Why debase yourself with intruding on this child’s future. You could produce more meaningful work investigating Chelsea Clinton’s lifestyle through her work with the Clinton Foundation. Or even more fun, Hunter Biden’s totally debased existence reliant on his father’s fortunes (or maybe misfortunes).
Agreed. This article borders on the bizarre, and doesn't belong anywhere - especially the FP. I don't see a single fact mentioned anywhere other than Melania being a very protective mother. Under the same circumstances, I'd hope that my mother would have been very protective, too.
I agree with this. If an adult child of a politician does something of their own volition, they are news. If not, writing about them is likely intrusive and cruel. This article certainly is. There is a respondent on this thread that apparently likes the article. I think his responses are telling. There is a gleeful, blind cruelty in all his posts. They perfectly reflect this article.
Bari ends if posts with "if this post excited you or made you angry..." That is awesome. I love provocative content. But not when it is about damn near children.
The article is not making fun of Barron Trump. It's making fun of the online (and off?) loonies who spew pablum, wishcasting young Trump as an American Caesar.
He fabricated the backstory? Okay. So what did he do? Go and create the Twitter and other online accounts that he linked to in order to pull off this fabrication?
Cheap shot, not even clever or edifying, at a young man because he turned 18, hence open season, and somebody named "River Page" doesn't like his daddy.
Have you taken a gander at the Obama girls lately? You'd never guess these are the daughters of a president. They look like a pair of dreadlocked, midriff-baring slobs, and they smoke openly. Only the likes of the NY Post will publish pictures of them.
Who has Hunter Biden ever worked for? Oh right, he's an "artist." He is what, 53 going on 17. There is an undeniable double standard when it comes to media coverage of children of Democrat and Republican presidents. Imagine if Hunter was a Republican's son. Oh, lordy would they have a field day.
I'll take the Trump boys (and girls) any day of the week over Biden's dysfunctional bunch. They are highly educated, articulate, well-brought up, well-behaved and kids that any parent would be proud of. I'm sure much of this had to do with their mothers, but whatever you say about Trump, he's raised some decent kids.
Gee, I seem to remember a radio personality named Rush calling the then 13-year-old Chelsie Clinton “the White House dog.” Classy. I also remember a liberal comedian making fun of young Baron, and every Democrat condemned her.
Wasn't that 30 years ago? I never listened to Rush so I don't know what he said. I do remember that when Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live made very gentle fun of Chelsea, the show was forced to issue an apology. I don't know the incident with a comedian and Barron, but a couple of "celebrities" tweeted out nasty things about him and Melania, and I don't believe they faced any blowback. Some idiot who hosts a show on the Food Network tweeted something about them that would have gotten anyone fired if it had been the Obama girls (and rightly so), and four years later he's still on the network. (It was some kind of lame tasteless joke wishing Barron and his "real father" a Happy Fathers Day, which looks ridiculous given how much the kid resembles Don.)
In any case I was referring to adult kids, especially those who "put themselves out there" like the Trumps and Hunter. Minor offspring of both parties should be off limits.
Agree. I remember the shade thrown at Malia and Sasha Obama at one of those Thanksgiving Turkey pardons, one of those most ridiculous events of any number of misguided ceremonial time wasters. One of the daughters had a totally bored/annoyed look on her face and the press was not too kind. It thought it was inexcusable that she was called out for acting like a normal teen. I can't imagine being in her position and I am sure I would have acted much worse.
The "online right" you speak of in this article are the lower-middle class White sons that will never get anywhere in life because every single school, business, etc, will discriminate against them for being White and male, and they don't have family money to overcome the disadvantage by being put through private school.
They'll likely not be married (given current dating/marriage trends), or perhaps go through a short marriage and be divorced. They'll not affect much policy anywhere, own a home, or have a decent job. They won't become hardened criminals, because they have enough family structure to know not to do that. They might become fentanyl or meth heads in a few years, but more likely just sit around in a dead-end job playing video games, watching porn, and slowly fading from existence dreaming of the Roman Empire.
They turn on Star Wars, and find out the creator is saying "we need less white men in our audience." They go to watch their favorite MARVEL movie to see the creator saying the same thing. They go to shave, and remember there's a Gillette ad saying men are toxic. They go to class and learn about the hierarchy of oppression. Everywhere they turn they see a society that simultaneously tells them they're privileged and on top, yet takes every possible opportunity to kick them down.
80 years ago, they could have been machine operators and gotten a house and family for themselves. 20 years ago, the smarter of them might have been software engineers by working their way up via scholarships as I did, but even those jobs are now overwhelmingly preferring or only hiring women and minorities. Some of them might jump on the "transmaxxing" trend and pretend to be non-binary for a scholarship, but enough of them still have the pride not to do that.
This is their playground banter. They make a joke about eye color. If not for River Page logging on to the 4chan or Discord at that particular moment, the eye joke would have been forgotten, as would anything about Baron, with the next meme of the day popping up.
Instead of taking a silly joke very seriously and then taking a condescending tone towards them, maybe take a second to understand where they're coming from. These people won't be magically elevating Baron to be a new emperor. They're the nothings, discarded by a society that has officially decided to collectively punish all white men born after the year 2000 for the doings of their ancestors, but provided a nice escape hatch for the sons of wealthy families to be mostly unaffected. These are the ones who weren't born wealthy. They got nothing left but 4chan and Discord. So, let them have a joke.
There may be some cynicism here but also a lot of truth about what this coastal elites have done to white males in this country. I hope they will be OK - and I believe many in the south and Midwest will be. I don’t have much hope for white males in solid blue states where their futures are much in peril.
Migration from the NE and California has become a national topic, which confirms your observation that the South and Midwest are where white males can thrive best. Meanwhile, Biden and the Dems are doing their best to destroy our nation with his influx of unvetted, low skilled, poorly educated people from the 3rd world that he hopes will balance the migration from the NE and California, and/or turn FL, TX, and other Southern States blue; and reports that Biden intends to allow unknown numbers of (unvetted) Gazans to move to the USA shows just how much contempt Biden and the Dems have for our nation - does anyone in the Biden Administration remember 09/11/2001?
