House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., triggered an outcry this week with his call for Democrats to fight President Donald Trump’s agenda “in the streets.” The incendiary language came not long after a man, Ryan Michael “Reily” English, was arrested at the Capitol with a knife and Molotov cocktails. According to court filings, English was allegedly targeting House Speaker Mike Johnson, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Notably, Jeffries has been one of the loudest voices condemning President Donald Trump for his own rhetoric, including calling on supporters to fight against election fraud and the 2020 election certification.
Jeffries reportedly declared “We are gonna fight it legislatively. We are gonna fight it in the courts. And we’re gonna fight it in the streets.”
Frankly, in light of the claims that Republicans are Nazis and plotting to overthrow democracy, the comment seems almost restrained in comparison.
Those narratives have far greater influence on figures like English, who likely dwell in the echo chamber of MSNBC and other outlets that have predicted the imminent demise of democracy.
Notably, English used the same Nazi rhetoric that is common on liberal sites. The FBI statement recounted:
“With respect to the ENGLISH’s arrest on January 27, 2025, ENGLISH admitted to leaving ENGLISH’s phone at home for surveillance purposes. ENGLISH left ENGLISH’s home in Massachusetts on Sunday, January 26, 2025, again leaving ENGLISH’s phone behind for surveillance purposes, and traveled to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing what ENGLISH referred to as “Nazi” Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, and/or the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and/or burning down the Heritage Foundation, “two blocks from the White House.” These actions were specifically to “depose” these political offices and send a message. ENGLISH admitted to buying an atlas a month ago to navigate ENGLISH’s way to the District of Columbia, given ENGLISH would not have a phone with GPS capability. ENGLISH further admitted that ENGLISH wore clothes to conceal ENGLISH’s appearance when purchasing the atlas and paid cash for the atlas.”
While the media often focuses on right-wing extremists, there have been repeated attacks from the left. Both sides have used similar language in rallying their supporters.
Trump used language like going to “fight” for his cause in the protest on the Hill, but he never actually called for violence or a riot. Rather, he urged his supporters to march on the Capitol to express opposition to the certification of electoral votes and to support the challenges being made by some members of Congress. He expressly told his followers “to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” Those words were routinely edited out of the clips by the January 6th committee.
The media has maintained the one-sided narrative on both political violence and violent rhetoric.
The Democrats often raise the Jan. 6th riot and it is important to acknowledge that the damage extended to an attack on our constitutional process. However, the preceding protest around the White House caused more injuries and more property damage. Then President Trump had to be removed to a safe location as the Secret Service feared a breach of the White House. There were a reported 150 officers injured (including at least 49 Park Police officers around the White House) in the Lafayette Park riot. Protesters caused extensive property damage including the torching of a historic structure and the attempted arson of St. John’s Church.
Mass shootings by leftist gunmen have repeatedly occurred, but those are treated as one-offs, while any conservative shooter is part of a pattern of right-wing violence.
Keith Ellison, the Democratic attorney general of Minnesota, even mocked the notion of liberal violence. In one tweet, he declared “I have never seen @BernieSanders supporters being unusually mean or rude. Can someone send me an example of a ‘Bernie Bro’ being bad. Also, are we holding all candidates responsible for the behavior of some of their supporters? Waiting to hear.”
Republican Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana replied dryly: “I can think of an example.” Scalise was severely wounded at the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball game practice by a Sanders supporter.
Ellison was a particularly ironic Democratic politician to repeat this mantra. When he was the Democratic National Committee deputy chair, Ellison praised Antifa, a violent anti-free speech group that regularly attacks conservatives, pro-lifers, and others.
Ellison said Antifa would “strike fear in the heart” of Trump. This was after Antifa had been involved in numerous acts of violence and its website was banned in Germany.
Ellison’s son, Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, declared his allegiance to Antifa in the heat of the protests this summer. When confronted about Antifa’s violence, then House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler denied that the group existed. Likewise, Joe Biden has dismissed objections to Antifa as just “an idea.”
Figures like Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) have called for Trump to be “eliminated.” (He later apologized after triggering an outcry).
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., in 2018 encouraged her supporters to fight back against the Trump administration: “Let’s make sure we show up whenever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcomed anymore, anywhere.”
The point is not that Jeffries is encouraging violence. I do not believe that. The point is the hypocrisy in the condemnation of such rhetoric in others while fueling anger among your own followers.
Previously, Jeffries went on MSNBC to denounce “the type of violence that we saw on January 6th because of the extreme rhetoric that is coming from many right-wing ideologues in this country.”
I have criticized what I have called the “rage rhetoric” on both sides for years. Once again, I am more concerned with the type of rhetoric repeated by figures like English. If you tell viewers every night that democracy is dying and the Nazis are coming, a certain percentage will believe it and take violent action. It is that small percentage of unstable individuals who end up trying to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh or massacre Republican members playing softball.
The thing about rage is that it allows you to ignore the conduct of your own allies. It gives a license to ratchet up the rhetoric. It also can produce absurd moments. One such moment was captured when Sen. Bernie Sanders (I, Vt.) confronted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and demanded to know: “Are you supportive of the onesies!” It appears we have gone from supporting Commies to supporting onesies; from the Red Scare to the Bed Scare.
