Drea de Matteo doesn’t understand why people care about celebrity endorsements.
“In the past, I understood the value,” &#8220;The Sopranos&#8221; star told The Daily Wire in a wide-ranging interview Thursday. “There was a rock and roll aspect to it, you know, you had all these musicians, there was a celebration of the country. I know now that there is no celebration of this country, and there&#8217;s no patriotism.”
Consider Robert De Niro, who held a press conference in March outside former President Donald Trump’s trial in New York City. De Matteo called it “one of the worst acting jobs” the “Goodfellas” star “ever did.”
“I really was like, do they have s*** on him? Because I don&#8217;t believe him right now. Even if he&#8217;s genuine and he really does mean what he is saying — why do people care?”
De Niro was one of many Italian-American celebrities who joined last weekend’s virtual  “<a href="https://paisansforkamala.com/">Paisans for Kamala</a>” event, the latest in a string of celebrity-studded, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-dnc-held-an-irish-americans-for-harris-walz-event-it-was-awkward">ethnically-focused</a> Zoom calls hosted by the Harris-Walz campaign.
It was that event that inspired de Matteo to speak on the absurdity of celebrity endorsements.
“Look who became MADE men [and] women in the Corporate Mafia today,” she wrote on Instagram. “Congrats Paisans, Mussolini would be proud.”
De Matteo finds it hard to believe that any American, celebrity or not, would cast their lot with Kamala Harris. But she’s particularly shocked to find such support in Hollywood “Paisans.”
<div id="attachment_796049" style="width: 885px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-796049" class="size-large wp-image-796049" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-875x576.jpg" alt="" width="875" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-875x576.jpg 875w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-300x197.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-768x505.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-1536x1011.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-899959-2048x1348.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 875px) 100vw, 875px" />Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo in &#8220;The Sopranos&#8221; (Photo by HBO)</div>
“What&#8217;s interesting is Italians are generally known as being conservative,” she says. “They fought against the Sopranos, they picketed, they hated us, because they don&#8217;t like being associated with such corruption like that because they have a subculture, which is the mafia.”
But “we are now being dominated by…a sort of mafia government,” who “shake us down and govern like a mafia does in a neighborhood,” she told The Daily Wire.
“I made a snarky joke, but I mean, it is the truth, right?”
Snark and the truth. That’s pretty much what you get from de Matteo, a self-proclaimed  “hardcore liberal” who in recent years has found herself joining an increasingly large number of Americans dissatisfied with, and suspicious of, both American political parties.
It began for her, as it did so many others, during the COVID pandemic, when Americans found themselves with “nothing but time on our hands but to ask questions.”
“I don&#8217;t know what people were doing at home aside from baking bread. But for me…I really wanted to know what the hell was going on.”
“I feel like a lot of these celebrities are either tone deaf, and they don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on,” de Matteo says. And, like most “well-intentioned liberals,” if celebrities only understood the stakes of our current political moment, de Matteo is sure they would “abandon ship.”
That’s what she did, abandoning the Democratic Party after casting her first ever presidential vote for President Joe Biden in 2020.
“I had Trump Derangement Syndrome,” she admits. “I believed the hype. I listened to the real news! I didn&#8217;t do my own research.”
<div id="attachment_796043" style="width: 730px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-796043" class="size-large wp-image-796043" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1402464289-1-720x576.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1402464289-1-720x576.jpg 720w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1402464289-1-300x240.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1402464289-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1402464289-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" />Drea de Matteo (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)</div>
But once she did, she realized that the Democratic Party she knew had changed. It was not the working class party of her childhood, which earned the support and respect of her family, including her mother, who canvassed for Geraldine Ferraro. It has become, she says, “the party of the wealthy.”
But wealth isn’t why de Matteo thinks so many celebrities support Democrats. To her, it’s really just a matter of groupthink.
“I feel like a lot of these celebrities are either tone deaf, and they don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on,” she says, adding that, like most “well-intentioned liberals,” these celebrities would “abandon ship” if they understood what was going on.
“It feels sad to see how misinformed [celebrities] are,” she says. “If they&#8217;re not misinformed, then it makes me question their integrity as a human being and why they would want to hurt people on that level,” by endorsing Harris.
“We&#8217;ve been watching them try to dismantle anything from God to country to human sovereignty,” she says. “So I do feel like the celebrity aspect of it this time around is a clown show.”
<div id="attachment_796067" style="width: 807px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-796067" class="size-large wp-image-796067" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-797x576.jpg" alt="" width="797" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-797x576.jpg 797w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-300x217.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-768x555.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-1536x1110.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-105585438-2048x1479.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px" />(Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)</div>
For her part, de Matteo is trying to make Americans realize there’s an alternative to this “clown show.” She endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s third-party candidacy, and is now raising awareness for <a href="https://jointheresistance.org/">Rescue The Republic,</a> a movement for political unity that features heterodox political figures like Kennedy, Russell Brand, and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
In Rescue The Republic — which is holding a massive Washington, D.C., rally on September 29 — de Matteo found the kind of old school patriotism that has animated her throughout her life.
“Since I was a little kid, if you asked me what my favorite colors are and I was like ‘red, white and blue!’ Everything is American flags,” she told The Daily Wire. “I think I might have been Betsy Ross in another life.”
To de Matteo, it seems like both parties have lost sight of what that flag represents: a radical, unprecedented freedom that goes above and beyond the petty partisan squabbles that define contemporary Washington and the party system. Freedom to her is rock and roll — it’s “psychedelic.”
She’s tried to recapture this spirit in <a href="https://ultrafree.co/">Ultrafree</a>, a streetwear line she launched in 2023 to “make freedom cool again.” She’s quick to note that Ultrafree is not another brand geared at conservatives, but rather any American who feels as she does: adrift, frustrated, but still hopeful about what this country can be.
“The pronoun for the whole movement is ‘we, the people,’&#8221; she says. “It&#8217;s not red, it&#8217;s not blue, no more labels … Ultrafree is really about critical thinking and not allowing your mind to be hijacked.”
If anything, de Matteo hopes to bring her fellow “hardcore liberals” into the fight for freedom by making them realize it isn’t a partisan issue.
“This isn&#8217;t just a conservative movement,” she says. “This is a movement by hippies and wild cards and lunatics like us as well. We wanna be free.”

UF 2 (1)

‘Sopranos’ Star Sounds Off On Celebrity Endorsements: ‘Why Do People Care?’

