On this day in 2020, liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. Republicans would confirm her replacement, right-winger Amy Coney Barrett, in just 30 days, tilting the court 6-3 in their favor.
Good morning, and welcome to Friday. Martin here, honored as ever to be bringing you the news you need to start the final day of your week.
In today’s ‘First Draft,’ we take a look at Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s disgraceful speech to the UN General Assembly, and how two inevitable targets of his abuse kept it simple, and very effective, in their own responses.
We’re also trying to work out what the hell that was from Donald Trump’s White House, yet again, this time in reference to the appearance of truly bizarre political ads which appear to break a bunch of laws about the uses of taxpayer money, as well as providing a rather alarming glimpse into the president’s raddled and desperately needy psyche. There’s Iran war news too, of course, and more. Let’s read in.
‘Judge Me By My Enemies’
You have to hand it to Hasan Piker. For a 35-year-old leftist Twitch streamer from California, he’s got powerful right-wingers across the world so worked up they can’t stop demonizing him on the grandest stages (when they’re not staring at his budgie-smugglers selfie). On Thursday, midway through Benjamin Netanyahu’s furious, ugly, and disgraceful address to a half-empty UN in New York, a coordinated walkout having greeted his appearance at the dais, the Israeli prime minister took his turn.
In the course of spitting lies and abuse at Zohran Mamdani, duly elected mayor of his host city, Netanyahu said: “Since you were elected… many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. They talk to me. They tell me. This isn’t the city we remember. It changed so quickly. It’s no wonder. You praised criminals convicted of supporting Hamas. You count as friends people like Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11… Some friends you have.”
Piker did say that about 9/11. And he walked it back – as he discussed with Mehdi here at Zeteo.
Responding to Netanyahu, Piker kept it brief – and effective: