GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy allowed an angry pro-abortion heckler to interrupt his town hall in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Monday.
A video that went viral shortly after it was posted shows the candidate’s graceful handling of a heckler shouting down his event. Reacting to the viral video, Ramaswamy <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1678573379081629696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678573379081629696%7Ctwgr%5Ee5f231d80753c87f2d71425fb1453a6c98ebcf62%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fvivek-ramaswamy-responds-viral-video-liberal-protester-abortion-free-speech-absolutist">tweeted</a>, “I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me.”
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I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me. <a href="https://t.co/N8hWBChO0y">https://t.co/N8hWBChO0y</a>
&mdash; Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1678573379081629696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The female protester, who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/vivek-ramaswamy-responds-viral-video-liberal-protester-abortion-free-speech-absolutist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> herself as Kayla Crist, stood up and shouted at Ramaswamy, “Our SCOTUS won’t protect our women,” and “Republicans are raping women.” As Crist screamed at the Republican, attendants at the town hall attempted to escort the heckler out of the room, but Ramaswamy invited her back.
“I want to give her a chance to speak. Do you want to come back here?” he said. “You can say something to me — it’s okay. … You can ask me a question, and I will answer.”
The woman then turned around and approached the stage where Ramaswamy sat. “If somebody non-consensually rapes me, I’m not having their child. It is my choice, and my body,” she started.
Crist told Ramaswamy about her experience as a single mother, saying “I’m already raising a kid that somebody implanted in me and doesn’t take care of. The system does nothing for the single mother. There’s no child support, and no one goes after them. I have been raising a child by myself for eight years.”
“I am a mother, and my kid is successful.” Crist continued. “And I don’t want to be frowned upon. I don’t want to be put down because I’m a single mother. My kid is happy and successful.”
Ramaswamy responded by thanking the woman for raising her child and applauding her for her “courage” in speaking up at his event. 
“Thank you, Kayla. I want to say that one of the most important things is for a mother raising her children in this world,” he said. “Even if we have disagreements, I want to thank you for that,” Ramaswamy responded.
“And part of what it means to live in this country is we have free speech. We get to speak our minds openly, even if we all don’t agree on it,” the candidate continued. “So, let’s actually applaud her for the courage to come in and ask a question even though we don’t agree on it.”
Vivek Ramaswamy <a href="https://echelonin.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/June-2023-Omnibus-Topline-EXTERNAL-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> 10% in a recent Republican primary poll from Echelon, the first time the candidate reached double digits. Still, the Republican is <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/24_democratic_presidential_nomination-8171.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">far behind</a> former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in every poll so far.
The presidential hopeful also recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vivek-ramaswamy-introduces-scholarship-to-revive-patriotism-among-young-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he was committing $250,000 of his own money to a scholarship intended to “revive patriotism” in young Americans.

GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Campaigns In Chicago

Vivek Ramaswamy Allows Angry Protester To Interrupt His Event: ‘I’m A Free Speech Absolutist’

Vivek Ramaswamy Allows Angry Protester To Interrupt His Event: 'I'm A Free Speech Absolutist'

