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  • Justice at Last: Infowars Shutting Down

    Justice at Last: Infowars Shutting Down

    After years of lying to the public, CNN reports that the infamous far-right publication is officially being shut down and sold off.
    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    By Justus Hayes from Vancouver, Canada – Alex Jones – Black and White, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115128970

    It is finally happening. The infamous propagandist and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will officially see his media empire fall. After years of lying about nearly every political figure and event under the sun, the consequences of Jones’ actions have seemingly caught up to him, and his empire will officially be scrapped to be sold off. 

    A Conspiracy Theorist’s Journey 

    Jones’ history of conspiratorial slander needs no introduction. The bombastic claims made by Jones are as widely known as they are absurd. Whether it was claiming that David Koresh and the Branch Davidians were peaceful or the idea that 9-11 attacks were an inside job, Jones has spread as many conspiracy theories as humanly possible. 

    While many Americans today know Jones for his conspiracy theories and sometimes laud him for them, it didn’t always work in his favor. In 1999, Jones was fired from KJFK, an Austin-based radio station, due to his assertions of  “inside-terror-job stuff.” That would soon change when, in that same year,  Jones began his infamous site, Infowars, which sought to give Jones an unencumbered voice with responsibility and fact-checking. Through this website, Jones continued to spread misinformation and push supplements. 

    Throughout the next twenty-five years, Jones would spread conspiracy theories about alleged false flags and government-organized poisoning of water, along with many more ridiculous claims. More infamously, however, were his claims that the Sandy Hook mass shooting, which killed twenty children and six adults, was a false flag operation. It was this decision, and the subsequent harassment, that would lead to his Jones eventually facing a defamation suit in 2018. Jones would later have to pay the victims’ families roughly a billion dollars. 

    An Unrepentant Crook

    Despite the backlash to his behavior, Jones consistently demonstrated that he was completely and utterly unrepentant for his behavior towards the victims of Sandy Hook. Before the trial even began, Jones demonstrated a consistent and total attitude of contempt for the authority of the legal system that addressed his case and “…intentionally disregarded an October court order to produce witnesses and other materials…” to a plaintiff who sued him over his lies. In another incident, Jones’ website referred to the trial as a “kangaroo court.” 

    Again and again, Jones demonstrated that he not only saw the very legal system that would hold him accountable as unacceptable but was seemingly annoyed by the idea of taking responsibility for the harm he’d done to the families. At its very core, Alex Jones has no scruples. He has no morals or principles and continues to demonstrate that fact today. After CNN reported that a bankruptcy court-appointed trustee ordered for Infowars to be shut down and sold off, Jones again doubled down that the media was lying, claiming that the families going after him for his lies were part of the Democratic Party’s attempts to get rid of him. 

    Even in the most desperate times, Jones works to profit from the pain and suffering of the people he defamed. So long as he can continue to spread his nonsense, he will continue to slander and defame people, whether they are public figures or just victims of tragic events, so that he can make a buck. If there were ever a person whose ability to broadcast should be restricted, it would be Alex Jones. After all these years, it seems like justice is finally coming for this pill-pushing swindler. 

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation link on my Kofi link. Thank you, I really appreciate it. 

    References

    “Alex Jones Ordered to Pay $100,000 in Sandy Hook Defamation Case.” 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50960730

    Alex Jones [@RealAlexJones]. 2024. “Alex Jones Responds To Reports of Infowars Imminent Closure Https://T.Co/lKsvdieGnR.” Twitter. https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/1805366636448289181 (June 25, 2024).

    Collins, Dave. 2022. “Alex Jones Ordered to Pay $965 Million for Sandy Hook Lies | AP News.” The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/shootings-school-connecticut-conspiracy-alex-jones-3f579380515fdd6eb59f5bf0e3e1c08f.

    Coscarelli, Joe. “An Interview With Alex Jones, America’s Leading (and Proudest) Conspiracy Theorist.” Intelligencer. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2013/11/alex-jones-americas-top-conspiracy-theorist.html (June 25, 2024).

    Eaton-Robb, Pat. 2022. “Alex Jones Testifies in Trial over His Sandy Hook Hoax Lies.” The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-school-connecticut-alex-jones-27d267234406d0bb6b3d102b9dc0c0b8.

    Ellis, Emma. 2018. “Win or Lose, the Alex Jones Lawsuit Will Help Redefine Free Speech.” The Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/alex-jones-lawsuit-will-help-redefine-free-speech/.

    Gold, Hadas. 2024. “Infowars: Alex Jones’ Court Trustee Plans to Shut down His Notorious Conspiracy Outlet | CNN Business.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/24/media/alex-jones-infowars-court-trustee/index.html.

    “Heslin Original Petition File Stamped (1).Pdf – Google Drive.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1opX6d3Bycbl4sWGo8o37SuPcjxDanzjL/view .

    Johnson, Timothy. 2016. “Trump Ally Alex Jones Doubles Down On Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories.” Media Matters for America. https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/trump-ally-alex-jones-doubles-down-sandy-hook-conspiracy-theories.

    Marcotte, Amanda. “The Dangerous Rise of Alex Jones: How Austin’s Pet Conspiracy Kook Conquered the Republican Party | Salon.Com.” https://www.salon.com/2016/11/03/the-dangerous-rise-of-alex-jones-how-austins-pet-conspiracy-kook-conquered-the-republican-party/ (June 25, 2024).

    Nichols, Lee. 1999. “Media Clips: Psst, It’s a Conspiracy: KJFK Gives Alex Jones the Boot – News – The Austin Chronicle.” The Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1999-12-10/75039/.

    “Remembering the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Victims – New York Daily News.” https://www.nydailynews.com/2021/12/13/remembering-the-sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting-victims/.

    Wilson, Jason. 2018. “Crisis Actors, Deep State, False Flag: The Rise of Conspiracy Theory Code Words | Parkland, Florida School Shooting | The Guardian.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/21/crisis-actors-deep-state-false-flag-the-rise-of-conspiracy-theory-code-words.

    Zaitichik, Alexander. 2011. “Meet Alex Jones.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/meet-alex-jones-175845/.

  • My Recent Interview with Ira Shapiro

    My Recent Interview with Ira Shapiro

    In my most recent interview, I talked with Ira Shapiro about his latest book and how the Senate can be redeemed from partisan corruption.
    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    Good morning everyone,

    I hope you are enjoying your day. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Senate expert and author Ira Shapiro about his new book “The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America.” During the discussion, Ira and I reviewed the fall of the Senate, how it developed over time, and the role of Mitch McConnell’s partisanship, which resulted in a colossal government failure.

    Throughout the discussion, Mr. Shapiro was kind enough to not only share his personal experience working in the Senate but also answer questions that don’t normally fit within the discussion surrounding Senate dysfunction.

    As is always the case with my guests, I wanted to thank Mr. Shapiro for joining me and I hope to have him back in the future.

