Horrified women say men punched them in face, head in unprovoked, broad-daylight attacks on NYC streets this month



"I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face," influencer Halley Mcgookin said through tears in a now-viral Monday video describing an attack against her that had just taken place on a New York City street, Today reported. "Oh my God, it hurts so bad. I can't even talk."

Mcgookin added in the clip — which Today said has received over 35 million views — that she fell to the ground after the punch; she then pointed to a bump on the upper right side of her head, the outlet noted.

She's not alone.

A number of horrified women are saying that men have punched them this month in unprovoked, broad-daylight attacks on Manhattan streets.

Mcgookin — known online as Halley Kate — said in a follow-up video that she was walking on a sidewalk looking down at her phone to send an email when a man who was walking his dog punched her, Today reported: “There was so much room on the sidewalk, literally nobody was around, and I guess this man — I don’t know if he punched me or elbowed me. I literally passed out, so I don’t really remember."

She added that when she tried to get up, the man was “screaming” at her before she ran away, the outlet reported.

NBC News noted that videos of women reporting similar attacks have picked up in the last week: One woman said she was attacked walking home from class; another while on her way to work; still another while she was walking her dog.

The news network added that a police spokesperson declined to answer whether the attacks reflect an uptick in violent crime against women in the city or whether the police department is taking any additional measures to ensure their safety.

NBC News reported that a 25-year-old woman said she was walking out of the Times Square subway station on 7th Avenue and West 42nd Street Saturday when a man punched her in the head. The victim told the news network that she captured video of the man as he was walking away, and police publicized in a poster that the suspect was wanted for assault.

The woman said on TikTok the "traumatic" experience will stick with her the "rest of [her] life," NBC News added: "We are always cautious about walking at night, now we have to be cautious about walking in broad daylight."

'Out of nowhere'

The news network also said Mikayla Toninato — a Parsons fashion design student — also shared a TikTok video saying she was punched in the face while leaving class in Manhattan as she was looking down at her phone and texting.

“Out of nowhere this man just came up and hit me in the face," she said in the clip with a bruise visible under one of her eyes, according to NBC News.

“He hit me right on my cheekbone," Toninato told the "Today" show Thursday, according to NBC News. "This doesn’t hurt as bad as the concussion does." She added that emotionally "it's been really really hard. I think it hits me in waves. A lot of crying because it’s been really scary."

Another woman reported getting punched by a man who apologized before he hit her, the news network said.

“I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk,” she said in a TikTok video, NBC News reported. “He goes ‘sorry’ and then punches me in the head.”

Police told the news network the attack took place around 11:48 a.m. March 17 while a woman was walking her dog in the area of Kenmare and Mulberry Streets and that "no injuries were reported as a result of this incident."

NBC News said the woman in an update posted to her TikTok account added: “I wasn’t looking down at my phone. I was just literally across the street from my building walking my dog to the dog park. I had seen the man. He was, like, slightly walking toward me, and I didn’t think anything of it. And then he says, ‘sorry,’ and hits me and was immediately gone.”

'I got attacked from behind'

The news network added that Sarah Harvard, 30, posted Tuesday on X that she was walking near the Delancey Street and Essex Street station on the Lower East Side when she was punched in the back of the head March 19.

“I was not on my phone. I was walking somewhere, and I got attacked from behind,” she told NBC News. “So it’s really violating that I didn’t see it coming, and there was nothing I could’ve done, really, to prevent it from happening.”

Harvard added to the news network that since the attack, she's felt a “spiky pain, throbbing feeling” in her head and experienced nausea, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision.

More from NBC News:

Harvard said she initially didn’t go to the police because she thought that it was an isolated incident, and that officials might brush it off. Since she learned that more women have come forward online to say they’ve been assaulted, she said, she plans to file a police report.

Since the attack, Harvard said, she is struggling with feeling unsafe in the city she calls home.

