Quote of the Day:
“If the president’s not going to be the consoler-in-chief, who is?”
— Brian Stelter, biased media reporter, CNN, on Sunday afternoon.
Over the weekend, Stelter was trashed for pointing out various times that Senate Maj. Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has sent prayers after mass shootings. When called out for being anti-prayer, he said, “Nope. I’m all in favor of prayer. And I’m all in favor of reporting on what politicians do and don’t do.”
On Monday morning, President Trump delivered a speech on the weekend’s two mass shootings.
Guy Benson, Townhall, Fox News contributor: “Trump specifically and forcefully denounces white supremacy, citing El Paso killer’s manifesto.”
Which leads us to today’s mood…
MOOD: Ugly. “The Media has a big responsibility to life and safety in our Country. Fake News has contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years. News coverage has got to start being fair, balanced and unbiased, or these terrible problems will only get worse!” — Trump.
Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.): “What a pathetic, feckless and ignorant response from the President. He blamed video games and mental illness, failed to take responsibility for his own racist rhetoric and didn’t offer a single real solution for gun violence. In other words, he’s going to let this happen again.”
Ivanka Trump: “White supremacy, like all other forms of terrorism, is an evil that must be destroyed.”
Rupert Myers, who freelances for the Telegraph, Guardian, and Spectator, asked, “So is Ivanka going to use a pillow, or…?”
Tomi Lahren says shootings are not fault of Trump or NRA
“It’s not Trump’s fault. It’s not the NRA’s fault. When will our nation wake up and realize we have a youth mental health crisis likely caused by over-medication, absentee parents, and a culture that glorifies infamy and notoriety above God, family and community?” — Tomi Lahren, Fox Nation. (RELATED: Tomi Lahren Wants Advice About Her Canker Sores)
Sen. Rand Paul to have part of his lung removed
“Unfortunately, I will have to limit my August activities. Part of my lung damaged by the 2017 assault had to be removed by surgery this weekend. The doctors, nurses, & staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were great. I should be able to return to the Senate in September.” — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Tom Brokaw digs himself another hole of hate
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Brokaw, 79, said Monday that both sides are responsible for the dangerous rhetoric around mass shootings.
Saturday tweet: “Ok America – what are we going to do? it’s about a more than guns. it’s about poisonous hate in social media about hate in the political arena about gotcha in mass media. the center has been replaced by hate so, now what?”
Mochahontas cracked, “Tom Brokaw has been canceled for awhile in my book. Still pissed he was our commencement speaker for college graduation. There were soooo many other choices.” She graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans.
Mika Loves Beto
“Beto is looking better and better as a candidate. His Honest expression of frustration. His clear eyed analysis of what is happening. That Impressed [sic] us.” — Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host.
That’s Honest with a capital H and Impressed with a capital I.
Beto O’Rourke on Trump: “Well, Jesus Christ, of course [President Trump] is racist. He’s been racist from day one—before day one—when he was questioning whether Barack Obama was born in the US. He’s trafficked in this stuff from the very beginning.” — NBC News.
A message about potential danger on Twitter
“Hey @twitter can you have a soft block function so trolls won’t be able to tell you blocked them and then get even angrier? It’s getting pretty scary on here. @jack” — Jena Friedman, former writer for David Letterman show and Daily Show producer, currently touring her for her own show. “…To the dear men who just responded to that last tweet, I don’t want to spell it out. Take a second and think about why it might be dangerous for an unhinged guy to know you blocked him, or even more dangerous for him to still be able to see where you are or where you will be.”
Ex-NeverTrumper brags about huge shoutout from Trump administration
“Over the weekend, Erickson hosted the Resurgent Gathering bringing together over 600 conservative activists from 33 states. The event included addresses by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Karen Dunn Kelly and by the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence. Vice President Pence praised Erickson saying ‘his voice and values are respected by people all over this country’ and that the Trump Administration was grateful for Erickson’s ‘leadership in the conservative movement.'” — Erick Erickson and The Resurgent.
Erickson hosts an evening drive-time radio program on 95.5 in Atlanta. He’s adding a three-hour program on Cox Media’s WGAU in Athens, Georgia.
Journo asks for prayers for surgery
“[This] morning I have surgery for my endometriosis. They’re excising the lesions I have, removing my appendix & checking my bladder for interstitial cystitis. I’d appreciate prayers though!” — Beth Baumann, associate editor, Townhall.
Confessional.
“You never know where a day is gonna take ya! This day has taken me to an Irish dive bar in red hook. Reader, I’m here alone.” — Ben Dreyfuss, editorial director, Mother Jones.
Gossip Roundup
New York Mag’s E. Alex Jung: “If I die in a mass shooting, drop my body on the steps of Congress.”
Fox News’s Ed Henry is feeling ‘fantastic’ after donating part of his liver to his sister. He’s also contemplating writing a book about his experience. Here.
Yashar Ali block alert… “Only three people at FNC block me @GeraldoRivera, @TomiLahren, and @MariaBartiromo.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell tripped and fell and fractured his shoulder over the weekend at his Kentucky home. (RELATED: Mitch McConnell Falls Outside His Home, Fractures Shoulder)
Oops! “At a fundraiser on Sunday, Joe Biden referred to mass shootings in ‘Houston today’ and Michigan yesterday, @LAWinkley reports. The shootings were in Dayton and El Paso, respectively.” — Dan Diamond, Politico.
Trump, meanwhile, said the Dayton shootings happened in Toledo.
Mediaite headline: “Biden Mourns Mass Shootings In Houston And Michigan”
Former Sunday Times staffers say the pub has a hypocritical intern problem. They laughed and said you have to be “Oxford educated” to land an internship there. Here.
CNN has nearly impossible time getting GOPers to appear on CNN: “Wow. CNN says it reached out to 50 GOP lawmakers this morning; 49 declined to appear on air to discuss the El Paso and Dayton shootings. Only Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), who’s on now, said yes. Yesterday, Jake Tapper similarly highlighted GOPers who declined to appear on @CNNSotu.” — Felicia Sonmez, Washington Post national political reporter.
The Daily Wire‘s EIC Ben Shapiro remarked, “That may have something to do with CNN’s long record of attempting to blame Republicans for mass shootings and cast them as disingenuous tools of the NRA. See, e.g., the egregiously awful Parkland Townhall.” (RELATED: You, Too, Can Meet Ben Shapiro, But It’ll Cost You)
Some dark comic relief from Sydney Elaine Leathers, senior contributor, Washington Babylon: “I had a horribly abusive childhood & some very public trauma in my early 20’s and still didn’t end up being a mass shooter. *pats self on the back*”