    Thanks again, 
    Conor

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation link on my Kofi link. Thank you, I really appreciate it. 

  • Hunter Biden’s Conviction Upheld the Rule of Law

    Hunter Biden’s Conviction Upheld the Rule of Law

    Republicans lose yet another talking point

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call – https://rollcall.com/2023/12/13/hunter-biden-appears-on-hill-doesnt-appear-at-deposition/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143817845

    Earlier this week, Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was convicted of lying about his drug use when he purchased a gun. The conviction, which comes not long after Trump’s conviction for falsifying business records, is not only a sign that the rule of law remains strong despite conservative arguments to the contrary. The rule of law applies to every American, not reckless partisans.

    The Narrative is Dead

    Republicans have spent large amounts of time portraying Hunter Biden as being protected despite alleged criminality as part of a so-called “Biden crime family.” The focus on Hunter Biden was part of a larger approach by Republicans over several years to paint President Biden and his family as corrupt, seemingly without any understanding of irony whatsoever. Famously, Trump and his allies attempted to paint President Biden and his son as being part of an overarching influence-peddling scheme in Ukraine. In one instance, Trump claimed that Biden helped get rid of a Ukrainian prosecutor while he was Vice President to protect Hunter. This isn’t true, but that hasn’t stopped conservatives from repeating the idea.

    This approach by the right came amid larger attempts to portray Trump’s decision to withhold aid from Ukraine as necessary to uncover supposed wrongdoing by then-candidate Joe Biden.  In reality, Trump was seeking to use his office to attack a political opponent, but conservatives have this misrepresentation of the facts to attack President Biden through his son, arguing that the justice system would not properly go after Biden and his family.

    That can’t be said anymore. With the recent conviction of Hunter Biden, and President Biden’s response to the conviction, it is increasingly clear that the Justice Department is not only able to hold allies of the President to account but is also perfectly willing to do so. Merely because the conspiracy theories by right-wing grifters like Marjorie Taylor Greene have not resulted in action by the DOJ doesn’t change that the DOJ remains dedicated to upholding the law. In reality, the DOJ pursued legal action against Hunter Biden for his actual criminal behavior, not the imagined behavior presupposed by the increasingly conspiratorial Trump wing of the GOP.

    Don’t Expect a Change in the GOP

    Despite clear evidence that the rule of law is being equally applied, Republicans will continue to insist that DOJ is somehow biased against them. Already Republicans insist that the so-called true crimes of “the Biden crime family remain untouched.” Crimes that they can’t prove and almost certainly never will.

    What is painfully obvious in this case is that the GOP and its allies were never interested in the facts of the case, the significance of the three counts against Hunter Biden or the man himself. They were interested in Hunter as a means to achieve a political end: the defeat of Joe Biden. Theirs is a justice of politics and partisan interests, not the rule of law. If the GOP’s standards and approach to the law are allowed in the White House or politics generally, it will lead to a degradation of the public trust and the stability of the justice system. They know this, and at this point, it seems like they don’t care.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation link on my Kofi link. Thank you, I really appreciate it. 

    References

    Bushard, Brian. “Republicans Don’t Celebrate Hunter Biden Conviction: Here’s Why.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/06/11/republicans-dont-celebrate-hunter-biden-conviction-heres-why/ (June 13, 2024).

    Hals, Tom, Jack Queen, Tom Hals, and Jack Queen. 2024. “President’s Son Hunter Biden Convicted of Lying about Drug Use to Buy Gun.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/hunter-biden-jury-deliberations-resuming-tuesday-2024-06-11/ (June 11, 2024).

    Kelly, Conor. 2024. “Donald Trump Is Guilty – The Progressive American.” The Progressive American. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/05/30/donald-trump-is-guilty/ (June 13, 2024).

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 [@RepMTG]. 2024. “The Biggest Crimes of the Biden Crime Family Remain Untouched. Millions of Dollars from Foreign Influence Peddling into Joe Biden’s Bank Account. Hunter Biden Just Became the Deep State’s Sacrificial Lamb to Show That Justice Is ‘Balanced’ While the Other Biden Crimes Remain….” Twitter. https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1800581861246144638 (June 13, 2024).

    Smith, R. Jeffrey. 2019. “Timeline: How Trump Withheld Ukraine Aid.” Center for Public Integrity. http://publicintegrity.org/national-security/timeline-how-trump-withheld-ukraine-aid/ (June 13, 2024).

  • Steve Bannon is Going to Jail

    Steve Bannon is Going to Jail

    With the recent fail of his appeal, it looks like the former Trump adviser is going to prison.

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    Steve Bannon 2023 by Gage Skidmore via Wiki Commons

    Steve Bannon, former Trump advisor and current conspiracy theorist, is going to jail (Richer 2024). The decision by Judge Carl Nichols comes amid a failed appeal by the former Trump advisor against charges of contempt of Congress. The Justice Department previously charged Bannon after he refused to testify before the January 6th committee (Stephen K. Bannon Indicted for Contempt of Congress 2021). While Republicans are certain to cry foul, it is clear that the only person who is to blame is Bannon himself. 

    A Bigot vs The Law

    Bannon has a long and sordid history of using apocalyptic and reactionary rhetoric to justify his fight against so-called elites. Bannon was the co-founder of the alt-right and conspiracy website Breitbart News (Posner 2016), promoting and maintaining far-right talking points, including the  take that former President Obama was importing “more hating Muslims.” From his position as a propagandist in the racist right-wing media sphere, Bannon expanded his reach, shifting the Overton Window towards extremism and radical racial politics. 

    It was that bigoted rhetoric and propaganda that put him into then-candidate Donald Trump’s orbit, allowing to spread his noxious prejudice into the mainstream. Through Trump, Bannon was able to expand his reach and gain traction, tying his ability to spread his message with his loyalty to Trump. His show “Bannon’s War Room,” serves as both a mix of conspiracy theories and pro-Trump propaganda (Doyle 2024). 

    However, it was this loyalty to Trump, which Bannon used to influence the body politic, that would lead to his current legal woes. After January 6th, House Democrats began an investigation into the events leading up to the attack on the Capitol. The committee, now known as the January 6th Committee, began subpoenaing witnesses, including Bannon. When the committee demanded his testimony in a deposition, Bannon refused, arguing that the committee was illegitimate. He further refused to hand over documents sought by the committee. Bannon has lambasted the resulting conviction ever since (Khalil 2022).

    In a continuous opposition to the consequences of his actions, Bannon has vowed to appeal his conviction and subsequent sentence all the way to the Supreme Court. However, with his most recent appeal failing, Bannon must report to prison by July 1st. Though Bannon has suggested he will not comply after he was asked if he’d continue broadcasting from a cell. Bannon replied “Who says I’m reporting?…WarRoom cannot and will not be silenced” (Doyle 2024). Even in his conviction and subsequent imprisonment, Bannon remains contemptuous.

