NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.
Republican Face-plant — Again
Republicans could be talking about Biden’s age — even “The Daily Show” agrees it’s a problem.
- Pause and watch: Jon Stewart speaks for all Americans when he makes our point that Biden’s problem isn’t his age but his inability to solve the age problem.
- In fact, House Republicans have a plan to focus America on Biden’s age. Mike Allen reports in Axios on a multipronged approach to hold hearings with the special counsel and a transcript of Biden’s interview where he allegedly couldn’t remember when his son died.
BUT NO, after failing spectacularly last week, Republicans are yet again bringing a vote to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, something even the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board says is a bad idea, headlining, “Impeaching Mayorkas Achieves Nothing.”
- Moreover, impeaching Mayorkas gives the media something to talk about other than Biden’s age.
- Much like former President Donald Trump did when he encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack non-paying NATO countries or attacked Nikki Haley’s husband, who is currently serving in the military.
Republicans appear incapable of getting out of their own way. Thus, the media will focus on an impeachment that solves nothing, has no chance of removing Mayorkas, highlights Republican dysfunction and gives Democrats license to impeach future Republican cabinet members they disagree with.
- It makes you long for the good ole days when former President Barack Obama’s selfie stick was America’s biggest problem. Again — welcome back to The Daily Show.
You Get What You Pay For
Spending money you don’t have is normally a bad idea, but wasting money you don’t have is dangerous.
The Senate passing a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill requires us to ask a simple question: What are we getting for it?
Let’s take a quick tour of the world:
- Despite spending over $100 billion in Ukraine, Putin is still in power, economically stronger than ever and on the offensive.
- Despite rushing aid to Israel (around $12.5 billion in the last three years), Biden failed in his stated goal of achieving a cease-fire and hostage deal, humanitarian pause or destruction of Hamas.
- Despite massive aid to Egypt and Jordan (Egypt being the country receiving the second most aid from the U.S.), neither country will call for Hamas’ surrender or consider taking Palestinian refugees.
- In fact, the king of Jordan lectured Biden at the White House yesterday.
- Thought bubble: When you get publicly humiliated by a guy you send billions to and help keep in power, maybe it’s time to reevaluate.
- In fact, the king of Jordan lectured Biden at the White House yesterday.
- Despite massive spending on Taiwan, China appears more ready than ever to take the island by force.
America’s military remains nowhere near ready to fight one, much less two, major regional conflicts around the world. One recent report said we would run out of anti-ship missiles in a week.
- Niharika Mandhana (@NiharikaSM) reports in The Wall Street Journal today that China’s shipyards can sustain a war by building new ships while American shipyards barely exist.
Remember, Biden spent decades on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — this was his jam. America was back. He would repair the ills of Donald Trump and focus on domestic issues.
Foreign policy is inherently boring, but much to the chagrin of the Biden administration, it now defines his presidency because Americans feel less safe in the world.
Bezos: Do As I Say, I’ll be in Florida
The Democrats’ liberal and progressive agenda knows no friend like The Washington Post, whose “reporting” often reads like op-ed pieces on everything from immigration and taxes to crime and education to climate and COVID-19.
Fred Ryan, the publisher, recently stepped down to be replaced by a professional do-gooder, Patty Stonesifer.
- This was a decision made without question by the paper’s owner and space enthusiast Jeff Bezos, who just moved to Florida. In timing that is surely a coincidence, Bezos’ move will save him over $600 million in Washington state taxes with his sale of Amazon stock.
Yet the Washington Post continues to decry everything Florida stands for. Perhaps Bezos wants to discourage any normal folks from moving to his newfound paradise.
Why it matters: Despite the plummeting readership, the Post still sets much of the agenda in Washington, so we normal folks are regulated and taxed by the whim of Bezos’ elite worldview while he chills in Florida. Think about that the next time you order big on Prime Day.
Pop the Popcorn
Thursday’s hearing on Trump’s criminal charges in Georgia will be must-see TV for none of the reasons anti-Trumpers hoped … and Trump will be there.
A judge very well might order liberal hero and District Attorney Fani Willis to testify about her affair with the special prosecutor she hired in the case.
Richard Fausset (@RichardFausset) and Danny Hakim (@dannyhakim) report in The New York Times that Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer for Trump’s co-defendant, “argues that the relationship created a conflict of interest, and should be grounds for disqualifying Mr. Wade, Ms. Willis and her entire office from the Trump case — a situation that would throw the case into disarray.”
Zoom out: Willis hired and paid Nathan Wade $650,000 as a special prosecutor, and at some point, the two began an extramarital affair. Trump’s co-defendant’s attorney says Wade used some of the money paid by Willis’ office to take her on vacations and cruises, thus creating a conflict of interest.
We plan, and God laughs: Of all the criminal cases Trump faces, the Georgia case Willis brought was going to change everything, namely because it would be televised, and anti-Trumpers love nothing more than the thought of live programming with Trump at the defendant’s table and a Black woman (Willis) prosecuting him.
What to watch for: The timeline of the affair, specifically if Wade was truthful in his divorce papers, which he filed under oath. A prosecutor committing perjury is never a good look.
It’s the Trump show: My good buddy Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) likes to remind people of a quote from when Playboy interviewed Trump in the ‘80s. It goes something like, “It’s called the Trump show, and it’s sold out everywhere.”
- Trump will attend the hearing in person. He knows much of the media wants to see him in an orange jumpsuit. They will take every second of the hearing where Fani Willis, not him, is in the hot seat.
Ordering the Economy to Do Better
Governing is choosing — I am pretty sure that is a movie quote, but it explains Biden’s current economic problem. He wants to impose progressive energy and economic policies, but he needs prices to come down so we normal, nonelite folks feel better about the economy.
Hence, his Super Bowl video where he ordered snack manufacturers to stop “shrinkflation,” which is when companies charge the same amount for something like a bag of chips but give you fewer chips.
In the video, Biden says, “Give me a break. The American public is tired of being played for suckers. I’m calling on companies to put a stop to this. Let’s make sure businesses do the right thing now.”
History lesson: The Soviet Union tried banning high prices by rationing foods during peacetime and devaluing currency. It ended with breadlines.
New inflation data shows what we already knew: that prices continue to rise and only compound the roughly 20% rise in grocery prices since the pandemic began.
- CNBC reports, “Generally, the inflation data had been encouraging, even if annual rates remain well above the Fed’s 2% target. Moreover, core inflation, which officials believe is a better guide of long-run trends, has been even more stubborn as housing costs have held higher than anticipated.”
The inflation numbers don’t track shrinkflation or the cost of fees (baggage or seat fees on airlines, resort fees at hotels). Biden’s attacks on such veins of normal people’s economic life are understandable; they help explain why people feel poorer when many of the economic numbers (unemployment, growth, etc.) are so good.
Reality check: Even the most powerful man in the world can’t change the laws of economics. Ordering the economy to do better doesn’t work; only policy changes do.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.