COVID

Donald Trump

Hollywood

Kamala Harris

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Minnesota Grandma Lisa Hanson labeled her Governor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walzs-boss-in-national-guard-blasts-him-for-cowardly-exit-he-did-something-wrong-in-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Walz</a>, a bully and “evil” after she was locked up for violating his COVID policies and said the legacy media is lying to you about Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-yorker-magazine-goes-after-generic-kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a>’ running mate.
In an interview with <a href="https://x.com/TPostMillennial/status/1823417861521424673">Fox News</a>, the former wine and coffee bistro owner said claims that Walz is “cuddly” couldn’t be further from the truth, warning Americans about the kind of “tyranny” Walz has put on Minnesotans.
Hanson was sentenced to 90 days behind bars &#8212; and served 60 &#8212; for violating Walz&#8217;s “lockdown order.&#8221; She explained that she missed her wedding anniversary, Christmas, and the birth of one of her grandchildren because of the governor, not to mention that she said Walz “shut down” and “destroyed” her family business, the outlet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-grandma-jailed-defying-walz-lockdown-warns-americans-you-do-not-want-tyranny-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
&#8220;He shut down a lot of the mom-and-pop shops, those folks that were just trying to make a living and provide a great product and a great service,&#8221; Hanson said. &#8220;In contrast, he allowed big box stores, etc. to stay open. Really incredible, an incredible use of tyranny against the people.&#8221;
The grandmother said that eventually, she decided to reopen when Walz was refusing to let business owners do so. She attempted to do it six times, and in December 2021, she was convicted of a misdemeanor charge and received the maximum sentence of 90 days and a $1,000 fine, before her sentence was reduced to serving 60, the outlet noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Minnesota grandma sentenced to 90 days in prison for violating Tim Walz COVID lockdown orders speaks out: “[Tim Walz] will take away your rights.” <a href="https://t.co/3iwdwgmLjv">pic.twitter.com/3iwdwgmLjv</a>
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1823417861521424673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I can never have that time back. That time was stolen from me,” Hanson said. “My business was destroyed. My business is gone. After everything that happened, Tim Walz and Keith Ellison [Minn. Attorney General] destroyed my business. They wrecked my life.&#8221;
Hanson said after incurring “tens of thousands” of dollars in legal fees and fines, she eventually closed her business after all the pressure from Walz’s government.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
“This is the story that America needs to hear, that Tim Walz is not some cuddly, joyful coach, like all the things that the MSMs are calling him,&#8221; Hanson said. &#8220;That is not who this man is. This man would like to take your rights away. He will take your rights away. … What happened to me will happen to you.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard some people say that Tim Walz is a real nice guy. Yeah, well he&#8217;s not,” she added. “Take my word for it. Through this whole process, I&#8217;ve gotten to know other people. Similar things have happened to them when they were trying to run their business and survive. … So Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison really like to go after women.”
&#8220;They&#8217;re bullies,” Hanson continued. “And they like to go after women and torment and destroy women&#8217;s lives. This is what they have done in the state of Minnesota. So let America know you do not want Tim Walz as vice president. You do not want tyranny at this level.”
“We, the people of Minnesota, have seen what Tim Walz, the type of evil he orchestrates if he is elected as vice president of this country. He, in lockstep with [Kamala] Harris, who is also evil, will perpetuate this same type of evil on the American people. We do not want that. So this is the truth about Tim Walz.&#8221;
&#8220;I would like to see Tim Walz impeached. I would like to see him prosecuted for the crimes he has committed against the people of Minnesota,&#8221; Hanson said. &#8220;Tim Walz has accomplished a lot of horrific things in the state of Minnesota in a very short amount of time. &#8230; That man is a wrecking machine. He needs to be stopped.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-yorker-magazine-goes-after-generic-kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Yorker Magazine Goes After ‘Generic’ Kamala Harris</a>

Minnesota Governor Walz

Minnesota Grandma Says Walz Is A Bully And ‘Evil’ After She Was Locked Up For Violating His COVID Policies

Minnesota Grandma Says Walz Is A Bully And 'Evil' After She Was Locked Up For Violating His COVID Policies

2024 Election

Minnesota

Politics

Tim Walz

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s COVID policies during the 2020-2021 pandemic included a stay-at-home order, required masking, school closures, and a state hotline for residents to report others who violated government guidelines.
On March 25, 2020, Walz replaced his initial stay-at-home order with another one that allowed for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. By July 2, he signed another executive order requiring Minnesotans to wear a face covering in indoor businesses and indoor public settings.
“Right now there’s no better way to demonstrate our Minnesotan values than by wearing a mask,” he declared.
That same month, the state of Minnesota implemented a hotline for residents to report violators of COVID-19 orders; it was reportedly monitored by law enforcement until November 2020.
“A hotline set up by Gov. Tim Walz’s administration to monitor compliance with his 2020 stay-at-home order generated thousands of reports from Minnesotans who snitched on their neighbors for things like playing basketball in a park, walking their dogs, and throwing small parties,” Alpha News <a href="https://alphanews.org/one-minnesota-thousands-reported-on-neighbors-using-tattle-tale-hotline-during-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in July 2022. “The hotline was launched in March 2020 and law enforcement continued to monitor it until November, well after the stay-at-home order ended.”
The hotline angered the state’s top Republican, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, who <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/gazelka-criticizes-state-hotline-asking-minnesotans-to-report-violations-of-stay-home-order/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, “Please take this hotline down @GovTimWalz. It’s not necessary and it’s not how Minnesotans want to treat each other. We can all show a bit of kindness to our neighbors as we manage our times and needs differently in the stay-at-home efforts.”
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Walz responded, “It is being used, and we simply want to let people be able to call and let folks know. It’s for their own good. If we see people that may not be as informed on this, it’s an educational piece.”
In August 2020, the Upper Midwest Law Center <a href="https://www.umlc.org/minnesota-supreme-court-approves-governor-walzs-covid-19-emergency-declaration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a lawsuit</a> on behalf of 16 Minnesota citizens, business owners, and churches, challenging Walz’s executive order mandating masks in indoor public spaces. “UMLC argued that the Governor was taking upon himself the whole legislative power of the State, but only the state legislature has the authority to enact such laws consistent with the Minnesota Constitution,” UMLC noted.
In May, the Minnesota Supreme Court <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-supreme-court-pandemic-emergency-declaration-ok-under-state-law/600365089">ruled</a> that Walz&#8217;s actions were constitutional and he acted within his executive powers.
Walz did not remove the statewide mask requirement until May 13, 2021, stating, “This great day is possible because vaccines have proven to be effective.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flashback-walz-implemented-covid-hotline-to-snitch-on-neighbors">FLASHBACK: Walz Implemented COVID Hotline To Snitch On Neighbors</a>

