I despise Trump, but like you, I'm relieved no one was seriously hurt last night.
I don't believe this was "staged" and I wish people would stop saying it was. We need to avoid going down the same conspiratorial rabbit holes as some of Trump's supporters.
I agree with you on the rabbit holes. So many are immediately yelling, "staged!" but providing no evidence and that has the potential to hurt us. Simon, I'm wondering if you might address this issue. I also worry that such attacks may generate some sympathy for Trump.
I followed your link and read it. Thank you. Totally sane; well-grounded. Makes perfect sense. But some of those on our team will continue to yell, "staged."
I read Graff’s analysis, as requested. Very reasonable.
As a general, tangential observation: I fully endorse a robust and even aggressive information campaign from Democrats, but I think immediately claiming this attack was staged is not helpful to the cause. Sigh, Americans do like to over do. After all this is the country that gave us 5 versions of Rocky! 🥊
I doubt it was staged, but I understand why so many people seem to have leapt to that possibility. That alone should make clear what a dangerous time we're in.
I don't think it hurts our cause if some people speculate it was staged. It could just show how much Trump and his sycophants are not trusted to ever tell the truth about anything. It was really weird to me that Trump posted the event would go on, posted pictures, etc. But nothing about this guy is not weird. Having said that, I did read the article and I have forwarded it on.
However, do I want our leaders, politicians and trusted independent media saying it was staged with no proof? No.
Glad no one was hurt. Will any of the right wingers running to safety change their mind about gun safety laws? Doubtful.
It doesn't hurt to speculate about national events in one's living room or the corner bar, but speculation on social media spreads like, pardon the cliché, wildfire when the topic is of widespread interest. As this one is. One of my Facebook friends posted her unsubstantiated theory, and now her friends are spreading it to their friends. It's so much easier to share than to track down the truth -- which at this point isn't entirely known.
I don't put much stock in unsubstantiated claims. As long as someone is not shouting fire in a theatre, I am not about to post what people on social media should or should not post. I find most of us here at Hopium are pretty levelheaded. That is why I subscribe to it.
I don't believe it was staged either, but of course, Trump himself is to be blamed for this reaction, not only in general (at least 500,000 plus lies, manipulations, and deceptions over the course of a decade will do that) but due to his own reactions to these kinds of events, and those of his people. In Butler, what are people supposed to think when the moment shots are fired, as if on cue, one of his people scurries off to gather up photographers and position them in exactly the right place to capture the iconic photo (including the flag)? Last night, his first public reaction was an 'I told you so' pitch for his obscene ballroom.
It's interesting, though, that so far, it doesn't appear that they're milking this the way they usually do (I don't know what’s happened this AM). A loss of confidence? In general, and/or in the efficacy of this wag-the-dogish tactic? Not wanting to call attention and give other people ideas?
Yes! I was just posting that very observation! I just don't see the usual milking this time, only coordinated 'that's why we need the ballroom' posts coming from GOP leaders. They didn't even muster any immediate "radical leftist" broad brush portrayals of the shooter. There's also the audio of the dudes trying to get a "USA" chant going only to fizzle out as no one was joining in. This just seems more subdued which to me leans toward either "oh shit, that was close" seriousness or "operation ballroom justification."
The ballroom argument is especially silly. Trump regularly golfs outside at MaraLargo, appears at outdoor rallies, gives speeches in large rooms, etc. Those places don't have super duper, magically drone proof, extra special security measures. There's nothing about a ball or formal dinner that is more dangerous than, say, a rally in an auditorium. If anything, the Secret Service has more control over who comes to a dinner or ball. No one in DC wants that stupid tacky ballroom.
I don't know how you can be so sure it wasn't staged. After everything Trump has done nothing is conspiratorial. Give it some time and let's see what the days ahead reveal.
I am wondering if incidents of murder will be a constant threat we will be living with in the years, maybe decades, following 🍊’s departure. America has a long history of violence and has prioritized guns over children.
This very morning on MSNOW (Ali Velshi) ) they had a guest talking head who was a retired law enforcement officer. I fully understand that those who must daily confront the worst that humanity has to offer would become somewhat jaded after years, but this fellow made a comment that truly shocked me. He was trying to make the point that the dinner event last night was a "threat to democracy" (I don't disagree) but, in doing so, he used the phrase that it was not "just another run-of-the-mill shooting".
Is this where we are now? We have "run-of-the-mill-shootings"? In my opinion, ALL shootings are a threat to our democracy. We've had way too many of them. Let's fix this.
