Top 10 Conservative Idiots #17-6: Wheel Of Corruption: Ride Or Die Edition

[Top 10 Idiots]

Last edited Fri Aug 30, 2024, 11:19 AM - Edit history (3)

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #17-6: Wheel Of Corruption: Ride Or Die Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yoooooooooooooooooooooo!!! What’s up Los Angeles? We are back home! And we are finally getting our college tour started! So you might be wondering – why are we going on this college tour? Well, I answer you – why not? It’s no secret that the Democratic Party and universities are very closely aligned, which is probably why Donald Trump and Fox News hate them and want to abolish the Department Of Education. Plus, we had a college tour in 2020 that got interrupted by COVID-19, so there’s also that! And how about that – sold the place out! Are you ready to have some fun? Great, because as you can see behind me, we have the famous Wheel Of Corruption ready to go! And we’re kicking things off right, at USC right at the beginning of the college football season! Yeah! Go Trojans! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So did anyone get their series 3 of Trump trading cards yet? Yeah, us neither! Yup, he’s back with more of that stupid shit, and it just makes him look even more ridiculous every time. You know we may have to do a deep dive into some of the ridiculously stupid and terrible MAGA merchandise that’s out there. Yeah, remember the Trumpy Bear? Oh yes, things have got much worse since then. There’s this thing, this thing. These stupid coins. Playing cards. Trading cards. Sneakers. This ridiculous Cybertruck wrap. And come on, the Cybertruck already looks ridiculous enough, doesn’t it? It’s like you got to wonder – is MAGA in it for the presidency and the future of the United States? Or do they just want all of this shitty merchandise? I’d say a little column A, a little column B. OK that’s enough of the intro. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the topic of what exactly happened in that devastating wildfire that nearly destroyed the island of Maui and how all our problems can once again be traced back to billionaires:

Hey everyone, the famous Wheel Of Corruption is back! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Unfortunately, even though this was the week of the DNC and Kamala Harris *OFFICIALLY* becoming the democratic nominee for POTUS, there is, unfortunately a lot of Asshole 45 and MAGA news that we do have to get through, so please bear with us! In the number one slot this week – we are going to talk about the highlights from the DNC in Chicago (1), and there is a lot to unpack. And we particularly love Kamala’s acceptance speech where she totally went for the jugular on Trump! In the second slot this week is MAGA (2) where they very poorly attempted to sabotage the DNC – and many of them got caught and found out, and they should have been kicked to the curb. There was also some gaslighting going on. Plus there was the relentless and horrifying cyberbullying of Tim Walz’ son. So much for “Be Best”! In the third slot this week is that guy who we inexplicably used to call president, Donald Trump (3). And once again, he does the wrong thing in an attempt to stay relevant by hosting - get this – a January 6th Awards Show! Yes, the man has literally no common sense or decency. Taking the fourth slot this week is RFK Jr (4). Yes, he formally suspended his campaign this week, which was polling at a paltry 0% (+-0% margin of error) and endorsed Trump. Ugh, why? Well there’s reason behind that and it’s mainly the internet conspiracy theory sphere. Gross. In the number 5 slot this week is a new “We’re All Gonna Die (5) and this week let’s talk earthquakes. Yes, every time there’s an earthquake in California, the discussion of “the big one” comes up. So how likely is it to happen? Like most things – it could happen, or it could not. In the number six slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6), and sigh… we knew it was only a matter of time before the most hardcore far right authoritarian religious types started attacking one of the very principles that the United States was founded on – freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Why we can’t have nice things! Taking the seventh slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). Yes, another week, another week Trump is told not to use a popular song – but in this case, its’ two songs – one by one of the most popular rock bands in the world, the Foo Fighters, and the other, by the late, great Issac Hayes! Pretty soon, he’ll have nothing left! In the number 8 slot this week is our weekly venture into the never ending world of online tin foil hat nuttery in Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week – there’s a growing faction online saying that Trump’s “assassination attempt” back in June was staged. And you know what? When you consider all the shitty merchandise they put out the next week, we believe it! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new “I Need A Drink” (9)! And this week – Brazil’s got a cocaine problem and it's showing because the sharks in the coast off of Sao Paolo have tested positive for cocaine! Yeah cue the damn song, we don’t care! Finally this week – in our segment that is your handy guide for all of the election news in one easy to find place, Road To The White House (10) – Donald Trump has been threatening to move to Venezuela, a country run by literal dictator Nicholas Maduro, if he loses the election, so would he do it? We’re officially putting the odds at 50/50. And to close things out, we have one of the best bands of the last 15 years joining us – Twenty One Pilots! Buy their new album Clancy or you’re no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Democratic National Convention Highlights
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Come on, everyone! Say it with me! it’s time for the WHEEL. OF. CORRUPTION! Yay!!!!



Of course you know the rules by now – I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever the subject it lands on. Of course if it lands on the guacamole option, you know that it costs $1.50 extra. And the wheel is all new with lots of items on it! I want to preface that we are no longer featuring the A Random Tweet option. Yes, we are actively boycotting content from Elon’s X / Twitter platform. That’s going to be replaced with clips from one of my favorite shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm. So if you see the Larry David option, you know what’s coming! Here’s what is on the wheel this week:

- Guns
- Crime
- Abortion
- Poverty
- Congress
- The Insurrection
- The Democratic National Convention
- Buy A Vowel
- Donald Trump
- Midterm Elections
- Clip Without Context
- 5,000
- Nazi Germany
- Fox News
- ‘Merica
- My Pillow
- Bankrupt
- Chance
- Fox News
- Health
- Something Random In The News
- Whammy
- Community Chest
- Death
- Homosexuality
- The US Constitution
- We’re All Gonna Die
- Greed
- Clip Without Context
- Top 10 Investigates
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- Intermission
- Holy Shit
- Larry David
- MAGA Cult Cringe
- Double Whammy
- Buy A Vowel
- Conspiracy Corner
- Random Movie Reference
- Guacamole
- 10,000
- People Are Dumb
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- Random TV Reference
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Infowars
- People Who Somehow Got Elected
- COVID-19
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin

Let’s start by giving the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… oh hey, one of our patented Clips Without Context!

Yeah, sure, whatever you say, creepy dude! Pretty sure that voodoo magic doesn’t work that way. OK let’s spin it again! And it lands on… oh a very specific one for this week: The DNC!

It happens every four years, let’s talk about it! And I always like to say that we here at the Top 10 do like to bring you good news every once in a while! We don’t want you to think this whole show is about negativity, oh no! Well, we got to be honest, when Joe Biden announced that he was not going to seek a second term as POTUS, we didn’t know what to expect! And we got to admit this is a huge change from 2020, where we were forced to organize and GOTV almost entirely on Zoom. And we’re thankful that the Zoom days are over. Boy, are we thankful! Because it’s brought us a newly energized and united democratic party that’s ready to throw its’ weight behind current vice president Kamala Harris and Minnesota governor Tim Walz to become the next president and vice president of the United States of America! So let’s talk about the highlights, and there were a lot of them. But, before we go any further, let’s talk ratings. Yes, Harris’ acceptance speech, and the DNC attendance numbers and TV ratings absolutely trounced Trump and the RNC, and good riddance!

The closing of the Democratic National Convention drew a big audience Thursday — topping both the final night of the party’s gathering four years ago and that of the Republican convention in July.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the party’s nomination to top the Democratic ticket and oppose Republican nominee Donald Trump. Coverage of the Democrats’ closing night averaged 26.2 million viewers across 15 broadcast and cable networks, according to Nielsen figures. That’s about 820,000 more people than the 25.38 million who watched the final night of the Republican National Convention.

Thursday’s total is up substantially over the first three days of the Democratic convention, which averaged 20.33 million viewers and were very consistent night to night: Monday averaged 20.03 million viewers, Tuesday brought in 20.78 million and Wednesday drew 20.18 million across broadcast and cable networks. Adding in Thursday’s total, the convention as a whole averaged 21.8 million viewers in primetime, a slight improvement the 2020 convention’s four-night average of 21.59 million viewers.

The DNC’s four-day average also topped the July Republican convention in TV viewers by a 14 percent margin; the RNC averaged 19.07 million viewers over four nights.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2024-democratic-convention-tv-ratings-beat-republicans-1235983406/

Thank you Nelson! Yeah, how about that? Nearly 7 million more than watched the RNC! Ooh, we bet that’s got to get under Trump’s skin. He always likes to brag that he gets better ratings than his opponents do. But guess what? This proves that people are tired of his schtick! This isn’t 2016 anymore, we’re onto the meanness and divisiveness and hatred that Trump brings, and he’s got a literal playbook to install a fascist regime if he’s elected. My other favorite thing about this is that MAGA is attempting to get sympathy points by saying that nobody mentioned Trump’s “assassination attempt”. To which we say – GOOD! Can we have one place that doesn’t succumb to his bile and garbage, please? The good news is that Harris is still leading in the polls over Trump!

