CNN analyst delivers Democrats devastating news about base support



CNN analyst Harry Enten delivered Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other members of his party some bad news on Thursday, revealing that President Donald Trump's approval rating is under water but that Democrats' approval rating is nearly scraping bottom.

Talking head John Berman noted that the new CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that while Trump had an approval rating of 35%, "bad news for Republicans hasn't really been good news for Democrats."

'They don't like their own party.'

"No, no, not at all," said Enten.

"These numbers are just atrociously awful. A double A for the Democrats here."

Seventy-four percent of respondents said that congressional Democrats did not have the right priorities. Even more damning was the response from Democrat respondents, 55% of whom said as much of their party's representatives in Congress.

"This, to me, just jumps out of the screen because it screams 'primary challenges' all over the map, and it says that even if Democrats don't like Donald Trump, they don't like their own party either when it comes to Congress," said Enten.

Whereas 32% of Americans hold a favorable view of the GOP, the poll found that only 28% of Americans hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

RELATED: Democrats' gerrymandering campaign in Virginia hits a snag: Obama

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Berman characterized the damning responses as "Democrat-on-Democrat crime," then asked about American support for the Democrat leadership.

"The bottom has fallen out," said Enten.

"Even Democrats don't like their own leaders when it comes to Congress. And overall, of course, the numbers are just absolutely awful."

Enten cast doubt on whether Schumer will be able to remain the Senate leader for the Democrats, suggesting that it's a "coin toss when it comes to Schumer actually winning the next Dem Senate leader selection."

An Economist/YouGov poll published this week found that a plurality of Democratic voters — 41% — disapprove of the job Schumer is doing as minority leader of the U.S. Senate, and 37% signaled approval. Schumer's overall approval rating was 20%.

David Axelrod, who served as a political strategist for former President Barack Obama, recently told PBS that Schumer "has been under fire for some time, particularly from progressives in the party," and that his political fate may be linked to the midterm elections.

"There's questions as to whether he'll run in 2028. There's even questions as to whether he might be challenged as leader," said Axelrod. "I think the results of this election may impact that."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), whose overall approval rating was 24%, fared slightly better with Democrats than Schumer, with 43% signaling approval and 32% signaling disapproval of his job performance.

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Democrats' gerrymandering campaign in Virginia hits a snag: Obama



Democrats have spoken out of both sides of their mouths on the matter of redistricting.

Proposed changes to congressional maps that would boost Democrats' chances in elections are, on the one hand, purportedly a means to "help level the playing field," a way to "restore fairness," and — in the words of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger — a "response to what we're seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms."

'Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate the maps in order to predetermine the outcome.'

When faced with proposed changes to congressional maps that threaten their power, Democrats have alternatively likened redistricting efforts to the Holocaust, called them "a threat to democracy," and characterized them as "authoritarian."

This hypocrisy has proven to be an issue for proponents of Virginia's proposed constitutional amendment, which is on the ballot in the April 21 special election.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee — a supporter of voting "yes" in the gerrymandering referendum that would all but ensure that 10 out of the state's 11 congressional seats go to Democrats — complained on Thursday about opponents of the proposed amendment turning to former President Barack Obama for support.

"A MAGA-aligned dark money group is trying to fool Virginia voters with a dishonest mailer that features an unauthorized photo of President Barack Obama and lies about his position on the Virginia referendum," the NDRC said.

"The 'No' campaign and its allied MAGA-funded dark money groups are so terrified of the voters that they are resorting to desperate, deceptive tactics like this one to spread misinformation and lies," said John Bisognano, president of the NDRC. "There is no confusion. President Obama endorses voting YES to stop Trump and his MAGA allies from rigging our elections and to protect the rights and voting power of the American people ahead of the midterms."

One of the mailers features an image of Obama along with the quote, "For too long, gerrymandering has contributed to stalled progress and warped our representative government," reported the Virginia Mercury.

While characterized by the NDRC and the NAACP Virginia State Conference as so-called misinformation, the Obama quote is indeed genuine — and its context is damning.

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

Obama wrote in a July 8, 2020, post on X, "For too long, gerrymandering has contributed to stalled progress and warped our representative government. Redistricting begins next year — let’s all do our part to protect and restore our democracy."

Obama then urged Americans to join him "in the fight for fair maps" — specifically to support a possible constitutional amendment that would curb gerrymandering.