    The Martyrdom Complex

    While Bannon faces challenges in the courts, the right has made him into a martyr, falsely portraying Bannon’s impending incarceration as an act of the deep state. Former President Donald Trump argued that Bannon is a victim of “political thugs,” in a post on his social media app, Truth Social   (Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 2024). Representative Bob Good (R-VA) has also defended Trump, publicly campaigning  with him in a rally this Friday, arguing that Bannon has the marks of “freedom and patriotism,” and that the former Trump strategist has “put it all on the line for the country.” Using his supposed service to Trump and the Trumpist movement as the metric of service to the country, Republicans have effectively turned Bannon’s own failure to obey lawful orders into a sacrificial act. 

    Screenshot by Author from Truth Social, 2024.

    Through this mythology of martyrdom that conservatives use as a means of shielding themselves from reality. Bannon could have complied with the lawful subpoena sent to him by the January 6th committee. They were duly elected and held the lawful power to demand testimony under the Constitution. Bannon could have easily complied with their orders while also criticizing the committee as provided by the First Amendment. Instead, Bannon chose to disregard a lawful order and is paying the price for it. All of this was thanks to his fealty to Trump and that fealty is precisely the problem for the right. By tying themselves to the toxicity and self-destructive leader of their party, the right has turned themselves into a legion of delusional martyrs in waiting. Bannon could be a free man, but he won’t be because he decided to put the interests of Trump over his respect for the law. 

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation link on my Kofi link. Thank you, I really appreciate it. 

    References

    “Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump).” https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/112571273082033339 (June 8, 2024).

    Doyle, Katherine. 2024. “Steve Bannon Is Heading to Prison and Trump Is Losing a Key Voice in the Months before the Election.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-steve-bannon-prison-war-room-show-rcna138682 (June 8, 2024).

    Karni, Annie. 2024. “Weeks Before Prison, a Defiant Bannon Is Still Rallying MAGA World.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/us/politics/steve-bannon-bob-good-trump-prison.html (June 8, 2024).

    Khalil, Ashraf. 2022. “Steve Bannon’s Contempt Conviction Hailed by 1/6 Committee.” The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-steve-bannon-donald-trump-congress-government-and-politics-26c539434d968d642563b38c34a62916 (June 8, 2024).

    Posner, Sarah. 2016. “How Steve Bannon Created an Online Haven for White Nationalists.” Mother Jones. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-alt-right-breitbart-news/ (June 8, 2024).

    Richer, Alanna. 2024. “Trump Ally Steve Bannon Must Surrender to Prison by July 1 to Start Contempt Sentence, Judge Says.” The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/steve-bannon-contempt-jan-6-committee-prison-2da50bcf2f8ff8f3e01ef4bf2b1b845e (June 8, 2024).

    “Stephen K. Bannon Indicted for Contempt of Congress.” 2021. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/stephen-k-bannon-indicted-contempt-congress (June 8, 2024).

  • Isolationist Nonsense: Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants to Defund NATO

    Isolationist Nonsense: Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants to Defund NATO

    In another example of her isolationist nonsense, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an amendment calling for the U.S. not to send funds to critical NATO infrastructure.

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    U.S. House of Representatives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    In a chaotic and increasingly polarized country, it would be nice to see strong and competent leadership in the nation’s highest legislative body, especially in the face of conflicts such as the war in Ukraine. Sadly, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) continues to remind us that not all legislators are created equal, as she proposed another amendment regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, aka NATO. The amendment she introduced yesterday would ensure that NATO would not receive critical infrastructure funding. Her continued opposition to NATO’s existence is another reason to remove her from Congress.

    Nonsensical Isolationism

    This episode by Rep. Greene is not the first time she has called for the United States to separate from NATO in some way. Previously, she called for the complete withdrawal of the United States from the organization despite America being one of its founding members. Greene holds to an absurd narrative set by Trump, which argues that NATO is not meeting a so-called obligation by NATO member states to spend 2 percent of their GPD on their military. Greene hit on this note in her speech supporting her amendment, saying:

    “America should not be doing out hundreds of millions of dollars to international organizations to help them fight their enemies, especially when they are unwilling to fight for themselves as of 2023, a majority of NATO countries do not meet their pledge to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense the United States has been financing and promising to defend NATO countries for decades and paying more than its fair share all while countries like Germany fail to fulfill their NATO obligations..”

    NATO members have no legal or political obligation to spend 2 percent of their GDP on military concerns. In a previous article I wrote about Rep. Greene’s opposition to NATO, I noted that:

    “The NATO goal of having its members pay 2 percent of their GDP towards their defense is far more complicated than Trump and Greene acknowledge. Firstly, the goal is aspirational and optional for membership in the alliance. Nothing in the NATO Charter, which we signed and ratified in 1949, requires that a nation meet that goal. No legal requirement exists for a nation to spend 2 percent of its GDP on defense. Furthermore, the payments are not made to the United States but are part of each nation’s spending budget. When Trump says that a nation has to pay for protection, he is fundamentally misunderstanding or willfully disregarding the facts of how NATO funds itself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Greene were making the same error. 

    Finally, while most NATO members don’t meet this threshold, they are improving. In 2023, 11 members met that threshold, and NATO expects that 18 members will meet this goal this year. The simple reality is that NATO members are working to achieve this goal and are under no obligation to do so simply because Trump thinks NATO members owe him money. Removing the U.S. from such an important alliance on such a ridiculous basis would not only undermine America’s reputation on the world stage, it would be disastrous to global stability.”

    Simply put, Representative Greene is not only wrong, but she is painfully ignorant about the way NATO conducts itself or how its members are addressing the very concerns that she raises in her comments on the House floor. Moreover, it is important not to create false equivalencies between each NATO member’s ability to meet this aspirational threshold. Countries like Germany, which has a GDP of just over $4 trillion, will be able to spend much more and with greater efficiency than Luxembourg, which holds a GDP of $81.64 billion. For context, the United States’ GDP rests at around $25.44 trillion.

    Screenshot of World Bank Data on GDP, 2024.

     Contextualizing NATO Spending

    Another problem with Rep. Greene’s view of NATO spending lies not only in her isolationist solution to leave the alliance but in her understanding of who is spending on their militaries in the first place and how much they are spending relative to their economies. While the United States spends the most as a total military spending in the alliance, it would be a mistake to think that the U.S. is the largest spender relative to its economy. If we look at military spending as a percentage of its GDP, the United States, which, again, has a GDP of over $25 trillion, spends roughly 3.49 percent on its military as of 2023. By contrast, Poland, which has a GDP of $688.13 billion, spends an estimated 3.9 percent of its GDP on defense. In other words, despite being far less wealthy than the United States, Poland actually puts more of its economy towards its defense.  

