The Daly Weekly (2/27)

The Trump effect on our culture, J.D. Vance's coolness, DOJ corruption, and more.

Hi everyone.

Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.

Let’s get right to your questions…

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The president sets the tone of the country, whether directly or indirectly. I feel as though Trump's demeanor "gives Americans permission" to curse in public more, normalize and peddle conspiracy theories, openly show hostility towards people with whom you disagree, etc, etc... And in fact, for SOME (not all) MAGA folks, it's a breath of fresh air - it allows them to openly show their biases and imagined victimhood, rather than suppress it. What say you? — John M.

Hi John. I think you’re directionally right, but there’s more to it than that. Profanity, peddling conspiracy theories, and showing hostility toward disagreement all predate Trump — even in our modern political arena. I noticed it really take off a little over 20 years ago, when the Iraq War started to head south. It was suddenly publicly acceptable for popular political-media figures like Keith Olbermann, and national politicians like Howard Dean, to say all kinds of nasty, conspiratorial, and demonstrably untrue things about President George W. Bush and his supporters. And I think it helped normalize unhinged conduct among a lot of everyday Americans.

Years ago, I told the story on this website about how I was verbally accosted by an employee at a blood-plasma bank I was donating too. My infraction: bringing a copy of Bush’s biography “Decision Points” to read from my donation bed. This person felt so scandalized by my reading choice that any semblance of workplace professionalism went right out the window. And this was a full two years after Bush had left office!

This new era of political discourse carried over into the Obama years, infected both sides of the political aisle, and opened the door for Trump’s entrance into politics. Suffice to say, Trump’s made things far worse — not just with his profound lack of character, but also with his culture-heavy brand of populism that has further strengthened people’s sense of victimhood and grievance (to the point that they’ve defined themselves by it). He’s screwed up much of the Right similarly to how hyper-wokeness has screwed up much the Left. Americans are now more tribal — and less interested in facts, character, and regard for the other side — than at any point in my lifetime.

That ain’t good.

John: I am writing this Wednesday morning, the day after the longest State of the Union speech ever. I heard on the radio this morning that Trump and Clinton occupy all of the top 10 longest SOTU speeches in history. Is this a function that these two, more than any other, love to hear themselves talk? Or is this somehow an Epstein thing? — Steve R.

I think it’s the former. Trump loves public attention. So did Bill Clinton (well, at least until Monica).

J.D. Vance said this week that he thinks he’s the coolest Vice President in United States history. Do you concur? 😆 — Ben G.

To steal a line from a buddy of mine, Vance isn’t even Trump’s coolest vice president.

Greetings Sir John: Here’s a short video about a high school girl named Gabby Stout. According to the Alliance For Defending Freedom, she painted a tribute to Charlie Kirk on school property, an act for which she apparently had obtained prior permission from the school administration to do. After it was done however, school officials allegedly reversed course and accused her of vandalism. Okay…maybe. However, I’m always suspicious whenever reporters share a story that seems TOO pat and one-sided while supporting any agenda, whether it be on the right (like this one) or on the left (like the hoax you investigated about the grandfather that allegedly went to renew his green card and then got picked up by ICE and sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador and eventually a hospital where he died—-ALL A BUNCH OF BALONEY!). So I ask you Sir John— please shed some light on the story of Gabby Stout. —“STOUT- HEARTED TEEN” regard from The Emperor

Emperor, I don’t know anything about Gabby Stout. I sometimes think you view the Daly Weekly as an investigation service for random stuff you find on YouTube. Lol. I would suggest just Googling the matter. Sorry, but I have no insight I can offer on this.

Does it get any more shallow, and embarrassing, that ANY politician wouldn’t stand up and applaud for our USA Olympic Team, simply because they don’t like the person who invited them. Those athletes fought their tail off in Italy to represent everyone in the room last night. — Rob O.

I didn’t watch that portion of the State of the Union, Rob, but from what I understand, both sides did stand and applaud for the USA Olympic Team. Did they not? If some in attendance remained seated, and/or refused to clap, I would indeed call that shallow and selfish. As you say, these athletes busted their asses representing America at the Olympics, and they absolutely deserve respect and celebration for that.

In spite of my often criticisms, I like where you are politically. And I understand why you are convinced Trump is not the right man for the presidency. If we could return to a political position that aligns more with yours and mine, what would it take to do that? — Al

I decided to do a little experiment with your question, Al. I asked AI (specifically Grok) to summarize, from my writing, what I believe the Republican party needs to do to realign with my political positions. It was kind of scary how accurate it was:

Reject the personality cult and Trumpism: You’ve repeatedly highlighted how the GOP has devolved into a cult around Donald Trump, leading to electoral losses, the normalization of deranged behavior, and a focus on grifting and populism over substance. To recover, the party must move beyond Trump, acknowledge his role in undermining democracy (e.g., election denial and the January 6 insurrection), and stop protecting or renominating figures who prioritize personal loyalty over national interest.

Restore conservative principles and elevate principled voices: Emphasize a return to Reaganite conservatism by supporting and amplifying non-MAGA, center-right thinkers, policy wonks, and alternatives within the party. This includes purging populist BS, reinvigorating institutions like Congress through separation of powers, and avoiding the trap of adopting progressive positions or switching to the Democratic Party.

Bring back accountability and shame: Reintroduce a culture of shame for unethical or irresponsible actions, which you note was more prevalent in U.S. politics before the Trump era. This would help weed out boot-licking and focus on ideological consistency rather than messianic figures or election myths (like who won in 2020).

Now that Trump has decided to put his face on the DOJ, that's basically an admission that they are completely doing whatever he wants. What other federal institutions are captured or will be subservient to the president? — FDM

Now that this has been done with the DOJ, the sky would seem the limit (at least as far as the executive branch goes). After all, the DOJ is supposed to operate independently in order to impartially apply the law. Plastering Trump’s name and face on the building, after Pam Bondi has spent the last year reshaping the department to align with Trump’s personal priorities, has essentially, as you say, been an admission of how badly it’s been corrupted.

Do you think Kamala Harris will run for president again in 2028? She’s hinting at it. — Alex D.

No, I don’t. And if I were a Democrat, I wouldn’t want her to.

Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.