Perhaps. But maybe not. Unlike certain other races, whites don’t typically see themselves as victims. The victim mentality is weak, and the weak are the least likely to thrive. Our men will put their heads together, tune out the chatter of the miserable racists, lead their families, and be just fine. They should know that any company that hires based on race and gender instead of talent and experience will not be competitive and will ultimately fail. If anything, the current climate of racial abuse and widespread discrimination should be a motivator. My money is still on the white male.
> They should know that any company that hires based on race and gender instead of talent and experience will not be competitive and will ultimately fail
=============================
Not really. The opposite is true, at least in the short term. ESG/"impact investing" etc. will invest money in companies based on their employee makeup. Most government contracts have certain requirements tied to them. While there are companies run by people ideologically committed to "social justice" (eg Google), there are also lots of incentive structures set up such that hiring practices are, as Larry Fink (who helps decide what companies your retirement IRA gets invested in) put it, "forced." Even a company that *wants* to do colorblind and pure merit-based hiring will be punished for making that choice.
So every company does it. Eg looking around my desk, I see...
- 2 Dell monitors: https://jobs.dell.com/en/diversity-and-inclusion ("By 2030, our goal is for 25% of our U.S. workforce and 15% of our U.S. people leaders to identify as Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino underrepresented groups.")
- Some monitor wipes by CareTouch: https://www.perchhq.com/life-at-perch (D&I appears to be the only thing worth highlighting in the "life at Perch" page)
- ... that's 3 out of 3 things I looked up made by companies that signal, explicitly or implicitly, that my resume would be at the bottom of their pile.
Remember that when a company says it wants 25% of its workforce to be black by 2030, that does not affect anyone currently working there (other than for purposes of getting a promotion). It affects new hires. It affects the kids in high school, college, just entering the work force. It means the 60-year-old guys working there -- who might actually have benefited from that mythical white privilege and patriarchy back in the day -- keep their jobs. So even if you say that having a diverse workforce that meets or exceeds specific quotas is a noble goal, it is not applied equally. It manifests as collective punishment meted out to young people. And if they can't get that first job, they have no "experience" so can't get the next one.
But noticing and complaining about this stuff is "white fragility." So as you say, we gotta just suck it up and keep going.
There are a couple of other options. Everything you describe above is happening, yes, but it is also still technically illegal, as our current laws are written. So I think White people need to start suing companies that are doing this in larger numbers. Already there is some precedent, with the WSJ covering a case involving a seven figure judgment in favor of David Duvall against Novant Health. We need more of these lawsuits and judgments. We should also establish a civil rights organization dedicated specifically to the protection of the civil rights of White people. And if all else fails, develop a new weapon and choose violence. Lol. In the meantime, keep calm and carry on.
The “great unwashed” of middle America and their translucent White sons will fair just fine, as the elitist Whites ruin they very institutions that provide their lofty status.
Vocational programs are being reintroduced into high schools, even those in upper crust zip codes. Junior colleges are expanding their programs as local industries are searching for replacements for their retiring trades people.
The worthless social study degrees and the lawlessness on today’s elite campuses will have a major impact on their collective reputations, thus devaluing whatever benefits going to an “Ivy” might have accrued.
Yes, leave Barron along but for God’s sakes middle American White males & females will be just fine.
I am fully aware of TFP's left leaning. Most of the time I can read and note it and just move on. This time, no. If even I am seriously considering canceling - TFP has a problem. This isn't journalism, and it definitely isn't news. This wasted my time, provided no insight, and is embarrassing to both the person who poured out their views and the TFP.
We are awash in Leftism that manifests similarly, and if one really looks into history one will find that this is, in fact, very representative Leftism.
Satire at the expense of a young man who has done nothing except be born to a family others like to trounce, is beneath TFP. Pick on one of the grown ones who've joined the politics wing of the clan, but leave this young man alone until he does something other than belong to the family.
Totally inappropriate to highlight or go after a kid of a politician who has not put himself out there. He’s 17 or 18 and about to graduate high school. It’s hard enough to be that age without having the last name he does. I skimmed the article and wish the editors of this would have some decency that others do not in writing about him and not run this.
Just like some of the public is fascinated by Jennifer Garner’s children based on photos taken by stalking paparazzi and comments made by one at a funeral, but she’s a private kid with issues and it’s none of our business just because the mom is famous. If some online weirdos are spewing dumb thoughts this writer is free to be fascinated and write about it. The editors don’t have to turn the publication into something that speculates or jokes about a kid.
Technically, sure. Great! For me, the minute he puts himself out there publicly with opinions or strategy he’s fair game. The protesting America hating daughter of Ilan Omar claiming to be a victim of chemical weapons (fart spray) when she goes on msnbc - sure!
There’s much to poke fun at in politics- just not a kid, esp one who may be on the spectrum who has this guy for a father.
This isn't an article about Baron Trump, per se. It's an article about a group of people who are fascinated by him. It's a fringe topic, for sure, but hardly offensive.
The picture at the top is goofy and farcical……not taken from a social media post he had made or anything he had done publicly. It would have been bad taste to do a story about fringe wacko thoughts on the Obama girls as well.
I find the article offensive. This type of selfconcious cleverness aimed at slandering a human being is an inversion of values. Pretending to be smart to impress people who aren't. Wanting desperately to be edgy, regardless of the cost. So, yeah, I'm offended.
I get that this is supposed to be humor, but it isn't humorous to go after a child because of who is father is. I would have thought TFP was above this sort of thing.
It seems as if The FP is gearing up its middle finger approach to many that were here at the start of Common Sense. I guess they have enough subscribers now and can tell all of how they really feel. Hence the hiring of Wiseman.
The more commenters want a little fair and even coverage-the more we get this crap
The commenters here are honestly the most lockstep bunch of populo-conservatives I’ve ever encountered. You guys all say you’re here for free thinking (btw, Bari, for whom I lose no love, never set out to be fair and even) but you can’t stand it when FP publishes something that’s outside your belief system, even a little bit. I find most of Bari’s stuff pretty cheap and agenda driven, but I stay because at least she’s not following the script of one side or the other. Yet the readers are crying for her to pick a lane (their lane) and stay in it. There are plenty of places you can go to just read what you want to hear.
