westernjournal--2020-03-08--After Years of Slamming Trump, Joy Behar Downplays Clinton’s Lewinsky Affair

I ’ m shocked that there are still people willing to die on Bill Clinton Hill .
If you want to praise his presidency as the kind of liberalism you like , that ’ s fine .
What I don ’ t get is the same people who believe Trump ’ s “ Access Hollywood ” tape or affairs are terminally disqualifying elements for the presidency are willing to publicly argue that having an affair with a White House intern and then smearing her character and lying under oath about it is just fine .
That strange paradox has reared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s new documentary series about Hillary Clinton — appropriately titled “ Hillary ” — is now available to stream .
I haven ’ t binge-watched it yet because I literally have anything better to do , but Joy Behar and the folks on “ The View ” took a gander and Behar , at the very least , came away with an interesting interpretation of the whole thing .
In the series , Bill Clinton describes the affair as something he did to “ manage my anxieties ” and that he regrets “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by it — unfairly , I think.
” Discussing the clip on Friday ’ s episode of “ The View , ” panelist and general ringmaster Whoopi Goldberg began the discussion by noting “ the other person who has been defined by it has been Hillary .
Because , you know , people are still so angry at her .
You know , she stayed with her husband , so we ’ re angry at her for that .
But , you know , nobody came out on top.
” Guest host Sara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winners in that , for sure … but I do think there was a loser and my heart breaks for Monica Lewinsky — ” “ My heart breaks for the United States of America because Hillary should have been president , and don ’ t think that that whole affair didn ’ t play into it , ” she said .
“ That ’ s who I feel sorry for.
” More than Lewinsky , who has been tarred for a lifetime and was , as Haines pointed out , considered a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Hillary who was the real victim .
And Bill shouldn ’ t feel too bad about what he with Lewinsky , although maybe a little : “ He said he did it to release — relieve anxiety .
Whatever happened to Xanax ?
” Behar joked .
RELATED : Trump Perfectly Explains Why He Keeps Tweeting Despite Making Barr 's Job Harder Haines pointed out a very relevant angle on this : “ I don ’ t think it was the pressure of the office , I think it was the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton “ was the president of the United States .
He needed to think twice about what he did.
” Which would have been fine , except for her statement that “ he ’ s sorry , and I appreciate that .
He ’ s very sorry about it and sorry about what happened to Monica.
” Contrarian co-host Meghan McCain pointed out that Lewinsky probably deserved more than an apology , given the trauma she ’ d endured .
“ I follow [ Lewinsky ] on Twitter and I follow her work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think she ’ s an interesting voice and anti-bullying advocate and I like the person she ’ s become , but it ’ s not without these horrible struggles .
I do think the # MeToo movement never seems to hit Bill Clinton.
” “ He got oral sex from an intern who was 21 , and I don ’ t know , I think he gets a lot of passes in the Democratic Party , ” McCain said .
“ When you go back and reread the way some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fair editor ] Tina Brown and , I believe , [ New York Times columnist ] Maureen Dowd , they said the fact that he had an affair so it makes him sexier.
” There was a bit more discussion about the double standard and how people blamed Hillary but continued to support her husband .
And three , two , one… “ Look at what Trump gets away with , my God , compared to that .
It ’ s unbelievable , ” Behar said .
Cue applause , because this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t buying it , and brought this back to Clinton : “ Trump , to my knowledge , hasn ’ t received oral sex in the Oval Office and I do think there ’ s still a big difference between , like , the desecration of our White House .
To me , it was the beginning of the end of a lot of things in this country.
” “ I hate to say this but the desecration of the White House began long before – ” Goldberg said .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Clinton .
You have the Kennedy years and you have — look , nobody comes out on top in this , ” Goldberg said , again using that unfortunate turn of phrase .
Beyond the curious idea of Hillary Clinton being the real victim here — keep in mind Hillary was at the forefront of the Clinton White House ’ s media assault in the wake of the revelation of the Lewinsky affair , an offensive that helped paint Lewinsky as a star-struck fabulist and Clinton ’ s enemies as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump ’ s behavior prior to being in the White House somehow excuses what Clinton did within the White House is exceptionally wrong .
And this is the kind of reasoning Behar has been peddling for years , as followers of “ The View ” will no doubt be aware .
Say what you will about Trump ’ s behavior — and Behar definitely does that — there isn ’ t any proof he desecrated the White House with that kind of behavior .
There have been no furtive cigars , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the invariable problem with Bill Clinton ’ s defenders .
“ Hillary ” gives him enough rope to hang himself , and he certainly did .
That the president of the United States doesn ’ t have enough sexual continence to manage his anxieties without having an extramarital relationship in the White House with an intern less than half his age is a uniquely lowering state of affairs , not to mention the most egregious case of a power and maturity imbalance one can imagine .
That this power imbalance was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to dry by Clinton and his phalanx of lawyers , politicos and surrogates is even more uniquely egregious .
It wasn ’ t until the infamous blue dress was produced that Bill Clinton even considered admitting to the affair , but not after one of the most sustained and ugly attacks against a private individual we ’ ve seen in American political history .
As for the # MeToo movement , aside from a few murmurs that Clinton ’ s abuses of power sounded an awful lot like those of other famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit of credence to the claims of Juanita Broaddrick — it didn ’ t take long for its supporters to forget about the Clinton angle .
There still hasn ’ t been anything close to a serious look , and certainly not the kind of revisionist scrutiny the movement applied to others .
All of this is what the Joy Behars of the world are defending .
There ’ s no amount of “ but Trump !
… ” that can change those very salient facts .
We are committed to truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read our editorial standards .