In the video accompanying the former president's 2020 post, Obama states, "Gerrymandering is a sneaky way for politicians to consolidate as much power as they can."

Another activist featured in the video adds, "Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate the maps in order to predetermine the outcome so that it benefits one side over the other."

'Barack Obama, Abigail Spanberger, and others have already spoken against this kind of gerrymandering.'

Eric Holder, former President Obama's scandal-plagued attorney general, notes in the video that "you see the greatest amount of voter suppression when you see the greatest amount of gerrymandering."

Desperate to secure a majority in the U.S. House in the midterm elections, Obama and Democrats have jettisoned their supposedly principled stance from yesteryear and are now speaking out of the other side of their mouths.

Obama, specifically, is supporting the "yes" campaign.

In addition to featuring in a video championing Democrat gerrymandering, he stated last month, "Several Republican-controlled states have redrawn their congressional maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterm elections. Now Virginia has a chance to help level the playing field."

The mailer that highlighted Obama's hypocrisy and urged voters to "Protect Minority Representation" was sent to Virginia voters last week by the Justice for Democracy PAC, reported the Virginia Independent News.

A similar graphic was reportedly texted to Virginia voters by the Democracy and Justice PAC — which, like Justice for Democracy, is chaired by former Virginia Del. A.C. Cordoza (R) — along with the following message, "President Barack Obama says 'For too long gerrymandering has contributed to our stalled progress and warped our representative government.' That's why it’s important next month to vote NO against Virginia’s redistricting effort."

As proponents of the gerrymandering initiative melted down over the sight of Obama in the opposition mailers, Cordoza said in a statement to CNN, "No one can refute the accuracy of the quotes we’re presenting. Barack Obama, Abigail Spanberger, and others have already spoken against this kind of gerrymandering — I’m simply reminding voters where they stood."

A Tazewell County judge ruled on Jan. 27 that the proposed constitutional amendment was unlawful. The Virginia Supreme Court then ruled last month that Virginians can still vote for it in the statewide April referendum, though the commonwealth high court may yet uphold the lower court's injunction.

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THIS Democratic state just went FULL MARXIST with your paycheck



If you thought Virginia Democrats were “moderate” — especially Abigail Spanberger, the new governor — you might want to think again.

“They are only getting worse. And this should be remembered when it comes to the midterms. Let me just give you a few things that they are proposing. Taxes and economic policy is becoming full-fledged Marxist,” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck explains, adding, “They are proposing new and expanded taxes.”

“What a surprise. They have introduced bills now that will expand the sales tax base to include services like landscaping, gym memberships, vehicle repairs, food delivery, home repairs, raising the revenue beyond the traditional goods, the progressive income tax brackets,” he continues.


But that’s not all.

“They are now proposing creating new tax brackets, higher tax brackets, meaning people with taxable income over a certain threshold, they’re saying $600,000, will pay higher rates than those with lower incomes,” Glenn explains.

“This one I really love,” he continues, reading, “Federal employee tax.”

“The federal employee will get a tax break versus everybody else. There are proposals now that will give special tax subtractions for retired federal employees and incentives for federal retirees. While you, who didn’t ever work for the government, you’ll see a broader tax increase,” he says.

They’re not only going after taxes — but guns as well.

“They’re also trying to have a mandatory waiting period on gun purchases. A ban on leaving your gun unattended in your vehicle ... also a state firearm purchaser licensing system. That sounds really good,” Glenn says.

“An 11% tax on ammunition and guns and civil liability for the gun industry participants for crimes committed using guns that they sold or built. Oh, OK, that’s really good,” he mocks.

“They’re trying to enact, you know, more DEI and ESG stuff. ... They want to expand racial bias and diversity training for professionals, nurses, real estate agents, and law enforcement. Now why does the real estate agent need diversity training?” he asks.

“Let me lay down the biggest warning I could possibly lay down, and I’m not going to dwell on it or spend time today on this. The scariest people in Nazi Germany did not wear the black uniforms. ... They were the nurses and doctors. Do not train them in any of this DEI, any of this bull crap,” he continues, adding, “It’s very dangerous.”

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2 more staffers ditch Graham Platner's troubled Senate campaign amid Nazi, communism scandals



Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer and Marine veteran, announced on Aug. 19 that he was running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Maine. His stated objective was to challenge the "oligarchy," meaning both the Democrat establishment and the Republican incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins.

