Latest news with #LincolnProject
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Epstein Mania Finally Let Democrats Talk (and Meme) Like the Right
On July 14, a bizarre new post appeared on the Instagram account of the Democratic congressman Hank Johnson, of Georgia. In the video, Johnson strums off-rhythm chords on an expensive-looking acoustic guitar and sings a not-especially-in-tune version of the Jason Isbell song 'Dreamsicle' — with most of the lyrics changed. 'Epstein died by suicide/Believe that and you must be blind,' he croons. 'You've been telling us you'd release the files/But where are they?' There were a lot of strange things happening here, in both the message (a sitting congressman using an official communications channel to casually endorse the theory that Jeffrey Epstein was murdered) and the delivery (from its strained effort to the befuddling retention of a few lyrics from the original song: 'Dreamsicle on a summer night/In a folding lawn chair'). Layered together, these things were disorienting but transfixing, like something from the mind of David Lynch. I got a similarly dizzy feeling from 'Trump Not Like Us,' a video posted a few days later by the Lincoln Project, the anti-Trump Republican group. This, too, was a musical cover with Epstein-themed lyrics — this time, an A.I. revision of Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us.' ('You know Epstein was the plan's designer/Bet you Trump's in the files in bed with a minor.') The video renders real-world figures as Jim Henson-style puppets: There's Epstein, Trump, the F.B.I. deputy director Dan Bongino, Attorney General Pam Bondi and others. In one scene, an A.I.-generated Muppet Trump reclines on Epstein's private jet, receiving a foot massage and being fed McDonald's French fries by scantily clad young Muppet women — an image I won't forget anytime soon unless I'm very, very lucky. The style of both videos — their goofy, very-online mix of accusations and insinuations, their readiness to just say stuff — reminded me of nothing so much as Donald Trump himself. This is exactly the kind of political communication that he and his supporters have spent the past decade bringing to the forefront of American politics. Across that decade, the usual strategy for Trump's critics, Republicans and Democrats alike, has been to adopt a contrasting seriousness: They have tried to present as the high-minded adults in the room, the ones who aren't constantly slinging insults, posting nasty cartoon memes and stoking fringe theories. Videos like Johnson's 'Dreamsicle' cover and 'Trump Not Like Us' take the opposite approach. They gleefully embrace a type of messaging that has animated many Trump voters, because that is exactly the audience they hope to reach. Even for the Lincoln Project, which has launched aggressive, mudslinging attacks before, portraying Epstein's 'Lolita Express' with Muppets feels like the crossing of some Rubicon. For Democrats, all this must be a tempting change of pace. A similar giddiness is palpable in other posts, too. On X, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, posted a photo of Trump and Epstein together, using a popular meme format that incorporates lyrics from the Nickelback song 'Photograph.' House Majority PAC, a major Democratic political-action group, published a 'G.O.P. Epstein Simps Target List,' accusing the identified Republicans of 'simping' for Epstein by voting against the release of more information. And the Democratic Party introduced @TrumpEpsteinBot, an X account that every day answers the question 'Has Trump released the Epstein files?' by posting, simply, 'No.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
People Are Welcoming Marjorie Taylor Greene To The Resistance After Her Surprising Statement About The Republican Party
Marjorie Taylor Greene is NOT happy with the Republican Party. She was pissed about the attack on Iran. Related: She broke ranks with Republicans and called the crisis in Gaza a "genocide." And she won't stop talking about how Republicans won't deal with the national debt. Now, she's talking about breaking up with the Republican Party. Related: In an interview with the Daily Mail, the congressmember said: "I don't know if the Republican Party is leaving me, or if I'm kind of not relating to Republican Party as much anymore. I don't know which one it is." She also said: "I think the Republican Party has turned its back on America First and the workers and just regular Americans." And finally, she criticized the way Republicans treat women: "I think there's other women in our party that are really sick and tired of the way men treat Republican women." Related: Those anti-GOP quotes are going viral in a tweet by Brian Tyler Cohen: People in the replies are, like, duh: "What if she switches parties and becomes a normie dem," one person asked. Related: "Finally figuring this stuff out. Better late than never I suppose!" another person commented. And then the Lincoln Project invited her to the party: "Welcome to the resistance, Marge." As this person said, "Trumps presidency is so goddamn bad that it wokeified marjorie taylor green." Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marjorie Taylor Greene's Surprising Quote About The Republican Party Is Going Viral