    Even with the spending issue aside, it is important to note who meets the 2 percent guidelines. Of the 11 countries, the majority are Eastern European, meaning they are closer to Russia than countries like Germany or Spain, which don’t meet the 2 percent goal. Poland, in particular, has a history of Russian aggression. Only the United States and the United Kingdom can safely say they are not close to Russia. In other words, the countries that spend the most as a percentage of their GDP are those most at risk of Russian aggression. Getting other countries to rearrange their economy when they have previously not had to do so requires time, diplomacy, and patience. Representative Greene lacks the strength of character to appreciate all of these necessary components.

    Screenshot of Washington Post Graphic, February 12, 2024

    If we are to meet the standards that Rep. Greene demands, our leaders must understand not only the threat that Russia poses to the stability of the world but also the historical and strategic context of the very spending we are examining in the first place. NATO is an imperfect alliance, but with care and proper cultivation, it can and will work to advance American national security.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    References

    “GDP (Current US$) – United States, Germany, Luxembourg | Data.” https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=US-DE-LU (June 6, 2024).

    Hawkins, Derek. 2024. “See Which NATO Countries Spend Less than 2% of Their GDP on Defense.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/12/nato-countries-defense-spending-gdp-trump/ (June 6, 2024).

    JUST IN: Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Amendment To Block Funding For NATO And Ukraine. 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HdaBuIs6A (June 6, 2024).

    Kelly, Conor. 2024a. “Expel Marjorie Taylor Greene.” The Progressive American. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/05/17/expel-marjorie-taylor-greene/ (June 6, 2024).

    Kelly, Conor. 2024b. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants To Withdraw from NATO: A Disastrous Idea.” The Progressive American. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/04/18/marjorie-taylor-greene-wants-to-withdraw-from-nato-a-disastrous-idea/ (June 6, 2024).

    “Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls for U.S. Withdrawal from NATO.” 2023. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-calls-us-withdrawal-nato-1812339 (June 6, 2024).

    Rissman, Kelly. 2023. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Amendment Directing Biden to Withdraw from Nato.” The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-nato-biden-b2373800.html (June 6, 2024).

  • President Biden’s New Asylum Policy is Unacceptable

    President Biden’s New Asylum Policy is Unacceptable

    The move by the Biden administration is a massive mistake and will harm innocent people

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    By David Lienemann – White House (V011013DL-0556), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24867678

    The Biden administration has made a massive mistake. Yesterday, The New York Times reported that President Biden enacted a new executive order that would prevent migrants from seeking asylum when the seven-day average for daily illegal crossings hits 2,500, something that has become increasingly common. The move is almost certainly a response to previous failures by the GOP to pass a sustainable border deal, but in enacting this policy, President Biden has not only undermined the rights of asylum seekers but is also putting lives on the line.

     What is the new border policy, and why does it matter?

    The new policy, signed by President Biden and enacted today, would prohibit migrants from seeking asylum in cases where border crossings surge, except for children who travel to the border alone, victims of trafficking, and those with an appointment established via an app.

    The policy announced by the Biden administration also comes amid other harsh measures by the Biden administration, including a new policy that is reminiscent of Title 42, which former President Trump previously used to deny migrants the right to claim asylum under the pretext of preventing the spread of COVID-19. In 2023, the Biden administration announced a policy that would prevent asylum seekers from being eligible for being considered if they didn’t seek asylum elsewhere. Such a policy presupposes a requirement for asylum that isn’t required by law but is established by executive authority. As former Congressional candidate and human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid explained in a recent piece:

     “U.S. law permits individuals to seek asylum regardless of how they enter the country, and even if they passed through another country to reach the United States. This is codified in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14 and in U.S. Code Section 1158(a)(1).”

    With Biden’s new executive order, not only is the current administration effectively undermining the statutorily established nature of what asylum is, but it is also undermining international human rights. Even with public opinion turning against current immigration levels, human rights and the rule of law must be upheld, even if it is politically difficult. Suppose we are to have a better understanding of immigration policy and to solve the problems facing our nation at the border. In that case, we also can’t simply take the harshest possible approach. We have to acknowledge the humanity and complexity of the situation.

    Asylum is a Human Right

    Despite arguments to the contrary, asylum isn’t a form of illegal immigration. It is a means to request protection for people who are (1) refugees, (2) are already present in the United States, and (3) seeking admission to the United States through a port of entry. Under international law, every person has a right to seek asylum. Asylum seekers, as defined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), are people who are seeking to flee “War, persecution and human rights violations…” The UCHR also notes, “Seeking asylum is a human right, and every person in the world has the right to apply for asylum if they are fleeing conflict or persecution.” As such, failure to ensure equitable and reasonable processes for asylum applicants is not only draconian and short-sighted but is also a human rights violation.

    Whereas previous restrictions mentioned before would prohibit eligibility for asylum claims based on the failure to pursue asylum in another country, the current executive order by the Biden administration doesn’t even do that. Instead, it uses the seven-day average of illegal crossings to determine whether or not to prohibit asylum and, in doing so, punishes legal applicants based on a metric that the Biden administration likely knows will be met consistently. In effect, ensuring that the legal right to request asylum will be denied repeatedly with no means of guaranteed return unless further action is taken.

    If Biden wants to ensure that his administration stands as a beacon of human dignity and opposition to Trump, this policy should be rescinded immediately. Human rights are universal, not dependent upon politicians’ electoral prospects.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    References

    “Asylum-Seekers.” UNHCR US. https://www.unhcr.org/us/asylum-seekers (June 5, 2024).

    “Immigration.” 2023. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1660/Immigration.aspx (June 5, 2024).

    Kanno-Youngs, Zolan, and Hamed Aleaziz. 2024. “In Shift, Biden Issues Order Allowing Temporary Border Closure to Migrants.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/us/politics/biden-executive-order-border-asylum.html (June 5, 2024).

    Karni, Annie. 2024. “Senate Bogs Down on Ukraine and Israel Aid After G.O.P. Blocks Border Deal.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/us/politics/congress-ukraine-israel-aid.html (June 5, 2024).

    Long, Colleen. “Title 42 Has Ended. Here’s What It Did, and How US Immigration Policy Is Changing.” 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d (June 5, 2024).

    Mukpo, Ashoka. “Asylum-Seekers Stranded in Mexico Face Homelessness, Kidnapping, and Sexual Violence.” American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/asylum-seekers-stranded-mexico-face (June 5, 2024).

    Rashid, Qasim. 2024. “We Need To Talk About Biden’s Executive Order on Asylum.” Let’s Address This with Qasim Rashid. https://qasimrashid.substack.com/p/we-need-to-talk-about-bidens-executive (June 5, 2024).

    “‘Remain in Mexico’: Overview and Resources | Human Rights Watch.” 2022. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/07/remain-mexico-overview-and-resources (June 5, 2024).

