World War II was not going well for Nazi Germany in September 1943: Italy had just surrendered to the Allies, the Red Army was gaining ground on the Eastern Front, and industrial production was strained to the breaking point. However, the Third Reich still had the ability to shock and awe, namely with a spectacular commando mission to rescue imprisoned former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Il Duce had been deposed in July, and Adolf Hitler wanted his old friend rescued. In what would become a plot worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, a team of German commandos launched a daring glider and paratrooper raid on a luxury hotel high in the Italian mountains to return Mussolini to power.   Setting the Stage: The Emergence of Paratroopers An image of World War II-era paratroopers descending to the ground using parachutes. Source: United States Army   The modern use of parachutes to safely descend to the ground from a flying airplane began during World War I when pilots were equipped with parachutes for emergency bailouts. By the end of the war, pilots on all fronts widely carried the new devices, which often served as cushions when not in use. However, not until the late 1920s did the idea of using parachutes to drop combatants begin. By the 1930s, both Germany and the Soviet Union were experimenting with dropping troops by parachutes. Late in the decade, Canada and the United States also began experimenting with the concept.   In the 1930s, possibly inspired by the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany began developing a parachute corps, which also served as a way to get around the strict limit on the size of Germany’s traditional army that had been imposed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. By the late 1930s, hundreds of German soldiers had been trained as paratroopers. After the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Germany was the first nation to use paratroopers in combat in April 1940, during its invasion of Norway and Denmark. The next month, Germany used both paratroopers and gliders to good effect in the invasion of France, resulting in it significantly expanding its paratrooper force for 1941.   Setting the Stage: Commando Tactics A unit of British commandos, or elite mobile infantry that typically used raids and ambushes to attack a larger enemy force, in 1941. Source: Commando Veterans Archive   Similar to paratroopers, commandos developed simultaneously in different countries. The first nation with formal commandos, however, was Britain, which developed commando forces in June 1940 after the defeat of France by Nazi Germany. These elite troops were highly trained in rapid mobilization and unconventional warfare and were inspired by similarly mobile troops during the Boer War in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. Commandos were used to perform raids and strike enemy locations quickly to wreak havoc before escaping.   By early 1942, British commandos were performing raids in Nazi-held territory in Europe, typically to sabotage military facilities. A few months later, in July 1942, the United States formed its first formal special forces group. The Axis Powers in Europe had their own commando-style units, such as the German Brandenburgers and the Italian frogmen. These various special forces units required advanced training and prized the use of speed and stealth. One of the most famous groups of special forces from World War II, Norwegian ski troops, is credited with destroying the Nazi atomic bomb project in early 1943.   July 25, 1943: Benito Mussolini is Arrested A photograph of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (center) superimposed over a map of Italy and other images. Source: PBS   In July 1943, after having defeated all Axis forces in North Africa, Britain and the United States invaded the Italian island of Sicily with Operation Husky. After Sicily fell to the Allies, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed by King Victor Emmanuel III and arrested. The July 25 arrest of Mussolini was shocking and created much turmoil amidst the ongoing war. Badoglio wanted to remove Mussolini’s fascist regime, but Italy was full of troops from fascist Nazi Germany. At first, Badoglio pledged that Italy would continue the war as Germany’s ally.   Germany was highly suspicious of the situation in Italy, and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler contemplated calling for a rapid seizure of Italy’s government by German troops. More German units entered the country, and part of a parachute division was even flown to Rome. Behind the scenes, the Western Allies (Britain, Canada, and the United States) were negotiating with Badoglio’s government to secure Italy’s surrender. If Allied troops could land in Italy unopposed, they could storm north and into Germany, potentially ending the war quickly. Unfortunately for Italy, Germany was also aware of this strategy.   The Search for Il Duce Seen here before World War II, Adolf Hitler (right) wanted to rescue Benito Mussolini (left) from imprisonment in 1943. Source: Yale University Press   Despite some wartime disagreements between the pair, Hitler was distraught by the arrest of Mussolini and wanted to return the original fascist dictator to power. However, Hitler’s government did not know where Mussolini was, which may have allowed cooler heads to prevail and prevented mass German reprisals against Badoglio and King Victor Emmanuel III. While German planners worked on Operation Achse to disarm Italy and seize power, a quiet search for Mussolini began.   