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CNN's Latest GOP Town Hall Announcement Shows Just How Desperate They Really Are

CNN is clearly getting desperate, and the latest evidence of it is who they’ve booked next for a Republican presidential candidate town hall: Chris Christie.

During his last year as New Jersey’s governor in 2017 he had the lowest approval rating of any who had held the office in the state, ever: 15 percent, Politico reported.

He now wants to take that stellar record and leverage it into a presidential bid in 2024?

Christie’s moment was in 2012 when he was riding high as the tough-talking, no-nonsense first-term governor from Jersey.

He opted not to run, endorsed Mitt Romney and the rest is GOP primary history.

Christie tried his luck in 2016 in a large Republican field and got trounced by Trump.

Christie dropped out in February of that year after managing to garner less than 7 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire GOP primary.

According to the RealClear Politics average of polls, he’s pulling 1 percent support in the current presidential race.

Nonetheless, CNN announced this week a town hall with Christie to be moderated by Anderson Cooper on Monday.

So why is CNN even bothering with Christie? Ratings? Doubtful.

The network’s Sunday town hall with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley drew an audience of 562,000 viewers, down from the 3.3 million that tuned in to see former President Donald Trump.

So they aren’t having Christie on CNN to boost its ratings.

Perhaps it’s penance for the Trump town hall.

Despite its ratings success, liberals, including some on the network, freaked out that CNN gave him a platform and a friendly Republican audience to boot.

Christie has already stated his main objective is to take Trump out, adding because he wants to win the nomination, but let’s be real. If Trump isn’t the nominee, it won’t be Christie.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in a second-place spot, and if he should falter, there is former Vice President Mike Pence, Haley, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott all outpolling Christie.

During his presidential candidacy announcement Tuesday, Christie called Trump “full of it” and that he led an administration filled with “chaos, disorder and disrespect.”

Further, he claimed Trump was a narcissistic president who lied to the American people for four years.

“The reason I’m going after Trump is twofold. One, he deserves it, and two, it’s the way to win,” Christie said. “I am going out there to take out Donald Trump, but here’s why, I want to win, and I don’t want him to win.”

He described Trump as being in the “last throes of a bitter, angry man who wants power back for himself, not for you.”

That’s all music to CNN’s ears.

Put the nasty never-Trumper on stage and let him spout off against the 45th president for an hour.

The penance for the Trump town hall will then be complete.

Christie will be no closer to securing the Republican nomination, but at least CNN executives can feel better about things.

The post CNN's Latest GOP Town Hall Announcement Shows Just How Desperate They Really Are appeared first on The Western Journal.

James Woods Gives Eyebrow-Raising Answer After Asked About the True Extent of Evil in Hollywood

Actor James Woods dropped a hint this week about the darkness that lurks in Hollywood.

The actor raised more than a few eyebrows with his response to a question Tuesday on his Twitter account.

“James, serious question,” one of the actor’s followers asked. “As someone who has enormous respect for your talent as an actor, I’m curious — how evil is Hollywood?”

The answer was startlingly blunt: “Multiply your worst fears by 100,” Woods replied.

He didn’t give any further details, and later deleted the tweet, according to Breitbart.

Others have not been shy about speaking up.

Former child actor Corey Feldman has done multiple interviews in which he claimed pedophilia is rampant in the industry. He has said he and his fellow child actor and friend, the late Corey Haim, were molested by “major Hollywood executives.”

Another former child star, Ricky Schroder, recently shared an Instagram message about a disturbing event he experienced as a boy in Hollywood, when some companions showed him a video that appeared to be some sort of satanic cult ritual.

John Cusack gave his assessment of Hollywood to the Guardian in 2014: “It’s a whorehouse and people go mad …  The culture just eats young actors up and spits them out.”

Jonathan Roumie, star of “The Chosen” touched on the same theme during his speech at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in January.

“For some time now, we have been witnesses to a mounting polarity between light and dark,” he told the pro-life marchers.

“We’ve seen it manifest itself in many facets of culture, but I would like to address it as I see it as an artist in the entertainment industry.

“In the last several years, there’s been a sharp and disturbing increase in the darkness of the imagery being used in film, television, and music.