“What’s really unbearable is that general, never-ending feeling now of feeling unsafe and feeling constantly alert, constantly looking over my shoulder,” she told the news network. “This anxiety is manifesting physically, too. I slept last night for two hours; the night before, I slept for four hours. I’m having trouble breathing, and my chest is getting really tight.”

An arrest

NBC News, citing police, said 40-year-old Skiboky Stora of Brooklyn was arrested Wednesday on an assault charge. The attack for which the news outlet said Stora was arrested is the same attack Today reported in reference to Mcgookin.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

More from NBC News:

Stora has sought public office in New York since 2021, public records show. He participated in a New York City mayoral debate in 2021. In 2022, he filed a handwritten petition to get on the ballot for New York governor. Last year, records show, Stora ran for the District 9 seat on the New York City Council.

However, the news network added Stora and the suspect wanted in connection with the Saturday assault outside the Times Square subway station do not appear to be the same person.

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Horowitz: One quality we need in a new House speaker



One overarching reason explains why America is collapsing and no serious effort has arisen in recent decades to halt the uniparty-driven decline. Every Republican or even conservative leader until now has feared the image of temporary disruption, chaos, and discord more than the permanent destruction of our life, liberty, economy, sovereignty, culture, and way of life. Hence the constant clamor to avoid a government shutdown or a debt-ceiling fight. And hence the aversion to intraparty fights.

We will not reverse this evil tide of tyranny until someone who represents the right side is more fearful of our societal and economic collapse than of a temporary lapse in federal funding.

Look at any Democrat leaders headed into a pivotal legislative or budgetary fight, and their passion, sense of mission, and indefatigable energy are palpable. They will pound the lectern, accusing their opponents of killing Grandma, the poor, veterans, and every rainbow identity under the sun. They will even invoke a degree of religious dogma in defense of their position and condemn their opponents to the pits of hell. From Nancy Pelosi or Hakeem Jeffries in the House to Chuck Schumer in the Senate, they are never off-message for a second. Even Joe Biden, despite his obvious cognitive decline, never wavers on his ideological commitment.

What do you hear from Republicans? To be fair, Senate Republicans these days actually do have passion and a sense of mission ... in the same ideological direction and for the same policy outcomes desired by Chuck Schumer.

But even the more “conservative” House leaders and committee chairmen will call for bipartisanship, laud the minutiae of process, warn against shutting down the government, and espouse banal and conciliatory talking points designed neither to galvanize the base nor convert swing voters.

Where is the fire in the belly? Where is the equal and opposing force? How come we never have Republican leaders draw a line and say, “We will not fund your lawless invasion at the border for one day past the fiscal year.” Or “we will not fund the bankrupting of American families and the financial collapse that are destroying our standard of living today.” We never have leaders to who evoke the morality of our positions the way Democrats propagate the immorality of theirs.

It doesn’t have to be this way. This unexpected speaker fight provides us with a new opportunity to finally pursue a leader who actually shares our values, but most importantly — in this age when political messaging is crucial — is able to articulate our view from a position of strength.

Republicans are already falling into the trap of looking for the “next man in line” rather than the most effective voice. They are seeking to elevate Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the current No. 2 Republican, who was a part of this same leadership structure that not only failed us this year but even during trifecta control in 2017-2018. Then, other members of the Republican leadership would ascend another rung on the ladder.

SCOOP: Rep. Tom Emmer has begun making calls to members ahead of a likely bid for majority leader, according to a Republican with direct knowledge.\n\nAnd Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), who is Emmer\u2019s deputy whip, is also making calls to be whip.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia Beavers) 1696425840

This “next in line” mentality is what saddled us with Kevin McCarthy after he was elevated from whip to majority leader following the shocking defeat of then-leader Eric Cantor. After I helped former Rep. Dave Brat defeat Cantor in his central Virginia district, I even warned at the time of the emergency race for majority leader in June 2014 that the decision to elevate McCarthy was tone-deaf to the demand for change from GOP voters.

