“Not good riddance, but riddance.”
That was late-night host <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/jimmy-kimmel-republican-viewers-lose-riddance-monologues-healthcare-gun-control-a8004011.html">Jimmy Kimmel’s reaction</a> way back in 2017 to a question about pushing his right-leaning fans away with his progressive transformation. This transformation only grew more pronounced during Trump 2.0.
It culminated in one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmels-late-night-show-indefinitely-after-charlie-kirk-comments?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=ABC+Pulls+Jimmy+Kimmel%E2%80%99s+Late+Night+Show+%E2%80%98Indefinitely%E2%80%99+After+Charlie+Kirk+Comments">ghastliest comments</a> ever uttered by a late-night host:
<blockquote>We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.</blockquote>
The public knew enough at that point to assume the killer targeted Kirk for his conservative views. More information came out the same day of Kimmel’s comments to seal the sad deal on the matter.
His lie ricocheted around social media and podcasts while legacy media outlets looked the other way. Then, some ABC affiliates balked, sending Kimmel to the bench, perhaps for good.
<div id="attachment_974611" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-974611" class="size-large wp-image-974611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2235598843-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Jimmy Kimmel is seen on September 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2235598843-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2235598843-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2235598843-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2235598843.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</div>
It caps a tumultuous eight years for the ex-“Man Show” host, one whose rude and crude brand gave way to lectures, finger-wagging, and the occasional tear.
We still don’t know all the details behind Kimmel’s benching. Sinclair, the company behind many ABC affiliates, pulled the show and demanded a full-throated apology from the far-Left Kimmel. Nexstar also axed the show, at least for now.
ABC then followed suit.
The decisions came after FCC chair Brendan Carr excoriated Kimmel’s comments on “The Benny Show” and suggested action may be required. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/18/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-fcc-carr.html">Carr followed up on those opinions via CNBC.</a>
<blockquote>It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time.</blockquote>
Carr has a legal leg to stand on, given ABC uses the public airwaves, but it still bears a whiff of danger to our collective free speech. The government shouldn’t get involved in speech matters, by and large. And First Amendment purists should watch matters closely, something the ACLU once did before becoming regretfully woke.
What’s obvious is how Kimmel abused his platform over the years, mocked others who got fired for sharing the “wrong” words, and embraced nuclear-grade hypocrisy.
Remember Roseanne Barr? The cranky mind behind the ABC sitcom bearing her name lost her job in 2018 after sending out one racially-charged tweet targeting a member of the Obama administration, Valerie Jarrett. Barr swiftly apologized and said she didn’t know Jarrett was black. ABC, owned by Disney, fired her anyway.
Kimmel’s response?
He joked that the <a href="https://x.com/TimcastNews/status/1968491997246730340">show should go on</a>, but this time focusing on her character’s husband, Dan, played by John Goodman. He couldn’t defend her or suggest ABC shouldn’t fire an employee for one awful post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Never forget how Jimmy Kimmel misrepresented <a href="https://twitter.com/therealroseanne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@therealroseanne</a> joke tweet and pushed for the network to take her show away. <a href="https://t.co/zok8WJN5nt">pic.twitter.com/zok8WJN5nt</a>
— Timcast News (@TimcastNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimcastNews/status/1968491997246730340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @TimcastNews/X.com
Some free speech hero. That would be a pattern.
When multiple social media platforms banned President Trump following the events of Jan. 6, Kimmel <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1968548319757480447">delighted in the news</a>. He used his then-Twitter account to share a cartoon of Trump unsuccessfully trying to access the site, a single tear dropping on his smartphone.
In 2021, Kimmel’s show shed announcer Dicky Barrett because the musician refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine, per ABC’s orders. Did Kimmel fight on his behalf? That remains unknown. He did not, however, fight for him in the public space, that’s for sure.
Kimmel’s COVID-19 commentary could be callous, if not downright cruel. When worries surfaced about having enough hospital beds to treat sick Americans, Kimmel suggested those who didn’t take the vaccine <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-says-unvaccinated-people-140553383.html">should be shut out</a>.
<blockquote>That choice doesn&#8217;t seem so tough to me … Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right on in. We&#8217;ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.</blockquote>
He also <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/04/jimmy-kimmel-coronavirus-protesters?srsltid=AfmBOorWrhw2rxRug6RyhOhwbZhnH5gg-uhaeltINk2VUx55WZjwz9Xj">mocked ordinary Americans</a> who protested the extreme lockdowns that threatened to shutter their homegrown businesses for good.
Later, when Fox News showed Tucker Carlson the door in 2024, Kimmel danced on the <a href="https://x.com/mazemoore/status/1968502145788809291">conservative’s professional grave</a>.
<blockquote>Tucker couldn’t be reached for comment. He’s already on a plane to Moscow to meet with his manager.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
2023. Jimmy Kimmel celebrates Tucker Carlson getting fired from Fox. <a href="https://t.co/KkvVRc4At6">pic.twitter.com/KkvVRc4At6</a>
— MAZE (@mazemoore) <a href="https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/1968502145788809291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @mazemoore/X.com
Perhaps his most egregious act as a so-called comedian came when he hosted a fundraiser for then-President Joe Biden last year. That move shredded whatever remained of his fair-and-balanced pose, but he made things much worse after the fact.
The fundraiser showed President Biden freezing up during the finale. Former President Barack Obama had to gently guide the addled leader off the stage. The moment was caught on video. We all saw it, and most already knew that Biden’s cognitive state was in question.
What did Kimmel do after the fact? He seemingly lied to his audience, telling them <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/jimmy-kimmel-biden-fundraiser-lie/">they couldn’t trust their eyes.</a>
Kimmel isn’t just a partisan. He’s so hard-Left that he greeted President Trump’s re-election last year with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-literally-cries-over-trump-win-suggests-trump-voters-are-stupid">the tears of a former clown</a>.
<blockquote>[The election] was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.</blockquote>
A few months later, he made light of fellow progressives <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/20/media/jimmy-kimmel-gave-marching-orders-to-vandalize-teslas-scott-jennings/">attacking Tesla dealerships</a> over CEO Elon Musk’s political maneuvers.
More recently, he joked that some of his show’s female staffers <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1166115/jimmy-kimmel-luigi-mangione-hot-kiiller-monologue-video/">were crushing on Luigi Mangione</a>, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood.
Ha ha ha.
Even his infamous Kirk comments came before he mocked President Trump for mourning the wrong way over the younger man’s assassination. Just ghoulish.
Not riddance, Jimmy. Good riddance.
* * *
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.