    Robles, Justo. 2023. “Title 42 Migration Restrictions Have Ended, but Biden’s New Policy Is Tougher.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/13/title-42-migration-biden-new-policy-tougher (June 5, 2024).

  • The Justice Department isn’t Targeting Republicans

    The Justice Department isn’t Targeting Republicans

    After Trump’s Conviction, GOP advocates argue that the justice system is being used against them. This is nonsense.

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

    Ever since Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this last month, there has been a deluge of right-wing activity against the conviction. Figures all over the conservative media sphere have denounced the conviction as a partisan ploy by President Joe Biden, never providing solid evidence as they do. However, what is more troubling is the insistence by Trump and his GOP enablers that the Justice Department is targeting conservatives, in this case, Trump supporters, while ignoring the evidence to the contrary. This fantastical set of alternative facts serves only to maintain the martyrdom complex of the GOP and its march to undermine trust in public institutions for partisan gain.

    Trumpist Wonderland

    When evaluating how Republicans create their myths of martyrdom, it is important to remember the power of partisanship. While partisanship has always been a component of American politics, the level of dedication to Trump has gone even further than the so-called conservative principles that used to theoretically guide the party. But what is now guiding the party is a perpetual defense of Trump.

    After Trump was convicted, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) demanded that prosecutors Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo testify before Congress about what he called the “weaponization of the federal government” and “the unprecedented political prosecution…” of former President Trump. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also lambasted the decision, saying she would vote for Trump “…whether he is a free man or a prisoner of the Biden regime.” The assumption underlying both actions is that Trump’s current legal woes are the product of the Biden administration’s orders and influence and that no Democrat would face consequences from the Justice Department as Trump will. Additionally, neither Jordan nor Greene provided any exculpatory evidence in Trump’s defense. Nor did they explain why Trump failed to testify in his own defense when he previously said he would. If anything, much of their position is tied to accusations of partisan grievances with little to no emphasis on the actual case itself, but more than merely failing to deal with the nature of the case, GOP operatives like Greene and Jordan also ignore direct evidence that shows that the DOJ isn’t targeting Republicans.

    The Rule of Law

    If the argument that the DOJ under Biden is attacking conservatives is to hold up under scrutiny, there would have to be evidence that the DOJ is ignoring cases against prominent Democrats while pursuing cases against Republicans. However, when one looks for examples of such a bias in recent decisions, the evidence shown is very scant. The evidence to the contrary is quite strong. The Justice Department under Biden has been more than willing to go after powerful Democrats regardless of the political implications to Biden.

    While much of the GOP has presupposed so-called lawfare against conservatives, several prominent Democrats have been charged by the DOJ under Biden. In 2022, the Department of Justice’s North District Office of Illinois announced that it was charging then-Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan for “corruptly arranging for payments” to allies of his as part of what the DOJ calls “an alleged conspiracy involving Illinois Bell Telephone Company, which does business as AT&T Illinois.” Madigan was previously charged with racketeering and bribery by that same district office that year.

    Madigan was not the only one who was charged. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, a long-standing Democratic senator, was charged with receiving illegal gifts from Qatar in a “bribery and extortion scheme…” Menendez, who denies all the charges, is also accused of being a foreign agent. While it will be difficult to ascertain whether or not Menendez will be convicted thanks to a Supreme Court ruling in 2016, the fact of the matter remains that the Justice Department has pursued Menendez, irrespective of his politics.

    But it isn’t simply political figures within Democratic politics that the DOJ has indicted over the last four years. President Biden’s own son, Hunter Biden, was charged in September of last year with gun charges for allegedly lying about his drug use on a form when he purchased a .38-caliber Colt revolver. The President’s son faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Nor was that the only case brought against Hunter. In December of that same year, he was charged with tax evasion, which, if convicted, could land the younger Biden with up to 17 years in prison. The younger Biden had attempted to set up a plea deal, but it seems that it fell through, and now he is facing the full might of the law. Far from the preferential treatment that Republicans have argued is present in the Biden DOJ.

    Conclusion

    If Republicans expect the American people to take their accusations of bias or misconduct by Biden’s DOJ, they are going to have to do better than what they are holding onto right now. If Biden were trying to use the DOJ for his political ends, it would logically follow that he would try to defend his political allies in Illinois and New Jersey. Not to mention his own son, but that hasn’t happened. Instead, he has remained outside the bounds of the DOJ’s efforts, leaving the law in the hands of enforcement instead of his own personal and political desires.

    Suppose the Republicans want to deal with the conviction of Trump. In that case, they might want to start by addressing the case at hand or, more importantly, asking themselves why they are about to nominate a presidential candidate who thinks paying off a porn star is an acceptable course of action for a presidential candidate.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    References

    Cheney, Kyle, et al., “Trump Claims He Wants to Testify at His Trial. No One Else Thinks He Should. – POLITICO.” Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/20/trump-testify-hush-money-trial-00158756 (June 4, 2024).

    Hals, Tom. 2024. “Historic Criminal Trial of Hunter Biden to Probe Drug Addiction.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/historic-criminal-trial-hunter-biden-probe-drug-addiction-2024-05-29/ (June 4, 2024).

    Kelly, Conor. “Donald Trump Is Guilty.” The Progressive American. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/05/30/donald-trump-is-guilty/ (June 4, 2024).

    Lynch, Sarah, et al., 2023. “Biden’s Son Hunter Hit with Gun Charge, First for a US President’s Child | Reuters.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bidens-son-hunter-hit-with-criminal-gun-charge-us-special-counsel-probe-2023-09-14/ (June 4, 2024).

    Mascaro, Lisa, and Mary Jalonick. 2024. “Republicans Join Trump’s Attacks on Justice System and Campaign of Vengeance after Guilty Verdict.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-guilty-republicans-vengeance-a05db7fa2512a62afe035992f2baaf16 (June 4, 2024).

    “Northern District of Illinois | Former Illinois Speaker of the House Indicted on Federal Racketeering and Bribery Charges in Connection With Alleged Corruption Schemes | United States Department of Justice.” 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-illinois-speaker-house-indicted-federal-racketeering-and-bribery-charges (June 4, 2024).

    “Northern District of Illinois | Superseding Federal Indictment Against Former Illinois Speaker of the House Adds Charge for Alleged Corruption Scheme Related to AT&T Illinois | United States Department of Justice.” 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/superseding-federal-indictment-against-former-illinois-speaker-house-adds-charge (June 4, 2024).

    Sarnoff, Leah. 2024. “Donald Trump Calls Hush Money Trial ‘rigged’ after Being Found Guilty on All Counts.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-calls-hush-money-trial-rigged-after/story?id=110694162 (June 4, 2024).

    Scannell, Kara. 2024. “Sen. Menendez Charged with Receiving Gifts from Qatar in New Allegations in Corruption Scheme | CNN Politics.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/02/politics/bob-menendez-superseding-indictment-qatar/index.html (June 4, 2024).