Swapping out Cantor for McCarthy would be the most tone deaf move of all if that is where the House heads
— Daniel Horowitz (@Daniel Horowitz) 1402523389

In an attempt to avoid “chaos” yet again, many Republicans will want to jump on a known horse who has a strong whip operation. But why are many Republicans so shortsighted? Some of them were even decrying — or literally crying about — the loss of jobs for McCarthy’s staff members.

Really? We are facing an unimaginable debt bomb that will crush the ability of all of us to live properly. We are facing the prospect of another 4 million illegal aliens, infiltrated with dangerous transnational gangs, coming over this year. What we are facing as a civilization is no longer a talking point. The crisis is real and requires immediate redress. Avoiding chaos and being steady, “mature,” and following precedent in themselves are not a solution.

Ironically, as we were all focused on the “chaos” of the House floor, most people didn’t realize the federal debt rose $275 billion in one day over the weekend, according to the latest Treasury Department update!

As all the uniparty members extolled the McCarthy bill to “avert a shutdown,” we actually perpetuated and exacerbated the ultimate shutdown over that very same weekend. Do you think we “avoided default” during the spring? Think again! With the debt increasing $450 billion in two weeks and $2 trillion since McCarthy’s debt-ceiling deal just four months ago, we are confronted with a death spiral of inflation, debt, and insolvency. Treasury yields are rising to shocking levels concurrent with the rapid acceleration of the debt, which itself is exploding the interest payments.

Consider the fact that we will now have to pay, at a minimum, $700 billion more on interest on the debt relative to pre-COVID levels. What that means is that the debt from the accumulation of outlays on our welfare state and entitlement programs is so enormous and metastasizing that even if we pretty much eliminated every single non-defense discretionary agency imaginable — including entire departments, such as education, housing, energy, commerce, and labor — we’d be no better off than we were in 2019 when facing certain insolvency back then.

We can’t absorb another year of record debt and inflation; another year of destruction of our energy, housing, and cars; another year of unchecked illegal immigration; another year of “died suddenly”; and another year of “arrested suddenly” for political beliefs.

Coming back to the speaker fight, even more than the technicalities of an open amendment process, the 72-hour rule, or respecting “regular order,” we need a no-drama, sincere believer and we need an articulator. We need someone who cares for our future more than he fears a temporary shutdown. We need a leader who, for once, shares our convictions. We already have one Democrat Party; we don’t need a second one.

We might have to agree on a compromise candidate, but why not start out with our best foot going forward? We must aim as high as possible because we can no longer afford “the lesser of two evils.”

Horowitz: The top committee chairs in a McCarthy House are the worst of globalists



Most of the top incoming House committee chairmen reflect the values of Democrat voters more than Republican voters. That is the legacy of Kevin McCarthy-era leadership. It’s time for that to change, and it’s time to end the “next in line” country club politics of the GOP.

Mouthpieces for the failed GOP leadership are complaining that the fight for speaker is delaying potentially for a few days the amazing committee work they have planned. But with committee chairs like the ones lined up at present, it sure is worth spending a few days doing surgery on the gangrene globalists within the party rather than spending the next two years with chairmen who hate their base more than Biden does. It’s worth the time to ensure that we don’t wind up with the same chairmen we dealt with during the last GOP majority, when McCarthy was floor leader.

When Democrats select committee chairs, they choose members who not only fought in the trenches for every leftist cause, but who are particularly intrepid in advancing their agenda on the relevant subject matter under the jurisdiction of said committee. Picture Rosa DeLauro, Adam Smith, Maxine Waters, Jerry Nadler, and Adam Schiff. There was not a single Democrat chair who was moderate on a single issue. These people made most of the chairmen during Pelosi’s first tenure as speaker in 2007 seem like Barry Goldwater.

Republicans, on the other hand, choose people who thwart their conservative base on most issues, particularly those issues over which they will take charge as committee chairs. Let us take a tour of the new GOP House majority and examine the amazing fighters they have slated for committee chairs.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is considered one of the most powerful committees in economic and domestic policy. One would expect the rising chairman to be the most articulate foe of the global warming and green energy agenda. Instead, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has a 60% Liberty Score, is the quintessential fusionist who likes to validate the global warming agenda and the need for green energy while merely opposing the most extreme measures of transitioning too quickly.