Run of the mill shooting??? Tell that to the parents of children who have been killed or injured or to anyone who has been affected by gun violence. Did Ali Velshi respond to this very insensitive and callous remark?
Political assassinations became a thing in Germany in the 1920s, most carried out by the fascist right, of course, so unless we completely annihilate MAGA at the ballot box (as never happened to the Nazis), it's a serious concern.
Fortunately, wiping them out in historic fashion appears to be in our reach, especially if we can turn their decades of gerrymanders into dummymanders, which is apparently what made Orban's defeat look even worse than it was--Magyar captured 2/3s of the seats with only 53% of the vote (even if you throw out the minor parties and redistribute their votes to the big two proportionately, that still "only" gets Magyar a 57-43 win).
This NYT gift article "Meet the New Leader of the Free World" about President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will bring a smile for Ukraine, a tear for America. https://tinyurl.com/Free-World-Leader
Thank you for the article. I consider Zelenskyy a true hero and have sent some money to a Ukraine fund and written to their Ambassador to the United States twice. She sent me a postcard with the American and Ukrainian flag on the front, thanking me. Wish I could do more, but inflation is a killer to my purse.
Agreed conspiratorial whispers help no one. As for his war on Iran, he has concocted a distraction from the Epstein files stench, our sabotaged economy and the cratering of our safety net. He could care less about putting our troops in harm's way for what amounts to political triage and his hunger for money (aka oil) and attention.
I'm sorry but why are people assuming 47 was even the target? It is a shame we will never get the truth with the current DOJ and FBI. Sinking poll numbers and shooting make for good TV.
Although we wouldn't want this to have been staged, Aaron Parnas was startled by the huge lack of security into the hotel last night - virtually nonexistent. People also wonder because Trump wasn't going to attend - and then decided to go ahead. These could just be standalone events - or, just as with the "tampon ear" event, it could have been staged. The timing is potentially suspicious. And if this was real, then yes, of course everyone is glad no one was injured.
Hi Simon: Great article - thanks for the recommendation. This does clarify the security situation - especially for this hotel. In a note that speaks to the security team's ineptness as the shooter approached through the ballroom doors, however, you'll see that Michael Baer replied to my comment with this observation: "I saw a video clip pulled from Trump's own truth social account of the shooter running straight through the security setup of 4 or 5 guys standing around outside the event room next to the metal detector, and rather than tackle him, they moved aside to reach for their guns in their holsters while he blew right by them." Strange night.
It begins as follows. LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, I'm thankful for the bravery and the heroism of the Secret Service and the men and women of law enforcement. I'm grateful that everyone, from the President and First Lady on down are safe, who attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and certainly thankful that this brave Secret Service agent, who was shot, has been released from the hospital and is on his way to a full and complete recovery. Listen, I think that here in America, we can have strong disagreements, but it's important for us to agree to strongly disagree without being disagreeable with each other. And it is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it's targeted at the right, the left or the center. We have issues that we have to work out amongst each other, that's embedded in the First Amendment that was being celebrated last night. But what is also embedded in the First Amendment is the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government peacefully.
So many things that need distraction, including the fact that last night would have seen an award for Epstein coverage -
"There was a reporter from CNN (Kaitlyn Collins) who was going to receive an award for her covering of the Epstein Files. That, and the fact Felon47 is dragging this country to ruin. This was staged to boost approval ratings & to garner sympathy"
so it's no wonder many are calling this a staged event.
The event is rescheduled. There will still be a Katherine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability to the WSJ's reporting. It is for coverage of the 2003 "birthday book" given to Jeffrey Epstein that included the suggestive drawing and note attributed to Donald Trump.
Did not know about the Collins award--thanks. Given how incompetent this WH is, it would not surprise me at all if they didn't find out about that until after they accepted the invite (it also wouldn't surprise me if the WHCA didn't reveal it until then or maybe even didn't create it until then). Once he found out about it, he couldn't back out because the press would say that was why (the more erudite might even remind readers of the plot of Hamlet), and at the same time, if he's *there* when it's given out, the odds that he or someone else would say, do, gesture, or look in a way that goes viral, to his detriment, about his least favorite subject would certainly seem to be a good motive to have someone crash and scuttle the party.
First and foremost, like most, I’m glad NO ONE was harmed!
That withstanding, Last night I don't think it helps Trump either and it's not a photo op like Butler. That was a Reagan moment, period!
