Alright, let’s talk about it. Melania Trump’s publisher asked CNN for $250,000 to interview her about her new book. Yeah, a quarter of a million dollars to talk about Melania’s literary masterpiece. I mean, I don’t know what kind of cash you expect to pull in for an interview, but that’s like saying, “Hey, I’ll come to your BBQ if you get me a helicopter.”
Obviously, this wasn’t some scam—they walked it back real fast. But here we are, making it into a big scandal, like someone’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes. when I first saw this story, I actually said aloud “and the grift goes on.” But then I read the story, and it clearly said that her publisher owned up to the mistake, and that it did not have anything to do with Melania herself. Stuff happens. So I had a little laugh and I let it go. AS I SHOULD HAVE!
In the end it was just an overzealous lackey sending email or a number tossed out by someone not thinking clearly. It’s not the crime of the century, just a simple mistake. Happens every day. And yet, here come the headlines, like this was part of some sinister plan.
And then there’s Tim Walz. This guy, during a debate, tried to talk about how, as governor, he had to comfort families of school shooting victims. But what came out? “I’ve made friends with school shooters.” Yeah, that’s the sound of every aide in the room collectively banging their heads on the table. You could practically hear the Republicans rubbing their hands together in anticipation. But seriously—do you think this man’s out there starting a school shooter support group? Of course not. It was a verbal train wreck, but anyone with a shred of common sense knows what he meant. Instead, we act like he was signing yearbooks for shooters.
This is the world we live in—where every stumble gets magnified to insane proportions. And if you think this is just some 2024 thing, let’s take a trip back through time and look at some classics.
Remember Ben Carson in 2016? My man was running for president, and during a debate, he just walked right past the stage entrance. He didn’t hear his name or something, so he’s just standing there, lost, like the rest of us at the DMV. What followed was this bizarre moment where Carson, a literal brain surgeon, looked like he couldn’t find his way to a stage. Cue the jokes, cue the doubt, and everyone starts acting like the guy can’t find his keys. Come on. The man probably just had one of those “Where the hell am I supposed to be?” moments that we all get in the cereal aisle. But no—he’s instantly labeled a space cadet.
And who could forget George W. Bush and his infamous locked door moment? This was 2004. He’s at a NATO summit, probably thinking about something important, and he tries to leave the room—except, oops, wrong door. It’s locked. Now, that’s the kind of thing that happens to me every time I leave my house, but when you’re the president, suddenly it’s a metaphor for your whole administration. People made it out like this man couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag. He wasn’t stuck in the door forever, guys. He figured it out. But God forbid we let it go, right?
Now, let’s roll it back to Joe Biden in 2008. He’s on stage with Barack Obama, and he says, “Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya!” Sounds great, except Chuck was in a wheelchair. That’s a “put your foot in your mouth and keep going” moment if I’ve ever seen one. You could almost see the gears turning as Biden realized, mid-sentence, the situation. But did the guy mean to insult someone in a wheelchair? Of course not! It was just one of those moments where your brain doesn’t catch up to your mouth. He apologized, Chuck laughed it off, but everyone else? They were like sharks in the water. Relax, people. It was a slip-up, not a personal attack.
And here’s the thing—this happens to all of us. You’re at work, and you accidentally call your boss “Mom.” Or you send a text about your boss to your boss. We’ve all done it! But when a politician does something stupid, it’s like a pack of wolves descending on fresh meat. People act like every little mistake is proof of incompetence or a grand conspiracy.
The truth is, people mess up. They say the wrong thing, walk the wrong way, or make bad decisions. It’s not always some sinister plot or grand incompetence. Sometimes, it’s just life happening. At some point, we’re going to have to learn how to cut each other some slack. We need to rediscover empathy, grace, and the ability to see human error for what it is—a part of being alive. Because if we keep dragging people through the mud over every mistake, no one’s going to be left standing.
