For example, Hakeem Jefferies recently offered the opinion that “Tariffs, when properly utilized, have a role to play in trying to make sure that you have a competitive environment for our workers and our businesses. That’s not what’s going on right now. This is a reckless economic sledgehammer that Donald Trump and compliant Republicans in the Congress are taking to the economy, and the American people are being hurt enough.”
"Utilized"? Really? Who talks like that? "I utilized some toilet paper to blow my nose because we're all out of Kleenex. Good thing we had the TP otherwise I would have utilized my finger." Sounds perfectly normal and relatable. And more importantly, why is he providing cover for Trump's tariffs? Why couldn't he just say "Trump's tariffs ruined the economy"?
Everyone who reads G:TB knows that I have an inordinate fondness for Cory Booker, but did he really have to talk for 25 hours to draw attention to DJ Trump's stupidity? He couldn't boil it down to maybe 25 minutes? Does anyone know what Booker actually said? I don't.
Trump is fucking up and someone needs to call him out in a way that resonates with people who were stupid enough to vote for Trump in the first place.
You know what this moment calls for? Someone who can swear and be crass authentically, for whom being an asshole comes naturally. Like Chris Christie, only not a big fat slob who sold out to Trump and did a 180 only after being dumped from Trumpworld.
I think the Democrats need to cut an ad with someone well-known and well-respected from outside the world of politics and run it throughout the NBA playoffs. It needs to use short, pithy sentences. It needs to be overly reductive and devoid of nuance so that Trump and his supporters need to babble like Democrats to try to explain it away. The ad's point needs to be clear even if you can't hear it because you're watching in a sports bar. It should feature someone who has represented America on the world stage, who achieved major wins, and who has fucked up epically. This person could then say "I have represented our country on the world stage. I know a lot about winning, and I know about fucking up. I'm here to tell you: Trump is fucking up." And that's the theme. Four words. Trump is fucking up. Bleep the "fucking" if you have to but don't blur the speaker's mouth.
Then really quickly have them say something like "The Trump tariffs tanked the stock market. Since he took office the market is down about 9%. That means Trump's tariffs took one out of every eleven dollars in your savings. Trump is fucking up." Run video of Trump talking on one side of the screen while the stock ticker plummets on the other.
They could also say "Trump promised to deport illegal aliens. But his own lawyers admitted that they accidentally deported the wrong guy. So the illegals are still here and the wrong guys are in El Salvador. Trump is fucking up." At the same time, run video of Kristi Noem rocking her ICE cap, flak vest and Daytona.
Then they conclude with "I know a lot about winning and this isn't it. Trump is fucking up."
My first thought was Michael Phelps. He represented the US at the Olympics, he won more than anyone ever, and he got into a bit of a jam with a bong. So when he says "I have represented our country on the world stage. I know a lot about winning, and I know about fucking up," the ad would run a picture of him on an Olympic podium with the flag, then a picture of him with a shitload of medals, then the photo of him and the bong.
Everyone knows Phelps. Many people like him, or at least respect him. I don't think anyone hates him. Apparently he dislikes Trump and he strikes me as having some assholery in him, but I don't know how authentically he swears. This seems like a good option though.
My next thought was Tiger Woods. When he says "I have represented our country on the world stage. I know a lot about winning, and I know about fucking up," the ad would run a picture of him holding the Ryder Cup, then a bunch of iconic pictures of him with trophies and/or fist-pumping, then ... well, there are probably a lot of fucking up photos to choose from but I'll just go with his mugshot.
I was stuck after Tiger. I ruminated and finally struck on an amazing idea. You know who can take on a raging asshole from Queens? Another raging asshole from Queens, one who famously swears and acts badly but won a lot and who put representing America above almost everything else.
Like John fucking McEnroe. Johnny Mac viewed representing the US in Davis Cup play as a holy grail and he did more for the US Davis Cup team than just about anyone. He won 77 titles on the tour including seven majors. And he was famously thrown out of the Australian Open for cursing out an umpire.
Everyone knows him, I think he's generally respected, and he likes to smoke weed and shit on Trump.
And he has a great story about how his father, also named John McEnroe, sent Trump a letter in 2015 and Trump thought it was from the tennis star.
Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of other candidates to star in my PSA. I invite you to nominate some in the comments. But please hurry because the Democrats can't get out of their own way.
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