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Media: Pat Buchanan’s Anti-Gay Bigotry Is Bigger Than Pat Buchanan

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Putting people like Pat Buchanan on television legitimizes their hateful worldview and make it much easier for like-minded bigots to find wider social acceptance.

I’m not sure why exactly Pat Buchanan has managed to last so long on MSNBC. I suppose it’s partly because he’s viewed like something of an asshole vaccine — a weakened and inert strain of paranoid Conservative used to help inoculate progressives for encounters with stronger, more dangerous parasites. Somehow over time Pat Buchanan had devolved from rabid right wing warrior, into a rumpled, cartoonish figure whose misguided and bizarre ramblings were easily ignored.

To be honest, I had pretty much forgotten about him. I can’t keep my eye on every wacko who’s given national stage time, and old Pat seemed harmless enough. Perhaps age had even mellowed him a little. Original Recipe Pat Buchanan was prone to Holocaust Denial, or outright racism. Older, wiser, Pat Buchanan could be counted on to write entire books attacking the Neocons. Rachel Maddow calls him “Uncle Pat.” He can’t be that bad, right? Let’s take a look at an excerpt from his new book, as reported by our own David Badash:

In the name of equality, the Supreme Court has declared the practice of homosexuality to be a constitutional right. Vaughn Walker, a gay federal judge in San Francisco, has ruled that same-​sex marriage is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Can anyone believe this absurd notion of equality was intended by or written into the constitution by the Congress that produced the 14th Amendment? Although gay marriage has been rejected in 31 states in referenda, judges continue to declare that such unions be treated as marriages. An idea of equality rejected democratically by voters is being imposed dictatorially. In December 2010, a repudiated liberal Congress imposed its San Francisco values on the Armed Forces, by ordering homosexuals admitted to all branches of the service. Indoctrination of recruits, soldiers, and officers into an acceptance of the gay lifestyle will transfer authority over the military, the most respected institution in America, to agents of a deeply-​resented and widely detested managerial state.

Well, screw you Pat Buchanan. I know one washed up political hack who is officially off my Christmas Card list.

That is classic, 100% USDA Prime anti-gay hate speech. It is also pretty tame for Pat. Here is something he said in an article he wrote for the New York Post back in 1983 about how hilariously ironic he found the AIDS epidemic:

The poor homosexuals — they have declared war upon nature, and now nature is exacting an awful retribution.

Think Progress points out this good example of Pat Buchanan’s love for the gay community, as described by Randy Shilts in his book, And The Band Played On:

Buchanan concluded by saying no homosexual should be permitted to handle food and that the Democratic party’s decision to hold their next convention in San Francisco would leave delegates’ spouses and children at the mercy of “homosexuals who belong to a community that is a common carrier of dangerous, communicable and sometimes fatal diseases.”

With his new book, Pat Buchanan seems to be saying to the world, “Hey guys, Remember how horrible I used to be? Well I’m back, bitches!”

Pat has earned his place alongside the many other prominent homophobes of our day. He is a pioneer in modern anti-gay hate speech, and if he wants to claim that mantle with pride, I’m not here to stop him. He has every right to be a miserable bastard.

The problem isn’t Pat Buchanan. There are now, and will always be, plenty of bigots. Don’t get me wrong, Pat Buchanan is a horrible, horrible person, who believes awful, terrible things. It’s just that Americans, as a culture, do not find his views all that objectionable.

The simple fact of the matter is that in large and varied sections of society, it is perfectly acceptable to hate gay people. While this is changing, and the basic, undeniable humanity of LBGT people is becoming increasingly apparent to even the most apathetic of citizens, the issue of our equality continues to offer countless opportunities for friction. Of course, as the human boll weevils that people the 24 hour cable news landscape can only survive in a world where every single issue on the planet has two equally valid sides, they must give air time to every hate-filled pile of excrement that has some ax to grind with the gay community.

