Silence is Golden
I have noted the development of Donald Trump as a master politician recently when Trump was able to restrain himself from taking the spotlight off the democrats as they struggle with their self-created predicament. I know the phrase "silence is golden" is a well-known phrase, but Trump's silence evoked the memory of a song in me. The song was originally released in the early 60's by the Four Seasons but became a hit in 1967 by a non-descript group known as the Tremeloes. As kids (I was 15) my cousin Charlie and I helped another cousin with his Pizza Parlor after school. Charlie had the radio on in the back and I heard that song at least once a day that year. It all came back to me when I thought of Trump's newly found discipline.
As Trump plays golf and resists the urge to comment, he has likely steered the RNC away from including national abortion restrictions in their platform. He also distanced himself from t he 2025 Project , which is the most lethal threat to the deep blue state. The media already anxious to hang that on Trump is yet again denied their narrative.
While Trump remains silent, Biden's DEI press secretary was besieged yesterday as the once comatose national press corps demanded answers. She tangled with reporters over whether the administration had been forthcoming about Biden's cognitive health. Reports have circulated that a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease was at the White House eight times over an eight-month period, including a meeting with presidential physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor. The perplexed Karine Jean-Pierre went into a ridiculous tirade about not wanting to name the specialist. Nobody was asking for a name. They just wanted verification.
Finally, I want to go over something that somebody pinned onto an article yesterday. It was the "fact-checking" of the debate by the left leaning "Politifact." I am only going to use the first 3 "fact checks" on Trump, just to show how radical these people are.
Item 1 Trump: Biden "allowed millions of people to come in here from prisons, jails and mental institutions." Politifact called it a "lie"
U.S. Border Patrol has encountered more than 5.6 million people crossing the Southwest border illegally during the Biden presidency, and it has released more than 2.3 million of them into the country. That does not include got aways
Why is Biden letting in millions of border crossers illegally? (thehill.com)
Item 2 Trump: "We had the safest border in the history of our country." Politifact called it mostly false.
Under Trump:
The Cato Institute found that border counties have far less crime per capita than American counties that are not along the border.
"If the entire United States had crime rates as low as those along the border in 2017, then the number of homicides would have been 33.8 percent lower, property crimes would have been 2.1 percent lower, and violent crimes would have dropped 8 percent," the report said.
According to FBI crime statistics, U.S. towns along the Southern border are among the safest in America. Some border cities have crime rates far below the national average .
Fact Check: Is the U.S.-Mexico Border More Secure Than Ever, as Trump Says? - Newsweek
Item 3 Trump: Biden allowed in "18 million people." Politifact called it false and the reason they gave: Immigration officials have encountered immigrants illegally crossing the border 9.7 million times under Biden’s presidency. When accounting for "got aways" — people who aren’t stopped by border officials — the number rises to about 11.4 million.
In other words, nobody really knows but Politifact wants to use a lower estimate in order to contradict Trump.
Now that I have fact checked the fact-checkers I can proceed to the news.
Today's news:
Dozens of world leaders are gathering in Washington DC today for a NATO meeting, celebrating the alliance’s 75th anniversary.
A Russian missile destroyed Ukraine's largest Children's hospital, in Kyiv. The strike was part of a nationwide bombardment by Russia that killed at least 38 people.
Tropical Storm Beryl hit Houston, Texas, killing at least four people and knocking out power for more than two million customers across Texas.
A heat wave in the Western U.S. is breaking temperature records: It reached 124 degrees in Palm Springs, Calif., and 120 in Las Vegas.
Columbia University punished three deans for exchanging text messages that school officials said “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”
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Good morning:
Question of the day: How will the media get the focus off Biden?
Ban the press from the NATO meeting so nobody can see how lucid he is?
Excellent idea. It may also give Joe a chance to take a nap.
Both pancakes AND toast - isn't that a little redundant? To me that would be like drinking both coffee and tea during the same meal.
As my doctor might say "You are lucky you didn't have a stroke!"
Well, you know how it is, different strokes for different folks.
Excuse me for embracing life!
Nothing wrong with embracing life - these people thought so too.
Nice flapjacks, here's some more.
