David Barton: We Might Be On the Verge of Revolution

February 22, 2016

Writer

The Context

The South Carolina primary was Saturday and Donald Trump came out the big winner followed by Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz who were in a virtual tie for second place. David Barton joined the program and broke down the numbers behind the votes and what he found surprised him.

“Well, I thought there would be a revolution, but not in the sense of having a physical revolution,” Barton said Monday on The Glenn Beck Program. “I'm now more of a believer that it's a real thing. The numbers I saw in South Carolina . . . I was literally shocked. I was shocked at not only the numbers, but the words that were behind some of the numbers. The questions that were literally asked and how people responded to that, it really gave me a lot of pause in a way that I have not done in recent years.”

The Bubba Effect

If you've been a listener over the past few years, Glenn has talked extensively about a term called The Bubba Effect, something he believes is now here. The Bubba Effect is when a group of people feel they have been pushed over the edge by an overbearing government, and someone responds with force or violence. Even though they know it’s wrong, the majority of people support the violence.

“The Bubba Effect, I believe, is in full effect right now,” Glenn said. “I believe Donald Trump is The Bubba Effect, and I'll explain that later, based on some of these polls that are coming in. And they are frightening. They're truly frightening when you read the exit polls and you know what you're looking for.”

What was most frightening for David Barton? The term "betrayal."

“Well, the term we'll get into later is the term "betrayal," Barton said. “[Voters] feel betrayed. And when you look at betrayal and you look at what psychologists say that represents, that's a scary term. It's not like someone has just crossed me --- betrayal is deep stuff.”

Terrorism

The number one issue for South Carolina voters according to exit polling was terrorism at 32%, but the staggering number was that 75% of voters did not want Syrian refugees. Glenn explained why that is such a significant number.

“This is America saying, 'Look, we don't buy your bullcrap that it's a peaceful religion and the Muslim Brotherhood are largely secular.' What they know is, Muslims have come in from the Middle East, not necessarily American Muslims . . . Islamists is the better way to term this. Islamists are not peaceful. Muslims can be peaceful. But we have bent over backwards to say everybody is peaceful. And this guy is just a lone wolf, when we know that's bullcrap,” Glenn said.

What’s Sticking to Cruz

There may be several factors that hurt Cruz’ performance or why Rubio and Trump did so well, but there is one thing that Glenn believes is starting to take its toll on Ted.

“So here's the other thing that's hurting Ted Cruz that is sticking: that he's running the dirty campaign and that he's a liar. I have to tell you, I mean, I would not be with a liar. And I won't make any excuses,” Glenn said.

David has been hearing the same thing over and over and it might start to be something the Cruz campaign should be worried about even if it’s a lie itself.

“It's interesting the way they've gone at it. Trump says, [Cruz is] a liar. He lies about everything. He's the biggest liar --- just lie, lie, lie. That's the word [Trump] uses over and over, and people repeat that. And I say, 'Can you give me one example?' No, but [Cruz is] a liar,” Barton said.

Common Sense Bottom Line

If the exit polls in South Carolina prove anything it’s that we are a deeply divided country and at an extremely crucial point in our history. We have been pushed by an overbearing government and we might start to see violence, but we cannot let The Bubba Effect take root in our hearts. We must continue to be like Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and serve our fellow man with love.

“And this is why I have been saying, 'Jesus, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, pick one. Pick one.' You've got to hold on to who you are, the principles that you have, and you can't fight hate with hate.” Glenn said.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: So glad you've tuned in. We've run out of time for Courage Boys. We'll have to move that or hit it tomorrow.

I have David Barton here with us. And he's been looking at the poll numbers out of South Carolina. And we're going to get into those here in a bit. But, David, I wanted to talk to you a bit because I know one of the headlines is going to be, "Glenn Beck says there's going to be a revolution." I don't think you believed that until you saw the poll numbers coming out of the last three states.

