and physical decline, and the lengths to which the people around him went to cover it up.
But while the book certainly seems to contain previously unknown details, many don&#8217;t seem to be &#8220;bombshells&#8221; to the average American who watched President Joe Biden stumble his way through his re-election campaign.
Here are the &#8220;bombshells.&#8221;
<h3>Biden&#8217;s staff considered the possibility that he might need a wheelchair.</h3>
Biden&#8217;s halting gait was the topic of much conversation among his critics, and according to &#8220;Original Sin,&#8221; it was a concern discussed at length by his staffers. The consensus was that he might <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-team-considered-putting-him-in-a-wheelchair-if-he-won-in-2024-new-book-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">need a wheelchair,</a> but with him still on the ballot at the time, they worried about the optics of taking that step prior to the 2024 election.
&#8220;Biden’s physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election,&#8221; Tapper and Thompson wrote.
Biden&#8217;s physician, Dr. Kevin O&#8217;Connor, had also privately conveyed his concerns that the president could eventually take a fall that would make a wheelchair a necessity rather than an option.
In order to minimize the risk, Biden&#8217;s team made sure that the president wore shoes that were made for stability and had him board and disembark from Air Force One using the shorter staircase at the rear of the plane.
Still, according to Axios, O&#8217;Connor did not believe that Biden&#8217;s team was doing enough to safeguard the president: &#8220;O’Connor sometimes quipped that Biden’s staff members were trying to kill him, while he was trying to keep him alive.&#8221;
And when anyone asked about his gait or the fact that he&#8217;d switched to the short stairs, Biden&#8217;s team brushed aside concerns by claiming that his halting step was simply the result of his refusal to wear the walking boot long enough after fracturing his foot in November of 2020.
<h3>Biden failed to recognize his friend — and host — George Clooney at his 2024 Hollywood fundraiser.</h3>
Biden had a long history of flubbing the names of people at large events. But Tapper and Thompson wrote that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/behind-the-scenes-book-reveals-the-extensive-hollywood-magic-that-couldnt-save-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to recognize</a> the Oscar-winning actor — with whom he&#8217;s been friends for years — when he approached him at a Hollywood fundraiser in June of 2024.
<blockquote>“You know George,” the assisting aide told the President, gently reminding him who was in front of him. “Yeah, yeah,” the President said to one of the most recognizable men in the world, the host of this lucrative fund-raiser.
“Thank you for being here.”
“Hi, Mr. President,” Clooney said.
“How are ya?” the President replied.
“How was your trip?” Clooney asked.
“It was fine,” the President said.
It seemed clear that the President had not recognized Clooney.
“It was not O.K.,” recalled the Hollywood V.I.P. who had witnessed this moment. “That thing, the moment where you recognize someone you know—especially a famous person who’s doing a f***ing fund-raiser for you — it was delayed. It was uncomfortable.”</blockquote>
Biden ultimately had to be reminded that the man standing in front of him was George Clooney.
<h3>Biden was hidden from his own staffers and cabinet members since at least 2023.</h3>
One staffer, who reportedly quit after Biden insisted on pushing ahead with a campaign for reelection, told Tapper and Thompson that access to Biden was strictly limited in order to keep people from seeing just how dramatic a change had taken place.
&#8220;We attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn’t realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023,&#8221; the staffer said. &#8220;I love Joe Biden. When it comes to decency, there are few in politics like him. Still, it was a disservice to the country and to the party for his family and advisers to allow him to run again.&#8221;
&#8220;When he proved incapable of delivering a two-minute video address without stumbling, aides filmed him with two cameras so the edit would be less obvious,&#8221; another staffer said.
The White House Press Corps&#8217; already-limited access to Biden was diminished even further, and reports circulated that he hadn&#8217;t met with certain members of his own cabinet in weeks or even months.
Full cabinet meetings, which had been few and far between from the word go, spread out to the point that Biden would hold only three in 2023 and one in 2024.
&#8220;We spoke with several cabinet secretaries for the book, and this period of time is what one of the secretaries called ‘The Weird Period,'&#8221; Jake Tapper said.
&#8220;Despite the earlier praise, the third cabinet secretary we spoke with told us that starting in 2023, quote, ‘For months we didn’t have access to him. There was clearly a deliberate strategy by the White House to have him meet with as few people as necessary,&#8221; Tapper continued, noting that very few of Biden&#8217;s cabinet secretaries met with the president after late 2023.
&#8220;And it was not just cabinet members who were kept away from the president. Aides who had once seen Biden regularly say they went months without seeing him. Others told us that in some meetings, Biden would mumble incoherently, something the public only got glimpses of,&#8221; he said.
If the assertions made in the book — and by other reporters, pundits, and high-ranking Democrats — are to be believed, the White House did such a good job of hiding Biden&#8217;s infirmity from all but his closest advisers that none of them were truly aware of how bad things had gotten until the CNN debate.
<h3>Stay tuned for Part II: Are these really &#8220;bombshells&#8221;?</h3>

President Biden Speaks To The Department Of Labor

Legacy Media Outlets Say Biden Book Is Full Of ‘Bombshells’. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Legacy Media Outlets Say Biden Book Is Full Of 'Bombshells': Here's What To Know.

