President Donald Trump ripped into &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker — and her home network, NBC News — in a Sunday evening post on his Truth Social platform panning their coverage of his administration and saying that they were focusing on all the wrong things.
Trump, who spoke with Welker himself by phone on Sunday, said that she had &#8220;wasted my administration&#8217;s time&#8221; by focusing on stories that were less important and failing to address the serious issues facing the country.
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&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1906491191505399820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Kristen Welker’s entire first half hour of the Lowly Rated Meet the Fake Press this morning, was devoted to the boring Signal Witch Hunt,&#8221; Trump began. He went on to note that Welker, like the anchors and many of the guests on the other networks&#8217; Sunday talk shows, had spent a fair amount of time on the Signal chat group that had included a number of top Trump administration officials — and, accidentally, Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg — in a discussion about a recent attack on Houthi terrorists.
&#8220;She doesn’t want to talk in detail about anything that matters like how well we are doing against the Houthis, substantive Peace Talks with Russia and Ukraine or, Iran, Iran, Iran,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;She wastes my Administration’s time by talking to them about &#8216;NOTHING.'&#8221;
&#8220;Why can’t NBC, one of the Worst Broadcasters on Television, hire people that are honest and credible?&#8221; Trump asked, before pivoting to blame leadership at the network. &#8220;The reason they don’t is because their Chairman, Brian Roberts, is a pathetic Loser, who is petrified of the Left, and always will be. Comcast’s MSNBC and NBC have fought me for years, spending almost all of their waking hours making up Fake Stories — and look, I’m PRESIDENT, with really high Poll Numbers and Great Accomplishments. Good job Brian!&#8221;

White House Set To Announce Contractor For Next-Gen Fighter Jet

Trump Trashes Kristen Welker And NBC After Sunday Appearance: ‘She Wastes My Administration’s Time’

Trump Trashes Kristen Welker And NBC After Sunday Appearance: 'She Wastes My Administration's Time'

Donald Trump

Kristen Welker

Media

Meet the Press

NBC News

Politics

President Donald Trump turned a 47-year-old song into a dance craze. Even NFL stars couldn’t resist doing Trump’s “YMCA” dance in their end-zone celebrations.
What a difference one White House term makes.
Trump’s first four years in office found all of Hollywood turned against him, from late-night TV to shows and movies.
Now, pop culture is veering in MAGA’s direction, a moment the Right never expected. And it’s possible thanks to the democratization of the media, from YouTube to podcasting.
It helps that the public’s trust in legacy media outlets, Trump’s entrenched enemy, has never been lower. More people are willing to give the unusual politician a look through a pop culture filter.
Right-leaning artists like Tom MacDonald can crush the iTunes charts without a major label behind him. The rapper’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kGpohEpuTE">Facts</a>,” featuring Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro, crashed the music charts without the press’ help (number one on the Billboard Rap chart). The same happened when MacDonald gave canceled comic Roseanne Barr <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/roseanne-barr-drops-daddys-home-rap-video-with-tom-macdonald" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her rap closeup with “Daddy’s Home”</a> a tribute to President 45/47.
<div id="attachment_891745" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891745" class="size-large wp-image-891745" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &quot;Facts&quot; feat. Ben Shapiro" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &#8220;Facts&#8221; feat. Ben Shapiro</div>
Those aren’t aberrations.
“Justice for All,” credited to Trump himself, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/03/21/donald-trump-lands-his-first-no-1-hit-on-a-billboard-chart/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debuted at no. 1</a> on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart in 2023.
Trump has been very good to Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” The late-night showcase routinely outdraws its broadcast competitors, although it airs an hour-plus earlier in the evening. The show’s ratings hit their zenith when Trump appeared on the show’s avuncular panel.
The president’s episode gave host Greg Gutfeld <a href="https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/donald-trump-gutfeld-ratings-5-million-viewers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his highest numbers to date</a> – 4.9 million viewers. Most nights, the show’s willingness to praise Trump’s policies while mocking the Democrats’ responses have kept the show’s ratings strong.
Trump’s own reality series “The Apprentice” made a sudden return to streaming this month. Prime Video is releasing the first seven episodes of the Mark Burnett-produced show, and season one instantly hit the platform’s Top 10 chart.
<div id="attachment_891725" style="width: 894px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891725" class="size-large wp-image-891725" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-138441695-884x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 16 -- Air Date 04/03/2004 -- Pictured: (l-r) George Ross, Donald Trump, Carolyn Kepcher during &quot;The Apprentice&quot; skit on April 3, 2004 (Photo by Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="884" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-138441695-884x576.jpg 884w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-138441695-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-138441695-768x500.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-138441695.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px" />Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images</div>
The show played a critical part in Trump’s branding principles while introducing the country to his now-grown children Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. Now, millions want to rewatch that evolution from the beginning. 
The legacy press told Americans that Tony Hinchcliffe’s raw routine at October’s Madison Square Garden Trump rally marked the end of his presidential hopes. We were told that Hinchcliffe’s “racist” joke about Puerto Rico’s garbage problem would ensure GOP Latino voters stayed home.
Journalists covered the story at great length, making it a key media narrative in the days before Nov. 5.
Except Latino voters, by and large, didn’t care.
And what happened to Hinchcliffe? He just snagged a major Netflix deal to bring his signature “Kill Tony” podcast <a href="https://x.com/NetflixIsAJoke/status/1899113010997661879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to the streaming giant</a>.
<div id="attachment_891771" style="width: 820px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891771" class="size-large wp-image-891771" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2180711933-810x576.jpg" alt="US comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a campaign rally for former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on October 27, 2024. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="810" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2180711933-810x576.jpg 810w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2180711933-300x213.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2180711933-768x546.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2180711933.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px" />ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
The pro-Trump label isn’t foolproof. Dinesh D’Souza’s “Vindicating Trump” earned $1.3 million at the US box office late last year, below most of his previous films. It’s still a solid amount for a documentary – most nonfiction films fail to crack the $1 million mark in theaters.
So what changed? How did pro-Trump content gain so much ground?
Independent media kept maturing after Trump’s first term, outpacing mainstream platforms in many regards. New media artists can create content and do it at a much smaller price point.
And, more importantly, a Right-leaning ecosystem of podcasts, YouTubers, and social media types can now spread the word more effectively. Credit Elon Musk’s X takeover for keeping more conservative voices on the platform.
Meanwhile, legacy outlets continue to shrink both in size and cultural clout. And the downsizing continues as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/amy-robach-cries-tj-holmes-podcast-abc-layoffs-2042630" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more media layoffs</a> rock the industry.
Anti-Trump art is having a similarly tough time.
While far-Left late-night shows have mostly maintained their audience shares, the same isn’t true at the local movie house.
Last year’s anti-Trump drama “The Apprentice,” released at the peak of election season, seemed primed to draw the anti-MAGA faithful in record numbers. The film’s cartoonish look at an ‘80s era Trump (Sebastian Stan), under the alleged tutelage of fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), was catnip to the president’s detractors.
If only they lined up to watch it.
<div id="attachment_891733" style="width: 838px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891733" class="size-large wp-image-891733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2177860859-828x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 15: Sebastian Stan attends the Headline Gala screening of &quot;The Apprentice&quot; during the 68th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/WireImage)" width="828" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2177860859-828x576.jpg 828w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2177860859-300x209.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2177860859-768x534.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2177860859.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 828px) 100vw, 828px" />Dave Benett/WireImage</div>
The critically hailed film flopped with a $4 million haul stateside. That’s despite endless, fawning media coverage. Few films generated more free press, however, than “The Apprentice.”
More recently, another anti-Trump film is struggling to cover its exorbitant budget. Director Bong Joon-ho says his sci-fi thriller “Mickey 17” <a href="https://ew.com/bong-joon-ho-donald-trump-inspired-mark-ruffalo-mickey-17-villain-11688849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isn’t a direct attack on Trump</a>. Many disagree, noting co-star Mark Ruffalo’s politician character has Trumpian traits and his followers wear red hats.
Subtle.
The film made $19 million domestically during its opening frame. That’s a solid number for some projects, but not one carrying a $118 million budget. Some suggest the film could cost Warner Bros. <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wb-mickey-17-cut-tested-151954129.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$100 million</a> by the end of its theatrical run.
The most surprising moment of Trump 2.0 from a pop culture perspective? The recent Oscars telecast didn’t feature his name, and host Conan O’Brien indirectly referenced the 47th president once, and via a late-in-the-show quip.
All of the above opens up new opportunities for Right-leaning artists. Their voices are harder to ignore, and the tools at their disposal have never been greater.
Two potential red flags to consider.
If President Trump fails to fulfill his pre-election promises the country may have less appetite for MAGA-aligned content. Hollywood progressives may rise up anew, smelling blood in the political waters.
And if creators think a pro-Trump veneer will make audiences swallow sub-par content, think again.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-POLITICS-CPAC-TRUMP