The Walt Disney Company Emmy Awards Party – Arrivals

Jimmy Kimmel: Cancellation And Consequences

Cancel Culture

Charlie Kirk

Entertainment

Hollywood

Jimmy Kimmel

Leftists

Trump Derangement Syndrome

Woke Culture

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked on Thursday that a &#8220;new version of TDS&#8221; seems to have emerged, specifically targeting President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariff policies, and reminded Democrats that they lost the presidential election last year while defending the sitting administration&#8217;s economic policies.
Shorthand for &#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome,&#8221; TDS refers to a phenomenon characterized by intense negative reactions to Trump, his actions, or his supporters. Republican lawmakers recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-searches-patient-zero-trump-derangement-syndrome-new-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a bill in the House to begin a study of its origins and identify potential solutions.
During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) <a href="https://x.com/RichSementa/status/1933185612636463228" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> Bessent on whether American consumers are paying the tariffs amid Trump&#8217;s trade war with other countries after pointing out that the secretary himself <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-speaks-to-walmart-ceo-dismisses-draconian-forecast-on-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conceded</a> nearly a month ago that retail giant Walmart could pass on price increases to consumers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>.
&#8220;Many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation &#8230; We saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been… <a href="https://t.co/KpYCPlUoA3">pic.twitter.com/KpYCPlUoA3</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933174639531901157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bessent accused the Democrat of &#8220;cherry-picking&#8221; to suit a narrative. &#8220;Walmart makes decisions based on their customers&#8221; while he said two other large retailers, Amazon and Home Depot, have chosen not to pass along the cost of tariffs.
&#8220;There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome, and many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation today,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933174639531901157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;As a matter of fact, we saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been no tariff recession. So no inflation, no recession due to tariffs.&#8221;
&#8220;Democrats are so out of touch and partisan that they refuse to acknowledge the President’s inflation wins and would actually prefer to see numbers rise,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1933183375227171099">wrote</a> in a post on X with a clip of his back-and-forth with Wyden.
At another point during the hearing, Bessent chided Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) during an exchange in which the Democrat lawmaker was loudly talking about tax cuts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> nukes <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBennet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBennet</a> on President Trump&#8217;s tax cuts: &#8220;We had a referendum on November 5th on our economic policies. Your side lost.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/MLQ3AbZ36P">pic.twitter.com/MLQ3AbZ36P</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1933175478455611657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sir, we had a referendum on November 5th on &#8230; economic policies. Your side lost,&#8221; Bessent said.
The secretary kept going, but Bennet started to speak over him.
&#8220;I agree with that, and I&#8217;m a rare Democrat who doesn&#8217;t blame Donald Trump for winning,&#8221; Bennet exclaimed. &#8220;I&#8217;m sad he won.&#8221;
Bessent shot back, &#8220;A higher decibel level does not give your statements more veracity.&#8221;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Testifies To Senate Finance Committee On Treasury Dept’s Budget

Bessent Identifies New Strain Of TDS, Reminds Dems They Lost The Election

Congress

Democrats

Donald Trump

Economy

Inflation

Politics

Scott Bessent

Tariffs

Trade War

Treasury Department

What are the origins of &#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome&#8221;? House Republicans would like scientists to find out.
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced a bill directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct or support research to &#8220;advance the understanding&#8221; of the phenomenon characterized by &#8220;intense emotional or cognitive reactions&#8221; to President Donald Trump.
The bill, titled the &#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) Research Act of 2025,&#8221; says &#8220;early documented references&#8221; emerged during Trump&#8217;s 2016 presidential campaign, including &#8220;certain media coverage amplifying polarized responses&#8221; to his rhetoric.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
However, the bill notes that its &#8220;precise origins remain understudied.&#8221; One of the research objectives listed in the legislation is to &#8220;identify the initial emergence or earliest documented cases (commonly referred to as &#8216;patient zero&#8217; or index cases) of TDS, including historical and social analyses to trace the onset of TDS.&#8221;
Known for his bombastic personality and commentary, Trump has long been a polarizing figure with a large number of supporters and critics. But some people have taken anti-Trump stances to such extremes as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-derangement-syndrome-on-steroids-msnbc-contributor-trump-crime-cult-wanted-people-to-die" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> there is a &#8220;Trump crime cult&#8221; wanting &#8220;people to die&#8221; and, in Congress, offering perpetual impeachment proposals.
“It’s a day that ends in ‘-Y’, which means liberal Democrats are again trying to impeach [the president] for delivering the will of the people,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) recently said in response to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-unveils-7-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yet another</a> impeachment bid. “TDS is strong. MAGA is stronger.”
There&#8217;s also the issue of violence. Last year, the situation took a dark turn when two assassination attempts were made against Trump as he campaigned for a second term in the White House.
Davidson&#8217;s bill also calls for an inquiry into psychological or behavioral impacts of TDS, contributing factors ranging from media exposure to political polarization, as well as potential interventions, coping mechanisms, and strategies to mitigate the effects of TDS.
&#8220;TDS has divided families, the country, and led to nationwide violence—including two assassination attempts on President Trump. The TDS Research Act would require the NIH to study this toxic state of mind, so we can understand the root cause and identify solutions,&#8221; Davidson said in a <a href="https://davidson.house.gov/2025/5/rep-warren-davidson-introduces-the-trump-derangement-syndrome-tds-research-act-of-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
He added: &#8220;Instead of funding ludicrous studies such as giving methamphetamine to cats or teaching monkeys to gamble for their drinking water, the NIH should use that funding to research issues that are relevant to the real world.&#8221;
Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) is an early co-sponsor of the bill.
&#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome has become an epidemic on the Left,” Moore said. “Some individuals who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome have participated in nationwide political and social unrest, even trying to assassinate President Trump twice. Rep. Davidson’s common-sense bill will use already appropriated funds on an NIH study that can make a difference.&#8221;
Davidson&#8217;s bill orders the NIH director to collaborate with the heads of other federal agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations. After two years, the NIH director must report to Congress on the progress of the research, any findings on the initial emergence or long-term effects of TDS, and recommendations for more research or public health actions.
The legislation, if passed into law, would use existing NIH resources and not require additional spending, according to Davidson&#8217;s office.