I’m shocked that there are still people willing to die on Bill Clinton Hill.
If you want to praise his presidency as the kind of liberalism you like, that’s fine. What I don’t get is the same people who believe Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tape or affairs are terminally disqualifying elements for the presidency are willing to publicly argue that having an affair with a White House intern and then smearing her character and lying under oath about it is just fine.
That strange paradox has reared its head again now that Hulu’s new documentary series about Hillary Clinton — appropriately titled “Hillary” — is now available to stream. I haven’t binge-watched it yet because I literally have anything better to do, but Joy Behar and the folks on “The View” took a gander and Behar, at the very least, came away with an interesting interpretation of the whole thing.
In the series, Bill Clinton describes the affair as something he did to “manage my anxieties” and that he regrets “Monica Lewinsky’s life was defined by it — unfairly, I think.”
(He thinks?)
Discussing the clip on Friday’s episode of “The View,” panelist and general ringmaster Whoopi Goldberg began the discussion by noting “the other person who has been defined by it has been Hillary. Because, you know, people are still so angry at her. You know, she stayed with her husband, so we’re angry at her for that. But, you know, nobody came out on top.”
Guest host Sara Haines said “there aren’t winners in that, for sure … but I do think there was a loser and my heart breaks for Monica Lewinsky —”
Enter Joy Behar.
Do you think Bill Clinton's behavior in the White House was worse than Donald Trump's? Yes No
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“My heart breaks for the United States of America because Hillary should have been president, and don’t think that that whole affair didn’t play into it,” she said. “That’s who I feel sorry for.”
More than Lewinsky, who has been tarred for a lifetime and was, as Haines pointed out, considered a “pariah”?
For Behar, it was Hillary who was the real victim.
And Bill shouldn’t feel too bad about what he with Lewinsky, although maybe a little:
“He said he did it to release — relieve anxiety. Whatever happened to Xanax?” Behar joked.
Haines pointed out a very relevant angle on this: “I don’t think it was the pressure of the office, I think it was the power of the office.”
Behar admitted that Clinton “was the president of the United States. He needed to think twice about what he did.” Which would have been fine, except for her statement that “he’s sorry, and I appreciate that. He’s very sorry about it and sorry about what happened to Monica.”
Contrarian co-host Meghan McCain pointed out that Lewinsky probably deserved more than an apology, given the trauma she’d endured.
“I follow [Lewinsky] on Twitter and I follow her work she does now,” McCain said. “I think she’s an interesting voice and anti-bullying advocate and I like the person she’s become, but it’s not without these horrible struggles. I do think the #MeToo movement never seems to hit Bill Clinton.”
“Yes, it does,” Behar shot back.
“He got oral sex from an intern who was 21, and I don’t know, I think he gets a lot of passes in the Democratic Party,” McCain said. “When you go back and reread the way some people covered him like [former Vanity Fair editor] Tina Brown and, I believe, [New York Times columnist] Maureen Dowd, they said the fact that he had an affair so it makes him sexier.”
There was a bit more discussion about the double standard and how people blamed Hillary but continued to support her husband. And three, two, one…
“Look at what Trump gets away with, my God, compared to that. It’s unbelievable,” Behar said. Cue applause, because this is “The View.”
But McCain wasn’t buying it, and brought this back to Clinton:
“Trump, to my knowledge, hasn’t received oral sex in the Oval Office and I do think there’s still a big difference between, like, the desecration of our White House. To me, it was the beginning of the end of a lot of things in this country.”
“I hate to say this but the desecration of the White House began long before –” Goldberg said.
“With Trump,” Behar said.
“No, no, it began long before Bill Clinton. You have the Kennedy years and you have — look, nobody comes out on top in this,” Goldberg said, again using that unfortunate turn of phrase.
Beyond the curious idea of Hillary Clinton being the real victim here — keep in mind Hillary was at the forefront of the Clinton White House’s media assault in the wake of the revelation of the Lewinsky affair, an offensive that helped paint Lewinsky as a star-struck fabulist and Clinton’s enemies as a “vast right-wing conspiracy” — the idea that Trump’s behavior prior to being in the White House somehow excuses what Clinton did within the White House is exceptionally wrong.
And this is the kind of reasoning Behar has been peddling for years, as followers of “The View” will no doubt be aware.
Say what you will about Trump’s behavior — and Behar definitely does that — there isn’t any proof he desecrated the White House with that kind of behavior. There have been no furtive cigars, no liaisons alleged anywhere in 1600 Pennsylvania.
This is the invariable problem with Bill Clinton’s defenders.
“Hillary” gives him enough rope to hang himself, and he certainly did. That the president of the United States doesn’t have enough sexual continence to manage his anxieties without having an extramarital relationship in the White House with an intern less than half his age is a uniquely lowering state of affairs, not to mention the most egregious case of a power and maturity imbalance one can imagine.
That this power imbalance was turned upon Lewinsky when she was left out to dry by Clinton and his phalanx of lawyers, politicos and surrogates is even more uniquely egregious.
It wasn’t until the infamous blue dress was produced that Bill Clinton even considered admitting to the affair, but not after one of the most sustained and ugly attacks against a private individual we’ve seen in American political history.
As for the #MeToo movement, aside from a few murmurs that Clinton’s abuses of power sounded an awful lot like those of other famous, disgraced men — and momentarily giving a bit of credence to the claims of Juanita Broaddrick — it didn’t take long for its supporters to forget about the Clinton angle.
There still hasn’t been anything close to a serious look, and certainly not the kind of revisionist scrutiny the movement applied to others.
All of this is what the Joy Behars of the world are defending. There’s no amount of “but Trump! …” that can change those very salient facts.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Lawmaker Reveals Pelosi Tripled Coronavirus Bill Cost with ‘Christmas-Tree Ornaments’

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi more than tripled the spending President Donald Trump asked for to fight the coronavirus , some Republicans put their feet down , along with their thumbs .
“ The president asked for $ 2.5 billion .
I would have supported that , ” Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado said Friday during an appearance on the Fox News show “ The Ingraham Angle.
” But that ’ s not what he was asked to vote on .
The price tag for the final package of programs totaled $ 8.3 billion , according to Politico .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending at the door of Pelosi .
“ The speaker decided to add all sorts of Christmas-tree ornaments to this bill .
It was unnecessary .
It was too much money , ” he told guest host Tammy Bruce .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air in South Carolina Buck and fellow Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona were the only two members of the House to oppose the bill .
A similar package passed in the Senate had one dissenting vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kentucky .
Paul tweeted out his objections to the bill : Buck ’ s office told Fox News that Buck disliked the $ 1.25 billion set aside in the bill for funding public health responses in other nations .
Buck also opposed the inclusion of $ 500 million to expand Medicare ’ s telehealth services .
Moreover , the congressman voiced concerns about a plan that calls for stockpiling masks and other medial supplies without a distribution plan attached to ensure they reach front-line medical professionals and do not end up stacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Buck decried the political blame game in which Trump has been attacked by Democrats over the outbreak of a virus that has impacted nations around the world .
RELATED : Disgraced Former Rep. Hill Admits She Planned To Lie to Media About Dating Staffer “ I work on Capitol Hill and I see politics every day , ” Buck said .
“ And unfortunately , I see people that try to make political gain out of things that they should not try to make political gain out of .
“ And to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts in China , comes the United States and is being handled as well as we could possibly hope — to try to lay this at the president ’ s feet as unfair , ” he said .
“ And I think most people have seen three years of unfair treatment by the Democrats of this president.
” Biggs , for his part , issued a statement explaining his opposition to the final proposal .
“ In true Washington , D.C. fashion , congressional appropriators turned the president ’ s reasonable $ 2.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion package , ” he said .
“ By passing this larded-up bill , Congress again fails to wisely appropriate taxpayer dollars .
I would have supported the president ’ s request for $ 2.5 billion , knowing that , if we spent all the funds , Congress could have provided additional funding.
” “ Throwing money at a potentially serious issue does not alleviate the American people ’ s concerns .
Nor does politicizing the issue to score points for future elections .
Congressional Republicans and Democrats should join the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate a unified response to their constituents .
We must rise to the occasion and do what is best for this situation — as well as for future generations .
Unfortunately , this bill fell short of that objective , ” Biggs said .
“ Basically , they throw a bunch of money at it to say , ‘ We ’ ve taken care of it , ” he added to KTAR .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi more than tripled the spending President Donald Trump asked for to fight the coronavirus, some Republicans put their feet down, along with their thumbs.
“The president asked for $2.5 billion. I would have supported that,” Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado said March 6 during an appearance on the Fox News show “The Ingraham Angle.”
But that’s not what he was asked to vote on. The price tag for the final package of programs totaled $8.3 billion, according to Politico.
Buck laid the blame for the extra spending at the door of Pelosi.
“The speaker decided to add all sorts of Christmas-tree ornaments to this bill. It was unnecessary. It was too much money,” he told guest host Tammy Bruce.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
Buck and fellow Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona were the only two members of the House to oppose the bill.
A similar package passed in the Senate had one dissenting vote, that of Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Paul tweeted out his objections to the bill:
Earlier today I said that while I support an all-hands-on-deck response to the coronavirus we should cut out waste and take money from less urgent spending like what we waste overseas to put into that response effort. We have to start setting our own priorities. pic.twitter.com/6YuUwqK4Qg — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 5, 2020
Buck’s office told Fox News that Buck disliked the $1.25 billion set aside in the bill for funding public health responses in other nations. Buck also opposed the inclusion of $500 million to expand Medicare’s telehealth services.
Moreover, the congressman voiced concerns about a plan that calls for stockpiling masks and other medial supplies without a distribution plan attached to ensure they reach front-line medical professionals and do not end up stacked in warehouses.
During his on-air appearance, Buck decried the political blame game in which Trump has been attacked by Democrats over the outbreak of a virus that has impacted nations around the world.
Were Buck, Biggs and Paul right to vote against this sbill? Yes No
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“I work on Capitol Hill and I see politics every day,” Buck said. “And unfortunately, I see people that try to make political gain out of things that they should not try to make political gain out of.
“And to try to lay this issue, which starts in China, comes the United States and is being handled as well as we could possibly hope — to try to lay this at the president’s feet as unfair,” he said.
“And I think most people have seen three years of unfair treatment by the Democrats of this president.”
Biggs, for his part, issued a statement explaining his opposition to the final proposal.
“In true Washington, D.C. fashion, congressional appropriators turned the president’s reasonable $2.5 billion request into a bloated $8.3 billion package,” he said.
“By passing this larded-up bill, Congress again fails to wisely appropriate taxpayer dollars. I would have supported the president’s request for $2.5 billion, knowing that, if we spent all the funds, Congress could have provided additional funding.”
“Throwing money at a potentially serious issue does not alleviate the American people’s concerns. Nor does politicizing the issue to score points for future elections. Congressional Republicans and Democrats should join the White House to calmly, wisely, and pro-actively communicate a unified response to their constituents. We must rise to the occasion and do what is best for this situation — as well as for future generations. Unfortunately, this bill fell short of that objective,” Biggs said.
“Basically, they throw a bunch of money at it to say, ‘We’ve taken care of it,” he added to KTAR.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Disgraced Former Rep. Hill Admits She Planned To Lie to Media About Dating Staffer