Notably, Sanders’ apparel alarm did not extend to the Antifa onesies that were the rage during the holidays with shoppers on the left.
Whether it is using “fight” rhetoric or buying onesies, the outrage tends to be forced and one-sided.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Jonathan, you misspelled “Hakeem” in the headline of this article.
Doesn’t matter.
Democrats love ‘rage rhetoric’ because, since all the real loons listen to them, they know the violence will be triggered by “lone wolves”.
They will then have all their cronies in the MSM claim the loon was a Republican voter and all their sheeple will nod in agreement.
Recognize Hakeem Jeffries for what he is and it will all make sense: Barack and Nancy’s stooge.
Hakeem does not have an original thought in his entire persona. Once Nancy (why do you think she hangs around?) and Barack exist the stage, the Vaudeville hook will appear and Hakeem will disappear into the cloudy stooge waters that begot him.
Ex Dem: Your post is nonsense.
You’re right. It’s too kind. Jeffries is a paid stooge.
Great article, Mr. Turley. THANK YOU for calling out the left’s hypocrisy [rage /violent rhetoric]
On a different matter, somebody needs to moderate this site b/c I’ve read all the comments & most
have absolutely NOTHING to do w/ your articles/ op eds.
Totally agree, Stephanie. He needs to stop with this anonymous posting. Yes, people can still use fake names, but at least we can identify the blowhards who will argue ad nauseam with everything Prof. Turley writes.
Thank you, Mary. Yes, ’tis true! I just wish people would stick to the topic at hand.
Ignore this reply. I forgot to put my name to it! [Stephanie Wilson] So I reposted under my name]
Thank you, Mary. ’tis true! More need to stick to the topic here.
Trump’s team, which included members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, peppered Treasury officials about one of the department’s most sensitive and critical functions: processing trillions of dollars in government payments a year.
Well maybe now we know why Musk is willing to throw away Tesla. The spigot at the U.S. Treasury is much, much bigger. Who cares if you loose $200 B when you can gain a trillion dollars from the guy that thinks he is President.
Democracy says Trump is your President. If you believe is some other form of government then go ahead and “pick your President”. If you do then democracy has died in your mind. Any and all threats to American democracy have come from the leftists. Now you know.
Crybaby loser ^^^^
Putting two (2) pots of coffee on for tomorrow’s Sunday morning political talk shows:
FOX – Fox News Sunday ~ Duffy; Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
NBC – Meet the Press ~ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
CBS – Face the Nation ~ Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla.; Hanna Siegel, niece of Keith Siegel, an American Israeli who was released by Hamas on Saturday after being held in Gaza.
ABC – This Week ~ Kirsten Hillman, Canadian ambassador to the U.S.
CNN – State of the Union ~ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy; Sen. Tim Kaine, D–Va.; Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D–Ariz.
PBS – Washington Week with The Atlantic ~ Peter Baker, The New York Times; Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic; Ali Vitali, MSNBC; Nancy Youssef, The Wall Street Journal.
It’s been a juicy week 😁
You are on target as usual. Well said!
Susan Collins is “very concerned” yet again.
Here is her post today on Twitter.
The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner. Certain tariffs will impose a significant burden on many families, manufacturers, the forest products industry, small businesses, lobstermen, and agricultural producers. For example, 95 percent of the heating oil used by most Mainers to heat their homes comes from refineries in Canada. The Air National Guard Base in Bangor depends completely on jet fuel and diesel from Canada. From fisheries to potato farmers to paper mills, these tariffs will have a significant impact on Maine’s economy and risk increasing costs for our residents. I am working with the Trump Administration to help its officials better understand the potential ramifications of certain tariffs on Maine and to find out more about their implementation, scope, duration, and other important information, including any exemptions they may make for northern border states, certain industries, agricultural producers, and others who rely on trade with Canada.
She needs to quit being concerned and actually do something like voting against all of Trump’s nominees.
Better to vote for Trump’s nominees.
Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
President Donald Trump said late Friday that he plans to nullify federal employee union contracts that agencies agreed to late in former President Joe Biden’s term.
If you are a union member and voted for this idiot, I hope you loose your job, lose your house, your wife or husband divorces you, and your kids, if they survive without a vaccine, want nothing to do with you, may you die a penniless painful death.
trump told you he was an A hole and you voted for him anyway. Thanks.
* Yes, Jeffries is lopsided. Free speech. Persuasive speech is lies and flattery. Jeffries merely announced the same harangue. The dems love it and yes, it’s very violent.
Have more babies in paradise.
Trump has ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to waste the water needed for summer irrigation in California’s Central Valley, and potentially flooding productive farm land.
The Kaweah River and the Tule River used to flow into Tulare Lake. These rivers were dammed in the 1960’s to provide reservoir storage of water for summer irrigation in the Central Valley as well as flood control. The delta areas of these 2 rivers used to very swampy and prone to severe flooding in the spring run-off season and during major storms. This made the land impossible to farm. The rivers are now dammed and the lake and the river deltas have dried up and much the land has been converted to productive farming. In the summer the water is released as needed from the reservoirs and the farmers divert the water for irrigation before it reaches the dry lake bed.
