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Trump Resurfaces in Bizarre, Unintelligible Fox News Interview
One-term ex-president Donald Trump resurfaced yesterday on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program. Everything about the interview was hilarious, including Hannity promoting it as some unexpected major exclusive. From the very beginning, Trump looked as though he did not want to be there. The former president opened up by, unsurprisingly, rehashing the 2020 election and his bogus claims about voter fraud. This should really come as no surprise because it took forever for Donald to stop talking about the 2016 election. Trump argued it was suspicious that he lost despite getting more votes than he received four years prior, which he said doesn’t happen. While Barack Obama got fewer votes in his reelection bid than when he first won in 2008, former two-term Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Reagan all got more votes their second time running.
Hannity couldn’t help but ask if Trump plans on running for president again in 2024. Trump said that “from a legal standpoint, I don’t really want to talk about it yet.” This could have to do with him wanting to use his donations as a slush fund before announcing a run. The pair only briefly discussed coronavirus and the vaccine program. Hannity asked Trump if people should get immunized. The ex-POTUS took it as an opportunity to complain that “they all want me to do a commercial because a lot of our people don’t want to take [the] vaccine.” The former president went on to half-heartedly confirm that he got vaccinated himself and that he wants others to as well. It’s like pulling teeth to get Trump to approve of the vaccination effort because he knows that a good portion of his supporters disagree with him on the subject. Trump will need them all by his side if he’s going to have any hope of winning in 2024.
Deranged Closing Statement from Derek Chauvin's Lawyer
The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is coming to an end, with closing arguments wrapping up yesterday and jury deliberations now underway. Chauvin is charged with 2nd and 3rd degree murder and manslaughter for allegedly strangling 46-year-old George Floyd last year by placing his knee on the neck of Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Chauvin’s defense lawyer, Eric Nelson, spoke before the jury yesterday to deliver what were not the best closing arguments. Nelson argued that the prosecution had not proved its case against Chauvin beyond a reasonable doubt. He did his best to introduce doubt by arguing the former Minneapolis cop was following training and that maybe George Floyd died of a drug overdose, cardiac arrest, or even carbon monoxide poisoning.
In his last opportunity to speak to the jury, Nelson compared criminal trials to baking chocolate chip cookies. The analogy was that baking chocolate chip cookies requires a number of ingredients and without any single one of these ingredients, one can’t make chocolate chip cookies. Nelson argued that in the same way, the prosecution has to prove all elements of the murder trial and if they fail to prove a single one, the jury must acquit. The defense likely came up short of getting a “not guilty” verdict, but that will be decided by the jury in short time.
From yesterday’s show:
NO HOAX: Trump 2016 Campaign Coordinated with Russian Intelligence
A new report finds that Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign shared information with Russian intelligence in what may be the clearest evidence of “collusion” between the two parties. Russian and Ukrainian political consultant Konstantin Kilimnik was providing Russia with “sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy” of the Trump team with the help of former campaign manager Paul Manafort. In 2018, Kilimnik was indicted on obstruction of justice charges regarding his unregistered lobbying work related to Ukraine. A Treasury report concluded that Manafort had repeatedly shared “internal campaign information with Kilimnik.” The Trump-Russia scandal was never likely to cut the former president’s term short, but it absolutely was not the “hoax” that some claimed it to be.
--More on the show:
--Joseph Westphal, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Senior Fellow at the Wharton Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania, joins David to discuss the rise of Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, the history of US-Saudi relations, and much more
--As of April 19, every American adult is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine
--Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey bans "vaccine passports," which do not exist and were not going to be put in place by any Arizona municipalities
--Former Republican President George W. Bush slams the current Republican Party as "isolationist, protectionist, and nativist"
--The House of Representatives votes to approve a cannabis banking bill, which if it passes the Senate would be of huge importance to the cannabis regulatory and legal framework
--A voicemail caller appears to have fallen for COVID vaccine disinformation
--On the Bonus Show: Former VP Walter Mondale dead at 93, FL Governor signs "anti-riot" bill, 20% of Q-Anon posts come from Russia and China, much more...
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