
Whoopi Goldberg turns on Barack Obama with furious rant
'It's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions,' Obama told donors, according to The New York Times. 'And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up.' Never one to hold back, Goldberg was furious.
'Let me remind everybody who was out in the front lines marching when we had the giant marches that went on. It was the people. The people went out. They were not navel-gazing,' she declared as she stared down the camera. 'It was older people who were saying, "Why are you touching my Social Security?" It was not people whining. It was about people saying, "Why are you taking these rights away from my child when my child was born here?"'
The 69-year-old didn't stop there. In a pointed rebuttal that directly challenged both Obama and Shark Tank billionaire Mark Cuban, who had also criticized the Democratic Party's messaging, Goldberg insisted that criticism of the left was misdirected. 'This has not been about Democrats laying back,' she thundered. 'This has been about y'all. Because their messaging was always the same. Democrats have been angry at what this man tried to do the last time. They've been angry this time. So, with much due respect to you both, I believe you are pointing the finger at the wrong person when you say Democrats.'
Cuban, speaking in a virtual address that aired during the segment, scolded Democratic strategists for reducing their message to a simplistic mantra: 'Trump sucks.' 'We picked the wrong pressure points,' Cuban said. 'It's just "Trump sucks." That's the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. Trump says the sky is blue. "Trump sucks." That's not the way to win.'
Co-hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin tried to offer more nuanced takes urging Democratic officials to produce detailed policy alternatives rather than rely on protest alone. Navarro pointed out how the public resistance to Trump's immigration policies, was actually resulting in a collapse in his polling numbers. 'Right now, Trump's handling on immigration has gone dramatically down,' she noted. 'Why is that? Because the American people have taken it upon themselves to amplify the truth, to show up and protest these horrible, inhumane raids... to tell the truth about what their relatives are going through.'
'We have heard the story of US citizen children with cancer who are not getting treatment because they've had to leave with their deported parents. Because the American people are doing their part - amplifying, showing up at protest, donating, organizing, and being vigilant. So, some of us say that Donald Trump sucks. He does suck. And it feels good to say it,' Navarro said to cheers from the audience.
Goldberg then turned her ire toward those criticizing flood victims in Texas, in a another rant that was no less emotional. 'Let's be really clear,' Goldberg said, 'You can't blame anybody for these floods. It's nobody's fault. I didn't do it. You didn't do it. Has nothing to do with Washington. This was a natural disaster.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Between Trump-Epstein and redistricting, Democrats finally figured out how to fight back
On Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson let the House of Representatives break for August recess one day early. Johnson had no other option because Democrats ground the chamber to a halt in an attempt to get their Republican colleagues to vote on files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) — joined by Trump-rebelling Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — had been gathering co-sponsors for their discharge petition that would allow them to circumvent leadership to release files related to the convicted sex offender and trafficker. But discharge petitions need seven legislative business days to 'ripen,' so cutting short the calendar delays the ripening. It marked a turning point for a party that's been flailing since Donald Trump won last November. For the past few months, while Democrats have opposed Trump's initiatives, they have not landed a single clean punch politically. Rather, they've mostly stayed out of the way and hoped for his unforced errors, of which there have been several. But that changed significantly this week. Democrats of all stripes in the House signed onto the discharge petition. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) represents a district that voted for Trump. But she signed onto Khanna and Massie's discharge petition and did not mince words. 'We deserve transparency and I'm pretty appalled to see parliamentary procedure used to hide pedophiles,' she told The Independent. Democrats did get some substantial wins out of it, too. Not only did the House Oversight Committee vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and associate who is serving a 20-year sentence; three Republicans crossed over in one of the subcommittees to subpoena files related to the Epstein investigation. And Democrats are not just gumming up the works on the House side. Earlier this week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), told The Independent that he hoped that the Senate would not take up the Epstein files. Unfortunately for his caucus, Democrats in the Senate decided to hijack the committee process there, too. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for legislation Cornyn wanted to pass through the committee on opioids. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) attempted to include an amendment related to Epstein. In the same token, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) tried to force a vote to disclose files related to Epstein, but Republicans blocked his efforts on the floor. It should be stated that Booker and Gallego both likely want to run for president. During the August recess, Gallego will head to Iowa, which traditionally hosts the first presidential caucus. And ever since Booker's record-breaking sort-of filibuster, he has raised prodigious amounts of money and he likely sees this as a way to boost his profile even more. But Democrats are not just drawing blood on Epstein. Earlier this month, the Texas state legislature announced it would reconvene in the middle of the decade to redraw its congressional maps in an attempt to flip more seats and grow the GOP majority. That seems to have set off something in Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Democrats should respond in kind by having California redraw their map. And it's not just liberal Newsom who supports this idea. Rep. Adam Gray, a freshman Democrat who narrowly flipped a seat Trump won, expressed openness to Newsom's proposal. 