These 2 reservoirs are the only ones in California controlled by the federal government. Trump ordered the dams to be opened to full flow capacity, saying that he was sending the water to Southern California to fight fires, but really he was just making a political move to satisfy the MAGA mob. The water is flowing into the dried up lake bed of Lake Tulare, where it is simply soaking into the ground and evaporating. Even if it was not simply soaking into the dry lake bed, there would be no way of physically moving the water to Southern California.
The release of water sent the local farming community into a major panic for 2 reasons.
Firstly, they regard the water in the reservoirs as their “summer water”. They need every drop for irrigation in the summer. It is now being wasted.
Secondly, if the dams are opened to full flow capacity, then the onrushing water would flood the low lying river deltas that used to be swamps, but are now productive farm land. Thankfully, when this was explained to the Army Corps of Engineers, they agreed to reduce the flow from full flow capacity, but the water is still flowing at massive rates and it is being completely wasted.
The really interesting thing is that this area is one of the few Republican strongholds in the state. The farmers are staunch Republicans who voted for Trump. He is paying them back by wasting their precious water reserves and flooding their land.
Talk about voting against your own self interest !!!!!
You’re a moron.
Hear hear
Why do trump supporters refuse to believe facts?
Just amazing.
Try reading…
https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/local/california/2025/02/01/trump-orders-san-joaquin-valley-water-release-from-dams-causes-chaos/78124775007/
FACTS: TRUMP WON, YOU LOST!
And then trump flooded the very people that voted for him. Nice guy he is.
And still, Trump won.
How does that make you feel, ma’am?
Facts: TRUMP LIED. Moderates who wouldn’t have otherwise voted for him did so because of concerns about high grocery prices that he promised would “immediately” come down precipitiously. Trump admits that he won “on the groceries”–which was a lie at the time because he had no way to bring a precipitous drop in the cost of groceries. His handlers even put up displays of grocery items to emphasize the point. Trump took advantage of the gullibility of people who were worried about feeding their families. You MAGAs can pretend that Trump’s fake “presidency” is the product of anything other than that big LIE–but you are kidding yourselves. And, it DOES matter when a presidential candidate lies to get into office. And, now that the pig is once again stinking up the White House, we have tariffs, trade wars with our biggest trading partners–Canada and Mexico–a smaller one with China because Muskrat uses so many Chinese-made component parts and items, we have Muskrat, without security clearance, getting into classified information on government servers and locking out people who work for these agencies, lies about DEI causing a plane crash, even before all of the dead have been collected and without any evidence whatsoever, and threats to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal and force Canada to be a state. How does that make me feel–how does that make YOU feel that such a stupid, uninformed and arrogant liar is screwing up so badly?
Debunked
What does this have to do with the article?
Nothing, there’s an article on CFP, says Newsom ordered it. Trump’s idea but Newsom has authorized this not Trump.
Traveler
Completely false.
Firstly, the reservoirs are controlled by the federal government and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Newsom cannot order the Corps of Engineers to do anything.
Secondly, Trump claimed responsibility for the release of water in 2 posts on Truth Social, see below:
“The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!”
“Photo of beautiful water flow that I just opened in California. Today, 1.6 billion gallons and, in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons. Everybody should be happy about this long fought Victory! I only wish they listened to me six years ago – There would have been no fire!”
Thirdly, when the Corps of Engineers warned local authorities of the imminent release, they said they were acting on instructions from the new administration in Washington.
Read the article in the LA Times, it’s on Citizens Free Press. You need to get an understanding of how the National Disaster Recovery Framework is structured. The stakeholders include Federal, State, territorial and NGO’s. They work in unison, the President doesn’t dictate what goes on in the State, the Governor does. The President over the Federal Government would provide funds and manpower as requested or ordered by the Governor. Trump doesn’t control State business.
Traveler
You are completely out of your mind.
Newsom’s order has absolutely nothing to do with releasing water from the Kaweah and Success reservoirs.
Newsom’s order was to divert all excess flows that become available due to the winter storm, that is currently underway, INTO STORAGE RESERVOIRS. He did not order any release of water.
This is necessary because California is still in drought conditions.
What is going on here in Tulare County is the exact diametric opposite of Newsom’s order.
Trump ordered the RELEASE of water from storage in the Kaweah and Success reservoirs which are less than half full.
“Consistent with the direction in the Executive Order on Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is releasing water from Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Success Lake to ensure California has water available to respond to the wildfires,” wrote Gene Pawlik, a supervising public affairs specialist in the Army Corps’ Washington, D.C. office.
The local authorities are concerned that they may not be able to fill the reservoirs by spring because the Sierra snow pack is well below normal.
Dan Vink, a longtime Tulare County water manager and principal partner at Six-33 Solutions, a water and natural resource firm in Visalia, told SJV Water the decision to release water “was clearly made by someone with no understanding of the system.”
“A decision to take summer water from local farmers and dump it out of these reservoirs shows a complete lack of understanding of how the system works and sets a very dangerous precedent,” Vink said.
The local State water masters tried to stop the Corps of Engineers from releasing the water, but they refused citing orders from Trump. They did reduce the outflow release because they realized that if the opened the outflow to full capacity, as ordered, there would be major flooding in the Kaweah and Tule deltas.
Trump ordered the release as a political stunt.
Newsom had absolutely no role in this decision.