His mojo is gone regardless of this! Most people (including many Republicans) I think were more concerned for the journalists inside. Didn’t take him long to turn it into “This wouldn’t have happened in my ballroom.” Not to mention, people are gonna forget about this in less than a week. Most average people don’t even watch nor know what the hell the WH Correspondence Dinner is!!!
People can’t pay for their gas and groceries…they’re not gonna care much about this. Just the blunt truth. Most people aren’t us, who stay invested in all this craziness.
It’s over for him. We just NEED to ensure we WIN the midterms and actually get our asses in those seats. Against the odds we face, I still rather be us with our bench of Dem Governors, AGs, Secretaries of State, and lawyers (especially Marc Elias who’s solid gold and keeps WINNING)!!! I really do think this will end up too big to rig 🙏.
Meanwhile, Kash Patel is def next to go! Last night’s incident ain’t gonna help him.
It gives you a sense of how much trouble he's in to know that these days, the loudest voices claiming Butler was staged are MAGA influencers. Talk about being hoist by your own conspiracy-weaponizing petard...
Here's a great 12-minute interview by Brian Tyler Cohen with the fiery Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas. She was a chief promoter of the 10-1 redistricting referendum that passed last week. I'd love to see Simon interview her.
Will there be no official investigation, as there wasn’t, bizarrely, for Butler? And it was odd that everyone in the line of presidential succession was there. Regardless, let’s not forget that the White House press corps is only a shell of its former self, and is pretty much made up of right-wing sycophants, at this point. And let’s not let the lamestream media construct a false narrative about what happened, that assigns any amount of courage and competence to trump and his team.
I was thinking of just Vance and Johnson. Once you go beyond those two it gets even more nightmarish, with 800-year-old Grassley, then a cadre of buffoons in the Cabinet, who are almost as bad as trump in the morals and cognition department. You prompted me to look beyond Vance and Johnson. Thanks for the review. What a sorry lot.
I don't believe it was staged, I am just asking questions, to wit:
-the timing is suspect - lots of negative press for the WH of late, and this changes the subject. Either way, it will be used as a distraction from the current failure narrative, so it's "convenient" for them
-I have been to a bunch of high security events in DC and elsewhere. Grew up there and have attended events where the VP was in attendance, and I know how major league the security is. It's a pain in the butt for attendees. I am also familiar w the fact that the "Reagan Hilton" has been significantly upgraded with security after the assassination attempt in 1981. I used to see motorcades driving around my neighborhood all the time. They take security very seriously in DC. I also know how hard it is to get/walk around with a firearm in DC. I am just finding it extremely hard to believe this happened. Either folks were inexcusably lackadaisical, there weren't enough staff, or some combo of the those.
-most of the serious press were NOT in the room, they were at the Substack event at the Renwick. Most of the folks at the Hilton were either going to walk out in protest or were the sycophants he lets into WH briefing room. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, Simon, but there were a heck of a lot of cabinet folks there, seemed like more than usual. All of this is a recipe for getting a certain kind of coverage, aka no hard hitting questions.
-the reactions from the cabinet and Orange at the "presser" were alarmingly self-important and smug given the seriousness of the situation.
That's all I'm going to say. I am really disappointed at how credulous MSM is being about all this. I mean, the first footage we got was from ORANGE's PHONE. Inappropriate, suspicious, changing the subject, setting the narrative. This is the kind of stuff that happens in authoritarian regimes to build up the leader.
Our Community not Cages protest yesterday - which NO ONE is talking about, victory for the WH - was great and there were a lot of them around the country. Keep going!
Thank you for your perspective. We don't know whether it was staged or not, and wont learn about it from DOJ or FBI as Simon stated, but Trump's response by calmly calling for the Bunker under the ballroom within the hour and still in his tuxedo seemed pretty suspiscious.
Also, Trump posted on his own Truth Social a clip of security cameras of the suspected perp running through the metal detectors, where 4 or 5 agents were standing around. They moved aside to reach for their weapons and gave him a clear path down the hall. No one tried to tackle him and it looked keystone cops, whether staged or not.
Couldn't agree with you more about the Figliuzzi ~ Ben Ghiat interview. Most excellent perspective from two experts.
What was Trump’s goal in posting that, I wonder? To convince people (as he tried in Butler) that the deep state was behind this? If so, to paraphrase Walt Kelly, dude, you have fired the deep state, so *it* is *you*.