“The landscape has become increasingly sinister, and in some cases, even demonic in tone — more so than in previous years. Sometimes subliminal. Oftentimes overt. Storylines involving the occult, witchcraft, demons, and even Satanic elements are commonplace in mainstream programming. Many feature spiritually and psychologically disturbing content.”



“Media has become a portal to behavior and attitudes kids want to emulate that reject God, reject the light, and reject, ultimately, all those aspects of community which give life,” Roumie went on.

“I have observed God subtly, but radically being removed from public popular culture over the last couple of decades. [and] replaced with some of the most corruptive images and ideologies for young hearts and minds,” he said.

Roumie offered his audience a solution: “Change the culture by impacting the culture,” he said.

“Mute the noise of the popular and embrace the counterculture of Christ’s love and the message he offers you,” he continued.

“The road is wide which leads to destruction, and many will enter it.  So enter through the narrow gate, my dear friends.”

The post James Woods Gives Eyebrow-Raising Answer After Asked About the True Extent of Evil in Hollywood appeared first on The Western Journal.

Disney Learned Nothing from Target, Pushes 'Pride' Items for Babies Younger Than 3 Months

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

If that is true, then the executives in charge of most major corporations in America are some of the most insane people on the face of the planet. Either that, or they simply care more about pushing leftist ideology than running a competent business.

You would think that given the boycotts of major brands due to their total embrace of the LGBT agenda, other companies would think twice before engaging in the same practices.

But despite the backlash against companies like Bud Light and Target, and their massive drop in revenue, many corporations are still quick to jump on the woke bandwagon.

The latest company to do so is a familiar foe for conservatives — Disney.

Following Target’s promotion of LGBT clothing aimed at children, Disney has decided to follow the same path.

As part of its “pride” collection, Disney is selling LGBT-themed onesies for infants 0 to 3 months old. They feature Mickey Mouse with the word “love” written in rainbow colors above him.

In addition, Disney is offering LGBT-themed Star Wars T-shirts for children and plush toys of Mickey Mouse holding a rainbow flag.

The message is clear: Just like Target, Disney wants to indoctrinate your children in far-left ideology.

To anyone who has been following Disney the past few years, this should hardly come as a surprise, as the company never seems to miss an opportunity to promote the LGBT agenda.

Indeed, the entertainment giant is on a mission to include more LGBT themes and characters in its films and TV shows for kids.

In addition, Disney opposed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ prohibition on the teaching of radical gender ideology to young children in public schools, a stance that has embroiled the company in a bitter feud with the conservative governor.

But while we have come to expect these sorts of shenanigans from Disney, LGBT-themed merchandise aimed at babies may be a step too far for some people.

This is the exact same thing that led to boycotts of Target, and while the retailer will probably be able to absorb the financial blow it is taking, the loss in revenue it has suffered is nothing to shrug off.

Has Disney really learned nothing from Bud Light, Target, or even its own past mistakes, for that matter?

These woke executives never seem to learn.

The post Disney Learned Nothing from Target, Pushes 'Pride' Items for Babies Younger Than 3 Months appeared first on The Western Journal.

Trump Scores Endorsements from 50 Lawmakers in One Day: 'Fought for Conservative Republican Principles'

Former President Donald Trump is touting his enduring Republican support in a state that’s long been an electoral fortress for him.

Trump received the endorsement of 50 different West Virginia legislators in a signed letter on Wednesday, according to Politico.

Forty endorsers are members of the West Virginia House of Delegates, and ten are members of the State Senate.

“As President, Donald J. Trump fought for conservative Republican principles and delivered responsible America First policies that greatly benefited West Virginia, our nation, and the world,” the letter read, according to Politico.

“President Trump exhibited strength and determination within his service to our country, as he bravely countered unwarranted attacks, never wavering from his commitment to the American people.”


Nearly half the members of the West Virginia House of Delegates signed the endorsement letter.

Delegate Josh Holstein of Boone County was key to circulating the letter, according to Politico.

Support for Trump runs stronger in West Virginia than in many other red states.

The president secured 68.62 percent of the vote in the state’s 2020 election, a total second to only Wyoming.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice — himself a former Democrat — has vocally supported Trump’s comeback presidential campaign, according to The Inter-Mountain.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey also endorsed Trump in an April video.