2024 Election

Free Speech

Hecklers

Iowa

Republican Primary

Townhall

Vivek Ramaswamy

Former Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-lays-out-timeline-for-presidential-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pence</a> will appear on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-announces-presidential-town-hall-with-nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> for a presidential town hall moderated by Dana Bash next month as the Republican mulls jumping into the GOP primary race.
The broadcast is set for Wednesday, June 7, at 9:00 p.m. ET from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Pence said last month that he would make a decision on running for president “well before late June,” and with a presidential town hall lined up, the former vice president’s decision appears to be coming within the next two weeks. 
Pence will field questions from the CNN anchor and a live audience made up of Iowa Republicans who plan to take part in the Iowa caucuses. The cable news network will hold a presidential town hall with GOP candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-announces-presidential-town-hall-with-nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikki Haley</a> on June 4, which will also take place in Iowa and be moderated by Jake Tapper. 
CNN held a town hall with former President Donald Trump on May 10 in a move that the network took heat for as Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-brings-rigged-election-fight-to-cnn-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sparred</a> with CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins over the 2020 election and the events of January 6. 
Pence, who lost favor with Trump following the January 6 Capitol riot, will likely face many questions regarding his relationship with the former president. In an <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mike-pence-voters-ready-move-past-trump-fresh/story?id=97926749#:~:text=Stream%20on-,Mike%20Pence%20says%20voters%20are%20ready%20to%20move%20past%20Trump,%2C%22%20he%20told%20ABC%20News.&amp;text=ABC%20News'%20Jonathan%20Karl%20interviews,%2C%20on%20%E2%80%9CThis%20Week.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC interview</a> in March, Pence said it was time for the Republican Party to move on from Trump and have a “fresh start.”
&#8220;I think the American people long for leadership at the highest level that&#8217;s focused on the issues that are affecting their lives. And also, I think they longed for leadership that will keep faith with our highest traditions,&#8221; Pence said. 
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Early Republican presidential polling shows Trump leading the pack with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-releases-campaign-launch-video-twitter-launch-crashes-app-as-servers-strained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his candidacy Wednesday, coming in second. Pence currently polls around 5% in lockstep with Haley. Other declared Republican candidates <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> below 5% include Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Mike Pence