Harris leads Trump by four points, 44% to 48%, with 4% of voters undecided and 4% saying they support another candidate, according to an Aug. 23-25 Morning Consult poll of 7,829 registered voters (margin of error 1), the same findings as an Aug. 16-18 poll.

Harris leads Trump by one point, 47% to 46%, in an Aug. 22-26 Yahoo News/YouGov online survey of 1,788 adults (margin of error 3%), figures virtually unchanged from the tie between Harris and Trump, at 46%, in a survey by the groups conducted after the Republican National Convention, but before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

One possible reason for the lack of movement—voters weren’t paying close attention to the DNC, despite the DNC reaching about 14% more viewers than the Republican National Convention in July—Morning Consult found only three major events from the convention captured the attention of a majority of voters: the speeches by Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama.

Less than half of voters surveyed by Morning Consult said they heard “a lot” or “some” about five other speeches and events, including President Joe Biden’s and vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/08/28/harris-lead-over-trump-unchanged-after-dnc-first-polls-find/

But guys come on, seriously? It’s that close? Look, the choice is clear – either you side with Trump, the Heritage Foundation, Fox News, and Project 2025 – or you don’t. But this isn’t about him. This is about the Democratic party coming together, newly united, to stop the dark forces that are taking over this country and our major institutions with the intent of destroying them. But like does anyone remember the vibe a few weeks ago? People were hating anything to do with the election. I know I would have rather chewed glass than watch the debates. And we do this for a living! Since Joe Biden stepped down, things have changed drastically and for the better.

Harris delivered a simple message to Americans: You don’t have to live like this anymore.

At times explicitly and always written into the subtext of her remarks, Harris offered voters a clean break from the Trump era and its grinding uncertainty and political upheaval.

“We are not going back,” Harris said, repeatedly, as she and others – including the chanting thousands inside the United Center – have done since she became the presumptive nominee. But as much as the slogan is a rebuke of Trump’s policies and a promise of progressive change, it also resonates more narrowly as an assurance for the immediate term.

To “not go back” to even a few weeks ago, before her campaign took flight.

Harris’ campaign has also talked at great length about “freedom,” seeking to reframe issues such as reproductive rights as a question of government interference.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/23/politics/takeaways-dnc-day-4/index.html

Yes, that’s exactly what we want, Madam Vice President! We want a world where Trump and Fox bullshit aren’t polluting the news every 5 seconds! But people, look, can we have a serious talk for a minute? Can we stop letting ourselves get gaslit by the internet? Yes, the DNC was great this year, and we have a lot to look forward too. There were many celebrities present, both on and off the stage. But the rumors of a huge performance by someone like Beyonce or Taylor Swift? Yeah that proved to be a certified load of steaming, grade A bullshit. Yeah we got to stop with that, especially when the election is only 100 days away and the US is on the brink of a fascist dictatorship! Let’s keep our composure!

Veteran live television producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss have learned a thing or two about building on-screen suspense over the years. But as the showrunners of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, they hardly had to try.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday, Aug. 26, the DNC showrunners finally revealed how they were on the last night of the convention, as the world convinced itself in a matter of hours that Beyoncé was about to appear as a surprise guest. According to the duo, Queen Bey was never part of the plan.

"We never put out anything about Beyonce. We denied it every time the media asked us — even though, by the way, people on my staff didn’t believe me," Kirshner told the outlet.

He added: "I kept getting texts from news organizations saying, 'When is Beyoncé coming out?' But come on, we have the biggest star, the Democratic nominee for president [Kamala Harris]. Why would we overshadow that?"
https://people.com/dnc-showrunners-explain-viral-beyonce-rumor-8702223

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[font size="8"]MAGA DNC Crashers
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Let’s spin it again! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Random movie reference!

Ha ha ha… that’s so true right now! Spin it again! Oh hey it lands on the DNC twice!

Now that we’ve got the highlights out of the way, let’s discuss the lows! The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was met with a lot of highs, and very few, if any lows at all. Most of the lows came from outside United Center, where MAGA Dude bros, and these Alex Jones listening assholes, attempted to crash the party. OK, look, after 14 years of his bullshit, if you still listen to and support Infowars at this point, after they harassed mass shooting victims and attempted to overthrow the government in the name of Asshole 45, I get the right to unequivocally judge you as an asshole. Is that understood? OK then. Probably the most high profile DNC crasher was Mike Lindell. Yes, the My Pillow CEO went undercover at the convention, seen here looking like the creepy dude at the side of the road that horror movie characters ask about as they make their way to that cabin in the woods. Yes, every horror movie has that guy! But anyway, what were they expecting to find, exactly? He spent time and money traveling to Chicago to what… argue with a 12 year old? Shit, even the kids are smarter than the guy who nearly wasted an entire fortune attempting to find voter fraud so the fascists could stay in the power they didn’t deserve. But really, this whole thing just absolutely reeks of desperation, and you could tell just by what these idiots were doing.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has shaved off his distinctive mustache as part of an effort to disguise himself for an "undercover" mission at this year's Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Lindell, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump and his unproven claims of a "stolen" 2020 presidential election, showed off his new look in a short video shared on Wednesday afternoon to his account on X, formerly Twitter.

"Mike Lindell finally did it," the post reads. "It's been 30 years since Mike has shaved his mustache. But in order to go undercover at the DNC and deliver FrankSpeech viewers undercover footage, he finally allowed a barber to take a razor to his iconic 'stache."

"FrankSpeech is giving you the FIRST exclusive look at the mustache-less Mike Lindell and his DNC disguise," it continues, while including a link to Lindell's FrankSpeech website.
https://www.newsweek.com/video-shows-mike-lindells-new-undercover-look-dnc-1942686

Yeah, seriously? Was anyone asking for that? Anyone at all? It’s not really an “exclusive” if nobody really gives a shit. Well the other MAGA cretin that nobody asked for to show up at the DNC was the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh. Yes, the guy who is the star of a movie called “Am I Racist?”, which as we’ve known around here – if you have to ask that question, you’re probably racist. And we may have to bring back the movie vault for that one. But really, dude, we had you figured out within 5 minutes. Which he went bragging on his social media hidey hole about how he was getting them good! No, dude, you didn’t. Guaranteed that most people threw those cards out that you were handing out.

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh raised eyebrows at the Democratic National Convention after crashing the event in a 'white dudes for Kamala Harris' disguise.

Walsh sparked backlash from Democrats after he was spotted mocking them with a ponytail-wig and 'Kamala Harris for president' hat, as he wandered around the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday.

In one scene shared widely across social media, Walsh ambled into the background as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was interviewed by CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

After Walsh was seen being escorted out as he attempted to gatecrash the interview, liberal viewers shared their outrage at Walsh's mocking of their convention.

One commented: 'Why is (Matt Walsh) walking around the DNC in disguise? Straight up weirdo behavior.'
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/matt-walsh-enrages-democrats-by-crashing-dnc-in-disguise/ar-AA1pbAgk

Yeah that was literally Matt Walsh at the DNC. Now switching gears, you know, every time I think I’ve seen the lowest that humanity – particularly the MAGA side of humanity – can sink, new lows are achieved on an almost daily basis. But there was nothing more sickening than the unabashed cyber bullying that MAGA displayed toward Tim Walz’ son Gus Walz. Yes, Gus is severely autistic with learning and motor disabilities. And come on, this was a really nice moment during his acceptance speech. But nope, leave it to the worst of humanity to take a shit on the parade. Yeah, seriously, fuck these people to the hottest, fieriest circle of the depths of hell. But there is good news – despite that these demons did what they did, sanity does prevail! And also, fuck Ann Coulter.

The sight of Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son, Gus, weeping with pride Wednesday night during his father’s speech accepting the vice presidential nomination instantly became an iconic feel-good moment of the convention.

That is, until the inevitable turn on social media.

Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter posted an article on X about Gus’ emotional reaction, with a lead photo of the teenager in tears. She captioned it “Talk about weird…"

The online backlash was swift and snarky.

“I can see why a child loving their parents would feel foreign to you,” wrote Tommy Vietor, the Obama staffer-turned-liberal podcaster.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/08/22/dnc-live-updates-coverage/ann-coulter-tweet-gus-walz-00175842

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Look, MAGA, you’re never going to escape the “weird” label, and bullying an autistic child is definitely weird, horrible, and it’s low as fuck. It also proves that Melania Trump’s “Be Best” anti-bullying campaign was a complete and utter failure. And if anything, it made things worse. Which is 100% on brand for MAGA. But, if there is a good thing to come out of this incident, is that the internet showed more support for Gus Walz than it did for the cyberbullies like Ann Coulter, and it showed that they’re nothing more than professional trolls. They always were. So yes, it also shows that MAGA is desperate for anything to distract from Trump’s sagging poll numbers. And the desperation reeks.

This week’s Democratic National Convention has breathed life and hope into this current election cycle and taught lessons that have left so many of us newly energized for the months and years ahead. But no one could have imagined that a 17-year-old boy, with an unbridled display of pride for his father, would show the nation precisely what it looks like when a child has been raised with a healthy model of masculinity.

As Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz highlighted his family’s struggles with infertility during his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president, his son, Gus, stole the show. Gus, through tears and cheers, gave his father a standing ovation and pointed toward the stage while yelling, “That’s my dad!”

However, there’s unfortunately another side to social media — another side to society overall. It’s the one that pathologizes boys and men who dare to express tender emotions. Indeed, people on this side came out in droves to belittle the special moment Gus publicly shared with his dad. Conservative media pundit Ann Coulter weighed in on the exchange in an ill-advised attempt to lob back a description that Democrats have effectively affixed to today’s Republicans.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/tim-walz-son-gus-dnc-crying-rcna167870

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[font size="8"]January 6th Awards Night
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Spin it to win it! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Ah, one of our patented Clips Without Context!

OK sure. Tell me you’ve never seen a fascist dictator without telling me you’ve never seen a fascist dictator. Come on, Stalin, really? SMDH. Spin it again! And it lands on… The Insurrection!

We really need to bring back our segment Capitol Critters to talk more about the stupidest criminals alive – nearly everyone involved in the January 6th insurrection against the certification of Joe Biden’s election. Because there’s a lot who have been arrested, and more continue to be arrested almost on a daily basis. Here’s a pro tip for you – if you were at the Capitol that day, you might want to you know, lay low for a while. Maybe forever. Don’t go blabbing about it on social media like this or multiple idiots have done since that day. So guess what Trump wants to do? He wants to honor those who took a shit on the US Constitution with a big awards gala! Yes, Donald Trump – never the one to do the right thing, and always does the wrong thing every time – wants to give the people who stormed the Capitol some participation trophies! You know what would be great? Would be if the FBI shows up and arrests the whole lot who attend this atrocity. Not asking for a lot! So seriously, what kind of categories are they going to have at this “awards show”? What kind of categories are they going to have? Let us know in the comments! But anyway this entire thing is insane, and guess what? It’s just another way that he can fleece his most gullible supporters. To the shock of no one, it’s a fundraiser, and a rather expensive one to attend at that!

A January 6 "awards gala" is due to be hosted at Donald Trump's New Jersey golf resort, and the former president is listed as an "invited guest speaker," along with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The event, in Bedminster, has sparked outrage on social media. One former Republican White House official branded it "absolutely horrid," accusing Trump of "glorifying violence."

On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed Congress in a bid to prevent Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory from being certified, following a rally addressed by the then president who made discredited claims of election fraud. In the ensuing violence one demonstrator, 36-year-old Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead by police, five other deaths were linked to the mayhem, and many police and demonstrators were injured.

The gala is being organized by Stand in the Gap, a group formed to support "January 6th defendants and their families during their time in incarceration," and is being held on Thursday September 5. More than 1,200 people were charged over their alleged involvement in the Capitol riot, and more than 460 were sentenced to prison..
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-hosting-jan-6-awards-gala-sparks-fury-absolutely-horrid-1943435

Of course, Donald Trump is not a guy who is easily told “NO” when it comes to doing anything and everything. Remember when he stared at the eclipse after being told not to? Or when he took a sharpie to a hurricane destruction path? Yeah that happened. So of course, like his idiotic rendition of the National Anthem… yes, that is a real clip… that was a brief hit on iTunes, everyone knows what a truly terrible idea this is. Yet, he will definitely go through with it despite everyone around him telling him that he shouldn’t do it. Seriously, you could tell Trump not to jump off a cliff, and he’d go jump off a cliff just to prove you wrong. Even Lindsay Graham thinks this is a terrible idea. Which – never thought we’d agree with Lindsay Graham on anything!

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dodged a question from CNN’s Jake Tapper on whether Donald Trump should avoid attending a gala honoring January 6th rioters at his golf club.

A group called the Stand in the Gap Foundation announced on their website their plan to host a so-called “J6 Awards Gala” on September 5th at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The former president is listed on the website as an “invited guest speaker,” along with former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

However, although Trump will host the gala at his property to “honor and celebrate” the rioters, he will not be attending the awards show, a source familiar with the matter told Mediaite. The event will celebrate the 20 defendants who made the “Justice For All” song which was a recording of January 6th prisoners sing the national anthem while Trump recites the Pledge of Allegiance.

Graham avoided answering Tapper’s questions directly but noted that the rioters who broke into the Capitol “should go to jail.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/lindsey-graham-dodges-tapper-on-whether-trump-should-attend-j6-award-gala-honoring-rioters-at-trump-golf-club/

Don’t worry, he’ll get a call to Principal Hannity’s office tomorrow and be told to behave like a good boy, and be a good cultist, because MAGA is out for absolute power and we can’t have any independent thought! So the question is – will Trump himself be involved in this shindig? Well, it is at his golf club in Bedminster. And if you book a party at a Trump club, it’s his obligation to crash it and start ranting like a raving maniac (see: Idiots #10-9 ), which really makes us wonder if people book weddings at Mar-A-Shithole intentionally knowing he’ll show up like Beeltejuice’s insane cousin? Yeah, say his name 3 times! I dare you! But right now if I was a betting man, I’d place odds probably about even that he’ll show up or not. Leaning more towards yes.

Former President Donald Trump has "expressed interest" in attending a fundraising campaign slated to be held at his New Jersey golf club in September that is geared toward raising money for defendants charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Despite his campaign stating on Friday that Trump would not be attending the so-dubbed "J6 Awards Gala," an organizer said there is a chance he still shows up at the Bedminster club for the Sept. 5 event.

"Mr. Trump has expressed interest in coming and we are waiting for the campaign’s final approval," an organizer told NBC New York.

The campaign has made no further comment to NBC News regarding the event. The possibility of Trump being in attendance is generating outrage from those targeted in the storming of the Capitol in 2021.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/trump-expressed-interest-attending-jan-6-awards-gala-bedminster-nj/5739327/

Ooh, did you hear that, everyone? He’s “expressed interest!”. Come on, the guy who has made literally every major event in the last 8 years about himself is on the fence about attending his own awards show, even though everyone knows what a truly terrible idea it is! But does anyone see the sheer irony of this whole thing? For years, we’ve been lectured by hardline conservatives about the “participation trophy generation” being too soft. But guess what? Trump is holding an awards ceremony where he’s literally handing out participation trophies! You really can’t make this up. And don’t worry – we’ll have full coverage when this atrocity of an event actually happens!

Donald Trump has taken January 6 denialism to a new level: He’s going to be hosting an awards ceremony dedicated to the Capitol riot.

On September 5, a “J6 Awards Gala” will be held at Trump’s golf club in Bedminister, New Jersey. The event will include a raffle to win a plaque recognizing the “Justice For All” song performed by Trump and the “J6 Prison Choir,” which briefly reached the Billboard Music Chart. The choir is made up of defendants serving prison sentences for their actions in the Capitol in 2021.

Trump is scheduled as a guest speaker, as is his former lawyer and indicted co-defendant Rudy Giuliani. A separate flier for the event notes that tickets range from $2,500 for an individual to $50,000 for a table for 12.

“We gather to pay tribute not only to these individuals but to all J6 defendants who have shown incredible courage and sacrifice,” the event description states.

In a promotional video for the event, Trump calls the rioters “peaceful” and “hostages,” and adds that “there have never been people treated more horrifically than J6 hostages.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-outrageous-january-6-gala-214530615.html

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[font size="8"]RFK Jr.
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… come on, no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Chance! Sweet! A Get Out Of Jail free card! I’ll just put that away for later.



Cool, I’ll just put that away for later! Spin it again! And it lands on… HEALTH!

Sigh… We really don’t even know where to start with this one. It’s absolutely no surprise to anyone here who has been paying even the slightest amount of attention that RFK Jr suspended his campaign and threw his weight behind Donald Trump in exchange for a cabinet position. But public health? Putting an anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist nutcase like RFK Jr in charge of public health is like giving the alcoholic the keys to the liquor cabinet and telling him to go nuts. Literally nothing good would come of this. It would be an absolute nightmare scenario. Trump’s already hinted that he would tell the WHO and the CDC to go fuck themselves, and if we experience anything like we did on the level of 2020 ever again, it would be an unmitigated disaster. Yet, MAGA is fawning over RFK Jr like it would win Trump the election, if the election were held tomorrow. Well, guess what? I got news for ya… JACK. That news is that RFK Jr is a big, fat zero. Which is absolutely no surprise, because he’s currently polling at *checks notes* 0%! He’s always been a zero. And he will always be a zero. And don’t act like we didn’t know that just now. we’ve known it for a long, long time! And the more he hangs out with your savior cult leader Trump, the more the truth will come out about what a truly vile, rotten scumbag he really is. And having him on your campaign is like dividing by zero.

Independent White House candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has joined the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, on stage at a rally in Arizona after dropping out of the race and endorsing the former US president.

Mr Kennedy, 70, a Democrat for most of his life and the scion of the Kennedy dynasty, said the principles that had led him to leave the party had now compelled him "to throw my support to President Trump".