"I'm still learning," McMorris Rodgers recently told a climate fascist activist who asked about her position on global warming. "I think (any regulation) needs to be smart. I think it's important to recognize we brought down carbon emissions."

Exactly the “conservative” way of doing COVID, the “conservative” way of doing illegal immigration, the “conservative” way of doing Ukraine money laundering – always accepting the premise, parlance, and policies of the left as the starting point.

Applying Newton’s laws of motion to politics, this is not exactly the sort of equal and opposing force that is going to stop the green energy agenda, which is the biggest threat to our life, liberty, and property. This is not exactly someone who will end all green energy subsidies and global warming mandates. In her opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing last year, she perfectly summarized the limp GOP “agree to the premise” strategy that has helped destroy workable energy in this country for years. “We need a smart approach — rooted in reality — to secure a cleaner energy future,” she said. Just like with COVID, McMorris Rodgers believes we need to achieve the leftist agenda from the leftist premise, just more thoughtfully and efficiently. This is a core value of the Republican Governance Group (the RINO equivalent of the Freedom Caucus), of which she is a member.

What about Appropriations? This is the committee that writes the budget, which is even more important than legislation. That is run by original never-Trumper Kay Granger, with a Liberty Score of 51%. She is one of the biggest spenders in Congress. The 12 appropriations subcommittee chairs, known as “cardinals,” are also run by big-government Republicans who love Pfizer, Ukraine, and the FBI more than our border.

The other major A-level House committee is Ways and Means, which is responsible for all tax and revenue bills. The front-runner for that job so far is Vern Buchanan with a 57% Liberty Score.

What about Foreign Affairs? Michael McCaul, another Republican Governance Group member, is slated to take over, after his disastrous tenure as Homeland Security Committee chair the last time Republicans were in the majority. That is when they couldn’t get the border taken care of – even with trifecta control – and the few good things implemented were done administratively by Trump.

Armed Services will be run by Mike Rogers, who holds a 61% Liberty Score in one of the most conservative districts in the country. The core reason we get crushed on every government funding bill is because people like Rogers believe in unlimited funding thrown at the woke and broken military without any policy changes in return. He didn’t utter a word on the vaccine mandates in the military until months after it was too late. Now he is advocating that those who rebel against McCarthy should get kicked off committees.

\u201c!!! Rep. Mike Rogers says anyone that votes against McCarthy doesn\u2019t get a committee, source in room tells me\u201d
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia Beavers) 1672758070

Finally, there is the Rules Committee. In many respects, the Rules Committee is the committee of committees, because it determines which bills are voted out to the floor and under what rules and circumstances. The Rules Committee chairman is therefore the most powerful party leader after the speaker and majority leader. The incoming chairman, as I’ve already noted, is Rep. Tom Cole, who has a 50% Liberty Score. There’s almost not a single issue of importance on which he doesn’t agree with the Democrat premise, including the need for even more funding of Jan. 6 FBI persecutions.

Ever wonder why the House breaks all its rules and votes on bills less than 72 hours after reading them and doesn’t allow amendment votes? The Rules Committee can just waive the standing rules for that particular bill, which is usually for the most important pieces of legislation.

Thus, the House is broken and the GOP is broken. Keeping the same power players from the past failed GOP majorities is the definition of insanity. Demanding that people stand down for a few days of debate just to get the show on the road will ensure that this GOP majority is indeed just a show. It’s time we move beyond the “lesser of two evils” and the defeatist low expectations of “at least it’s Tom Cole and not a Democrat.”

If people really want change, at a minimum, they’d allow Freedom Caucus members – who represent the heart and soul of the majority of actual GOP voters – to run the Rules Committee so that our voices can be heard. Bills like repealing vaccine liability immunity will never receive a floor debate under the current structure because the McCarthy Republicans want to evince a conservative image without having to take Overton window-shifting votes.