DAVID: Well, I thought there would be a revolution, but not in the sense of having a physical revolution. You know, I thought there would be political or something. I'm now more of a believer that it's a real thing. The numbers I saw in South Carolina -- you know, I told you the email shocked me. I was literally shocked. I was shocked at not only the numbers, but the words that were behind some of the numbers. The questions that were literally asked and how people responded to that, it really gave me a lot of pause in a way that I have not done in recent years.

GLENN: And, quite honestly, if we had responsible journalists and responsible press, they would be talking to you now. And this is why I have been saying, "Jesus, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, pick one. Pick one." But you've got to hold on to who and you are the principles that you have. And you can't fight hate with hate. And that's exactly what's happening.

And people -- the Bubba Effect, I believe, is in full effect right now. I believe Donald Trump is the Bubba Effect. And I'll explain that later, based on some of these polls that are coming in. And they are frightening. They're truly frightening when you read the exit polls and you know what you're looking for.

DAVID: Yeah. The numbers are scary on this. And the terms are scary too.

GLENN: What do you mean "the terms"?

DAVID: Well, the term we'll get into later is the term "betrayal." They feel betrayed. And when you look at betrayal and you look at what psychologists say that that represents, that's a scary term. It's not like someone has just crossed me. Betrayal is deep stuff.

GLENN: So I want to make sure that you hear this. Because the media will spin this out of control. And they'll make it into another crazy conspiracy theory. But I just want to point out: '99, I talked about Osama bin Laden in New York and said that there would be blood and bodies in the streets and the signature would be Osama bin Laden. And nobody believed me. In 2006 and '7, I talked to you about financial crash, the crash of biblical proportions, based on the housing market. I told you that there would be a caliphate, and everybody mocked that. I'm telling you, we are on the path for revolution. And a violent revolution.

Right now, we're talking about a velvet revolution. But if we make the wrong choice at this point, we are -- and I'll make this case, based on the polls and what we're seeing. And nobody in the media is going to -- they're going to mock it. Don't mock this warning. Please don't mock this warning.

All right. So we'll get into that here in just a second. And I'm actually anxious for David to hear the -- the -- the founders, the black founders, because David is the one who originally turned us on to black founders. We had absolutely no idea.

Pat, do you know who this -- which is the black founder that we're hitting today?

PAT: Crispus Attucks.

GLENN: Who played a huge, huge role. I was just up in Boston a couple weeks ago. And I asked people, "So where is the Old North Church?" And they're like, "You know, it's been years since I've been there. I'm not really sure."

So what is that memorial over there?

That's Bunker Hill, I think. I'm not really sure.

I mean, It's amazing that people who live in that, with all of that history, how many people just dismiss it. And they're just -- it becomes old hat. I don't really -- I learned that in school. And I don't really remember.

PAT: Yeah, they don't pay attention. You only pay attention kind of when you go to Boston on vacation and you're there to see the revolutionary sites and do all of that, and then you appreciate that stuff. I think when you live there, you just kind of -- it's like living around Disneyland. You get immune to it.

STU: All right. But ask them where the nearest Dunkin' Donuts is.

PAT: Oh, they know where that is.

STU: They will know that. They will know that.

PAT: Yeah. Yeah. Ask them what channel the Apprentice is on, and they know that. Right?

GLENN: I will tell you that I've never seen them -- I was seeing them from the window. I've been to Boston a hundred times. I've never had the opportunity -- never had the time to do it. It's something I have to do with my kids because it's amazing. It's all still there. It's all still there. And maybe we should spend a little more time learning about it.

We'll learn something that no one in the mainstream media, no one in the educational system wants you to learn. The history of our black founders, next.

Hour 2

GLENN: I'll number Durango Hills today in Las Vegas. At noon. And 4 o'clock, I'll be in Elko, Nevada, which I've never been. And then in Reno tonight. Which is a beautiful city. And then tomorrow, we'll be around another few places tomorrow in Nevada. Just check GlennBeck.com for all the details or my Facebook page. We'll make sure you can find out where we are.

