Publisher of ‘2,000 Mules’ election conspiracy theory film issues apology
MAY 31, 20246:07 PM ET
Dinesh D'Souza's film 2000 Mules will no longer be distributed by Salem Media, after the publisher apologized.
Shannon Finney/Getty Images
The conservative media company behind the book and film “2,000 Mules,” which alleged a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to steal the 2020 election and was embraced by former president Donald Trump, has issued an apology and said it would halt distribution of the film and remove both the film and book from its platforms.
In a statement posted to their website, Salem Media Group, Inc. apologized specifically to Mark Andrews, a voter from Georgia falsely depicted illegally voting in “2,000 Mules.”
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation cleared Andrews of wrongdoing, and found he was legally dropping off ballots for members of his family. Andrews filed a defamation lawsuit against Salem, as well as the team behind the movie: right wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, and the group True the Vote.
Though “2,000 Mules” has been widely debunked by law enforcement officials and the media, including NPR, the film and book developed a widespread following among supporters of the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
According to Andrews’ lawsuit, the allegations in “2,000 Mules” led to violent threats against him and his family. “They worry that again they will be baselessly accused of election crimes, and that believers in the ‘mules’ theory may recognize and seek reprisal against them, and that they may face physical harm,” the lawsuit alleged.
According to a court filing in a related case, Salem settled the lawsuit brought by Andrews for an undisclosed "significant" amount. In the statement on its website, Salem wrote, “It was never our intent that the publication of the ‘2000 Mules’ film and book would harm Mr. Andrews. We apologize for the hurt the inclusion of Mr. Andrews' image in the movie, book, and promotional materials have caused Mr. Andrews and his family.”
Sponsor Message
Salem said that it “relied on representations made to us by Dinesh D’Souza and True the Vote.”
D’Souza and True the Vote did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Andrews’ lawsuit was brought with the help of the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, which also worked on defamation litigation brought by Georgia election workers against the former New York Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani.
A lawyer for Protect Democracy declined to comment on Salem’s statement due to the ongoing case. It is unclear what impact Salem’s apology will have on the lawsuit, which is currently in the discovery phase. Separately, Salem is also suing its insurer for allegedly failing to cover the costs stemming from Andrews’ lawsuit.
This was not the first rift among the makers and distributor of “2,000 Mules.”
When D’Souza published the book version of the film and made allegations of illegal “ballot trafficking” against specific nonprofit groups, True the Vote issued a statement saying that the group ”had no participation in this book, and has no knowledge of its contents." True the Vote added, "This includes any allegations of activities of any specific organizations made in the book. We made no such allegations."
That version of the book was abruptly recalled after already reaching store shelves and replaced with a version that omitted multiple significant allegations.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened last night in Atlanta. According to texts and emails from friends and colleagues, many didn’t sleep well after the so-called “debate.” That’s understandable. Let’s hope you can catch up over the weekend. Folks, I’m not here to pump sunshine, but this is not the end of the race. A poor debate performance doesn’t seal a candidate’s fate. Barack Obama lost big to Mitt Romney in their first debate. Yes, Joe Biden had a really terrible, very bad night. Some are calling it the worst debate in our history. But please don’t seek out the nearest ledge. We all need to take a deep breath and hold steady. The next four months will see many ups and downs. I woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise. The Republic is still standing. And Joe Biden is on the ticket.
Will he remain there? If you read editorial and opinion writers, many believe the president should pack it in ASAP. “Joe Biden … must bow out of the race,” according to an editorial in The New York Times. The Washington Post called it “90 minutes of pain” and ran its analysis with a photo of a woman clasping her hands in front of her face in disbelief.
There is dissension among Democrats who are rightfully panicking about Biden’s performance. A dip into social media reveals any number of potential Democratic tickets for November that don’t include President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
Per Politico, the movement to convince Biden not to run is real, according to a Democratic member of the House. But “real” is a thousand miles and three letters from reality.
At a campaign stop in North Carolina today, Biden acknowledged his poor performance. A decidedly more energetic president told supporters, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious. I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up.”
