America is undergoing many changes. Between Trump’s agenda and DOGE, finding humor is as difficult as finding that needle in a haystack. Doing comedy is currently hard; well, harder. But while our country is in the midst of a make-over at the whim of an authoritarian president who is plotting to be reelected again — Constitution be damned — I need to laugh to keep from crying.
I won’t neglect my opportunity to comment on America’s serious moment, but I’m writing on April Fool’s Day, which is an excuse to drizzle some funny on the page. Since laughter gives us a break from political insanity, here goes: How many national security officials from that Top Secret Signal chat group does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Warning: This column deals with what is criticized as (gasp) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Fear of DEI means names of minorities who were “firsts”, like Colin Powell and Jackie Robinson, were flagged for cleansing. They were in danger of being removed from the Department of Defense’s website, and that’s how history is rewritten.
So, clutch your pearls. Then place the other hand on your forehead and prepare to faint, or whatever horrible thing is supposed to happen when you’re exposed to any mention of race. That’s not my focus today, but I’m writing about someone who’s (gasp) Black. That would be the late Bernie Mac (Bernard McCullough).
In 2000, Spike Lee directed a film that featured the comedy routines of four comedians billed as the “Kings of Comedy.” Steve Harvey, D. L Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac gave the audience their views about African-American culture, race relations, religion, and family. Mac, who died in 2008, also had an award-winning sitcom for five seasons.
Mac is suddenly on my mind because of something Trump said. During a press scrum at the Kennedy Center last month, an NBC reporter asked him whether he used an autopen to sign documents, something he had criticized Joe Biden for doing. Trump said yes, then contradicted himself, and when the reporter attempted to ask a follow-up question, he shut her down with what has recently become his go-to refrain: “Who are you with?”
When the reporter replied that she worked for NBC News, Trump waved her off and ignored the question. He said, “I don’t want to talk to NBC anymore. I think you’re so discredited.” The president has employed the same strategy in recent weeks to dismiss questions from reporters at other news organizations, including The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Voice of America.
Trump has a long-held antagonism toward an array of media outlets. He has sued over coverage he doesn’t like, seized control of the White House press pool and stocked it with friendly news outlets, and banned the Associated Press from White House events because it continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America.”
Discrediting the media is a chapter from the Dictator’s Playbook. But Trump’s response reminded of Mac’s famous catchphrase, “Who ya wit’?” The phrase essentially meant who are you with or what kind of company are you keeping? Trump and Mac might have little else in common, but they’re on the same page by asking this question.
I’ll flip the script and ask Trump: Who are you with? Whose side are you on? Do you stand with our NATO allies, which include United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal. There’s a question mark beside Canada because we’re threatening to make them a state, and they’re not happy with us. Denmark is iffy because Greenland is part of their realm and we want to control the country.
The U.S. has also designated 18 countries as “Major Non-NATO Allies,” including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, and Thailand.
America’s enemies, or countries who want to do us harm, include: Russia, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Cuba, and Pakistan. Trump has a history of positive and admiring comments about Russia’s Putin in spite of their current tiff over ending the war in Ukraine.
James Russell Lowell wrote “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide.” Will Trump decide that America stands with democracy? I hang onto hope.
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