He said in a press conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday that he would seek to remove his name from the ballot in 10 battleground states.

Before welcoming RFK Jr to the stage on Friday, Trump promised, if elected, to release all remaining documents relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5ekxlwzgo

Yeah, so tell me you were brainwashed by internet conspiracy theories in 2020, without telling me you were brainwashed by internet conspiracy theories in 2020. So the ticket they’re going to run on? I shit you not – it’s public health. Seriously! The guy who eats Big Macs for breakfast and KFC for dinner, and the guy who admitted to having a literal worm eating his brain, are the last two guys in America who should be lecturing us on public health. Come on, Trump loves McDonalds so much that he served it on a silver platter to the Clemson championship football team! Anyone remember that? If not, then check out Idiots #6-2, all the way back from January of 2019. Which is why neither of these two idiots should be trusted with the keys to America’s collective public health.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is setting aside one ambition and making room for another.

Kennedy ended his independent presidential campaign Friday and endorsed former President Donald Trump. While announcing his decision, Kennedy said Trump had “asked to enlist me in his administration,” though Kennedy did not specify a role.

On Tuesday, Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, told an interviewer the campaign was weighing whether to “join forces” with Trump and suggested that Kennedy would do an “incredible job” as secretary of health and human services. Trump later told CNN that he “probably would” appoint Kennedy to some role.

“I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly I’d be open to it,” Trump said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/rfk-jr-trump-health-secretary-anti-vaccine-rcna167588

Yes, with RFK Jr in charge of public health, you would be driving off a cliff – both literally and figuratively! He says he’s not anti-vaccine, but come on, dude, we’ve got the receipts! We know exactly what your intentions would be. But Trump always has a history of picking the absolute worst people for every single position. Remember the Brett Kavanaugh debate? Remember when the three psychos he appointed to SCOTUS lied under oath about not overturning Roe V Wade, then they overturned it for a weekend Fox News dump? Yeah we remember that shit! We see you! But make no mistake that RFK Jr is a dangerous psychopath. He will do some incredible damage if given the keys to the ship.

Fox News hosts like Ainsley Earhardt are overjoyed about notorious anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s purported ability to help former President Donald Trump’s campaign appeal to “moms” concerned with public health.

“I think moms around the country appreciate his stance for trying to make our children healthy again,” she said on Monday.

Earhardt noted that in Kennedy’s speech last week endorsing Trump, “he talked about how 75% of the budget from the FDA comes from pharmaceutical companies” and “said it's very profitable when a child is sick,” adding that Kennedy’s condemnation of “corruption in health care” is “music to every mom’s ears."

The culture warriors at Fox aren’t typically invested in talking about public health issues. But in one key health-related fight on which the network aligned with Kennedy — COVID-19 vaccines — the results have proved disastrous. Their combined assault on what Kennedy falsely termed “the deadliest vaccine ever made” helped trigger plummeting levels of support for childhood vaccinations among Republicans, with ongoing consequences for America’s kids.
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-championing-rfk-jrs-view-public-health-even-it-puts-your-kids-risk

Damn right! What’s hilarious is that if you check social media right now – you’ll see that it’s filled with people who say that it’s going to boost Trump’s poll numbers all the way to the White House. But really, RFK Jr is just a useful idiot to Trump and his puppet master, Rupert Murdoch. They’ll use RFK Jr as a campaign prop until they no longer need him – yes, shades of Chris Christie back in the 2016 election – and then they’ll toss him aside like yesterday’s trash. So far, the poll numbers have shown that his involvement hasn’t helped Trump. But having him on the Trump campaign won’t exactly help, because we all know what a dangerous lunatic RFK Jr is. And like we said, the more he gets involved, the more the truth will come out about what a terrible person he really is. Shit like this.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once lopped off the head of a dead, beached whale with a chain saw, according to his daughter.

The incident came long before the current Donald Trump supporter and former would-be presidential candidate staged a dead bear cub in Central Park to look like a bike accident as a prank — some four years after doctors reportedly discovered a dead worm in his brain.

The latest revelation surfaced in an interview dredged up by internet sleuths trying to learn more about the possible relationship between actor and J-Lo ex Ben Affleck, 52, and RFK Jr. daughter Kick Kennedy, 36, according to People.

In Kick’s December 2012 interview with Town & Country, she recounted that she was 6 years old when a dead whale washed up onto the beach at Squaw Island in Hyannis Port. Her father got wind of it, and because he was fascinated by animal skulls and skeletons, he went to the beach lugging a chainsaw, hacked off the whale’s head and secured it to the family minivan’s roof with bungee cords.
https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/rfk-jr-sawed-off-whales-head-drove-with-it-on-roof-daughter-kick-says-rankest-thing-on-the-planet.html

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[font size="8"]We’re All Gonna Die
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Now entering the spin cycle! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! No, a Whammy!!!

Spin it again! Oh hey, guess what? We’re all gonna die!!!



Hey, everyone, guess what? We’re all gonna die! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOO. WOOOO. WOO. So what’s going to kill us all this week, you might ask? Well, we usually don’t cover region-specific disasters, but if you’ve ever spent any time in California, my home state, you know that “the big one” is coming. By that of course, we’re referring to an earthquake capable of immense destruction, registering above an 8.0 or even 9.0 on the richter scale. For those of you not from California, the richter scale is the scale that measures earthquakes. Most earthquakes measure about a 3 or 4, sometimes hitting 5. An earthquake on the scale of a 9 or 10 hasn’t happened in 150 years! But earthquakes are common in the Golden State, and a staple of disaster movies like San Andreas, Earthquake, Geostorm, Volcano, Tremors, Deep Impact… the list goes on. Anyway, the “big one” could happen, or it could not. But a series of recent jolts suggests that mother nature is about to go nuclear on us!

The three words were spelled out in block letters on the evening news, right next to an anchorman’s gelled coif: the big one. A map of Southern California hovered just below, bull’s-eye’d with red, concentric circles. I’m pretty sure it was 1988. The region was awash in warnings about the great earthquake to come. They were like something out of the Book of Isaiah. They lent an apocalyptic crackle to the sunbaked days. My generation hit school age too late to take part in atomic-attack drills, and too early for those that mimic school shootings, but we learned to duck and cover just the same.

In 1989, we saw a vision of our future. An earthquake hit the Bay Area, and for more than a week, the whole state was immersed in the imagery of seismic catastrophe. A freeway overpass snapped in half. Some of San Francisco’s pastel Victorians toppled over. A fire broke out in the Marina. The World Series—an event of great import and inevitability in the mind of a child—was halted. “The big one is supposed to be worse,” we whispered to ourselves, and to one another. In the psychogeography of Southern California, it lay sleeping like a monster deep beneath the Earth’s surface. At any moment, probably soon, it would wake up.

It still hasn’t. The San Andreas Fault formed about 30 million years ago, when the Pacific plate—the planet’s largest—began grinding against the North American plate. Sometimes, the plates snag. Tension builds until they release with a lurch that sends energy in all directions. The section of the San Andreas that runs alongside Los Angeles hasn’t had a fearsome quake for more than three centuries. Paleoseismologists expect big ones to occur there every 150 to 200 years, Greg Beroza, a Stanford professor and a co-director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, told me: “We’re overdue.” Teams of scientists have been trying to improve on that chillingly vague forecast, he said, so that the quake’s arrival can be predicted days, weeks, or even months ahead of time—but there is no guarantee that they’ll succeed.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/06/big-one-earthquake-prediction/678804/

Calm down, dude. Nobody is going to die just yet. Look, like I said, if you have lived in California for *ANY* length of time for the last 40 years, you know that “the big one” is coming. And we’ve been preparing for it for that length of time! You’ve probably got bottles of potable water and those nasty-ass cans of Vienna sausages and “earthquake proof” cardboard granola bars stashed in your garage somewhere to use in case of emergency. If you attended elementary school in the Golden State, chances are good at some point, you had to have “earthquake drills” to hide under your desk in case it happens. Yeah like that’s going to prevent it! And could you imagine a classroom of 30+ students all trying to cram into one doorway? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! But like we said, it’s entirely possible that mother nature could go nuclear on us relatively soon – and it won’t be pretty when that happens!

An earthquake and dozens of aftershocks rattled Southern Californians starting on Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday morning. Could a bigger one be on the way?

As a general rule, the risk is fairly low. About 5% to 10% of all California earthquakes are followed by a larger one within a week, and the probability of a larger quake depends on how much aftershock activity there is, according to the USGS. Lots of aftershock activity doesn't guarantee a bigger quake, however.

This latest quake certainly has aftershock activity. A magnitude 5.2 quake at 9:09 p.m. in Lamont near Bakersfield was felt as far away as Los Angeles, over 100 miles from the epicenter. Since then, the U.S. Geological Survey has recorded dozens of aftershocks ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 in magnitude, none as large as the initial quake.