Riding On Trump’s Pop Culture Coattails

Riding On Trump's Pop Culture Coattails

Amazon Prime

Conservatives

Entertainment

Hollywood

Podcast

President Trump

Social Media

The Apprentice

Tom MacDonald

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon slammed Megyn Kelly who said she wouldn’t be crying any tears for MSNBC’s anchor Joy Reid losing her MSNBC show “The ReidOut” — and her subsequent exit from the network.
Speaking out on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscf4ARflpg">YouTube</a> show, Lemon went on a rant against Kelly, saying first that he “usually doesn’t like to talk about her,” and labeling her “a troll” and “a racist.”
“I usually don’t like to talk about her because she’s one of those people, she thrives on it,” Lemon said. “She has built the second part of her career on being a troll.” 
“Let me just say to Megyn Kelly, in my 30 some years as a journalist, and my 50 some years as a person of color, go f*** yourself,” he added, after playing a clip of Kelly saying something similar on her show about Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and their visit to Mar-a-lago following President Donald Trump’s victory.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A message for Megyn Kelly <a href="https://t.co/y1VOY3AAzK">pic.twitter.com/y1VOY3AAzK</a>
— Don Lemon (@Donlemonbsky) <a href="https://twitter.com/Donlemonbsky/status/1894113478341779775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, also said that “the worst person from television was fired from NBC and the &#8216;Today&#8217; show a few years ago, and that’s Megyn Kelly.”
The former CNN host’s rant came after Kelly posted on <a href="https://x.com/megynkelly/status/1893692907665686539">X</a>, “good riddance,” in reference to Reid.
“Remember when Joy Reid laughingly mocked ‘White women tears’ as pathetic and offensive to her? Who’s crying now, Joy?” Kelly wrote. “Good riddance to the absolute worst person on television, and shame on NBC for letting it go on this long.”
“Joy Reid has viciously mocked the tears of every white person she’s helped cancel over the years for some imaginary racial slight,” she <a href="https://x.com/megynkelly/status/1894120519063998544">added</a>. “She’s had zero empathy for anyone. Now she wants us to feel sorry for her. WE DON’T.”
Later on “The Megyn Kelly Show” podcast, the host played <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dqlgUvgLaP0">clips</a> of Reid’s “most racist moments” and said, “I’m thrilled she’s gone. She literally was the most racist person on television … But we won’t have her to kick around anymore, there’s a little sadness in that.”
“Single tear, White woman tears happening right here, Joy,” she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8smx_6kwZac">added</a>. “She was officially fired over the weekend because she’s a racist, horrible news anchor with no ratings.”
At one point, Kelly pointed out that Reid could try independent media, like Don Lemon, who got fired from CNN and later announced his plans to start his own YouTube show. “Don Lemon’s podcast, abject failure,&#8221; Kelly said.
On Tuesday, Kelly <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGguJtPRfXS/">addressed</a> Lemon’s rant against her and said “Don Lemon has no viewers. He has no listeners whatsoever. He has not been able to make it in the cable news world where he was repeatedly demoted. And then fired.”
“He was fired two minutes after getting hired by Elon [Musk], which should have been a lifeline to him, but he was too stupid to actually take advantage of it,” she added. “And now he’s too stupid to actually make it in the digital lane. So, he did the one thing he could think of to do which is get into the press by attacking me.”
“And now he’s gotten more ink than he’s gotten in the past four years,” Kelly continued. “But he’s a sad, pathetic little man who actually cannot make it in business on his own. And really at this point, thoughts and prayers, Don.”