President Donald Trump

GOP Bill Tasks NIH With Finding ‘Patient Zero’ Of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

Woke leftism is totally on the ropes.
The Democrats don&#8217;t know what to do about this, but their entire centralizing philosophy is on the ropes.
Jeff Bezos is the owner of The Washington Post. When he bought the Post, he said he would not get involved in the editorial side of the newspaper. 
Then, the newspaper decided to become the repository of the most radical woke nonsense in all of American media. By doing so, The Washington Post blew out its credibility more than any other major newspaper in the country.
It had been the paper of record. It had been the paper of Watergate. It had been the paper that broke an enormous number of serious scandals about the American government.
And then it turned into Salon.com. It was Jennifer Rubin whining about how Donald Trump was a mean, bad man. It was Eugene Robinson whining about how America was terrible. It was all the usual suspects saying the most radical, stupid things.
The number of Washington Post subscriptions began to seriously dip because they weren&#8217;t making any of the same smart business moves The New York Times was making. The New York Times also became a liberal fan paper, but they also decided to diversify into Wordle.
That did not happen with The Washington Post, who simply kept doubling down on the anti-Trump radical leftism and the suggestion that boys weren&#8217;t just girls, boys had to be girls. This had to be taught to kids — the idea that all politics could be boiled down to racial and sexual identity along with the idea that capitalism was, in and of itself, bad.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2147-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
But now there is a new middle in America, and the new middle is pro free market. It&#8217;s a middle that doesn&#8217;t like the leftist idea that the American economy is rigged on behalf of white people, rigged on behalf of men.
It&#8217;s an American middle that believes in the American dream and thus believes in the idea, generally speaking, of capitalism. It&#8217;s also an American middle that, while fairly liberal about what their neighbors do, is not completely liberal about what their neighbors do — meaning if their neighbors decide to open a porn shop next door, the answer is no. If their neighbors decide the local public school is going to be teaching gender-queer, the answer is no.
That&#8217;s the new middle in America.
So, what does that mean? It means there is now a real market possibility of newspapers like The Washington Post reorienting. Bezos is not a traditional Republican. He is not someone who believes in traditional conservative social values. He&#8217;s not somebody who, as far as I am aware, is particularly hawkish on foreign policy.
But Bezos does exist in the business world and in the world of semi-rationality. So yesterday, Bezos announced he will be reorienting (and remaking) the Post’s editorial board. It is worth sharing <a href="https://x.com/JeffBezos/status/1894757287052362088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his statement</a> in full:
<blockquote>I shared this note with the Washington Post team this morning:
I’m writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages.
We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.
There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job.
I am of America and for America, and proud to be so. Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity.
I offered David Shipley, whom I greatly admire, the opportunity to lead this new chapter. I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t “hell yes,” then it had to be “no.” After careful consideration, David decided to step away. This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment —  I respect his decision. We’ll be searching for a new Opinion Editor to own this new direction.
I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void.</blockquote>
This is a sea change. It is a true recognition of the fact that The Washington Post never had a broad spectrum of opinion. The tacit recognition in Bezos’ announcement is that there might have been a time when The Washington Post was a sort of platform with a variety of opinions — Charles Krauthammer and George Mitchell used to write for The Washington Post —  but then something changed.
Once The Washington Post became the exclusive preserve of the radical Left on matters economic and social, it was no longer a platform. It became, in the most real sense, a publisher of only the content the editorial board wanted to publish.
So Bezos is now saying, “Listen, if that&#8217;s going to be the way this works, then I want the Post to publish things I want. I spent $100 million on this newspaper. I own this newspaper. I get to decide what&#8217;s in this newspaper.”
Good for him.
I think that we are exiting the era of “objective journalism” and moving toward the realization there is no such thing. The case can be made that there are journalists who do their best to remove their personal bias from situations, but the notion of there being an “objective news media” writ large was a lie and is a lie.
There&#8217;s a prism of politics through which the news is refracted at every one of these major publications. Everybody knows The Wall Street Journal editorial page tilts to the Right and The New York Times’ editorial page toward the Left.
I remember when Twitter (now X) was owned by Jack Dorsey — and when conservatives said that the standards that were being applied were unfair and that the standards Twitter professed to be applying were not actually the standards they were applying — people on the Left said, “Well, then, build your own.”
Then, Elon Musk bought it, and now the Left is whining about it.
The same is true here. When people complained about the editorial direction of The Washington Post, the Left said, “You don&#8217;t own The Washington Post. You don&#8217;t like it? Build your own.”
All of this is part and parcel of a radical sea change that is happening in American politics.
And it is driven by the Democrats, who are totally disconnected from reality.