Tuesday's earthquake is the most recent shaker to hit California. On Aug. 2, a 3.3-magnitude earthquake centered on the west side of the Salton Sea was felt in parts of Southern California. On July 29, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake centered 14 miles northeast of Barstow rattled the high desert and parts of Southern California.
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2024/08/07/southern-california-earthquakes-could-a-larger-quake-be-next/74713013007/

So here’s the thing for people who have never experienced a real earthquake before – they’re not just unique to California. They happen all over the world – and in some cases, they’re bigger in other parts of the world. Yes, California might be more famous for them, but they happen in places like China, Japan, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Italy… yes, they happen. And unlike other natural disasters, they happen without any kind of warning system whatsoever. There’s no way to accurately predict an earthquake, and mother nature is very volatile about this. In fact, we often do say that mother nature can be quite the cruel mistress, and earthquakes are proof of that!

Residents in Pennsylvania felt shaking Friday morning as a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey.

One of the most commonly-known earthquake measuring tools is the Richter Scale, but the system is no longer used today.

In fact, the Richter scale was replaced in the 1970s by other magnitude scales which are more accurate.

Despite the fact that it’s outdated, though, the term is still used often when discussing earthquakes.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the system was first introduced in the early 1930s by American seismologist and physicist Charles Richter — who collaborated with German-American seismologist Beno Gutenberg– to measure the size of earthquakes occurring in southern California.
https://www.abc27.com/national/do-we-still-use-the-richter-scale-to-measure-earthquakes/

But if we want to know what the future for the earthquake capitol of the world, California, holds, then we need to look at our friends across the ocean – Japan! Yes, the Land Of The Rising Sun may hold the key to what “The Big One” could look like in California. But the problem there is, they would have to experience one first. And well, when it does, it’s not going to be pretty. In fact, it could be a truly massive, unmitigated disaster. There’s no way to sugar coat it, folks! But Japan could be the first civilization in modern times to experience “The Big One” and that’s even before we would here in the Golden State. Sleep tight, everybody!

Japan has issued a warning about an elevated risk of a "mega-earthquake" and residents in the affected area are being urged to have an evacuation plan in place after a magnitude 7 earthquake last Thursday.

In Japan, old fears of "the big one" is now being rekindled after a recent large earthquake.

"We’ve been told for so long that 'The Big One' will come one day, so I ask myself: Is this it?" Masayo Oshio, resident of Yokohama, said to the BBC.

A mega-earthquake is defined as an earthquake with a magnitude of over 8 on the Richter scale.

"There’s no doubt that it will happen, but the question is when," says seismologist Björn Lund to SVT.se.

On Thursday August 8, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale struck the Nankai Trough, an underwater zone along Japan’s Pacific coast.

For the first time ever, Japan has now issued a warning of an increased risk for a mega-earthquake in the area.
https://www.ctif.org/news/janpan-has-issued-warning-mega-earthquake-above-8-richter-scale

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: The End Of The 1st Amendment
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Let’s spin it to win it! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Oh hey it’s time for another one of our patented Clips Without Context!

Holy shit! Tarring and feathering? That seems pretty extreme. The right wing is just flat out losing it, and it’s truly insane to watch! Spin it again! It’s time for Holy Shit!

Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:



My fair congregation! Please be seated! You know, as I keep saying, we live in some truly dark times and they seem to be getting darker. We cannot stress enough that the rise of authoritarianism and fascism throughout the world is something that people need to be paying attention to. It’s not just the United States. Countries all over the world are succumbing to the evil devil himself, a man who is the personification of pure evil, Vladimir Putin and his brand of old school fire and brimstone politics. Well, of course, in America, we have been fighting the good fight against one of Putin’s minions. The unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course, speak of a man who is so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name DARE NOT be spoken in my church! Well, supporters of his unholiness have been getting weirder and nuttier every single day for the last 8 years. We’re not in the least bit surprised that the people who claim to be the holiest among us are now attacking one of the very founding principles of the United States. The first amendment. Yes, you know the one that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion? It’s under attack from these psychos. Nothing is safe from fascists anymore, even things that we normally take for granted!

During the most recent episode of her “Jesus, Guns, and Babies” program, which airs on the network owned by virulently antisemitic conspiracy theorist Stew Peters, Christian nationalist GOP activist Kandiss Taylor claimed that the Christian church is supposed to be running the government and therefore non-Christians are not entitled to freedom of religion.

Taylor is flat-earth conspiracy theorist who unsuccessfully ran for governor of Georgia in 2022 and despite her paltry showing in the Republican primary, she steadfastly refused to accept that she had lost. In 2023, Taylor became a Georgia GOP district chair and started voicing increasingly radical views, even going so far as to call for the public execution of those who oppose her Christian nationalist worldview.

Those radical views were on display during her recent program as she insisted that the Constitution was founded on common law and that common law is rooted in the Bible, meaning that the United States “was founded on Jesus Christ.”

“The idea behind the whole document was that the church runs the state,” Taylor asserted. “The church is we the people. We are the church … and so we run the state. But the state, the government, has no control over the church.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/in-kandiss-taylors-christian-nation-i-dont-have-to-give-you-your-freedom-of-religion/

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! This isn’t how the Constitution works. In fact we fought two wars to be free from tyrannical religious rule. Does anyone remember that? Well of course not, because they happened in the 1770s and 1812. But to me what’s really insane is that the GOP is resorting to just elementary school level behavior because they can’t handle competent leadership, and would prefer the Unholy Dark One! That’s not what JAYSUS would want! And what’s also insane is that the people who claim to be the most free speech, pro-Constitution people who ever lived are literally the exact opposite of that! Take our old buddy Sean Feucht for instance!

Christian nationalist musician-politician Sean Feucht “can’t take it anymore.” On Thursday, Feucht sent his followers a video fuming about the fact that all Christian leaders are not outspoken MAGA activists like him, which he called a “leadership crisis.”

Feucht is associated with the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation movement, whose U.S. leaders see politics through the lens of spiritual warfare and Donald Trump as anointed by God to defeat his enemies. Feucht apparently shares Trump’s frustration with the excitement being generated by the Democratic presidential ticket and the enthusiastic, celebratory vibe of this week’s Democratic National Convention. On his video, he ranted against abortion and “transgenderism and child perversion,” and asked, “Where are the real Christians?”

Feucht compared American politics today to the biblical story about a wicked queen Jezebel and her husband Ahab, and called for God to raise up “the Jehus.” In the Bible, Jehu is sent to execute Jezebel, tramples her body under his horses’ hooves, and oversees the slaughter of her husband Ahab’s extended family. Feucht says Jehu was “commissioned in a season where Jezebel was reigning supreme and wreaking havoc and terror.” He goes on:
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/sean-feucht-cant-take-the-dnc-calls-for-jehus-and-madmen-for-jesus-to-rise-up/

You know, America existed LONG before the Unholy Dark One and his MAGA minions, and it will exist long after! But it’s people like this that will bring fascism to America, and it will happen if Americans let it, but we all know how this fascist nightmare ends! We’ve seen it time and time again throughout history! But banning all displays of religion that doesn’t directly cater to the Fox News MAGA Taliban, is this what this nation has come to? And yes, Joel Webbon, we see you. And we will remind you again – if you don’t like freedom, Saudi Arabia is that way! Or maybe Hungary is more in tune with your brand of authoritarianism. Either way, if you don’t like it, leave it!

Texas-based pastor Joel Webbon was among the contributors to a 2023 document called “The Statement on Christian Nationalism and the Gospel.” Drafted by Christian nationalists like Oklahoma state Sen. Dusty Deevers, former Trump administration official William Wolfe, and others, the document declared that the United States must formally “acknowledge the Lordship of Christ” in all its laws, “abolish abortion,” outlaw marriage equality, and “recapture our national sovereignty from godless, global entities who present a grave threat to civilization.”

In his own capacity, Webbon has been even aggressively theocratic, proclaiming that Christian nationalists must gain and use political power for the purpose of “crushing our enemies and rewarding our friends.” Christian nationalists must wield that power, Webbon has argued, because the American people are too degenerate, stupid, and cowardly to abide by the Constitution and must therefore be governed by a Christian dictator who “just rules with an iron fist” and forces everyone to “pretend to be Christian.” Under such a dictator, Webbon wants to see the Apostles’ Creed added to the Constitution; abortion, pornography, no-fault divorce, in vitro fertilization, and birth control outlawed; women banned from voting; and non-Christians kept out of his neighborhood.

During a recent appearance on “The Green Dragon Tavern Show,” Webbon explained what life under this sort of Christian nationalism would be like for non-Christians, who would be banned from any public displays of faith in order to prevent the judgment of God from falling on the nation.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-nationalist-pastor-joel-webbon-would-ban-public-displays-of-worship-to-false-gods/

You know, what is it about religion that just brings out the absolute worst in people? I feel like that study is warranted. But the thing is, the lying and the utter psychopathy is only going to get worse the more this drags on. And the finger pointing and name calling going on with people like Webbon and Taylor is also going to get worse. But of course, with all of the right wing insanity and name calling and everything, there’s always someone behind the madness. So why don’t we pull of the mask and see who you really are? Tim Barton??? And I would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for you meddling sinners!