It’s funny how today it’s almost consensus among conservative chatterboxes that Boehner was bad for conservatives and that McConnell is a subversive menace. But throughout the past decade when it actually mattered, many of these same voices called us the same names they are calling us today in defense of Kevin McCarthy. Do we really need to wait another two to four years to be proven right after the damage is already done, or will we finally take a few days to debate the purpose of this GOP majority and what most old-bull Republicans actually believe?

The same Republican voices who have come out of hiding and are slowly waking up to the lie of Ukraine after the policies caused immutable harm will come around on Kevin McCarthy one day – after it no longer matters and we are on to the next issue. As Mark Twain once said, "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."

'Be offended': Matt Gaetz REFUSES to apologize for saying pro-abortion women are 'ugly on the inside and out'



When asked what he would say to those who are offended by his comments regarding the physical appearances of certain female abortion advocates, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz (R) simply responded with "be offended."

Speaking at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit 2022, Gaetz called "pro-abortion, pro-murder" protesters at rallies "odious on the inside and out."

"Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb," Gaetz asked in a video clip that has been viewed more than 7 million times since Saturday.

\u201cGaetz: "Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb."\u201d
— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1658611196

Gaetz was asked to clarify his controversial comments on Monday after speaking at a nursing home in Pensacola.

"I'm very pro-life and I make no apology for it. I'm grateful that Roe has been overturned and that Dobbs is now the jurisprudence on abortion. I find these people that go out in these pro-abortion, pro-murder rallies odious and just, like, ugly on the inside and out. I make no apology for it. I don't believe that every person who disagrees with my perspective on life is an ugly person, but the ones that are out there protesting and marching on Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh's home, trying to threaten the court, trying to impose a 'night of rage' on our nation's Capitol, which us what they advertised, that's just pure ugliness. I see that ugliness on the inside, I see it on the outside. Even in the horrible circumstance where an abortion may happen, it is nothing to celebrate and it is nothing to cheer," Gaetz stated.

"You're suggesting that these women at these abortion rallies are ugly and overweight?" asked an ABC reporter.

"Yes," Gaetz answered unapologetically.

"What do you say to people who think those comments are offensive?" the reporter asked.

"Be offended," Gaetz shot back.

\u201c@RepMattGaetz doubled-down on his comments in our interview this morning.\n\nQ: You're suggesting that these women at these abortion rallies are ugly and overweight?\nA: Yes\n\nQ: What do you say to people who think those comments are offensive?\nA: Be offended.\u201d
— Olivia Iverson (@Olivia Iverson) 1658779297

On "The News & Why It Matters" Tuesday, BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales, along with guests John Doyle and Tayler Hansen, discussed the pro-life congressman's controversial comments and asked: Do we need more of this from our political leaders?

Watch the video clip below. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.


Want more from 'The News & Why It Matters'?

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Texas Congressman Ron Wright, 67, dies after contracting COVID-19



Congressman Ron Wright (R-Texas) died Sunday night after contracting COVID-19. He was 67.

Wright's office confirmed his death Monday morning in a statement announcing that he "passed away peacefully" with his wife, Susan, by his side. He is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting the coronavirus.

A statement:Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on Feb. 7, 2021. His wife Susan was by… https://t.co/L0CLpfEoaq
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia Beavers)1612800660.0

"Ron and Susan Wright shared a deep and abiding relationship with their Lord and Savoir [sic]. For that reason, Ron remained stoic in the face of his health challenges, and incredibly upbeat about the future of the state and the nation he loved so much," the statement reads.

"Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue. Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn.

"As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end. Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice."

According to the statement, Wright and his wife, Susan, had both been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19. Wright, who was also battling cancer, announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus on Jan. 21. In a statement, Wright said he had been quarantined since Jan. 15.

