Latest news with #pro-Biden
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Original Sin' sparked a new round of debate over Biden's cognitive decline. Good.
The recent release of a new book from CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson has sparked a fresh news cycle about how Joe Biden and the Democratic Party screwed up the 2024 election by denying his cognitive decline. That news cycle has, in turn, sparked a sizable online backlash, with left-of-center commentators, Democratic strategists and loads of social media users pushing back against the idea that new reporting on the subject is worth covering or paying attention to — and some contending that it is an outright harmful diversion at a time when President Donald Trump is tearing down our democracy. I'm not convinced by the pushback. It's not just always possible to talk about multiple ideas at the same time as a society, it's necessary. And on a substantive level, it's healthy to reflect on the massive errors in judgment committed by Biden's inner circle, elected Democrats, liberal pro-Biden activists and members of the press in order to guard against such scenarios in the future. The shocking amount of time it took for the collective delusion over Biden's decline to be dispelled is a significant part of why we're in the current crisis. And while the next major predicament for the party is unlikely to take exactly the same form — an elderly, diminishing president surrounded by denialist allies — there are always dilemmas in which excessive party discipline can lead to catastrophic groupthink. Tapper and Thompson's book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' is based on interviews with around 200 people, including Democratic lawmakers, high-level insiders in the Biden White House and campaign operatives. The book seeks to paint a more detailed picture of how Biden's ill-advised run for a second term unfolded and how it was enabled by people with varying degrees of closeness to him, especially his staunchly loyalist inner circle. 'Original Sin' has loads of damning details. Biden's aides reportedly labored to hide the speed of his decline by altering his schedule, reducing the length of his remarks, scripting his meetings with Cabinet officials, and even doctoring videos with 'slow motion to blur the reality of how slowly he actually walked.' Biden's physician argued with his aides about adding more rest time to his schedule. And Biden forgot the names of longtime aides, including at least one he had worked with for decades. Outside Biden's inner circle, Democrats who didn't see him as often described shock at the shift in his physical appearance and temperament. Cabinet secretaries and senators questioned his ability to process policy and handle crises, and some Democrats perceived him as delegating decision-making in a way a president normally wouldn't. All along the way, there was no serious sustained effort within the party to question Biden's fitness for a second run. While some of this was broadly understood before, the new level of detail and texture is worthwhile stuff for the historical record. 'Original Sin' is not without serious limitations. The anonymous sourcing of the book allows many Democrats to point the finger at Biden and his inner circle and avoid accountability for their own complicity in declining to challenge Biden until it was too late. The book's conceit of a 'cover up' is also worth questioning: Biden's inner circle did try to obscure his changes, but his age-related decline was evident to public observers even during his first presidential run, as I noted in my own commentary as far back as 2020 in which I described his perceivable decline as a serious problem. This was obvious to many voters as well. Throughout Biden's first term — and before the presidential debate that set in motion his decision to drop out of the race — polling indicated that voters, including many Democrats, believed Biden was too old to be president or serve for another term. Finally, the focus on Biden's protective 'politburo' in the book conveniently allows for the press to get more of a free pass than it should, which is particularly notable as Tapper was once one of the most vociferous defenders of Biden's cognitive status in American media. In my eyes, the reporting in the book and the necessary, generative critiques of it are worthwhile endeavors. The timing of the book is not an attempt to 'distract' from Trump's misdeeds, but simply a function of the time required to put together a lot of reporting for a book. If it's not your cup of tea, you can ignore the news coverage and discussion and read the roughly seven trillion other articles that come out about Trump every day. The expectation that a news cycle or round of debate on an issue or a book publishing schedule should conform to the cadences and objectives of a political comms operation is not only misguided, but it's also the same kind of mindset that helped Democrats get into this crisis. One can simultaneously focus on the challenges facing the country and the challenges facing one's own party. Regardless of where one stands on who deserves the most blame, the Biden delusion was an extraordinary instance of groupthink that warrants widespread reflection from Democrats. In an ideal world, developing a more detailed understanding of what was happening at the White House should be salutary, particularly as the party continues to face a widespread age problem. And many Democrats' reluctance to put their names to criticisms of the president and his advisers underscores how vulnerable the party remains. Activists should take note and feel even more emboldened to pressure a party that hardly stands for anything except for moderate opposition to the right's positions. Parties need to be disciplined and work cooperatively with leaders in order to function, including rallying to their side when they make some mistakes. But unconditional loyalty is no virtue — and it can often pave the way for one's own downfall. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Keep Importing Oil From U.S. Companies Stationed Abroad
Affordable, abundant energy is the pre-requisite for a modern, thriving economy and a secure America. The United States is working its way to energy independence, which is an important reality for our national security and economic prosperity. This is true after the U.S. suffered through four years of the Biden administration's political war on energy and modernity. Energy abundance and a secure border are the two most obvious and important differences to emerge so far in the second Trump administration. To move America toward an energy-abundant future, the Trump administration must support and ensure that we keep all sources of energy open to the American market, including foreign oil leases controlled by American companies. The United States still imports a great amount of oil – it was 8.51 million barrels per day in 2023 – because we need it. The 'Drill, Baby, Drill' approach of the Trump administration will help lower that number in the future, but not the immediate future. More exploration and drilling in America is the first not the last step in an extensive process that involves companies taking risks to meet America's energy demand. The Biden administration did all they could to put roadblocks in the way of drilling. Yes, they claimed to have thousands of leases for drilling already approved, but many of those locations were either dry or impractical – it was all politics; a fantasy to give the pro-Biden media talking points. Citing those leases was a numbers illusion, never a practical reality. And, the media played along. 'For American energy, the Overton Window has gone from almost shut under President Biden to fully open under Trump. Energy scarcity and its policy of Net Zero by 2050 has been replaced by energy abundance and a 'Drill, Baby, Drill' mindset.' Not only did President Joe Biden place choke points in the exploration and drilling process, he simultaneously drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). According to Reuters, 'In 2022, the administration of President Joe Biden announced a sale of 180 million barrels of oil, the largest ever SPR sale, in an attempt to lower gasoline prices.' That oil needs to be replaced, which only served to increase our dependence on foreign oil. In an ideal world President Trump could snap his fingers and refill the SPR and strike oil everywhere a drill was placed in the ground, but building America's energy future will take time, ingenuity, and good policy. Since oil is fungible – meaning it is all for sale on the world market, regardless of where it comes from, with the exception of heavily sanctioned countries like Iran, expanding from where we get oil will help make refilling the SPR less expensive. Think of oil like water in a swimming pool; it doesn't matter to which end you add water to the pool – the deep or shallow end – or which side you pour it in, it all ends up filling the pool. The U.S. government has allowed American companies to purchase Venezuelan oil through a licensing agreement that is set to expire on May 27th. To keep prices low and help the American consumer, as well as pull the rug out from under China as it tries to make inroads in the western hemisphere, the Trump administration should extend that deadline. Oil extracted from anywhere in the world ends up on the world market. While Venezuela is a damaged country with horrific leadership, their oil is useful – and it's useful for American purposes. Many oil producing countries are not places you'd like to vacation, that doesn't mean you don't use their oil. Putting America first means leveraging America's global adversaries to advance our own interests. The Venezuelan government is moving to partner with China to buy their oil. Allowing American companies to purchase this oil is good for the U.S. economy and our national security. We do not want the Chinese to gain an 'energy foothold' in our backyard. For America, abundant, affordable energy is the key to a prosperous, secure future. Period. The Trump administration must continue to make America energy independent. It must implement and extend policies that encourage innovation and exploration. At the same time, the administration cannot let China partner with Venezuela to purchase oil. The Trump administration has already extended the lease once—the May 27th deadline—that allows U.S. companies (Chevron Corp currently holds the lease) to pump and export Venezuelan oil. President Trump should extend the lease again. It's good for America; bad for China. For more ideas on how to build America's energy future, check out RealClear's Future of Energy Forum, scheduled for May 19 in D.C. Jerry Rogers is editor at RealClearPolicy and RealClearHealth. He hosts 'The Jerry Rogers Show' on WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 and the Federal Newswire's 'The Business of America'. Follow him on Twitter @JerryRogersShow.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats fume over Biden's return to spotlight