Former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill of California , who resigned after pictures of her with a campaign staffer with whom she was having a relationship were published in the media , has revealed that her battle plan when the relationship was exposed was to lie .
Hill , who was elected in 2018 but resigned in December , spoke with writer Caitlin Moscatello in an extensive interview published by The Cut .
At the time of her resignation , Hill was the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation regarding an affair with a male staffer , which she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it reached a conclusion .
Hill , 32 , who is openly bisexual , did admit to having an affair with campaign aide Morgan Desjardins , who was 24 at the time .
Federal Election Commission data showed that between April and September of last year , Desjardins raked in about $ 14,000 from Hill ’ s campaign for “ fundraising consulting , ” which multiple checks for $ 2,500 per month .
Prior to that time , Desjardins was paid at a rate of about $ 50,000 a year as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the records show .
The affair became public after the publication of pictures that showed a naked Hill brushing the hair of Desjardins .
Other published images of Hill nude showed her holding a bong and sporting an iron cross tattoo near her groin .
Another showed her and Desjardins kissing .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air in South Carolina “ I had to admit that , yes , I had this relationship with a campaign staffer , ” Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , you know , I ’ ve admitted to that .
And once you ’ ve admitted to that one thing , then it brings everything else into question.
” Hill admitted she was aware that her disclosure of the relationship could be a problem — and said she was initially going to deny any allegations .
“ You know , honestly , it was one of those things where it was like , ‘ Well , I ’ ll just deny it , ’ ” Hill said .
“ Morgan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t want it to come out any more than I do.
” Then everything became public , including reports that up to 700 private images of her were being circulated .
“ I knew so much was still coming , ” she said .
“ The ethics thing , it was going to pull our office in , and specifically my staff in , ” she said .
Hill said Desjardins was hired “ as my body person , my person who was literally with me all the time.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both identified as bi , right ?
That was one of the things that drew her to the campaign .
And she was also younger than me and hadn ’ t had as much experience being a bi woman .
I ended up revealing that I ’ d had a [ three-person ] relationship before , ” Hill said .
“ I can only account for my feelings , but we fell in love .
I don ’ t think there ’ s any way for it not to come off as bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever .
We developed feelings for each other , and even from day one , it was like , ‘ No , we shouldn ’ t do this ; this is a bad idea.
’ But [ we ] did anyway , and hoped that it was just not going to come out.
” Hill explained that she was unhappy in her marriage to her now-estranged husband Kenneth Heslep , whom she has accused of circulating the images that led to her disgrace .
RELATED : AOC Dismisses Biden 's Super Tuesday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Expectations' The former lawmaker said the power dynamics of her relationship with Desjardins were such that she was not taking advantage of the staffer .
“ Morgan was way more my boss than I was hers because she got me to places on time .
So yes , I recognize that I had power , but also it just wasn ’ t like that at the time … I was a f—ing person that was a few years older than her , and we got wrapped up in this movement of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the face of it .
But to me , she was just as responsible for it , you know ?
” Hill said that even though insiders knew about the relationship and counseled her to end it , she would not break it off , calling Desjardins “ a vital , vital support … There ’ s so much about having survived that last year and a half of my marriage and having survived through the campaign that I don ’ t know what I would have done if she weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview , Hill also noted that the iron cross tattoo had nothing to do with Nazis or white supremacy , but came from a drunken trip to Mexico .
“ I was just stupid , drunk , and traumatized , ” she said .
“ There was a self-harm element to it that was , you know , marking this as my space.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill of California, who resigned after pictures of her with a campaign staffer with whom she was having a relationship were published in the media, has revealed that her battle plan when the relationship was exposed was to lie.
Hill, who was elected in 2018 but resigned in December, spoke with writer Caitlin Moscatello in an extensive interview published by The Cut.
At the time of her resignation, Hill was the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation regarding an affair with a male staffer, which she has denied. Her resignation ended the investigation before it reached a conclusion.
Hill, 32, who is openly bisexual, did admit to having an affair with campaign aide Morgan Desjardins, who was 24 at the time. Federal Election Commission data showed that between April and September of last year, Desjardins raked in about $14,000 from Hill’s campaign for “fundraising consulting,” which multiple checks for $2,500 per month. Prior to that time, Desjardins was paid at a rate of about $50,000 a year as a staff member for Hill’s campaign, the records show.
The affair became public after the publication of pictures that showed a naked Hill brushing the hair of Desjardins. Other published images of Hill nude showed her holding a bong and sporting an iron cross tattoo near her groin. Another showed her and Desjardins kissing.
“I had to admit that, yes, I had this relationship with a campaign staffer,” Hill said in the new interview. “So, you know, I’ve admitted to that. And once you’ve admitted to that one thing, then it brings everything else into question.”
Hill admitted she was aware that her disclosure of the relationship could be a problem — and said she was initially going to deny any allegations.
“You know, honestly, it was one of those things where it was like, ‘Well, I’ll just deny it,’” Hill said. “Morgan is not accusing me of anything. She doesn’t want it to come out any more than I do.”
Then everything became public, including reports that up to 700 private images of her were being circulated.
“I knew so much was still coming,” she said. “The ethics thing, it was going to pull our office in, and specifically my staff in,” she said.
Hill said Desjardins was hired “as my body person, my person who was literally with me all the time.”
“Part of it was talking. We both identified as bi, right? That was one of the things that drew her to the campaign. And she was also younger than me and hadn’t had as much experience being a bi woman. I ended up revealing that I’d had a [three-person] relationship before,” Hill said.
“I can only account for my feelings, but we fell in love. I don’t think there’s any way for it not to come off as bad,” Hill said. “But whatever. We developed feelings for each other, and even from day one, it was like, ‘No, we shouldn’t do this; this is a bad idea.’ But [we] did anyway, and hoped that it was just not going to come out.”
Hill explained that she was unhappy in her marriage to her now-estranged husband Kenneth Heslep, whom she has accused of circulating the images that led to her disgrace.
The former lawmaker said the power dynamics of her relationship with Desjardins were such that she was not taking advantage of the staffer.
“Morgan was way more my boss than I was hers because she got me to places on time. So yes, I recognize that I had power, but also it just wasn’t like that at the time … I was a f—ing person that was a few years older than her, and we got wrapped up in this movement of trying to do something, and I happened to be the face of it. But to me, she was just as responsible for it, you know?”
Hill said that even though insiders knew about the relationship and counseled her to end it, she would not break it off, calling Desjardins “a vital, vital support … There’s so much about having survived that last year and a half of my marriage and having survived through the campaign that I don’t know what I would have done if she weren’t in the picture.”
During the interview, Hill also noted that the iron cross tattoo had nothing to do with Nazis or white supremacy, but came from a drunken trip to Mexico.
“I was just stupid, drunk, and traumatized,” she said. “There was a self-harm element to it that was, you know, marking this as my space.”
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Trump Makes Cable History Record with Fox News Town Hall

