The legacy media’s reaction to former President Donald Trump’s recent performance at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner has been nothing short of hysterical — just not in the way they think. As a progressive, I’m no fan of the former president, but the vitriol directed at him post-dinner feels like a classic case of taking a roast too seriously.
At a dinner where political humor is the main course, Trump cracked jokes that could have made Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and the late Sen. John McCain proud. Remember Trump’s quip about being the first person to write Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) a check? Or the zinger suggesting that if “the Democrats really wanted to have someone not be with us this evening, they would have sent Joe Biden”? These jokes were witty and, dare I say, quite clever. And yet, the aftermath saw Trump labeled as “disgusting” and “mean-spirited” by various pundits.
It’s as if the media industry has forgotten the essence of the event: good-natured ribbing for a good cause. This isn’t a courtroom. There are no moral absolutes — just a stage where poking fun at your political opponents is part of the game. So why the overreaction? The truth is that the media’s barrage of criticism reflects a larger, troubling trend: our inability as a nation to separate humor from serious discourse.
Research shows that media narratives significantly influence public perception and voting behavior. In this instance, the attempt to weaponize Trump’s lighthearted jabs against him has backfired spectacularly, generating more empathy for the man than scorn. It’s almost comical how the media, in their quest to condemn him, end up boosting Trump’s popularity among those who feel overlooked by a system that has long since forgotten them.
Let’s not kid ourselves: Trump’s supporters aren’t just a monolithic group of zealots. Many are hard-working people who see in him a glimmer of hope for restoring their place in society. They associate Trump with better economic times, particularly in manufacturing and industrial jobs, areas that resonate deeply with their aspirations. If the media keep this up, they might just galvanize the very base they hope to diminish.
Polls indicate that the election will be razor-close. History suggests that the more the media criticize Trump, the more he thrives. Just look at MSNBC: It has kept Trump’s name alive for four years, turning his every move into headline fodder. While it has gained ratings, it has inadvertently solidified his status as a political figure who refuses to fade into the background.
If Trump pulls off another electoral win, he might just owe a bouquet to those very pundits who couldn’t stop talking about him. Their relentless scrutiny has kept him in the conversation, which is perhaps the last thing they intended.
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In the end, the media’s overblown reactions to a lighthearted roast aren’t just misplaced — they reveal a deeper problem in our political discourse. If we can’t enjoy a good joke, even at the expense of our political allies, what does that say about us? Humor is one of the last things that can bridge our divides, and yet here we are, using it as a weapon.
The next time a politician makes a joke at a charity dinner, let’s remember to laugh instead of launching a full-on character assassination. In the end, a good roast shouldn’t result in a bloodbath — it should just leave us a little more human.
James S. Bridgeforth, Ph.D., is a higher education executive and political columnist.