Let’s hope he rallies quickly, because the alternative is no alternative. In this writer’s opinion, Trump should never have been allowed to share that stage last night. The man who tried to overthrow the last presidential election should have no role in this one. And if not for some dubious delays by federal courts, he might already be behind bars. The presumptive Republican nominee, who is now a convicted felon and will be sentenced in less than two weeks, is not fit to lead this nation. He is a serial liar and a gaslighter, which he amply demonstrated again on Thursday night. It took a CNN fact checker more than three minutes just to list all the lies he told.
Joe Biden is a good and decent man. But in last night’s joint appearance, he was bullied and lost badly. Giving up power is so difficult to do. The president, his staff, and his supporters cling to the idea that a good and decent man can beat a convicted felon at the polls.
What do party leaders think of this mess? The kingmakers have so far been silent. But the debate will be the elephant in the room when President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries headline a fundraiser in New York tonight. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.
For all the pre-debate hype, the ratings were actually down dramatically from the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020, 73 million vs. 48 million. If there is one small nugget of good news, it’s that the debate was so early in the campaign cycle, many voters just aren’t tuned in yet.
If you value independent journalism that brings you critical information when the mainstream media fails us, please consider joining as a supporting member. It allows me to keep critical pieces like this free for those who cannot afford it, in an election season when we need everyone to see it. Thank you.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I am SO frustrated with Biden's team and their negative emails. I responded to one thus:
Please stop framing your posts in a negative manner. So many of them
start with "It's not good" or "This is bad", or "we're in trouble". If
you keep thinking and talking that way, we are screwed. Let's be strong
and positive and fight back, not cower in fear and act like losers!
Seriously, they've got to chance their tactics. Who is running this shit show anyway? If I were younger and in the right place, I'd be singing,
Put me in, coach I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Biden was overprepared. I can't believe that we haven't learned how to debate tRump yet.
tRump doesn't need preparation because he just spews bullshit and insults. That's easy.
Every Biden response should have been about what a horrible president tRump was and how he fixed tRump's mistakes regardless if it was completely truthful or not.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Biden was overprepared. I can't believe that we haven't learned how to debate tRump yet.
tRump doesn't need preparation because he just spews bullshit and insults. That's easy.
Every Biden response should have been about what a horrible president tRump was and how he fixed tRump's mistakes regardless if it was completely truthful or not.
Blaming anyone other than Joe Biden for Joe Biden's debate performance reads as a lack of personal accountability to me. Given personal accountability is one of the major differentiators between Biden and Trump, I think it's a bad approach.
I wish there was an official statement. Even something like, "as was on clear display, the President had an extremely off night. The President fell ill with a particularly bad cold a day before the debate, but felt adamant that the citizens of the United States of America bear witness to his honesty and care, and Donald Trump's narcissism and lies. While his honesty and care may have indeed been overshadowed by the impact of illness, Donald Trump was on full display for the voting population. Don't discount the debate, but also don't let it exclusively tell you who Joe Biden is. We have all had off days, and we have all felt pressure plus illness compound to bring out suboptimal versions of ourselves. Look at Biden's presidency - an astonishing collection of long-neglected needs on behalf of the American people. Look at his campaign performances - even hours after the debate after a good night's rest, it became apparent that Joe Biden is far from defeated, but re-invigorated and ready to keep the monster miles away from the White House. Don't view this debate performance in isolation, but also don't think Biden doesn't know the truth: he needs to, and regularly does, so much better. And where Donald Trump does his best for Donald Trump, Joe Biden does his best for Americans"
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
And to blame being overprepared is strange to me, perhaps I do not understand the context. Cause a president should be able to have a lot of those facts at the tip of their tongue. I am not saying it's easy, what I am saying is if you cannot have them at the tip of your tongue you are not fit to be president. I do not think Biden is fit to be president and the debate confirmed it for me.
Now the debate also confirmed for me my other belief that trump is not fit to be president. So we ultimately have 2 people unfit for the job vying for the job. So I will vote for the one who's unfitness will cause the least harm to me and the country. That's the feeble Joe Biden. He will do the least amount of harm.