So in South Carolina, quite honestly, it was like a kick to the gut in South Carolina. But we learned an awful lot about what is happening in America and how high the anger is in America. We never make a good choice -- how many times have you ever said these words, "I was so angry today, and I made the best choice I've ever made?" We always start our apologies with, "I'm really sorry. I flew off the handle. I was really angry." Never have I made a good decision when I was angry.

And David is going to take us through some of the poll numbers and what really happened in South Carolina. David Barton is with us.

DAVID: You want to start with the angry side --

GLENN: You take us where you think we need to go.

DAVID: Well, I'll tell you the way it started for me. I was not in South Carolina the night the results came in. I was speaking at a big event in east Texas.

PAT: I'm just wondering if this is the David Barton --

GLENN: Come on. Let's get something out.

DAVID: What is the website, Pat?

GLENN: Oh, jeez.

PAT: Keepthepromise.com.

GLENN: We got it. Let me just say -- if you would like to help the super PAC for Ted Cruz, you can go to keepthepromise.com. Now, can we please move on?

JEFFY: So this is the David Barton from --

GLENN: Stop it right now. Please, I'm begging you guys. Turn the mics off, Sarah, in Dallas.

Okay. David, tell us what happened.

DAVID: So I looked at the result after the event that night was over, and I saw all sorts of headlines. I saw what had happened, that Cruz had come in third. I saw that evangelicals had abandoned him. That they did not do well. The conservative state did not go for him. And so I saw all these headlines. Then as I was with you this weekend --

GLENN: And you were as shocked as I was.

DAVID: I was shocked. I was absolutely shocked. Our numbers were not close to what the results came in as. Really, nobody's numbers were close. They missed Rubio by a long way. Trump overperformed. Cruz underperformed by what was predicted. So it was a gut blow. It was kind of a gut blow.

So I had not thought about it much. You asked -- you sent me the email and said, "What happened?" So I sent you back a few articles that had exit polls, but I hadn't really looked at them. And so as we were talking last night, I spent time going through the exit polls. And the headlines completely misportrayed what the numbers show.

So, for example, you take -- and let me put it in perspective and then we can talk about how things felt. The biggest issues that were on voters' minds in South Carolina, which were really different from Iowa and elsewhere, but the biggest issues that were out there -- number one issue was terrorism. That was the number one issue at 32 percent, followed by jobs and the economy for 28 percent, government spending 27 percent, immigration 10 percent.

GLENN: Okay. Listen. Now, when it comes to terrorism, it's specifically the Syrian refugees.

DAVID: That's right.

GLENN: And as I explained to David last night, this is the Bubba effect. Because David is like, where are the Syrian refugees? How is that even a story right now?

DAVID: And, by the way, the reason I was struck with that was 75 percent of South Carolina voters said we like Trump because he doesn't want any Syrian -- and I had no clue it would be 75 percent.

GLENN: Right. And why is that number so high? And I explained to David, this is the Bubba Effect. This is America saying, "Look, we don't buy your bullcrap that it's a peaceful religion. And the Muslim Brotherhood are largely secular." What they know is, Muslims have come in from the Middle East, not necessarily American Muslims and Islamists is the better way to term this. Islamists are not peaceful. Muslims can be peaceful. But we have bent over backwards to say everybody is peaceful. And this guy is just a lone wolf, when we know that's bullcrap.

So when the government is not protecting us, that is the secret of the Bubba Effect. When the government isn't protecting, the people push back on that. They get angry and say, "You know what, get out of our town. We know what the truth is, and you're part of the problem." And that's why the Syrian refugees was the -- by far, the number one concern of the people who went to the polls in South Carolina.

DAVID: And for those folks, Trump was their guy.

GLENN: Because he says no Muslims.

DAVID: He says, Muslims, shut it down. That's where they went. Although there were these other issues, 75 percent, that was a stunning number to me.

GLENN: Right.