Washington Post Shakes Up Leadership

The Washington Post Surrenders — To Reality

Ben Shapiro

Jeff Bezos

Journalism

Legacy Media

Opinion

U.S. Politics

Washington Post

Elon Musk says in an interview scheduled to air in full on Tuesday night that his first encountering someone who has so-called &#8220;Trump Derangement Syndrome&#8221; was like meeting someone on methamphetamines and who had also been infected with rabies.
The interview was conducted with Fox News host Sean Hannity, with President Donald Trump sitting beside Musk.
Hannity noted that he was surprised by how leftists have turned on Musk even though he supports initiatives like electric cars.
&#8220;I used to be adored by the Left,&#8221; Musk said. &#8220;Not anymore. Less so these days.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s this whole sort of, like, you know, they call it &#8216;Trump Derangement Syndrome,'&#8221; Musk said. &#8220;You don&#8217;t realize how real this is until you can&#8217;t reason with people.&#8221;
&#8220;I was at a friend&#8217;s birthday party in L.A., just a birthday dinner and it was a nice, quiet dinner,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And everyone was behaving normally. And I happened to mention, this was before the election, like, a month or two before, I happened to mention the president&#8217;s name.&#8221;
&#8220;And it was like they got shot with a dart in the jugular that contained, like, methamphetamine and rabies. Okay? And they&#8217;re, like, wah!&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And I&#8217;m, like, what is wrong? Guys, like, you can&#8217;t have, like, a normal conversation? They&#8217;ve become completely irrational.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Elon Musk describes his experience engaging with people who have “Trump Derangement Syndrome”
<a href="https://t.co/K5FlY4MwTC">pic.twitter.com/K5FlY4MwTC</a>
— America (@america) <a href="https://twitter.com/america/status/1891893095194599865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>

7th Viva Technology Conference In Paris – Day 3

Musk: Trump Derangement Syndrome Is Like ‘Methamphetamine And Rabies’

Elon Musk

General

Sean Hannity

California kicked off its new legislative term in a special session on Monday focused on making plans to thwart President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom convened the special session and wants the state legislature to approve a $25 million legal defense fund for the state’s justice department. The goal of the fund would be to “Trump-proof” the state against legal challenges from the Trump administration.
“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle. California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive,” Newsom said in a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/11/07/special-session-ca-values/#:~:text=The%20freedoms%20we%20hold%20dear,resources%20they%20need%20to%20thrive.">statement</a> last month announcing the special session.
Several of the policies that California Democrats want “Trump-proofed” include rules that block local and state authorities from working with federal immigration enforcement, as well as rules on California’s strict standards for vehicle emissions, according to the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-special-session-trump-19944927.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a>.
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California’s Democrats have banded together to promote resisting Trump. Sen. Alex Padilla appeared on CBS News on Sunday to tout Newsom’s approach to immigration. Padilla said that California would spend taxpayer funds providing legal services for illegal immigrants.
“If it’s legal assistance, legal advice, legal support, that’s just the California way. We embrace our diversity. Our diversity is what has made our communities thrive and our economy thrive. And so we will assist families against the threats of the Trump administration,” Padilla <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/ca-democrat-says-state-will-use-taxes-on-legal-assistance-for-migrants-against-threats-of-trump-admin-thats-just-the-california-way/">said</a>.
Padilla suggested that the state would fight any attempt to deport illegal aliens who were not considered to be “violent criminals.”
“If we wanted to sort of cut to the chase, you know, we’re hearing a lot of bombast from Trump and his allies about the biggest deportation operation in our country’s history, on the one hand, versus a – maybe a focus on violent criminals on the other,” he said. “Nobody – nobody disagrees with a focus on violent criminals.”
Trump tore into Newsom last month after the governor began to call for passing new laws aimed at thwarting Trump’s agenda and tying up federal action in court. The president-elect said in a post on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113448443776000306">Truth Social</a> that Newsom and other California Democrats are driving residents out of the state through “INSANE POLICY DECISIONS.”
“Governor Gavin Newscum is trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California. For the first time ever, more people are leaving than are coming in,” Trump said in the post. “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.”

Gavin Newsom

Newsom Looks To Create Legal Fund To Fight Trump Agenda In Court

California

The editor-in-chief of Scientific American announced Thursday that she would leave the publication days after facing backlash for profanity-laced social media posts about President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s supporters. 
Laura Helmuth, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/embarrassment-to-science-scientific-american-editor-blasted-for-ripping-trump-voters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that Generation X was “full of f***ing fascists” as Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris last week, said she would be moving on from the publication. Helmuth previously apologized for the comments, which she said did not reflect the views of Scientific American, the nation’s oldest continuously published magazine. 
“I’ve decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor in chief,” Helmuth <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurahelmuth.bsky.social/post/3lawlkjh6ns23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on the social media site Bluesky. “I’m going to take some time to think about what comes next (and go birdwatching).”
Under her post announcing her resignation, Helmuth posted links to several articles published under her leadership, including one that claimed &#8220;gender-affirming care for trans kids is good health care.&#8221;
Exit polls showed that Trump performed best with Generation X, generally considered those between the ages of 45 and 64. One exit <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/exit-polls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from NBC showed that Trump defeated Harris 54%-44% in that age range. Polling from <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/exit-polls-2024-us-presidential-election-results-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a> showed that Trump defeated Harris 50%-48% among those ages 40-49 and 56%-43% among those ages 50-64.
Her resignation comes after she posted on Bluesky asking for “advice for what workplaces can do to help people who are devastated by the election.”
In other posts, she said, “I apologize to younger voters that my Gen X is so full of f***ing fascists&#8221; and “Solidarity to everybody whose meanest, dumbest, most bigoted high-school classmates are celebrating early results because f*** them to the moon and back.&#8221;
“Every four years I remember why I left Indiana (where I grew up) and remember why I respect the people who stayed and are trying to make it less racist and sexist. The Moral arc of the universe isn’t going to bend itself,” she said in another post. 
<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>
On November 7, Helmuth posted an apology for the posts after criticism from figures like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, commentator Lex Fridman, and historian Michael Shermer.
“I made a series of offensive and inappropriate posts on my personal Bluesky account on election night, and I am sorry. I respect and value people across the political spectrum,” she posted. “These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results.”
Scientific American President Kimberly Lau thanked Helmuth in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/11/14/scientific-american-laura-helmuth-quits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to The Washington Post. 
“We thank Laura for her four years leading Scientific American during which time the magazine won major science communications awards and saw the establishment of a reimagined digital newsroom,” Lau said in a statement. “We wish her well for the future.”