Fox News ’ town hall Thursday evening with President Donald Trump averaged 4.2 million viewers , making it the most-watched election town hall in cable news history , according to early Nielsen Media Research data .
The event hosted in Scranton , Pennsylvania , and moderated by “ Special Report ” anchor Bret Baier and “ The Story ” anchor Martha MacCallum also brought in 744,000 viewers in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic , Fox News reported .
The Fox News town hall was shown from 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST and dominated the other cable news programs during that time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million and 1 million viewers respectively .
Another 2 million viewers tuned in to the encore presentation of the Town Hall at 11 p.m. Trump ’ s first town hall of 2020 was more conversational than his rallies and gave him a chance to connect directly with voters who had the opportunity to ask the president questions personally , Fox News reported .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air in South Carolina He started by defending his administration ’ s response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from China early had averted a broader crisis in the United States .
Trump said he had been ready to face Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the presidency , but then Biden won quite a few states on Tuesday .
“ I ’ m all set for Bernie , communist , I had everything down , I was all set , ” Trump said .
“ And then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday , which [ Biden ] thought was Thursday .
But he also said 150 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was running for the United States Senate — there ’ s something going on there.
” By highlighting Biden ’ s most recent gaffes , Trump called into question the former vice president ’ s mental acuity and fitness for office .
Trump criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren for not dropping out of the race sooner , saying that Sanders “ would have won five , six , seven states.
” The president also responded to a question about the rhetoric of insult politics in today ’ s culture and how it is dividing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Losing Everything , Tornado Victims Rally Around Trump Shouting 'Amen ! '
“ I think the way we unite is really through success , but when they hit us , we have to hit back , ” Trump said .
“ There ’ s two ways of doing it .
Turning your cheek — but I wouldn ’ t be sitting up here if I turned my cheek.
” Fox News has hosted eight town halls with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates , most recently with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have all since dropped out of the race .
Fox News ’ town hall with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held the previous record in this election cycle , with 2.6 million viewers tuning in in April 2019 , The Hill reported .
On Friday , Fox News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace announced that the network will host the second town hall event with Sanders in Detroit on Monday .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
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Fox News’ town hall Thursday evening with President Donald Trump averaged 4.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched election town hall in cable news history, according to early Nielsen Media Research data.
The event hosted in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and moderated by “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier and “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum also brought in 744,000 viewers in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, Fox News reported.
The Fox News town hall was shown from 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST and dominated the other cable news programs during that time, with MSNBC and CNN bringing in 1.4 million and 1 million viewers respectively.
Another 2 million viewers tuned in to the encore presentation of the Town Hall at 11 p.m.
Trump’s first town hall of 2020 was more conversational than his rallies and gave him a chance to connect directly with voters who had the opportunity to ask the president questions personally, Fox News reported.
He started by defending his administration’s response to the coronavirus, arguing that limiting travel from China early had averted a broader crisis in the United States.
Trump said he had been ready to face Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the presidency, but then Biden won quite a few states on Tuesday.
“I’m all set for Bernie, communist, I had everything down, I was all set,” Trump said.
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“And then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday, which [Biden] thought was Thursday. But he also said 150 million people were killed with guns, and he was running for the United States Senate — there’s something going on there.”
By highlighting Biden’s most recent gaffes, Trump called into question the former vice president’s mental acuity and fitness for office.
Trump criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren for not dropping out of the race sooner, saying that Sanders “would have won five, six, seven states.”
The president also responded to a question about the rhetoric of insult politics in today’s culture and how it is dividing the country.
Americans want their president to fight for them.@realDonaldTrump is that fighter. Great Town Hall event tonight. pic.twitter.com/jZjQFkaxuL — Brad Parscale – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@parscale) March 6, 2020
“I think the way we unite is really through success, but when they hit us, we have to hit back,” Trump said. “There’s two ways of doing it. Turning your cheek — but I wouldn’t be sitting up here if I turned my cheek.”
Fox News has hosted eight town halls with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, most recently with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — who have all since dropped out of the race.
Fox News’ town hall with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held the previous record in this election cycle, with 2.6 million viewers tuning in in April 2019, The Hill reported.
On Friday, Fox News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace announced that the network will host the second town hall event with Sanders in Detroit on Monday.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--James Woods Says What Everyone’s Thinking: Founders Wrote 2A To Protect Us from People Like Schumer

Conservative actor James Woods has joined the chorus of response to recent threats by Sen. Charles Schumer against Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch .
Schumer had already faced rebuke from the Senate majority leader , calls for censure and a formal request that he be deprived of the Second Amendment right to arm himself under New York ’ s “ red flag ” law .
“ I want to tell you Gorsuch , ” Schumer yelled outside the Supreme Court building Wednesday .
“ I want to tell you Kavanaugh .
You have released the whirlwind and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.
” In what he attempted to portray as an apology , Schumer denied threatening the high court justices over a case involving a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital .
But Woods pointed out just how high the stakes could become in a political environment that considers Schumer ’ s threats normal discourse .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice of the Supreme Court must take the extraordinary step of admonishing a United States Senator from targeting the lives of named Justices , we are in civil war territory , ” Woods tweeted .
“ The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for violent haters like Chuck Schumer.
” Schumer is not the only prominent Democrat who has made threats against the Supreme Court .
In an amicus brief filed in support of New York City ’ s position in a Second Amendment case , Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate Minority Whip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators , including former presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand , in threatening a restructuring of the Supreme Court to “ reduce the influence of politics.
” Of course , the Supreme Court could avoid being “ restructured ” by ruling the way those senators wanted it to rule .
Whitehouse also came to Schumer ’ s apparent defense on Twitter Wednesday , arguing that Chief Justice John Roberts ’ letter scolding Schumer for his threats had “ zero credibility.
” RELATED : Fearless Trump Tweets Same Quote That Once Got James Woods Suspended When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the amicus brief — to Schumer ’ s threats , there is a disturbing pattern that is quite evident .
Democrats want the Supreme Court to rule a certain way on certain cases … or else .
It ’ s also interesting — albeit admittedly a bit unfair — to hypothesize about what would have happened if a Republican senator had said what Schumer did .
Would the liberal establishment media be quiet , or would we have yet another cycle of manufactured outrage ?
We are committed to truth and accuracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our editorial standards .

Conservative actor James Woods has joined the chorus of response to recent threats by Sen. Charles Schumer against Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
Schumer had already faced rebuke from the Senate majority leader, calls for censure and a formal request that he be deprived of the Second Amendment right to arm himself under New York’s “red flag” law.
“I want to tell you Gorsuch,” Schumer yelled outside the Supreme Court building Wednesday. “I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
In what he attempted to portray as an apology, Schumer denied threatening the high court justices over a case involving a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital.
But Woods pointed out just how high the stakes could become in a political environment that considers Schumer’s threats normal discourse.
“When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must take the extraordinary step of admonishing a United States Senator from targeting the lives of named Justices, we are in civil war territory,” Woods tweeted. “The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for violent haters like Chuck Schumer.”
When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must take the extraordinary step of admonishing a United States Senator from targeting the lives of named Justices, we are in civil war territory. The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for violent haters like Chuck Schumer. — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 5, 2020
Schumer is not the only prominent Democrat who has made threats against the Supreme Court.
In an amicus brief filed in support of New York City’s position in a Second Amendment case, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin were joined by three other senators, including former presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, in threatening a restructuring of the Supreme Court to “reduce the influence of politics.”
Of course, the Supreme Court could avoid being “restructured” by ruling the way those senators wanted it to rule.
Whitehouse also came to Schumer’s apparent defense on Twitter Wednesday, arguing that Chief Justice John Roberts’ letter scolding Schumer for his threats had “zero credibility.”
As the architect of an 80-case barrage of partisan, 5-4 decisions for big Republican donor interests, Chief Justice Roberts has zero credibility playing umpire in any political squabble.https://t.co/1Z5dOl9fjn — Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) March 4, 2020
When one adds Whitehouse’s comments — and the amicus brief — to Schumer’s threats, there is a disturbing pattern that is quite evident.
Democrats want the Supreme Court to rule a certain way on certain cases … or else.
It’s also interesting — albeit admittedly a bit unfair — to hypothesize about what would have happened if a Republican senator had said what Schumer did. Would the liberal establishment media be quiet, or would we have yet another cycle of manufactured outrage?
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--AOC Dismisses Biden’s Super Tuesday in Attempt To Prop Up Bernie: ‘Low Expectations’

