PLUMMETING birth rates keep Elon Musk up at night
How do we solve the crises that are currently burdening America?
While Dave Rubin knows there are “some political ways,” like how “a certain orange man would be better than a certain man with dementia,” there are some more important, more tangible ways that are in your control.
“It’s find a mate and have a family. Start the basic building blocks of society, bottom up. The way your parents did it and your grandparents did it,” Rubin explains, adding, “the way civilization has done it for millennia.”
“If you start building a good family, you might be able to save civilization,” he says, and he’s not alone in his belief.
Elon Musk recently explained a similar concept to the Milken Institute after being asked what brings him joy and what keeps him up at night.
“I probably get the most joy from my kids, and I’m not saying that’s the reason to have kids because we should have them anyway, but certainly kids are the greatest source of joy in my life,” he answered.
“In terms of what keeps me up at night, I guess it’s anything that’s, like, I think a civilizational risk,” he said, adding, “The birth rates continuing to plummet. I do think about the birth rates plummeting as being a civilizational risk.”
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GOP-controlled Texas House votes to impeach Trump ally Ken Paxton 121-23
The GOP-controlled Texas House voted 121-23 to adopt 20 articles of impeachment against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton Saturday afternoon.
"I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust," Paxton wrote in a tweet shortly after the vote, also appending a longer statement.
"I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just."
\u201cI am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just.\u201d— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@Attorney General Ken Paxton) 1685224547
Today's proceedings stemmed from an investigation targeting the three-term official's request for $3.3 million to pay a settlement to former employees who accused him of wrongdoing. The fired employees accused him of using his office to benefit a campaign donor, Nate Paul, as TheBlaze reported.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Texas' top law enforcement officer "the strongest conservative AG in the country" in a series of tweets defending Paxton prior to Saturday's vote.
"No attorney general has battled the abuses of the Biden admin more ferociously — and more effectively — than has Paxton," Sen. Cruz wrote.
According to Cruz it should be left to the courts to sort out Paxton's "legal challenges." In his view, legislators should "respect the choice of the Texas voters" since "virtually all" of the information in the articles of impeachment were public prior to voters reelecting him.
\u201c1/x What is happening to @KenPaxtonTX is a travesty.\u00a0\n\nFor the last nine years, Ken has been the strongest conservative AG in the country. Bar none. No attorney general has battled the abuses of the Biden admin more ferociously\u2014and more effectively\u2014than has Paxton.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1685202723
Former President Trump defended Paxton and criticized Texas Republican Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R) in a series of posts on Truth Social.
Trump called Phelan "barely a Republican" who "failed the test on voter integrity."
He praised Paxton as "one of the most hard working and effective" attorneys general in the state.
Prior to the vote, Trump vowed to "fight" Republicans in the Texas House who allowed the process to move forward.
In the Senate trial, senators serve as jurors while House members will present the case as impeachment managers, the outlet also explained. Paxton's permanent removal and ban from holding future office would require the support of two-thirds of senators.
Ted Cruz makes AOC regret snarky comment about history of US political parties: 'Dem party founded the KKK'
Rep. Alexandria Ocaiso-Cortez (D-N.Y.) received more than she bargained for on Tuesday after prompting Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) with a snarky remark about the history of political parties in the United States.
What is the background?
On Sunday, Cruz tweeted his belief that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be "ashamed" of the modern-day NAACP for having "lost their way." Cruz was responding to the NAACP's advisory warning against travel to Florida.
In response, political scientist Norman Ornstein charged that Cruz "would’ve been first in line to filibuster" the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act.
"Nonsense. That shameful filibuster was led by Democrats—your party," Cruz fired back. "My party—the Republicans—proudly voted for the Civil Rights Act in much higher percentages than the racist Dems."
What did AOC say?
The New York congresswoman inserted herself into the dialogue by prompting Cruz to explain what allegedly happened to the landscape of U.S. political parties in the mid-20th century.
"Why don't you go ahead and tell people what happened to the parties after that, Ted," she snarked.
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go ahead and tell people what happened to the parties after that, Ted\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1684847215
So that's exactly what Cruz did. "Sure," he obliged, before going on to provide a historical survey of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
"First, the Dem party founded the KKK. Then the Dem party wrote Jim Crow laws. Then the Dem party filibustered the Civil Rights Act," Cruz explained.
"Today, the Dem part filibusters school choice—trapping millions of Black kids in failing schools. Today, the Dem party pushes abolishing the police, which results in many more Black lives murdered. Today, every Dem senator voted against my bill to stop DC from throwing 40% of Black kids out of schools bc of vax mandate," he continued.
