The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Defense Department could begin implementing a ban on trans-identifying service members, prompting The Hill to publish a <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5285674-transgender-military-ban-supreme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">response</a> that read more like a partisan temper tantrum than an unbiased report.
In the opening paragraph, the authors complained that the Supreme Court — which is, by definition, the nation&#8217;s highest court and the final say in all legal matters — was somehow &#8220;undermining&#8221; the [obviously correct] decisions that had been issued previously by lower courts. The paragraph went on to assert that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had &#8220;broadly sought to restrict transgender rights.&#8221;
<blockquote>The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Trump’s administration to begin enforcing a ban on transgender troops serving openly in the military, undermining two lower court decisions and handing a victory to an administration that has broadly sought to restrict transgender rights.</blockquote>
Several paragraphs detailing the decision — which thus far only lifts the injunction on the ban&#8217;s implementation — and the fact that &#8220;the Court&#8217;s three liberal justices publicly dissented&#8221; followed. And then the authors pivoted, loading up on the loaded language and turning the attack on the policy itself.
First, they took aim at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s argument that trans-identifying individuals, particularly those who are dependent upon medical treatments such as cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures and follow-ups, are considered non-deployable and therefore not mission-capable. Instead of presenting evidence refuting Hegseth&#8217;s point, the authors attacked the argument itself — and claimed that it was the same logic used to bar black, gay, and female troops from serving in the past.
<blockquote>The Trump administration’s policy states that transgender individuals cannot meet the “rigorous standards” needed to serve, and allowing their participation threatens military readiness and unit cohesion, an argument long used to keep marginalized groups, including Black and gay people and women, from serving in the military.</blockquote>
What followed after that was a series of comments from critics of the ban:
<ul>
<li>Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign: &#8220;By allowing this discriminatory ban to take effect while our challenge continues, the Court has temporarily sanctioned a policy that has nothing to do with military readiness and everything to do with prejudice.&#8221;</li>
<li>32 trans-identifying service members: Allowing the administration to enforce its ban on trans military service would cause transgender troops “reputational, professional, and constitutional harm that can never be undone.”</li>
<li>Attorneys for seven active duty trans-identifying service members: &#8220;An unprecedented degree of animus towards transgender people animates and permeates the Ban: it is based on the shocking proposition that transgender people do not exist,” they wrote. “Along with other recent executive orders targeting transgender people for opprobrium and discrimination, the Ban claims that having a gender identity that differs from one’s birth sex is a ‘falsehood’ or ‘false claim.’&#8221;</li>
</ul>
The article concluded with the text of Trump&#8217;s executive order barring trans-identifying service members, using it solely as a set-up for the authors&#8217; assessment that it was &#8220;one of several to deny the existence of trans, nonbinary and intersex people.&#8221;

Pete Hegseth

Supreme Court Allows Military To Implement Trans Ban; The Hill Hardest Hit

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The Hill published a possible plan that could propel California Governor <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> (D) directly to the presidency, passing by Vice President <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a>, without it ever coming to a vote before the American people.
The <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3728474-heres-a-game-plan-biden-replaces-harris-with-newsom-and-then-resigns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> was outlined by former Pentagon and White House official <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Douglas-MacKinnon/75407929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Douglas MacKinnon</a> — who worked under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush in the eighties and early nineties — and it earned an enthusiastic thumbs down from <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fivethirtyeight</a> statistician Nate Silver.
&#8220;The competition is fierce but this is a top 5 worst political take of all time,&#8221; Silver <a href="https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1591494942244962306">said</a>.
The plan MacKinnon described was simple: all President Joe Biden had to do was replace VP Harris with Newsom — after which he could resign, leaving Newsom seated comfortably in the Oval Office less the wear and tear from an actual campaign.
Despite the plan being simple, MacKinnon noted, the situation was quite complicated. First, he argued that the expected &#8220;Red Wave&#8221; that failed to materialize as a result of Tuesday&#8217;s midterms elections was the result of either &#8220;Trump fatigue&#8221; or plain vanilla hatred of the former president — but what could have been channeled into massive gains for the Democrats was tempered by the fact that voters just don&#8217;t like Biden (or Harris) much either.
&#8220;As long as [Trump] is still considered a potentially viable candidate for 2024, or a political force by the left, that fatigue and hate will be enough to drive many Americans to the polls to vote against any Republican,&#8221; MacKinnon continued, positing that Biden was only as strong as his potential Republican opponent was weak.
But he said that he didn&#8217;t believe the former president was likely to run — although he did expect a fair amount of protracted drama surrounding his potential &#8220;announcement&#8221; — which meant that Democrats would have to be prepared to face a stronger ticket. The ticket MacKinnon thought was likely — and strong — included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and possibly former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
&#8220;What Tuesday’s voting demonstrated is that our country is still equally divided and deeply polarized, with no political healing on the horizon,&#8221; MacKinnon wrote. &#8220;That reality speaks to the need for a proven vote-getter with lots of money and a logistical machine behind him. In Politics 101, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) meets — maybe even exceeds — those qualifications.&#8221;
MacKinnon offered two possible routes that Newsom could take to the White House, and neither required him to win a Democratic primary or a general election without the power of White House experience behind him. Not only that, but he argued it would be &#8220;political malpractice&#8221; for the Democrats to not at least consider this option.
&#8220;In one scenario, Biden could ask Harris to resign and replace her with Newsom, who then becomes the heir apparent for 2024. Or Biden could replace Harris with Newsom and then resign himself, making Newsom the president before 2024 and arming him with the full force of the Oval Office,&#8221; he said.

