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‘What Happened to Drudge?’ Answered
Instapundit links to a Townhall piece by Derek Hunter, “What Happened to Drudge?” Hunter examines a bit of the history and mystery of the man. Noting the shift from 2016 to 2019 from decidedly pro-Trump to manifestly anti-Trump, Hunter wonders why:
I did get a hint. I have a friend who is actual, real-life friends with Matt. I asked them what the deal is. After all, no website was more pro-Trump in 2016 than the Drudge Report. Matt even ventured to a debate to see it all firsthand. The answer was telling, if only because there’s so little to go on.
“Maybe he’s sick of nothing being done on the border,” was the gist of the answer.
If that’s the case, it would be good to know. Because the entire tone of the Drudge Report has changed. Stories about Trump’s failures, impeachment, and Democratic talking points dominate the coverage of the president. Headlines you’d expect to see on the Huffington Post are now in that familiar black text on white background.
If it’s just one issue, that seems incredibly petty. If it’s more, the audience that has made Matt Drudge a multimillionaire would like to know what it is. Since Drudge answers to no one, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know.
Well, I think I know the Rosetta Stone: Ann Coulter. Recall back when Drudge had a TV show he frequently had Ann on as a guest and they would trade snark. It was apparent that they had a good working relationship and shared a lot in their political outlook. I haven’t done the math, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Ann headlines were amongst the most numerous on Drudge since her appearance on the political stage.
Ann’s outlook on Trump has soured over the border wall:
This has been the singular most important issue for Ann for a very long time.
Published in General
Ann is not giving Trump enough credit for the wall that he is building. She apparently doesn’t think it counts as “new” wall to replace a fence that can easily be climbed over or under with a wall. I like her, and I’m fine with her bringing the heat to make Trump keep his promises. However, I think he’s already done a lot and there’s more coming.
I think instead of “answered” the title should say, “hinted at”.
There’s no question that Trump has been trying very hard to get a wall but has run into massive opposition. To Coulter it’s “no wall” so “Trump bad”. Trump gets no credit at all for making progress enforcing immigration law. It’s very primitive thinking.
I too am disappointed the border is still so porous, but that is hardly the fault of this president.
Apparently, Ann Coulter is disappointed that PDJT (whom the left tags as a dictator wannabe) can’t simply do whatever he wants as president.
To finish the border fence, he has to acquire the funding (which process starts in the House — you know, where the “impeachment” farce is being perpetrated, while the Mex/Can/US trade deal languishes for months), overcome Obama judges’ various injunctions, and let contracts (which requires compliance with federal procurement and contracting regulations).
Even when he exercises “emergency” provisions that would let him reallocate funds, his own party votes in opposition. Still, it wends its way through the courts at a snail’s pace.
If he were the dictator the left claims, he’d ignore all those legal niceties. But he honors the legalities.
No. Follow the money.
What does she expect him to do, start laying the bricks and welding the steel himself? If this is her only reason to “GET” Trump, she is a very small person. And so is Drudge.
Always the best course. But please elaborate if you can.
He could have held the tax cuts hostage to getting wall funding. And should have.
Bad idea. There’s an Uncle Remus story about that.
See @concretevol ‘s post for an update on the wall.
Little by little…
Ann Coulter is all about Ann Coulter. She had a good go round last time but she won’t get another 15 minutes this election cycle. I have deliberately not looked at Drudge in ages. The site was sliding long before recent events—clickbait versus a news aggregator.
Ann has to know there would be a huge resistance to a wall. I too wish the thing would go up faster. However, Trump is only doing what he can within the law.
He is kinda replacing the fence with another fence….but I don’t care it seems to do the job. This fixation of what the thing is called is silly. So is writing a book called In Trump We Trust for that matter lol
Which one, the briar patch?
Trump believed Ryan when he told him he’d get wall funding later. Big mistake.
I hate Trump’s persona, behavior, mannerisms and boorishness. He is polarizing and divisive, and has made the Democrats more leftist and evil, made the Republicans more stupid and unthinking.
I like the de-regulation, the judges, the generally pro freedom agenda, the lack of hostility to Christianity & the pro-American foreign policy.
The failure to repeal Obominationcare and failure to effectively control the borders and immigration frustrate me.
I can hate Trump all I want — the Democrat Nominee will be worse.
Yeah, but Paul Ryan’s perfidy is old news. You said “hold the tax cuts hostage.” Dems and Ryan-o’s would say “oh please don’t throw me in that no-tax-cut patch.”
Being anti Trump pays better. Just ask the circulation manager of the New York Times.
The pro Trump media space is limited. And dominated by a few big fish.
The anti Trump and non political media space is much broader. And has more advertising dollars.
Ok, I’ve lost the thread. The theory is that Ann Coulter has soured on DJT and has ensorcelled Matt Drudge?