Megyn Kelly_Don Lemon

Don Lemon Slams Megyn Kelly After She Celebrates Joy Reid’s Termination

Celebrities

Don Lemon

Joy Reid

Megyn Kelly

MSNBC

NBC News chief political analyst and former moderator of “Meet The Press” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-todd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Todd</a> has announced that he’s leaving the network after nearly two decades.
&#8220;Today is my last day… at NBC,&#8221; Todd told his audience on Friday on his “Chuck Toddcast” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/chuck-todd-out-nbc-news?intcmp=tw_fnc">podcast</a>. “I am leaving a bit earlier than we had all originally planned, but there is a reason for it.”
“I’m pretty excited by a few new projects that are on the cusp,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/chuck-todd-out-nbc-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added,</a> but gave no details. &#8220;The podcast is coming with me, and it’s not going away.&#8221;
The former NBC News host said there would be a “little hiatus” for his podcast, until he finds a new home for it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chuck Todd tells colleagues he’s leaving NBC News — taking his ‘Chuck Toddcast’ with him <a href="https://t.co/2gjUNd6aoM">https://t.co/2gjUNd6aoM</a> <a href="https://t.co/4LLKSGoW9c">pic.twitter.com/4LLKSGoW9c</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1885359818761785346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Todd sent a letter to his colleagues before his announcement on the podcast that his last day at NBC News was Friday, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nbc-todd-exit-trump-welker-746b58bbd6b7eb03f6be0cbeabf84004">Associated Press</a> reported.
&#8220;The reason why I am ready to move, I think the media has a lot of work to do to win back the trust and I think, frankly, national media isn’t the place that’s going to be able to do it,&#8221; Todd said.
“People trust local media more than they trust national media. And I’m convinced the best place to start is from the bottom up,” he added. “National media can’t win trust back without having a robust partner locally, and trying to game algorithms is no way to inform and report.”
“People are craving community and that’s something national media or the major social media companies can’t do as well as local media,” Todd continued, noting that reporting is how you win back support. “If you do this job seeking popularity, or to simply be an activist, you are doing this job incorrectly.”
In a statement to <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/chuck-todd-exit-nbc-news-1236273148/">Variety</a> about Todd’s departure, NBC News said “We’re grateful for Chuck’s many contributions to our political coverage during his nearly two-decade career at NBC News and for his deep commitment to ‘Meet the Press’ and its enduring legacy. We wish him all the best in his next endeavors.”
Todd joined the network in 2007 as a political director and took over as moderator of “Meet the Press” from 2014-2023 from David Gregory, who was picked to run the popular show following the sudden death in June 2008 of the hugely successful “MTP” moderator Tim Russert. The current &#8220;MTP&#8221; moderator is Kristen Welker.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chuck-todd-rips-the-bidens-they-put-the-entire-democratic-party-in-the-position-its-in-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Todd Rips The Bidens: They ‘Put The Entire Democratic Party…In The Position It’s In Now’</a>

Meet the Press – Season 75

Chuck Todd Leaving NBC News After Nearly Two Decades

Chuck Todd

Many viewers were not laughing at the Weekend Update bit on the most recent episode of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saturday-night-live">Saturday Night Live</a>” as it made jokes about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/crime">murder</a> of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Saturday night&#8217;s episode of the sketch comedy show included hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che making a few jokes about the circumstances surrounding Thompson&#8217;s death on December 4, including the NYPD&#8217;s search for the shooter and reactions to the exec’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/assassination">assassination</a>.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Weekend Update: Manhunt for CEO Assassin, President Biden Pardons Son Hunter - SNL" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dyZxIUsnuJk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;This week, New York City officials sent a tough message on crime,&#8221; Jost said, mocking law enforcement for not having a suspect in custody yet. &#8220;&#8216;If you shoot somebody in the middle of the street, you better get on your bike, hop on a bus, and get the heck out of here, mister.'&#8221;
&#8220;The manhunt continues for the assassin who gunned down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on Wednesday,&#8221; Jost went on. &#8220;And it really says something about America that a guy was murdered in cold blood and the two main reactions were, &#8216;Yeah, well, healthcare stinks!&#8217; And also, &#8216;Girl, that shooter hot.'&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
Jost also mentioned the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, which happened the same day Thompson was murdered. &#8220;It&#8217;s also so crazy that the shooting happened three blocks from here in broad daylight, and the guy just bicycled away. Probably because they have every cop in the city guarding our Christmas tree,” he said.
&#8220;The NYPD now believes the suspect left the city on a bus from Port Authority. Thanks, but a Port Authority passenger who looks like a murderer actually widens the search,&#8221; Jost went on.
&#8220;New York City police say that they were able to get the smiling picture of the suspect after the man apparently was caught on camera at a local hostel, flirting with a female employee, whose name has been reported as ‘Lucky S. Bechalive,'&#8221; Che said.
Reactions to the bit have been mixed, with many saying the bit was in poor taste as Thompson was a husband and father to two young sons.
&#8220;Long time viewer of SNL. I don&#8217;t consider myself particularly [sensitive] to any topic, but in today&#8217;s Weekend Update edition they made jokes about the United Health CEO gunned down in NYC. That was really distasteful and disrespectful. SNL, you need to do better,&#8221; one X user <a href="https://x.com/JCarrilloH/status/1865631926880494014">wrote</a>.
“Disgusting. I couldn’t watch this segment. The victim’s family and friends are very much grieving right now,” one commenter wrote in response to a YouTube clip of the segment. 
“Agreed,” said another. “I don’t usually watch SNL, and I can see by the segment and comments supporting it, that I will no longer be watching it. Joking about someone’s murder like that is absolutely disgusting… a family is grieving right now.”
Thompson was gunned down last Wednesday morning by a masked assassin. Some people on social media openly celebrated the CEO’s death as they insisted it was retribution for corruption and greed in the healthcare industry.
On Monday, police <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/09/nyregion/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-news">arrested</a> Luigi Mangione at a Pennsylvania McDonald&#8217;s on firearms charges. Law enforcement described him as &#8220;a strong person of interest&#8221; in connection with the murder.
&nbsp;

Saturday Night Live – Season 50

‘SNL’ Slammed For Making Jokes About Murder Of UnitedHealthcare CEO

'SNL' Slammed For Making Jokes About Murder Of UnitedHealthcare CEO

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Comedy

New York City

Saturday Night Live

Television

U.S.