And to blame being overprepared is strange to me, perhaps I do not understand the context. Cause a president should be able to have a lot of those facts at the tip of their tongue. I am not saying it's easy, what I am saying is if you cannot have them at the tip of your tongue you are not fit to be president. I do not think Biden is fit to be president and the debate confirmed it for me.
Now the debate also confirmed for me my other belief that trump is not fit to be president. So we ultimately have 2 people unfit for the job vying for the job. So I will vote for the one who's unfitness will cause the least harm to me and the country. That's the feeble Joe Biden. He will do the least amount of harm.
He should be able to produce the facts on demand, yes. But when you are up against someone who just spews bullshit the facts are irrelevant.
I don't agree that Biden is unfit. He's completely fit right now....I do have to question if I would still believe that in another 2-3 years.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
And to blame being overprepared is strange to me, perhaps I do not understand the context. Cause a president should be able to have a lot of those facts at the tip of their tongue. I am not saying it's easy, what I am saying is if you cannot have them at the tip of your tongue you are not fit to be president. I do not think Biden is fit to be president and the debate confirmed it for me.
Now the debate also confirmed for me my other belief that trump is not fit to be president. So we ultimately have 2 people unfit for the job vying for the job. So I will vote for the one who's unfitness will cause the least harm to me and the country. That's the feeble Joe Biden. He will do the least amount of harm.
Saying someone did poorly because they were "over prepared" is honestly the biggest bunch of nonsense I could think of and actually creates more competency questions than anything else. If the campaign is saying that Biden had too much information and couldn't balance and disseminate it properly, then by definition he is no longer fit for the job. As President, the basis of your day is moving from one issue to a completely disconnected one meeting after meeting, day after day. You have to be able to turn your attention and focus quickly.
I don't think the campaign was using "over prepared" as an excuse. I used it above and I believe it.
He's an 81 year old man who was likely a bit cloudy with cold meds. He clearly had a cold. He was still coughing the next day when he appeared to be much more lively at his campaign stop.
It sounds like you don't think he's fit for the job as he was clearly having a hard time getting his point across.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
Biden was overprepared. I can't believe that we haven't learned how to debate tRump yet.
tRump doesn't need preparation because he just spews bullshit and insults. That's easy.
Every Biden response should have been about what a horrible president tRump was and how he fixed tRump's mistakes regardless if it was completely truthful or not.
Blaming anyone other than Joe Biden for Joe Biden's debate performance reads as a lack of personal accountability to me. Given personal accountability is one of the major differentiators between Biden and Trump, I think it's a bad approach.
I wish there was an official statement. Even something like, "as was on clear display, the President had an extremely off night. The President fell ill with a particularly bad cold a day before the debate, but felt adamant that the citizens of the United States of America bear witness to his honesty and care, and Donald Trump's narcissism and lies. While his honesty and care may have indeed been overshadowed by the impact of illness, Donald Trump was on full display for the voting population. Don't discount the debate, but also don't let it exclusively tell you who Joe Biden is. We have all had off days, and we have all felt pressure plus illness compound to bring out suboptimal versions of ourselves. Look at Biden's presidency - an astonishing collection of long-neglected needs on behalf of the American people. Look at his campaign performances - even hours after the debate after a good night's rest, it became apparent that Joe Biden is far from defeated, but re-invigorated and ready to keep the monster miles away from the White House. Don't view this debate performance in isolation, but also don't think Biden doesn't know the truth: he needs to, and regularly does, so much better. And where Donald Trump does his best for Donald Trump, Joe Biden does his best for Americans"
look for Biden the day after in NC. he addresses it directly saying he had a bad night. no excuses.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I don't think the campaign was using "over prepared" as an excuse. I used it above and I believe it.
He's an 81 year old man who was likely a bit cloudy with cold meds. He clearly had a cold. He was still coughing the next day when he appeared to be much more lively at his campaign stop.
It sounds like you don't think he's fit for the job as he was clearly having a hard time getting his point across.
