{"id":150944,"date":"2026-05-12T08:17:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/12\/calm-down-sane-republicans-say-hes-only-joking\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T08:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:17:24","slug":"calm-down-sane-republicans-say-hes-only-joking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/12\/calm-down-sane-republicans-say-hes-only-joking\/","title":{"rendered":"Calm Down, Sane Republicans Say, He\u2019s Only Joking"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sane people on the right say that critics of Donald Trump should calm down. Trump says some crazy stuff, they concede, but he\u2019s just kidding.\u00a0Look at what he does, not what he says.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my question:\u00a0How do we know when Trump\u2019s kidding?<\/p>\n

If a Trump supporter can tell me, at the time Trump speaks the words, that certain words are a joke, then that supporter might have a point.\u00a0But the supporter can never do that.\u00a0The supporter has to wait for weeks, or months, or for some unspecified future date to know whether Trump was kidding or not.<\/p>\n

I never had that problem with Robin Williams.<\/p>\n

Consider these examples.<\/p>\n

In 2016, Trump said that he\u2019d build a wall between the United States and Mexico.\u00a0Sane Republicans said Trump was speaking metaphorically; he meant only that we\u2019d be tougher on border enforcement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But then he built the thing!<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a joke, I guess.<\/p>\n

Trump also said that Mexico would pay for the wall.<\/p>\n

But Mexico didn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

I guess he was kidding.\u00a0What a stitch!<\/p>\n

Did you know which was the joke, and which was not?\u00a0When did you decide \u2014 before or after construction began?<\/p>\n

During the 2016 campaign, Trump said that Russia, if it was listening, should release Hillary Clinton\u2019s emails.<\/p>\n

Ha!\u00a0What a riot!<\/p>\n

And then Russia did.<\/p>\n

Was that a joke?<\/p>\n

Trump said that only Ted Cruz\u2019s fraud had permitted Cruz to win the 2016 Iowa caucuses.\u00a0The result of the caucuses, according to Trump, should have been nullified.<\/p>\n

Joke, or no?<\/p>\n

When Trump says the same thing about the result of the 2020 election, is he again kidding?<\/p>\n

That man is such a master of deadpan humor.<\/p>\n

Did Trump talk about immigrants from \u201cshithole countries\u201d during his first term?\u00a0Trump denied speaking those words at the time.\u00a0He now seemingly admits that it was true.<\/p>\n

Which was the joke?<\/p>\n

Trump said the he\u2019d negotiate peace in Ukraine on his first day in office.\u00a0Of course he was exaggerating.<\/p>\n

But was he joking?\u00a0Did he believe he could negotiate peace in a few weeks?\u00a0A few months?\u00a0At any time during his second term?\u00a0With Trump\u2019s steadfast support for the Russian position in the war, is he even trying to negotiate a peace that would be acceptable to the west?<\/p>\n

Or is he joking?<\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t wait.\u00a0Tell me now, before Trump\u2019s second term expires.<\/p>\n

Trump said that he was going to build a new White House ballroom without costing us a taxpayer dollar.\u00a0Republicans in Congress may now authorize a billion taxpayer dollars to build the ballroom.<\/p>\n

Was Trump joking when he said that he\u2019d build the ballroom at no taxpayer expense?\u00a0Or is he joking now?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Or was Trump misinformed, or exaggerating, or lying, or insane?<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s a joke, how can you be sure of your defense of Trump?\u00a0Or do you just plan to see how things play out, and then insist that Trump was brilliant, no matter what he does?<\/p>\n

How about Trump\u2019s \u201cGold Card\u201d program that, in February 2025, was going to offer a pathway to U.S. citizenship in return for a payment of $5 million?<\/p>\n

It must have been a joke, because Trump reduced the price to $1 million in his September 2025 executive order.<\/p>\n

That Trump!\u00a0He\u2019s a riot!\u00a0What will he think of next?<\/p>\n

As of late April, apparently one applicant had been approved for the Gold Card program.<\/p>\n

What a scream!<\/p>\n

When Trump threatens to bomb Iran back into the Stone Age, is it a joke?<\/p>\n

But tell me now \u2014 before the renewed bombing starts or a peace deal is negotiated.\u00a0If Trump\u2019s joking, you must know that he\u2019s joking, right?<\/p>\n

Along the same lines, did the United States \u201cobliterate\u201d Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program with its strikes last June?\u00a0Trump insisted that we did, and he roped other administration officials into repeating that quip.\u00a0Should I be laughing?<\/p>\n

Because we had to bomb Iran again not eight months later when Iran was on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

Was that real?<\/p>\n

Or is that another joke?<\/p>\n

A joke is a pretty serious thing.<\/p>\n

Is the war in Iran going to be over two weeks after it started in February?\u00a0Or was that a joke?\u00a0Has the United States won that war (and won that war, and won that war), as Trump says?\u00a0Or is that more hilarity?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m ready to concede that a person is a comedian if the person tells a joke and someone \u2014 anyone \u2014 knows that the words were spoken in jest.\u00a0But if the joke leaves a roomful of listeners unable to identify the joke until waiting for later events to pass, that isn\u2019t a joke at all.<\/p>\n

When Trump says that he\u2019ll run for president again in 2028, is that\u00a0a joke?<\/p>\n

