Galaxies when politics, media and the courts are drawn into an existential battle over the white house, the hill, the supremes, donald trump, joe biden, hunter biden and, well, the american way of life. Its the ultimate drama for the main stream media which have practically created Opposition Camps in this president ial election year. Looming over the landscape is the nations highest court which agreed to hear trumps appeal on the crucial question of president ial immunity. Shannon if bream ahead on that. Many in the media see this as the right way to settle such a weighty question while many others in the media are calling this a Stall Thing Tactic to delay the January 6th Case past the election. Its all a been fast and furious. Illinois has become the third state to kick trump off the ballot, and were waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on that. And given the con. Census that this is a consensus that this is a very bad and undemocratic idea, i dont know why scotus isnt moving faster. Oh, and we narrowly alerted a Government Shutdown. Theres also the stunning news of Mitch Mcconnell stepping down as republican leader. An embarrassing hearing for georgia d. A. Fani willis and hunter biden being grilled again behind closed congressional doors, not to mention the former president clobbering nikki haley in michigan heading into Super Tuesday. So you can see why those of us in the News Business are suffering from vertigo, staggering from one huge story to the next just trying to keep up. Im howard or kurtz and this is mediabuzz. Howard lets turn to the calamity at the southern border which President Biden decided to visit on thursday and donald trump decided to visit on thursday knowing full well the media would turn out in force. The former president went to the border in eagle pass, texas, and the current president was 300 mile away in brownsville with the pundits waging rhetorical war. This is a joe biden invasion. This is a biden invasion over the past three years. Credit carded joe has crooked joe as the blood of countless victims. Heres what i would say to mr. Trump instead of Playing Politics with this issue, instead of telling members of congress to block this legislation, join me. Or ill join you in telling the congress to pass this bipartisan Border Security bill. Biden and trump brought every news camera in the country to the border today. Its an optics war and trump won. The voters have soured on joe, there is no coming back. What you see is republicans and specifically donald trump being more trusted on the border even though hes literally saying they want to build camps, they want to bring back, quoteunquote, Operation Wetback with. They want to do mass deportations. The press is not worried that too many illegals are coming to the United States among them criminals, the press is worried that tough policies could stop more from coming. Donald trump says people are going to die because the southern border isnt secure, and he wants them to continue to die every single day that he is not president. Finish. Howard joining us now to analyze the coverage in nashville, tomi lahren, host of tomi lahren is fearless, and with me, the former Assistant Deputy Secretary Of State in the obama administration. Tom if i, donald trump and joe biden both went to the border. Trumps message was its an illegal invasion and biden has blood on his hands. Bidens message was trump should work with him to pass the tough bipartisan border bill. Which message if broke through the media static . I think its also important to note that the only reason that there was that Media Presence at both points on that u. S. Mexico border was because donald trump went. You know, we know that president joe said that he was unaware that donald trump was planning a trip. I think we all can surmise that probably wasnt true, so the only reason the media was there and they had to be there with both president joe and and President Trump is because donald trump said hes going to go to that southern border. But bottomically, i think it speaks for itself when you see former President Trump standing there flanked by the Border Patrol union, flanked by Texas Governor greg abbott that has tone the most to protect the border, i think its quite obvious optically which one of these men truly has a desire to secure the border, which man has already done it and which man was standing this for a photo op. I think its also obvious when youve got Joe Standing Inside Looking at the teleprompter, it looked much better for the former president. Howard well, trump was reading from notes. Look, bidens [inaudible] but thats kind of a dirty word for maga republicans. Does the president making that offer, to Work Together with trump, help him even if the media are portraying him as a being the reasonable guy . Well, to start, i think i disagree with tomi because, you know, generally we see immigration, we just see donald trump across the screen. Here, Irrespective Of Who was reading notes or using the teleprompter, it was split screen. So right off the bat joe biden ate into 50 of Donald Trumps coverage a. Its great that they were both there because theyre talking about immigration. Its one of the leading issues of 2024, and they both need to do it. I mean, from my perspective this should have been george bush and barack obama there because of over the last 24 years, 12 12 of republican, 12 of democrats, this is still a mess if. Donald trump didnt break it, joe biden didnt break it. Howard its an absolute mess. And, tomi, illegal immigration, i would say now is the number one or who number two issue depending