Another photo shopped effort?
Source?
Trumps's biggest problem has always been his unfiltered big mouth. Perhaps he has learned it's best to just sit back and let the Democrats destroy themselves one stupid trick at a time. More and more the media is becoming fed up with the lies, evasions, and deception coming from the incompetent Karine.
I think he took away a lot from that debate.
Without Trump to occupy the media's time they are running out of things to keep their sheeple enthralled.
And after the debate Biden and the Democrat dilemma is the biggest story out there.
Just sit back and let the media try and make up for ignoring and covering up Biden’s mental issues the last five years.
meanwhile, Biden is threatening democrats with mutually assured destruction if they dare challenge his nomination. Remember that the next time democrats tell you about how this all about “ saving democracy” or that Biden is an honorable guy. He’d rather (if you believe their claims about trump) let the word burn than step aside and let a healthy person challenge trump.
After spending the last three years flooding the country with millions of illegals, the Biden admin just came out against the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of United States citizenship in order to vote in American elections.
Unfortunately for America, this was Biden's expected reaction to a sensible proposal.
Saying it is against the law already is one of the stupidest arguments made.
Coming from somebody who would not enforce immigration law and has repeatedly tried to get around Supreme Court rulings it becomes somewhat laughable.
Washington — The Justice Department said Friday that it will not prosecute Attorney General Merrick Garland after the House voted to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas for audio recordings of President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
Justice Department says it won't prosecute Merrick Garland after House contempt vote - CBS News
Thus, the congress will take Garland to court.
Shocker. A Democrat not being held legally accountable for being held in contempt of Congress by the DOJ.
Only Republicans can be held in contempt of Congress and prosecuted by the DOJ.
Is that there some of the "weaponizing the DOJ" I have been hearing Democrats screeching about?
Who is honestly surprised by this?
And every one of them will have their hand out for US money.
Right up until Jan 20th I presume.
Then they will start crying just like the Democrats.
That is when the pacifist nation of Germany and the loonies in France will either have to put up their money for their defense or call Trump's bluff.
If I remember right, they tried that during his last term and it backfired on all of them.
Other Presidents didn't like them not paying their share, but it was Trump who called them out.
?
i'll deal with your other two after i eat
both of Obamas two terms had less border crossings than trumps term did
Does that relate to item 2? Obama did a lot of catch and release. Either way it hardly goes to Trump's point about safety.
Has Biden and Harris done a good job regarding the border--to you?
If so, how and why?
There is no proof for this. He used 2017, his lowest total. What about the year he had 859,000 illegal crossings ?
In order for him to be even partially correct you would have to have the crime rates for the border counties for every year in the past few decades, and 2017 would have to be the lowest. He's a liar and an idiot.
No proof one way or the other?
Then how can it be a lie?
Here is the way it works: I have no proof that illegals are voting in California, but as long as CA won't let anyone see their voter rolls, I get to say it!
Well, just making a declaration without facts is the SOP.
They would be better off saying it is "unknown."
Based on what ? I say half the 859000 Trump let in 2019 raped nuns. As long as we can say whatever we want, why not?
And the proof or evidence of that is what? Oh I know - they come from "shithole countries" so they must be coming from prisons or mental institutions. That is the way Trump "thinks", right?
That does have facts behind it. Joe Biden DELIBERATELY opened the US border, even campaigned on it.
We have all kinds of estimates, and the people came from all corners of the globe.
How dare anyone call it a lie?
Are you denying that the border was completely opened by Joe Biden?
Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023 | Pew Research Center
7.2 M Migrants Have Illegally Crossed US Border Under Biden, Exceeding the Populations of 36 States? | Snopes.com
STARTLING STATS FACTSHEET: Biden Administration on Track to Reach 10 Million Encounters Nationwide Before End of Fiscal Year – Committee on Homeland Security (house.gov)
All the facts are in.
Biden has done a horrible job regarding the border.
It is simply undeniable.
You do realize that border apprehensions under Trump means that they were turned back?
Not so under Obama and Biden who let the majority of those apprehended into the US.
Then it should be easy for you to disprove with real facts; and provide them here.
Biden is very much a liar and an idiot; about time Democrats and leftists realized that.