In August, German troops continued to enter the country, taking advantage of the relative silence of the Badoglio government. As no firm deal had yet been reached with the Allies, Italy did not want to use force to stop German units from entering the country and risk open warfare without Allied backup. By mid-August, Hitler felt sure that Italy would soon announce its surrender to the Allies. Meanwhile, German commando leaders Otto Skorzeny and Karl Radl had been sent to Italy to track down Mussolini…and uncovered an Italian radio transmission on September 7 that gave away the prisoner’s location.   Early September: Planning the Raid A diagram showing the September 1943 plan to rescue former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from the Hotel Campo Imperatore. Source: United States Army   In late August of 1943, Mussolini was moved to the Hotel Campo Imperatore in Italy’s mountainous Gran Sasso region. Previously, the deposed dictator had been moved from one island to another to keep him isolated from potentially loyal fascists who might try to rescue him. On September 8, Italy announced its surrender to the Allies. This triggered Operation Achse, and German units moved to surround and compel the surrender of their former Italian allies. As this drama unfolded, Skorzeny and Radl fine-tuned a plan to rescue Mussolini from Gran Sasso.   The plan would use gliders to land Skorzeny and his men, elite commandos, near the hotel. Aerial reconnaissance conducted on September 8 revealed potential landing sites, and the Germans might have the element of surprise. Although the Germans would certainly be outnumbered by the Italians guarding Mussolini, they might be able to move fast enough to rescue the dictator and depart to a nearby airfield for extraction before being overwhelmed. With Achse ongoing, Italians would be on high alert for German interference.   September 12: The Gran Sasso Raid Commences A training photo of German commandos using gliders, preparing for the Gran Sasso Raid. Source: National Rifle Association (NRA)   Shortly after noon on September 12, 1943, Skorzeny’s mission was launched. Operation Eiche involved ten gliders that took off from an airfield near Rome with heavily armed Fallschirmjäger paratroopers aboard. While the gliders headed straight for the hotel, paratroopers landed below in the mountainous area to block the route to the hotel and cut off communications. A handful of Italian casualties occurred during this maneuver to isolate the hotel, while the Germans enjoyed good luck in the rough glider landings—only one was wrecked.   Former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (in black) being rescued by German paratroopers in the Gran Sasso Raid of September 12, 1943. Source: Wikimedia/German Federal Archives   Two hundred well-armed Carabinieri guards surrounded the Hotel Campo Imperatore, but they were stunned by the sudden arrival of Skorzeny’s commandos. A German-allied Italian general brought along for the operation ordered the guards to stand down, and the guards hesitated long enough for Skorzeny himself to seize and smash the guards’ radio. With no help coming, the guards chose not to resist, and Skorzeny quickly located Mussolini in one of the hotel rooms. Upon rescuing the former dictator, Skorzeny announced that the act was a token of Hitler’s “loyal friendship.”   September 12-14: Reuniting the Fascist Duo A Fieseler Fi 156 Storch aircraft, which flew former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and raid commander Otto Skorzeny out of Gran Sasso. Source: Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach   Instead of going to an airfield by car, where Italian reinforcements might overwhelm Skorzeny’s commandos, it was decided to fly Mussolini directly out of the rocky Gran Sasso. A Fieseler Fi 156 “Storch” was summoned to land and did so with only about 100 feet of rocky runway. Skorzeny and Mussolini boarded the small plane, which took off again. The duo landed in Rome, where they boarded a full-size German bomber to fly north to Austria.   From Vienna, Austria, the pair flew on to Hitler’s headquarters, known as the Wolf’s Lair, the next day. Hitler was elated with the mission’s success and rewarded its commanding officer, Otto Skorzeny, with both medals and a promotion. Four days later, on September 18, 1943, Mussolini made his first address to Italy since his arrest on July 25. He would quickly be re-installed as the new leader of German-occupied Italy.   Reaction to the Gran Sasso Raid Pro-Nazi propaganda from 1938, similar to the Nazi propaganda that received a boost after the success of the Gran Sasso Raid in 1943. Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC   The rescue of Mussolini was a shock to the Allies and signaled that Hitler planned to mount a thorough defense of Italy. Indeed, the Italian Campaign would become noted for its difficulty, with Italy’s mountainous terrain favoring the German defenders. Mussolini’s installation as leader of the Italian Social Republic, or RSI, likely helped the Germans marshal economic resources in northern Italy, including forced labor. On October 13, Allied-controlled southern Italy, under the Badoglio government, declared war on Germany and thus fought against Mussolini’s German-allied RSI.   For Nazi Germany, the success of the Gran Sasso Raid was a tremendous morale booster. Since February 1943, with its defeat at Stalingrad, morale had waned in the Third Reich. The daring raid to rescue Mussolini proved that Germany was still a potent fighting force. Preventing most of Italy from falling into Allied hands was a propaganda victory, as was holding onto Rome. Internally, however, some German leaders conceded that Rome and southern Italy would likely have to be sacrificed to establish a more defensible line against the Allies further north.   