Love Donald Trump or hate him, one thing is undeniable: the man is the genuine article. Trump's authenticity stands out as his defining political trait. Voters see him as real, whether they like him or not, unlike typical politicians who depend on carefully crafted personas. Democrats, meanwhile, have turned awkward pandering into an art form, and they're terrible at it.
One of the common examples is when Democrats pretend to be hunters or pro-gun. John Kerry went on a cringeworthy hunting trip in 2004 that fooled no one. Barack Obama once claimed to go skeet shooting regularly to counter the perception he was anti-gun. Tim Walz also claimed to be an avid hunter, and his hunting trip publicity stunt was a disaster. Who can forget the footage of him infamously fumbling around trying to load his gun?
Several Democrats have been caught adopting phony accents to pander to certain crowds; Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Jasmine Crockett come to mind.
Another recurring theme in the Democrats’ ongoing effort to pander is cooking. How many Democrats have posted videos on social media of themselves cooking in their homes as if they really do it all the time? The only thing those videos ever accomplished was that they really like gas stoves, even though they think everyone else shouldn’t be allowed to have them. Even worse is the backyard grilling theatre. The most unforgettable example was in 2024, when Sen. Chuck Schumer drew ridicule for a blatantly staged backyard grilling photo in which he posed as a regular guy flipping burgers, cheese placed on the raw meat for the camera.
He eventually deleted the post.
Hey @SenSchumer, why’d you delete this post of you putting cheese on a raw burger? pic.twitter.com/HtMvKbyW9E
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 17, 2024
Now, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger joins this long line of Democrats attempting awkward photo-ops at outdoor grills to appeal to everyday voters. It didn’t turn out well, as it looked like she was grilling flayed rodents.
Democrats need to stop doing these “hey look, I’m just like you” photo ops.
— Eric Matheny 🎙️ (@ericmmatheny) February 13, 2026
This might be worse than Chuck Schumer’s cheese on a raw hamburger. pic.twitter.com/37CT65iHAj
I think we can all give Trump credit for not pulling that kind of crap. In fact, he clearly hates it.
I believe a huge part of what helped Trump win in 2016 was his authenticity, which contrasted sharply with Hillary Clinton’s undeniable phoniness. In fact, the media seemed to hate it when he wouldn’t do things for show. After winning the election, the media was scandalized by Trump’s decision not to get a White House dog.
But Trump never caved. “I wouldn't mind having one, honestly, but I don't have any time,” he said. “How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn? I don't feel it. It feels a little phony to me."
Trump recognized that getting a dog just for appearances would be fake, so he didn't do it. Compare that to Democrats strapping on hunting gear they've never worn or standing by grills they clearly don't know how to operate. Trump is who he is. He doesn't pretend to be someone he's not.
Believe me, sometimes, Trump’s authenticity makes me nervous. He often says things he shouldn’t. But it’s still better than pretending to be someone he’s not. Democrats haven’t figured this out yet.