The release was done despite the protests of the local State water masters.
There is no valid reason to release water from these reservoirs in the middle of winter, especially when they are only half full.
The water is completely going to waste in the dried up lake bed of Tulare Lake.
You’re lacking in the cognitive thinking skills. Water in reservoirs such as Tulare is necessitated to meet fire flow requirements of the downstream communities. Seriously, you obviously have lost all ability to understand why over an attempt to attack our most esteemed and respected Orange Menace. Did you investigate State strategic water supply collection and conveyance chain as defined in the NDRF plan?
Traveler
You are obviously an East Coast city slicker with absolutely no understanding of what is going on here.
Your babbling about NDRF plans and fire flow requirements in downstream communities is completely irrelevant.
Let me explain it to you again.
I am typing this very slowly so you can understand.
Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release water from the Kaweah and Tule river reservoirs.
In his EO Trump explicitly stated that the release of water was necessary to fight fires in Southern California.
The Corps of Engineers explicitly stated that they were acting pursuant to Trump’s EO to provide water for Southern California.
The fires in Southern California are 200 miles away.
THERE IS NO MEANS OF PHYSICALLY MOVING THE WATER TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA !!!!!!!!!
THERE ARE NO FIRES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY !!!!!!!
THE FARMERS AND WATERMASTERS IN THE AREA ARE EXPLICITLY STATING THAT THE WATER IS BEING WASTED !!!!!!
THE WATER HAS ALREADY BEEN EARMARKED AND ALLOCATED FOR SUMMER IRRIGATION.
THERE ARE NO DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES THAT NEED WATER TO FIGHT FIRES !!!!!
THE WATER IS BEING RELEASED MOSTLY INTO THE KAWEAH RIVER WHICH RUNS FOR ONLY 50 MILES TO THE DRIED UP LAKE BED OF TULARE LAKE.
THE RIVER IS ONLY 50 MILES LONG !!!!!
THE ONLY COMMUNITY THAT COULD USE THE WATER TO FIGHT FIRES IS VISALIA, 20 MILES FROM THE RESERVOIR !!!!
IF THERE WAS A FIRE IN THAT COMMUNITY AND THE WATER WAS NEEDED, THEN IT COULD BE RELEASED AND BE AVAILABLE IN MINUTES.
THERE IS NO RATIONAL BASIS TO RELEASE WATER CONTINUOUSLY AT MAXIMUM FLOW INTO SUCH A SHORT RIVER BECAUSE IT JUST MAYBE, OR MIGHT BE NEEDED TO FIGHT FIRES !!!!!
NOT ONE SINGLE DROP OF THE WATER WILL BE AVAILABLE TO FIGHT ANY FIRES, ANYWHERE !!!
IT IS A POLITICAL STUNT !!!!!
Anonymous: Traveler is repeating some lie he got from MAGA media–and, he will continue to argue with you, even though you know the facts and the truth, and he doesn’t–because he is a disciple. No facts can shake the faith of a MAGA in the daily dose of lies MAGA media feeds them. Notice how, like MAGA media, he attacks your thinking skills and integrity instead of dealing with facts? Another MAGA tactic.
Gigi – what have you or those on the left been right about EVER ?
you dont matter anymore.
ATS – why should anyone beleive you ?
The actual FACT is that CA gets 2/3 of its water from watersheds to the North and east of CA.
As to your claims – no the water is NOT being “wasted” – that demonstrates a basic misunderstanding of natural cycles. Water is an infinitely renewable resource. It is ALWAYS being used somewhere.
While your claim that it has no bearing on the fires is false – on multiple counts.
Water travels in myriads of ways – in clouds, in rivers, in pipes, in aquaducts, it even travels in airplanes to fight fires. Also while the distribution system is different, Water is like electricity in that providing more in one area makes OTHER water available elsewhere.
Those of you on the left despite ample evidence to the country constantly pretend that Trump is stupid and does not think beyond the first order impacts.
That is likely because YOU are shallow and stupid and do not get beyond first order impacts.
You are the idiots that brought us Covid – and then forced us to destroy the economy and our education and our health fighting it using measures that DID NOT WORK.
You are the paragons of being limited to thinking only of first order effects.
The Biden administration was a disaster – because Biden – and the left wing nut children running the country were unable to think past the first order impacts of their choices.
Lets reduce US fossil Fuels to have a tiny effect on global temperatures that Are NOT following your predictions, and even if they did would be less of a problem than your idiotic cure.
But completely miss that F#$King with energy destabalizes the world.
Or ignore the FACT that every single time anyone in the west has talked about expanding NATO into a country bordering on Russia, Russia has invaded that country – EVERY SINGLE TIME.
So you created a conflict with the country with the worlds largest stockpile of nukes, a country that europe depends on for energy, and you do so AFTER deliberately sabatoging US energy production.
Why exactly should anyone beleive YOU about anything ?
YOU DON”T MATTER ANYMORE!
John Say
You really do need to consult a mental health professional.
Your incoherent, and irrelevant rants are getting more and more disconnected from reality.
The issue at hand here is very singular matter.
Trump issued an EO to release water from the Kaweah River and Tule River dams for the explicitly stated purpose of providing water to fight fires in Southern California.
