News Editor’s Roundup: Majority of Americans Disapprove of Biden’s Border Strategy; Graham Calls Qualified Immunity a ‘Problem’

BY JACK CROWE

April 26, 2021

Good morning and welcome to the News Editor's Roundup, a weekly newsletter that will ensure you're up to date on the developments in politics, business, and culture that will shape the week's news cycle — as well as those that might escape mainstream attention.

POLL: Majority of Americans Disapprove of Biden's Border Strategy

While a majority of Americans say they approve of the job President Biden is doing, 53 percent say they disapprove of the way he has handled the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, a new poll shows.

According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, Biden has a 52 percent approval rating — lower than any recent past presidents aside from Donald Trump. Forty-two percent said they disapprove of the work Biden has done as he nears the end of his first 100 days in office.

Meanwhile, 34 percent of Americans say they strongly approve of Biden's performance, while 35 percent strongly disapprove.

Graham Calls Qualified Immunity a 'Problem' But Says Policing System 'Not Racist'

Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Sunday that the U.S. faces racism in the form of "bad actors" but argued that "our systems are not racist," days after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all charges in George Floyd's murder trial.

"America is not a racist country," Graham said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

"This attack on police and policing … reform the police yes, call them all racists no," Graham added.

Graham said that Congress could reach a bipartisan agreement on police reform if Democrats would alter their calls to end qualified immunity, which safeguards police officers and departments from most lawsuits in cases of police violence.

Joe Manchin Insists He Is 'Not a Roadblock' to Biden's Agenda

Senator Joe Manchin (W., Va.), a moderate Democrat, on Sunday defended himself against allegations that he is a "roadblock" to advancing Democratic legislation.

"I'm not a roadblock at all," Manchin said during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union when host Dana Bash asked the West Virginian how he would respond to accusations from Democrats that he is a "roadblock" to Democrats passing legislation while the party has control of the presidency and both chambers of Congress.

"The best politics is good government," Manchin added. "I can't believe that people believe that if you just do it my way, that will give us the momentum to get through the next election."

McCarthy Says Biden Pulled a 'Bait and Switch' from Moderate to Socialist

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) said Sunday that President Biden had pulled a "bait and switch" during the first 100 days of his presidency, having promised to act as a "moderate" but instead governing like a "socialist."

"If I look at the 100 days, it's more of a bait and switch," McCarthy said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

McCarthy also called out Biden's failure to uphold his commitment to working across party lines. The Republican leader said he has not met or spoken with the president since Biden took office.

"I have not met with the president one time, nor had one conversation," McCarthy said.

Norfolk PD May Have Violated Officer's Speech Rights by Firing Him over Rittenhouse Donation

The firing of a veteran Norfolk police officer whose anonymous $25 donation to the legal defense of teenage Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse was outed by The Guardian last week was likely "inappropriate and illegal," a local labor lawyer told National Review.

Ray Hogge, a Norfolk, Va.-based lawyer, said that as a public employee, the city must respect the First Amendment rights of Lieutenant William Kelly, including his right to donate to charitable causes that city leaders might not approve of.

Site Starts Fundraiser for Virginia Officer Fired over Donation to Kyle Rittenhouse

The crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has set up a fundraiser for a Virginia officer after he was fired for donating to Kyle Rittenhouse's defense fund.

Lieutenant William Kelly was fired from the Norfolk, Va., Police Department after it was revealed that he used GiveSendGo to donate $25 to Rittenhouse, who was charged with homicide after shooting two people during riots in Kenosha, Wisc., last summer. While Kelly's donation was anonymous, he used an email address linked to himself that was revealed in a hack of GiveSendGo, which the group Distributed Denial of Secrets shared with The Guardian last week.

Biden Recognizes Armenian Genocide

President Biden formally recognized the Armenian genocide on Saturday, in a statement coinciding with the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day observed in that country.

"Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring," Biden said in a statement.

"We honor their story. We see that pain. We affirm the history," Biden added. "We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated."

George W. Bush Says He Wrote in Condoleezza Rice in 2020 Presidential Election

Former President George W. Bush recently revealed that instead of voting for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, he wrote in the name of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"She knows it," Bush reportedly told People magazine of Rice, who served as secretary of state during his presidency. "But she told me she would refuse to accept the office."

In 2016, Bush and former first lady Laura Bush did not cast votes for a presidential candidate, voting only for Republican candidates in down-ballot races, his spokesperson said.

Val Demings 'Seriously Considering' Run against DeSantis or Rubio in 2022

Representative Val Demings (D., Fla.) said she is "seriously considering" a run against Governor Ron DeSantis or Senator Marco Rubio in 2022, in comments to Politico on Friday.

"I've received so many calls and texts and emails, and have been stopped when I'm out and about by people who are asking me" about a potential candidacy, Demings told Politico. "Matter of fact, they think I should run for statewide office and maybe challenge the governor, or challenge Sen. Rubio next year."

Newsom Proposes Ban on New Fracking Permits in California by 2024

California governor Gavin Newsom has directed state regulators to cease issuing new permits for hydraulic fracturing projects by 2024.

The announcement does not affect permits for existing fracking wells, which supply about 17 percent of California's gas and oil, according to the New York Times. Newsom also ordered regulators to "analyze pathways to phase out oil extraction" in California by 2045, according to a statement released on Friday.