Liberal Media Back to Rooting for Trump

Donald Trump has been very, very good for liberal and progressive pundits. He’s great copy, giving them an endless array of targets that will incense their readers, viewers, and listeners. He gives them a wholly unearned sense of moral superiority that allows them to posture as defenders of democracy, the rule of law, acceptance of election outcomes, and even seriousness in foreign policy — all values notably at odds with their own agenda and conduct and that of the Democratic Party. “Whatabout Trump” is an all-purpose Get Out of Jail Free card in any argument. Fear of Trump has given them a license not only to excuse and ignore bad behavior on their own side, but also to consolidate the power of illiberal progressivism over all manner of institutions by paining anyone right of center as a dangerous, potentially insurrectionary Other. And, of course, he has given Democrats a string of electoral victories since 2017 and allowed them, most recently this fall, to escape an overdue reckoning from voters for an unpopular president, a failed agenda, and a conspicuously insane approach to the culture.

In light of the gifts that Trump keeps on giving, one would expect this crowd to be rooting very hard for Trump to win another presidential nomination. He needs the help: Trump has yet to hold a campaign event nearly a month into his announced reelection campaign; is limiting his media appearances mostly to niche outlets on the right; has yet to capitalize on Elon Musk’s allowing him back on Twitter, instead sticking with his obscure Truth Social network; and seems unable to focus at any length on anything but his continuing grievances about the 2020 election. Certainly, helping promote the worst aspects of Trumpism is how Democratic campaign organizations acted in 2022, pouring tens of millions of dollars into promoting the Trumpiest stop-the-steal candidates on offer in Republican primaries, most of whom won their primaries — and after which all of those Democrat-backed candidates lost to Democrats. In 2016, many liberal and progressive pundits openly rooted for Trump to win the Republican nomination, some on the theory that he would be an electoral boon to Democrats, and some on the theory that even if he won, he’d be less effective at pursuing conservative policy than would Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. All of those people were stuck wiping egg off of their faces when the stars aligned for Trump to win, and they spent years writing that he was Robo-Hitler . . . whom they had effectively endorsed in the primary. Hilarity ensued.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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Donald Trump has been very, very good for liberal and progressive pundits. He’s great copy, giving them an endless array of targets that will incense their readers, viewers, and listeners. He gives them a wholly unearned sense of moral superiority that allows them to posture as defenders of democracy, the rule of law, acceptance of election outcomes, and even seriousness in foreign policy — all values notably at odds with their own agenda and conduct and that of the Democratic Party. “Whatabout Trump” is an all-purpose Get Out of Jail Free card in any argument. Fear of Trump has given them a license not only to excuse and ignore bad behavior on their own side, but also to consolidate the power of illiberal progressivism over all manner of institutions by paining anyone right of center as a dangerous, potentially insurrectionary Other. And, of course, he has given Democrats a string of electoral victories since 2017 and allowed them, most recently this fall, to escape an overdue reckoning from voters for an unpopular president, a failed agenda, and a conspicuously insane approach to the culture.

In light of the gifts that Trump keeps on giving, one would expect this crowd to be rooting very hard for Trump to win another presidential nomination. He needs the help: Trump has yet to hold a campaign event nearly a month into his announced reelection campaign; is limiting his media appearances mostly to niche outlets on the right; has yet to capitalize on Elon Musk’s allowing him back on Twitter, instead sticking with his obscure Truth Social network; and seems unable to focus at any length on anything but his continuing grievances about the 2020 election. Certainly, helping promote the worst aspects of Trumpism is how Democratic campaign organizations acted in 2022, pouring tens of millions of dollars into promoting the Trumpiest stop-the-steal candidates on offer in Republican primaries, most of whom won their primaries — and after which all of those Democrat-backed candidates lost to Democrats. In 2016, many liberal and progressive pundits openly rooted for Trump to win the Republican nomination, some on the theory that he would be an electoral boon to Democrats, and some on the theory that even if he won, he’d be less effective at pursuing conservative policy than would Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. All of those people were stuck wiping egg off of their faces when the stars aligned for Trump to win, and they spent years writing that he was Robo-Hitler . . . whom they had effectively endorsed in the primary. Hilarity ensued.