Let’s be clear about one thing: Pat Buchanan is paid by MSNBC to hate gay people. That’s his job. Granted, he’s employed to hate all kinds of other people too, but his history of incendiary rhetoric regarding social issues is a big part of his resume. While I respect and appreciate the effort to get Pat Buchanan fired, honestly, I can’t really see why MSNBC would capitulate. He is doing exactly what they’ve paid him to do. They didn’t hire Pat Buchanan because he’s a hoot at the office Christmas Party, they hired him because he’s been a prominent member of the far right for 40 some odd years, and is guaranteed to stir things up.

This is the only reason why anyone ever hires Pat Buchanan. He got his start working in organized crime, or if you prefer, the Nixon White House. They called him “Mr. Inside” because his job was primarily to write speeches that would communicate directly to the psycho, nougaty center of the Republican Party. He did essentially the same thing for both Ford and Reagan, and has been a professional bigot ever since. It’s not like that history is a secret. He ran for president three times on this platform. He was put on television to be Pat Buchanan.

When does this stop? When do we get our tipping point? If we ask nicely, can we be declassified as a political football? When you put people like Pat Buchanan on television, you legitimize their hateful worldview and make it much easier for like-minded bigots to find wider social acceptance.

Cable news loves these people for the same reason that Morton Downey, Jr. liked to put KKK members and Black Panthers on stage together. They are guaranteed to fight, and a good brawl always makes for good television.

Look at Tony Perkins, Grand Wizard of the Family Research Council, certified hate group and all around anti-gay fun factory. If you go to his website, and I encourage you not to bother, they have posted about 75 appearances this man has made on major cable news programs, and those only represent the occasions they have deemed acceptable enough to consider appropriate marketing material. As of this writing, the most recent appearance is on, you guessed it, MSNBC. This makes Tony Perkins another in their stable of paid bigots. Even if he doesn’t draw an actual appearance fee, he gets a little bit more time to promote his website, or books, or crude chalk drawings, or whatever media he expects his supporters to consume.

Ever notice that there are no out and out racists on television? They exist, to be sure, but you never see them debating Cornel West on Hardball. Ever wonder why? Because being a racist in public is completely unacceptable. You are not allowed to both be openly racist, and participate in polite society. It simply isn’t done. How do we get this deal in the LGBT community? Is there a certain amount of hardship we must endure before we stop letting anti-gay bigots participate in civilized public discourse?

Just this week we have seen hate crimes involving this openly gay bartender, who was beaten and then set on fire, and this gay school kid, who was stalked and then beaten by his homophobic tormentor, in public, while everyone around him did nothing. The violent criminal who administered this hate based beat-down did get a whopping three day suspension, so that’s justice? Right? Anyone? No?

And I’m not even warmed up.

I’ve got another hate crime involving someone setting a homosexual on fire, as well as three separate attacks on gay people living in West Hollywood, CA. All in the last 10 days or so.

Should we bring the guys who lit the match on MSNBC to chat about the importance of Family Values? It might make for good ratings. I suppose we can just let Tony Perkins or Pat Buchanan make the case for why it’s OK to dehumanize and torment homosexuals. You’ve got them on TV fifteen times a day anyway, and who cares if it helps perpetuate the hatred and violence directed toward our community. Why should that matter when we have so much commercial air time to sell?

Yes, Pat Buchanan should be fired. And Tony Perkins should be ridden out of town on a rail. Give me the petition and I’ll sign it. I just don’t want to lose focus on the larger issue. What we really need is a blanket agreement, as a culture, that we will not tolerate anti-gay bigotry, and that we will certainly not put those who fuel these fires on television so they can continue to try and make things worse.

Benjamin Phillips is a Humor Writer, Web Developer, Civics Nerd, and all around crank that spends entirely too much time shouting with deep exasperation at the television, especially whenever cable news is on. He lives in St. Louis, MO and spends most of his time staring at various LCD screens, occasionally taking walks in the park whenever his boyfriend becomes sufficiently convinced that Benjamin is becoming a reclusive hermit person. He is available for children’s parties, provided that those children are entertained by hearing a complete windbag talk for two hours about the importance of science education, or worse yet, poorly researched anecdotes PROVING that James Buchanan was totally gay. If civilization were to collapse due to zombie hoards or nuclear holocaust, Benjamin would be among the first to die as he has no useful skills of any kind. The post-apocalyptic hellscape has no real need for homosexual computer programmers who can name all the presidents in order, as well as the actors who have played all eleven incarnations of Doctor Who.