Last month, Christian nationalist pseudo-historians David and Tim Barton delivered a presentation at the TPUSA Faith’s “Believers’ Summit” in Florida, during which the father-son duo spread the sorts of disinformation for which they are known, including the debunked claim that the Bible was the most cited source by the Founding Fathers, the falsehood that the Due Process clause came out of the Bible, and the false assertion that John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Civil Government” contained more than 1,500 Bible references.

Like his father, the myths spread by Tim Barton have a tendency to evolve over time so that what began as a misrepresentation eventually become almost unrecognizable. In this case, it was a claim about an 1884 Supreme Court case called Vidal v. Girard’s Executors.

“If you go to 1844, the U.S. Supreme Court had a case that was known as Vidal v. Girard’s Executors,” Barton said. “In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a unanimous 8-0 decision that you could not be a public school [and] receive government funding and prohibit the Bible, gospel ministers, evangelism from taking place on school campuses.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/tim-barton-and-the-evolution-of-christian-nationalist-lies/

Yes, we had to do the Scooby Doo ending! Come on, it was there! Well, the war on free speech is going to get worse, my friends, and we haven’t begun to see their end game yet! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Trump V. Musicians Round 4

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Let’s spin the wheel, shall we? Wheel goes round… wheel goes round… wheel goes round… where it stops, nobody knows! And it lands on… intermission! OK, we can take a break. Go on, get a drink, use the bathroom. I’ll sit here and amuse myself by looking at funny videos of dogs on my phone. Ha ha, that dog is sniffing that other dog’s butt! Here’s some music while we wait!

Spin it again! It’s time for Beating A Dead Horse!



If there’s one thing we love on this program, it’s watching that guy who we inexplicably used to call president of the United States, Donald Trump, get told “NO!” by musicians for using popular songs at his rallies. Probably the most famous of all of them is his feud with Boston punk band and good friends of our show, the Dropkick Murphys – who have been at odds with Trump ever since he used their popular song “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” way back in 2017. The latest rock stars who have told Trump they can’t use their songs at his rallies – one of which is one of the most popular rock bands in the world, you might know them as the Foo Fighters. The second one is the estate of one of the best R&B / soul singers in the world – the late, great Issac Hayes! Let’s start with the Foo Fighters. Yes, we’re aware that RFK Jr and endorsed Trump. But here’s what got lost in the headlines – his use of the Foo Fighters classic song “My Hero”. Which, we got to confess – is really fucking weird to use that song for that purpose. It made sense when it was used in that movie “The Other Guys”, but in this context, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

The Foo Fighters are fighting back.

A representative for the rock band told USA TODAY on Sunday that the Donald Trump campaign did not ask them for permission to use the group's song "My Hero" at the former president's rally on Friday with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Glendale, Arizona, "and if they were, they would not have granted it."

The representative added that "any royalties received as a result of this use will be donated" to Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. A campaign spokesperson told The Independent, "We have a license to play the song."

The Foo Fighters song played at the rally after Trump introduced Kennedy, who on Friday announced he is suspending his campaign for president and throwing his support behind the Republican nominee. The track was heard as Kennedy walked out onstage, waved to the crowd and shook Trump's hand.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/08/25/foo-fighters-donald-trump-rally-my-hero/74943995007/

So how awesome is Dave Grohl? He really is one of the greatest human beings in all of the United States – he always does the right thing. Trump, on the other hand, always does the wrong thing. This of course, set of the MAGA sphere on social media who attempted to find dirt on Dave Grohl or any member of the Foo Fighters, with no luck. Though my personal favorite was this tweet on that site formerly known as Twitter, currently known as X – “Breaking: Foos to require vaccine cards at shows!” Uh… this was three years ago. Literally no one is doing that anymore. But of course, Trump is attempting to say that it’s his right to play the song, because they have a “license”. To which everyone in the music business went… “Uh, what the fuck??”.

“Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were they would not have granted it,” the spokesperson said.

However, the Trump campaign said it had permission to play the song.

“We have a license to play the song,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in an email to The Hill.

He also took to the social platform X to dispute the claim.

“It’s Times Like These facts matter, don’t be a Pretender. @foofighters,” he wrote, referring to two other songs by the band.

“My Hero” could be heard playing at Trump’s rally in Glendale on Friday as the former president introduced former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his campaign earlier in the day and threw his support behind Trump.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4847466-trump-campaign-foo-fighters/

Seriously, what kind of shit is that? No such “license” exists, in Donald Trump’s shit rattled excuse for, whatever passes for a brain in the MAGA world. And of course, if there’s one thing you can’t do to Trump, it’s tell him “no” on just about anything. Well, the Foo Fighters aside, another musician who is in a dispute with the former president is Issac Hayes. Well, Mr. Hayes is deceased, but the voice of Chef from South Park, his son, Issac Hayes III, took to X to decry Trump’s use of the classic song “Hold On, I’m Coming”. To which we say – hey, phrasing! But the Hayes estate is going a step further and not just suing Trump, they’re requiring him to appear in court! To which we say, good luck with that!

“The Federal Court has granted our request for an Emergency Hearing to secure injunctive relief,” Hayes III wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Donald Trump, the RNC, Trump, Trump for President Inc. 2024, Turning Point and The NRA are required to appear in court September 3rd, 2024 at the Northern U.S. District Federal Court in Atlanta. See you in court.”

On Aug. 11, lawyers for Isaac Hayes Enterprises filed a notice of copyright infringement and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign over its use of the Sam & Dave classic at multiple Trump rallies without authorization from 2022-2024.

“Today, on the anniversary of my father Isaac Hayes’ death we have repeatedly asked Donald Trump, the RNC and his representatives not to use ‘Hold on I’m Coming’ written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter during campaign rallies but yet again, in Montana they used it,” Hayes III wrote on X on Aug. 10.

He added the following day, “We demand the cessation of use, removal of all related videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in licensing fees by August 16, 2024. Failure to comply will result in further legal action.”
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/isaac-hayes-estate-granted-emergency-hearing-donald-trump-song-use-1235760561/

So it will be very interesting to see where this lawsuit goes. What is absolutely crazy though, is that the list of musicians who have told Trump that no, they can’t use their songs keeps growing. From Beyonce to the Dropkick Murphys to Celine Dion have said that Trump can’t use their songs. And by the way, how weird is it to use the song “My Heart Will Go On”, from Titanic, the movie about the world’s greatest sinking ship metaphor – when you’re losing in the polls??? That is fucking weird! Well, anyway, it will be interesting to see where this lawsuit goes, and whether or not Trump will actually appear in court. You know he’ll find some way to weasel out of it!

The post Isaac Hayes’ Estate Granted Emergency Hearing for Injunction Against Trump appeared first on Consequence.

A federal court has granted an emergency hearing regarding an injunction request from Isaac Hayes’ estate against Donald Trump over the unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming.”

According to Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, the Northern District of Georgia Federal Court in Atlanta has scheduled the hearing for September 3rd.

Earlier this month, Hayes’ estate threatened Trump with a copyright lawsuit after identifying 134 instances where the former president allegedly used “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies without permission. The estate gave Trump until August 16th to pay a $3 million licensing fee or face further legal action.

After the deadline passed, the estate filed the lawsuit against Trump, also naming the RNC, the NRA, and Turning Point USA as co-defendants.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/isaac-hayes-estate-granted-emergency-021807382.html?guccounter=1

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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Staged Assassination
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Let’s give the wheel a good, strong spin, shall we! And it lands on………. Go directly to jail? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Damn! I am losing big time this week! Wait, I've got that Get Out Of Jail free card! Sweet! I'm out! Spin it again! And it lands on… oh it’s time for Conspiracy Corner!



Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! Of course conspiracies exist when people simply don’t want to read the article past the headlines and just flat out make shit up. We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter from deep within the New Mexico badlands. Undisclosed location, of course! Let me just adjust my trusty tin foil hat for maximum government interference. Ah, there we go! This week, we’ve been hearing several reports that the “assassination attempt” of the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, may have been staged. Which, a lot of evidence points to the fact that they had t-shirts made of the incident out like the next day. Along with all the other shitty merchandise that MAGA is very well known for. To which we say, that may be 100% on brand for something that Trump would do. The fact is – he’s sagging in the ratings. People are sick and tired of Trump’s nonstop, incoherent ramblings, and we’re tired of seeing him on the news 24 hours a day. Poll after poll is showing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris being the overwhelming favorite to win the 2024 presidential election. So of course, when you put all of that together, we’re not surprised he’d do something like this in order to keep his name in the news when everyone it seems like is moving on. So is there proof? Well, that entirely depends on what your news sources are.

As Americans tried to piece together what happened at the Pennsylvania rally where a 20-year-old attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, social media users falsely identified the shooter and sparred over whether the assassination attempt was staged by the right or the left.

The posts sparked confusion and vitriol even as legitimate details about the events emerged.

The FBI confirmed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot at Trump from a nearby building's roof with an AR-style rifle that had been legally purchased by his father.