I concur and appreciate all of the details you included. I was immediately reminded of the article on 3/21 in WaPo about the Russian SVR proposal to use the Gamechanger strategy to boost Orban’s chances in the 4/12 election by appealing to the voters’ emotions.
The last I had heard, the White House was going to boycott the dinner. I was surprised that “Orange” and the entire cabinet were there.
I hope, probably in vain, that there will be a thorough investigation into the perpetrator, his background, and his he happened to show up when and where he did. It just doesn’t ring true to me based on the little we know.
Oh, by the way, the envoys to Pakistan were called back and there are no negotiations going on in Iran, did you see that?
I'm not saying it was staged. I never said that. What I did say was that it's convenient for them, and all should be held to account and treat the episode appropriately. I don't see MSM doing much of that right now.
I was at a Moms Demand convention w VP Harris a couple years back, and the notion that multiple layers of security could not happen bc of the size of the event - not buying it. We had close to 1K attendees, and had to go 2 layers of security AFTER the building (a whole wing of Chicago convention center) was secured. They shut down the whole area the night before the event.
Day of the event, we were permitted nothing but phones - no bags, no nuthin. And we had to stand and wait to get in the room for an hour, then wait another hour till VP Harris was in the building for the event to start. That's the level of security I would expect at a minimum. What Garrett described was not this, and IMHO was not enough. Security is supposed to be inconvenient. I just know what I have experienced recently, and I am not pleased with the level of seriousness exhibited by the WH, nor by the obviously depleted security teams. Recipe for disaster. Or as we Moms say, IT'S THE GUNS.
I'm definitely not an expert on security. But, a lack thereof seems consistent with the level of hubris and recklessness shown by the current administration for just about everything. So, perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised at last night's chaotic event.
Thanks much for all this original context, Lisa. If iit *was* staged (and like you, I'm not saying it was), the most plausible backstory to me from what you've gleaned is that the WH got word that journalists were really going to walk out en masse when he spoke, possibly with some choice gestures on the way, which would be major loss of face for him, and a signal to the rest of the country that he no longer need to be feared or respected. He couldn't back out without losing face as well, so he arranged to have the whole thing short-circuited by having a rando crash the party. Whether he had guns or not, they were props--he was never going to fire them--which is why he's still alive today.
In today's Contrarian interview, April Ryan and Norm Eisen said they were planning to leave in protest but I had the impression they felt they were a small minority. April was on fire talking about her disgust with the White House press corps. (Sorry, but I deleted the link from my email.)
Lisa, I was at a Community not Cages protest in Mesa AZ. There were about 100 of us at a busy intersection. Although there could have been more we were a colorful, vocal bunch. Plus there were other protests planned throughout AZ. At 5pm yesterday there was a large protest outside the ICE detention warehouse in Surprise AZ. I see yesterday's incident as another distraction from the bad economy, war in Iran, bad headlines and polls Herr Drumpf doesn't want us to focus on. Not long after, the MAGA spin machine was back on message regarding the need for a ballroom.
I despise Trump, but like you, I'm relieved no one was seriously hurt last night.
I don't believe this was "staged" and I wish people would stop saying it was. We need to avoid going down the same conspiratorial rabbit holes as some of Trump's supporters.
I agree with you on the rabbit holes. So many are immediately yelling, "staged!" but providing no evidence and that has the potential to hurt us. Simon, I'm wondering if you might address this issue. I also worry that such attacks may generate some sympathy for Trump.
Everyone please Garrett Graff's analysis.....
I followed your link and read it. Thank you. Totally sane; well-grounded. Makes perfect sense. But some of those on our team will continue to yell, "staged."
That was excellent. Thanks for linking to it – and for highlighting it as a must-read.
I was really grateful for this piece by Graff.
I read Graff’s analysis, as requested. Very reasonable.
As a general, tangential observation: I fully endorse a robust and even aggressive information campaign from Democrats, but I think immediately claiming this attack was staged is not helpful to the cause. Sigh, Americans do like to over do. After all this is the country that gave us 5 versions of Rocky! 🥊
I doubt it was staged, but I understand why so many people seem to have leapt to that possibility. That alone should make clear what a dangerous time we're in.
Especially when it’s hard to look at the evidence and not think Butler was staged.
I don't think it hurts our cause if some people speculate it was staged. It could just show how much Trump and his sycophants are not trusted to ever tell the truth about anything. It was really weird to me that Trump posted the event would go on, posted pictures, etc. But nothing about this guy is not weird. Having said that, I did read the article and I have forwarded it on.
