Tag: racist
Rudy Giuliani

Doubling Down On Defamation Of Election Workers, Giuliani Faces Judicial Wrath

US District Judge Beryl Howell is now suggesting that former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani could be on the hook for additional legal consequences after his continued attacks on two Georgia election workers.

Politico reported Tuesday that following his latest court appearance in US District Court in Washington, DC, Giuliani drew the ire of Judge Howell after once again leveling attacks on election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss on Monday night. Howell wondered if the former New York mayor was "just playing for the cameras" following his attorney Joe Sibley's apologetic statements on his client's behalf. Sibley had tried to minimize damage to Giuliani, saying that both Freeman and Moss were "good people" who didn't deserve the threats that came their way after his client falsely accused them of forging ballots.

"Of course I don't regret it," Giuliani said of his previous unfounded accusations in which he accused Freeman and Moss of manipulating ballots in Georgia during the 2020 election. "They were engaging in changing votes."

Judge Howell has already found Giuliani guilty of defaming Freeman and Moss, and the ongoing proceedings are merely for the jury to determine how much in financial damages the former Trump attorney should be required to pay. The 80-year-old ex-mayor's latest comments — which Giuliani said he would expand upon when he takes the stand — left even his lawyer dumbfounded, with Sibley saying he's "not sure how it’s reconcilable" when Howell asked how he would account for his client's actions.

"This has taken a bit of a toll on him. He’s almost 80 years old," Sibley said, trying to explain that Giuliani's latest attacks on Freeman and Moss were due to his advanced age. "There are health concerns for Mr. Giuliani."

Both Freeman and Moss are seeking between $15 million and $43 million in damages as a result of Giuliani's defamatory remarks. Their attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, said that his clients were forced to move out of their homes as a result of Giuliani's "campaign of defamation and emotional terror" against them. Many of the thousands of threats against Freeman and Moss — who are Black — were racist in nature and called for them to be lynched. Sibley countered that if his client were made the pay the full amount it would be the equivalent of the death penalty, saying "it would be the end of Mr. Giuliani."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Trump Touts New Push To 'Repeal And Replace' Obamacare

Trump Touts New Push To 'Repeal And Replace' Obamacare

Donald Trump is once again living in the past, trying to resurrect a Republican political debacle that even the Freedom Caucus has abandoned: Obamacare repeal. “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives," he spewed on Truth Social on Saturday.

"We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it,” Trump whined. “It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”

Republicans absolutely gave up after the last gasp for “repeal and replace,” Trumpcare, failed to make it to the Senate floor in 2017. That’s after they spent seven years and at least 70 votes on trying to kill the Affordable Care Act, the program that has provided health insurance to more than 40 million Americans.


Health care was the top issue in the 2018 midterms, the election that won the House for Democrats. It’s no wonder that Republicans abandoned repeal as a campaign promise in 2022, and even the Freedom Caucus hasn’t tried to resurrect it with the GOP back in control. They don’t want to have to run on it again for good reason.

But Trump is either trying to make the nation’s first Black president his foe in 2024 because he’s a racist and wants to keep his racist base fired up, or he’s living in the past in his addled brain. Either way, the health care of more than 40 million people is on the line in the next election. Again.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Richard Hanania

How A Young Race-Baiting Writer Rose To Conservative Stardom

In an exclusive report published by HuffPost Friday, the news outlet details the rise of right-wing writer, Richard Hanania, who wrote under the pen name "Richard Hoste" for years before gaining support from prominent Republicans and billionaires to become the widely sought after conservative "national mainstream media" personalty he is today.

HuffPost found the "alt-right" writer, more than a decade ago, had work published in "antisemitic outlets like The Occidental Observer, a site that once argued Jews are trying to exterminate white Americans," and "was among the first writers to be recruited for AlternativeRight.com, a new webzine spearheaded and edited by Richard Spencer, the white supremacist leader who later organized the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia."

Both The Washington Post and The New York Times published "Richard Hoste's" work, according to the news outlet.

As a blogger in 2009, Hanania made assertions like "Fat people not only are disgusting to look at; their obesity reflects some ugly personality traits," and "Women simply didn't evolve to be the decision makers in society. Women's liberation = the end of human civilization."

Furthermore, the far-right writer, describing himself as a "race realist," focused much of his work on Black people, as "he lamented what he saw as the growing preponderance of 'miscegenation,' or white and Black people dating each other," writing, "For the white gene pool to be created millions had to die. Race mixing is like destroying a unique species or piece of art. It's shameful."