Key Speakers At The Aspen Ideas: Climate Conference

Walz’s COVID Emergency Powers Were Challenged As Overreaching

COVID-19

In March 2020, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s administration implemented a hotline encouraging people to snitch on their neighbors who weren’t following the government’s COVID lockdown orders.
The hotline generated thousands of reports – against people playing basketball, walking their dogs, or attending church, local outlet Alpha News <a href="https://alphanews.org/one-minnesota-thousands-reported-on-neighbors-using-tattle-tale-hotline-during-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2022. Walz’s administration continued to monitor the hotline until November 2020, though it remained operational until June 2022.
In one example of a complaint, someone alerted authorities to a church service that wasn’t following Walz’s “legal requirements,” the outlet noted.
“I am aware that the apostolic Lutheran church at [address] is planning to hold church services oct 2-4th [sic]. Hundreds are expected And [sic] they will be serving meals in the church dining hall. I don’t believe this fits with legal requirements and I am. Aware [sic] that multiple families that attend this church currently have coronavirus.&#8221;
People also called in lists of “non-essential” businesses that remained open or didn’t strictly follow government masking requirements.
A recording of the hotline circulating online reveals a prerecorded message telling callers they have reached the “Office of Public Safety Stay At Home Hotline.”
“The information you leave is considered public information,” it continued. “At the tone, please leave the following information: your name, your callback number, how the stay-at-home order is being violated, and where the stay-at-home order was violated.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tim Walz Covid Snitch Line
If my account is remembered for anything let it be this.
Just like socialism, this is Tim Walz’s idea of being neighborly.
It’s one thing to read about it. It’s another to hear it. <a href="https://t.co/4Xu9NlugvS">pic.twitter.com/4Xu9NlugvS</a>
— CiceroMN (@cicero_mn) <a href="https://twitter.com/cicero_mn/status/1820660250581610710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The hotline flew in the face of the message Gov. Walz sent in 2023 regarding LGBT issues.
“In Minnesota, we mind our own damn business,” Walz said in a post on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In Minnesota, we mind our own damn business.
We don’t need you in the exam room. We don’t need you telling us who we can love. And we sure don’t need you attacking our teachers, students, and schools.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1689646280312782849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He was immediately met with responses from people pointing out the snitch hotline.
In addition to calling in tips, people could also email complaints. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) noted to Alpha News that about 10,000 COVID-related emails were sent, many of which were spam.
According to the outlet, in one email someone reported “a very large gathering of a pick up basketball game with a lot of observers that easily totaled 30+.”
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Another person reported that they had seen a Facebook photo of a small group of people working out at a local park, even though the people could be seen spaced out several feet from each other.
“I have a real problem with this and they are inviting more people to join,” the person reporting complained.”
The list goes on, including someone who reported an employee who was “not practicing social distancing and [was] displaying risky behaviors during this crisis.” Another person reported a police officer who threw a birthday party at his house, and someone else reported that there were “too many people in Walgreens at once.”
Another email complained that people were “going to their cabins,” and others noted that construction workers weren’t practicing social distancing, and that call centers were still operating. Yet another person complained that an insurance agency had three employees in the office.
Another complained that people were buying non-essential items at a convenience store, like lottery ticks, candy, or soda.
“Customers are coming and saying, ‘I’m bored and needed to get out of the house,’” the complaint said. “They buy lottery tickets, a candy bar, a soda … those items are not ‘essential.&#8217;”

FLASHBACK: Walz Implemented COVID Hotline To Snitch On Neighbors

FLASHBACK: Tim Walz Implemented COVID Hotline To Snitch On Neighbors

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> has almost completely recovered from COVID-19, according to White House physician Kevin O’Connor.
O’Connor released a statement on Monday afternoon saying that the president’s symptoms from a bout with COVID-19 have “almost resolved completely.” Biden has been isolating at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he has remained out of the public eye for five straight days.
&#8220;President Biden completed his tenth dose of PAXLOVID this morning. His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear,” O’Connor wrote in the health update put out by the White House.
&#8220;The President continues to perform all of his presidential duties. I will continue to keep your office updated with any changes in his condition or treatment plan,” O’Connor wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Biden’s COVID symptoms have almost resolved completely, and he continues to perform all of his presidential duties. An update from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Physician to the President. <a href="https://t.co/EfPUgLh3Dx">pic.twitter.com/EfPUgLh3Dx</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1815480927213998376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
Experts have previously expressed doubts that O&#8217;Connor is a reliable source about the health of the president. Regardless of the history of White House physicians obscuring presidential health problems from the public, O&#8217;Connor has a muddied history of business dealings with the Biden family that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-americans-trust-bidens-physician-to-be-honest-about-the-presidents-health-experts-say-no" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compromise</a> his position even more, according to ethics experts.
The health update comes as Biden has remained out of sight as questions have whirled over his health and competency to hold the highest office in the United States. The update comes a day after the president dropped out of the presidential race, citing “the best interest of my party and the country.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision,” Biden wrote in a letter of his decision. He later endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take over the campaign and be recognized at the Democratic National Convention as the Democratic nominee for president.
The last public sighting of Biden was him disembarking at the U.S. air base in Dover, Delaware, late Wednesday on his way to his vacation home to begin his time isolating with COVID.

Joe Biden

Biden’s COVID Symptoms ‘Almost Resolved’ After ‘Tenth Dose’ Of Paxlovid, WH Doc Says

