Category: The Washington Free Beacon
5 hilarious political moments that make me thankful for Trump
President Donald Trump has spent the last decade producing some of America’s most iconic political moments. Some were divisive, some were historic, and many of them were hilarious.
Here are the top five Trump moments that make me thankful for his presidency.
5. Turn them OFF!
Trump had many memorable moments during his first presidential campaign, earning a reputation for being a totally candid and unapologetic candidate. Almost a decade ago at a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump put his personality and political talent on full display, turning a technical hiccup into a chant with countless rallygoers.
The stage lights abruptly went off in the middle of his campaign speech, prompting Trump to quip that the venue “didn’t pay the electric bill,” sending applause and laughter through the audience. To Trump’s dismay, the lights quickly blared back on, and he began to shout, “No! Get those lights off!”
“Turn them off! They’re too bright! Turn them OFF!”
Trump later encouraged audience members to join him in chanting, “Turn off the lights!”
“That’s the way we have to negotiate for our country,” he added.
4. From the standpoint of water
During Hurricane Florence in September 2018, Trump posted a video in which he thanked first responders and all those involved in mitigating the pain inflicted by the natural disaster. Although this would have been a routine exercise in any other administration, the orator in chief delivered one of his most iconic Trump lines that never fails to make people chuckle.
While Trump has several memorable one-liners, this one was uniquely pre-approved and posted to a personal social media account.
“I just want to thank all of the incredible men and women who have done such a great job in helping with Florence,” Trump said. “This is a tough hurricane.”
“One of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water. Rarely have we had an experience like it, and it certainly is not good,” he added.
3. Trick or treat
Some of the most iconic Trump moments were entirely unscripted, and 2018 Halloween was no exception.
The White House was hosting the annual trick-or-treat festivities where the president and first lady Melania Trump hand out candy to kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes. One such trick-or-treater showed up in a Minion costume from the well-known “Despicable Me” films, which quickly proved to limit the child’s candy-collecting abilities.
The child’s costume seemingly obstructed his hands, but Trump didn’t want to deprive the Minion of his Halloween harvest. Instead, Trump opted to simply place the candy bar on top of the Minion’s head as onlookers erupted in laughter.
2. The N-word
Trump’s unprompted one-liners are usually the most controversial, but also the most entertaining. His speech to military brass at Quantico earlier this year was no exception, after Trump veered off script and produced one of the most viral moments so far in his second term.
“It was really a stupid person that … mentioned the word ‘nuclear,'” Trump said during the address.
“I moved a submarine or two … over to the coast of Russia, just to be careful, because we can’t let people throw around that word,” he continued.
“I call it the N-word,” Trump added. “There are two N-words, and you can’t use either of them.”
Campaigning as the peace president and working around the clock to end conflicts around the globe, his play on words was both in line with the administration’s agenda and with Trump’s comedic instincts.
1. ‘Because you’d be in jail’
One of Trump’s most iconic political feuds was with none other than failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The two sparred on a number of issues and exchanged many notable insults at each other, but few are as memorable as the October 9, 2016, presidential debate.
This mic drop speaks for itself.
“Last time, at the first debate, we had millions of people fact-checking, so I expect we’ll have millions more fact-checking because, you know, it’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country,” Clinton said.
Trump picked up the mic and simply said, “Because you’d be in jail.”
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Turkey-hater’s delight: 6 historic Thanksgiving substitutes
This Thanksgiving, consider the poor turkey. Is there any animal we consume with less gusto?
It has become something of annual tradition to denigrate the day’s traditional fare. Nearly 35% of Americans claim turkey is their least favorite part of the feast, according to one recent survey.
This vintage Better Homes and Gardens recipe is a bit of a cheat, as it does use turkey — although not in any form you’re likely to recognize
The internet just stokes the hatred. Every year the same tiresome “contrarian” opinions: “Stop pretending you like turkey. It’s no good on Thanksgiving, or any other day.”
Even celebrity chefs can’t resist punching down. “Turkey is wildly overrated,” says restaurateur David Chang.
“The only reason to cook the turkey is to get the gravy, and then you can just give the turkey away.”
We must admit that turkey-haters have a point. Yes, turkey meat can be dry and flavorless (although brining is a dependable way to avoid that). And yes, the tradition of eating turkey — and most Thanksgiving foods — was essentially created by advertising in the early 20th century. (College freshman home for fall break voice: “It’s all a scam by Big Cranberry!”)
While we’re content to stick with the standard flightless fowl, there were plenty of other contenders in the great battle for the Thanksgiving table. As a service, we provide the following recipes for anyone wanting to change it up.