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said former Vice President Joe Biden “ overperformed ” in the Super Tuesday primaries only because of “ low expectations.
” Ocasio-Cortez , who has endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , made these comments during a Wednesday interview with CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo and defended Sanders ’ prospects in November .
“ He overperformed because he had low expectations , ” she said of Biden .
“ And I think that ’ s one thing that we have to clarify.
” She explained that the last-minute withdrawals of some of the less radical candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s results .
“ It was kind of a last-minute consolidation of some of the more moderate and conservative Democratic candidates in the cycle , which happened right before this race , ” she said .
“ And the folks who are making that decision in the 72 hours before the race where you have these dramatic developments , that is compelling.
” As Ocasio-Cortez pointed out , just before Super Tuesday , former candidates Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg both dropped out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg followed suit the following day .
You can see her comments here : Even though the Democratic representative said Sanders ’ campaign wanted to be good “ sportsmen ” about Super Tuesday ’ s results , Ocasio-Cortez called Biden ’ s win “ a moment , not a movement.
” Sanders is trying to bounce back after a dismal Super Tuesday .
Sanders only won four of the 14 states and admitted he was “ disappointed , ” according to NPR .
Ocasio-Cortez said that if Sanders wins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong support among Latinos will put swing states in play in the general election .
But Cuomo pushed back and noted that a lot of voters “ didn ’ t show up ” for Sanders on Tuesday , Fox News reported .
“ The young people who you are promising to the party , that you can bring in , didn ’ t come in anywhere , ” he said .
“ How do you explain that with optimism ?
” “ Well , I think one thing that we have to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prize of the night , which is California , ” Ocasio-Cortez said , “ and we are going to be having hundreds of delegates decided , which was the largest prize yesterday.
” RELATED : Elizabeth Warren Explains She Wants To Go Even Further Than the Green New Deal However , even though young voters helped Sanders ’ victory in California this week , voters under 30 made up only 11 percent of the electorate , according to NPR .
“ Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Sanders told reporters .
“ I think that will change in the general election , but I will be honest with you , we have not done as well with bringing young people into the process .
It is not easy.
” Biden currently leads Sanders in the race for the Democratic Party ’ s nomination with 625 total delegates as of Saturday morning .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said former Vice President Joe Biden “overperformed” in the Super Tuesday primaries only because of “low expectations.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who has endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, made these comments during a Wednesday interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo and defended Sanders’ prospects in November.
“He overperformed because he had low expectations,” she said of Biden. “And I think that’s one thing that we have to clarify.”
She explained that the last-minute withdrawals of some of the less radical candidates from the race really affected Super Tuesday’s results.
“It was kind of a last-minute consolidation of some of the more moderate and conservative Democratic candidates in the cycle, which happened right before this race,” she said. “And the folks who are making that decision in the 72 hours before the race where you have these dramatic developments, that is compelling.”
As Ocasio-Cortez pointed out, just before Super Tuesday, former candidates Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg both dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden.
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg followed suit the following day.
You can see her comments here:
Even though the Democratic representative said Sanders’ campaign wanted to be good “sportsmen” about Super Tuesday’s results, Ocasio-Cortez called Biden’s win “a moment, not a movement.”
Sanders is trying to bounce back after a dismal Super Tuesday. Sanders only won four of the 14 states and admitted he was “disappointed,” according to NPR.
Ocasio-Cortez said that if Sanders wins the party’s nomination, his strong support among Latinos will put swing states in play in the general election. But Cuomo pushed back and noted that a lot of voters “didn’t show up” for Sanders on Tuesday, Fox News reported.
“The young people who you are promising to the party, that you can bring in, didn’t come in anywhere,” he said. “How do you explain that with optimism?”
“Well, I think one thing that we have to see and one huge questions is the largest prize of the night, which is California,” Ocasio-Cortez said, “and we are going to be having hundreds of delegates decided, which was the largest prize yesterday.”
However, even though young voters helped Sanders’ victory in California this week, voters under 30 made up only 11 percent of the electorate, according to NPR.
“Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young people in? The answer is no,” Sanders told reporters. “I think that will change in the general election, but I will be honest with you, we have not done as well with bringing young people into the process. It is not easy.”
Biden currently leads Sanders in the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination with 625 total delegates as of Saturday morning.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Illinois Supreme Court Crushes Smollett’s Legal Ploy, Clears Special Prosecutor To Pursue Charges

More ’ s the pity — it looks like another court loss for Jussie Smollett and his legal team .
In a Friday ruling , the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against an emergency motion filed by Smollett and his lawyers to drop new charges against him and to fire the special prosecutor who brought them , according to the Chicago Tribune .
The attorneys for the former “ Empire ” actor argued Cook County Judge Michael Toomin didn ’ t have the authority to appoint the special prosecutor that brought new charges against him and that the judge had misinterpreted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with six counts of disorderly conduct .
For those of you who ’ ve followed the case , you may know that Smollett originally faced 16 counts of the same charges last year when the alleged hoax was initially uncovered .
These were dropped at the behest of prosecutor Kim Foxx .
Without admitting guilt , Smollett forfeited his $ 10,000 bond and spent a few desultory hours of community service with the Rev .
Jesse Jackson ’ s Rainbow PUSH Coalition .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air in South Carolina However , Judge Toomin ruled that Foxx ’ s strange “ recusal ” — in which she verbally said she was stepping away from the case but then named her top deputy as the prosecutor — made the decision to drop charges invalid , as prosecutors don ’ t get to choose their successors .
Foxx had verbally recused herself because she had met with a Smollett family member early in the process at the behest of Michelle Obama ’ s former chief of staff , Tina Tchen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the formal paperwork for a recusal .
Smollett ’ s attorneys had argued that Toomin only had the authority to appoint a special prosecutor if Foxx had properly recused herself and that the only person who could challenge the validity of the agreement in court was Smollett .
“ ( If ) there , in fact , had been a defect in the authority to prosecute Mr. Smollett , the only person who could properly challenge the validity of the proceedings would be Mr. Smollett — and he has not done so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s high court , however , dismissed the motion without comment .
“ Motions for supervisory orders are extraordinary remedies and not usually granted , ” Smollett attorney William Quinlan said in a statement , according to NBC News .
“ We believed the unique circumstances of this case warranted filing the motion .
We will now follow the standard appellate procedure.
” Smollett pleaded not guilty to the charges , which were filed Feb. 11 , on Feb. 23 .
The charges came roughly a year after Smollett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
The actor claimed that two men attacked him , put a noose around his neck and yelled , “ This is MAGA country , ” invoking President Donald Trump ’ s “ Make America Great Again ” slogan .
RELATED : Powerless Employees Look On as San Francisco Store Looted in Broad Daylight The story began collapsing at an impressive clip , and not just because few people would mistake staunchly Democratic Chicago for “ MAGA country.
” Law enforcement would eventually come to believe the so-called assailants were actually two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson said that the attack had been faked by Smollett in order to “ promote his career , ” a move that didn ’ t quite work out as planned .
The brothers — Abimbola “ Abel ” Osundairo and Olabinjo “ Ola ” Osundairo — are now state ’ s witnesses and would testify against Smollett if he goes to trial , Fox News reported .
Meanwhile , the case has imperiled the career of Foxx , once a rising star in state politics .
Foxx now faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorney primary , a contest that would otherwise be considered a foregone conclusion .
Foxx ’ s campaign has said she considers the new charges to come at a questionable time , comparing them to the 2016 announcement by then-FBI Director James Comey that he was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton ’ s email server just prior to the election .
“ What ’ s questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision ” a statement from the campaign said , adding the charges “ can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the justice system , something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive.
” According to the Chicago Tribune , the four challengers — Foxx , Bill Conway , Bob Fioretti and Donna More — have raised $ 16.3 million in a race that ’ s 180 percent more expensive than the 2016 primary .
Foxx remains the favorite , but there likely wouldn ’ t be any question at all if there hadn ’ t been any deal with Smollett .
As for the actor , he finds himself where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the original charges in the first place .
His career , such as it is , remains in stasis and the case still casts a long shadow — as well it should .
If Smollett did what he was accused of , he faked a hate crime designed to divide America .
When we countenance that and wave it away with a penalty of a few thousand dollars and a few hours with Rev .
Jackson ’ s charity , that ’ s not justice .
Claims that this is political or some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of critics in some quarters to understand the gravity of what Smollett is accused of and the fundamental failure of Kim Foxx ’ s team to grasp that .
We can only hope the same mistake isn ’ t made this time around .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

