Veteran conservative pundit Victor Davis Hanson ended up in a rant about Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s sexual orientation while pushing back on theories that Democrats are headed for a major win in the Lone Star State.

On Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words, Hanson declared, “Texas is not going to flip in the near future,” as experts have described Talarico’s race against Republican Ken Paxton as a toss up, with the pair polling in a dead heat.

Hanson argued Sen. John Cornyn (D-TX) would have “easily” won the race against Talarico. Cornyn, who has held his Senate seat since 2002, lost in the Republican primary to Paxton after Paxton received a late endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Hanson acknowledged that Paxton is plenty “controversial,” but predicted Talarico is being over-hyped and Republicans will still come out and support Paxton.

“Cornyn would have won this race easily because the MAGA right had nowhere to go and I don’t think they would have sat home in Texas. Paxton, he’s more more Trumpian, but he has a checkered personal life and, you know, all sorts of bad accusations we don’t need to get into. The problem with it, Talarico makes Beto [O’Rourke] look like a conservative,” Hanson said.

O’Rourke is a former congressman who ran unsuccessful Senate and gubernatorial campaigns in 2018 and 2022.

Hanson doesn’t see the possibility of Talarico connecting with Texas voters, mocking him over some of his political ads and his supposed vegetarianism — Talarico has been seen eating meat, but Paxton and others have described him as a vegan.

The conservative pundit eventually questioned whether Talarico is heterosexual, claiming the candidate met his girlfriend in a “gay bar.” According to Talarico, he met his girlfriend when she was chief of staff in his Texas House office.

Hanson then went on to discuss Talarico further:

I mean, he believes, what, God is multi-gender and there’s six genders and he hates meat, he was a vegetarian in Texas. And there’s that one commercial where they show him and he drives up in a Ram truck and a cowboy hat and then he goes in, comes out with a Texas t-shirt. And then right after he made reality confirm myth because he cut a commercial where he’s out there welding or something, and he’s got a pick up, and he’s been seen in cowboy hats — he’s a left-wing liberationist Christian who lived with his mother a long time, never married, there’s a good chance he may not be heterosexual, which I have no problem with that. He says he met his girlfriend in a gay bar. Most women don’t go to gay bars to meet men, I’ll tell you that. And he’s got a squeaky little voice. He looks like he’s about 13 years old, and he’s a socialist in Texas, and he thinks he’s going to win.

Watch above via Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

The post ‘Texas Is Not Going to Flip’: Victor Davis Hanson Speculates James Talarico ‘May Not Be Heterosexual’ in Wild Rant first appeared on Mediaite.

We are going through the usual cycle anew now, with complaints that President Trump has been crude towards the media. The latest, courtesy of the Washington Post, concerns an exchange, and the subsequent social media post, involving CNN White House correspondent Kristen Holmes. The outrage is both expected and overblown, but then this is the press corps we are discussing.

Holmes was on her current kick of focusing on presidential aide Natalie Harp and asked the president a direct question about Senator John Ossoff’s mention of Natalie in a recent speech. Holmes delivered a profile on Harp for CNN Digital, and following her query of the president, a tense exchange developed.

President Trump reacted to her continuing to inject questions, the latter about North Korea, and he asked about her outlet and delivered his rebuke that CNN is “fake news.” What has touched off a firestorm was a social media post from the White House Rapid Response account that called out Holmes for her line of questioning and mentioned that her children may one day be embarrassed by her behavior.

.@KristenhCNN: Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling. https://t.co/EWgPy7mXQP

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2026

It was an odd retort from the account, but the level of outrage did not exactly measure up to the comments. Scott Nover says that what they did was “invoking her children,” but that is a stretch. This was not an attack or commentary even of her kids, it was the White House account pointing out that, as a mother, they took issue with her questioning.

Again, it is a ham-fisted comment where one struggles to make a connection, but this was not an “attack” on the children of Kristen Holmes. Yet this is the impression delivered. There is a measure of hyperbole in all of this, and it defies the bold nature many reporters prefer to drape upon themselves.

It always sounds desperate when the press declares that Trump has “attacked” any of them with his harsh retorts. It has been said that this is unseemly and not the way a president should behave with the media, and most of it is unprecedented, as well as un-presidential. But mostly that is a result of Trump never having likened himself to a politician.