Can you honestly say Biden's border record is better than Trump's?
At least then they'd do something for the first time - be honest.
And, as always, I'd call you out to back up your claim.
How is that different from any other day? That's normal from you all.
Trump let in more gang members than Obama did
Do you think Biden has handled the border successfully?
Now we are on to something else.
Let's face it: Politifact can't touch Trump on anything he says about the border.
Did Trump "back up his claim" that the Biden figure is 18,000,000?
You may like a jackass that pulls "facts" out of his ass, but many others don't.
you must be joking.
Does that mean that Border Patrol became less effective or simply that less gang members sought entry?
No, it was you who wanted to take on the border issue.
Trump says he had the most secure border in the history of the country. He didnt even have the most secure border in the past 15 years.
what?
Do you think Biden's is more secure??
I did, and I showed Trump was wrong.
BTW, apprehensions of gang members entering the border peaked in 2018-2019. Who was president then ?
Wrong again.
He said he had the safest border. I even backed his claim with links.
So, is apprehensions good or bad?
Never once seen you write anything about Biden's "facts" pulled from HIS ass!
Or do you think inflation was at 9% when Biden took office?
Or his uncle eaten by cannibals?
Or that he is the first black vice president to serve with a black president?
So more gang members were apprehended under Trump, but THAT is the hill Democrats want to die on?
LMAO!
apprehensions are a proxy for entrances. apprehensions are how we estimate how many illegals are entering the country
Suppose the border patrol is so overwhelmed that it can't apprehend?
I don't recall him making that claim. Post the video.
That's why I don't like Biden, Democrats or the left.
So, just guessing, I see.
I would be more worried about the gang members that were not apprehended due to open door policies than the ones that were .
That is from the seeded article. I guess you didnt look at it.
"non-apprehended" are not used for statistical evidence of anything, and never have been
Now read my comment again. I believe it was along the lines of me telling you to back up your claim about:
Obviously, I am not talking about statistics, I am talking common sense.
Again, if they were apprehended Trump turned them back. Can you make the same claim about Obama and Biden?
Well, we do know that they are not the best and brightest, because if they were, wouldn't you think that the countries they are coming from would be demanding, of the US and other countries as well, their immediate return?
It's like they watched Scarface - where Castro emptied the dregs of his jails and sent them along with lots of families to Florida
I believe it was called the Cuban crime wave - no mental asylum patients that I'm aware of
One may tout Biden's record on the border all one wishes, but no one can honestly claim Biden's policies are working there.
Wait!!! Sleepy Joe's policies AREN'T open border?
C hicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to suggest President Richard Nixon was to blame for the city's pervasive gun violence problem.
More than 100 people were injured in shootings in Chicago, at least 19 of them fatally, over the Fourth of July weekend, when there is often a spike in gun violence.
"We are standing here today talking about a violent weekend because of generations of disinvestment and deep disenfranchisement in the exact communities where so much of the violence has taken place," Johnson, a Democrat who took office last year , said during a press conference on Monday.
"We are here to say emphatically that this is enough," he said. "It's enough. When this reckless violence ravages across our city at this magnitude, we are losing a piece of the soul of Chicago."
During the press conference, Johnson said he has taken steps to ensure Chicago is receiving enough federal resources. And he urged federal authorities to respond to mass shootings in Chicago "just like they do in other places in this country."
Later, a reporter asked Johnson if he had heard any gunfire from the 10 shootings that took place over the long weekend in the neighborhood on the city's West Side where the mayor and his family live.
"As beautiful as Austin is, it's a neighborhood that unfortunately has been neglected over the course of decades," Johnson said. "Of course, we hear shots."
He then said: "What we've experienced over the weekend is unacceptable and we didn't get here overnight. But everyone knows that. Let's tell the full story of how we got here... the fact of the matter is where there is most violence, that's where the poverty is most pervasive."
He continued: "We got to hold people accountable, but you know what my ultimate goal is? It's to transform this city so we cut off the pipeline of boys between the ages of 10 and 19 being either victims or the perpetrators. So yeah, it is personal.
