Tag: Rush Limbaugh

Mr. President, here’s how the budget works

Washington Post logo“We’re actually taking in more revenue now than we did when we had the higher taxes because the economy’s doing so well.”

— President Trump, in an interview with Rush Limbaugh, Jan. 6, 2020

The way the federal budget works is often a mystery to Americans. But it shouldn’t be to the president of the United States.

Here, the president makes a basic mistake. He asserts that even though he signed into law a bill cutting taxes in 2017, revenue has kept going up — a fact he attributes to a robust economy. Some listeners might even have gotten the impression that the tax cuts were paying for themselves — a false claim the administration made repeatedly before the passage of the tax bill.

But revenue was always supposed to be going up year after year, despite the tax cuts. And revenue is way down from what had been anticipated before Congress approved the tax cuts, which (along with higher spending) is the reason the federal budget deficit is soaring despite a good economy. Continue reading.

Trump Touts Rush Limbaugh’s Support for Shutting Down the Government: ‘It’s a Great Political Issue’

The following article by Cody Fenwick was posted on the AlterNet.org website September 7, 2018:

Republicans lawmakers, on the other hand, are not thrilled about the idea.

Credit: Trump via Shealah Craighhead via White House and Limbaugh via YouTube screen grab

Congressional Republican leaders have been clear: They do not want a government shutdown at the end of the month.

President Donald Trump, on the other hand? He still seems enthusiastic about the idea.

“I would do it because I think it’s a great political issue,” Trump told reporters Friday. “I was reading and watching the other day, there are some people I have a lot of respect for.”

View the complete article here.

Rush Limbaugh indicates he’s evacuating Palm Beach days after suggesting Hurricane Irma is fake news

The following article by Callum Borchers was posted on the Washington Post website September 8, 2017:

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. (Ron Edmonds/AP)

I wrote on Wednesday about Rush Limbaugh’s claim that the media is manufacturing unwarranted panic about Hurricane Irma as part of a plot to hype climate change, boost ratings and increase advertising revenue from businesses that stand to make money off purchases of batteries and bottled water.

Limbaugh then accused The Washington Post and other news outlets of twisting his words while simultaneously doubling down on his conspiracy theory on Thursday.

“I explained how severe weather events are opportunities for big ratings boosts in the media and explained how it happens,” he said. “I explained how severe weather events impact retailers and how some retailers are smart enough to coordinate advertising with television stations. It happens!” Continue reading “Rush Limbaugh indicates he’s evacuating Palm Beach days after suggesting Hurricane Irma is fake news”

Rush Limbaugh’s dangerous suggestion that Hurricane Irma is fake news

The following article by Callum Borchers was posted on the Washington Post website September 6, 2017:

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. (Ron Edmonds/AP)

Rush Limbaugh didn’t say the magic words, but on Tuesday he basically accused the media of creating fake news about Hurricane Irma, which is threatening Florida after hitting Barbuda and Antigua. The storm’s 185-mile-per-hour winds tied the record high for any Atlantic hurricane making landfall.

“These storms, once they actually hit, are never as strong as they’re reported,” Limbaugh claimed on his syndicated radio show. He added that “the graphics have been created to make it look like the ocean’s having an exorcism, just getting rid of the devil here in the form of this hurricane, this bright red stuff.”

Why would the media exaggerate the threat of a hurricane? Here’s Limbaugh’s theory: Continue reading “Rush Limbaugh’s dangerous suggestion that Hurricane Irma is fake news”

Conservatives need to cut the bullshit and stop exploiting a tragedy to blame the left

The following article by Cristina Lopez G. was posted on the Media Matters website June 15, 2017:

Right-wing media show no self-awareness of their role in influencing violent incidents

Credit: AP

James T. Hodgkinson, a man with a record of domestic violence, a legally purchased assault rifle, and a valid concealed carry permit, on June 14 opened fire on Republican congressmen and staffers practicing for the congressional baseball game.

The FBI is still investigating the incident, but one thing is already clear about this latest example of unhinged gun violence. The overwhelming evidence of conservative media’s influence on a significant number of deadly incidents makes their attempt to deflect attention from their role in creating a toxic political culture both cynical and exploitative. Continue reading “Conservatives need to cut the bullshit and stop exploiting a tragedy to blame the left”