DAVID: And the other numbers that stood out to me, is I was told -- let's see if I get the numbers. 74 percent were evangelicals that voted. As it turned out, 74 percent were not evangelicals. That was evangelicals born again. So in the evangelicals, Cruz did really good with the evangelicals. But among the born agains -- and evangelicals are born agains who are serious about their faith. So those serious about their faith, Cruz did really well with. Those who were not serious about their faith and not very conservative, that's where Trump cleaned up. And so the media said, oh, all the evangelicals are going for Trump. No, not so. There was a definite categorization difference between those who practice their faith and those who didn't.

GLENN: And actually those who practiced their faith, it was split between Rubio and Cruz.

DAVID: That's right. Rubio and Cruz had the high percentage of those who were serious about their faith.

GLENN: So here's the other thing that's hurting Ted Cruz that is sticking, that he's running the dirty campaign and that he's a liar. I have to tell you, I mean, I would not be with a liar. And I won't make any excuses. I think -- you know, I think like -- what was it? Oh, the thing in Iowa where he said, you know, they sent out fliers --

DAVID: Ben Carson.

GLENN: No, no. The fliers that they sent out and said, "You're in violation of voting violation." That's been done over and over again by the Democrats and the Republicans. So it's nothing new. I don't like it. I wouldn't have done that myself. But it's totally fair game. Nobody has ever had a problem with that in the past.

He's not playing dirty ball. But the problem is, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump are all saying the same thing because they know, if they take him out, then the whole landscape changes. And so he's an impediment to them. So they're doing what they did to, you know, Mitt Romney and everybody always does. You -- you target one, take him out. Then you retarget another one and take them out. So they're all targeting Marco Rubio -- Ted Cruz.

DAVID: It's interesting the way they've gone at it. Trump says, he's a liar. He lies about everything. He's the biggest liar -- just lie, lie, lie. That's the word he uses over and over. And people repeat that. And I say, "Can you give me one example?" No, but he's a liar.

Give me an example.

Well, he's a liar.

And it goes back to what William James said in the 1800s. He said, there's nothing so absurd, but that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.

GLENN: Hitler said the same thing.

DAVID: That's right. And that's what's been happening. That did hurt Cruz in South Carolina. The negatives went up on him. We really can't trust him because he's a liar. No evidence of that. That's just a claim.

GLENN: I know Ted Cruz. That's the most incredible thing I've heard. He's trying to be friends with everybody. He's not taking these guys out. He's the only one not engaging in those nasty -- you know, this nasty kind of --

DAVID: Well, I'll tell you, when I -- when they asked me to take the super PAC and I did. I said, "Here's the deal, I'm not going to be an attack dog. I'm not going to do a super PAC that's going after everybody attacking. I believe in Romans 12:21. You overturn the evil with the good. We'll run positive messaging. I don't mind contrast ads. I don't mind if someone is vote is somewhere, I'll show that. But I'm not going to be attack dogs and demean the character of others." And that's the way we run this thing. And now we're liars for having run really a pretty straight-up campaign. Now, we can't speak for everybody that does everything in the name of Ted Cruz. But the super PAC side, our super PAC Keep the Promise. Oh, wait a minute. Keepthepromise.com. Our super PAC,keepthepromise.com, we have really run a straight-up thing. Because that's Ted's character. That's what we want to reflect.

GLENN: I will tell you this, David is in because he does want to raise money for the super PAC because he believes that the only reason why Kasich is still in is he wants to win Ohio. And Ohio, it doesn't even look like he'll win Ohio. And the super PAC needs to have the money to be able to go on and continue to fight. So if you do believe in Ted Cruz, you can donate to the super PAC.

Now, let me switch to -- and, Pat, I don't know if you have this audio. What Marco Rubio said this weekend on, I don't know if it was Meet the Press

PAT: I got the Stephanopoulos audio where he was --

GLENN: Okay. So I want you to listen to what he said.

