The word broke on March 26 that NBC News was reversing its decision to hire former Republican Party chair Ronna McDaniel as a political commentator. MSNBC hosts across the schedule broke out into frenzied denunciations of whichever executive who thought that McDaniel should be paid to speak anywhere on this hypnotically/robotically anti-Trump network. 

In one of her typical half-hour jeremiads, Rachel Maddow compared McDaniel to a mobster and a pickpocket. ‘You wouldn’t – you wouldn’t hire a wise guy, you wouldn’t hire a made man, like a mobster, to work at a DA’s office, right? You wouldn’t hire a pickpocket to work as a TSA screener. And so, I find the decision to put her on the payroll inexplicable. And I hope they will reverse their decision.’

There was no need for NBC News to hire McDaniel. One can look at the election results during her tenure at the RNC and question her expertise at winning elections. But this mobster talk underlines once again that MSNBC is not a ‘news’ channel. It’s a hyperbole channel, constantly fearmongering its audience that the end times are near for democracy. 

Maddow claimed this hiring wasn’t about Republicans vs. Democrats. It’s about ‘bad actors trying to use the rights and privileges of democracy to end democracy.’ There are no ‘fact-checkers’ who will get in the way of this talk. Maddow is like Bluto in ‘Animal House’ saying, ‘when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.’ Facts don’t matter. Rallying your audience is all that matters.  

This was the essence of Maddow’s rant: ‘I want to associate myself with all my colleagues both at MSNBC and at NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government. Someone who still is trying to convince Americans that this election stuff, it doesn’t really work. That this last election, it wasn’t a real result. That American elections are fraudulent.’ 

Every conservative who’s ever watched Maddow lowlights knows that she was a leader in the Collusion Corps, someone who obsessed night after night over how the 2016 election was fraudulent because the Russians interfered with it. MSNBC doesn’t suggest that every election is fraudulent. It’s only when Democrats lose that they imply (for years) that it was fraudulent.  

Since Hillary Clinton lost the election in 2016 and ran around telling people it was stolen from her, Maddow has hosted a series of fawnathons with her. They discussed why Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to back Donald Trump in 2016. In 2018, Hillary even suggested the Russians may have used the National Rifle Association to funnel money into the election.  

Maddow concluded by lobbying the executives who allow her on air: ‘Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call. It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong. It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong right now.’ 

Why couldn’t she acknowledge she was wrong? Instead, ‘Maddow declined to provide an on-the-record response to the Erik Wemple Blog.’ 
 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., cuts a different figure in the U.S. Senate.

And we’re not referring to his hulking, 6-foot-7, nose tackle frame. Or Fetterman’s signature, ever-present hoodie.

We’re talking about Fetterman crafting a distinct image in the Senate. Not a ‘progressive,’ as most voters thought. A Democrat who is willing to endorse most of H.R. 2, the House’s strict border control bill. A Democrat who opposes the left wing of his party when it comes to Israel and Hamas. And a senator who, unlike most of his Democratic colleagues, skewers indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. – in the most frank terms.

‘A real sleazeball,’ said Fetterman of Menendez.

After his stroke, Fetterman struggled to process audio and words. He now uses an app that presents the exact words you are saying to him on his phone. The app then also shows the words Fetterman speaks. The captions help Fetterman take part in conversations and understand what is being said around him.

Fox News had the chance to sit down with Fetterman for an interview. The exchange has been lightly edited for context and clarity.

: In your short period of time in the Senate, you have sometimes plowed a different road than some of your Democratic colleagues on different issues. Talk about how you arrived at those decisions that differ from what some people expected from you politically when you came to the Senate.

: I know that some people were caught by surprise. And, you know, even when I just said, you know, in passing that I’m not a progressive, I’ve been saying that for years, actually. I’ve just really been committed to really being on what I thought it was like the right side on these things. And no, maybe politically it might be less popular with our base.

: It kind of seemed like, when we saw the change, when you and I first talked, it was on the border and border security. That was something that you differed from some of your Democratic colleagues.

: When you started just following the numbers that are coming again and then when you’ve reached 200,000 or 250,000 folks that are encountered at the border – I mean that’s astonishing. And then just putting that in the context of Pennsylvania. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. That’s nearly the size of Pittsburgh.’ And that’s our second-largest city. You can be very pro-immigration, but also demand and require that we have a secure border there as well too. I don’t know why that’s really controversial for a Democrat or any American to be pro-immigration.