That is completely untrue. I find the TFP commenters not only diverse in thinking, for the most part, but far more intelligent and articulate than on most other publications, including the Wall Street Journal. Yes there are some on the hard right, but you can also find every other place on the political spectrum. (Lockstep?? Have you ever seen some of the spirited debates here??)
I agree about the wrong headedness of readers who want Bari to stay in their lane, because one of the things I've always liked about Common Sense/Free Press is its independence and willingness to make readers a little uncomfortable and make us think, which, don't forget, used to be the mission of so-called objective news reporting. But I definitely disagree that her stuff is cheap and agenda driven. This is infinitely better than Axios, Politico, et al., or almost anything out there. Which is precisely why her readership has exploded and her stories have been picked up by mainstream news outlets and prompted congressional investigations. It shows there is a real hunger out there for honest reporting that doesn't neatly fit a prescribed narrative. Bari is The Queen.
You are certainly entitled to feel that way but I respectfully disagree. No one wants the FP to get in their lane or even feel or think the same. What I have noticed is people desiring coverage of the weaponization of political opponents using the justice department for party gain, Gag orders that seem unconstitutional, or even the coordination of the prosecution with the current White House. Does this not seem 3rd worldish to you-regardless of your political views? I would also think that running a piece that ridicules a kid graduating from high school would be beneath them. I guess not. Oh and theFP often publishes things with which I don’t agree and some things that I do. I like getting many sides. I told a commenter yesterday to go elsewhere for other views because it is not happening here-at least the political lawfare part. The divide in this country will never be narrowed unless you try to see the other side and publishing cute little videos of Ben mingling with conservatives at a rodeo and basically ridiculing them doesn’t quite help
Wasn't the piece mocking the people who think this way about Barron? It didn't read to me as if it were mocking him.
I'm all for trying to understand and humanize "the other side." It's why I join the conversation here, though it sometimes pains me (not talking about you!). I think we're all more similar and connected than the internet and most media make us think. It's not only dangerous, it's heartbreaking.
My take, briefly, of the quote-unquote weaponization of the government is that I'm not sure what a Justice Department is to do if it sees evidence of a crime having been committed even if it's awkward - to say the least - because the suspect happens to be a former president who is also a candidate. I kind of this it's more third-worldish to not apply the normal rule of law to people with extraordinary power. I'd be unhappy - honestly - if Biden, or any other Democrat, were given a pass if there were evidence of criminal activity. I'd be happy (well not happy, but accepting) for Trump's JD, if he wins, to investigate Biden for whatever corruption their evidence points to, which, admittedly isn't much at this point. Honestly. I don't care for anyone being shielded from the consequences of their actions just because they're famous or powerful or important or whatever. Maybe you think the evidence against Trump is bogus? Well, give him his day in court and let him be acquitted. Not like he can't afford excellent lawyers.
As for the gag orders, is anybody allowed to publicly insult witnesses and say negative things about jurors during their trial - especially someone with such unusual reach and power? Like, do we let mob bosses, or other people with power to punish witnesses and jurors, do this? Is Trump the only one? I don't honestly know. But he is allowed to smack talk the judge and the prosecution. Just not to say things that might influence witnesses or jurors. Seems reasonable, no? And why can't Trump just stop it? It goes to a self-control problem whether you think he should be allowed to slag these people off or not. That's how I see it, anyway. I'm pretty into good behavior, though. Like, you have to follow the rules even when you don't like them, and if you break them because you think they're bad, you take the consequences, as the Gaza protesters should, for example.
Editing to add that my comment you're responding to was uncharacteristically snippy for me. I was considering taking myself off this thing because I once thought it might be fruitful but now I don't so much. There are like three people who aren't in these long chains of "you said it!" and back-patting. Sorry. So I just thought, why not? I'm leaving. Sigh.
If the DAs whose job is to prosecute crime declines to do so, another who hi jacks the situation for their own or party gain is not how the system is meant to work. Indeed, it’s gross abuse that serves to undermine the system we believe makes us unique in the world. It’s about the system. Leave the individual out of it.
I think it’s gross abuse not to prosecute when there’s evidence of a crime. And that what makes us (almost) unique in the world is that in our system rule of law applies to everybody. No matter who you are, if there’s evidence you committed a crime, you should be charged. Do you think there’s no evidence? Are you reading any of the testimony in the current case? Or do you think the alleged crime is too petty? But too petty for whom? Do we not prosecute crimes cuz they’re just wee little crimes? Or do we only prosecute little crimes with little people and only big crimes with big people?
Btw. It’s the attorney general's job to prosecute crimes. How has he hijacked anything?.
My theory is not so much that they're giving the middle finger to OG subscribers, but trying to expand their appeal--and revenue--to capture a more ideologically diverse audience and be less of a "niche" publication. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that in itself. There is still plenty to be found here for us long-timers. I don't expect every single article to be to my liking, and if I can tell up front that an article is going in some wacko direction, I don't continue reading it. However, when the day comes that those articles start outnumbering the others, I'll feel gravely disappointed and betrayed. TFP has become my go-to for real journalism.
So the FP has done many publications on free speech-including the twitter files-which I think should be a non partisan issue. It is huge. For that I am grateful. They have reported on the whole gender cult and trampling of women’s rights and am also grateful.
They talk about the abortion issue and lately the plight of the woman who had an unviable fetus and a prognosis of physical harm to the mother unless terminated but couldn’t get an abortion in her own state. Very sad and not right. So they do talk about very important issues. That being said, I think many of the conservative leaning people would like to see a portrayal of how conservatives view life in the US today. The J6ers were prosecuted to the hilt while 2020 virtually was ignored. Many see that Trump is being tried in Democrat cities where he has no chance of a fair and impartial jury and also that the cases are weak at best but we do not expect a good outcome. We have already seen the nefarious Russian collusion idiocy and know that there were plots to thwart Trump at every point of his presidency. Conservatives do not trust government any longer.So in the past year, The FP runs a Bill Barr interview where he states he would never vote for Trump-but when he has changed his mind-crickets. The best (and worst) that they have done to show conservative people is when Ben takes his citified self to the rodeo but he acts as if these people are at best a novelty and at worse ignorant people but kind people. Sorry-just my interpretation. There are commenters that beg for the FP to have a true representative from flyover country (at least half the country)-instead of some Ivy League lens spewer. Such a vast untapped resource.