However, do I want our leaders, politicians and trusted independent media saying it was staged with no proof? No.
Glad no one was hurt. Will any of the right wingers running to safety change their mind about gun safety laws? Doubtful.
It doesn't hurt to speculate about national events in one's living room or the corner bar, but speculation on social media spreads like, pardon the cliché, wildfire when the topic is of widespread interest. As this one is. One of my Facebook friends posted her unsubstantiated theory, and now her friends are spreading it to their friends. It's so much easier to share than to track down the truth -- which at this point isn't entirely known.
I don't put much stock in unsubstantiated claims. As long as someone is not shouting fire in a theatre, I am not about to post what people on social media should or should not post. I find most of us here at Hopium are pretty levelheaded. That is why I subscribe to it.
I don't believe it was staged either, but of course, Trump himself is to be blamed for this reaction, not only in general (at least 500,000 plus lies, manipulations, and deceptions over the course of a decade will do that) but due to his own reactions to these kinds of events, and those of his people. In Butler, what are people supposed to think when the moment shots are fired, as if on cue, one of his people scurries off to gather up photographers and position them in exactly the right place to capture the iconic photo (including the flag)? Last night, his first public reaction was an 'I told you so' pitch for his obscene ballroom.
It's interesting, though, that so far, it doesn't appear that they're milking this the way they usually do (I don't know what’s happened this AM). A loss of confidence? In general, and/or in the efficacy of this wag-the-dogish tactic? Not wanting to call attention and give other people ideas?
Agree and well said.
Yes! I was just posting that very observation! I just don't see the usual milking this time, only coordinated 'that's why we need the ballroom' posts coming from GOP leaders. They didn't even muster any immediate "radical leftist" broad brush portrayals of the shooter. There's also the audio of the dudes trying to get a "USA" chant going only to fizzle out as no one was joining in. This just seems more subdued which to me leans toward either "oh shit, that was close" seriousness or "operation ballroom justification."
The ballroom argument is especially silly. Trump regularly golfs outside at MaraLargo, appears at outdoor rallies, gives speeches in large rooms, etc. Those places don't have super duper, magically drone proof, extra special security measures. There's nothing about a ball or formal dinner that is more dangerous than, say, a rally in an auditorium. If anything, the Secret Service has more control over who comes to a dinner or ball. No one in DC wants that stupid tacky ballroom.
I'm surprised he hasn't proposed a 9-hole short course inside the ballroom. Or, at the very least a putt-putt course.
Don't give him any ideas!
I don't know how you can be so sure it wasn't staged. After everything Trump has done nothing is conspiratorial. Give it some time and let's see what the days ahead reveal.
I am wondering if incidents of murder will be a constant threat we will be living with in the years, maybe decades, following 🍊’s departure. America has a long history of violence and has prioritized guns over children.
Haven't they been a constant threat for the last several decades?
This very morning on MSNOW (Ali Velshi) ) they had a guest talking head who was a retired law enforcement officer. I fully understand that those who must daily confront the worst that humanity has to offer would become somewhat jaded after years, but this fellow made a comment that truly shocked me. He was trying to make the point that the dinner event last night was a "threat to democracy" (I don't disagree) but, in doing so, he used the phrase that it was not "just another run-of-the-mill shooting".
Is this where we are now? We have "run-of-the-mill-shootings"? In my opinion, ALL shootings are a threat to our democracy. We've had way too many of them. Let's fix this.
Amen. https://momsdemandaction.org - https://everytown.org
Run of the mill shooting??? Tell that to the parents of children who have been killed or injured or to anyone who has been affected by gun violence. Did Ali Velshi respond to this very insensitive and callous remark?
If Velshi did, I couldn't take note of it. The comment just stopped me in my tracks.
Telling, isn't it? I'm speechless.
Political assassinations became a thing in Germany in the 1920s, most carried out by the fascist right, of course, so unless we completely annihilate MAGA at the ballot box (as never happened to the Nazis), it's a serious concern.