on your politics in the campaign. Obviously, a democratic liability, nobody can dispute that. But Big City Mayors also unhappy with joe biden as some of these migrants have been shifted to their areas. Why did it take so long for most of the media fox excepted to cover this as the fullblown crises it is . Well, the the media, in order for them to see whats going on, they have to be there, and its easier, much easier to ignore if it altogether. And they were able to for the first two and a half years, maybe even three years able to really ignore it. Weve seen these surges, these caravans. The media said it wasnt a crisis because the administration said it wasnt a crisis, so they followed suit. But when you start the seeing these busloads, when you start seeing them being dropped off in New York City and chicago, Sanctuary City Mayors crying foul, the media had to jump in, they had to cover it, they had to admit it was a crisis. Now its just a he saidshe said whos to blame, but i think the American People know this was not a crisis under donald trump, and they see its a crisis now. So its unavoid bl, theyre going to have to cover this. There is going to be, i believe it is going to be, i believe, the number one issue, but with it also impacts the economy. S i do believe number one issue, medias got to cover. Howard trumps approach to Border Security, obviously, was very controversial at the time. And, philippe, this is a question most of the media wont ask, do you think joe biden missed an opportunity to do manager dramatic . Something dramatic . Why would he and his people leak to the press that hes considering a Border Crackdown through Executive Orders, then go to the border and do nothing concrete . Well, i would take a step back. One thing we havent talked about is that one of the most important pieces of legislation that could have combated whats going on at the border was scuttled by house republicans. Not by joe biden, not by senate democrats. Right now republican, intraparty politics, had that not taken over including donald trump supposedly wanting to keep the issues because youre right, the poll numbers are horrific for the president , and people want to keep that as is. They dont want to fix it. But right now we could be talking about how there was Bipartisan Legislation to make things better, and you have to ask why. The president s turning to Executive Orders because hes not getting negative from the House Of Representatives howard and i understand trumps role and the republicans role, but at the same time he could have used the powers that he had, you know, other people complain about it, and i thought it was a missed opportunity. Tomi, do you think the media are rooting for a bipartisan border bill that went down in flames in part because it contains desperately needed aid to ukraine . Of course. Theres been this fix sayings on money to ukraine with fixation. And, you know, the media and those in the beltway, they can talk about that until theyre blue in the face but, you know, i live here in nashville, tennessee. I dont live in new york, d. C. , california anymore, thank goodness, so i can tell you that average folks in the middle of this country, in the Southern Parts of this country, when were looking at an invasion on our southern border, when we hear our politicians and the media talk about ukraine aid until they are blue in the face, it really irritates us. It really irritates us that is at the tip of their tongue and theyre trying to tie it to protecting our border as if they have to go hand in hand. They do not. Protect our border first. Average americans are going to be calling for this. The media has not picked up on that, but if theyre wise, they will. Howard but with you obviously understand that whether, whatever you want to say first, second, third that ukraine was the subject to a brutal invasion by russia, many, many civilians have been killed and now i think ukraine aid might pass, but they cant get a vote. So are you saying i understand protect the border first, but are you say Average Americans dont saying Average Americans dont care about a ukraine in. Im not saying they dont care about ukraine. Certainly, we have empathy for the people in ukraine and their plight and their struggle. Nobody wants to see whats happening happen. No one wants to see whats happening right now in gaza happen either. But when you look at a it from the perspective of the Average American whos struggling right now to afford groceries, their mortgage, gas prices, when youve got ceos of Cereal Companies saying eat cereal because you probably cant afford your other dinner, i think americans have a hard time swallowing we need to send money to ukraine in perpetuity. We dont see an end to this, and until we can get our home front figured out, ive got to tell you, i dont think the Average American really cries a lot of tears for ukraine when theyre busy crying their own tears over their own economy. Howard ukraine is losing ground as we speak to the russians. Can one man, speaker mike mike johnson, really keep this off the floor . Apparently, the speakership under the republican part is not the way it used to be in terms of people getting what they want. But, you know howard not the way it used to be when Kevin Mccarthy was there . Or speaker patrick so long ago, we date ourselves. Howard yeah. I saw someone recently say if rocky iv had come out this year, republicans would be voting for ivan drag go. [laughter] you made the point, ukraine, the way were helping is the cheapest money we could spend to show russias whats. Whats what. I dont know when that changed or why that changed among the Republican Party, but its important. Of its not either or. We can walk and chew bum and fund ukraine. That does not excuse scuttling the Immigration Bill for political reasons, and thats what happened, period. Theres nothing more to it. And mike johnson cant prevent it. Its a freeforall there. Howard let me play a clip of cnn cutting away from the tail end of Donald Trumps remarks at the border and anchor Caitlin Collins saying this just those brief remarks there, he made several lie, told several lies about the border, also misrepresented his own past on the border. Howard all right. 