Trump’s West Virginia endorsements rollout may have been timed to usurp the thunder from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate announced 20 endorsements from Oklahoma legislators on Wednesday, a total dwarfed by Trump’s West Virginia endorsements.

Trump dominated an East Carolina University poll of the state’s Republican presidential primary, securing an outright majority of 54 percent support, according to FiveThirtyEight.

DeSantis merited a paltry 9 percent support from West Virginia Republicans, although the survey was conducted before the governor announced his presidential candidacy.

West Virginia’s presidential primary will be held on May 14, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State.

The post Trump Scores Endorsements from 50 Lawmakers in One Day: 'Fought for Conservative Republican Principles' appeared first on The Western Journal.

It's Official: Bud Light Loses Top-Selling Beer Status in the US - Here's What Brand Is Now King

Well, it didn’t take very long.

In a literal demonstration of “pride” going before a fall, Modelo Especial has dethroned the long-reigning industry leader, Bud Light, in the battle for dominance in the American beer market.

Recent sales data obtained by Newsweek unveiled a remarkable shift in consumer preferences. Store sales of Modelo Especial soared to an impressive $333 million in the four-week period ending on May 28. This marked a substantial 15.6 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

In contrast, Bud Light experienced a notable decline, with sales amounting to $297 million, reflecting a 22.8 percent drop.

Additional sales data obtained by Newsweek through NielsenIQ and industry consultancy firm Bumps Williams Consulting further confirmed Modelo Especial’s triumph. In the week leading up to May 27, Modelo’s sales reached a staggering $341.9 million, surpassing Bud Light’s sales of approximately $298.6 million.

According to the outlet, Bill Newlands, CEO of Constellation Brands which controls Modelo Especial in the U.S., said that he “thought that would take a little longer,” but added, “We’ve been very fortunate that, that’s gone a little quicker than we had anticipated. But what a great position to be in on the beer side.”

The bitter cascade of Bud Light’s fortunes began with an Instagram post on April 1 posted by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney showing off a personalized beer can sent to him by the traditionally blue-collar beer to celebrate his “365 days of girlhood.”

The backlash was immediate.


Musician Kid Rock shared a video of himself firing an automatic rifle at several cases of Bud Light, earning more than 27,000 retweets in less than a day.

WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.


Country star Travis Tritt announced on Twitter that he would be deleting all Anheuser-Busch products from his tour hospitality rider.

Bud Light had hit an exposed nerve that had been picked at by leftists for far too long.

From bathrooms to swim meets to drag queen story hours, conservatives had watched the perversion and destruction of the beauty of womanhood and been compelled to “tolerate.”

Any opposition to the fierce march of this movement over our privacy and even the innocence of our children has been met with accusations of bigotry.

The Bud Light-Mulvaney post burst the dam of frustration long felt by traditional Americans, spewing forth a tidal wave of frothy indignation that now threatens to drown companies that spit in the face of the very consumers that pad their wallets.

“Woke” companies and their Ivy League marketing executives are now on notice that pushing their agenda over the values of their consumers will affect their company’s bottom line.

And their jobs.

The “Bud Lighting” is just getting started.

The post It's Official: Bud Light Loses Top-Selling Beer Status in the US - Here's What Brand Is Now King appeared first on The Western Journal.

RFK Jr. Shames Biden: Goes to Border and Exposes Impact of Unfinished Wall

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. put President Joe Biden to shame this week by making a real visit to the southern border to assess the illegal immigration crisis firsthand.

RFK met with law enforcement, illegal migrants, local government officials and charities dealing with the mass influx of people in Yuma, Arizona, he told NewsNation.

It’s a “dystopian nightmare” that “clearly could have been prevented,” he said.

Contrast RFK’s fact-finding mission with Biden’s three-hour photo-op visit to the border in El Paso, Texas, in January.

During the brief stop on his way to Mexico, Biden met with no migrants, did not see the makeshift migrant encampment on the city’s streets, and spent just minutes at the border wall, CNN reported.

Kennedy called Biden’s policies, which have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to stream into the U.S. from around the world, “unsustainable.”