\u201c2/x - Today, the Dem part filibusters school choice\u2014trapping millions of Black kids in failing schools.\n\n- Today, the Dem party pushes abolishing the police, which results in many more Black lives murdered.\n\n- Today, every Dem senator voted against my bill to stop DC from\u2026\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1684857027
The history of the Republican Party, on the other hand, looks much different.
"The Republican Party was founded to oppose slavery. Our first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln, who won the Civil War and ended slavery," Cruz noted. "It was Republicans who voted for the Civil Rights Act in a much higher percentage than racist Dems."
"Today, we produced the lowest African-American unemployment EVER, under the Trump economic boom," he continued. "Today, we produced the lowest African-American poverty levels EVER, under the Trump economic boom."
To make matters worse for Democrats, Cruz pointed to former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's racist yearbook controversy and the eulogy that then-Vice President Joe Biden gave at the funeral of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), a former KKK member.
Is there truth in what AOC suggested?
The suggestion implicit in Ocasio-Cortez's response is the claim that Republicans and Democrats essentially "switched" parties in the 1960s, with Republicans embracing racism to win the South while Democrats eschewed it.
But that is a myth.
The truth is that Republicans were electorally competitive in the South for decades before the civil rights movement; only one of the 21 Democratic senators who opposed the Civil Rights Act ever became a Republican; and it took two generations after the Civil Rights Act — until 1994 — before Republicans held a majority of congressional seats in the South.
Why Did the Democratic South Become Republican? www.youtube.com
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Ted Cruz eviscerates reporter for suggesting Republicans are to blame for border crisis: 'Biden inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years'
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday fired back at a reporter who suggested that Republicans are to blame for the surge of illegal immigration at the border.
Following the end of Trump-era Title 42, tens of thousands of migrants are reportedly gathering near the southern border, hoping the Biden administration's weak policies will allow them to enter the United States.
On Thursday, Cruz spoke at a press conference in Brownsville, Texas, during his visit to a Rio Grande Valley border detention center.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Cruz what Republicans have done to help President Biden fix the border crisis.
Cruz berated the reporter for asking a "ridiculous and silly" question.
"Let me ask you something, what rate of illegal immigration did we have in 2020? Do you know anything? I asked you a question," Cruz stated to the journalist.
\u201c\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23 Texas Dems inadvertently admit the \u201cjournalist\u201d was just spewing Dem talking points\u2026\n\nAnd then they OMIT my ANSWER to their lies! \n\nHere\u2019s the full response:\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1683909509
The reporter ignored Cruz's questions and asked the senator how long he has been in office.
"I've been in office 11 years," Cruz responded.
In a tense back and forth, the journalist then claimed that the crisis at the southern border had been going on for multiple administrations.
"You don't get to argue with me, you asked your question, you asked your question, you wanna hold a press conference, you can do it over there," the senator snapped back at the reporter.
"The talking point of the Democrats, which this media reporter happily parrots, is 'gosh, the problem can't be fixed.' There's one little problem with that; it is an utter and complete lie. In 2020, the last year of the Trump presidency, we had the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years," Cruz continued.
"You ask what I have done?" the senator asked the reporter. "I've championed the men and women of Border Patrol, I've championed securing the border, I've championed 'Remain in Mexico,' and we turned this problem around and solved it, and we went from Joe Biden inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years, and the first day in office he made political decisions to cause this problem, and you should be ashamed of yourself because you're a reporter and you're not reporting facts. You're telling people lies!"
Cruz went on the slam Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of Homeland Security, for not knowing about the various colored wristbands worn by migrants who cross the border. The senator explained that the wristbands' color corresponds with the amount of money the migrant owes the Mexican cartels.
"The fact that Mayorkas doesn't even know what they are ... If you stand on the banks of the Rio Grande River, as I have done many times, you see hundreds or thousands of these wristbands laying on the ground," Cruz added. "That means he hasn't talked to the Border Patrol agents either."
The senator stated that the children who cross the border are flown by the Biden administration to various cities around the nation, where they are then forced to work for the cartels to pay off their debts.
"And if they don't pay it off, [the cartels] will murder their families," he continued.
Cruz then addressed how young girls are forced into sex trafficking, a tragedy that has been further exacerbated by the nation's open border.
"And I'll tell you, as bad as the boys have it, the girls have it worse. There are thousands upon thousands of teenage girls trapped in sex slavery," he stated.
Cruz then slammed the corporate media for failing to report on the crisis.
"For those of you in the media who don't report on that, you should be ashamed. This is evil!" Cruz declared. "And the reason you don't see any Democrats here is they can't defend this. They're counting on the press not to cover it."