Fortunately, wiping them out in historic fashion appears to be in our reach, especially if we can turn their decades of gerrymanders into dummymanders, which is apparently what made Orban's defeat look even worse than it was--Magyar captured 2/3s of the seats with only 53% of the vote (even if you throw out the minor parties and redistribute their votes to the big two proportionately, that still "only" gets Magyar a 57-43 win).
https://democracysos.substack.com/p/orbans-blunder-his-gerrymander-backfired?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7y800
🌻 Slava Ukraini ! 🌻
This NYT gift article "Meet the New Leader of the Free World" about President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will bring a smile for Ukraine, a tear for America. https://tinyurl.com/Free-World-Leader
Thank you for the article. I consider Zelenskyy a true hero and have sent some money to a Ukraine fund and written to their Ambassador to the United States twice. She sent me a postcard with the American and Ukrainian flag on the front, thanking me. Wish I could do more, but inflation is a killer to my purse.
thanks, great piece.
Thank you for your voice in these times, your advocacy for a better path, and your support for those working to put our feet on that path. 🙏
Agreed conspiratorial whispers help no one. As for his war on Iran, he has concocted a distraction from the Epstein files stench, our sabotaged economy and the cratering of our safety net. He could care less about putting our troops in harm's way for what amounts to political triage and his hunger for money (aka oil) and attention.
He's like someone who has self-prescribed himself 15 medications, each to deal with the side effects of the one before.
I'm sorry but why are people assuming 47 was even the target? It is a shame we will never get the truth with the current DOJ and FBI. Sinking poll numbers and shooting make for good TV.
Although we wouldn't want this to have been staged, Aaron Parnas was startled by the huge lack of security into the hotel last night - virtually nonexistent. People also wonder because Trump wasn't going to attend - and then decided to go ahead. These could just be standalone events - or, just as with the "tampon ear" event, it could have been staged. The timing is potentially suspicious. And if this was real, then yes, of course everyone is glad no one was injured.
Please read Garrett Graff's piece. It will help provide a bit of perspective on this.
Hi Simon: Great article - thanks for the recommendation. This does clarify the security situation - especially for this hotel. In a note that speaks to the security team's ineptness as the shooter approached through the ballroom doors, however, you'll see that Michael Baer replied to my comment with this observation: "I saw a video clip pulled from Trump's own truth social account of the shooter running straight through the security setup of 4 or 5 guys standing around outside the event room next to the metal detector, and rather than tackle him, they moved aside to reach for their guns in their holsters while he blew right by them." Strange night.
OK, I'll be 75 in June, but does Trump's "I'm not a basket case" remind anyone else of Nixon's "I am not a crook"?
Yes, that came instantly to mind. A total "if you have to say you aren't, you are," moment, especially if nobody asked him if he was.
Or Christine O'Donnell's campaign gem, "I'm not a witch." How did that one work out?
I was downtown having dinner with friends. Getting home was a challenge with streets blocked off and police everywhere.
I sent a little bit to Ohio, and am hoping to start writing postcards for Ohio shortly.
It was all staged! Trump is smirking during the entire show and there’s also a photo showing Trump watching the made up chaos from behind a curtain.
Trump wil do ANYTHING to distract and get his ballroom! 🤬
Leader Jeffries addressed the incident this morning. Here is his press release that sets a tone for what happened. https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-fox-violence-never-answer-whether-its-targeted-right-left-or
It begins as follows. LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, I'm thankful for the bravery and the heroism of the Secret Service and the men and women of law enforcement. I'm grateful that everyone, from the President and First Lady on down are safe, who attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and certainly thankful that this brave Secret Service agent, who was shot, has been released from the hospital and is on his way to a full and complete recovery. Listen, I think that here in America, we can have strong disagreements, but it's important for us to agree to strongly disagree without being disagreeable with each other. And it is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it's targeted at the right, the left or the center. We have issues that we have to work out amongst each other, that's embedded in the First Amendment that was being celebrated last night. But what is also embedded in the First Amendment is the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government peacefully.
While I don't get upset with those that think this was staged, this was a perfect response from one of our leaders. Thank you for posting it.
I did read Garrett's analysis. Very good, everyone should read it!
So many things that need distraction, including the fact that last night would have seen an award for Epstein coverage -
"There was a reporter from CNN (Kaitlyn Collins) who was going to receive an award for her covering of the Epstein Files. That, and the fact Felon47 is dragging this country to ruin. This was staged to boost approval ratings & to garner sympathy"
so it's no wonder many are calling this a staged event.
The event is rescheduled. There will still be a Katherine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability to the WSJ's reporting. It is for coverage of the 2003 "birthday book" given to Jeffrey Epstein that included the suggestive drawing and note attributed to Donald Trump.
The rumor was that Trump planned to scream at and insult the press and then leave before anything else happened. He seems eager to reschedule that.