1944: Legend of Otto Skorzeny Frightens Allies Gran Sasso Raid leader Otto Skorzeny (left) also commanded Operation Greif during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Source: The National WWII Museum – New Orleans   Despite the success of Operation Achse in keeping most of Italy under fascist control, the Allies steadily ground north. On June 4, 1944, Rome became the first European capital city captured by the Nazis to be liberated. Two days later, the United States, Britain, and Canada stormed the beaches of Normandy to begin the liberation of France. However, Germany struck back in December 1944 in its Ardennes Offensive, known in the United States as the Battle of the Bulge.   The Bulge saw the return of Germany’s elite commandos, including Otto Skorzeny. Skorzeny had conducted missions in the Balkans and Hungary since the Gran Sasso raid and was now sent to France to assist with a planned German breakthrough. Operation Greif saw Skorzeny lead English-speaking German commandos dressed in American uniforms to sow disarray and fear among the American lines. Some even feared that Skorzeny had come to assassinate Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander in Europe. Fortunately, Operation Greif did less than expected, and the German Ardennes Offensive failed. Less than six months later, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally.   Aftermath: Special Ops Tactics Become Popular Present-day special operators of the US Army Special Forces, commonly known as Green Berets, and the Spanish military conducting training. Source: United States Army   Despite Skorzeny’s failure to achieve a German victory in the Ardennes, his tactics became very popular with the Allied powers. Analysts studied the tactics and results of various World War II special forces groups to improve them for future conflicts. Britain used commandos in the 1956 Suez Crisis, including its first helicopter assault. The United States renewed its focus on special forces during the Vietnam War. The 1980s saw the Soviet Union use special forces in Afghanistan. By the time of the Gulf War in Iraq (1990-91), virtually all world powers had invested heavily in special forces operations.   Proponents of special forces argue that they are an excellent fiscal investment because they deliver results for less time and cost than larger, traditional military units. However, special forces cannot be universally applied: information coming out of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War indicates that Russian special forces have suffered tremendous casualties when being made to fight as regular infantry units. Therefore, while the Gran Sasso Raid showed the amazing capabilities of well-planned special forces operations, only certain circumstances are suitable for these types of missions.

The United States government said in a statement on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia beat socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro during the country’s recent presidential election. The announcement comes after at least 17 protesters have been killed and hundreds more arrested so far in riots that have broken out over the country’s sham election. More than 12 million Venezuelans voted during the election, which is run by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE). “The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. “The CNE still has not published disaggregated data or any of the vote tally sheets, despite repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community to do so.” Independent watchdogs have said that the CNE’s refusal to provide precinct-level official results, in addition to other serious voting irregularities, have destroyed the CNE’s credibility. “Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin.” WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — MATT WALSH’S EXPOSÉ ON DEI “Independent observers have corroborated these facts, and this outcome was also supported by election day exit polls and quick counts,” he added. “In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election.” Blinken said that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Maduro lost the election and urged Venezuelan parties “to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.” “We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners,” he added.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris faced backlash Thursday afternoon over what they told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call. The meeting came after Israel killed Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s top military commander, on Tuesday and is believed to be behind the Wednesday killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the top leader of Hamas. Shukr was targeted after Hezbollah murdered 12 children inside Israel over the weekend and Haniyeh was targeted in response to the October 7 attacks. “The President reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis,” the White House said in a statement. “The President discussed efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive U.S. military deployments.” “Together with this commitment to Israel’s defense, the President stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region,” the statement continued. “Vice President Harris also joined the call.” David Milstein, who worked in the Trump Administration for U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, said that the statement from the administration was a “disgrace.” WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — MATT WALSH’S EXPOSÉ ON DEI Milstein said, “It seems the Biden-Harris Admin has a deliberate policy for Israel to be a punching bag for Iran and its terror proxies where Israel is solely on the defensive + the Biden-Harris Admin