After a few brief calls for unity after the shooting incident Saturday night, Trump renewed his assaults on free speech by (again) demanding that ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel for a bad joke.
In the context of the attempted assault at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, Kimmel’s joke two nights earlier that Melania Trump had the “glow of an expectant widow” does indeed sound rather tasteless.
But back on last Thursday night, when he made the joke, he was referring to the age differential (24 years) between the First Lady and her husband.
Besides, the point of having free speech in a society isn’t to cover nice remarks, the ones we all find comfortable and acceptable.
No, it is to cover the uncomfortable, the unacceptable, the bad jokes in bad taste.
Trump makes plenty of those himself.
But you didn’t hear any of Trump’s opponents demand he be censored for comparing himself to Jesus, which many considered blasphemy. Or by saying the “only good Democrat is a dead Democrat,” or ridiculing Nancy Pelosi’s husband after he was almost killed by an assailant.
There are many more examples of “bad jokes” by Donald J. Trump. Kimmel’s only problem in this case was unfortunate timing.
The Trump administration is hypocritical through and through. The attacks on Kimmel are only the latest example.
Kimmel himself handled the controversy deftly on his show Monday night. Watch: Jimmy Kimmel on Melania & Donald Trump Demanding His Firing & The White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
HEADLINES:
Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting wrote of targeting Trump administration (NBC)
Donald Trump’s Would-Be Assassin Had a Plan. The Opposite Is About to Unfold. (Slate)
Justice Department cites dinner shooting to press preservationists to drop Trump ballroom suit (AP)
‘Should be fired’: Why the Trumps want Jimmy Kimmel sacked (Al Jazeera)
It Took Charles a Lifetime to Be King. Now He Has to Deal With Trump. (Politico)
8 Memorable Moments From Past British Royal Visits to the U.S. (NYT)
Trump said Iran could telephone if it wanted to negotiate an end to their two-month war, as Tehran’s foreign minister landed in Russiato seek support from President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters)
Iran offers to end chokehold on Strait of Hormuz and asks US to end blockade, officials say (AP)
Trump Seeks to Abolish Iran’s Atomic Stockpile, a Problem He Helped Create (NYT)
Israeli strikes killed 14 people and wounded 37 as the Israeli military warned residents to leave towns beyond the “buffer zone” it occupied. (Reuters)
California Billionaire Tax Has Signatures Needed for Ballot, Backers Say (NYT)
Melania Trump urges ABC to ‘take stand’ on Jimmy Kimmel after widow joke (BBC)
Can we please stop rationalizing political violence? (Silver Bulletin)
A majority of Americans believe all babies born in the country should automatically be granted citizenship,according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll carried out as the US Supreme Court prepares to rule on Trump’s effort to end the practice. (Reuters)
Amazon’s retail business pushes AI use and closely tracks adoption (BI)
From scepticism to concern: Mythos panic is slowly starting to reach China (SCMP)
College students wary of the job market are changing course in search of ‘AI-proof’ majors (AP)
China Orders the Unwinding of Meta’s Acquisition of an A.I. Start-Up (NYT)
Victor Wembanyama Returns From Concussion Speaking Fluent French (Onion)
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