Did Kristi Noem ACTUALLY meet with the 'Little Tyrant' of North Korea?



The plot has thickened with Kristy Noem’s new memoir — and by “thickened,” we mean it’s gotten weirder.

Not only does the memoir recall the sad story of Noem taking her puppy, Cricket, out back and shooting it, but according to the book, she also met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all),” Noem wrote.

This has become an issue because it never happened.

When confronted about the lie on the news, Noem replied, “As soon as this was brought to my attention, I certainly made some changes.”

“Wait a minute,” Pat Gray says, shocked. “Brought to your attention? You wrote the book.”

“If it’s a ghost writer that’s responsible for misremembering her stories, then she should have already used that out on the Cricket story, which would have paved the way for an out,” Keith Malinak agrees.

And when Noem was pressed further, asking for confirmation that she did not meet with Kim Jong Un — she chose to keep it weird.

“I’ve met with many, many world leaders, many world leaders. I’ve traveled around the world. I think I’ve talked extensively in this book about my time serving in Congress,” she responded. “I’m not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders, I’m just not going to do that. This anecdote shouldn’t have been in the book,” she added.

Gray is disappointed.

“I really like her. This is just so unfortunate,” he says.


Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Joe Exotic tells ALL from PRISON: Netflix EXPLOITED feud with Carole Baskin; the two never even met



Alex Stein was lucky enough to score an interview with the wild Joe Exotic from jail — and it did not disappoint.

But this isn’t his first interview, as Exotic has been seriously making the rounds. Through doing so, he has learned a bit about his old arch nemesis Carole Baskin.

“I did one with the news station out of Tampa, and they interviewed Carole right before they interviewed me, and she is now even saying on television that Netflix exploited the feud that we had going on,” Exotic tells Stein.

According to Exotic, Baskin told the news station that the two “had never met” and the “feud wasn’t as bad as Netflix portrayed it to be.”

Exotic went on to tell Stein that there was a double agent named Ashley working at his park who had gone undercover for Carole.

“She was the one that was testifying on Carole for Carole at my trial, but they wouldn’t let her because they caught her lying, so she never got to testify. But yeah, she’s Carole’s informant,” Exotic says.

When Stein was setting up the interview, he had an exchange with Howard Baskin. Baskin told Stein “there are no hard feelings” between him an Exotic, but he still thinks “he’s a liar.”

“It would be really nice if just one person in the interview media profession actually challenged Joe on all his lies instead of just letting him blather on with nodding heads,” Howard wrote.

“I don’t know what Howard wants me to admit to. I’ve admitted to shooting the Tigers; I don’t know what else to admit to. But I didn’t pay Allen to go kill Carole,” Exotic says.

“Well, and I appreciate that,” Stein says. “That’s why I have your back.”

Exotic has a message for his old friends.

“What I need them to realize though, is in order to move on, they got to remember that I’m a human being, and my parents died, and I’m no longer going to own animals, and it needs to be over. But it doesn’t need to be over that they can move on with their free life, and Joseph finishes a 21-year prison sentence for something he didn’t do,” he tells Stein.

“I think that’s fair,” Stein says.


Want more from Alex Stein?

To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming, comedic monologues, skits, and street segments, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Andy Barr Brings Horse Ownership To The Public Ahead Of Kentucky Derby

'revitalizing the horseracing industry'

At The Kentucky Derby, The Spectators Are The Sport

At Churchill Downs, the horses are merely the backdrop of this American cultural touchstone event.

FACT CHECK: Did Rich Strike’s Jockey Turn Down An Invitation To The White House?

There is no record of Leon making such a remark

Rich Strike wins the Kentucky Derby delivering the second-biggest upset in Derby history



The Kentucky Derby continues to shock viewers and attendees as the winner of Saturday’s race defied 80-1 odds to win in a surprise victory at Churchill Downs.

The winning horse, Rich Strike, delivered an upset loss to Epicenter and Zandon, the two steeds favored to win, while they engaged in a duel for first at the front, the Associated Press reported.

Rich Strike, a chestnut colt, beat the 4-1 favorite Epicenter by three-quarters of a length while Zandon finished another three-quarters of a length behind Epicenter in third.

Rich Strike’s come-from-behind win marks the second-biggest upset in the Kentucky Debry’s 148-year history.