Maybe have someone write about women who have used abortion as birth control-over and over. I know many.
We are all tired of having our news interpreted for us in how we should feel about certain events-by words or omissions of other view points. Just present the facts but all sides of the facts and hey- we might learn to compromise.
We’ve had the Wa Po, NYT, msnbc, Fox, abc. The FP we hope is or will be different.
You make a lot of very good points. I confess I haven't really contemplated most of them because the "mainstream" media has become so laughably and shamelessly biased that the alternative presented by TFP seemed like such a breath of fresh air, which it is. I tend to give TFP a pass on a lot of things because they are so good at most other things.
Yes, they're hard on Trump but they don't suffer from the full-blown TDS of most of the rest of the media. And they are very tough on Biden, which any service that calls itself a news provider rightfully should be, and would have been in another time.
It's interesting you bring up the abortion issue, because nowhere do I find them more one-sided. Every single article is about some woman with a medical crisis who can't get an abortion in some state. These cases, while unfortunate, are relatively uncommon and a small minority of abortions. But, like you say, there is zero acknowledgement of any "other side." They could write about a woman who was harmed by the abortion pill, for instance. Or the many people who claim to have been injured by the COVID vaccine. These stories are out there. My best guess is they fear being labeled right-wing conspiracy propagandists. I noticed that after the Twitter files story came out, Bari and Nellie Bowles seemed to bend over backwards to distance themselves from Elon and throw shade on him, as if desperately trying to prove that they are not manipulated by the right.
I overlook all these things because the rest of their content is so excellent. For now. I don't want a publication that tells me only the things I want to hear. I can watch FOX for that. And one of the things I love most about TFP is the way they treat their readers like adults and not children who can't handle certain content. They generally don't censor the comments because they believe we can take blowback and stick up for ourselves, unlike most every other publication out there.
Sorry, I got busy with life and forgot to respond to your comment. I wish everyone could just be open to listening to others as you seem to be. Your comment is food for thought. I appreciate the dialogue.
If this were actually a widespread meme--worthy of satirization--you'd think someone among the commenters would have ever heard of this before. No one here seems to have heard of this except the author. As such, it is nothing more than a mean-spirited attack piece.
Just because you haven't seen it does not mean it cannot be satirized. I didn't know it was out there until read this piece and went to the links. Everyone around here is taking this way too seriously. imo
The Dems created Trump, They are keeping their creation alive because they mistakenly think it is a good idea. It’s the only idea they seem to agree on. As stupid as that idea is.
Looks like River Page is looking for a new gig at NPR!
Jeezuz H Hammerpounding Christ you people at the Free Press can sink like stones. This one plumbs depths I thought were reserved for only a select few of the most asshole insane among you.
I am not sure which is worse, that 70% of Republicans believe the last election was stolen or that 100% of Democrats seem to be incapable of any manner of self-reflection and introspection on what a loathsome, mean-spirited, crass bunch of fucking assholes they are.
Bari, I'm disappointed you would let River Page write this hate filled article for The Free Press. On the other hand I'm pleased that the author exposed herself as a classless, poisonous jerk so I can avoid her in the future.
It says to “follow him on X,” but only “approved followers” can see his posts.
Given this ridiculous article, why would I ever make the effort of seeking his approval. The Free Press is better than this partisan drivel.
If there was a Donald Trump Fanfic section of the FP, this would be an intriguing idea. Assuming you’re still focused on actual journalism, this is just a clod of dirt from the same shovel that is burying the NYT.
Sorry to disappoint you. As a representative of "the right", I can explain that we want no Caesar. You see conservatives don't believe in centralized power. That's why we try to downsize the government. The left can't seem to understand this but the issues have been the same since the arguments between Adams and Jefferson.
Not written by a mother who has worked through the pre-teen or teen years with a child. The author would have instinctively known this topic was in poor taste.
I'm a conservative and pretty tuned-in to the online right, and all I've seen are just some silly memes, mostly akin to the "God-Emperor Trump" meme. It's just people being funny and making fun of the whole "Trumpism is a cult" fervor among the lunatic left. I don't think anyone actually takes it remotely seriously, or even gave it a fraction of the thought that this writer has.
Pretty despicable article. I guess this unheard of idiot thinks he’s clever but he’s just sad. Total waste of my time and giving this trash bytes is beneath the FP.
Why debase yourself with intruding on this child’s future. You could produce more meaningful work investigating Chelsea Clinton’s lifestyle through her work with the Clinton Foundation. Or even more fun, Hunter Biden’s totally debased existence reliant on his father’s fortunes (or maybe misfortunes).
Agreed. This article borders on the bizarre, and doesn't belong anywhere - especially the FP. I don't see a single fact mentioned anywhere other than Melania being a very protective mother. Under the same circumstances, I'd hope that my mother would have been very protective, too.
This article is awesome
Let this be sarcasm, otherwise take your meds call Uber and get to your appointment
Ok Bill
Free Press Jumps Shark
news at eleven
Awe inspiring. In a bad way.
Seems like more and more TFP is exactly where this article belongs.
TFP needs a downvote button.
most of the comments reflect that
I agree with this. If an adult child of a politician does something of their own volition, they are news. If not, writing about them is likely intrusive and cruel. This article certainly is. There is a respondent on this thread that apparently likes the article. I think his responses are telling. There is a gleeful, blind cruelty in all his posts. They perfectly reflect this article.
Bari ends if posts with "if this post excited you or made you angry..." That is awesome. I love provocative content. But not when it is about damn near children.
The article is not making fun of Barron Trump. It's making fun of the online (and off?) loonies who spew pablum, wishcasting young Trump as an American Caesar.
Actually, he's attempting satire based on Barron's name, height and appearance. He fabricated the backstory about the loonies to support his humor.
He fabricated the backstory? Okay. So what did he do? Go and create the Twitter and other online accounts that he linked to in order to pull off this fabrication?
Cheap shot, not even clever or edifying, at a young man because he turned 18, hence open season, and somebody named "River Page" doesn't like his daddy.