Scott Jennings

As more and more &#8220;bombshells&#8221; drop about former President Joe Biden&#8217;s last days in office — many coming from the soon-to-be-released &#8220;Original Sin,&#8221; written by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson — one question has remained top of mind especially for critics of the last administration: &#8220;Who was running the country?&#8221;
Revelations from the book thus far have included, among other things, claims from Biden&#8217;s cabinet members that they were actively kept from meeting with him — claims that appear substantiated by the fact that he only held three full cabinet meetings in 2023 and one in 2024. Tapper and Thompson were also told that Biden failed to recognize his longtime friend — and host — actor George Clooney at a Hollywood fundraiser.
The more evidence piles up, the more critics ask: if Biden was clearly incapable of finishing the 2024 presidential race, then how could anyone say he was still capable of serving as president? And if he was incapable of serving as president, &#8220;who was running the country?&#8221; And, on a related note, where was Vice President Kamala Harris?
&#8220;Dems/media still missing the story on Biden. Yes, it&#8217;s bad that you guys lied about his health. But it&#8217;s amazing that nobody is asking WHO WAS RUNNING THE COUNTRY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, because it was clearly not the guy we elected. We had a soft coup,&#8221; one person posted, noting that legacy media outlets seemed wholly uninterested in that story.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dems/media still missing the story on Biden.
Yes, its bad that you guys lied about his health.
But its amazing that nobody is asking WHO WAS RUNNING THE COUNTRY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, because it was clearly not the guy we elected.
We had a soft coup. The media response: <a href="https://t.co/9OqJJMOoBQ">pic.twitter.com/9OqJJMOoBQ</a>
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. (@neoavatara) <a href="https://twitter.com/neoavatara/status/1922655738435973551?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So, who exactly was running the country from 2021-2024?&#8221; author Carol Roth asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So, who exactly was running the country from 2021-2024?
— Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) <a href="https://twitter.com/caroljsroth/status/1923060475765346403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Watching President Trump operate, flying around the world, making deals, up early, shutting it down late, involved in everything, you realize he is a once in a generation phenom. One of the greatest to ever do it. But it forces a terrifying question. Who the hell was running the country the last four years under Biden? How? Because it sure was not him,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Watching President Trump operate, flying around the world, making deals, up early, shutting it down late, involved in everything, you realize he is a once in a generation phenom. One of the greatest to ever do it.
But it forces a terrifying question. Who the hell was running the… <a href="https://t.co/ru2OGI5zP1">https://t.co/ru2OGI5zP1</a>
— Petey B (@realpeteyb123) <a href="https://twitter.com/realpeteyb123/status/1922313424039772220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I asked this on CNN, I’ll ask it again. Who in the hell was running the country if Biden was clearly incapable of doing the job,&#8221; Shermichael Singleton asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I asked this on CNN, I’ll ask it again. Who in the hell was running the country if Biden was clearly incapable of doing the job. <a href="https://t.co/MZixrUYnH3">https://t.co/MZixrUYnH3</a>
— Shermichael Singleton (@MrShermichael) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrShermichael/status/1922274199214727286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings raised the same question:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WHO was running our country?
The very fact that America even has to ask this question is scandal enough.
WE DEMAND ANSWERS! <a href="https://t.co/Tl90IXr4EF">pic.twitter.com/Tl90IXr4EF</a>
— Stephen Davis (@Stephend1776) <a href="https://twitter.com/Stephend1776/status/1923087128520511759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Others turned the question on then-Vice President Kamala Harris:
&#8220;So, is anybody gonna report on where Kamala Harris was during all this time that Joe Biden was unfit to be president, or nah?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So, is anybody gonna report on where Kamala Harris was during all this time that Joe Biden was unfit to be president, or nah?
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) <a href="https://twitter.com/baseballcrank/status/1922761248128598219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In The Wake Of Biden Book ‘Bombshells,’ One Pressing Question Still Remains