Secret Service members shot and killed Crooks almost immediately after he fired several rounds. The FBI said that it appears he acted alone, but cautioned it is early in the investigation. A bullet grazed Trump's ear, and one rally attendee was killed and two others were wounded.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-rally-shooting-misinformation-conspiracy-theories/

Yeah so when you have a guy who’s known for misinformation, trolling, and hanging out with noted internet conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones, it’s only natural that payback is going to happen when the shoe is on the other foot. But here’s the thing – is there a flip side to Q Anon that we’ve been seeing throughout the last year and a half? Some kind of underground cult spreading left wing misinformation and conspiracy theories to boost Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? The answer to that is no, we don’t have 3 24/7 continuously operating talking point stations masquerading as “news networks”. But really, this is one of those “same screen, different movie” types of scenarios that play out like in the movie JFK.

A former president is wounded in a shooting, the gunman quickly neutralized, and all of it is caught on camera. But for those who don’t believe their eyes, that’s just the start of the story.

For some supporters of Donald Trump, the failure of the Secret Service to prevent the attempted assassination of the Republican former president points to a conspiracy orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden. For some of Trump’s critics, however, the details of the shooting don’t add up. They wonder if Trump staged the whole thing.

Two dueling conspiracy theories are taking root online following Trump’s attempted assassination, one for each end of America’s polarized political spectrum. In this split-screen republic, Americans are increasingly choosing their own reality, at the expense of a shared understanding of the facts.

“One screen, two movies,” is how Ron Bassilian describes the online reaction to Saturday’s shooting at a Pennsylvania rally. Bassilian is a prolific user of social media and has used X to broadcast his conjecture about the shooting. “People have their beliefs, and they’re going to come up with theories that fit their beliefs.”
https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-x-biden-misinformation-bf345b7cd72cc8c243084fe6ba8fa53a

Back and to the left! Back and to the left! But really, this is the famous “second shooter on the grassy knoll” theory of the JFK assassination, version 2.0. Assassination harder. So, my fair audience, I ask you this question – is it really just a theory? Or is there actually muster to this one? Well, the answer to both of those questions is – it’s complicated. If we go even further into this answer – it’s a reason why you should never trust something where the source is “online”. Because as we’ve learned in the 4 years of doing this segment – there’s a lot of really shady shit out there on the internet! And it’s purveyed by folks you probably shouldn’t trust with a 100 foot pole.

As ever, the conspiracy theories sometimes started with legitimate questions and confusion. They centred on alleged security failings, with lots of users understandably asking how this could happen.

How did the attacker make it to the roof? Why weren’t they stopped?

Into that vacuum rushed a wave of disbelief, speculation and disinformation.

“It looks very staged,” read one post on X which racked up a million views. “Nobody in the crowd is running or panicking. Nobody in the crowd heard an actual gun. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust him.”

The profile says it’s based on the south-west coast of Ireland. Its since been labelled with a note on X pointing out the shooting was real.

Once more footage and testimony from both inside and outside the rally was shared, the panic and fear of those there became all too clear.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyr7pyd0687o

So, should we trust unverified online “news” sources? The easy answer is NO! And it’s easy to see how we could have come to this conclusion. Yes, Donald Trump is an unsavory character. Yes, his followers are very easy to manipulate. Yes, the American media is bending more to the right because the number one station currently is Fox News. When you can’t trust the people who are supposed to be bringing you the news, who can you trust? Well, we do think years from now, when the dust is finally settled from all this madness, that people will be using this very case to point out how easily misinformation spreads online, and how easy people are to believe it. So if you can’t trust the media, basically, don’t trust anybody. But one thing is for sure – don’t believe the gaslighting!

A new poll has laid bare how many voters believe the conspiracy theories swirling around the attempted assignation of Donald Trump over the weekend.

One third of those who support Trump's Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden said they believe the attack may have been staged and had never been intended to kill the former president. That equates to a little over 33 percent. And even some of Trump's own supporters believe the same thing, with around 12 percent suspecting the event was planned, according to the poll conducted by Morning Consult, an American business intelligence company.

Trump was left bloodied after being shot in the ear as a bullet whizzed past his head at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Thomas Matthew Crooks killed an audience member and injured two more after he opened fire at the event, before the 20-year-old was himself shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper shortly after launching his attack. After the shooting, Trump stood defiantly to raise his fist and shout "fight!" repeatedly, before being whisked away by security agents. Some political analysts believe the attack and Trump's reaction to it may have helped the Republican's chances ahead of November's presidential elections—although a separate Morning Consult poll suggested that was not the case so far.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-shooting-assassination-conspiracy-theory-staged-biden-poll-1925723

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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Cocaine Shark
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Come on, now entering the spin zone! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP!!! Oh it’s another one of our patented Clips Without Context!

No we don’t. In fact I’m pretty sure that it says right in the Constitution – and I’m quoting – “No religious test shall be required for public office”. And most amendments take this country forward, not backwards. Sit down. Spin it again! Hey, I could really use a drink!

Hey everyone! I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink!



Of course, you know that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we are cocktailing, we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but there’s a lot of really dark shit in the news right now. So sometimes, the only solution is to belly up to the bar, crack open a cold one or two, and escape reality for a bit. Only rules we got in this bar – no fighting, no cussing, and no politics. Some mild swearing is allowed, as long as it’s never at someone. And my sober brothers and sisters, don’t worry, we got you covered too! Just grab a glass of your favorite coffee, tea or energy drink and come get wired with us! So the story on the table this week is that the nation of Brazil has a cocaine problem on its’ hands, and it’s in the water supply, and their shark population has got a taste! Tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about cocaine sharks? Cocaine flavored Red Bull? You trying to kill me or something? I’ll just have my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the Double Jack. So anyway, Brazil’s got a problem – sharks are getting their first taste of cocaine, and they’re – to use a lack of a better term – hooked! So what happens when sharks are on cocaine?

Sharks in the waters off Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, marine biologists said in a new study, marking the first time the drug has been found in the free-ranging predators.

Thirteen sharpnose sharks were taken from the coast off of Rio de Janeiro and tested for the cocaine and benzoylecgonine, the primary molecule in cocaine. Each shark's liver and muscles tested positive for high levels of cocaine, the study found, and the female sharks tested had higher concentrations of cocaine in their muscles than male sharks.

The scientists — who dubbed the study "Cocaine Shark" — posited that this may show a correlation between a shark's weight and size and how it metabolizes cocaine, but the study noted that more research was necessary.

CBS News partner BBC News reported that experts have multiple theories on how the illicit substances are entering the water. It's possible that illegal labs where cocaine is manufactured could be to blame. Scientists also said that it could be entering the waterway through the excrement of drug users. A less likely theory is that packs of cocaine lost or dumped at sea could be to blame. Cocaine and other illicit drugs have previously been found in water drainage systems and in rivers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cocaine-sharks-test-positive-drug-brazil-scientists-study/

Cocaine shark do do do do do do do do do do do cocaine shark do do do do do do do do cocaine shark do do do do do do do do… cocaine shark! Aw come on, man! Why you gotta do that? You know that’s gonna be stuck in our heads all day! Maybe for the sake of this segment, we should change the name to “I Need A Taste!”. Yeah, we’ve all seen Scarface! Don’t get high on your own supply! But here’s the thing, folks – we’ve all done it, don’t flush your damn drugs down the toilet! How many times have we said that on this program? My producer is telling me this is the first time. Well, anyway what this is proving is that things you flush do end up in the ocean. Including your drugs!

People are taking so much cocaine that it’s spilling out into the ocean and dosing up sharks.

Scientists tested 13 of the predators caught in Brazilian waters, and they all had high levels of the drug in their muscles and livers – sometimes as much as 100 times found previously in other sharks.

They are exposed to cocaine through pollution, although the exact mechanism is not known.

It could be via waste water, with sewage containing urine and faeces from humans who consumed it flowing into the ocean.

Researchers writing in Science of the Total Environment said that another likely possibility was drainage from illegal labs processing the drug.

It was less likely that these sharks were directly nibbling on bales of coke lost or dumped in the sea, because these are not as commonly found in Brazil as they are near Mexico or Florida.
Sewage containing cocaine is thought to be spilling into the sea where sharks ingest it
https://metro.co.uk/2024/07/23/sharks-high-cocaine-drugs-flushed-loo-21277939/

Oh yeah that’s the stuff! Cocaine shark do do do do do do… god damn it!!! So this idea isn’t anything new, per se. In fact, it stems from a report last year from researchers that showed how sharks were responding to waste being dumped in the ocean. Hey people, look, the ocean is not a landfill, OK, and it’s the only one we’ve got! We’ve got to respect the ocean, not waste it! Pollution in the ocean is something that we’ve got to be careful about. It’s not just the water – it’s everything in the water, including the animals and the plants. It’s basic eco-science 101, people! Which you can do in a 5 minute Google search!

In 2023, there was a warning that sharks off the coast of Florida could be chowing down on bales of cocaine deposited by traffickers.