At the outset, Platner's campaign appeared to have incredible momentum. The leftist candidate raised several million dollars in a matter of weeks, managed to land endorsements from current lawmakers including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), and struck a chord with locals, as reflected in early polls indicating that he had a sizeable lead over Democrat Gov. Janet Mills.

Platner's campaign has, however, encountered a massive and potentially insurmountable obstacle: his radical past.

'Platner is not a victim of opposition research. ... Accountability does not exist in playing the victim of your own behavior.'

In the wake of damning revelations about the leftist candidate's social media posts and his newly concealed tattoo of a skull image similar to that popularized by Adolf Hitler's SS elite Nazi guard, at least four key staffers have jumped ship.

The latest individuals to call it quits are the campaign's national finance director, Ronald Holmes, and its treasurer, Victoria Perrone.

Holmes, a Democrat operative who previously served as finance director on New York Democrat Rep. Josh Riley's congressional campaign, resigned on Friday, suggesting that Platner's campaign no longer met his "standards."

RELATED: Here are the 4 Republicans who betrayed Trump AGAIN, joining Democrats to undermine the MAGA agenda

Graham Platner. Photo by Sophie Park/Getty Images

"I joined this campaign because I believed in building something different — a campaign of fresh energy, integrity, and reform-minded thinking in a political system that often resists exactly those things," Holmes wrote in a post on LinkedIn. "Somewhere along the way, I began to feel that my professional standards as a campaign professional no longer fully aligned with those of the campaign."

A campaign spokesperson told Politico, "Ron helped the campaign reach out to big-dollar donors, and we appreciated his efforts. But the reality is our campaign’s fundraising success has come largely from small-dollar donors."

"Nearly 90% of what we’ve raised has come from small-dollar donations and online donors, which has been and [continues] to be run by our digital fundraising director," added the spokesperson.

Timothy Facciola of the Judge Street Journal on Substack revealed on Sunday that Holmes wasn't the only Platner staffer to pack it in last week.

Citing a Federal Election Commission form that was filed on Friday as well as an unnamed source said to be familiar with the matter, Facciola reported that Perrone, the president and founder of the consulting firm Spruce Street Compliance, resigned as treasurer on Tuesday.

Ben Martello — a political strategist who served as an adviser to former Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) — appears to have stepped into the role.

Blaze News has reached out to Perrone and the Platner campaign for comment.

Perrone, who has been closely involved with Zohran Mamdani's New York City mayoral campaign, was apparently hired last month to help Platner's campaign deal with its various scandals.

According to Politico, Perrone was the individual who pressed members of Platner's campaign team to sign non-disclosure agreements after his Reddit posts came to light — including posts in which he apparently identified as a communist, branded rural white Americans as racists, suggested service members worried about being raped should buy "Kevlar underwear," and smeared all police officers as "bastards."

Former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald (D) resigned as political director of Platner's campaign last month over the posts, noting, "These statements were not known to me when I agreed to join the campaign, and they are not words or values I can stand behind in a candidate for the United States Senate."

Within days of McDonald's resignation, footage went viral revealing that Platner had an apparent "totenkopf" tattoo on his chest — the symbol of the SS-Totenkopfverbande, the branch that guarded the Nazi concentration camps.

Amid the fallout over the apparent Nazi tattoo, the Democrat candidate's longtime friend Kevin Brown similarly jumped ship.

Brown, who took over as Platner's campaign manager on Oct. 21, announced days later that he was leaving, suggesting that the move was the result of new familial demands on his time.

Brown said in a statement obtained by WGME-TV, "Graham is a dear friend. I started this campaign Tuesday but found out Friday we have a baby on the way."

"Graham deserves someone who is 100% in on his race, and we want to lean into this new experience as a family, so it was best we step back sooner than later so Graham can get the manager he deserves," Brown added.

Platner reportedly suggested during a town hall last week that the Democratic Party was the cause of his recent run of bad luck, stating, "I'm running as a Democrat still, despite the fact my party is destroying my life."

"Platner is not a victim of opposition research. This is what happens when you run for federal office," Genevieve McDonald said in a recent statement. "People scrutinize everything you've ever done. Every word and every action. Accountability does not exist in playing the victim of your own behavior."