Former President Donald Trump aired a minute-long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-releases-special-message-ahead-of-election-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special message</a> on NBC airwaves during the NFL&#8217;s coverage of Sunday Night Football, likely reaching far more viewers than Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a last-minute appearance on NBC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fcc-commissioner-kamalas-snl-appearance-a-blatant-effort-to-evade-equal-time-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Night Live</a>, the previous day.
Per the Federal Communications Commission&#8217;s Equal Time rule, NBC was not allowed to host Harris in this way while excluding Trump. In fact, as highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fcc-commissioner-kamalas-snl-appearance-a-blatant-effort-to-evade-equal-time-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr blasted both NBC and Harris for the “clear and blatant” move to evade rules designed to stop networks from tilting the political scales ahead of an election.
Following the SNL stunt, Trump&#8217;s team was allowed time on NBC, per the Equal Time rule. &#8220;NBC has told the FCC that VP Harris appeared on Saturday Night Live for one minute and 30 seconds &#8216;without charge,&#8217; triggering an opportunity for other campaigns to request time,&#8221; Alex Weprin <a href="https://x.com/alexweprin/status/1853226833967239433">reported</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC has filed a notice with the FCC, disclosing that Kamala Harris appeared on SNL for under two minutes without charge.
Under federal law, if Donald Trump requests equal time, NBC would be required to provide it before the election. <a href="https://t.co/aMvHJjpwC2">pic.twitter.com/aMvHJjpwC2</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1853241153342312624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
In a major backfire, Trump was likely able to reach far more viewers than Harris since his message played toward the end of the NBC broadcast of NASCAR&#8217;s Xfinity 500 and the network&#8217;s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts NFL game.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Sunday Night Football routinely garners more than <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/sunday-night-football-has-six-straight-games-with-more-than-20-million-viewers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 million viewers</a>. SNL, by contrast, typically gets a fraction of that, with the show&#8217;s <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/snl-season-50-premiere-ratings-1236018384/">four-year-high</a> ratings sitting at just 5 million viewers.
“The worst economic numbers in generations were just announced two days ago,” Trump said in his video message, referring to the latest <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disaster-final-jobs-report-before-election-shows-just-12000-jobs-added-in-october" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismal jobs report</a>. “We’re losing jobs. We’re losing everything, including viability. We’re going to end up in a depression based on what’s been happening.”
“We’ve never seen anything like it, at least for the last 40 years,” the former president continued. “We have to straighten out our country, we have to close our borders, we have to lower our taxes, we have to get rid of inflation, and we’re going to do it.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
A Special Message from President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/B9Lcxaucud">pic.twitter.com/B9Lcxaucud</a>
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1853216936223498536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fcc-commissioner-kamalas-snl-appearance-a-blatant-effort-to-evade-equal-time-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FCC Commissioner: Kamala’s SNL Appearance A ‘Blatant Effort To Evade’ Equal Time Rule</a>

Donald Trump Hosts Hispanic Roundtable In Nevada

How SNL’s Pro-Kamala Stunt Just Backfired Bigly

2024 Election

Elections

Kamala Harris

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) official is calling out both NBC and Vice President Kamala Harris for her last-minute appearance on Saturday Night Live, saying it was a &#8220;clear and blatant&#8221; to evade rules designed to stop networks from tilting the political scales ahead of an election.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the appearance on the network&#8217;s flagship sketch comedy show was a &#8220;clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC&#8217;s Equal Time rule.&#8221;
Carr made his point in a post on X, noting that the timing and Harris&#8217; appearance — not announced until the day it was happening and took place just three days prior to the November 5 general election — effectively eliminated any possibility for her competitor, former President Donald Trump, to receive the federally-mandated &#8220;equal time.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC&#8217;s Equal Time rule. The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct — a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election. Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns,&#8221; Carr <a href="https://x.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/1852901803693600776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a>.
He went on to note that the issue had arisen in 2016 when Trump appeared on the same show, and that former President Barack Obama&#8217;s FCC chair had stated that the &#8220;Equal Time&#8221; provision would be enforced.
&#8220;In the 2016 cycle, President Obama’s FCC Chair made clear that the agency would enforce the Equal Time rule when candidate Trump went on SNL. NBC stations publicly filed Equal Opportunity notices to ensure that all other qualifying candidates could obtain Equal Time if they sought it. Stations did the same thing when Clinton appeared on SNL,&#8221; he explained.
Carr then explained that, with only three days — and zero &#8220;SNL&#8221; broadcasts remaining — before the election, NBC had &#8220;effectively structured&#8221; Harris&#8217; appearance to make it impossible for the network to offer Trump anything even remotely comparable.
&#8220;What comparable time and placement can they offer all other qualifying candidates?&#8221; he asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just weeks ago, SNL’s Lorne Michaels said that they *would not* be bringing any of the candidates on due to election and equal time laws:
“‘You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions,’ Michaels said.” <a href="https://t.co/xtfnNFXdfr">pic.twitter.com/xtfnNFXdfr</a>
&mdash; Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/1853063123395035532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In fact, just weeks earlier, &#8220;SNL&#8221; producer Lorne Michaels announced that he had no intention of putting either Harris or Trump on the show — and he cited the FCC&#8217;s &#8220;equal time&#8221; provisions as the reason behind that decision.
&#8220;You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions. You can’t have the main candidates without having all the candidates, and there are lots of minor candidates that are only on the ballot in, like, three states and that becomes really complicated,&#8221; Michaels told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/snl-interview-trump-jokes-2024-election-lorne-michaels-future-1236005680/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> in mid-September.
According to Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, NBC did not reach out to the Trump campaign to offer a similar appearance prior to Saturday&#8217;s show.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump campaign senior advisor tells FOX that SNL did not extend an invitation to President Trump
Also worth noting that SNL’s executive producer said last month he had no plans to invite either candidate, because of this very law: 
“You can’t have the main candidates without… <a href="https://t.co/C0GsYlAYjG">https://t.co/C0GsYlAYjG</a>
&mdash; Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacquiHeinrich/status/1853069509432578458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Democratic Presidential Nominee Vice President Kamala Harris Appears On NBC’s Saturday Night Live

FCC Commissioner: Kamala’s SNL Appearance A ‘Blatant Effort To Evade’ Equal Time Rule

FCC Commissioner: Kamala's SNL Appearance A 'Blatant Effort To Evade The FCC's Equal Time Rule'