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News

Leavitt’s Deficit Denial and the First Ever Trillion-Dollar Defense Budget Built on It

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16 hours ago

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May 19, 2025

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is bragging that President Donald Trump has submitted the largest budget ever for the Pentagon: one trillion dollars, about $150 billion more than President Joe Biden’s final budget request. Critics are blasting the White House for insisting that the Republicans’ new budget—which guts Medicaid, reduces taxes (primarily for the wealthy), and eliminates the Department of Education, does not increase the deficit.

“He’s gonna be the first president to introduce a trillion-dollar budget,” Secretary Hegseth told Fox News’ Will Cain on Monday (video below). “That’s not just spending more. It’s also being serious about an audit. It’s also finding cuts where we pull out the Biden garbage and put in President Trump’s priorities. So we’re going to invest a generational investment in those capabilities.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on Monday if President Trump is “okay with this bill adding to the deficit?”

READ MORE: No Trump, No FEMA? Tornado Ravaged City’s Mayor Pleads for Federal Assistance

“This bill does not add to the deficit,” Leavitt insisted, before claiming that it “will save $1.6 trillion.”

Economist Justin Wolfers appeared to disagree, posting a chart that shows that the GOP/Trump budget legislation increases the deficit by more than one-third.

The Hill reported that the “tax portion of Republicans’ wide-ranging bill full of President Trump’s domestic priorities would cost $3.7 trillion over the next decade, the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) found.”

“Tables from the JCT, which is the official revenue scoring body of Congress, show that extensions of the 2017 tax cuts and other measures will add about $5.6 trillion to the deficit, while cuts to renewable energy incentives and amped international tax enforcement will reduce the deficit by about $1.9 trillion.”

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U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) commented, “It doesn’t ‘save’ a $1 trillion, it slashes it from programs like Medicaid and SNAP, kicking millions of Americans off their healthcare and nutrition programs You also forgot to mention the other $3-4 trillion being spent on tax cuts for the wealthy that’ll explode our deficit.”

The Wall Street Journal delivered more math, saying that the GOP “plan won’t reduce federal budget deficits and would make America’s fiscal hole deeper.”

“The current proposal would increase projected budget deficits by nearly $3 trillion through 2034, locking in tax cuts and spending increases that outweigh reductions in spending on Medicaid and nutrition assistance. While Republicans, who have vowed to reduce red ink, say higher economic growth will fill the gap, budget analysts across the political spectrum have panned the Republican plan, warning that it worsens the U.S. fiscal picture.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

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No Trump, No FEMA? Tornado Ravaged City’s Mayor Pleads for Federal Assistance

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19 hours ago

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May 19, 2025

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At least 28 people across three states were killed when tornadoes struck Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia on Friday, with a governor and a mayor calling them among the worst they’ve ever seen. Unseen, however, has been any acknowledgment or support from President Donald Trump or, according to some reports, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“What we need right now is federal assistance,” declared St. Louis, Missouri Mayor Cara Spencer on MSNBC (video below) on Monday, “we need federal assistance.”

“This is where FEMA and the federal government has got to come in and help communities,” Mayor Spencer urged. “Our city cannot shoulder this alone. The State of Missouri cannot shoulder this alone. We need partners at the national level, at the federal level to step up and help.”

Spencer explained, “this is what the federal government is for. We need your help, we need the help of the broader community.”

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“FEMA has not been on the ground—we do not have confirmed assistance from FEMA at this point,” Spencer said. “I do want to say, however, every other level of government has been on the ground with us, helping in every capacity possible. But when you have a disaster of this scale, eight miles of just pure destruction, this tornado didn’t just touch down and leave, this tornado ripped through our community for a full eight miles in the city of St. Louis, and this is an area that has needed help, that we need investment, you know, our North St. Louis has been neglected for a long time, and we need the help of our partners here.”

