Across the media, journalists have recognized that the Hunter Biden laptop is authentic and, as established early by American intelligence agencies, not “Russian disinformation.” With the authentication of the laptop in the Delaware trial as “real” and untampered, most media has chosen to walk away with a slightly embarrassed shrug. Not the Washington Post. Its columnist, Philip Bump, was one of the most prominent purveyors of what the U.S. government now calls a “conspiracy theory.” This week, Bump ran another column to assure liberals that they were right all along about the laptop story.
In 2021, when media organizations were finally admitting that the laptop was authentic, Bump was still declaring that it was a “conspiracy theory.” Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Bump continued to suggest that “the laptop was seeded by Russian intelligence.”
After Bump had a meltdown in an interview when confronted over past false claims, I wrote a column about the litany of such false claims, including the laptop conspiracy theory. The Post surprised many of us by issuing a statement that they stood by all of Bump’s reporting, including the laptop conspiracy theory. That was in August 2023.
Well, Bump is back.
In his column, Bump takes after various people calling the media to account for burying this story before and after the election, including myself. I felt that it warranted a response.
In hitting Sean Hannity for a recent segment, Bump makes a common evasion among those who have long downplayed the laptop scandal. He objected that Hannity “is conflating the laptop presented as evidence at the trial, the one obtained by the FBI in 2019, with the ‘laptop’ that was the source of the New York Post story.”
For those of us who have covered the laptop since the story ran at the New York Post, it is as maddening as it is mendacious.
At the time of the story, some of us noted that the contents of the laptop could be confirmed since these emails and messages involved third parties. Some quickly confirmed the contents as authentic. The Bidens had long been accused of influence peddling and special dealing by using Joe Biden’s positions as senator, vice president, and president.
Moreover, as the media was referencing the debunked letter of former intelligence officials on this possible likely Russian disinformation, American intelligence quickly confirmed that there was no such evidence to support that claim.
The media ignored the actual intelligence agencies in favor of former intelligence officials who were organized by Biden campaign operatives to release the letter. Biden then cited the letter to refuse to answer questions about his son’s influence peddling and unlawful conduct.
Bump and others used the question over whether the laptop was an authentic copy or a tampered copy to avoid any serious investigation into the underlying emails. Many simply threw up their hands and said “oh well, what can we do.” To this day, the media has shown little interest in the influence peddling operation. Few people seriously argue that the media would have shown the same limited response if these emails tied Trump children to millions in foreign influence peddling schemes.
But Bump was not done:
After Hannity lamented the media’s silence on the so-called “critical development,” Turley offered a theory for why that silence had ensued.
‘If the laptop is authentic, if those files are real,’ he said, “then you have these detailed accounts of a multimillion-dollar influence-peddling operation run by the Biden family. Those would also be authentic. But the media just simply doesn’t want to go there.’
Except that we already know that many of those files were real, because we got access to them and verified them. The reason the media ‘doesn’t want to go there’ on breathless claims about a ‘Biden family’ influence-peddling operation is that the material doesn’t prove any such operation. It shows — as has by now been exhaustively explained — work done by Hunter Biden and his Uncle James that involved lots of money but did not demonstrably involve President Biden. The entire point of the House Republican impeachment effort has been to prove Joe Biden’s involvement; they have been unable to do so.”
Once again, Bump makes it sound like the Post vigorously and quickly verified the laptop. The belated acknowledgement did not come until much later. It was not until March 2022 that the Post finally admitted that the laptop was real, but then did comparably little to pursue the corruption and other unlawful conduct detailed on the laptop.
Washington Post columnist Thomas Rid appeared to state the quiet part out loud by telling the media: “We must treat the Hunter Biden leaks as if they were a foreign intelligence operation — even if they probably aren’t.”
For many, the Post has alienated readers who want to see equally rigorous attention to scandals on both sides of the political aisle. Indeed, the Post’s new publisher recently dropped a truth bomb on his writers by telling them “let’s not sugarcoat it…We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff. Right. I can’t sugarcoat it anymore.”
Yet, it is Bump who is insisting this week that it is Fox News (the most watched cable news network) that is being tuned out in his column titled “The right takes a Biden-laptop victory lap around an empty arena.”
In deflecting questions about the coverage of the Biden corruption scandal, Bump simply ignores witness testimony that has proven that President Biden lied about having no knowledge of his son’s foreign dealings and met with his clients both in person and over the phone. More importantly, he ignores that this was a massive influence peddling operation where President Biden was the object. He was the “brand” being sold.