Did not know about the Collins award--thanks. Given how incompetent this WH is, it would not surprise me at all if they didn't find out about that until after they accepted the invite (it also wouldn't surprise me if the WHCA didn't reveal it until then or maybe even didn't create it until then). Once he found out about it, he couldn't back out because the press would say that was why (the more erudite might even remind readers of the plot of Hamlet), and at the same time, if he's *there* when it's given out, the odds that he or someone else would say, do, gesture, or look in a way that goes viral, to his detriment, about his least favorite subject would certainly seem to be a good motive to have someone crash and scuttle the party.
First and foremost, like most, I’m glad NO ONE was harmed!
That withstanding, Last night I don't think it helps Trump either and it's not a photo op like Butler. That was a Reagan moment, period!
His mojo is gone regardless of this! Most people (including many Republicans) I think were more concerned for the journalists inside. Didn’t take him long to turn it into “This wouldn’t have happened in my ballroom.” Not to mention, people are gonna forget about this in less than a week. Most average people don’t even watch nor know what the hell the WH Correspondence Dinner is!!!
People can’t pay for their gas and groceries…they’re not gonna care much about this. Just the blunt truth. Most people aren’t us, who stay invested in all this craziness.
It’s over for him. We just NEED to ensure we WIN the midterms and actually get our asses in those seats. Against the odds we face, I still rather be us with our bench of Dem Governors, AGs, Secretaries of State, and lawyers (especially Marc Elias who’s solid gold and keeps WINNING)!!! I really do think this will end up too big to rig 🙏.
Meanwhile, Kash Patel is def next to go! Last night’s incident ain’t gonna help him.
It gives you a sense of how much trouble he's in to know that these days, the loudest voices claiming Butler was staged are MAGA influencers. Talk about being hoist by your own conspiracy-weaponizing petard...
Here's a great 12-minute interview by Brian Tyler Cohen with the fiery Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas. She was a chief promoter of the 10-1 redistricting referendum that passed last week. I'd love to see Simon interview her.
https://youtu.be/RSB3Zt7LisE?si=mcG5eVbAJ9om3vw6
I want to be Louise Lucas when I grow up. She's amazing
Will there be no official investigation, as there wasn’t, bizarrely, for Butler? And it was odd that everyone in the line of presidential succession was there. Regardless, let’s not forget that the White House press corps is only a shell of its former self, and is pretty much made up of right-wing sycophants, at this point. And let’s not let the lamestream media construct a false narrative about what happened, that assigns any amount of courage and competence to trump and his team.
not true, pres pro tem of Senate, 3rd in line, was not there, aka Grassley.
Oh God Grassley. Best I not comment further.
I was thinking of just Vance and Johnson. Once you go beyond those two it gets even more nightmarish, with 800-year-old Grassley, then a cadre of buffoons in the Cabinet, who are almost as bad as trump in the morals and cognition department. You prompted me to look beyond Vance and Johnson. Thanks for the review. What a sorry lot.
I don't believe it was staged, I am just asking questions, to wit:
-the timing is suspect - lots of negative press for the WH of late, and this changes the subject. Either way, it will be used as a distraction from the current failure narrative, so it's "convenient" for them
-I have been to a bunch of high security events in DC and elsewhere. Grew up there and have attended events where the VP was in attendance, and I know how major league the security is. It's a pain in the butt for attendees. I am also familiar w the fact that the "Reagan Hilton" has been significantly upgraded with security after the assassination attempt in 1981. I used to see motorcades driving around my neighborhood all the time. They take security very seriously in DC. I also know how hard it is to get/walk around with a firearm in DC. I am just finding it extremely hard to believe this happened. Either folks were inexcusably lackadaisical, there weren't enough staff, or some combo of the those.
-most of the serious press were NOT in the room, they were at the Substack event at the Renwick. Most of the folks at the Hilton were either going to walk out in protest or were the sycophants he lets into WH briefing room. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, Simon, but there were a heck of a lot of cabinet folks there, seemed like more than usual. All of this is a recipe for getting a certain kind of coverage, aka no hard hitting questions.
-the reactions from the cabinet and Orange at the "presser" were alarmingly self-important and smug given the seriousness of the situation.
That's all I'm going to say. I am really disappointed at how credulous MSM is being about all this. I mean, the first footage we got was from ORANGE's PHONE. Inappropriate, suspicious, changing the subject, setting the narrative. This is the kind of stuff that happens in authoritarian regimes to build up the leader.