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Ted Nugent farewell tour concert date canceled amid social media backlash
Promoters canceled Ted Nugent's concert at an Alabama venue following a wave of social media backlash over the "Cat Scratch Fever" guitarist's political views, Rolling Stone reported Friday.
"Liars and haters drunk on stupid [are] incapable to debate me," Nugent tweeted Friday, including a link to an article in AL.com covering the canceled event.
\u201cliars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me-\n\nhttps://t.co/P56ILUnziG\u201d— Ted Nugent (@Ted Nugent) 1683294090
Nugent was slated to appear at Avondale Brewing Co. in Birmingham July 18. When Red Mountain Entertainment made the announcement about his appearance on Monday, the venue's social media pages were inundated with comments expressing anger and disappointment about the booking, AL.com reported.
Thursday afternoon, the day before tickets were to go on sale, the venue announced the appearance had been canceled.
"We have heard the concerns of the Avondale community, which is so important to us, and in conjunction with our partners, we have taken the necessary steps to cancel the Ted Nugent concert scheduled for July 18," a post on the venue's Instagram Stories said, according to AL.com.
Nugent has been a vocal, longtime supporter of former President Trump and was a member of the National Rifle Association's board until he resigned in 2021.
Three weeks ago, the politically outspoken musician announced in an Instagram video that "Adios Mofo '23" would serve as his farewell tour.
"This will be my last tour ... Thank you, everybody, for an incredible musical dream. The musical dream will continue but I'm not going on tour anymore," Nugent said, joking about hotel rooms feeling like jails.
"Well, that's radical," he joked. "You're d*** right it's radical. I'm radical. My music is radical. My attitude is radical. My middle finger is radical. My guitar tone is radical."
"The point is, if the American dream has a soundtrack ... this will be the greatest, most intense, tightest, most dynamic, outrageously fun tour of my life."
If Birmingham natives want to experience Nugent's last tour, however, they'll have to travel to another state to catch it.
Florida, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Michigan, Texas, and Oklahoma are still on Nugent's "Adios Mofo '23: The Final Tour" list.
DeSantis backs Bud Light boycott movement
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has expressed support for the movement to boycott Bud Light over the woke beer brand's decision to hire transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney to promote its product.
DeSantis noted that companies that engage in such activity will continue to do so if they never face any response. He said that while a boycott might not work against all companies, a beer company will feel the impact if conservatives boycott.
The governor suggested that there is a broader phenomenon of corporations attempting to alter U.S. policy and culture and that he believes "push back is in order across the board, including with Bud Light."
When asked if people will ever see him imbibing a Bud Light again, DeSantis responded in the negative, saying that he does not "think so."
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Gov. DeSantis On Bud Light Boycott:\n\n"Why would you want to drink Bud Light?\n\nIf we don't push back they're gonna keep doing it. If you don't have conservative beer drinkers, they're gonna feel that.\n\nIt's a righteous. Pushback is in order.\n\nI'll never drink Bud again"\u201d— Benny Johnson (@Benny Johnson) 1681773923
DeSantis, who has not announced a presidential bid, is widely viewed as a political figure who may throw his hat into the ring in the GOP presidential primary.
Bud Light's move to enlist Mulvaney to advertise its beverage has been met by a groundswell of negative public sentiment. Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement last week that did not address the controversy head on but did say that the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people." Shortly after the statement came out, Bud Light was majorly ratioed when it posted its first tweet since April 1.
But the beer brand has found support on the left: Several House Democrats from California staged a photo of themselves standing around with Bud Light bottles in hand.
\u201chttps://t.co/jpJUgXpNlc\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1681611879
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Democrats stage Bud Light photo amid backlash against woke beer brand
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California posted a photo of himself and fellow California Democratic Reps. Mark Takano, Judy Chu, and Adam Schiff standing together with bottles of Bud Light beer.
The beer brand became embroiled in controversy because it enlisted Dylan Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a transgender woman, to advertise its product — the move sparked a groundswell of consumer outrage.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a bland statement last week that did not directly address the issue but did say that the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people." When Bud Light tweeted last week for the first time since April 1, the post was majorly ratioed.
\u201chttps://t.co/jpJUgXpNlc\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1681611879
"Worst party ever," actor Dean Cain tweeted in response to the photo of the lawmakers with Bud Light.
"Barf," New Mexico state Rep. John Block wrote, adding, "nailing the final nail in the coffin for @budlight trash beer."
"Telling me you've never drank @budlight without saying you never drank @budlight," former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tweeted.