Post Staff Portraits – Washington, DC

Top Scientific American Editor Out After Calling Trump Supporters ‘Fascists’

2024 Election

Media

Scientific American

On Tuesday, only two days after a gunman was arrested for allegedly targeting former President Donald Trump in the second assassination attempt on him in two months, MSNBC hosted a retired U.S. general who warned that Trump’s re-election would engender a generation of Nazi indoctrination.
Brigadier General Steven M. Anderson, who served as the Chief of Logistics Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff – J4, Logistics Readiness Center at the Pentagon before serving as the Multi-National Forces – Iraq, Director of Sustainment and Resources during Operation Iraqi Freedom, retired on March 1, 2010.
Speaking on MSNBC, Anderson stated, “Since 6 January, things have changed. Insurrection, I’ve said, ‘Now is the time to step up.’ I mean, what are we going to do? Are we going to wait until the jackboots are marching down the street, and the brown shirts come rolling out, and our kids get enrolled in Trump youth? Is that the time to start getting involved?”
<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>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Two days since the assassination attempt on Trump, a guest on MSNBC is calling Trump a Nazi.
&quot;Now is the time to step up—what are we going to do, wait until the Jack boots are marching down the street, the brown shirts come rolling out, and our kids get enrolled in Trump youth?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7dKqhZVMZA">pic.twitter.com/7dKqhZVMZA</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1836156000534987168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In December 2021, Anderson joined retired U.S. Army Major Paul D. Eaton and retired Army Major General Antonio M. Taguba to write in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/17/eaton-taguba-anderson-generals-military/">The Washington Post</a>:
<blockquote>
As we approach the first anniversary of the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/jan-6-insurrection-capitol/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4">deadly insurrection</a> at the U.S. Capitol, we — all of us former senior military officials — are increasingly concerned about the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and the potential for lethal chaos inside our military, which would put all Americans at severe risk. In short: We are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time.
</blockquote>
He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEwF0yWvOQU">stated on CNN</a> that the government should “gather intelligence” on military members whom he said belonged to “extremist groups,” saying:
<blockquote>
One of the things that we recommend in our piece is that we gather intelligence about our workforce and make sure that the people in the military are not part of extremist groups. DOD just issued some policy prohibiting active membership but allowing membership nevertheless; we believe that that’s just not going far enough. The FBI has a list of gangs, extremist groups, and I submit to you that if you’re a soldier in the United States Army, you can’t be a member of that gang or that extremist group and also be a member of the United States military. &#8230;
We need to start thinking now about what things we can do to make sure that we’re prepared for 2024, because we know that the bad guys, the Oathkeepers and the Proud Boys, they’re out there planning right now.
</blockquote>

Department of Defense Energy Security Act

2 Days After Assassination Attempt, MSNBC Guest Warns Trump’s Re-Election Will Create Nazi Society

MSNBC

Nazis

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the Democrat who led the now-defunct January 6 Committee, <a href="https://democrats-homeland.house.gov/news/legislation/ranking-member-thompson-introduces-legislation-to-ensure-no-secret-service-protection-for-convicted-felons-sentenced-to-prison#:~:text=This%20legislation%20would%20reform%20the,the%20protection%20of%20all%20inmates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> legislation last week that could disqualify former President Donald Trump from keeping Secret Service protection.
The <a href="https://democrats-homeland.house.gov/imo/media/doc/disgraced_former_protectees_act_text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a>, which comes as Trump faces multiple criminal cases as he runs for another term in the White House, does not mention the former president by name. However, Thompson, who is the top-ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, released a <a href="https://democrats-homeland.house.gov/imo/media/doc/disgraced_former_protectees_act_factsheet1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fact sheet&#8221;</a> that says Trump would be affected if the proposal passes and he is convicted of a felony.
&#8220;Unfortunately, current law doesn’t anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee — even a former President. It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality,&#8221; Thompson said.
&#8220;Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatment — and that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them,&#8221; he added.
Trump is facing dozens of felony charges in federal and state courts that stem from election matters and his handling of classified documents while out of office. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and claims prosecutors and others are waging a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; against him in an effort to boost his 2024 rival, President Joe Biden.
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Should Thompson&#8217;s bill get approved — a long shot considering Republicans control the House and largely back Trump — <a href="https://democrats-homeland.house.gov/imo/media/doc/disgraced_former_protectees_act_text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it would amend</a> a section of the U.S. Code to &#8220;terminate&#8221; Secret Service protection for &#8220;any person upon sentencing following conviction for a Federal or State offense that is punishable for a term of imprisonment of at least one year.&#8221;
The bill is called the &#8220;Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act,&#8221; or the &#8220;DISGRACED Former Protectees Act&#8221; for short, and Thompson&#8217;s office said it several co-sponsors among fellow Democrats.
Under Thompson&#8217;s leadership, the January 6 Committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-j6-committee-recommends-criminal-charges-against-trump-over-capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> the Department of Justice charge Trump over the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-trump-charges-jan-6-panel-considered-but-did-not-approve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chastised</a> the January 6 panel as being the “Unselect Committee of political hacks.&#8221; In March, Trump said former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and other members of the committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-liz-cheney-should-be-jailed-former-congresswoman-responds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should be jailed</a>.