We are now less than two weeks out from Election Day. The state of the race is that Donald Trump appears to be ahead going into the homestretch.
In fact, poll analyst reporter Mark Halperin <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1848747784410951918">said</a> as much yesterday, claiming that if the early voting numbers hold up the way they are right now, and if the date of voting goes the way that it did in 2020, Trump will have wrapped up this election before the Election Day even begins — because Democrats basically need to win it in the pregame or they&#8217;re going to lose it day of. 
Halperin explained, saying:
<blockquote>Let&#8217;s lead with the lead, as they say in journalism. If the early vote numbers stay the way they are, and that&#8217;s a big if, we’ll almost certainly know before Election Day who&#8217;s going to win the election. We&#8217;re going to talk a lot about that: the reasons why Democrats might be underperforming, the prospect that they&#8217;ll recover. But again, make no mistake, if these numbers hold up in the states where we can understand even partially what the data is like, we&#8217;ll know that Donald Trump&#8217;s going to be president on Election Day. </blockquote>
Halperin&#8217;s not the only one saying this. The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/22/early-voting-republicans-democrats-trump-harris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on this yesterday as well:
<blockquote>Dozens of states have opened in-person early-voting locations, and turnout has been robust. In Georgia, more than 1.6 million people had cast in-person ballots by midmorning Tuesday — nearly one-third of the total vote from four years ago. North Carolina hit 1.4 million Tuesday, the sixth day of early voting. And in Nevada, Republicans voting in person have outnumbered Democrats — a reversal from four years ago. Nationwide, more than 18 million Americans have cast ballots in person or by mail.</blockquote>
Republican participation is radically up from where it was in 2020, after Trump encouraged people not to vote early. Now, tons of Republicans are voting early, and that means in states like Nevada, there are serious danger signs for Democrats. 
Attorney Jon Ralston, an excellent reporter at the Nevada Independent, <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/10/22/serious-danger-emerges-for-kamala-harris-as-republicans-open-early-voting-in-nevada-with-lead-over-democrats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has noted</a> that since the rise of the political machine that late former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid built for Democrats, this has never happened. The Republican turn out amounts are unprecedented in modern times, leading early voting in Nevada. Harris is running really, really weak in the early voting thus far.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2071-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Again, it could be that that&#8217;s cannibalizing the day of voting. It&#8217;s possible the people who are voting right now are people who would have normally voted on Election Day, or it&#8217;s possible that Republicans have actually gotten smart and many of the people who weren&#8217;t going to show up on Election Day are now voting early just to get it done.
By the way, if you are voting early, that is good because the party for which you are voting can see that you have voted. They don&#8217;t have to waste campaign resources door knocking if they already know that you voted. A senior official working on Harris&#8217;s campaign is already sounding the alarm about the Veep&#8217;s narrowing electoral path.
According to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/democrats-brace-crack-blue-wall-signs-north-carolina-slipping-rcna176046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>, three sources with knowledge of the campaign strategy say the campaign is worried the blue wall could at least, in part, go red this November. One senior campaign official told NBC there&#8217;s been a thought that Michigan or Wisconsin may fall off and North Carolina may no longer be in reach. If the Democrats lose North Carolina and Michigan or Wisconsin, it is difficult to see how they will win the election because, at that point, they would have to peel off Georgia. 
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/10/22/kamala-harris-reassure-voters-liberal-00184879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> is reporting the same, pointing out that time is ticking off the clock for Harris: 
<blockquote>Vice President Kamala Harris and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney descended on the crucial Milwaukee suburbs Monday night and, sitting side by side, delivered compelling political sermons.
The problem was they were preaching to the converted. 
 
The event was explicitly aimed at those moderates and onetime Republicans who remain up for grabs, and may decide the election, but the rhetoric seemed better suited for those in the audience wearing “The Lincoln Project” and “,LA” t-shirts.</blockquote>
They&#8217;ve got a problem on their hands, and so it is now time to pull out all the stops, which could be that Harris could run a better campaign. That, of course, is highly unlikely. She&#8217;s not going to run a better campaign because she&#8217;s not a good candidate.
Hilariously, there was an op-ed in The Hill two days ago wondering if perhaps Joe Biden was, after all, a better candidate than Kamala Harris, which of course, is what Joe Biden has been saying all along, despite being dead. 
 
Kamala Harris, for her part, can&#8217;t even answer simple questions as to whether Biden is sentient and alive. She will not answer questions on the decline of the person she shoved off the back of the train and stole the nomination of.
In <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/transcript-president-kamala-harris-interview-nbc-news-hallie-jackson-rcna176330" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an interview</a> with NBC News, Harris attempted to explain Joe Biden&#8217;s mental state when pointblank asked about him: 
<blockquote>JACKSON: You have made it clear that you believe this is a binary choice between you and Donald Trump. That’s — those are candidates that are on the ballot, of course.
HARRIS: There’s only two choices…yes. 
JACKSON: Of course, yes, but, and I know that Joe Biden is not on the ballot, I understand that, but the reason that you are at the top of the ticket is because he dropped out of this race. And so I want to ask you, and it was largely because of that debate performance back in June. You defended him in the days before and in the days after, as you were campaigning for another four years for President Biden. Can you say that you were honest with the American people about what you saw in those moments with President Biden, as you were with him again and again, repeatedly in that time? 
HARRIS: Of course. Joe Biden is an — extremely accomplished, experienced and capable in every way that anyone would want of their president. Absolutely.
JACKSON: And you never saw anything like what happened at the debate night behind closed doors with him? 
HARRIS: It was a bad debate. People have bad debates. That — he is absolutely…
JACKSON: But that’s the reason why you’re here, and he’s not running for the top of the ticket. 
HARRIS: Well, you’d have to ask him if that’s the only reason why. 
JACKSON: What do you think?
HARRIS: I am running for President of the United States. Joe Biden is not, and my presidency will be about bringing a new generation of leadership to America that is focused on the work that we need to do, to invest in the ambitions and aspirations of the American people. </blockquote>
This lady has absolutely nothing. The reason that she has lost all steam is because she has nothing. She cannot even answer the simple question, “Why are you in that chair and Joe Biden isn&#8217;t in that chair?” — when everyone in America knows the answer to that question, including, of course, Kamala Harris. 
Harris has basically been relegated to throwing out bribes to various constituency groups. Just a couple of weeks ago, she pledged to hand out $20,000 to black people in forgivable loans. She is now doing the same for Latinos because she&#8217;s been losing Latino votes. 
In a statement yesterday, she <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/1848713701848658388" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote:</a>
<blockquote>Donald Trump has disrespected and insulted Latino men in communities. As president, I will invest in them.” What does that mean? It means that she will “help Latino men and others start and grow small businesses with no interest loans or deferred loan repayments, and fully forgivable loans up to $20k.</blockquote>
Bribery. We are now in the realm of open bribery. By the way, you are not allowed to give out government grants by race. That is illegal in the United States.
This is her campaign and it&#8217;s failing.
<h3><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH&#8217;S &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a></h3>
Now the time has come for October surprises. The Democrats have a problem when it comes to surprises with Trump. This has been true for years because Trump is a monster made out of mud. When you throw more mud at a monster made out of mud, it turns out he just looks like a monster made out of mud. Trump is the black socks of presidential candidates. Black socks never get dirty. The longer you wear them, the blacker they get.
That is who Donald Trump is. The more you throw at him, the more he just looks like Donald Trump because he is the most well-established political figure in the American mind in my lifetime — and my parents lifetime as well.
There is no one in America who does not have an opinion about Trump right now. The question for undecided voters is not what they think about Trump. The question is what they think about Harris.
Trump&#8217;s numbers have been incredibly steady for the entirety of this election cycle. In polling, Trump&#8217;s national average polling has been between 46% and 48% of the entirety of this race. Meanwhile, there is much more variability for Harris.
So, the Democrats are getting desperate.