illegitimately pressures Israel to stand down from pro-actively acting militarily to counter the security threats + the Biden-Harris Admin imposes a partial arms embargo on Israel denying the military assistance needed to fully protect Israel + the Biden-Harris Admin gifts Israel’s enemies over $100 billion in sanctions relief that rewards them / finances their escalating aggression against Israel.” “It is an unconscionable betrayal of our close ally,” he added. “The Biden-Harris Admin disastrous policies endanger Israel – which is why Israel should do whatever is necessary militarily to protect Israelis even if the Biden-Harris Admin shamefully refuses to provide support.” This press statement is a disgrace. It seems the Biden-Harris Admin has a deliberate policy for Israel to be a punching bag for Iran and its terror proxies where Israel is solely on the defensive + the Biden-Harris Admin illegitimately pressures Israel to stand down from… pic.twitter.com/w3BPCE7WGN — David Milstein (@davidamilstein) August 1, 2024

Technology columnist/reporter Kevin Roose made Monday’s New York Times with “Business Is Buzzing Again for the Meme Makers of the Left,” thanks to Kamala Harris’s emergence as the all-but-guaranteed Democratic candidate for president. Roose is notorious for his years of stories nudging social media platforms toward anti-conservative censorship. But on Monday he voiced no concerns or calls to monitor “misinformation under the guise of comedy” -- which is how Roose described the harmless Christian conservative satire site The Babylon Bee. Instead, it’s all friendly fun and games and high-energy cheerleading for the left-wing Harris. Last Sunday, after President Biden announced he was stepping down from his presidential campaign and endorsing Kamala Harris as his replacement, Democratic meme makers rejoiced. One cheer for Roose for actually dropping left-wing labels into his celebratory reporting, something the paper has been historically loath to do. Minutes after the announcement, a group chat called “Rebel Alliance” -- made up of left-wing creators who got to know one another during the 2020 campaign -- lit up with excited messages. “All the progressive meme warriors are giddy right now,” said John Sellers, a co-founder of The Other 98 Percent, a popular left-wing Facebook page with 7.1 million followers, who participated in the chat. There’s “genuine excitement” about Ms. Harris among liberal creators, he said, “whereas with Biden we were trying to manufacture excitement from vapor.” Roose celebrated presidential candidate Harris as a living meme. They agreed that Ms. Harris’s passionate online fandom -- jokingly known as the KHive -- had already boosted their engagement, sending clicks and views to a steady stream of coconut tree memes, Kamala is “brat” references and posts drawing a sharp contrast between Ms. Harris’s record as a former prosecutor and Mr. Trump’s criminal convictions. Efforts like Roose’s to patrol acceptable conservative political discourse may have unwittingly hurt the left as well. The recent struggles of the online left aren’t entirely Mr. Biden’s fault. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has purposefully de-emphasized political content since 2020, showing fewer partisan posts to users in an attempt to lower the temperature on its platforms and avoid criticism of its content moderation efforts. And X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, has transformed under Elon Musk’s ownership into a launchpad for right-wing influencers, while some liberal voices have decamped to smaller, more insular platforms like Threads and Bluesky. …. The creators I spoke to offered lots of caveats about the tenuous link between online popularity and electoral success. TikToks and Reels don’t vote, and Mr. Trump is still a slight favorite in many polls. Swing-state independents won’t necessarily be swayed by coconut tree memes, just as most of them were indifferent (at best) to the frog memes and YouTube supercuts that accompanied Mr. Trump’s first campaign in 2016. Roose was certainly avid about cracking down on a medium that supposedly doesn’t have much electoral influence! He found an electoral bright side for Harris. But the chaotic, excited energy swirling around Ms. Harris matters, creators argue, because it reflects the sentiment of younger voters, and helps her campaign see which messages are resonating with them. It could also help with fund-raising, lead to better attendance at campaign rallies and bolster get-out-the-vote efforts.

On Wednesday night’s episode of MSNBC’s The ReidOut, host Joy Reid wasted no time in dissecting former President Donald Trump’s interview at the National Association of Black Journalists. She and MSNBC contributor April Ryan pounced on Trump for “the visual depiction of a dumpster fire,” while aggressively defending Vice President Kamala Harris. Reid began by accusing Trump of “attacking” senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott of ABC news, notably omitting Scott’s obnoxious opening question while skipping right to the former president’s response without context. After playing various clips from the interview, Reid conducted a “quick fact check” and dragged out one of the liberal media’s new favorite talking points, namely that Harris was never President Joe Biden’s “border czar.”  Reid also clapped back at Trump’s claim that Harris failed to pass the bar exam in California stating, “That is how she became the district attorney of San Francisco and the attorney general in the state of California.” Harris did initially fail the bar exam and numerous sources, like The Federalist’s Mark Hemingway, point to Harris’s affair with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown as directly responsible for her political successes, rather than her vast intelligence as the MSNBC host would have her viewers believe.     