The water is being released from reservoirs 200 miles from any fire activity.
There is no mechanism to move the water to Southern California.
The local farmers and watermasters tried to stop the release, saying that the water will be completely wasted by soaking into the dry lakebed of Tulare Lake.
The water has already been allocated for summer irrigation.
The Kaweah River runs for only 50 miles from the dam to the dry bed of Tulare Lake.
There is no connection between the reservoir, or the river, to any municipal water supply system.
If there was a fire in the area of the river, then the only way to utilize the water would be to use helicopters to scoop water out of the reservoir.
For that reason, even if the water was only necessary to fight fires, then it should be held in the reservoir.
The entire point of being prepared to fight fires is to keep ADEQUATE WATER RESERVES AVAILABLE IN A RESERVOIR AND NOT FLOWING DOWN A RIVER TO A DRY LAKE BED.
The problem in Southern California was inadequate water reserves IN THE RESERVOIRS that ran dry.
You MAGA monkeys were incessantly blaming the California authorities for failure to keep adequate reserves of water IN THE RESERVOIRS.
The key to preparedness to fight wildfires is to KEEP ADEQUATE RESERVES OF WATER IN THE RESERVOIRS.
If there is already water in the reservoir, and there are no fires, there is no point in releasing the water.
If the water is released when it is not needed, then by definition it is being wasted.
The facts are that the water was released as a political stunt and has been completely wasted with regard to its intended purpose.
Your bizarre, incoherent statements that water cannot be wasted is bordering on insanity.
If everybody opened all their faucets and let them run 24/7 that would be a clear waste of water with regard to its intended purpose.
Instead of addressing the issue as a political stunt, you drift off into a bizarre theoretical treatise on the water cycle that has absolutely no relevance to this situation.
You then drift off into completely disconnected thoughts about COVID, the Biden administration, fossil fuels, climate change, NATO, Russia, nuclear weapons and the US energy supply.
This uncontrolled flight of disconnected thoughts and pressure of speech indicate severe mental illness.
California is on flush on your day only. You?
The released water “is being completely wasted.”
You’re in the running for which commenter is best at making stuff up.
It is common practice (as Newsome has just done) to release that water to recharge *groundwater* supplies. Which *groundwater* (you know, water that’s stored underground) Central Valley farmers desperately need — months from now, when they turn on their *groundwater* pumps.
Sam
Trump and the Army Corps of Engineers explicitly stated that the water was being released to fight fires in Southern California, NOT to recharge groundwater.
There is NO means of physically moving the water to Southern California.
It is a political stunt.
The water is simply soaking into the ground.
When there is excess water available in reservoirs it is common to let it run off to recharge groundwater, but ONLY if there is excess supply, since it is not possible to recover 100% of recharge water.
In fact, only about 5% of the surface water used to recharge the Tulare Basin aquifer can actually be recovered, so more than 90% is wasted. This is why recharge is not done unless you have a big excess.
When you have water in hand in a reservoir you NEVER, EVER use it for recharge unless the reservoir is full to overflowing.
The Kaweah reservoir is currently at 39,000 acre-feet, and has a capacity of 72,000 acre-feet, so it is about half full.
There is no excess available for recharge.
The local farmers and water masters are up in arms about this political stunt. They were given 1 hour notice of the increased outflows.
I live in Porterville. I know.
The water masters are desperately trying to divert the outflow into recharge basins so that at least a small portion is not wasted.
However, more than 90% of the outflow is completely wasted
ATS why is the groundwater low ? Because among other things it is being used to fight Fires.
During the Great Depression a drought hit the west causing the infamous dust bowl.
FDR tried everything in creation to save the great plains. Absolutely nothing worked,
For a decade things went from bad to worse. Nothing FDR and his brain trust did worked.
The dust bowl eventually ended – Because the rains came.
The problem has NEVER returned – Why ? Droughts were relatively common prior to the dustbowl.
But the dustbowl has never returned. Why ?
Because the answer to great plains farmers was always their right under their noses – approximately 400 feet under their noses, in a massive aquifer that runs all the way from canada to the gulf.
There has been know repeat of the dustbowl, because farmers learned to tap the aquafer.
I do not – and neither do you, know the precise hydrology of CA, but I would bet if Ground water can get from Canada to the Texas Pan handle, that ground water in north CA will get to central and south CA.
Not only that but that if you pump ground water in south CA to fight fires that you will eventually draw down ground water in North CA
while I am specifically addressing the Natural flow of water underground, that is only ONE aspect of this issue.
You can go on Wikipedia – the Water resources that Trump released provide water for 2/3 of CA.
Even if not a single drop gets to LA, additional water in the north means less stress on the water resources shared between the north and the rest of CA.
While not identical – water is like power – it si distributed in many ways – some natural some man made.
NYC is more than 5 hours from Niagra falls. but F#$k with the power in Niagra Falls and NYC goes dark. `
Water in the colorado River travels thousands of miles north to south before it empties into the gulf of California in Mexico.
This may be hard for you left wing nuts – But Water travels – often completely on its own.
ATS – your citing as your authority the very people that have taken the state that is as close to paradise and anything on earth and turned it into a h311hole.
Why exactly should the rest of the country trust ANY of those responsible for running CA into the ground.