VOICE: For what it's worth, PolitiFact has never been able to find -- none of us have been able to find any instance --

PAT: That's. Hang on a second.

GLENN: And this is important. Because here's the thing -- there's never been -- in modern history, there's never been somebody who has made it to the presidency without winning Ohio, New Hampshire, or South Carolina. You have to win one of those three. In modern history, nobody has made it without winning one of those three. Hang on just a second.

On the other side, Bill Clinton didn't win anything until Georgia, which was March 1st. So I want you to remember the comeback kid. He did win South Carolina. But South Carolina came later. It came March 6th. The first time he won any state was March 1st. So no matter what's happening at this point, it doesn't matter. You can win with the momentum. So don't be discouraged if you happen to be for a candidate. You know, I think you'll have a hard time -- anybody who hasn't won any of those three states. That's the only thing that's an impediment. This is truly a two-man race. Okay. Go ahead play the audio.

VOICE: Three big contests so far. You've come in third, fifth, and now second in South Carolina. The big question for you is: Where do you win?

GLENN: Now, listen to this.

MARCO: Well, when we get to these winner-take-all states, we have to start winning because they award all their delegates to one person. And if you look at what we're doing now, we're going to be doing a national campaign. I mean, I'm in Tennessee today. Then I'm going to Arkansas. Then we finish up in Nevada. And tomorrow, more of the same. We're campaigning everywhere.

So the way this process works, for people that are watching is, these states right now are awarding delegates proportionally. And -- and -- but come March 15th, if you win a state, you get all of their delegates. That's when it's really going to start to matter, and we'll be in real good shape for that.

VOICE: And Florida needs to be a win?

GLENN: Okay. Stop.

Go ahead.

MARCO: Well, I think that's true for everyone in this race, and it's always been true. We feel real good about Florida.

VOICE: True for everybody in this race.

GLENN: Okay. Stop. True for everybody in this race that you have to win Florida. He is currently polling third in his home state.

DAVID: And notice he was asked what state can you win, and he hasn't named one. He's naming where he's going to be, he's naming what they're going to work for, he hasn't given a state where he can win.

GLENN: Right. And if his strategy is, I'm going to win in Florida. It's too late. That was the -- what's-his-name's strategy?

DAVID: Jeb Bush.

GLENN: No. Not only Jeb Bush, but Giuliani. It doesn't work. It just doesn't work. So I don't know what that strategy is. But you can't win if you say I'm going to win in Florida and you're polling third and it's your home state. Imagine if, you know, Ted Cruz was polling third in Texas. By the way, how is he polling in Texas?

DAVID: He's polling first in Texas.

GLENN: First in Texas. Yeah, I mean, you just can't do that. You just can't poll third in your own state at this point. Rubio is not -- is not a winner. He's just not a winner. People are looking at him and saying, "Well, he can win in the general." I'm not so sure.

Featured Image: Supporters cheer as the South Carolina primary is called for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his election night party February 20, 2016 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The New York businessman won the first southern primary decisively. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Washington Post EXPOSED: How Watergate editors almost published a fake Pulitzer Prize-winning story

Episode 6 of Glenn’s new history podcast series The Beck Story releases this Saturday.

This latest installment explores the history of Left-wing bias in mainstream media. Like every episode of this series, episode 6 is jam-packed with historical detail, but you can’t squeeze in every story, so some inevitably get cut from the final version. Part of this episode involves the late Ben Bradlee, who was the legendary editor of the Washington Post. Bradlee is legendary mostly because of the Watergate investigation that was conducted on his watch by two young reporters named Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Bradlee, Woodward, and Bernstein became celebrities after the release of the book and movie based on their investigation called All the President’s Men.

But there is another true story about the Washington Post that you probably won’t see any time soon at a theater near you.

In 1980, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee wanted to expand the Post’s readership in the black community. The paper made an effort to hire more minority journalists, like Janet Cooke, a black female reporter from Ohio. Cooke was an aggressive reporter and a good writer. She was a fast-rising star on a staff already full of stars. The Post had a very competitive environment and Cooke desperately wanted to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Readers were hooked. And outraged.