McDonald added, "We should not be having a debate about Nazi symbolism tattooed on the potentially top-ticket Democrat in Maine. The fact we are even willing to entertain it shows desperation within the party, not dedication, and how far we have fallen from rational thought."

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Michael Rapaport torches 'Zohran the moron,' urges New Yorkers to send Mamdani 'back to the unemployment line'



Liberal actor and podcaster Michael Rapaport has come a long way since calling President Donald Trump the "worst possible motherf**ker we could have in power," referring to Melania Trump as a "dumb animal," and wishing ill on Barron Trump in March 2020.

Rapaport, among the Jewish liberals who ditched the Democratic Party over its capture by anti-Semitic radicals and its ruinous approach to immigration, supported Trump in last year's presidential election. Now, he's throwing his support behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in hopes of sparing New York City from having socialist New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D) become its mayor.

"I'm a lifelong New Yorker born and raised in Manhattan. This is the most importance race for mayor in my lifetime. Zohran Mamdani is not fit for office," Rapaport said in a recent video.

'You're a wolf in sheep's clothing.'

"His warped mind and hate-filled heart are rotten to the core," continued the actor. "'Freeze rent?' Come on. Freezed rent will lead to less buildings, fewer apartments, and higher rents. 'Defund the police' will lead to more crime. 'Raise the taxes' will lead to less money in your pockets. He's a moron. Zohran the moron."

Mamdani has indicated that if elected, he will "immediately freeze the rent for all stabilized tenants," raise the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%, and slap New Yorkers earning more than $1 million annually with an additional 2% tax.

Mamdani suggested in a June 28, 2020, tweet that the New York Police Department "is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety" and stressed that it was necessary to "defund the police." While the socialist has vowed to frustrate the enforcement of federal immigration law in the New York City, Mamdani now claims that he doesn't want to defund the police.

RELATED: Democrats face their ‘David Duke moment’ in New York City

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

On Saturday, Rapaport — who is actively campaigning against Mamdani and soliciting donations for a political action committee to "promote anti-Mamdani speech" — noted in another video that early voting had begun and urged New Yorkers to take action, stating, "We're going to send this dead-eye, fake-smiling, black-hearted 34-year-old back to the unemployment line."

The latest Victory Insights poll indicated that Mamdani is the clear front-runner in the race, leading Cuomo by over 18 percentage points, 46.7%-28.6%.

The poll indicated further that "a whopping 26% of voters are considering moving out of the city if Mamdani is elected."

"There was a time when I exclusively, blindly voted for Democrats," said Rapaport. "I do not recognize who they have become, and anyone with eyes, ears, and a shred, an ounce, of moral decency cannot disagree with what I am saying."

The actor suggested further that the Democratic Party "needs to take a long f**king look in the mirror as to who they want to lead in this country, because it is heading down the wrong path."

Rapaport mocked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), both of whom have endorsed Mamdani, then hammered the socialist mayoral candidate over his repeated refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada."

After alluding to Mamdani's recent meeting with Siraj Wahhaj — a jihad-supporting imam whom federal prosecutors characterized as being an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — Rapaport noted that Mamdani was living in New York City at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, stressing, "Don't you remember what that did to the city? Don't you remember the devastation, how families were ripped apart? 9/11 — 9/11 was globalizing the intifada."

"You're a wolf in sheep's clothing," added Rapaport.

The actor indicated that for donations of $25 or more to his anti-Mamdani PAC, supporters secure the chance to win a flight to New York to meet Rapaport and to hang out with him before one of his comedy shows.

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Catholic defiance of Democrat law pays off, sparing priests from the choice of jail or excommunication



Bob Ferguson, the Democrat governor of Washington state, signed a bill in May that would have compelled Catholic priests to break the seal of confession or face up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Catholic bishops in the Evergreen State fought back — and came out victorious on Friday with the reinforcement of the Trump Justice Department.

Background

Senate Bill 5375, as ratified by the self-identifying Catholic governor and scores of other Democrats in the legislature, required any person operating in an official supervisory capacity with a nonprofit or a for-profit organization who has "reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect" to notify law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

'Priests should never be forced to make the impossible choice of betraying their sacred vows or going to jail.'

The law mandated, however, that no one except for members of the clergy had to report abuse when that information was obtained solely as a result of a privileged communication.