In The Wake Of Biden Book 'Bombshells,' One Pressing Question Still Remains

Kamala Harris

Jake Tapper, Joe Biden

Democrat Elites Are Playing A Giant Game Of ‘Cover Your A**’ And It’s Hilarious

Democrats

George Clooney

Legacy Media

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod called the recently revealed details of President Biden&#8217;s cognitive decline &#8220;stunning&#8221; in a Wednesday interview, and called Biden&#8217;s decision to seek re-election &#8220;irresponsible&#8221; on the part of both the former president and his family.
Speaking on NPR&#8217;s Morning Edition, Axelrod laid into Biden’s inner circle and top Democrats for adapting the former president’s schedule to accommodate his &#8220;declining condition,&#8221; while simultaneously arguing to voters that he was fit to serve another term.
&#8220;What is clear is that they did everything they could to adapt his public appearances and adapt his schedule to his declining condition,&#8221; Axelrod said, adding that &#8220;it was an irresponsible decision on his part, and I have to say, on his family&#8217;s part.&#8221;
The former Obama strategist&#8217;s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/14/nx-s1-5397210/biden-trump-election-original-sin-book">comments</a> were in response to revelations from excerpts of &#8220;Original Sin: President Biden&#8217;s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,&#8221; a forthcoming book by CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson.
The senior CNN political commentator pointed to one of the most “troubling” incidents detailed in the excerpt, in which Biden reportedly failed to recognize actor George Clooney, a donor and friend of two decades, at a California fundraiser.
“The details behind it were troubling. The thing that I was struck by was the reporting on his schedule before this event, and the rigors of what he was up to, and people dismissing his kind of being vacant, not being able to identify George Clooney, a friend of two decades, when he saw him, dismissed it as a function of jet lag and fatigue.”
Axelrod later points to Biden’s inner circle dismissing incidents like these as a symptom of a &#8220;deeper issue&#8221; within Biden&#8217;s circle that enabled his continued candidacy despite clear signs of decline.
“What struck me was that when you are president of the United States. Fatigue and strain is your daily existence. The presidency is relentless. And this is why I said in 2022 that it was going to be hard to make the case that he should be president for four more years.”
Tapper and Thompson&#8217;s book <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/how-joe-biden-handed-the-presidency-to-donald-trump?fbclid=IwY2xjawKR0X9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFOYXJLc0lmZEVrbjVHZ2UxAR5goe6iYyOhoScB-4DQYuQYLkTkOruNaz_AWLHo8Qd0BMU2lJ8BLLGoiWcoqw_aem_OAsqiqfGfha4zoH5cuj5kw">paints</a> a picture of a widespread effort within Biden&#8217;s inner circle to conceal his deteriorating condition from public view, with insiders pursuing &#8220;aggressive efforts to hide his cognitive diminishment.&#8221;
Axelrod avoided labeling this effort from Biden’s team as “lying,” as “they were motivated by a belief in him, by a desire to see him continue,” instead putting most of the blame squarely on Biden and his family for putting staff in that position in the first place.
Biden’s 2024 bid was “an irresponsible decision on his part, and I have to say, on his family&#8217;s part,” Axelrod said.
When asked about Biden&#8217;s recent media appearances, including his appearance on &#8220;The View,&#8221; where viewers noticed him trailing off mid-sentence, Axelrod suggested the former president was continuing to receive poor counsel from the same advisers who encouraged his reelection bid.
&#8220;All he&#8217;s doing is making the story larger,&#8221; Axelrod said. &#8220;If he&#8217;s concerned about President Trump and some of the things that President Trump is doing, then he should want the Democratic Party to be in a position to move on and do well in the midterm elections.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s office continues to defend his legacy. A spokesperson said that the former president &#8220;was a very effective president&#8221; and challenged critics to provide evidence of instances where &#8220;national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job.&#8221;
“Original Sin” is set to release in late May.

The 2017 Concordia Annual Summit – Day 1

Axelrod: Biden’s Reelection Bid Was ‘Irresponsible,’ Details Of Cognitive Decline ‘Stunning’