Donald Trump Campaigns For President In Georgia Ahead Of November Election

October Surprise! Media Launch Ugliest Anti-Trump Smears Yet

Ben Shapiro

Legacy Media

Opinion

Propaganda

The Atlantic

Tim Walz

U.S. Politics

On October 7, 2023, the world didn’t just witness an attack; it saw the stark divide between good and pure evil. As the extent of the horrors unfolded, most people quickly united behind Israel, repulsed by the real-time videos that Hamas was posting of their own depravity. Some, however, including many in the legacy media and the despotic United Nations, would not budge from their decades-long anti-Israel bias.
These reprobates refused to acknowledge that the atrocities were committed by stateless, Iran-backed terrorists who were, and continue to be, determined to wipe Israel off the map. Some in the press went so far as to suggest parallels between Israel and Hamas, even blaming the former for the tragedy it had just suffered.
The <a href="https://mrcfreespeechamerica.org/">Media Research Center</a> has identified 195 times the media have spewed anti-Israel and anti-Semitic screeds since the Hamas attacks. Topping the list as the worst offender is CNN with 35 articles with anti-Israel bias. The Washington Post is next in line with 23 articles, but it should be noted that it won the top prize for the most number of writers with anti-Israel bias, employing ten who couldn’t resist exposing their troublesome hatred.
The next is especially offensive since it uses taxpayer dollars to propagandize its views. NPR published no fewer than 19 biased articles against Israel.
The remainder of the dozen worst outlets includes: ABC (15 articles), Reuters (14 articles), The Guardian (13 articles), The New York Times (11 articles ), BBC (11 articles ), CBS News (9 articles ), NBC News (8 articles), MSNBC (8 articles) and The Associated Press (7 articles).
We also call out, with revulsion, the BBC, the AP and The Post for their refusal to acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist organization, despite this designation by the U.S. State Department and most of the modern world. Instead, they refer to the sociopaths who committed these horrific acts as militants, fighters or even just gunmen.
Unbelievably, the AP, Reuters, The Times and CNN even embedded photographers with the Hamas terrorists as they stormed across the border into Israel. The images created by these media outlets were indistinguishable from the pictures and videos created by Hamas for their propaganda purposes, begging the question whether they actually aided and abetted terrorism.
The AP, like many other outlets, also minimized the barbaric attack, repeatedly referring to it as “the latest Gaza War.” It still prohibits their reporters from referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization, just like The Post characterizes Hamas as a militant group. George Achi of the Canadian Broadcast Company, instructed staff to avoid the term “terrorist” due to its “politicization,” showcasing a shocking moral cowardice.
The distinction matters because terrorists are defined by their acts – those using unlawful violence targeted at civilians to kill, kidnap and intimidate. This isn’t just semantics; it’s a deliberate misrepresentation that undermines the very definition of terrorism and enables agenda-driven propaganda.
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria provided an unchallenged platform for imprisoned murderer Mustafa Barghouti to justify genocide and blame Israel for Hamas’s brutal attack. Ali Velshi at MSNBC spun tales of collective punishment, crafting an alternate reality where Israel’s defense becomes a crime.
Ostensibly, these media outlets want to maintain a patina of neutrality. But that neutrality evaporates as soon as they find a way to accuse Israel of war crimes, jumping to conclusions based on specious, and later rebutted, accounts from Al Jazeera, Hamas and the ever-inaccurate Gaza Ministry of Health.
Recall the Oct. 11, 2023 bombing of a hospital in Gaza when the media breathlessly accused Israel of killing 500 innocent people, only to discover that an errant missile from within Gaza was the actual culprit.
While a solid 80% of Americans stand with Israel, elements of the media are hijacking this narrative to push a Left-wing agenda. Tony Dokoupil of CBS Mornings faced ridicule for merely attempting a balanced discussion with a Palestinian advocate, revealing the media’s intolerance for objectivity.
The media must rise above this tide of deception. The world deserves not just reports, but the truth. The atrocities committed by Hamas demand not just coverage but condemnation. It’s time for responsible journalism to reclaim its integrity, to tell the story of innocent lives shattered, not for political gain, but for the sake of history and humanity.
* * *
Dan Schneider is the vice president of Media Research Center&#8217;s Free Speech America. 
Denise Cohen is an attorney and the founder of Bridge Post Communications, a member of the MRC-led Free Speech Alliance.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Clashes between Palestinian factions and Israeli forces