Amen. I don’t usually like to quote Dr. Phil, but “That’s five minutes of my life I can’t get back.”
Have you taken a gander at the Obama girls lately? You'd never guess these are the daughters of a president. They look like a pair of dreadlocked, midriff-baring slobs, and they smoke openly. Only the likes of the NY Post will publish pictures of them.
Or Trump's other two sons. Do you think they've worked for anyone other than their Dad?
Who has Hunter Biden ever worked for? Oh right, he's an "artist." He is what, 53 going on 17. There is an undeniable double standard when it comes to media coverage of children of Democrat and Republican presidents. Imagine if Hunter was a Republican's son. Oh, lordy would they have a field day.
I'll take the Trump boys (and girls) any day of the week over Biden's dysfunctional bunch. They are highly educated, articulate, well-brought up, well-behaved and kids that any parent would be proud of. I'm sure much of this had to do with their mothers, but whatever you say about Trump, he's raised some decent kids.
Gee, I seem to remember a radio personality named Rush calling the then 13-year-old Chelsie Clinton “the White House dog.” Classy. I also remember a liberal comedian making fun of young Baron, and every Democrat condemned her.
Wasn't that 30 years ago? I never listened to Rush so I don't know what he said. I do remember that when Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live made very gentle fun of Chelsea, the show was forced to issue an apology. I don't know the incident with a comedian and Barron, but a couple of "celebrities" tweeted out nasty things about him and Melania, and I don't believe they faced any blowback. Some idiot who hosts a show on the Food Network tweeted something about them that would have gotten anyone fired if it had been the Obama girls (and rightly so), and four years later he's still on the network. (It was some kind of lame tasteless joke wishing Barron and his "real father" a Happy Fathers Day, which looks ridiculous given how much the kid resembles Don.)
In any case I was referring to adult kids, especially those who "put themselves out there" like the Trumps and Hunter. Minor offspring of both parties should be off limits.
And your point is? Have you ever worked for anyone?
Read Kerry above and you'll see what my point is..
Agree. I remember the shade thrown at Malia and Sasha Obama at one of those Thanksgiving Turkey pardons, one of those most ridiculous events of any number of misguided ceremonial time wasters. One of the daughters had a totally bored/annoyed look on her face and the press was not too kind. It thought it was inexcusable that she was called out for acting like a normal teen. I can't imagine being in her position and I am sure I would have acted much worse.
The "online right" you speak of in this article are the lower-middle class White sons that will never get anywhere in life because every single school, business, etc, will discriminate against them for being White and male, and they don't have family money to overcome the disadvantage by being put through private school.
They'll likely not be married (given current dating/marriage trends), or perhaps go through a short marriage and be divorced. They'll not affect much policy anywhere, own a home, or have a decent job. They won't become hardened criminals, because they have enough family structure to know not to do that. They might become fentanyl or meth heads in a few years, but more likely just sit around in a dead-end job playing video games, watching porn, and slowly fading from existence dreaming of the Roman Empire.
They turn on Star Wars, and find out the creator is saying "we need less white men in our audience." They go to watch their favorite MARVEL movie to see the creator saying the same thing. They go to shave, and remember there's a Gillette ad saying men are toxic. They go to class and learn about the hierarchy of oppression. Everywhere they turn they see a society that simultaneously tells them they're privileged and on top, yet takes every possible opportunity to kick them down.
80 years ago, they could have been machine operators and gotten a house and family for themselves. 20 years ago, the smarter of them might have been software engineers by working their way up via scholarships as I did, but even those jobs are now overwhelmingly preferring or only hiring women and minorities. Some of them might jump on the "transmaxxing" trend and pretend to be non-binary for a scholarship, but enough of them still have the pride not to do that.
This is their playground banter. They make a joke about eye color. If not for River Page logging on to the 4chan or Discord at that particular moment, the eye joke would have been forgotten, as would anything about Baron, with the next meme of the day popping up.
Instead of taking a silly joke very seriously and then taking a condescending tone towards them, maybe take a second to understand where they're coming from. These people won't be magically elevating Baron to be a new emperor. They're the nothings, discarded by a society that has officially decided to collectively punish all white men born after the year 2000 for the doings of their ancestors, but provided a nice escape hatch for the sons of wealthy families to be mostly unaffected. These are the ones who weren't born wealthy. They got nothing left but 4chan and Discord. So, let them have a joke.
There may be some cynicism here but also a lot of truth about what this coastal elites have done to white males in this country. I hope they will be OK - and I believe many in the south and Midwest will be. I don’t have much hope for white males in solid blue states where their futures are much in peril.
Migration from the NE and California has become a national topic, which confirms your observation that the South and Midwest are where white males can thrive best. Meanwhile, Biden and the Dems are doing their best to destroy our nation with his influx of unvetted, low skilled, poorly educated people from the 3rd world that he hopes will balance the migration from the NE and California, and/or turn FL, TX, and other Southern States blue; and reports that Biden intends to allow unknown numbers of (unvetted) Gazans to move to the USA shows just how much contempt Biden and the Dems have for our nation - does anyone in the Biden Administration remember 09/11/2001?
Perhaps. But maybe not. Unlike certain other races, whites don’t typically see themselves as victims. The victim mentality is weak, and the weak are the least likely to thrive. Our men will put their heads together, tune out the chatter of the miserable racists, lead their families, and be just fine. They should know that any company that hires based on race and gender instead of talent and experience will not be competitive and will ultimately fail. If anything, the current climate of racial abuse and widespread discrimination should be a motivator. My money is still on the white male.
> They should know that any company that hires based on race and gender instead of talent and experience will not be competitive and will ultimately fail
=============================
Not really. The opposite is true, at least in the short term. ESG/"impact investing" etc. will invest money in companies based on their employee makeup. Most government contracts have certain requirements tied to them. While there are companies run by people ideologically committed to "social justice" (eg Google), there are also lots of incentive structures set up such that hiring practices are, as Larry Fink (who helps decide what companies your retirement IRA gets invested in) put it, "forced." Even a company that *wants* to do colorblind and pure merit-based hiring will be punished for making that choice.
So every company does it. Eg looking around my desk, I see...
