Friday’s Final Word – HotAir

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Happy and I’m smilin’, walk a mile to read your tabbies





Ed: Yikes. I have more on the outflow now that the Trump administration has reversed the incentives, but I’d bet that we’ll have to pry some of these illegal aliens out before they’d self-deport. 

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Fox News: Paul went on to argue that most people are probably in the middle on this issue, to the point that while they are against excessive force against protesters, “If you ask them, ’If a guy has committed rape, and he’s in prison, and he is going to get out, do you want him deported?’ I think people would say, ‘Hell yes, he ought to be deported.’”

“Having said that though, what about the 14%? Such a low percentage of 400,000 people,” Couric retorted.

“If your daughter gets raped by the guy that gets back out, and he’s one of the 14%, I don’t think you’re going to quibble about whether it’s 14 or 64,” Paul replied. “What I’m saying though, is that if you’re not going to turn over anybody, then that’s 0%.”

“I don’t think the percentage – it makes a halfway argument to how much effort should we have, but if Minnesota’s not going to turn over anybody, the whole argument — whether it’s 14 or 86 — doesn’t mean anything,” the senator continued.

Ed: First off, that number is not accurate, but otherwise, Paul’s right – it’s irrelevant. Besides, the current enforcement has tried to focus on the “14%,” but sanctuary policies in places like Los Angeles and Minneapolis have forced ICE and Border Patrol to conduct raids rather than transfers from jails. The best way to limit this to the “14%” is for cities and states to cooperate up front with the Department of Homeland Security. And, not to be too pedantic, but “14% … 400,000 people” would result in 56,000 criminals. Does Couric know how to do math?





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Ed: Maybe the NFL should have featured this as the halftime show at the Super Bowl. I would have gladly turned on closed captioning to translate from Spanish. Seriously, though, this is great news, and it represents a lot of hard work from the pro-life movement. 

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Ace of Spades HQ: Now this Irish illegal alien that you Heritage Americans are racially compelled to support claims that ICE detention is “absolute hell” but for some unexplained reason will not just go back to Ireland — which he can do. ICE gives you that option. You can remain in detention as your final deportation orders come down, or you can just go home.

So if detention is “absolute hell,” then you would think that emerald-green Ireland would be preferable, right?

Well, it would be. Except for one little thing.

The whole reason the man came to the US was to flee the Irish police who had charged him with drug dealing.

Ed: It’s a pretty embarrassing reveal for an anti-enforcement poster boy. 

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Ed: This is a good explainer for the loss of credibility in the mainstream media. It’s also evidence for why CNN has lost two-thirds of its audience. But Collins gets a shot at redemption here. Read on.

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TGIF at The Free Press: I do love that all of the journalism world is making erstwhile publisher Will Lewis into the villain. Sad Will Lewis, who was busted living it up in San Francisco for the Super Bowl amid the layoffs. Listen: I, perhaps uniquely in America today, understand why Will Lewis might run from a newsroom. But run you cannot, William. You shovel some seven-layer dip into that briefcase and march yourself right back to that hipster-besieged building. Anyway, back to the villain of this story. It’s Jeff! I love Jeff Bezos for the many good things he has brought to my life, including Amazon Prime Video, Same-Day Delivery, and Whole Foods delivery. So it pains me to say he bungled The Washington Post, and now his hatchet man is being thrown under the bus. Media reporters are gobbling it up. Here’s from Oliver Darcy’s newsletter, which I swear to god is claiming that Bezos didn’t even want to do the layoffs at all, that he was forced to, like a little lamb:

But, according to people familiar with the matter, when Lewis presented Bezos with his proposed cuts, the Amazon and Blue Origin billionaire was not pleased by what he heard. The people familiar with the matter told Status that Bezos rejected the plan, delaying layoffs that had initially been slated for late 2025.





See, guys! Jeff was pressured by the meanie publisher Will! Jeff tried to say no, but he’s powerless here, you see. Your hundreds of billions are no good here, they said. Bezos rejected Lewis’s plan, but then Lewis did it anyway, I guess, just out of spite, just to be harsh. Jeffrey Preston Bezos, a famously shy and gentle businessman, would never.

Now, with Will Lewis having done the dirty work, Bezos can swoop in and rebuild the place. It’s perfect. Another win for Jeffy B.

Ed: Nellie Bowles is mocking this weird, fan-fic spin about the WaPo, and it’s well worth skewering. People are arguing this as though it should be taken seriously. 

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Ed: Turley cuts straight through the nonsense and lands on a hard truth. The Protection Racket Media has created its own echo chamber. They write for themselves and the progressive elite that groomed and then promoted them. All of that is fascinating to an amazingly small clique of consumers, which is why these media outlets find their readership/viewership collapsing. 

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WSJ: The Pentagon is sending the Navy’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier to the Middle East, as the U.S. steps up plans for a potential attack on Iran, two U.S. officials said.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is deploying to the region after spending several months in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. It will be joining the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and nine other warships already operating in the Middle East.

The move comes as President Trump ramps up pressure on Iran to make concessions over its nuclear program. Officials from the U.S. and Iran held a first round of talks last week, and Trump has indicated that he is open to making a deal with Tehran to head off military action.

“They want to make a deal, as they should want to make a deal,” Trump told reporters last week. “They know the consequences if they don’t. If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep. So we’ll see what happens.”

Ed: Looks like Trump wants to assemble more resources for the “very steep” consequences. He wants Iran to recognize this as an existential moment and start negotiating in good faith on its full threat position, but I doubt this regime could survive that kind of retreat. 

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Ed: This is a good demonstration of professionalism on the part of everyone involved – Leavitt, certainly, but also Collins, who could have decided not to share this anecdote. It puts lie to the idea that the Trump White House wants to impose authoritarian control over the media. They have no trouble criticizing its personnel and orgs, but they still defend the freedom of the press to report on events. Now, if the media could grasp that as its actual mission …

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Axios: Journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal charges stemming from his reporting at an anti-ICE protest in a Minnesota church, multiple outlets reported. …

  • He faces charges under the FACE Act, a federal law that prohibits interfering with people exercising their religious rights. The 1994 law was created to allow freedom of access to abortion clinic entrances, making the DOJ’s prosecution of Lemon under it unusual.
  • First-time offenders could face a prison sentence of up to a year.

Ed: This is the difference between news gathering and activism. This may still be a reach for prosecutors, but they do have a case, and Lemon will soon discover the Jussie Smollett Reputational Arc in denying the obvious, no matter what a jury may conclude. 

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Ed: RIP, Mr. Van Der Beek, and thank you so much for for all you gave us … especially as you left us. Pray for his soul, and the comfort of his family, friends, and legions of fans. 


Editor’s note: If we thought our job in pushing back against the Academia/media/Democrat censorship complex was over with the election, think again. This is going to be a long fight. If you’re digging these Final Word posts and want to join the conversation in the comments — and support independent platforms — why not join our VIP Membership program? Choose VIP to support Hot Air and access our premium content, VIP Gold to extend your access to all Townhall Media platforms and participate in this show, or VIP Platinum to get access to even more content and discounts on merchandise. Use the promo code FIGHT to join or to upgrade your existing membership level today, and get 60% off!







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