California Gov. Newsom And West Coast Leaders Sign Climate Agreement

The Hill Explains How Democrats Could Propel Gavin Newsom To The Presidency, No Vote Necessary

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Critics on social media lambasted a column arguing that Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> (D-NY) is the best hope for Democrats to win the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election">2024 presidential election</a>.
The column, entitled &#8220;<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3583238-aoc-is-the-democrats-best-shot-against-trump-in-2024/">AOC is the Democrats’ best shot against Trump in 2024</a>,&#8221; was published by The Hill Tuesday. In the article, author Michael Starr Hopkins, a Democratic PR strategist, argues that Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s social media presence and frequent clashes with Democratic leadership puts her in prime position to beat former President Trump in 2024.
&#8220;[AOC] is less of a personality and more of a movement,&#8221; Hopkins writes. &#8220;She’s an influencer in its purest form. Her ability to relate to her supporters and allow them a glimpse into her private life is a blueprint for Democrats trying to act less like mannequins and more like humans.&#8221;
Hopkins goes on to tout the far-left &#8220;Squad&#8221; member, saying that she &#8220;isn’t beholden to corporations, is a prodigious small-dollar fundraiser, and could out-Trump Trump like no other politician has been able to.&#8221;
&#8220;She’s Barack Obama if Barack Obama was an actual progressive,&#8221; he adds.
Hopkins goes on to tout AOC&#8217;s upset primary victory over former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in 2018. He also touted her actions since taking office. &#8220;It would have been easy for her to walk into Congress and hire nothing but communications staff,&#8221; writes Hopkins. &#8220;It would have been easy for her to sell out and do the cash grab. She could have publicly made Nancy Pelosi and Charles Schumer’s lives a living hell just to show off for her supporters.&#8221; Instead, he claims, AOC has established herself by taking corporations and industry leaders to task, and challenging moderates like Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Citing <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-biden-2024/index.html">polls</a> showing that the overwhelming majority of Democrats want someone other than President Joe Biden to run for President in 2024, Hopkins claims that AOC &#8220;would electrify the party’s base, turn out the youth at record levels and bring the party together by acknowledging the threat posed by electing Trump Republicans.&#8221;
Hopkins also says that in the age of social media and sound bites, AOC is uniquely prepared to take on Trump or another challenger like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
&#8220;If anyone is prepared to unify the Democratic Party and put the focus back on the working class, it’s AOC,&#8221; Hopkins concludes. &#8220;Republicans laugh, Democrats fawn, but if voters trust her, we could finally be looking at the first woman president.&#8221;
Twitter users, Right and Left, roasted the article.
&#8220;Alternative headline: &#8216;Democrats admit they have no shot in 2024’” Save America PAC Communications Director <a href="https://twitter.com/TayFromCA/status/1554533240169447424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1554533240169447424%7Ctwgr%5E944984894c1037a3d5546fef1bafb58bd61c1ff6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FTayFromCA2Fstatus2F1554533240169447424widget%3DTweet">Taylor Budowich</a> wrote.
&#8220;LOL if you really want to motivate GOP voters to turn out then go ahead,&#8221; Blaze Media Curation Editor <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCPandolfo/status/1554536444051570700?s=20&amp;t=_sLhWF6mDeGrKhytLmvyNw">Chris Pandolfo</a> opined.
“Please, Please, Please, Pretty Please, run her,&#8221; Law Enforcement Today Senior National Law Enforcement Contributor <a href="https://twitter.com/odonnell_r/status/1554547656025903108?s=20&amp;t=msAQckfy2zCYJwa2LLOrag">Rob O&#8217;Donnell</a> commented.
&#8220;No, a 32 year-old, fairly inexperienced and largely unpopular congresswoman from a deep blue part of the country without a serious legislative track record is not, in fact, the Democratic Party’s best shot against Trump in 2024,&#8221; user @RyanJakubowski tweeted.
&#8220;AOC would be unlikely to win a jungle primary -&gt; general election in her district, and there&#8217;s a reason she&#8217;s never going to run for any statewide position. Her being the local rep for a lot of online media types has massively blown her actual relevance out of proportion,&#8221; user @SashoTodorov1 added.

US-POLITICS-OCASIO-CORTEZ

Critics Roast Column Claiming AOC Is Dems’ Best Bet To Beat Trump In 2024

Critics Roast Column Claiming AOC Is Dems' Best Bet To Beat Trump In 2024

2024 Election

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Twitter

Members of President Joe Biden&#8217;s Democratic Party are fed up — and speaking their expletive-filled minds.
“It’s really simple: ‘Be the fucking president!,” one Democratic strategist recently said, <a href="https://thehill.com/news/administration/3515229-democrats-frustrated-by-flat-footed-white-house/?email=d1de3e639d7dc123a435bb5076426b6d715a0f97&amp;emaila=56b2922aa75db42e69d122704a1046cb&amp;emailb=bf707b901b554730181bbc609e50c98b17eaf84247ffc7a818b3b806c416edcb&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=06.08.22%20KB%2010%20AM%20News%20Alerts%20-%20WITH%20ADS&amp;utm_term=News%20Alerts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to The Hill. “I realize it’s tough and you’re drinking out of a fire hose every single day, but there are things you can do to control the public perception and they haven’t done any of that.”
Biden does keep stepping in it. For instance, his Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-1e54ff345ab2a4be93f2e24d991e4450">shut down</a> a major baby formula producer for possible health code violations, but then the president appeared blindsided when supply dwindled, forcing parents to hunt for formula. Officials in the administration and corporate leaders have alternately <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/01/us-nearing-deal-baby-formula-australia-00036277">said</a> it was widely known the supply of formula would drop off, but Biden recently said he didn&#8217;t know until April.
The president has also been criticized for being slow off the mark on gas and food prices, as well as inflation in general.
“It may come down to not understanding what they’re up against — both the media environment and today’s GOP,” another Democratic strategist, Christy Setzer, said, according to The Hill. “Biden did speak out on guns, on baby formula, on inflation … but the traditional tactics aren’t breaking through, and it doesn’t seem as though they’re taking in that information, re-trenching, and trying new approaches when it’s falling flat.”
Biden has privately been whining about his press coverage. A sudden departure of a slew of press staffers followed several reports by mainstream media outlets cataloging dysfunction and turmoil in the White House.
NBC News posted a piece last week <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-white-house-adrift-rcna30121">headlined</a>, &#8220;Inside a Biden White House adrift,&#8221; which said, &#8220;Amid a rolling series of calamities and sinking approval ratings, the president’s feeling lately is that he just can’t catch a break — and that angst is rippling through his party.&#8221;
&#8220;Faced with a worsening political predicament, President Joe Biden is pressing aides for a more compelling message and a sharper strategy while bristling at how they’ve tried to stifle the plain-speaking persona that has long been one of his most potent assets,&#8221; NBC News wrote. &#8220;Biden is rattled by his sinking approval ratings and is looking to regain voters’ confidence that he can provide the sure-handed leadership he promised during the campaign, people close to the president say.&#8221;
The Washington Post piled on with a piece <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/31/biden-inflation-frustration/">headlined</a>, &#8220;White House scrambles on inflation after Biden complains to aides,&#8221; which said Biden &#8220;fumes privately that administration isn’t doing enough to show concern on high prices.&#8221;
&#8220;The White House launched a new push Tuesday to contain the political damage caused by inflation after President Biden complained for weeks to aides that his administration was not doing enough to publicly explain the fastest price increases in roughly four decades,&#8221; the Post wrote.
Biden has gone so far as &#8220;reminding his staff that he’s the one who is president,&#8221; NBC wrote.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Former VP Joe Biden Addresses Chicago Council On Global Affairs

‘Be The F***ing President’: Democrats Rip Biden For Endless Series Of Blunders

'Be The F***ing President': Democrats Frustrated With President Joe Biden For Series Of Blunders

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Supreme Court Allows Military To Implement Trans Ban; The Hill Hardest Hit

The Hill Explains How Democrats Could Propel Gavin Newsom To The Presidency, No Vote Necessary

Critics Roast Column Claiming AOC Is Dems’ Best Bet To Beat Trump In 2024

‘Be The F***ing President’: Democrats Rip Biden For Endless Series Of Blunders