TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2026
Why haven't We Blues ever said it? Is something wrong with President Trump? Something that might be dangerous?
As we noted yesterday, when we watched the hour-plus speech he delivered last Friday night, it seemed to us that no sane person could really dispute some such claim.
The endless tedium of his meandering self-involvement, mixed with his endless stream of ugly insults and his inane counterfactual claims? That, plus the way he seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open, even when he was delivering his endless soul-crushing remarks?
It seemed to us that something was plainly wrong, in a way no one could miss. But we also predicted that We Blues weren't going to come out and say so.
Yesterday, on MS NOW, two anchors opened their programs by discussing last Friday night's speech. We were struck by a false impression Nicolle Wallace may have given at 4 o'clock, at the start of Deadline: White House.
Wallace seemed to be stricken by what she had seen. She was angry at the president. She also seemed to be angry with the journalists who had attended the event.
At one point, she used a dangerous word—"they." Speaking of the journalists, she seemed to say that "they" applauded when the president made the inane declaration that he planned to seek a fourth [sic] term in 2028.
("And then they applauded," she said. "The White House Correspondents Association, embracing a man seeking to destroy everything they are supposed to stand for.")
Did any journalists applaud that display of potentially dangerous madness? We can't exactly say. A smattering of applause was briefly heard, but there were Trump officials in the room, present there as guests of various news organizations.
Also, journalists from Red American news orgs were in the room—news orgs like the Fox News Channel.
Who produced that smattering of applause? We have no way of knowing. But later, in an exchange with Jessica Yellin, it seemed to us that Wallace implied that the president received a favorable "response" from journalists to his gruesome, lengthy attempt at denigrating CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
When we went back and checked the tape, we were reassured by what we heard and saw. With apologies for reprinting the president's text, this is what actually happened in the room that night:
PRESIDENT TRUMP (7/24/26): But I want to personally congratulate CNN's Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award. It was all about me. It's a fake. She shouldn't get the award, it was a fake, But I didn't mind.
I said, "Kaitlan, congratulations." But it was fake, there's no question about it.
But she's a young, attractive woman. She never smiles.
I said, "Kaitlan, do you ever smile? Smile! You have a nice position. You are at CNN fake news. You should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan, just smile."
But we attack, and I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn't her on the Bud Light can. It was Dylan Mulvaney. And Dylan Mulvaney cost Bud Light $35 billion in market cap. That was the worst commercial ever made, by the way.
AUDIENCE: [CRICKETS]
Wallace read that entire text before her exchange with Yellin. In his gruesome presentation, the president was trying to fold our most forthright cable news journalist back into the grip of his old-world gender politics.
The president's presentation was gruesome—but the audience responded with CRICKETS, exactly as they should have. Watching Deadline, it seemed to us that Wallace had conveyed an angry false impression.
Should journalists have attended this event at all? A person could teach it flat or round.
Surely, it would be madness to invite this president to any such future event. But it isn't helpful when a major figure like Wallace starts misstating or inaccurately suggesting what happened at the event.
Plainly, Wallace was appalled by what had happened, as she well might have been. But is something wrong with President Trump?
Five hours later, at the start of The Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell tried to answer that question. He also made a very strange favorable claim about the national press corps.
O'Donnell had been on vacation last week. Last night, he started with this:
O'DONNELL (7/27/26): ...We'll try to cover as many subjects, important subjects, as we can in this hour—important for this week's news and today's news. But we will begin with war...
The one story that you know every historian will write about when looking at the year 2026 is Donald Trump's war. And in that war, historians will find everything they need to know about Donald Trump's incompetence, Donald Trump's laziness, Donald Trump's ignorance and yes, Donald Trump's madness.
What happens when a madman starts a war?
And so on from there, with O'Donnell discussing last Friday's address and referring to the president's "madness" and his "insanity" Eventually, he even said this:
"Everyone knows how crazy the president of the United States is."
Plainly, O'Donnell seemed to be saying that something is seriously wrong with the president. But he proceeded to offer a strange excuse for a very strange state of affairs:
According to O'Donnell, everyone in the press corps knows how "crazy" the president is. But how strange! Right up to the present day, virtually no one has tried to report that dangerous state of affairs!