Regardless, I will make this easy for you.
This is YOUR STATE.
This is a MAN MADE disaster.
Deal with it however you please.
Do NOT come to the rest of us to bail you out.
You have F#$Ked up paradise.
Your opinion is worth about as much as Fauxi
Pretty sure the people of NC that Biden’s FEMA ignored because they were Trump supporters – while wasting over $100B/yr on illegals, or the people in FL who were ignored by FEMA because they had a Trump sign in their lawn,
will have Zero problem ignoring the self made problems of a state that voted 60% for Harris.
Interesting announcement from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Henceforth, all updates regarding major aircraft accidents will ONLY be made available on the NTSB account at X (formally Twitter).
Thus, a government agency is requiring the free press to join a private social media platform owned by a Presidential appointee in order to access public information.
I wonder if Turley has any thoughts????
I eagerly await his exhaustive analysis of the free speech and free press implications of this announcement.
Do you think it is possible that the owner of such a platform would be able to edit the announcements to suit his political objectives ???
Could he even censor any NTSB announcements ???
I wonder what Turley thinks of your incessant whining and crying here like a little bltch, every day since the election.
Professor Turley knows this isn’t a civil debate and a productive and edifying exchange of verifiable facts; this is ad hominem commingled with childish rubbish, just like the communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) efforts to operate a government.
Wow, so now not only are you an expert on the economy, foreign trade, investment banking, and Constitutional Law, you are also a hydrologist, biologist and agricultural expert too. Wow, just wow! Where does it end? The world’s biggest authoritarian on every issue…amazing.
Isn’t what you’re putting forth very similar as to what Twitter and Facebook did under Oblamo/Biden?
Traveler
True to form, when confronted with actual indisputably facts, as opposed to “alternative facts”, your only response is insults.
You are a whining and crying little bltch, and no one cares about your “facts”.
You have confronted no one. You’ve only portrayed yourself as a pathetic stooge, Lawn Boy.
“actual indisputably facts,”
Would it be an insult to point out once again how illiterate you are?
By the way, are “actual facts” also more true than just “facts”?
You are a moron, through and through.
Yep, that’s me🥳
No ATS – you did not provide indisputeable facts. As is typical of the left you provided a shallow first order analysis and ignored completely the fact that some of your claims were WRONG and pretty much all of them were incompete.
You are like Gigi – still pretending that the collusion delusion was real,
ignoring the fact that the source for ALL the claims of Russian collusion was a dossier bought and paid for By Clinton,
manufactured from made up gossip at the DNC. That none of it proved true.
Many people – including some smart ones were fooled.
But actually intelligent people did not need an army of experts to look at Clinton policies and Trump policies and conclude that the leader of the worlds other superpower was NOT going to bet his country on a candidate whose every single policy would screw his country, just because Hillary said some mean things about Putin and Trump said some nice ones.
it is not what people say that matters – it is what they do.
I presume the NTSB decided that? Getting info as updates using that platform so people know where to find it.
Newspapers are privately owned yet that is how we get alot of news.
The free press is not required to join anything, and unlike the newspapers information on X is provided to you for free,
Could this result in censorship ? Absolutely – and it already has – you left wing nuts used SM not only to censor government announcements but to censor ordinary people who deviated from your dogma.
* What do the dems want? They hate white people, they want to teach all children about homosexuality, they want to destroy the US, the is bad, etc.
How can anyone live like this? Horrific crimes. It’s insane. The sane people need a sanctuary. I don’t mean a Bible thumping state. I mean just a civilized State. The US is truly horrible…
Sympathies are with those who just can’t leave. Omg just ugh.
I know many Democrats. Not one of them hates white people. Not one wants to teach children about homosexuality. None want to destroy the US. You sound mentally unstable.
Ok, you’re in a different world then. So haven’t you heard about drag queen story hour or the case for transgenders before the SCOTUS or porn in school libraries?
* Perhaps you enjoy the constant harangue fixation on abortion by Roman catholics? It’s nonstop in the streets pro abortion anti abortion with crucifixes around their necks for vampires? Is that in your world? Horrible crap constantly.
Open your eyes.
Jonathan: In his “rage” to seek vengeance and retribution DJT has pardoned all the J. 6 insurrectionists. Now that they are all back on the street what are they doing? In a previous comment I pointed out the cases of Daniel Charles Ball and Matthew Huttle. After his release from prison Huttle went back to Indiana where he resisted arrest in a traffic stop, pulled a gun on a sheriff’s deputy and was shot dead. Ball was re-arrested in Florida on gun charges.
Now we have another case. Emily Hernandez, another pardoned by DJT, was just sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with a deadly auto crash in Jan. 2022. Hernandez was driving the wrong way on a Missouri highway and struck another car, killing the other driver. Hernandez was found to be intoxicated at the time of the crash.
These are just a few illustrations of the kind of people DJT enlisted to help him overturn the 2020 election by violently attacking the Capitol. DJT pardoned them all because he wants them to “stand back but stand by” in case he need them again. Unfortunately for DJT the ranks of his “brown shirts” are dwindling fast. Huttle is dead, Ball is now in custody on firearm charges and Hernandez is facing 10 years in prison. At this rate who will DJT have to “fight in the streets” to protect him?