Conventions and decorum have long been waylaid with him, and he has refused to play by many of the rules in D.C. since he first took office. That is not a defense of his actions or words; it is stating the obvious. What is also in play is something the Washington Post and the rest of the media do not want to address: They are hardly blameless in these contretemps.

If you want to call out the president for graceless or vulgarian behavior, you will get no argument. But for the press to play it off as if they have no participation in the conflict is ridiculous. For years they have freely accused the president of any worst-case accusation, all while labeling him everything from a “Nazi” to “fascist” and “pedophile.” For them to then follow with gasps and swooning over likewise responses is too precious to digest.

The current fainting couch reactions also undercut the usual narratives self-applied by journalists of their bold, warrior-like status. It is a tough sell to claim to be in possession of stern character and then turn around and let out “how DARE he!” responses to name-calling.

Both sides of this conflict are acting in what most consider an unacceptable fashion. The press needs to either acknowledge that they are just as culpable in the tensions being created, or they need to remember their claims of possessing spines of titanium. Wailing over crude responses is not the reaction of the bold.

The post The President and the Press On Kristen Holmes: Two Sides with Crude Behavior While Only One Can Be Offended first appeared on Mediaite.

The “story” of Natalie Harp and President Donald Trump has been a hot-button topic of a salacious nature this week. Blame Senator John Ossoff. He recently gave a rally speech where he insinuated there was an untoward relationship between the president and Harp, and in little time he walked back his comments, showing there was no basis for his rumor-mongering.

Someone should inform CNN of this lack of development in the non-story.

While Ossoff has been altering his hot take, CNN has decided that Harp is a deeply significant topic, and the network’s gossiping hens have been dispatched. Kristen Holmes has released a profile of Natalie Harp, which is rather curious, considering all the members of the White House inner circle who remain a mystery to the general public.

Highlighting Harp is not an obvious choice, given that Holmes describes her as being a part of the “coterie of aides”. Her attempt here is to paint Harp as being a larger, possibly controversial figure in the president’s inner circle. The gossiping nature of things is seen in one assumed connection to a scandal. 

That would be the “racist video” depicting former President Obama as an ape. (For a refresher: The account did not post that racist video; a brief snippet was displayed as a result of the autoplay function used by the platform from which the actual posted video had been lifted.) Holmes tries to lay this at the feet of Harp, but the connection is less than tangential.

Supposedly staffers speculate that Harp was the one to post that video, but the evidence is scant. According to Holmes, using anonymous sources, some are guessing it was her. But these nameless people are unwilling to name her, because of office politics. As we said – gossip.

One primary anecdote concerning Natalie Harp was a story about possibly being left out of a motorcade excursion. The story goes that as Trump’s entourage was going to a courthouse, a lack of room meant Harp was to be left behind. She complained loudly that she was to be included, and eventually “Harp jumped into an SUV trunk.”

It is unclear what exactly constitutes a “trunk” with an SUV. But also unclear is why this is somehow considered a scandalous event. Can you believe she was eager enough to join the group that she climbed into the back of a vehicle?! Well…yes, that is a rather believable and unimpressive detail. Still, the “episode” (as it is described) was considered grave enough to be part of the headline of this un-scathing profile.

Also picking up on this trunk controversy was Erin Burnett. She brought up this story when she spoke with Natalie Harp’s estranged brother. That description of him alone should describe the network’s vibrating excitement to bring him on the air to disparage the sibling who, one week ago, 99.9673% of the country had been unaware of who she is.

Burnett introduced Preston Harp, for the sake of “weighing on the attention she is now getting.” So CNN hypes the White House aide, brings on her brother to continue that hype, so he can comment on the manufactured hype. And he was so unhelpful to the cause that when Erin brought up the anecdote about the SUV, the guy with the surfer’s drawl laughed at the story he had just heard for the first time. The interview extended for about 10 minutes, as it appeared Burnett was straining to get anything helpful from the brother, but he delivered little of substance.

In this segment Burnett managed to undercut her network’s effort in an unintentional fashion, by running videos involving the White House aide. Remember, the entire hysteria surrounding Ossoff’s comments on Natalie Harp had been insinuating that she was a new paramour for the president. But in setting up the interview with her brother, Burnett displayed how Natalie has been a close member of the president’s team for years.