I was hoping for a money trail, but that’s plausible. The pro-PDT media space gets smaller every day. Google is moving in opposition, both overtly and covertly.
This is what I can’t wrap my brain around when I hear people talk about “how authoritarian Trump is” or how “he’s a dictator” or how “our democracy is in danger because Trump’s in office”. Whenever I hear those types of complaints, I can’t help but wonder: If he’s as bad you’re claiming, why doesn’t he just ignore the judges who keep ruling against him? And why are you still roaming around, free to criticize him?
He doesn’t love and respect our ruling class. You can’t get more authoritarian than that.
Posted this about four weeks ago in the “No More Drudge Report” thread:
Ann’s sort of backed off her pedal-to-the-metal attacks on Trump a bit. But that only came when she peeked behind her and saw the parade had veered off in another direction. Ann’s big thing is hawking books and personal appearances, and if the people who had been ponying up the money for both have decided to choose Trump over her in a question of who gets the support, that’s bad for her bottom line.
Drudge is more of a pass-through site that gets clicks from people on the left and on the right. His hits are no doubt down since he started highlighting anti-Trump news more. But he’s not as wholly dependent on support from the right to maintain his page views. So he can stay angrier longer at Trump for not being the immigration hawk that Drudge thought he was without the same type of negative blow-back.
(The other option — that its not Drudge holding a grudge, but that like that other fedora-wearing political culture guy, Max Boot, Drudge has gone from the ideological right to the left — should be easy to check the next time Coulter has some major book out or kerfuffle surrounding immigration going on. If Drudge has really shifted left, Ann’s not going to get much clickage on Drudge’s page; if his anger at Trump instead is coming from the right and not the left over the failure to have the border wall in place by now, Coulter will still get highlighted in the future.)
Or how Dem. candidates claim that Trump is “busting norms” in one breath and then in the next, they are promising to ignore the 2nd Amendment, 1st Amendment and 16th Amendment plus end the Electoral College system.
Well, as a Jew, my attenae quickly pick up messages given out by those who have problems with my people. Coulter has a history of dissing Jews and if, as they say, you can understand people by the company they keep, then Drudge’s apparent friendship with Coulter could have something to do with his souring on Trump, given that Trump is the most pro-Israel president in history and that his daughter converted to Judaism and sends her children to an Orthodox Jewish school.
Update: After clicking around a bit on the Internet, I learned that Drudge is Jewish:
“Born on October 28, 1966, he is the son of Reform Jews from the suburbs of Washington DC. He has spoken little of his connection to Judaism other than to refer to himself as ‘a failed bar mitzva.'” (Jerusalem Post, September 29, 2016)
This could explain a lot. Perhaps he is following in the self-loathing mode of Bernie, Schiff, Nadler, and Schumer. Israel might be a continual source of embarrassment to Drudge (as it is, unfortunately, to many Jews) so when Trump elevates Israel that probably gets under Drudge’s skin.
Trump did not make anybody do anything. They just revealed themselves in their hatred of him
How exactly are the Democrats ignoring the 16th Amendment which allows an income tax? I see your arguments about the 1st and 2nd Amendments and the Electoral College, but I cannot fathom your argument about the 16th Amendment.
I agree.
I agree.
I mostly agree.
Not necessarily. Trump has hijacked conservatism with his brew of populism, jingoism, and lack of a dedication to anything greater than himself. To restore the Party of Reagan, Ike, and Coolidge, it is first necessary to rid the party of Trump.
If we wind up with a Democrat in office this go-round, I pray you’re right. I fear, though, that the Democrat party (at least its leaders) has taken a hard left towards socialism, if not outright communism. And if that’s the case, I think E.K. Golding is correct. Trump may not be perfect (a sentiment I agree with), but he’s better than having a Socialist Sue or a Communist Carl behind the desk.
Even if Trump were the worst president ever, that would be terrible advice. Things can always get worse. Advice like yours is what gave Russia seventy years of communism.
And getting worse is not a theoretical possibility. Every alternative I’ve seen you propose would be worse than Trump.
This divisive line is a Democrat party talking point. And like most, it’s a case of Tactical Projection. They’re accusing their opponents of their own shortcomings.
The Dems are the party of divisiveness. They call us racists, sexists, homophobes, islamaphobes, and deplorables. That’s pretty divisive.
The divide by race, by sex, by class, by religion, by party, by anything. They invented the hyphenated-American.
President Trump has actually been the opposite of divisive.
The president can’t repeal Obamacare, only Congress can. And the NeverTrumpers in Congress refused to, just to spite Trump. Most notably John McCain.
Dan Bongino has just launched an alternative to The Drudge Report called, weirdly enough, The Bongino Report.
Check it out.