The Daly Weekly (5/23)

The Biden cover-up, the fading U.S. Congress, The Empire Strikes Back, and more.

Hi everyone.

Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw at me.

Let’s get right to it…

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Bernie’s Monday column on Biden’s hidden mental and physical declines reminded me why I, and many others like me, held our nose and voted for Trump in 2024. When people voted against Trump, they generally did so because they detest the man himself. Understood. But when I pulled the tab for Trump, I was voting against the entire cabal of the Democrat-Media-Academia-Hollywood complex. These were the people who censored debate on COVID origins and policy, allowed anti-American foreigners to invade our shores and violently protest on our campuses, and denied the very nature and definition of women. Now we find out what we knew all along – that efforts to conceal Biden’s decline was an actual conspiracy at the highest levels of the D-M-A-H complex. In fact, it took one of their own – George Clooney – to blow the lid off the lie. Do you believe as Van Jones does that this deep violation of trust will have legs, or will it be forgotten with the next price change in a dozen eggs and a gallon of gas? — Steve R.

Unfortunately, I think it will be forgotten, similarly to how Trump’s efforts to overturn U.S. democracy, and his provocation of a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, were forgotten (at least by enough people for it not to matter politically).

In an earlier era, such things would have been show-stoppers — national scandals so serious that American voters, en masse, would have demanded that heads roll, and called on everyone involved to step down from their positions and never serve in public office again. But these days, to use your phrasing, stuff like the price of eggs and gasoline (or even just team-sport partisanship) trumps our national honor, deception and corruption, and even the U.S. Constitution. And if that’s not bad enough, consider that the more wrongdoing American voters tolerate (or find totally acceptable) from public officials, the more of it public officials will try and get away with.

So no, I don’t believe that the Biden cover-up will inflict long-lasting damage on those involved (though it absolutely should).

John and Bernie, The reason I subscribe is because you both represent the highest standards of journalistic integrity. It is clear now that there were many media who clearly covered up Biden’s mental health from the American public. I’m not aware anyone has been fired. Do you think this will happen? — Rob O.

Thanks as always, Rob, for the kind words.

No, I don’t think anyone in the media will be fired over this. Also, I think I have a bit more nuanced view of the media’s role in this. While I’m perfectly willing to believe there were a handful of media-people who — prior to the debate — recognized just how bad of shape Biden was in, and ran intentional interference for him (Joe Scarborough comes to mind), I think the much more prevalent problem was a profound lack of curiosity from journalists to investigate Biden’s signs of cognitive decline (which were obvious to so many of us). It’s as if they were afraid of what they might find. That’s different than being “in on” the cover-up, but it’s plenty bad on its own, and a legitimate reason for people to distrust the news-media.

Stephen Hayes of The Dispatch touched on this point in a recent column. I think he got it exactly right:

Anyone who follows politics understands when the Washington press corps is obsessed with a story. Take, for example, the New York Times’ coverage of the Al Qa’qaa weapons depot in the week leading up to the 2004 election. The Times reported on October 25 that the U.S. military had allowed 380 tons of high explosives held at Al Qa’qaa to go missing, demonstrating the incompetence of the Bush administration’s oversight of Iraq. The Times alone ran about two dozen stories about Al Qa’qaa over the next week, and there were 823 mentions of Al Qa’qaa in English-language media over the same period. The coverage of Biden’s deterioration never reached that fever pitch—until the debate. Prior to that night, the approach to covering Biden’s age and cognitive fitness was often timid and apologetic—more “let’s do this story we don’t want to do,” than “let’s go all-in on this big scandal.”

I saw you retweet the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Do you think it’s the best Star Wars film? — Alex D.

Yes, I do… though I’ve gone back and forth over the years between it and the original film (“A New Hope”). None of the others come close to those two.

John, Will Congress ever get around to voting on the changes that THEY are entitled to enforce, and not just Pres Trump making executive orders every week? Congress seems so insignificant as of late-in the media at least. — Sharon H.

I don’t have any faith in today’s Congress to take their job seriously, Sharon. In most cases, they can’t do anything to stop a president’s executive orders (the judicial branch can), but they sat back and did nothing in response to Trump’s “Liberation Day” idiocy that sent shock-waves through the global economy for weeks. They could have stopped it at any time (and still can) just by voting to take back their Constitutionally assigned tariff power. But they haven’t (and likely won’t). With very few exceptions, congressional Republicans are too scared of being primaried to stand up to Trump on anything of significance, and the Democrats don’t have the numbers.

Of course, the House did actually pass something this week: Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that includes big bailouts for blue states, keeps most of Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act” in place, further complicates the tax code, and adds trillions more to the national debt. Congratulations, everyone.

Sir John: why did the left embrace the nonsense of Trans boys claiming to be girls and vice versa? Why do so many feminists who claim to be champions of women’s rights suddenly go SILENT when much of what they had previously promoted is being erased in girls’ high school and college sports, including locker room privileges? —“TRANS-Atlantic & Pacific Hypocrisy” regards from The Emperor

It’s in the DNA of progressive ideology to embrace and defend societal minority groups that are, or at least perceived to be, oppressed or bullied. In the case of gender-identity, especially in relation to minors, I think things got way out of hand. In the sports example, I believe the calculation was that because trans individuals are a much smaller minority, and face more societal discrimination, than “cisgender” women, society needed to balance the scales by deferring to gender-identity in gender-specific sports competition.

Emperor, you and I disagree with that calculation, but you asked for an explanation, and that’s the best I’ve got.

What is the story on this “Reagan Caucus” group that I now see you doing interviews for? What kind of organization is it? — Ben G.

Hi Ben. Yes, in addition to the No BS Zone and Daly Express, I now co-host the Reagan Caucus Podcast with Thomas D. Howes (the group’s founder). It’s run by a non-profit organization focused mainly on educating people on Reaganite-style policies. We’ve had some good hour-long discussions and guests. Those of you who aren’t already sick of my voice here can check me out over there too.

On a side note, coming up next week on the Daly Express, I’ll be talking to “TV’s Andy Levy,” who a number of you might remember from the Fox News show, “Red Eye.” I’m looking forward to it.

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Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.