Satire writers have had an interesting time since the 2016 election. While shows like Saturday Night Live did well by portraying actual events in Washington with a minor spin, others struggled trying to top reality.
Even individuals are having difficulty sharing satirical humor online. New York Times bestselling author Dan Lyons found that out when he tried to post a seemingly outrageous fake quote about President Donald Trump and 9/11 on Twitter attributed to Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan.
Along with a photo of Jordan, Lyons posted:
"GOP rallies around Trump 9/11 role. 'While Obama and Biden were cowering in fear on Air Force 1, Mr. Trump was on the ground with first responders searching for survivors and pulling people to safety,' Jim Jordan says. 'I remember seeing him on TV, running toward the danger.'"
The problem?
Everyone believed Jordan was such a sycophant—especially after recent performances in congressional hearings—the quote sounded like something he might say. People called out Jordan for his comment.
The comment he didn't make. The fake quote Dan Lyons made up to call out the GOP as putting party—or President—before country or rule of law.
Adding to the confusion was the fact it wouldn't be the first time a conservative blamed Obama for things that happened before he was President.
@realdanlyons Calendars are hard. 😳— Jules Morgan (@Jules Morgan) 1564497812.0
@realdanlyons I mean, this is right up there with "was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"— Jeff Tiedrich (@Jeff Tiedrich) 1564494385.0
@realdanlyons @Jim_Jordan didn’t see the doctor running towards young boys crotches tho.— MJ (@MJ) 1564455350.0
@realdanlyons OK someone needs to tell him that Bush was president and he just kept reading a story book to childre… https://t.co/VMV8OeCChF— Lauren Robertson (@Lauren Robertson) 1564456699.0
@realdanlyons George Bush2 was President on 9/11/01. Gym Jordan has problems with his memory.— Heather Ciavotto (@Heather Ciavotto) 1564498501.0
Although some people did get the joke.
@realdanlyons I'm just glad President Bush took the time to stop and pick up Obama, and Biden on 9/11. It's crazy O… https://t.co/TvWBmWWOKN— Michael ͮ ͑ ͮⓋ ͮ ͑ ͮ (@Michael ͮ ͑ ͮⓋ ͮ ͑ ͮ) 1564500728.0
But even they pointed out it wasn't extreme enough to not be a real GOP quote.
@OklaIndependent @realdanlyons And sadly believable!— Dianne D (@Dianne D) 1564489742.0
@realdanlyons We've come to a point where this could actually be believable. The Republicans have all lost their damn minds.— We're Not Going Back (@We're Not Going Back) 1564496340.0
@realdanlyons Is this the Conservative version of the "Onion."— David Weissman (@David Weissman) 1564494498.0
@realdanlyons Is this parody or satire? Nobody could really be that stupid....could they?— Mark Schurdevin (@Mark Schurdevin) 1564496477.0
Or raised other questions.
@realdanlyons @ps9714 Aside from the obvious ridiculousness re: Obama, do you actually think tRump has ever...run ? Ever...?🍟🍔🏃🏼♂️— J.b.M. (@J.b.M.) 1564482985.0
It's a brave new world. Make sure you mark your satire appropriately.
If you're looking for the real deal, verifiable quotes with mostly unverified claims, the book Sh*t Trump Says: MAGA Edition is available here.