: Another area where you differed was on the Middle East. And just the other day, I guess you talked to some of the Republicans saying, could you sit in on the meeting when they had a virtual meeting with (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu? Who did you approach on that? What did they say?

: I was very disappointed that our caucus didn’t have the opportunity to do that. I really wanted to hear from Netanyahu. In fact, I even asked the Republicans, you know, back channels, like, ‘Hey, can I just sit there? And I don’t even have to (ask) any questions.’ And I’ve always been incredibly surprised why we’re not talking about where this was because of Hamas and the things that they’ve done. And that why there isn’t a protest kind of a surge to demand that Hamas surrender on this. If you really want to end all of the misery and the death and the destruction – if they would just surrender, it would end tomorrow. Release everybody (the hostages). Send them home. And that’s been very frustrating. And then we’re talking about now there’s 31,000 Palestinians that were were killed. And what you’re not talking about (is) 13,000 or more are actually Hamas fighters on that. So why aren’t you breaking that out as well too? And then if you do and talk about the casualty ratio, it’s actually very clear that this isn’t a genocide or that the Israelis are targeting civilians. In fact, the only ones that target civilians? That’s Hamas.

: Here’s a name and I want you to respond: Bob Menendez.

: At this point, it’s almost moot. His trial is in less than two months from now and that’s going to address that. I can’t imagine how with the kinds of evidence. I also remind everybody to remember that this is his second trip to the prom. You know, he barely just got out from that. And now he’s been credibly accused of being a foreign agent for three nations. In fact, two of them are critical and negotiation partners in the Gaza situation with Hamas. And how is this individual allowed to attend classified briefings on that? It’s astonishing. And it’s been frustrating where someone’s more concerned that I could wear a hoodie (in the Senate). That’s why this seems to be more urgent. Making sure that the Senate reputation isn’t damaged.

: Why do you think that members have kind of not called for him to be expelled or gone as far as you? You’ve been the most outspoken person when it comes to Menendez.

: I don’t know. But what I can say is that (former Rep. George) Santos, R-N.Y., was expelled and Republicans did the right thing on that. That actually cost them a seat. So I thought that was a principled stand.

: When you came into the Senate, you had the health issues on the campaign trail. Then you were hospitalized for a while. Talk about the challenges that posed as you were trying to represent the people of Pennsylvania, take on this new job understanding the folkways of the Senate. That’s a lot.

: Those health issues (were) weaponized and it was categorized as something that really (wasn’t) actually true. We’re having a very normal conversation. I’m using captioning right now to fully participate on that. No different than you have glasses. I’m able to process that fully.

: Show our viewers how this (captioning system) works. That (device) translates what I’m saying. And then you see what you’re saying as well.

: Exactly. And this allows me – just the way perhaps you wear your glasses – to read and to fully process things. I want to make sure that I can be precise when you ask. I have the captioning. And that’s just a tool. That allows me to fully participate in interviews or conversations with my children or with my colleagues anywhere.

: Give us a sense of how you’re feeling now compared to last February, last January, when you came in. All the stress of joining the Senate. Being hospitalized. And then how you feel now a year later.

: I feel great. I feel very fortunate, every day, to be a part of this. I wanted to make sure that depression and mental health (are) part of a conversion. And that’s a red county, a blue county situation. I know that regardless of where you are politically or anyone watching this right now (who’s suffering from depression), it’s not you. You probably have someone that you love or know or work with that has an issue, whether it’s depression or anything like that. And I would encourage (you) to please consider getting help. And it’s an important conversation that we have to have. We have in this nation now, over 50,000 Americans (who) have chosen tragically to take their lives. That’s an epidemic. And that’s the highest level ever. This is a conversation that maybe (is) not a political winner. But that’s one we should have. And I’m proud to be part of that and leading that.

: Sen. Fetterman, thank you for your time. Thank you for joining us.

: It’s always a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you

A new national poll indicates that Republicans are more enthusiastic about former President Trump returning to the White House than Democrats are about President Biden serving another four years in office.

But Trump stirs more anger and fear from Democrats than Biden does from Republicans, according to the findings in an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.

Fifty-four percent of Republicans questioned in the poll said ‘excited’ describes how they would feel about a second Trump term as president. Only four in 10 Democrats said the same thing about a Biden victory in November’s presidential election rematch between the White House incumbent and his predecessor.