'I think what's important is that people all play by the same rules,' he told The Independent. 'And you know, I think it doesn't necessarily help either party to be toying around or trying to manipulate the rules, or change the rules, that seems to be what Texas is doing, which I think is a poor decision.' California has a unique situation because it has an independent commission that draws congressional districts. Any effort to shore up Democrats in the Golden State would need to pass legal scrutiny or change that situation. Unsurprisingly, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) put it more bluntly. 'The only way that you can deal with a bully is by socking them back, so it's time for us to sock them back,' Crockett told The Independent. 'Right now they decided to start a fight so that they could shit on the American people. The least that we could help is fight back so that we could help the American people.' But perhaps the most audacious idea came from Gallego, who suggested that Democrats dilute districts that the Voting Rights Act protected to ensure equal representation of Black voters, as a way to make more districts where Democrats could win. 'I would tell you what I would know would happen the Republicans at any point should they ever take control of the registry commission in Arizona, what absolutely do anything, do to do to screw us,' he told The Independent. Therefore, he said that Democrats should not be afraid to use the same weapons against Republicans. That might not go over well with some African-American voters, who are the most consistent voters in Democratic primaries. At the same time, in a time when Democratic voters have demanded that theys see elected officials fight, they might be more unwilling to let go of old decorum rules.


Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Once‑desirable homes face 'worthless' future as insurance crisis deepens in blue state
A new cost-of-living crisis is deepening across America's progressive capital. In California, soaring climate risk and mounting insurance losses are converging into a property crisis experts warn could slash the value of millions of homes. Deep Sky, a Canadian carbon removal firm, published an analysis of the state's housing insurance market, which painted a dire picture. 'The highest risk areas of California have effectively become uninsurable and will soon become unaffordable,' the study, published in mid-June, concluded. 'Without significant policy intervention, these properties will eventually become worthless.' The warning comes just six months after destructive blazes ripped through Southern California, destroying over 18,000 structures and burning more than 57,000 acres. In January, the Palisades and Eaton fires became two of the most destructive blazes in state history. The impact on the insurance market, which was already under pressure, was immediate. In the first quarter of 2025, insurers posted a $1.1 billion net underwriting loss — a sharp reversal from the $9.4 billion gain they posted the same period a year before. Those numbers have hit some of the most wildfire-prone areas, where premiums have jumped by 42 percent since 2019, and more than 150,000 homes are now uninsured altogether as residents simply cannot afford coverage. But the state has a long way to fall before reaching worthlessness. Right now, the Golden State is America's most expensive housing market. Median home values in California are currently just over $780,000, according to Zillow. That's over $400,000 more than the US average. But, without a robust fire insurance market, policymakers and researchers are warning that the state is resting on shaky grounds. In May, Ricardo Lara, the state's insurance commissioner, approved a 17 percent rate hike for State Farm General, California's largest home insurance provider, to help pay for earlier destruction. 'The market is not going to fail under my leadership,' he told Politico after the decision. 'I have to make these hard decisions, even though it makes me the most unpopular person, and maybe nobody wants this position in the future.' California recently adjusted its climate regulations to allow for more home building across the state And California is by no means alone. Several other states that are prone to natural disasters have faced mounting home insurance issues. State Farm hiked home insurance rates in Illinois by 27.2 percent this month, adding $746 to the average bill. The insurer insists the hike is unavoidable, claiming it is paying out far more in claims than it collects in premiums in the state which is prone to hailstorms. Florida, which saw a major inflow of residents in 2020, is seeing housing shoppers flee its hurricane-vulnerable coastlines that used to draw million-dollar buyers. In April, contracts to buy homes in the Miami, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale regions fell dramatically from the year prior. Homes also lingered longer on the market. Pending sales fell 23 percent year-over-year in Miami, according to Redfin, which was the largest drop among the 50 most populous metro areas across the US. Meanwhile, some cash-strapped young homebuyers are skipping insurance altogether out of fear their homes will not pass inspection. 'Many homeowners are living on borrowed time and borrowed trust, we're seeing financial strain and home safety come head-to-head,' home insurance expert Kara Credle from Guardian Service previously told 'Homeownership is no longer the financial safe haven it used to be.'