Everyone knows it; no one has said it! Tomorrow, we'll show you the very strange, favorable claim O'Donnell made about the press.
Also, needless to say, on Fox the story was different.
Tomorrow: Saturday morning chyrons on Fox:
TRUMP MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO WHCA STAGE
Also this:
CAN'T TAKE A JOKE
MEDIA CRITICIZES TRUMP'S HILARIOUS WHCA DINNER SPEECH
Republicans continue to meddle in the Democratic primaries:
ReplyDelete"A “mystery” super political action committee (PAC) formed “only recently” has been exposed for dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into a competitive Michigan Democratic primary, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday, employing tactics similar to other dark money groups later discovered to be tied to Republican operatives...
Insiders have flagged that "Michigan Sunrise PAC," a group that popped up out of nowhere just days ago, has already dropped nearly $600,000 boosting progressive candidate William Lawrence in the crowded scramble to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Barrett this fall and take control of the 7th Congressional District, The Down Ballot reported on Monday.
Operatives on both sides suspect Republicans secretly want Lawrence, who has been viewed as the weakest general-election candidate among Democrats, to win the nomination in the swing district. Lawrence is a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a climate advocacy organization."
"...If confirmed, this would be the 18th time this election cycle that Republicans have allegedly meddled in a Democratic primary, the Down Ballot reported."
Where is the money coming from? In previous elections some has come from Republican billionaires while other money has come from Russia funneled through other conservative organizations, such as the NRA. "The new group banks through a tiny South Dakota financial institution also used by Republican officials — a detail that has raised eyebrows among political watchdogs."
Needless to say, this is deceptive and anti-transparency, but what else is new when discussing Republicans?
https://www.rawstory.com/shadowy-gop-operation-targets-michigan-primary-shrouded-in-darkness/
Delete""they" applauded when the president made the inane declaration that he planned to seek a fourth [sic] term in 2028."
ReplyDeleteSomerby has added the [sic] because that is the way someone quoting indicates that an error belongs to the source and is not a transcription error. But Trump meant fourth term. He consider this his third term because it maintains the fiction that Biden's term was actually his own stolen second term. Trump's reference to a fourth term was intentional, not a mistake, even if Somerby and others disagree with Trump's meaning. That makes this reference to a fourth term part of Trump's pathology, not a mistake or confusion. Trump is underlining that he didn't lose to Biden. Somerby is pretending Trump misspoke with his [sic] insertion.
Trump did not say 4th term. He joked about running again and specifically said he was joking.
DeleteTrolls like David are in serious cope mode.
DeleteDonald Trump is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.
DeleteTrump said: "my intention to run for a fourth term as president of the United States. I will be doing that"
DeleteSee the transcript of Trump's speech at the link provided by Somerby. There is no sign he was joking. He did not specifically say he was joking in the part of his speech quoted. You can play the speech at the link.
Trump's a Republican.
DeleteUnless he's speaking about his love of bigotry, you can bet he doesn't really believe it.
See inflation, the deficit, a merit-based society, small government, individual freedoms, etc.
"but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides"
DeleteIt is on video, even though Republicans try to gaslight about it.
Republicans are deeply weird people.
I’ve never met David, but I can tell he’s kind, brave, warm and wonderful.
DeleteThis is a step in the right direction for Somerby:
ReplyDelete"With apologies for reprinting the president's text..."
But he still goes on and quotes way too much of that text, while complaining that Nicolle Wallace did the same. Then he calls Wallace misleading because she has been blaming journalists who support Trump for attending the dinner and encouraging his performance. Somerby said he heard nothing but crickets after Trump attacked Collins with his sexist crack about her never smiling. Is it possible that Wallace heard a different feed, another recording, one that captured some scattered clapping? Did she lie about there being Trump supporters among the correspondents and does she have a valid complaint about the dinner itself condoning Trump's mistreatment of the press? These are two separate matters.
I do not believe that Wallace was exaggerating about Trump's reception. There are journalists who support Trump and, as Somerby notes, there were Trump staffers present. Why call Wallace a liar over the AMOUNT of clapping at that point in his speech? That makes Somerby seem to be leaning over backwards to find something to fault Wallace on, grasping at thin straws.