Filming at a portion of unfinished border wall near Yuma early Tuesday morning, Kennedy said he had seen approximately 150 people cross into the U.S. in the previous hour.

He recounted that he and his team had spoken with the illegal migrants and learned they were from places as diverse as West Africa, Peru, Afghanistan, China, India and Bangladesh.

Do you think Biden's border policy has hurt America?

“Altogether, people have come across right here from 117 nations in the last couple of years. In three years in total, 7 million people have come across the border illegally,” he said.

Kennedy explained that once people are apprehended at the border, they are taken to Border Patrol facilities where they are processed and released on their own recognizance into the U.S. about four or five days later.

“Most of them are never seen or heard from again,” he said.

“The stories that we heard from these people are absolutely heartbreaking. This is a humanitarian crisis because of the understanding across the globe that we now have an open border here,” Kennedy added.

He noted that many of the illegal migrants are abused as they make their way to the U.S. border.

“There are all kinds of just horrific, terrible, terrible stories. And this is not a good thing for our country. It’s not a good thing for these people. It is unsustainable,” Kennedy concluded.

The Democratic candidate posted a picture with Yuma County Sheriff Leon Willmot, whom he quoted as saying, “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, it’s a health and public safety issue. It’s a humanitarian crisis.”

Kennedy also met with farmers from the region, pointing out, “Yuma County provides 90% of the green leafy vegetables, like iceberg lettuce, arugula, spinach, and broccoli, to American tables between November and April.”

I can confirm, having driven through the area many times, that it is made up of vast irrigated farmlands.

Kennedy wrote, “The tsunami of migrants walking across farm fields and defecating in irrigation canals threatens the safety of that food supply. Last year, one of their neighbors had to plow under 88 acres of broccoli and personally absorb the $10k per acre cost after migrants tainted irrigation water.”

Last August, then-Gov. Doug Ducey filled in gaps in the border wall with shipping containers in part to prevent migrants from trampling and contaminating the crops.

However, the Biden administration sued the state of Arizona in federal court, and Ducey agreed in December to remove the containers.

The administration pledged to begin filling in some of the gaps with a permanent wall — but obviously not at the place RFK Jr. visited, at least not yet.

NewsNation’s Ali Bradley reported that the shipping containers were removed in early January and that work was set to begin to close four gaps in the wall.

In May, Bradley showed that construction was underway and that Customs and Border Patrol expected the gaps near Yuma to be filled by September.

Fox News reported in January, citing Customs and Border Patrol, that migrant crossings in Yuma increased 171 percent between 2021 and 2022.

Further, about 1 million migrants had crossed into Arizona illegally by that point in Biden’s presidency.

On the Southwest border overall, CBP data shows that over 1.4 million illegal migrants have been apprehended this fiscal year as of April.

A record 2.38 million entered the U.S. illegally in FY 2022, up from a record 1.73 million in FY 2021 during the first year of Biden’s term.

Kennedy, at the very least, is showing he takes the border crisis seriously and knows it must end.

Biden seems content to let it continue for the duration of his presidency.

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Fox News Makes Big Move Against Tucker Carlson After He Launches New Show: Report

Fox News is taking aim at Tucker Carlson’s new show on Twitter, according to a new report.

The network on Wednesday sent Carlson’s lawyers a letter saying that the Tuesday debut of Carlson’s show violated his contract, according to Axios, which said it had seen the letter.

Carlson has taken the legal position that Fox breached its agreement with him, and that he was free to do as he wishes.

Fox News took Carlson’s show off the air in April. Since then, until the Fox News letter, the terms of Carlson’s status with Fox have been unclear, with Carlson claiming the contract was violated when Fox executives broke promises they made to him.

A representative of Carlson jabbed at the network over the letter.

According to Deadline, on paper, Carlson still has a contract with Fox News through January 2025.

Carlson has hired a lawyer to address the legal niceties needed for him to get out from under Fox News and the contract.

“Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,” said Carlson’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, according to Axios.

On Tuesday, after Carlson aired his show on Twitter, Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar sent the letter saying Carlson “is in breach” of his contract.

“In connection with such breach and pursuant to the Agreement, Fox expressly reserves all rights and remedies which are available to it at law or equity,” the Fox News letter said.