Influence peddling is a form of political corruption that the government continues to denounce worldwide. The fact that millions went to Biden family members rather than the President does not change the fact that this was one of the largest influence peddling operations in history. Just this week, even Politico stated the obvious that seems to escape Bump on this elaborate Biden operation involving not just family but close associates of the President. As I explained in my testimony in the Biden impeachment hearing, federal courts have repeatedly stated that it does not matter if a principal received money as opposed to family members. It can still constitute bribery and other offenses.
In the end, Bump continues to express frustration with those who would question his conclusions, as he did in his interview when confronted by a host asking about disproven claims. Bump exploded at the hubris of the interviewer and suggested that he is all the proof that the interviewer should need on such issues: “I’m sitting here and I’m telling you, you’re wrong about these things, and you don’t listen.”
Update: Notably, after the authentication of the computer in federal court, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, filed a motion on withdraw the lawsuit against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in which claimed that the laptop contained manipulated data.
BREAKING NEWS
President Putin just held a news conference with President Xi.
When it was time to take questions, Putin pulled a note card from his pocket and declared, I have my list, and will now take a question from, lets see, Katarina Barakova, of Pravda.
Gee, that sounds a lot like how it would have gone in the old Soviet Union!
Yes, but did you see Putin glance down at his notes for the proper answer to the staged question?
“I will not pardon my son”
Is that the same as “I will not commute my son’s prison sentence”?
I don’t remember
Sad. Sadder that people believe him. Wapo cannot fade into obscurity fast enough, good riddance.
So Merrick Garland chose to trash what was left of his reputation just to prevent the audio of Biden from getting out?
“This tape of Joe Biden and the Special Counsel must be the audio equivalence of the video of Hillary Clinton being chucked unconscious into the back of a van.” @Shem_Infinite
Yeppers.
Hillary being tossed like a side of beef into her Scooby Van = Big Guy’s audio —>
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” —Joseph Goebbels
The quotation is a fake.
https://truthisthegreatestenemyofthestate.blogspot.com/
BREAKING NEWS
Fani holds presser, complaining that schoolboys are pronouncing her name “fanny”.
I was once a licensed funeral director and embalmer. One of several good lessons I learned while an undertaker was to try to see some degree of humor in every situation; more than a bit challenging when at a homicide scene where an 80 year old woman was raped and nearly decapitated when the rapist decided it necessary to slash her throat, for good measure. So now that you have a glimpse of my frame of reference:
Is this story about Bump (could there be a better surname for a guy like this?) not hilarious? I agree with professor Turley that it is maddening, but it is just such a perfect example of the ridiculous state of contemporary U.S. media. Yes, Murro, Brinkley, Vanocur, and many more are spinning in their graves, but just imagine what George Carlin could do with this material!
Below there is a lot of discussion about chain-of-custody of the laptop etc. It’s a moot point — it’s all been superseded by the US Government’s use in court as valid evidence in the Biden gun case.
From Wikipedia:
Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus is a Latin maxim meaning “false in one thing, false in everything”. At common law, it is the legal principle that a witness who falsely testifies about one matter is not credible to testify about any matter.
The use in the Biden gun case shows that the US believes that everything in the laptop is real. Get over it.
As to Bump, never read anything by him. Sorry to see a good newspaper failing. I read the WSJ but even that pales in comparison to what a great newspaper it once was.
Unlike you and Professor Turley, I’m not the least bit saddened by the prospect of the worthless rag known as The Washington Post becoming extinct. It would be “altogether fitting and proper”. Collateral damage? Yes.
Sorry, but I’m concentrating my compassion on the millions of people here and around the world upon whom our criminal regime – Wapo is an accessory – is wreaking murderous havoc on. The end of the WaPo is peanuts in comparison.
Bump is Roachhell Madcow in drag!
ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad a huxley
OT
The Supreme Court supports the 9th Amendment provision of the unenumerated, absolute, natural, and God-given right and freedom of substance ingestion.
The Supreme Court strikes down the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and all federal and state laws prohibiting the possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs as unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court cites no constitutional basis for the denial of the natural and God-given right and freedom of substance ingestion.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“The Supreme Court unanimously rejected a bid to restrict access to mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen used to induce medical abortions.”
– New York Post
___________________
9th Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
If you have a point, we would love to hear it.
For those of you in Rio Linda, mifepristone is a substance and Americans enjoy the absolute right and freedom of substance ingestion per the 9th Amendment.
There is no enumerated power of Congress to regulate substance ingestion with reference to Article 1, Section 8.
The FDA and the CSA are unconstitutional.
Individuals may not incur property damage or bodily injury.