Democrats are blasting former President Biden's reemergence in the spotlight following his interview Thursday on 'The View,' his second major post-presidency interview. During the sit-down, which took place alongside former first lady Jill Biden, Biden slammed President Trump's second administration, saying he's had 'the worst 100 days any president's ever had.' The former president also denied reports of his mental decline during his term and took responsibility for Democratic losses in 2024, telling the show's hosts, 'I was in charge and he won.' But some Democrats are criticizing Biden's recent appearances, arguing the former president is becoming a drag on the party as it seeks to rebuild following its widespread losses in 2024. 'Elections are about the future. Every time Joe Biden emerges, we fight an old war,' said Democratic strategist Anthony Coley, who worked for the Biden administration. 'Every interview he does provides a contrast to Trump that's just not helpful for the Democratic brand, which needs trusted messengers and fighters who can reach independents and moderates and inspire the base. Joe Biden ain't that.' Coley said it was 'good' that Biden took responsibility for the events that led to Trump's election but questioned whether it mattered going forward. 'Honestly, what good does that do now? Many Democrats — from elected leaders to the party faithful — are just ready to turn the page. I just don't think he understands how wide and deep this sentiment is,' he said. Other Democratic critics argue that the former president did not go far enough. One Democratic strategist said Biden needs to 'take responsibility for his actions' and 'own up to the fact that he caused Democrats to lose.' 'I don't think there's a willingness to cop to the fact that he should never have run again in the first place,' the strategist said. 'Why can't he come out and acknowledge that part of this is on him?' Thursday's interview with 'The View' was his second sit-down interview of the week, with the first airing Tuesday on the BBC. Biden took multiple opportunities to criticize Trump's foreign policy in his conversation with the British broadcaster, taking particular aim at Trump's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. Some Democrats say Biden would be better suited avoiding sit-down interviews and instead focus on community outreach, much like former President Carter. 'There is a way for President Biden to build his post-presidency, but this isn't it,' said Steve Schale, a longtime Biden ally who ran a pro-Biden super PAC in recent cycles. 'I really wish he'd embrace the thing that's been his calling card for 50 years: His humanity.' While Biden focuses on preserving his legacy, Schale said he would take an approach similar to what Carter took in the years following his presidency. 'By the end of his life, we were reminded of the decent and humble nature of the man thanks to his acts, not his words,' Schale said. 'I really wish Biden would follow a similar path.' 'Get out and work in the community. Do … things that highlight the things his administration did to help people,' Schale said. 'Let the images of his human interactions and the stories they tell rebuild the brand. That's way more powerful than playing pundit.' The interviews come amid a slew of books detailing the last year of the Biden administration, including accusations that his mental acuity was slipping while in office. Biden denied those reports, calling them 'wrong.' The former first lady also slammed reporting on Biden's mental acuity while in office, noting 'the people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us.' A second Democratic strategist predicted that the Biden narrative on his mental acuity will not go away and will be something that future presidential contenders will have to answer for. 'There's a good chance that the most significant litmus test for any Democrat in the 2028 field will be how and if they admonish Biden for the political judgment in the final 18 months of his political career,' the strategist said. But Biden still has staunch defenders within the Democratic ranks who argue his storied career in politics is needed in the party. 'I thought that was good for Joe Biden to just be honest and open about where things were, and where they are, and where he thinks they very well could be based on his own life experiences,' said Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, who has spent time with Biden after his administration. 'If you know Joe Biden like I know Joe Biden and have spent time with him post-the presidency like I've spent time with him, then you will know that Joe Biden is doing what is still in the best interests of the country,' he continued. 