    Serino, Kenichi. 2024. “The Bar for Prosecutors in the Menendez Corruption Trial Is Higher Thanks to This 2016 Supreme Court Ruling.” PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/sen-bob-menendez-is-on-trial-for-corruption-why-his-trial-and-that-of-other-public-officials-may-not-end-in-jail-time (June 4, 2024).

    Sisak, Michael, Eric Tucker, Jill Colvin, and Jennifer Peltz. 2024. “Trump Hush Money Verdict: Guilty of All 34 Counts | AP News.” Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0 (June 4, 2024).

    Svitek, Patrick. 2024. “Menendez Files to Run for Reelection as Independent amid Federal Corruption Trial.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/03/menendez-senate-reelection-independent/ (June 4, 2024).

    Thrush, Glenn, and Michael Schmidt. 2023. “Hunter Biden Charged With Evading Taxes on Millions From Foreign Firms – The New York Times.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/us/politics/hunter-biden-indictment.html (June 4, 2024).

  • The Trump Conviction Matters: What it Means and What it Doesn’t

    The Trump Conviction Matters: What it Means and What it Doesn’t

    With the conviction of the former President, speculation about his fate and the election spreads.

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    Image by Ralf Genge from Pixabay

    Trump’s conviction is here, and with it, the most passionate takes possible with little nuance. While many are happy that Trump is now a convicted felon, with a slight majority of Americans saying that the prosecution upheld the rule of law, it is important to remember that the impact of the conviction in the upcoming election remains unclear. It is critical to remember that the current state of affairs is still fluid. 

    Trump Going to Jail Remains Unlikely

    While many have raised the question of Trump going to prison, and I addressed it to a limited extent when I first reported on the ruling yesterday, it is worth reiterating that Trump’s legal fate remains uncertain. 

    While Judge Merchan has the power to send Trump to jail for up to 4 years, and former U.S. federal court judge Shira A. Scheindlin has suggested that he may receive a short jail sentence followed by probation, the likelihood of that is small. While Judge Merchan has repeatedly made clear that he doesn’t take white-collar crime lightly and has a reputation as a no-nonsense judge, some factors may influence his judgment against a prison sentence. 

    Trump is no ordinary convict. While nobody is above the law, the reality is that he is a former president, and that comes with legal requirements for his security. As a former president, Trump is legally entitled to around-the-clock protection by the Secret Service. Whether or not it is popular is immaterial. During his time as president, Trump was exposed to secrets that could undermine our national security if they were released or if they were forced from the former president. While that is unlikely to happen, the risk means that the Secret Service must always ensure Trump’s safety. Putting Trump in prison would mean that the Secret Service would have to not only figure out how to place their agents in places that would allow them to shut down access to the former president but also have to coordinate their resources with authorities in charge of the prison. Never before has the Secret Service considered the possibility of guarding a convicted ex-president. 

    Another consideration is Trump’s criminal history. While a convict, he is a first-time offender, and taking a staunch approach to the former president could give the impression of zealous aggression on Judge Merchan’s part. The other component is the relatively small maximum sentence of Trump’s conviction. Under New York law, falsifying business records holds a maximum prison sentence of 1 to 4 years. 

    Putting a first-time offender, the GOP presumptive nominee, behind bars for four years will almost certainly not be Judge Merchan’s approach. It would reinforce a presumption of hostility towards Trump and lend itself to a potential appeal by Trump’s legal team. Already, Trump has stated he will appeal the conviction, and a jail time sentence would almost certainly be challenged. No matter how you split it, it is unlikely that Trump will see a jail cell any time before the election is finished, if at all.

    The prosecution isn’t going to give Trump the election.

    Another component of the conviction that needs to be addressed is the Trumpist assumption that this conviction will lead to a Trump victory. Several figures, including Trump, have argued that the conviction will benefit his election chances. The far-right propaganda outlet Breitbart News pointed to a rise in fundraising for Trump after the conviction, implying that the conviction will assist Trump in the long term.

    There are a few problems with this line of thinking. Namely the emphasis on money over votes. While fundraising is important and a critical factor in any election, it is not the only or main factor in deciding an election. Public perception is, and thus far, the public perception, as I mentioned earlier, is that the prosecution was necessary. Furthermore, the conviction doesn’t currently seem to change much in the eyes of the public, though there are five months to go before November.

    Partisanship will also heavily impact the perception of these trials and simply appealing to a base that was inclined to vote for Trump already will not change much. No candidate, whether Biden or Trump, can win the election simply by appealing to their base. Trump needs to grow his support, and thus far, it looks like he can barely do that. The other component, albeit small, is the portion of voters who say they would reconsider their vote for Trump. However, as I noted before: “Previous polling showed that if convicted, 9 percent of Trump supporters would reconsider voting for the former president, though reconsidering doesn’t necessarily mean they would change their vote.” Still, some voters have stated they would be less likely to vote for Trump if he was convicted, with 10 percent of Republicans and 11 percent of independents saying as much.

    The other issue is that Trump’s funding narrative is misleading. Biden has consistently outraised Trump and has outspent him. Trump has only outraised Biden once and it was in April, but even with the April aberration, Biden still outraises Trump with $195 million to Trump’s $124 million. Biden also does better than Trump among individual contributors, raising an estimated $71 million compared to Trump’s measly $1 million. Even with his advantage in non-party committee donations, he is still behind Biden.

    The reality is that the Trumpist narrative about the conviction’s impact seriously lacks evidence. Leftist writer and analyst Lauren Elizabeth put it into exactly the terms that this narrative rightfully deserves, saying:

    Why are some of Trump’s supporters and the media personalities who follow him convinced this could hand him the election when there is no data whatsoever to suggest that getting convicted of 34 felonies is going to endear him to more people outside of his core base? People he’s going to need in order to actually win an election, since his base will not be enough. Who’s to say this doesn’t motivate Democrats in droves to ensure he doesn’t see office again?

    Nobody knows for certain how this will impact the election. It was already difficult to ascertain who would win due to the close nature of the races in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, so the idea that Trump will suddenly coast to victory because of his conviction and a supposed martyrdom factor is faulty at best. What we do know is that Trump is guilty and that, thus far, it isn’t helping his chances in the election, but with five months to go, anything can happen.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    References

    Berman, Mark, et al., 2024. “Donald Trump Found Guilty on All Counts in New York Hush Money Trial.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/30/trump-guilty-verdict-hush-money-trial/ (May 30, 2024).

    Bromwich, Jonah E., and Ben Protess. 2024. “Live Updates: Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-trial-verdict (May 30, 2024).

    Dail, Isabella. 2024. “Breaking down the 2024 US Presidential Election Campaign Funds.” Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/a/breaking-down-the-2024-us-presidential-election-campaign-funds-/7637216.html (June 1, 2024).