The Constitution provides maximal freedom to individuals while severely limiting and restricting government.
Please cite the Constitution for a prohibition of substance ingestion.
https://jonathanturley.org/2024/06/12/did-the-defense-make-jail-more-likely-for-hunter-under-the-sentencing-guidelines/comment-page-3/#comment-2412074
The Necessary and Proper Clause means precisely and ONLY that – that which is necessary and proper with DIRECT APPLICATION and GREAT SPECIFICITY – not that which you imagine and desire, comrade.
The “dictatorship of the proletariat” is not Necessary and Proper.
The Necessary and Proper Clause means precisely and ONLY that – that which is necessary and proper with DIRECT APPLICATION and GREAT SPECIFICITY – not that which you imagine and desire, comrade
This is George, the left wing Marxist nut case, borrowing tactics from Crazy Abe.
First he says “precisely and ONLY that” and then he adds 6 more words to it.
You can’t make this shit up.
The Necessary and Proper Clause is merely perfunctory, routine, and pro forma.
If it ain’t already in the Constitution, it ain’t necessary and proper.
For example, it is necessary and proper to regulate ONLY the buying and selling among nations, states, and Indian tribes, aka commerce, because it says so in the Constitution which makes it a Constitutional power – it says nothing else about concept, design, engineering, manufacture, marketing, shipping, materials, wages, prices, etc., – it says commerce, or buying and selling, period.
See if this helps your grasp, Little Feller.
____________________________________________
Necessary and Proper Clause
“Congress can make all laws necessary for carrying out its Constitutional powers.”
– Law For Kids Club
That link was merely to get you to answer for your previous lie, concerning a “requirement” to fill out a form to acquire a gun.
So all your spastic rantings here are wasted type.
Your perfunctory, routine and pro forma nonsense is hilarious though. I appreciate that chuckle, comrade. How convenient.
The Necessary and Proper Clause is neither Necessary nor Proper.
Dont you wish it wasnt in there
“The Necessary and Proper Clause is neither Necessary nor Proper.”
That’s George’s disdain for the Constitution, in a nutshell.
It must be good to be you – to obtuse to grasp your own obtuseness.
You entertain yourself with your incoherent nonsense and inane ad hominem while you circumvent the argument and again fail to cite the Constitution, comrade.
Perhaps Karl Marx will also send you a letter of commendation and congratulations, as he did to “Crazy Abe” Lincoln.
Allow me to clarify?
The Necessary and Proper Clause is merely a clarification the Framers considered necessary and proper.
They may have surmised that someone, such as yourself, might one day actually read the document.
Density can be significantly occlusive.
Cliche’ Cliche’ Cliche’
See, aren’t I smart?
Now, that qualifies me to tell you what the framers were thinking.—Old George the Gaslighting Marxist
George, please cite the Federal regulation, code, or statute that “requires filling out a form in order to acquire a gun”
The funny thing is, Bump thinks himself as a credible, serious, real journalist.
And they wonder why WaPo is losing money. It is journalists like him.
Happy to see someone else can see the humor in this. I don’t get out much so I don’t know if there are any comedians extant who could do this justice, but I’ve got to believe George Carlin could do a side-splitting, floor-rolling ten minutes on this Bump on the backside of so-called journalism!
Yank,
Well, you cannot but help laugh at the guy and people like him.
It is like watching Baghdad Bob, telling reporters that the Americans are not in the city as US tanks roll by in the background.
The difference is, if Bob did NOT go out there and make those absurd comments, he would likely get a bullet in the head.
What is Bumps excuse?
