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.
Not Tired Yet
The news: Once again a court in a deep blue state gave Donald Trump a big win. Or, in the words of CNN’s Paula Reid, “This is huge.”
- The New York Appeals Court lowered the “bond” he must post to $175 million from $454 million and gave him an additional ten days to post it while he works on his appeal.
- During his presidency, Trump’s White House folks used to always say “they weren’t tired of winning” when talking about their policy accomplishments
- His winning streak continues:
- Georgia election interference case: The judge went as far as saying District Attorney Fani Willis created an “odor of mendacity,” now appealing to have her thrown off.
- D.C. Jan. 6 trial: Supreme Court now hearing Trump’s immunity claims.
- Florida classified documents case: On hold.
- Colorado ballot case: Unanimous ruling against the Colorado Supreme Court.
- Mic drop:
- When asked what his collateral for the bond will be, Trump replied “cash.”
- His winning streak continues:
Big picture: Democrats long held that polls showing Trump up on Biden didn’t matter (the current Decision Desk HQ polls show him up 1.1%) because criminal convictions would bury Trump this summer. WHAT IF all those convictions come undone?
Bigger picture: If the promised felony convictions don’t bury Trump before the Democratic National Convention in August, will the DNC consider replacing Biden?
Full meltdown: For a media increasingly desperate to destroy Trump, being a Trump supporter is like having leprosy.
- NBC’s Chuck Todd went on his old show to rip his own bosses for hiring former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.
- Mr. Biden’s favorite cable TV show, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” declared McDaniel a persona non grata.
- Bottom line: American elites are no longer interested in even having an honest conversation about politics, even if 50% of Americans support Donald Trump.
- Thought bubble: Why was there no hand wringing about the hires of any of these former Democratic staffers?
- Jen Psaki at MSNBC
- George Stephanopoulos at ABC
- Symone Sanders-Townsend on MSNBC
- Tim Russert, beloved former “Meet the Press” anchor
- Thought bubble: Why was there no hand wringing about the hires of any of these former Democratic staffers?
Watch tonight: Bill O’Reilly on if anyone cares that Trump is going to win all these legal battles.
- Plus, we’ll get his reaction to the reporting from my friends Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei about the 12 different media realities in America.
Abandoned
The U.S. fully abandoned Israel today by failing to veto a Gaza cease-fire resolution at the United Nations Security Council.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned Israeli delegation coming to D.C. in protest.
Checkmate: The Israelis threatened to cancel if the U.S. failed to veto — Biden didn’t care. Yikes!
Look forward: Netanyahu might address a joint session of Congress, a deeply embarrassing and politically complicated move for President Biden.
- Will he cancel that too?
- Maybe Biden’s foreign policy outfoxed the notoriously machiavellian Netanyahu.
Spring Break
Former Democratic mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine just opined in the New York Post, “What NYC can learn from Miami Beach’s spring-break breakup.”
- He outlines how Miami Beach has shut down the spring break scene of drugs and guns.
- “Strong policing works” is among the lessons he writes.
- “Miami Beach is showing the plentiful benefits of a return to law and order.”
New York City needs the help: The New York Post reports transit crime is up 50% as murders on the subway “surge.”
As opposed to: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said about car theft, “We are investigating two automakers. Their cars are too easy to steal for young people.”
- Let’s follow the logic:
- Guns cause crimes committed with guns
- Cars cause car thefts
Watch tonight: Miami Beach’s current mayor will discuss his success and if they could be replicated in a larger city.
- Fun fact: The Miami Beach mayor is a sensible Republican in a blue city. Is that a model for New York City?
“Disintegration of the Family”
In a stunning “60 Minutes” interview, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador opined about the fentanyl problem, “You know why we don’t have the drug consumption that you have in the United States? Because we have customs, traditions, and we don’t have the problem of the disintegration of the family.” (emphasis ours).
- It’s a stunning interview
- Fact check: It’s true.
Watch Dr. Liberty Vittert on Friday’s show discuss the fentanyl crisis that now 80% of voters in swing states rate as very or somewhat important, more so than climate, abortion and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Generation Alpha
From Friday’s War Notes:
Update this will be on tonight.
- Former inner city school teacher and author Robert Pondiscio will discuss saving Gen Alpha before it is too late.
The early results of America’s progressive value shift reveal a generation “feral,” “illiterate” and “doomed,” so says a new article from the Los Angeles Times.
Children born from 2010 to 2024 are part of “Generation Alpha,” the demographic successor to Gen Z, raised by iPads and millennial parents.
- The culture war: In the early 2000s, Bill O’Reilly warned of the culture war between traditional and progressive values.
- Ground truth: The Gen Alpha results make it unclear if we lost the war or just the opening battle.
- Warning bells: Mike Allen used his entire must-read “AM” newsletter to warn. “Kids are dying inside.”
- The data he cites from Jonathan Haidt is terrifying on many fronts, from anxiety to suicides.
But WHY? The same progressive culture that wants to coddle every child refuses to contemplate that its values and parenting style are causing many of the problems rather than solving them.
Where are the parents? Behind every tape of a school bully (or bullies) slamming a girl’s head into the ground are parents who don’t teach or discipline their children.
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.