'Joe Biden can still be helpful to the country, to the Congress, the Constitution, and the community.' Seawright said the choice of 'The View' for Biden's first American post-presidency interview was good given the program's broad reach. 'I think 'The View' is a very captive audience. It's also a very diverse audience that crosses many sectors of the country,' he said. But as younger voices become more prominent voices in the party, other Democrats are questioning why the interview was even necessary. 'I don't know who's asking for this,' Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said. 'I actually think that a lot of people are starting to pay much more attention to a younger generation of Democrats free of baggage and who are finally starting to move the party away from folks who stayed too long at the fair.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrats fume over Biden's return to spotlight
Democrats are blasting former President Biden's reemergence in the spotlight following his interview Thursday on 'The View,' his second major post-presidency interview. During the sit-down, which took place alongside former first lady Jill Biden, Biden slammed President Trump's second administration, saying he's had 'the worst 100 days any president's ever had.' The former president also denied reports of his mental decline during his term and took responsibility for Democratic losses in 2024, telling the show's hosts, 'I was in charge and he won.' But some Democrats are criticizing Biden's recent appearances, arguing the former president is becoming a drag on the party as it seeks to rebuild following its widespread losses in 2024. 'Elections are about the future. Every time Joe Biden emerges, we fight an old war,' said Democratic strategist Anthony Coley, who worked for the Biden administration. 'Every interview he does provides a contrast to Trump that's just not helpful for the Democratic brand, which needs trusted messengers and fighters who can reach independents and moderates and inspire the base. Joe Biden ain't that.' Coley said it was 'good' that Biden took responsibility for the events that led to Trump's election but questioned whether it mattered going forward. 'Honestly, what good does that do now? Many Democrats — from elected leaders to the party faithful — are just ready to turn the page. I just don't think he understands how wide and deep this sentiment is,' he said. Other Democratic critics argue that the former president did not go far enough. One Democratic strategist said Biden needs to 'take responsibility for his actions' and 'own up to the fact that he caused Democrats to lose.' 'I don't think there's a willingness to cop to the fact that he should never have run again in the first place,' the strategist said. 'Why can't he come out and acknowledge that part of this is on him?' Thursday's interview with 'The View' was his second sit-down interview of the week, with the first airing Tuesday on the BBC. Biden took multiple opportunities to criticize Trump's foreign policy in his conversation with the British broadcaster, taking particular aim at Trump's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. Some Democrats say Biden would be better suited avoiding sit-down interviews and instead focus on community outreach, much like former President Carter. 'There is a way for President Biden to build his post-presidency, but this isn't it,' said Steve Schale, a longtime Biden ally who ran a pro-Biden super PAC in recent cycles. 'I really wish he'd embrace the thing that's been his calling card for 50 years: His humanity.' While Biden focuses on preserving his legacy, Schale said he would take an approach similar to what Carter took in the years following his presidency. 'By the end of his life, we were reminded of the decent and humble nature of the man thanks to his acts, not his words,' Schale said. 'I really wish Biden would follow a similar path.' 'Get out and work in the community. Do … things that highlight the things his administration did to help people,' Schale said. 'Let the images of his human interactions and the stories they tell rebuild the brand. That's way more powerful than playing pundit.' The interviews come amid a slew of books detailing the last year of the Biden administration, including accusations that his mental acuity was slipping while in office. Biden denied those reports, calling them 'wrong.' The former first lady also slammed reporting on Biden's mental acuity while in office, noting 'the people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us.' A second Democratic strategist predicted that the Biden narrative on his mental acuity will not go away and will be something that future presidential contenders will have to answer for. 'There's a good chance that the most significant litmus test for any Democrat in the 2028 field will be how and if they admonish Biden for the political judgment in the final 18 months of his political career,' the strategist said. But Biden still has staunch defenders within the Democratic ranks who argue his storied career in politics is needed in the party. 'I thought that was good for Joe Biden to just be honest and open about where things were, and where they are, and where he thinks they very well could be based on his own life experiences,' said Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, who has spent time with Biden after his administration. 'If you know Joe Biden like I know Joe Biden and have spent time with him post-the presidency like I've spent time with him, then you will know that Joe Biden is doing what is still in the best interests of the country,' he continued. 'Joe Biden can still be helpful to the country, to the Congress, the Constitution, and the community.' Seawright said the choice of 'The View' for Biden's first American post-presidency interview was good given the program's broad reach. 2024 Election Coverage 'I think 'The View' is a very captive audience. It's also a very diverse audience that crosses many sectors of the country,' he said. But as younger voices become more prominent voices in the party, other Democrats are questioning why the interview was even necessary. 'I don't know who's asking for this,' Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said. 'I actually think that a lot of people are starting to pay much more attention to a younger generation of Democrats free of baggage and who are finally starting to move the party away from folks who stayed too long at the fair.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump moves Obama's White House portrait to display painting of his own assassination attempt
Visitors to the White House on Friday were greeted with a new addition to the executive mansion's art collection — a painting depicting the now-iconic photograph of President Donald Trump raising his fist just moments after a bullet grazed his ear in Butler, Pennsylvania last June. White House staff installed the painting just outside the East Room, in the main foyer of the White House, at a location traditionally reserved for a painting depicting the most recent president to have his official portrait unveiled. Because neither Trump nor his predecessor-turned-successor Joe Biden have commissioned official portrait,s much less had them completed and unveiled for public view, that spot had until today been filled by a painting of the 44th president, Barack Obama by artist Robert McCurdy. Though McCurdy completed the artwork in 2018, it was not unveiled until September 2022, when both former president Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama returned to the White House to see both of their official portraits added to the White House collection. Some new artwork at the White House 👀 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 11, 2025 A post on X (formerly Twitter) from the White House's official account announced the change, leading some users on the platform to suggest that the Trump administration was doing away with the portrait of Obama. One prominent pro-Biden activist on the platform, Chris Jackson, accused the Trump White House of exhibiting what he described as 'straight-up tin pot dictator energy' and having 'taken down' Obama's portrait. So Trump ditched tradition, broke protocol, and took down Barack Obama's portrait—just to hang his tin pot dictator energy. Insecure and petty to the end. 🫤 — Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) April 11, 2025 But The Independent has been told that such accusations are completely unfounded. A White House official said that the portrait of the 46th president had been relocated across the foyer to the spot where the painting of Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, had hung since it was unveiled in 2012. The official said the portrait of the 43rd president, a 2011 work by artist John Howard Sanden, was being relocated to a spot on the State Floor of the White House next to the 1994 portrait of Bush's father, 41st president George HW Bush. According to the official, the reproduction of Vucci's iconic photograph of a bloodied Trump raising his fist against a backdrop of a hanging American flag was painted by Marc Lipp, a Florida-based artist who is also known for producing painted bronze sculptures of dogs. The official stated that the painting was gifted to Trump by Andrew Pollack, a GOP activist from the Sunshine State whose daughter was killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The choice to display a painting based on the Associated Press photo by Vucci — the wire service's chief photographer — comes at a time when the White House is engaging in a court battle for the right to ban him and his colleagues from the Oval Office and Air Force One in retaliation for the service refusing to refer to the body of water between Mexico and Florida as the 'Gulf of America.' Neither the White House nor Lipp's gallery representatives immediately responded to a query on whether Lipp had properly licensed the copyrighted photograph from the AP. If he did not receive permission to reproduce the photograph, the artist could potentially be liable for copyright infringement. The AP has taken artists to court to enforce copyrights before. In 2011, the wire service and street artist Shepard Fairey settled a long-running dispute over Fairey's iconic 'Hope' campaign poster image of Obama. The poster was based on an image of Obama taken by an AP photographer in 2008. According to the New York Times, the settlement included an agreement for Fairey and the AP to share the rights to the iconic poster and to financial terms that remain confidential.