There is one video circulating on social media that is supposedly another hit on Harp. It is suggested to be a leaked clip showing her operating on the president’s Truth Social account, with Trump visible in the scene. This is a dual dose of amusement taking place.

Unearthed video: Trump aide Natalie Harp personally types out Trump’s Truth Social posts as he sits there rambling pic.twitter.com/6Bv7uUcNZk

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) August 17, 2026

To suggest this is the first time a politician is shown to not be operating their named social media account is pure naivete. But better is the suggestion that this is an “unearthed” video clip that needs to be exposed. Unlike a leaked video, it is actually a segment pulled from a TV series, The Art of the Surge, which was an inside look at the 2024 campaign of Donald Trump. 

So this “new” exposed video is actually from a publicly available documentary, which had been approved and vetted by the Trump camp. It serves as yet another example of the hype we are seeing circulating around Natalie Harp. It is an insistence on some new scathing details involving someone who is a longtime figure in the White House, operating in a rather innocuous fashion.

Of course, more amusement is seen with the thought that if successful, chasing off Harp would ultimately have a negligible effect. She is regarded as a typical Yes-man/woman type that the president prefers in his orbit. Those are interchangeable figures, and little would change were her to be replaced with the next compliant figure.

CNN is trying to insist that there is a reason to go after Natalie Harp, when the initial source of the outrage has already backed away from his claims. The network has sensed blood in the water, but has yet to grasp that it is little more than plasma floating in an aquarium. 

The post CNN Strains to ‘Expose’ Trump Aide Natalie Harp Despite the Lack of Scandal first appeared on Mediaite.

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No one does sports comedy like Will Ferrell. His loud, crude, and slightly unbalanced (okay, often extremely unbalanced) comedic persona is ideal for a character like Lonnie Hawkins, aka The Hawk, an aging former pro golfer chasing one last bit of glory while hilariously getting in his own way. What’s great about The Hawk is how precisely pitched it is: Ferrell’s brand of chaos contrasts perfectly with the straitlaced, stuffy world of golf, delivering big laughs with a strong emotional core. If you’re looking for more sports-related mayhem, you should immediately go to Apple TV and watch The Dink.

Why you should watch The Dink if you loved The Hawk

If there’s an actor capable of matching Will Ferrell’s manic energy, it’s Jake Johnson. Though Johnson tends to be a bit more laid back in his approach, he’s one of the few comedians working today who can sell a ridiculous breakdown and a shouty tirade at the same level, and he’s in top form in The Dink. Johnson plays Dusty “The Hammer” Boyd, who was a tennis prodigy as a kid, known for his incredibly precise and powerful serve. When he breaks his wrist during a match with fellow up-and-comer Andy Roddick (yeah, the Andy Roddick), he loses his chance at greatness and the respect of his father, Chuck (Ed Harris in full scowl). As an adult, he’s an instructor at his father’s tennis club, still haunted by his failure and his father’s disappointment.

Dusty is hilarious: Filled with rage, followed around by an obsequious assistant, PJ (Aaron Chen), who stokes his delusions of greatness, and absolutely, positively opposed to pickleball in any form. When club member Skip Pigliani (Patton Oswalt) advocates for an official pickleball court, Chuck agrees to settle the matter with a “tennis duel” per the club’s charter. Dusty wins the chance to represent the club in the duel, but injures his hand, prompting Chuck to replace him. Chuck is advised to play pickleball as rehabilitation, leading him to meet Candace (Mary Steenburgen). Slowly, Dusty realizes how stunted he’s been his whole life—and how much he’s lied to himself about the reasons for his mediocrity.

Along the way, however, we get a lot of Dusty’s very funny outbursts and plenty of over-the-top humor that would make Ferrell proud. The final “duel” is one of the funniest things you’ll see in any pickleball-themed film, including Andy Roddick being recruited by Chuck to play against Dusty, and John McEnroe randomly showing up to eat hot dogs and do a very funny play-by-play of the match. The Dink is funny, but it’s also got a lot of heart, and it has something to say about found family, how competition can sour into obsession, and, yes, pickleball. If you loved The Hawk, it’s the perfect follow-up. Stream The Dink on Apple TV.