Executive

White House

MSNBC host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joy-reid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joy Reid</a> suggested during a Wednesday broadcast that President Joe Biden surviving another bout of COVID would telegraph just as much strength as former President Donald Trump raising his fist, telling his supporters to &#8220;fight&#8221; just seconds after he had been shot.
Reid appeared to lament the fact that Trump had gotten an iconic photo out of the assassination attempt, but then claimed that if people saw his quick return to the campaign trail — and the Republican National Convention (RNC) — as a show of strength, they should view it the same way if Biden were to make a quick recovery after announcing hours earlier that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-cuts-short-campaign-swing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had COVID</a>.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Joy Reid and Jen Psaki just claimed that Biden having COVID is “exactly the same” as Trump surviving an assassination attempt and should be lauded the same way.
No, I’m not kidding. <a href="https://t.co/oYhEhu4Y3h">pic.twitter.com/oYhEhu4Y3h</a>
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1813721522663756150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Here&#8217;s the question that I have on that,&#8221; Reid told former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. &#8220;These two men are both elderly. Donald Trump is an elderly man who for whatever reason was given nine seconds to take a &#8230; iconic photo op during an active shooter situation — weird situation, we&#8217;ll figure that out one day.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;But his survival of that, and bouncing right back and going right to his convention is being conveyed in the media world as a sign of strength,&#8221; Reid continued. &#8220;This — current President of the United States is 81 years old and has COVID. Should he be fine in a couple of days, doesn&#8217;t that convey exactly the same thing? That he&#8217;s strong enough — older than Trump — to have gotten something that used to really be fatal to people his age. So if he does fine out of it and comes back and he rallies, isn&#8217;t that exactly the same?&#8221;
&#8220;It should,&#8221; Psaki agreed. &#8220;It should.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Biden after “beating COVID” <a href="https://t.co/THGy8tUcSv">pic.twitter.com/THGy8tUcSv</a>
— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/grandoldmemes/status/1813705613702299905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote>

2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® – Day 3 – Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

MSNBC Host: Biden Surviving COVID Is Just As Bada** As Trump Surviving Assassination Attempt

assassination

Jen Psaki

Joy Reid

Media

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday as he was on the campaign trail out West, the White House said, amid concerns about his age and mental health that are spurring a push by some of his fellow Democrats to get him to drop out of the 2024 race.
The development was first announced on-stage during an event at which Biden was expected to appear in Nevada. Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, told the crowd Biden called her to say he would not be able to join them because of his diagnosis.
&#8220;Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding. Regrettably, I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for COVID,&#8221; Murguía added. &#8220;So of course we understand that he needs to take the precautions that have been recommended and he did not obviously want to put anybody at risk.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden allegedly can&#39;t give his speech in Nevada because he &quot;tested positive for COVID.&quot;
He was greeting restaurant patrons just an hour ago. <a href="https://t.co/hFU4t4t9yG">pic.twitter.com/hFU4t4t9yG</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1813697441394569493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a <a href="https://x.com/vmsalama/status/1813698484400529506" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that Biden tested positive for COVID-19 following his first event in Las Vegas earlier in the day. Biden is vaccinated and boosted, she said, adding that the president is experiencing mild symptoms.
The message from the White House included a <a href="https://x.com/vmsalama/status/1813698484400529506" target="_blank" rel="noopener">note</a> from the president&#8217;s doctor that said the 81-year-old Biden &#8220;presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general mailaise.&#8221;
Biden, who has repeatedly tested positive for COVID-19 over the years, &#8220;felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus,&#8221; the doctor said.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Jean-Pierre said Biden would be returning to Delaware and would self-isolate while continuing to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. She also vowed the White House would provide &#8220;regular updates&#8221; on the president&#8217;s status while he keeps working the job.
The doctor&#8217;s note said Biden would be self-isolating in accordance with guidance for symptomatic individuals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that PCR confirmation testing will be pending.
&#8220;His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth,&#8221; the doctor concluded.
Journalists observed Biden boarding Air Force One, not wearing a mask, as he began his journey back to Delaware. He <a href="https://x.com/DJJudd/status/1813701705164579177" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said, &#8220;I feel good,&#8221; when asked how he was doing and showed a thumbs up. Earlier in the day, he was <a href="https://x.com/nanditab1/status/1813686835836809648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seen shaking hands</a> with people at a restaurant.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: President Biden seen boarding Air Force One in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LasVegas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LasVegas</a> after testing positive for Covid-19. MORE: <a href="https://t.co/umFA4lYb43">https://t.co/umFA4lYb43</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Iiy6CXvfi">pic.twitter.com/1Iiy6CXvfi</a>
&mdash; KSNV News 3 Las Vegas (@News3LV) <a href="https://twitter.com/News3LV/status/1813705403546391005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden&#8217;s team recently <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debate-explanation-excuse-cold-jet-lag-858cd34ca0fb6b76cf9e30b57f884548" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blamed a cold</a>, among other excuses, for the president&#8217;s disastrous debate performance late last month in which he appeared confused and lost his train of thought during his face-off against former President Donald Trump.
A growing number of Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), have since called on Biden to step aside and let someone else take on the presidential nomination for their party amid unease about his apparent decline and electability. Biden, so far, has refused to end his campaign.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-says-if-hes-diagnosed-with-medical-condition-hell-consider-dropping-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden Says If He’s Diagnosed With ‘Medical Condition,’ He’ll Consider Dropping Out</a>
After the COVID diagnosis was revealed, Biden&#8217;s personal X account published a post to X that said, &#8220;I&#8217;m sick.&#8221; A follow-up post added, &#8220;of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election. And if you agree, pitch in here,&#8221; along with a link to a fundraising page.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;m sick
&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1813715902250017022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk, billionaire tech entrepreneur, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-bill-ackman-endorse-trump-after-left-wing-donor-attempts-assassination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> over the weekend he was backing Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt. The Wall Street Journal later <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/elon-musk-has-said-he-is-committing-around-45-million-a-month-to-a-new-pro-trump-super-pac-dda53823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Musk had committed to giving a new super PAC supporting Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-pledges-staggering-sum-of-money-to-elect-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$45 million a month</a>.
A message on Biden&#8217;s presidential X account <a href="https://x.com/POTUS/status/1813715823053193685" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes. I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people.&#8221;