More’s the pity — it looks like another court loss for Jussie Smollett and his legal team.
In a Friday ruling, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against an emergency motion filed by Smollett and his lawyers to drop new charges against him and to fire the special prosecutor who brought them, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The attorneys for the former “Empire” actor argued Cook County Judge Michael Toomin didn’t have the authority to appoint the special prosecutor that brought new charges against him and that the judge had misinterpreted the law.
That special prosecutor charged him with six counts of disorderly conduct. For those of you who’ve followed the case, you may know that Smollett originally faced 16 counts of the same charges last year when the alleged hoax was initially uncovered.
These were dropped at the behest of prosecutor Kim Foxx. Without admitting guilt, Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond and spent a few desultory hours of community service with the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
However, Judge Toomin ruled that Foxx’s strange “recusal” — in which she verbally said she was stepping away from the case but then named her top deputy as the prosecutor — made the decision to drop charges invalid, as prosecutors don’t get to choose their successors.
Foxx had verbally recused herself because she had met with a Smollett family member early in the process at the behest of Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff, Tina Tchen. She did not, however, submit the formal paperwork for a recusal.
Smollett’s attorneys had argued that Toomin only had the authority to appoint a special prosecutor if Foxx had properly recused herself and that the only person who could challenge the validity of the agreement in court was Smollett.
“(If) there, in fact, had been a defect in the authority to prosecute Mr. Smollett, the only person who could properly challenge the validity of the proceedings would be Mr. Smollett — and he has not done so,” their motion to the court read.
Do you think Jussie Smollett will be punished by the Cook County legal system? Yes No
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The state’s high court, however, dismissed the motion without comment.
“Motions for supervisory orders are extraordinary remedies and not usually granted,” Smollett attorney William Quinlan said in a statement, according to NBC News.
“We believed the unique circumstances of this case warranted filing the motion. We will now follow the standard appellate procedure.”
Smollett pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were filed Feb. 11, on Feb. 23.
The charges came roughly a year after Smollett allegedly staged a 2 a.m. attack against himself. The actor claimed that two men attacked him, put a noose around his neck and yelled, “This is MAGA country,” invoking President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The story began collapsing at an impressive clip, and not just because few people would mistake staunchly Democratic Chicago for “MAGA country.”
Law enforcement would eventually come to believe the so-called assailants were actually two brothers paid by Smollett. Former Chicago police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson said that the attack had been faked by Smollett in order to “promote his career,” a move that didn’t quite work out as planned.
The brothers — Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo — are now state’s witnesses and would testify against Smollett if he goes to trial, Fox News reported.
Meanwhile, the case has imperiled the career of Foxx, once a rising star in state politics.
Foxx now faces three challengers in the Cook County state’s attorney primary, a contest that would otherwise be considered a foregone conclusion. Foxx’s campaign has said she considers the new charges to come at a questionable time, comparing them to the 2016 announcement by then-FBI Director James Comey that he was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server just prior to the election.
“What’s questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision” a statement from the campaign said, adding the charges “can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system, something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, the four challengers — Foxx, Bill Conway, Bob Fioretti and Donna More — have raised $16.3 million in a race that’s 180 percent more expensive than the 2016 primary.
Foxx remains the favorite, but there likely wouldn’t be any question at all if there hadn’t been any deal with Smollett.
As for the actor, he finds himself where he would have been had he faced the original charges in the first place. His career, such as it is, remains in stasis and the case still casts a long shadow — as well it should. If Smollett did what he was accused of, he faked a hate crime designed to divide America.
When we countenance that and wave it away with a penalty of a few thousand dollars and a few hours with Rev. Jackson’s charity, that’s not justice.
Claims that this is political or some kind of witch hunt underscore the failure of critics in some quarters to understand the gravity of what Smollett is accused of and the fundamental failure of Kim Foxx’s team to grasp that. We can only hope the same mistake isn’t made this time around.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Report: Hunter Biden Cited Dad’s Political Connections in Attempt To Land Law Prof. Job

In an effort to land a teaching gig at UCLA ’ s law school , Hunter Biden drew heavily on connections that came through his father , former Vice President and current Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden , according to a new report .
The former vice president has long insisted , amid questions about his activity in Ukraine to scotch a prosecution aimed at a company his son worked for , that he never sought to use his connections to aid the careers of his children .
But information being reported by The Daily Caller makes it clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the summer of 2019 , just as questions about the Bidens ’ activities in Ukraine were beginning to percolate in the media , Hunter Biden reached out to UCLA and met with representatives of the law school , according to Bill Kisliuk , executive director of the law school .
A July 2019 email to Jennifer Mnookin from Hunter Biden said that he wanted to teach a course on domestic and international drug policy .
He then mined his father ’ s Rolodex of past Obama administration officials for names to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combination of key decision makers , leading thinkers , policy implementers and grass roots advocates as guests for each topic , ” he wrote , according to The Daily Caller .
“ For instance I ’ d like to have former Attorney ’ s General Dustin McDaniel of Arkansas and Patrick Lynch of Rhode Island to discuss their roles in the state class action suits brought against Purdue Pharma and possibly a prosecutor involved in the criminal cases against the Sackler family.
” “ For plan Colombia the El Chapo extradition I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pastrana of Colombia to discuss how he implemented ‘ Plan Colombia ’ with the US government along with Christopher Putala and Manus Cooney who were both chief ’ s of staff ( Democrat and Republican ) to the judiciary committee at the time , ” Hunter Biden wrote .
“ I would also invite former FBI Director Louis Freeh and possibly the US Attorney responsible for that extradition and indictment .
For … the class on decriminalization I would invite Governor Newsom ( may be a long shot but I know he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote .
Although one meeting was held , according to the email chain reviewed by The Daily Caller , nothing panned out .
After several other email exchanges , Steven Bank , vice dean for curricular and academic affairs , informed Biden that the process for adding a course was not very swift .
“ I hope I didn ’ t give you the impression in my e-mail that this was a rush , ” Bank wrote .
“ If we decided to move forward , this wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Faculty until Spring 2020 for a Spring 2021 slot most likely.
” The emails were obtained through the California Public Records Act .
Joe Biden has insisted that he has never been aware of what other family members are doing , according to Politico .
“ I have never discussed , with my son or my brother or with anyone else , anything having to do with their businesses .
Period , ” Biden said in August .
“ And what I will do is the same thing we did in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to the Obama administration .
“ There will be an absolute wall between personal and private and the government .
There wasn ’ t any hint of scandal at all when we were there .
And I ’ m going to propose the same kind of strict , strict rules.
” “ That ’ s why I never talked with my son or my brother or anyone else — even distant family — about their business interests .
Period , ” Joe Biden said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our editorial standards .

In an effort to land a teaching gig at UCLA’s law school, Hunter Biden drew heavily on connections that came through his father, former Vice President and current Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden, according to a new report.
The former vice president has long insisted, amid questions about his activity in Ukraine to scotch a prosecution aimed at a company his son worked for, that he never sought to use his connections to aid the careers of his children.
But information being reported by The Daily Caller makes it clear that those connections were used by his son.
During the summer of 2019, just as questions about the Bidens’ activities in Ukraine were beginning to percolate in the media, Hunter Biden reached out to UCLA and met with representatives of the law school, according to Bill Kisliuk, executive director of the law school.
It’s almost like the whole Biden family is entity dependent on Joe holding public office? EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden touted connections in 2019 while pitching UCLA Law on letting him teach drug policy course | The Daily Caller https://t.co/P8wteom4tW — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 5, 2020
A July 2019 email to Jennifer Mnookin from Hunter Biden said that he wanted to teach a course on domestic and international drug policy.
He then mined his father’s Rolodex of past Obama administration officials for names to drop.
“I will have some combination of key decision makers, leading thinkers, policy implementers and grass roots advocates as guests for each topic,” he wrote, according to The Daily Caller.
“For instance I’d like to have former Attorney’s General Dustin McDaniel of Arkansas and Patrick Lynch of Rhode Island to discuss their roles in the state class action suits brought against Purdue Pharma and possibly a prosecutor involved in the criminal cases against the Sackler family.”
“For plan Colombia the El Chapo extradition I’m certain I could get former President Pastrana of Colombia to discuss how he implemented ‘Plan Colombia’ with the US government along with Christopher Putala and Manus Cooney who were both chief’s of staff (Democrat and Republican) to the judiciary committee at the time,” Hunter Biden wrote.
“I would also invite former FBI Director Louis Freeh and possibly the US Attorney responsible for that extradition and indictment. For … the class on decriminalization I would invite Governor Newsom (may be a long shot but I know he would consider it if his schedule allows),” he wrote.
“The list goes on,” he concluded.
Although one meeting was held, according to the email chain reviewed by The Daily Caller, nothing panned out.
After several other email exchanges, Steven Bank, vice dean for curricular and academic affairs, informed Biden that the process for adding a course was not very swift.
“I hope I didn’t give you the impression in my e-mail that this was a rush,” Bank wrote. “If we decided to move forward, this wouldn’t even be considered by the Curriculum Committee and the Faculty until Spring 2020 for a Spring 2021 slot most likely.”
The emails were obtained through the California Public Records Act.
Joe Biden has insisted that he has never been aware of what other family members are doing, according to Politico.
“I have never discussed, with my son or my brother or with anyone else, anything having to do with their businesses. Period,” Biden said in August.
“And what I will do is the same thing we did in our administration,” he said, referring to the Obama administration. “There will be an absolute wall between personal and private and the government. There wasn’t any hint of scandal at all when we were there. And I’m going to propose the same kind of strict, strict rules.”
“That’s why I never talked with my son or my brother or anyone else — even distant family — about their business interests. Period,” Joe Biden said.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Days After Losing Everything, Tornado Victims Rally Around Trump Shouting ‘Amen!’