The Dink (2026)

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More movies to watch if you liked The Hawk

Need even more athletic chaos in your movie rotation? Here are a few more movies that absolutely fit the vibe that The Hawk is laying down.

Caddyshack (1980)

If you love the “snobs versus slobs” thread embedded in The Hawk, go watch this all-time great golf comedy. With a behind-the-scenes production almost as insane as the comedy on the screen, Caddyshack represents a high-water mark for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield (with able support by an absolutely deranged Ted Knight) as they (sometimes literally) chew the scenery at the uber-fancy Bushwood Country Club There’s a story somewhere in there, but mainly this is just a few comedy geniuses having a great time on the golf course, and fans of The Hawk will love it—especially Dangerfield’s loud and proud Al Czervik. Rent Caddyshack on Prime Video.

Caddyshack (1980)

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Happy Gilmore (1996)

If you want more golf comedy that dances over the line of absurdity with what scientists call enthusiasm, this Adam Sandler classic is required viewing. Sandler plays the title character, an aspiring hockey player with a powerful slapshot, no other skills, and a serious anger problem. When he needs to make a bucket of money to save his grandmother’s house, he discovers that his slapshot skills translate to an ability to drive a golf ball—and begins hustling golfers for cash. When he’s recruited by former golf star Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) to compete professionally, Happy has to up his game and control his anger—and since this is an Adam Sandler film, you can guess how badly the latter goes. If for no other reason, watch this to witness Sandler and Bob Barker have a ridiculously extended fistfight. Rent Happy Gilmore on Prime Video.

Happy Gilmore (1996)

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$3.99 at Prime Video

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

If you came for Will Ferrell’s brand of insanity in The Hawk, you might as well lean in. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the best of Ferrell’s sports-themed comedies, fusing Ferrell’s trademark absurdity with a surprisingly sophisticated take on professional racing. You can tell everyone involved actually likes NASCAR, and thus knows exactly how to make a little fun of it, and everyone is at the top of their game, from Ferrell to John C. Reilly to Sacha Baron Cohen as Ricky Bobby’s nemesis, the very French Jean Girard. Rent Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Prime Video.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

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Tin Cup (1996)

If you’re looking for a golf comedy with a slightly gentler and less-deranged sensibility, check out Tin Cup. Kevin Costner plays Roy McAvoy, a former pro golfer who blew his big chance and now wallows in alcoholic mediocrity. When he meets and falls for Dr. Molly Griswold (Renee Russo), who is dating his former peer David Simms (Don Johnson), Roy decides to take a (very) long shot at getting into the U.S. Open. It’s a different kind of funny, just as golfy, and a slightly more serious take on a similar storyline. Rent Tin Cup on Prime Video.

Tin Cup (1996)

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DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

On the other hand, if you want a more deranged sports comedy, this is it. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story takes what might be the most despised schoolyard game of all time and generates hilarity. To save his failing gym, Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) and his friends enter a dodgeball competition in Las Vegas, and find themselves playing against Peter’s enemy, rival gym owner White Goodman (a very caffeinated Ben Stiller) and his team of ringers. If you hear the phrase “Rip Torn in a wheelchair throwing wrenches at people” and laugh instinctively, this is the movie for you. Stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

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Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) quip about President Donald Trump’s longtime aide Natalie Harp was not sexist, Ossoff’s fellow liberal lawmaker Rep. Julie Johnson (R-TX) claimed.

The then bashed the “bullies” at the White House for suggesting the remark indicated a sexual relationship between Trump and Harp.

Johnson defended her fellow liberal lawmaker during a News Central interview with Sara Sidner, two days after Ossoff accused Trump of preferring to “travel with Natalie” than lead the USA.

“Do you think that Ossoff’s dig, which included Trump’s personal assistant, was sexist?” Sidner asked.

“No, it’s just a truthful fact,” Johnson said. “The reality of it is, politics gets in the mud sometimes.”

A number of pro-MAGA pundits and Trump officials ripped Ossoff for the comment on Monday, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung branding Ossoff a “c*ck loser” for it.

Johnson continued praising Ossoff for a moment, telling CNN he was “surging” in the polls and the Trump Administration clearly viewed him as a “huge threat.”

Sidner then referenced Cheung’s “c*ck” comment and asked if Ossoff’s popularity was the reason the White House had such a “visceral response” to his barb.

“Well yeah, that’s just the Trump playbook. That’s what they do. They’re bullies,” Johnson said. “They’re immature. They resort to the worst of the playground antics.”

Her defense of Ossoff stood out, considering it was firmer than Ossoff’s defense of his own words.

The senator told MS NOW on Monday night he was notsuggesting Trump was having an affair with his 35-year-old aide; instead, he was merely saying Trump’s relationship with Harp showed he was in a “bubble” surrounded by sycophants.

Host Jen Psaki then asked him again what he meant.

“Well, I’ve heard this particular aide referred to as his security blanket,” Ossoff said. “And I think we could say that about any number of the senior aides in the White House. They’re not telling him what he needs to hear. They’re telling him what he wants to hear. And the nation is at war, and we cannot afford that.”

Watch above.

The post House Dem Insists Ossoff’s Attack On Trump’s Relationship With Natalie Harp Is ‘Just a Truthful Fact’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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TCL has been pushing the boundaries of QLED TVs, making some of the best in the market at very competitive prices. This year, the company released its QM8L model, introducing a new design and impressive features and specs to a series that isn't even their flagship. Right now, the 65-inch QM8L is $1,397.99 (originally $2,499.99), its lowest price since it launched in April, according to price-tracking tools. Larger sizes are also seeing good discounts.

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One of the first things you'll notice about the QM8L is the “Zero Border” bezel design, which gives it a modern, minimalistic look. When you turn it on, you'll likely note how bright this TV gets, which is a huge advantage QLEDs have over OLEDs. TCL claims it reaches 6,000 nits, and seeing as the brightest OLED TV on the market only reaches 700 nits, no OLED can come close to this unit's brightness. Another important spec to note here is the local dimming zones: TCL claims this TV has up to 4,000, which means it gets top-tier backlight control, limited light blooming (thanks in part to TCL's "Halo Control"), and incredible contrast levels that some might not be able to distinguish from an OLED.

While many of us won't manually calibrate our TVs, the picture modes you can switch to in the settings will be most people's go-to. This TV's "Filmmaker mode" provides accurate color and picture, and if you're a gamer, you can use the native 144Hz high-refresh rate. If you don't already have a surround sound system at home and want to keep a minimalist setup, the QM8L comes with Dolby Atmos-ready Bang & Olufsen speakers, which offer above-average audio output compared to most TVs. You can read more about these features in CNET's 8.8/10 review. If 65 inches isn't quite right for your home theater setup, take a look at the QM8L's other sizes, which are also discounted right now.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In a rare show of solidarity, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) put out two similar statements on Sunday night condemning the anti-Semitism in a Florida GOP House primary.

“The hateful campaign being run by Daniel Bilzerian in Florida is blatantly antisemitic and shocks the conscience,” Jeffries wrote about the far-right provocateur running against Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL).

“People of goodwill regardless of political affiliation must reject his vile attacks on the Jewish community. This cannot and will not stand,” added the top House Democrat.

A little over an hour earlier, Johnson released a similar statement: “The vile attack ads against Congressman Randy Fine in Florida’s 6th District are disgusting and should be condemned by all political leaders on the Right and Left. Antisemitism and outward hatred of Jewish communities have no place in our politics or in America, and we will continue to call them out wherever they arise.”

“On Tuesday, voters will reject the revolting rhetoric, and I am proud to endorse @VoteRandyFine as he works to continue delivering results for every family in #FL06,” Johnson concluded.

Bilzerian, a hard-right influencer known for his extravagant lifestyle and hard partying, has campaigned using explicitly anti-Semitic tropes and running on vehement opposition to Israel. He recently released an AI-generated campaign ad referring to Fine as a “fat Jew” who serves Israel’s interests over the U.S.

The ad, which likely led to the condemnation from Johnson and Jeffries, also called Fine a “satanic whore,” a “Shylock,” and asked, while showing footage of Adolf Hitler, “Should we revisit that Austrian painter’s opinions?”

The post Top House Republican And Democrat Unite to Condemn Wild Anti-Semitism In Florida GOP Primary first appeared on Mediaite.