Another Trump flop–stupid idea, refusal to confer with those more knowledgeable and showboating for the MAGAs. According to “Politico” in a January 31, 2025 story, Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to divert billions of gallons of water from Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Success Lake. This was a dumb idea for several reasons, there is predicted to be a big storm this weekend, and releasing this water will probably cause flooding and property damage. Local officials weren’t given sufficient notice. Channel capacity is insufficient, especially in the presence of the big storm that is predicted. There is no plan for how this water is going to reach Los Angeles, and it isn’t needed because the fires are almost completely contained. Worst of all, this water was in reservoirs because it will be needed in a few months to irrigate the citrus crops. “Other water experts said it would have been nearly impossible to divert the water to Los Angeles at the speed the Corps originally planned to release it. There is a rarely used state valve that can redirect Tulare Lake floodwaters into the aqueduct that carries water further south into Los Angeles, but neither state nor federal officials responded to a question asking if they would turn it on.”…
“Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose Defense Department oversees the Army Corps, a letter on Friday night asking him who directed the releases, how the water would be transported to Los Angeles, how much notice was given and what the impact would be on local communities.
“Unscheduled water releases require close coordination with local officials and safety personnel, as well as downstream agricultural water users, in order to reduce flood risks to communities and farms,” wrote Padilla. “Based on the urgent concerns I have heard from my constituents, as well as recent reporting, it appears that gravely insufficient notification was given, recklessly endangering residents downstream.”
* apparently Padilla doesn’t know how water works in California or much of anything else or the big legislature would have done this long ago. .. let them starve.
Gigi: I’m going to hold you to this. Please check back with us on Monday or Tuesday to apprise us of the damage caused by the Big Storm this weekekend that was made worse by Trump’s EO to maximize water availability and recovery for future emergencies.
Anonymous: you can’t “hold me” to anything–I reported what LOCAL OFFICIALS SAID–why do you disbelieve them? And, how can you “hold” me to weather predictions? I don’t predict the weather–I reported what Politico said. Who do you think you are, anyway? WHO asked your fat hero to release the water? It sure wasn’t the farmers in the area, who overwhelmingly vote Republican, by the way–they are perturbed that this precious water they need for irrigation has been wasted for no good reason. And, it sure wasn’t fire officials in LA or Governor Newsom because the fires in LA are now contained. So, I ask again: WHO asked the fat one to release water that will just soak into the dry lake bed and evaporate, and not be there when it is needed down the road for crop irrigation? WHY did he do this without talking with local people, who have “urgent concerns”? WHO said that releasing this water would “maximize water availability and recovery for future emergencies:? You got that line from some MAGA media–which one was it?
Governor Newsom authorized the reclamation project, the President assisted with clearing and funding through the ACOE. Get it straight if you’re going to spin lies.
You’ll hold me to nothing at all. Sounds like someone misunderstood?
Big fires then plane crash all too familiar then another plane down to change the subject, redirect attention.
Tulare lake was flooded as recharge. Good.
Politico
Lmao
What a stooge.
In response to Bernie Sanders’ infant onesie challenge:
RFK should have said, “Well, Senator, I’ll have to look into whether the same manufacturer is responsible for production of THESE infant/baby Onesies,”–and then hold up a reciprocal poster showing actual baby onesies saying things like:
“All My Friends Hate Fascists,” OR
“I just Got Here and I already Hate Capitalism,” OR
“ACAB” (All Cops are Bast***s” (–made in various colors and designs) OR
“Will Trade Racists for Refugees” OR,
just a plain baby-blue onesie that says in big bold caps, “ANTIFA.”
(All of the above widely advertised for sale on Etsy, Amazon, and Crooked)
(One thing I like about Pam Bondi and Kash Patel is that they are quick on their feet- a real plus+ in today’s climate.)
Turley: liar, liar pants on fire: “but he never actually called for violence or a riot.” “FIGHT LIKE HELL OR YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A COUNTRY ANY MORE”–and, this is exactly what they did. He threw in the “peaceably” comment for cover, but he didn’t mean it and the deplorables knew it. AND, Turley, I’ve seen the “peaceably” line in every broadcast of that speech on the Ellipse–so there’s no mainstream media cover up either. There were pre-insurrection planning meetings–the intent was to stop the certification of Biden’s victory after Mike Pence couldn’t be bullied, after Secretaries of State couldn’t be bullied, and after dozens of lawsuits failed for lack of evidence. Then, there were the falsified Electoral College documents. But, Turley, let’s assume that you are correct– WHY DID THE PIG SIT BY FOR OVER 3 HOURS WHILE THE CAPITOL WAS TRASHED, COPS WERE BEATEN UP AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAD TO FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES if he wasn’t intending for there to be violence? WHY didn’t he call them off until after Mike Pence made it clear he wouldn’t leave the Capitol until he finished what he came to do? What was there to “protest”? The fact that Biden won and Trump is not only a sore loser but big, fat liar? Where was the proof of fraud or a “stolen” election? There wasn’t any. Your fake equivalency won’t fly, Turley, but you have to do something, anything, to attack Democrats while Trump: lies about DEI being the cause of the DCA plane crash, while Muskrat shut Federal employees out of their computers, while Trump had all senior FBI officials canned, while Trump demanded a list of every FBI person who worked on his stolen documents and insurrection cases…the list of unprecedented dictatotorial and stupid conduct goes on and on. And, Turley won’t weigh in on the fake EO that tried to overturn the Fourteenth Amendment because he can’t do so without proving Trump is wrong.
