NEWS AND OPINION:
Former President Donald Trump is very handy with words, offering daily summaries of his thoughts which are terse, timely and provocative. Such writing also appears in other outreach from Mr. Trump, such as this fundraising message — titled “I was right about everything.”
It is an apt reminder of events and outcomes which have occurred since President Biden took office 320 days ago.
The 10 phrases are verbatim from the emailed message, by the way — including those emphatic capitalized letters in some of the items. “Have you noticed that the Radical Left is now admitting I was right about everything they LIED about before the Election?” Mr. Trump asks in his outreach.
“Hydroxychloroquine works.
The China Virus came from a Chinese lab.
Hunter Biden’s laptop was real.
Lafayette Square was not cleared for a photo op.
The “Russian Bounties” story was fake.
My administration did produce vaccines before the end of 2020, in record time I might add.
Blue state lockdowns didn’t work.
Schools should be opened.
Critical Race Theory is a disaster for our schools and our Country.
Our Southern Border security program was unprecedentedly successful.
“The media and their Democrat partners spent YEARS lying about me to the American People and it turns out I was RIGHT all along. I’ve received NO apologies, NO retractions, nothing,” Mr. Trump said, in closing out the pitch.
The outreach was forwarded to Inside the Beltway by Save America JFC, a joint fundraising committee on behalf of Save America and the Make America Great Again PAC.
FOR THE LEXICON
“The Whine House.”
Handy new term from New York Post columnist Jon Klain, meant to describe reaction from within the White House to increasing negative press coverage of President Biden and his administration.
“During his four years in office, Trump was subjected to withering and relentless press coverage which included a years-long inquiry into unsubstantiated allegations of collusion with Russia. During the 2020 presidential campaign, unflattering news about Biden — specifically relating to his business dealings with son Hunter — was actively suppressed by journalists and social media platforms and falsely labeled by Biden aides and supporters as Russian disinformation,” Mr. Klain wrote.
THE RISE OF PANDEMIC PANIC
There’s a “Covid fear bubble” out there, advised Nate Ashworth, founder of ElectionCentral.com.
Many Americans are not just numb to fears over coronavirus variants, they’re numb to the “renewed drumbeat of doom and gloom over Covid in general,” he said in an essay published Sunday.
That drumbeat continues, and Mr. Ashworth cited Dr. Anthony Fauci, currently director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Biden.
“Just like that, seemingly overnight after Thanksgiving, we were being gifted with press conferences featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci and it felt like March of 2020 all over again. Set aside all the advancements we’ve made since then, they seem to mean nothing. Now there are states like Oregon talking about permanent mask mandates in some settings, because for many public officials, this level of control will never end, and they don’t want it to end,” Mr. Ashworth wrote.
“Just remember this holiday season, you’re probably not paying attention to the steady diet of Covid fear now gripping some portions of the media and political class yet again. Don’t get too comfortable, though. After delta and omicron, there will be another new variant waiting to create panic next year,” he said.
Others cite the fear factor.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical contributor, offered his perspective on the situation in an op-ed for the network published Saturday.
“We have a viral problem here in the United States, and it isn’t the new COVID variant, omicron. The much larger problem goes beyond COVID to the fear it creates,” Dr. Siegel wrote.
“For many Americans the thought of potential infection with this new variant breeds fear. That’s a terrain that’s been widely mined during this ferocious pandemic by politicians and the media alike. It doesn’t take much to get the fear juices flowing, and our leaders too often double down on this by introducing further restrictions,” he continued.
“People over-personalize the risks from COVID when they are afraid, hence a single case in California, Minnesota or Colorado feels like there are many more and everyone worries they could be next,” Dr. Siegel said.
“Fear is its own virus,” he later added.
PARTY PRESENTS
The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are both offering Christmas and holiday gift ideas for discerning givers. Here’s what each side has to offer:
The GOP list of 20 items includes both a “Trump 45” ornament and gift wrap, elephant-themed gift wrap, a “Come and Take It” T-shirt emblazoned with a Christmas tree and a “Sweet Freedom” scented candle. Find this and more at Shop.gop.com.
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, offers a donkey cookie cutter with recipes, donkey-themed greeting cards and socks, a “Big Deal Infrastructure” T-shirt and an enamel pin that spells out “VACCINATED.” Find their swag at Store.democrats.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 27% of young Americans say “promoting international etc and human rights” should be the primary motivation for U.S. foreign policy.
• 19% “don’t know” what should be the motivation for the police.
• 18% say “enhancing U.S. national security should be the motivation.
• 11% cite “economic interests’; 6% “promoting democracy around the world.”
• 4% cite “promoting U.S. dominance on the world stage”, 3% cite “something else” as a motivation, 1% refused to answer.
Source: A Harvard University Institute of Politics Youth Poll of 2,109 U.S. adults age 18-29 conducted Oct. 26-Nov. 8 and released Dec. 3.
Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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