2024 Election

Biden Admin

David Axelrod

Jill Biden

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) refused to answer a question from CNN anchor Kasie Hunt about former President Joe Biden&#8217;s obvious cognitive decline, saying instead that he was &#8220;looking forward&#8221; and changing the subject to attack President Donald Trump.
In the context of the forthcoming book &#8220;Original Sin&#8221; — which explores Biden&#8217;s decline and the lengths to which the people around him went to cover it up — Hunt asked Schumer a question that essentially boiled down to the classic &#8220;what did you know, and when did you know it?&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/kasie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kasie</a>⁩ Hunt to Chuck Schumer: “Did you really not have any idea that Biden was “not fit to serve a second term?”
Schumer: *refuses to answer* <a href="https://t.co/misRQOnd9F">pic.twitter.com/misRQOnd9F</a>
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1922405528615166227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I really do want to ask you about something that has been breaking out of CNN, our Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson have written a book called &#8216;Original Sin&#8217; and they call it a cover-up of Biden&#8217;s health and his cognition and his fitness, quite frankly, to be President of the United States,&#8221; Hunt began, and she noted that Schumer had met with Biden on a number of occasions in the months leading up to the disastrous debate on CNN in late June.
&#8220;Did you really not have any idea that he was not fit to serve a second term?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;Kasie, we&#8217;re looking forward,&#8221; Schumer replied. &#8220;We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us, we have the whole federal government at risk —&#8221;
Hunt interrupted then, reminding Schumer that the entire premise of the book was that Biden&#8217;s apparent lack of fitness — and his insistence upon running anyway — may be the reason Democrats were dealing with a second term under President Donald Trump.
&#8220;We&#8217;re looking forward,&#8221; Schumer said again, making it clear that he had no intention whatsoever of addressing her question.
According to the book, Schumer actually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamalas-team-tosses-biden-under-the-bus-blames-him-for-2024-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with Biden</a> in Rehoboth Beach after the debate in June, warning him that if he did not choose to exit the presidential race gracefully, he was likely to lose to Trump and sully 50 years of public service.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y

Chuck Schumer Won’t Say When He Knew Biden Was Unfit To Serve

Chuck Schumer

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings made it clear on Monday that he was not impressed with the Democrats who were suddenly opposed to the United States granting refugee status to South Africans after years of supporting the open border policies implemented by former President Joe Biden.
Jennings unloaded on them during a panel discussion on CNN, pointing out the fact that they had supported policies that ultimately let some of the worst criminals into the country, but suddenly had a problem with a few dozen white South Africans who have faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-critics-of-south-african-refugee-policy-its-a-terrible-thing-thats-taking-place" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racially-motivated threats</a> and violence in their country.
&#8220;The same people who had no problem with letting in 20 million illegal immigrants, gang members included, are suddenly outraged about a small group of white South African refugees. Spare me,&#8221; Jennings captioned his video.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The same people who had no problem with letting in 20 million illegal immigrants, gang members included, are suddenly outraged about a small group of white South African refugees.
Spare me. <a href="https://t.co/KR1vLIo42P">pic.twitter.com/KR1vLIo42P</a>
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1922284398373679144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I do think — it&#8217;s not alleged discrimination that these people are facing in South Africa. I mean, the law there absolutely allows their property to be confiscated,&#8221; Jennings said. &#8220;They are subject to racial discrimination, some have been subject to violence, from some reports that I have read.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, we&#8217;re talking about 50-something people, and the people who seem to be angriest about this today had no problem with 20 million coming here, some of the worst people in the world coming here, including gang members and so on and so forth, so I don&#8217;t have a lot of sympathy for outrage today after what happened to this country over the last several years over 50-something people who are clearly being discriminated against in South Africa,&#8221; he added.
Later on in the segment, Jennings argued with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) who attempted to separate his views on illegal immigration from his support for former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
&#8220;The previous administration had priorities about who to let in, including all kinds of folks who I would argue shouldn&#8217;t be here,&#8221; Jennings said, noting that the open borders had effectively prioritized unvetted criminal aliens. &#8220;This administration, I guess, is going to set priorities about who and who not to let in —&#8221;
&#8220;Let&#8217;s just be honest about what those priorities are,&#8221; Moulton interrupted, suggesting that the skin color of the refugees was what was driving President Donald Trump&#8217;s policies. &#8220;I&#8217;m a Democrat here, I did not defend the Biden administration on immigration —&#8221;
&#8220;But you voted for him,&#8221; Jennings pointed out.
&#8220;That doesn&#8217;t mean that I defend him on immigration —&#8221; Moulton protested.
&#8220;And you voted for a continuation of it in 2024, did you not?&#8221; Jennings continued.
&#8220;I — I did not vote for his policies on immigration,&#8221; Moulton tried again, attempting to argue that he could support the man without taking responsibility for the policies that man put forth.
&#8220;But you voted — you voted to extend the immigration policies of the last administration,&#8221; Jennings said as several others on the panel attempted to jump to Moulton&#8217;s rescue.
&#8220;No, I did not vote for that,&#8221; Moulton repeated.
&#8220;The point is, you&#8217;re in a party that opened the borders, and I&#8217;m in a party that closed the borders, and I think the American people prefer our way,&#8221; Jennings concluded.