Eric Reed, the winning horse’s trainer, said, “I about fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire. I about passed out.”

Kenny McPeek, a trainer whose horses finished eighth and ninth, remarked that the shocking win was “crazy.”

“What a crazy Derby,” McPeek said.

Part of what makes Rich Strike’s victory such a surprise is that the horse wasn’t even supposed to be in the race until the day prior when Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas took Ethereal Road out of the race in favor of Rich Strike.

Rich Strike’s owner, Rick Dawson, said, “We found out about 30 seconds before the deadline on Friday. It puts us in the race and really we always felt if we just got in we’ve got a shot.”

Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Epicenter, said, “I can’t believe it after Epicenter’s effort. I got beat by a horse that just got in.”

This loss makes Asmussen 0 for 24 in Derby races.

Rich Strike’s jockey, Sonny Leon, had only two horses beat prior to his come from behind victory. Leon was able to guide his horse between the competition and to the inside rail which made it easier for him to pick off Epicenter and Zandon.

Leon typically rides on some of the country’s smaller horse circuits where horses are not nearly as exuberantly priced and the gamblers are far less affluent.

Dawson purchased Rich Strike for $30,000 last fall. This investment proved worthwhile as Rich Strike earned $1.86 million for winning the Derby.

Rich Strike’s victory continues the recently established tradition of odd-ball derbies.

In 2019, the winning horse was disqualified for interference; in 2020, there were no fans allowed in the stands of Churchill Downs due to COVID-19 restrictions and the race was pushed back until that September; and in 2021, the race’s winner, Medina Spirit, was disqualified for having failed post-race drug test.

VIDEO: Gun-toting restaurant patron puts scare into Black Lives Matter protesters in Louisville



A Louisville restaurant patron put a bit of a scare into Black Lives Matter marchers Saturday night when video caught him pointing a handgun at the protesters in a wild scene amid tables on the sidewalk in front of La Chasse, the Courier-Journal reported.

What are the details?

The paper said the protesters' demonstration coincided with the 147th Kentucky Derby and was in memory of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by police last year.

Just after 8:30 p.m., protesters stopped outside La Chasse on Bardstown Road, which is about five miles northeast of Churchill Downs, and the Courier-Journal reported that a man watching from the restaurant's patio pulled a gun and pointed it at protesters during a confrontation.

It's not clear what led to the confrontation, but there are numerous examples of leftist protesters caught on video harassing and terrorizing restaurant patrons at their tables in the name of their causes — such as this courageous mob in Washington, D.C., last August:

1) In a scene that played out several times Monday, a Black Lives Matter protest that began in Columbia Heights con… https://t.co/kAceaq1yEW

— Fredrick Kunkle WaPo (@KunkleFredrick) 1598384374.0

But apparently the armed restaurant patron in Louisville wasn't about to let anything like that happen to him.

Video of the confrontation begins with an image of the white-haired man in a blue dress shirt and light-colored pants standing near one of the outdoor tables and pointing a small handgun at the protesters, who are hollering and making gestures — but not daring to get anywhere near him.

Image source: Courier-Journal video screenshot

In the clip, one of the protesters can be heard hollering at the man, "You're not the only one with a gun!"

Indeed, a pair of men armed with rifles and handguns who appeared to be acting as security for the protesters were seen facing down the white-haired patron and arguing with him.

Image source: Courier-Journal video screenshot

A woman who appeared to be one of the protesters and man who appeared to be restaurant employee did their best to keep things calm.

Image source: Courier-Journal video screenshot

The paper said other protesters told the group to keep moving, and a few minutes later several Louisville police cruisers pulled up in front of the restaurant. The Courier-Journal didn't indicate if any arrests were made.

The video ends with the white-haired man and another man being led inside the restaurant as the more heavily armed men watch them leave the scene:

Anything else?

A number of Twitter commenters weighed in on a separate video of the incident posted by a Courier-Journal reporter.