"This photo is more damaging to the brand than Dylan Mulvaney in the bathtub," Gerry Callahan tweeted.
"Congratulations Bud Light on completely losing your base," Caleb Hull tweeted.
"Dylan Mulvaney Democrats," Byron York of the Washington Examiner tweeted.
Lieu openly admitted that the photo was staged. "Wait, you actually thought there was a possibility that it was totally coincidental that all four of us chose to have Bud Lights, and have them face the camera, and then send the picture out during the middle of a stupid boycott by MAGA Republicans?" he replied to someone who suggested that it had been staged.
\u201c@lvirish126 Wait, you actually thought there was a possibility that it was totally coincidental that all four of us chose to have Bud Lights, and have them face the camera, and then send the picture out during the middle of a stupid boycott by MAGA Republicans?\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1681611879
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Republicans demand action against China after another report confirms communist lab was likely source of COVID-19
Republicans are demanding that action be taken against China following the apparent confirmation by the U.S. Department of Energy that COVID-19 leaked from a communist Chinese lab.
What's the background?
Numerous Republicans have long maintained that millions of Americans and tens of millions of people worldwide had their lives cut short on account of the virus that escaped from a Chinese Communist Party-controlled lab in Wuhan.
Former President Donald Trump intimated in spring 2020 that he had seen evidence that gave him a high degree of confidence that the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding, "Certainly it could have been stopped."
Trump also lambasted the World Health Organization for suggesting a zoonotic origin, stating, "I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves, because they're like the public relations agency for China. ... They shouldn't be making excuses when people make horrible mistakes, especially mistakes that are causing hundreds of thousands of people around the world to die."
\u201cI\u2019ll never forget when they ruthlessly attacked Trump for exposing the birthplace of COVID-19.\n\nLOOK WHO WAS RIGHT!\u201d— Graham Allen (@Graham Allen) 1677504840
Like Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo caught heat from the liberal media for suggesting in May 2020 that there was "enormous evidence" supporting the lab-leak theory.
In a Jan. 30, 2020, tweet, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted that the WIV "works with the world's most deadly pathogens," including the coronavirus, and suggested again a lab-leak origin for the pandemic.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and other Republicans on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released a report in October detailing the untenability of the claim of natural origins and suggesting that the "COVID-19 pandemic was, more likely than not, the result of a research-related incident."
In their December "Second Interim Report on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic," House Republicans on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence noted on the basis of both classified and previously glossed-over declassified intelligence that "there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China's biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)."
Contrariwise, the media and elements of the Democratic establishment supported the Beijing-favored zoonotic-origins theory, holding that the lab-leak theory was baseless and denouncing those who entertained it as conspiracy theorists.
The New York Times and the Washington Post were among those outfits that called the claim that COVID-19 came from the WIV a "fringe theory."
Holding communists culpable
The DOE recently joined the FBI in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at the WIV.
In 2021, the FBI determined with "moderate confidence" that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak. The bureau still holds to this view, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Republicans who suspected the coronavirus lab that performed gain-of-function experiments at the epicenter of a coronavirus pandemic may have been responsible are now calling for action.
Cotton tweeted Sunday, "Re. China’s lab leak, being proven right doesn’t matter. What matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn’t happen again."
\u201cRe. China\u2019s lab leak, being proven right doesn\u2019t matter.\n\nWhat matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn\u2019t happen again.\u201d— Tom Cotton (@Tom Cotton) 1677432559
CBS News previously denounced Cotton as a conspiracy theorist, suggesting the lab-leak theory was "absolutely crazy."
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mocked Glenn Kessler, editor of the Washington Post's "Fact Checker," with clown emojis for his May 2020 tweet claiming it was "virtually impossible for this virus jump from the lab":
\u201c4 \ud83e\udd21\u2019s for Glenn.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1677438398
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) shared the Wall Street Journal's report on the DOE's recent confirmation, writing, "For years, Anthony Fauci and Biden officials called this a conspiracy."
Former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci long claimed that the virus occurred naturally. He repeatedly dismissed the lab-leak theory, calling it a "circular argument."
TheBlaze previously reported that Fauci was also part of an concerted effort to downplay the possibility that COVID-19 originated in a lab and to instead bolster then-unsubstantiated claims that the virus had naturally made the trans-species jump to humans.
Unredacted emails from 2020 obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Guardian reporter Jimmy Tobias revealed great anxiety and uncertainty among Fauci and other virologists.
Despite recognizing that the virus' furin cleavage sites were not naturally occurring — suggestive of human intervention and a lab origin — Fauci told CBS' "Face the Nation" in March 2020 the virus had jumped from an animal to a human. In May 2020, he told National Geographic there was "no scientific evidence" to suggest the virus had come from the Wuhan lab.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted, "Once again... Conspiracy theorists - 100 Media - 0."