I think Wallace has a valid point about why any rational journalists were there at all. The circumstances of Trump's shooting made it necessary to reschedule the dinner, something Trump insisted on doing (to show his "bravery"?). Many journalists skipped it, but I doubt it would have been politically wise to have cancelled it under the circumstances. That not all journalists refused to clap shows that not all people have abandoned Trump, even with his obvious dementia. That is not Wallace's fault, nor the fault of journalists as a profession. It is the personal choice of each person who was invited, whether to attend, whether to clap, whether to speak out afterward, as Wallace is doing.
Yes, Wallace handed Somerby a stick to beat her with, but he would have found something. Somerby is taking the Republican side on Wallace's complaint about the dinner. He is attacking Wallace personally as someone who misrepresents what she is reporting -- a very serious claim aimed at a journalist. But at least Somerby is attacking her for something besides never smiling, so I imagine Somerby thinks he is not sexist with this ongoing vendetta against Wallace and women like her in journalism. He only mentions her to attack her competence, as he does again today.
Talk about tiresome!
Agree.
Delete"Right up to the present day, virtually no one has tried to report that dangerous state of affairs!"
ReplyDeleteThis is Somerby's big lie, his strawman. It is untrue, as several commenters have pointed out with cited sources over and over again here. But if Somerby let go of this wrong statement, he would have to find something else to write about, and one can only go on about Antonia so long without raising suspicions, while even Robert Frost quotes wear thin. Isn't there a Baltimore area assisted living that would take Somerby in and provide him with new hobbies to fill his empty hours?
Ha! Well said.
DeleteToday, blue sources are reporting that Fauci was concerned about Trump’s inability to focus, his rambling, during meeting about covid in his first term.
DeleteSomerby is now a few rallies behind Trump's schedule, with this talk about the WHCA dinner. Tiedrich sums up how we all feel about Trump's ongoing public appearances:
ReplyDelete"he’s so fucking exhausting.
you want nothing more in this ever-loving world than to have a break from him — but there he is, hogging the headlines and sucking all the air out of the room. he’s right in your face, every single goddamned day.
the ignorance. the arrogance. the greed. the incompetence. the malignant narcissism. the preening grandiosity. the bottomless ego. the monumental stupidity. the homophobia, transphobia and misogyny.
the cheap, ill-fitting suits. the poorly-applied radioactive makeup. the rotting hands, the bloated cankles and the sagging neckgina.
the fucked-up rat’s nest of cotton-candy bullshit perched atop his big, dumb pumpkin head.
the disgusting racism."
What racism? How about this:
"“when they take something over, it’s always dirty. the sidewalks are dirty. the people— are — I hate to say this — not clean, okay? the curbs are loaded with you know what. the smell is terrible. I mean, I see it happening to cities. blue cities. they’re all blue.”
that was Preznit Fuckwit, blithering in front of an audience of cultists in Milford, Michigan. Donny had been feeling low about having clownfucked himself into an unwinnable don’t-you-dare-call-it-a-war on Iran, and about having shit the bed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — so his handlers sent him and his stalker-slash-diaper-nurse [Natalie Harp] off to an Emotional Support Rally, giving Donny the opportunity to bask in the uncritical adoration of morons."
Tiedrich continues:
"Dear Leader was ostensibly talking about Democrats in that clip, as he ranted about dirty, smelly cities — but you know who he was really referring to: ‘those’ people. the ones who live in the cities. the — shudder — immigrants. the ones who are EATING THE DAWGS.
good lord, do you remember when Donny actually said that, during a 2024 presidential debate? Kamala Harris had the only proper reaction to that idiocy. she laughed right into his bloated face."
But Somerby would probably call that reaction inappropriate too. HIS idea of the appropriate reaction is the only one he'll consider right, while Harris and Wallace and other women are doing it all wrong, Somerby would claim, as he states that he can't hear anyone calling the president insane either. Tiedrich does it every day, but I guess he doesn't count, despite being a real male person and not a female fuck-up like Harris (Somerby had nothing good to say about her before the 2024 election, which may be part of why she lost).
