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.
Can We Stop Talking About Hunter?
Hunter Biden’s attorney called today’s Republican-led House hearing a “carnival sideshow.” Jokes aside, he was right.
- Fox News anchors lampooned the never-ending circle of accusations and insinuations that prove what we already know:
- Hunter traded on his father’s name to make millions and engaged in lots of unsavory and probably illegal behavior
- President Joe Biden spent the past 50 years on a government salary yet owns multiple multimillion dollar mansions
- And there is no hard evidence linking Biden to a bribe.
Full clown show: One Democrat showed up in a Putin mask. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fl., said, “I just came to thank James Comer.”
- It’s inside baseball, but shows how unserious everybody is here.
Off ramp: Even Newsmax hosts seem impatient with the impeachment of Biden that isn’t going anywhere.
- Republicans now face either bringing paper thin impeachment charges that might not pass or dropping it and the White House saying “Republicans cleared” Biden
As they say in the Middle East: Republicans have two choices, both of which are bitter.
Be fair: Hunter Biden defies congressional subpoena the day after Peter Navarro goes to jail for defying a congressional subpoena.
- How all Americans should feel: The Biden administration’s two-tiered justice system while claiming “nobody is above the law” is getting pretty old.
Even Trump isn’t talking about Hunter Biden anymore; he’s now onto claims that Democrats will steal the 2024 election.
- A new Wall Street Journal article from Mariah Timms (@MariahTimms) outlines Trump’s latest pitch to voters that Democrats will try to rig 2024 to encourage a turn out “too big to rig.”
- Turnout worries: Trump’s wild 2020 conspiracy theories depressed turnout in Nov of 2020, and even more during the Georgia special elections.
- Republicans are rightfully terrified.
Watch tonight: Erick Erickson will discuss when or if Republicans and Trump will start talking about things voters care about, like immigration, the economy, crime and wars.
Helping our Enemies, Lecturing our Allies
For the first time in decades, America could actually topple the communist regime and outpost 90 miles from our shores, yet the White House is silent.
- Mass protests now put Cuba’s regime “on verge of total collapse.”
From Jose de Cordoba’s (@Jose_deCordoba) reporting in The Wall Street Journal: “Cuba’s state-run economy is in its worst crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.”
Cuba still provides Russia with an intelligence base and assets 90 miles from American shores.
Reports circulate of mass protests over a lack of food.
- Ground truth: Any protester in Cuba risks their own life (Castro’s regime locks up and tortures anyone challenging the government). Any reports of protests are significant.
Yet, the White House appears far more interested in lecturing our ally Israel about food shortages in Gaza than lecturing Russia, our enemy, about Cuba.
- Why wouldn’t we want to destabilize the Cuban regime?
- Why aren’t we helping the protesters?
- Why is National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan talking about starving Gazans but not starving Cubans?
Look back: Obama cozied up to Cuba just like he did Iran.
- Always missing an opportunity: Just like with 2009 green protests and 2021 women’s protests, the White House stays silent when movements threaten their friends in Tehran.
Cocaine Mayor
The mayor of Progreso, Texas, Gerardo “Jerry” Alanis, allegedly helped run a massive cocaine ring in the small town his family controlled.
- They will certainly make a movie or mini-series about this.
A good friend of mine likes to say no one ever gets caught the first time cheating on their wife or drunk driving… Evidently, we can add smuggling cocaine to that list.
- How did he do it for so long?
- How much did he make?
- Is the U.S. side of the border with Mexico just as corrupt as the Mexican side?
Watch tonight: We’ll talk to a reporter in Rio Grande Valley to get the scoop.
The Wrong Hero for the Right
Watch tonight: We’ll talk about Kyle Rittenhouse. He’s speaking at the University of Memphis for a Turning Point USA event.”
Turning Point USA organizes “conservatives” on college campuses and Rittenhouse is one of their poster children.
To be fair: He got railroaded by an activist media and wrongly prosecuted for shooting three in self-defense during a Black Lives Matter riot.
To be real: Rittenhouse is no hero. At best, he was a misguided young man who showed up with an AR-15-style rifle because he was angry about the violence during 2020.
The Right making him their hero is a losing position.
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.