The poll also indicates that seven in 10 Democrats used the words ‘angry’ or ‘fearful’ to describe how they would feel if Trump won the presidential election.

Fifty-six percent of Republicans said the same thing about Biden if he were to defeat Trump for a second straight time.

‘

In a race that polls indicate will be extremely close, both excitement and dislike of the two major candidates will likely be crucial motivating factors in firing up the Democratic and Republican bases.

The poll was conducted March 21-25, with 1,282 adults nationwide questioned using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

With just over seven months to go until Election Day on Nov. 5, Trump enjoys the early edge in public opinion polling – both in most national surveys and in many of the polls in five of the six key battleground states where Biden narrowly topped Trump to win the White House in 2020.

But in another key metric – fundraising – Biden currently enjoys the upper hand.

The Biden-Trump rematch offers up stark contrasts when it comes to their style and demeanor, and on where they stand on key issues, such as the economy, health care and entitlements, immigration, abortion, foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, and America’s overseas role going forward.

The 81-year-old Biden, who four years ago made history as the oldest American ever elected president, will continue to face questions about his mental and physical durability, even his recent vigorous State of the Union address.

The president also needs to show that he can energize younger voters, progressives, and Black and Latino Americans, who are all key parts of the Democratic base. Biden is also facing primary ballot box protests – materializing in ‘uncommitted’ votes – over his support for Israel in its war in Gaza against Hamas.

The former president is also dealing with plenty of problems. 

Trump, who last year made history as the first president or former president to face criminal charges, now faces four major trials and a total of 91 indictments – including federal cases on his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and on handling classified documents. There’s also a massive civil fraud judgment that Trump is appealing. He will have to juggle his appearances in court with his time on the campaign trail. 

The 77-year-old Trump will also need to court the sizable block of Republican voters who backed Nikki Haley in the GOP nomination race. The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor was Trump’s last remaining rival before she ended her White House campaign earlier this month. Haley’s support is shining a spotlight on Trump’s weakness with suburban and highly educated voters.

Complicating matters further – the presidential rematch between Biden and Trump won’t be a two-candidate race.

Democratic-turned-Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is working to place his name on state ballots across the country. Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic who’s a scion of the famous Kennedy political dynasty, is grabbing double-digits in many general election polls.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein and progressive independent candidate Cornell West are polling in the single digits. And the centrist group No Labels is moving ahead with plans to potentially launch a third-party ‘unity’ presidential ticket.

While third-party and independent candidates didn’t play much of a role in the 2020 presidential election, they did in the 2016 showdown between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. And they may again in 2024.

President Biden was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters during a speech in North Carolina on Tuesday where he eventually conceded that they ‘have a point’ on ‘care in Gaza.’

What about the health care in Gaza?’ A member of the audience shouted at Biden while he was delivering remarks on healthcare in Raleigh, North Carolina. ‘What about the health care in Gaza?’

Everybody deserves health care,’ Biden responded.  ‘Be patient with them.’

One of the protesters continued shouting off camera before Biden acknowledged the concern being raised.

They have a point, we need to get a lot more care into Gaza,’ Biden said.  ‘But folks back to the subject at hand. Even pregnancy was considered a preexisting condition. You all know that? Well, for all the young people out there before ACA, you’d get kicked off your parent’s health care plans before you turned 26 just as you’re heading out on your own. A lot has changed.’

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Biden, and First Lady Jill Biden, have been heckled numerous times in the past year over the developing war in Gaza by critics who have accused his administration of supporting a ‘genocide’ against Palestinian people.

‘How many kids have you killed?’ One protester shouted at Biden in January.

Biden has faced mounting criticism from within his own party over his support of Israel’s military campaign to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists following the massacre they carried out against civilians on October 7th of last year.

As Biden has attempted to appease members of his party who are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, tensions have grown between his administration and Israeli leadership who recently canceled a visit to the United States after the U.S. did not veto a United Nations resolution calling for a cease fire.

Recent Fox News polling shows a sharp divide within the Democratic Party on the Israel issue with 42% of voters supporting the Palestinian side of the conflict, up from 25% in October.

Views on backing Israel have mostly held steady since November: 30% of voters think the U.S. is too supportive, 27% not supportive enough, and 38% say it’s about right. Voters under age 30 are among those most likely to say the U.S. has been too supportive, as 47% feel that way.

Since November, approval of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war is down 8 points among all voters and down 10 points among Democrats.