Happy Sunday, and welcome to the RedState Weekly Briefing — where we take a quick look at the week’s most viewed stories in case you missed any of them. What do you suppose caught people's attention in yet another eventful week? Grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger if you're so inclined), and sit down with this 21st Century Weekend Edition of your favorite (online) publication.
#1 - Hell Freezes Over As Media Reveals Remarkable Actions Trump Took After WHCD Shooting — by Nick Arama
In response, there were some surprising moments where the media, which is so frequently attacking Trump, seemed to recognize what a remarkable person he can be.
Here's Weijia Jiang, CBS White House correspondent and the President of the White House Correspondents Association, who had been sitting next to Trump when it happened, recognizing and appreciating Trump's strength to hold a briefing 30 minutes later and say they would hold the dinner again within 30 days. People applauded.
#2 - Trump's Hilarious Remark About a Bulletproof Vest Has Reporters Rolling in the Aisles — by Nick Arama
"I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier," Trump said self-deprecatingly, to gales of laughter. He said some of the folks behind him were "physical specimens," and he joked that he'd tell them to get away. It's not a funny topic, but he just makes it so with his frankness about his own size and his comic timing.
How can the media not be disarmed by that? He's one of a kind.
We're never going to have a contest on the subject, but President Donald Trump may just be the funniest person to ever occupy the White House. It's one of the reasons he resonates with people; he's just naturally relatable and open. And that might be why Democrats don't get it, because they largely have no sense of humor.
#3 - Breaking: The Virginia Supreme Court Just Dropped a One-Sentence Hammer on Dems' Gerrymander Scheme — by Teri Christoph
Just one day after the Supreme Court of Virginia (SCOVA) heard oral arguments about the legality of the legislative process used by Democrat lawmakers to get last week's redistricting/gerrymandering referendum in front of voters, the court on Tuesday shut down efforts by Attorney General Jay Jones to certify the results of that referendum.
At the heart of Tuesday's order was the RNC v. Koski case, which RedState's Jennifer Oliver O'Connell reported on last week.
On Wednesday afternoon, Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled that Tuesday's referendum is unconstitutional and issued an injunction preventing the certification of the election maps. Judge Hurley has also denied any motion to stay his ruling pending appeal.
#4 - Journalist Explains Why Vance Was Escorted From WHCD First, and It Says a Lot About Trump — by Nick Arama
Now, that's pretty brave of Trump, and I think the Secret Service always has to think about getting him out first.
But it says a lot about him that he wanted to prioritize his wife and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt before himself. He has real courage under fire, as he showed in Butler. Leavitt had just had her last briefing on Friday because she's about to have the baby this week, and is going to be taking time off.
Melania had a look of shock on her face when she realized what was going on. Trump indicated that she had probably gotten it before he did, and he said it was traumatic for her.
#5 - 'Holy Smokes': NC Democrat Exodus Continues As Another State Lawmaker Bails and Spills Tea Along the Way — by Sister Toldjah
Though he was more diplomatic in his announcement than Cunningham, he did spill some tea along the way:
“Our community deserves leadership that is honest, accountable, and respectful of the democratic process,” Majeed wrote. “I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections. I cannot, in good conscience, remain aligned where those concerns are not adequately addressed.”
While he didn't elaborate, he did cite "growing concerns about political practices that, in his view, do not align with the level of transparency and ethical conduct that voters deserve." Further, he also suggested that "certain campaign-related strategies and tactics observed in recent election cycles raised serious questions."
If you enjoy the Weekly Briefing, be sure to check out RedState Radio, our weekly podcast. It features a rundown of our top stories of the week, along with chats with a couple of our contributors about what they've been covering. This week, it's Teri Christoph and Bob Hoge. If you like RedState, we think you'll like this added feature. You can always find it and our other featured podcasts by clicking on the Podcast tab at the top of the page. Liking, subscribing, and following are much appreciated.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member