President Donald Trump was greeted with shouts of “ Amen ” on Friday after he spoke with victims of a tornado that slammed through Cookeville , Tennessee .
At least 25 people were killed as multiple tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee early Tuesday , some packing winds of 165 miles per hour , according to WKYT .
Trump was joined by Republican Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee as he toured the damage .
At one point , Trump spoke with those affected by the storm — away from the media , though some snippets of remarks could be heard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of whom shouted out “ Amen ” when Trump was done speaking to them , those he met with told him that support goes both ways .
“ We ’ re a big family ; we support you , ” one man said , according to Breitbart .
“ We ’ re going to support you again.
” TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air in South Carolina Trump called the community response to the tragedy “ a case study — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how it can be done .
It ’ s Tennessee.
” Prior to meeting with survivors , Trump was asked by the media if he had a message for the storms ’ survivors .
“ Well , I do have a message , and I have a message for the families of those that lost their lives : We love them ; they ’ re special people , ” he said .
“ It ’ s an incredible place , incredible state .
Tremendous heart .
Already , you see people rebuilding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally hours ago — a couple of days — and they ’ re already rebuilding .
I ’ ve never seen — we were flying over ; you see the blue roofs going up .
It ’ s all over the place , ” Trump added .
“ It ’ s just great people .
It ’ s a great state .
And they have great leadership in this state , and that ’ s why it ’ s working out like it is .
But still , 25 people , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Very , very badly hurt .
“ But the first responders — we can ’ t say enough about the first responders that were here .
They went in — you know , they run in when everybody else is running out .
And they ran in and took care of these folks — the police and fire and EMS .
And it was an amazing night , ” he said .
Speaking of the survivors , Trump said , “ God be with them .
And we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be with them all the way.
” “ And I can tell you , the governor feels the same as I do .
And the mayors — I just want to congratulate you , because the job you ’ ve done , everybody is talking about it .
They haven ’ t slept in 48 hours .
Neither have you , come to think of it .
So we ’ re going to go see the people now and say hello to them and do whatever you can do .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A lot of them have lost people within the family , ” Trump added .
“ One family got entirely wiped out .
There was one case , though — I heard a young man was — an 8-year-old boy was ripped out , flown to a certain area , and dropped off at the street two or three blocks away .
And they found him walking .
And he said , ‘ I just flew in the air.
’ And he was walking down the street two blocks away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During the tour , Lee noted to Trump that “ it ’ s been a painful , tragic week for our state , but Tennesseans are hopeful .
God has used volunteers to bring hope to people all across our state .
And your presence here reminds us that people all across the country care about what ’ s happening here .
So we ’ re grateful.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

President Donald Trump was greeted with shouts of “Amen” on Friday after he spoke with victims of a tornado that slammed through Cookeville, Tennessee.
At least 25 people were killed as multiple tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee early Tuesday, some packing winds of 165 miles per hour, according to WKYT.
Trump was joined by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee as he toured the damage. At one point, Trump spoke with those affected by the storm — away from the media, though some snippets of remarks could be heard.
During his meeting with the survivors, many of whom shouted out “Amen” when Trump was done speaking to them, those he met with told him that support goes both ways.
“We’re a big family; we support you,” one man said, according to Breitbart. “We’re going to support you again.”
Trump called the community response to the tragedy “a case study — a case study of what should be done and how it can be done. It’s Tennessee.”
Prior to meeting with survivors, Trump was asked by the media if he had a message for the storms’ survivors.
“Well, I do have a message, and I have a message for the families of those that lost their lives: We love them; they’re special people,” he said.
“It’s an incredible place, incredible state. Tremendous heart. Already, you see people rebuilding. I mean, it took place literally hours ago — a couple of days — and they’re already rebuilding. I’ve never seen — we were flying over; you see the blue roofs going up. It’s all over the place,” Trump added.
“It’s just great people. It’s a great state. And they have great leadership in this state, and that’s why it’s working out like it is. But still, 25 people, at least, and some really very badly hurt. Very, very badly hurt.
Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton called his community “a war zone.”
“But the first responders — we can’t say enough about the first responders that were here. They went in — you know, they run in when everybody else is running out. And they ran in and took care of these folks — the police and fire and EMS. And it was an amazing night,” he said.
Speaking of the survivors, Trump said, “God be with them. And we’re going to be with them. We’re going to be with them all the way.”
“And I can tell you, the governor feels the same as I do. And the mayors — I just want to congratulate you, because the job you’ve done, everybody is talking about it. They haven’t slept in 48 hours. Neither have you, come to think of it. So we’re going to go see the people now and say hello to them and do whatever you can do. It’s tough,” he said.
“A lot of them have lost people within the family,” Trump added.
“One family got entirely wiped out. There was one case, though — I heard a young man was — an 8-year-old boy was ripped out, flown to a certain area, and dropped off at the street two or three blocks away. And they found him walking. And he said, ‘I just flew in the air.’ And he was walking down the street two blocks away from his home,” he said.
During the tour, Lee noted to Trump that “it’s been a painful, tragic week for our state, but Tennesseans are hopeful. God has used volunteers to bring hope to people all across our state. And your presence here reminds us that people all across the country care about what’s happening here. So we’re grateful.”
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Cali Lawmaker Wants To Abolish Separate Toy Aisles for Boys and Girls

I ’ m not sure I can think of anything California state legislators should be working on at the moment .
After all , it ’ s possibly the most well-run state in our nation .
Taxes are low , housing is affordable , social services are under control and everything is basically hunky-dory .
It ’ s like a Beach Boys song from 1963 .
So it ’ s time to set about solving other problems — namely , the idea that some regressive stores in the Golden State still have separate aisles for boys ’ and girls ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evan Low is sponsoring a bill that would require businesses of a certain size that sell toys to keep their aisles gender-neutral .
Assembly Bill 2826 , introduced on Feb. 20 , would require any business with a significant number of employees to offer children ’ s items presented in a gender-neutral way .
TRENDING : Here 's the Brutal Anti-Biden Ad Obama 's Trying To Get Taken Off the Air in South Carolina “ This bill would require a retail department store with 500 or more employees to maintain undivided areas of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sells childcare articles , children ’ s clothing , or toys , all childcare items , all clothing for children , or all toys , regardless of whether a particular item has traditionally been marketed for either girls or for boys , shall be displayed , ” the bill reads .
“ Beginning on January 1 , 2023 , the bill would make a retail department store that fails to correct a violation of these provisions within 30 days of receiving written notice of the violation from the Attorney General liable for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided.
” It ’ s entertaining to read the bill ’ s justification within the text .
“ Unjustified differences in similar products that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys can be more easily identified by the consumer if similar items are displayed closer to one another in one , undivided area of the retail sales floor , ” it reads .
“ Keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is inappropriate.
” The bill could be heard in committee for the first time on March 22 .
“ I was inspired to introduce this bill after 8-year-old Britten asked , ‘ Why should a store tell me what a girl ’ s shirt or toy is ?
’ ” Assemblyman Low said in a news release .
“ Her bill will help children express themselves freely and without bias .
We need to let kids be kids.
” The news release also noted “ several major retailers have taken steps to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Fitch and John Lewis recently launched unisex apparel lines for kids .
In 2015 , Target made headlines when it removed gender-based signs in some departments , including home and toys.
” RELATED : Buyer 's Remorse Sets in as GOP Leads in 86 % of CA Districts Dems Flipped in 2018 There ’ s only one thing that hasn ’ t aged as well as the Twitter insult “ this didn ’ t age well , ” and it ’ s this : I guess he ’ s found something more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , you know how Democrats are always saying we should listen to scientists ?
Perhaps Evan Low ought to do this , since it turns out researchers have found significant differences between “ boys ’ and girls ’ toy preferences across a range of ages , time periods , countries , and settings , ” according to Psypost .
“ The study , which was published in the scientific journal Infant and Child Development , found that children overwhelmingly chose to play with toys typed to their gender .
Boys played with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and girls played with female‐typed toys more than boys did , ” the outlet reported in 2017 .
“ The sex difference in toy preference held even after the researchers accounted for the effects of the presence or absence of an adult , the study setting , the gender equality status of the country , year of publication , and presence of gender‐neutral toys.
” “ For some people the topic of gender difference in toy choice is controversial , because they passionately believe that such gender differences should not exist .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because for them it is totally obvious that there are gender differences in toy choice , ” study author John A. Barry said .
However , what science showed is that whether or not you like it , those differences exist .
Punishing large retailers with fines if they don ’ t won ’ t change it .
If California wants to make a change , perhaps this time could be better used dealing with the state ’ s homelessness crisis .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