President Joe Biden

Biden Tests Positive For COVID, Cuts Short Campaign Swing

U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged on Tuesday that shuttering schools for months during the COVID pandemic was a &#8220;mistake,&#8221; a reversal for the former presidential chief medical advisor who became influential in the nation&#8217;s response to the malady.
Fauci, 83, was one of the lead members of both the Trump and Biden administrations&#8217; White House COVID teams and frequently appeared beside former President Donald Trump at briefings. The immunologist also led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the first two years of the pandemic.
Fauci made the admission <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqxazNlHp8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during</a> an interview on CBS Mornings, saying that while the initial school closures were the right decision, keeping kids out of the classroom for so long was a mistake.
&#8220;I think what was not a mistake was the actual closure, because when we had a shutdown that 15 day to flatten the curve, we were in a tsunami of cases. Right here in New York, you had freezer trucks in front of Elmhurst Hospital,&#8221; Fauci said.
Fauci said that &#8220;shutting down everything immediately &#8230; even schools was the right thing.&#8221;
&#8220;How long you kept it was the problem because there was a disparity throughout the country,&#8221; he said.
Fauci also defended his own record, saying he urged states and counties to &#8220;close the bars, open the schools, open the schools as quickly and as safely as you possibly can.&#8221;
&#8220;But initially to close it down was correct,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Keeping it for a year was not a good idea.&#8221;
&#8220;So that was a mistake in retrospect? We will not repeat it?&#8221; the CBS anchor asked.
&#8220;Absolutely, yeah,&#8221; Fauci responded.
Previously, Fauci had warned that school shutdowns may be necessary, even ones that would last for months.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JudyWoodruff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudyWoodruff</a>: Are we looking at many months of virtual learning before schools can safely open nationwide?
Dr. Anthony Fauci: &quot;In some places, Judy, that may be the case.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fVgss0y4ol">pic.twitter.com/fVgss0y4ol</a>
&mdash; PBS News (@NewsHour) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/1294034260727402502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
8/4/20 Fauci on schools: 
&quot;There may be some areas where the level of virus is so high that it would not be prudent to bring children back to school.&quot;
In clip, he endorses Zoom education &amp; school closures in areas w/ COVID transmission. Fauci has never been for full reopening. <a href="https://t.co/eORstr2Lf8">pic.twitter.com/eORstr2Lf8</a>
&mdash; Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today (@JordanSchachtel) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1333428269002203138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In August 2020, Fauci was asked by PBS NewsHour&#8217;s Judy Woodruff whether the country was facing &#8220;many months of virtual learning&#8221; before schools could safely open nationwide.
&#8220;In some places, Judy, that may be the case,&#8221; Fauci responded. &#8220;If you want your schools to open, get your community level down, down to a safe level.&#8221;
Also that month, Fauci said, &#8220;There may be some areas that the level of the virus is so high that it would not be prudent to bring the children back to school.&#8221;
School lockdowns <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-union-exec-suggests-learning-loss-made-us-all-equal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused</a> massive learning loss across the country among K-12 students in public schools.
In 2022, eighth graders had the lowest U.S. history scores on record and among the lowest civics scores, according to the Department of Education. Only about 13% of eighth graders met proficiency <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ushistory/2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">standards</a> for U.S. history last year, and only about <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/civics/2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fifth</a> of students were proficient or better in civics.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Math and reading scores have also suffered over the pandemic, according to the department. Math scores <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/math-scores-dropped-in-every-state-during-pandemic-report-card-shows-11666584062?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plummeted</a> among fourth and eighth graders in almost every state, and reading scores have also <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-fourth-graders-cant-read-one-phoenix-school-has-a-new-way-to-fight-pandemic-learning-loss-11633818431?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sunk across</a> the country, erasing the last three decades of progress.
Many students returned to classrooms last year reading at the same level as when the pandemic started, putting them two grade levels behind. One study last year <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/health/covid-learning-loss-study-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that students lost about 35% of a typical school year’s worth of learning, starting when remote learning began.
In early 2021, a CDC study <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/26/stats-show-in-person-classes-dont-spread-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> &#8220;little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission.&#8221;
However, many schools remained closed for the remainder of that year thanks to teachers unions, which fought against reopening.
Learning loss caused by many months of remote learning spurred parents across the nation to demand schools return to in-person learning, especially after data showed that children were at low risk for serious cases of COVID.
Some parents even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-moms-and-dads-taking-over-school-boards-across-the-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ran for school board</a> positions and won, hoping to stop the learning loss in their communities.

Leading Health Officials Testify On Federal Government’s Response To Monkeypox Outbreak

Fauci Admits Closing Schools For Months During Pandemic Was A ‘Mistake’

Fauci Admits Closing Schools For Months During Pandemic Was A 'Mistake'

Anthony Fauci

Fauci

Pandemic

Public Schools

Remote Learning

School Shutdowns

Six Killed In Mass Shooting At A Prive School In Nashville

The Truth About The Covenant School Shooting Is Finally Coming Out. And It’s Exactly What We Thought.

The Truth About The Covenant School Shooting Is Finally Coming Out. And It's Exactly What We Thought.

Covid vaccine

Drugs

Nashville

Opinion

Readers Pass

School Shooting

Transgender

A GOP-led House panel is seeking access to Dr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/anthony-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthoni Fauci</a>&#8216;s personal email accounts and cell phone records as part of an investigation into the origins of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID-19</a>.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, made the request in a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024.05.29-Letter-to-Fauci-Re.-Gmail.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Fauci on Wednesday ahead of the former government health official&#8217;s planned testimony next week.
Emails show Dr. David Morens, Fauci&#8217;s former senior adviser, discussed a &#8220;&#8216;secret&#8217; back channel&#8221; and suggested that Fauci used a private account to get around Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
&#8220;He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble,&#8221; Morens said in one April 2021 email obtained by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Morens testified to the subcommittee last week that he &#8220;may have&#8221; sent information related to COVID-19 to Fauci&#8217;s personal email.
Wenstrup said his panel wants access to documents from Fauci&#8217;s personal email accounts, cell phones, or other electronic devices that would be responsive to his request by June 12.
The records being requested regard the Wuhan Institute of Virology, EcoHealth Alliance, Inc., the origins of COVID-19, or congressional oversight of these issues between January 1, 2020 and the present.
A <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/wenstrup-requests-access-to-dr-faucis-personal-email-and-cellphone-investigates-secret-back-channel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic said the panel held Morens &#8220;publicly accountable&#8221; for a number of alleged infractions when he testified last week.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1717170739895000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ps3XbgPF2rL6bDpL8t5Cu">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
They included &#8220;undermining the operations of the U.S. government, likely lying to Congress on multiple occasions, deleting federal COVID-19 records, and using his personal email account to evade FOIA.&#8221;
The press release also said the panel is &#8220;concerned that Dr. Fauci had knowledge of his Senior Advisor’s nefarious behavior and potentially engaged in the misconduct himself.&#8221;
Fauci, a longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and former chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, is <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-advisory-dr-anthony-fauci-to-testify-on-june-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled</a> to appear before the subcommittee on Monday, June 3.
Topics that will likely come up include gain-of-function research and EcoHealth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently getting cut off</a> from taxpayer funds amid scrutiny of its support of coronavirus research at the lab in Wuhan from where COVID-19 is suspected to have leaked.
Americans will have a chance to hear from Fauci about &#8220;his role in overseeing our nation’s pandemic response, shaping pandemic-era polices, and promoting singular, questionable narratives about the origins of COVID-19,&#8221; Wenstrup <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-advisory-dr-anthony-fauci-to-testify-on-june-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