MixCollage-01-May-2025-10-17-AM-5139

‘Spare Me’: Scott Jennings Scorches Dems For Sudden About-Face On Refugees

Illegal Immigration

South Africa

Three House Democrats — all from New Jersey — and the Mayor of Newark descended on Delaney Hall on Friday, demanding access to and oversight of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center that is being used to house criminal illegal aliens. What followed was a &#8220;they said &#8211; they said&#8221; scenario involving the Department of Homeland Security and the Democrats — and some of it played out on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
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.
The protest that took place on Friday — according to Newark&#8217;s Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newark-mayor-arrested-after-dem-reps-storm-new-jersey-ice-facility-charge-past-security-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ras Baraka</a> and Garden State Democratic Reps. LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson-Coleman, and Rob Menendez — was simply several members of Congress exercising their oversight authority. Watson-Coleman told CNN on Saturday that the group was simply waiting for &#8220;a tour&#8221; of the facility, the obvious implication being that the tour had been prearranged.
Mayor Baraka, who is currently campaigning to be New Jersey&#8217;s next governor, has been protesting Delaney Hall&#8217;s existence since the beginning. During the week prior to the protest, city workers parked a bulldozer in front of the gate in order to block access to the facility. Baraka was arrested during the protest and detained by ICE agents.
The Department of Homeland Security offered an entirely different take on the incident: initial reports stated that the New Jersey Democrats had been part of a protest group that waited outside the gates until they were opened for a vehicle transporting detainees – at which point they rushed past security and onto the property. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that if they had requested a tour rather than simply staging a protest outside the gate, one would have been arranged.
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) addressed reports that ICE could potentially arrest the three Democratic representatives who had been involved in the protests as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After ICE threatened to arrest three Democratic members of Congress following a protest in Newark, New Jersey, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) says any such arrests would &#8220;be a very drastic move.&#8221;
&#8220;I would only do that if they were complicit with a crime,&#8221; he says. <a href="https://t.co/N1Qa6fOGHJ">pic.twitter.com/N1Qa6fOGHJ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1921601294113878082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McCaul said that ICE arresting the members of Congress would be a &#8220;very drastic move,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I would only do that if they were complicit with a crime.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know all the facts behind this,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;If they were just visiting a detention center, that&#8217;s — I&#8217;ve done that many times. If they were disrupting law enforcement, that&#8217;s another question. We can peacefully protest in this country, but you cannot be complicit with gang violence against our law enforcement, and I think perhaps that&#8217;s what it comes down to.&#8221;
Anchor Dana Bash also brought up the incident during Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; — and she brought in the three New Jersey Democrats to weigh in on what had happened.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepBonnie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepBonnie</a> on clash with ICE outside Newark detention facility: “Chaos ensued when someone on the phone above the leaders of ICE who were with us at that facility instructed them to go out of the facility, go to the private property and lock the mayor of the largest city in the… <a href="https://t.co/EEqEYmukMp">pic.twitter.com/EEqEYmukMp</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1921561701293363522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Chaos ensued when someone on the phone above the leaders of ICE who were with us at that facility instructed them to go out of the facility, go to the private property, and lock the mayor of the largest city in the state of New Jersey up. That&#8217;s absurd. That&#8217;s un-American. That&#8217;s scary. That&#8217;s determination to intimidate people in this country,&#8221; Rep. Watson-Coleman said.
During a previous CNN interview on Saturday, Watson-Coleman had claimed that DHS officials were &#8220;lying&#8221; when they accused the Democrats and protesters of getting rough with ICE agents, and said that any body cam footage that showed such actions would have to be &#8220;manufactured.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Responding to DHS accusing her of &#8220;body slamming&#8221; an ICE officer, <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaMonica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepLaMonica</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a>, &#8220;I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. There&#8217;s no video that supports me body slamming anyone.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/RepMenendez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMenendez</a> says, &#8220;There were a lot of opportunities for DHS, for ICE to… <a href="https://t.co/Fhfpq06jHq">pic.twitter.com/Fhfpq06jHq</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1921578454127882426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. McIver responded to DHS reports that she had &#8220;body-slammed&#8221; an ICE agent during the scuffle, saying, &#8220;I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. There&#8217;s no video that supports me body slamming anyone.&#8221;
Menendez then claimed that ICE agents had intentionally escalated the situation, adding, &#8220;There were a lot of opportunities for DHS, for ICE to de-escalate the situation. They chose not to&#8230; It&#8217;s something that should really shock all Americans.&#8221;
Later on in the broadcast, Bash brought in a panel to discuss the situation — and the possibility that the three Democratic Reps. could face arrest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepSuhas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepSuhas</a> on DHS threatening to arrest members of Congress: “If I&#8217;m going to be put behind bars for trying to stand up for the constitutional rights of my constituents, for standing up for civil liberties, bring it on.”<a href="https://twitter.com/KSoltisAnderson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KSoltisAnderson</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BradOnMessage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BradOnMessage</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/XochitlHinojosa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@XochitlHinojosa</a> join… <a href="https://t.co/IhnQI47pJe">pic.twitter.com/IhnQI47pJe</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1921581066390745219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-IMMIGRATION-ICE

Spin Cycle: The Democrats Went Down To Newark …

Spin Cycle: The Democrats Went Down To Newark ...