For someone as staunchly anti-life as Joy Reid, it was surprising that she became so incensed by Trump’s challenge of Democrats’ views on abortion.  “Democrats do not support the killing of infants after birth. That is called infanticide and it is very, very illegal…Also illegal, having an elective abortion in the ninth month of a pregnancy. Which just as an idea is actually insane,” Reid argued, completely disregarding the fact that several states still allow late-term abortions.  Ironically, it seemed as if other liberals would disagree with Reid’s sentiment, as Semafour’s Kadia Goba (one of the panel members during the NABJ interview), had shot back at Trump with, “I think it’s about freedom, right?” Later in the segment, Ryan expressed her outrage at Trump’s participation at the convention in the first place, wondering, “What was this for? Was this for showing clout? Was this really for journalism's sake? Or was this just to pop ya collar, ‘I can get a presidential candidate?’” This oddly contradicted her very first statement when she stated, “Well, first of all, the NABJ, an advocacy group for black journalists, the black press, extends invitations every election cycle to presidential candidates.” Well, Trump happened to be a presidential candidate who accepted the invitation while Harris skipped out on it. Reid ignored that fact and, obviously, rushed to the vice president’s defense: But imagine saying that the vice president of the United States needs to show up rather than go to the funeral of a very important member of Congress, who was essentially the aunty of the Juneteenth holiday, and not accommodating her. I think that's the other piece that was troublesome. Ryan quickly agreed, ridiculously blustering about how “short-sighted” it was for the NABJ to have “forced her to come in person when she said my schedule is tight.” No doubt the conversation would have gone very differently had Trump been the one to skip and the faultless Kamala had participated. But, no. In Reid’s words, Trump only showed for three reasons: One, to try to dispel the notion he's scared to debate a black woman, a presumption one can draw from his refusal to commit to debating VP Harris…Second, to steal the attention that Vice President Kamala Harris has hijacked from him because she's just more interesting and her support is more joyous and rooted in popular American culture. And three, to create clips to play for his very white, very right wing MAGA fanbase of him standing up to the blacks. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: MSNBC’s The ReidOut 7/31/2024 07:01:20 PM EST JOY REID: But we begin tonight with the visual depiction of a dumpster fire. That may be the only appropriate way to describe what happened today when the NABJ, the National Association of Black Journalists, hosted Donald Trump. It started with Trump attacking one of the three moderators, Rachel Scott of ABC news, after she asked why black voters should trust him, given his past comments about members of the black community. And it just went downhill from there, as he went after his political opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. [Cuts to Trump at NABJ video] REID: Okay. Time for a quick fact check. First off, no, Donald, you are not the best president for black people since Abraham Lincoln, not even close. For instance, you like to claim that you have the lowest black unemployment numbers when, in fact, that happened under President Biden.  Second, Vice President Kamala Harris is black. She's always identified as black. Her father, also black. Here she is at the 2006 State of Black America. She also went to Howard University and is a member of the historically black Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Imagine, a white geezer lecturing a room full of black journalists about who is and isn’t black. Third, Vice President Harris was not the border czar. There's no such position in the federal government, Donald. President Biden tasked VP Harris to look at the root causes of undocumented mass migration to the United States, and to negotiate compacts in Central America to slow the flow of migrants–which she did, including with Guatemala–not to monitor the border.  Fourth, Kamala Harris absolutely passed the bar exam. That is how she became the district attorney of San Francisco and the attorney general in the state of California. And a successful prosecutor, Donald, that is how she will own you in the next debate, if you're not too chicken to show up.  And, finally, while we’ve debunked this one, multiple times on this show, we must say yet again, that, no, Democrats do not support the killing of infants after birth. That is called infanticide and it is very, very illegal, a word you know a lot about, Donald, given your 34-count felony conviction. Also illegal, having an elective abortion in the ninth month of a pregnancy. Which just as an idea is actually insane.  Having said all of that, I also just want to say one quick thing about this invitation. To the president and board of NABJ, y'all got played. Donald Trump showed up at the convention for exactly three reasons. One, to try to dispel the notion he's scared to debate a black woman, a presumption one can draw from his refusal to commit to debating–to debating VP Harris who, again, for those in the back, is a black and Asian woman.  It's also why he lost it, like a grumbly senior at the retirement home who didn't get his jello dessert, when ABC's Rachel Scott challenged him to answer basic questions. And how likely is it that he would have shown up at all if the lady from the network, that paid a $787 million dollar legal settlement for spreading the big lie, wasn't included on the panel?  