Bennie Thompson

Former January 6 Panel Chair Unveils Bill That Could Strip Trump Of Secret Service Protection

House Democrats

Secret Service

Hollywood legend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robert-de-niro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert De Niro</a> said on Friday he would &#8220;never&#8221; portray former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> as an actor as he issued a warning about the upcoming election.
The Oscar-winner talked about his red line in filming during <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN5I9OS1VX0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an appearance</a> on HBO&#8217;s latest episode of &#8220;Real Time&#8221; with host Bill Maher, who, like De Niro, is a vocal Trump critic.
&#8220;He’s such a mean, nasty, hateful person,&#8221; De Niro said of Trump. &#8220;I’d never play him as an actor, because I can’t see any good in him. Nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing redeemable in him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Robert de Niro: Trump “is a total monster” and “if he wins the election, you won’t be on this show anymore, he’ll come looking for me&#8230;That’s what happens in that kind of a dictatorship.” He’s “sociopathic, psychopathic, malignant narcissist,” an “idiot” and “a clown.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealTime?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RealTime</a> <a href="https://t.co/RFN2XqWQxi">pic.twitter.com/RFN2XqWQxi</a>
&mdash; Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/1766306760703225996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
De Niro went on to make drastic predictions about what could happen to himself and Maher if Trump ends up winning a second term in the White House.
&#8220;If he wins the election, you won&#8217;t be on the show anymore,&#8221; De Niro said. &#8220;He&#8217;ll come looking for me. There&#8217;ll be things that happen that none of us can imagine. That&#8217;s what happens in that kind of a dictatorship, which is what he says.&#8221;
De Niro appeared to be referencing Trump&#8217;s pledge last year to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rejects-threat-to-democracy-hoax-says-biden-poses-the-real-danger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">be a “dictator”</a> only on the first day of a second term in order to tackle issues such as border security and drilling for energy.
President Joe Biden has argued that U.S. democracy is at stake in the 2024 election. Both he and Trump are running for a second term, paving the way for what could be a 2020 rematch.
“Donald Trump poses many threats to the country, from the right to choose to civil rights to voting rights to America’s standing in the world. But the greatest threat Trump poses is to our democracy, because if we lose that, we lose everything,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/12/09/remarks-by-president-biden-at-a-campaign-reception-los-angeles-ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in remarks last December.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rejects-threat-to-democracy-hoax-says-biden-poses-the-real-danger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that Biden had it backward.
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Biden is the “real threat to democracy for two simple reasons: he’s corrupt and incompetent — grossly incompetent,” Trump said.
De Niro told Maher on Friday that he did not know why Trump is performing so well against Biden in polls, including among women and Latinos.
&#8220;I just don’t want to feel the way I did, and many of us don’t, after the election in 2016 where we couldn’t believe that it happened. The guy is a total monster,&#8221; he added.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro Says He Would ‘Never’ Play ‘Total Monster’ Trump

