Watch: Reince Priebus Baits 'Vice Chair' David Hogg During Debate, and the DNC Made a Huge Mistake

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

In January, the Democratic National Committee decided, in all its infinite wisdom, to elevate a failed pillow salesman and anti-gun grifter to vice chair of the party. Let's just say David Hogg's tenure is not going so well. 

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To say he's out of his element by having to defend his viewpoints instead of just appearing in front of astroturfed, adoring crowds is underselling it. This is a guy who couldn't survive your average middle-school debate, and the more he gets in front of the cameras, the worse it gets. But as we're about to see, it's not just that Hogg is painfully unimpressive. It's that he's actively working against the DNC while serving in its leadership. 

Helping illustrate that was former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who faced off against Hogg Tuesday evening.

PRIEBUS: They've got no message. They've got no movement. They've got no movement. I mean, it doesn't get any worse than that. 

But here's the point. You're taking $20 million. If I'm looking at someone, my vice chair taking $20 million for another effort, it's $20 million out of the DNC's pocket. You can't be on the board of the fishing and forest company and on Greenpeace at the same time.

We'll get to the fireworks, but the above is a very important point. Hogg is currently raising millions of dollars for another organization specifically designed to primary incumbent Democrats and replace them with left-wing lunatics from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party. Why is that a problem? Because the DNC (like the RNC) traditionally supports incumbents, meaning Hogg is serving in party leadership while working against it. That's not a good situation for a political party already teetering on the edge. 

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SEE: David Hogg and the Democrat Party's Dysfunction Explodes Into the Open


Not surprisingly, Hogg didn't have an answer for that mess. Instead, he took Priebus' bait on deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia being an alleged MS-13 member.

HOGG: Let me push back. This was not an MS-13 gang member, and you d*** well know that!

Oh, come on. 

He was not (Crosstalk)...the administration admitted that this was wrong! In America, we have due process, and we are a land of law and order. We are a land of law and order, and this administraiton is repeatedly showing time and time again that they do not care about what the Supreme Court says, they do not care about the rule of law, and you can not defend sending people to another country, to another country where they don't have rights, where he'd be denied counsel. Due process is so much more!

There's a recent trend among Democrats. When they are out of their depth, they get really serious and start using curse words. Unfortunately for them, cussing does not make a bad argument good, and Hogg saying "you d*** well know that" isn't persuasive. 

Factually, we do not know that, and all the evidence we do have shows that Abrego Garcia was an MS-13 member. Some of that evidence includes the testimony of police, the testimony of his friends, a judge's ruling, and the existence of MS-13 symbols tattooed on his knuckles. It's also notable that his wife filed a court order for allegedly beating her, asserting she had videos of him doing it and the bruises he had caused. 

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Hogg may or may not know that (I wouldn't expect him to do any research, given his history), but the broader issue here is how easily baited the DNC vice chair was into fighting on the ground that Priebus wanted to fight on. One of the first rules of debate is not to let your opponent set the terms. Priebus knew exactly what he was doing, and after Hogg was done ranting, he delivered the finishing move.

PRIEBUS: CNN just did a poll that most Americans think all illegal immigrants should be deported, by the way, so you're losing your effort. So if you want to try to defend the constitutionally of deporting an illegal immigrant that's here (Crosstalk)...He's here illegally, and every intel community, agency, and the White House says he is a member of MS-13.

In other words, Democrats, including Hogg, are painting themselves into a corner by focusing on issues that are losers with the American people. As Priebus notes, most people want all illegal immigrants deported. This attempt by Democrats to make a probable MS-13 member who allegedly beat his wife into a sympathetic figure is political malpractice. Even if one thinks their due process arguments hold weight, there are much smarter ways to make that case.

But again, this shows why Hogg was such a bad choice for DNC leadership. He's a far-left radical with the charisma of a turnip. Not only is he taking money and helping marginalize his party even more, but he's absolutely awful at defending his already unpopular positions. This is why you don't elevate activists. It never turns out well.

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