I’m not sure I can think of anything California state legislators should be working on at the moment.
After all, it’s possibly the most well-run state in our nation. Taxes are low, housing is affordable, social services are under control and everything is basically hunky-dory. It’s like a Beach Boys song from 1963.
So it’s time to set about solving other problems — namely, the idea that some regressive stores in the Golden State still have separate aisles for boys’ and girls’ toys.
According to KRON-TV, Assemblyman Evan Low is sponsoring a bill that would require businesses of a certain size that sell toys to keep their aisles gender-neutral.
Assembly Bill 2826, introduced on Feb. 20, would require any business with a significant number of employees to offer children’s items presented in a gender-neutral way.
“This bill would require a retail department store with 500 or more employees to maintain undivided areas of its sales floor where, if it sells childcare articles, children’s clothing, or toys, all childcare items, all clothing for children, or all toys, regardless of whether a particular item has traditionally been marketed for either girls or for boys, shall be displayed,” the bill reads.
“Beginning on January 1, 2023, the bill would make a retail department store that fails to correct a violation of these provisions within 30 days of receiving written notice of the violation from the Attorney General liable for a civil penalty of $1,000, as provided.”
It’s entertaining to read the bill’s justification within the text.
“Unjustified differences in similar products that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys can be more easily identified by the consumer if similar items are displayed closer to one another in one, undivided area of the retail sales floor,” it reads.
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“Keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly implies that their use by one gender is inappropriate.”
The bill could be heard in committee for the first time on March 22.
“I was inspired to introduce this bill after 8-year-old Britten asked, ‘Why should a store tell me what a girl’s shirt or toy is?’” Assemblyman Low said in a news release.
“Her bill will help children express themselves freely and without bias. We need to let kids be kids.”
The news release also noted “several major retailers have taken steps to break down gender norms in clothing. Abercrombie & Fitch and John Lewis recently launched unisex apparel lines for kids. In 2015, Target made headlines when it removed gender-based signs in some departments, including home and toys.”
There’s only one thing that hasn’t aged as well as the Twitter insult “this didn’t age well,” and it’s this:
I hope Governor @GavinNewsom will help us reimagine how we tackle homelessness as THE top priority for us. https://t.co/Vki7CnIxto — Evan Low (@Evan_Low) February 19, 2020
I guess he’s found something more important than homelessness.
And by the way, you know how Democrats are always saying we should listen to scientists? Perhaps Evan Low ought to do this, since it turns out researchers have found significant differences between “boys’ and girls’ toy preferences across a range of ages, time periods, countries, and settings,” according to Psypost.
“The study, which was published in the scientific journal Infant and Child Development, found that children overwhelmingly chose to play with toys typed to their gender. Boys played with male‐typed toys more than girls did, and girls played with female‐typed toys more than boys did,” the outlet reported in 2017.
“The sex difference in toy preference held even after the researchers accounted for the effects of the presence or absence of an adult, the study setting, the gender equality status of the country, year of publication, and presence of gender‐neutral toys.”
“For some people the topic of gender difference in toy choice is controversial, because they passionately believe that such gender differences should not exist. For other people the topic is trivial, because for them it is totally obvious that there are gender differences in toy choice,” study author John A. Barry said.
However, what science showed is that whether or not you like it, those differences exist. Punishing large retailers with fines if they don’t won’t change it. If California wants to make a change, perhaps this time could be better used dealing with the state’s homelessness crisis.
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westernjournal--2020-03-08--Two Guests at DC Conference Attended By Pence Test Positive for Coronavirus

Two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington earlier this week have tested positive for the coronavirus , but D.C. officials said there was “ no risk ” of catching the virus to other attendees .
The pro-Israel lobbying group shared a statement on Twitter Friday announcing it had alerted all AIPAC conference attendees and speakers that that two people from New York who attended the conference tested positive for the virus upon returning home .
“ We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group added it has been in contact with public health authorities in the nation ’ s capital and in Westchester Country , New York , as well as national health authorities .
“ If you test positive for coronavirus , we urge you to inform your local health authorities so they can properly coordinate their response to this situation with the appropriate health authorities , ” AIPAC said .
An estimated 18,000 people attended AIPAC ’ s annual conference , including a number of congressional lawmakers and officials from the Trump administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ heading the federal government ’ s coronavirus task force , spoke at the conference , as did Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
“ We stand with Israel today for the same reasons the American people have always stood with Israel .
We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause , her values are our values , and her fight is our fight , ” Pence told AIPAC attendees .
“ We stand with Israel because we believe in right over wrong , in good over evil , in liberty over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tomorrow , and we always will , ” he added .
The Washington , D.C. , Health Department issued a statement about the positive tests , saying there is “ no risk ” to persons who attended the AIPAC conference because the two individuals who tested positive for coronavirus were “ asymptomatic ” at the time .
“ Based on our investigation thus far , in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health ( NYSDH ) , there is no identified risk to conference attendees at this time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prominent Church Suspends All Services and Activities After Rector Tests Positive for Coronavirus “ All attendees and members of the public are urged to follow the well-established prevention tips like staying home if sick and calling ahead to a health provider if experiencing symptoms .
We will work with AIPAC leadership to keep all attendees informed of any new developments , ” officials in Washington added .
As of Friday , 105,529 cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide , and 3,562 people have died .
Almost all of those were elderly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart issues or diabetes .
Seventeen Americans are among those dead after contracting the virus , according to The Washington Post .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington earlier this week have tested positive for the coronavirus, but D.C. officials said there was “no risk” of catching the virus to other attendees.
The pro-Israel lobbying group shared a statement on Twitter Friday announcing it had alerted all AIPAC conference attendees and speakers that that two people from New York who attended the conference tested positive for the virus upon returning home.
“We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the coronavirus,” AIPAC tweeted.
Important Update: Coronavirus As emailed to Policy Conference attendees, participants, speakers, administration and Hill offices.https://t.co/0mkWeuRErA pic.twitter.com/EHl694pkgJ — AIPAC (@AIPAC) March 6, 2020
The group added it has been in contact with public health authorities in the nation’s capital and in Westchester Country, New York, as well as national health authorities.
“If you test positive for coronavirus, we urge you to inform your local health authorities so they can properly coordinate their response to this situation with the appropriate health authorities,” AIPAC said.
An estimated 18,000 people attended AIPAC’s annual conference, including a number of congressional lawmakers and officials from the Trump administration.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading the federal government’s coronavirus task force, spoke at the conference, as did Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“We stand with Israel today for the same reasons the American people have always stood with Israel. We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight,” Pence told AIPAC attendees.
“We stand with Israel because we believe in right over wrong, in good over evil, in liberty over tyranny. We stand with Israel today, tomorrow, and we always will,” he added.
The Washington, D.C., Health Department issued a statement about the positive tests, saying there is “no risk” to persons who attended the AIPAC conference because the two individuals who tested positive for coronavirus were “asymptomatic” at the time.
“Based on our investigation thus far, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDH), there is no identified risk to conference attendees at this time,” D.C. health officials said.
“All attendees and members of the public are urged to follow the well-established prevention tips like staying home if sick and calling ahead to a health provider if experiencing symptoms. We will work with AIPAC leadership to keep all attendees informed of any new developments,” officials in Washington added.
The DC Health Department has issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/lnTYEVhghW — AIPAC (@AIPAC) March 7, 2020
As of Friday, 105,529 cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide, and 3,562 people have died. Almost all of those were elderly, and many had pre-existing health conditions like heart issues or diabetes.
Seventeen Americans are among those dead after contracting the virus, according to The Washington Post.
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