THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Shannon Bream

Fox News’ Shannon Bream pressed Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on gun reform during an interview on Fox News Sunday.

Bream questioned Lee in the wake of the country’s recent mass shootings, citing a recent Fox News poll that showed most Americans believe tougher laws would reduce gun violence. 

According to the poll, a 56 percent majority believes that having tougher gun laws would reduce mass shootings in the United States, while 39 percent do not.

The poll also shows that 88 percent of voters support requiring background checks on all gun buyers, while 82 percent favor raising the legal age to buy assault weapons to 21. 

81 percent are in favor of passing "red flag" laws that allow police to take guns from people shown to be a danger, 80 percent support background checks on buying ammunition, and 78 percent support mental health checks.

Bream gave a rundown of the poll while confronting Lee, also noting that Fox News found 63 percent of people support banning assault weapons.

Despite the poll's findings, Lee defended gun ownership throughout the interview, scoffing at the deal a bipartisan group of senators reached on gun safety reforms. The deal has come under criticism by those on the far right and far left.

“There is a lot of momentum, at least among the public sphere, for doing this,” Bream said of gun reform measures. “Are you out of step with your constituents?”

Lee side-stepped the question, replying, “What’s important is that we look out for the rights of constituents.”

He went on to make a long-winded argument that polling questions are too nebulous on issues like assault weapons, and therefore don’t equate to “questions about specific language within legislative text” that lawmakers deal with.

While Bream got a rather predictable response out of Lee, props to the Fox News anchor for grilling the GOP senator on gun reform and the needs of his constituents ahead of the midterm elections. 

MEDIA LOSER:
Brian Kilmeade

Fox News' Brian Kilmeade offered no pushback when golf legend Greg Norman defended the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series

Norman,the commissioner of the series, backed the venture during his appearance on Kilmeade's One Nation on Saturday. 

“The European PGA Tour since 2009, had a golf tournament, the Saudi International that’s still in existence since 2019,” Norman said. “And during that Saudi International, there were PGA Tour players who were given rights and waivers to go play there. So to me, if golf is good for the world, golf is good for Saudi, and you’re seeing that growth internally, it’s extremely impressive.”

Kilmeade later noted the recent criticism of LIV Golf from famed sportscaster Bob Costas, who accused Norman of taking "Saudi blood money" through the deal. 

“I’m disappointed people go down that path, quite honestly,” Norman said — before going on to argue that the PGA Tour is also benefitting from Saudi Arabia.

“Look, if they want to look at it in prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors within the PGA Tour doing 40 plus billion dollars worth of business with Saudi Arabia?"

Norman continued to call the "hypocrisy" in the criticism "deafening."

"We are going to forge forward. And there’s been a lot of obstacles, Brian, no question about it," Norman added. "There’s been a lot of obstacles at the PGA Tour’s thrown in our path. But you know what? We’ve worked around it because golf is a force for good.”

While golf may be a "force for good," Saudi-backed LIV Golf has largely come under fire due to the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was critical of the Saudi regime.

U.S. intelligence has deemed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman backed the move to take out Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Turkey.

Although Kilmeade pointed to Costas' disapproval, he took no issue with Norman's defense, allowing him to promote a Saudi-backed venture without objection. 
 

The A-Block

Chaos at GOP convention

Far-right social media activist Alex Stein caused quite the scene at the Texas Republican Party convention this weekend. 

Stein first made headlines when he confronted Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and the lawmaker's staffers at the convention. 

Stein, and others whom witnesses described as Proud Boys, began shouting “eyepatch McCain” at him – an attempted insult coined by Fox News' Tucker Carlson.

A witness to the incident told Mediaite that Stein and others were escorted out of the building, while “some arrests” were made at the scene. 

“They got physical with multiple people, including hitting them with cameras,” a witness at the scene said. “His campaign manager was assaulted by being pushed aggressively into a pillar.”

Stein responded to Mediaite's story on the incident, claiming he was the real victim and that  “no one was assaulted” other than him. 

The Crenshaw kerfuffle was not Stein's only contribution to the convention, as he also berated Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Stein got in Cruz’s face regarding a series of the senator's controversies, including his infamous Cancun trip.

The far-right provocateur also dragged Cruz for snuggling up to Donald Trump after the former president insulted his wife.

“If you care about America, why do you do that to your constituents in the freezing cold?” Stein asked.

“You know, I’m sure you think you’re really smart…” Cruz replied.

“Oh, I am smart, because you’re a globalist,” Stein cut him off. “You do more for Ukraine than you do for America. Remember how Trump made fun of your wife and you go become best friends with Trump?”

Stein later called Cruz “a coward,” adding, “you care more about the border between Ukraine and Russia than you care about the border between Texas and Mexico.” Stein was pulled away shortly after the remark, but continued to bash Cruz as “a globalist, a coward, and a liar.”

“When people were freezing and dying, you were in Cancun, Mexico. Remember that?” Stein said as security moved him away from the senator. “You remember when you were at the all-inclusive buffet while people were freezing? You remember that, Ted?”
 

In Other News...

Brian Sicknick’s Partner Blasts Trump for Floating Jan. 6 Pardons: Everyone Who Died ‘Would Still Be Here Today Had It Not Been For Donald Trump’

Fox News Reportedly Agrees to 8-Figure Settlement With Ex-Host Melissa Francis, Who Accused Network of a Gender Pay Gap

Trump Knocks ‘Foolish’ Kevin McCarthy for Not Having Anyone on Jan 6 Committee: ‘Bad Decision Was Made’

Adam Kinzinger Tweets Photo of Letter Sent to His Home Vowing to Execute Him, His Wife, and Infant Son
 

Must See Clip

'Oh -- goodbye, club'

Grayson Murray completely melted down at the U.S. Open on Sunday. 

The golfer was already well out of contention by the early stages of the final round, when he made a quadruple-bogey on the 7th hole.

That disastrous hold dropped Murray to +12 for the championship, causing him to storm off the green in a huff as he launched his putter into some nearby tall grass. 

Thankfully, no spectators or tournament personnel were endangered by the wild, tomahawk throw.

“The U.S. Open is a very difficult task,” said Steve Sands, commentating for USA Network. “But it’s made worse when you’re letting it get to you like that.

Murray's tantrum only got worse three holes later. 

Now at +15 after triple-bogeying the 9th, Murray hit his approach shot well over the green and into some gnarly rough.

The blunder cost him his club, as he proceeded to break it over his knee out of frustration.

"Oh -- goodbye, club," commentator Justin Leonard remarked. “That’s what a U.S. Open can do to you sometimes."

Links We Like

Is it Ron DeSantis' time to shine in the GOP?
- Dexter Filkins, New Yorker
Vox explores why 'the land of the free leads the world in incarceration'
- Christina Carrega, Vox - Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair
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