I think Trump is, on balance, a drag on Republican candidates -- not necessarily because of anything he has done, or because of the "quality" of the candidates he supports (have you seen the Democrats?), but for another reason.
The fact is that Democrats have created their own universe of meaning, sustained partly by the mainstream media, but also within the minds of millions of voters who do not share conservatives' aspirations, at least not consciously.
Their imaginary reasons for hating Trump have real-world results. I think that the riots of 2020 were the result of the fact that impeachment failed to take out Trump and that Democratic voters had little faith in Joe Biden to win.
They took matters into their own hands and simply launched an orgy of violence -- starting in Minneapolis because of George Floyd, but then moving to the White House itself before it fanned out across most of America's major cities.
Democrats were basically saying that they would make America ungovernable if Trump won again. In the weeks before the November 2020 election, they made that threat more explicit; "Shut Down DC" planned nationwide unrest.
Trump has been unfairly persecuted, though he has also made bad mistakes -- and none of that matters. The fact is that half the country simply will not be governed by Donald Trump. There is almost no way around that basic problem.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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