House Panel Requests Access To Fauci’s Private Email And Phone Records

House Panel Requests Access To Fauci's Private Email And Phone Records

Congress

Health

U.S. House of Representatives

On April 24th, a team of FDA-supported scientists published a new study in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818033" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAMA Pediatrics</a> investigating serious adverse events associated with mRNA vaccines in children.
This comprehensive and well-constructed cohort study focused on post-market surveillance of the COVID vaccines in over 4 million children, confirming the well-documented risk of myocarditis — inflammation of the heart muscle — in adolescents 12-17 who take the mRNA COVID vaccines.
However, the most shocking finding was the discovery of a new safety signal which hadn&#8217;t been reported before:
<blockquote>&#8220;In the primary analysis, seizure met the statistical threshold for a signal in children aged 2 to 4 years after BNT162b2 vaccination in all 3 databases and in children aged 2 to 5 years after mRNA-1273 vaccination in 2 of the 3 databases.&#8221;</blockquote>
In other words, the study authors found a statistically significant signal of seizures in children aged 2 to 4 years after the Pfizer vaccine and children 2 to 5 years after the Moderna vaccine.
&#8220;The statistical signal for seizure in children aged 2 to 4 or 5 years has not been previously reported for this age group in active surveillance studies of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines,&#8221; the study states.
More specifically, the study finds a significantly elevated risk of seizures after doses one and two of the Pfizer vaccine in kids ages 2 to 4 and dose two of the Moderna vaccine for kids ages 2 to 5. It&#8217;s worth noting, if this finding was merely incidental and unrelated, it wouldn&#8217;t have been found for both mRNA vaccines. Moreover, the scientists note they couldn&#8217;t identify any &#8220;data quality concerns&#8221; that would compromise or bias the results.
The true scale of seizures caused by mRNA vaccines in kids across the United States (and other countries) is unclear, but it is likely quite concerning.
<h3>1 In 5,000 Risk Of Seizures In Kids Following Vaccination</h3>
To be clear, the absolute number of seizures caused is not alarmingly high. According to the limited data, the rate of vaccine-related seizures in young kids is approximately 1 in 5,000. Put differently, .02% of mRNA-injected kids developed seizures in the first couple of weeks following vaccination.
While it is true this is an extremely small absolute figure, critics are wrong to view such risks as &#8220;rare&#8221; and trivial because the vaccine does not confer any significant benefit in young kids to outweigh such risks. In other words, compared to the extremely low risk of COVID in young children, even a very small number of seizures would sway the risk-benefit analysis towards not getting vaccinated.
The study identifies 72 seizures in kids following vaccination. What benefit did those kids seek to attain? They had a survival rate of more than <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.11.22280963v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">99.9997%</a> (this statistic is for ages 0 to 19, not 2 to 5 which the seizure signal has appeared in. The survival rate in younger groups would be far higher.)
As my colleague Jay Bhattacharya elaborated, &#8220;the benefits are likely to be small in these groups since nearly 100% of individuals in these groups have already had covid and recovered.&#8221; &#8220;Such recovered immunity provides stronger protection against severe disease on reinfection than the vaccine,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;Even for the first infection, the risk of death from covid infection for adolescents and toddlers is incredibly low,&#8221; he explained.
Yet, the study bizarrely states that &#8220;The US Food and Drug Administration concludes that the known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks of COVID-19 infection.&#8221;
How does that make sense when the study itself does not conduct any assessment of the health benefits and harms of the COVID vaccine for toddlers or adolescents?
<h3>My Correspondence With The FDA</h3>
Stunned by the incongruous conclusion of the study, I decided to contact the FDA to ask them how they continue to support COVID vaccination in children absent any supportive risk-reward analyses. I ended up getting in touch with an FDA spokesperson.
To their credit, they decided to engage with me on this contentious topic. I did not expect that. Here was their response to my question on unproven COVID vaccine safety in children: 
<blockquote>&#8220;The focus of this manuscript was the safety of the Ancestral Monovalent BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccines in U.S. children aged 6 Months to 17 years, so we focused on the fact that the vaccine was safe.&#8221;</blockquote>
Wait, what?
I had to read this over a couple of times because I was so perplexed by this sentence.
The explicitly stated objective of the study was &#8220;To conduct near-real-time monitoring of health outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination in the US pediatric population.&#8221;
As a result, they decided to focus on the opinion, not &#8220;fact,&#8221; that &#8220;the vaccine was safe&#8221;?
This is essentially like saying, &#8220;The focus of our work was to clean the house so we focused on the fact that the house was clean.&#8221; Unless I&#8217;m tripping, my BS meter was already ringing. Only to make matters worse, they went on to say:
<blockquote>&#8220;The benefits of the vaccine have been reported elsewhere, which include, but are not limited to the reduced incidence of medically diagnosed and hospital and emergency department diagnosed COVID-19, as reported here: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11047006/">Effectiveness of BNT162b2 COVID-19 primary series vaccination in children aged 5–17 years in the United States: a cohort study &#8211; PMC (nih.gov)</a>.&#8221;</blockquote>
This cited study has numerous issues. For one, the study population is 5 to 17-year-olds, not 2 to 5-year-olds which is the cohort for whom the risk of seizures was found. So how can the FDA use this as their primary evidentiary source to support vaccination in young kids?
Moreover, the cited study on vaccine effectiveness in children aged 5 &#8211; 17 may be severely compromised by incidental COVID cases. A number of estimates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11027788/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have shown</a> that 40 &#8211; 60% of COVID hospitalizations are incidental (the cause of the hospitalization was unrelated to the positive COVID test result).
Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, epidemiologist and vaccine myocarditis researcher, stated, &#8220;Even for that tiny numerical difference in rates most of those are probably incidental hospitalizations and so the chance to benefit is so small and could easily all be explained by transient healthy vaccine effect mostly attributable to hospitalization with and not for covid.&#8221;
&#8220;We would have needed a very large randomized study among children to know what the real effect, if any, of the vaccine was. I would not rely on the results of this study,&#8221; she added.
I emailed back the FDA, highlighting these concerns, and they took a few days because the spokesperson was working on the response (I followed up a couple of times). I thought they were going to address my concerns point by point with honest transparency.
Well, they fooled me.
I got an email back from the FDA with the most frustratingly cookie-cutter, generic response possible:
<blockquote>“The FDA is confident in the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized for use in the U.S. The vaccines’ benefit-risk profiles are well understood and demonstrate that the known and potential benefits for individuals 6 months of age and older outweigh their risks.
With over a billion doses administered, we have data from real-world use of these vaccines demonstrating that the benefits of getting vaccinated, which include a clear reduction in hospitalization and death, outweigh potential risks.
Further information related to the FDA’s conclusions regarding benefit-risk assessment can be found within the respective decision and review memoranda available on FDA’s website here.”</blockquote>
And that&#8217;s that.
This is an illustrative, real-time example of what I told Russell Brand once &#8220;when the narrative trumps the facts.&#8221; They initially engaged with me, seemingly in earnest, but we came to a point where I was questioning the unquestionable. I collided with the sacred orthodoxy of &#8220;vaccines are safe and effective for kids&#8221; driven by a toxic cocktail of political, financial, pharmaceutical, and quasi-scientific institutional interests.
The plain reality is COVID vaccines were never necessary or proven to be safe and effective to administer in children on a mass scale.
Even the most zealous mRNA advocates admitted, when faced with pediatric vaccine hesitancy, that the primary purpose of vaccinating young kids was to protect adults and the elderly.
This was a fundamental error from the start because dosing kids with the mRNAs was nothing as safe as dosing them with apple sauce or vitamin D. There were serious safety concerns from the start, some substantiated by the data and others unclear, but the FDA and the CDC should have never mass-recommended the COVID vaccines as an urgent, essential intervention for children who had a near-zero infection fatality rate.
The true scale of harm from seizures and other serious adverse events is unknown. As Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Marty Makary once said, &#8220;A baby can&#8217;t tell you they have myocarditis&#8221; (let alone subclinical myocarditis which does not produce any symptoms).
<h3>“Child Sacrifice”</h3>
Coincidentally,  Joe Rogan recently <a href="https://youtu.be/0r23Hzu6VPw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought up</a> the travesty of mass mRNA child vaccination in a conversation with comedian Deric Poston, and referred to it as a “child sacrifice.”
Provocative but far from hyperbolic, that is exactly how public health treated children. In the name of &#8220;protecting the elderly&#8221; or &#8220;herd immunity,&#8221; they neglected and sacrificed the health of young children, who had the least to gain and most to suffer, with the experimental mRNA shots.
As we are finding out now, the potentiality of harm that was feared by the unhinged &#8220;conspiracy theorists&#8221; (which is what I thought), is coming to bear as more and more serious side effects emerge and indict the corrupt regulatory agencies and public health authorities who pushed the shots with unwavering religious zeal.
* * *
Rav Arora is a 22-year-old journalist based in Vancouver covering free speech, Big Pharma, Covid mandates, and totalitarianism. His work has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, and The Ben Shapiro Show, among other major platforms. Follow his Substack newsletter with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: <a href="https://www.illusionconsensus.com/">The Illusion Of Consensus.</a>
This article originally appeared on Substack on &#8220;<a href="https://www.illusionconsensus.com/p/new-fda-study-reports-elevated-post">Illusion of Consensus</a>.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