Selected headlines from Babylon Bee:
– House of Representatives joins rest of America in holding Merrick Garland in contempt
– Biden Issues executive order limiting border crossings to just 5,000 ISIS terrorists per day
– Colorado Supreme Court overturns Hunter Biden conviction
– Biden asks why Europe didn’t just arrest conservative candidates before election
– Biden says he is still proud of his son for getting away with everything else he did
– Merrick Garland threatens to arrest anyone who says his DOJ is corrupt
– Democrats hoping Fetterman’s car crash caused enough brain damage that he’ll become one of them again
– Palestinian researchers discover startling correlation between holding hostages in your home and people shooting you
– Newsom promises there will be enough electricity for all Californians after everyone moves to Florida
– Biden apologizes for racist gaff: ‘I like all races, even the bad ones’
– Kim Jong Un attends Ivy League university to learn new brainwashing techniques
– Bernie Sanders praises China for eradicating poverty by killing all the poor people
– To protect pride murals from further defacement, government bans cars
– Kids avoid felony by defacing pride murals with ‘Free Gaza’ skid marks
– Kids arrested for driving scooters over pride flag wishing they had burned American flag instead
– Ilhan Omar calls for day of mourning over hostages rescued
– Liam Neeson criticized for killing 31 innocent human traffickers just to get back one hostage
– Gaza Health Ministry confirms 8 billion dead in Israeli hostage rescue
– CNN claims Hunter conviction is Russian disinformation
– At this point nation just happy pageant winner is an actual woman
– White house spokesperson KJP says Biden’s ability to do his job not impeded by his rigor mortis
– Biden drops first bomb on Normandy in 80 years
– Aides put googly eyes on Biden so he looks like he’s paying attention
– Biden announced plan to pretend to care about the border until November 6
– White House claims your inability to afford groceries is misinformation
– Edmonton Oilers change name to Edmonton “20% Renewable Energy By 2035ers”
– Ouch: New female president of Mexico announces plan to give cartels the silent treatment
– In response to Trump conviction, Republicans threaten to fire off ‘strongliest worded letter of all time’
– Democrats call for removal of Nelson Mandela statute in DC after learning he was a convicted felon
– Angry Fauci demands congressmen address him as ‘The Science’
– American voters looking forward to choosing between convicted felon and unconvicted felon
– After seeing how much money Trump raised, Biden calls up DA Bragg to ask if he can get charged with a felony or two
– Man charged with blasphemy after not removing sandals before crossing street painted with pride mural
h/t Babylon Bee. You go, honey.
– Aides put googly eyes on Biden so he looks like he’s paying attention
– White House claims your inability to afford groceries is misinformation
– White house spokesperson KJP says Biden’s ability to do his job not impeded by his rigor mortis
–
CNNSvelaz/George claims Hunter conviction is Russian disinformationMan charged with blasphemy after not removing sandals before crossing street painted with pride mural
Albinophobia is a banner progression.
Think of the parade of lions, lionesses, and [unPlanned] cubs playing in gay revelry… on the African savanna.
Does he realize everyone is laughing at him?
BREAKING NEWS
Biden applauds the SCOTUS on their “contraceptive” ruling.
Asks if he can get some for Jill
“ The fact that millions went to Biden family members rather than the President does not change the fact that this was one of the largest influence peddling operations in history.”
So? Making money is not illegal. It’s not a crime and neither is influence peddling. Every member of congress is involved in some form of influence peddling. SCOTUS has even stated that influence peddling may be considered protected speech. Similar to how campaign contributions are considered free speech. To make influence peddling a crime it would have to be a very clear and indisputable act of bribery. The allegations of bribery against the Bidens which turned out to be a lie by Smirnov have the required concrete proof that the law demands.
“ As I explained in my testimony in the Biden impeachment hearing, federal courts have repeatedly stated that it does not matter if a principal received money as opposed to family members. It can still constitute bribery and other offenses.”
Ah, of course. But Turley forgets that SCOTUS made defined bribery so narrowly and almost impossible to prosecute that anything less cannot be considered criminal. That it *can* does not mean it *is* and that’s the problem for many republicans claiming bribery and money laundering was going on. An allegation is not proof.
Ah, of course. But Turley forgets that SCOTUS made defined bribery so narrowly and almost impossible to prosecute that anything less cannot be considered criminal.
There it is!!! Reason number 22!
If need be, I can link directly to the 46 posts of Svelaz saying the exact same thing.
“So? Making money is not illegal.”
Ugh, the stupidity of George’s comments. If one makes money illegally, it is illegal. If one uses a position in government to peddle influence for one’s benefit, it is unlawful. George’s mind is too small to understand his intellectual limitations.
BREAKING: SCOTUS reverses Mifepristone ban.
This SCOTUS decision preserves access to medication abortion… FOR NOW.
There will be another case–with better plaintiffs–before the Court faster than Thomas can book a ride on Harlan Crow’s private jet.
Clarence Thomas writes concurring opinion in Mifepristone case, arguing that the food sucked at the most recent Harlan Crow-funded luxury resort.
Thomas needs a new RV and he ain’t playing around
Alito’s wife turns 7 American flags upside down.
YAWN
Your narcolepsy is definitely not improving.
Neither is your busted taint
The Washington Post is having layoffs. People are smart enough not to subscribe to the Political version of the National Enquirer. Alien abductions and Elvis sightings are more credible.