Then, a high-profile experiment showcased during Shark Week tested out this warning. Hitting the headlines, the possibility of cocaine-fueled sharks became a hot topic. Despite the ensuing furor, this supposed problem remains highly skeptical.

“The experiments that were done for the TV show were really just to show people that there's a connection between our impacts and wildlife,” says Tracy Fanara, an environmental engineer based in Florida who was part of the original experiment. “The truth is we don't know how a shark would actually react to cocaine.”

What is known, however, is that packages of cocaine are deposited off the coast of Florida en masse, with many thousands of dollars’ worth eventually washing up on shore each year. The opportunity for sharks to encounter them, at least, is possible.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/are-sharks-ingesting-bales-of-cocaine-and-other-pollutants

Hey, it’s after 6, what am I? A farmer? Cocaine shark do do do do do do do do… damn it to hell, I told you this would happen! Is Don on the phone? Get Don on the phone! But for those of you who doubt the delicate and complex flower that is the oceanic ecosystem – and I’m sure those conspiracy theorists are out there – see what you’ve done? You’ve literally created a horror movie character! Yeah, the poster writes itself, doesn’t it? And come on, Hollywood, if there’s not a cheesy horror sci-fi movie being made right now called “Cocaine Shark”, I will have lost all faith in the internet! And come on, play the song, then I can go kick the speaker out the window!

Sharks living in shallow coastal waters just off Brazil have surprised scientists by testing positive for cocaine.

Between 2011 and 2017, traces of cocaine were detected in sewage and surface waters from at least 37 countries. Further, cocaine was found in a variety of aquatic life, including mollusks, crustaceans, and bony fish. But until now, no studies had ever been conducted into whether sharks are affected.

This unsettling discovery was made after a team of researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil took a closer look at wild sharks for the first time ever. They bought 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks, Rhizoprionodon lalandii, from small fishing vessels operating near Rio de Janeiro. This species is relatively small as sharks go, measuring less than 3 feet (0.9 meters) in length, and feeds mostly on small fish and squid.

The scientists focused on this particular shark for their studies of oceanic pollution because they live in coastal waters their entire lives and therefore are most likely to be affected by drugs and other forms of coastal pollution.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2024/07/23/sharks-on-cocaine-recreational-narcotics-are-contaminating-ecosystems/

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[font size="8"] Road To The White House 2024
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It's time to give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on… T-SHIRT CANNON! Yes, everyone in the audience is going home with our new Road To The White House t-shirt! You get one! And you get one! And you get one! Everybody gets a shirt! Everybody gets a shirt! And to speed things up, we upgraded the t-shirt cannon to a t-shirt gatling gun!

/v1/fill/w_639,h_514,al_c/3fc635_cd4ab2775e3b432d88abe817add5f5c8~mv2.jpg

Spin it again! And it’s time for Road To The White House!



Welcome back to our segment that lumps all of the election coverage of the 2024 election to end all elections in: Road To The White House! Well, this week we’ve got a rather bizarre story to report on that just got lost in all the news. This week, Donald Trump has a rather bizarre claim that he would move to, of all countries, Venezuela, if he loses. Gee, why would he move there, you might ask? Yes, Venezuela, a country that has been in the news a lot lately because of extreme political turmoil – mainly because fascist dictator Nicolas Maduro is simply refusing to leave office, and is resorting to usurping his power after losing the popular election. Holy shit, that sounds… oddly familiar. Could it be a preview of what could happen if Trump loses both the popular election and the electoral college? It’s possible. But we haven’t even got to the really bizarre part of this story yet. We really wish we could say that we’re making this shit up, and at this point, there’s literally nothing they can do that would surprise us. And there’s nothing they can do that would separate real from satire. But this is real, my friends. Oh yes.

Donald Trump hinted that he might flee to Venezuela if he loses the election this November.

The former president made the comment as part of a fear-mongering prediction during his X interview with Elon Musk on Monday.

“If something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we’ll meet the next time in Venezuela,” Trump said.

He elaborated, explaining that Venezuela — a dictatorship where nearly two dozen people have been killed in crackdowns on political protests — would be far safer than the US if Vice President Kamala Harris wins in 2024.

“We’ll have a meeting and dinner in Venezuela,” Trump said, “Because that’s what’s happening—their crime rate’s coming down and our crime rate’s going through the roof.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-flee-venezuela-election-b2595836.html

Dude, seriously, shut the fuck up! Let’s do some extrapolating and point out the sheer irony of this whole thing. Maduro was installed as the dictator of Venezuela by Vladimir Putin. It causes Venzuelans to flee the country. They come to the United States. Fox News and Trump spent years decrying Venezuela as a shithole country and that Venezuelan immigrants were going to destroy the United States. Now he wants to flee there to escape his various prosecutions and be welcomed by a literal dictator? This is too damn good. Got news for ya, JACK… dictators of the Maduro variety aren’t exactly what one would call “friendly” folks.

On July 28, millions of Venezuelans went to the polls to vote in the country’s highly anticipated presidential election. For the first time in years, there was hope that the opposition would unseat the long-ruling antidemocratic leader Nicolás Maduro and restore a sense of future post-Chavismo—late President Hugo Chávez’s populist political project of a “socialist revolution” that has slid into authoritarianism—to a once-prosperous nation wrecked by prolonged economic collapse, political repression, and a massive exodus of people that has had repercussions across the region.

But in the wake of the vote came terror. The electoral authority—controlled by a pro-government majority—declared Maduro, the political successor of Chávez, the winner, despite questions about the integrity of the process. The opposition disputed Maduro’s claim with evidence that their candidate, little-known former diplomat Edmundo González, had won by a wide margin. (The United States government agreed.) The Carter Center, which sent an expert group to Venezuela to observe the election, said it “did not meet international standards” and couldn’t “be considered democratic.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/08/venezula-what-happened-maduro-trump-migration-border/

Yeah let’s think about it – the guy who spent YEARS demonizing Venezuelan immigrants wants to immigrate TO Venezuela. I just can’t. And people still like this guy. What the actual fuck! So do we need to change the name of this segment to Road To Caracas?



Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Got to love the power of video editing! But are Trump’s claims that the streets of Caracas that much safer than the streets of New York or Los Angeles? Well let’s take a look. And we really have to say that we think that someone is just straight up fucking with Trump about this, and you might be right. But then again he probably really believes this shit.

But is Caracas, which just a few years ago was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the Western Hemisphere, safer now than large American cities? The Nicolas Maduro regime has not broken out numbers for crime in Venezuelan cities for years. But there are organizations that keep track of the figures — and they show the Venezuelan capital is still significantly less safe than most American cities.

Those numbers show that while crime has come down in recent years, a visit to the Venezuelan capital still is not recommended for the fainthearted. According to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, a Caracas-based non-profit group widely regarded as the authority on the nation’s homicide rate, Caracas had a rate of 50.8 homicides per 100,000 people.

That’s more than six times the U.S. national average of 7.8 registered in 2020, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national homicide average for Venezuela in 2023 was 26.8, almost four times higher than the rate in the U.S.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article291379055.html#storylink=cpy

Yeah come on, you know what you did. Dude, seriously, the national homicide rate in Venezuela is nearly 4 times higher than in the United States. 4 times!!!! For the entire nation!!! But please, Fox News and Newsmax, continue to lecture us about how fascist dictators are going to make our lives better. You know they won’t! And by the way, this is one scenario – that if Trump actually makes good on his promise to go through with it (he probably won’t, we’re just speculating) – that we might not ever hear from him again. Because guess what? After Elon called Venezuela’s elections a “sham”, guess how Maduro returned the favor? He banned X from Venezuela for 10 days. So yeah Trump wouldn’t have his social media megaphone there! You might want to think twice about that one, Donny!

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has signed a decree blocking access to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, for 10 days following a public spat with owner Elon Musk.

The two men have traded barbs since Mr Maduro was declared the winner of last month's disputed presidential election.

Mr Musk has described the Venezuelan leader as a "dictator" and a "clown", while Mr Maduro has accused Mr Musk of inciting "hatred, fascism, [and] civil war".

Recent weeks have seen anti-government protests flare up over the election result and hundreds of people have been arrested by Venezuela's security forces.

The vote, held on 28 July, has been described as "undemocratic" by independent observers, and the main opposition has said it has evidence that its candidate, Edmundo González, won by a wide margin.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ypx0p84rgo

[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Twenty One Pilots[/font]

Folks, my next guest are one of the biggest bands out there currently! They just played two sold out nights at the brand new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, you can see them on tour through October 12th. Playing their song Overcompensate, give it up for Twenty One Pilots!

Thank you USC! Our college tour is off to a great start! We’re off next week for Labor Day, we’ll be back on Thursday, 9/12 with an all new edition live from San Diego State and our first ever outdoor edition of the Top 10!

See you in two weeks!

Credits

Host: Initech
Twenty One Pilots appear courtesy of: Fueled By Ramen, LLC
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience At: Shrine Auditorium at University Of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Special Thanks To: University Of Southern California
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