HuffPost reports, "For Hoste, white people were 'naturally smarter and less criminal' than Black people; white women's 'fear of black men' was 'very far from irrational'; whites had better 'modes of moral reasoning'; and Black people had 'low intelligence and impulse control.'"

HuffPost reports:

HuffPost connected Hanania to his 'Richard Hoste' persona by analyzing leaked data from an online comment-hosting service that showed him using three of his email addresses to create usernames on white supremacist sites. A racist blog maintained by Hoste was also registered to an address in Hanania's hometown. And HuffPost found biographical information shared by Hoste that aligned with Hanania's own life.

The right-winger, who Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has considered a "friend" and "really interesting thinker," has since become a prominent podcaster and leader of the think tank, Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, which according to journalist Jonathan Katz, "describes itself as 'interested in funding scholars studying woke attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.'"

HuffPost notes:

Richard Hanania's story may hint at a concerning shift in mainstream American conservatism. A little over a decade ago, he felt compelled to hide his racist views behind a pseudonym. In 2023, Hanania is a right-wing star, championed by some of the country's wealthiest men, even as he's sounding more and more like his former white supremacist nom de plume: Richard Hoste.

The news outlet reports "Marc Andreessen — the powerful Silicon Valley venture capitalist and billionaire, and a buddy of Elon Musk — has appeared on CSPI's podcast, hosted by Hanania, three times," as well as "Amy Wax, the University of Pennsylvania professor facing disciplinary proceedings for, among other alleged offenses, inviting a white supremacist to speak to her class and making racist remarks such as that 'our country will be better off with more whites and fewer minorities.'"

HuffPost emphasizes:

Hanania's rise into mainstream conservative and even more centrist circles did not necessarily occur because he abandoned some of the noxious arguments he made under the pseudonym 'Richard Hoste.' Although he's moderated his words to some extent, Hanania still makes explicitly racist statements under his real name. He maintains a creepy obsession with so-called race science, arguing that Black people are inherently more prone to violent crime than white people. He often writes in support of a well-known racist and a Holocaust denier. And he once said that if he owned Twitter — the platform that catapulted him to some celebrity — he wouldn't let 'feminists, trans activists or socialists' post there. 'Why would I?' he asked. 'They're wrong about everything and bad for society.'

The news outlet notes one of Hanania's "first viral pieces on Substack — a 2021 article titled 'Why Is Everything Liberal?' — was cited by columnists at The Washington Post and The New York Times," leading "to his first invitation to appear on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight,' America's most-watched cable news show at the time."

Furthermore, though The Washington Post did not comment on the conservative's previously published work, HuffPost reports "a New York Times spokesperson said that 'Hanania didn’t inform our editors or anyone at The Times, nor were we aware' of any writing he'd done under a pseudonym before the paper published one of his essays."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

U.S. Court

Far Right Lauds Affirmative Action Decision -- And Aims At Civil Rights Act

As the Supreme Court handed down its decision that the race-conscious admission policies of Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment, effectively dismantling affirmative action in higher education, right-wing media poured praise on the conservative justices for ending what they claim is a “discriminatory” and “racist” practice.

On June 29, the Supreme Court’s decisions in both SFFA v. Presidentand Fellows of Harvard College and SFFA v. University of North Carolina essentially decided that race can no longer be a factor in college admissions, striking down affirmative action. Both cases involved Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit with financial ties to anti-civil rights strategists, suing Harvard University and the University of North Carolina over their admissions processes that the group claimed violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 14th Amendment, respectively. The elimination of affirmative action has been a right-wing policy goal for years and has been bankrolled through SFFA in order to see its elimination come to fruition.

Right-wing media continuously amplified their hatred of affirmative action leading up to its elimination, platforming guests who view the policy as “un-American.” Some right-wing figures that are celebrating the end of affirmative action have now begun calling for the end of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and “disparate impact” regulations, revealing their ultimate goal to destroy civil rights protections in the United States.

The Supreme Court’s decision to dismantle affirmative action coincides with a network of “parental choice” activists and right-wing media figures demanding radical changes to the U.S. education system. Anti-critical race theory proponents like Christopher Rufo and Russ Vought have worked hand-in-hand with right-wing media to mount aggressive smear campaigns against critical race theory and diversity policies. These groups have deliberately tried to gut the 14th Amendment, which would create massive obstacles to communities of color in education.

As part of their attacks on education, Fox News hosts have already started calling for the destruction of the public school system, arguing that the U.S. should “defund government education” and replace it with private school vouchers. The network has also spread misinformation about critical race theory, even claiming that proponents want to “brainwash your child so that they feel guilty about being born white.” Right-wing media attacks on the education system serve to minimize the impact that the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action will have on diversity and equity in higher education.