"SB 5375 modifies existing law solely to make members of the clergy mandatory reporters with respect to child abuse or neglect," U.S. District Judge David Estudillo noted in his July ruling. "However, other groups of adults who may learn about child abuse are not required to report. Parents and caregivers, for example, are not mandatory reporters."

Estudillo noted further that a parallel piece of legislation that went into effect on July 27 also exempted university attorneys from divulging child abuse information if it has something to do with their clients.

RELATED: Christian counselors fight for freedom of speech before the Supreme Court

Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson (D). Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

"A law is not neutral if the government 'proceeds in a manner intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices because of their religious nature,'" Estudillo noted. "Here, clergy were explicitly singled out."

Not only was the law discriminatory, it would have both invited the government into the confessional and put priests at risk of automatic excommunication.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church maintains that "every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him" and "can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives."

The Code of Canon Law — cited in the May 18 complaint filed by Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima, and Bishop Thomas Daly of the Diocese of Spokane — similarly underscores the inviolability of the sacramental seal, noting further that a "confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae — automatic — excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See."

A month after the bishops filed suit, the Trump DOJ intervened in the case, stressing that SB 5375 "deprives Catholic priests of their fundamental right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, as guaranteed under the First Amendment."

Victory

On Friday, the state of Washington settled the case, agreeing to make permanent a Biden judge's July injunction blocking the law.

The federal court handling the case further recognized that the Democrat law had infringed upon the Catholic bishops' free exercise of religion in violation of the First Amendment and may also have infringed upon their rights under the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause and the Church Autonomy Doctrine.

Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which served as co-counsel in the case, said in statement obtained by Blaze News, "Washington was wise to walk away from this draconian law and allow Catholic clergy to continue ministering to the faithful. This is a victory for religious freedom and for common sense."

"Priests should never be forced to make the impossible choice of betraying their sacred vows or going to jail," added Rienzi.

"Preventing abuse and upholding the sacred seal of confession are not mutually exclusive — we can and must do both," stated Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference. "That’s why the Church supported the law’s goal from the beginning and only asked for a narrow exemption to protect the sacrament."

The WSCC added that "priests have been imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for upholding the seal of confession. Penitents today need the same assurance that their participation in a holy sacrament will remain free from government interference."

Blaze News has reached out to Ferguson's office for comment.

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Katie Porter is running to become California governor — but her nastiness might catch up with her



Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) failed spectacularly in her bid last year to secure a U.S. Senate nomination, placing a distant third in a Democratic primary that she suggested was rigged. Evidently keen to reacquire power, the leftist law professor is in the running to become the next governor of California.

While recent polling suggests that she leads other Democrats as well as Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, Porter's sizable edge in the gubernatorial race appears threatened by mounting evidence both of her nastiness and unwillingness to answer reasonable questions.

'Is this a disaster? Yes.'

This week, Porter threatened to walk out of an interview with CBS News California after reporter Julie Watts asked, "What do you say to the 40% of California voters — who you'll need in order to win — who voted for Trump?"

"How would I need them in order to win, ma'am?" Porter said before laughing at the notion of appealing to the millions of Republicans living in California. "If it is me versus a Republican, I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump."

When Watts dared to ask follow-up questions, Porter said, "I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative."

After Watts noted that she was posing the same questions to Porter that she had posed to other candidates, Porter became visibly agitated, looked to someone off camera, and stated, "I don't want to keep doing this. I want to call it."

RELATED: California’s superstate creates waste, not solutions

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

When asked whether she was going to continue the interview, Porter said, "Not like this, I'm not. Not with seven follow-up questions to every question you ask."

"I don't want to have an unhappy experience with you," continued Porter. "And I don't want this all on camera."

Gale Kaufman, a Sacramento-based Democratic strategist, told Politico, "Is this a disaster? Yes."

"And the reason it's a disaster is because it amplifies what her reputation already is."

Three other California Democrats jockeying for the governor's mansion — former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California state controller Betty Yee — were among those who made hay out of Porter's interview.

Villaraigosa said, "We need a leader who will solve hard problems and answer simple questions."

Becerra, apparently referencing Porter's scoffing at the prospect of courting Republican voters, stated, "I'm not interested in excluding any vote."

"Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California," tweeted Yee. "It's time for her to drop out of this race."