A Covid-19 Vaccination Site As Children Under 5-Years Old Become Eligible For Shot

New FDA Study Reports Elevated Post-Vaccination Seizure Risk In Toddlers

Children

Investigation

Vaccines

For all his promise, Barack Obama was a man of few accomplishments before being elected to the highest office in America. But he actually did achieve something when it came to national politics. He brought the Chicago Democratic Machine model into the national arena.
I grew up just north of Cook County, Illinois, in which Chicago is located. For 21 years, from 1955 to 1976, Mayor Richard J. Daley ran his town as a true big city party machine Democrat, complete with patronage and all the other creepy-crawly intrigues to be found when turning over the rocks of municipal politics.
While Daley was a Democrat, he was no ideologue. He was a product of the old school Democrat Party that gave us FDR, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Tip O’Neill, Scoop Jackson, Zell Miller, and even Bill Clinton. Indeed, it was Daley’s Chicago Police who violently cleared out Grant Park anti-war protesters during the height of the 1968 Democrat Convention, for which he was vilified by Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT) as using “Gestapo tactics.” 
Daley was not a woke, pandering, identity-obsessed modern Democrat. Rather he was a mover, a conductor, a political boss. And the city ran. Under Daley the streets were clean, life was affordable, business boomed, the stunning skyline grew, and crime rarely spilled out onto the Magnificent Mile as it so often does now.
The Chicago Democrat Party is rife with corruption, as extended one-party rule inevitably leads to abuse of power — Chicago has not had a Republican mayor since 1931. The running joke in Chicago is “Vote Democrat, Vote Often.”
<div id="attachment_739271" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-739271" class="size-large wp-image-739271" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1211041403-864x576.jpg" alt="CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 07: Inmates at the Cook County Jail check in with election judges before voting in the Illinois primary election after a polling place in the facility was opened for early voting on March 07, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. About 500 to 700 inmates were expected to vote today inside the facility which houses more than 5,000 detainees. The jail is the first in the nation to open a polling place inside to allow inmates to vote. The Illinois primary election will be held on March 17. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1211041403-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1211041403-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1211041403-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1211041403.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Scott Olson/Getty Images</div>
In fact, Daley&#8217;s son Richard M. Daley, served as mayor for 22 years, beating his father&#8217;s previous record by one year. The pathologies that exist in Chicago today, however, are not the result of Daley-esque pragmatist Democrats, but rather ideological zealots. As such, in one generation, the leadership of this once-great city has devolved from the old school Daleys to the hard-Left progressive leadership of Lori Lightfoot and now Brandon Johnson. Anyone with an objective eye can see that the farther Left Chicago has lurched, the more unlivable, expensive, and dangerous it has become. Even my beloved Chicago Bears have had enough and are moving from iconic Soldier Field downtown to Arlington Heights in the suburbs. 
So when then-presidential candidate Barack Obama <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/how-barack-obama-fundamentally-transformed-the-united-states">told a crowd</a> in Columbia, Missouri, in October of 2008, &#8220;We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America,&#8221; he meant it. But not in the way envisioned by the starry-eyed Obamanauts who projected upon their narcissistic empty suit of a messiah their own progressive aspirations. Obama doesn’t think that way. Anyone who rises to the top of Cook County politics by definition is about ruthlessly accumulating and maintaining political power as the ultimate goal, not making the world (other than his own) a better place. And as a way to amass national power for himself and the Democrats he still surreptitiously leads, Obama saw what works in Chicago and vowed to install the Cook County model for the Democrat Party machine on a national level.
The Democrat Party Obama created was one that sought to transform the entire country into Chicago. This transformation came to fruition in the 2020 election. I am not saying that the Democrats “stole” that election, but they did cynically exploit the faux concerns over COVID to force upon the nation mass mail-in ballots. In the 2016 election, roughly a quarter of all ballots were cast by mail. The percentage <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/11/20/the-voting-experience-in-2020/">jumped to 46%</a> in the 2020 election. This is no coincidence. Nor is it a coincidence that in 2020, even though some <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/11/20/the-voting-experience-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">67%</a> of Trump voters voted in person either on or before election day, only 41% of Biden voters did the same. To my knowledge, GOP voters weren’t dying of COVID in droves afterwards. 
 