- 2 Dell monitors: https://jobs.dell.com/en/diversity-and-inclusion ("By 2030, our goal is for 25% of our U.S. workforce and 15% of our U.S. people leaders to identify as Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino underrepresented groups.")
- Some Orbit gum, made by Mars corporation: https://careers.mars.com/us/en/inclusion-and-diversity
- Some monitor wipes by CareTouch: https://www.perchhq.com/life-at-perch (D&I appears to be the only thing worth highlighting in the "life at Perch" page)
- ... that's 3 out of 3 things I looked up made by companies that signal, explicitly or implicitly, that my resume would be at the bottom of their pile.
Every single company is going to do "positive discrimination". There are even consulting firms that help them do it to meet their quotas: https://www.piratewires.com/p/gem-hr-software-dei
Remember that when a company says it wants 25% of its workforce to be black by 2030, that does not affect anyone currently working there (other than for purposes of getting a promotion). It affects new hires. It affects the kids in high school, college, just entering the work force. It means the 60-year-old guys working there -- who might actually have benefited from that mythical white privilege and patriarchy back in the day -- keep their jobs. So even if you say that having a diverse workforce that meets or exceeds specific quotas is a noble goal, it is not applied equally. It manifests as collective punishment meted out to young people. And if they can't get that first job, they have no "experience" so can't get the next one.
But noticing and complaining about this stuff is "white fragility." So as you say, we gotta just suck it up and keep going.
There are a couple of other options. Everything you describe above is happening, yes, but it is also still technically illegal, as our current laws are written. So I think White people need to start suing companies that are doing this in larger numbers. Already there is some precedent, with the WSJ covering a case involving a seven figure judgment in favor of David Duvall against Novant Health. We need more of these lawsuits and judgments. We should also establish a civil rights organization dedicated specifically to the protection of the civil rights of White people. And if all else fails, develop a new weapon and choose violence. Lol. In the meantime, keep calm and carry on.
The “great unwashed” of middle America and their translucent White sons will fair just fine, as the elitist Whites ruin they very institutions that provide their lofty status.
Vocational programs are being reintroduced into high schools, even those in upper crust zip codes. Junior colleges are expanding their programs as local industries are searching for replacements for their retiring trades people.
The worthless social study degrees and the lawlessness on today’s elite campuses will have a major impact on their collective reputations, thus devaluing whatever benefits going to an “Ivy” might have accrued.
Yes, leave Barron along but for God’s sakes middle American White males & females will be just fine.
You’re a cynic
I am fully aware of TFP's left leaning. Most of the time I can read and note it and just move on. This time, no. If even I am seriously considering canceling - TFP has a problem. This isn't journalism, and it definitely isn't news. This wasted my time, provided no insight, and is embarrassing to both the person who poured out their views and the TFP.
This was neither left nor right just unrefined Trump hate.
Nah this is just meanness and that is pervasive across the political spectrum
We are awash in Leftism that manifests similarly, and if one really looks into history one will find that this is, in fact, very representative Leftism.
I agree. I will not renew my membership. The Free Press will not return my money.
One good thing about it, if I see river page again, will not read.
It's satire.
Satire at the expense of a young man who has done nothing except be born to a family others like to trounce, is beneath TFP. Pick on one of the grown ones who've joined the politics wing of the clan, but leave this young man alone until he does something other than belong to the family.
Don't agree. The satire is not directed at him, it's directed at those who are saying those things about him - in my view.
Totally inappropriate to highlight or go after a kid of a politician who has not put himself out there. He’s 17 or 18 and about to graduate high school. It’s hard enough to be that age without having the last name he does. I skimmed the article and wish the editors of this would have some decency that others do not in writing about him and not run this.
He’s not going after him. He is fascinated by him
Just like some of the public is fascinated by Jennifer Garner’s children based on photos taken by stalking paparazzi and comments made by one at a funeral, but she’s a private kid with issues and it’s none of our business just because the mom is famous. If some online weirdos are spewing dumb thoughts this writer is free to be fascinated and write about it. The editors don’t have to turn the publication into something that speculates or jokes about a kid.
He is 18. He can go to war.
Technically, sure. Great! For me, the minute he puts himself out there publicly with opinions or strategy he’s fair game. The protesting America hating daughter of Ilan Omar claiming to be a victim of chemical weapons (fart spray) when she goes on msnbc - sure!
There’s much to poke fun at in politics- just not a kid, esp one who may be on the spectrum who has this guy for a father.
Who poked fun at him?
It’s in the eye of the beholder. And if miss understood, needs to be addressed by the writer or publisher. Then move on, lesson learned, we hope.
This isn't an article about Baron Trump, per se. It's an article about a group of people who are fascinated by him. It's a fringe topic, for sure, but hardly offensive.
The picture at the top is goofy and farcical……not taken from a social media post he had made or anything he had done publicly. It would have been bad taste to do a story about fringe wacko thoughts on the Obama girls as well.
Are there fringe wacko thoughts on the Obama girls? I’d there are, I want to know about it! Would happily read a Free Press story
👌🏻👍🏻
I agree. But no one else around here does.
Would you like satire about Clinton's or Biden's kids?
I disagree with your premise. In my view this is not satire against Trump's kid - the satire is on the people who are saying these things about him.
I find the article offensive. This type of selfconcious cleverness aimed at slandering a human being is an inversion of values. Pretending to be smart to impress people who aren't. Wanting desperately to be edgy, regardless of the cost. So, yeah, I'm offended.
I get that this is supposed to be humor, but it isn't humorous to go after a child because of who is father is. I would have thought TFP was above this sort of thing.
This piece is shockingly disappointing. I expect more from Bari.
Ah Celia
It seems as if The FP is gearing up its middle finger approach to many that were here at the start of Common Sense. I guess they have enough subscribers now and can tell all of how they really feel. Hence the hiring of Wiseman.
The more commenters want a little fair and even coverage-the more we get this crap
Something to consider
The commenters here are honestly the most lockstep bunch of populo-conservatives I’ve ever encountered. You guys all say you’re here for free thinking (btw, Bari, for whom I lose no love, never set out to be fair and even) but you can’t stand it when FP publishes something that’s outside your belief system, even a little bit. I find most of Bari’s stuff pretty cheap and agenda driven, but I stay because at least she’s not following the script of one side or the other. Yet the readers are crying for her to pick a lane (their lane) and stay in it. There are plenty of places you can go to just read what you want to hear.