At a news conference, Spencer had called it “one of the worst storms,” ABC News reported. She said that “the devastation is truly heartbreaking—and let’s not forget people have lost their lives. We are continuing to make sure that we are identifying all those that are injured, in addition to the massive amount of property damage that has taken a huge toll.”

Tornadoes were reported in three more states, bringing the total to six states and 26 tornadoes.

“Over 462,000 customers were without power across multiple states, stretching from Michigan to Tennessee.”

As of publication time, NCRM was unable to find anything from President Donald Trump on his Truth Social page about the tornadoes’ death and destruction. It does not appear he has offered support or guidance, nor has he suggested he will visit the areas.

“You can not only see the destruction, you can feel it,” Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear told reporters on Saturday as he toured his state, according to ABC. “Beshear, who declared a state of emergency ahead of the storms, said he’s been governor for at least 13 federally declared disasters related to weather and this storm was one of the worst in terms of loss of life and damage.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a social media post made no mention of FEMA, but said that she had spoken to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, “to offer federal resources and action for the deadly tornadoes and storms impacting Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois.”

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She suggested that the federal government would take a back seat to local efforts.

“We discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support,” Noem wrote on Saturday. “Local emergency managers should swiftly notify people in the affected areas to take action to protect themselves and their belongings. DHS stands ready to help when a state needs, requests, and declares an emergency.”

Fred Wellman, an Army combat veteran and host of the “On Democracy” podcast from the St. Louis area, on Saturday wrote: “Yesterday my hometown was hit with massive tornadoes. We weren’t expecting them in places that have never been hit before and have no idea who will help us. FEMA is all but dead and our state is run by Republicans that hate the city. This is the canary in the coal mine.”

On his Substack he noted: “A tornado went through my town yesterday, and no one in this entire country is going to help us….and the ones that should are fine with that.”

Monday morning he added, “here we are two days later and not one peep from Trump or even a response from FEMA at all. 5 dead, 5,000 homes damaged, $1.6B in damage and not even a s—– Truth social post or email from FEMA.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Deeply Fascist’: Massive Banner of Trump on Government Building Sparks ‘North Korea’ Vibes

 

Image via Reuters

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White House Scrambles to Clean Up Trump’s Walmart ‘Rage Tweeting’ Amid Upcoming ‘Standoff’

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21 hours ago

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May 19, 2025

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President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge over the weekend that tariffs function as a tax ultimately paid by American consumers—not foreign manufacturers—despite years of claiming the opposite. The remark sparked ridicule and forced the White House to scramble to clarify his comments, after Trump publicly demanded that Walmart “eat the tariffs” instead of passing the costs on to shoppers.

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump wrote on Saturday. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

When asked about Trump’s weekend remarks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday (video below) that the “reality is, as the president has always maintained, Chinese producers will be absorbing the cost of these tariffs, and that is why China was so quick to hustle to the negotiating table with the United States of America. They need our markets, they need our consumers.”

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Last week, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a press release: “We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible, but given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.”

Leavitt was quickly criticized.

“The reality is the president was rage tweeting Walmart less than 48 hours ago after they announced price hikes due to Trump’s tariffs. Just constant lies from this White House,” commented Democratic pollster and strategist Matt McDermott.

The White House’s efforts also came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday admitted that some tariffs “may get passed on to consumers.”

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NBC News on Monday reported that Trump taking on Walmart “over tariff price hikes” is setting up a “potential showdown” with the retail industry.

“The standoff between the president and Walmart now looms over the other major retailers reporting earnings this week, which include Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target as well as the TJ Maxx and Marshall’s parent company TJX. These companies may have initially felt Walmart’s signals about price hikes gave them cover to enact their own cost increases — but Trump’s remarks now put them at risk of also being targeted by the president.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Deeply Fascist’: Massive Banner of Trump on Government Building Sparks ‘North Korea’ Vibes

 

Image via Reuters

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