"Black death has been unfortunately been accepted in this country for a very long time. We had a chance 60 years ago to get at the root causes. And people mocked President Johnson, and we ended up with Richard Nixon. I'm going to work hard every day to transform this city. That's what it takes to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago."
Johnson did not elaborate further on his remarks about Nixon. His office has been contacted for comment via email.
The Richard Nixon Foundation responded to Johnson's remarks on social media.
"Mayor Johnson's reference to President Nixon is gratuitous and the facts are not on his side in his characterization of Richard Nixon and the Nixon administration's civil rights record," the foundation wrote in a thread on X, formerly Twitter , along with a list of the administration's accomplishments."
Chicago Mayor Blames Richard Nixon as Over 100 People Shot at Weekend (msn.com)
What was the mayor thinking? Nixon went after organized crime, I don't know what Mayor Johnston expected from a President 55 years ago in reduction of street crime. Even Lori Lightfoot didn't try nonsense like that.
Evidently it is what Chicago voters want. It doesn't seem to matter how many innocent black people are killed as long as they have a candidate shaking his fist at the rest of us.
Blame any republican available for the failures of democrat policies.
Speaking of open borders: Open borders in France have changed the demographics of France.
The foreign born and their children have now become the deciding vote in French elections.
Didn't Trump's 'golden silence' cause Biden to implode during the debate? Seems apparent that Biden wasn't prepared to stand alone on the stage and talk about his record. That's not the first time we've see Trump use silence to his advantage.
(Trump really did have some noteworthy foreign relations successes. Can't accomplish that with bluster alone. Remember Trump holding a Bible standing in front of St. John's church amidst the riots? That was a rather silent protest that created a firestorm. Conclusion? Trump ain't an idiot who just runs his mouth.)
The fact checking of immigration seems to ignore encounters elsewhere. Don't about west coast but the number of encounters at the northern border and along the east coast have increased, too. And that doesn't include the various programs to fly immigrants into the country. And what about the refugees from war zones? As usual the fact checkers want sift, sort, and parse facts to fit their biased narrative. The unbiased liberal press does more political reporting than news reporting.
The bigger news is that Trump has forced the Republican Party to adopt a more moderate platform. IMO that didn't go far enough but the neoliberal deadwood in the party will drag its feet. That's a necessary start that's going to pay dividends for future elections. We'll see if Republicans pay attention or if they do their typical head-in-the-sand stunt. Reagan ain't gonna hold the center any longer and trying to mollify the neoliberal Ayn Rand deadwood donors plays into Democrats' hands.
Meanwhile, while Joe Biden hosts a bogeyman brunch as a political attention getter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The timing and location for this diplomatic development should receive more notice. You know, India really is a nuclear state that landed Chandrayaan-3 on the moon. India may, indeed, be a poor country but India ain't stupid. The US and European neoliberal focus on monetized civilization can't see the clues and are risking being cut out. Trump better prepare the Republican Party for what is coming. Biden's bogeyman brunch should tell us Democrats aren't serious about the future.
The dumbest thing the Democrats did in their list of debate demands was require that Trump's mic be shut off when Biden was speaking.
Trump interrupted Biden dozens of times in 2020. What person in their right mind wants that again?
Whats worse, a lot of MAGA thought that all Trumps interrupting was proof he "won" the debate. There are a lot of morons out there.
Everybody except Joe Biden saw the split screen. Trump's whole demeanor during the debate didn't fit the Democrats' talking points. Biden was suckered in by his own propaganda. Why is that Trump's fault?
It keeps the focus off Dementia Joe.
I didn't say anything is Trump's fault.
Biden getting interrupted would have been the best thing that could have happened to him:
He wouldn't have been heard attempting to talk
He could have partially blamed Trump for his getting confused.
Donald would have looked like a bully for not letting the old dementia ridden Biden talk.
No, you didn't say anything about Trump's fault. But that has been the theme of Biden's, Democrats', and the media's political reporting since Joe Biden's inauguration. Everything has been Trump's fault. That's become so ingrained that it hasn't been necessary to say it.
Joe Biden wrecked four years of political messaging in 90 short minutes. Biden didn't know about the split screen so he tried to blame Trump for distracting him.