The Trump-Vance ticket is facing a relentless media campaign that labels them as “weird.” On Monday alone, CNN and MSNBC each used the term over 160 times in segments about former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).
The trend began when Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota referred to the ticket as “weird” during a July 23 appearance on “Morning Joe.” The term quickly gained traction among Democrats and media outlets following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not seek reelection and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
After Trump selected Vance as his running mate on July 15 at the Republican National Convention, old interviews and speeches by Vance resurfaced.
These included comments where Vance questioned why prominent Democrats like Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg do not have children. These remarks led to the “weird” label being applied to Vance. Additionally, Trump’s past references to Hannibal Lecter and sharks have been used by Democrats to justify calling him “weird.”
On Monday, MSNBC used the term “weird” 179 times in segments related to Trump or Vance, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF). “Inside with Jen Psaki,” hosted by the former Biden administration press secretary, repeated the term 35 times. “Morning Joe” used it 32 times, featuring Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan who also labeled the ticket as “weird.”
CNN was close behind, using the term 170 times on Monday. Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell and Barbara Lee of California both used the term to describe Trump and Vance. Swalwell said on “CNN This Morning” that Harris would never choose someone “as weird and creepy as J.D. Vance.” Lee, on “CNN News Central,” stated that Vance’s selection showed Trump’s true beliefs, calling him “weird” and “pretty unprepared.”
Tom Elliot, founder of Grabien News, noted that CNN and MSNBC used the term over 150 times during the weekend. Elliot explained that hosts often set up segments to reinforce the “weird” label in viewers’ minds by prompting guests to agree with the characterization of Vance as “weird.”