That is completely untrue. I find the TFP commenters not only diverse in thinking, for the most part, but far more intelligent and articulate than on most other publications, including the Wall Street Journal. Yes there are some on the hard right, but you can also find every other place on the political spectrum. (Lockstep?? Have you ever seen some of the spirited debates here??)
I agree about the wrong headedness of readers who want Bari to stay in their lane, because one of the things I've always liked about Common Sense/Free Press is its independence and willingness to make readers a little uncomfortable and make us think, which, don't forget, used to be the mission of so-called objective news reporting. But I definitely disagree that her stuff is cheap and agenda driven. This is infinitely better than Axios, Politico, et al., or almost anything out there. Which is precisely why her readership has exploded and her stories have been picked up by mainstream news outlets and prompted congressional investigations. It shows there is a real hunger out there for honest reporting that doesn't neatly fit a prescribed narrative. Bari is The Queen.
I don’t agree Bari is The Queen but I liked your comment notwithstanding.
You are certainly entitled to feel that way but I respectfully disagree. No one wants the FP to get in their lane or even feel or think the same. What I have noticed is people desiring coverage of the weaponization of political opponents using the justice department for party gain, Gag orders that seem unconstitutional, or even the coordination of the prosecution with the current White House. Does this not seem 3rd worldish to you-regardless of your political views? I would also think that running a piece that ridicules a kid graduating from high school would be beneath them. I guess not. Oh and theFP often publishes things with which I don’t agree and some things that I do. I like getting many sides. I told a commenter yesterday to go elsewhere for other views because it is not happening here-at least the political lawfare part. The divide in this country will never be narrowed unless you try to see the other side and publishing cute little videos of Ben mingling with conservatives at a rodeo and basically ridiculing them doesn’t quite help
Wasn't the piece mocking the people who think this way about Barron? It didn't read to me as if it were mocking him.
I'm all for trying to understand and humanize "the other side." It's why I join the conversation here, though it sometimes pains me (not talking about you!). I think we're all more similar and connected than the internet and most media make us think. It's not only dangerous, it's heartbreaking.
My take, briefly, of the quote-unquote weaponization of the government is that I'm not sure what a Justice Department is to do if it sees evidence of a crime having been committed even if it's awkward - to say the least - because the suspect happens to be a former president who is also a candidate. I kind of this it's more third-worldish to not apply the normal rule of law to people with extraordinary power. I'd be unhappy - honestly - if Biden, or any other Democrat, were given a pass if there were evidence of criminal activity. I'd be happy (well not happy, but accepting) for Trump's JD, if he wins, to investigate Biden for whatever corruption their evidence points to, which, admittedly isn't much at this point. Honestly. I don't care for anyone being shielded from the consequences of their actions just because they're famous or powerful or important or whatever. Maybe you think the evidence against Trump is bogus? Well, give him his day in court and let him be acquitted. Not like he can't afford excellent lawyers.
As for the gag orders, is anybody allowed to publicly insult witnesses and say negative things about jurors during their trial - especially someone with such unusual reach and power? Like, do we let mob bosses, or other people with power to punish witnesses and jurors, do this? Is Trump the only one? I don't honestly know. But he is allowed to smack talk the judge and the prosecution. Just not to say things that might influence witnesses or jurors. Seems reasonable, no? And why can't Trump just stop it? It goes to a self-control problem whether you think he should be allowed to slag these people off or not. That's how I see it, anyway. I'm pretty into good behavior, though. Like, you have to follow the rules even when you don't like them, and if you break them because you think they're bad, you take the consequences, as the Gaza protesters should, for example.
Editing to add that my comment you're responding to was uncharacteristically snippy for me. I was considering taking myself off this thing because I once thought it might be fruitful but now I don't so much. There are like three people who aren't in these long chains of "you said it!" and back-patting. Sorry. So I just thought, why not? I'm leaving. Sigh.
If the DAs whose job is to prosecute crime declines to do so, another who hi jacks the situation for their own or party gain is not how the system is meant to work. Indeed, it’s gross abuse that serves to undermine the system we believe makes us unique in the world. It’s about the system. Leave the individual out of it.
I think it’s gross abuse not to prosecute when there’s evidence of a crime. And that what makes us (almost) unique in the world is that in our system rule of law applies to everybody. No matter who you are, if there’s evidence you committed a crime, you should be charged. Do you think there’s no evidence? Are you reading any of the testimony in the current case? Or do you think the alleged crime is too petty? But too petty for whom? Do we not prosecute crimes cuz they’re just wee little crimes? Or do we only prosecute little crimes with little people and only big crimes with big people?
Btw. It’s the attorney general's job to prosecute crimes. How has he hijacked anything?.
Totally understand. It can be so dicouraging.
Maybe the belief system being offended is civility and decency and is not about one’s foolish agenda.
My theory is not so much that they're giving the middle finger to OG subscribers, but trying to expand their appeal--and revenue--to capture a more ideologically diverse audience and be less of a "niche" publication. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that in itself. There is still plenty to be found here for us long-timers. I don't expect every single article to be to my liking, and if I can tell up front that an article is going in some wacko direction, I don't continue reading it. However, when the day comes that those articles start outnumbering the others, I'll feel gravely disappointed and betrayed. TFP has become my go-to for real journalism.
So the FP has done many publications on free speech-including the twitter files-which I think should be a non partisan issue. It is huge. For that I am grateful. They have reported on the whole gender cult and trampling of women’s rights and am also grateful.