I highly recommend folks read Dr. Ben-Ghiat's latest essay, and watch her fascinating interview w Frank Figliuzzi. https://www.youtube.com/live/tkjS47vA6fQ?si=VufdqVTS0eaeVIt_ Keep your skepticism level set on high. That's my attitude.
Our Community not Cages protest yesterday - which NO ONE is talking about, victory for the WH - was great and there were a lot of them around the country. Keep going!
Hopefully the Community not Cages protests will resonate locally, which I believe is highly impactful.
Thank you for your perspective. We don't know whether it was staged or not, and wont learn about it from DOJ or FBI as Simon stated, but Trump's response by calmly calling for the Bunker under the ballroom within the hour and still in his tuxedo seemed pretty suspiscious.
Also, Trump posted on his own Truth Social a clip of security cameras of the suspected perp running through the metal detectors, where 4 or 5 agents were standing around. They moved aside to reach for their weapons and gave him a clear path down the hall. No one tried to tackle him and it looked keystone cops, whether staged or not.
Couldn't agree with you more about the Figliuzzi ~ Ben Ghiat interview. Most excellent perspective from two experts.
What was Trump’s goal in posting that, I wonder? To convince people (as he tried in Butler) that the deep state was behind this? If so, to paraphrase Walt Kelly, dude, you have fired the deep state, so *it* is *you*.
I concur and appreciate all of the details you included. I was immediately reminded of the article on 3/21 in WaPo about the Russian SVR proposal to use the Gamechanger strategy to boost Orban’s chances in the 4/12 election by appealing to the voters’ emotions.
The last I had heard, the White House was going to boycott the dinner. I was surprised that “Orange” and the entire cabinet were there.
I hope, probably in vain, that there will be a thorough investigation into the perpetrator, his background, and his he happened to show up when and where he did. It just doesn’t ring true to me based on the little we know.
Oh, by the way, the envoys to Pakistan were called back and there are no negotiations going on in Iran, did you see that?
To clarify, the “Gamechanger” is a staged assassination attempt.
I'm not saying it was staged. I never said that. What I did say was that it's convenient for them, and all should be held to account and treat the episode appropriately. I don't see MSM doing much of that right now.
I was at a Moms Demand convention w VP Harris a couple years back, and the notion that multiple layers of security could not happen bc of the size of the event - not buying it. We had close to 1K attendees, and had to go 2 layers of security AFTER the building (a whole wing of Chicago convention center) was secured. They shut down the whole area the night before the event.
Day of the event, we were permitted nothing but phones - no bags, no nuthin. And we had to stand and wait to get in the room for an hour, then wait another hour till VP Harris was in the building for the event to start. That's the level of security I would expect at a minimum. What Garrett described was not this, and IMHO was not enough. Security is supposed to be inconvenient. I just know what I have experienced recently, and I am not pleased with the level of seriousness exhibited by the WH, nor by the obviously depleted security teams. Recipe for disaster. Or as we Moms say, IT'S THE GUNS.
I'm definitely not an expert on security. But, a lack thereof seems consistent with the level of hubris and recklessness shown by the current administration for just about everything. So, perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised at last night's chaotic event.
Thanks much for all this original context, Lisa. If iit *was* staged (and like you, I'm not saying it was), the most plausible backstory to me from what you've gleaned is that the WH got word that journalists were really going to walk out en masse when he spoke, possibly with some choice gestures on the way, which would be major loss of face for him, and a signal to the rest of the country that he no longer need to be feared or respected. He couldn't back out without losing face as well, so he arranged to have the whole thing short-circuited by having a rando crash the party. Whether he had guns or not, they were props--he was never going to fire them--which is why he's still alive today.
In today's Contrarian interview, April Ryan and Norm Eisen said they were planning to leave in protest but I had the impression they felt they were a small minority. April was on fire talking about her disgust with the White House press corps. (Sorry, but I deleted the link from my email.)
Lisa, I was at a Community not Cages protest in Mesa AZ. There were about 100 of us at a busy intersection. Although there could have been more we were a colorful, vocal bunch. Plus there were other protests planned throughout AZ. At 5pm yesterday there was a large protest outside the ICE detention warehouse in Surprise AZ. I see yesterday's incident as another distraction from the bad economy, war in Iran, bad headlines and polls Herr Drumpf doesn't want us to focus on. Not long after, the MAGA spin machine was back on message regarding the need for a ballroom.