"I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of the 6th District from home this week. I encourage everyone to keep following CDC guidelines and want to thank all the medical professionals on the front lines who fight this virus head-on every single day," Wright said at the time.

Rep. Wright is survived by his wife, Susan; his son Derek; his son Justin and wife Susan; his daughter Rachel and husband Jeff; his brother Gary and wife Janis; and nine grandchildren.

Several members of the Texas delegation in the House of Representatives issued statements offering their condolences to Wright's family.

"Today I am deeply saddened by the loss of a good man and one of my closest friends in Congress, Ron Wright," said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). "We would all have been served well by having him for a longer time walking among us, sharing his wisdom, humor, knowledge of history, experience on Capitol Hill, and his commitment to public service. Ron believed in the greatness of America and loved our shared home state of Texas deeply."

Rep. Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement Monday morning in response to the passing of his friend and colleag… https://t.co/yTEkjOfKVT
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@Rep. Chip Roy Press Office)1612800510.0

"I'm deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Congressman Ron Wright. Ron was a man of deep faith and a tireless advocate for Texas," said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas). "He will be greatly missed in the delegation, may he rest in peace. We will keep his family in our prayers."

Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) said: "I join with all Texasns in mourning the loss of my dear friend and colleague Representative Ron Wright. Ron will be remembered as a tireless fighter for North Texas who brought his conservative principles and love of country to the United States Congress every single day. We'll all miss his signature bowtie and warm personality in the halls of the Capitol, a presence that cannot soon be replaced. My prayers are with his wife Susan and beautiful family during this difficult time."

Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Wright was "a fighter who passionately served the people of Texas and America."

"May God grant Susan and his entire family solace during this very difficult time," he added.

Our hearts are heavy with the news of @RepRonWright's passing. He was a fighter who passionately served the people… https://t.co/m5RYYVD91u
— Kevin McCarthy (@Kevin McCarthy)1612802421.0

Candace Owens hits back after social media slams her for blasting pop star Harry Styles' ball gown Vogue photo shoot



Conservative commentator and activist Candace Owens took fire from much of social media after blasting a Vogue photo shoot featuring ball gown-clad pop star Harry Styles.

What are the details?

On Saturday, Owens shared photos from the shoot and captioned it, "There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men."

For his part, Styles was quoted as telling the long-running fashion magazine, "There's so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I've never thought too much about what it means — it just becomes this extended part of creating something."

There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization… https://t.co/0ArvBaazmr
— Candace Owens (@Candace Owens)1605381388.0

Elsewhere in the fashion profile, Styles added, "Now I'll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don't feel crazy wearing it. I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it's like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What's really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. When you take away 'There's clothes for men and there's clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play."

What was the reaction?

Actress Olivia Wilde shredded Owens for her remarks, simply responding, "You're pathetic."

@RealCandaceO You’re pathetic.
— olivia wilde (@olivia wilde)1605496420.0

Actor Elijah Wood chimed in, "[I] think you've missed the definition of what a man is. [M]asculinity alone does not make a man." In a second tweet, he wrote, "[I]n fact, it's got nothing to do with it."

@RealCandaceO i think you’ve missed the definition of what a man is. masculinity alone does not make a man
— Elijah Wood (@Elijah Wood)1605554721.0
@RealCandaceO in fact, it’s got nothing to do with it
— Elijah Wood (@Elijah Wood)1605554771.0

PC Mag editor Will Greenwald added, "Maybe your first mistake was looking for aggressive masculinity in Vogue. Well, your second mistake. Your first mistake was fetishizing it at all."

@RealCandaceO Maybe your first mistake was looking for aggressive masculinity in Vogue. Well, your second mistake… https://t.co/u1e9CznGl5
— Will Greenwald no Densetsu (@Will Greenwald no Densetsu)1605537623.0

Dr. Eugene Gu, founder and CEO of CoolQuit.com, wrote, "Harry Styles wearing a dress doesn't threaten anyone's masculinity except for those who pay such close attention to the cover of Vogue magazine that they have to cry and scream on social media like overly emotional snowflakes and then falsely accuse Harry of destroying society."