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Muslim leaders increase security after vandalism reports at Texas and California mosques
After a spate of vandalism reports involving graffiti at a few mosques in Texas and California, Muslim leaders there have stepped up existing efforts to keep their sacred spaces and community members safe. The incidents and subsequent hypervigilance add to what many American Muslims say has already been a charged climate amid the fallout in the U.S. from the Israel-Hamas war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza. The war started in October 2023 with a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel. 'The past two years have been extremely difficult for American Muslims,' said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. A constant stream of images showing the death, destruction and ongoing starvation in Gaza has taken a toll, said Mitchell, as has a rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bigotry in the U.S. He pointed to one of the most egregious examples of that bigotry: After the war started, an Illinois man killed a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy and wounded his mother in a hate-crime attack. Worry and frustration The recent vandalism reports have left some worried and frustrated — but not entirely surprised. 'Since October 2023, we've definitely seen rise in Islamophobia,' said Rawand Abdelghani, who is on the board of directors of Nueces Mosque, one of the affected mosques in Austin, Texas. 'Anti-Palestinian, anti-immigrant, all of that rhetoric that's being said … it has contributed to things like this happening.' Nueces security footage showed someone, their face partially covered, spray-painting what appears to be Star of David symbols at the property. CAIR Austin said similar incidents were reported at two other Austin mosques. They all seemingly happened on the same night in May, in what the group described as part of 'a disturbing pattern of hate-motivated incidents.' It called for increased security patrols and protective measures. Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR Austin operations manager, called them an intimidation attempt. Less than two weeks earlier, someone had spray-painted graffiti at the Islamic Center of Southern California, including the Star of David on an outer wall there, center spokesperson Omar Ricci said. 'In light of what's going on within Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, it felt like an attack,' said Ricci, who's also a reserve Los Angeles Police Department officer. Some specifics remained unresolved. The LAPD said it opened a vandalism/hate crime investigation and added extra patrols, but added it has neither a suspect nor a motive and noted that nonreligious spaces were also targeted. The Austin Police Department did not respond to Associated Press inquiries. Nueces had already increased its security camera use following three incidents last year, including someone throwing rocks at the mosque, Abdelghani said. After the May vandalism, it also added overnight security, she added. Nueces serves many university students and is considered a 'home away from home,' Abdelghani said. It's where they learn about their faith, meet other Muslims and find refuge, including during tense times, like when some students got arrested amid campus protests last year, she added. CAIR says that in 2024, its offices nationwide received 8,658 complaints, the highest number it has recorded since its first civil rights report in 1996. It listed employment discrimination as the most common in 2024. The group says last year, U.S. Muslims, along with others of different backgrounds, 'were targeted due to their anti-genocide … viewpoints.' Referencing former President Joe Biden, the CAIR report said that for 'the second year in a row, the Biden-backed Gaza genocide drove a wave of Islamophobia in the United States.' Israel has strongly rejected allegations it's committing genocide in Gaza, where its war with Hamas has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The initial Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killed some 1,200 people, while about 250 were abducted. Tensions in multiple spaces The war has fueled tensions in myriad U.S. settings. After it started, Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups reported a surge of harassment, bias and physical assaults reports against their community members. Pew Research Center in February 2024 found that 70% of U.S. Muslims and nearly 90% of U.S. Jews surveyed say they felt an increase in discrimination against their respective communities since the war began. More recently, leaders of U.S. Jewish institutions have called for more help with security after a firebomb attack in Colorado on demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza that left one person killed and others injured, as well as a fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Politically, the conflict loomed over last year's presidential election, leaving many pro-Palestinian U.S. voters feeling ignored by their own government's support for Israel. It has roiled campuses and sparked debates over free speech and where political rhetoric crosses into harassment and discrimination. There've been bitter disagreements, including among some Jewish Americans, about exactly what the definition of antisemitism should cover, and whether certain criticism of Israeli policies and Zionism should be included. That debate further intensified as President Donald Trump's administration sought to deport some foreign-born pro-Palestinian campus activists. The Islamic Center of Southern California has been targeted before, including vandalism in 2023 and separate threats that authorities said in 2016 were made by a man who was found with multiple weapons in his home. Incidents like the latest one cause concern, Ricci said. 'People see that it's not going to take very much to spark something in the city,' he said. 'There's a lot of emotion. There's a lot of passion' on both the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sides. Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said 'if people think they can get away with graffiti, then the next step is to firebomb a mosque or even go attack worshippers.' Opening doors and receiving support Al-Marayati and others praised how many have shown support for the affected Muslim communities. 'The best preparation is what we did in Los Angeles and that's to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and be there for one another,' he said. In Texas, a gathering at Nueces brought together neighbors and others, including Christians and Jews, to paint over the vandalism, clean up the property and garden, Zayan said. 'It was beautiful,' she said. 'It's really important to open your doors and open your heart and invite people and to rebuild this trust and connection,' she said. 'For non-Muslims, it was a great opportunity for them to show their love and support. They really wanted to do something.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.