The DNC, which pushed mail-in balloting, knew what this unprecedented (some argue illegal in certain states) revamping of election procedure really meant for them: opportunity. As the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform <a href="https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/carter-baker-commission-16-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2005, “Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud.” 
So why would a party that howls clarion calls about Trump’s “threat to our sacred democracy” push for this clearly flawed and easily corruptible election process? Because, historically, fraud has worked in their favor. It has in Cook County for decades and has shown to be a valuable tool at the national level as well.
<div id="attachment_739417" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-739417" class="size-large wp-image-739417" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-865x576.jpg" alt="Aerial Dramatic View of Downtown Chicago at Sunset - Lake Shore Drive. Aerial_Views. Getty Images." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-2048x1364.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/05/GettyImages-1204331594-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Aerial_Views. Getty Images.</div>
A common media mantra is that 2020 saw no “widespread” election fraud. And, technically, they are probably correct. But that didn’t matter, and Obama and his Chicago cronies — including his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who tellingly ended up mayor of Chicago himself for a spell, and who was eventually succeeded in his White House post by the late Mayor Daley’s son — understood this. When you have three key swing states in which Trump only won by a combined 80,000 votes in 2016, then “widespread” voter fraud is not needed. What is required is targeted fraud. 
There is no doubt that very powerful institutions from Big Government to Big Tech to Big Justice colluded to push their censoring and prosecutorial thumb on the elections scales. It&#8217;s still happening today, as evidenced by Trump’s many court appearances that caused even Left-leaning CNN host Fareed Zakaria to admit they are only taking place because of the accused’s name. As to actual ballot stuffing, harvesting, or illegal voting we will not know for a long time how much it did or did not occur. Nevertheless, millions of Americans sensed something was amiss in 2020, something we Chicagoans shrug off as business as usual. 
Remember, it took decades to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lbj-stolen-election-box-13-mangan-c818e478ec509c65585d3094bda69f96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show conclusively</a> that Texas Democrats did, in fact, knowingly falsify votes in LBJ’s successful 1948 run for Senate — with catastrophic consequences for the country later. 
 
Defenders of the overall integrity of mail-in ballots will point to various courts’ refusals to hear over 50 Trump-initiated claims of election fraud as evidence there is nothing to see here. But they will neglect to add that most of these dismissals were on procedural grounds such as standing or laches, and often just touched upon the potential merits which were never allowed to be fully argued before the bench. It’s worth noting that the Supreme Court, in fact, sided with the now-proven fraudsters for LBJ on procedural grounds as well. The courts are not oracles.
A <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-during-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> by New York University’s nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found that 40 states and the District of Columbia passed laws and changed procedures to expand voting access during the COVID pandemic as well as “substantive changes to their voting systems since the start of the pandemic.” Some eased rules on voting by mail or extended early voting to reduce crowds — to protect them from a virus that apparently only attacks poll lines and biker clubs, while leaving BLM and antifa protestors, or Democratic California governors at swanky Napa restaurants, alone. What makes this concerning is that these loosening standards affected 258 potential electoral votes. And, not surprisingly, 96 more eventually went for Biden than Trump; 47 of these had gone for Trump in 2016. 
This is why Obama’s main project seems to have been, at its core, elevating through mail-in ballots the corrupt Cook County machine to a national level. It&#8217;s all about power. It is not the means to an end, but rather the end itself. And COVID gave them their cover for all the election rule easing and censorship of “disinformation.” As Rahm Emanuel himself stated: “Never let a crisis go to waste.”
Still, this cynical attempt to nationalize what once worked locally in my hometown is fraught with hazard. One-party Chicagoland is a solidly cobalt blue enclave. They think the same way, vote the same way, believe the same way even if it leads to their city’s destruction. As such, they will tolerate corruption with a wink and a nod so long as their party stays in control of City Hall.
The country as a whole, however, is not Cook County. It is evenly divided among blue and red, as the last two elections have shown. There are some 75 million-plus voting Americans who will not just stand idly by with a shrug of the shoulder when the “Chicago Way” is applied nationally again. January 6, as ugly, ludicrous, unnecessary, and misguided as it was, nevertheless offered a chilling portent of what could happen should millions of voters once again feel that the electoral process has been compromised.
Democracy is built entirely on trust in the legitimacy of a voting system. And that trust must be especially strong among the losers. But what if trust is gone? What reason is there to believe in our democracy? What reason is there to obey any laws at all when they are only selectively applied based not on merit but party affiliation? If Americans no longer believe their votes are honestly counted, there is no more democratic foundation to hold up the Republic. Remember, we have elections to settle our differences without killing each other.
What Obama and his Chicago crew are attempting is a fundamental “transformation” of America as promised. And it will fail because, as with so many of the Left’s other misguided attempts to nationalize policies from healthcare to schooling, it is not scalable. Just as what works in tiny countries cannot be imposed on the enormous USA, neither can the political model of one corrupt, collapsing city be applied nationally without severe push-back from millions who will find no humor in the quip that “The dead of Cook County always vote Democrat.” 
One man’s joke is another’s sense of disenfranchisement and disempowerment. And that never ends well.
* * *
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities trader, author, columnist, and musician whose eclectic body of writing can be found in the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, New York Daily News, Daily Wire, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, Zerohedge, and others. His latest book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Pits-Rough-Tumble-Exchange/dp/B0CKPNCMQW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FBF37276B680&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vcOViovcNlulLDwCgSAL69F_A30PW0Mtp0XkDLFpRDI.e73HGuCpMYaPK8os1N9Y87Bb_hElkxrUd2FszkudrUk&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=life+in+the+pits+Schaeffer+book&amp;qid=1705421538&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=life+in+the+pits+schaeffer+book%2Cstripbooks%2C100&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIFE IN THE PITS: My Time As A Trader On The Rough-And-Tumble Exchange Floors</a> is available on Amazon and soon Audible. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Menu