They talk about the abortion issue and lately the plight of the woman who had an unviable fetus and a prognosis of physical harm to the mother unless terminated but couldn’t get an abortion in her own state. Very sad and not right. So they do talk about very important issues. That being said, I think many of the conservative leaning people would like to see a portrayal of how conservatives view life in the US today. The J6ers were prosecuted to the hilt while 2020 virtually was ignored. Many see that Trump is being tried in Democrat cities where he has no chance of a fair and impartial jury and also that the cases are weak at best but we do not expect a good outcome. We have already seen the nefarious Russian collusion idiocy and know that there were plots to thwart Trump at every point of his presidency. Conservatives do not trust government any longer.So in the past year, The FP runs a Bill Barr interview where he states he would never vote for Trump-but when he has changed his mind-crickets. The best (and worst) that they have done to show conservative people is when Ben takes his citified self to the rodeo but he acts as if these people are at best a novelty and at worse ignorant people but kind people. Sorry-just my interpretation. There are commenters that beg for the FP to have a true representative from flyover country (at least half the country)-instead of some Ivy League lens spewer. Such a vast untapped resource.
Maybe have someone write about women who have used abortion as birth control-over and over. I know many.
We are all tired of having our news interpreted for us in how we should feel about certain events-by words or omissions of other view points. Just present the facts but all sides of the facts and hey- we might learn to compromise.
We’ve had the Wa Po, NYT, msnbc, Fox, abc. The FP we hope is or will be different.
You make a lot of very good points. I confess I haven't really contemplated most of them because the "mainstream" media has become so laughably and shamelessly biased that the alternative presented by TFP seemed like such a breath of fresh air, which it is. I tend to give TFP a pass on a lot of things because they are so good at most other things.
Yes, they're hard on Trump but they don't suffer from the full-blown TDS of most of the rest of the media. And they are very tough on Biden, which any service that calls itself a news provider rightfully should be, and would have been in another time.
It's interesting you bring up the abortion issue, because nowhere do I find them more one-sided. Every single article is about some woman with a medical crisis who can't get an abortion in some state. These cases, while unfortunate, are relatively uncommon and a small minority of abortions. But, like you say, there is zero acknowledgement of any "other side." They could write about a woman who was harmed by the abortion pill, for instance. Or the many people who claim to have been injured by the COVID vaccine. These stories are out there. My best guess is they fear being labeled right-wing conspiracy propagandists. I noticed that after the Twitter files story came out, Bari and Nellie Bowles seemed to bend over backwards to distance themselves from Elon and throw shade on him, as if desperately trying to prove that they are not manipulated by the right.
I overlook all these things because the rest of their content is so excellent. For now. I don't want a publication that tells me only the things I want to hear. I can watch FOX for that. And one of the things I love most about TFP is the way they treat their readers like adults and not children who can't handle certain content. They generally don't censor the comments because they believe we can take blowback and stick up for ourselves, unlike most every other publication out there.
Sorry, I got busy with life and forgot to respond to your comment. I wish everyone could just be open to listening to others as you seem to be. Your comment is food for thought. I appreciate the dialogue.
I think the writer is satirizing the idiots out there who are weirdly putting up the youngster on some kind of pedestal. Not the kid himself.
If this were actually a widespread meme--worthy of satirization--you'd think someone among the commenters would have ever heard of this before. No one here seems to have heard of this except the author. As such, it is nothing more than a mean-spirited attack piece.
Just because you haven't seen it does not mean it cannot be satirized. I didn't know it was out there until read this piece and went to the links. Everyone around here is taking this way too seriously. imo
If you are going to let it at least be funny.
He is a man
He is a high school student
So?
So he’s Caesar.
Celia, Oliver Weisman is on a mission to NOT LET US FORGET Trump & even his family are a threat to Democrats … uh, I mean, to Democracy!
We can expect it to get worse as we get closer to the election!
The Dems created Trump, They are keeping their creation alive because they mistakenly think it is a good idea. It’s the only idea they seem to agree on. As stupid as that idea is.
Hey Bari Weiss...
Looks like River Page is looking for a new gig at NPR!
Jeezuz H Hammerpounding Christ you people at the Free Press can sink like stones. This one plumbs depths I thought were reserved for only a select few of the most asshole insane among you.
I am not sure which is worse, that 70% of Republicans believe the last election was stolen or that 100% of Democrats seem to be incapable of any manner of self-reflection and introspection on what a loathsome, mean-spirited, crass bunch of fucking assholes they are.
Defund the fucking Democratic Party!
Democratic Party of America, delenda est!
Bari, I'm disappointed you would let River Page write this hate filled article for The Free Press. On the other hand I'm pleased that the author exposed herself as a classless, poisonous jerk so I can avoid her in the future.
Same.
"him"self, but yes.
I assumed female based on name and have since learned he is male.
It’s a trendy name with the hipsters of Brooklyn’s leisure class.
from the River to the C or better if No River Runs Through It
It says to “follow him on X,” but only “approved followers” can see his posts.
Given this ridiculous article, why would I ever make the effort of seeking his approval. The Free Press is better than this partisan drivel.
If there was a Donald Trump Fanfic section of the FP, this would be an intriguing idea. Assuming you’re still focused on actual journalism, this is just a clod of dirt from the same shovel that is burying the NYT.
Sorry to disappoint you. As a representative of "the right", I can explain that we want no Caesar. You see conservatives don't believe in centralized power. That's why we try to downsize the government. The left can't seem to understand this but the issues have been the same since the arguments between Adams and Jefferson.
Not written by a mother who has worked through the pre-teen or teen years with a child. The author would have instinctively known this topic was in poor taste.
I'm a conservative and pretty tuned-in to the online right, and all I've seen are just some silly memes, mostly akin to the "God-Emperor Trump" meme. It's just people being funny and making fun of the whole "Trumpism is a cult" fervor among the lunatic left. I don't think anyone actually takes it remotely seriously, or even gave it a fraction of the thought that this writer has.
Indeed, one of the more obvious left-wing delusions is that parody of the cult of personality that they built around Obama is actually sincere.
My god this is piece is horrible. Bari Weiss you should be truly ashamed of yourself
Pretty despicable article. I guess this unheard of idiot thinks he’s clever but he’s just sad. Total waste of my time and giving this trash bytes is beneath the FP.
I really think discussing children of political leaders is as distasteful as it is inappropriate.
What a ridiculous article! Now Trump derangement Syndrome includes an 18 year kid🧐
It has for 9 years
Is this newsworthy? Sounds like QAnon to me. 2 online posts are elevated to a right wing movement by left wing journalists.
When I see 4Chan or QAnon referenced, I immediately know I'm about hear some BS. And I did.