Trump opponents 'should be chastened'

Trump opponents 'should be chastened' since 'plurality of the American people thought we were wrong,' NY Times columnist says

https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-opponents-should-be-chastened-since-plurality-of-the-american-people-thought-we-were-wrong-ny-times-columnist-says

DAVE URBANSKI

DECEMBER 30, 2024

David Brooks also said that 'if you’re a worshipper of the European social welfare model, you should be chastened because that’s falling apart.'

New York Times columnist David Brooks said he and other opponents of President-elect Donald Trump "should be chastened" since the "plurality of the American people thought we were wrong."

Brooks made his comment during a "PBS News Hour" interview Friday after moderator Lisa Desjardins asked him about his "political word of the year." Brooks replied that it is "chastened."

'I have to say, I’m thrilled by the decline in viewership for political news. We’re over-politicized in this country.'

“For those of us who oppose Donald Trump, we should be chastened because of the plurality of the American people thought we were wrong,” Brooks responded. “If you’re a worshipper of the European social welfare model, you should be chastened because that’s falling apart. If you hated [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, you should be a little chastened, because he took down Hamas and Hezbollah and [former Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad. So there's a lot of reason for humility at the end of this year."

Also answering questions was MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart, who said his political word of the year is "humility," adding that he used the word on "a couple of election nights, saying we need to be humble — those of us in our profession — because we don't know what the voters have to say. I have to say that after this past election, I'm not wild about what the voters had to say, but chastened is a good word, exhausted is a good word. There's so many good words."

Desjardins also offered that an Associated Press poll indicates that two-thirds of Americans are backing away from political news in the wake of the 2024 election.

Indeed, the Daily Beast noted that "cable news ratings have largely plummeted since last month’s election, with both CNN and MSNBC facing double-digit declines as viewers flock elsewhere. The Rachel Maddow Show faced its lowest ratings in years, while CNN’s year-end average in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic reached its lowest total ever. Fox News, however, has seen its ratings surge by double digits since Donald Trump won reelection."

Brooks chuckled as he told Desjardins, "I have to say, I’m thrilled by the decline in viewership for political news. We’re over-politicized in this country. People go to politics for a sense of belonging, for a sense of righteousness. You should go to your friends for those things. You’re asking more of politics than politics can bear.”

Capehart admitted that the ratings for his show "have fallen. I am not ashamed to say that. And we chalk that up to exhaustion. It’s been a long two years. We chalk that up to people just needing a break, to your point. People need a break. They will come back after Inauguration Day. That is guaranteed because there's going to be a lot happening in this country that is going to demand their attention, and they're going to want to know. They'll come back."

You can view video here of the discussion; the relevant portion begins at the 6:17 mark.