CNN To Hold Presidential Town Hall With Mike Pence

Donald Trump

Media

Politics

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald J. Trump</a> has defied the odds again after becoming arguably the only Republican to do a CNN town hall and come away looking better for it. Yet, just because Wednesday night&#8217;s event was a boon for the 45th president does not mean that President Joe Biden — or CNN, for that matter — had a bad night.
In fact, it may have been a good event for all three.
Trump was vintage Trump. Replete with comedic timing, plain language policy, and politically incorrect jabs, he reminded many why he is so loved by a large swath of the country. They say you can judge a man by his enemies, and boy is that ever the case for Teflon Don and his audience at St. Anselm&#8217;s College that cheered on the GOP 2024 frontrunner. Just look how Joy Behar of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View&#8221; reacted to Trump and his supporters.
&#8220;I have to say — start this off with — I was wrong,” Behar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-would-like-to-know-if-cnn-was-passing-out-kool-aid-joy-behar-rages-over-republican-audience-at-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “[Sunny Hostin] said they shouldn’t show him and I said they should because I’m a very big defender of the First Amendment and I believe that everybody should show who they really are, and let’s vote accordingly.”
“What I didn’t know was that the audience would be filled with his cult!” she added. “I would like to know if CNN was passing out Kool-Aid before the event started.”
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&quot;That is not American!&quot; Joy Behar RAGES at CNN for having Republican voters at their Trump town hall, served them Kool-Aid. &quot;What I didn&#39;t know was that the audience would be filled with his cult!&quot; &quot;Why would CNN put only Republicans and people who love me in the audience?!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uW06fJP0ER">pic.twitter.com/uW06fJP0ER</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1656679174654836736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Behar was not alone.
Leftists such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and even CNN&#8217;s own Oliver Darcy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-scorched-inside-and-out-by-leftist-backlash-over-trump-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned and scolded</a> the network for showcasing Trump in the first place:
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It&#39;s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening. More in <a href="https://twitter.com/ReliableSources?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ReliableSources</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Rg44NsPLvb">https://t.co/Rg44NsPLvb</a>
&mdash; Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) <a href="https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1656519076708007938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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If you’re wondering how things went tonight for Trump, AOC is having a melt down over the fact this town hall even aired. Which means it was a big win for Trump. <a href="https://t.co/jHNij5eAUO">pic.twitter.com/jHNij5eAUO</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1656469095796158465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Though they feign outrage over Trump&#8217;s alleged &#8220;lies,&#8221; perhaps the real reason they were upset is that it gave the only president in recent history with no new wars under his belt a platform to advocate for things such as peace in Ukraine.
&#8220;I don’t think about it in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people,&#8221; Trump said when asked who he sides with in the conflict.
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CNN: &quot;Do you want Ukraine to win this war?&quot;
Trump: &quot;I don’t think about it in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people&quot;
*Massive audience applause* 
People just want peace. <a href="https://t.co/jJWkhGkBGG">pic.twitter.com/jJWkhGkBGG</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1656466455607537664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In short, throughout much of the performance, Trump crushed CNN, cemented his place as the lead GOP candidate, and expounded on his solutions to fix Biden&#8217;s messes. For example, he explained the solution to Biden&#8217;s energy crisis: &#8220;Drill baby drill.&#8221;
That does not mean he did not give the Biden camp any fodder for the weeks ahead.
As flagged by writer Pedro Gonzalez, Biden&#8217;s &#8220;aides couldn’t be happier because they saw &#8216;weeks worth of damning content,&#8217; and they’re going to put it to use for 2024.&#8221;
That includes comments that can be taken out of context, such as his remarks about the events on January 6, &#8220;rigged&#8221; elections, and other issues.
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On Twitter, Trump emerged triumphant from the CNN town hall, and it’s over for Biden. 
In reality, Biden was the biggest winner. His aides couldn’t be happier because they saw “weeks worth of damning content,” and they’re going to put it to use for 2024. <a href="https://t.co/HJ4lpHLgI1">https://t.co/HJ4lpHLgI1</a> <a href="https://t.co/HonESg74KA">pic.twitter.com/HonESg74KA</a>
&mdash; Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) <a href="https://twitter.com/emeriticus/status/1656626438882066433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Of course, it is early, and the American people tend to have short memories in politics, so Trump can overcome those errors. Yet, as Gonzalez also noted, the 2020 election, abortion, and painting the entire GOP as a party of insurrectionists was a key part of the Democratic Party&#8217;s playbook in 2022 — and it worked.
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But, perhaps Trump — or any GOP candidate for that matter — can use what we now know about Big Tech censorship of Hunter Biden&#8217;s laptop and other damaging stories, the CIA&#8217;s alleged interference in the 2020 race, as well as the lapdog media&#8217;s non-stop public relations campaign for the Left as proof that the 2020 election was &#8220;rigged&#8221; for Biden — but not necessarily via election fraud as described by Trump.
Critics say that Trump won&#8217;t shut his yap about the 2020 election, but as one astute town hall viewer told the outlet, CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins was the one who brought up the past in the first place:
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CNN: Why won’t Trump stop talking about 2020 and not 2024? 
Voter: Well the first question you asked him was about 2020 <a href="https://t.co/Sy80LgwkG5">pic.twitter.com/Sy80LgwkG5</a>
&mdash; Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1656522902391386112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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So, then, what is to become of CNN? Well, the Right is saying that Collins was awful, a typical CNN whiner who saw it as her duty to try and debate the president — rather than allow him to speak to the audience and answer relevant questions. The Left is claiming that CNN essentially fraternized with a terrorist by giving him airtime.
Yet, CNN CEO Chris Licht woke up the morning feeling great about it all, according to one report.  Licht allegedly told CNN staffers Thursday that &#8220;America was served very well by what we did last night” and Collins had a &#8220;masterful performance.&#8221; 
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Covering Trump is &quot;tricky and messy,&quot; Licht says, and it will &quot;continue to be messy and tricky, but it&#39;s our job.&quot; He confidently says &quot;America was served very well by what we did last night.&quot; Many CNN employees strongly disagree.
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1656647562173067265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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There is another reason Licht might be happy: Everybody is talking about his media company. The only thing worse in show business than being talked about is not being talked about at all, as the saying goes.  The ratings might show that the event was good for CNN&#8217;s bottom line.
So, it is possible that Trump, Biden, and CNN all walked away winners after Wednesday night&#8217;s event. Time will tell how that shapes the 2024 GOP primary and general election.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden, CNN, Donald Trump

Town Hall Trifecta: Good For Trump, Good For Biden, Good For CNN?

Town Hall Reaction: Good For Trump, Good For Biden, Bad For CNN?