    Elizabeth, Lauren. 2024. “No, the Conviction Is Not Handing Trump the Election.” Medium. https://xlauren-mx.medium.com/no-the-conviction-is-not-handing-trump-the-election-f7aab11ea085 (May 31, 2024).

    Kelly, Conor. 2024. “Biden Polling Improves: A Possible Sign for Growing Strength.” The Progressive American. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/03/26/biden-polling-improves-a-possible-sign-for-growing-strength/ (May 30, 2024).

    Rashbaum, William K. 2024. “If Trump’s Conviction Lands Him in Prison, the Secret Service Goes, Too.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-prison-secret-service.html (May 31, 2024).

    Santhanam, Laura. 2024. “Guilty or Not Guilty, Trump Verdict Won’t Sway Most Voters, Poll Shows.” PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/guilty-or-not-guilty-trump-verdict-wont-sway-most-voters-poll-shows (June 1, 2024).

    Sullivan, Andy, et al.,2024. “Trump Says He Will Appeal Historic Conviction | Reuters.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-race-plunges-into-uncharted-territory-trump-awaits-july-sentencing-2024-05-31/ (May 31, 2024).

    What’s next for Trump? Former Federal Judge Thinks Jail Time. 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkTHtrLnL74 (May 31, 2024).

  • Donald Trump is Guilty

    Donald Trump is Guilty

    He will be the first President in American history to be a convicted felon

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    By DonkeyHotey – Donald Trump – Caricature, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87995289

    In a historic and entirely unprecedented moment in American history, Donald J. Trump, the former President of the United States and presumptive nominee for the Republican ticket for president, was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The conviction, which is sure to be appealed, means that Trump has once again made legal history as the first president to be convicted of a felony. However, it also means that the very nature of his campaign and bid for the White House is now under threat.

    A Conviction Finally

    The conviction, which some expected yesterday, came on Thursday, May 30, 2024. After two days of deliberation, it is not only the first of its kind but one that was far from guaranteed. Jurors had to consider every single charge that was presented by the prosecution, and even further than that, they had to determine whether Trump was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If even one of the jurors had an iota of doubt, the jury would be hung, and Trump could claim a mistrial. That not only didn’t happen, but the jury went further; they demonstrated to the American people that he was undeniably guilty—a criminal.

    Such a shift in status will almost certainly be significant not only in the election but in the history of the United States itself. As a man requesting the American people’s trust, a conviction and subsequent sentencing could undermine Trump’s ability to run as an effective candidate.

    Will Trump go to Jail?

    While Trump’s conviction is historic, it remains unclear if he will see the inside of a cell. While Trump is a convicted felon, and the charges for which he was found guilty carry a sentence of 1.3 to 4 years in jail, it remains difficult to ascertain the likelihood of jail. Trump’s sentence for his crimes has not yet been set, and he will be facing sentencing on July 11th. As it stands, Judge Merchan has noted that Trump will be allowed to return home and free without bail, though that may change if Merchan decides to sentence the former president to any jail time.

    That freedom may work in Trump’s favor, as it would allow him to continue his campaigning despite the likelihood that he will be able to politically recover from being the first president to be convicted of a crime.

    What does this mean for the election?

    While it is difficult to determine the immediate impact of Donald Trump’s conviction, it remains clear that it is not the outcome that Trump wants. While he is leading Biden on average in multiple swing states, that lead is far from strong, as I noted before. If Trump’s criminality is utilized adequately in the coming five months, it could undermine his polling leads and could lead to a shift in the Biden campaign’s chances.

    ‘If’ being the operative word here.

    Polling on the Trump conviction is far from standard, as all of our data exists in the realm of a hypothetical conviction. The question of whether or not Trump would be convicted is no longer hypothetical and could create a shift in how voters react to the former president. Previous polling showed that if convicted, 9 percent of Trump supporters would reconsider voting for the former president, though reconsidering doesn’t necessarily mean they would change their vote. Still, even a 10 percent shift could be the difference between a victory or a loss for the former president, and with how close polling has been, it is unlikely Trump can afford any loss of support from this conviction.  While a lot can happen from now, one thing is certain. We live in interesting times.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    References

    Berman, Mark, Shayna Jacobs, Devlin Barrett, and Derek Hawkins. 2024. “Donald Trump Found Guilty on All Counts in New York Hush Money Trial.” Washington Post, May 30, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/30/trump-guilty-verdict-hush-money-trial/.

    Bromwich, Jonah E., and Ben Protess. 2024. “Live Updates: Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case.” The New York Times, May 30, 2024, sec. New York. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-trial-verdict.

    Dorn, Sara. n.d. “Biden Vs. Trump 2024 Election Polls: Biden Leads Trump By 2 Points—But Loses With RFK Jr. On Ballot, Latest Survey Shows.” Forbes, sec. Business. Accessed May 30, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/30/biden-vs-trump-2024-election-polls-biden-leads-trump-by-2-points-but-loses-with-rfk-jr-on-ballot-latest-survey-shows/.

    Kelly, Conor. 2024. “Biden Polling Improves: A Possible Sign for Growing Strength.” The Progressive American (blog). March 26, 2024. https://conorpolitics.wordpress.com/2024/03/26/biden-polling-improves-a-possible-sign-for-growing-strength/.

  • RFK Jr. is Wrong about The Confederacy

    RFK Jr. is Wrong about The Confederacy

    How RFK Jr. is perpetuating myths that maintain white supremacy and bad history

    Conor J. Kelly's avatar

    Conor J. Kelly

    By Chris Pruitt – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6506482

    The issue of Confederate statues is once again in the news, this time thanks to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The notorious anti-vaccine advocate appeared on conservative podcaster Tim Pool’s show alongside far-right commentator Hannah-Claire Brimelow, where Kennedy said that he got a “visceral reaction against” the removal of the statue of the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. His argument, which is often repeated by defenders of Confederate monuments, betrays a gross misunderstanding about the nature of the historical memory of the Confederacy and the Confederate monuments themselves.

    What RFK Jr. said and why it’s a problem

     RFK Jr. has been working hard to draw attention to himself, so, unsurprisingly, he would go on Tim Pool’s show. Pool has a large audience of nearly two million subscribers, making it easier for him to spread his message where he otherwise would be unable to. However, it is not the show itself that is the problem. Instead, it is his appeal to the Lost Cause. During the show, RFK Jr. not only expressed frustration with the removal of the Lee monument but sympathy for the Confederate soldiers who waged war against the United States, saying: “There were heroes in the Confederacy who didn’t have slaves and, you know, I just, I just have a visceral reaction against destroying history. I don’t like it. I think we should celebrate who we are.”