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

To prove that Donald Trump is a very mean person while journalists are totally compassionate and loving, CNN has aired a sympathetic interview with a member of a Mexican drug cartel. 
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Oh, Klavan, you marvelous merchant of magical mirth, only you could invent a scenario in which a Left-wing news outlet sinks so deeply into the bubbling tarpit of its own twisted political hatred that the lunatic idea of legitimizing a death-mongering gangster could wend its way through every level of internal decision-making without one voice of even semi-decency speaking up to say, “Wait, wait, we can’t allow our childish demonization of our political opponents to twist our souls into gnarled burnt offerings fit only for the altars of hell so that we actually call evil good and good evil right there on cable TV in front of our six or seven viewers.”
But no, my friends, I am not making this up.
CNN girl reporter Shapely Nudnick actually traveled to a Mexican hideout where she spoke sympathetically with a masked member of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, whose former boss El Chapo was said to be personally responsible for the deaths of over 34,000 people.
Ms. Nudnick, winner of this year’s Pulitzer prize for most attractive backside, fetchingly leaned forward and asked the masked gangster – and as God is my witness, I am not making this up, “According to the Trump Administration, you are a terrorist … What do you make of that?”
The masked member of the murderous cartel responded, “I don’t like to get overly emotional because my job depends on inspiring terror in anyone who tries to stand in my way, but I must be honest and tell you this slur from your President Trump hurt my feelings very deeply. I am just a man trying to make a living in this crazy world, and when I heard I had been labeled a terrorist, my hands were literally shaking so hard I could barely shove a screwdriver into the face of one of my rivals. I respect President Trump, and respect is very important because people who don’t return my respect are often found inside plastic bags in several different locations. But a man must eat and, to be fair, our customers are mostly in the United States and as any good businessman will tell you, you have to go where the customers are and then slowly poison them to death. I hope the American people will push back against this insult, and if they don’t, I know where they live.”
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a> </h3>
CNN has proudly announced that this interview is only the first in a new series of self-degrading acts of pure evil that will appear over the course of the Trump Presidency, and they’ve been airing tantalizing previews of future episodes. In one clip, Shapely Nudnik bravely travels to an undisclosed elementary school to interview a pedophile teacher who says, “I think it’s very cruel for people to demonize someone they don’t even know with ugly words like pervert and evil scum-sucking hell-fiend. I just thank heavens I belong to a teachers’ union where they support the idea that minor attracted persons can work at an elementary school. After all, that’s where the children are, not to mention the porn.” 
In another clip, Miss Nudnick scores an interview with former Nazi torture doctor Joseph Mengele who says, “It’s true I used to perform grotesque and unspeakable medical experiments on children, but I’ve totally reformed, and now I’m supplying kids with gender affirming care, because I’ve had a lot of practice, and that’s what I’m good at.” 
In other Left-wing media news, the Pulitzer committee has awarded its prize for photography to a picture of a bullet flying at President Trump’s head. Committee Chairman Thaddeus Foul-heart said, “We know that other photo of a wounded Trump raising his fist with the American flag in the background is the single most iconic image of the first quarter of this century, but that photo inspired love and admiration for our president, whereas we were rooting for the bullet.”
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Follow him on X: @andrewklavan
Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fourth installment, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1613165536?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_thcv_3&amp;storeType=ebooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Woman Underground.</a>” His most recent nonfiction release is “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cain-Finding-Literature-Darkness/dp/0310368340/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=nMYjR&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_p=bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_r=133-8344803-2786917&amp;pd_rd_wg=7a8J3&amp;pd_rd_r=5791ea0f-6d96-4732-9d6a-3a4e6b348bb5&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness.</a>” (May 2025, Zondervan/HarperCollins).