Second, to steal the attention that Vice President Kamala Harris has hijacked from him because she's just more interesting and her support is more joyous and rooted in popular American culture. And three, to create clips to play for his very white, very right wing MAGA fanbase of him standing up to the blacks.  Joining me now is April Ryan, White House correspondent for TheGrio and an MSNBC contributor. April, (sighs), deep breaths. I watched that today in absolute horror. You are one of the people who spoke out against this invitation. Talk to me about how in the world it happened in the first place. APRIL RYAN: Well, first of all, the NABJ, an advocacy group for black journalists, the black press, extends invitations every election cycle to presidential candidates. But for this cycle, this special and unique cycle, Donald Trump was invited. But we know the story.  And this is where I'm going to put the but in. We know the story. We’ve seen the movie. We spit the popcorn out and all of that. We know who he is to the black press, how he has berated us, how his minions have berated us, from himself to Tucker Carlson, who have come after me, Yamiche Alcindor, and you, Joy. And so many others, like Sunny Hostin from The View, Donna Brazile, Abby Phillips, so many…Don Lemon.  And understanding this, and you're an advocacy group for the press, why would you invite someone that in 2018 you said you were appalled at his actions and used our pictures to say that so you're not appalled? What was this for? Was this for showing clout? Was this really for journalism's sake? Or was this just to pop ya collar, “I can get a presidential candidate?” REID: Yeah. RYAN: This was–it was insulting. My chest hurt the whole time. It was a shock and awe moment. I'm still trying to deal with it because the way he went after Rachel, I'm very concerned. REID: Yeah. I mean, the reality is, Rachel Scott, God bless her, she’s the only one on that panel who even tried to push back. She did attempt to fact check him, but there was not a lot of fact checking in real time other than her. The other two panelists seem to be, sort of, just trying to help him have a good time and make him feel comfortable.  The other piece of it, Rachel, is–I mean, April, I'm sorry–April, is the idea of this guy at 80–at 78 years old, nearly 80 years old, still not understanding that in America, if you are black plus anything else, you are black. That is not a rule black people created. It is a rule that Thomas Jefferson and other white founders created, because they believe that even having one drop of black blood made you black. So by the rules of the people he reveres, anybody who is partially black, whether it's Bob Marley, Barack Obama, or Kamala Harris, is black, and she's always identified as black. How does he not know that? RYAN: She's always… REID: Maybe…Go ahead. RYAN: I hate to say it, but the ignorance of his understanding of culture, of race. He doesn't want to understand. As you said, one drop, one tenth of black blood, you are black. Kamala Harris is even identified on Capitol Hill. And this is what I don't understand. He said one minute she–you turn around and she's black. You can't just turn around and make somebody black. REID: She was in the Congressional Black Caucus! (Laughs). RYAN: That part, yes. And she went willingly to be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus before she became the vice presidential candidate and before she became vice president of the United States. I don't think Donald Trump really takes the time to understand the black community or what blackness really is, because what he understands is C’s on those housing applications that black people applied for and instead of giving them housing, he put C’s for colored so they wouldn't get it.  He also sees black people as those five young men–who are now grown men, one is a city councilman for the city of Harlem–the Central Park Five, he sees us differently. He does not see us as human beings. For the way he came out at Rachel right off the bat, he had no respect for her. But Harris Faulkner he did, because she was there to cushion the moment for him to be with the black journalists. REID: Yeah. RYAN: So, it was -- it's a lot. REID: Yeah. And lastly, Vice President Harris, there was some controversy about NABJ not wanting to allow her to appear virtually. Apparently that is now changing because of all the outcry. But imagine saying that the vice president of the United States needs to show up rather than go to the funeral of a very important member of Congress, who was essentially the aunty of the Juneteenth holiday, and not accommodating her. I think that's the other piece that was troublesome. RYAN: Short-sighted–it’s very short-sighted. And this woman is potential–well, she is to be, in a few weeks, the first woman to be the Democrat–black woman to be a Democratic nominee, and they forced her to come in person when she said my schedule is tight. Within the last nine or so days, she's now running for president. And they couldn't even accommodate. And they, in a firestorm, tried to make it fast to get her. So they're going to get her in September either by video, virtual, or in person. We'll see what happens. REID: Take it how they can get it. I'm gonna be at NABJ tomorrow, but I don't like to not be willing to say to somebody's face what I feel, so I'm just letting folks know how I feel about in advance of my arriving there, because this was deeply problematic and it was a, uh… RYAN: Dumpster fire. REID: It was a show. Yeah, it was a dumpster fire. We'll leave it at that. April Ryan, my friend, my soror, thank you. RYAN: My soror, yes. REID: Yes.  (...)