Should America treat it as a joke?<\/p>\n

Or must we wait until November 2028 to know?<\/p>\n

I think the joke\u2019s on us.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Calm Down, Sane Republicans Say, He\u2019s Only Joking<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sane people on the right say that critics of Donald Trump should calm down. Trump says some crazy stuff, they concede, but he\u2019s just kidding.\u00a0Look at what he does, not what he says.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my question:\u00a0How do we know when Trump\u2019s kidding?<\/p>\n

If a Trump supporter can tell me, at the time Trump speaks the words, that certain words are a joke, then that supporter might have a point.\u00a0But the supporter can never do that.\u00a0The supporter has to wait for weeks, or months, or for some unspecified future date to know whether Trump was kidding or not.<\/p>\n

I never had that problem with Robin Williams.<\/p>\n

Consider these examples.<\/p>\n

In 2016, Trump said that he\u2019d build a wall between the United States and Mexico.\u00a0Sane Republicans said Trump was speaking metaphorically; he meant only that we\u2019d be tougher on border enforcement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But then he built the thing!<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a joke, I guess.<\/p>\n

Trump also said that Mexico would pay for the wall.<\/p>\n

But Mexico didn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

I guess he was kidding.\u00a0What a stitch!<\/p>\n

Did you know which was the joke, and which was not?\u00a0When did you decide \u2014 before or after construction began?<\/p>\n

During the 2016 campaign, Trump said that Russia, if it was listening, should release Hillary Clinton\u2019s emails.<\/p>\n

Ha!\u00a0What a riot!<\/p>\n

And then Russia did.<\/p>\n

Was that a joke?<\/p>\n

Trump said that only Ted Cruz\u2019s fraud had permitted Cruz to win the 2016 Iowa caucuses.\u00a0The result of the caucuses, according to Trump, should have been nullified.<\/p>\n

Joke, or no?<\/p>\n

When Trump says the same thing about the result of the 2020 election, is he again kidding?<\/p>\n

That man is such a master of deadpan humor.<\/p>\n

Did Trump talk about immigrants from \u201cshithole countries\u201d during his first term?\u00a0Trump denied speaking those words at the time.\u00a0He now seemingly admits that it was true.<\/p>\n

Which was the joke?<\/p>\n

Trump said the he\u2019d negotiate peace in Ukraine on his first day in office.\u00a0Of course he was exaggerating.<\/p>\n

But was he joking?\u00a0Did he believe he could negotiate peace in a few weeks?\u00a0A few months?\u00a0At any time during his second term?\u00a0With Trump\u2019s steadfast support for the Russian position in the war, is he even trying to negotiate a peace that would be acceptable to the west?<\/p>\n

Or is he joking?<\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t wait.\u00a0Tell me now, before Trump\u2019s second term expires.<\/p>\n

Trump said that he was going to build a new White House ballroom without costing us a taxpayer dollar.\u00a0Republicans in Congress may now authorize a billion taxpayer dollars to build the ballroom.<\/p>\n

Was Trump joking when he said that he\u2019d build the ballroom at no taxpayer expense?\u00a0Or is he joking now?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Or was Trump misinformed, or exaggerating, or lying, or insane?<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s a joke, how can you be sure of your defense of Trump?\u00a0Or do you just plan to see how things play out, and then insist that Trump was brilliant, no matter what he does?<\/p>\n

How about Trump\u2019s \u201cGold Card\u201d program that, in February 2025, was going to offer a pathway to U.S. citizenship in return for a payment of $5 million?<\/p>\n

It must have been a joke, because Trump reduced the price to $1 million in his September 2025 executive order.<\/p>\n

That Trump!\u00a0He\u2019s a riot!\u00a0What will he think of next?<\/p>\n

As of late April, apparently one applicant had been approved for the Gold Card program.<\/p>\n

What a scream!<\/p>\n

When Trump threatens to bomb Iran back into the Stone Age, is it a joke?<\/p>\n

But tell me now \u2014 before the renewed bombing starts or a peace deal is negotiated.\u00a0If Trump\u2019s joking, you must know that he\u2019s joking, right?<\/p>\n

Along the same lines, did the United States \u201cobliterate\u201d Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program with its strikes last June?\u00a0Trump insisted that we did, and he roped other administration officials into repeating that quip.\u00a0Should I be laughing?<\/p>\n

Because we had to bomb Iran again not eight months later when Iran was on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

Was that real?<\/p>\n

Or is that another joke?<\/p>\n

A joke is a pretty serious thing.<\/p>\n

Is the war in Iran going to be over two weeks after it started in February?\u00a0Or was that a joke?\u00a0Has the United States won that war (and won that war, and won that war), as Trump says?\u00a0Or is that more hilarity?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m ready to concede that a person is a comedian if the person tells a joke and someone \u2014 anyone \u2014 knows that the words were spoken in jest.\u00a0But if the joke leaves a roomful of listeners unable to identify the joke until waiting for later events to pass, that isn\u2019t a joke at all.<\/p>\n

When Trump says that he\u2019ll run for president again in 2028, is that\u00a0a joke?<\/p>\n

Should America treat it as a joke?<\/p>\n

Or must we wait until November 2028 to know?<\/p>\n

I think the joke\u2019s on us.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[email\u00a0protected]<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sane people on the right say that critics of Donald Trump should calm down. Trump says some crazy stuff, they concede, but he\u2019s just kidding.\u00a0Look at what he does, not what he says. Here\u2019s my question:\u00a0How do we know when Trump\u2019s kidding? If a Trump supporter can tell me, at the time Trump speaks the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":150909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1456084944-scaled-MMQeIL.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}