2024

2024 Primaries

Joe Biden

Trump 2024

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> announced on Monday former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> would participate in a presidential town hall event next week, making way for Trump&#8217;s first appearance on the cable news network since the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2016-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 campaign</a>.
The event is set to take place in New Hampshire at 9 p.m. ET on May 10. It will be moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins.
At St. Anselm College, Trump will take questions from Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in New Hampshire&#8217;s GOP presidential primary, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/politics/donald-trump-town-hall/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the network</a>.
Trump, who is known to throw the &#8220;fake news&#8221; label at CNN, agreed to participate in the town hall after &#8220;CNN executives made a compelling pitch,&#8221; an adviser to the former president <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/01/2023/cnn-to-headline-town-hall-with-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Semafor</a>. The adviser also said Trump is &#8220;running to be president for all Americans.&#8221;
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CNN says Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in New Hampshire town hall next week; <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kaitlancollins</a> will moderate <a href="https://t.co/fBQaiMSFT8">pic.twitter.com/fBQaiMSFT8</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1653213918465081344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Polls examining the 2024 election <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generally show</a> Trump with a significant lead over the rest of the GOP primary field. The next closest Republican is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not announced a campaign but <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-set-jump-2024-presidential-fray-may-rcna81666" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly is moving in that direction</a>.
Trump is running his latest re-election campaign after losing the 2020 contest to now-President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>, who last week <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-makes-reelection-bid-official-at-age-80" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he is seeking a second term. This time around, Trump is facing a flurry of high-profile investigations, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manhattan-da-moves-to-restrict-trumps-access-to-some-evidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a case in Manhattan</a> in which he became the first former U.S. president to be criminally charged.
Some, including POLITICO, surmised that Trump agreeing to sit down with CNN was an <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/01/trump-to-sit-down-with-cnn-in-implicit-dig-at-fox-00094720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;implicit&#8221; swipe</a> at Fox News after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-threatens-to-skip-republican-debates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lashed out</a> at the Republican National Committee following its decision to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-will-host-first-2024-republican-presidential-primary-debate-milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick Fox News</a> to host the first 2024 presidential primary.
“When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP &amp; MAGA hating anchors asking the ‘questions,’ why subject yourself to being libeled and abused?” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110260496156494542" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to his Truth Social platform.
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CNN is facing <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-cnn-town-hall-b2330780.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blowback</a> and even calls for <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/cnn-faces-calls-boycott-over-including-trump-town-hall-1797711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a boycott</a> over its decision to host Trump for a town hall.
&#8220;Wow, apparently CNN figured out how to do real-time fact&#8211;checking that might prevent a bad-faith actor from making a flurry of false claims that would otherwise go unchallenged,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/pbump/status/1653116182172426265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quipped</a> Washington Post columnist Philip Bump. 
&#8220;Here it is, [CNN] committing journalistic suicide: If there was ONE consensus about 2024 it was that &#8216;covering&#8217; Trump the way they did in 2016 (handing him live blocks of free airtime with no fact-checking possible) was irresponsible,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1653121149465665543" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> former ESPN host and hard-Left commentator Keith Olbermann, adding, &#8220;And CNN&#8217;s doing it.&#8221;
A <a href="https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2023/05/01/cnn-to-host-live-town-hall-with-former-president-donald-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from CNN explained why the network set up a town hall with Trump.
&#8220;CNN has a longstanding tradition of hosting leading presidential candidates for Town Halls and political events as a critical component of the network’s robust campaign coverage,” the network said. &#8220;This event with former President Trump will be the first of many for CNN in the coming months as CNN correspondents travel across the country to hear directly from voters in the runup to the 2024 presidential election.&#8221;

Trump Makes Deal To Appear At CNN Town Hall, Leftist Commentators Immediately Freak Out