Yee added, "After watching the interview, it’s clear — Katie Porter doesn't have the temperament to be Governor."

Blaze News has reached out to Porter's campaign for comment.

Critics have far more than just the CBS News interview to cite as evidence of Porter's cantankerous disposition.

Footage obtained by Politico on Wednesday has gone viral showing Porter viciously berate a staffer who interrupted her July 2021 meeting with then-Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

In the video, which was taped for the Biden administration, Porter, occupying much of the foreground, spotted a staffer in the background, then screamed, "Get out of my f**king shot!"

The staffer apparently wanted to correct something Porter had said about electric vehicles. After the chastised staffer volunteered the correction, Porter said, "You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot."

The final, edited version of the video published by the Biden administration omitted the unhappy experience.

"It’s no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress," Porter told Politico in a statement. "I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work."

The problem of Porter's temper has not only been raised by former staffers — one of whom was apparently scolded after contracting COVID — and by the former congresswoman's ex-boyfriend Julian Willis, who called her a "monster," but by Porter's ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman, who alleged in court filings that Porter was abusive, prone to "extreme anger," and had in a 2006 incident apparently dumped a bowl of steaming hot mashed potatoes onto his head, burning his scalp.

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Catholic leaders urge Cardinal Cupich not to award pro-abortion radical Dick Durbin



The Archdiocese of Chicago announced last week that Cardinal Blase Cupich will give Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) a lifetime achievement award on Nov. 3.

The prospect that a prince of the Holy See will pay honors to a radical pro-abortion activist has prompted significant backlash from prominent Catholic leaders.

'This decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church’s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life.'

According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's national pro-life scorecard, Durbin, a self-identified Catholic, gets a failing grade for routinely voting in support of virtually limitless abortion.

Durbin voted, for instance, in January against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would require health care practitioners to save babies who survive attempted abortions. He has also voted against legislation that would have criminalized abortions for unborn babies 20 weeks along or older; against adding status-quo Hyde Amendment protections to COVID relief funds; against a bill that would prohibit partial-birth abortion; and for legislation expressing support for protecting access to abortions after the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision.

In case there was any doubt about his indefatigable support for abortion, Durbin stated on the third anniversary of the Dobbs ruling in June that "this fight is far from over" and that he plans to keep fighting for mothers' legal ability to snuff out the lives growing within them.

RELATED: Attacks against American Catholics and churches are out of control

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Image

Concerning abortion, the church holds that abortion is a grave moral sin — the procurement of which incurs an automatic excommunication — and that political leaders have a responsibility to protect the unborn.

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church" clearly states:

  • "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (2270);
  • "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (2271);
  • "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life" (2272); and
  • "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin" (2273).

For decades, Durbin has been barred from receiving communion in the Catholic diocese where he grew up on account of his radical pro-abortion activism.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, who has long upheld the prohibition, said in a 2018 statement, "Because his voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes 'obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,' the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin. This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life."

Despite Durbin's long-standing efforts to advance policies diametrically opposed to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Chicago noted in its announcement for the Nov. 3 "Keep Hope Alive Benefit," subtitled "Light in the Darkness," that Durbin will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work with immigrants.

The plan is for Cardinal Cupich to give the award to Durbin on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity.

Blaze News has reached out both to the Archdiocese of Chicago and to Durbin's office for comment.

RELATED: Man posted a message in a private Catholic group chat — then the FBI came knocking

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images.

Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander was among the first to condemn the planned honors for the abortion activist, stating, "The Church emphasizes that human beings are integrated persons and that we cannot live in spiritual harmony if we are denying even one aspect of the truth of the faith."

"Presenting Dick Durbin with an award — and from the Office of Human Dignity, no less — is an explicitly inconsistent and un-Catholic choice by Cardinal Cupich," continued Zander.

"Our shepherds are supposed to proclaim Jesus' teaching that all human life is sacred," Dr. Mary Elizabeth Keen of the Catholic Medical Association’s Illinois chapter told CatholicVote. "Senator Durbin has spent his career eliminating protections for the most vulnerable members of the human family."

Bishop Paprocki said in a statement to the Pillar that he was shocked to learn of the archdiocese's plans to give Durbin an award.

