What stories topped your priority lists this week? Literally, a surveillance balloon topped the US today, and the Biden administration seems unable to do much about it. “Mike Gallagher, was on with Hugh this morning calling in about the balloon,” Duane Patterson tells me, and his new committee on China “want[s] answers on this. … We want to know what the hell this is and why this hasn’t been taken care of by now. We want to know what is in plan here.”
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Welcome to our new VIP feature for Hot Air as well as a members-only show in the Hughniverse! Duane Patterson and I now are doing a Week in Review show for Friday evenings, exclusive to members in both platforms. Duane has been the Generalissimo behind the Hugh Hewitt Show for more than two decades, and we have partnered on weekly commentary since 2007.
As we spoke, the White House announced that it had canceled a planned trip by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. Gallagher had demanded that step during his interview with Hugh, Duane points out, and at least the US political leadership is aligned to that degree. I argue that the balloon probe was a strange choice by China anyway. “China has the capability to put satellites in space. They have satellites in space,” I point out. Our expansion of military bases in the Philippines is a much more significant show of strength, I argue, and shooting down the balloon may not gain much now anyway. That damage is likely done, but Duane isn’t entirely sold on my point.
We also cover the other top stories, including:
- Today’s jobs report and the ways in which it doesn’t add up
- Hunter Biden’s laptop and the desperation attempt to sic the DoJ and IRS on whistleblowers and witnesses
- Will this scandal push Biden into retirement after 2024? And if so, who steps up among Democrats to run in Biden’s place?
- We also cover Hugh’s latest interview with Donald Trump, and debate whether a Biden retirement would force Republicans to pursue a younger nominee next year
Be sure to join us in the comments!