CNN Schedules Town Hall With Trump

Elections

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had a contentious meeting with border patrol agents, according to leaked audio.
President Joe Biden has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disaster-bidens-december-illegal-border-crossing-numbers-worse-than-3-previous-years-combined">overseen</a> the largest influx of migrants from the southern border in decades, with 178,840 illegal crossings occurring in December 2021 alone — a level higher than the December totals from 2020, 2019, and 2018 combined.
On Wednesday, Mayorkas was forced to acknowledge before Yuma Sector agents that the border is “worse now than it, frankly, has been in at least 20 years, if not ever,” according to meeting audio obtained by <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2022/01/26/audio-recording-of-dhs-sec-mayorkas-disastrous-tense-with-yuma-border-patrol-agen-n2602386">Townhall</a> reporter Julio Rosas.
&#8220;The job has not gotten any easier over the last few months and it was very, very difficult throughout 2021,” Mayorkas said. “I know apprehending families and kids is not what you signed up to do. And now we got a composition that is changing even more with Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and the like, it just gets more difficult.”
&#8220;I know the policies of this administration are not particularly popular with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but that&#8217;s the reality and let&#8217;s see what we can do within that framework,&#8221; he continued.
According to Rosas, one agent ended up turning his back on Mayorkas:
<blockquote>An agent pressed Mayorkas on how DHS can reconcile saying border security is the main mission for Border Patrol, yet agents are unable to patrol the border due to the policies the Biden administration has in place. Border Patrol agents are being utilized to process the thousands of illegal immigrants.
Mayorkas said he appreciated &#8220;the candor&#8221; and explained he is working to ensure agents have the personnel, funding, and equipment they need to do their job. The agent replied they have been hearing that answer for years. According to sources present at the meeting and the audio recording, the agent who asked the question then turned his back on Mayorkas. </blockquote>
&#8220;Let me just say, you can turn your back on me but I won&#8217;t turn my back on you,&#8221; Mayorkas responded — at which point the agent said Mayorkas turned his back on the agents first.
Another agent noted that it has been “demoralizing” to see politicians “demonize” agents; Mayorkas reportedly responded that he understood the feeling of being demonized, as he and his family have experienced threats.
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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Mayorkas also conceded that the border crisis is still not under control, adding later in the meeting that “it’s worse now than it, frankly, has been in at least 20 years, if not ever.”</div>
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According to Rosas, meeting attendees said that Mayorkas was visibly upset.
Beyond the national security concerns raised by high levels of illegal immigration, President Biden has also overseen a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-fentanyl-seized-at-u-s-borders-than-heroin-for-first-time-in-u-s-history">surge</a> in fentanyl imports. Between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, the amount of fentanyl intercepted by federal law enforcement has increased to 11,201 pounds, up from 4,791 pounds the previous fiscal year.
In December 2021, a United States Drug Enforcement Administration investigation showed a “direct link between fentanyl-related overdose deaths and criminal drug networks in Mexico.”
“Mexican criminal drug networks are harnessing the perfect drug trafficking tool: social media applications that are available on every smartphone,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. “They are using these platforms to flood our country with fentanyl. The ease with which drug dealers can operate on social media and other popular smartphone apps is fueling our Nation’s unprecedented overdose epidemic.”

Alejandro Mayorkas

Leaked Audio: Biden’s DHS Secretary Admits Border Is ‘Worse Now’ Than ‘In At Least 20 Years, If Not Ever’

