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Trump Killed Humor in DC

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Apr 22, 2024
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Reporting on the Mirror – POLITICO

  • When humorless scolds blame their lack of humor on others it becomes amusing.

This upcoming weekend brings us the arrival of possibly the most insufferable of Washington events, The Nerd Prom. Yes, the annual White House Correspondent's Association dinner and awards gala will commence, with Saturday Night Live cast member and Harvard graduate Colin Jost set to emcee the affair. This event is surrounded by a number of other annual confabs where the D.C. elite and journalists (to be redundant) gather to pretend that they reach across the aisle and share frivolity and familiarity. But, these events have taken on a more sour, dour tone in recent years, and we all know who is to blame for this!

Democrat speech writer Jeffrey Nussbaum details for us that these yuck-fests are just not nearly as jovial as they had been, and Donald Trump is entirely to blame for these obsessive derangement sufferers being incapable of having fun with each other in the same manner like they had previously enjoyed:

However silly these gatherings are, they have traditionally served a serious purpose. They’re not simply a throwback to a clubbier, chummier time, although they are certainly that. They’re a recognition that when people across the political spectrum are laughing together at our own absurdity and the absurdity of the world, at least we’re seeing the same world. That’s no longer the case, and like almost every once-fun thing that is no longer fun, you can lay the blame for this state of affairs at the feet of former President Donald J. Trump.

Low-Octane Gaslighting – ESQUIRE

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  • Seriously, it has been over three years now...

It never fails. No matter the event, it needs – NEEDS – to be spun back onto Donald Trump, in some fashion. So, last week, another imbalanced individual ignited himself in New York City, and this led Esquire to turn desperate and try to suggest this self-immolation was someone else's fault – namely, Trump's.

The unintended result anytime the press makes this desperate lurch to reach back for blame is that they are effectively declaring that after years now, Joe Biden has been completely ineffective while in power for his entire presidency.

News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • Ahhh, so the information CAN come out for the public...

There is currently a court case brewing brought about by the parents of the Tennessee high school where trans shooter Audrey Hale took lives. They are trying to compel the authorities to release Hale's manifesto, something that has been fought against ardently and something the press has shown little to no interest in helping come to light.

Just to underscore the travesty of this, that individual who set himself on fire in Manhattan had his personal information, social media posts, and his political ravings in a lengthy manifesto all revealed within a day of him igniting interest in the news.

Both Kinds of Standards – VANITY FAIR

  • Suddenly, it is bad practice when it affects him personally.

In a surprise to exactly no one else besides Brian Stelter, the media guru complained on Xitter that he had put in a request to obtain press credentials to a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania, and he has been turned down.

Of course, Brian is still perfectly able to attend the free event. What is most notable is that while he gripes over this slight, there was little to be heard from himself or other journalists when it was revealed how the White House was denying the New York Post access to presidential functions. That, we come to understand, is not a threat to journalism, and by extension to the sanctity of our democracy.

Body Checking the Fact-Checkers – CNN

There was a deeply curious story last week of a school in Utah where students walked out in protest after they had endured harassment from other students who were partaking in dressing up as Furries inside the school. Why officials would tolerate such is just the start, but then some students reported on the harassment, with one becoming punished for retaliating against the aggression they received.

Jeffrey Evan Gold, legal analyst at CNN, offered up what he claimed to be a fact-check that disproved what took place. This involved him citing a newspaper article that had a lone quote from one school spokesman denying this took place. 

Now, you may have some expectation that when told there has been a fact-check performed, this would involve the presence of facts and/or at the barest level involve some manner of checking in on the matter. Gold here relies on a solitary news account, in which a single school spokesman – certainly trying to deflect responsibility – claimed it was all based on a misunderstanding of a notice sent to parents. Except over at The Blaze, it actually (you won't believe this) checked on the story and then it (gasp) found out the facts, with evidence even, that this disturbing ritual did in truth take place.

DNC PR Firm – "60 MINUTES"

  • To call this a stretch is being beyond gracious on our part.

You have to wonder what would motivate a supposedly respected news program to come out with a slobbering segment pimping the greatness of a largely obscure government agency figure. Yet, there was Lesley Stahl trying vainly to sell us on the greatness of Gina Raimondo, and declaring that her role as Commerce Secretary was today considered celebratory.

The amusement is right there in this promotion, as it attempts to claim Raimondo is in a "high profile" position, while at the same time feeling the need to educate viewers on just what it is this wondrous politician does in her position.

At the risk of coming off as cynics here at RFTH (Disclosure: We are cynics), if we did not know better, we would almost suggest this was an attempt to start grooming Raimondo for a takeover of the party ticket for this summer's DNC convention.

Matching Media Memorandum – HUFFPOST

We all recall the way the media collectively decided it would smear Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the worst way by uniformly reporting on a key piece of legislation as "The Don't Say Gay Bill/Law." It was a bold lie, told uniformly. Now, we have HuffPo looking to repeat this game plan regarding a new policy. In writing about workplace standards law put into effect, HuffPo takes a somewhat critical approach to this – by stating DeSantis will kill people with this law.

The bill says that the state cannot require a company to provide heat-combating measures like water for those workers who are outside. HuffPo manages to make it sound as if this bans workers from bringing water and other measures for themselves:

'Someone is going to die as a result of this legislation,' Kim Smith, a telecommunications technician, told HuffPost last month.

Oh, and would you look at that; there is even the use of an alternative name for the bill, making it sound all the more nefarious, just like with the parental rights law:

Last year, Texas Republicans passed a similar preemption bill. The legislation, known as Texas’ 'death star bill,' appeared designed to thwart local laws in Austin and Dallas that guaranteed water breaks for workers.