| | MEDIA WINNER: Bryan Llenas Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas is taking a lot of heat from the right for his segment on transgender teenager Ryland Whittington. “14-year-old Ryland Whittington is a typical southern California teenager," Llenas reported on a network whose hosts and guests regularly disparage the transgender community. "The only difference in Ryland’s eyes is what this family can mean to the tens of thousands of kids under 18 who identify as transgender." Llenas went on to share that Whittington came out as transgender at five years old, with his parents fully supporting him a few years later. Whittington's parents revealed that they grew to accept and support their son out of fear he would turn to self-harm, which 60 percent of trans and non-binary children engage in. Right-wing pundits freaked out over the segment. "This would be absolute despicable insane lunacy if I saw it on CNN or MSNBC," tweeted Fox News regular Ben Shapiro. "To see it on Fox News is a complete betrayal of anything remotely resembling conservatism or decency." Shapiro proceeded to whine about the segment in a lengthy Twitter thread, going as far as to accuse Whittington's parents of abuse. Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News prime time host, later called the segment "irresponsible" and "dangerous" while on Newsmax. Matt Walsh, also a Fox News regular, completely lost his mind over the segment, calling it "toxic nonsense." “All the parties involved should explain themselves and then they should be fired also,” Walsh added. Ex-Fox News contributor Sebastian Gorka declared the network "DONE," in a Truth Social post, while Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes wrote, "Fox News is cool with toddlers taking hormones." Cudos to Llenas for spotlighting a transgender teenager despite the backlash he surely expected would come from the segment. The pushback from conservatives also worked to prove a crucial point of Llenas' segment: "People are afraid of what they don’t understand." |
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| MEDIA LOSER: Greta Van Susteren Greta Van Susteren’s debut on Newsmax got off to a rough start. Van Susteren launched her new show The Record in typical pandemic fashion -- with a myriad of tech problems. The issues started during an attempted interview with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Van Susteren tried to ask Grassley if he envisioned a bipartisan solution for the country’s economic issues, but was immediately hit with audio problems. “You’ll have to come through clearer than you have so far," the senator responded. "I couldn’t make out what you’re saying.” Nevertheless, Van Susteren persisted. “I’m asking you, sir, that people are suffering so much from gas prices, food prices,” Van Susteren said, raising her voice. “What can Republicans and Democrats — what are they willing to do together, and what can they do together to help the economy?” No luck. “I’m sorry,” Grassley responded. “It’s all muffled. It sounds like you’re talking to me, I just can’t hear anything you’ve got to ask me. I’m sorry.” Unfortunately for Van Susteren, who joked there must be "some gremlins in the system," third time was not the charm. The host tried to ask her question one last time, but Grassley still couldn’t hear her. "If you're still trying to interview me, I can't make out what you're saying," Grassley said, prompting Van Sustern to give up. Despite the obstacles, Van Susteren was eventually able to bring Grassley back on to conduct the interview with the audio intact. While still today's loser, Van Susteren was not at fault for the interview gone wrong and ultimately got Grassley to answer her question. "Inflation is a terrible problem. It'd be the number one that comes up in my town meetings," Grassley told Van Susteren, "followed by the gas tax and then followed by the open border." Grassley then launched into a list of criticisms aimed at the Biden administration’s economic policy. |
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| Just a tour? Rep. Barry Loudermilk's (R-GA) defense that he "never gave a tour of the Capitol on Jan 5, 2021," is not looking so good. On Wednesday, the Jan. 6 House select committee released a series of videos taken during a Jan. 5 tour of the Capitol led by none other than Barry Loudermilk. Before the montage was released, Loudermilk, who was previously accused of giving “reconnaissance tours” to those who later stormed the Capitol, claimed he was merely hosting a "small group visiting their congressman." While Capitol Police said there’s “no evidence” the tour group rioted the Capitol the next day, the released footage, largely taken by a Save America rally-goer, paints a different picture. The committee's montage shows footage from a man who had live-streamed Donald Trump's Jan. 6 Save America rally on Facebook. “There’s no escape, [Nancy] Pelosi,” the man said in the video, also issuing that same threat to New York Democratic Representatives Chuck Schumer, Jerry Nadler, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “We’re coming for you,” he added. “We’re coming to take you out. We’ll pull you out by your hairs. How ’bout that, Pelosi?” The committee's video later shows clips of that same rally-goer taking pictures of hallways, tunnels, and staircases within the Capitol complex during a Jan. 5 tour led by Loudermilk. In addition to the montage, Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) sent Loudermilk a public letter asking for information on the Jan. 5 tour and on the individuals who attended. In Other News... Republican Mayra Flores Becomes First Mexican-Born Woman Elected to Congress Tucker Carlson Declares, ‘We Are Endorsing Kamala Harris’ to be the 2024 Democratic Nominee Schumer Goes Off on ‘Bone-Chilling’ Wins by Election Deniers When ‘Even Trump’s Inner Circle Knew The Big Lie Was Utter Garbage’ Laura Ingraham Blasted Report on Rep. Loudermilk’s Capitol Tour as ‘Total Lie’ Hours Before Footage Proved it True Ratings: Cable News Ratings Monday June 13: MSNBC Wins Jan. 6 Hearings, But Fox News Dominates Overall |
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'I welcome support from African-Americans' Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) responded to Elon Musk's presidential endorsement by saying that he welcomes support “from African-Americans.” Musk had previously said that he was leaning toward supporting DeSantis for president in a Wednesday tweet. DeSantis was asked about the tweet during a press conference in Florida that same day. “So what I would say, you know, I’m focused on 2022, but with Elon Musk, what I would say is, you know, I welcome support from African-Americans. What can I say?” DeSantis said as the room laughed at his remark. Musk was born in Pretoria, a segregated suburb of apartheid South Africa, in 1971. While Musk was born in Africa, and there is debate surrounding the term African American, several academics and activists argue that it should exclusively refer to the descendants of slaves brought to the United States. |
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