Border Patrol

Illegal Immigration

President Joe Biden gave an interesting answer during a CNN town hall event to a restaurant owner who is struggling to find people to hire, telling the owner that his business might be in a “bind” for a while and suggesting that maybe other businesses with similar problems need to pay more money to workers.
&#8220;We employ hundreds of hard-working team members throughout the state of Ohio and across the country. And we&#8217;re looking to hire more every day as we try to restart our restaurant business,&#8221; John Lanni, a Republican, said to Biden. &#8220;The entire industry, amongst other industries, continue to struggle to find employees. How do you and the Biden administration plan to incentivize those that haven&#8217;t returned to work yet? Hiring is our top priority right now.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, two things, one, if you noticed, we kept you open,&#8221; Biden claimed. &#8220;We spent billions of dollars to make sure restaurants could stay open. And a lot of people who now — who worked as waiters and waitresses decided that they don&#8217;t want to do that anymore because there&#8217;s other opportunities at higher wages, because there&#8217;s a lot of openings now in jobs and people are beginning to move, beginning to move.
&#8220;There&#8217;s some evidence that maintaining the ability to continue to not — to not have your — have to pay your rent so you don&#8217;t get thrown out and being able to provide for unemployment insurance has kept people from going back to work. There&#8217;s no — not much distinction between not going back to work in a restaurant and not going back to work at a factory. So people are looking to change opportunities, change what they&#8217;re doing,&#8221; Biden continued.
&#8220;I think it really is a matter of people deciding now that they have opportunities to do other things and there&#8217;s a shortage of employees,&#8221; Biden later said. &#8220;People are looking to make more money and to bargain. And so I think your business and the tourist business is really going to be in a bind for a little while.&#8221;
&#8220;And one the things — we&#8217;re ending all of those things that are things keeping people back from going back to work, et cetera. It will be interesting to see what happens. But my gut tells me, my gut tells me that part of it relates to, you know, you can make a good salary as a waiter or waitress,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;One of my sister in laws is &#8212; of five sisters makes a very good salary. She works in Atlantic City. That&#8217;s where she&#8217;s from. But it is &#8212; there&#8217;s a lot of people who are looking to change their occupation. I think. But I could be wrong.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A restaurant owner asks Biden how his admin will incentivize returning to work. Biden suggests businesses should just pay better if they can’t find staff. <a href="https://t.co/v0ggrkHx0k">pic.twitter.com/v0ggrkHx0k</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1418018142983446533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Welcome back, everyone. We are live at a CNN town hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the president of the United States.
Straight to the audience for questions. This is John Lanni. He is the owner and co-founder of a restaurant group with 39 restaurants across the country, Mr. President. He is a Republican. John?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT: Hey, John.
QUESTION: Hey there, Mr. President. Thank you for taking my question tonight. We employ hundreds of hard-working team members throughout the state of Ohio and across the country. And we&#8217;re looking to hire more every day as we try to restart our restaurant business.
The entire industry, amongst other industries, continue to struggle to find employees. How do you and the Biden administration plan to incentivize those that haven&#8217;t returned to work yet? Hiring is our top priority right now.
BIDEN: Well, two things, one, if you noticed, we kept you open. We spent billions of dollars to make sure restaurants could stay open. And a lot of people who now &#8212; who worked as waiters and waitresses decided that they don&#8217;t want to do that anymore because there was other opportunities at higher wages, because there&#8217;s a lot of openings now in jobs and people are beginning to move, beginning to move.
There&#8217;s some evidence that maintaining the ability to continue to not &#8212; to not have your &#8212; have to pay your rent so you don&#8217;t get thrown out and being able to provide for unemployment insurance has kept people from going back to work. There&#8217;s no &#8212; not much distinction between not going back to work in a restaurant and not going back to work at a factory. So people are looking to change opportunities, change what they&#8217;re doing.
My deceased wife&#8217;s father-in-law was a restauranteur up in Syracuse, New York. And, by the way, he tried to &#8212; he had a restaurant that was in a town called Auburn, about 20,000 people, which was a flagship 24-hour-a-day restaurant that &#8212; and he offered it to me, which I would have been making five times what I would in law school to try to keep me in Syracuse. But I spent too many times at home hearing &#8212; in his home hearing a phone call, &#8220;The cook didn&#8217;t come in? He&#8217;s in a fight with his wife? What&#8217;s going on?&#8221;
BIDEN: So I would &#8212; God love you, doing what you do.
QUESTION: It&#8217;s tough.
BIDEN: But all kidding aside, I think it really is a matter of people deciding now that they have opportunities to do other things and there&#8217;s a shortage of employees. People are looking to make more money and to bargain. And so I think your business and the tourist business is really going to be in a bind for a little while.
And one the things &#8212; we&#8217;re ending all of those things that are things keeping people back from going back to work, et cetera. It will be interesting to see what happens. But my gut tells me, my gut tells me that part of it relates to, you know, you can make a good salary as a waiter or waitress.
One of my sister in laws is &#8212; of five sisters makes a very good salary. She works in Atlantic City. That&#8217;s where she&#8217;s from. But it is &#8212; there&#8217;s a lot of people who are looking to change their occupation. I think. But I could be wrong.</blockquote>