Robert De Niro Says He Would 'Never' Play 'Total Monster' Trump

Bill Maher

Celebrities

Robert de Niro

Show business veteran Chris Licht took over CNN last year, vowing to bring more ideological balance to the network and reverse its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-cant-offend-our-core-audience-cnn-ceo-chris-licht-on-why-not-a-lot-of-changes-have-been-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ratings slide</a>.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” alum canned comically biased “media reporter” Brian Stelter, among other swift moves, but the channel remains a vehicle for Left-leaning news. Commentator Van Jones’ recent CNN column suggesting the five black officers who beat Tyre Nichols so badly he later died <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnns-van-jones-says-tyre-nichols-death-driven-by-racism-despite-black-cops-being-charged" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were driven by racism</a> is a perfect example.
The latter part of the plan isn’t going according to schedule, either, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nobodys-watching-cnn-ratings-plunge-even-further-for-good-reason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that’s being kind</a>.
Reports circulated that CNN wanted to bring a liberal comedian aboard to sweeten its late-night lineup, hoping the change will restore some ratings glory. Team Licht took a baby step in that direction. CNN will broadcast “Overtime,” the online-only part of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” weekly series.
The long-running show finds Maher covering the latest headlines with a Left-leaning panel of rotating guests. Maher himself is an avowed atheist (remember his 2008 documentary “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religulous" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Religulous</a>?”) and reliably progressive. Few comedians loathe President Donald Trump quite like Maher.
Sounds like a safe, CNN-worthy selection. Not so fast.
Maher is one of the only liberal late-night hosts who routinely hits his own side. He’s started an ongoing, rhetorical war against the woke orthodoxy, slamming identity politics and extreme speech measures from his HBO bully pulpit.
The New Republic was one of several progressive outlets to clutch its pearls over Maher’s addition to the CNN lineup, no matter how modest it may be. The <a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/170277/cnn-welcomes-bill-maher-lineup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">site’s headline captures the sentiment</a> – “CNN Welcomes Bill Maher, Who Once Used a Racial Slur on Air, to Its Lineup”
Why single out a singular episode from Maher’s past? His ability to mock both sides has drawn considerable fire from the hard Left. In a way, they have a point.
It’s one thing to watch Greg Gutfeld, an openly libertarian comic, scorch woke platitudes from his Fox News perch. It’s what viewers expect, which doesn’t diminish Gutfeld’s approach to the material.
Seeing an avowed progressive do the same, however, packs a punch. 
It’s like turning on today’s biased “Saturday Night Live” and spotting a sketch skewering President Joe Biden or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
That’s a “man bites dog story,” no doubt, worthy of attention. (It’s also something we’ll never, ever see, alas).
That approach is what Maher can bring to CNN, and it’s sorely needed. CNN viewers may get a glimpse of news narratives kept away from them by the channel’s gatekeepers. Not everyone is on board with the woke revolution, for starters.
Maher also routinely debunks progressive talking points on the pandemic, crime, and more.
Here’s just one recent example: Maher called out climate change advocates like John Kerry and Taylor Swift who, in between environmental lectures, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63KXfwC9BdU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fly private planes</a>. That’s a huge no-no given their massive carbon footprints.
No other liberal late-night comic would go near that kind of banter.
Licht suggests CNN isn’t interested in “<a href="https://www.thewrap.com/cnn-bill-maher-chris-licht-primetime-comedians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partisan hackery</a>,” and choosing a comedian as a brand enhancement makes sense.
“There is nothing wrong with opinion or perspective, especially in prime time, but it has to be authentic. We are completely uninterested in partisan hackery and ideological talking points,” he said.
That’s true, depending on the comedian in question. Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, for example, epitomize comics who spout “ideological talking points.”
Not Maher.
There’s another aspect to Maher circa 2023 that’s worth noting. The comedian throws sharp elbows from his HBO perch, but he does just the opposite with “Club Random.” His weekly podcast, which allows him to drink and smoke weed along with famous guests, takes a lighter look at the culture, and Maher is keenly interested in speaking to voices on the ideological Right.
The goal isn’t another screaming match session but to see where people on both sides of the aisle can agree to disagree.
In short, Maher wants to unite Americans … even if it means agreeing to disagree with folks like Kid Rock and Dave Rubin, both Right-leaning stars.
Does CNN, which loves dousing gasoline on raging cultural fires, want a performer who reminds us we’re all American citizens despite our differences? That’s another reason the Maher addition may come back to haunt CNN. Tribalism sells, sadly, and sometimes Maher doesn’t want to push that anger.
The move is also suspect based on what Licht must do, and fast — reverse the ratings free fall. “Real Time” isn’t a ratings disaster, but it’s hardly the kind of content that guarantees a larger audience. The show routinely lags behind other late-night fare, from Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” to “The Tonight Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” although those shows air on free, broadcast TV.
“Real Time” does regularly trounce “Last Week Tonight,” the HBO showcase featuring a more consistently liberal viewpoint.
Adding Maher to the mix could be jarring to CNN’s dwindling base, the folks who think Don Lemon is the ultimate truth-teller. They want Trump Derangement 101, not examples where the Left has overreached in the culture wars.
That kind of content may come as a shock to longtime CNN viewers, and the modern Left doesn’t take kindly to alternative points of view.
Chances are, CNN’s Maher infusion could yield a microscopically better product while chasing away the channel’s small but hardcore fans. That means the current, sorry ratings could get even smaller before too long.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals

