The Washington Post faced immediate backlash Thursday after publishing an op-ed attacking President Trump — written by a self-described “professional clown.” The editorial, penned by Tim Cunningham, board president of Clowns Without Borders, criticizes political commentators for labeling Trump and his Cabinet as “clowns,” calling the term an insult to the “sacred art” of clowning.
Headlined “I’m a clown. Donald Trump is not one of us,” the piece features Cunningham wearing a red nose, surrounded by floating bubbles. The author insists clowning is an ancient and revered art form practiced by Indigenous cultures and professional entertainers. Cunningham writes, “Clown demands years, if not a lifetime, of study,” and concludes by urging readers to find “a better metaphor to despise and depose fascism,” implying the Trump administration is authoritarian.
The editorial was quickly mocked across social media and conservative circles, with many questioning the Post’s editorial judgment and credibility. Critics pointed to the irony of the Post choosing a literal clown to opine on politics just months after its owner, Jeff Bezos, pledged to restore the paper’s integrity.
Bezos, who purchased the paper in 2013, had written an op-ed shortly before the 2024 election warning of declining public trust in media. “While I do not and will not push my personal interest,” he wrote, “I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance… Now more than ever the world needs a credible, trusted, independent voice.”
The clown op-ed appears to defy that mission. Instead of featuring qualified experts or grounded policy analysts, the Post published a piece equating the Trump administration with fascism through the lens of a performance artist. The result: further erosion of trust in legacy media and another example of partisan editorial choices overshadowing journalistic standards.