Taxpayer-funded National Public Radio did not enjoy former President Donald Trump’s performance at the National Association of Black Journalists. On All Things Considered, co-host Ailsa Chang interviewed Kadia Goba of Semafor.com, one of the three moderators from NABJ, who described the night as “unsettling” and “hostile.” NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez later described the event as “kind of nuts all the time.” Chang began by asking Goba what stood out to her from the Q&A with Trump. Goba answered “I was very surprised at the vitriol at the very beginning. It was quite unsettling and kind of set the tone for a very aggressive panel.” Chang played a soundbite from the NABJ where “Trump was almost immediately critical” of Rachel Scott’s first question. In the recording, Trump said “I don't think I've ever been asked a question so - in such a horrible manner.” What Chang did not put on air was Scott's opening question prior to his response where she uncorked a litany of his allegedly racist treatment of political competitors and radical-left Congresswomen, and his name-calling of liberal reporters. Regardless, Chang went on to ask Goba “what was the feeling like in the room in that moment?” Despite the cheers heard after Trump's response, Goba said “You know, you can't - the visual on the room wasn't clear because of lighting, but, I mean, immediately deflated because at this point, this is now - this has become a hostile interview – right?” As if it wasn't hostile before he spoke? Chang brought up the live-fact checking during the NABJ because “he did make a number of false statements.” One of Chang’s examples was when Trump said “millions of criminals are crossing the Southern border into the U.S.” Chang shared a statement from the Kamala Harris campaign that said “Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.” Goba exclaimed that the vice president is “factually correct” and that she herself “did not expect the personal attacks at all.” On Thursday's Morning Edition, co-host Leila Fadel brought in NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. She described Trump's invitation to speak at the NABJ as “controversial – because of the things he’s said and done.” Ordoñez agreed that it was “very controversial” and professed that Trump “sparred” with moderators. To Ordoñez, the event was “really kind of nuts all the time.” He added that “Trump has a history of promoting racist birther conspiracy theories” targeting Harris and Barack Obama. Unsurprisingly, Fadel agreed saying “Right and what he's saying there isn't actually true” about Harris's racial identity. Ordoñez gave a more detailed summary of the hostile questions at the NABJ conference before saying that the conversation got “overtaken by Trump’s comments”: I mean, he talked about jobs and the economy. He claimed to be the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln. He talked about the border, and he appeared to be trying to pit immigrant workers against Black workers. But even that message itself got overtaken by Trump's comments about Harris. Fadel concluded by asking Ordoñez if Trump continued to "question Harris’s background or address it in any way” Wednesday night at his rally in Pennsylvania. Ordoñez noted that Trump “didn’t bring it back up” but did “continue to attack Harris.” Of course, he ended with the belief that these are “the kind of comments that he has a history of doing.” Click "Expand" to view the transcript: NPR All Things Considered 7/31/2024 5:22 PM ET AILSA CHANG: Earlier today at a conference in Chicago, former President Trump said this about Vice President Harris. [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] DONALD TRUMP: I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don't know. Is she Indian or is she Black? RACHEL SCOTT: She has always identified as a Black woman. TRUMP: But you know what? I respect... [STOP SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] CHANG: Trump was addressing the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists. He was invited to speak there because presidential candidates often are, but it's stirred up controversy, both before and during the talk. So how did the talk go? And what has the response been? We're joined now by Kadia Goba, a political reporter for Semafor. She was also one of the three moderators for today's talk. Welcome. KADIA GOBA: Hi. CHANG: Hi. GOBA: Thank you for having me. CHANG: Thanks for being with us. So Kadia, you're fresh off the stage with former President Trump. What stood out to you personally about the Q&A session you just had? GOBA: Well, obviously, I wasn't surprised that former President Trump didn't answer questions like most people do. But I was very surprised at the vitriol at the very beginning. It was very - it was quite unsettling and kind of set the tone for a very aggressive panel. CHANG: Can I play that piece of tape? You're talking about the fact that Trump was almost immediately critical of your co-panelist, ABC News congressional correspondent Rachel Scott. Here's a clip of that. [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] TRUMP: Well, first of all, I don't think I've ever been asked a question so - in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don't even say hello, how are you? Are you with ABC? - because I think they're a fake news network, a terrible network. [STOP SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] CHANG: Kadia, what was the feeling like in the room in that moment? GOBA: You know, you can't - the visual on the room wasn't clear because of lighting, but, I mean, immediately deflated because at this point, this is now - this has become a hostile interview - right? - and not what we set out to do. Obviously, the former president came out here because he is the Republican nominee. And I'm sure his team, as well as the panelists on that stage, wanted to get answers - right? - because he's running for president - wanted to understand what he is going to do, especially for Black people, and just get him on the record for some questions that the many - at least 1,000 journalists in the audience would have really appreciated. And it was just deflating to - for it to start off that way. CHANG: Can I just keep going into this? - because former President Trump has spread lies and disinformation about the 2020 election, about immigration, about a lot of topics. Was there a plan going into today for fact-checking him during this talk? GOBA: Yeah. There was - we announced it at the beginning of the panel. PolitiFact was doing live fact-checking. CHANG: OK. I mean, he did make a number of false statements, some of which you all pointed out. Like, he said millions of criminals are crossing... GOBA: Yes. CHANG: ...The Southern border into the U.S. right now. On abortions, he said that Democrats are allowing for the death of a baby after the baby is born - all false. I want to go to a statement from the campaign of Vice President Harris. It reads, quote, "Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists, the same way he did throughout his presidency. Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us." What do you make of that assessment from Vice President Harris? GOBA: I mean, I think, you know, in terms of her - she's factually correct in that he lobbed personal attacks on journalists like that. It's - you know, that was my point of view as well. That was - it was very unexpected. I did not set out to interview the president. Like I've told other hits I've done, you know, everyone is very strategic about how they formulate their question for Donald Trump because the expectation is that, like many other lawmakers, he will pivot. But did not expect the personal attacks at all - it just, you know... CHANG: Do you think NABJ accomplished what it set out to do with this conversation with Trump? GOBA: You know, that's a great question. I mean, I'd like to say I got him on record about cognitive tests, right? So I mean, if - and he did answer a couple of questions. So, I mean, their - they asked - their main platform is asking, you know, presidential candidates to do this. CHANG: Right. GOBA: So, I mean, they accomplished that. CHANG: OK. Kadia Goba, political reporter at Semafor, thank you very much. GOBA: Thank you for having me.   NPR Morning Edition 8/1/2024 3:33 AM ET LEILA FADEL: The spotlight in the presidential race has shifted away from Donald Trump lately, which doesn't happen too often. Yesterday, he had a chance to take it back when he appeared at a convention for Black journalists. He used the moment to mock Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity. [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] DONALD TRUMP: She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don't know. Is she Indian, or is she Black? RACHEL SCOTT: She has always identified as Black. [ END SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] FADEL: Harris went to a historically Black university and has always identified as both Black and Indian American. NPR's Franco Ordoñez was listening in from Pennsylvania, where Trump held a rally last night, and he joins us now. Good morning, Franco. FRANCO ORDOÑEZ: Good morning, Leila. FADEL: OK. I mean, we should mention the fact that Trump was even invited to speak to the National Association of Black Journalists was controversial - right? - because of things he's said and done. Tell us more about the event. ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. It was very controversial, the invite. And, frankly, right off the bat, he sparred with ABC's Rachel Scott, who was one of the moderators. She said she wanted to address the, quote, "elephant in the room," and then asked him pretty directly why Black voters should trust him when he's used words like, quote, "animal" to describe Black district attorneys and told Black elected officials to, quote, "go back to where they came from." [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] TRUMP: First of all, I don't think I've ever been asked a question so - in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don't even say hello, how are you? [END SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] ORDOÑEZ: He was also asked if he agreed with some Republicans who have called Harris a, quote, "DEI hire." Here's more of what he said. [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] TRUMP: I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she went - she became a Black person. SCOTT: Just to be clear, sir, do you believe... [END SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it was really kind of nuts all the time. I mean, the event started late. It was cut short. And I'll just add that Trump has a history of promoting racist birther conspiracy theories, targeting Harris and, even before her, former President Barack Obama. FADEL: Right. And what he's saying there isn't actually true. As we pointed out, she's always been clear about her identity. Have we heard a response from the vice president? ORDOÑEZ: Yes, we did. And she was speaking to a conference - addressed this while speaking at a historically Black sorority in Houston. [SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: It was the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say the American people deserve better. [END SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING] ORDOÑEZ: She said Trump's comments were yet another reminder of what his presidency was like. FADEL: So beyond the remarks about Harris, as well as calling Rachel Scott - the ABC moderator, the reporter - a nasty woman, that woman, did he have a broader message for the group? ORDOÑEZ: I mean, he talked about jobs and the economy. He claimed to be the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln. He talked about the border, and he appeared to be trying to pit immigrant workers against Black workers. But even that message itself got overtaken by Trump's comments about Harris. FADEL: Now, you were at Trump's rally in Harrisburg last night, the first rally in Pennsylvania since the attempted assassination, I should say. Did he continue to question Harris' background or address it in any way? ORDOÑEZ: You know, he doesn't typically, you know, back down from controversy... FADEL: Right. ORDOÑEZ: But he didn't bring it back up. But he did certainly continue to attack Harris, called her names, including lunatic. And again, this is the kind of comments that he has a history of doing. And really, as a result of all this, you know, this is what we're talking about instead of immigration, which is what something might help him with voters. FADEL: Franco, thanks so much for the reporting. ORDOÑEZ: Thank you, Leila. FADEL: That's NPR's Franco Ordoñez.  

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