Bill Maher’s New ‘Overtime’ Segment On CNN May Come Back To Haunt The Network

Readers Pass

CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter excoriated Fox News for broadcasting an allegedly “incendiary” phrase that he said CNN would “never” repeat on the air. Unfortunately, Anderson Cooper had used that exact terminology last Thursday, and a review of network transcripts shows that CNN hosts have repeated it at least half a dozen times in precisely the way Stelter called unacceptable.
Stelter dedicated <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/rs/date/2022-01-23/segment/01">part</a> of the January 23 episode of “Reliable Sources” to reading banners Fox News had posted on the screen during the past week, including one that <a href="https://twitter.com/ReliableSources/status/1485326898498617350">read</a>, “The Biden administration is a clown car driving off a cliff.” An outraged Stelter said, “That&#8217;s the great example of the incendiary rhetoric that you would have never seen, let’s say from another channel during the Trump years or now during the Biden years.” Such language illustrates “the imagined drama that Fox presents every day” in the “Fox-uverse,” he added.
But his colleagues at CNN have used that exact phrase — and many worse ones — about former President Donald Trump, Trump administration officials, and Republican congressional leaders as recently as three days earlier:
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CNN senior media reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@oliverdarcy</a> compares the way Fox reports crime in the US to an Instagram filter, saying the final product is distorted and &quot;no longer reflects reality.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S9QcwZvLD2">pic.twitter.com/S9QcwZvLD2</a>
&mdash; Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReliableSources/status/1485326898498617350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Anderson Cooper (“Anderson Cooper 360” on January 20, 2022): Anderson Cooper, who replaced Chris Cuomo as CNN’s top-rated host, likened a report about the 2020 Trump campaign to a clown car last Thursday. “It&#8217;s like a clown car on fire,” Cooper <a href="https://twitter.com/kikimelendez/status/1484547274931847172">said</a> in exasperation. ‘Yeah,” agreed a giggly Pamela Brown, CNN’s senior Washington correspondent, who then <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/acd/date/2022-01-20/segment/01">apologized</a> for being unable to respond to Cooper’s next question. “Sorry, I was thinking about the clown car on fire analogy,” she explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I bet the DOJ, the FBI and the CIA are still investigating DID TRUMP KNOW? 😂😂😂 Like a clown car on fire&#39;: Cooper reacts to Giuliani&#39;s fake electors plot <a href="https://t.co/AC7hPwu0qD">https://t.co/AC7hPwu0qD</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTube</a>
&mdash; Kiki Melendez (@kikimelendez) <a href="https://twitter.com/kikimelendez/status/1484547274931847172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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John King (“Inside Politics” on December 16, 2021): John King used the analogy to make the first year of the Trump administration seem worse than Joe Biden’s first year in office. King noted that Republicans faltered on their “central promise” to “repeal and replace Obamacare” in 2017, while Biden failed to pass the  <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whats-in-joe-bidens-build-back-better-act">“Build Back Better” act</a> in 2021. But at least last year, “we have not had the clown car routine that that was that debate” over Obamacare, King <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2021-12-16/segment/01">said</a>. Still, he considered Biden’s inability to pass his signature social spending legislation as “a major failure.”
Don Lemon (“Don Lemon Tonight” on November 29, 2021): “The GOP is just a circus right now. That&#8217;s just the honest truth. It&#8217;s a clown show,” Lemon <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/cnnt/date/2021-11-29/segment/01">declared</a> last November. “The GOP is just loading up the clown car of their never-ending circus.”
Anderson Cooper (“Anderson Cooper 360” on September 16, 2021): Last fall, Anderson Cooper cited anti-Trump biographies such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-congressman-blows-a-hole-in-bob-woodwards-new-book-peril">“Peril” by Bob Woodward</a> as evidence the former president became mentally unhinged in his last days in office. “I mean, we knew it was, you know, a clown car going on and possibly going off the cliff,” Cooper <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/acd/date/2021-09-16/segment/01">said</a>. “But I mean, it&#8217;s extraordinary to see this reporting &#8230; Woodward and Costa also report on the former President&#8217;s mental faculties.” Cooper use the exact analogy which Stelter condemned Fox News for making. Stelter did not condemn Anderson Cooper for “exaggerating” or “inventing” concerns about President Trump’s mental health, a frequent topic of CNN speculation since 2015.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“Don Lemon Tonight” on July 19, 2021): Not every use of this “incendiary” phrase came from one of CNN’s anchors, but it sometimes came with their approval. During an interview with Don Lemon about the congressional committee investigating the January 6 riot, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1417540387552563203">said</a>, “I think Kevin McCarthy has decided his role as the minority leader in the House of Representative is to essentially be chauffeur of the clown car.” Not only did Lemon <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/cnnt/date/2021-07-19/segment/01">not push back</a>, but Brianna Keilar decided to <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/nday/date/2021-07-20/segment/02">reair</a> that soundbite on CNN’s “New Day” the next morning.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepAOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepAOC</a> on GOP Jan. 6 committee picks: &quot;Kevin McCarthy has decided that his role as a minority leader in the House of Representatives is to essentially be chauffeur of the clown car.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FD0xnPT6xS">https://t.co/FD0xnPT6xS</a> <a href="https://t.co/z9XcHb5G4g">pic.twitter.com/z9XcHb5G4g</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1417540387552563203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Van Jones (“The Van Jones Show” on November 10, 2018): Former Obama administration <a href="https://therightswriter.com/2010/12/more-stealth-reparations-obama-enacts-van-jones-indian-energy-plan/">Green Jobs</a> Czar <a href="https://therightswriter.com/2009/09/conspiracy-czar/">Van Jones</a> opened <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/vjs/date/2018-11-10/segment/01">a 2018 episode</a> of his eponymous CNN show by applying the “incendiary” phrase to Donald Trump. “We had an insane clown car of a presidential press conference, after which Trump just up and fired Jeff Sessions,” Jones told CNN’s viewers. “Now, that&#8217;s a decision that could derail Bob Mueller&#8217;s Russia investigation, which could lead to a full-blown constitutional crisis.” In reality, the Mueller report would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-biggest-problem-with-mueller-report-was-it-wasnt-brought-to-life-through-public-hearings">conclude</a> that its “investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.”
Brianna Keilar (“Wolf” on July 19, 2017): While guest-hosting Wolf Blitzer’s afternoon show in the early days of the Trump presidency, Brianna Keilar used a familiar phrase while discussing the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia with CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash. “Dana, when you look at Republicans on Capitol Hill, how are they reacting to what – it&#8217;s almost like a clown car, right?” Keilar <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/wolf/date/2017-07-19/segment/02">asked</a> Bash, who did not rebuke her colleague’s choice of words.
Of course, “clown car” is far from the most offensive or polarizing phrase uttered on CNN. The Lincoln Project’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/politics/lincoln-project-weaver.html">co-founder</a> Rick Wilson called then-candidate Donald Trump a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9noJXJXdE">douche canoe</a>” who lacks “gravitas” in 2015, while anchor Jim Acosta has earned CNN a reputation as a home of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-partisanship-and-profanity-save-cnn-from-its-ratings-collapse">rampant profanity</a> for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-acosta-i-hate-to-use-the-word-bullst-here-are-8-times-hes-used-it-since-may">repeatedly using the phrase “bulls**t”</a> on the air.
Stelter’s comments came during a segment in which Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-guest-fox-news-invented-scary-stories-about-a-senile-president-and-crt-brainwashing-kids">insisted</a> that stories about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trafficked-how-joe-bidens-open-border-policies-have-fueled-americas-fentanyl-epidemic">illegal immigration</a>, Joe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-looks-like-hes-always-waking-up-from-heavy-anesthesia-foreign-media-sounds-off-on-presidents-cognitive-decline">Biden’s mental fitness</a>, and public schools <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-5-ways-the-media-is-trying-to-mislead-you-on-critical-race-theory">teaching</a> ideologically polarizing concepts like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-is-critical-race-theory-breaking-down-the-ideology-thats-hitting-schools-across-the-country">Critical Race Theory</a> had been “exaggerated” or “invented out of whole cloth” by Fox News and others.
This is not the first time Brian Stelter has condemned other media outlets for sins committed by his own network. Last September, Stelter bashed other news outlets for spreading a “faulty media narrative” about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hype-and-spin-counting-down-the-top-5-non-stories-of-2021">Border Patrol agents allegedly whipping Haitians</a> attempting to enter the United States illegally in Del Rio, Texas — an error CNN network had repeatedly reported for much of <a href="//AEA918A0-AD6A-4846-9325-7DC9929314A1/about%20the%20congressional%20committee%20investigating%20the%20January%206%20riot">the previous week</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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