"Given Senator Durbin’s long and consistent record of supporting legal abortion — including opposing legislation to protect children who survive failed abortions — this decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church’s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life," continued Paprocki. "Honoring a public figure who has actively worked to expand and entrench the right to end innocent human life in the womb undermines the very concept of human dignity and solidarity that the award purports to uphold."

Bishop Paprocki noted further that such an award might violate the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' guidance that "the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."

The guidance adds that "they should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco indicated on Sunday that he stands in solidarity with Bishop Paprocki in urging Cardinal Cupich to reconsider giving Durbin the award.

"Bishop Paprocki, who is Senator Dick Durbin’s bishop, has expressed shock that the Archdiocese plans to honor Senator Durbin who, although a self-professed Catholic, supports access to abortion so radically that he has even opposed legislation to protect babies born after an attempted abortion," wrote Archbishop Cordileone. "Bishop Paprocki is correct that both clarity and unity are at risk. I hope this will be a clarion call to all members of the Body of Christ to speak out to make clear the grave evil that is the taking of innocent human life."

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Gallup poll captures damning snapshot of the extremity of Democrat resentment



The Trump administration — and the country by extension — has enjoyed tremendous success over the past seven months.

The administration has, for instance, secured the border; reformed the foreign aid establishment; fired thousands of bureaucrats across the government; exposed elements of the deep state; routed racist DEI initiatives in the federal government; turned international trade on its head in America's favor; brokered historic peace deals between warring nations across the globe; taken meaningful steps to make America healthy again; driven down the foreign-born population and rounded up multitudes of dangerous criminal noncitizens; and set about the demolition of the child sex-change regime.

Rather than join their countrymen in enjoying the fruits of the administration's efforts, Democrats have apparently grown more bitter and resentful.

Polling data published on Wednesday by Gallup revealed that whereas 93% of Republicans approve of President Donald Trump's overall job performance, only 1% of Democrats signaled approval — a 92-point gap.

The polling outfit noted that this chasmic difference ties the record for the largest partisan divide in Gallup's presidential approval trends, which was set in June.

When polled this month, 35% of independents signaled approval for the job done by the president.

RELATED: The numbers hold terrible news for the Democrats’ future

Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump's record disapproval among Democrats is not entirely surprising. After all, a poll revealed late last year that nearly one in three Democrats would have preferred to see the president murdered in cold blood.

What is surprising, however, is that Democrats are similarly dissatisfied with the state of the country at large.

'Partisan perceptual biases that lead Democrats to see things as worse than they are and Republicans better than they are.'

Overall, 31% of Americans say that they are satisfied with the direction the country is going — up from 26% in October and the average 22% throughout Joe Biden's presidency.

Whereas 76% of Republicans say that they are satisfied with the direction of the country, less than 1% of Democrats said the same — a 76-point gap, the highest Gallup has ever recorded on this measure.

— (@)

Although in July 2024, only 1% of Republicans said that they were satisfied with the direction the country was heading, the partisan divide on the question was far less dramatic because 62% of Democrats were dissatisfied with the state of play.

Robert Shapiro, a professor of government at Columbia University, told Newsweek, "Two things are at work. One is genuine Democratic dislike of what is happening in the economy regarding prices, tariffs, etc. and then all the opposition to what Trump has been doing."

"Second is partisan perceptual biases that lead Democrats to see things as worse than they are and Republicans better than they are," continued Shapiro. "It is only good news for the Democrats if this mobilizes voters in 2026. The voters are not so happy with the Democratic Party and its leaders."

That is a major understatement.

A CNBC poll revealed earlier this month that favorability toward the Democratic Party among registered voters was 56% negative and 24% positive. The poll indicated that Trump had a 46% approval rate. Gallup indicated in late July that only 73% of Democrats had a positive opinion of their own party.

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Victory for faith: Catholic defiance of Democratic law pays off in Washington state — but battle isn't over



Bob Ferguson, the Democratic governor of Washington state and a self-identifying Catholic, ratified a bill in May that would have compelled Catholic priests to break the seal of confession or face up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

As it would invite the government into the confessional and put priests at risk of automatic excommunication, Catholic bishops in the Evergreen State vowed to defy the law, reassured Catholics in their dioceses that the seal of the confession would remain unbroken, and filed suit on May 18, asking a federal court to block Senate Bill 5375.