Harry Styles wearing a dress doesn’t threaten anyone’s masculinity except for those who pay such close attention to… https://t.co/5b3klIuCVT
— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD)1605551126.0

Comedian Kathy Griffin wrote, "Candy Owens doesn't know what she in for going up against the Harry Styles stans."

Candy Owens doesn’t know what she in for going up against the Harry Styles stans.
— Kathy Griffin (@Kathy Griffin)1605542066.0

After her initial remarks went viral, Owens shared a follow-up tweet about the attention, writing, "Since I'm trending I'd like to clarify what I meant when I said 'bring back manly men.' I meant: Bring back manly men. Terms like 'toxic masculinity,' were created by toxic females. Real women don't do fake feminism. Sorry I'm not sorry."

Since I’m trending I’d like to clarify what I meant when I said “bring back manly men”.I meant: Bring back manly… https://t.co/O86iAF02Qq
— Candace Owens (@Candace Owens)1605537967.0

(H/T: Faithwire)

Trump speaks message of hope after confusion surrounds his health: 'I'm going to beat this'



Contradictory statements about President Donald Trump's health triggered a wave of confusion over the president's health Saturday, leading many to believe Trump's condition was more serious than what was being said publicly.

But the president seemed to put any confusion to rest Saturday afternoon.

What are the details?

Shortly before noon Saturday, Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, briefed reporters outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Trump was taken Friday out of an abundance of caution. Conley told reporters that Trump was doing "very well" and that many of the COVID symptoms that he previously exhibited had already dissipated.

Chaos erupted minutes after the press conference when the White House pool reported comments from someone close to the White House contradicting what Conley had just told media.

The source reportedly said, "The president's vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We're still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

BREAKING: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critica… https://t.co/E8ZzwMjsA8
— Sara Cook (@Sara Cook)1601741317.0

The report came just minutes after White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was captured on video talking with the pool reporters, asking them to speak off the record.

UPDATE: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows… https://t.co/0FqChPOzGo
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivia Nuzzi)1601742463.0

Conley's press conference — during which he was accused of not answering reporters' questions directly — also sparked confusion.

More from Politico:

Conley and Trump's medical team also sent shockwaves through the White House and political landscape with their timeline of Trump's first positive coronavirus test. During the briefing, Conley said it had been 72 hours since Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19, suggesting Trump knew about his status on Wednesday, well before he revealed it overnight Thursday into Friday. That would mean Trump had gone on with his normal schedule, traveling and working in close proximity to aides and staffers, for well over a full day.

Yet again, though, the White House scrambled minutes after the briefing to clarify the timeline from the medical team. Another White House aide said the doctor had meant to say "day 3" instead of "72 hours," since Trump had been diagnosed Thursday night. Conley made the clarification official a few hours later, releasing what amounted to the fourth statement of the day from the White House.

What did Trump say?

Hours after the confusion began, Trump tweeted that he was "feeling well."

"Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!" Trump said.

Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions w… https://t.co/Dnso50a85R
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)1601745578.0

Later in the day, Trump dictated a statement through Rudy Giuliani, the New York Post reported.

In that statement, Trump was upbeat and said he felt well enough to immediately leave the hospital.

"I feel I could get out of here right now. But they're telling me there can always be a backstep with this disease. But I feel I could go out and do a rally," Trump said. "I am the president of the United States. I can't lock myself in a room. … I had to confront [the virus] so the American people stopped being afraid of it so we could deal with it responsibly."

"We have made tremendous progress on treating this disease. Fatality rates are very low compared to [the beginning]," he continued.

"I'm going to beat this," Trump reportedly said. "Then I will be able to show people we can deal with this disease responsibly, but we shouldn't be afraid of it."

"If I had handled it any other way, I would have created more panic, more fear in the American people," Trump added. "We are making great progress on dealing with this disease and making better progress with the economy than anyone had the right to expect."