CNN Airs Heartfelt Sit-Down With Masked Cartel Hitman

Andrew Klavan

Humor

interview

Mexico

President Trump

Satire

Sinaloa Cartel

Terrorism

CNN faced widespread mockery on social media over the weekend after interviewing a masked Sinaloa Cartel gangster who, rather than criticizing President Trump&#8217;s terrorist designation as seemingly expected, expressed “respect” for the commander-in-chief for &#8220;looking out for his people.&#8221;
The interview, aired Saturday, featured CNN correspondent Isobel Yeung questioning a heavily disguised cartel member in an undisclosed hideout in Mexico, according to the New York Post.
“According to the Trump administration, you are a terrorist. … What do you make of that?” Yeung asked.
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/designating-cartels-and-other-organizations-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/">designated</a> the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in a January 20 executive order, with the State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels/">writing</a> that the cartel is “one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States.”
The masked gangster, wearing sunglasses and latex gloves to conceal his identity, initially <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/05/us-news/cnn-roasted-for-interviewing-sinaloa-cartel-gangster-asking-how-he-felt-about-trump-labeling-him-a-terrorist/">responded</a>, &#8220;Well, the situation is ugly, but we have to eat.&#8221;
When asked what he would say directly to Trump, the cartel member didn’t take the bait.
&#8220;My respect. According to him, he&#8217;s looking out for his people,&#8221; the gangster stated, adding, &#8220;But the problem is the consumers are in the United States. If there weren&#8217;t any consumers, we would stop.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CNN is now sitting down with foreign terrorist drug traffickers to ask how they feel about Trump’s policies and being labeled terrorists. UNREAL. <a href="https://t.co/xNlMTtPZg7">pic.twitter.com/xNlMTtPZg7</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1919084379009163745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Social media erupted with mockery of CNN&#8217;s apparent attempt to elicit anti-Trump commentary from a member of a violent drug trafficking organization.
&#8220;CNN tried to create a scandal and accidentally gave Trump a campaign ad. You can’t script this kind of desperation,&#8221; one user <a href="https://x.com/wakeninq2/status/1918538833303408845">remarked</a>.
&#8220;Unbelievably, CNN gives Sinaloa cartel member a chance to throw a pity party about being labeled a terrorist, but the cartel member tells them President Trump is just rightly &#8216;looking after his people,'&#8221; another social media user <a href="https://x.com/dotconnectinga/status/1919241365700931675">pointed out</a>.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1919247712173670591">suggested</a>, &#8220;Let them [CNN] live under the rule of foreign terrorist drug traffickers for a few months. And then tell us how they feel.&#8221;
A February 20 State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels/">fact sheet</a> on the terrorist designation for the cartel writes that it uses “violence to murder, kidnap, and intimidate civilians, government officials, and journalists.”
A Foreign Terrorist Organization classification expands federal authorities&#8217; ability to combat these criminal enterprises through financial sanctions, enhanced prosecutions, and immigration restrictions.

CNN Ruthlessly Mocked After Interview With Cartel Member Backfires

Drug Cartels

U.S.

