Shortly after the United States surgically removed the brutal Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro from that nation and spirited him off to face American justice, a meme suddenly popped up on my smartphone. It was an AI image of our 47th President, Donald J. Trump, holding a sign reading: “For my next trick, Democrats will now defend Authoritarianism in Venezlela.”
Like so much in life, we laugh because it’s funny, but we also laugh because it’s true.
Literally within an hour of the Trump administration’s announcement of Maduro’s capture, moribund cable outlet MS-NOW was interrupting boring Jonathan Capehart and Eugene Daniels to rush on the air even more anemic Ali Velshi who, in turn, was upstaged by MS-NOW’s “star” Rachel Maddow, wringing her hands about how Trump’s actions should raise serious foreign policy concerns among the rest of us. If you had the sound turned down, seeing the grimace on Rachel’s face would make you think you were watching one of those singing Pepto-Bismol commercials.
(I humbly ask readers to forgive my references to “MS-NOW,” as it is merely the old, bottom-rated MSNBC with a new 2026 name and logo…everything else remains 100% retread. (MS-NOW is the linear equivalent of the 2021 decision by Pepsico to “rebrand” Aunt Jemima pancake mix because woke forces within Pepsico decried Aunt Jemima’s “origins in racial stereotyping.” So instead, the corporation relaunched the popular mix, calling it “Pearl Milling Company pancake mix.” Which would make sense…except for the fact that in the upper right corner of EVERY Pearl Milling Company box are the words “Formerly Aunt Jemima.” It is the illusion of change, kinda like the pointless new MS-NOW. But I digress.)
So throughout Saturday, MS-NOW rolled out every Democratic Party hack and malcontent they could reach on speed dial. Midday anchor Alex (nit) Witt even trudged out embarrassing and discredited oafs like former CIA director and professional Trump-hater John Brennan, as well as Feng-Feng’s boyfriend Eric Swalwell. (Can you imagine a “booker” at that network actually being paid a salary to round up has-beens like these as guests rather than be arrested for loitering?) Senator Mark Warner, Senator Jeanne Shaneen of New Hampshire and even the comical Tim Kaine dutifully paraded before the TV cameras…their knee-jerk rantings unwittingly verifying that aforementioned meme about Democrats defending authoritarianism.
But in the pantheon of absurd overreaction, the January 2026 “Keith Olbermann Hysteria” award—by unanimous vote of the judges—must go to (drumroll) Keith Olbermann himself. He was the former host of various ESPN sports programs…a webcast for GQ Magazine…his “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” nightly program on—where else?—MSNBC and a stint at FOX Sports Net, where he was fired by Rupert Murdoch himself. Keith can always be counted on to shoot first and aim later.
Early on Saturday, Keith breathlessly scrambled onto social media with this frantic post: “Trump has now endangered every man, woman and child in this nation by his illegal and personal war against Venezuela. He must be impeached and removed from office immediately.”
Huh? Dragging an international narco-terrorist out of his spider-hole and sailing Maduro and his wife to New York under military guard has “endangered every man, woman and child in this nation”? Hey Keith: since the Atlanta Journal-Constitution printed its final edition on January 1st, you may not have heard the news that Venezuela, under Maduro, has—until President Trump pulled the plug Saturday—had a prominent role as a major transit country for international drug trafficking. Cocaine, crack, fentanyl and laced cannabis are actual huge dangers to Americans, comrade.
Olbermann must be seething at this lead editorial in—of all things—the leftist Washington Post: “Millions of people around the word, most of all in Venezuela, are celebrating the downfall of the dictator Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump’s decision to capture him on Saturday was one of the boldest moves a president has made in years, and the operation was an unquestionable tactical success.” You read it right: The Washington Post.
Friends, we are only three days into 2026—America’s 250th birthday—but already the year is shaping up to be a solid continuation of Donald Trump’s promise to Make America Great Again: by tackling economic challenges at home…flexing U.S. military might abroad…and sending the Keith Olbermanns and Rachel Maddows of the world into thumb-sucking fits of depression and angst.
Maybe a nice warm plate of Pearl Milling Company (formerly Aunt Jemima) pancakes will make things better for them.
Tom Tradup is V.P./News and Talk Programming at Dallas-based SalemRadio Network. He can be reached at ttradup@srnradio.com
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