September 26, 2024 | Read Online

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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

➡️ Mark Zuckerberg is quietly shifting to the right. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly leaning into libertarianism as he works to repair ties with Republicans following Facebook's 2020 suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story and the platform's decision to remove Donald Trump after January 6. And, though Meta denies it, Donald Trump claims Zuckerberg privately vowed, "No way I can vote for a Democrat."

🔎 A Senate report uncovered more Secret Service failures. According to a new Senate report, the Secret Service knew about the shooter's presence for 27 minutes before he fired at Trump during his rally in Butler, PA. A lack of communication and proper security measures led to preventable death and injuries, and the committee cited 12 more critical failures in protecting the former president.

👷‍♂️ Harris pushed a manufacturing agenda in Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh, Kamala Harris promised federal incentives to boost biomanufacturing, aerospace, and AI, aiming to sway blue-collar voters from Trump. She positioned herself as a "pragmatic" capitalist and criticized Trump for prioritizing the wealthy, while calling for union expansion and the elimination of degree requirements for federal jobs.

🇺🇦 Speaker Johnson called for the Ukrainian ambassador to be fired. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of "clearly" interfering in US elections by visiting a Pennsylvania munitions factory with Democratic officials. Johnson claimed the visit, which excluded Republicans, was coordinated to support Kamala Harris' campaign, and called for Ukraine's ambassador to the US to be fired.

WHAT WE'RE HEARING

Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) slammed Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY) for allegedly "stealing money from the American people and giving it to benefit his mistress."
President Biden, during the first-ever presidential appearance on The View, claimed he "never fully believed" Americans wanted him off the presidential ticket.
Donald Trump said if Iran keeps making threats against Americans, he would blow the country "to smithereens."
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she wishes to "extinguish" Donald Trump "for good."

IN THE LOOP

An explosive device was set off at a courthouse in Santa Maria, CA. There were no injuries.
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A Secret Service agent was accused of sexually assaulting an aide to Kamala Harris.
Paul Pelosi sold $500,000 in Visa stock shortly before the DOJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company.
The US is set to send another $8 billion in aid to Ukraine.
The House and Senate passed a three-month government spending bill without the SAVE Act.

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MY THOUGHTS

The Democrat who broke with Biden

Good morning. Last night, New York City Mayor Eric Adams became the first sitting mayor in the city's history to be indicted. While the charges remain sealed, reports suggest they are tied to a corruption scandal involving illegal campaign funds from Turkey.

What's even more interesting is Adams' response. "I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers, I would be a target — and a target I became," he said. "If I am charged, I am innocent and will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit."

Adams has been one of the most vocal Democrats to shine a light on the migrant crisis, breaking with the Biden administration and placing the blame squarely on the president. He didn't mince words, warning that the crisis could destroy his city, even as other Democrats tried to downplay the chaos.

Whether the indictment is political or stems from corruption so serious it couldn't be ignored, one thing is clear: Adams, at least vocally, prioritized his city over national partisan politics, and that's commendable.

We'll be covering this story more closely for our premium readers in our Sunday newsletter, Real America.

CORRECTION

Yesterday we mistakenly labeled Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema a Republican. While the Senate GOP would be thrilled to hear that, Sinema is, in fact, an independent.

Corrections are included in newsletters for transparency.

WASHINGTON

A checked-out Biden is left with few allies

In an unprecedented move, First Lady Jill Biden briefly ran a cabinet meeting
The action exemplifies how President Biden is not taking charge of his administration
Calls have been made for Kamala Harris to remove him from office, but she's focused on her own campaign and distancing herself from him

The story

For the first time in a year, the White House held a cabinet meeting.

Speaking for about two minutes, President Joe Biden introduced his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, who proceeded to take over the meeting. Sitting at the head of the table, the first lady addressed the presidential cabinet on funding executive-agency initiatives related to women's health.

Jill Biden has previously inspired comparisons to Edith Wilson, the wife of former President Woodrow Wilson, who unofficially took control of his responsibilities after he suffered a stroke.

In response, the White House defended Jill Biden's participation, framing it as part of a broader initiative to address critical women's issues. However, the American people never elected Jill Biden, and it is unheard of in modern American history for a first lady to lead a cabinet meeting, however briefly.

The first lady's recent involvement in taking over her husband's duties has ignited public debate, reviving a long-standing question from many: is President Biden actually running the country?

The president's capacity to lead

The Republican National Committee claims that Biden has been on vacation for around 40 percent of his presidency. The president often flies to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in between his presidential duties.

Meanwhile, prominent conservative voices like Ben Shapiro are urging Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th amendment to remove Biden. Ever since the media and his own party ousted him as the Democrats' presidential nominee, the American public has widely assumed that Biden's mental acuity is insufficient to fulfill the responsibilities of his office.

Seventy-two percent of Americans do not believe President Biden has the "mental" and "cognitive health" to serve as president, while Republicans like Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have raised questions about who is truly leading the administration. Many conservatives believe the administrative state is running on autopilot, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates dismissed such criticism as politically motivated conspiracy theories that undermine the administration's accomplishments.

Harris backs away from Biden's record

President Biden is expecting to cruise through his final months in office and rarely deliver speeches. As he attends fundraising events and touts his administration's victories, his vice president will be taking a different course — one that will take a sharp turn away from Biden's policy record.

Despite some calls for her to do so, Kamala Harris is not likely to invoke the 25th Amendment because she's focused on her campaign and is also making efforts to distance herself from her own administration. She is also changing her tune on the far-left policies she once supported in an effort to reshape her image ahead of the election.

Harris has flipped positions on key issues such as Medicare for All and fracking, embracing moderate stances to appeal to a broader electorate. She is now focusing on inflation and the cost of living to position herself as a champion for the middle class.

Now, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place: fiercely defending the president limits her ability to distance herself from his record, but calling for his resignation could damage her own credibility after continuously standing by his mental fitness.

Why it matters

With the First Lady leading cabinet meetings and Vice President Harris distancing herself from Biden's policy record, it's clear the president is left with few allies and is not actively taking charge of his presidential duties.

Over the next four months, Kamala Harris will call for a fresh start for America, despite the fact that she has served as vice president for the last four years. And if she wins, the unelected federal bureaucracy is set to continue pursuing the same agenda that has dominated 12 of the last 16 years.

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