When Cooke was asked to work on a story about the D.C. area’s growing heroin problem, she saw her chance to win that Pulitzer. As she interviewed people in black neighborhoods that were hardest hit by the heroin epidemic, she was appalled to learn that even some children were heroin addicts. When she learned about an eight-year-old heroin addict named Jimmy, she knew she had her hook. His heartbreaking story would surely be her ticket to a Pulitzer.

Cooke wrote her feature story, titling it, “Jimmy’s World.” It blew away her editors at the Post, including Bob Woodward, who by then was Assistant Managing Editor. “Jimmy’s World” would be a front-page story:

'Jimmy is 8 years old and a third-generation heroin addict,' Cooke’s story began, 'a precocious little boy with sandy hair, velvety brown eyes and needle marks freckling the baby-smooth skin of his thin brown arms. He nestles in a large, beige reclining chair in the living room of his comfortably furnished home in Southeast Washington. There is an almost cherubic expression on his small, round face as he talks about life – clothes, money, the Baltimore Orioles and heroin. He has been an addict since the age of 5.'

Readers were hooked. And outraged. The mayor’s office instructed the police to immediately search for Jimmy and get him medical treatment. But no one was able to locate Jimmy. Cooke wasn’t surprised. She told her editors at the Post that she had only been able to interview Jimmy and his mother by promising them anonymity. She also revealed that the mother’s boyfriend had threatened Cooke’s life if the police discovered Jimmy’s whereabouts.

A few months later, Cooke’s hard work paid off and her dream came true – her story was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Cooke had to submit some autobiographical information to the Prize committee, but there was a slight snag. The committee contacted the Post when they couldn’t verify that Cooke had graduated magna cum laude from Vassar College. Turns out she only attended Vassar her freshman year. She actually graduated from the University of Toledo with a B.A. degree, not with a master’s degree as she told the Pulitzer committee.

Cooke’s editors summoned her for an explanation. Unfortunately for Cooke and the Washington Post, her resume flubs were the least of her lies. After hours of grilling, Cooke finally confessed that “Jimmy’s World” was entirely made up. Jimmy did not exist.

The Pulitzer committee withdrew its prize and Cooke resigned in shame. The Washington Post, the paper that uncovered Watergate – the biggest political scandal in American history – failed to even vet Cooke’s resume. Then it published a front-page, Pulitzer Prize-winning feature story that was 100 percent made up.

Remarkably, neither Ben Bradlee nor Bob Woodward resigned over the incident. It was a different time, but also, the halo of All the President’s Men probably saved them.

Don’t miss the first five episodes of The Beck Story, which are available now. And look for Episode 6 this Saturday, wherever you get your podcasts.

5 Democrats who have endorsed Kamala (and two who haven't)

Zach Gibson / Stringer, Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

With Biden removed from the 2024 election and only a month to find a replacement before the DNC, Democrats continue to fall in line and back Vice President Kamala Harris to headline the party's ticket. Her proximity and familiarity with the Biden campaign along with an endorsement from Biden sets Harris up to step into Biden's shoes and preserve the momentum from his campaign.

Glenn doesn't think Kamala Harris is likely to survive as the assumed Democratic nominee, and once the DNC starts, anything could happen. Plenty of powerful and important Democrats have rallied around Harris over the last few days, but there have been some crucial exemptions. Here are five democrats that have thrown their name behind Harris, and two SHOCKING names that didn't...

Sen. Dick Durbin: ENDORSED

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

High-ranking Senate Democrat Dick Durbin officially put in his support for Harris in a statement that came out the day after Biden stepped down: “I’m proud to endorse my former Senate colleague and good friend, Vice President Kamala Harris . . . our nation needs to continue moving forward with unity and not MAGA chaos. Vice President Harris was a critical partner in building the Biden record over the past four years . . . Count me in with Kamala Harris for President.”

