NEWS AND OPINION:
Well, here’s another entry for our lexicon. This little phrase comes to us from Axios in a short update that details the news organization’s impression of former President Donald Trump and his recent appearance at a fight card in Las Vegas.
“Former President Trump, fighting to return to the White House and avoid prison, dropped in on an Ultimate Fighting Championship night in Vegas, and was a guest on a UFC podcast,” Axios said in a brief report.
“Why it matters: The trip earlier this month was a collision of two longtime Trump obsessions — combat sports and crafting a macho image — just as he faces the prospect of being indicted for a third and potentially fourth time,” the news organization said.
“Trump has done his usual ranting on social media and focused on looking tough, while casting himself as a warrior for conservative causes and the working class,” the update continued.
“UFC — whose audience is typically young and overwhelmingly male — is a natural platform for Trump, whose campaign sees young white men as a particularly supportive group. Trump’s affection for UFC goes back more than two decades, when his hotels hosted UFC fights at a time when many shunned the fledgling sport as too violent,” Axios noted.
UFO OR UAP?
The unprecedented congressional hearing Wednesday on otherworldly matters offered many revelations about our visitors from elsewhere over the decades. It also revealed that the media still prefers the old-school term “UFO” (for “unidentified flying object”) over the somehow less evocative designation “UAP” (for “unidentified aerial phenomenon” and “unidentified anomalous phenomena”).
A brief review of the heavy coverage in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill event, in fact, turned up no UAP references at all. Here’s just a few of many headlines of note in the last 24 hours:
“Whistleblower tells Congress the U.S. is concealing ‘multi-decade’ program that captures UFOs” (Associated Press); “Officials and lawmakers push for more government transparency on UFOs” (CNN); “Lawmakers call for greater transparency on UFOs during House Oversight hearing” (NBC News); “UFO hearing : Lawmakers, witnesses accuse Pentagon of ‘cover up’” (The Hill); “UFO hearing: Pentagon whistleblowers share explosive claims of alien technology defying laws of physics” (The Independent); “House’s next UFO hearing features former official claiming knowledge of the US finding alien crafts” (ABC News); and “Former Navy pilot describes chilling UFO encounter” (The Daily Beast).
THE IMPEACHMENT PRESS
Meanwhile, the news media has seized upon the “I-word” once again.
The “I-word” here stands for “impeachment,” and it came into more frequent use during the years former President Trump was in office.
And now, three years later, that word is back in the news. But the former president is not in the mix. Here’s a small sample of the many headlines from the past 48 hours, much of it centered on President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“McCarthy escalates talk of a Biden impeachment inquiry” (The New York Times); “McCarthy again marches to Donald Trump’s tune by invoking Biden impeachment inquiry” (CNN); “Republicans tip-toe toward an impeachment inquiry” (Washington Post); “Senate Republicans see Biden impeachment as fraught with risk” (The Hill); “Kevin McCarthy’s impeachment trial balloon gets mixed GOP reviews” (NBC News); “McCarthy floats impeachment inquiry into Biden” (Axios); “McCarthy floats an impeachment inquiry of Biden” (PBS); and “A strong whiff of desperation surrounds threats to impeach Biden” (The Guardian).
AN INTEREST IN INTEREST
The Republican Party is closely tracking emerging economic trends under President Biden that are making life miserable for many Americans.
“The Federal Reserve has now raised interest rates 11 times since March 2022 with the goal of lowering inflation. Interest rates are at their highest level in 22 years,” reports the Republican National Committee in an in-depth analysis sure to vex consumers.
“Bidenflation has burdened Americans with higher interest rates, making it harder for millions to achieve the American dream,” the analysis said.
“The cumulative effects of these interest rate increases are squeezing Americans’ finances and punishing the cash-poor. 61% of Americans said they took a financial hit due to rising interest rates in the past 12 months,” the committee said in its report, citing an Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America survey released June 27.
“Bidenomics has cost the middle class $2.4 trillion since March 2022. The average middle-class household has lost over $33,000 in real wealth in just the past year,” the committee noted, citing data released by Bloomberg News.
“Thanks to Bidenflation, working-class Americans face surging home prices and rising mortgage rates, leaving many unable to afford buying a home. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has more than doubled since Biden took office, increasing from 2.77 percent to 6.78 percent,” the report continued, this time citing data from Bloomberg News.
And one more example from the lengthy GOP analysis: The cost of a new car continues to rise, with the number of car buyers paying $1,000 or more a month to finance a new vehicle recently reaching an all-time high, according to the auto-industry source Edmunds. About one-third of buyers are now taking out six- to seven-year loans on used vehicles to help lower monthly payments, the report said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 30% of U.S. adults say President Biden needs to “stabilize inflation” in order to gain their confidence in his ability to fix the U.S. economy.
v18% say he needs to “cut federal spending” to gain their confidence.
• 12% say he needs to “push for wage increases.”
• 11% say he needs to “cut taxes.”
• 9% say he needs to “do nothing, and continue what he is now doing.”
• 8% say he needs to “address the budget deficit.”
• 7% say he needs to “roll back entitlement spending.”
• 5% say he needs to “spur more job growth.”
SOURCE: A Harvard University Center for American Political Studies/Harris/Harris X poll of 2,068 registered U.S. voters conducted July 19-20. Respondents were given a list of choices.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.