It’s sad that we have to choose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. What will it be like when neither of them are no longer active in politics. But Congress will continue to be deadlocked unable to do its job. Ben Franklin was right when he talked about Constitutional Republic:
“Monday, September 17, 1787: The day began with a prepared speech from Franklin (PA) who, eighty-one years old and painfully afflicted with gout and kidney stone, unable to read it himself and delegated that task to Wilson (PA). … I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no form of government, but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and believe further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government.” September 17, 1787: A Republic, If You Can Keep It ! https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/constitutionalconvention-september17.htm
That despot was “Crazy Abe” Lincoln, who, after a mere 71 years, unconstitutionally imposed martial law and threw the baby out with the bathwater—the Constitution out with reprehensible slavery—when slavery must have been driven out of existence by public sentiment and market forces and abrogated legislatively.
“ Moreover, as the media was referencing the debunked letter of former intelligence officials on this possible likely Russian disinformation, American intelligence quickly confirmed that there was no such evidence to support that claim.”
Wow. That letter was not “debunked”. They key word, “possible, is what lends context for the reason to write the letter. The 51 former intelligence officials who had years of experience recognizing Russian methods of spreading disinformation and misinformation signed the letter warning that the contents of the laptop had the hallmarks of Russian involvement. They did not claim that it was. They were issuing a warning to be skeptical about the claims. Rudy Giuliani, the useful idiot Trump loved until he was no longer useful had multiple contacts with individuals known to have connections to Russian intelligence. Michael Flynn, who admitted guilt to lying to FBI agents was also in contact with Russian individuals who had connections to Russian intelligence. Trump was pretty chummy with the Russian ambassador and openly mentioned classified information in meetings all pointed out there was a serious need to be vigilant and skeptical. So what did Trump do? Cried foul and whined he was being spied on because Russians were actively courting him behind closed doors.
The 51 signatories did not claim there was an evidence. What they did is put out a warning. Which was ignored by Trump and his administration as a hoax. Nearly every one of his former cabinet members have described him as an idiot, f’ing moron, and having the attention span of a gold fish when it came to national security briefings points to Trump’s clear useful idiot status that Russians valued the most.
The laptop’s only purpose was to implicate president Biden with allegations of impropriety and possible impeachable offenses. The problem, to this day, still is a lack of concrete verifiable evidence. Influence peddling is not a crime. Allegations of bribery turned out to be a lie. No surprise there. The number of coincidences and multiple connections to Russian individuals and their connections to Russian intelligence is hard to ignore. By it’s apparently not for MAGA and Trump apologists.
YAWN
Poor Old George has all the hallmarks of a cuckold. Now, I am not saying that his wife is cheating on him, because there is no evidence of that. But George has all the hallmarks – the paranoia, the constant texts to his wife to see where she is, the recent DNA test he had done on his child. And his wife has all the hallmarks of a low, trifling woman – the glaring red lipstick, the push-up bra, and the low cut blouse, and the fact that she has to work late so often on Friday night. But I would never go so far as to imply that a ground hog has been rooting around George’s house at night. . .
Harry Reid: we won, didn’t we!
You are correct that the 51 Intelligence “Profesionals” (who appear to be “professional” in the same sense that Stormy Daniels is a “pro”) signed a letter that was weasel-worded enough that they will never be prosecuted for election interference,
However. The news media, including the moron cited in the article, were not nearly smart enough to stay on the non-criminal side of the line, and used every word in a thesaurus to explain that the laptop was phoney, and that anyone who thought otherwise was a danger to the republic. Many of them should be prosecuted.
“Wow. That letter was not “debunked”. They key word, “possible, is what lends context for the reason to write the letter. “
George isn’t smart enough to realize that is another way to lie or tell mistruths.
Let us see how George’s logic works. ‘George is a child molester and rapist, signed by 51 police and officers of the court.
“George exhibits all of the qualities of possibly being a pedophile.”
See. Thats how people phrase it when they have ZERO evidence.
It’s ‘possible’ Biden doesn’t crap himself in public. But no, he does.
It’s ‘possible’ George is right once in a great while. But no, he’s never is.
It’s ‘possible’ I paid my rent ten years in advance. Hope my landlord believes me.
Along with the ‘infamous’ 51, Bump is unwilling to acknowledge that they (gasp) were the source of disinformation.
Honest question for you: Can an opinion be “disinformation”?
The letter was an opinion piece, which clarified it had no facts regarding the laptop itself.
It can be when the opinion is disingenuous
The laptop is not important because of Hunter’s trivial weapon’s violation. It is important because it contains much of the evidence towards the conviction of the Bidens for accepting bribes in return for favors. The Left can’t abandon the laptop fully until they choose to abandon the Bidens.