Michigan Gov. Whitmer: ENDORSED

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

The Monday after Biden stepped down from the presidential VP hopeful, Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement on X: “Today, I am fired up to endorse Kamala Harris for president of the United States [...] In Vice President Harris, Michigan voters have a presidential candidate they can count on to focus on lowering their costs, restoring their freedoms, bringing jobs and supply chains back home from overseas, and building an economy that works for working people.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: ENDORSED

Drew Angerer / Staff | Getty Images

Mere hours after Joe Biden made his announcement, AOC hopped on X and made the following post showing her support: "Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy. Let’s get to work."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi: ENDORSED

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is arguably one of the most influential democrats, backed Harris's campaign with the following statement given the day after Biden's decision: “I have full confidence she will lead us to victory in November . . . My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for President is official, personal, and political.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: ENDORSED

Drew Angerer / Stringer | Getty Images

Massasschesets Senator Elizabeth Warren was quick to endorse Kamala, releasing the following statement shortly after Harris placed her presidential bid: "I endorse Kamala Harris for President. She is a proven fighter who has been a national leader in safeguarding consumers and protecting access to abortion. As a former prosecutor, she can press a forceful case against allowing Donald Trump to regain the White House. We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed. She can unite our party, take on Donald Trump, and win in November."

Former President Barack Obama: DID NOT ENDORSE

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Former President Barack Obama wasted no time releasing the following statement which glaringly omits any support for Harris or any other candidate. Instead, he suggests someone will be chosen at the DNC in August: "We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden's vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond."

Prominent Democratic Donor John Morgan: DID NOT ENDORSE

AP Photo/John Raoux

Prominent and wealthy Florida lawyer and democrat donor John Morgan was clearly very pessimistic about Kamala's odds aginst Trump when he gave the following statement: “You have to be enthusiastic or hoping for a political appointment to be asking friends for money. I am neither. It’s others turn now . . . The donors holding the 90 million can release those funds in the morning. It’s all yours. You can keep my million. And good luck . . . [Harris] would not be my first choice, but it’s a done deal.”

How did Trump's would-be assassin get past Secret Service?

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday was targeted in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It occurred just after 6:10 p.m. while Trump was delivering his speech.

Here are the details of the “official” story. The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was 20 years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He used an AR-15 rifle and managed to reach the rooftop of a nearby building unnoticed. The Secret Service's counter-response team responded swiftly, according to "the facts," killing Crooks and preventing further harm.

Did it though? That’s what the official story says, so far, but calling this a mere lapse in security by Secret Service doesn't add up. There are some glaring questions that need to be answered.

If Trump had been killed on Saturday, we would be in a civil war today. We would have seen for the first time the president's brains splattered on live television, and because of the details of this, I have a hard time thinking it wouldn't have been viewed as JFK 2.0.

How does someone sneak a rifle onto the rally grounds? How does someone even know that that building is there? How is it that Thomas Matthew Crooks was acting so weird and pacing in front of the metal detectors, and no one seemed to notice? People tried to follow him, but, oops, he got away.

How could the kid possibly even think that the highest ground at the venue wouldn't be watched? If I were Crooks, my first guess would be, "That’s the one place I shouldn't crawl up to with a rifle because there's most definitely going to be Secret Service there." Why wasn't anyone there? Why wasn't anyone watching it? Nobody except the shooter decided that the highest ground with the best view of the rally would be the greatest vulnerability to Trump’s safety.

Moreover, a handy ladder just happened to be there. Are we supposed to believe that nobody in the Secret Service, none of the drones, none of the things we pay millions of dollars for caught him? How did he get a ladder there? If the ladder was there, was it always there? Why was the ladder there? Secret Service welds manhole covers closed when a president drives down a road. How was there a ladder sitting around, ready to climb up to the highest ground at the venue, and the Secret Service failed to take it away?

