Welcome to the first Monday of summer, and a week that should go a long way toward determining the fate of one Donald J. Trump. Not only does the crucial first presidential debate take place this Thursday, but the Supreme Court is expected to deliver two rulings that could potentially deliver near-fatal blows to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election/J6-connected criminal case in DC against the former president. 

But before we get to that, we need to deal with some hard business hitting close to home.

Stream Publisher James Robison Clears the Record About Allegations Made Last Week

This past week left The Stream and LIFE Outreach International family stunned and saddened. I’ve been comparing it to the feeling that was pervasive throughout California’s San Fernando Valley after the ’94 Northridge earthquake. Last week came the devastating revelation that Robert Morris, whose Dallas metro area church is home to several staffers and whose bestselling book The Blessed Life was, in effect, born in our studios, had molested a 12-year-old girl when he was 20-year-old just starting out in ministry. For more than three decades, the widespread and collective understanding of Morris’s failure was that it had been a consensual affair involving a “young woman.” 

When The Wartburg Watch released its initial article on June 14, it included a sentence saying Stream Publisher James Robison had been active in restoring Morris to ministry after the moral failure prompted him to take a two-year timeout, and had attended a meeting between Morris, the survivor, and her family. The statement was factually incorrect, and the publication posted a retraction within 24 hours.

However, that did not stop other people from taking to the airwaves and social media, claiming they “knew for a fact” that Robison was aware of the girl’s age and was therefore complicit in covering up Morris’s crime. 

Rather than leaping to defend himself, Robison waited until he had in hand a statement from the survivor’s attorney confirming he had no knowledge of the fact that she was a minor when the events took place, before responding to the allegations. 

James and Betty Robison posted their gut-wrenching response to the allegation on The Stream last Friday.  I want to repost it for you this morning.

 

Dr. Michael Brown has posted a deep and wonderful reflection for times such as these called “Judgment Begins in the House of God.” It’s a must read and share. 

Debate Prep

How did the two leading presidential candidates spend the weekend before Thursday’s crucial debate? Joe Biden spent it locked away at Camp David prepping, and apparently will remain there a few more days. Supposedly part of his prep involves practicing standing up for 90 minutes at a stretch. 

Meanwhile, Trump barnstormed Philadelphia. In addition to holding a rally at Temple University, he hit the fabled Tony & Nick’s cheesesteaks in South Philly, where he mingled with supporters and left workers a $500 tip. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted this was Trump’s third stop at a cheesecake joint so far this campaign. And why not?

The pundits are talking about how Trump is campaigning in blue areas rarely visited by Republicans. He has now officially opened campaign offices in Virginia and Minnesota, which were supposed to fall easily into Biden’s column. But you know when I’ll know Trump has the election in the bag? When he makes campaign stops at natural food markets and salad bars.

Trump Says He Has His VP Pick

Trump told reporters Saturday he has selected his running mate — but hasn’t told anybody who it is. He added that his VP pick will be at Thursday’s debate. (Presumably one of the Trump surrogates who will be working the spin room.) According to Newsmax, word in recent days is the field has narrowed to Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

But Trump being Trump, we can’t rule out the possibility that he’s engaging in a slick bit of misdirection.

Meanwhile, the left-leaning fact-check site SNOPES finally admitted — after seven years and continued repetition by Joe Biden and other Democrats — that Trump never referred to Nazis and white supremacists at the 2017 Charlottesville riot as “very fine people.” That’s false. A hoax. A lie. No matter. There’s still a good chance Biden will repeat it again.

And those who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome will continue to believe it. You can find another amazing example of TDS in this simple poll highlighted by Charlie Kirk. Basically, Democrats love the idea of eliminating taxes on tips as much as Republicans do — except when they hear that eliminating them is Trump’s idea. 

This one graphic proves that Democrats have been so propagandized by the legacy news that even when they love a policy, they're willing to hate it if Trump's name is included.

Not taxing tips sees a 50 point swing for Dems once Trump's name is included. TDS is real. pic.twitter.com/Y7MwA2muMI

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 21, 2024

Here’s an odd thought for a Monday morning: After enormous success as a teen idol and TV star in the 1970s, singer Donny Osmond faced enormous career backlash. The wholesome crooner simply was not taken seriously as an adult artist. By 1988, he didn’t even have a U.S. record deal anymore. However, around that time a fan in England sent a cassette of Osmond’s new UK single “Soldier of Love” to WPLJ-FM in New York. Program Director Jessica Ettinger liked it and put it into the station rotation — but knowing Osmond’s name was poison, she promoted it as being from a “mystery artist.” 

This went on for several weeks, with listeners not only liking what they heard, but getting caught up in the mystery of the singer’s identity. Finally, WPLJ revealed that the singer was one Donald Clark Osmond. Capitol Records quickly signed him and launched a similar “mystery artist” campaign nationwide. “Soldier of Love” reached #2 on the Hot 100, and Osmond’s career was reborn. 

Knowing that a good portion of people like what they hear as long as they know it’s not coming from the Bad Orange Man, perhaps Super PACS that support Trump might fund a series of “mystery candidate” ads and billboards that do not mention Trump in extremely blue areas. Spin the policy ideas of this mystery candidate that effect everyday people — policies that show this mystery candidate is totally in their corner. Keep that going for a couple months. Then reveal the mystery candidate is Trump. “Now that you know, agreeing with Trump doesn’t hurt so bad, does it?” 

Today Is the 2^nd Anniversary of the Fall of Roe v. Wade

Two years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand nationwide received its long prayed-for reversal. In an historic ruling that triggered a wave of joy among those who cherish life and a wave of violence against pro-life churches and pregnancy centers, the High Court overturned Roe’s dubious claim that women have a constitutional right to have abortions. Writing for the 6-3 majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Roe v. Wade

usurped the power to address a question of profound moral and social importance that the Constitution unequivocally leaves for the people. … Those on the losing side — those who sought to advance the State’s interest in fetal life — could no longer seek to persuade their elected representatives to adopt policies consistent with their views. The Court short-circuited the democratic process by closing it to the large number of Americans who dissented in any respect from Roe.

And so the battle for life returned to the states, to the people, and the combat has been fierce.  

Unfortunately, while some states have tightened abortion restrictions, others have gone all in for abortion on demand, with no limits. Also, the use of abortion drugs has risen these past two years, and earlier this month, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a group of doctors challenging the FDA’s approval of the abortion pills, allowing them their continued distribution nationwide.

Still, Roe is gone and lives have been saved. In its annual “State of Abortion” report, published in February, National Right to Life estimated 89,000 babies have been saved by overturning Roe. In addition, according to an Operation Rescue report released in January, 127 abortion mills have closed their bloody business in the last 24 months as well.

For that we can say, “Praise God.”

Along The Stream

We have two stories coming up this morning about the Vatican’s efforts to excommunicate Archbishop Carlos Maria Vigano, an outspoken critic of Pope Francis. At 7 a.m. Eastern time, Jules Gomes, reporting from Rome, lays out the details in “Roman Doctrine Watchdog Charges Archbishop Vigano With Schism.” At 9 a.m. Eastern, John Zmirak will tell us what that means with “Anarcho-Tyranny Comes to the Vatican: Scapegoating the ‘Deplorable’ Abp. Vigano.” 

Plus, our Nancy Flory has already posted  “Thou Shalt Post the Ten Commandments.” 

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.