1. Roast eel (1621)
Among the meats served at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth would surely have been this vital freshwater food source. The 1622 promotional pamphlet for the Plymouth colony “Mourt’s Relation” describes how the Wampanoag native Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) taught the Pilgrims to catch the slippery, succulent treats.
Tisquantum went at noon to fish for Eels, at night he came home with as many as he could well lift in one hand, which our people were glad of, they were fat & sweet, he trod them out with his feet, and so caught them with his hands, without any other Instrument.
Here’s how they might have prepared it:
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cleaned freshwater eel
- Salt, splash of vinegar
- Sage or bay, butter
Instructions
- Soak eel 30 minutes in salt water and vinegar.
- Dry; rub with salt and herbs.
- Split a roasting stick down the middle, coil eel around stick.
- Roast over open fire 20-25 min.
- Baste with butter.
2. Roast swan (17th-18th centuries)
Long a favorite of European royals (peasants were forbidden to hunt them), swan was plentiful in the New World and was most likely one of the waterfowl consumed at the first Thanksgiving.
Here’s a recipe from Hannah Woolley’s “The Queen-like Closet,” (1670) a cookbook that later colonists would have had in their kitchens:
To bake a Swan.
Scald it and take out the bones, and parboil it, then season it very well with Pepper, Salt and Ginger, then lard it, and put it in a deep Coffin of Rye Paste with store of Butter, close it and bake it very well, and when it is baked, fill up the Vent-hole with melted Butter, and so keep it; serve it in as you do the Beef-Pie.
For something more elaborate, here’s a preparation from the late 14th century cookbook “Le Menagier de Paris”:
Pluck like a chicken or goose, scald, or boil; spit, skewer in four places, and roast with all its feet and beak, and leave the head unplucked; and eat with yellow pepper.
Item, if you wish, it may be gilded.
Item, when you kill it, you should split its head down to the shoulders.
Item, sometimes they are skinned and reclothed.
RECLOTHED SWAN in its skin with all the feathers. Take it and split it between the shoulders, and cut it along the stomach: then take off the skin from the neck cut at the shoulders, holding the body by the feet; then put it on the spit, and skewer it and gild it. And when it is cooked, it must be reclothed in its skin, and let the neck be nice and straight or flat; and let it be eaten with yellow pepper.
3. Passenger pigeon pie (1700s)
Though extinct for more than a century, passenger pigeons were once as abundant as the kind you see fouling statues in urban parks. While we wouldn’t recommend eating those birds, Cornish game hen or squab make a decent substitute.
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish game hens (substitute for extinct passenger pigeons)
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1-1½ cups chicken or turkey stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Double pie crust (bottom + top crust)
Instructions
1. Prepare the meat
- Simmer game hens with the onion until fully cooked and tender.
- Remove hens; pick the meat from the bones.
- Place shredded meat in a bowl.
2. Make the gravy
- Melt butter in a pan.
- Add flour and cook until lightly browned.
- Stir in stock to form a smooth gravy.
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Simmer until slightly thickened.
3. Assemble the pie
- Line a pie dish with bottom crust.
- Add shredded meat.
- Pour warm gravy over the meat.
- Cover with top crust and seal edges.
- Cut a small vent in the center.
4. Bake
Outdoor Dutch oven method (historical):
- Preheat Dutch oven with coals above and below.
- Elevate pie pan inside the Dutch oven on metal hooks or a trivet.
- Bake ~10-20 minutes, checking frequently to avoid burning.
Modern oven method:
- Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, until crust is golden.
5. Serve. Let cool slightly before slicing.
4. Sautéed calf’s brains with mushrooms, sour cream, and dill
In 1904, railroad heir George Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith, hosted a lavish Thanksgiving at their Asheville estate, Biltmore. Turkey was on the menu — but so were calf’s brains. Here’s one preparation that guarantees a delicate, custardy mouthfeel:
Ingredients
- 1 lb brains (veal, pork, or lamb)
- Water for soaking
- Salt (for poaching water)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 2-3 tbsp sour cream
- 1-2 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- Toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
1. Prep the brains
- Soak brains overnight in cold water to remove blood pockets.
- Drain.
- Poach gently in salted water (bare simmer) for 10-15 minutes until firm.
- Cool slightly, then peel off the thin outer membrane.
- Cut brains into bite-size pieces.
2. Cook the mushrooms
- In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until they release their juices and the butter turns lightly browned and nutty.
3. Add the brains
- Add chopped brains to the skillet.
- Toss gently with the mushrooms and browned butter for 1-2 minutes.
4. Finish the sauce
- Remove skillet from heat.
- Stir in sour cream to form a loose sauce.
- Add minced dill.
- Adjust salt if needed.
5. Serve. Spoon the mixture over warm toast. Serve immediately.
5. Celery au naturel (late 1800s-early 1900s)
Now the most unwanted vegetable on the crudite platter, this Bloody Mary garnish was a highly coveted status symbol of the Gilded Age (it was hard to grow). Everyone will want the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch crisp celery
- Cold water
- Ice cubes (optional)
- Salt (for serving, optional)
Instructions
1. Trim the celery
- Cut off the root end.
- Remove tough outer stalks if desired.
- Trim leafy tops to a neat fan.
2. Refresh the stalks
- Place celery in a bowl of cold water (add ice for extra crispness).
- Chill 15-30 minutes.
3. Present with appropriate ceremony
- Stand stalks upright in a tall glass, vase, or celery jar.
- Arrange so the tops flare elegantly.
4. Serve. Place the celery in the center of the table. Offer a pinch dish of salt on the side.
Note: In the late 19th century, this was considered a showpiece delicacy. Your guests are encouraged to admire its beauty before eating it exactly as it is.
6. Turkey lime molded salad (1969)
This vintage Better Homes and Gardens recipe is a bit of a cheat, as it does use turkey — although not in any form you’re likely to recognize.
Ingredients
- 2 packages (3 oz each) lime-flavored gelatin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 (7 oz) bottle ginger ale
- 2 cups diced cooked turkey
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 (16 oz) can pears, drained and diced
- 6½-cup gelatin mold
Instructions
1. Make the gelatin base
- Dissolve lime gelatin and salt in 2 cups boiling water.
- Add ginger ale and ½ cup cold water.
- Chill until partially set.
2. Prepare the turkey layer
- Fold diced turkey into the partially set gelatin.
- Pour into a 6½-cup mold.
- Chill until almost firm.
3. Prepare the sour cream-pear layer
- Beat sour cream, ground ginger, and ½–1 cup of the remaining unset gelatin until smooth.
- Chill until partially set.
- Fold in diced pears.
4. Add second layer
- Spoon the pear-sour cream mixture over the firm turkey layer.
- Chill until completely set.
5. Unmold and serve
- Dip mold briefly in warm water.
- Invert onto a serving platter.
- Lift mold carefully to reveal two layers.
America Is Still Worth Giving Thanks For
For the frustrated and disillusioned on the right, here are four foundational reasons to give thanks for this great country.
Suspect in DC Ambush of 2 National Guardsmen Is Afghan National Who Entered US During Biden Admin
An Afghan national who entered the United States during the Biden administration allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday in what authorities described as a targeted attack, according to reports.
The post Suspect in DC Ambush of 2 National Guardsmen Is Afghan National Who Entered US During Biden Admin appeared first on .
Mikie Sherrill Taps Jennifer Granholm, Architect of Unpopular Biden-Era Green Policies, To Lead Energy Transition Team
New Jersey governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D.) turned to former energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, an architect of Biden-era green energy policies—which polls show are unpopular with Garden State voters—to co-chair her transition team’s energy task force.
The post Mikie Sherrill Taps Jennifer Granholm, Architect of Unpopular Biden-Era Green Policies, To Lead Energy Transition Team appeared first on .
Anti-Semitism Is Often ‘Fabricated,’ According to Curriculum Bankrolled by George Soros
Amid a historic spike in anti-Semitism, liberal billionaire George Soros is bankrolling an education company that provides a “curriculum on anti-Semitism” to students from kindergarten to college. The organization, PARCEO, is led by anti-Israel activists who claim many allegations of anti-Semitism are “fabricated” and used to silence pro-Palestinian activists.
The post Anti-Semitism Is Often ‘Fabricated,’ According to Curriculum Bankrolled by George Soros appeared first on .
‘Ponder’ Your Turkey’s Carbon Footprint, Climate Group Tells Axios on Thanksgiving Eve
A climate group spent Thanksgiving Eve warning Axios about turkey’s “carbon footprint,” leading the publication to report that you should “ponder” how the “beloved bird” produces “the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.”
The post ‘Ponder’ Your Turkey’s Carbon Footprint, Climate Group Tells Axios on Thanksgiving Eve appeared first on .
Trump Says We Must Reevaluate Afghan Refugees Following Shooting Of National Guardsmen
‘It was a crime against humanity’