October 7: The Day The Media Chose Sides

Anti-Semitism

Associated Press

Hamas

Israel

Leftists

Media Bias

New York Times

Terrorists

Washinton Post

Democrats were &#8220;panicked&#8221; by how likable Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a> (R-OH) came off during the vice presidential <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/debates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debate</a>, an NBC journalist revealed on Wednesday.
&#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; moderator Kristen Welker said on the &#8220;Today&#8221; show that she received text messages from members of the party who expressed surprise at how well Vance was conducting himself against Minnesota Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-walz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Walz</a> after months of trying to paint the Republican as <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/videos/news/politics/elections/2024/08/07/jd-vance-says-democrats-calling-him-trump-weird-is-badge-of-honor-kamala-harris-tim-walz/74709614007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;weird&#8221;</a> and a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/26/trump-vance-weird-00171470" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;threat&#8221;</a> to democracy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NBC&#39;s Kristen Welker says she &quot;was getting texts from Democrats PANICKED&quot; last night over <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>&#39;s beatdown of Tampon Tim Walz on the debate stage <a href="https://t.co/qwyTelOafB">pic.twitter.com/qwyTelOafB</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1841478553067495628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Vance knew his challenge was to deal with the likability factor,&#8221; <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/10/02/nbcs-welker-dems-were-panicked-about-vances-likability-during-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Welker said</a>. &#8220;The fact that in our poll, he’s the second-most disliked running mate in history. And so I was getting texts from Democrats — panicked, quite frankly — who were saying, &#8216;Wow, he’s really moderating himself on a lot of these issues. He’s the most likable he’s ever been.'&#8221;
Welker also said Democrats will try to make Vance saying he wanted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vp-debate-vance-argues-censorship-is-threat-to-democracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focus on the future</a> rather than dwell on issues related to the 2020 election into a &#8220;flash point&#8221; by turning it into an ad. She added, &#8220;They believe that is going to be a way to really try to appeal to that very small sliver that is still undecided, but moderate, independent suburban voters.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Early <a href="https://x.com/CurtisHouck/status/1841329314064658701" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveys</a> indicated Vance edged out Walz on Tuesday, though it remains to be seen how their performances could impact the 2024 election. Polls showed a <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/national/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">close</a> race leading up to the VP debate. Vance is former President Donald Trump&#8217;s VP pick and Walz is Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; running mate. As of press time, it appears there will be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/too-far-down-the-line-trump-again-rebuffs-kamalas-push-for-another-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no more debates</a> in the presidential contest.
&#8220;Today&#8221; co-anchor Savannah Guthrie noted that Walz&#8217;s effort in the debate &#8220;wasn&#8217;t a disaster, but it certainly wasn&#8217;t a tour-de-force,&#8221; and asked what people are saying about how he did against Vance.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walz-falls-flat-in-debate-and-dems-pivot-from-consequential-vp-kamala-to-vps-control-nothing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walz Falls Flat In Debate, And Dems Pivot From ‘Consequential’ VP Kamala To ‘VPs CONTROL NOTHING’</a>
NBC News senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson, who appeared on the show along with Welker, said she thinks Democrats &#8220;are frustrated that he wasn’t a little bit more the Tim Walz that Kamala Harris picked to be his vice presidential nominee because he is great on television in the eyes of the campaign,&#8221; but they saw promise in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/us/politics/vance-jan-6-debate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;moment&#8221; he retorted</a> against Vance over January 6.

Sen. JD Vance

Dems ‘Panicked’ About Vance Being So Likable In VP Debate, NBC’s Welker Says

Debates

JD Vance

“Live from New York … it’s Democratic Talking Points!”
“Saturday Night Live’s’ 50th season won’t kick off that way, but it might as well admit the obvious.
The once-mighty sketch show, an institution which gave rise to some of Hollywood’s biggest comedy stars, is now little more than MSNBC with musical guests.
Sound harsh? Quick, name the last sketch that skewered a Democratic politician. How many jokes did “SNL” tell about President Joe Biden’s obvious mental decline? The progressive’s retreat on free speech? Vice President Kamala Harris’ word salad speeches?
Squatters gone wild? Big-city crime spikes? Illegal immigration impacting small town USA?
To paraphrase Dean Wormer from “Animal House” … zero point zero.
<div id="attachment_803293" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-803293" class="size-large wp-image-803293" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-2151021809-864x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1862 -- Pictured: (l-r) Marcello Hernández as Kristi Noem's other dog and anchor Colin Jost during Weekend Update on Saturday, May 4, 2024 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-2151021809-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-2151021809-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-2151021809-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-2151021809.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images</div>
When Sen. Ted Cruz caught heat for being away from Texas during a winter storm he caught holy heck from Team “SNL.” Get the drift?
It’s impossible to miss the show’s extreme bias, an echo of late-night television in the post-Johnny Carson world.
The show’s key players, including founder Lorne Michaels, are either kidding themselves about the show’s new normal or think it’s funny to lie about it. Michaels told The Hollywood Reporter that <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/snl-interview-trump-jokes-2024-election-lorne-michaels-future-1236005680/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“SNL” still hits both sides of the aisle</a>. Really.
<blockquote>You can’t lecture the audience, which most of politics is now, people lecturing the audience. Ours is like, yeah, there are kind of idiots on both sides. And we’re not going to do anything that didn’t work at dress [rehearsal]. It has to play. It has to be comedy. We’re first and foremost a comedy show.</blockquote>
That’s not a new show writer or a gullible cast member. It’s the comedy genius who introduced “Saturday Night Live” to us all the way back in 1975.
The show’s early days cast a huge shadow on the new cast. Said shadow grows even longer this Fall.
“Saturday Night,” <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/snl-the-movie-chevy-chase-john-belushi-casting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hitting theaters</a> Oct. 11, recalls the frantic 90 minutes prior to the very first “SNL” episode. Chaos! Excitement! Counter-culture comedy! It’s all there, directed by Oscar-nominee Jason Reitman.
<div id="attachment_803287" style="width: 473px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-803287" class="size-large wp-image-803287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/MV5BMTVkODFiYjMtYWRiNi00MjE4LThmNjQtOGMwMmI3ZTA5OTY4XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-463x576.jpg" alt="'Saturday Night' 2024. Columbia Pictures/SPE. Broadway Video. Right of Way Films. SNL Studios. IMDB." width="463" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/MV5BMTVkODFiYjMtYWRiNi00MjE4LThmNjQtOGMwMmI3ZTA5OTY4XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-463x576.jpg 463w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/MV5BMTVkODFiYjMtYWRiNi00MjE4LThmNjQtOGMwMmI3ZTA5OTY4XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-241x300.jpg 241w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/MV5BMTVkODFiYjMtYWRiNi00MjE4LThmNjQtOGMwMmI3ZTA5OTY4XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_.jpg 644w" sizes="(max-width: 463px) 100vw, 463px" />&#8216;Saturday Night&#8217; 2024. Columbia Pictures/SPE. Broadway Video. Right of Way Films. SNL Studios. IMDB.</div>
Mostly unfamiliar faces bring Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner and the original &#8220;Not Ready for Prime-Time Players&#8221; back to screens across the country.
The film is earning raves from early festival screenings. It also reminds fans why the show once delivered must-see comedy. Not every joke landed, of course. Others have aged poorly. If the sight of John Belushi in a bee costume makes you howl in 2024, you may need professional help.
That unpredictability was part of the show’s appeal. You didn’t know what might happen next. Yes, it was live, and that element helped. The cast members dug into the show’s free-spirited ways, pushing the comedy envelope early and often.
<div id="attachment_803325" style="width: 745px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-803325" class="size-large wp-image-803325" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-138439855-735x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 20 -- Pictured: (l-r) Gilda Radner as Lisa Loopner, Bill Murray as Todd DiLaMuca during the 'Nerd Prom' skit on May 20, 1978 (Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="735" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-138439855-735x576.jpg 735w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-138439855-300x235.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-138439855-768x602.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-138439855.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px" />NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images</div>
All it took was one irreverent sketch to fuel water cooler gossip for days.
The show’s finely tuned anarchy spoke to an era grappling with the end of the Vietnam War, the fallout from Watergate and an energy crisis. 
Years later, “SNL” morphed into a comedy incubator: Aykroyd. Belushi. Murray. Chase. Murphy. Carvey. Rock. Sandler. Ferrell. Fey. It may have lost some of its comic edge, but it hit both sides of the political aisle and kept the focus where it belonged.
Is it funny? Then it makes the final cut.
<div id="attachment_803299" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-803299" class="size-large wp-image-803299" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-488340214-869x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 3 -- Pictured: (l-r) Lorne Michaels, Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd during the 'Weekend Update' skit on October 15, 1977 -- (Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-488340214-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-488340214-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-488340214-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-488340214.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images</div>
The current “SNL” lacks both laughs and cultural clout. When was the last time “SNL” broke out a major comedy star? Current player Bowen Yang has snagged steady big-screen work, but he’s never the star and his films typically make “indie-film” cash.
The media will prop up the show’s 50th season, giving every anti-Trump sketch wall-to-wall coverage. A shrinking band of progressives will tune in to see how the show hits Trump in the weeks before the election.
They know the show’s comedic targets even if they don’t know every punchline word for word.
<h4><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a></h4>
Everyone else has found new comedy faces to speak Truth to Power. Think Tim Dillon, Ryan Long, Andrew Schulz, Tyler Fischer and Shane Gillis. These comedians didn’t need “SNL” to jump-start their careers. Gillis famously got fired from the show before he could step on its historic stage for past “problematic” jokes.
He returned four years later as a show host, his presence proving “SNL” needed him far more than he needed the NBC showcase.
The rest reach out via Patreon, YouTube, stand-up stages, Netflix specials and podcasts, bypassing both Hollywood and the once-might “SNL” incubator.
You never know what they’ll say next or who they’ll target with the next withering punchline. That sense of chaos once lived in “SNL’s” creative DNA. Now, that’s all but gone, replaced by corporate groupthink and an unwillingness to rock the boat.
Remember how guest player Brad Pitt feted Dr. Anthony Fauci during the pandemic? Or how several cast members serenaded outgoing President Barack Obama with the song, <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/snl-ends-musical-sidney-poitier-inspired-obama-dedication-sir-love-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“To Sir, With Love?”</a> Later, “SNL” player Jay Pharoah admitted the show <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/jay-pharoah-snl-obama/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“gave up”</a> on mocking Obama during his two terms in office.
<div id="attachment_803311" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-803311" class="size-full wp-image-803311" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1212203412.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- At Home -- Episode 1784Q -- Pictured in this screengrab: Brad Pitt as Dr. Anthony Fauci during the &quot;Fauci Cold Open&quot; on Saturday, April 25, 2020 -- (Photo by: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1212203412.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1212203412-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1212203412-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images</div>
What about Kate McKinnon warbling a mourning take on “Hallelujah” after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump?
Is this comedy or DNC propaganda? The line isn’t even blurry on most nights.
“SNL” once invited both Trump and Elon Musk to host the show. Would NBC brass allow either to do the same today, even if the ratings would likely be huge? 
That says it all.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://x.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Saturday Night Live – Season 49