    This is problematic for a variety of reasons. One that comes to mind is the idea of celebrating historical figures who fought for slavery against the United States itself. And make no mistake, the Confederacy fought to preserve slavery.  Under the Confederate constitution, slavery was not only legal but protected. One section made this painfully clear, saying:

    The Confederate States may acquire new territory; and Congress shall have power to legislate and provide governments for the inhabitants of all territory belonging to the Confederate States, lying without the limits of the several Sates; and may permit them, at such times, and in such manner as it may by law provide, to form States to be admitted into the Confederacy. In all such territory the institution of negro slavery, as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected be Congress and by the Territorial government; and the inhabitants of the several Confederate States and Territories shall have the right to take to such Territory any slaves lawfully held by them in any of the States or Territories of the Confederate States.

    Confederate Constitution, Article 4 Section 3 Subsection 3, 1861.

    Even without the specifics of the CSA’s Constitution, statements by the very leaders of the Confederacy make their goals perfectly clear. Robert E. Lee himself, despite the mythology of his gentile disposition, was a ruthless slave owner who, despite claiming he would free his slaves to secure the union, also argued that slavery was a burden on the white populace and a burden they had to uphold to ‘civilize’ Black people. He made this perfectly clear in a letter to his wife in 1856, in which he wrote, “…the painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope you will prepare & lead them to better things.” Others were more emphatic in their support for slavery, with Vice President of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephen, saying in a speech in 1861 that the Confederacy’s “…foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.” While it is certainly true not all Confederate soldiers owned slaves, they were all part of an enterprise to preserve the institution of slavery, and they knew it.

    They not only went so far as to fight for slavery but openly wrote and spoke about their pro-slavery motivations. In one instant, Private Lunsford Yandell, Jr. of the Kentucky Cavalry asserted his strong support for slavery, saying, “The vandals of the North are determined to destroy slavery…. We must all fight, and I choose to fight for southern rights and southern liberty…” Another soldier, Lieutenant William Nugent of the 28th Mississippi Infantry, reiterated that position, warning that “This country without slave labor would be completely worthless. We can only live and exist by that species of labor; and hence I am willing to fight to the last.”  These two were not extreme by any imagination either. Letter after letter demonstrates that many Confederates either joined to fight for the preservation of slavery or were not opposed to its preservation at the expense of the Union. Even those who were drafted shouldn’t be celebrated as the reason for their conscription was directly tied to the institution of slavery itself through the Confederacy’s goals.

    For RFK Jr. to attempt to celebrate this history as if it is an honorable thing to fight for the Confederacy is an absurdity that betrays not only an unwillingness to examine the past critically but also a desire to create mythologies around concrete and observable historical phenomena and this is especially true when it comes to RFK Jr.’s view of Confederate statues.

    So, about those statues

    The relationship that America has with Confederate monuments is a complex but important one. As I have noted previously, the memory that an unfortunate portion of the American public has of the Confederacy is one largely based on the Lost Cause myth. The Lost Cause myth, which I addressed previously, asserts that the Civil War wasn’t about slavery and is as much a pernicious lie as it is a racist pseudo-history.  By promoting the states’ rights narrative, former confederates and confederate sympathizers worked to paint the South and its racial supremacy in a more gentile light.

    This, in turn, allowed former Confederates to reiterate and maintain white supremacy. As they forced out African Americans from public office and denied them their rights, they raised statues to their favorite Confederate figures, each of them being a symbol of the white supremacist resurgence that came with the failure of Reconstruction. As I noted previously:

    … supporters of the Lost Cause glorified various figures from the war as symbols of Southern valor and prowess. Lee was foremost among these mythical figures. Edward Bonekemper’s The Myth of the Lost Cause: Why the South Fought the Civil War and Why the North Won (2015) rightfully takes a shot at this valorization, noting that Lee had higher casualty rates than his victorious Northern rival, Ulysses S. Grant. But that did not stop many of these pro-confederate activists from making him into a symbol.

    From the very end of the war onward, the Confederacy’s memory has been polluted by these monuments. The very purpose of these statues was a celebration at the expense of truth and at the expense of the well-being of African Americans who were forced to look upon symbols of their subjugation. Even as the Lee statue was still standing, white supremacists fought tooth and nail to hold onto their fantasy of racial supremacy, killing Heather Heyer in the process. The Confederate statues and, by extension, all of the symbols associated with them are tied to racial violence. Failing to acknowledge that will not make our historical memory any more accurate. It will only pollute our outlook on the future, and if RFK Jr. is serious about being the President of the United States, then he has to acknowledge that.

    If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation site through my Kofi account. I really appreciate it.

    Bibliography

    Alfaro, Mariana. 2024. “RFK Jr. Had a ‘Visceral’ Reaction to Tear-Downs of Confederate Statues.” Washington Post, May 28, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/28/rfk-jr-confederate-statues/.

    Armus, Teo, and Hadley Green. 2023. “Charlottesville’s Lee Statue Meets Its End, in a 2,250-Degree Furnace.” Washington Post, October 26, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2023/civil-war-monument-melting-robert-e-lee-confederate/.

    “Avalon Project – Constitution of the Confederate States; March 11, 1861.” n.d. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_csa.asp.

    Heim, Joe. 2017. “How a Rally of White Nationalists and Supremacists at the University of Virginia Turned into a ‘Tragic, Tragic Weekend.’” Washington Post, August 14, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/.

    House, Mailing Address: Arlington, The Robert E. Lee Memorial 700 George Washington Memorial Parkway c/o Turkey Run Park McLean, and VA 22101 Phone: 703 235-1530 Contact Us. n.d. “Robert E. Lee and Slavery – Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (U.S. National Park Service).” Accessed May 30, 2024. https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-e-lee-and-slavery.htm.

    Kelly, Conor. 2021. “The Lost Cause: A Pernicious Myth.” Substack newsletter. The Progressive American (blog). June 13, 2021. https://progressiveamerican.substack.com/p/the-lost-cause-a-pernicious-myth.

    ———. 2023a. “Not All History Is Made Equal.” AnInjustice, March 22, 2023. https://aninjusticemag.com/not-all-history-is-made-equal-6ab018c8be56.

    ———. 2023b. “Acknowledging the Past Is Complicated: A Response to Joel W. Sturgeon.” Medium (blog). April 3, 2023. https://aninjusticemag.com/acknowledging-the-past-is-complicated-a-response-to-joel-w-sturgeon-755e6fb875ce?sk=c5be8c3b9719093ef32d99e75f45871a.

    “RFK Jr. Says He Has A ‘Visceral Reaction Against’ Removing Confederate Monuments On ‘Timcast IRL.’” 2024. Angry White Men (blog). May 26, 2024. https://angrywhitemen.org/2024/05/26/rfk-jr-says-he-has-a-visceral-reaction-against-removing-confederate-monuments-on-timcast-irl/.

    Timcast IRL, dir. 2024. RFK Jr Joins LIVE At The Libertarian National Convention Talking Trump, Biden, 2024 | Timcast IRL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCcoBOfNlcM.