THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Jim Geraghty and National Review

The writers and editors of National Review are not often vocal supporters of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), but have still lauded her plans to visit Taiwan in multiple posts over the past few days.

The outlet praised Pelosi for taking a strong stance against “bully” China through her visit to Taiwan.

“Pelosi Must Go to Taiwan” declared the headline of a commentary from the conservative website’s editorial board, describing the planned trip as “a critical symbol of support as Beijing ratchets up its pressure on Taipei.”

“Much as we disagree with the speaker on most issues, on this question she has been stalwart,” the editors concluded, faulting the Biden administration’s disapproval of the visit.

Jim Geraghty echoed the editors’ views with a Monday morning column headlined “Pelosi Stands Up to the Bully in Beijing.”

"A lot of people in this world like to think that they’re brave, tough, and willing to act against injustice but start looking for excuses once the consequences of taking a stand get high enough," he wrote.

Geraghty penned a detailed explanation of Pelosi's long term opposition of the Chinese government, giving readers needed context regarding her expected trip to Taiwan.

The speaker’s stance on China — assuming she does in fact follow through on her plans to visit Taiwan — cut through partisan issues and earned her respect on this issue, wrote Geraghty.

“Conservatives rarely applaud Pelosi," Geraghty wrote, "but her willingness to visit Taiwan — and to tell the Chinese government in Beijing to go pound sand if it doesn’t like her making the trip — is one of those rare times when they do."

MEDIA LOSER:
Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson dismissed news that the U.S. had killed the leader of Al Qaeda and instead spent Monday's show arguing that President Joe Biden wants to "weaken and destroy the United States.”

“If you’re Joe Biden, if you think about it, it takes a lot of brass to brag about Afghanistan,” began Carlson.

He went on to call Biden’s withdrawal from the country the “single most humiliating moment in American foreign policy since the fall of Saigon in April of 1975," adding that he chose "a path that seemed designed to inflict maximum damage to the interests of the United States."

"Tonight, Biden gave a speech boasting that he’s killed an Al Qaeda figure in Afghanistan. Great. Feel safer? Of course you don’t," he continiued.

"Nobody does. And the reason nobody feels safer is Biden’s response to the disaster in Afghanistan."

Carlson conveniently ignored that Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri, killed by a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, was one of the masterminds behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Instead of celebrating the nation's counterterrorism victory, Carlson went on to accuse Biden of "provoking yet another conflict," claiming the president was the catalyst behind Vladimir Putin’s deadly invasion of Ukraine.

“They wanted a war with Russia, and now we have one. We’re not winning that war. By the way, the main American casualty so far has been our economy, which is dying,” he said.

Later in the show, Carlson spun a similarly unsound yarn, declaring that Biden is trying to provoke a war in China in an effort to “destroy” the U.S.

The A-Block

'Justice has been delivered'

The U.S. military killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri in a drone strike in Afghanistan.

Zawahiri was a deputy under Osama bin Laden on 9/11 and took over al Qaeda after bin Laden was killed by U.S. special forces in 2011.

Fox News anchor Bret Baier broke the news during Monday's edition of The Five, saying, “We can confirm from two intelligence sources that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed by a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan over the weekend."

CBS News wrapped up its reporting on the killing by reminding viewers that those who participated in or planned the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are now all either dead or in jail.

"We leave you with a look at lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center. All those that plotted the attack are either dead or captured," said anchor John Dickerson.

"One World Trade stands as the tallest building in the western hemisphere. A reminder of the resilience of New York City and the American people."

President Joe Biden alsoaddressed the killing in remarks delivered from the White House Monday evening, confirming that he authorized the drone strike.

"Justice has been delivered. This terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer," he said.

"United States demonstrated our resolve and capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm."

FNC's Brian Kilmeade gave the president some credit for the strike. CNN's Brianna Keilar talked to John Kirby about it.

On Tuesday morning, the White House released a photo from the meeting where the strike was planned.


In Other News...

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Greg Norman Says LIV Golf was Unfairly Targeted After Mickelson’s ‘Scary Motherf*ckers’ Comment

MAGA (And More) Mock Liz Cheney for Kevin Costner T-Shirt Endorsement: ‘A Buttigieg Surrogate’

Trump Endorses ‘ERIC’ In Controversial GOP Primary, Prompting Both Leading Candidates Named Eric to Celebrate

RATINGS: Kasie Hunt Tops CNN in the Demo — But Loses to MSNBC and Fox Competition

Must See Clip

Pushing the PACT Act

Jon Stewart joined a group of veterans outside the Capitol to continue advocating for the stalled PACT Act.

“I’m a liberal piece of shit,” Stewart said on Monday. “I get it. I know what I am. I’m Hunter Biden’s cocaine dealer. I get it. I’m more gay pride flag than man. I get it."

"But the VFW isn’t, and the American Legion isn’t, and the IAVA [Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America] isn’t, and DAV [Disabled American Veterans] isn’t, and the Wounded Warriors Project isn’t,” he continued.

Stewart has been pushing for the legislation, aimed at expanding healthcare for veterans and 9/11 first responders, since it failed to pass a Senate vote last week.

Watch his latest rant here.

Links We Like

- Hayley Smith and Gregory Yee, Los Angeles Times
The media is looking for a Trump-Fox split
- Charlotte Klein, Vanity Fair
Will Bill O'Reilly follow Chris Cuomo to NewsNation?
- Lachlan Cartwright, The Daily Beast
Media outlets sue Texas Department of Public Safety over Uvalde shooting records
- Zach Despart, Texas Tribune
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