Tiedrich says "I'm so fucking tired of this..." and I agree. I am so fucking tired of Somerby too. He can stop now. No one needs him to help the Republicans attack female reporters. It would be too obvious if Somerby piled on Collins, so he attacks Wallace instead. But we know what this is really about. Somerby is as fucked up as Trump, in nearly the same ways. He can stop now, even if Trump cannot.
https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/im-so-fucking-tired-of-this-fucking
DeleteIf there were a mentally ill person on the street, perhaps wearing a sandwich board about the end of the world coming, would anyone walk up to him and call him insane? It wouldn't be kind or polite and might provoke a violent reaction (a person might reasonably fear). This is the reaction Trump is getting to his insanity. Everyone can see he is insane, but no one wants to provoke him. It would be unkind and unnecessary to point out his insanity, especially to those who elected him and may be feeling some chagrin about it.
ReplyDeleteBut Somerby pretends not to understand human social reactions, things like kindness and courtesy, whether aimed at Trump supporters (like those at the dinner) or Trump himself. We Blues don't like to be gratuitously cruel to those who were misled by their Republican leadership into voting for a madman. Those red voters are feeling foolish enough without us rubbing it in. It is enough that they will think twice before voting for ANY Republican in the upcoming midterms, without us saying anything to their faces.
Perhaps Somerby wants everyone to proclaim Trump insane so that there will be a backlash of support (politically motivated sympathy) among his former voters. Somerby may provoke a round for the gipper on his way out the door, with his constant insistance that we all must bow to Dear Leader and call him crazy. The coming blue wave is either not enough, or perhaps that is what Somerby wishes to deter. Hard to tell with these mumbling essays what his goal is.
Whatever, I wouldn’t invite him to give a prime time one hour speech broadcast in all it’s insane glory on tv
Delete"President Trump had promised to deliver “a speech of love” at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
DeleteInstead, he critiqued a litany of journalists in his address Friday night, inspiring calls from media critics to end the dinner."
"President Donald Trump's delivered speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner lasted for over an hour, though typical presidential remarks at the event generally run around 20 minutes."
You don't tell Trump when to stop speaking because he won't pay attention to any instructions like that.
11:36 - Somerby insists, constantly no less, that "we must all bow to Dear Leader"? I must have missed this. Can you point to one instance, say in today's post for example, where Somerby tells us to bow to Trump?
DeleteOr are you just making shit up again?
Refusing to call Trump a crook is “bowing” to him. Somerby never calls out Trump crimes, just wants Trump to be pitied for being crazy. Trump sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll. He takes bribes. He commits fraud. He shares classified documents for personal financial benefit. Somerby ignores that while insisting he is crazy not venal. That is going along with Trump’s coverup, bowing to Trump.
DeleteAnd no, none of what I say is made up.
I hate you, Dogface George.
DeleteForget to list Epstein sex crimes.
DeleteSomerby insists nothing.
DeleteHe's afraid of taking a stand.
Accusing Somerby of having any beliefs is a fool's game.
When has Somerby ever called for Trump’s removal? Isn’t it “bowing” to claim Trump is crazy but not call for the obvious remedy of impeachment?
Delete1:09 - You have a very strange definition of "bowing."
DeleteIn your view, callling someone mentally ill = "bowing" to that person.
DeleteYou are being excessively literal.
Delete1:10 -- And I feel sorry for you, so filled up with hate.
Delete1:29 - Certainly not a criime that you'd ever be guilty of, right?
DeleteThanks, George. Feeling sorry for me comforts me. But I still hate you.
Delete1:40 - Glad to be of help.
DeleteHere's my bigger question: Why do you anons like to say transparently false things about Somerby? For example, it's not true that Somerby insists we bow to Trump. That's transparently false. So -- why say it?
DeleteWhen Somerby is unwlling to propose or accept any remedy to Trump's destructive acts as President (including impeachment, which he was against), he is describing Trump using a term that generally escapes legal punishment and urging pity for him. That means Somerby thinks we should do nothing but feel sorry for Trump. That is bowing to a man who is looting the country, hurting (even killing) the people under his care, and destroying our nation. That is "bowing to Trump" in any rational meaning of the word bowing. Somerby is doing the equivalent of treating Trump as if he were a king, not an elected leader, and applying restraints on his behavior.