Pompeo tweeted, "There was always enormous evidence that the Wuhan coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan lab. I'm glad the Department of Energy recognizes this reality. It's past time to make the CCP pay."
\u201cThere was always enormous evidence that the Wuhan coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan lab.\n\nI\u2019m glad the Department of Energy recognizes this reality.\n\nIt\u2019s past time to make the CCP pay.\n\nhttps://t.co/9AJKF3lK2H\u201d— Mike Pompeo (@Mike Pompeo) 1677441595
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) tweeted, "The left spent the past 2yrs trying to censor the truth & cover up for Communist China, but the facts are undeniable. The CCP is evil. Its virus killed millions & Xi will stop at nothing to destroy the U.S. It's time to hold this evil regime accountable."
The Hill reported that Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) went on NBC's "Meet the Press" calling for "extensive" public hearings about the origins in Congress.
Sullivan said of China, "Look, this is a country that has no problem coming out and lying to the world. ... I think that we need to make sure every country knows that, and then look at what the consequences could be."
In addition to hearings during which the possibility of action will be discussed, there is a bill presently in the House aimed at holding the CCP responsible.
TheBlaze noted that if passed in the Republican-controlled House, Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls' "China Lied, People Died" Act (H.R.566) would "prohibit the availability of Federal funds for programs, projects, or activities in the People's Republic of China until amounts made available for COVID-19 relief in the United States have been reimbursed, and for other purposes."
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Ted Cruz asks one blunt question about Pete Buttigieg after East Palestine disaster: 'Small-town mayor with no experience'
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) questioned this week how many controversies Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg can weather before he is fired or forced to resign.
On the latest episode of his podcast "Verdict," Cruz addressed the East Palestine train derailment, blasting President Joe Biden and Buttigieg for their botched response to the disaster.
"Let me ask you a question: What in the hell does Pete Buttigieg have to do to get fired?" Cruz asked.
Cruz then wondered if in American history there has been a transportation secretary "who has screwed more things up." Cruz cited the supply chain crisis, during which Buttigieg took extended paternity leave, the major rail strike that was barely averted last year, and the NOTAM system failure that forced the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt all flights last month.
"It's almost as if picking out a small-town mayor with no experience is not a good idea to run a major cabinet agency like the Department of Transportation," Cruz snarked.
\u201cWhat the hell does Pete Buttigieg have to do to get fired?\n\nMore on #Verdict: Ukraine Deep Dive: Biden Fake Photo Op; Travels to Kiev, not Ohio; Russia Ending New Start Treaty Is Good For America.\n\nListen here:\nhttps://t.co/FwRLS3HwF8\n\nWatch here:\nhttps://t.co/1GRxKgTI3i\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1677166500
Earlier in the podcast episode, Cruz took aim at Biden.
"Look, it is ridiculous that Joe Biden has not been to East Palestine yet. You literally have an American city with a major derailment that was on fire, where the water is being poisoned, where the air is being poisoned, where it's ongoing for multiple days, and this administration does not give a damn," Cruz said.
"Why? Because that part of the state voted 70% for Donald Trump. And it's clear their attitude: It's all politics all the time. It's all communications and PR all the time. And so going there is a bad message. And it really is striking," he continued. "So, Donald Trump publicly said he was gonna go to East Palestine. And promptly the Biden administration said, 'Ooh, we’ll go too now, yeah.'"
Anything else?
Buttigieg finally visited East Palestine on Thursday, nearly three weeks after the Norfolk Southern train first derailed.
During a press conference, Buttigieg appeared to express regret for not speaking out about the disaster "sooner." It took 10 days for Buttigieg to say anything about it.
"I felt strongly about this and could have expressed that sooner," Buttigieg said. "Again, I was taking pains to respect the role that I have and the role that I don't have, but that should not have stopped me from weighing in about how I felt about what was happening to this community."
His excuse for not speaking out sooner? According to Buttigieg, he was trying to strike a "balance" that respected alleged department norms.
"What I tried to do was balance two things — my desire to be involved and engaged in on the ground, which is how I am generally wired to act, and my desire to follow the norm of transportation secretaries allowing NTSB to really lead the initial stages of the public-facing work," he said.
"I'll do some thinking about whether I got that balance right," he added. "But I think the most important thing is, first of all, making sure that the residents here have what they need."
Joe’s Secret Trip - A Ukraine Deep Dive | Verdict Ep.160 www.youtube.com
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