The letter quoted Carlson’s contract as saying, “Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Mr. Carlson’s ‘services shall be completely exclusive to Fox.’”

The contract said Carlson is “prohibited from rendering services of any type whatsoever, whether ‘over the internet via streaming or similar distribution, or other digital distribution whether now known or hereafter devised.'”


Carlson’s Tuesday night debut was a Twitter success story. By 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the video had racked up more than 71 million views, according to Twitter’s metrics. In his opening show, Carlson spent much of his opening segment focused on attacking America’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.

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Judge Has Had Enough of Hunter Biden's Games, Threatens Him with Up to 6 Months in Prison

Hunter Biden has been ordered to show up in person at an Arkansas court next month to answer questions about his income in connection with an ongoing child support lawsuit or face possible contempt charges.

Circuit Judge Holly Meyer issued the order Monday, according to Business Insider.

The long-running case involves Hunter Biden’s child by Lunden Roberts, who first sued Hunter Biden to establish paternity and has since battled with him over support for their daughter.

Two issues are now before the court, with a trial scheduled for July 24. One issue is Roberts’ demand to change her daughter’s last name to Biden, which Hunter Biden opposes, according to the Arkansas Times.

The other issue is Hunter Biden’s request to reduce the $20,000 a month he pays in child support, which Roberts opposes. Hunter Biden, who has made national headlines for selling pricey artwork, has said there has been a change in his financial circumstances.

The Monday order was issued after the attorney for Roberts, the plaintiff in the case, convinced Meyer that Hunter Biden, the defendant, has not been cooperative in answering questions about his income.

The order said, ”the plaintiff alleges that the defendant has failed to fully answer these interrogatories and the specific defects are listed in the plaintiff’s May 18, 2023, motion for contempt. The court will hear only evidence of those defects to determine if a finding of contempt and sanctions are appropriate.”

The order said Hunter Biden “is hereby given notice that his ‘ability to pay’ is or may become a critical issue in the contempt proceeding.”

At the hearing, Hunter Biden “will have an opportunity at the hearing to respond to statements and questions about his financial status (e.g., those triggered by his responses on the form),” the order wrote.

The judge also noted that Hunter Biden “is subject to an express finding by the court that he has the ability to pay.”

If he were found in contempt, the court said it would consider imposing punishments that could include: incarceration for civil contempt for up to six months until Hunter Biden completely answers the questions raised about his income; a fine and jail sentence for criminal contempt; and awarding Roberts $20,000 for attorney’s fees.

Meyer said if Hunter Biden is found in contempt she would consider “[s]triking the defendant’s motion to modify support and his answer to the plaintiff’s motion to change the child’s last name to ‘Biden’ consistent with the court’s long-standing ability to refuse to hear a party when he is in contempt for disobeying its order.”

During a May 1 hearing, Meyer told Hunter Biden’s lawyers that she would not accept a “cryptic type of ballgame” in disclosing Hunter Biden’s income, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

At that time, Meyer issued an order telling both sides that “cryptic or vague answers” were not going to be acceptable.

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2A Victory: Gun Ownership Now Legal for Totally New Group of People, Rules US Federal Appeals Court

Guilty of a non-violent misdemeanor that’s liable for a substantial prison sentence?

No Second Amendment for you, bad guy. Give us your guns, the U.S. government has said.

Not anymore, according to an 11-4 decision by the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

That’s because a Pennsylvania man stood up for his Second Amendment rights.

It all started with a 1995 decision by Bryan Range of Lancaster County to sign his wife’s application for food stamps.

Struggling to raise three children on Range’s $300 weekly pay, the food stamp application, which Range said he did not recall signing, listed the family’s income as lower than what it was.

Snagged for the fraudulent application, Range accepted responsibility, pleaded guilty to making a false statement and got three years probation plus penalties of almost $2,800 in restitution, court costs, and a fine.

At the time of his guilty plea, Range’s offense was a misdemeanor but under Pennsylvania legislation could have brought him a prison term of up to five years.

The potential prison term was the kicker, since federal law said a person guilty of any crime with a prison sentence of more than a year could not possess firearms.

Range, of course, did not serve any prison time but the offense had the potential of a sentence of more than a year.