20second answer from each of you. Tomi, do you have a problem with how cnn handled it . Of course. They dont want to allow the former president to speak because when hes able to speak and address the audience of cnn that makes them uncomfortable because that audience just might see and hear something theyre not used to, and he might win some hearts and minds. I also looked at some of the Fact Checking that they did supposedly, and its laughable at best. Howard yeah. Cnn did carry most of us. Msnbc didnt carry biden or trump. Philippe, your take. Lets make this clear, the reason that the networks have to do this is because trump is making it necessary. He is abusing lye tv to live tv to tell lies. If i lie to you right now, maybe i made a mistake, maybe not. If i come back on next week and say the same thing, you shouldnt have me on a third week howard let me write this down. What trump did for the first term is he ran roughshod over the network. They never put him live, they were too afraid to do it, and one of the lessons was call it out, and he makes it impossible to not do that. Cnn didnt want to give him an audience, they wouldnt have cut to him. Of. Howard when we come back, the medias take on the latest Closed Door Deposition of hunter biden before the whole spectacle goes public. Feeling claritin clear is like. Is she . Playing with the confidence of a pro and getting all up in that grass as if she doesnt have allergies . Yeah. Nice. The day you get your clearchoice dental implants makes every day. A lets dig in day. Mm. A chow down day. A take a big bite day. A perfectly delicious day. Mm. [ chuckles ]. A love my new teeth day. Because your clearchoice day is the day everything is back on the menu. A clearchoice day changes every day. Schedule a free consultation. When dry eye symptoms keep. Coming. Back. Inflammation might be to blame. Overthecounter eye drops can provide temporary relief. Xiidra can provide lasting relief. It targets inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. Xiidra . Nooo xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dont use if allergic to xiidra. Common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied, and unusual taste sensation. Why wait . Ask your doctor about a 90day prescription and pay as little as 0. Xiidra. grunt howard Television Cameras and reporters were kept outside as a House Committee conducted a second Closed Door Deposition with hunter biden. It appears so far that hunter biden is holding his own. He is answering questions, he has not, were told, inevoked the fifth amendment. There is concrete proof through emails that joe biden was using hunter to make it rain, but the media says its political. This is from the most politicallydriven media in history. Howe to howe hunter biden saying in his deposition my father was not suttinging next to me, my father had no awareness of the business i was doing, i take full responsibility for being an absolute ass and id got when i spent that message, if i did. I was drunker and probably high. But the drunk and probably high. With but the president s son is ignored the medias questions as he left the hearing. Tomi, lets start with the transcript. Hunter blames the addiction for incriminating texts that he says was sent to the a different chinese person with a similar name to that of a Chinese Energy executive. He says we can put it up on the screen, oh, ive already read that, but let me just make the point hes talked a lot about his addiction, his former addiction. And and how do you think that comes across as a story and how average a people react to it . Listen, the media has been coddling this since the early days of the whole hunter biden saga. So unfortunately, its working. Unfortunately for republicans, theyve been working very hard to get this across the finish line and have so much evidence, but unfortunately the way the medias been able to frame this is that joe biden is just a great father, he loves his son, his son struggled with addiction issues, and we saw that with his testimony because every time that hunter biden was asked a pointed question, he was able to get out of it by saying, well, my addiction, maybe i was drunk, maybe i was high. Now, we dont want to poke fun at anybody with addiction issues, but this has been very easy for him to get out of simply by using that as an excuse. And i expect the media to continue eating it up. Howard philippe, the media are also covering the criminal indictment of hunter biden. My question to you is journal is and pundits have journalists and pundits, do they have sympathy for hunter biden at this point . I dont think so. I Read Everything across the board, and its not like theres a dearth of coverage on hunter biden i think because his name is biden, that supersedes anything else with any media outlet, their interest. But the setting of that telling you everything. Tells you everything. The republicans wanted him behind closed doors because they dont want anyone to see matt gaetz saying crazy things l