The Trump Department of Justice joined the fight last month, intervening in the bishops' case against the State of Washington and emphasizing that SB 5375 "deprives Catholic priests of their fundamental right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, as guaranteed under the First Amendment."

'Here, clergy were explicitly singled out.'

A Biden judge broke from custom on Friday, issuing an injunction that hurt rather than aided the Democratic cause.

U.S. District Judge David Estudillo temporarily blocked the law, noting that "there is no question that SB 5375 burdens Plaintiffs' free exercise of religion" by placing clergymen "in the position of either complying with the requirements of their faith or violating the law."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church maintains that "every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him" and "can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives."

RELATED: Wake-up call: This is what happens when Christians are afraid to offend

Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson (D). Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

The Code of Canon Law cited in the bishops' complaint similarly underscores the inviolability of the sacramental seal, noting further that a "confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae — automatic — excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See."

In the amicus brief it filed last week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops noted that by driving priests into Washington jails or out of the church, Democrats' law "would also be catastrophic for parishioners, who will be left with fewer clergy to administer the Sacrament of Confession to them."

Estudillo appeared to agree with the argument raised by both the bishops and the Justice Department that the law is not neutral and generally applicable.

SB 5375 will require any person operating in an official supervisory capacity with a nonprofit or a for-profit organization who has "reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect" to notify law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

However, as acknowledged in the final bill report, the Democratic law mandates no one except for members of the clergy to report abuse when that information is obtained solely as a result of a privileged communication.

"SB 5375 modifies existing law solely to make members of the clergy mandatory reporters with respect to child abuse or neglect," wrote Estudillo. "However, other groups of adults who may learn about child abuse are not required to report. Parents and caregivers, for example, are not mandatory reporters."

The judge noted that another piece of legislation set to go into effect with SB 5375 on July 27 will also exempt university attorneys from divulging child abuse information if it has something to do with their clients.

"A law is not neutral if the government 'proceeds in a manner intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices because of their religious nature,'" Estudillo noted. "Here, clergy were explicitly singled out."

The judge indicated there were likely less restrictive and more effective means of helping protect children and highlighted Catholic Church efforts already underway that go further in the protection of children than required by state law.

As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. CASA Inc., which severely restricted the reach of judicial injunctions, Estudillo indicated he had to limit relief to the individual plaintiffs in the case. There was, however, a catch.

'In a nation where anti-Catholic bigotry is on the rise, this ruling is a hopeful reminder.'

Estudillo noted that the bishops — Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima, and Bishop Thomas Daly of the Diocese of Spokane — have a responsibility for the administration of the sacraments and the discipline of the priests across their dioceses, and that absent an injunction that applies across all three dioceses, "they — as individuals — cannot fulfill their religious responsibility by ensuring that the priests within their dioceses maintain the sacramental seal."

Accordingly, the judge determined that complete relief in this case must apply to all Catholic priests who fall under the administration of Etienne, Daly, and Tyson. As those bishops run the only three dioceses in the state, Estudillo's injunction effectively protects all priests in the state while the lawsuit proceeds.

Kelsey Reinhardt, president of CatholicVote, called the ruling a "major victory for religious freedom" in a statement obtained by Blaze News.

RELATED: Justice Alito issues reminder of what SCOTUS must do, even if unpopular

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

"The Seal of Confession is not only a vital tenet of the Catholic faith, it is a safeguard for the penitent — who must be free to seek God’s forgiveness without fear of exposure," continued Reinhardt. "In a nation where anti-Catholic bigotry is on the rise, this ruling is a hopeful reminder: no American should face criminal penalties for living out their faith. We are grateful for today's ruling and hope that the final outcome of the case similarly reflects our nation's commitment to the First Amendment of all Americans — especially Catholics."

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the lead plaintiffs with the First Liberty Institute and WilmerHale, similarly celebrated the ruling.

"This ruling confirms what has always been true: In America, government officials have no business prying into the confessional," said Becket CEO Mark Rienzi. "By protecting the seal of confession, the court has also safeguarded the basic principle that people of all faiths should be free to practice their beliefs without government interference."

"For centuries, Catholic faithful around the world have sought reconciliation with God through the sacrament of confession," said Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference. "This ruling protects that sacred space and ensures that Washingtonians of all religious stripes can live out their beliefs in peace."

The Trump DOJ has separately requested a preliminary injunction, which will be taken up this week.

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