Gigi:
Why are you here, every day, multiple times a day, when you in fact:
(1) hate Turley, his commenters, and his columns/posts;
(2) pretend that you are in a position to correct him;
(3) But are considerably (and I do mean considerably) less-qualified than he (JT) to render opinions;
(4) Fill up every post with your hatred;
(5) Use sailor-talk and foul language to express yourself;
(6) Claim to be a lawyer but have no idea on how to even properly cite lifted text;
(7) Can’t get enough of Trump;
(8) Have a hangup with the words “fat” and “pig”….for some odd reason….;
(9) Seem to enjoy being discredited and ignored by other posters;
(10) Are so filled with negativity that you apparently cannot comprehend how others view you?
My inquiring mind wants to know.
thanks in advance, yours truly, lin
Lin
Always enjoy reading your posts!
My guess is that he is a paid, indoctrinated but less than educated troll – either that or someone with no life and a troubling obsession.
I really hope that “Gigi” is, in fact, a paid troll. It would be even more disturbing to think that anyone could get that hysterical over national politics. If he/she isn’t being paid to post this much vitriol, they really need to seek psychiatric help.
Name change to goo goo, gee gee , ga ga. Goo goo fir short.
Go Gigi!
as in away…far away!
lin: I don’t “hate” Turley–I challenge him. I have been a lawyer at least as long as he has and at least as qualified to render opinions, but I’m not paid by MAGA media to spin the facts to defend a convicted criminal, misogynist, chronic liar and the worst person to ever occupy the White House. Where do you get off claiming I can’t properly “cite lifted text” or “use sailor-talk”–have you seen the absolutely obscene things one of your MAGAs posts about me–including what purports to be a video of female genitalia–I say “purports” because I don’t click on links posted by MAGAs because MAGAscan’t be trusted. Trump claims to be a “perfect physical specimen”, he claims that Biden is senile, even though he is obviously more physically fit. Trump insults people all of the time over their appearance, especially women, whom he has called “fat pigs”–so it is fair game to point out that he is morbidly obese and selfish-demanding attention, spounting off about things he knows nothing about–refuses to defer to experts who are more knowledeable–making dumb decisions, like diverting the water in California–an attention hog–these things are objectively true. WHO has “discredited me”? Name someone–you MAGAs rarely provide any attribution to what you post and claim to be the truth, and when you do, it’s from MAGA media–the NY Post, Fox (non) News, the Babylon Bee, etc..–stuff written just for you MAGAs, to keep you believing lies. Just like Karen S., if you find some story that fits your pre-determined view, you post it, even if it is not authoritative and nothing but a MAGA purchased op-ed that relies on lies–like the Russian investigation, the insurrection, Trump’s various criminal problems, his theft of classified documents, theft of funds from a charitable trust, the lie about groceries justs to get worried people to vote for him–the list goes on–but you think that some pro-MAGA social media or other media post refutes some authoritative source of information–which it doesn’t. But, because you are in the MAGA cult, you are immune to facts. I don’t care how you MAGAs view me because the truth about Trump, his unfitness for office, his utter failure as a leader, his stupid ideas, the damage he has done to this country–not just from his first stint in office when he put us into a recession, allowed people to die unnecessarily because of his lies about COVID and his failures of leadership, his alienation of our allies, his criminal conduct, his lie about groceries– the truth isn’t a popularity contest. I am disgusted that so many people fall for the lies of MAGA and worship Trump, that you defend him no matter how awful he behaves, how unprofessional he is, how many allies he alienates, and the damage he has done to our culture. You also, like he does, attack anyone with whom you disagree–just like you’ve done here.
( the worst person to ever occupy the White House.) were you referring to obama or biden there.
I believe ”Gigi” is a person w/ TDS who’s trying to pick fights here.
* Pardon me but I did chuckle at the FBI report and it’s avoidance of pronouns. The writer of this comment is finished with the writer’s comment.
The trans issue must be recognized as a disorder either a physical anomaly or a mental disorder or both before any conversation can happen.
There are people with physical disorders who accept themselves and go on to live productive lives. They don’t wear evening gowns nor paint. They don’t call attention to themselves at all.
If the body is functioning well then leave it alone is an approach. What is it exactly wanted by transgender people? Many many people would like an esthetically pleasing nose but don’t ask neighbors to pay for it.
The commenter has no other opinion.
(many people would like an esthetically pleasing nose but don’t ask neighbors to pay for it.) But if a person has someone cut off his nose and replace it with an ear, why should we be made to accept that ear as a nose?
Well said!!
Good column, but Jonathan is too nice. I strongly believe that Hakeem Jeffries meant exactly what he said with “We’re gonna fight it in the streets.” If Trump had used these same words on 6 January, Jonathan would have condemned Trump and held him accountable. Why can’t Jonathan do the same with Jeffries? Perhaps Jonathan fears being labeled a “racist”?
Uhhh, look at what trump said, he encouraged the rioters to fight. Get your facts straight.