At 50, SNL Is Alive But Barely Breathing

Bill Murray

Chevy Chase

Colin Jost

Movies

Satire

“Today” show’s Hoda Kotb definitely got everyone’s attention when she announced she was leaving as host to focus on raising her two kids after nearly three decades on NBC News.
On Thursday, the 60-year-old NBC host said that when she celebrated turning 60 last month, it prompted her to make a change in her lifestyle and that was stepping down as host and spending more time with her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, the “<a href="https://www.today.com/news/hoda-kotb-leaving-today-show-rcna172812">Today</a>” show reported.
&#8220;I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,&#8221; Kotb said. &#8220;I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, &#8216;This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.'&#8221;
“And I thought it can&#8217;t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on,” she added. &#8220;Obviously, I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hoda Kotb has announced that she is leaving TODAY early next year. <a href="https://t.co/sXuRsDbNnI">pic.twitter.com/sXuRsDbNnI</a>
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1839280777323806812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world,” the NBC host continued, getting emotional. &#8220;It&#8217;s kind of a big deal for me. I&#8217;ve been practicing so I wouldn&#8217;t cry, but anyway, I did.&#8221;
Kotb, who has spent 26 years at NBC News, said she won’t be leaving until the first part of next year, but will always be part of the NBC family, the outlet noted.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Savannah Guthrie &#8212; whom Kotb co-anchored the show with for more than 5 years &#8212; also broke down and told Hoda how much they loved her and how they “don&#8217;t want to imagine this place without” her.
&#8220;So it&#8217;s complicated because we love you so much, and we don&#8217;t want you to ever go,&#8221; Guthrie said. &#8220;But also I just want to say I am so proud of my friend. You have guts. For someone to leave at the top of their game, to leave something that&#8217;s wonderful that you love, where it&#8217;s easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun, and say, &#8216;But I dream bigger for myself into the great unknown.&#8217; You have so much guts. You inspire me. I love you.&#8221;
Hoda also hosts the fourth hour of the “Today” show with former President George W. Bush’s daughter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jenna-bush-hager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenna Bush Hager</a>, who also got choked up about her departure.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not over,&#8221; Jenna Bush Hager said. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to be showing up at your house like the stalker you are to Zac Brown. I will be there on your doorstep, and we are your friends forever.&#8221;
In 2013, Kotb began dating financier Joel Schiffman. In 2017, the host announced she’d adopted a little girl, Haley, and two years later shared the news she’d adopted a second daughter, Hope. Later that year, Kotb made headlines with news that she and Schiffman were engaged. However, in January 2022, the host said they’d called off their engagement. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jenna-bush-hager-says-her-wedding-mightve-been-very-different-if-shed-taken-then-president-bushs-advice-and-eloped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenna Bush Hager Says Her Wedding Might’ve Been Very Different If She’d Taken Then-President Bush’s Advice And Eloped</a>

Today – Season 67

‘Today’ Show Host Announces She’s Leaving To Focus On Raising Her Kids

Jenna Bush Hager

TODAY Show

Menu

NBC