Marjorie Taylor Greene is NOT happy with the Republican Party. She was pissed about the attack on Iran. Related: She broke ranks with Republicans and called the crisis in Gaza a "genocide." And she won't stop talking about how Republicans won't deal with the national debt. Now, she's talking about breaking up with the Republican Party. Related: In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Congress member said: "I don't know if the Republican Party is leaving me, or if I'm kind of not relating to Republican Party as much anymore. I don't know which one it is." She also said: "I think the Republican Party has turned its back on America First and the workers and just regular Americans." And finally, she criticized the way Republicans treat women: "I think there's other women in our party that are really sick and tired of the way men treat Republican women." Related: Those anti-GOP quotes are going viral in a tweet by Brian Tyler Cohen: People in the replies are, like, duh: "What if she switches parties and becomes a normie dem," one person asked. Related: "I really never thought i'd see that day she was saying shit like this and uttering the word 'genocide'…" another person said in disbelief. And then the Lincoln Project invited her to the party: "Welcome to the resistance, Marge." As this person said, "Trumps presidency is so goddamn bad that it wokeified marjorie taylor green." Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Al Jazeera
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Trump, Epstein and immigration raids: Mehdi Hasan and Mick Mulvaney
Donald Trump is back for another four years as president of the United States. The news cycle is moving at a dizzying pace as Trump enacts his America First agenda of deportations, global tariffs and an unpredictable foreign policy. Much like his first term as commander-in-chief, Trump has ushered in political chaos and controversy as many experts warn he's leading like an authoritarian. Mehdi Hasan goes head-to-head with Mick Mulvaney, Trump's former chief of staff, on Trump's immigration policies, his fitness for office and whether he's a fascist. Joining the discussion are: George Conway – co-founder of the Lincoln Project Christina Greer – associate professor of political science, Fordham University Greg Swenson – chairman of Republicans Overseas UK
Buzz Feed
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Fox News Hosts Call Themselves Nazis On Gutfeld
Whew, chile, you know it's gonna be a doozy when someone uses the words "the Blacks"... and doesn't even stop there. Today's culprit is none other than Greg Gutfeld of Fox News. In a clip from his political satire show, Gutfeld!, posted to X, the commentator and his panel are discussing anti-fascists who call ICE agents, supporters of President Donald Trump, and other conservatives "Nazis." "This is why the criticism doesn't matter to us when youse call us Nazis," Gutfeld starts. "Nazi this, Nazi that... y'know, I'm beginning to think they don't like us," he jokes. "Y'know what? I've said this before. We need to learn from the Blacks," he says. "The way they were able to remove the power from the n-word by using it." "So from now on it's, 'What up, my Nazi? Hey, what up, my Nazi! Heyyy, what's hangin', my Nazi?'" Gutfeld says, smiling and pointing to the panelists one by one. After a brief pause, libertarian commentator Lisa Kennedy Montgomery says, "Nazi, please!" Gutfeld, predictably, finds this hilarious. "Thank God you did a hard 'i' there," he says. Then, mercifully, the clip is over. I won't lie, I'm at a real loss for words on this one. There are too many things to say, so I'll let the internet step in. The Lincoln Project said, "So they're just fully comfortable calling themselves Nazis now. Got it." "I did not have republicans admitting that they are in fact Nazi on my 2025 bingo card," someone wrote. This person said something like this "would have ended someone's career on television" a decade ago. This account asked how the two words could even be compared, and a lot of people agreed. Someone called it "the most stupid analogy I heard so far." This person said Gutfeld was "forgetting that being a Nazi was always a bad thing while being black never was." One user said it sounded like Gutfeld was showing "how subhuman he believes *Black people* are" with his intonation. This person said, "they went full mask off and stopped hiding it." And finally, this person said what I imagine we're all thinking. What do you think? Sound off in the comments.
