On August 17th, 2024, IPK Fellow Leif Weatherby penned a guest essay for The New York Times titled “Trump Is Losing the Humor War.” Read the excerpt below, then click for the full article.

Losing a step doesn’t mean you’re finished, in comedy or in politics. Mr. Trump has returned to his favored comedy platform, Twitter (now X), so we’ll see if he can return to form. For now, pollsters may not capture exactly the role that humor is playing in our political preferences. But losing the humor advantage has made Mr. Trump seem directionless, listless and vulnerable. The energy that humor provides is now invigorating his opponents, who are looking to laugh him off the stage.

Read the full article here.

Photo Credits: Nadine Redlich