The campaign or his surrogates did actually say that though.
I think the stakes are too high to take the chance on whether he is fit.
I don't think the campaign was using "over prepared" as an excuse. I used it above and I believe it.
He's an 81 year old man who was likely a bit cloudy with cold meds. He clearly had a cold. He was still coughing the next day when he appeared to be much more lively at his campaign stop.
It sounds like you don't think he's fit for the job as he was clearly having a hard time getting his point across.
The campaign or his surrogates did actually say that though.
I think the stakes are too high to take the chance on whether he is fit.
gotcha....I can't say that the excuse bothers me but I do agree about the stakes being too high.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
it seems we liberals are falling all over our/themselves making excuses for biden's poor performance. if trump shit the bed in a debate, and said he had a cold, we'd be laughing our asses off at him.
Biden was overprepared. I can't believe that we haven't learned how to debate tRump yet.
tRump doesn't need preparation because he just spews bullshit and insults. That's easy.
Every Biden response should have been about what a horrible president tRump was and how he fixed tRump's mistakes regardless if it was completely truthful or not.
Blaming anyone other than Joe Biden for Joe Biden's debate performance reads as a lack of personal accountability to me. Given personal accountability is one of the major differentiators between Biden and Trump, I think it's a bad approach.
I wish there was an official statement. Even something like, "as was on clear display, the President had an extremely off night. The President fell ill with a particularly bad cold a day before the debate, but felt adamant that the citizens of the United States of America bear witness to his honesty and care, and Donald Trump's narcissism and lies. While his honesty and care may have indeed been overshadowed by the impact of illness, Donald Trump was on full display for the voting population. Don't discount the debate, but also don't let it exclusively tell you who Joe Biden is. We have all had off days, and we have all felt pressure plus illness compound to bring out suboptimal versions of ourselves. Look at Biden's presidency - an astonishing collection of long-neglected needs on behalf of the American people. Look at his campaign performances - even hours after the debate after a good night's rest, it became apparent that Joe Biden is far from defeated, but re-invigorated and ready to keep the monster miles away from the White House. Don't view this debate performance in isolation, but also don't think Biden doesn't know the truth: he needs to, and regularly does, so much better. And where Donald Trump does his best for Donald Trump, Joe Biden does his best for Americans"
look for Biden the day after in NC. he addresses it directly saying he had a bad night. no excuses.
Well he sure picked a bad night to have a bad night considering how many eyes were on him. Probably less than 1/10 of 1% of those eyes saw him in NC.
it seems we liberals are falling all over our/themselves making excuses for biden's poor performance. if trump shit the bed in a debate, and said he had a cold, we'd be laughing our asses off at him.
I think a large number are not making excuses and more than half recognize it was terrible at face value, no matter what the underlying circumstances. He should have addressed it at the onset of the debate. "Hey folks, I am feeling a bit under the weather and my voice is giving out, but it's important for me to be here tonight even though I am not 100%..." There are easy ways this could have been handled that night by Joe and he did none of the above. Now he, and the rest of us who want to hang on to democracy, are stuck with the consequences.
it seems we liberals are falling all over our/themselves making excuses for biden's poor performance. if trump shit the bed in a debate, and said he had a cold, we'd be laughing our asses off at him.
Agreed. There'd be a ton more posts in these threads if Trump said that. That’s for sure.
it seems we liberals are falling all over our/themselves making excuses for biden's poor performance. if trump shit the bed in a debate, and said he had a cold, we'd be laughing our asses off at him.
I think a large number are not making excuses and more than half recognize it was terrible at face value, no matter what the underlying circumstances. He should have addressed it at the onset of the debate. "Hey folks, I am feeling a bit under the weather and my voice is giving out, but it's important for me to be here tonight even though I am not 100%..." There are easy ways this could have been handled that night by Joe and he did none of the above. Now he, and the rest of us who want to hang on to democracy, are stuck with the consequences.
I agree. I could be wrong but I think the majority sentiment is that it wasn't a cold and are unsure how he can continue.
The "cold" thing doesn't make sense to me because he was on film at a Waffle House afterwards appearing normal and then appeared totally normal the next day.
Comments
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/31/g-s1-2298/publisher-of-2000-mules-election-conspiracy-theory-film-issues-apology
Publisher of ‘2,000 Mules’ election conspiracy theory film issues apology
Dinesh D'Souza's film 2000 Mules will no longer be distributed by Salem Media, after the publisher apologized.
The conservative media company behind the book and film “2,000 Mules,” which alleged a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to steal the 2020 election and was embraced by former president Donald Trump, has issued an apology and said it would halt distribution of the film and remove both the film and book from its platforms.
In a statement posted to their website, Salem Media Group, Inc. apologized specifically to Mark Andrews, a voter from Georgia falsely depicted illegally voting in “2,000 Mules.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation cleared Andrews of wrongdoing, and found he was legally dropping off ballots for members of his family. Andrews filed a defamation lawsuit against Salem, as well as the team behind the movie: right wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, and the group True the Vote.
Though “2,000 Mules” has been widely debunked by law enforcement officials and the media, including NPR, the film and book developed a widespread following among supporters of the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
According to Andrews’ lawsuit, the allegations in “2,000 Mules” led to violent threats against him and his family. “They worry that again they will be baselessly accused of election crimes, and that believers in the ‘mules’ theory may recognize and seek reprisal against them, and that they may face physical harm,” the lawsuit alleged.
According to a court filing in a related case, Salem settled the lawsuit brought by Andrews for an undisclosed "significant" amount. In the statement on its website, Salem wrote, “It was never our intent that the publication of the ‘2000 Mules’ film and book would harm Mr. Andrews. We apologize for the hurt the inclusion of Mr. Andrews' image in the movie, book, and promotional materials have caused Mr. Andrews and his family.”
Salem said that it “relied on representations made to us by Dinesh D’Souza and True the Vote.”
D’Souza and True the Vote did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Andrews’ lawsuit was brought with the help of the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, which also worked on defamation litigation brought by Georgia election workers against the former New York Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani.
A lawyer for Protect Democracy declined to comment on Salem’s statement due to the ongoing case. It is unclear what impact Salem’s apology will have on the lawsuit, which is currently in the discovery phase. Separately, Salem is also suing its insurer for allegedly failing to cover the costs stemming from Andrews’ lawsuit.
This was not the first rift among the makers and distributor of “2,000 Mules.”
When D’Souza published the book version of the film and made allegations of illegal “ballot trafficking” against specific nonprofit groups, True the Vote issued a statement saying that the group ”had no participation in this book, and has no knowledge of its contents." True the Vote added, "This includes any allegations of activities of any specific organizations made in the book. We made no such allegations."
That version of the book was abruptly recalled after already reaching store shelves and replaced with a version that omitted multiple significant allegations.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Ha, ha, ha. Good to see the echo chamber hasn't stopped. You guys should get outside. Lol.
Steady.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened last night in Atlanta. According to texts and emails from friends and colleagues, many didn’t sleep well after the so-called “debate.” That’s understandable. Let’s hope you can catch up over the weekend. Folks, I’m not here to pump sunshine, but this is not the end of the race. A poor debate performance doesn’t seal a candidate’s fate. Barack Obama lost big to Mitt Romney in their first debate. Yes, Joe Biden had a really terrible, very bad night. Some are calling it the worst debate in our history. But please don’t seek out the nearest ledge. We all need to take a deep breath and hold steady. The next four months will see many ups and downs. I woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise. The Republic is still standing. And Joe Biden is on the ticket.
Will he remain there? If you read editorial and opinion writers, many believe the president should pack it in ASAP. “Joe Biden … must bow out of the race,” according to an editorial in The New York Times. The Washington Post called it “90 minutes of pain” and ran its analysis with a photo of a woman clasping her hands in front of her face in disbelief.
There is dissension among Democrats who are rightfully panicking about Biden’s performance. A dip into social media reveals any number of potential Democratic tickets for November that don’t include President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
Per Politico, the movement to convince Biden not to run is real, according to a Democratic member of the House. But “real” is a thousand miles and three letters from reality.
At a campaign stop in North Carolina today, Biden acknowledged his poor performance. A decidedly more energetic president told supporters, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious. I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up.”
Let’s hope he rallies quickly, because the alternative is no alternative. In this writer’s opinion, Trump should never have been allowed to share that stage last night. The man who tried to overthrow the last presidential election should have no role in this one. And if not for some dubious delays by federal courts, he might already be behind bars. The presumptive Republican nominee, who is now a convicted felon and will be sentenced in less than two weeks, is not fit to lead this nation. He is a serial liar and a gaslighter, which he amply demonstrated again on Thursday night. It took a CNN fact checker more than three minutes just to list all the lies he told.
Joe Biden is a good and decent man. But in last night’s joint appearance, he was bullied and lost badly. Giving up power is so difficult to do. The president, his staff, and his supporters cling to the idea that a good and decent man can beat a convicted felon at the polls.
What do party leaders think of this mess? The kingmakers have so far been silent. But the debate will be the elephant in the room when President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries headline a fundraiser in New York tonight. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.
For all the pre-debate hype, the ratings were actually down dramatically from the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020, 73 million vs. 48 million. If there is one small nugget of good news, it’s that the debate was so early in the campaign cycle, many voters just aren’t tuned in yet.
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Stay Steady,
Dan
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
surprised you aren't on here more spiking the football after the debate.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I'm ready to play today
tRump doesn't need preparation because he just spews bullshit and insults. That's easy.
Every Biden response should have been about what a horrible president tRump was and how he fixed tRump's mistakes regardless if it was completely truthful or not.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
I wish there was an official statement. Even something like, "as was on clear display, the President had an extremely off night. The President fell ill with a particularly bad cold a day before the debate, but felt adamant that the citizens of the United States of America bear witness to his honesty and care, and Donald Trump's narcissism and lies. While his honesty and care may have indeed been overshadowed by the impact of illness, Donald Trump was on full display for the voting population. Don't discount the debate, but also don't let it exclusively tell you who Joe Biden is. We have all had off days, and we have all felt pressure plus illness compound to bring out suboptimal versions of ourselves. Look at Biden's presidency - an astonishing collection of long-neglected needs on behalf of the American people. Look at his campaign performances - even hours after the debate after a good night's rest, it became apparent that Joe Biden is far from defeated, but re-invigorated and ready to keep the monster miles away from the White House. Don't view this debate performance in isolation, but also don't think Biden doesn't know the truth: he needs to, and regularly does, so much better. And where Donald Trump does his best for Donald Trump, Joe Biden does his best for Americans"
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
And to blame being overprepared is strange to me, perhaps I do not understand the context. Cause a president should be able to have a lot of those facts at the tip of their tongue. I am not saying it's easy, what I am saying is if you cannot have them at the tip of your tongue you are not fit to be president. I do not think Biden is fit to be president and the debate confirmed it for me.
Now the debate also confirmed for me my other belief that trump is not fit to be president. So we ultimately have 2 people unfit for the job vying for the job. So I will vote for the one who's unfitness will cause the least harm to me and the country. That's the feeble Joe Biden. He will do the least amount of harm.
I don't agree that Biden is unfit. He's completely fit right now....I do have to question if I would still believe that in another 2-3 years.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
He's an 81 year old man who was likely a bit cloudy with cold meds. He clearly had a cold. He was still coughing the next day when he appeared to be much more lively at his campaign stop.
It sounds like you don't think he's fit for the job as he was clearly having a hard time getting his point across.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
look for Biden the day after in NC. he addresses it directly saying he had a bad night. no excuses.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I think the stakes are too high to take the chance on whether he is fit.
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana
www.headstonesband.com
Probably less than 1/10 of 1% of those eyes saw him in NC.
The "cold" thing doesn't make sense to me because he was on film at a Waffle House afterwards appearing normal and then appeared totally normal the next day.