Confrontation between patrons at La Chasse and protesters. https://t.co/iUFKA9zWvY

— Hayes Gardner (@HayesGardner) 1619916034.0

While no context for the confrontation was noted in the tweet, it was clear where folks who observed the clip stand on the issue:

  • "THESE BLM turds NEED TO STAY THE F*** OUT OF PEOPLE LIVES," one commenter wrote. "People that did nothing to harass get harassed in return. It's going to backfire sooner than you think."
  • "Bunch of stupid jackasses have pushed good decent people to the brink," another user said. "Best look out!!"
  • "Good for him," another commenter noted. "Stop harassing and threatening people eating diner."

Kentucky Derby bucks social justice activists, refuses to cancel pre-race tradition



The Kentucky Derby is refusing to cave to the woke mob.

Despite pushback from people who claim the state song of Kentucky is racially insensitive, the song will be played prior to the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at the historic Churchill Downs horse racing track on Saturday.

What are the details?

The Kentucky state song "My Old Kentucky Home" is traditionally played prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby. The University of Louisville marching band plays the song while the more than 160,000 spectators in attendance sing the lyrics.

According to the Kentucky Derby website, the song has been played for the last 100 years. "Although there is no definitive history on the playing of the Stephen Foster ballad as a Derby Day tradition, it is believed to have originated in 1921 for the 47th running," the website states.

But social justice activists say the song should not be played because of its connection to America's antebellum past.

From WLKY-TV:

But the song has a complicated history. It's said to be a song about a slave's lament and the original lyrics used controversial wording about Black people.

Last year, as racial justice protests were steady in Louisville, and took aim at the Derby, Churchill Downs made some wording changes to the song the day before, and added a moment of silence and reflection at its conclusion.

Pastor Timothy Findley told WLKY the song must be "removed" in order to "move forward."

"If we're going to do the right thing, if we're going to do the thing that moves our community forward, moves our city forward, and shows that we have sensitivity to what has happened in the past and a mind to move forward in the future, the song needs to be removed. I don't even understand why this is such a difficult thing," Findley said.

What is Churchill Downs doing this year?

According to WLKY, the song will be played as usual on Saturday, and Churchill Downs did not say there would be any changes to the pre-race tradition.

"So what's happening this year? All we know is the band will play the song as usual. We asked Churchill Downs if there would be any changes like last year, but they did not respond to that specific question," WLKY reported.

Traditions - My Old Kentucky Home www.youtube.com

BLM activists demand African-American horse owner boycott Kentucky Derby — but he says no way



Black Lives Matter activists are calling for African-American horse owner Greg Harbut to pull out of the Kentucky Derby, CNN reports — but Harbut refuses.

Activists insist Harbut boycott the annual event in order to protest the police killing of Louisville, Kentucky, resident Breonna Taylor.

What are the details?

Harbut, 35, says he will not pull out of Saturday's Kentucky Derby because of the very fact that he is an African-American.

"I stand with Black Lives Matter, and I stand for justice for Breonna Taylor," he told the network. "But as an African-American man involved in an industry that's not very inclusive to people who look like me, there's no way that I could sit out on one of the largest race days in the U.S. and not bring awareness to the contributions that African-Americans have given to horse racing."

Harbut — who owns horse Necker Island — explained that his presence in the event is a continuation of important contributions to the history of African-Americans participating in the Kentucky Derby.

"The history of the Kentucky Derby started with African-Americans," he said. "The first horse, Aristides, was trained by an African-American named Ansel Williamson and ridden by an African-American jockey named Oliver Lewis."

He continued, "[W]e are the only black representation in the Kentucky Derby this year. There hasn't been any representation for us for the past 13 years."

Harbut added that he has high hopes to "strategically bring other African-Americans into this industry and onto the national stage."

What else?

In the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby, several activist groups and coalitions have demanded the derby be cancelled amid the ongoing police brutality protests.

One such group, the Justice and Freedom Coalition, said that a boycott of the annual event was necessary in order to "put much-needed pressure on the state to not only complete a thorough investigation of Ms. Taylor's case, but to send a clear message that we will not allow these injustices to continue."

Churchill Downs, which hosts the Kentucky Derby, in a Thursday statement promised that the race would go on.

"We know there are some who disagree with our decision to run the Kentucky Derby this year," the statement read. "We respect that point of view but made our decision in the belief that traditions can remind us of what binds us together as Americans, even as we seek to acknowledge and repair the terrible pain that rends us apart."

Black Owner of Horse Pressured to Boycott Kentucky Derbywww.youtube.com