There is plenty of video of eyewitnesses yelling that there was a guy with a rifle climbing up on a ladder to the roof for at least 120 seconds before the first shot was fired. Why were the police looking for him while Secret Service wasn't? Why did the sniper have him in his sights for over a minute before he took a shot? Why did a cop climb up the ladder to look around? When Thomas Matthew Cooks pointed a gun at him, he then ducked and came down off the ladder. Did he call anyone to warn that this young man had a rifle within range of the president?

How is it the Secret Service has a female bodyguard who doesn't even reach Trump's nipples? How was she going to guard the president's body with hers? How is it another female Secret Service agent pulled her gun out a good four minutes too late, then looked around, apparently not knowing what to do? She then couldn't even get the pistol back into the holster because she's a Melissa McCarthy body double. I don't think it's a good idea to have Melissa McCarthy guarding the president.

Here’s the critical question now: Who trusts the FBI with the shooter’s computer? Will his hard drive get filed with the Nashville manifesto? How is it that the Secret Service almost didn't have snipers at all but decided to supply them only one day before the rally because all the local resources were going to be put on Jill Biden? I want Jill Biden safe, of course. I want Jill Biden to have what the first lady should have for security, but you can’t hire a few extra guys to make sure our candidates are safe?

How is it that we have a Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, whose experience is literally guarding two liters of Squirt and spicy Doritos? Did you know that's her background? She's in charge of the United States Secret Service, and her last job was as the head of security for Pepsi.

This is a game, and that's what makes this sick. This is a joke. There are people in our country who thought it was OK to post themselves screaming about the shooter’s incompetence: “How do you miss that shot?” Do you realize how close we came to another JFK? If the president hadn't turned his head at the exact moment he did, it would have gone into the center of his head, and we would be a different country today.

Now, Joe Biden is also saying that we shouldn't make assumptions about the motive of the shooter. Well, I think we can assume one thing: He wanted to kill the Republican presidential candidate. Can we agree on that at least? Can we assume that much?

How can the media even think of blaming Trump for the rhetoric when the Democrats and the media constantly call him literally worse than Hitler who must be stopped at all costs?

These questions need to be answered if we want to know the truth behind what could have been one of the most consequential days in U.S. history. Yet, the FBI has its hands clasped on all the sources that could point to the truth. There must be an independent investigation to get to the bottom of these glaring “mistakes.”

POLL: Do you think Trump is going to win the election?

Kevin Dietsch / Staff, Chip Somodevilla / Staff, Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Image

It feels like all of the tension that has been building over the last four years has finally burst to the surface over the past month. Many predicted 2024 was going to be one of the most important and tumultuous elections in our lifetimes, but the last two weeks will go down in the history books. And it's not over yet.

The Democratic National Convention is in August, and while Kamala seems to be the likely candidate to replace Biden, anything could happen in Chicago. And if Biden is too old to campaign, isn't he too old to be president? Glenn doesn't think he'll make it as President through January, but who knows?

There is a lot of uncertainty that surrounds the current political landscape. Trump came out of the attempted assassination, and the RNC is looking stronger than ever, but who knows what tricks the Democrats have up their sleeves? Let us know your predictions in the poll below:

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5 Democrats who have endorsed Kamala (and two who haven't)

Sen. Dick Durbin: ENDORSED

Michigan Gov. Whitmer: ENDORSED

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: ENDORSED

Rep. Nancy Pelosi: ENDORSED

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: ENDORSED

Former President Barack Obama: DID NOT ENDORSE

Prominent Democratic Donor John Morgan: DID NOT ENDORSE

How did Trump's would-be assassin get past Secret Service?

POLL: Do you think Trump is going to win the election?

Is Trump going to win the election?

Did the assassination attempt increase Trump's chances at winning in November?

Did Trump's pick of J.D. Vance help his odds?

Did the Trump-Biden debate in June help Trump's chances?

Did Biden's resignation from the election hand Trump a victory in November?

Do the Democrats have any chance of winning this election?