Right-wing media agreed with Supreme Court that affirmative action is “unconstitutional,” labeling it a “racist” and “discriminatory” practice:

  • Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk praised the decision, tweeting, “Finally the Court has corrected another awful 70s mistake, and ruled that racially discriminatory college admissions are unconstitutional.”
  • Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich called affirmative action “unconstitutional and anti-American, for college admissions and everywhere else. This is an earthquake that should upend the left’s racist standards, not just in education but in employment at every level.”
  • On America’s Newsroom, former Trump official Roger Severino claimed that “45% of the students of African American descent admitted to Harvard would not have made it according to Harvard's own statistics had they not done the racial balancing in the name of diversity. Now, Harvard only has 8% of conservatives that are admitted students, 82% of Harvard students come from wealthy backgrounds. It’s not really about diversity. It was about racial balancing.”
  • The Daily Caller published an article, titled “Supreme Court Rules Against Racial Prejudice In College Admissions,” framing affirmative action as being discriminatory.
  • Newsmax’s Justine Brooke Murray tweeted that people “already knew” affirmative action was discriminatory prior to the Supreme Court decision, arguing that prospective students “should not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character!”
  • Racist livestreamer Steven Crowder claimed that because of the Supreme Court decision, “Asian students can no longer be discriminated against.”

Some right-wing figures praised former President Donald Trump for his Supreme Court picks who helped bring affirmative action to an end:

  • Former Trump adviser and white nationalist Stephen Miller called the decision a “colossal win for USA. Colossal achievement for 45 in shaping the Court to realize this victory.”
  • Failed congressional candidate and “proud IslamophobeLaura Loomer celebrated the decision as a “great day” that “was only made possible today thanks to President Donald J Trump’s nomination of 3 SCOTUS justices.”
  • Newsmax contributor Karoline Leavitt claimed that “President Donald Trump made today's historic decision to end the racist college admissions process possible because he delivered on his promise to appoint constitutionalist justices.”

Despite polling on affirmative action showing high rates of approval with marginalized groups, right-wing media argued that the Supreme Court’s decision was “popular” with all Americans:

  • Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly tweeted, “Race-based admissions will still continue bc these institutions will find sneaky ways of doing it, but they will no longer have the absurd cover of law. THESE POLICIES HAVE BEEN HURTING MINORITY GROUPS FOR DECADES. And ppl of all races oppose them. This is a great day for America.”
  • Fox News Radio host Guy Benson tweeted, “We are told SCOTUS is ‘losing legitimacy’ by issuing rulings that are ‘out of touch’ or unpopular. That misunderstands the justices’ function, of course, but many of the same people who’ve engaged in such concern trolling will be screaming over today’s decision.” Benson also posted an image of polling data, seemingly ignoring that the results showed that among American adults familiar with affirmative action, nearly every racial category mostly saw it as a “good thing.”

Fringe and right-wing accounts also celebrated the decision as a victory for white people and discussed what’s “next up”:

  • Following the decision, Rufo tweeted: “The Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions. It's time to go further: abolish DEI bureaucracies, prohibit race-based hiring, eliminate the ‘disparate impact’ doctrine, and restore the principle of colorblind equality in all of our institutions.”
  • Gab founder and virulent antisemite Andrew Torba posted, “Affirmative action is dead. Roe is dead. Next up: the Civil Rights Act so we can restore the freedom of association in this country.”
  • White nationalist vlogger Steve Franssen tweeted “LETS GO WHITE RACE” in response to the decision.
  • On Gab, failed Senate candidate and Proud Boys supporter Lauren Witzke posted on Gab, “How many hopes and dreams have been destroyed for White people due to this vile policy? Affirmative Action is truly one of the biggest stains on America. Overqualified people were rejected from jobs and schools due to the color of their skin. It’s been unconstitutional from the start. It’s time to put an END to the cruel and evil practice of Affirmative Action.”
  • Far-right account Write Winger posted on Gab, “With race-based admissions being struck down at colleges, now is the time for White people to claim their space in this oh so diverse and inclusive environment, and I’ll tell you how you personally can help. If your school or employer has or does anything based on race, I want you to politely ask, in writing preferably via email, how you can go about creating the same for White people.”
  • Author Padraig Martin posted on Gab, “While Affirmative Action harmed hundreds of thousands of qualified White applicants over the past five decades, nobody gave a damn. How many aspiring White applicants from low income homes were denied economic advancement because they were White? I appreciate this decision, but just remember - if you are White, the United States government still hates you for being White and actively seeks your displacement and replacement with its myriad of anti-White policies.”

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.