President Donald Trump sat down with host Kristen Welker for a full length interview on Sunday&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — and throughout the conversation, he often paused to challenge the mainstream media narratives and the framing Welker chose for her questions.
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.
Trump&#8217;s repeated jabs at Welker during the interview reflect the tone that most associated with his second administration have taken with members of the press — and the tone that Trump himself exhibited in a previous wide-ranging interview with ABC News anchor Terry Moran — making his interview the perfect summary of a week in legacy media narratives.
Welker began the interview with questions about the economy, asking Trump whether he deserved credit  — or blame — for the general direction the economy has taken during the first 100 days of his administration. The president threaded the needle a bit on that question, noting that some policy changes impact the economy more quickly than others — meaning that some of the current economic numbers were still a direct result of policies implemented by former President Joe Biden.
To Welker, who asked whether the economy was truly a Trump economy, the president replied, &#8220;I think certain aspects of it are. Costs are. I was able to get down the costs, but even that, it takes awhile to get them down but we got them down good. &#8230; We lost $5-6 billion a day [on trade] with Biden — $5-6 billion. And I&#8217;ve got that down to a great number right now in a record time.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC: Is this now your economy, sir?<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;I think certain aspects of it are. Costs are. I was able to get down the costs&#8230; We lost $5-6 billion a day with Biden&#8230; and I&#8217;ve got that down to a great number right now in a record time.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Qy2LkRzsm2">pic.twitter.com/Qy2LkRzsm2</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919020316489126364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NBC News, true to form, published that same clip under a headline suggesting that Trump was passing off the less positive economic numbers on Biden — without noting that the president was right when he said that some policies took longer to show results than others might.
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President Trump says ‘good parts’ of economy are his and ‘bad parts are the Biden economy’ <a href="https://t.co/9mEbnABSAq">https://t.co/9mEbnABSAq</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1919019693156843824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker pressed the president on the tariffs, arguing that there were some small businesses hurt by the initial impact — but Trump immediately challenged her framing of the issue.
&#8220;You pick a couple of little businesses. What about the car business? They&#8217;re going to make a fortune because of the tariffs &#8230; the head of the union who was no fan of mine &#8230; now he&#8217;s saying&#8230; &#8216;We&#8217;ve been waiting 40 years for somebody to do what Trump is doing.'&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> calls out Fake News NBC: &#8220;You pick [out] a couple of little businesses. What about the car business? They&#8217;re going to make a fortune because of the tariffs&#8230; the head of the union who was no fan of mine&#8230; now he&#8217;s saying&#8230; &#8216;We&#8217;ve been waiting 40 years for somebody to… <a href="https://t.co/iVSAr0w9UZ">pic.twitter.com/iVSAr0w9UZ</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919023203856286203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When the topic turned to illegal immigration, Trump referenced what Attorney General Pam Bondi has labeled the &#8220;real constitutional crisis&#8221; — the fact that Democrats and a number of carefully-shopped district court judges have attempted to overwhelm the system by forcing the Trump administration to adjudicate every illegal immigrant&#8217;s individual case prior to ordering deportation.
&#8220;The big emergency right now is that we have thousands of people that we want to take out — and we have some judges that want everybody to go to court,&#8221; Trump said, arguing that based on the numbers, it would take hundreds of years to process every illegal immigrant through the court system. &#8220;We have millions of people. We&#8217;re going to have millions of court cases?&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;The big emergency right now is that we have thousands of people that we want to take out — and we have some judges that want everybody to go to court &#8230; We have millions of people. We&#8217;re going to have millions of court cases?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Eli9acE8Dd">pic.twitter.com/Eli9acE8Dd</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919020763912220928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker pressed Trump on whether or not he believed everyone in the United States — whether citizen or not — was entitled to due process and the right to plead their case before a judge, and Trump&#8217;s reply was simple: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, I&#8217;m not a lawyer.&#8221;
&#8220;We have thousands of people &#8230; some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,&#8221; Trump added.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have thousands of people &#8230; some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uNJESyWas1">pic.twitter.com/uNJESyWas1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919022289397452899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NBC&#8217;s interpretation of that exchange was slightly different: &#8220;Trump, asked if he has to &#8216;uphold the Constitution,&#8217; says, &#8216;I don&#8217;t know&#8217;.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/e8soBQtkKq">https://t.co/e8soBQtkKq</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1919023638222602658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker went on to challenge Trump&#8217;s actions regarding certain political adversaries – in particular those who were directly involved in prosecuting the legal cases against him — asking whether he was making matters worse by stripping their security clearances.
&#8220;You said you wanted to unify the country. Does going after political foes undercut that goal?&#8221; she asked.
Trump, who has often said that the cases against him were entirely political in nature, said no — the goal was to make sure that the people filling such roles were &#8220;honest people.&#8221;
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Welker: “You said you wanted to unify the country. Does going after political foes undercut that goal?”<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: “No. We want honest people.” <a href="https://t.co/ESGFrufqPC">pic.twitter.com/ESGFrufqPC</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919023028702224674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;What do you say to those who believe you are taking the country down an authoritarian path?&#8221; Welker asked, provoking an immediate reaction from Trump.
&#8220;There you go again. Why don&#8217;t you ask in a different way? Many people want to come into our country. Many people love Trump &#8230; I won the popular vote,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;They had their chance at the election, and they lost big.&#8221;
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NBC: What do you say to those who believe you are taking the country down an authoritarian path?<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;There you go again. Why don&#8217;t you ask in a different way? Many people want to come into our country. Many people love Trump&#8230; I won the popular vote&#8230; they had their… <a href="https://t.co/XFx4X21jfF">pic.twitter.com/XFx4X21jfF</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919024153950134384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker even asked Trump about rumors that he was actively considering running for a third term as president — rumors that the president quickly laughed off.
&#8220;I&#8217;m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody — ideally a great Republican, a great Republican — to carry it forward,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Four years is plenty of time to do something really spectacular.&#8221;
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&#8220;I&#8217;m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody — ideally a great Republican, a great Republican — to carry it forward,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>.
&#8220;Four years is plenty of time to do something really spectacular.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/pK6t6X3AiA">pic.twitter.com/pK6t6X3AiA</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919026233943187660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When asked directly, Trump named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors.

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Spin Cycle: Trump Takes On NBC Anchor In Combative ‘Meet The Press’ Interview

Spin Cycle: Trump Takes On NBC Anchor In Combative 'Meet The Press' Interview

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