DeleteIt is by no means "transparently false" that Somerby is urging that we bow to Trump, especially if you take the word bow with the meaning "acquiesce". Why do you come here to distort other people's meaings without seriously debating our points? Why should Trump be left to destroy what is left of the things we care about? Why shouldn't he be removed, not pitied?
My theory, in case you're interested, is that you folks like to psyche yourselves up into a Two-Minute Somerby Hate, and exaggerated falsehoods are part of the ritual.
DeleteYour theory is shit.
DeleteIt was obvious from Day 1 (whenever that was) that Trump cannot take a joke. He never laughs at anyone else's humor. He has no sense of humor himself. That would take perspective he doesn't have, an ability to step outside himself (difficult for a narcissist) that he doesn't have at all. He can feel ego-threat certainly, but that makes him lash out at those who wound him, not laugh along with them.
ReplyDeleteAnyone with any social sense knew better than to vote for someone with no ability to appreciate his own ridiculousness. We knew he would be like this because we saw it on a small scale in his interactions with people. We called that unfitness for office, because we weren't diagnosing him from afar back then.
These calls for Trump to be labeled insane seem like an attempt to shift responsibility for electing Trump off onto someone else -- his insanity, his craziness, his "mental illness". But that insanity could be seen, so those who elected Trump are responsible for electing an insane person. It is still their fault, because all the clues were there.
In fact Trump’s speeches are full of self-deprecating humor.
DeleteYou are conflating self deprecating humor with humble bragging.
DeleteNobody finds Trump charming or humorous in any way. Not even his few remaining supporters.
Trolls are having to switch to heavy cope mode these days.
You think it is humor when Trump says he will run for a 4th term in office. I don't think you are the best judge of what Trump considers humor. Just because someone laughs AT him, doesn't mean he is making a self-deprecating joke.
DeleteDonald Trump is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.
DeleteDonald Trump is the least popular president in history due to his incompetence, corruption, and criminality, but I do not care, I will blindly support him forever because he validates my racism, sexism, and xenophobia.
DeleteI don't think this word -- self-deprecating -- means what you think it means.
Delete"WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly “exploded with rage” on Tuesday after a blood test he had required for all service members over 30 showed that he had “extremely high” levels of estrogen.
ReplyDeleteAccording to those familiar with the test results, Hegseth’s estrogen count would place him in the 99th percentile of all women.
Mascara streaking down his cheeks, Hegseth howled in protest, claiming that the blood test “reeked of DEI.”
“I wasn’t surprised by his reaction,” said the doctor who administered the test. “It’s that time of the month.”
(Women don't find this kind of joke funny, but it doesn't hurt to put Hegseth on the receiving end of something he no doubt deals out himself.)
I'm old enough to remember that Hegseth raped a fellow Republican; after drugging her he dragged this married woman to a room at the hotel and assaulted her.
DeleteShe went to the hospital after the event, to get treatment as a rape victim.
Hegseth does not deny the encounter, saying he pulled out to ejaculate, as if that somehow makes it ok.
Hegseth has a pattern of sexual predator behavior, so much so that his own mother came close to disowning him and scolded him harshly in an email that was later made public.
Republicans don't care, though, their ranks are filled with sexual predators, so it is not an issue for them, it is just a normal part of their culture.
Pulling out doesn’t make it OK, but does make it just a tiny bit less bad.
DeleteNo, it doesn’t make it less bad. The harm done isn’t what men may think it is.
DeleteMake Refraining From Pro-Creating Great Again
DeleteAbortions in rape cases exist to shut down guys like Hegseth but the real damage is psychological.
DeleteOne thing we can all agree on: Somerby is a jerk.
DeleteYou cannot refuse to follow Blue media, as Somerby does, then complain that we have supposedly never said something.
ReplyDeleteThere now seem to be two Davids. Nyms aren’t working their old magic.
ReplyDelete