Three years later, Range tried to buy a gun but Pennsylvania’s instant background checks thwarted him. But his wife, thinking the rejection was a mistake, gave him a deer rifle as a gift.

Later attempting to buy a gun, Range found his background check rejection was for real and was due to his 1995 fraud case. So he sold the deer rifle to a firearms dealer.

And he sued the federal government for violation of his Second Amendment rights.

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in 2021 that by law Range was “an unvirtuous citizen,” and guilty of a “serious” crime and should not have guns.

They based their decision on the fact that although Pennsylvania did not, some 40 other jurisdictions would have classified Range’s offense as a felony.

Did you get that?

Courts bend over backward to make sure the criminal history of a true crook stays out of a jury trial, but if some poor guy runs afoul of the welfare bureaucracy in a way that somebody someplace else would consider a felony, he has to pay the penalty of a felon.

Not so fast, wrote Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman for the majority finding for Range.

Hardiman noted that the 2008 U.S Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller protects the right to bear arms despite no connection to a militia.

And, said Hardiman: “We reject the [federal] Government’s contention that only ‘law abiding, responsible citizens’ are counted among ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment.

“Heller and its progeny lead us to conclude that Bryan Range remains among ‘the people’ despite his 1995 false statement conviction,” Hardiman wrote.

Citing the Heller case, Hardiman said it has long been established that felons can lose their Second Amendment rights and noted that initially the felonies tended to be violent or, if non-violent, of a serious nature.

Early gun offenses, Hardiman wrote, could result in forfeiture of a weapon but not Second Amendment rights.

And there is the issue of Range as a criminal. “…the phrase ‘law-abiding, responsible citizens’ is as expansive as it is vague,” Hardiman said.

“Who are ‘law-abiding’ citizens in this context?” he wrote.

“Does it exclude those who have committed summary offenses or petty misdemeanors, which typically result in a ticket and a small fine?

“No. We are confident that the Supreme Court’s references to ‘law-abiding, responsible citizens’ do not mean that every American who gets a traffic ticket is no longer among ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment.”

“…Range remains one of ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment,” Hardiman concluded. “And his eligibility to lawfully purchase a rifle and a shotgun is protected by his right to keep and bear arms.

“Because the Government has not shown that our Republic has a longstanding history and tradition of depriving people like Range of their firearms, [the federal law in question] cannot constitutionally strip him of his Second Amendment rights.”

It’s a Second Amendment win.

Bryan Range scored a victory for We the People. By making sure he was included among them.

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Parkland Massacre 'Coward' Deputy Finally Faces Trial, Whopping Max Prison Sentence if Found Guilty

A former Broward County sheriff’s deputy accused of failing to take action during the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting is facing trial.

A jury heard opening arguments in the trial of Scot Peterson on Wednesday, according to USA Today.

Peterson was on duty as a school resource officer during the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting in Parkland, Florida. He never entered the building, and 17 students and staff members were killed in the massacre.

The deputy’s alleged inaction during the shooting led critics to label him the “Coward of Broward,” Fox News reported.

Peterson faces 11 criminal charges: seven counts of child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence, and one count of perjury.

Convictions across the board could earn the fired deputy a maximum of 96 years in prison.

Peterson appeared to shed tears as prosecutor Steven Klinger presented the state’s opening arguments on Wednesday.

Klinger recounted the graphic violence of the shooting in his remarks.

Prosecutors accused Peterson of retreating to “a position of increased personal safety” during the shooting in defiance of his role as a protector of the high school’s students and staff.

Peterson’s defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh pointed to his client as a scapegoat in the aftermath of the tragedy, asserting that he was unable to react because he didn’t know where the shots were coming from.

“We are here because my client was sacrificed,” Eiglarsh said in his opening arguments. “The evidence will show that he was thrown under the bus.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement accused Peterson of doing “absolutely nothing to … mitigate the MSD shooting that killed 17 children, teachers and staff and injured 17 others” in a 2019 statement after his arrest, according to another report from USA Today.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel was removed from office by the Florida Senate following the shooting, The Hill reported.

The perpetrator of the massacre, Nikolas Cruz, was sentenced to life in prison last year, narrowly avoiding the death penalty.

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