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

Biden To Restaurant Owner Struggling To Find People To Hire: ‘Your Business’ Is ‘Going To Be In A Bind For A Little While’

restaurants

On Thursday, ABC held a town hall event featuring Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bide, and if you thought some of the questioners selected to ask Biden might have been out of the norm, a little more politically savvy than the ordinary citizen, you’d be right. One man asking a question was a former speechwriter for former President Barack Obama&#8217;s administration, while a woman asking another question turned out to be the wife of a high-profile Democrat in Pennsylvania.
The man in question was Nathan Osburn, &#8220;a former speechwriter for the Obama White House. Osburn specifically worked for the Office of Public Affairs at the Commerce Department under the Obama-Biden administration and at the Small Business Administration,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-town-hall-questioners-former-obama-speechwriter-wife-pennsylvania-democrat">Fox News</a> reported. The ABC graphic referred to his profession as &#8220;communications&#8221; while he was depicted as hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Osburn was quoted in the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/debates-philadelphia-watch-parties-democratic-politics-pa-wednesday-thursday-president-20190626.html">Philadelphia Inquirer</a> earlier this year as ‘a former Obama administration speechwriter’ who had created a ‘Philly for Pete group’ aimed at boosting former Democratic presidential primary candidate Pete Buttigieg,” Fox News noted, adding, “the LGBTQ <a href="https://victoryinstitute.org/programs/presidential-appointments-initiative/lgbt-appointments-obama-biden-administration/">Victory Institute</a> listed Osburn as a senior speechwriter for the Small Business Administration in an article praising the Obama-Biden administration for its LGBTQ hiring practices.”
Osburn asked:
<blockquote>Our country’s first Supreme Court gave its first ruling is just two blocks from here from 1791 to 1800, and it’s become more polarized since then. Merrick Garland didn’t get a hearing for all of 2016 and Amy Coney Barrett is being pushed through at the last minute, even though millions have already voted. So what do you think about ideas from people like Pete Buttigieg and others to put in place safeguards that will help ensure more long-term balance and stability? And what do you say to LGBTQ Americans and others who are very worried right now about erosions of their rights and our democracy as a whole?</blockquote>
The woman in question was Mieke Haeck, who was termed a “physical therapist from State College, Pa.” Haeck’s husband is Ezra Nanes, who ran against Republican state Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman in 2018. Fox News pointed out, “Nanes is currently an at-large member of the Centre County Democratic Committee. Centre County is the county in which State College resides.”
Haeck asked:
<blockquote>I’m the proud mom of two girls, 8 and 10. My youngest daughter is transgender. The Trump administration has attacked the rights of transgender people, banning them from military service, weakening non-discrimination protections, and even removing the word transgender from some government websites. How will you, as president, reverse this dangerous and discriminatory agenda and ensure that the lives and rights of LGBTQ people are protected under US law?</blockquote>
On October 6, <a href="http://v">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reported:
<blockquote>NBC News featured a pair of &#8220;undecided&#8221; voters during a network town hall earlier this week who had previously declared their support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the network&#8217;s sister channel, MSNBC. Lawyer Peter Gonzalez and marketing executive Ismael Llano posed questions to Biden during a town hall on Monday, when he appeared before what the network described as an &#8220;audience of undecided Florida voters.” Both Gonzalez and Llano, however, were featured in an MSNBC segment in August to explain why they support Biden.</blockquote>

US-VOTE-BIDEN-TOWNHALL

One Questioner At Biden Townhall A Former Speechwriter For Obama Administration, Another The Wife Of Former Dem PA Candidate

ABC News

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